After a botched punt attempt led to Michigan’s soul-crushing loss to Michigan State on Saturday, Wolverines fans were understandably devastated. Unfortunately, some of them took to Twitter and thought it right to harass and threaten Michigan punter Blake O’Neill, whose mishandling of a low snap resulted in the Spartans scampering toward the end zone for a game-winning touchdown as time expired.
Michigan athletic director sends open letter to fans after Twitter threats against punter
Some Wolverines fans crossed a line on social media after their team’s loss to Michigan State. In an open letter, Michigan’s interim athletic director reminded them not to do that.
The Washington Post curated some of these fans’ responses. Here were some of the tamer things fans said. If you want to find the worst of it, use your imagination and the Twitter search function. Or, on the other hand, don’t:
@blakewoneill you had one job hahahahahaha pic.twitter.com/badFNQ9Tsg
— Oshay Sathe (@HeyManOshay) October 17, 2015 @blakewoneill you should be banned from Michigan university
— ExLionfan6812 (@JfromulusJohn) October 18, 2015 @blakewoneill you had one job...1 job...
— Redd Cooper (@fucksleep187) October 18, 2015 O’Neill, 22, is an unpaid student-athlete who was only trying his hardest and made a mistake. To tweet to him anything other than some variation of “Keep your head up, man” is totally inappropriate.
On Sunday, Michigan interim athletic director Jim Hackett penned an open letter to Wolverines fans. Much of it was about the game itself and Michigan’s game atmosphere, but Hackett alluded to some fans’ bad behavior toward his team’s punter at the end of the letter:
Today I awake to the shocking reality that our community who care so much about this program would send hurtful, spiteful and vicious comments to one of our students. To be clear, such comments come from a small minority, none of whom are reflective of our institution.
The program I know at MICHIGAN speaks about the team, the team the team. The people I have been associated with my whole life around this fantastic program - some whom are living and some whom have passed on - would never, I repeat never, spread blame.`
As our head coach said yesterday, “...this outcome will steel our spine.”
That means all of us.
I’m asking that our community not lose this game twice by condoning thoughtless comments and remember the Fielding Yost comment that this is the “Michigan of ours.”
Hackett’s message here is clear: Do not threaten or taunt college athletes on Twitter. That seems reasonable enough, doesn’t it?
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