Jason Kelce generated quite the buzz on Saturday when cameras captured the former Philadelphia Eagles center spiking the cellphone of a fan who appeared to use a homophobic slur to describe his brother.
But while most of the reaction to Kelce’s cellphone smash has been supportive of the now-ESPN analyst — typically something along the lines of “the fan got what he deserved” — not everybody has agreed with his actions.
“Kelce has to realize that his profile is bigger than it ever was as a player,” PHLY Sports’ Jon Marks wrote on X on Saturday. “He’s making big $$$ across [multiple] platforms and his brother might marry the biggest pop star ever. He can’t be spiking people’s phones. He needs security to deal with this shit.”
Obviously, Marks’ social media post wasn’t a defense of the fan — who appeared to yell, “Kelce how does it feel that your brother is a f****t for dating Taylor Swift?” prior to the altercation — but rather a comment about the seven-time Pro Bowl selection’s fame. Given his celebrity status, the reality is that Kelce is always going to attract plenty of attention and not all of his interactions are going to be positive ones — especially in an environment like Penn State’s campus on a college football gameday.
Does that mean that anybody should be able to say anything they want to him without consequence? Of course not. And it goes without saying that there should be no place for hateful and homophobic language. Nevertheless, there’s always going to be a few idiots, which is one reason why so many celebrities do travel with security, especially in highly populated areas like the one Kelce was in on Saturday.
As an “every man,” the idea of Kelce traveling with security would seemingly run counter to nearly every aspect that’s made him a celebrity in the first place. But considering his level of worldwide fame, the reality is it may also be necessary, which is what Marks appeared to be getting at.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.