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The Daily Shoutout: Ugly fans
One of the reasons why I’ve always liked fans of the Green Bay Packers is that I’ve always felt they’re the best combination of smart, passion and non-jackass. Let me explain. Packers fans have the passion of the most rabid fan bases without the nastiness. Few fans are more informed about their team. It’s a way of life for Packers fans. These aren’t Gator fans or Ohio State fans who are insecure and nasty. These a true football fans who know how to have a passionate debate without getting ugly. It’s the best component of their fandom.
On Sunday night, after a brutal loss, a handful of Packers fans — malicious idiots — engaged in some of the nastier acts by fans, any fans, I’ve ever seen. All on Twitter. This isn’t an indictment of the entire Packers fan base. This is an indictment of a few knuckleheads and the age we live in. We live in a period where there are plenty of anonymous gangsters who have turned message boards into sewers and a nice medium like Twitter into, at times, garbage.
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6 Comments
kris, and 
Aaron are discussing.
Aaron 1:16 pm on January 16, 2012 Permalink |
Any malicious or mean spirited messages sent to players are unacceptable. But let’s get something straight about Courtney Finley – she’s out there on Twitter talking trash at fans and other teams every single day. If she gets negative attention after a loss, she’s earned it.
No one crossed a line by attacking Courtney Finley – they crossed the line when they decided to attack a player. The next line would have been attacking someone who hasn’t put themselves out there, like Aaron Rodgers’ mom or Donald Driver’s wife. But Courtney Finley is fair game.
kris 1:36 pm on January 16, 2012 Permalink |
Some of the content of the attacks was out of line – saying that her husband is cheating on her with UWGB students, for example.
Aaron 1:41 pm on January 16, 2012 Permalink |
Sure the attack is out of line. I’m not arguing that it isn’t. But it’s the type of attack any high profile person would get, and she’s gone out of her way to make herself into a high profile person. She has more followers than many NFL players have, and it’s because she’s always begging people to follow her.
kris 1:47 pm on January 16, 2012 Permalink |
Honestly, if I was a head coach I’d ban all of my players and their immediate family from being on Twitter during the season. I don’t need some player coming into my office some Monday crying about how people are being mean to his wife on Twitter. It’s a distraction that the team doesn’t need.
Aaron 2:48 pm on January 16, 2012 Permalink |
I think players association might have a thing or two to say about your proposal.
kris 3:04 pm on January 16, 2012 Permalink |
Maybe it’s not a formal ban, but maybe their number won’t called as often if they violate my informal twitter policies.
Actually, maybe there’s a job opportunity for me here as the “twitter police” for professional sports franchises.