‘Just classless:’ Duron Carter says Bomber fan spat on him

Sep 5, 2017 | 6:31 PM

Duron Carter is used to being the centre of league drama, but being spit on was something he’d never experienced.

Carter said he was just going through his usual pregame ritual for Sunday’s Labour Day Classic, which takes him down the field to Pil Country in Mosaic Stadium’s south end zone.

“I was giving high fives to guys and some guy just reaches over and spits on me,” Carter explained after practice Tuesday. “I was kind of taken aback. I was pretty upset, but I went and grabbed one of the security ladies and they escorted him out of the game.”

The receiver is known to rile up fans and players alike with his words and actions — especially on social media — but said a line was crossed with the spitting incident.

“I understand the trash talk. I understand being fanatics. I’m a fan of most sports myself, (but) the spitting — if was for any player, if it was for Matt Nichols or Weston Dressler — our fans shouldn’t be spitting on them. It’s just classless,” he said.

Carter went public with the incident on Twitter Monday, after seeing a photo of the man he said spit on him.

“I played too much football, I completely forgot about it,” he said. “Then I get on Twitter and I see the picture and I see the guy right there in the picture and I’m like, ‘Man, that’s the guy that spit on me.’ So I was sitting in my bed and had a little fun with Twitter and it got completely out of control.”

Many on Twitter accused Carter of lying, saying he had no proof of it happening, but the Rider is used to the chirps he gets on social media by now. In fact, it seems that he thrives on it.

“It’s all fun and games for me. If I met any of those people on Twitter on the street, it’d be nothing but love,” he insists. “For me, I’m just having fun, living life. I think people take it just a little too serious.”

The Roughriders now head into even more hostile territory than the southwest corner of Pil Country.

Investors Group Field in Winnipeg is bound to be loud and rowdy as the green and white roll into town for the Banjo Bowl Saturday afternoon, and Carter said he’s ready for the heat.

“I love it. It’s fans watching football – they love Winnipeg, our fans love the Riders. It’s a great rivalry and I’m just happy to be a part of it and add a little bit of fuel,” he grinned.

And by the way, Carter does have a suggestion or two for what Bombers fans can do instead of spit on him.

“Make signs, something creative. Look-alikes … anything outside of physically touching me, go ahead. I love it. If you are happy about being a Winnipeg Blue Bomber and a fan … (you’re) supposed to be screaming super loud.”