Athletes channel their energy and motivation differently. Some set goals and won't stop until they hit them. Others are personally driven to leave it all out on the field for someone, or someones. But in today's society, social media can also serve as a spark, as Pittsburgh Steelers fans may find out the hard way.
Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh took to X to share a rather blunt assessment of Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson. The former didn't say anything out of the ordinary, nor did he expect his comments to reach the latter, though they did.
Jackson not only caught wind of Fillipponi calling him "at the very least a little overrated," but he also took the time to respond. The two-time MVP appeared to deliver a clear warning to the Pittsburgh-based sports radio personality ahead of a massive Week 14 Steelers-Ravens showdown.
Lamar Jackson issues a thinly-veiled warning to Pittsburgh pundit ahead of Steelers-Ravens clash
"Sayless," Jackson said in reaction to the original post, followed by a rolling on the floor laughing emoji. "[You] know this [what the haters] wait for," prefaced by a shushing face icon, he also replied to a graphic about his early-season, pre-injury dominance.
A seemingly persistent Fillipponi didn't stop there; he's ostensibly done the opposite after getting Jackson's attention. The Pittsburgh pundit continued to rub salt in the wound, setting the Steelers up to reap what he's sowing.
Fillipponi shared a screenshot of his initial remark and Jackson's counter with a caption that reads as follows:
"UPDATE: Lamar Jackson is down BAD. He's responding to very fair tweets by me criticizing his awful play. He tells me to sayless. Hey Lamar how about you playbetter. I’m living rent free in the struggling MVP’s heard. This is great news for Steelers."
Grammatical and spelling errors aside, this somehow still isn't the end of Fillipponi's rant. The Ravens' official website acknowledged his statements and jumped to their signal-caller's defense, which he described as "damage control." Talk about relentless.
The Steelers didn't poke the bear that is Jackson, but someone unofficially affiliated with them did. Entering an AFC North clash with gianormous ramifications on the division standings, Fillipponi handed him extra fuel he simply didn't need.