Late in last night’s ugly loss to the Titans, Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill was visibly upset. The video shows him not yelling at coach Mike McDaniel, but yelling closely enough behind McDaniel so that McDaniel could hear it.
After the game, McDaniel fielded a question from reporters about Hill’s demonstration. Hill did not.
Hill didn’t meet with reporters at all. Per the team, Hill often leaves the locker room before it’s open to the media. That’s what happened last night.
Of course, that doesn’t make the situation not a violation of the league’s access policy. All players are required to talk to reporters after each game.
The Dolphins aren’t the first team to take the heat out of a hot kitchen, accidentally or otherwise. As legend has it, the 49ers often made sure Jerry Rice would be out of the locker room after games when they feared his frustrations might cause him to say something that would cause problems for the team. If the media doesn’t complain about it, the situation usually gets overlooked.
Who knows what Hill would have said last night? He and/or the team were smart enough to make sure he didn’t have a chance to unload.
It’s still a violation of the access policy. Media and fans should have heard from him after the game. In lieu of having the coach speculate on Hill’s feelings, Hill should have addressed them himself.
The league requires it of all players, after all games. There’s no “I’m too upset to talk” exception. And there’s definitely no “I took a fast shower” exception.