Sports
‘You Didn’t Deserve This’: Michael Irvin Faces Heartbreaking Diagnosis From Wife Stuck By His Side Due To Cocaine Addiction And Stripper
On June 17, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin invited Mavs fans to return and have a good time Father’s Day with him at Playmakers88, his latest sports bar outside Dallas. It was there that he announced the heartbreaking news that his wife, Sandy Harrell, had early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Irvin revealed to the general public that his wife of just about forty years had been battling the disease for over five years. The 58-year-old sometimes has difficulty walking and talking. Currently, he requires 24-hour care and a everlasting caregiver.
Despite the health crisis, Irvin said he’s committed to keeping Sandy in the house he has known and loved for years.
“If anyone deserves the right to stay in her house, MY WIFE DOES!!!” Irvin said star telegram from Fort Worth. “I’ll honor that. No matter what it takes.
Irvin’s decision to carry on to his sick wife comes from a desire to repay her for all of the times she could have abandoned him previously.
In 2007, Irvin was inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fameand nearly 20 minutes after his speech, he focused on his wife, who was accompanied by their two sons, Michael, 10, and Elijah, 8, and their daughter, Chelsea.
“It’s easy to live in the belief that things are ‘for the better,’ but it’s rare to find someone who stays and endures ‘for the worse,’” Irvin said. “Sandy, my beautiful wife, I actually have worked tirelessly, my love, to offer you ‘for higher’, but I actually have also given you ‘for worse.’ And you didn’t deserve it.
He added: “Thank you from a spot that I am unable to even mention, that I am unable to even express, my love, for keeping our family together. I like you a lot.”
Michael and Sandy Irvin were married on June 23, 1990, two years after Irvin was chosen in the primary round of the draft by the Dallas Cowboys. During his profession as a Cowboys player, Irvin found himself in many various situations controversiesafter he allegedly stabbed his teammate offensive lineman Everett McIver within the neck with scissors until, in 1996, he was caught in a hotel room with 10.3 grams of cocaine, sex toys and two strippers.
After being released from prison, Irvin needed to face Sandy. Prepared and able to do damage control, she stopped him and told him she was going to stay by his side.
“I already heard from God,” Sandy told her husband, based on Bell. “I’m your wife. You must go and make peace with God.
Irvin recalled being surprised by Sandy’s response. “She put the fight between me and her where I thought, ‘Oh, I have a chance to convince her and confuse her,’” he said, “and he or she put the fight between me and God where there isn’t a victory for me. It was actually really good.
Unfortunately, things got even worse when Irvin retired in 1999.
In 2000, Irvin was arrested on suspicion of possession of ecstasy pills and marijuana. Then in 2001 he was arrested again on charges of illegal possession of cocaine. In 2005, the previous NFL star was arrested again, this time on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia. The latest arrest resulted in a transient suspension of his Sunday and Monday “Countdown” shows on ESPN.
Irvin, who claimed he could “change addictions,” liked women as much as drugs.
“If I was with two women, I would want four. When I had four, I wanted to have six,” he told The Ringer in 2017. “It got out of control. I look back and think, “Thank God I got caught.” Thank God they caught me when I did it.”
It was clear Irvin had an issue. His substance abuse problems became so obvious that Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter, who played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1990 to 2001, allegedly suggested that Sandy should leave her husband. At least that is what Irvin thinks.
He told ESPN’s Dan Le Batard: “Even though I like Cris to death… I do not know what 12 months it was, we played within the Pro Bowl. He told my wife – he told my wife – you already know, Michael would never recover from this problem unless you left him.
The Hall of Famer revealed that it was the primary time he had opened up publicly about Carter’s betrayal. “I kept it for years. I never shared it with anyone,” he said. “I was very annoyed with Cris because he didn’t behave as planned at the time. His ass is out of place now. He is excluded. Z.Linia.”
Carter also struggled with addiction for a while and certain had pure intentions. But despite the fact that Irvin didn’t appreciate his actions, the previous Dallas winger never brought it as much as his former buddy.
“I never confronted him about it because I know, just because he said it doesn’t make it real and it wouldn’t be my reality in this situation,” Irvin said.
And he was right. This wasn’t his reality. Sandy continued to cling to her husband’s side. In 2015, in the course of the funeral of a loved one, Irvin took to social media to thank Sandy for saving his life.
“Thanks to this woman (sic!) I’m blissful with the services in my place and never THE program ITSELF! Thank you God for this WIFE! God bless you,” he wrote.
Thank you to those women. I’m blissful with the services of my place, not this system ITSELF! Thank you God for this WIFE! God bless pic.twitter.com/MGrInnb2cS
— Michael Irvin (@michaelirvin88) July 26, 2015
In 2023, Irvin raised eyebrows when he was suddenly undressed all of his on-air duties on the NFL Network within the week leading as much as the Super Bowl. The network decided to remove Irvin from its Super Bowl coverage after a hotel worker raised concerns about an interaction she had with him within the lobby of a Phoenix hotel.
While details of the interaction weren’t immediately clear, within the legal filing, the lady claims she was accosted by Irvin, who “appeared to be visibly intoxicated” and have become “aggressive” towards her. Irvin, who had just returned from dinner and drinks with former Cowboys guard Michael Brooks, maintains that he spoke to the lady within the hotel lobby briefly, not than a minute, and that the one physical contact between them was a handshake.
“I don’t really remember that conversation, to be honest. We went out for a drink,” he said. “It was just a friendly conversation. ‘What’s up?’ I do not even know. …I am completely perplexed.”
Irvin was accused of sexual misconduct and subsequently faraway from ESPN and the NFL Network. His upcoming guest appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” with Stephen A Smith has also been canceled.
Despite the intense accusations against her husband, Sandy remained by his side.
Irvin steadfastly maintained that he had done nothing fallacious. Witnesses got here to Irvin’s defense, and Irvin’s lawyers released surveillance footage showing that the person only shook the lady’s hand and touched her arm twice.
On Tuesday, a recording of Michael Irvin and his sexual harassment accuser was finally published, showing that the previous NFL star only had a fairly long conversation with the lady. pic.twitter.com/3VH2K5v9Wh
— Shannonnn Sharpes Burner (PARODY account) (@shannonsharpeee) March 14, 2023
At the press conference, Irvin expressed gratitude for the presence of witnesses corroborating his story and that he was never left alone together with his accuser.
“It would be a moment that I would spend alone and I know that no one would listen to what I said,” an emotional Irvin said.
Irvin responded by filing a $100 million lawsuit against Marriott, the owner of the Renaissance Hotel where the incident occurred, and 6 hotel employees (including his accuser) for defamation and tortious interference with business relations.
The parties reached a settlement in September 2023. The terms of the settlement weren’t made public.
“Michael Irvin’s wife was tired of him being hit with allegations or legal problems every three years” – User X he wrote.
And although Sandy never publicly shared her personal thoughts, she still stuck by her husband, and within the face of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, the Hall of Famer intends to repay his loyalty.
While opening the restaurant, Irvin shared a touching story about how he would stop at nothing to offer his wife what she wanted – even chicken wings.
“When I’m working — and she’s very picky — and I’m on the road, she always calls me and says, ‘Honey, I’m hungry,’” Irvin said. “I’m literally on the show. During breaks, I might call and say, “My wife just called, bring her some chicken home.”
He added: “From here she would only eat wings. No other wings.
Irvin asked fans to wish for his family during this difficult time.
The 2025 Basketball Africa League season will feature a brand new venue for the finals and playoffs and will also start at a brand new location.
The BAL 2025 Playoffs and Finals, scheduled for June 14, 2025, will happen at the recent home in Pretoria, South Africa. This will be the first time the BAL playoffs and finals haven’t been held in Kigali, Rwanda. The BAL 2025 season will also debut in a brand new location in Rabat, Morocco on April 5, 2025. During the BAL 2025 season, 12 of the best club teams from 12 African countries will play 48 matches in Rabat, Kigali and Dakar, Senegal, before traveling to Pretoria for play- offs.
“Over the first four seasons of BAL, we have seen tremendous growth in on-court competition, attendance and engagement from fans and partners in Africa and around the world,” BAL president Amadou Gallo Fall said in a press release. “Our groundbreaking fifth season will build on this momentum and continue to showcase the level of talent and passion for basketball in Africa, including through the first BAL games in Morocco and the first BAL Finals in South Africa.”
The 12 teams will be divided again into three conferences of 4 teams each. The group stage of the Kalahari Conference will happen from April 5 to 13, 2025 in Rabat. The group stage of the Sahara Conference will be held in Dakar from April 26 to May 4, 2025. The group stage of the Nile Conference will be held in Kigali from May 17 to 25, 2025. Eight teams from the three conferences will qualify for the play-offs in Pretoria, which will start on June 6 and end with the BAL 2025 finals.
“The Kalahari conference marks another expansion of BAL into a new country on our continent and we are more than satisfied,” FIBA Africa president Anibal Manave said in a press release. “The competition continues to grow each year, providing greater exposure for our sport and helping to raise the level of basketball in Africa, making the league increasingly competitive.”
National champions from Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia routinely qualify for the BAL. The remaining five teams are from FIBA Africa’s Road to the BAL qualifying tournaments.
In the 2024 BAL season, Petro de Luanda of Angola became the first team from Sub-Saharan Africa to win the championship. According to BAL, the 2024 BAL season reached fans in 214 countries and territories in 17 languages, set an attendance record of greater than 120,000 fans in the 4 host countries and generated greater than 1.2 billion views across the NBA and BAL social media channels.
NFL Hall of Fame receiver and podcast host Terrell Owens has signed with a talent agency to further strengthen his claims within the entertainment game.
According to , Owens was signed by SMAC Entertainment, headed by host and NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and his business partner Constance Schwartz-Morini.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz has also joined SMAC Entertainment.
“We are excited to add TO and Jordan to the SMAC family. They are both at the top of their game and set the standard in their industry,” Schwartz-Morini said in a written statement. “TO and Jordan have already brought an infectious energy to our team, and we are excited to help them realize their vision for careers in media, business and branding.”
A five-time first-team All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler, Owens played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. In 2018, he was finally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
A member of the 2000 NFL All-Decade Team, Owens finished his profession with 1,078 catches for 15,934 yards, 14.8 yards per catch and 153 touchdowns, rating third all-time in receiving yards and touchdowns.
Since retiring from skilled soccer in 2012, Owens has already made several moves. He has appeared in several movies and tv shows, including “,” and in addition had his own reality show, “, on VH1.
He currently co-hosts the podcast with former NFL player and sports analyst Shannon Sharpe.
SMAC Entertainment is home to stars similar to rapper and actor Common, Wiz Khalifa, Strahan, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and current NFL players similar to Stefon Diggs and DK Metcalf.
Sports
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker brings an NBA championship desire with his Olympic experience
The gold medal went to the USA Basketball team. Mission completed on the 2024 Paris Games. U.S. men’s basketball coach Steve Kerr just answered his final query during his final news conference on Aug. 10 after his team defeated France within the gold medal game.
However, before leaving the stage of the press conference in Paris, Kerr stopped to deliver an unsolicited message to media around the globe.
“Devin Booker is an amazing basketball player. Nobody asked about him. He was our unsung MVP. I just desired to say that,” Kerr said.
The “underrated MVP” compliment meant so much to the Phoenix Suns guard.
“It meant everything. No one really asked him,” Booker recently told Andscape. “That was probably something that was weighing on his mind throughout the entire process. A 12 months ago I said what I desired to do for this team and what we desired to do for the country.
“It was a lot larger than all of us. Survival was something we’d discuss for the remainder of our lives.
The USA Basketball team was centered around NBA star icons LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. There has also been some discussion amongst media and fans in regards to the lack of playing time for Jayson Tatum and, to a lesser extent, Tyrese Haliburton. Lost within the shuffle was the all-around, unselfish play of sharpshooter Booker wearing the armband.
Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images
Booker was fourth in scoring for the U.S., averaging 11.7 points, 3.3 assists and a couple of.2 three-pointers made early in all six Olympics, and likewise had the perfect plus/minus (plus-130) for an American. Kerr was impressed with Booker’s deal with a difficult defense, regardless that he is thought for his offense, ball movement and the way he has adjusted to not being one in every of the highest options on offense.
“I just understood what was at stake,” Booker said. “I’m proud to be from this country. I’m happy with playing basketball. Even though it wasn’t invented in America, we dominated for a very long time. Obviously the world is incredibly talented and the sport is growing, however it was just one other message to allow them to know who we’re.
Booker said he also learned in regards to the preparations from his all-star team, watching the preparations on and off the court. The 28-year-old added that he gained lifelong friendships.
“It’s cool to see that everyone has their own issues,” Booker said. “In my 10 years in the NBA, I’ve learned that you have to choose what you can use for yourself. But the level of detail, the attention to detail, the intensity – it’s all consistent across the board.”
As for Durant, Booker said the bond between the 2 Sun stars “is close and grows stronger every day.” They live about five minutes from one another within the Phoenix area and commonly spend time at home and on the road. Most recently, Booker had to steer the Suns without Durant, who was sidelined with an injury.
The amazing Durant averaged 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and three.4 assists, which were tops for the Suns. However, the 14-time NBA All-Star has been sidelined since November 8 with a left calf strain. Suns players Bradley Beal (calf) and Jusuf Nurkic (ankle) were also sidelined. The Suns are 1-5 without Durant, which incorporates 4 straight losses.
Booker and Suns sans Durant’s next rivals shall be the New York Knicks on Wednesday evening (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET). Over the last six games, Booker is averaging 24.1 points, shooting 43.2% from the sphere and making 16 of 43 three-pointers. Suns guard Tyus Jones said there was numerous pressure on Booker offensively due to the injury.
“We’re asking a lot of Book,” Jones said after Monday’s 109-99 loss to the visiting Orlando Magic. “It’s numerous pressure for him. We are very focused on it. They are physical with him, holding him and grabbing him, throwing two or three bodies at him all night long. So he’s got so much on his plate and we just need to proceed to seek out ways to get him open within the moments we will and proceed to assist him when other players are taking shots and making plays.
Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
Booker currently has two Olympic gold medals, 4 NBA All-Star appearances and one NBA Finals appearance. The only thing missing from the Suns’ second-leading all-time scorer is an NBA championship. Since the Suns joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1968, they’ve yet to win a title.
After experiencing the joys of winning a gold medal, Booker as an NBA champion wants the gold Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy much more.
“Most of the guys that were there did it,” Booker said of his Olympic teammates who were NBA champions. “They were champions. This is standard for them. Anything lower than that, they need nothing to do with it. It’s contagious…
“That’s all I want. That’s all I want.”
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