It must have been the shock of their lives for many people who were lined up in front of a Dallas-area Walmart on Thursday night when they saw Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant coming toward them to get for them what they were eagerly waiting for – a PlayStation 4. Although they were originally queued up to earn the distinction of being among the first to lay their hands on the next-generation games console, seeing Bryant at midnight must have definitely taken everyone by a pleasant surprise. And when finally the NFL star got four of them the video game system, besides picking up one for himself, all the people gathered there went crazy. That kind of a publicity must have definitely made the Cowboys receiver feel good, as he hasn’t been successful in building a creditable public image for quite some time now.

Happy Gamers

Filled with excitement, several gamers and NLF fans did not waste time to make use of the social media Twitter to air their views on the experience they had at the Walmart store in North Texas. One tweet read: “Damn, (Dez Bryant) just bought whoever was in line at Walmart in Dallas a PS4”, while another enthused twitter user wrote: “So my friend was at (Walmart) for a PS4 and Dez Bryant walked in and bought one for her and four other people.” Each and every message must have made the 25-year-old Bryant happy, for it must have been for almost the first time that the popular footballer is coming across such a terrific online reception. There was another loyal fan who gave vent to his feelings when he said: “Respect (Dez Bryant) !! But we don’t hear about positive stories like this about him or other media proclaimed ‘divas’.”

Publicity Exercise

Ever since Bryant made his entry into the national league in 2010, he has been receiving brickbats for his on-field behavior that very much affected his public image. Notwithstanding the fact that he was the consensus best receiver in the 2010 NFL Draft, Bryant has been finding it hard to keep his image intact in the public eye. Bryant came under sharp criticism recently when he reportedly screamed at his colleagues soon after the Cowboys’ Week 6 defeat at the hands of the Detroit Lions. However, video clippings that were made available later showed the Cowboys receiver only attempting to impress upon his teammates to stage a comeback.

Taking into account all that happened in the past, the PlayStation 4 purchasing exercise enacted by Bryant seems to be more of an image-building exercise. And, much to his amusement, the public stunt seems to have caught on well with his fans and gamers across the country. After all, Bryant knows getting four PS4, which were offered on retail sale at $399 each, is a good deal, provided that’s going to help enhance his image. In the process, there are also many others who believe that the Cowboys receiver has come forward to serve a good cause!