January 1, German World Cup Star Nearly Strolls Into Deadliest U.S. City

Wyatt’s Take

• Freddy the German soccer fan is back in America and somehow wound up in the most dangerous city per capita in the Lower 48.
• Despite social media warnings from fans, he grabbed dinner at a chain restaurant and walked around like it was a safe European capital.
• The episode shows how out-of-touch outsiders still treat American cities as theme parks instead of real places with real problems.

Everyone remembers Freddy, right?

The World Cup guest from Germany stole the hearts of soccer fans all across America for his love of the host country, documenting his trip through the United States on social media and giving glowing reviews along the way.

Well, Freddy is back in the Lower 48, this time spending his days in the American South and enjoying the actual greatest sport on earth: college football.

The Fredster has been to Auburn and LSU to see a couple of SEC games, and this week he finds himself in the Magnolia State en route to Alabama for an Oktoberfest event over the weekend.

And what do you do when you find yourself in Mississippi for a couple of days? Go hang out in Jackson, of course!

Wait, that can’t be right. What, was Memphis already booked up for the week?

Yes, our dear Freddy has decided to make a stop in the capital city for a little RnR, and made the cardinal sin of thinking he was going for a stroll in gay old Paree instead of the deadliest city, per capita, in the contiguous U.S.

“Hey guys, Freddy here! Just thinking about maybe hitting up Buffalo Wild Wings for a quick bite to eat then walking through a literal warzone to take in the sights and sounds of the place.”

Did this guy read the travel itinerary or what?

This isn’t the first time Freddy made a classic tourist mistake, as he has a well-documented ride on the MARTA in Atlanta from his days as a World Cup visitor.

The best part is that pretty much everyone on social media was trying to warn our lieber freunde about the dangers of Jackson, Mississippi.

While his followers were whipped up into a frenzy wondering if their dude from Deutschland was okay, Freddy apparently enjoyed a nice meal at the great American eatery known as Chili’s and then returned safely to his hotel bed.

Crisis averted.

Maybe Freddy can try the lottery or head to Las Vegas next, since he likes playing the odds so much.

I don’t know if it’s ignorance or testicular fortitude, but our guy spent a night on the streets of Jackson and lived to tell about it.

Hats off to you, Fred-O.

Now, don’t ever pull a stunt like that again.

Wyatt Matters

Hardworking Americans who live in these cities deserve the same safe streets that visitors expect, and it’s time leaders stop pretending the problems don’t exist.