March Madness is obviously a time of the year where fans are at their most passionate, but taking it too far can result in some sickening, disturbing incidents.
That's what happened with Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell, who shared screenshots of threatening messages he received after his No. 2 Buckeyes were upset by No. 15 Oral Roberts in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. WARNING: NSFW content in below images.
Liddell additionally emphasized that he still loves Ohio State fans and that this message wasn't directed toward the fan base as a whole, but whichever individuals sent him these twisted messages know exactly who his tweet was directed toward.
According to ESPN's Myron Medcalf, Ohio State reached out to police due to the threats and they are now involved. The university's athletic director, Gene Smith, followed up with a tweet that reiterated the fact that authorities would take action.
"The threatening social media attack E.J. Liddell faced after the game yesterday is appalling and will not be tolerated," Smith wrote. "To the few of you who have chosen to inappropriately rail against our players on social media, stop. Hate and derision have no place in Buckeye Nation or in civil society. If you cross the line and threaten our players, you will be hearing from the authorities. That I promise you.
"I have nothing but love and respect for E.J. He epitomizes all that we hope for in our student-athletes."
Head coach Chris Holtmann also shared a message on the threats, saying that they "are vile, dangerous and reflect the worst of humanity," while showing his full support for Liddell.
Liddell has received an outpouring of support on social media in response to the terrible comments, from athletes and Ohio State alumni like former NBA player Jared Sullinger, and from media members like 670 The Score's Herb Lawrence.
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