The Minnesota Vikings’ defense celebrated a pivotal play during a game against the Las Vegas Raiders with an exuberant keg stand-inspired celebration. After a fumble recovery by rookie Mekhi Blackmon, players flipped him upside down on top of fellow rookie Ivan Pace, mimicking a keg stand.
However, the celebratory moment took on a different tone when it followed offensive coordinator Wes Phillips’ arrest for DWI a few days earlier. Phillips was arrested for speeding and showed signs of impairment, registering a blood alcohol level of 0.10, exceeding the legal limit of 0.08 in Minnesota.
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The team faced backlash, especially after a viral TikTok highlighted the celebration in the context of Phillips’ arrest.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed the situation, expressing disappointment and emphasizing the need for due diligence in handling the matter.
“It’s going to be something we’ll continue to evaluate, but with it being late on Friday and kind of gathering more information on it, I made the decision after really circling up with our leadership and everybody that Wes would travel and ultimately coach today, and we will continue to process the information as we move forward and work through whatever discipline there may be at that point,” O’Connell said in a postgame news conference.
“I was incredibly disappointed, there’s no question, but we want to allow kind of the facts and do our due diligence from that standpoint. The league is clearly involved as well. It’s very important that, as coaches, we understand where we’re setting the bar for our organization and for our players, and Wes knows he fell short of that,” O’Connell added.
“Wes is one of the closest coaches I’ve ever been around. I care about him deeply, and we’re as an organization going to support him and know ultimately, that we know that Wes knows he made a mistake and we’re going to handle that accordingly as we get more information and ultimately work through it. But I think it’s a lesson for all of us. No matter whatever you think, this amount or that amount, you have to have a plan and make sure, because it was something we were all very disappointed in.”
Despite the arrest, Phillips traveled with the team to Las Vegas and coached in the game. The team and the league are evaluating the incident, with ongoing consideration of potential discipline.
