Gastrointestinal issues have been in the news a lot lately (that's not a sentence I thought I'd type when I walked across the stage to receive my college degree), and now Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley is talking about a nasty offseason stomach bug he dealt with.
The culprit?
Well, according to Ridley, it was a meal that he had from a certain fast-casual chain known for slinging burritos, burrito bowls, and any other permutation of protein, rice and toppings your heart desires.
On Saturday, a reporter asked him about an offseason bout with a 24-hour bug.
"Oh, yeah, I did," he said. "I've actually had that a couple of times in my life; maybe three or four times. It's not a good thing. It's like a 24-hour thing, but it really puts you down pretty good."
The Titans star revealed that he actually lost around 15 pounds in just 24 hours.
That's brutal. Bugs like that are 24 hours of hell.
If someone said, "Hey, pick between a stomach bug or being fed feet first into a woodchipper," obviously, I'd pick the stomach bug, but I would briefly weigh the options.
Of course, what with all of the Cyclospora and lettuce hysteria, reporters did their job and asked an important follow-up question about whether or not Ridley's dilemma was because he had eaten lettuce.
"Chipotle," he replied.
Now, come on.
First of all, it's important to note that Chipotle has not been linked to any of the Cyclospora incidents sweeping our nation's restrooms and toilet paper aisles (weird that it's still readily available, unlike the early days of COVID, right?).
We've also reached out to the company for comment on Ridley's situation.
We don't know the source of Ridley's ailment, and it's good that he's doing better, but I'm tired of Mexican food being public enemy No. 1 anytime someone gets an upset stomach.
Whenever anyone's stomach feels a bit off-kilter, they go straight to the Mexican food. Sure, maybe it played a role, but it's unfair to just assume.
I mean, it's to the point that in many people's minds, Mexican food is practically as synonymous with gastrointestinal struggles as Tums and Febreze are.
Sure, it's not going to play as nice with the ol' pipes as some other cuisines, but we all know that going in. If you're scared or have plans, maybe eat a few saltines and play it safe.