With the World Series tied 2-2 and headed into a pivotal Game 5 on Monday night, it's time to take a quick look at one of the more prescient Twitter accounts in baseball.
The "Baseball's Best Fans" account isn't new, but its clever conceit is more relevant than ever with the St. Louis Cardinals two wins away from a World Series title.
See also: Is This the Funniest Photo in Baseball History?
The account's premise is simple. At some point over the past several decades, Cardinals supporters anointed themselves the "best fans in baseball," citing reasons from unwavering loyalty to reverence for the game and respect for opponents.
If the Internet has taught us one thing, however, it's that evil lurks in all forms. If the Internet has taught us a second thing, it's that talk is cheap. "Baseball's Best Fans" recalls both truisms to poke a little fun at Cardinals supporters' surfeit of self-regard by finding the very worst tweets from St. Louis fans.
Slurs, epithets, tasteless jokes, death threats — they're all represented. You can visit the @BestFansStLouis Twitter profile for a full dose, but here are just a few milder examples from the past few days:
Deleted MT "@CoryD315: Boston fan: "It's a marathon, not a sprint." Annnnndddd how'd that last Boston Marathon work out for ya? #TooSoon"
— Baseball's Best Fans (@BestFansStLouis) October 28, 2013
Gomes must die. I'm on my way to St. Louis to kill him.
— Colton Snell (@Colton_L_Snell) October 28, 2013
fuxk boston there a bunch of pussies
— Brandon Hale (@_brandonhale) October 27, 2013
Does this mean Cardinals fans are exceptionally horrible? Probably not. If you scraped the dregs of Twitter for the worst supporters of any other sports team, you would likely turn up similar results.
Does it mean Cardinals fans aren't, in fact, the "best in baseball," as they claim? Perhaps that's true. But most of all, this account is just a timely reminder that even the greatest fan bases have plenty of bad apples — and on social media, those bad apples are more visible than ever.
BONUS: Inside One Fan's Ultimate Man Cave
He's a 40-year-old, married father of one who lives in the suburbs of Chicago.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
But it's just one of two separate bar areas.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
Stewart met his wife at a Cubs game and proposed to her at Wrigley. They had a Cubs-themed wedding.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
Because sometimes you get tired of watching sports and want to dust off the ol' athleticism.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
Also pinball machines.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
This isn't just a man cave; there are separate restrooms for dudes and dudettes.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
The urinal features a 24-inch, wall-mounted TV.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
Right next to the air hockey table, baby.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
Stewart's lair is Cubs-themed, but he's a Chicago Bears fan too. He'll typically have 20 to 30 people over for football games.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
There are nine of these theater seats.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
Beer on tap, a commercial beer fridge and a full liquor bar, that is.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
Stewart uses a company called Control4 to manage all that entertainment in one connected system, making it easy to keep a handle on the fun.
Image: Control4
Those are signed jerseys of Cubs Hall of Famers, and you'll notice the signed bats above them.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
Altogether, Stewart owns more than 250 signed balls, all by Cubs players.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
I mean, just look at this thing.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
It's located in Stewart's basement, which he estimates to be about 2,100 square feet.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
The 400-foot marker in centerfield is a popular photo-opp spot for visiting fans.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
Like, seriously: This place has everything.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
If you hadn't noticed, that circular, custom-designed bar is actually the Cubs' "C" logo.
Image: Sean Geraty/Sonic Low Voltage
Image: Joe Robbins/Getty Images