Of everything you've written, what prompted the angriest responses?

I ask because a thing I wrote recently has engendered considerable angst.
"(%*%) you and the horse you rode in on. You obviously hate your family," was my favorite.

I presume most of you have received such attacks. If so, what was the the topic of the story that created this response?

 

A soccer gamer. Go figure.

 

A co-worker and I wrote point-counterpoint columns before Boise State's bowl game with TCU a few years ago.

God forbid I rip on Boise State. Jesus.

That column is what finally spurred me into getting a cell phone and getting rid of my home phone number. I received calls at all hours of the night and my then wife received calls that weren't quite death threats, but involved things being shoved places the sun doesn't shine.

I also received about 100 e-mails calling for my job, etc. I received four saying they were fired up that someone had finally called Boise State out.

So, if any of you wonder why I hate all things Boise State. Now you know. Fuck them and their fans.

 

Similar... I did a column ripping a local university scheduling a Friday night home game... I didn't know ass hole was two words...

 

Wrote a college football column that included a sarcastic jab about Oklahoma running the score up against a far inferior opponent. The link made its way to the OU portal on Rivals. I received Sooner hate mail the entire day.

Worst fans I've ever encountered - in person or via computer.

 

High school soccer parents are vicious.

 

I wrote a column ripping on behavior of two high schools' soccer fans (a match between the schools was stopped because of rowdy behavior). The fans then proceeded to prove me right by sending me threatening e-mails.

 

A column on Brett Hull's goal/no goal. Weird.

 

Softball story. Old coach didn't like how the players seemed to prefer the new coach to him. He talked to the girls, they claimed they didn't say that, I said "I taped the interview." Might have been one of about four interviews I taped that year, and I only taped it because that team was, shall we say, difficult to deal with.

 

In my experience, the swarm of complaints come when you least expect them.

 

Like on a fluff piece about a barely-in-your-cover-area softball power. Bleech.

 

I haven't been "lucky" enough to engender enough vitriol for any one piece I've written.

The closest was when I wrote a World Cup preview in 2002 (I think?) for Outsports.com. The irony was that the piece that got the most response was when I wrote an All Cute XI. Those responses were from Columbus, Ohio and they were people who were offended that I excluded Brian McBride from my list.

The next one was a column I wrote about reverse discrimination. I wasn't out at the time and I didn't come out in the column. Doing so might have shut them the fuck up.