The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles do not like each other. Their fans do not like each other. And as it turns out, that level of disdain can lead to some rather odd offseason interactions.
Such was the case earlier this week when a Giants fan encountered Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni while playing tennis in Haddonfield, New Jersey.
The fan, who went by the name of “Peter from Maple Shade,” called into Thursday’s edition of WFAN’s Boomer and Gio Show with Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti and spun quite the tale. He claims to have been confronted by an angry Sirianni over some of his Giants attire before things spiraled further.
“He came up to me and said I have a problem with what you’re wearing,” the fan said, via NJ Advance Media. “I don’t really have a problem with the Yankees t-shirt, but I have a problem with the hat. I told him, ‘Listen bro, if you have a problem with it, come do something about it.’
“He said he had a problem wearing that hat on these courts, meaning Haddonfield. Then he goes to me and says, ‘Well your team sucks, and your head coach sucks.’ He said that about three times. I’m thinking this guy wants to fight. I said, ‘This isn’t sixth grade. Why don’t you just shut up?’ He kind of took a few steps towards me, and at that point, he kind of just shuts up.”
As it turns out, there was some level of truth to Peter’s story. The encounter between the two did occur, but John Clark of NBC reports that Peter’s version of events were both misunderstood and “grossly exaggerated.”
I’m told the Giants fan’s story about Nick Sirianni getting on him for wearing a Giants hat near him on a tennis court is grossly exaggerated. I’m told Nick was just busting chops about the guy’s Giants gear in a friendly and joking way. #PhillyGuy pic.twitter.com/TjwB9HW5B3
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) June 30, 2022
Sirianni is a bit of a fiery guy and maybe his sense of humor was simply lost on Peter. In fact, it’s clear it was. The Eagles coach was just trying to exchange a little playful trash talk and Peter took it far more seriously.
For Sirianni, he’s still somewhat new to this rivalry but probably now has a better understanding of its dynamic.
