During his playing days, Hugh Douglas always seemed like a personable guy. Well, not on the gridiron where he accumulated 54.5 sacks in six seasons with the Eagles, 80 total for his 10-year career. Off the field, in front of cameras at least, Hugh was usually candid, at times jovial.
Off camera is a bit of a different story apparently. Douglas once famously nearly got into a physical altercation with Terrell Owens in 2005, when Owens was deep into his prima donna phase, and Hugh was serving in the Birds’ front office as something called a “Good-Will Ambassador.”
Old habits die hard. Douglas has since moved out of the NFL and into a television job for ESPN. You may have seen him on a show called Numbers Never Lie, which he typically co-hosts along with Michael Smith. Well, he did co-host it with Smith anyway. The two were not getting along so well over the weekend, and according to The Big Lead, nearly came to blows in fact. Here are the details.
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Douglas and Smith, both in Orlando for the National Association of Black Journalists convention, were attending a Sports Task Force party at the House of Blues when tensions rose and the pair had to be separated, sources said.
Douglas, a former NFL defensive lineman, is 6-foot-2 and more than 280 pounds; Smith, a journalist, is considerably smaller. It is unclear if the altercation got physical, but a source who witnessed most of the skirmish described the dust-up as “very ugly.”
…
One source who was at the party said the verbal barbs were so nasty that “there’s no way” Douglas will be on Numbers Never Lie this week. An ESPN spokesman wouldn’t confirm that.
No word on whether or not Smith took a timeout so he could put shoes on before the actual fight began.
It’s most likely a coincidence Douglas was involved in a fracas with T.O., who was hands-down acting like a huge jerk there for awhile, and another with Smith almost a decade later. The three-time Pro Bowler will only be turning 42 this month though. Hugh in a celebrity boxing match could still be a big draw I bet.
>> Douglas and Smith Nearly Came to Blows [USA Today]