National Football League

Rolle backtracks on criticism of fans

Published Dec. 2, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

New York Giants safety Antrel Rolle apologized after he compared fans booing their home team to booing U.S. soldiers returning from war.

Rolle says he used a very poor, inappropriate example Thursday to demonstrate how seriously he takes his job. He said there is no comparison between the men and women in the military putting their lives on the line defending our country and what he does, noting they risk their lives to give him the opportunity to play a game for a living.

Speaking on his weekly WFAN radio show earlier in the week, Rolle said, “You don’t boo your team, I don’t care what happens.” The 27-year-old safety defended his comments Thursday.

“When soldiers come back from Iraq, you don’t boo them. I look at it the same way,” Rolle said. “I take my job seriously, I appreciate the fans to the fullest, I’m going to continue to play for them as I always have, I continue to be the best guy I can be for them, nothing’s going to change. It’s not a real big deal.’’

Rolle voiced displeasure after the Giants were booed at New Meadowlands Stadium on Sunday as the team left the field trailing the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-6 at halftime.

Giants defensive end Justin Tuck, who said following Sunday's game he would have booed too after the team’s first-half performance, said he does not fret about the fans' reactions.

“I don’t really worry about the fans,’’ Tuck said Thursday. “The fans, they’re here to be entertained. For them it’s like a show, for us it’s a job, something we love to do. I wouldn’t expect the average fan to understand what’s going on in a football game.

“I boo when taxes go up, I boo when the supermarket doesn’t have my loaf of bread that I like, when my accountant loses money for me I boo him, too. We all are displeased by certain things in our lives and we have that opinion, especially when you’re paying money for it,” Tuck said.

In the end, the Giants gave the fans something to cheer as they battled back to beat the Jaguars 24-20, keeping them level with the Philadelphia Eagles atop the NFC East.

"It’s not Antrel against the fans; I’m not trying to cause no problems," Rolle said Thursday. "I love my fans; my fans know I love 'em. Just want 'em to be more on our side.’’

The Giants (7-4) host the Washington Redskins on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.