The Philadelphia Eagles fan, who went viral during the playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, is speaking out after he was banned from the stadium and fired from his job as a result of being abusive to a female Packers fan.
“While attending an NFL game last Sunday to support my beloved Philadelphia Eagles, an incident occurred that I deeply regret,” Eagles fan Ryan Caldwell said in a statement to 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, Eagles fans, the Philadelphia Eagles, the City of Philadelphia, and all 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 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.”
Caldwell was banned by the Eagles from Lincoln Financial Field, after he was filmed calling a female Packers fan “an ugly dumb (expletive)” in the stands.
His employer, BCT Partners, a New Jersey management consulting firm, announced he had been fired.
“We, the management of BCT partners, have concluded the internal personnel investigation regarding an employee who was caught on a video outside of the workplace making highly offensive and misogynistic statements,” the statement read. “In keeping with our company values, which are firmly centered on respect, dignity, and inclusion, we have decided to part company with the employee. This separation is effective immediately.
“We condemn our former employee’s conduct in the strongest possible terms,” the statement continued. “This individual’s conduct and language were vile, disgusting, unacceptable and horrific and have no place in our workplace and society. Such conduct is not who we are and not what we stand for.”
