It’s hard to believe that it’s been a week since CBS Major League Baseball writer set Twitter ablaze with his comments about O.co Coliseum at the tail end of the two-game series for the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants. Most people were well aware of the fact that each team would be hosting two games each of the Battle of the Bay, but this didn’t stop Heyman from tweeting: “A shame the a’s and giants have to play these games at the coliseum while ATandT sit empty. #shame”

I’m not one to follow Heyman, so I really had no idea he had said such nonsense until another follower of mine by the name of Cole Lopez mentioned it. From what I recall, Lopez something to the tune of “looks like Heyman’s at it again.” His tweet piqued my curiosity so I decided to have a look for myself.

I grew up an Athletics fan. The first Major League game I ever attended took place at the Coliseum in 1987, before the back-to-back-to-back World Series run and definitely before the Oakland Raiders moved back to town and built that monstrosity in center field which blocks the beauty of the Oakland Hills. Every bit of fanhood surged through my body at the moment and all I wanted to do was write something derogatory back. Quite a few Athletics fans had all ready beaten me to the punch in the insult department, but I still felt that if I wrote something harsh, the point would get across.

For 10 minutes I wrote, deleted, wrote again, deleted and re-wrote once again, but nothing sounded right. The more I kept trying to get the last laugh, the more I felt awful for anything that came out of my fingertips. Then, it clicked. Rather than take the approach he had and say something insulting, I took the road less traveled and penned this, “.@JonHeymanCBS Shame? 4 World Series titles, plus the loudest fans in @MLB? The Coliseum is a battlefield not an amusement park. #Athletics” I really didn’t think much of it. I was just happy to get my point across without looking like a jerk myself on the response. What happened next, and over the days to follow, truly blew my mind.

Within a matter of minutes my tweet had been retweeted 35 times, the second-most a tweet of mine had been sent back out. The previous title holder? My comment to Pat Neshek when he came into pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the American League Division Series just days after his newborn son passed away. The tweet I sent then, and certainly the tweet I sent to Heyman were not written to attract attention. They were merely emotional thoughts that I could only convey through the 140 characters I’m allotted.

As the night moved on the tweet kept bouncing around. Athletics right fielder Josh Reddick chimed in as well, talking about how the Athletics get “0 respect.” Soon, more names and faces from the Athletics vented their frustration with Heyman’s comment. Some used a few words; others like Sean Doolittle took it upon themselves to turn the joke around on Heyman the next day at AT&T Park. “SO excited to play at ATandT tonight. The spacious dugouts, the luxurious amenities, the finest foods, showers with hot water. 5 stars!” tweeted Doolittle.

When the dust settled, it was Heyman who had egg all over his face. He never apologized for his comments publicly, he merely tweeted at 95.7 The Game in the Bay Area to clarify his comment. In lieu of the players’ responses Heyman tweeted at them all, playing the “dumb” card and making the comment that he thought they all wanted to leave the Coliseum. Once again, all the players refuted that claim and spoke highly of the fan base and the stadium they call home. Heyman quietly went off into the night with his tail in between his legs, or so we were left to believe since he let the issue go. For the next few days I got tweets from other Athletics fans voicing their praise of my comment. A comment that got retweeted 200 times.

Anything I received, whether it be a tweet or a photo, I responded to and sent back out. The Coliseum, as old and rundown as it is, is still our home. None of us want to leave it. My father watched all three World Series titles of the 1970s in the right field bleachers, which is also where we sat in 1987 for my first game against the Baltimore Orioles. In my adult years I’ve watched almost every game I’ve been to in the same seats my father did. I hope more than anything that I can take my future son or daughter there as well, to pass on the torch in our home away from home,

Heyman and I are both cut from the same cloth in that we’re both journalists. Granted, he’s been at this game a lot longer than I have, and I’ve only just graduated from the University of Oregon with two degrees in journalism. However, if there’s one thing I’ve learned that he still fails to grasp over time, it’s that I have tact and an understanding for those who read my work. Rival fans and I may not agree with each other’s teams or viewpoints, but at the end of the day we talk it out and still have a mutual respect for one another. This is something that Heyman will have to work hard to get back.