Matthew Berry, who is also known as “The Talented Mr. Roto” is a fantasy sports columnist for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to shows like First Take and Numbers Never Lie.
One of his more popular columns is “Love/Hate” where he analyzes match ups and gives advice on who to start and who to sit for the week’s upcoming slate of football games.
For Week 8 though, his column was mysteriously absent. Of course, your favorite expert taking a week off in the middle of your fantasy football season is going to piss you off, so why not fire off an e-mail sending the guy to hell.
Below is a sampling from his column
Rick Hayden (Houston, Texas): Are you [expletive] me? Your job is to dole out Fantasy Football advice, you only work 18 weeks out of the year and you’re taking one off?!? It’s no wonder I don’t listen to what you have to say … the guys at (another site) are much more accurate, and they don’t take a week off and leave the people paying their salary hangin with no advice. You’re a joke man …
Bobby Anderson (Mesa, Ariz.): You “work” 16 weeks out of the year and you need one of those weeks off? Pathetic. I’d kill for your job, and do a better job might I add.
John (Boston, Mass): You’ve given me every trash piece of advice and I’ve taken it. Your crazy stats, your thrown-together last minute articles. I’m done, it’s official, I’m done. You skipping a week during your trash season is an insult to your fans. I will never open up another one your articles ever. You have fooled me too many times so shame on me.
That is just a sample of some of the vitriol that was thrown his way. The best part is when you realize why he decided to take a week off. One of his more observant readers asked him politely why he was missing.
Jason M. Carroll (Louisville, Ken.): Hey Bro, hope all is well. Noticed you alluded to a personal thingy last week and then no Week 8 love/hate. Anyway it’s only a game so take no [let’s say … guff] from any of the loonies out there.
TMR: Thanks, Jason. Appreciate the concern. Many asked, so I can now tell you that the personal thingy was that, prior to birth, one of the twins was discovered to have a reduced heart rate, so we were rushed to the hospital (about 10 minutes before a Numbers Never Lie taping, no less). That’s why I missed the Wednesday ranks in Week 7 and a couple of podcasts. One long night in the hospital but everything ended up fine and then a week later, the twins were born completely healthy. So all good.
The guy missed his obligations to those idiots because his wife was rushed to the hospital when one of his unborn twins was in possible distress.
It is amazing how tough people get from behind their keyboard. I am glad Berry published their names and cities so if somebody knows these clowns they can give them the proper amount of [expletive] and maybe make them feel a little bit bad about what they wrote. I also love that he answered all their emails back literally and sarcastically. Just goes to show how stupid some people are about sports.
It is no wonder Rob (you know, the guy who presents BlackSportsOnline at the top of the page) is constantly telling people on Twitter to sit down and drink a Capri Sun. People just need to calm the hell down.
Stay Classy, Internet Tough Guys.