Small victories.
A Twitter user denied ESPN the rights to use a Patriots-inspired photo from the Boston Marathon because he’s still salty over the Worldwide Leader’s coverage of Deflategate.
Abdul Dremali, who goes under the handle @Advil on Twitter, tweeted a photo of someone holding a sign on the streets of Boston. The sign resembled the Fox Sports score bug from the third quarter of Super Bowl LI, when the Patriots trailed the Falcons, 28-3. The Patriots would pull off a miraculous comeback in the 34-28 overtime win. The sign was meant to be a motivational sign for runners, to perhaps remind them that anything is possible.
“This guy is at the #BostonMarathon right now motivating the runners. I love boston,” read the tweet’s caption.
The photo was taken by Boston Marathon finisher Garrett Quinn, but it was Dremali’s viral tweet that had the internet laughing.
After multiple media outlets approached Dremali to use the photo, Dremali, who sports a Red Sox jersey in his Twitter picture, cleared permission for some but refused one – ESPN – in a vigorous, curse-fueled reply to ESPN’s request.
“After the witch hunt ESPN led against tom brady? Absolutely the f—k not. In fact block me right now. Go f—k yourselves,” fumed Dremali at the ESPN Assignment Desk’s Twitter account.
Dremali would get his wish. He was eventually blocked by SportsCenter on Twitter.
His rants toward ESPN come after the network allotted countless hours of coverage to allegedly deflated balls used by the Patriots during the 2015 AFC Championship Game. ESPN reporter Chris Mortensen cited sources saying the NFL found 11 of 12 Patriots-used balls were underinflated by 2 pounds per square inch, which blew up the story. ESPN later had to offer a clarification, retracting the precise measurement and saying just that the footballs were underinflated.
Deflategate’s fallout resulted in a four-game suspension for quarterback Tom Brady to start the 2016 season, a $1 million fine, the loss of two draft picks and the entire New England region to hate Roger Goodell and ESPN.