Chiefs Kingdom was at the forefront of criticism from the Kansas City Chiefs over the weekend when linebacker Anthony Hitchens and safety Tyrann Mathieu bashed the “toxic” fan base on Instagram.
Tyrann Mathieu and Anthony Hitchens both dissed the Chiefs fan base in an Instagram comment recently.😯 #Chiefs #ChiefsKingdom
This is obviously a bad look for both players, as fans are the catalyst that help pay for everything in the NFL, including the players’ salaries. If the fans no longer have an interest in the NFL, then they would be jobless. That’s why head coach Andy Reid addressed his team in regards to their interactions with fans on social media after Hitchens and Mathieu went viral for their comments.
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Reid: We’ve Got to do a Better Job
Here’s what Reid said during his press conference on Saturday, October 30, when asked if he had addressed the team in regards to how they interact with fans on social media.
“These are emotional guys that love being Chiefs. They take a lot of pride in it and they take pride in each other,” Reid said. “They protect each other, they do that whole thing. I do tell them that’s a dangerous area, though. We make that very clear. You’re really just talking to one guy, but now you’re talking to the whole world. So, we’ve got to do a better job with that in this case. I think Tyrann (Mathieu) just told you that. That’s how we address them prior to it, during training camp. We try to educate them on that. That’s a tough deal though, as you know, in this day and age. I’m not real big on the whole thing, period.”
Mathieu Addresses Comments
This is back-to-back weeks in which Mathieu has made headlines due to his interactions with fans. In Week 7 after losing to the Titans, he was accused of making derogatory comments towards Tennessee fans as he made his way to the locker room. However, Mathieu was adamant on Twitter that he did not make those comments.
After his most recent comments on social media went viral, Mathieu admitted he made a mistake.
“In regards to the comment that sort of went viral, obviously, the was a mistake on my part,” Mathieu explained to the media on Saturday, October 30. “I haven’t had the season I’ve wanted to have. I think as a team, we could say the same. You know, frustration tends to build up. Obviously, people that really know me, teammates, people that I deal with in the community, even fans that I happen to come across at the gas station, I think all of these people can see me being a genuine person. Obviously, I shouldn’t have used those choices of words. I think I’m man enough to admit that and really own that. So, just looking forward to playing better, doing better and I think most importantly, not being a distraction to my team.”
Mathieu — who is in a contract year with the Chiefs — was asked if the frustrations he’s dealt with personally and as a team this season has changed his outlook on what will happen next offseason once he becomes a free agent.
“No, not at all. Listen, I’ve been through worse things in my life,” Mathieu said. “As a professional athlete, I’ve had harder moments than being 3-4. With the aspirations of playing in the Super Bowl, so I wanted us to use that card. Like I said earlier, I think it’s just more so frustration with the moment. Once again, I think people that really know me, people that communicate with me directly, like they know I’m all in on Kansas City. I’m all in on my teammates. I try my best to be all in with the community. So, I don’t think I can paint a clearer picture of I want to be here.”
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Andy Reid Sounds off on Chiefs Players’ Social Media Usage