USA women's hockey gold medalist @HilaryKnight describes her team's relationship with the USA men's team as one with a "genuine level of support and respect" that's being overshadowed by a "quick lapse."
"Our achievements shouldn't be overshadowed by anything else other than how great they are."
🗣️ DO NOT let the miserable, anger-addicted fringe (and the bots) steal our joy about America’s hockey gold medals. Simply refuse to let it happen.
A moment of epic victory and unity is being assaulted by a small handful of internet accounts pretending to be super, super mad that our guys — in a state of total euphoria and celebration — laughed at a dumb boomer jokey comment from POTUS during an impromptu celebratory FaceTime in the lockerroom.
Trump was like, ‘you know we have to invite the women’s team too, or else they’ll impeach me.’ When he mentions bringing our awesome gold medal ladies to DC, you hear several of the boys say “absolutely” and “two for two!” These teams are obviously close friends, and now they share an earned place in history. The exhausting Miserables don’t care. They love division and grievance and they want to drag this down into their pathetic, joyless sewer. Don’t let them.
On social media (I was mostly checking Instagram), these people are swarming to the guys’ accounts, and their teams’ accounts. They’re all posting the same types of negative attacks, over and over, often from the exact same people/“people,” then ‘liking’ the hate to boost them to top comment status. The themes are:
1) The guys ruined everything & now I wish Canada had won
2) The guys are rapists (“cover your drinks, ladies”)
3) Men suck. Only congratulate the women’s team
4) kAsH PaTeL!!!
5) Epstein / pedos (?!)
Whether these are real people caught up in their latest Thing to fill the voids in their souls, or foreign bots (absolutely would not be surprised if this is a factor), they are targeting out guys to try to demoralize them & make it seem like there is some national uprising against them for the “sin” of that phone call. It’s ridiculous. They’re infesting these accounts to try to bully people into “apologies” and “accountability.”
It’s an unhinged, bad old fashioned, 2020-style Cancel Mob. The players seem to be responding perfectly by refusing to respond to this BS and partying their asses off in packed Miami clubs. I think the best thing we can do is show up online and reject these bullies. Fight the negativity with enthusiasm and pride … deny them the AstroTurf feedback loop/echo chamber they’re trying to manufacture.
The normals need to stand up here. Don’t be abusive. Just make the following message clear: 🖕your divisive garbage, we love our men’s and women’s CHAMPS. U-S-A! 🥇
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
It is with incredible sadness that we say goodbye to our dear friend, Brad. He was a light in the dark and a truly wonderful man. It was an honor and privilege to know him and he will live forever in our hearts. Rest easy now, brother. We will see you on the other side.