The Julio Jones saga has been resolved in Atlanta. The star Falcons wide receiver was hoping for a better contractual situation heading into this season, and he finally came to an agreement on an "adjusted" deal with the club just prior to the start of training camp on Thursday.
A solution may have been found, but not before serious concern over a possible holdout from Jones arose. One of the people who seemed quite worried over the past few days was Fox 5 Atlanta anchor Buck Lanford, who essentially tried to guilt Jones into reporting using the screensaver situation of his 10-year-old son.
Dear @juliojones_11,
— Buck Lanford (@BuckFOX5) July 25, 2018
My 10 year old son is a huge fan. The pic below has been his long time screen saver.
Tonight, he told me he is changing it to a solo shot of @M_Ryan02 or @devontafreeman.
Just thought you should know.
Sincerely,
BL@AtlantaFalcons @GoodDayAtlanta pic.twitter.com/ocjmPAPYIp
A changed screensaver? That's an absolute dagger!
As you'd imagine, poor Buck got pretty thoroughly roasted by the internet in the wake of #ScreenSaverGate.
A screensaver ?? pic.twitter.com/uGpqpePDan
— JRich ⚡️⚡️ (@JRich12k) July 25, 2018
Julio Jones response- pic.twitter.com/jBKH3v1SHd
— Yikes (@Rob_GoslingHo) July 25, 2018
— SalesMan (@95KeepPounding) July 25, 2018
Maybe You should be teaching your son to know his value and to continuously fight for it instead of worrying about an athlete trying to do it
— holden caulfield (@JGill1) July 25, 2018
Thanks Buck...that oughtta do it. Hold out over.
— Bugs Moran (@saturdayCEO) July 25, 2018
I can’t believe a grown man wrote this.
— Gourmet Spud (@gourmetspud) July 25, 2018
if the players are caving from 10 y/olds changing there screensavers, the owners are gonna eat there lunch in the next CBAhttps://t.co/wrYP9AGbQz
— PFTCommenter (@PFTCommenter) July 26, 2018
But arguably the best response came from the Falcons themselves on Thursday, as the team account took aim at Buck with a very subtle (yet very effective) jab.
Just in case anyone needs a new phone wallpaper or desktop screensaver... pic.twitter.com/Mj2EeoLhBQ
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) July 26, 2018
That, my friends, is how you do it.
Julio has his new deal, Falcons fans have hope, and Buck's kid has his new screensaver. What a way to start the season.