When TimTheTatman decided to stream, it was a great event. The well-known gamer, Tim, and two fellow famous streamers, NICKMERCS and Hutch, were having fun in the new game Arc Raiders but the tweet about their streaming caused a chain of serious consequences. The tweet was a short one but it was already full of meaning: ‘SKOL = BAN’ and ‘5 million likes are as vital to me as air.’ To those who are not entirely in the know regarding the drama around the streamer, the above was a direct reference to a bet—and a promise—that turned out very unpleasant.
For Google, here is the summary in a nutshell: A very public uproar occurred around TimTheTatman, a famous Twitch streamer, who during a game of Arc Raiders held stubbornly to his previous promise of retiring if his team, the Dallas Cowboys, lost in the NFL. The tweet referring to ‘SKOL = BAN’ was an allusion to his commitment to block trolls using the Minnesota Vikings’ ‘Skol’ chant and to be met with an immediate backlash and the community branding him a ‘liar’ and demanding his apology.
Let’s go back a little. If you have not been following the football drama—and it was 100 percent true—TimTheTatman, a great Dallas Cowboys fan, was supposed to have made a bet or a vow that if the Cowboys lost THESTREAM would be over. Well, what happened? The Cowboys lost. To the Minnesota Vikings, no less. And Vikings fans have this whole ‘Skol’ chant thing going on. So now, ‘Skol’ is not simply a cheer but a keyword, a troll, a digital grenade that is thrown into his chat. And what is his way of dealing with it? To ban everyone who mentions it. Thus, ‘SKOL = BAN.’
But then, the bigger issue came up and that is what everybody in the replies is arguing about. The tweet is about him… streaming. Quite the opposite, not retired. Thus, the comment section just exploded with people calling him out. Like, instantly. User ‘johnway14296756’ just straight up said, “Doesn’t look like you’ve retired.” ‘chopon36’ dropped some serious shade: “But retirement??? Smh just like the cowboys give everyone hope then disappoint us.” Ouch. That one probably stung. ‘SaltySgt13’ was concise: “Lied again….” And ‘phuckbeingsober’ branded him “Tim ‘Talk Is Cheap’ Tatman.” The sentiment was nearly unanimous: people were let down, or at least, found the situation very amusing.
Still, it was not completely filled with negativity on the other hand. Some gamers were just there for the gaming vibes. ‘Glitchymagic’ said, “Arc Raiders with that crew is always a recipe for prime entertainment. Good luck hitting 5 million!” And ‘deklinehq’ said, “That Arc Raiders squad looks stacked—hope the runs stay chaotic without too many griefers. Dropping in with that energy is always a vibe.” So it was just about watching a hyped new game played by a fun squad for some people. Embark Studios’ cool-looking PvPvE extraction shooter Arc Raiders, which is available on PlayStation and Xbox, kind of got lost in the drama and that’s unfortunate because it looks cool.
However, some people absolutely hated the ban policy. User ‘MonsieurPhilly’ had the most detailed opinion about it and it was hot: “Skol = Ban is some of the softest shit ever. It’s one thing not to retire but to ban people for appropriately trolling you is weak as hell.” That identifies the main issue in streaming: how much should streamers control the chat, especially for jokes based on their own publicly stated bets? Is it soft, or is it just maintaining your space? Timmy obviously chose the latter option but it’s going to cost him some goodwill for sure.
Then there were just the pure trolls and the Vikings fans were enjoying it. Many replies just contained the word “SKOL.” Over and over. ‘skol691’, ‘DerpyDonut87’, ‘BigO5O1’ just a parade of ‘SKOL’ was going on. It was like a digital victory parade. ‘zander1st’ even bombarded him with the classic, “How bout dem Cowboys?!?!” which is just the perfect, timeless troll for this situation. You could even say that the trolls were sufficient in a good way.
So, what is the message coming out of all this messy, human, typo-filled chaos? Streamer promises are a dangerous game, man. Especially when the stakes are sports fandom. The internet never forgets and it is always ready to hold someone to a dramatic vow. TimTheTatman’s stream was certainly a great experience—playing a new game with friends.
