Eagles fans Venmo Bears kicker Cody Parkey after missed field goal
Philadelphia Eagles fans spared no expense to show their gratitude to Chicago Bears kicker Cody Parkey after he missed a potentially game-winning field goal with seconds remaining in a 16-15 playoff loss on Sunday.
Dozens of Eagles fans used online payment platform Venmo to “thank” Parkey for his missed kick with small amounts of cash. An initial account bearing Parkey’s name was deactivated shortly after the payments began, but many other users created fake accounts to attempt to capitalize on the kicker’s newfound infamy.
“Venmo's user agreement prohibits harassment and providing false, inaccurate or misleading information,” a Venmo representative told FOX Business. “We take action on accounts that break these policies.”
Venmo declined to elaborate on specific actions it may have taken on fake Parkey accounts.
The Chicago Bears did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Since Venmo does not verify the identities of famous users, it’s unclear if the original account actually belonged to Parkey. NJ.com Eagles beat reporter Zack Rosenblatt noted that the account may have been authentic because it listed a past payment to Jon Dorenbos, a former Eagles long snapper who was once Parkey’s teammate.
Parkey’s failed field goal attempt hit both the left upright and the crossbar, leading social media users to dub it a “double doink.” The miss eliminated the Bears from playoff contention and allowed the Eagles to advance to a divisional round battle with the New Orleans Saints.
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“I thought I hit a great ball and was trying to play the wind,” Parkey said after the game. “There's really no answer to it. I didn't make it. I take that loss on me. The sun is going to shine tomorrow, but unfortunately this one is going to sting for a while.”