Jaguars fans unite, show displeasure with decision to keep Trent Baalke

Fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars rejoiced when the team announced they had fired Urban Meyer. Even though it was late at night, there was a playoff vibe going on. Knowing there are better days ahead, there was a sense of optimism surrounding the team. However, there’s a dark hovering over the Jags once again after the Jags announced they will be keeping Trent Baalke as the general manager. Fans didn’t like It. One. Bit.

The decision to keep Baalke hasn’t been generally well-received. While there’s a camp of thought that thinks he deserves the benefit of the doubt, there are others that want the team to clean house and start over. More often than you, you will find usually find opposite opinions and counterarguments for most topics but Jaguars fans are united on this one and have shown their displeasure with keeping Baalke in the form of… Clown Emojis?

That’s right, Jags fans on Twitter and other platforms such as Facebook have changed their AVI/avatar/profile pic to that of a clown with a mustache. They believe keeping Baalke was a joke, hence the clown and the mustache is a jab at owner Shad Khan’s iconic mustache. One fan is even asking others to send Khan figurines of clowns in the mail. That’s how frustrated they are and they’re willing to show their dissatisfaction. Here’s one look at how Jaguars’ Twitter currently looks:

Here’s another:

Jaguars fans understandably don’t want Trent Baalke.

Contrary to what Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce once said, Jaguars fans care and a lot and they have a right to be frustrated when the wins have been few and far between. Other than the 2017 season, the Jags haven’t won more than six games in a season since 2010, and part of the reason has been their inability to acquire talent.

Precisely because Jaguars fans care, they are doing what they can to show Mr. Khan that they’re tired of losing, they’re not pleased with the results on the field, and do you blame them? They have been exposed to a subpar product for a decade. You could make the case that fans should support the team no matter what but that’s not a sound argument.

First, you can fan whatever you want and just because you root for a team a certain way, that doesn’t mean you should tell others how to. Moreover, you can support the team and simultaneously question their decisions if they aren’t good. In this case, Jaguars fans are making their voice heard because they care for the team and at the same time they’re letting it be known they aren’t happy with the decision to keep Baalke.

It will be interesting to see how Khan reacts to all the backlash. If he addresses the media, he needs to come clean and explain why keeping Baalke was the best decision moving forward. Another alternative, albeit less likely, is that he will listen to Jaguars fans and change his course of action. Whatever he does, he can’t stay silent.