The Matt Stafford Video is Hard to Watch

Summary

The article reflects on a viral video of Matthew Stafford that reveals a surprising coldness in his reaction to a photographer's dangerous fall at a Super Bowl celebration.

Abstract

The article discusses a 30-second video that went viral, showing a photographer falling off a stage while taking a picture of Matthew Stafford and his wife, Kelly. Despite Stafford's reputation as a great team player and his commendable perseverance through twelve seasons with the Detroit Lions, the video captures a reaction from Stafford that the author interprets as cold and unsettling. Stafford's response to the incident, which includes a brief expression of shock followed by a quick turn away from the fallen photographer, has significantly altered the author's perception of him. The author emphasizes the powerful impact of video evidence in shaping public opinion, contrasting it with the less profound effect of written accounts of such incidents.

Opinions

The author acknowledges Stafford's positive attributes as a person and player but is deeply troubled by the lack of empathy shown in the video.
Stafford's reaction is described as sending "chills down my spine," indicating a strong personal response to the perceived coldness of his actions.
The author believes that Stafford's reaction was inappropriate, regardless of any potential intoxication, and finds no excuse for his behavior.
There is a clear disappointment in Stafford's response, as the author had previously written positively about him and his contributions to his team.
The author suggests that the video's impact is more significant than a written report would be, as visual evidence affects viewers more deeply.
The incident is contrasted with other celebrity misbehaviors, with the author asserting that Stafford's reaction was uniquely "cold" and indefensible.

The Matt Stafford Video is Hard to Watch

It’s difficult to fathom

Last week at a Super Bowl celebration for the Rams, a video of Matthew Stafford went viral. I rarely watch videos online but this was short and looked interesting. I’m glad I watched it because it revealed something about him that I had no idea was there.

The whole season he was praised by teammates and head coach Sean Mcvay for being a great dude and team player. I’m sure he is.

But there’s a piece of him I saw that sent chills down my spine.

It’s more than that though. What that video reveals about Matthew Stafford is a coldness that you wouldn’t expect from a supposedly great guy who endured twelve seasons with an awful franchise in Detroit. In fact, he was so beloved and respected by that organization, that they traded him to a place he wanted to go. They could have gotten more by shipping him somewhere else, but they respected his wishes and sent him to Los Angeles.

I can’t get past the fact that a human being fell backward from an eight-foot stage and he literally mouthed the words “Oh my God”, gave a sort of “glad that’s not me” look, and turned around. I will never look at him the same.

It’s different from other videos you see from TMZ or other media outlets where a celebrity may shove off an autograph request from a kid or put their hands on a camera lens to fight off paparazzi.

This just felt “cold”. I don’t care if he was drunk off his keister or stoned or whatever he was. There’s just no excuse for it. If you are someone who watches that and defends him then I can’t help you.

This goes to show the power of video. I could read about that from a news outlet and the impact is minimal.

But when you watch with your own two eyes, it’s worse, it hits your heart in a different way.