Jerry Rice, the legendary NFL wide receiver, became visibly upset with two reporters during a golf outing on Thursday, to the point where he threatened physical violence.
The heated encounter was captured on video and obtained by TMZ Sports.
The incident occurred near the end of Rice’s practice round at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. The confrontation began when two reporters from Kansas City asked Rice about the Chiefs’ wide receiver corps for the upcoming 2024 season. The journalists later explained that they were simply curious if Patrick Mahomes’ current group of wideouts was “good enough to win another Super Bowl.”
Initially, Rice walked away from the reporters, but moments later, he turned back and confronted them angrily. The video footage shows Rice getting in the reporters’ faces and at one point, he can be heard clearly saying, “I will f*** you up!” He then challenged the reporters further, shouting, “If you want some, come get some!” before eventually walking away.
The reporters appeared baffled by the altercation, telling nearby fans, “That’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened in my life.”
When contacted by TMZ Sports on Friday, Rice insisted that the reporters had intentionally provoked him with their question about the Chiefs. He interpreted their query as a slight against his former team, the San Francisco 49ers, especially since the Chiefs had recently defeated the Niners in Super Bowl LVIII with a similar wide receiver corps. Rice claimed the reporters asked the question with smirks on their faces, fully aware of how he would react.
“I’m going to defend the San Francisco 49ers,” Rice stated. “This is my history.”
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Despite the confrontation, cooler heads eventually prevailed, and Rice completed his round without further incident.
The two reporters, who work for Starcade Media, later released a statement addressing the situation. They insisted that they had no intention of antagonizing Rice with their question about the Chiefs. In a post on their Facebook page, they explained that they were merely interested in whether Kansas City’s 2024 wide receiver group “had improved enough to continue winning at a high level” and nothing more.
“We meant absolutely no disrespect to Jerry or the 49ers when asking this question,” they said. They also expressed a desire to discuss the matter further with the Hall of Famer to clear up any misunderstandings.
To provide context, the reporters shared a video showing their question, which was, “Do the Chiefs have a good enough receiver core to win again?”
In the end, the incident highlighted the deep loyalty and passion Jerry Rice holds for his former team, the San Francisco 49ers, and his sensitivity to perceived slights against them.
