This week Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe was on an Atlanta radio station and again denied the comments about "importing" women that were attributed to him in an ESPN the Magazine feature.
"No [my teammates don't give me a hard time] because now they are finding out that it definitely wasn't me," Bowe said. "But I took that like a man. People that really know the Dwayne Bowe that clowns but on a serious note won't let anything out of the locker room that is not supposed to be out."
Since Bowe brought the issue back up, we reached out to ESPN the Magazine editor-in-chief Gary Belsky to request a copy of the audio to put this matter behind us once and for all.
ESPN declined to send the audio and their statement to us explains why:
"As we have said, we will happily allow Mr. Bowe the chance to listen to our recording of his interview, in the event he forgot that he made these comments. He has not asked to do so.
"Despite his persistence in denying having made these comments--unfairly damaging the reputation of one of our best writers--we have consistently avoided releasing the audio from his interview to spare him and others further embarrassment, specifically because on the recording he offers more lurid details than we published and because he named several teammates as having participated in the off-hours activity in question.
"We do not know why Mr. Bowe persists in denying having made the comments, but out of respect for him, his teammates and the Chiefs we will maintain our position, which we think is the honorable choice. We believe The Magazines' reputation for honesty and integrity speaks for itself."
I think this is further evidence that it would be in everyone's best interest if Bowe just didn't do any more interviews.