Take it easy, it's just sports.
Kyle Williams reacts after a fumbled punt.I understand the passion of being a fan.
I cheered my teams louder and harder than anyone I knew before I was a reporter. The room I inhabited at my parents house still has posters and magazine cutouts of my former idols affixed to the walls and curtains with team logos hanging above the windows.
I cringe in embarrassment over this fact now, but I fully understand what it means to be a fanatic.
One thing I'll never get, though, is the disgusting venom some of you spew after a player makes an error on the field.
Heartbreak and disappointment should be fully expressed, but some of you are truly disturbed individuals that need to seek counseling.
Immediately.
Look, we're all fallible people. It may shock you, but even I'm not perfect.
Sometimes I get emails or calls letting me know of a grammatical error in an article or column -- usually from an English teacher -- and I appreciate those instances. The interactions are usually civil, once in a while the other individual is rude, but never has someone sent me a note reading "I hope you, your wife, kids and family die, you deserve it," due to a mistake.
No normal or sane person would do something that, but that's exactly what one fan tweeted to San Francisco 49ers return man Kyle Williams after he fumbled a punt that led to the Giants' game-winning field goal in the NFC Championship game.
And what about Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff, who missed a 32-yard field goal wide left last week in the AFC title game that would have forced overtime against the Patriots?
According to Yahoo!, someone on the team's official website added a note to a page selling his jersey saying that it will arrive in 3-5 business days "at the house to the left of yours."
As fans, we think this kind of stuff is harmless and has no impact on athletes.
That's not true.
I couldn't stop thinking about Bill Buckner as these situations were unfolding.
I had the pleasure of meeting Buckner last summer after he took over as manager of the Brockton Rox. He seemed at peace and was visibly excited about being back in baseball.
But as I talked to him and surveyed the backdrop of a muddy baseball field, decaying stadium seats and advertisements sadly drooping towards the earth as if they were trying to escape baseball purgatory, I couldn't help but feel sorry for what happened to him.
This man's life was ruined by a batch of ruthless fans over an honest mistake. For years, he hid in anonymity -- also known as Montana -- all because he screwed up at work.
Some people I've spoken with have rationalized these situations by saying that Williams, Cundiff and Buckner should have been able to do their jobs and the reaction is deserved.
Sure, and you should be able to do TPS reports in your sleep. Things happen now and then.
Hopefully no one threatens your life the next time you make an honest mistake.