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The Los Angeles Rams beat the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 and will face the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round. Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Kevin Wildes discuss whether the Rams can beat the Eagles.
Philadelphia Eagles fan Ryan Caldwell addressed his behavior at the team’s playoff game against the Packers on Sunday, when he was seen on video berating a Packers fan who sat near him with vulgar insults.
Caldwell was fired from his job as a project manager at BCT Partners after a video of his insults went viral. He apologized but also defended himself, insisting that his actions “were not without provocation” and that the viral video “does not show the full context” of what happened.
“While attending an NFL game last Sunday to support my beloved Philadelphia Eagles, an incident occurred that I deeply regret,” Caldwell said in a statement to the New York Post.
“What started as a joke with two Packers fans sitting near me turned into something more serious and I said things that were unacceptable. In the heat of the moment, I chose unforgiving words to address one of the fans, Ms. Ally Keller.
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“I want to sincerely apologize to Ms. Keller for those words, and to my wife, my family and friends, my former employer and my colleagues, Packer fans, Eagles fans, the Philadelphia Eagles, the city of Philadelphia and everyone who was offended. That said, every story has two sides.
“The video circulating on the Internet does not reflect the full context of what happened and my actions were not without provocation. I will live through this experience and I am certainly paying a personal price. For those who do not know me, this incident does not reflect my values nor the respect I have for others and is not indicative of the person I am.
The viral video was filmed by Keller’s fiance, Alexander Basara, and spread quickly across the Internet in the days following the Eagles’ 22-10 victory.
Caldwell’s apology and news of his firing sparked a wave of celebration and ridicule from sports fans on social media.
“Okay, that excuse might be fine for some random drunk guy who walked into the stadium that day. But someone whose job it was to be inclusive? Hahahahaha. Now they’re looking for a job and they’re going to have a hard time getting one.” said job,” the user wrote.
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Another X user “loved” seeing the fallout that has happened to Caldwell in recent days.
“I love how Ryan Caldwell, the Philly Eagles fan who abused a woman for no reason, had his life ‘turned upside down,'” the user wrote. “I 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 his job at BCT Partners due to the altercation he had with a Packers fan at last week’s game, which has been replaying on the Internet. This is not social justice, it is JUSTICE ON SOCIAL NETWORKS,” the user wrote.
One X user wrote that Caldwell’s behavior is not an isolated incident and that similar language often comes out of the mouths of Eagles fans.
Philadelphia Eagles fans during an NFC wild card game against the Green Bay Packers at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on January 12, 2025. (Images by Eric Hartline-Imagn)
“And Eagles fans are wondering why everyone hates them and their team. This isn’t an isolated incident when someone shows up there to support an opposing team. Things like this happen all the time there,” the user wrote .
Conservative filmmaker Matt Walsh even weighed in on the controversy.
“Some things here. 1) The Eagles fan is a stupid sleazy bully. 2) Don’t take your fiancé to a game in Philly wearing the opposing team’s jersey. You’re asking for something like this to happen. 3) You “You can’t let a man talk to your wife like that. You’re going to have to live with that shame for the rest of your life,” Walsh wrote in X.
Eagles fans have a long history of unruly behavior.
The franchise’s former home, Veterans Stadium, had a judicial court and cells to deal with fans who broke the law.
Philadelphia Eagles fans celebrate after a play during the second half of the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Tennessee Titans at Lincoln Financial Field on December 4, 2022 in Philadelphia. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
During a loss against the San Francisco 49ers in November 1997, a fan fired a flare gun into the crowd. Multiple fights broke out between fans at the game and team owner Jeffrie Lurie addressed the incident.
“While we feel we have made significant progress in recent years regarding fan conduct 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.
