Vikings tackle Matt Kalil has had a rough season and it got worse on Sunday.
Kalil, who has struggled as a blocker all year, was flagged for three penalties that knocked the team back 35 yards and then blew off reporters waiting to speak to him after the game by telling them that he was on a phone call. Kalil might have been on the same call outside the stadium later when a Vikings fan heckled him for his poor game, causing Kalil to react by knocking the fan’s hat off of his head before walking away from the crowd.
Deadspin has a video of the incident as well as the fan’s responses to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com on Twitter after Goessling asked him to explain what went down.
“We just watched Matt Kalil cost us the game, so when he came out I really didn’t want to see him, so I said to him “where do you want to be traded?” and he was on his phone, and when it finally registered with him what I said he turned and then he told me to “get the (expletive) outta here” and then I said “I’d rather have your brother than you on my team” and then he walked away like he didn’t hear what I said, but then he turned back around and asked me what I said again and then I repeated what I said again and then he proceeded to grab my hat off my head and throw it on the ground and mumble some stuff I didn’t hear, I then threw my program in his face.”
Goessling reports that Kalil apologized for refusing to talk to reporters and said he regretted his actions with the fan, whose Twitter handle is a profane reworking of late Twins great Kirby Puckett’s name. Kalil said he should have just walked away from the fan, which is certainly good advice for any player faced with a heckler even if one can understand the desire to answer back.
