Manish Mehta discusses Nick Folk controversy on Toucher and Rich
One of the most scandalous accusations against Manish Mehta involves current Patriots kicker Nick Folk. The former New York Daily News Jets writer was recently removed from the beat amid numerous accusations of questionable reporting tactics and behavior while covering the team.
Folk, then with the Jets, and his wife Julianne were entangled in one such controversy. According to the Washington Post, Folk told the Jets in 2016 that Mehta threatened his wife with “bad coverage” if she didn’t stop criticizing his stories on Twitter.
Mehta told the Post he never threatened bad coverage, and spoke about the incident in further detail with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher and Rich on Tuesday. It started because of an article Mehta wrote about a Cardinals-Seahawks game, in which he opined that the NFL should get rid of kickers altogether. Julianne Folk took exception to the story.
One of the most scandalous accusations against Manish Mehta involved Patriots kicker Nick Folk. (Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com via USA TODAY)
Mehta categorically denied the accusations of threatening behavior, with Folk and his wife or with anyone else.
“I have nothing bad to say about Nick Folk,” Mehta said. “At no point did I ever threaten Nick Folk or his wife about bad coverage. I don’t do that. My entire career has been built on relationships and trust with people in the NFL, that’s the reason I get information. I don’t get information by threatening anybody and I have never threatened anyone to get information, that’s not how I operate. I operate on mutual trust.
“At no point did I ever say I would write critical things about Nick Folk if his wife continued tweeting defending her husband. That never happened.”
Listen above for the full Manish Mehta interview on Toucher and Rich. T&R airs every weekday from 6-10 a.m. on 98.5 The Sports Hub. Listen to full-hour podcasts here at 985TheSportsHub.com.
