The popular Paddy Power series returns with a second episode as Redknapp tackles internet trolling
Jamie Redknapp is back with another hard-hitting episode of Paddy Power‘s Jamie Redknapp Investigates, the series that sees former footballer-turned-pundit uncover the beautiful game’s uglier side.
The first episode saw Redknapp look at the modern embarssament of half-and-half scarves, and in episode two of the new series, the football legend meets one the game’s most annoying new elements, as he tracks down a real life Twitter troll.
Redknapp meets Rodney “Rodders” Harris in his bedroom at his mum’s home and explores some of the footballing burns he uses on Twitter. Rodney explains that he loves to “take the team names and tweak them just a little bit and turn them into sick insults”.
Some of the “best” he can come up with include naming Liverpool “Loserfool” and renaming their ground to “Analfield”.
Looking for an explanation, Redknapp interviews an expert on Football Twitter Syndrome (FTS). “The whole point of football Twitter is getting attention and gaining traction. These people will do anything for numbers” warns Dr. Valarie Pepper, an expert on the impact social media can have on society.
She goes on to explain that football fans online will engage in pointless arguments and be controversial for the sake of it, these trolls can continue with their words of hatred until they have “ratioed you into oblivion”.
Redknapp confronts Rodney on his constant use online of words like “virgin” and questions why he’s so obsessed with that word.
“Well, it might be a little obsession for all those little virgins, Jamie, but not for me. Not with the amount of sex I do” Rodney quickly comes back, as Redknapp breaks into laughter.
People closest to Rodney are equally confused by his love for trolling, with his mum pleading that, “I don’t know why they can’t just be nice to one another on the Twitters”.
And Redknapp has some key advice for those faced by aggressive trolls. “Block and move on. Block and move on.”
Spokesman Paddy Power said: “Thanks to the Jamie, we now know something we long suspected! That Twitter trolls are just a bunch of Rodney’s in their parents homes surrounded by sticky clothes.
“Of course everyone’s allowed an opinion on football, but if you come across a helmet like Rodders, take Jamie’s advice and just bloke and move on. And just be glad you’re not the one who has to clean his socks.”
