Barrie Colts, Oshawa Generals trade Twitter jabs ahead of potential decisive OHL playoff game

Better to have the gloves come off on teams' official Twitter accounts a few hours before a game than have the players doff their mitts during the game, eh? Right, because those are the only two options.

Taken in the spirit of fun and frivolity, one almost wishes this happened more often instead of everyone being so serious all the time. On Tuesday afternoon, a few hours ahead of Game 4 of the Barrie Colts-Oshawa Generals series that the Colts lead 3-0, Barrie tore a page out of the Los Angeles Kings' social media handbook and started chirping the Generals. Was it fair or foul? Fair or foul? Did it fit the classic Greek definition of hubris? And how does the Gens' response rate?

The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, not having to worry about a third (or fourth) man in penalty on Twitter, also got involved.

What's the harm as long as the spirit of the thing was a healthy hate-on for each other? Sports runs on harbouring an irrational animus for opponents and rivals and there's nothing wrong with trying to angry up the blood once in a while, just to generate interest. Here's hoping the Fun Police at the OHL office see that way.

Far be it to suggest Barrie pushed its luck by poking fun at the Oshawa organization about being swept. There is always the possibility of a phoenix-like rise from the dead by the Generals. The series has also been emotional and there's also the chance for injuries and on-ice shenanigans if Barrie completes a sweep on Oshawa ice.

Oshawa's immediate riposte about "four Memorial Cups" could be viewed dubiously. Their last Cup came in 1990, five seasons before the Colts began play. Barrie is also not exactly banner-barren; the Colts won the OHL championship in 2000, three years more recently than Oshawa's last title.

The old Barrie Flyers also brought the city two Memorial Cup titles in the early '50s, when the Generals franchise was around. (Sault Ste. Marie has one fewer Memorial Cup title which came in 1993, before the Colts took the ice.)

All in all, it's a pretty good troll by Barrie. It will be a great one if the Generals don't get rolling.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet. Please address any questions, comments or concerns to btnblog@yahoo.ca.