‘Biggest Loser,’ ‘He Clearly Knows Him’ — CFB Fans Divided After LSU HC Lane Kiffin Appears To Shove ‘A College Kid’
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Lane Kiffin can’t seem to escape controversies even after a memorable debut as LSU head coach in a 51-10 blowout win over Clemson in Death Valley.
A viral video appeared to show Kiffin shoving a college kid on the sidelines after the game, which divided football fans, with some also coming to the defense of the Tigers’ boss.
College Football Fans Debate the Reality of Lane Kiffin Shoving a College Kid
The spotlight has been heavily on Kiffin amid criticism of his attempt to bring back ex-NFL players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris to college football and potentially add them to the Tigers’ roster.
Kiffin himself seems reluctant to back off from his current stance of fighting to include both of his former Ole Miss players on the team. While LSU ultimately left both players off the roster for the season opener, the saga has ensured that nearly everything involving Kiffin is under close scrutiny.
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The video of the incident in which Kiffin allegedly shoves the college kid was first shared on X by Susan Lloyd, a freelance sideline photographer of Clemson sports. Lloyd wrote sarcastically: “Oh, that Lane Kiffin. He’s such an admirable human being. (I mean, who shoves a college kid moments after beating down the opposing team?)”
In the video, Kiffin can be seen congratulating members of the LSU staff postgame before appearing to push the young man, who also looked surprised by the “shove”. On first glance and without context, it was bound to become a topic of debate. That’s exactly what happened as fans took sides, both for and against the Tigers coach.
“Dude is ruining the sport we all love,” one fan wrote.
“That’s disrespectful,” a fan continued, while another, who had a clear opinion that a large majority of the college football world seemingly shares, added, “I can’t stand Kiffin.”
One fan labeled Kiffin the “biggest loser cornball in sports,” while another took a dig at the school itself. “Gee, is anyone surprised it is LSU? All sports, all poor sports,” the fan wrote.
However, not everyone watching the video believed there was anything sinister about it. Several fans who came out in support of the LSU head coach claimed that the young man involved was a friend of Kiffin’s son, Knox, and that Kiffin had clearly known him before the apparent shove, as pictures also circulated showing Kiffin and the kid chatting together.
“Hey crybaby – it’s his son’s good friend. It’s called a joke. Put the phone down,” one fan fired back.
One user on X added: “He clearly knows him… Susan, go sit down. The world has gone mega soft.”
“That’s his son’s friend but go off, I guess Susan,” another fan wrote.
One LSU supporter also added to that claim and asked Lloyd to stop spreading lies, “That is one of Knox’s friends. So obviously he did this as a joke. Quit stirring up crap.”
Kiffin may have already embraced his reputation as one of college football’s biggest villains. He made that clear when a reporter asked about his halftime comment, allegedly saying, “Imagine if we had pro players,” as the Tigers routed Clemson.
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“What’s the difference? Everybody hates you. They can’t hate you much more,” Kiffin replied, and that makes it clear that the LSU head coach doesn’t appear particularly interested in making his critics stop talking about him anytime soon.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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