Osi Umenyiora's excuse for the skipped media session that saw him hit with a $20,000 fine has been cast into doubt after it emerged he voiced his dislike of the press just 24 hours earlier.
The New York Giants defensive end was fined immediately by the NFL when he failed to turn up for a compulsory round of interviews at the team's Indianapolis hotel on Wednesday morning.
Umenyiora issued a full apology on Thursday, claiming he had not realized his attendance was required and that he instead chose to spend the time with his family.
"I chose to hang out with my family," Umenyiora said. "I didn't know it was a mandatory media session, simply because we had Media Day on Tuesday. I didn't know it was Media Day every day.
"We hadn't practiced, we hadn't done anything. I didn't really know there was anything that needed to be talked about between Tuesday and Wednesday. It was a mistake. A big mistake, but a mistake nonetheless."
However, some doubts regarding Umenyiora's story began to spring up when some of his comments from Tuesday's Media Day were revealed. As the Giants' session was ending, with just a handful of reporters in attendance, he insisted he does not enjoy the whole public relations circus at the Super Bowl.
"Nobody wants to be out here doing these things," Umenyiora said. "But at the end of the day the reason why we are where we are is because of the fans and because of the media, honestly. We have to respect that and give them everything we have.
"I would rather just play football. I would much rather just do that, I don't like talking to you guys anyway."
Umenyiora is an odd case. A deeply thoughtful and intelligent man, when he does choose to speak to the media his insights are often though-provoking and impressive.
Earlier this week he told ThePostGame.com how the meaning of his full name, Ositadimma, was a source of inspiration to him in his football career.
Ositadimma translates as "if from today things take a turn for the best, may it continue forever," in the Igbo language spoken by his Nigerian-born parents.
"It is a pretty cool meaning and a pretty cool quote," he said. "When you look at how things have gone in my career you could say that it is significant.
"When the big days of my career have arrived, I like to think that I have stood up tall and been counted and put myself out there as a winner. It is just a name, but for me it is something more, it is something to be proud of and live up to. I expect to do that on Sunday."
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