Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall said Friday that his back-and-forth on Twitter with a Detroit Lions fan about staging a boxing match for $25,000 is an opportunity to raise money to combat bullying, Michael C. Wright of ESPN Chicago reports..
"Why not? It's Twitter," Marshall said when he asked why he engaged the fan. "That's what social networking is for: engagement with other people. It's an opportunity.
"See what you guys don't understand, where you see challenges, I see opportunities. When you read my social network, it says thought-provoker. That's what it is. What's the big deal? Why do y'all care? Why do y'all care? Why do y'all care? It is entertaining, so why is it a big deal? It's entertaining. It's fun."
Apparently general manager Phil Emery didn't feel the same way. When Marshall bumped into Emery in a hallway at the team's facilities on Friday, the receiver divulged the general manager told him, "Read your contract."
Bears coach Marc Trestman, who was informed of the situation minutes before his Friday press conference, said, "The No. 1 thing is that it will be addressed. That's No. 1."
"I've said this many times in here: We're in a new world of social media. We talk to our guys about it. We don't police everything that they do. We ask them to take a deep breath before they press that send button," Trestman said. "Hopefully they make decisions that are in the best interest of their team. But we're not perfect, none of us are."
The Twitter exchange took place Thursday when the Lions fan reminded Marshall of his comment last November when he referred to the Lions as "little brother" of the Chicago Bears. The fan also insulted Marshall's mother, resulting in the receiver challenging the Lions fan to a boxing match.
Marshall confirmed Friday the challenge was real.
