Don't Be "That Guy"...Jerk

Don’t be “that guy," you know who that guy is, we all do.  “That guy” is the one that talks so much trash about things that it just irks people.  “That guy” is the guy that posts online just to aggravate people, and to “stalk” them.  You know that guy, and you despise that guy. 

Hell, if that guy were sitting next to you at a bar and ran his mouth off, you’d probably do the same thing I’d do:  Smack the taste right outta his mouth!  You know you would, it’s OK, just admit it…that’s the first step, isn’t it?

I’m all for some trash talk.  Hey, we all do it, and I’m just as guilty as the next guy, I’ll be the first to admit it.  I’m going to let you know that my team is going to spank your team.  Actually, I’m probably going to let you know that two or three times.  And when my team does treat your team like high school junior varsity, you know I’m going to rub it in a bit….just to poor some salt on the wound. 

Then, I’ll let it go.  I won’t be “that guy” that keeps going and going and going like the Energizer bunny.  Nope, I know my team is better than yours, and now you know it, too.  You can count on me reminding that of you in the near future, too. 

Now, should your team win, then please, by all means, remind me of how I laid claim to the fact that my team was about to grab your team by its pink, lacey jock strap and give it the wedgie of its life…only to have your team treat my team like the red headed step children that you knew they were.  Yep, you earned it...let me have it.  Your team made my team cry like a little school kid.

Now, it’s done and over with.  Let it go, and I’ll do the same…no need for a “last word,” and there’s no need to actually insult another fan.  You can insult their team and let them know that their team just set a new record for sucking so badly in a game…just keep it real, and don’t go after another person. 

I should guess that this would extend to the individual players on a team…after all, they’re people, too!  Case and point: Tom Brady.  It’s fine that you’re glad that he’s out for the season, and that the Pats are without their NFL MVP…but it’s wrong if you act like “that guy” and jump up and down and whoop and holler and act as if you’re glad that Tom Brady the person is hurt and hope that he can never play again.  I wouldn’t wish an injury on anyone if it meant that it would end their career, and yes, this includes you. 

People would appreciate it if you’d return the favor, and even if you are ecstatic that a player is out for the season, just don’t express it in such a way that it’ll be sure to piss others off.  Simply put, there’s no need for that. 

When Peyton Manning had surgery in the offseason, my initial thought was, “I hope he’s ok!” and not, “I hope they accidentally remove one of his eyes and use it in a failed attempt to fix Eli’s lazy eye which also fails leaving them both blind in one eye and unable to see out of the other thus causing a collapse in the 'pep talk' commercials and starting a new series of eye wear commercials called 'blind leading the blind' which fails miserably because the Manning brothers are stinky underwear heads.” 

For the record, I don’t like the Colts, but I like Peyton Manning's commercials.  As a Pats fan, don’t even get me going on Eli...stupid lazy eyed physco (joking, or, trash talking rather).

I guess the moral of the story is you don’t see the pros high fiving another player when someone just snapped someone's bone in two.  Instead, you see genuine concern coming from the player that just hurt the other player.  I don’t care what sport you’re in, that’s how it is.  Show me a player that celebrated a season or career ending injury that they just caused and I’ll show you “that guy.”

Don’t do it.  Keep it respectful all while letting your fellow fans of other teams know that they’re team does indeed suck, and yours is in fact better.  Don’t be “that guy.”  It not only shows disrespect to others, but it shows that you don’t respect yourself, either. 

When you’re going to post and insult someone, think about what your mom would say…unless your mom is “that guy”…then, I dunno…I don’t suppose that you’ve got an aunt that’s a nun do you?  Just post like you’re mom or your aunt the nun is going to read it.  You wouldn’t accuse your mom of talking our her a$$, would you?

Take the same pride in your posts that you take in your team.

You can be "that guy" if you choose to.  Just don't plan on having people like you.

All in good fun, my friends…all in good fun.  Except for the part about Eli!  Kidding, of course!