Ryan Caldwell, the Philadelphia Eagles fan caught on camera dishing out some shocking abuse to a female Green Bay Packers supporter, has addressed his uncouth behavior in an apologetic yet defiant statement.
Caldwell was heard calling Ally Keller an “ugly, dumb c**t” during the Packers-Eagles Wild Card game on Sunday in footage recorded by her boyfriend, Alex Basara.
Basara tried to defend his partner by asking the upset Caldwell to stop, but he was told to “shut the f**k up” after being asked whether he was going to do anything about it.
Ryan Caldwell has since been banned from all Eagles home games and future events at Lincoln Financial Field. He has also been fired from the DEI-focused company, where he was a consultant.
Caldwell fan has made a statement in which he apologizes to Keller, but he has also made some bold claims. The foul-mouthed Eagles fan has insisted that the video did not show the entire context while stating that he is a respectful person and the clip is not representative of who he really is.
“While attending an NFL game last Sunday to support my beloved Philadelphia Eagles, an incident occurred that I deeply regret,” he told the New York Post.
“What began as banter with two Packers fans sitting near me escalated to 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.
“I want to sincerely apologize to Ms. Keller for those words, and to my wife, family, and friends, my former employer and colleagues, Packer fans, Eagle fans, the Philadelphia Eagles, the City of Philadelphia, and all who were offended.”
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
Ryan Caldwell Suggests He Was Provoked
Caldwell also implied that his actions were provoked, claiming he’s the one paying the price for what happened, and there’s another side to the story.
“That said, there are two sides to every story,” he added. “The video clip circulating online does not reflect the full context of what transpired, and my actions were not without provocation. I will live with this experience, and I am certainly paying a personal price. For those who don’t know me, this incident does not reflect my values or the respect I have for others and is not indicative of the person I am.”
The video of Caldwell’s verbal abuse of Keller has done little to change the perception fans around the NFL have of Philly supporters. Many of them have since come out and shared their own experiences, noting that such behavior is typical in the City of Brotherly Love.
As for the Eagles, they cruised to a 22-10 win over Green Bay and will play the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round over the weekend.
