Pro tip: Don't mess with Justin Bieber online -- even if you're an NFL legend and Hall of Fame running back.
Scores of Justin Bieber fans have unleashed a digital fusillade of Twitter barbs, rebukes and general haterade unto 52-year-old retired football star Eric Dickerson over the past two days. And all because Dickerson had the temerity to publicly rebuke the Biebster for driving fast in the tony SoCal suburb of Calabasas, where they both live.
The beef began with a Tuesday morning TMZ report that Bieber and another retired football star -- Keyshawn Johnson -- had a near altercation after Johnson saw Bieber tearing about town in his Ferrari. Johnson reportedly tracked the pop star down in his Prius (yes, Prius) and "got out of his car to confront Justin face-to-face ... but Justin ran inside of his house and refused to come out."
Dickerson backed up Johnson by chastising Bieber on Twitter later on Tuesday:
I live in Calabasas too and @justinbieber needs to slow his ass down.— Eric Dickerson (@EricDickerson) May 28, 2013
Hey @justinbieber I use to have a white Ferrari too, but I knew the speed limit in neighborhoods where kids played. twitter.com/EricDickerson/…— Eric Dickerson (@EricDickerson) May 28, 2013
Both Johnson and Dickerson are fathers, making them more sensitive to speedy drivers. But, oh baby, did Dickerson stir the hornet's nest!
Almost immediately, Dickerson was deluged by angry rejoinders from the 19-year-old's army of Beliebers. They began Tuesday, and were still pouring in at the time this article was published. Below, for your viewing pleasure, you can mull over a small sample of tweets from Bieber's digital minions. Many of them, you'll notice, use Bieber as their own Twitter avatars.
@mcppresident Justin knows what he's doing and doesn't need people up his ass 24/7 Most of the time it's not even him driving his Ferrari.— kidrauhl~♡~ (@Justins_Perf_XO) May 28, 2013
"@ericdickerson:I live in Calabasas too and @justinbieber needs to slow his ass down."dont talk like that 2 my JB.Tread him with respect OK?— CRIMINAL girl (@PelikulaNosa) May 30, 2013
@ericdickerson @justinbieber stfu— ƈειεsτε♡(@Yo_ehts_Turtles) May 30, 2013
@ericdickerson did u ever think maybe it wasnt him driving it or there was another reason for it. Dont start things untill u know the story.— Justin's smile :) (@klw1130rocks) May 28, 2013
@ericdickerson @justinbieber leave him alone asshole.— B E L I E B E R✨ (@nataliesaga) May 28, 2013
@ericdickerson stfu. he's not the only guy in the world who makes mistakes. Just bc he's famous doesn't mean he has to be perfect omfg— proud of justin∞ (@heskidrauhling) May 28, 2013
@mcppresident he has a ferrari , it's not easy to drive slowly in a ferrari— SMILE JUSTIN ♥(@KathBeliber) May 28, 2013
What a world. What. A. World.