A devoted Los Angeles Clippers supporter has found himself in a uniquely sticky situation after a wildly improbable prediction about his team's fortunes came spectacularly true, forcing him to honour a very public and very literal promise.
The Tweet That Came Back to Bite Him
Last month, Robert Flom, who runs a dedicated Clippers fan blog, engaged in a discussion on the social media platform X regarding the team's dismal early-season form. At that juncture, the Clippers were languishing with a woeful 6-21 record, prompting widespread pessimism about their prospects.
In a moment of bold scepticism, Flom made a now-famous declaration. "If they go 15-3 in any stretch this season, will print and eat this tweet," he posted, clearly believing such a turnaround was beyond the realm of possibility given the team's comprehensive struggles.
A Stunning Turnaround on the Court
Flom's reasoning was rooted in the Clippers' all-around poor performance. "They were bad at everything," he explained in an interview with The Athletic. "They were a horrible defense. They were pretty bad on offense. They turned the ball over like crazy. They couldn't stay healthy. A lot of their older players had hugely disappointed." He conceded he expected some improvement but deemed a 15-3 run "just about impossible."
Impossible, that is, until it happened. The prediction gained viral traction as fans began brandishing enlarged cardboard versions of the tweet at games. The momentum culminated this past Sunday when the Clippers secured a dominant 126-89 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. This win marked their 15th triumph in an 18-game stretch, achieving the exact record Flom had doubted.
The team's official social media accounts gleefully joined the fun, sharing a photo of the printed tweet with the caption "CTRL+P @RichHomieFlom" during the game. Following the win, player Kobe Sanders was captured on video chanting "Paper bowl! Paper bowl!" in playful anticipation.
A Man of His Word, With a Side of Crunch
True to his pledge, Flom appeared on Monday night's livestream of the Clips N Dip podcast. Holding up a physical printout of his fateful tweet, he proceeded to take a substantial bite out of the paper. His review was succinct: "Pretty crunchy."
The act was met with widespread admiration from the online community. Comments flooded in praising his integrity. "Robert Flom is a man of his word and I respect him for it!!" wrote one viewer. Another added, "This is totally sweet AND historic! This gives new meaning to the old saying, 'You're gonna eat those words!!!'"
Some fans, emboldened by this bizarre turn of events, began lobbying for a repeat performance with higher stakes. "Can he please tweet that if the clippers win a championship this year, he will eat a whole chapter book lol," one commenter humorously suggested.
From Basement to Playoff Contention
The remarkable 15-3 run has dramatically altered the Clippers' season trajectory. Previously anchored at the bottom of the Western Conference, the team has clawed its way to a 21-24 record and now sits in 10th place, very much in the conversation for the play-in tournament.
As the dust settles on this unusual saga, the Clippers are scheduled to continue their campaign, facing the Utah Jazz next. For Robert Flom, however, the taste of paper—and humble pie—will likely linger as a crunchy reminder that in the NBA, anything can happen.
