Third-ranked Penn State lost to fourth-ranked Ohio State on Saturday in State College, 20-13. Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin dropped to 1-10 against the Buckeyes and 1-9 against top five-ranked teams in his career.
Nothing new there. Par for the course for Penn State football under Franklin.
© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch | 2024 Nov 2But some knucklehead launching homophobic slurs at Jason Kelce before the game? More specifically, calling his brother Travis a homophobic slur for dating the biggest female pop star in the universe? Kelce destroying said knucklehead's phone?
That's definitely new.
Can’t blame Jason Kelce here… what a loser pic.twitter.com/KTnCA4WjZI
— Tobey Prime (@tobey_prime) November 2, 2024
Everyone nearby whose phone was still functioning captured the incident from a different angle:
Lawsuit gonna be worth every penny pic.twitter.com/6IzgS6F6lt
— Kyle (@kylesixers) November 2, 2024
In this last video, you can hear Kelce say, "Who's the [homophobic slur] now?" near the end of the altercation:
🚨Another angle
— Zoey 🖤 (@LilKittyZoey) November 2, 2024
"Who's the fagh0th NOW" 😭 pic.twitter.com/hHlCMfDSKj
Not a great look from the Eagles legend either, to be honest. But given the circumstances, Kelce's retaliatory use of the word was met with a collective "meh" from most observers.
If anybody has a problem with Jason Kelce retaliating and saying "Whose the f*ggot now?" after spiking that homophobes phone to hell, come talk to me and ill tell you why it was fine and not homophobic. Jason was making a point, he was not homophobic and he gets a pass. Period
— ✂️ queerinthian (@TheGaychel) November 2, 2024
as a gay I think Jason Kelce gets the f slur pass bc “who’s the fa***t now?” to that snotty little kid after curbstomping his phone is the funniest possible response. play stupid games win stupid prizes! #newheights #fafo 🤳🏻🥾
— dev (@faithfuturelwt) November 2, 2024
jason kelce saying “who’s the faggot now” was actually an act of allyship pic.twitter.com/CymudVqgWK
— malia (@softniaz) November 2, 2024
Opinions varied on Kelce's use of the word, of course:
no way i’m seeing SWIFTIES of all people giving jason kelce a f slur pass. idgaf if the other guy started it! jason saying “who’s the f*ggot now” is using the slur as a slur, it’s derogatory, saying that reinforces that being a f*ggot is a bad thing, that being gay is a bad thing
— laura (@melaudrama) November 2, 2024
so jason kelce didn’t care about someone calling his brother a f*ggot bc it’s a slur but bc he takes being called gay as an insult ok
— ceci 🇵🇸 (@problemivy) November 2, 2024
The words Kelce used aside, the internet agreed near-unanimously that he was justified in smashing the phone:
Me liking every video of Jason Kelce smashing that loser’s phone pic.twitter.com/MREFcoa1lm
— Avid Bears Enjoyer (Roschon Johnson Truther) (@AvidCubs) November 2, 2024
good on jason kelce … kid forgot he wasn’t online where there are no repercussions for running his little shit talkin' mouth … part of that generation of douchebags who grew up hiding behind the internet and never got punched in the jaw pic.twitter.com/Gk6VpieL1Z
— Emerson Lotzia, Jr. (@EmersonLotzia) November 2, 2024
me liking every tweet of jason kelce smashing that loser’s phone pic.twitter.com/pXbIgWDcOm
— sof 👩🏻💻 (@allcapsof) November 2, 2024
I mean good for @JasonKelce
— AB (@AB84) November 2, 2024
There’s comedy & entertainment
And then there’s crossing line wit family
Luv u twin #CTESPN pic.twitter.com/xl4t2oZ6t4
I didn't have faith that our divided country could unify until I saw the universal reaction to Jason Kelce.
— Hänsel (@UberHansen) November 2, 2024
Jason Kelce has singlehandedly restored my faith that we can all back the same thing. pic.twitter.com/1JPIz2EGnq
The internet’s thoughts on whether Jason Kelce was in the right pic.twitter.com/UgRol6bfSs
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) November 2, 2024
Earlier in the day, Kelce was on ESPN's College Gameday kicking field goals in Timberland boots:
Jason Kelce tried out the field goal challenge on College GameDay.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 2, 2024
There's a reason why he played center in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/sE4dUxRqnO
And we naively thought that would be the most entertaining Jason Kelce video of the day?
