The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 and will face the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round. Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Kevin Wilders discuss whether the Rams can beat the Eagles.
Philadelphia Eagles fan Ryan Caldwell spoke out about his behavior during the team's playoff game against the Packers on Sunday, after he was seen on video being vulgar to a Packers fan sitting next to him insult.
Caldwell was fired as a project manager at BCT Partners after a video of his insult went viral. He has apologized but also defended himself, insisting his actions "were not without provocation" and that the viral video "does not show the full context of what happened."
Caldwell said in a statement to the New York Post: "Last Sunday, while attending an NFL game to support my beloved Philadelphia Eagles, an incident occurred that I deeply regret. ”
"What started as a joke with two Packers fans sitting next to me escalated into something more serious and I said something unacceptable. In the heat of the moment, I chose callous words against one of them. fan, Ms. Ellie Keller.
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"I want to sincerely apologize for these words to Ms. Keller, my wife, family and friends, my former employers and co-workers, Packers fans, Eagles fans, the Philadelphia Eagles, the city of Philadelphia, and everyone who was offended. That is Say, there are two sides to every story.
"The video footage circulating online does not reflect the full context of what happened and my actions were not without provocation. I will live with this experience and I will certainly pay a personal price. For those who don't know me, this incident It does not reflect my values or my respect for others, nor does it represent who I am.”
The viral video was filmed by Keller's fiancé Alexander Basara and quickly spread across the Internet in the days following the Eagles' 22-10 win.
Caldwell's apology and news of his firing sparked a wave of celebration and derision from sports fans on social media.
"Well, a random drunk guy walked into the stadium that day, and that excuse might be fine. But, it's one's job to be inclusive? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha they're looking for jobs now and they're going to have a hard time finding jobs. "Talk about employment," the user wrote.
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Another X user "liked" seeing the fallout Caldwell suffered in recent days.
“I absolutely love Ryan Caldwell, the Philadelphia Eagles fan whose life was ‘turned upside down’ when he abused a woman for no apparent reason,” the user wrote. “Hope it gets worse for you, Ryan ”
Another X user described the public response to Caldwell's verbal attack as "social media justice."
“Philadelphia Eagles fan Ryan Caldwell has been fired from BCT Partners following an altercation with a Packers fan at last week’s game that has been circulating on the internet. This isn’t social justice, this is Social media justice,” the user wrote.
An X user wrote that Caldwell's behavior was not an isolated incident, and similar language often comes from the mouths of Eagles fans.
Philadelphia Eagles fans watch the NFC Wild Card Game against the Green Bay Packers at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on January 12, 2025. (Eric Hartline - Image)
"Eagles fans want to know why everyone hates them and their team. This is not an isolated incident for someone to show up there to support the opposing team. Things like this happen all the time out there," the user wrote .
Conservative filmmaker Matt Walsh even weighed in on the controversy.
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"A couple of things here. 1) Eagles fans are stupid trash thugs. 2) Don't bring your fiancé to a game in Philly wearing the opposing team's jersey. You asked for this to happen. 3) You can't let a Men talk to your women like this and you will have to live with this shame for the rest of your life," Walsh wrote on X.
Eagles fans have a long history of unruly behavior.
Veterans Stadium, the team's former home, has an on-site judicial court and jail for dealing with illegal fans.
Philadelphia Eagles fans celebrate after the second half of a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans at Lincoln Financial Field on December 4, 2022. (Scott Teich/Getty Images)
In November 1997, a fan infamously fired a flare gun into the crowd during a loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Several fights broke out between fans during the game, with team owner Jeffrey Lurie speaking out about the incident.
"While we feel we have made significant progress in recent years regarding fan behavior at Veterans Stadium, what we witnessed last Monday was certainly a step backwards," Lurie told reporters at the time.
The Eagles host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday for the right to advance to the NFC Championship Game.
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