Oct 15, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson (90) before a game New York Giants at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: New York Giants at Buffalo Bills
(Philadelphia, PA) – Football is an emotional game.
Fights and scuffles sometimes break out on the field, and there are penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct that attempt to keep things between the lines. But sometimes, those disagreements spill over onto the sideline, or the locker room – even teammates have been known to beef in this fashion.
But one thing that is a major no-no is players getting into physical scuffles with fans. And even verbal disputes can raise eyebrows when it comes to paying customers and the players that provide the product. On Sunday, as the Buffalo Bills lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in OT – in frustrating fashion, having blown an earlier lead – emotions boiled over.
Video posted to Instagram showed a fan at Lincoln Financial Field showing that “City of Brotherly Love” charm and hollering at Bills players while gesturing. While the fan was downright thrilled with the result and his Eagles’ ongoing success, Buffalo defensemen Shaq Lawson and Jordan Phillips were less pleased. At one point, a verbal back and forth erupted between the fan and both players – with Lawson appeared to shove a member of the assembled fans at one point. This was while the fans were standing along the lowest level of the stands, and Lawson was on the field itself.
Statements have since been issued statements. On his private Instagram page, Lawson wrote: “Those of you who know me know that I’m all about the fans, and I have a lot of respect for the game I play and my opponents. Before the game started yesterday, there was a fan behind our bench, who was making life threatening remarks towards us and our families. We asked Philadelphia security to remove the fan, but he was allowed to stay for the entire game. Eventually, our emotions boiled over, and I made a mistake. For that, I apologize, but there are certain lines that should not be crossed.”
Phillips’ statement was shorter: “I love the crowd I love rowdy fans it makes the game fun. But one thing I’m not going to tolerate is someone threatening me or my family. This is a line that shouldn’t be crossed.”
Of course, many would agree threats against someone’s family is a serious issue. That said, fans will say a lot of things in the heat of the moment. Bills head coach Sean McDermott says he was made aware of the incident after the game. On Monday, he commented: “Obviously, a very unfortunate situation. I was brought into the loop (about) the incident that took place during the game. It’s unfortunate that that would go on during a game, in particular. What I’m aware of is that people were asked to have the fan removed and nothing was done. So at the end of the day, that’s not for us to concern ourselves with at this point. It’s just unfortunate overall that that would be taking place during a game.”
