Golden Tate did his best to deflect questions about his rumored altercation with former teammate Percy Harvin in the wake of the Detroit Lions' win on Sunday. Eventually he was forced to address it.
Golden Tate denies being punched by Percy Harvin
Tate called rumors of Harvin punching him last season before the Super Bowl “all a lie.”
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
“I didn’t get punched in the face. That’s all a lie,” he told Jeff Riger of CBS Detroit.
Tate's refutation comes after Harvin's surprise trade from the Seahawks to the Jets initiated a flurry of reports alleging Harvin's tumultuous relationship with teammates in Seattle. The most prominent of those reports claimed Harvin and Tate got into a fight the day before the Super Bowl last season. Lance Zierlein of Sports Talk 790 reported that Harvin punched Tate.
Tate denied the punch, but didn't specify that there was no altercation. After all, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that it was not a punch, but a body slam that Harvin delivered to Tate. Former Seahawk Michael Robinson confirmed the fight, claiming he helped break it up.
Percy Harvin trade
Prior to denying the punch, Tate tried to downplay the rumors.
“It’s always drama and people need something to talk about,” he told MLive.com. “It’s unfortunate what people are having to deal with who weren’t involved. But it is what it is and, like I said, that has nothing to do with the Detroit Lions at this point. It’s not going to help us win, so why talk about it?”
It makes sense that Tate would rather talk about on-the-field performance instead of off-the-field rumors. On Sunday, he caught 10 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown in Detroit’s win over New Orleans. With Calvin Johnson battling injuries, Tate is the team’s leading receiver, with 48 receptions for 649 yards on the year.
See More:
