By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- You know, any time you compose a piece of satire, you're running the risk that many readers might not get it. I certainly understand that firsthand.

After I intentionally used flimsy logic to call for the removal of Jim Irsay and Chuck Pagano from the NFL, I heard it from both sides. Many Colts fans wanted me dead (literally), and many Patriots fans thought I made great points. When I wrote "In Defense Of Roger Goodell," I certainly expected a small minority of readers would take me at my word. No matter how thick you may lay it on, someone is sure to read one sentence and then get angry.

So, clearly, it's a method that should be used carefully, and sparingly, to avoid alienating readers and driving them away from your writing. At the same time, it's important to toe the line of the absurd without crossing it. Ruining the joke makes the whole endeavor meaningless.

With all of that being established, I really thought I was safe this past weekend when I wrote, "Humbled And Humiliated, Tom Brady To Make Season Debut After Serving Shameful DeflateGate Suspension." I really did. Because, you see ... he did not serve a suspension. He played in the football games. Understanding this concept required no nuanced level of reading or even football.

And while the large majority of readers quickly picked up on the story, there were nevertheless a fair share of folks who just didn't get it. And boy, were they mad.

Their responses were quite hilarious. I tried to whittle them down to just 10, but it was too difficult to leave some out. So here are the very best messages from people who felt compelled to reach out to me after the story went live Saturday morning. (Names are changed and expletives have been starred out, but all grammar mistakes and spelling errors remain intact. Those are, after all, half the fun.)

17. From Bryan:

Subject: Your s****y article

Body: I hope you lose your job

Sent from my iPhone

Note: And we're off!

16. From Michael:

Are you serious with this article on Brady serving a suspension? Maybe you should get some facts before you publish something like this. Just a thought.

Sent from my iPad

Note: There were plenty of facts in my article, pal. Except for the headline and everything that followed. That part was pretty straightforward. Other than that, it was a cornucopia of facts.

15. From "B":

Do people really read your twisted crap?   That was one of the most twisted reports I have ever read. Being from Boston I would only ask you if you are one of Jonny Most's misplanted grand children? You need to reread the facts and stop interpreting and embellishing them into your fictional writing. GO Pats!

Oh and being the light wait 4309534 that you are Google Jimmy Most

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone

Note: Funny thing ... Googling "Jimmy" Most probably wouldn't turn up many search results. Just a bunch of light waits.

14. From Terrence:

The article I just read about Deflate Gate made no sense. Was it a joke? Was it written 3 months ago? It seemed like a joke but at no point did you come out and say it.

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Note: Dear Mike, please explain every joke to me in extreme detail. That's the only way it'll be funny.

13. From Carol:

Are you for real? ..Are we talking about the same Tom Brady...get real..keep it honest...and if you can't do that..then get yourself a one way ticket FROM planet earth!!! ..disgusting piece of smarmy journalism...bon voyage!!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE DROID

Note: At least in the midst of this BOOM ROASTED email, "Carol" was nice enough to wish me a nice journey, wherever I may be going. Merci beaucoup, mon amie!

12. From Marge & Anthony:

You are an *******.

Note: (This unseemly insult was edited by the sender. How polite!)

11. From Stanley:

Dear Mr. Hurley,

You obviously have a negative opinion of Tom Brady. Although I've only lived in Boston for a few years, I've grown to appreciate his skills and the Patriots. You are also entitled to have your own opinion that so obviously differs from mine.

I understand that you are certain as to your opinion of him and his "guilt". I don't think I've every read an article from you before, but you can count on my remembering this article about Brady and not bothering to read any more articles by you since I can't image that we would every agree on too much; I guess I just don't trust your judgement. Nevertheless, I do wish you the best, but like all of us who work in a certain profession, you too will have fans you mostly agree with you and other readers who, like me, don't. Time will tell as to how successful or unsuccessful you will be, not me.

Best of luck,

Stanley

Note: It took more time to write that email than it would have taken to just take a deep breath and read the story a little closer. Nevertheless, I appreciate the thorough level of thought that "Stanley" put into this message. Seems like an honest, good man. I'd invite him to peruse my archive, though.

10. From Dan:

Your an a*****e probably a Jets fan Brady the greatest quarterback of all time not even close under inflated over inflated it doesn't matter

Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S® 6 edge, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

Note: Yikes, dude. Yikes.

9. From Dean:

Subject: Deflate this

Body: I just read your article on tom brady and deflategate. I have to say that what you wrote is completely r******d like your a child who is obviously a colts fan and patriots hater. Not only cuz the patriots win like all the time...and yes we do not cheat to win. We win regardless. We are the best franchise in NFL history and have the best qb in football history. I do apologize that indi sucks. And luck isnt turning out to be what we all thought. His luck ran out it seems. Horrible start to a year wgile casually the patriots are rated the best in football the year after deflate gate. So deflate this. Brady's mockery on deflation is bar none exposing the NFL and all alligations of him having to cheat to be the best.

Note: Holy smokes, Deano. Nice email subject and great pun with Luck, though. (A "pun" is a turn of a phrase in an effort to arouse humor, Dean.)

8. From "J":

You do know Tom Brady was never suspended and has played the first 4 games right?

You have an article on CBS Boston saying he is just now returning for the Colts game...

Note: This was simply a note from a concerned citizen. It's good to know that people are looking out for me.

7. From Brian:

YOU'RE A BIG JERK

Note: Debatable at best.

6. From Jeff:

Subject: Just sad

Body: Congratulations

Note: Thank you!!!

5. From Paul:

Nasty piece. You don't know more than anyone else. He's a better man and gentlemen than you. If he were a journalist his would never write a trashy article like this.

Your just jealous.

Sent from my iPhone

Note: His would never do that, Pauly Boy. His. Would. Never.

4. From Dawn (a 3-parter!):

First email: I just read your article stating that room breast is just coming back from his four game suspension and am wondering if the article was tongue in cheek or if you have been sleeping all summer? The suspension was over turned and he has played every game for the four and zero team averaging over 300 yards per game in the air.

You really need to make it clear when writing satire it just get a better fact checker.

Not even a football fan and I know this.

Dawn

-- Sent with K-@ Mail - the evolution of emailing.

Second email: Your headline for reference -- Humbled And Humiliated, Tom Brady To Make Season Debut After Serving Shameful DeflateGate Suspension

Third email: And I do hate auto correct.. Room beast is Tom Brady..

Note: Dawn gave me so much to work with. First, I think "Room Breast" or "Room Beast" works well as a nickname for Brady. Second, the four and zero team is simply an amazing way to describe the Patriots. Lastly, what a ferocious roast with that "not even a football fan and I know this" bit. What was I thinking?! You mess with Dawn, you get the horns.

3. From "T":

Hope you had a nice career

Sent via the Samsung Galaxy Note® 4, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

Note: It has been quite nice, thank you for your concern. I've been lucky enough to witness a Stanley Cup, World Series and Super Bowl won in person, which is crazy and cool, and I'm hoping for many more memories to ... ohhhh wait you were roasting me.

2. From Mark:

Hurley ..ever heard of innocent till proven guilty...your an arrogant pompous ass..and I'm not even a patriots fan...you write a long ,one way article with no proof ...just verbal diarrhea. ...

Mark. from south boston/tampa bay ..and not a whitey Bulger fan..he disgusts me and you disgust me.

Oh by the way I'll bet you are new York fan..only they have the quality of hating boston /foxboro..lol

Mark

Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S® 5 ACTIVE™, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

Note: I disgust this man as much as a convicted mob boss and mass murderer Whitey Bulger disgusts him. That's really something right there.

1. From Tom Brady:

Via Facebook:

Note: OK, so that wasn't a direct message sent from Tom Brady, but you're going to tell me that it's just a coincidence that he posted the picture I used at the bottom of my story? A random photo from the preseason game against Green Bay, no less? One that appears on Getty's site as a vertical photo but was chopped to a 16x9 format for the story?

That's no coincidence.

So what did we learn from this whole ordeal? We learned that Tom Brady has a better sense of humor about Tom Brady than some indignant Tom Brady fans do. Thanks for reading, Tom!

We also learned that when you write that a man did not play in football games even though he very obviously did play in those football games, some people are just not going to get it. Which is a shame, really ... but thank goodness they send angry emails.

Read more from Michael Hurley by clicking here. You can email him or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.

In:
• NFL
• deflategate