Steelers' Cam Heyward Trolls Celtics Fans During Game 1 Loss To Cavaliers
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Life as an NFL player is not just the fancy cars and fancy parties that you see on "Ballers." Nope -- sometimes professional athletes are just like you, sitting on the couch, trying to get other people to get mad online.
For proof, look no further than Cam Heyward.
The defensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers settled in for a nice night of watching Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. Once the Cavs quickly turned the game into a blowout, Heyward grew a bit bored.
And so, he decided to force Boston sports fans to pay the troll toll.
Boston cheering and they still down big ????
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 18, 2017
Heyward's tweet came when the Celtics made a mini-surge at the end of the third quarter, a stretch that at least gave the home crowd something to cheer about. Heyward knew what he was doing.
In a trolling mood tonight pic.twitter.com/fDSb58olpe
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 18, 2017
The interesting part is that rather than just leave it there, Heyward started going back and forth with fans who gave him some guff. And his responses were pretty much in line with what every angry sports fan tends to argue on the internet.
First, he made the false equivalency of comparing an NFL playoff game to a seven-game NBA series.
my team lost one game and I will be ok with that. But your team looks like it might get beat 4 times in a row the same way. Yikes
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 18, 2017
Then he said the results of the Patriots' 36-17 win over Pittsburgh in the AFC title game would've been different if Le'Veon Bell hadn't gotten injured early on.
ok yea just Le'veon played that game but hey we got this year to change that.
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 18, 2017
Also, Heyward lamented the absence of Martavis Bryant ... who was suspended for the entire season.
we didn't have Martavis nor me so we can keep going
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 18, 2017
And then, as people tend to do online, deflation jokes were made.
wow you really DEFLATED me right there lol jk but you need to worry about LEBRON
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 18, 2017
I've already told them lol jk pic.twitter.com/otJ9hKrIgQ
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 18, 2017
Ha. Classic.
There was also a dig at the Patriots for employing Aaron Hernandez for a few years.
yea just went to jail......
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 18, 2017
yea I know but don't act like you're some squeaky clean team then
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 18, 2017
As professional athletes tend to do in spat with mere common folk, Heyward insulted the athletic abilities of some of his detractors.
@mrags2000 @mclark8185 good one... now go get ready for your rec dodge ball league
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 18, 2017
that's watermelons to grapes. Your not an athlete and wouldn't sniff a jersey ????
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 18, 2017
wait what's your record when you play.. exactly. Stick to madden bro
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 18, 2017
Heyward suggested that Patriots fans prepare themselves for a loss vs. Pittsburgh this season, because Ben Roethlisberger will be under center.
not really just we got y'all comin to us w/ Ben this time
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 18, 2017
(With Ben Roethlisberger starting at quarterback, the Steelers are 3-6. Since 2013, they're 0-3, outscored 112-66 in those games.)
WBZ-TV sports producer Joe Giza authored a worthy retort to Mr. Heyward.
don't get mad cuz your team can't handle THE GOAT???? https://t.co/fhGOWJ2dxO
— Joe Giza (@JoeGiza) May 18, 2017
And by the end of the night, after the Cavs had completed their thorough victory in Boston, Heyward celebrated a bit.
Atleast they made it close???? pic.twitter.com/fUn7pU14Gp
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 18, 2017
LEBRON giveth the 1 seed just so he could taketh home court pic.twitter.com/TR2B8SJkFc
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) May 18, 2017
Heyward said he was joking. It was likely just the result of being bored and holding a phone.
Yet -- credit where credit is due -- Heyward looked like a season vet out there in the Mad Online game. Between the GIFs, and the laughing-so-hard-I'm-crying emojis, using a multitude of LOLs and ending it all by saying "JK," it was a master class in messing with people on Twitter.
But still, it wasn't a loss for those battling Heyward with facts. And really, they did better on Twitter than they might if confronted in person by the 6-foot-5, 280-pound Heyward.