12/03/24
September 05, 2007
ESPN Anchor Scott Van Pelt is a Flamer: "You are the worst thing about internet sites ... You are a piece of garbage and I loathe you and all your kind." -- ESPN's Scott Van Pelt, posting to another member (under his own name, no less) on the Terrapin Times message board for University of Maryland fans
According to the article (first link), the person Van Pelt responded to is a well-known troll. The article's author goes so far as to describe the user as a "notorious Internets rabblerouser". So my guess is that Van Pelt had enough of the guy's idiocy (we've all been there) and went all ninja on his ass.
posted by scully at 06:35 PM on September 05, 2007
This is why the best thing slashdot has ever done is to automatically name all users who post anonymously a so-called 'Anonymous Coward.' Corollary: John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory. Sometimes, in spite of my libertarian instinct for privacy and freedom of speech, I wonder if it would be such a bad thing to require people online to post using their real names. It would put a stop to a lot of the pointless dickwaving and internet tough guy oneupmanship that destroys so many 'discussions' online.
posted by insomnyuk at 06:58 PM on September 05, 2007
I always notice the difference in tenor in places where people use their real names, like O'Reilly's Radar-- you aren't required to, it just seems to make sense. Similarly, I think crunchland's name change at Metafilter (to his real name) is an interesting, though failed, experiment.
posted by yerfatma at 07:05 PM on September 05, 2007
It's an interesting issue whether somebody whose job is to maintain a modicum (at least) of objectivity and journalistic integrity has license to go all fanboy on his downtime. It's another interesting issue whether one journalist has the right (or if it is in any way warranted) to run another journalist off a fan forum by outing him in the course of his own (rather gossipy) job. I dunno... I'm going to wait for somebody to tell me how to feel about all this.
posted by The Crafty Sousepaw at 07:10 PM on September 05, 2007
Oh man, how awesome would it be to have "notorious Internets rabblerouser" on your resume and/or business card? Maybe have "Getting all Ninja on your ass" as a tagline somewhere on there, too.
posted by jerseygirl at 07:52 PM on September 05, 2007
The (pointless dickwaving internet tough guy) act is a badly mutated evolutionary trait that will hopefully die out, but then again our Neanderthal cousins hung around for two-hundred thousand years, perhaps throwing poo at cave drawings when nobody was looking.
posted by El Camino Warrior at 09:32 PM on September 05, 2007
I'm all for it. Fuck it. The interweebs are not a one-way street. My honed technology acumen would suggest there are at least five streets. Sometimes you snap on the asshats and their assorted asshatery. I take no issue with this or with Scott Van Pelt (whoever that is) deciding that he had to take a quick shot. Alls fair.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:46 PM on September 05, 2007
The bandwagon for faster internet evolution is being towed by an El Camino.
posted by The Crafty Sousepaw at 10:14 PM on September 05, 2007
I think that a lot of these internets posters get too hooked on hyperbole. And I, for one, hate hyperbole more than anyone on the face of the earth has hated anything in the history of hating. Ever. SVP's cool, though. (Dons his asshat, cocks it jauntily, and skeedaddles.)
posted by THX-1138 at 10:18 PM on September 05, 2007
Skeedaddling again... typical Internets rabblerouser.
posted by jerseygirl at 10:39 PM on September 05, 2007
Crap... I guess I didn't think this moniker through when I thought (for my own amusement) I'd pay homage to the El Camino College football team... Crafty line El Sousepaw. I didn't see it coming, but I can see it now, a Schlitz between the legs an astray full of butts, maybe a little REO Speedwagon on the radio and deep seeded unmovable opinions about NASCAR...
posted by El Camino Warrior at 10:54 PM on September 05, 2007
Maybe a LOT of REO Speedwagon? Followed quickly by some Triumph and a dash of Night Ranger. Sprinkle liberally with Bad Company. Recipe serves EVERYONE.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 11:23 PM on September 05, 2007
Sprinkle liberally with Bad Company. Feel like makin'... bahdump bwah, bahdump bwah, bahdump bwah, feel like makin'...
posted by The Crafty Sousepaw at 12:11 AM on September 06, 2007
The bandwagon for faster internet evolution is being towed by an El Camino. CRAP!! I just had hand controls installed in my '65 (16 window) VW bus for just this purpose.
posted by Folkways at 01:20 AM on September 06, 2007
To quote the Bard, if this isn't a "Tempest in a Teapot" I do not know what is.
posted by sickleguy at 06:53 AM on September 06, 2007
Yeah, I agree with what that Bard guy said. Seriously, who gives a rat's ass what Van Pelt's allegiances are or what he says to some guy on a board? ESPN is his employer and has every right to tell him to cool it, but I'm not sure they should stick their nose in this. Gotta pick your fights and this seems pretty minor. About the real name debate, when I first starting posting I used my real name on some sites where people might actually know who I was, but soon started feeling weird about it since I seemed to be the only one. Now I just use Gradioc anywhere I post. Not trying to hide anything (2 minutes on Google would probably out me), just going with the flow.
posted by gradioc at 05:23 PM on September 06, 2007
stick their nose in this. Gotta pick your fights Pick your nose. Heh, heh. BTW, I'm George Lucas. (oops)
posted by THX-1138 at 06:01 PM on September 06, 2007
I don't understand why we hold people in the media to a higher standard. I don't understand how calling someone out is a bad thing either. Come to think of it, I don't see why this is even an article? It's probably the coolest thing that ever happened to the guy that got pawned.
posted by Slaptastic at 03:47 PM on September 07, 2007
"Pawned?" VanPelt may have ripped him a new one but I don't think he's sitting on a musty shelf in some main street second-hand hock shop (I know you meant "pwned," just having a laugh.) One thing I always find interesting about internet flame wars is that: 1. The people piling on usually claim they loathe such types of threads but readily engage and help to make them some of the most popular "discussions." and 2. Those responding to the "outrageous and disrespectful" behaviour of the individual they are criticizing inevitably engage in the exact same type of comments they are attacking.
posted by SportsNarrative at 12:21 AM on September 09, 2007
LOL. Ya, I don't know the median age here yet. I wasn't sure if pwned would be understood.
posted by Slaptastic at 11:06 AM on September 10, 2007
Pretty obscure. Results 1 - 20 of about 2,880,000 for pwned
posted by yerfatma at 11:19 AM on September 10, 2007
He did get a bit dramatic over that comment unless there's some prior history we're not seeing. I like SVP though, probably my favortie Sportscenter anchor right now. I think it's ok that he's a fan and that he gets fired up about stuff.