Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado turned what should have been a game-clinching and personal history-making touchdown run into a touchback by making a mind-numbing and careless mistake that cost his team the game.
Then his head coach let him know how he felt about it.
On Sunday, Demercado was on his way to what should have been a career-long 71-yard touchdown run. Instead, as he neared the goal line, he inexplicably dropped the ball.
Demercado and a Titans defender just watched as the would-be touchdown turned into a touchback as it rolled out of the back of the end zone.
After that play, Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon came over and got in Demercado’s ear as his teammates were consoling him. The content of that conversation is not known. Still, the evident sternness and forcefulness with which Gannon confronted him could lead one to believe that it was far less sympathetic than the conversation he was having with his teammates.
Before walking away, Gannon put a physical exclamation point on his message by delivering a blow to Demercado’s midsection or chest area.
The encounter between Gannon and Demercado led to intense discussion on social media, where some called for Gannon to be fired or disciplined over the incident. At the same time, others felt like Demercado deserved the tough talking-to and even the physical strike.
“If the last sentence wasn’t ‘pack your shit, you’re gone!’ It was wasted air,” one user wrote.
“Dropping the ball early/celebrating early happens way too much, teams gotta tell these mfs something bro,” observed another.
“I would have straight-up punched that coach in the face,” another fan wrote.
“No way I’m letting a coach put his hands on me like that,” wrote another.
Demercado accepted full blame and made no excuse, nor did he criticize his coach in his post-game comments.
The Cardinals had a 21-6 lead at the time of the fumble and went on to lose 22-21 to the previously winless Titans.
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