Last Sunday diehard New England Patriots fan Jerry Edmond showed a great amount of restraint as a female Las Vegas Raiders fan attempted to bait him into an altercation.
What Happened To Jerry Edmond?
The woman was taunting and yelling obscenities at Edmond, and she even bumped him during her antics. The woman appeared obviously drunk and irate. Edmond remarkably never flinched and just acted as if she wasn’t there, keeping his cool, while the person who was standing next to him patted him on the back and assisted in keeping Edmond calm.
Video Of Raiders Fan Yelling At Jerry Edmond
The video of Edmond and the woman went viral, and fans around the league commended him for being so cool, calm and collected.
Someone find me this man. I owe him a beer. Entire game this lady was chirping at him for CHEERING for the Patriots in “her” stadium. Absolute shit ending for NE & she’s up in his face. He stayed calm after seeing the worst loss ever. I know I wouldn’t. He deserves some love. pic.twitter.com/gaKuSv3YqO
— Babz (@BabzOnTheMic) December 21, 2022
Even Patriots owner Bob Kraft got wind of the situation, and he had this to say about Edmond via tweet:
“I tell ya, what you did was so classy, and you represent what our whole franchise is about.”
Bob Kraft Invites Abused Fan To Game
Kraft even invited Edmond to Saturday’s home game versus the Bengals. Kraft had him sit right next to him in the owner’s suite.
Robert Kraft got homeboy in the owner’s suite drinking the good stuff. That’s wassup. The brother deserved it. pic.twitter.com/IY7wcAoZXP
— Robert Littal BSO (@BSO) December 24, 2022
Edmond Explained How He Stayed Calm In The Moment
Unfortunately at every NFL game you can find those type of belligerent and unhinged fans. It can be from indulging in too many libations, or for some who just come looking for drama at its first turn.
While being interviewed by NBC Boston, Edmond revealed how he remained so even-keeled amidst the unnecessary hostility.
“At first, I didn’t fully understand what she was saying, I kind of just brushed it off and let it go. My best bet is just to kind of sit here and ignore you”.
“I was more focused on how we lost that game.”
Edmond was referring to the final play that saw his team throw a lateral which was caught by the Raiders and returned for a game-winning touchdown. He looked to be in shock as the woman berated him continuously.
He also said the fan was upset because every time Raiders quarterback Derek Carr would make a mistake he’d say, “That’s the Derek Carr I know.”
Bob Kraft Did The Right Thing
One of the most recognizable owners in the league, Kraft has always been a guy who has strong relationships with people across various socioeconomic circumstances, and he usually does things the right way. Inviting Edmond to a game is proof of that.
Edmond was also smart to not retaliate, as the already tense situation could have taken on a complete different optic with one party being a Black man, where the story often tends to get misconstrued.
It’s nice to see Kraft finally giving the happy ending for a change —> RT @espn: Robert Kraft gave Jerry Edmond the VIP treatment after his experience with a Raiders fan last week ❤️ 💙
(via @Patriots, @NFLonCBS) pic.twitter.com/HpGbnjQXbL
— REDALERT (@djredalert) December 24, 2022
Raiders president Sandra Douglass Morgan also commended Edmond for his actions.
“On behalf of the Raiders, we appreciate the way you conducted yourself. No fan should have to endure that type of behavior. We will be in touch.”
Edmonds Self Control Is Paying Off
Edmond’s display of self-control also caught the attention of TickPick, who offered him to another game.
“Let us know if there’s another NFL game you want to attend in the future. We got you on tickets.”
Safe to say what was an ugly situation that no fan should ever have to endure has turned out good for Edmond, a lifelong New England Patriots fan.
