Angry Pittsburgh radio host wishes violence on Lincoln Riley, USC football

When 2021 Biletnikoff winning WR Jordan Addison transferred to the USC football program, Pittsburgh radio host Andrew Fillipponi for some reason accused Addison of only transferring to the program for NIL money:

ESPN college football writer Paolo Uggetti very quickly proved the NIL rumor that Fillipponi was working to spread false. Not only that, but he reported that a source told him "This was more about football than NIL. He could have gotten more money from schools besides USC."

Now, going back to Fillipponi's tweets, his second tweet also references random accusations that Addison was tampered with by SC before he was in the portal. Of course, there is no proof to these claims, but the salt levels are clearly high with Fillipponi. He further expressed all of this and much more in an over 18 and a half minute rant about the transfer on Friday:

Andrew Fillipponi stayed making false claims that have already been disproven about Jordan Addison and USC football.

Despite Uggetti already explaining with evidence that Andrew Fillipponi's claims about USC football only landing Jordan Addison due to NIL money were false, he decided to roll with that false narrative on the air the next day.

“Jordan Addison isn’t going to USC because of the bright lights of L.A., he’s going to USC because of the dollar signs," said Fillipponi. "Let’s just get right down to it.”

According to Fillipponi, it has nothing to do with USC owning the second-most National Championships in college football history (11), the most Heisman Trophies (seven), and the most Pro Football Hall of Famers (14). Pitt has just nine National Championships (fifth all-time), just one Heisman winner (tied for 19th all-time), and only nine Pro Football Hall of Famers (tied for fifth all-time). USC's overwhelming prestige over the Panthers does not matter, according to Fillipponi:

“Don’t act like we’re naïve as sports fans in Pittsburgh — don’t act like we were born yesterday," said Fillipponi. "That’s why he’s going to USC.”

The QB at Pitt is ex-USC QB Kedon Slovis, who is coming off of a career-worst year after already regressing the year prior. He was a four-star transfer, but he doesn't compare to the new Quarterback at USC--who was the highest-rated transfer in the nation and considered the most highly anticipated transfer in college football history in Caleb Williams.

Williams is a top three QB in the nation; even being the leading Heisman contender in his true freshman season last year at one point despite not even starting until the second half of the season. Coming into his second year with his ex-Oklahoma Head Coach in Lincoln Riley, who is of course now here at SC, he's going to have a monster year.

While that makes for an already desirable situation to come into for Addison in itself, it's important to remember what Uggetti said about it in addition. Williams and Addison are from the same area, and already have a connection with each other. Addison also has a connection to Williams' father. Fillipponi, though, once again claims the opposite to the already-proven facts. He claims that a relationship between the two has nothing to do with it. He further explained it here:

“It’s not like they were in the same neighborhood,” said Fillipponi. “Like they were eating fruit snacks and playing Nintendo 64 together growing up — no, that’s not the situation. That has been exaggerated and blown way out of proposition.”

Something even funnier that Fillipponi said in his tirade, however, was about Addison's decision from a development standpoint:

“It’s not a slam dunk like this is going to benefit him in the long run — that it’s going to make him a better NFL prospect,” said Fillipponi.

This is obviously hilarious because USC is widely regarded to be "Wide Receiver University" due to their tradition of developing strong wide receivers at both the college level and for the NFL.

It was proven even further this past season when USC developed the best wide receiver in the country in 2021 (Drake London was the runaway favorite for the Biletnikoff award before he got hurt and was out for the season in the eighth game of the season). London also was the first wideout taken in the 2022 NFL Draft.

This was done despite USC having the worst year in program history with a defensive head coach who didn't even have coordinator experience yet. USC building this type of freak receiver when they were quite literally at the lowest the program has ever been speaks volumes as to the type of wide receiver program the school is.

SC is just two years removed from having London, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyler Vaughns, and Bru McCoy all on the same team. They have seven wideouts in the league right now, despite the program being down for the past four years. Filliponi has forgotten about all of this, however.

He also went on to spew lots of hatred towards the SC program, even going as far as threatening violence upon Coach Riley:

"I hope USC loses every game this year...and if I saw Lincoln Riley, I would pick him up over my head … and slam his ass. Because I could probably beat up Lincoln Riley. One of the few people in major collegiate sports that I feel comfortable if I saw the guy in a dark alley, I could beat the snot out of him. And he’s such a big phony hypocrite, college football needs guard rails, NIL is out of control … it makes me sick.”"

- Andrew Fillipponi, Pittsburgh radio host

Fillipponi's comments are very odd. It's unclear as to why he thought it was a flex to tell the world that he could only "beat the snot" out of "few people in major collegiate sports." It's also concerning that a human can get this outraged to say strange things like this due to a 20-year-old kid deciding it was best for him and his future to pursue his academic and athletic career somewhere else. It sounds like he never actually liked Addison, if he doesn't want what's best for his future. It's why it's so odd that he went on this rage. He clearly never cared about Addison, so why does he bother?

Riley was NOT the only one he wishes violence upon. Fillipponi went on with his violent fantasies towards the entire program, stating that he wants to blow up the Coli:

“I want them to get the death penalty," said Fillipponi. "I want them to blow up the L.A. Coliseum. I want them to disband their college football program.”

It's safe to say that Fillipponi has been unwell after Addison chose to play for a top five coach in America who is considered the best offensive coach in the country. Maybe he will one day realize that USC does indeed NOT even have an NIL collective in the first place, and one day realize how embarrassing his rant was.