On Wednesday, New York Giants right tackle Evan Neal threw a wildly unexpected curveball when he uncharacteristically took aim at fans.
Neal completely ripped into those who pay his salary, calling the Big Blue faithful ignorant sheep and useless hot dog flippers.
“Why would a lion concern himself with the opinion of a sheep?” Neal told NJ Advance Media. “The person that’s commenting on my performance, what does he do? Flip hot dogs and hamburgers somewhere?
“That just further shows that people are fair-weather. A lot of fans are bandwagoners. I mean, I get it: They want to see us perform well. And I respect all of that. But no one wants us to perform well more than we do. And how can you say you’re really a fan when we’re out there battling our (expletive) off — and the game wasn’t going well — but the best you can do is boo your home team? So how much of a fan are you, really?”
Neal went on to criticize the intelligence of fans and media members alike, suggesting they can’t possibly understand the game of football in the same way the players do.
The reactions to Neal’s comments were swift and harsh.
WFAN co-host Don La Greca was among the first to respond to Neal, shaming him for insulting the very people who pay his salary. Other Giants content creators and fans also took to social media with their own retorts — some far more vulgar and angry than others.
It didn’t take long for Neal to realize the error of his ways as he released an apology on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“I am wrong for lashing out at the fans who are just as passionate and frustrated as I am,” Neal wrote. “I let my frustrations in my play and desire to win get the best of me. I had no right to make light of anyone’s job and I deeply regret the things I said.
“We are working day in and day out to grow as a team and this was an unnecessary distraction. I apologize.”
Truth be told, Neal’s apology is likely genuine. There’s little doubt he regrets his comments and the resentment they created. Despite his struggles, he’s been nothing but a class act since arriving in New Jersey and this was highly out of character for him.
Still, it’s hard to put the manure back in the horse once it’s lying in a pile on the ground. Some will accept Neal’s apology and others won’t. That’s just something he’ll have to live with now.
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