Hate Mail

At BadJocks.com we love our readers! Without them we, we’d be just another lame sports website that no one reads. Instead, we’re a lame sports website that a few people read.
We try hard to be fair, but sometimes we annoy a reader and they just feel compelled to write and tell us off . . . which is okay. Better to do that than get up on the roof with a rifle, eh? So, here they are, in reverse order, from the most recent to the oldest, along with my responses.
Bob Reno
Publisher
BadJocks.com

NOTE: All three of these emails were received on the same day, allegedly from football players at Red Hook High School in upstate New York who claim to have actually witnessed a hazing incident we reported on November 9, 2004. The messages range from thoughtful, to obscene, to almost incoherent rambling. We’re not sure which is worse.

From Chip
To Whom It May Concern:
I have one suggestion for you, that you first verify your sources before you write an article ridiculing the football players and the school’s punishment for them. I am not defending their actions, but the article that you published overembelished on the events. First of all, the perhaps biggest flaw in your story is that the senior girl did not witness the incident. It took place deep in the boy’s locker room; why on Earth would this girl be in there at the time when all of the Varsity and Junior Varsity football players were changing? I would also like to ask you another question: Did your sources notify you that the Freshman player actually changed his story a week after the incident occurred? I didn’t think so; no one seemed to realize this fact. Also, before you “jump the gun” on criticizing the school officials on their lack of a punishment for the three players in question I want you to remember this: We live in America. That means that you are innocent until proven guilty. Do you think it is fair that if someone accuses you of something that you should automatically be punished for it? If you are struggling to answer, the answer is no. The lack of evidence has prevented the school officials from being able to make a full decision. Even though you might say that the testimony of this freshman as well as this senior girl(who was not in the locker room at the time and has nothing to do with the situation at all) is good enough to condemn these young men, I say that the testimony is not enough to take further action against the students. This is also supported by the statements from several varsity and junior varsity players who all say that the three only mooned the freshman. Although that was immature and extremely disrespectful, the football players do not deserve all of the heat that they are taking now with the media exaggerating this entire incident. I personally did not appreciate your extremely erroneous article. I would greatly appreciate if you would write a follow up article in which you recognize that you do not have all of the facts. Thank you very much for your time.
Sincerely,
Fellow Football Player

From Deep
Dear idiots at badjocks.com
My name is Deep and I am a student at Red Hook High. I’m sending you this e-mail in respose to your retarded article about the “hazing” incident which took place at my high school. I am on the football team with the “victim” of the incident. We both are on the JV team. The three “attackers” are on the varsity team. I’m f*cking writing to you to say how wrong your sh*tty article is. The incident happened in the BOYS locker room, and i
happened to be a witness to it. Now tell me how “a senior girl who had witnessed the incident” could be in the BOYS locker room at the time.
The “incident” happened a little after 5:00 PM after football practice. This girl you speak of probably wasn’t even on school campas at the time, you c*ck lickers. You guys are f*cking idiots. The reason the punishment was only them missing the first half of a game was because they only mooned him(in a f*cking locker room). No contact was made the kid was laughing the entire time. This is bullsh*t why don’t you guys get some sh*t that
accurate for your sh*tty site. Dumasses. Get your f*cking facts straight.
Deep

From Jordan T.
ur really dumb the latest issue on hazing is totally wrong the one in red hook new york i was in the locker room and no girl came forward and admitted they witnessed it cuz first of all what the hell was she doin in the boys locker room wouldnt be allowed also because nobody likes her so u have no proof what went on so u cant use that story i was in the locker room and im not saying what she said didnt happen cuz i didnt see it or hear it but i was in the locker room and i would of kno if she was in there no girls ever go in the guys locker room
Note: This e-mail comes to us from someone by the name of “Ankles McPhee.” No doubt an alias of some kind, but we’ll play along.

hey bob you fat retard,
why dont you get your facts rights you pimply ugly slut. in the aussie rules article you f*cked up you spastic f*cken c*nt! why does everyone want to f*cken get stuck into hawthorn these days. ben holland was sticking up for his team and i’ll be f*cked if some overweight lonely yank is gonna say otherwise. and anyway the other guy – johnson – is fine anyway. he isnt hurt or anything. at least our sports are tough here in australia and we can take it unlike you dumb redneck yank pussies.

if you wanna come to australia and sort this sh*t out then i’ll be waiting for you you chubby arsehole.

ankles

Dear Ankles:
What a fine representative you make for the “Land Down Under!” After reading your half-witted attempt to intimidate me, I’m sure that thousands of Americans will be rushing out to their local travel agent to schedule a visit to your lovely drunk-filled country.
As far as the Australian Rules Football story you’re referring to: I could really care less who was a fault and who was standing up for who. That story wouldn’t have even made BadJocks if just one Major League Baseball player had gotten even a speeding ticket that day. Unfortunately for us, it was the only story I had to toss out, and I now regret subjecting my readers to it. Most of them could care less about this so-called sport that reminds me of a game of playground tag between schoolgirls. The fact that you can get so worked up about such a lame excuse for a sport tells me just how pathetic your life must be.
So, Ankles, as far as I’m concerned, if your threats are as empty as your favorite sport, I doubt you’ll be kicking anyone’s posterior in the future, much less my ample one.
Warmest Regards,
Bob Reno
Publisher
BadJocks.com

Note: This message refers to a story we reported on last month when the NHL suspended Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi after he sucker-punched and broke the neck of the Colorado Avalanche’s Steve Moore. At the time, many called it the most vicious cheap shot EVER in professional hockey . . . which is saying a lot. We also suggested that Mr. Bertuzzi be “forced to ref 8-year-old broom hockey games for the rest of his life” as part of his punishment.  It took a while, but this genius was finally able to string a few words together to give us crap about the way we reported the story.

From Victor:
no offence, but i dont think you should put ur own opinion about the incident on the summary of the article of the bertuzzi hit. especially when you sound like you dont noe much about hockey. esp when u put (blood everywhere from what i’m told). if you watched the game, you would’ve seen there was no blood, cause there were no cuts. and the vancouver canucks were already wanting to get moore b4 the game, because of the hit he did to naslund a few weeks bak. but i dont think you know that, do you? and not like bertuzzi wanted to intentially fracture his neck(if you say break his neck it makes it seem like hes paralyzed, but moore is already walking fine), bertuzzi was just acting on his emotions at the time. and his neck wouldn’t even have fractured if bertuzzi didnt land on him, and then 2 other players landing on top of bertuzzi afterwards, ALL on top of moore. and 1 of those players were from moore’s own team 2. anyways im not a canucks fan, but it just seems ignorant when you put stuff like “forced to ref 8-year-old broom hockey games for the rest of his life” when you dont seem to know anything about the incident. like.. old ladies on the street having an opinion of how bad bertuzzi is when they dont even watch hockey or have any knowledge of what happened. that’s all bi.

Dear Victor:
Were you, by chance, recently sucker-punched from behind during a hockey game? ‘Cause that might explain your e-mail. Otherwise, after seeing the video of this hit repeatedly over several days, I have to conclude you’re a complete idiot.
Here’s hoping it’s just temporary brain damage from a hockey brawl!
Bob Reno
Publisher
BadJocks.com – Where COPS meets SportsCenter

NOTE: This message refers to our “BadJock of the Year Award” for 2003, given to an anonymous cheerleader from Decatur HS in Texas who shot a rival cheerleader from Bridgeport HS in the hinder with a paintball gun. Click here for details (bottom of the page.)
hi my name is ashley and im a cheerleader on the Decatur High School varsity squad….i am the girl in the very center on the front row of your picture….to clear things up only 4 cheerleaders went to bridgeport that night along wiht about 10 other senior girls….It was not a cheerleader thing but more of just a bunch of girls getting together and having some fun… It gives our whole squad a bad name so i would appreciate if u would take off our picture and refer to it as a decatur high school senior instead of trying to make your story sound better! probably wouldnt sound as interesting if u told the whole truth would it?

Dear Ashley:

Thank you for writing BadJocks. First off, there are six girls in the front row of that picture, so are you the third one from the left, or the fourth? (Just trying to get clarification.)

Second, I do want to make sure this story is accurate, but I have relied on newspaper reports that were sketchy at best. Are you saying the events didn’t take place as described, i.e. one of your squadmates shot a Bridgeport cheerleader in the butt with a paintball gun? Because I don’t believe that is says it was only a “cheerleader thing” as you said.

And, as far as making your squad look bad . . . the girl with the paintball gun should have thought of that before she shot someone with it.

Thanks for your assistance.

Bob Reno
Publisher
BadJocks.com – Where COPS meets SportsCenter
Editor’s Note – This message apparently came in as a result of my posting a note on the BadJocks main page soliciting radio interviews for my “BadJocks Year End Review.” Regular visitors to the site will know that I do one-day “radio marathons” like this on a regular basis. Apparently, one new reader did not and decided to take me to task for my blatant huckstering. My complete response is below. – Bob Reno
Hello Bob,

My name is Mike.  I produce a sports talk show in the afternoons in the Bay Area.  I just wanted to let you know that I have absolutely no interest in putting you on my show.  Anyone desperate enough to solicit radio show producers is not the guy for our show.

I think your site is good sometimes but your blatant desperation for attention is unappealing.

Thanks
Mike
(Dolphinhonk@aol.com)

Dear Mike:

Normally I wouldn’t respond to a message like yours, but since you felt compelled to slam me in an obvious attempt to make you feel better about yourself, I thought I would take a moment and explain a few facts to you.

I’ve been doing BadJocks for almost four years, and you may not believe it, but you’re NOT the only show producer who visits it. For close to two of those years I was a regular on about a dozen radio shows each week. Mostly local, but some national, like Mark Patrick on Fox. About a year and a half ago I decided NOT to do regular radio interviews anymore, much to the distress of my regulars. (I can provide you with any number of names of people in the business who will confirm this.) For many months I didn’t do any radio, focusing instead on trying to make BadJocks a better website.

I continue to get requests for interviews on a weekly basis and have found the best way to accommodate everyone fairly is to have these one day “radio marathons” every few months. The best way for me to let people know I am available is to post something on the site, which is exactly what I did on Friday . . . and what I assume prompted your message. If I’m lucky (and I do feel lucky to get a few minutes on someone else’s show), I usually do between 15 and 20 interviews in a single day, have a great time, and don’t ever recall a single instance where I forced anyone to have me on at gunpoint.

For someone who has never spoken to me, never interviewed me, or even taken the time to write me a decent e-mail, you sure seem to think you know a lot about me. Since you have already decided to ban me from your station, I should let you know that I am very well prepared for my interviews, have great stories to tell, funny comments to make, and generally make the hosts look good. I may not be a powerful local sports talk radio show producer like you, but it would seem to me from even with my limited brain capacity that YOUR JOB is to also make your host look good, not take cheap shots at people who have never done you any harm.

So, do me a favor: stop visiting my site and go do your own damned show prep and we’ll call it even, okay?

Bob Reno
Publisher
BadJocks.com – Where COPS meets SportsCenter
In Reference to this headline from 11/10/03 -
“Scottish fans arrested for “racist chanting” during match. Apparently, the opposing team has a large Asian population and the chant was based on that.”
From Robert Smith, an alleged Scotsman
Sir/Madam,

Before putting slanderous stories on your website, you might like to check your facts first. The article today on supposedly Scottish fans chanting racial slurs is erroneous because last time I looked Sunderland was in England! It follows that the racist fans were English.

As a Scotsman I am deeply offended by your article and expect to see a retraction and apology on your web site at the earliest opportunity.

Dear Robert:
First of all, don’t call me Sir/Madam. My transgender days are LONG behind me and I wish you wouldn’t bring them up. Second, this was on honest mistake: the article was from the Scotsman.com and since I, like most Americans, don’t really give a sh*t about soccer, I really didn’t know what towns these teams play for and frankly I don’t care.
And finally: are you trying to tell me that soccer fans in Scotland never get drunk and nasty at matches? I think it’s you and not me that owe ‘Groundskeeper Willie and his friends an apology. The Scots can get as pissed as anyone!.
Thanks again for writing!
Bob Reno

From Josh
Somehow I found myself at your site today and it just plain made me sad.

Not because jocks get into a lot of trouble, but because of people like you who get to pat yourselves on the back by pointing out other people’s bad sides. What’s the f*ckin’ point of being so negative? I can understand doing this to politician’s because they want us to believe they are above doing bad things. But jocks don’t live with that same pressure. Why don’t you make a site called badcabdriver.com or baddentist.com or
badsocialworker.com? I’ll tell you why you don’t, because those people do things that you could do if you wanted. You don’t feel any deeply hidden jealousy for them. Whereas with jocks you do.

I just glanced at your site but seeing that the wide of Sabonis made your list of drunk people was just so wrong. Can you imagine how sad all of the lives of that families are with her being a bad alcoholic? You mentioned this was her second offense so it reasons that she is an alcoholic. Why do you feel like that is somehow funny or good to talk about on a blog?

Here’s a laughable idea: Why don’t you invest all the time you spend in this stupid site into something that actually helps the world.

I know, how dumb does that sound.

-F*ck you,
Josh
Dear Josh:
Hmmm. Invest all the time I spend on BadJocks into something that actually helps the world? Sounds tempting, but I think I’ll stick to sarcasm and negativity for now. It seems to be working for me, just like your third grade education seems to be working for you.
Oh, and watch the potty mouth, Josh. No need to use profanity, dickhead.
Bob
Got something you want to get off your chest?