I was taking a break from blogging until the New Year. Then this morning I sent out this tweet:
@ScottHiga: Adam Schefter sounds like a tool when he says "Matthew Hasselbeck" What is he? Too professional to call the guy Matt? Just sit on it, Potsie
Adam Schefter is an NFL analyst for ESPN. I didn’t know why he was calling him Matthew; I’ve never heard him called Matthew before. Then Adam Schefter replied to me by tweeting this:
@AdamSchefter: RT @ScottHiga Schefter sounds like a tool when he says "Matthew Hasselbeck" Too professional to call the guy Matt? ... He prefers Matthew.
Then I had almost 50 people who I don’t know tell me that I’m a tool and that I got totally owned by Adam Schefter.
I couldn’t agree with them more.
I got caught up in the faceless nature of the Internet. If I knew Adam Schefter personally or if he was more to me than a face on the television screen, I wouldn’t have called him a tool and posted it on Twitter. If I knew Adam Schefter personally I would have simply asked why it is he calls him Matthew instead of Matt. I fell prey to the anonymity of the Internet, though, and responded inappropriately and poorly. I thought I was just making a joke that four of my friends would enjoy. I forgot that while Adam Schefter doesn’t know me or care what I think, he probably doesn’t like anonymous attacks any more than I do.
So I apologize to Adam Schefter, even if he never reads this or cares. Regardless of his paying attention, I was still wrong.
Some of those 50 people who responded to me might suggest that I’m only apologizing because I got caught; they would be right. Had Adam Schefter not called me out to his 380,000 followers, life would have continued and I wouldn’t have felt the need to apologize. But because he did, my action has been cast in its proper light and I can see that I was unequivocally wrong. I am sincerely sorry and I look at this as an opportunity to learn from a mistake and not make it again. That’s the nice thing about apologies, even when they fall on no ears, we can still grow from them.
Frost Covers For Fruit Trees
7 months ago
My favorite blog you have EVER written. :-)
ReplyDeletethere a real man
ReplyDeleteNo clue who you are, but that's a well written blog with a great message.
ReplyDeleteThis will probably end up being your most-read blog ever thanks to Adam Schefter. :)
ReplyDeleteYou could probably teach a course on apologizing for celebrities. I want to shoot my TV when I hear them say "If I offended anyone . . . . "
ReplyDeleteWe all are prone to jump the gun on twitter and post without thinking. Glad to see someone realize they overstepped and that an apology was appropriate.
you're still a tool.
ReplyDeleteI am one of the ones who tweeted you and told you to get over yourself, kudos to you for getting over yourself and manning up. Not all people go by "nicknames" and you now know what happens when you ASSume. Hope you have a happy new year.
ReplyDelete-kristin iverson
But honestly, what grown man with any self respect calls himself Matthew?
ReplyDeleteGreat apology. That's what all genuine, honest apologies should look like. Thank you. @youngmanu2
ReplyDelete(Slow clap)
ReplyDelete-Faith in the human decency restored.
Great apology. We need MORE people like you on the Internet.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty awesome man. I got owned by Schefter as well. I'm a Pats fan and called him out for comparing Dan Connolly to Devin Hester and Desean Jackson mostly for the AFC/NFC error, but like you, I was limited to 140 characters on "the net.". Cheers for owning up like a man.
ReplyDeletedoesnt get any gayer than this
ReplyDeleteU gots schefter'd. And you didn't need to apologize. You're free to speak you mind and call anyone a "tool". Schefter is lame. He's just lucky his knees still work.
ReplyDeleteawesome you set up you own blog for this awesoome awesome
ReplyDeleteyou are a tool
ReplyDeletebest thing i read on the internet today. we all have a voice here, and it's fun to see the ones that have the most to say get the right of way. nice breakthrough.
ReplyDeleteIt actually was pretty gay how he called him Matthew, wtf was that I agreed totally he did sound like a tool. It was also awesome how you got owned by him because he's an all-knowing NFL guru and the man and he rarely sounds gay. It was also an awesome apology by you, after getting owned, without backing down about how gay he sounded. I am just overall completely entertained by this whole thing...well done!
ReplyDeleteI've both read and heard Matthew's beautiful mother, Betsy Hasselbeck, say that she never calls him Matt and prefers that others don't either. Maybe Adam Schefter is merely being respectful of her wishes and Matthew's.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic blog.
ReplyDeletematt hasselback's a f2g
ReplyDeleteI've always found apologies aren't that hard. I don't know why everyone makes such a fuss. It doesn't take a "man" to apologize, just a decent human being. What I'm most impressed by is the level of civility in your post, and most of the comments. There are a few exceptions. Those who think they're clever or "edgy" in echoing the "tool" sentiment (trust me, you're not) or who think the Internet is the "wild West" and anything goes, disappoint me. There's a trend in society and in business to ignore common courtesy along with proper grammar, and to embrace l33t/leetspeak. Some actually become outraged or offended when they're called out on their Internet etiquette. I worry at times about the future, but actions such as yours give me hope. Well done, and thank you.
ReplyDeleteHandled very professionally. Thank you. And thanks to this "Schefter Incident", I know about and have now read your blog.
ReplyDeleteYou're a youth pastor and you call people 'tool'? ...
ReplyDeleteGood for you! Very well handled. I think we all fall victim to this occasionally, and it's nice that Twitter is personal enough to call us out on it and remind us there's a person on the other end.
ReplyDeletep.s. I have no problems with a youth pastor calling someone a "tool". Don't recall the Bible verse that forbids that!
You were already up there on my list,but now you moved way up! Proud of you!
ReplyDeleteThis post is excellent. I'm proud of you, cousin!
ReplyDeleteactually you ARE a tool. Adam Schefter's twitter has an underscore (Adam_Schefter)..not one word (AdamSchefter).so you got punked by a fake..hahaha
ReplyDelete