I think that a certain amount of critique is valid, and to be honest, should be expected with the job. These people are paid millions of dollars to be the absolute best at a game. They are there for our entertainment. If someone is performing poorly, I think it is perfectly reasonable to be upset with them. This does not mean that it is okay to harass them or send them death threats or anything like that, but if you perform poorly at your job, you would expect to be critiqued by the people who pay you, right? Not to mention, they are in front of tens of thousands of fans in person and millions of fans on television, these players are bound to have an ego and with that ego needs to come some self knowledge. At the end of the day, even if they are being critiqued, the best way to shut someone up is to go out there and make your mark on the field/court/ice.

wc: 170