Kentucky fans’ harassment of referee held out as example of worst effects of online trolling | Lexington Herald Leader

The article “Inside the Dark World of Trolling” by Michael McKnight and Greg Bishop begins with the story of Higgins’ ordeal after Kentucky lost to North Carolina in the 2017 NCAA Tournament regional finals, and details how difficult it is to do anything to punish people who threatened his life and tried to ruin his business. The article includes several not-safe-for-work instances of harassment of Higgins and other sports figures, and it attempts to track the harassers down for comments about their actions. While a few did respond, many declined. Some athletes feel attempting retribution toward their online attackers online gives them what they really crave: attention.