If it's OK for a faceless coward on Twitter to endlessly talk trash and spew nonsense in the direction of those who choose to show their real selves on the internet, then why shouldn't it be permissible for high-profile individuals to defend themselves and give it right back?
We wouldn't suggest making that part of your persona, kind of like what Kevin Durant does, but from time to time when you feel like you've gotta set the record straight, go right ahead! New York Yankees play-by-play broadcaster Michael Kay was feeling himself on that front this week.
And the fact that other faceless users couldn't handle it makes it all the better ... especially since it wasn't even Kay that publicized it. This is what it's all about, baby!
A since-deleted Twitter account called @PlayoffBader (all of these random folks sure are winners) accused Kay of "defending" Yankees general manager Brian Cashman during Wednesday night's broadcast. Kay felt differently, so he sent the user an impassioned direct message:
"Okay, let’s do this. You give me a quote, or a sentence where I defended Cashman on the air tonight, any proof you can come up with, and I will make a sizable donation to your favorite charity. Again, any instance of me defending the Yankee GM during tonight’s broadcast, and I will gladly make the donation. And if you can’t come up with proof, and you will not be able to because it doesn’t exist, I want nothing back from you, other than you gaining the knowledge that what you and others hear is that when someone isn’t bashing Cashman who think they’re defending him. I will patiently await the proof. Thank you for watching the game on Prime."Michael Kay in the Twitter DMs
Michael Kay blasting random Yankees fan on Twitter was amazing
Then, @PlayoffBader screenshotted it and posted it publicly to his Twitter account, apparently thinking he'd face zero backlash (like we said, winner). Once the mentions and comments started flowing in, especially after a public response from Kay, the account was deleted.
The "plan" for @PlayoffBader backfired, which just about everyone who's ever used social media before could've seen coming. Poor random man on Twitter that nobody will ever know! Pour one out for the burner that went clout chasing. These are the true members of the working class.
Kay has every right to both publicly and privately defend himself if he's put on blast in a public forum. To suggest otherwise is laughably hypocritical since every chum bucket on Yankees Twitter feels the need to jump into attack mode at every opportunity. Implying that Kay shouldn't be doing that because he's in a more prestigious position simply translates to "I can't handle the same behavior I practice if I'm outnumbered."
Kay's no stranger to life on social media, either. Here's what he told Yanks Go Yard not too long ago:
"It's funny. If people say they're not aware of what's being said on social media, they're being disingenuous. Obviously that's like the bull horn. People have a voice now. People that say that I have a Yankee bias, all they can do is read Yankee fan sites and say that I'm negative Yankees. Then there's other sites that say I'm Yankee boy. "Michael Kay
Yankees Twitter is famous for delusion, infighting, toxicity, you name it. It's a forum that deserves no say in the "rules" of social media because of how often they push the limits.
And what's the harm in destroying misinformation in its tracks? Someone has to silence the bull horn when things have gone too far.