By way of explaining the decline in Matt Kalil's game, KFAN's Paul Allen said Monday that the Vikings offensive tackle is not as "mean" as he used to be.
Tell that to the heckler whose furry hat was knocked off by Kalil as he left the stadium Sunday after the Vikings' 24-21 loss to the Packers. Deadspin.com has the video: http://tinyurl.com/pwgemvq.
Not the most mature response from a multimillionaire NFLer. Even less grown-up was somebody launching something — a game day program? — at the football player in response.
In a series of tweets to @GoesslingESPN, a Twitter user by the name of Rhett Wade took credit for getting under Kalil's skin. Wade punched all of Kalil's buttons. Trade talk taunt? Check. A your-brother — Ryan Kalil, center for the Panthers — plays-better-than-you-do insult? Check.
Kalil will probably get a love letter from the offices of @nflcommish, perhaps seeking a contribution.
I understand Kalil's frustration with all the speculation about his diminished play, but I can't excuse his knocking off Wade's hat. However, if I had to side with one wrongdoer in this exchange, I'm Team Kalil. That's because you can tell a lot about a person from their Twitter handle, and Wade's is a profane twist on Kirby Puckett's name. Twitter should outlaw vulgar nicknames.
Give a hand to Frazier
Here's something you might not notice about NBA Hall of Famer Walt "Clyde" Frazier unless you pay attention to orthopedic issues: His fingers are perfectly straight.
"And they were. His fingers weren't mangled," said Mark Siewert, a physical therapist at the Minneapolis office of OrthoRehab Specialists who pays a lot of attention to my sore feet. Siewert met Frazier last week at a Timberwolves game when the analyst for MSG Networks was here following the Knicks.