Patrick Causey, on Twitter @PhillySportsJD
DeSean Jackson has a new reality show on BET called "DeSean Jackson Home Team." You'll be forgiven if you somehow missed the premier episode Tuesday night.
In the opening scene of the show, Jackson said "I was at the top of the top. And then I got released. … It was a smear campaign. Things media said about me, I bet you could say that about the majority of people in the NFL. I got a second chance to play in the NFL and I'm proving I'm one of the best receivers in the game."
Jackson elaborated: "When I was released by the Eagles, I feel they tried to paint a picture that definitely wasn't true. It was a slap in the face, coming off one of my best seasons in the NFL."
He told his friends that "The Eagles tried to blow me up. That's cold how they did it."
One of Jackson's colleagues attributed this to the Eagles trying to "persecute [Jackson] from where you come from, bro." Jackson, of course, agreed "That's why I think they fired me. Have I went to jail? I ain't done none of that."
Never one to lack confidence, Jackson claimed to be the best receiver in the NFL: "I had an awesome year and I'm going to have another awesome year. End of the day, I play football at a high level so I don't care too less anything about nothing. Go look up the No. 1 receiver in the NFL. I'm the No. 1 receiver. So I'm not getting caught up. I know what I can do."
Jackson also claimed he was a "killer" of his NFC East rivals: "I don't care too much about the Cowboys. I'm called a Cowboy killer. They call me the Cowboy killer. I'm a Giants killer, I'm a Cowboys killer, now I'm an Eagles killer, too."
So if we are keeping track, Jackson believes that the Eagles released him because of where he grew up and tried to "blow him up" by engaging in a smear campaign tying him to things that weren't true. He also believes he is the best receiver in the NFL despite never having led the NFL in receptions, yards or touchdowns in his career.
There are dangers for certain athletes to give cameras unbridled access into their lives. They lose the canned answers they are taught by their team's public relations department, and start letting you know how they truly feel.
Sometimes, it's genuine and welcomed. I for one grow tired of hearing the same answers in every press conference after a game. But sometimes, you understand why NFL teams are so paranoid about controlling the message.
They hear people like Jackson talk on a daily basis, know what kind of ridiculous conspiracy theories to which he ascribes, and the type of distraction it could create if those statements were given airtime.
Something tells me the Washington Redskins are going to quickly regret agreeing to allow Jackson do this reality show. Although something also tells me it won't be on the air much longer, so they might not have to worry.
