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EXCLUSIVE

Michael Irvin Ezekiel Elliott Is a 'Ratings Baby' ... Media Exploiting Scandal

It was Terrell Owens, Tim Tebow ... and now, Ezekiel Elliott is the "ratings baby" the media is glomming on to ... so says Michael Irvin.

You know what he's talking about -- when a story becomes such a big deal, news outlets will streeeeetch in a shameless way for an angle involving the media topic everyone cares about.

This time, Irvin says, the media knows Zeke's scandal is a magnet for viewers ... and he's seen some networks reach new lows trying to exploit the running back's issues for a ratings pop.

Irvin says the whole thing is a sad situation and he's praying for everyone -- both Zeke and his accuser.

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