Tyler “Ninja” Blevins’ had a busy Super Bowl weekend, and some of it has resulted in drama on social media.
Following the big game, Ninja and his wife, Jess “JGhosty” Blevins, gathered food from their hotel to gift to the local homeless population in Atlanta. According to JGhosty on Twitter, when the couple set out, the popular streamer was shouted at by an unknown individual.
While JGhosty did not delve into details on the incident, her recounting the story on Twitter garnered a mix of reactions from people in and out of the games industry.
For the most part, responses were positive. MLG co-founder Sundance DiGiovanni praised the couple and the “positive impact” they were attempting to make, recommending they not listen to any detractors.
That sentiment was echoed by Twitch streamer Ben “ProfessorBroman” Bowman. “Taking such an incredible night and choosing to do something so selfless is amazing,” Bowman said. “To hear folks see it so differently is heartbreaking.”
Not all of the responses were positive, however.
Veteran Counter-Strike personality Scott “SirScoots” Smith suggested there were more effective ways to leverage Ninja’s newfound fame for good.
“Maybe pick a charity that is near and dear to your hearts and then use this crazy new spotlight you guys have and aim it at some good causes in a more public way?” Smith said.
Former World of Warcraft pro player Byron “Reckful” Bernstein made the point that the coulple could be doing more, and in ways that weren’t as publicly visible as taking to social media to share giving a small amount of food to homeless individuals.
“Ninja can stream for one hour and pay for 50 friends to drive around giving food to homeless,” Reckful said. “Then you’re employing 50 people, helping them out, while feeding 50 times as many homeless!”
These voices were not alone. Even actor and comedian Andy Milonakis hopped into the fray.
While Ninja has achieved a level of mainstream fame previously unseen in the modern gaming community, he has not been without his own share of controversy. The Fortnite star has received criticism on a number of fronts, including his unwillingness to stream with women and changes made to his stream as his popularity has grown.
Questions are likely to continue for as long as he remains in the spotlight.
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