Trenni Kusnierek: Kusnierek's Korner

Death Threats in Sports? It. Must. Stop.

By Trenni Kusnierek CREATED Jan. 23, 2012

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Webster's dictionary defines football as this: ​any of several games played between two teams on a usually rectangular field having goalposts or goals at each end and whose object is to get the ball over a goal line, into a goal or between goalposts by running, passing or kicking.

​Strange. No where in that definition does it mention that wins and/or losses mean life or death. No where in that definition does it state that mistakes made on the field are punishable by death. 

In fact, the definition plainly states that football is a game. 

Game: activity engaged in for diversion or amusement

​Once again, absolutely nothing to do with life or death. 

Yet after San Francisco's Kyle Williams fumbled a punt in overtime during yesterday's NFC Championship game, which lead to the New York Giants kicking the game winning field goal, one would have thought Williams threatened our country's very freedom and existence. 

The Giants had barely lifted the NFC Championship trophy over their heads before the calls for Williams death began. 

Yes, the calls for Williams DEATH. After a football GAME. 

Here is a small sample of the "compassion" which came pouring out Sunday evening via Twitter and email. (Please note, @KyleWilliams_10 is Williams' twitter handle, so the messages are directed at him from other twitter users. I have not modified the messages in any way, including correcting spelling or grammar mistakes.)

​@KyleWilliams_10 I hope youre wife, kids and family die, you deserve it.

​Jim Harbaugh, please give @KyleWilliams_10 the game ball. And make sure it explodes when he gets in his car.

​Kyle Williams... you need to leave San Francisco forever, you should never be allowed to play in the NFL ever again... Your play and ypur post game comments should be enough to earn yourself a spot in 49ers history's... As the biggest POS to ever wear the red and gold. Lots of hope for next year, let's just hope that KW gets hit by a bus, eaten by a lion, or dies in some other terrible way so he can't ruin the 49ers season again... What a terrible piece of garbage you are KW, you ruined the game I have been waiting for over 10 years...

These are real tweets. These are real comments from fans. These are real people, not just Twitter handles, behind the hateful, vile and deplorable words. And this is an issue athletes, entertainers, broadcasters and writers deal with on an all too consistent basis.

Before I go on, please don't say something to the effect of "this is what you all signed up for when you chose to be in the public eye".

No one signs up to have their life threatened. No one plays a game expecting someone to hurl obscenities and attack their character. No one delivers your evening news or sports expecting to be called a whore, a stripper or a hooker. While penning a story, no one entertains the thought readers will degrade their WIFE on the internet.

You think I'm making these attacks up? Sadly, I am not.

During the Packers loss to the Giants I made a twitter comment about Green Bay making a much needed defensive stop. A Giants fan did not agree and thought the referees failed to spot the ball correctly, but decided to curse at me instead of just state his case.

"@trenni it was a horrible spot u dumb b&*h"

While I was working with the Brewers in 2008 I received a MySpace message from a viewer who called me a b&*h, c*&nt and hoped "I wasn't around anymore after the All-Star Game." My company, Fox Sports, thankfully saw this as a security threat and handled it immediately, but I was frightened beyond belief and didn't sleep for weeks. Running, which was normally my solitary escape, became a terrifying activity. It is a letter that still haunts me today and significantly affects the way I interact with others.

In Baltimore, my friend and colleague Jen Royle has endured a level of abuse which is staggering. She is a native of Boston and was a New York resident for a decade before taking a job in Baltimore. Royle was hired to a do a job, and that job is to cover sports in the Baltimore area. At times, that means being critical of local teams. Due to the fact she is a native of Boston, the comments which have come her way are beyond vicious. (The first comment is in reference to the fact that Royle is now leaving and moving back to Boston.)

​"The good news is @Jen_Royle can leave now. Get out. The faster the better. Don't come back. Die in a fire."

"@Jen_Royle You're one of the biggest POS (piece of s*&t) I've ever come across. Petty, mean spirited, delusional and very dishonest. Just leave already."

The hate filled tirades are not limited to females. Last week Mike Silver of Yahoo!Sports tweeted this:

"Some dufus just made a comment about my wife and is now an ex-follower. Spring cleaning comes early. Next?"

CBS Sports writer Gregg Doyel routinely writes a column dedicated to the hate mail he receives. Although entertaining at times, I tend to be more sickened the act is even necessary.

Games. People are getting uncontrollably angry at strangers over games. And they have platforms like Twitter, Facebook and blog comment sections where they can say anything to anyone no matter how inappropriate.

Let me be clear, I have no issue with a civil disagreement. If a sports fans vehemently disagrees with an opinion or feels an athlete or team is not playing up to expectations- complain away! I like a good spirited discussion. I also think that when athletes under perform, they should expect to be questioned and criticized about their performance. 

But it is the way a portion of our society chooses to express their displeasure with personal attacks that makes me sick.

Imagine what it is like for moms and dads, brothers and sisters or daughters and sons to log on and read some of the comments about their family members. A person they love hasn't committed a crime. No, they dropped a pass or criticized the local sports hero, and are now being called every name in the book for everyone to see.

As a society, how did we get to this place? At what point did our collective anger hit such a boiling point we actually wish harm upon others who don't live up to our expectations or share our opinions? 

A few weeks back I stupidly engaged myself in a "twitter war" with a listener who loved to insult me, my looks and my character. By pointing out his rudeness, I had a number of followers who jumped to my defense. However, the attacker wasn't influenced to stop. Instead, I had someone message me when he bragged via his Twitter account that he gained some new followers, so the slams on me were worth his time.

I'm convinced we can't stop the hateful comments, but I do think we can help build an intolerance for the disparaging messages so many receive. I realize it may see counterintuitive to stop reacting and responding, but I can't think of a better way to silence these voices which have become too loud.

It has become common place to retweet our "haters" or engage them by fighting for our honor. However, by doing that we are acknowledging their hate and giving them the credit and notoriety they so strongly desire. In short-they win and we lose. 

Over the summer I met a woman who writes a column for the Boston Globe. She is smart and successful and very strong in her values. She tells the story of a time her editor wanted her to write and run a story she found derogatory, so she refused. Her reasoning was simple. The only reason degrading and malicious materials thrive is because with each click we breath new life into the topic. Every time we acknowledge the threats, insults and hatred we are allowing it to continue to hurt the people we watch, listen and read. 

So in my opinion the solution is simple. Just. Stop.

Stop responding. Stop clicking. Stop retweeting. Stop enabling the actions I truly believe we all despise.