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Call this small tragedy a meeting point of two emergent trends in sports fandom — a constant, overwhelming flow of sports minutiae that was unavailable even a decade ago; and the way in which the Internet has brought warring tribes together online to create a new sort of debate, one that knows no conciliation or compromise.

Both are abetted by the leagues and, to a much larger extent, the media (note: the irony is thick).

The talking points and the stats to back them are all floating around out there, free.

There is no excuse not to know everything, so everyone tries. This isn’t about understanding. It’s about being seen to understand — the launching point for the most resilient sort of ignorance.

It’s the spoken-aloud version of the comments section underneath any sports story on the Internet. The pervading tone is “Here’s why you’re wrong.”

Frankly — and I say this as a person who makes his living watching this stuff — it’s exhausting. It’s the reason most sportswriters lie when a stranger asks them what they do for a living. Being honest is an invitation to an argument.

I’d rather debate abortion with a Jesuit than baseball with an accountant. I’m pretty sure the Jesuit won’t stab me.

Randle McMurphy wrote:More like a pretentious, purposeless column that didn't have any real point (he's seemingly using this rare case of violence as an indictment of fan culture even though it's only a select few idiots that ever take things to this ridiculous extent)...so like many Cathal Kelly columns that I've read before.

Homer Jay wrote:

Randle McMurphy wrote:More like a pretentious, purposeless column that didn't have any real point (he's seemingly using this rare case of violence as an indictment of fan culture even though it's only a select few idiots that ever take things to this ridiculous extent)...so like many Cathal Kelly columns that I've read before.

Probably nothing to do with fandom either. Some people are just looking for a fight and any excuse to get it.

Randle McMurphy wrote:More like a pretentious, purposeless column that didn't have any real point (he's seemingly using this rare case of violence as an indictment of fan culture even though it's only a select few idiots that ever take things to this ridiculous extent)...so like many Cathal Kelly columns that I've read before.

satyr9 wrote:

Homer Jay wrote:

Randle McMurphy wrote:More like a pretentious, purposeless column that didn't have any real point (he's seemingly using this rare case of violence as an indictment of fan culture even though it's only a select few idiots that ever take things to this ridiculous extent)...so like many Cathal Kelly columns that I've read before.

Probably nothing to do with fandom either. Some people are just looking for a fight and any excuse to get it.

I actually came here to post that column 'cause I find it a head scratcher. I don't understand how he took this event and somehow found a way to turn it into a poor me, life is hard as a sports journalist, column.

Now, there is some definite irony involved in the three of us taking his article and then making, "this is how you're wrong" posts in reaction to his point, but let me just say I wasn't a fan of this piece.