10 Athletes You Don't Want to Mess with on Social Media
While most athletes take harsh criticism from fans with a grain of salt, others are a bit more sensitive and can't help but fight back, yearning to make social media trolls pay for the venom they so often spew.
In 2014, for example, Brandon Marshall put $25,000 on the line just for the chance to go toe-to-toe with a trash-talking "admirer."
More recently, Josh Neer—who, for those that don't know, is a professional fighter—advanced Marshall's threat one step further and actually pummeled a Tweeter who took heckling to the extreme.
Of course, we nearly all know not to trifle with Damian Lillard via the networks, for if you do, the talented point guard will expose and humiliate you, relentlessly attacking until the targeted troll simply takes his ball and goes home.
With each of these volatile athletes in mind, we thought it only right to create an all-encompassing list, specifically highlighting the 10 Athletes You Don't Want to Mess with on Social Media.
In the end, we've identified a rowdy bunch: an emotional group of athletes who, no matter the social network, are tired of taunters and are willing and able to fight their fire with a burning blaze of their own.
Brandon Marshall
1 of 10
You don't want to mess with Brandon Marshall, even if it's only on social media.
Many Internet critics appear a bit tougher when there's a computer and thousands of miles between them and their target, but that's a gap Marshall is willing to close.
In November of 2014, for example, a Detroit Lions fan—Anthony Kalla—took his bad attitude to the star wideout's Instagram page and went on to insult the Chicago Bears, Marshall and his mom.
As expected, insulting Marshall's mother served as the last straw.
As soon as the targeted athlete noticed the inflammatory post, he issued a challenge: "I give you 5k to get in a ring with me," replied Marshall.
And even before Kalla could respond, Marshall upped the offer: "If I lose I'll give you another 10k. If I win you have to serve a 100 hours at an orphanage. Deal?"
Justifiably scared, Kalla then came back with a totally unreasonable demand—25k—which he knew Marshall would never accept.
The problem is, Marshall did accept: "25 it is. Ha! You thought i wouldn't say yes. And you have to apologize to my mom."
Anyway, after some serious radio silence from Kalla and a little more back-and-forth banter—which Kalla and his new "agent" most recently took way over the top—the fight is supposedly back on!
With all the betting going on, we'd like to make a wager of our own: Kalla will wisely never allow the fight to happen and, if he does, Marshall will teach him a painfully serious lesson.
Dwight Howard
2 of 10
Dwight Howard is usually a pretty affable guy. But he's also super sensitive and plenty capable of fighting back, a lesson most of Twitter learned back in August of 2013.
More specifically, that is when some hater—known on Twitter as @uHateBre, and in the real world as Brittni—took to the social network to rip on Howard and his lack of a ring, in the process guaranteeing he'd never win one.
Not so surprisingly, Howard took the attack personally and came back with some serious venom of his own: "with that face ion think u getting one either lol," quipped the usually less-than-witty Howard.
As expected, Brittni simply had to respond, and though her second go-around outclassed her first, we have to at least tip our cap at Howard, who in some partial way made a Twitter troll pay for their misguided verbal assault.
Curtis Woodhouse
3 of 10
The days of hiding behind computer screens are apparently over.
After losing the light welterweight title to Shayne Singleton in 2013, boxer Curtis Woodhouse was confronted by a harassing hater via Twitter.
The troll—@jimmyob88—pushed all of Woodhouse's right, or wrong, buttons, calling him a "complete disgrace," "laughable joke" and "waste of spunk."
That, of course, is when Woodhouse decided to make things real: "ill give £1000 to anybody that provides me with address and picture of this man! knock knock!!," wrote the angered boxer.
And it worked!
Soon enough, Woodhouse had @jimmyob88 reeling...and his address as well.
As expected, once he realized a real fighter was in his neighborhood, the "keyboard warrior" panicked and then quickly backed down, which Woodhouse made perfectly clear to anyone who would listen.
Lee Westwood
4 of 10
You shouldn't mess with Lee Westwood because, really, who messes with Lee Westwood?
But also, you shouldn't mess with the British golfer because he will make you pay!
When, in 2013, Westwood blew a two-shot lead on the final day of The Open, Twitter trolls flocked out of the woods and into the open.
And, after a little pondering and a couple of cocktails, Westwood finally bit back, and in a seriously scorched earth kind of way!
Steve Nash
5 of 10
Believe it or not, Twitter trolls have managed to push Steve Nash over the edge too.
While sitting at home watching a little soccer—Manchester City vs. Barcelona, to be exact—Nash was inspired to do a little tweeting: "Very sporting of Barcelona to let City have a kick now and again," quipped Nash.
Not so surprisingly, a City fan or two took offense to Nash's mostly sarcastic observation and responded with obscenity-filled tweets directed back the point guard's way.
Then, with little hesitation, the two-time NBA MVP flexed his muscles and retaliated, throwing a single brawl-ending blow!
It just so happens, no one has messed with Nash since.
Kevin Durant
6 of 10
The soft-spoken, usually reserved Kevin Durant is arguably the most surprising member of our list.
But it turns out, the NBA superstar has some serious soft spots as well.
When, in February of 2015, one of Durant's Instagram followers went to his page and left a simple, but antagonistic message—"Westbrook is better than you"—Double D lashed out in a rather surprising manner.
Durant first pointed out the obvious—that, after all, he and Westbrook are teammates—and then became just a tad more aggressive.
Surprise! Kevin Durant takes his basketball seriously...
Curt Schilling
7 of 10
You can probably get away with taunting Curt Schilling via Twitter; just don't talk about his daughter, Gabby Schilling.
When the retired pitcher took to the Internet to congratulate his daughter on her recent softball success, a few select Twitter trolls responded in an absurdly grotesque fashion.
It was the elder Schilling, however, who had the last laugh.
Armed with his own blog and a little investigative research, Schilling put together a damning piece, in which he placed the perpetrator's embarrassing actions into proper perspective and outed them to boot!
The lesson here: Never mess with a man's daughter, especially if that man goes by the name Curt Schilling.
J.R. Smith
8 of 10
We doubt anyone is terribly surprised to learn J.R. Smith is a hot head, both on and off the court.
In 2013, for example, he jumped head first into a war of words with Twitter trolls who were overtly critical of his play for the Knicks.
Following a 99-93 loss to the Miami Heat, Knicks fans took to the web and made sure to let Smith know his costly turnover late was mostly to blame for New York's collapse.
And whether he agreed with their assessment or not, Smith was nonetheless offended by their delivery and tone and, as only J.R. can, fought back with a barrage of retaliatory tweets.
From "your momma" jokes to aggressive name calling—utilizing the classic "fat boy" dig, for example—Smith proved he's more than willing to mix it up with those who deserve a good lashing.
Josh Neer
9 of 10
Some athletes—like Brandon Marshall—will challenge trolls to a fight.
But if you aim enough trash talk Josh Neer's way, the professional fighter will do everything in his power to make sure the brawl actually goes down.
Neer, perhaps more than any other athlete, is the last guy you want to socially mock.
For example, after months of Twitter heckling from a 6'6", 270-pound man named Patrick Martin, the UFC veteran decided it was time to put an to end to all the madness, and challenged Martin to a feud-settling fight at an Iowa-based gym.
And, believe it or not, Martin accepted!
Thankfully, Neer really drove his point home and, even better, got the entire thing on tape.
Damian Lillard
10 of 10
It's a bit surprising, but Damian Lillard is the king of don't-mess-with-me Twitter moments.
If, by chance, you bring any trash-talk garbage Lillard's way, the star point guard turns high school bully, seeking out any possible weakness or insecurity before completely exposing it with all his might.
When, in January, a Twitter troll accused Lillard of disappearing in big games, Portland's finest punched back, poking fun at the heckler's disappearing hairline.
Then, just a couple months later, Lillard mocked a Twitter troll's unfortunate teeth after the critic unfavorably compared him to Steph Curry.
Quite frankly, Lillard can be a bit touchy at times.
When a fan sold a pair of autographed Lillard shoes, the two-time All-Star tweeted this. And when someone recently dogged the point guard for missing a game, Lillard contentiously—and humorously—put things in proper perspective.
All that said, one thing's clear: If you decide to make a run at Damian Lillard, batten down the hatches 'cause he's coming back at you twice as hard!
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