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Andrew McCutchen is taking a stand against online bullying

Mark Townsend
·Yahoo Sports Contributor
Andrew McCutchen is taking a stand against bullying. (AP)
Andrew McCutchen is taking a stand against bullying. (AP)

One of the biggest issues we face as a society is bullying.

It’s not a new issue by any means. It’s one that’s existed in many forms throughout history. Thanks to an increased dependency on online and social media platforms to communicate and educate though, the issue has become even more widespread, and, for some, inescapable.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen knows this, in part, because professional athletes are not immune to online bullying. In fact, they’ve become magnets for hate-filled messages fueled by performance on the field of play. But he also knows that bullying — online or otherwise — continues to be an issue everywhere. That’s why he’s ready to take a stand by raising awareness and funds during National Bullying Prevention Month.

A portion of the proceeds of this shirt will benefit Playworks, whose programs that have helped thousands of schools reduce incidents of violence and bullying on their campus. (Teespring)
A portion of the proceeds of this shirt will benefit Playworks, whose programs that have helped thousands of schools reduce incidents of violence and bullying on their campus. (Teespring)

On Friday McCutchen launched a limited edition T-shirt campaign exclusively on Teespring.com. The shirt features the slogan “PaTROLLing,” which takes clear aim at online bullies whose form of bullying is often referred to as “trolling.” The back of the shirt reads “Real players don’t bully,” which is a broader message that any form of bullying is not acceptable.

The shirt is only available until Nov. 14. It’s noted that a portion of the proceeds will benefit Playworks, whose programs are aimed at helping thousands of schools reduce incidents of violence and bullying on their campus.

It’s a worthwhile campaign that hopefully a lot of people will get behind. More importantly, here’s hoping it has a long lasting impact, because this is a message with longer than a two-week shelf life. It’s an on-going battle that must remain at the forefront if progress is to be made and maintained.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!