Last week on Pegram's site, I defended Ball State and its programs and tried to challenge people saying BSU was a second-tier school with facts and logic. This was met with the usual chorus of "Ball State sucks" or "Go back to Muncie". I simply supported my alma mater, voiced my prediction on the game, etc. In fact, the entire exchange was a bit tame for me, as there were no mentions of Kellen Lewis' drug problems, no mentions of brain tumors, etc. It was classy, it was tame, it was low-key by any standards.
So imagine my surprise when I log into Rivals on Saturday and find a nice little message that I've been blacklisted and am not allowed to post anything. How lovely. Rather than ranting and raving, I was sure there was a misunderstanding. And that's when my conversations with
Pegram in his younger days of Mother Russia
My initial email to Mike was cordial, professional, and really more so just asking for an explanation...
Mike,Mike's response to me, ever the wordsmith:
I apparently have been blacklisted at Peegs. For what, I have no idea. Can you shed some light on this? I was probably the one Ball State fan who was positive about my school without being negative about IU. Would appreciate being let back in if something I did was a mistake.
Thanks!
Alan
Are you sure you are blacklisted? What is your username?Yes, Mike. I'm sure I'm blacklisted. Unless the big screen that says "Account Blacklisted" is incorrect. Regardless, I provided Mike with my username and info for Rivals, and got this reply back. Three days later. After a second email. Kudos to your customer service, big guy.
Mike
You did engage in some personal flaming so you will have to sit out at least another weekOh really? El-Oh-Fucking-El.
Mike
Personal flaming gets you banned at Peegs? Then how in the hell do you even have a site left or a readership? Oh wait... this only applies to fans from visiting teams? Well that makes sense then. Far be it for me to ruin your Ookie Cookie IU Circle Jerk by diverting the attention away from the proverbial Wheat Thin in the middle of the room with logic and conversation.
Helllllooo... I'm here for the Peegs party
Regardless, Mike, it's your internet site. And you can run it with whatever type of iron fist you see fit. Just don't be surprised when the general consensus of everyone you and your site come in contact with is that you should take that iron fist and jam it right into your anus.
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6 comments:
Peegs is a first rate guy as a person, and he's been very successful at developing his site. He's widely respected, except among the small subset of opposiong fans who consider it their God-given right to talk trash about IU on his message boards. Despite what you said in your e-mail, that's exactly what you were doing. He was cordial and professional with you, even if he and his moderators made a decision with which you disagree, and in exchange he finds himself labeled a "giant douche." This post says more about you than it says about him.
By the way, Karl Marx was a German philosopher who never ruled anything, with an iron fist or otherwise, and who apparently never set foot in Russia. His only connection to Russia was that self-described "Marxists" took power decades after old Karl's death. Stalin or Mao Zedong might have been better comparisons. Maybe you should have gone to Notre Dame after all.
John,
Normally I'm not one to respond to the commenters on this site, but in your case I'll make an exception.
As for your first point, I don't consider it my God given right to talk trash or smack or anything else on anyone else's site. That's why I didn't at Peegs. If you can find an example of me doing so, I'll be surprised. Remember, supporting BSU and pointing out the flaws in an IU fans logic isn't talking smack or being unprofessional.
The Marx joke was humor, in relation to communism since he wrote a little text called The Communist Manifesto, and the title had to do with China, a Communist government. It's humor, but I'll save you the lesson since apparently the only joke in Bloomington is IU's football team.
Had I acted like a prick and got the boot, I could understand. But I interacted with the IU fans in a classy manner, even as my education, school, etc. were torn to shreds. Which by the way you did as well in your comment, so I guess the M.O. of Hoosier fans never really changes.
Either way, 42-20.
“After all, once the rest of the Big 10 starts beating the bejeezus out of you, you'll be an afterthought.”
“We can't all be lucky enough to go to the Insight Bowl and get drilled by Mike "I'm a man" Gundy.”
“Well in fairness, you won't have to worry about it much longer. After this weekend and MSU, you'll be 2-2 and respect will be the least of your worries.”
“Sort of like the kid with downs syndrome making fun of the bell's palsy.”
In fairness to me, all those things are correct.
1.) IU does get beaten handily by the Big 10.
2.) Mike Gundy drilled you all in the Insight Bowl. Drilled you long. Drilled you hard.
3.) After MSU, you'll be 2-2.
4.) Both IU and Ball State are a pimple on the ass of college football. Nothing to really get our panties in a twist over.
My point, which you've hopelessly missed, is that if what I posted is considered "flaming" then a large number of the posters on that site should be on timeout as well. The fact that they aren't based solely on who they cheer for is ridiculous. Comparing my comments to theirs is like comparing a racial slur on a bathroom stall to the Holocaust. And yet, I'm the one on timeout.
Be a man, Pegram, and tell me its because I'm a Ball State fan and all the IU folks have a nice case of the red ass after the spanking you got. At least then I'll respect your honesty.
I forgot...
42-20.
I don't think it's a secret that there are different standards on Peegs for what IU fans can say and what others can say. That's the way it should be. I don't go there to joust with opposing fans. I go there to talk with IU fans about IU. If visitors can be there and get along, so be it, but they aren't the purpose of the site, and should be launched more readily than IU fans. I wouldn't expect to post on bsufans.com and subject Ball State to the sort of ridicule that "TSIB" is subjected to on that site 365 days a year. It's a Ball State site for Ball State fans. I'm guessing Peegs would have no problem conceding that opposing fans are treated differently, and, of course, you were banned before the game, so it had nothing to do with the outcome.
I could say all kinds of things about Ball State's admissions standards and academic reputation as compared to IU, and those things would be true. It doesn't mean that it wouldn't be "trash talk" if I went to a Ball State forum and spouted off about it.
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