Alex Anzalone Pushes Back After Viral Call, Racist Remark: “We Just Gonna Let That Slide?”
Thursday night’s showdown between the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys had no shortage of drama - and not just on the field. A controversial late-game penalty, followed by a social media dust-up, put Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone in the spotlight for more than just his play.
With just under four minutes left and Detroit clinging to a lead, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott faced a critical 3rd-and-3 deep in Lions territory. He looked to tight end Jake Ferguson near the goal line, with Anzalone in tight coverage. A flag flew, and most fans watching - including those in the booth - expected a defensive pass interference call on Anzalone.
Instead, the officials surprised everyone by flagging Ferguson for offensive pass interference. The call drew immediate backlash online, with many fans arguing Ferguson’s move was clean and legal. The moment quickly went viral, sparking debate across social media platforms.
But the conversation took a turn when one fan, frustrated by the call, took a shot at Anzalone - not just for the play, but with a comment that the linebacker saw as crossing a line.
The fan posted: “This is NOT offensive pass interference by Jake Ferguson. Alex Calzone gets beaten so bad that he dupes the refs into thinking he was pushed away.”
On the surface, it might read like a jab at Anzalone’s coverage. But the use of “Calzone” - an Italian food reference - hit a nerve. Anzalone, who is of Italian descent, responded directly on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “We just gonna let the racist comment slide?”
That response sparked a wave of reactions, with some fans defending the original post as a harmless pun, and others backing Anzalone for calling it out. One user replied to Anzalone’s post, saying: “Might be the first time I’ve seen Anzo care about racism.”
Anzalone didn’t back down, replying: “Not true, I posted a black square.”
That comeback - a reference to the social media trend during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests - drew laughs and support from fans who appreciated the linebacker’s quick wit. “Was not familiar with Anzalone’s X trolling game but I’m here for it,” one fan wrote. Another added, “This is the funniest response ever.”
While the online back-and-forth added a layer of intrigue, the game itself was plenty eventful. After the offensive pass interference call, the Cowboys had to settle for a field goal, trimming the Lions’ lead to one possession. But Detroit answered with a statement drive, capping it off with a game-sealing touchdown to secure a 44-30 win.
The victory snapped Dallas’ three-game win streak and pushed Detroit to 8-5 on the season - a big-time result in a tightly packed NFC playoff race.
As for Anzalone, he left his mark in more ways than one. Whether you agree with the call or not, and whether you saw the “Calzone” comment as out of bounds or just a bad pun, one thing’s clear: Anzalone isn’t afraid to speak his mind - on the field or online.