When Aroldis Chapman is trolling you on Twitter, you're at war

Yesterday, this ditty popped up on the Interweb. 

Don't bother clicking. It's just a screen shot. What matters is that Aroldis Chapman appears to have joined the global online conga line of fans joyously ripping the Astros. It's the Ice Bucket Challenge, but with piss. And it's a sign of the impending meme war. 

These days, it's gotta be tough, being a fan of Jose Altuve. Your watch your guy, one of the most inspiring athletes of this millennium, being bashed from all sides, even from someone who not long ago wore his own pariah horns. I mean, taking shit from Aroldis Chapman... him of the bullet-ridden garage door...  wow.

Of course, it could be a fake Twitter account. Aren't all celebrities required by law to have fake accounts? The internet doesn't require guarantees of authenticity - and on Facebook, good grief, lying is legal. At this point, who cares if it's really Aroldis? We've created a world where facts are optional, and truth is determined by who makes the best viral memes, or yells loudest into their echo chambers. What if Houston's owner simply doubled-down on his team, cried "WITCH HUNT," and sued MLB and its "Yankee-appointed commissioner?" The case could reach the Supreme Court by 2022, the Justices might be Astros fans, and by then, Houston might have two more world championships to celebrate. 

But here's the thing: 

Over the last two days, a witch hunt did emerge, sort of...

Claims that Altuve and others may have wore electronic buzzers - making them hugely complicit in the scandal - went viral, without one actual live person making an accusation. Everything stems from a fake twitter account and a Reddit-style prosecution, based on videos,and photos, none of which prove anything. It's amazing how fast it spread. It's crazy. As a fan, it's intoxicating.

Listen: I hate the Astros. I hate how they built their team - by tanking for practically a decade. I hate their players, their owner, their uniforms. Thus, it's been joyous fun passing along these accusations, as they roll off the assembly line. Plus, we've got Boston and the Mets, frying in their own greases! It's the Tri-fecta! What's not to love? It's open season on Yankee arch rivals and - dammit - they brought it on themselves, because they did cheat. Load the cannons, boys! Fire at will!

But still... something screwy is happening here. We're becoming the sports version of Infowars. And Altuve, guilty or not, may never live this down. 

I gotta believe that if any Astros did wear electronic devices, it will come out, eventually. If it's true, they will need to serve suspensions, because the Players Union won't be able to protect them. But if it's not true, I wonder where all this is going? Because here's the deal: The next time, it will be the Yankees in everybody's cross hairs. 

Each of these teams, and their loyal fan bases, loathe the Yankees with the heat of a billion suns. So does half the MLB pool of fans. If you were to add all the Astros/Redsocks/Mets haters in America, it wouldn't come to 50 percent of the Yankee-haters out there, waiting for an opening. One thing we're seeing in America is a vast cultural pendulum, swinging back and forth. One of these days, the Yankees will face full-frontal attacks, whether truthful or not. We should prepare for the worst. Once Houston, Boston and the Mets have finally licked their wounds, their fans will want revenge. Buckle up.