Crème de la crème (or How Fanaticism Nearly Killed Me on the MSNBC NFL Messageboard)

As the National Football League season is heating up and my Green Bay Packers are 5-1 going into a bye week, I’ve spent more time than usual getting into the underbelly of some of the more popular sports websites - various Packer sites, NFL.com, ESPN, FOX, MSNBC, etc. I made the mistake of checking out the MSNBC sports messageboard one night and have since regretted it. Perfect strangers get into it over their teams, games, plays, and other issues pertinent to the NFL. If you’re not familiar with messageboards, people pose questions and other people publicly comment on them. Then someone says something somebody disagrees with and the quarreling and name-calling ensue and before you know it the shit has hit the fan.

Here is a sampling of some of the comments I made on the MSNBC messageboard - all having to do with Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. You’ll see it’s a veritable mental institution of sports fans out there. At times I include the question posed – mostly though all you need to do is read my comments (in yellow print and in quotes) to know what was asked and what others commented. Wait, wait - couple things. There may be reference in other's comments that may or may not be aimed at me. And any grammatical or spelling mistakes were kept in to illustrate the stupidity and ignorance of some of the people one deals with on the internet - especially sport fans. I'll be the first to admit many of my comments are juvenile - but you're not seeing what I endured on those messageboards and compared to these miscreants I looked like Albert Einstein. Here we go:

Mysundaysareadisaster said: Farve selfishly stayed just to break this record and put his team thru a good 5-10 so-so at best seasons. This time could have better been spent bringing up a new pup. He should have left a long time ago.

"mysundaysareadisaster...why don't you change your handle to 'iamadisaster'? your favre comment is unfounded and stupid. go spread your stink on some other post."

Hayseed said: It just shows, That if you stick around in the NFL, Your sure to break some record, Not that your any good. Farve has never amounted to much other then being a media darling. Take a look at the Terry Bradshaw's, Roger Starbuch's, Joe Montana's and compare these players records to Farve record. Farve is just a average player whom the media puts on a pedastool...He's average and nothing will ever change that.

"what in the hell is this a-hole talking about? i hate people who spew forth nothing to back up their ridiculous comments. i wish death on this hayweed person."

Arthur1957 said: Did they stop the game and have a celebration at Lamblow when ole toe-picker broke the INT record?

"and by the way...that WAS an asinine comment by arthur1957. what are you - 2? go pollute some other message board with your juvenile comments. the world is filled with dipsticks."

"kansas hayseed. you're a dick. get a life. sleep with your sister or your dog, learn to read or write, or tie your shoes, but do something worthwhile instead of being an insect on this board with your blathering."

Johnnymac said: I'd just like to stop by to congratulate media darling/golden child Brett FaVre (how is it pronounced "FARVE" again?) on achieving the all-time interceptions record, and thus becoming the worst quarterback of all time. I also want to touch on how admirable it is to see what Brett FaVre has overcome! What a "tough" man to overcome a painkiller addiction that was his own fault in the first place! (the very addiction which also created the false illusion that he even WAS actually tough...) I feel so sorry for this unfortunate multimillionaire that will never need a real job! What a poor man! If I'm not mistaken, he is also the only NFL player in history to have have a death in the family. The man cries after losing football games and is called tough? Why is the media so in love with him again? What is this conspiracy? The guy is just not THAT good, and hasnt accomplished anything in a LONG time.

"johnnymac - your sister and mother say hello. i'd get them but they're showering together in my bathroom right now. now who's crying - i wanna file a complain against this dolt for misuse of the board = writing and saying nothing pertinent to the subject."

Johnnymac said: …I do know that god hates brett faVre if there is one though - why else would he have thrown so many ints?...Most overrated QB ever.

"hey johnny smac mouth - YOU are mental and need help. if you're so sick of hearing about Favre, it's not gonna stop as long as he's playing. so why don't you do everyone on this board and anyone who knows you a favor and just end it all. i'm sure you won't be missed and then you won't have to listen to any more Favre talk, OK - bilehead?"

Question posed: Why is Favre record not getting attention (TD record)?
My logic is that when a 35 year old QB throws 29 INTs for a 4-12 team, it's time to move on, rebuild, and go with youth. When a QB way past his prime has a retirement discussion every off season and holds the team hostage with this discussion, it's time to move on. Favre is not 2-0, the Packers are 2-0 and that game against Philly was a gift from their punt returners. He did nothing."

"quit referring to us saying Favre is 2-0. we know the Packers are 2-0, you dope. you Favre naysayers are pathetic - Favre has had 2 down years of the 14 he's been at GB and you're saying that he's ready for the retirement home???"

"hey Patton - before you slap Favre in the face, the media started the whole "is Favre retiring" thing - not Brett. get your facts straight before you spout off. you're the w.h.o.r.e. you'll say anything to get your name in print. you know nothing."

"true NFL fan...then you alluded to the fact that we (Packer fans) have a cult compound. hmmm. we do actually and your entire family's here and wants to come home but the new tennis shoes we bought for them look so nice."

"fascinating. your take on the game, trueNFLfan. and i didn't ask you about the Washington game (did anyone?) - just the GB game. you're annoying like when you have to poop but can't quite do it. just sorta...stuck in there."

"And don't ever say, 'Favre tried his best to throw the game to Taylor' (Redskins player), you dummy."

"hey, trueNFLfan - my team's 3-0, bitch. what's your team's record right now? you still haven't answered my question…so explain Brett's game performance yesterday if he's our team's weakness."

"good one, Professor. true NFL fan lost twice on Favre and his demeanor is such he won't suck it up and switch his bet around. he'll continue betting against Favre cause he's trying to save face - even if he ends up under a freeway overpass in a medium cardboard box. class-less. why don't you just say you don't like Favre?"

"#15 QB rating at 93.5, QB of one of only 5 teams 3-0. if that means Brett's below average, fine by me. i think Brett's more worried about THE TEAM continuing it's winning ways and working together as one unit. all the factoids and stats thrown up here are accurate. how you reguritate those facts and spin them to fill the void in your unamusing life is your problem. And you're the one who referred to 'us' calling Brett, 'god'. that wasn't us."

These last two are in response to an online column in The New York Sun by Allen Barra(ss). If you wanna read his article, there's a link on my September 14th post, People I Hate. Utterly ridiculous article - and this guy's supposed to be intelligent:

"And let me add how dare you put "dogfighting" and Brett Favre in the same sentence, you asshole, or even suggest anything of the sort. Favre has a stellar rep with the NFL and could most certainly serve as its poster boy. You, on the other hand, are a slob. You write whatever you want because no one there edits your stink. You should be sued for slander, or libel - whichever crime you're committing at the time. Did you get those pills and gun yet?"

..."how can you, in the same article, give Donovan McNabe the benefit of the doubt for his lousy performance, passing it off as 'mitigating circumstances' as he was on the visiting team and had a bad ankle and it was his first game of the season and he ate too much Chunky Soup?"

I no longer post much on the MSNBC messageboard. It's not worth it. I'm having too much fun watching my inept 5-1 Packers right now, along with their old, dried up, selfish, no-talent QB, ole Number 4.