wahlearth

A Twitter fight that features two sportswriters trading haymakers in 140 characters is one of our favorite recurring features here at Awful Announcing.  Social media scraps are traditionally limited to two pugilists, but on rare occasion one person can become so empowered in a Twitter fight that they choose a larger opponent.

Like Planet Earth.

Enter Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated, one of the leading soccer voices in this country.  Wahl decided to go all "Al Pacino in the closing scene of Scarface" on whoever entered his mentions tab on Wednesday night targeting soccer bloggers, all of SB Nation, and innocent passers by in an epic struggle.  Here's the blow-by-blow account in all its bloody glory…

Whew, that was a lot to get through.  I need a drink.

The most confounding thing about this whole Twitter War to End All Twitter Wars is Wahl coming to defense of online writers by saying bloggers and journalists are a part of the same class.  That's a reasonable, progressive stance.  He then spends several rounds of ammunition trying to destroy all bloggers by using the famous "internet tough guy" line and saying SB Nation is an "unprofessional disaster."  I have to say I'm a little confused by his tactics.

Wahl did get in his shots throughout the fracas and didn't back down from the challenge of trying to fight a multi-front offensive against several different Twitter users.  You have to admire his sense of bravado and bravery in battle.  If he was going down, he was taking half the soccer bloggers in America with him.

The World more than held their own.  Of course, they had a pretty large numbers advantage at 7.3 billion to 1.  Matt Montgomery of RSL Soapbox did well in representing SB Nation in such a high profile showdown by derisively mocking Wahl's thumbs up once things turned nasty and trading snark for snark.  The best blow of the entire fight may have been early on as Hickey landed a straight right hand by mocking Wahl's campaign for FIFA's presidency.  Some hard feelings from SB Nation may exist from that episode as the outlet was critical of Wahl for the publicity stunt.

The best part in all of this?  Wahl's on vacation.

Just when you think you're out, they pull you back in.

For the judges' decision, you decide who wins this Twitter War…