The Pomp And Joe Show
Why wasn't there a bigger security presence near Metcalf and the fan?
23 Dec 2025
Chapter 1: What incident involving DK Metcalf is the focus of this episode?
All right, DK Metcalf, the story of the day. As we await for a ruling from, I guess, Roger Goodell on whether this two-game suspension that DK and his reps have appealed will be upheld, reduced, canceled altogether? We'll see. This was Mike Tomlin in his news conference today on, you know, various questions about DK and the suspension.
And Tomlin said right from the start he wanted to be very careful about it because he knows that there are legal ramifications now that the fan, Ryan Kennedy, I believe is the name, Sean? Yes, I believe that's correct.
Has retained representation here and come out and said he didn't say the things he was accused of saying, not by Metcalf himself, but via podcasts from James Harrison and Chad Johnson, formerly Chad Ochocinco.
Chapter 2: What legal implications are associated with DK Metcalf's actions?
So now they're wrapped up in this story in a big way. This was Tomlin. I imagine you talked with DK Metcalf. Did he explain in your conversation what caused him to go over cost of in and why did he do it? He did explain to me why he did what he did. And I certainly don't condone the behavior, but I support DK. And I really don't have a lot to add. other than what I just told you.
I think he has a hearing this afternoon, an appeals hearing, and I certainly don't want to weigh in prior to that, and certainly I've heard more recently that there might be legal ramifications, and so I better be careful about what I say and how I say it. I'm sure you guys got a lot of questions.
I understand that, but that's just the posture I'm in as I sit here today with so many components of this thing yet to be resolved. Mike, I usual situation, but does the team have any protocols to sort of prevent or to monitor, make sure players don't kind of go over there and have that sort of interaction? Exactly. So is that a yes or a no? Do you have protocols or not?
We certainly may, but I might not be privy to it because my eyes and attention is what's going on on the field. But we have a top-notch security group, etc.
Chapter 3: How did Mike Tomlin respond to questions about DK Metcalf's behavior?
Everybody in the National Football League does. It's not only from an organization's perspective, but it's a global component to it as well. From a football perspective, what do you lose if DK is not available specifically this week? One man's misfortune is another man's opportunity. All right. There's a lot here.
And if you want to weigh in 412-928-9370, I'll circle back to where I started today, which was there's not a whole ton of precedent for this. There's no comparison to Lamar Jackson because Lamar Jackson, the fan initiated physical contact, reached over the railing at a game in Buffalo and aggressively pushed Lamar Jackson's head forward.
And Jackson pushed the fan back and the league didn't do a thing to Lamar and suspended the fan until further notice from games. The league absolutely did the right thing there. You as a fan have no right to enter the arena, even if it's just with your hands and arms to push somebody that's entering the arena. You have no right to do that.
And if you do that, a player has a right, I think, and it seems like the NFL thinks, to basically respond in kind physically. So that comparison just doesn't work because that was the fan initiating physical contact and confrontation. And this one, it was Metcalf who initiated it and ended it. The jackass with the blue wig didn't do anything physically.
I think he was clearly there to goad Metcalf into doing something, and I guess he got his wish. And he seems like a pretty sad, pathetic excuse for a human being, I think. You would agree with that, Sean? Yeah, I cannot in any way relate to what goes through some people's minds when they do stuff like that.
Having said that, I'm with Tomlin and others when he says I don't condone the behavior from Metcalf. Tomlin saying it's part of our world that we live in. And this isn't him saying it. This is me interpreting it. Idiots are going to talk. The more apt comparison is Shaq Lawson from the Bills two years ago. In Philly, defensive end.
Him and his teammates later saying that a fan was using, you know, threatening language to the players and their families. And they went over, a bunch of them went over to confront the fan. Shaq Lawson pushed the fan very clearly on video. Absolutely nothing happened to him. Not one penny of a fine.
So if I'm DK and his people at that appeals hearing, which for all I know is happening right now, did he say later this afternoon? I don't know. I'm going there armed with that video saying, here's what this guy did two years ago because somebody was shouting stuff at him. He pushed a fan and you didn't even give him a five cent fine. You're suspending me for two games. That's what I would say.
So a lot of things can be true. Don't condone the behavior from Metcalf. The fan was there to goad him. And the NFL is totally ignoring recent precedent here by suspending him for two games. It should be one game or a hefty fine, maybe just a hefty fine on this. And where was security? What were they doing? It's almost like they were just standing there watching.
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Chapter 4: What protocols exist for player-fan interactions during games?
He was really, he was like, to the point I never see him get angry. He was like hot. He was really disappointed that something like this could happen in an NFL stadium to the point where they weren't there saying, stop right now. You know, even grabbing the player before, you know, DK had a chance to even get to the player.
He was just really shocked at the whole, the whole thing from start to finish. Interesting, and I don't blame him because that absolutely stood out. It really did. And then a guy came along in a red security T-shirt who just was basically an observer.
He seemed to be looking right at a situation where a player grabbed a fan and took a punch or a swipe, whatever you want to call it, at the fan, and he just watched it. So that's true, but that, again, doesn't, as Mike Tomlin said, condone the behavior. Tomlin saying, I certainly don't condone the behavior. I support DK.
It's going to be really fascinating to see where this goes because now this guy has retained representation, says he's being harassed because of these ā accusations being made against him and what he said. And the only place that I've seen that these accusations are coming from are from James Harrison and Chad Ochocinco, Chad Johnson. That's the only two places I've seen.
And they both said they talked to Metcalf. Did Metcalf want them to speak for him and go public? Are there...
recountings totally 100 accurate man they suddenly become involved in this right you would have to think if he told those guys and i'm assuming they do like weekly podcasts is that i mean just about every player former players on some sort of podcast now yeah if metcalf is telling those guys specifically he had to have known at some point they're going to probably out there yeah probably
Probably, and that could become a problem unless it's proven somehow. But aside from that, we're going to get, or may be involved in that, but I think aside from that, the league's going to come down with a ruling here.
And again, for the hundredth time, if I'm Metcalf and his reps, I'm simply saying, you didn't do anything to a player who pushed a fan two years ago who was getting verbally assaulted, but you're going to suspend me for two games? What are you doing? Where's the precedent for this? We'll take one more, Sean. All right. We will go to Donald. Hey, Donald. Hello. How are you? Love the show.
Love the show. Thank you, sir. What's up? I just called in to make a comment on the Metcalf situation. First of all, he really shouldn't have did what he did, no matter what the situation is. He took his time to go over to the fan and There's fans everywhere in the stadium screaming, yelling, saying things they shouldn't say.
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Chapter 5: What comparisons are made between DK Metcalf's situation and past incidents?
Sure it will. But we had Miles Garrett, and I believe that's who it was, and Rudolph, saying that he called him a name. Later on, it come out he didn't say that. Right. That's separate from the fact that this should just be, you know, something you just blow off and don't pay attention to.
If something like that is said, I'm not sure that I would have as easy a time as you apparently would just completely ignoring it. And having said that. I certainly am with Tomlin. You just, you can't do it. I mean, imagine if there were in-game ramifications or imagine if this was a playoff game and he got suspended for a game.
And again, I know it's a long shot, but if it comes down to that final game against Baltimore to see who wins the division, not having, and what did we say all season when the Steelers didn't address their number two receiver? If they lose Metcalf for an extended period of time, It's going to be the most significant loss of maybe anyone on the whole team.
I feel a little bit better about that now than I did then, but it would still be a significant. I'm pretty sure he's going to get one game. Wouldn't you think? I don't think they would go from two down to zero. They would at least keep it at one game. Fan Twitter brought to you by South Hills Kia, Peters Township. Visit them at SouthHillsKia.net.
Fan text line brought to you by Edgar Snyder and Associates, a personal injury law firm, where they always say there's never a fee unless we get money for you. Listen to the Poppin' Joe Show on demand on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts. So we'll take a couple more calls. This is my last day until Friday when myself and intern Dom will be in for the afternoon, guys.
How about that? That's going to be something. That's going to be gigantic. Do you know who's filling in for you tomorrow, by the way? Who? Josh Roundtree. He's good. Yes. He's real good. Taking a day away from the golf course. Yeah. No relation to former NBA player Dan Roundtree. Remember him? I'm not sure that. They might be. I've seen him play basketball before. They could be related.
And we have some other things to wrap up, including the Penguins with some big games ahead. Tomlin was great on Derek Harmon and even greater on Miles Garrett. We'll talk about that coming up as well. Fan Hotline presented by Sullivan Super Service, Pittsburgh's trusted plumbing and HVAC provider for over 50 years.
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