According to Bledsoe, Steinberg Fumbled Snap

Buffalo quarterback Drew Bledsoe said he came to Los Angeles “voluntarily” Tuesday, as if everyone in Buffalo at this time of year wouldn’t come voluntarily to Los Angeles if given the chance.

Bledsoe took a seat on the witness stand in Los Angeles federal court, correctly spelled his name and the attorney seemed relieved. I’m guessing Terry Bradshaw might have been one of his previous clients.

Bledsoe was here to detail his falling out with super-agent Jerry Maguire, a.k.a., Leigh Steinberg, but the attorney who called him to town wanted to know how long he has been married, as if he couldn’t have asked that on the way from the airport.

Well, you know how these things go -- you better know if the glove fits before asking someone to try it on -- because right away Bledsoe couldn’t even tell the jury for sure whether he has been married “five or six years,” which had to leave the good citizens on the jury wondering about the strength of his recollection the rest of the morning.

And I don’t know about his fallout with Steinberg, but that should be some kind of chilly discussion with the wife when he gets back to Buffalo, and she wants to know which is it? Five or six years?

*

IN 1993 Bledsoe was the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, and Steinberg was his agent. But now Steinberg is suing his former partner, David Dunn, for $40 million for allegedly swiping most of his clients, including Bledsoe. (From what I can tell, there was no attempt to steal Ryan Leaf.)

The jury is expected to begin deliberations this week, and while Steinberg might get a chunk of money, his reputation as sports agent icon appears lost.

I guess it just depends if you think it’s damaging to your good name if your own clients consider you a drunken fool, a womanizer and a slob.

One of the employees, who broke with Steinberg to follow Dunn, figured Steinberg would not fight to hold the firm together if it meant ruining his reputation in a public forum. “If we wanted to,” wrote Brian Murphy in an internal memo now in evidence, “we could rip apart his marriage, his reputation, and his career.”

*

STEINBERG PRESSED the point, however, and the ripping commenced, capped off by Bledsoe’s appearance in Los Angeles.

Bledsoe dressed in New England blue and, probably wishing he were still playing for the Patriots, began by making eye contact with the jury, earning a smile from three of the four women there. I guess we know who thinks Tom Brady is better.

Dunn’s attorney started asking Bledsoe questions, and when Bledsoe mentioned he had played in three Pro Bowls, the attorney asked, “What’s a Pro Bowl?” This is what happens when you don’t have a pro football team in town.

When the assault on Steinberg’s reputation began, Bledsoe revealed that several years into their relationship, Steinberg talked to Bledsoe only once or twice a year. I might’ve asked Bledsoe why he didn’t call Steinberg more, but Steinberg’s attorney apparently didn’t want to ruin his chances of getting Bledsoe’s autograph.

I blew that in the hallway during a break. Bledsoe was telling someone he was disappointed losing to the Patriots on Sunday, and I told him I was thrilled because Brady was my fantasy team QB. I don’t think he’ll be calling me much this year either.

*

BACK IN court, Bledsoe talked about his wedding reception, an inebriated Steinberg spilling food on himself and family, asking, “Who the hell is that guy?” I thought Steinberg’s attorney would object: “Everyone knows that’s Jerry Maguire,” but he just sat there as if he were listening to Bledsoe call a play.

Bledsoe said Steinberg raided his hotel minibar once, and he seemed bitter about that. I know hotels overcharge for using the minibar and I’m surprised Steinberg’s attorney didn’t explain to the jury why Bledsoe was so upset.

Then Bledsoe said he had to apologize to the wife of a good friend after Steinberg allegedly told this woman he wanted to have sex with her in Bledsoe’s home. I guess it’s all right to be a tattletale.

“Over a period of time I felt my association with Leigh was becoming embarrassing to me,” Bledsoe said in explaining why he jumped to Dunn after Dunn left Steinberg. Dunn then negotiated a contract with New England, which at the time was the largest contract in NFL history.

Now as we have learned from so many trials, there are always two sides to every story, and I know I’d like to know Steinberg’s response to testimony he twice licked the faces of women at social events and told someone “I want to eat your leg.”

More than anything, though, I’d like to know why one of the most successful sports agents of all time lost control of his empire. And if true, himself.

Any time you can give a bad name to agents, you’ve outdone yourself.

I know Jerry Maguire had to start over from rock bottom, but I can’t believe this is the sequel that Steinberg had in mind.

*

IF THE U.S. defeats Costa Rica in soccer tonight in Seattle, the women will play in the Rose Bowl on Saturday night for the Gold Cup, and the last time the U.S. women’s national team won a title in the Rose Bowl, Brandi Chastain tore off her shirt. It will be interesting to see what she does for an encore. OK, so to be honest, it will be interesting to hear what she does for an encore.

*

TODAY’S LAST word comes in e-mail from Niko:

“You always bag on people for not responding to you, but you don’t respond very often to my e-mails.”

*

T.J. Simers can be reached at [email protected].