Something to chew on. I've seen this gross behavior with some of our fan base. It isn't OK for these attacks to happen on players. With NIL and the portal, it's the wild wild West these days and good players can be gone in a blink.

Worth the read:

Artile on Social Media and impact on Marshall & WVU

There is nothing "social" about social media - the bad has far outweighed any good - I don't use facebook or twitter or any of the crap

Yet there are folks out there who think voicing their opinions in an acrimonious and vitriolic way have no impact on these young men we watch every fall Saturday.

Every fall Saturday, half of the teams that take the field lose. So half of the fans (millions of them) are upset and disappointed every Saturday... and almost all of them are on social media. For sure, 1% or 2% cross the line in expressing their disappointment. And there’s nothing we can do about it except educate and support our players.

People also need to understand that what you see on social media isn’t always the full and complete story. Particularly when it comes to recruiting. Kids will post Top 5s that aren’t really top 5s. They add schools as a favor to a coach or relationship. Kids post Committments that aren’t real. They post offers that aren’t real. DeCommits aren’t always the result of a recruit spurning the school for a “better” offer.

It’s hard to glean what is real and what is not without the backstory. The thing is that we often won’t know because the staff isn’t going to set the record straight via social media. Our coaches will always allow the kid to save face in these instances. We should do the same.

It's the personal attacks on football players, basketball players, school kids that I CAN NOT STOMACH. My wife and I are so glad we didn't have to raise our daughter during "social" media era. We do feel quite worried about what our granddaughter will most likely have to deal with -

Agree 100%. Some small minded and very ignorant fans believe they have earned the "right" to antagonize the players because they "paid" for admission to a game, placed a bet on the game, the players have scholarships, have NILs, etc. whatever the reason. I do not get it...even at the professional ranks. I root for my teams. We win some, we lose some. Am I disappointed in a loss. Sure..never, ever have got to an emotional state that I see on some blogs, boards, etc. It is really sad.

If you want to be successful and happy in life, encourage and don’t discourage.

"Freedom of speech" combined with the readily available platform that social media provides seem to completely override any sense of judgement or good taste that once existed in our society. Some folks just don't seem to understand that just because they CAN say something doesn't mean they SHOULD.

TractorApp wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 06, 2022 11:59 am

If you want to be successful and happy in life, encourage and don’t discourage.

If you want to be happy in life, don’t peg that solely to the on field success of a group of 18 year olds. It won’t work out.

Yosef84 wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 06, 2022 12:20 pm

"Freedom of speech" combined with the readily available platform that social media provides seem to completely override any sense of judgement or good taste that once existed in our society. Some folks just don't seem to understand that just because they CAN say something doesn't mean they SHOULD.

The lack of an understanding as to what “Freedom of Speech” means is a part of the issue as well.

The walls people are able to hide behind on Twitter allow the real ugly nature to be able to be front and center and directed at kids. A tremendous number of people are ugly. Absolute assholes and pussies are able to behave like bullies. These people are the ultimate losers.

It sounds like in West Virginia, especially WVU with 30% of the football team in the portal and but also regarding Marshall, there is especially a severe problem that doesn't have anything to do with their coaching or their players.

AppSt94 wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 06, 2022 12:43 pm

Yosef84 wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 06, 2022 12:20 pm

"Freedom of speech" combined with the readily available platform that social media provides seem to completely override any sense of judgement or good taste that once existed in our society. Some folks just don't seem to understand that just because they CAN say something doesn't mean they SHOULD.

The lack of an understanding as to what “Freedom of Speech” means is a part of the issue as well.

Exactly! That's the reason I put those words in quotes.

I consider Coach Clark as Assoc. Professor of Football. He has a class of over 100 young men for both semesters and summer school. These young men are students. As all students do, they make mistakes as they learn. When you made a bad grade in College Algebra was there a line of scoffers outside the classroom door yelling and spiting at you. No.
Professor Clark's students take 12-14 highly publicized and visible tests per year. They make mistakes as all students do. However their mistakes are often made on "The Worldwide Leader." Everyone from Honolulu to Augusta, Maine can see them. 30k people at KBS see them. I invite us to remember that these students in Professor Clark's class are 18-22 years old, and not rag them when they drop a pass, miss a tackle, or throw a pick. Same for the kids from Stink, Turd, or LaLa. All of these young men are students; learning publically how to be adults. Let not give them bad examples as fans. Sermon over.

Yosef84 wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 06, 2022 12:48 pm

AppSt94 wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 06, 2022 12:43 pm

Yosef84 wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 06, 2022 12:20 pm

"Freedom of speech" combined with the readily available platform that social media provides seem to completely override any sense of judgement or good taste that once existed in our society. Some folks just don't seem to understand that just because they CAN say something doesn't mean they SHOULD.

The lack of an understanding as to what “Freedom of Speech” means is a part of the issue as well.

Exactly! That's the reason I put those words in quotes.

This. Almost everyone who starts squawking about the first amendment has no clue at all whatsoever as to what it means.

scatman77 wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:19 am

Yet there are folks out there who think voicing their opinions in an acrimonious and vitriolic way have no impact on these young men we watch every fall Saturday.

It's like i tell my daughter all the time, "Not everyone is entitled to your opinion", not necessary to share!

App91 wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 06, 2022 1:47 pm

scatman77 wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:19 am

Yet there are folks out there who think voicing their opinions in an acrimonious and vitriolic way have no impact on these young men we watch every fall Saturday.

It's like i tell my daughter all the time, "Not everyone is entitled to your opinion", not necessary to share!

The number of time I mutter the words “dumba$$” on a daily basis are probably exceeded only by the number of times that it is muttered at me.

HighlandsApp wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 06, 2022 12:46 pm

The walls people are able to hide behind on Twitter allow the real ugly nature to be able to be front and center and directed at kids. A tremendous number of people are ugly. Absolute assholes and pussies are able to behave like bullies. These people are the ultimate losers.

It sounds like in West Virginia, especially WVU with 30% of the football team in the portal and but also regarding Marshall, there is especially a severe problem that doesn't have anything to do with their coaching or their players.

No - twitter is not the problem with WVU football - I imagine all QBs are targets - look at what happened to the Heisman trophy candidate at Oklahoma (RATTLER) - he was attacked unmercifully - West Virginians LOVE their players, they love them because they came there to play for The State - I clearly think this is all about being the QB - As to Marshall, I can't say to much degree other than I see a little of excuse-ism there. Wells was quite good and as I am sure he caught some grief - but going to VT is quite a step up for him - Doege from WVU won't be stepping up I do not believe ---

Not a fan of the "social media". These student athletes are still kids - or at my age kids to me. I am also very thankful that we did not have social media when I was at App!!

App91 wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 06, 2022 1:47 pm

scatman77 wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:19 am

Yet there are folks out there who think voicing their opinions in an acrimonious and vitriolic way have no impact on these young men we watch every fall Saturday.

It's like i tell my daughter all the time, "Not everyone is entitled to your opinion", not necessary to share!

Sounds like pretty good advice to your daughter in a nutshell you're right if you share your opinion be prepared for what comes at you from others.

Certainly everyone's entitled to voice their opinion if they want to share it but many times they shouldn't. And in response to their opinion; if it's ugly, vile, directed against specific other people in a harmful manner; well then they get to suffer the consequences of other private entities and people calling them out or potentially removing them from the privately owned platform that they're sharing their opinion on. Only thing the first amendment does is says that the government can't stop you/arrest you for speaking against the government.