The most notable event at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis wasn’t the record-setting 40-yard dash, but rather the confrontation between Jordan Schultz and Ian Rapoport at a Starbucks in a hotel lobby. This incident reportedly arose from their conflicting reports concerning the Las Vegas Raiders’ pursuit of Matthew Stafford.
Schultz recently spoke about the incident without diving into particulars. He did, however, acknowledge the now-famous photo of their exchange, captured by Awful Announcing, featuring him smiling while engaging with the NFL Network reporter, with the Starbucks logo prominently displayed in the background. Rapoport later shared his perspective on the situation during the Awful Announcing Podcast.
“It was all ridiculous. Again, I’m not blind to the world,” Rapoport stated to host Brandon Contes. “Looking back, I’d say it was a bit amusing. I was part of it, I guess? I was just standing there, but it was sort of funny, and people really enjoyed it. I mean, witnessing something like that unfold in front of 50 reporters, I’ve never seen news spread so swiftly.” He added, “Freaking [Mike] Florio had the whole thing, including what [Schultz] said to me, two hours later — ridiculous. Now, as a professional gossip, I respect it. It was all amusing… The crazy thing is, I didn’t do anything. I literally just stood there while someone screamed in my face. That’s not something that happens often.”
This, of course, relates to the infamous Uber stock allegation that surfaced, claiming that Rapoport accused Schultz of offering sources Uber stock — yes, Uber stock — in exchange for scoops. Rapoport remarked, “I didn’t know people gave that to players. I had no idea. It was weird. I had nothing to do with it. I stood there while someone yelled at me, turned around, and left. It did get a lot of publicity, though. But then it’s like, ‘Go back to work,’ you know?”
Despite Schultz appearing all smiles in the photo, Rapoport noted that their interaction was not friendly. “The son of the former Starbucks CEO came in hot at a Starbucks, of all places,” Rapoport explained. “I don’t hardly know him. We’ve interacted a little bit. He DM’d me a ton when he was just getting started or whatever, but we haven’t had much interaction. I wouldn’t say it was friendly… We all compete hard. It’s our living, for those of us who do it professionally. We work hard, but it’s not personal. That was the strange part for me.”
The bottom line is that everything Florio reported in his exclusive for Pro Football Talk was accurate. “He said something about giving Uber or Starbucks stock to players or something like that,” Rapoport recalled. “I was like, ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ It all happened pretty quickly. I literally stood there. I was like, ‘What?’ And then, because he was right in my face, I asked, ‘Could you back up, please?’ and he screamed more, stated the remainder of what Florio wrote, and then I left.”
There wasn’t much more to it. Listen to the full episode of the Awful Announcing Podcast featuring Ian Rapoport beginning Friday, March 21. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. For more content, subscribe to AA’s YouTube page.
