The Zach Calzada video is a good reminder to every fan: Don't message players

The Zach Calzada money-flaunting video took on a life of its own at the end of last week. It was sent to one fan and ballooned into a national story with investigative journalists digging up and revealing precise NIL contracts. It was a mess and one that could have easily been avoided. Sure, it was not a great look for Kentucky’s former starting quarterback, but it also served as a good reminder to all fans: Don’t message players!

If you’ve somehow missed this story, Zach Calzada posted a video of himself showing off stacks of hundred-dollar bills in response to a Kentucky fan named Garrett, who had been sending him chastising messages on Snapchat. Garrett called into KSR on Friday to explain how it got to where it did, playing the part of innocent victim in all of this.

Zach Calzada flexing his money, even though he got benched for Cutter Boley 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/VrVEXfb6Sy

— My Thoughts (@mythoughtskc) November 6, 2025

There are no winners in this story

It is easy to roll your eyes just thinking about the effort Calzada put into producing this video. He had to go to the bank and withdraw $20,000 in cash for the sole purpose of rebutting an online troll. But think of what Garrett had to do.

This grown man downloaded Snapchat (an app typically used by college kids), looked up Calzada’s profile, and started peppering the QB of his favorite school with hate-filled messages over the course of months. In the call to KSR, Garrett admitted to writing, “You suck,” but he yadda-yadda’d through the likely much worse stuff he wrote, calling it “Typical back and forth” as if online bullying college athletes is normal behavior.

On top of all that, he then had to screen-record the video because Snapchat videos disappear after one view. Garrett said on the KSR call that Calzada sent him another similar video that he didn’t grab, implying he knew this second video would be in the same tone and thus screen-recorded it in advance. He then posted the video online, knowing it would make Calzada and his favorite football program look bad.

There are no winners in this exchange. If this were on the Reddit AITAH thread, the ruling would be everyone, but Garrett is chief amongst them.

Public service announcement: Don’t message players for any reason ever

I’m not sure if you or someone you know needs to hear this, but heed this sage advice: Don’t message players about anything. Good or bad. Just don’t. Social media has granted unparalleled access to these representatives of the University of Kentucky. Still, just because you feel a connection to them through sports, that doesn’t make you pen pals. Sure, follow them. Like their posts. But please, don’t, under any circumstances, message them privately.

Frustrated that your Club Blue money is being spent on football players on the bench? A lot of people are; don’t message them about it. Did a basketball player miss a shot in the last minute that ruined your -35.5 point cover? Don’t let me know about it. Do you find a member of the Track and Field team attractive? Please, for the love of everything, keep that to yourself.

As Kentucky die-hards, it is easy to put players on a pedestal. They are revered, and we spend our hard-earned money to watch them vie for success that feels shared across all of Big Blue Nation. Now that they are (legally) getting paid, it is easy to get extra frustrated with them when success does not pan out as anticipated. Throw in social media, and fans now have a medium to voice these concerns (or cringy fascinations) directly to these players.

But like Uncle Ben said, with great power comes great responsibility. Don’t be a jerk just because you can. Remember that these aren’t fictional superheroes; they are humans. Most of them only recently stopped seeing a pediatrician. They don’t need WildcatFan69 sliding into their DMs to instigate unnecessary drama.

Clearly, everyone knows the right place to vent about players is…KSBoard! Join now for $1 and keep the online hate messages behind a paywall amongst fellow fans and far, far away from players.

Join KSR Plus! With a KSR Plus membership, you get access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR’s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.