When Bill Buckner died last week, I mentioned on Twitter that he had handled his fielding-error-induced infamy with class and also that it was a good thing social media had not been around for the flub. Outrage pile-ons and shame-storms used to be a dry heat: often excessive, but you could still find shelter in the shade. Now they’re more like humid summer climes: The air itself is saturated with the stuff, no matter where you stand.

Everyone understands that it’s unfair for an athlete to be known for his worst moment, but that’s life. What happened to Buckner is an order of magnitude worse, because the reputation he developed after flubbing a ground ball in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series isn’t merely “not who he is.” It’s the opposite. The Buckner flogging is the best example of the worst instincts of fandom and celebrity culture.