Fan Apologizes for Federer Death Threat

[Carsomyr]

Originally Posted by USA Today

The tennis fan whose to Roger Federer made international news last week has for the "stupid" message board comment.

The Baidu.com user Blue Cat Polytheism Founder 07 wrote:

"I'm terribly sorry. I was arguing with Federer fans and then I wrote something stupid. I hope that the organizers can understand me, forgive me and if possible send my apologies to Federer and his family. "

Late last month the user wrote that he planned "to assassinate Federer for the purpose of tennis extermination" on Oct. 6.

Federer said he was made aware of the incident before it went public. The decision not to bring his wife and twin daughters to Shanghai had nothing to do with the threat, he said.

The world No. 1 said he was pleased with the response by Shanghai officials, but was confused when the report of the threat went public.

"That's when things changed," he told reporters. "It became much more public, which I'm a bit disappointed about, that it did come out in the press."

"It was something just very small on a website, nothing clear and concrete, people just debating. That it makes that big news is a bit surprising to me."

Us too. As we wrote last week, online death threats are an unfortunate part of modern-day life. They should be dealt with appropriately, but don't need to be made public.

He probably saw Darth Fed on his Imperial March in Shanghai with his platoon of ninjas[sic] and panicked.

[AnotherTennisProdigy]

At least he had the balls to apologies.

[ledwix]

"Blue Cat Polytheism Founder 07"? lmao

[Wuppy]

Originally Posted by ledwix

"Blue Cat Polytheism Founder 07"? lmao

Probably means something awesome in Chinese.

[sureshs]

Sounds like a Nadal turd

[bezs]

Nadal_Slam_King or whatever his username was moved to China?

[Prisoner of Birth]

Originally Posted by sureshs

Sounds like a Nadal turd

Takes one to know one

Just playing

[15_ounce]

Originally Posted by Carsomyr

"It was very small on a website, nothing very clear and concrete - people debating. To make that kind of big news is a bit surprising for me."

What did he expect? A death threat to the most famous tennis player at the moment and it won't go public? How arrogantly humble of him.

[pound cat]

On the internet thay can track you anywhere...posters beware...........

Watch fed give him an autographed Fed hat.

[The Meat]

Originally Posted by pound cat

On the internet thay can track you anywhere...posters beware...........

Watch fed give him an autographed Fed hat.

Should have backtraced him, not too hard.

[SoBad]

Blue Cat Polytheism Founder 07 is a handsome young man of mixed far-eastern background who spends most of him time in his bathtub full of aromatic salts.

[zapvor]

i am glad the person apologized

[dysonlu]

This idiot apologized only because he began to feel the heat up his *****. With the attention from the media and the authorities, he probably suspected, and rightly so, law enforcements were tracking or watching him. I hope the police will pay him a visit so he wet his pants.

[ramosxp]

Wow, Fed can even make evil have a conscience, seriously the mans just got it.

[Hood_Man]

When I first heard of the threat I immediately imagined a printed or handwritten threat being pushed through Federer's letterbox/mailbox (at home or wherever he happened to be staying at the time), or in some form delivered to Federer, and thus I reacted with horror.

But, when it turned out to be a post on a message board, I now see what Federer's getting at. It's been blown out of proportion.

For instance I once posted on Facebook, in response to an incredibly annoying TV advert, something along the lines of "Apologies to their fans, but I can't put up with this any longer, I'm going to kidnap [celebrity]," and received a few "lols" and "good lucks" (as well as several likes) from a few of my mates.

Now, clearly I had no intention of ever carrying this out because 1) I actually don't have any ill feeling toward this person, 2) I really wasn't that bothered by it, and 3) it was a glib remark, a joke that everyone who saw it was in on and "got."

To the uninitiated however, it could have been perceived as a genuine threat.

Hand on heart, I cannot honestly say that I've never threatened someone on the internet, back when I was a young teenager at least (which feels like a long time ago now ). If I have it's never been anything more than an empty threat, resulting from my teenage, angsty, overly emotional self, not yet having the mental maturity and strength to deal with the stupidity we so often see online (particularly on message boards). Basically, I was like those people you see on youtube comments, with all the "sftu stop makin fun o my grama Ill beat u up" sort of nonsense.

I don't ever remember doing anything specific, but then why would I? Words said in the heat of the moment with no fear of any consequences, I wouldn't have given it a seconds thought. I only have vague recollections, similar to how we don't remember every argument we ever have with our parents when we were teens.

Saying that, I've not seen the image that he posted along with the message, but knowing how the media like to sensationalise everything I'm reluctant to believe it was as gruesome as has been claimed.

I guess my point is that this sort of thing is easily done, and I can totally understand where he's coming from when he says "I was arguing with Federer fans and then I wrote something stupid." Good on him for apologising, hopefully he, the Shanghai organisers, and Federer himself can move on from this media frenzy.

[Zarfot Z]

Yay.

Now we can all go back to living normally again.

[kalyan4fedever]

Originally Posted by Zarfot Z

Yay.

Now we can all go back to living normally again.

Nah we cant , may be the apology was meant to distract the police and then it will be perfect time for him to strike, so police should atleast catch him and interrogate for a fair amount of time

[tacou]

wow I didn't realize when the original story broke it was just an irate fan (probably on TT....) definitely no news story there

[RF20Lennon]

Federer can make terrorists have a good conscience he's the GOAT no?

[Emet74]

Originally Posted by Hood_Man

Saying that, I've not seen the image that he posted along with the message, but knowing how the media like to sensationalise everything I'm reluctant to believe it was as gruesome as has been claimed.

I guess my point is that this sort of thing is easily done, and I can totally understand where he's coming from when he says "I was arguing with Federer fans and then I wrote something stupid." Good on him for apologising, hopefully he, the Shanghai organisers, and Federer himself can move on from this media frenzy.

The image was of a decapitated Fed and a guy in black wielding an axe. The "stupid" message stuck out from the usual website BS because the guy gave a specific date for when he intended to kill Fed (october 6); a date where he knew Fed would be in his country, and the photoshopped image obviously took a little time to come up w/ - it wasn't a "spur of the moment" reply to some Fedfans. With all the nasty stuff I've been reading on this forum for years, I've never read anything remotely like "player X is gonna be in my country on X date and I'm gonna kill him" so I do understand the caution of the authorities and the increase in protection for Fed.

But yeah it was blown out of proportion by the media when it was always most likely just some idiot at a computer w/ no real plans of violence.