National Football League

Simms-Howard exchange turns heated

Published Feb. 5, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Nothing like an old-fashioned celebrity slapfight to spice up Super Bowl weekend.

What should have been a light-hearted autograph signing at a pre-Super Bowl event turned nasty when CBS analyst Phil Simms and ESPN's Desmond Howard had a heated exchange, as reported by Sports by Brooks.

Howard took to Twitter to explain what happened after police reportedly intervened to stop the scuffle

"At NFL-Xperience and Phil Simms just threatened 2 hit me b/c I said his son was 1 of the worse QBs in the SEC. I told him 'LET'S GO!' "

Simms was upset with Howard over comments the "College GameDay" host made regarding Simms' son, Matt, who plays quarterback for Tennessee.

"During the season we talked about the Tenn vs LSU game and I said 'u will see 3 of the worse QBs in the SEC' That's what Phil did not like," Howard tweeted. "It ended w/police stepping in between so I could continue my appearance."

However, Simms -- an ex-Super Bowl winning quarterback with the New York Giants -- had a different view of the events.

"Desmond and I were having a private conversation that became heated. But at no time was there ever a chance of any physical confrontation or that I felt the police officer assigned to me by the event planners for my appearance needed to separate the two of us,' Simms told Brooks in a statement through CBS.

Soon after Simms' remarks went public, Howard released a statement of his own through his employer:

"I was at a public signing for a sponsor when Phil approached me to express anger over on-air analysis I made months ago about his son, Tennessee QB Matt Simms. During the conversation, Phil made a reference to hitting me and security and sponsor representatives soon stepped in.
"It was an unfortunate incident and I'm moving on."