The USFL kicked off this past weekend, and while we expected some unique storylines from the reincarnated league, the “Pizza-Gate” incident involving the Pittsburgh Maulers was not one of them.
A few weeks before the start of the season, the USFL released a “United By Football” documentary to provide fans with an early look at the league.
But one of the segments has become a headache for the league and fodder for Twitter.
The clip featured an interaction between Pittsburgh Maulers head coach Kirby Wilson and running back De’Veon Smith.
Wilson informed viewers that Smith had “crossed the line. So we had to deal with it.”
It almost felt like a prank, like Smith’s mother was going to pop out and tell him that he made the team.
Instead, Smith found out that coach Wilson was cutting him for being disrespectful.
“Unfortunately, the cost of doing business, I’m going to have to let you go,” said Wilson to Smith.
Viewers tried to figure out how Smith disrespected the team, as no examples had been discussed. Smith even offered to explain what happened but coach Wilson declined.
“It’s not important,” said Wilson.
And then it dropped.
Apparently, they cut Smith because the running back was disrespectful over a choice in food.
Smith explained that he didn’t eat chicken salad, and asked for a slice of pizza from an employee. They responded “no” and asked Smith if that would be a problem. Smith said he respectfully responded “yes”. He even swore on his Dad’s life that he hadn’t been disrespectful.
Yet the damage had been done and so Smith was gone from the Maulers.
Over a slice of pizza.
But the story didn’t end there, for social media got a hold of it and ran wild.
The blowback got so bad that the team issued a statement about the situation on Monday.
According to the statement:
“Much of the context was left out in this moment. Smith had violated three team rules in a 24-hour span, and in this particular incident, disrespected a cafeteria worker, which wasn’t captured on camera.”
But Smith didn’t go quietly.
After the team’s statement, he unleashed a flurry of responses.
Smith defended his character and response, and others came to his defense.
“See now y’all playing with my character and who I am as a man.” tweeted Smith in another response.
If this situation wasn’t so bizarre and embarrassing, it would be funny.
The USFL video team aired a segment apparently with no context which made Kirby Wilson look petty and insecure. What happened during the editing process?
Wilson and the Maulers claim Smith was disrespectful to the staff. They also say that Smith reached out to coach Wilson and asked to be reinstated. Smith replied that they were lying and defaming his character.
The worst part of it all is that it apparently revolved around a request for a slice of pizza.
Neither Wilson nor the other staff members in the room said anything else, nor did Wilson initially even want to hear Smith’s defense.
This all after the coach dapped him up before eventually cutting him.
Who daps a player they feel has been so disrespectful that he needed to be cut?
This is a bizarre incident that we feel isn’t over yet.
Hopefully, Smith, a 27-year-old undrafted player out of Michigan who spent time on NFL practice squads and with XFL and Alliance of American Football teams, catches on with another team.
And if that team plays the Maulers, we can guarantee that everyone will be watching to see how Smith responds to his former coach.
But if this really revolved around a food choice, it’s the saddest, pettiest pro sports story we can recall.
