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Philadelphia Eagles fan Ryan Caldwell addressed his behavior during the team’s playoff game against the Packers on Sunday, when he was seen on video berating a Packers fan sitting near him with vulgar insults.
Caldwell was fired from his job as 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 unprovoked” and that the viral video “does not show the full context” of what happened.
“While attending an NFL game this past Sunday in support of 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 escalated into something more serious, and I said things that were unacceptable. In the heat of the moment, I chose merciless words to address one of the fans, Ms. Ally Keller.
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“I want to sincerely apologize to Ms. Keller for these words, as well as to my wife, my family and friends, my former employer and colleagues, Packers fans, Eagle fans, Eagles Philadelphia, the city of Philadelphia and all those who were offended. That said, there are two sides to every story.
“The video clip 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 am certainly paying the price personally. 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 viral video was filmed by Keller’s fiancé, Alexander Basara, and quickly spread 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 mockery from sports fans on social media.
“Okay, that excuse may be acceptable from a random drunk dude who wandered around the stadium that day. But someone whose job was to be inclusive? Hahahahahaha They are now at the looking for a job, and they are going to have a hard time finding said job,” the user wrote.
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Another X user “loved” seeing the consequences that 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 was fired from his job at BCT Partners due to the altercation he had with a Packers fan during last week’s game, which was broadcast all over the Internet .This is not social justice, this is SOCIAL MEDIA JUSTICE,” the user wrote.
An 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 game against the Green Bay Packers at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on January 12, 2025. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
“And Eagles fans are wondering why everyone hates them and their team. This is not an isolated incident for someone showing up there to support an opposing team. Things like this happen all weather there,” the user wrote.
Conservative filmmaker Matt Walsh even weighed in on the controversy.
“A few things here. 1) The Eagles fan is a stupid trashy moron. 2) Don’t take your fiance to a game in Philly wearing the opposing team’s jersey. You’re asking for something like this to happen. 3) You can’t let a man talk to your wife like that. You’re going to 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.
The franchise’s former home, Veterans Stadium, had a courthouse and jail cells on site to deal with fans breaking 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 to the San Francisco 49ers in November 1997, a fan fired a flare gun into the crowd. Several fights broke out between fans during the game and team owner Jeffrie Lurie addressed the incident.
“While we believe we have made significant progress in recent years regarding fan behavior at Veterans Stadium, what we witnessed last Monday was undoubtedly 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.
