AL HAMNIK: Social media a new hiding place for cowards

Social media is where cowards hide.

They make snide remarks, bully the helpless and give idle boasts while seeking refuge in anonymity.

They are often gutless wonders, as the 49ers' Kyle Williams learned after his two gaffes in Sunday's 20-17 NFC Championship overtime loss to New York led to 10 points for the Giants.

Williams has felt the hatred of many fans on Twitter who've threatened him and his family.

Filling in for injured return man Ted Ginn Jr., Williams fumbled two punts, the dagger coming in OT to set up New York's game-winning field goal.

Both were critical mistakes, but the kid is only 23 and fortunately has had the support of teammates and coach Jim Harbaugh from the get-go.

As I watched their heartbreak unfold, I immediately thought of Erik Burkhart and a similar scenario in the 1985 Class 4A state football championship game between Brownsburg and Hobart.

With the score tied 17-17 in the closing seconds at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Brownsburg's Danny "The Gatlin Gun" Gatlin unloaded a Hail Mary pass that seemed to hang in the air for minutes.

Burkhart, the lone defensive back, tripped while the receiver raced by and then backpedaled into the end zone for the winning catch.

At that moment, the largest dogpile in IHSAA history occurred as Brownsburg players began to celebrate.

The entire town of Hobart looked to the heavens as if to say: "Again?"

Their Brickies had lost to Columbus East in the 1979 3A championship, 21-14.

They lost to Carmel in the 1980 3A championship, 13-7.

They lost to Castle in the 1982 3A championship, 26-23.

Snakebitten isn't the word. More like cursed.

Hobart grad Bob Glover, now the school's athletic director, was sitting in the Brickies' end zone and still remembers that fateful play.

"I grabbed my wife and said: 'Darn! (Burkhart's) not deep enough. The kid can throw it over his head and sure enough, I saw the whole play develop in front of me.

"As soon as they scored, I grabbed my wife, didn't say a word, and we drove all the way to Lafayette. Not a word came out of my mouth 'cause I was so P.O.'d."

Actually, Brownsburg was preparing to punt when Hobart was called for having 12 men on the field, thereby giving the Bulldogs new life.

I've been told the tape of that miracle TD was shown on The David Letterman Show years later.

Kyle Williams will survive the heartbreak, as did Erik Burkhart and Hobart football.

The Brickies regrouped nicely to win 4A state titles in 1987 (Jasper), '89 (Franklin Central), '91 (Seymour) and '93 (East Central).

This column solely represents the writer's opinion. Reach him at al.hamnik@nwi.com