Giants vs 49ers: Death Threats Sent to Kyle Williams Are a Black Eye for Fans

It's one thing to be a fan of a professional sports team. There are plenty of die-hard fans for every franchise.

But what happened in the world of social media after the New York Giants beat the San Francisco 49ers is a black eye for anyone who considers themselves to be a sports fan.

There is certainly nothing wrong with being upset after your team loses a football game. We've all been there, regardless of sport. Yet there's a certain line you never cross, and 49ers fans routinely trampled over that line Sunday night in regards to second-year receiver and punt returner Kyle Williams. 

Let's take a look at some of the tweets that rolled his way after his fumble in overtime led to the Giants' short field-goal attempt that sent New York to the Super Bowl. It wasn't pretty. 

Here's one:

And another:

Not all were death threats like the ones above, but there were hundreds, maybe even thousands, more tweets attacking Williams.

This is the world we live in now. Twitter, Facebook and other types of social media give regular fans instant access to say whatever they please to athletes whenever they want. In some ways, this is a revolutionary addition for fans that makes social media that much more attractive and special.

But it's also a double-edged sword, and we saw the vengeful side of the other end Sunday night.

Fans must remember that with the privilege and access that social media provides, so too comes a need for responsibility and accountability.

No matter how poorly someone plays in a professional sporting event, it's just that—a sporting event. It's not life or death, and nothing a player could do on a football field would be worthy of the garbage spun Williams' way Sunday night.

Sure, there were others—including a bevy of Williams' teammates—who took to Twitter to offer encouragement and support. But those acts of generosity are easily overlooked when you consider some of the disgusting actions taken Sunday night.

A simple rule for all fans to adhere to when using the world of social media: Even in the frustration of a loss like Sunday night in San Francisco, take a deep breath, get away from your keyboard for a while and, above all else, THINK before you type something as terrible as some did Sunday.

The tweets weren't needed. Kyle Williams is surely hurting enough as it is. And if Patrick Willis can be this professional in the aftermath, so can you.