Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib still really hates Oakland Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree’s chain.
How else to explain how Talib grabbed the chain shortly after the game began Sunday, setting off fisticuffs that resulted in the ejection of both players (as well as Raiders guard Gabe Jackson, who made contact with an official)?
It was a surreal scene in Oakland, with Marshawn Lynch escorting Talib off the field because that’s how opponents have to enter and exit the field at the Raiders’ old stadium.
As for the bad blood, it dates back to New Year’s Day, when Talib broke Crabtree’s chain and then laughed about it.
Talib explained then that he felt he just had to take the chain in the regular season finale.
“He has just been wearing that gold chain all year; it’s just been growing on me,” Talib said. “I said if he wears that chain in front of me, I’m going to snatch it off. He wore it in front of me, so I had to snatch it off. He started crying to the ref. He didn’t say nothing to me, though.”
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Talib was not given a penalty for that incident, although Mike Pereira, a Fox Sports analyst and former head of NFL officiating, tweeted that he should have been flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. Pereira added that he thought jewelry should be banned during NFL games, as it is in college.
Crabtree later called Talib a “fake tough guy” and said he made a “business decision” by not mixing it up. “It’s like football thugs,” he said. “It’s like snatching chains in front of the police and running.”
Crabtree missed the game between the two teams in October because of a chest injury.
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