IRVING, Texas -- Dez Bryant didnt mind picking up the US$54,896 dinner tab for his teammates. Jason Pierre-Paul Youth Jersey . Hes OK with being teased about it. Apologies from the guys who ran up the bill? Not needed, he insists. "It was all in fun," Bryant said. The rookie receiver for the Dallas Cowboys spoke to reporters Thursday for the first time since his rookie dinner became a national topic of discussion, with reactions ranging from laughter to disgust. Most NFL teams have a tradition of a lavish meal paid for by the top draft pick. Rarely, however, does it go to this extreme. The Cowboys went overboard as payback for Bryant violating another rookie tradition, carrying a veterans pads at training camp. Bryant sort of knew it was coming. Still, signing a cheque that big still had to be staggering, even for a guy making $2.8 million this season. "It is funny. It was always funny," Bryant said. "Its what rookies are supposed to do. Some of the older guys apologized. I felt there was no need for them to apologize because it just happened." Asked whether he felt taken advantage of, Bryant said, "No. Not at all." "Its like trying to fit in, basically," he said. "I felt like those are the things you have to do in order to be a part of the team. The older guys helped me understand that everybody goes through it. It happened. Its no big deal. Everythings fine. Everybody is having fun. Thats the great thing about it." Heres further proof of what a good sport Bryant is about all this: Hell be the guest Monday night on linebacker Bradie James radio show, which happens to be held at the steakhouse that hosted the now-infamous feast. Team owner Jerry Jones chalked up this incident as an expensive lesson for the rookie. "Frankly, I think hes handling it very well," Jones said on his radio show this week. "I can tell you right now that would make my eyes water to have a bill like that, and it should. But by the same token, its in the spirit of the same thing that Bill Parcells used to have the No. 1 draft pick bring him his water out there. Its that same type of thing that goes on with a team and the kind of rapport that you want to build on the field." Bryant is getting used to being at the centre of sensational stories. Earlier this year, the Miami Dolphins general manager publicly apologized to Bryant for asking in a pre-draft interview whether his mother was a prostitute. Last fall, he was suspended from Oklahoma State for lying to the NCAA about something within the rules. Despite an outstanding combination of size, speed, moves and good hands, Bryants tendency to draw unwanted attention likely caused him to slide in the draft. The Cowboys nabbed him at No. 24 and Jerry Jones immediately anointed Bryant with jersey No. 88, worn previously by Roger Staubachs favourite target, Drew Pearson, and by Troy Aikmans favourite target, Michael Irvin. Bryant is working his way up Tony Romos list of favourite receivers. He has 14 catches for 158 yards, with a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown. "I feel like we have chemistry," Bryant said. "Hes been a tremendous leader for us, and hes making sure that everybody is on the right page. ... I feel like Im doing good. I came along as far as learning everything. Theres still a lot, but everythings fine." Romo sees progress. "I think Dez being a young guy, every week hes going to continue to get better," Romo said. "Hes still going to make young-player mistakes. You just keep accelerating the learning curve a little bit." Bryant also has dealt with a variety of injuries -- a high ankle sprain that cost him the entire preseason, rib damage during the opener, then hip pain caused when he ran into a cameraman on the sideline during the last game, at Houston a week ago Sunday. He knew he was hurt when he hit the guy, "but at the same time, I didnt want to show my weakness." "I had to keep myself together and get back out there on the field," said Bryant, who finished the game before telling the teams athletic trainers he was hurting. So far, though, the biggest welcome-to-the-NFL hit hes taken came at the steakhouse. "Im guessing that one of these linebackers or these safeties are waiting to get this big hit on me to let me know," he said. "Ill be ready for it." Victor Cruz New York Giants Jersey . The Red Bull driver clocked a best time of one minute 23.315 seconds on Saturday at Catalunya Circuit, bettering his own leading mark from the first day by 1.059 seconds. Jaime Alguersuari of Toro Rosso had the second best time of one minute 23. Hakeem Nicks Super Bowl Jersey . Pelech, originally Calgarys first round selection (26th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, is entering his fourth season of professional hockey. Jason Pierre-Paul Super Bowl Jersey . Balanced urban-rural progress is more crucial than ever to the countrys sustainable development. Related readings: China pledges new efforts to boost rural development China to invest $1. Osi Umenyiora Jersey .m. ET, VERSUS, TSN, RDS). "Jumbo" Joe sat at his locker after the hour-long skate and talked about the approach of Dan Boyle, how tough it is to be up against Blackhawks center Dave Bolland, and what the Sharks need to do differently to get back into the series. Q: Patrick Kane said its strange, but Game 3 is a must-win for the Blackhawks. Super Bowl XLVI Giants Jersey . The No. 16 overall pick of the 2003 entry draft was waived by Florida on Thursday, unclaimed by another team and re-signed with the Panthers the next day. A cyclist navigates his way along frigid streets in Kashgar, in Northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on Monday. Extreme weather appears to have hit China more frequently in recent years. [PhotoXinhua] BEIJING - With examples of extreme weather apparently becoming more common around the world, China is working on legislation to tackle climate change and guarantee the countrys sustainable development. Related readings: Sandstorms to whip north China 7 weather satellites set to launch by 2015 Fighting with the weather Fog shrouds among many cities around China The legislation is at the stage where it is being prepared, assessed and where public opinion is being collected and we hope the draft will be finished by the end of 2011, said Ma Aimin, a divisional director with the department of climate change under the National Development and Reform Commission. Ma, who is in charge of collecting those public opinions, told China Daily on Monday that people can comment between now and Sept 30 by calling 86-10-68505821, faxing 86-10-68505648 or emailing qhs@ndrc.gov.cn. Experts have said the draft climate change law is likely to focus on giving policy guidelines to local authorities to help them draft their future work plans and is unlikely to include specific and detailed actions. Pan Jiahua, executive director of the Research Center for Urban Development and Environment with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told China Daily on Monday that tackling climate change is a general aim that includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting energy saving, exploring sustainable energy, embracing low-carbon lifestyles and more. It is difficult to cover aall of those areas with solid rules of law, but laying out guidelines and aims is what really matters, Pan said. Authentic New England Patriots Jersey. By Monday, Ma and his team had been collecting public comments for 10 days. Ma said people had offered all sorts of opinions on a wide range of topics, including promoting advanced technologies, enhancing public awareness of climate change and low-carbon lifestyles and controlling greenhouse gas emissions. Yang Fuqiang, a climate change and energy expert and former director of global climate solutions at the World Wide Fund for Nature, told China Daily the law will have significant meaning that goes beyond simply guiding policies. Chinas legislation in tackling climate change is showing the world our great attention and efforts in the climate change battle, Yang said. He noted that the law could set mandatory targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and energy saving. With general guides on such things as tax policies and mandatory targets set down in the law, local authorities will then be able to draw up local climate change regulations to suit their own features, Yang said. Under the legislation, governments, companies, organizations and individuals will join the battle to fight climate change, he said. The National Peoples Congress suggested drawing up regulations to tackle climate change in 2009 and the low-carbon economy became one of the top 10 issues in China for the first time in 2010, according to a report released by Renmin University of China in January. The 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) sets goals to cut energy consumption by 16 percent and carbon dioxide emissions by 17 percent per unit of GDP from 2010 levels and slash major pollutant emissions by 8 to 10 percent. ' ' '