A star college football player revealed this week that angry sports fans have been sending him Venmo requests following his recent underperformance, ostensibly to recoup lost betting money.
Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne has been the target of such unusual moves, most recently after his lackluster performance in the Tigers’ home loss to Cal.
In the loss to the Golden Bears, Thorne threw four interceptions against just one touchdown.
The game against Cal was Auburn’s first real test of the season. The week before, they had played Alabama A&M and defeated the FCS Bulldogs 73-3.
With the Tigers still a large portion of their schedule to complete, some fans are taking action after Thorne’s disappointing performance.
Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne revealed angry fans sent him Venmo requests
Thorne revealed the ways fans are belittling him this week.
“Of course, everybody says just don’t listen to it and stuff,” Thorne began on “Next Round Live.” “Sometimes it’s easier said than done, because in today’s world, they come at you from all angles.
“You hear it verbally, that’s probably the least. But if you’re just walking down the street, you hear it sometimes. And then of course the social media, they’ll reach out to you on Venmo, all kinds of things. You just have to block it.”
One of the show’s hosts was dismayed when he was harassed on Venmo, asking if people were sending Thorne money because they felt sorry for him.
It was exactly the opposite.
“They don’t send any money at all,” Thorne replied. “It’s funny, when they lose money, they want the money back. But when they win money on a parlay, nobody ever sent me any money.”
Thorne gets a chance at redemption on Saturday when the Tigers host New Mexico before beginning Southeastern Conference play.