GREEN BAY, Wis., Nov. 9 (UPI) — An awkward and energized altercation on the Green Bay Packers sideline has been followed by an equally awkward explanation.
During the Packers’ 37-39 loss to the Carolina Panthers, safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix came to the sideline and confronted veteran linebacker Julius Peppers. After the unit allowed a Panthers score with 9:22 remaining in the game, Peppers stood up and took a defensive position on the bench as Clinton-Dix had several words for him. After a few words back-and-forth, nose tackle B.J. Raji got in between the two players, telling Clinton-Dix to go away and eventually shoving him backwards. Packers teammates Mike Pennel and Morgan Burnett attempted to play peacemakers during the situation.
“Just really emotion,” Clinton-Dix told reporters after the game, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “Just talking to him, telling him to keep us going and keep us pumped up. That was it, just a lot of emotion, a lot of things going on.”
Peppers didn’t sound like he agreed with Clinton-Dix’s comments.
“That’s what he said?” Peppers said after the game. “Oh.”
FOX’s Erin Andrews reported during the game that Peppers was “chirping” at the secondary unit following the Panthers’ final score.
After the game, Clinton-Dix took to Twitter to offer another apology.
“I apologize for my play and sidelines issues,” Clinton-Dix tweeted. “We are good just two emotional guys with heart and passion trying to find away to win.”
“I will never disrespect a HOF player and a guy I’ve been watching since I was a little kid. Misunderstanding, I apologize to my packer Fans.”
When reporters asked Clinton-Dix why Raji shoved him, he responded that they would have to ask Raji.
“You have to take that up with B.J.,” Clinton-Dix said. “I don’t know what’s wrong with B.J. Just a lot of emotions. B.J. was pumped and trying to make some plays and things are happening. Sometimes you get the best of it, but it got us turned up a little bit.”
Raji called the altercation a “family issue.”
“You want emotional guys on the team. That’s what we have. Sometimes, emotions flare. It happens,” Peppers told ESPN. “We were down 20 points, obviously. If you’re not frustrated and you’re not upset, then something’s wrong.”
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