Raiders reward Pats fan taunted by fan for his restraint
The Raiders are offering a Patriots fan who was relentlessly taunted at the conclusion of Sunday’s game at Allegiant Stadium an all-expenses-paid return trip to Las Vegas.
A video posted to Twitter by user @BabzOnTheMic shows a woman in a Raiders jersey verbally abusing a Patriots fan in the stands moments after Chandler Jones’ improbable walk-off touchdown in the Raiders’ 30-24 victory.
The 48-second-long video shows the woman repeatedly getting in the face of a fan in a Tom Brady Pats jersey, at times screaming at him. At one point a man holds the woman back after she got into the fan’s personal space, only for her to continue her antics shortly after.
A man named Jerry Edmond identified himself as the fan in the video, viewed 7.5 million times as of Thursday morning.
The Raiders didn’t want Edmond’s only experience at Allegiant Stadium to be marred by an unruly fan. The organization reached out to Edmond and offered him a trip back to Las Vegas where he can choose the event of his liking, including the Pro Bowl, a concert or another game. The team and Edmond will figure out when and what event he will attend when they reconnect after Christmas.
The team will fly Edmond to Las Vegas and put him up in a hotel for his return trip.
Edmond posted a brief explanation of what occurred after an outpouring of support from other Twitter users, hailing him for the restraint he showed during the incident.
“I’d like to thank everyone for all the kind words,” Edmond said on Twitter under the username Duggie490. “That was my first-ever NFL game. I didn’t want to ruin my experience by retaliating towards that women (sp), so I kept my cool.”
Attempts to reach Edmond for further comment on Thursday were not successful.
Raiders President Sandra Douglass Morgan also sent Edmond a message via Twitter.
“On behalf of the Raiders, we appreciate the way you conducted yourself,” Morgan said in a tweet. “No fan should have to endure that type of behavior. We will be in touch.”
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.
— Sandra Douglass Morgan (@SDMraiders1) December 21, 2022
The rewards for Edmond didn’t stop with the Raiders, as others also stepped in and are honoring him for his restraint.
Secondary ticket marketplace TickPick responded to Edmond via Twitter, offering him tickets to another game.
Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft called Edmond Wednesday night to invite him to the team’s game Saturday versus the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The team noted Edmond accepted Kraft’s offer. He will also receive from the Patriots a custom jersey and pregame field passes to watch the teams warm up.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.
