Fowler’s wife grounds out, but Bichette’s wife hits into a double play
It’s a debate that has set off some lively discussions over sexism, the dangers of being a public figure and just shutting the hell up regarding social media.
Athletes are under constant scrutiny by fans who think they should be doing something different and those two worlds have never intersected better than with the advent of social media. Now fans can send a message, good or bad, that can and usually does come across the screen of the intended target. And for better or worse, athletes (and more importantly their spouses) are responding.
She since deleted the tweet, but Mrs. Fowler said something to the affect that “he doesn’t (think he’s Barry Bonds), but thanks for your useless opinion.”
It’s hilarious that she took offense to this comment. Far worse things have been said about her husband than this, and it invites the discussion that there’s some sort of tension with how his hot start has turned colder than a snow man’s balls. I know David Martin through his writing and having appeared on the South Stands Denver Fancast a few times. He’s a very credible baseball writer and the farthest thing from a shit starter. So it’s funny that she picked a fight with someone who should be the farthest target from her wrath. She backtracked with this:
“Sorry for offending u 🙂 my husband is my soft spot, and I have a non filtered tongue. He loves me for it ;)”
Fair enough. But I think after she received more attention than she expected, she backpedaled like a
Mrs. Fowler realized she probably made a mistake lashing out like that and this would have probably ended then and there. But after reading through the tweets to see if there was any meat on this bone, I saw something else that caught my eye. Mariana Bichette, wife of
Mariana Bichette@MarianaBichette10 May
@AliyaFowler Gotta know, our (husband’s) lives are entertainment for many people who feel a little more involved by voicing opinions…
Oh, you think? I know she’s trying to make her understand why she can’t overreact, but it really smacks of a “here’s how the little people think” kind of explanation. Thanks. We know some fans are assholes and take it way too seriously, but Mrs. Bichette is missing the central point that THEIR HUSBAND’S JOBS ARE ENTERTAINMENT. Not their lives. If someone tweeted about something going on in Fowler’s personal life, she may have a gripe. But what goes on at the ball park is fair game to discuss, dissect and criticize. If Fowler isn’t hitting, fans should be allowed to discuss it. And if Fowler isn’t hitting, fans should be allowed to criticize the hitting coach. This is their job and fans have an active role in the discussion. To discount that as Mrs. Bichette has suggested, is completely asinine and goes far beyond the knee jerk reaction Aliyah Fowler had about the criticism of her husband.
With a few exceptions, the athletes generally understand how the interaction with the fans can seriously backfire. So they tend, for the most part, to stay away from social media while especially keeping their loved ones from wading in. If you were having trouble at work – no matter what you do – do you really want your significant other getting involved? No one in their right mind would say yes. You can’t stop someone from using social media, but you can see great examples every day of why some shouldn’t. And a way of knowing who shouldn’t is as simple as which people think playing a sport is their husband’s personal life and it can’t be discussed. Now that’s a “useless” opinion.
