Ian Rapoport has made a name for himself in the NFL and analysts alike. He is one of the most trusted sources teams rely on to get timely and accurate news out to the public.
However, the 45-year-old reporter is now facing some major accusations.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport Suddenly Facing Horrible Accusations From Reporter (Breaking)
It has been alleged that NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport spread misleading information about Jordan Schultz over the years:
Tensions between Rapoport and Schultz boiled over at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis earlier this year. Rapoport and Schultz, the son of Starbucks billionaire Howard Schultz, had a confrontation at an Indianapolis coffee shop (coincidentally, Starbucks).
Schultz reportedly “accosted” Rapoport after the two had differing takes on Matthew Stafford encountering Las Vegas Raiders owner Tom Brady at a Montana ski resort.
“Last night when it all broke, everyone in the world texts me wanting to know details,” Rapoport said. “And it was all out there. Florio basically wrote the whole thing, so there’s not much to add. And then I woke up this morning, and everyone in the world has texted me.”
Schultz added: “It really isn’t anything too much. Ian Rapoport and I had a verbal confrontation. It lasted a little over a minute. Multiple agents and reporters were nearby. Rapoport was the one who called security shortly after, but it never escalated further.”
It sounds like things have been boiling over between Rapoport and Schultz for a while, though.
Schultz, who has risen up to one of the top NFL insiders in the game, has certainly used his family connections to help build his career. He’s a workaholic, but he’s friendly with several prominent NFL players, league executives and more. Schultz has hosted NFL players at his home and vacationed with others. He’s broken the Rob Gronkowski retirement story, the Bengals signing Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins story, and more.
A new Washington Post profile on Schultz reveals that the NFL insider believes that Rapoport has been spreading “damaging” rumors about him for a while.
Several of his sources around the league have told him that Rapoport had been bad-mouthing him, accusing him of offering Starbucks stock or Uber stock in exchange for information.
Schultz says that the rumors Rapoport has allegedly been spreading about him are false.
“Ridiculous things of that nature,” Schultz said. “Total blasphemy, dumb, unfounded — and yet very damaging.”
Rapoport, meanwhile, denies the accusations.
“I hadn’t heard that Jordan was accused of offering Uber stock as an incentive for scoops until he was screaming in my face at the now-infamous Starbucks,” Rapoport said in a statement.
Schultz said that he told Rapoport at the NFL Combine to stop.
“You know what you did. And I said, ‘This has got to stop.’ And I was very clear, if you have a problem with me, just talk to me,” he said.
