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It's no secret that Eric Weddle and the Chargers suffered a very ugly breakup that led to Weddle leaving the team and eventually signing with the Baltimore Ravens. While the Chargers have moved on (four more years of Jahleel Addae!) and tried to quietly brush the situation under the carpet, it doesn't look like Weddle is quite so quick to forgive, tweeting this after the news broke that King Dunlap was to be released:
Sorry to hear about my boy King. Doesn't suprise me tho, that's how they treat the good players there. https://t.co/VMdrVoO33e
— Eric Weddle (@weddlesbeard) March 13, 2017
To see an NFL player talking about another franchise that bluntly is insane. It looks like some Ex-Chargers fans appreciated the straight talking, though:
Its official, I'm becoming a Ravens fan https://t.co/ztwRW9uTbn
— Saeed Kodaimati II ™ (@saeedk72) March 13, 2017
@weddlesbeard I was a Charger fan BUT my brother you swayed me to now become a Ravens fan!
— Chad Breeze (@ChadBreeze15) March 13, 2017
And Weddle wasn't the only former Charger to try and sway fans over to 'Chargers East':
Simple answer = yes
— danny woodhead (@danny__woodhead) March 14, 2017
More thought out answer = um yeah why are you taking so long#hopethathelps https://t.co/tpOromDLiM
Current Charger Jason Verrett wasn't exactly impressed:
We don't need the disloyal fans anyway https://t.co/h2O2hFERND
— Jason Verrett (@Jfeeva_2) March 14, 2017
It wasn't just the ex-fans he had a problem with, either:
Does somebody miss us?? @weddlesbeard @danny__woodhead
— Jason Verrett (@Jfeeva_2) March 14, 2017
@Jfeeva_2 sounds like it
— Casey Hayward (@show_case29) March 14, 2017
Personally, I think that Casey Hayward and Jason Verrett standing up for the Chargers is awesome. There's definitely some tension brewing between the Chargers and Ravens right now (both fans and players), and this could possibly be the start of an interesting rivalry (because any chance to be reminded of 4th and 29 is really great).
Unfortunately, the Chargers won't play the Ravens until 2018 unless they meet in the playoffs next season - and the chances that both the Chargers and Ravens make it back to the playoffs probably isn't much better than the chance of Eric Weddle taking Dean Spanos out for a romantic candlelit dinner.
It will be interesting to see what kind of reaction Weddle will receive from Chargers fans - he was a fan favorite whilst playing for the Bolts, but holding onto his grudges against the team so publicly can't be endearing himself to many fans.