Mike Greenberg rants

[illwauk]

But as far as Robert Henson, someone had a really good post in the comments section of the article:

Players making comments like this = Arrogant, spoiled, ignorant athletes

Fans making comments like this = Passionate, Caring about their team

Not that Henson was right but fans/media get a lot of leeway when it comes to insulting athletes. And they can get away with insults, harassing their families, racial slurs, who knows what else all because 'they pay the player's salary'

Everyone will laugh at the drunk heckling the batter but when the player goes after a fan there's outrage and we wonder why there is such a division with sports athletes and the common fans.

Nonsense. I don't know many fans who will laugh at a drunk heckler. There's a reason that ballparks now have tip lines to have them tossed out of the park.

And in what alternate universe does that poster live, where harassing a player's family or tossing racial slurs is ever considered acceptible?

I think he was talking more in general, not necessarily at the park. You don't have to look very far in cyberspace to find some balls-less moron taking shots at (AHEM!) "uppity negro millionaire athletes" and their families.

I also know I can't be the only one who sees right through all this media grandstanding. The "9 to 5 at Mcdonalds" comment was NOT COOL on any level, but sportswriters are some of the most arrogant, self-important pricks walking the earth. I would bet all my worldly possessions that at least 90% of the people criticizing this kid's judgment have thought or even said something similar when the cameras weren't rolling.

[Jigga]

Your experience doesn't jibe with mine. I've seen my share of drunk fans, but in the last ten years almost every single one of them has ended up being talked to by security or been marched out.

Yankee Stadium, Miller Park, Dodger Stadium, Mile High, even Keyspan Park in Brooklyn. It's been a very long time since I've seen such behavior treated lightly.

And what about harassing family members, or racial slurs? Are those ever considered cool?

I wouldn't say people consider them "cool" or anything close to that. It's more like no one says anything to the mouthbreathing drunks, so they keep going.