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The Internet is a dangerous place. People believe they can say anything they want online and it is all right. They believe that since they are faceless, they can insult anyone and act like there are no repercussions. That is normally true as many people forget they are humans and make horrible comments to complete strangers and get away with it because they hide behind anonymity.
That is untrue when it comes to celebrities. After the Dallas Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins, one such fan started to heckle Redskins receiver Jabar Gaffney on Twitter about the Redskins record. This fan can say anything he wants and hide behind his computer monitor because that is the life of the Internet. He believes he is invulnerable at his computer desk.
However, Gaffney responded on Twitter by saying "3-7 ain't a record to be proud of I'm just proud I ain't you get a life or kill urself,"
Of course, this hit the news and everyone is down on Gaffney for his response. The fact is that anyone could get onto Gaffney's Twitter page and tell him to kill himself and nothing would be done. Gaffney responded in what is a disgusting manner and everyone knows who he is. That means he has to be careful what he says.
Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's brother Rex learned the same thing last week. A fan heckled Rex and the mercurial head coach responded with an F-bomb. It cost him a $75,000 fine. The fan could have dropped a dozen F-bombs and never got in trouble. Ryan responds in kind and the NFL fines him close to 100 grand.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the NFL drop a fine on Gaffney based on their social media policy. I don't think he should be fined but it does show how different NFL players and coaches are treated. I am a Dallas fan and feel that heckling an opposing player is classless. I also feel that if a faceless fan throws out insults on the Internet and a player fires back, all is fair game.
Of course Gaffney told the AP "It's something that got took out of text. Cowboy fans, that's how they are. I was just telling the dude: `Y'all won. All right, leave me alone. Don't talk to me.' And that's all it was."
I guess telling someone to kill themselves means something different to Gaffney. He also tweeted this: "They say I can't tell people to kill themselves didn't know freedom of speech had limitations."
I am completely against fining NFL players and coaches for responding to hecklers, especially faceless cowards on the Internet, but that last statement makes Gaffney look like an idiot.
Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s. Through the great years of the '90s and the hard times of the '80s, Shawn never turned his back on America's Team.
Source: NFL.COM
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