Twitter is a tremendous tool. It is an amazing medium to exchange news and information, and connect on some level with people all over the world.
It is also the worst thing ever though when idiots log on to spew hate as far as they can throw it.
In a most recent event of ignorance, that hate was directed at Nicolas Batum and his girlfriend. Really awful stuff.
Blazers Edge had the details over the weekend:
In the aftermath of recent comments made by agent Bouna Ndiaye on behalf of his client, Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum, multiple racist and misogynstic Twitter messages were directed to Batum and his long-time girlfriend on Twitter. Batum’s Twitter account is @Nicolas88Batum; His girlfriend’s is @MissBatum.
“US Minnesota fans Don’t want Your OVERPAID [racial epithet] [rear end] on our team,” read the message from one user. “Plus your French. Your kind don’t belong here.”
The user continued: “You suck [racial epithet].Ruin my twolves capspace. your French [racial epithet] [rear end] don’t belong here n Minnesota!!!
Another user directed the following towards Batum’s girlfriend: “only reason u have followers is cause u [sexual act] the right [male body part].”
The recent comment that Batum’s agent made was that Nicolas wasn’t interested in staying in Portland, saying this last week:
“His mind is not there in Portland. Out of that meeting with the Blazers (on Thursday), we hoped they would allow him to live his dream. The best case scenario is a sign-and-trade and we understand that. Hopefully, Paul Allen would never stand in the way of his dream to play for the Timberwolves,” is what Nicolas Batum’s agent, Bouna Ndiaye, told CSNNW.com Saturday evening.
What is important to remember in all this, is that these comments do not represent any more than one or two Minnesota Timberwolves fans. Total. Maybe they are not even Minnesota fans, and just a couple morons looking for an opportunity to hate.
What is also important, maybe, is to somehow figure out where tweets like this come from in the future. Who is the jerk typing this stuff out? As social media continues to grow, I feel like this is a more realistic form of the type of harassment that breaks the law. Somebody should be held accountable if possible.
Maybe hateful tweets like this are something you sign up for at your own risk when you engage social media, but I really don’t think it should be.
I have no idea how you could track this, find out who’s saying these things, but then again I had no idea on how to invent Twitter in the first place. Maybe somebody smarter than me can figure it out.
Steve Blake’s life should not be threatened for missing a jumpshot. Batum should not have to read this stuff for wanting to sign with the T’Wolves. Sucks that it happened, hopefully it stops.
