Geno Smith’s Father Received Death Threats Over Geno Starting vs Raiders Over Eli Manning

The news last week that Geno Smith would be starting at quarterback over Eli Manning for the New York Giants last week vs Oakland didn’t sit well with Giants fans.

Many fans were angry at the head coach, general manager and owner for their handling of the benching and rightfully so. But for some fans, the anger went way too far and targeted an individual who had no say in what decision to bench long-time starter Eli Manning.

 

According to Dan Duggan of NJ Advanced Media, Geno Smith’s father, Geno Smith Jr. received death threats from an angry fan after the team made the announcement that Geno Smith would be starting:

“Geno Smith Jr. had just learned last Tuesday that his son, Geno Smith III, was going to start at quarterback for the Giants in their game against the Raiders in Oakland on Sunday. It was 4:33 p.m., shortly after hearing the good news from his son, that the father’s cell phone rang.

“I was just at work,” Smith Jr., I answered and he was like, ‘Geno?’ So I just listened and he was like, ‘Is this Geno?’ I was like, ‘Yeah.’ He was like, ‘Your son better not start or we’re going to kill you.’ I kind of just laughed and then he hung up.”

Smith Jr. said he was surprised by the call and wondered how the person got his number, but he wasn’t scared.

“If someone was going to kill me, they ain’t going to call me and tell me,” Smith Jr. said.”

“I guess it was an emotional time with Eli not starting,” Smith Jr. said. “I don’t know if it’s that. I don’t know if they just hate Geno that much. I just don’t know. I couldn’t tell you.”

Smith Jr. eventually told his son about the call.

“I think my dad handled it well,” the quarterback told NJ Advance Media. “He kind of just hung up the phone. It’s just kind of shameful that would be happening because of someone doing their job. When he told me that, I was like, ‘What?’ But you kind of get a sense of comfortability from him. He was like, ‘Man, it’s nothing, don’t worry about it. Just do your thing, play your game.’ So that was why I was able to be easy with it.”

Geno, nor his father took the threat serious enough to contact the authorities but this is just a prime example of being a die-hard fan and being a compete and utter fool.