Mike McDaniel Would Not Confirm Nor Deny If Photo of Him Trolling Bills Fans Was Real

The Dolphins coach was playing coy.
McDaniel acquiesced that he does live near the bar in question.
McDaniel acquiesced that he does live near the bar in question. / Chris Perk / Screenshot
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After the struggling Dolphins unexpectedly defeated the Bills by double digits on Sunday—an AFC East upset no one saw coming—a photo circulated online in which it appeared that Miami coach Mike McDaniel was trolling Buffalo fans outside a bar.

Specifically, according to a tweet from a user named Josh Martin, McDaniel allegedly drove by the Elbo Room—a Fort Lauderdale-area establishment where Bills fans congregate—after the game was done. In a purported photo of that moment, a man who sure looks like McDaniel is seen with his arm hanging out a car window and his eyes seemingly trained on whoever's taking the picture, as a Bills fan walks in the foreground.

For what it's worth, the user on Monday added a video underneath his original post, lending some credibility to the whole thing.

Well, McDaniel was predictably asked about the moment at his presser on Monday. And although he seemed to insinuate that the photo could be AI-generated, he also did not deny that that was him.

Asked specifically if the picture was AI or real, McDaniel replied, "That's why I like the good old days, the throwbacks of yore, where you could trust the internet and the images because you know, it is pretty detailed. I do live in that area. But I mean, AI, right?"

Pressed again, because he did not directly answer the question, McDaniel coyly went on: "I live in that area. AI is real. That's what I got for ya."

Watch that below:

So, to break that down, McDaniel conceded that the photo does look like him and that he had reason to be in the area, but did not specifically say that AI created the picture. Rather, he just mused about AI's existence, without confirming or denying whether he went for a little joyride postgame.

"For the record, I did not answer [the question]," the coach eventually concluded, as chuckles filled the room. "That's the punchline of the humor."

Considering there is now a video, McDaniel's playful attempts at dodging the inquiry seem futile; that's gotta be him. But—BUT!—AI can make anything these days, so I guess we can't totally know for sure unless he gives a straight answer eventually.


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Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.