ASU football players harassed online, Twitter account claps back
‘If you feel the need to Tweet/DM degrading and insulting comments at our student-athletes, please direct it to this account instead’
“Fans” of ASU Football and angry Twitter users have begun to abuse players online following their loss to San Diego State. It would seem that the negative covfefe of Twitter is never-ending.
It hardly seems like anything new for the platform as it’s largely been satirized on late night television, the news, and many other platforms for being a homestead to internet trolls.
However, with the implications of bullying and cyber-bulling being quite serious, ASU’s football account decided to make a statement regarding these critical and abusive comments.
"If you feel the need to Tweet/DM degrading and insulting comments at our student-athletes, please direct it to this account instead. Thanks," a tweet sent from the Sun Devil Football account reads.
Many have applauded the post while others have, as expected, laid on more troll-like, angry comments largely targeted at ASU’s football coach, Todd Graham.
While many feel placing blame on the coach is a step better, let’s not get comfortable with "less bad."
Let us take a look at the fact that many of the Twitter trolls are not professional or college, well, anything. They don't play any sports on that level of athleticism but still feel justified in their 140 character rants.
The majority of them are Sun Devil fans — thus making them equivalent to that annoying girl that talks trash about her boyfriend when he cheats on her but still post pictures of him for #mancrushmonday.
Whether you agree with the choices made by the team and coaching staff, it hardly seems reasonable to fire around expletives and demands for firing. You know, Sharon, you really suck at your Postmates job, but you don’t see me demanding your head on a plate because you can’t get my order right—or find my apartment–I just hope and pray that you do better next time.
After all, the spirit of ASU and the performance of the football team aren’t going to be hindered or changed by hater fingertips gnashing against the keys of their laptop at 3 AM in their mother’s basement. It also just logically doesn’t make sense to abuse someone for a bad game that one would otherwise cheer for.
Well said, Peter, well said.