Someone should draw a line in the virtual sand protecting college athletes who participate in social media. There is little shielding them from cyber attacks when they don’t meet certain expectations.

That was never more evident to me than during the aftermath of East Carolina’s 36-33 loss at Tulane Saturday. It wasn’t long after Green Wave kicker Cairo Santos’ game winning field goal split the uprights that the first keyboard missiles were fired.

Many of them were targeted at Pirates kicker Warren Harvey, who missed field goals to end regulation and in the third overtime. Clearly his right foot ruined the lives of many.

“It’s absolutely not his fault that we lost this game,” Pirates quarterback Shane Carden said in Harvey’s defense. “There were plenty of opportunities. I had one terrible read and throw that cost us a 14-point swing.

“It is never one man, especially in football. We had plenty of opportunities to win. It wasn’t just Warren. It wasn’t just me. It wasn’t just one person on defense.”

Carden, who overcame a slow start to shatter a school record for passing yards in a game, wasn’t shielded from Twitter bombs, either. Apparently 480 yards against one of the nation’s top defenses doesn’t cut it these days.

Surprisingly, even receiver Justin Hardy was the subject of Internet ire. Forget his record-setting 17-catch, 230-yard performance. He muffed a punt that led to a Tulane field goal.

Guess he’s human after all.

That’s what ultimately gets lost in the narrative of college sports, especially those that drive the revenue train that fund the others. The athletes who largely are the reason for the exploding spending spree by television execs aren’t professionals, rather guys earning their keep by running into each other at high-velocity speeds.

Many of them don’t ask for the pedestal on which we place them. Nor do they deserve the degree of public scrutiny to which they are often subjected.

They go to class. They play Madden. They wear school colors with the same degree of pride as the most die-hard fans, if not more. And yes, they make the occasional mental snafu.

Just like you and me.

It wasn’t that long ago that I watched East Carolina football games in the blaring sun or pouring rain. Admittedly, I also was known to slam my hat in disgust over something as simple as a false start.

I was the guy you paid extra not to sit beside, and if you did draw the seat next to me, it didn't take you long to seek relocation.

If I’ve gained one thing in my 12 years covering East Carolina football, it’s the perspective that I wish every fan could have. Any anger I might have possessed over a loss as a fan has grown into compassion from within the media.

Anyone who witnessed the mood outside the ECU locker room Saturday couldn’t have possibly unloaded a Web assault on a bunch of teary-eyed teenagers. And they probably would have thought twice about making an Armageddon declaration on the season.

None of this is to mean that college coaches and athletes can’t or shouldn’t be subjected to criticism from both the media and the fans. When executed with professionalism in the press box and proper decorum in the stands, it’s fair game.

There is nothing wrong with offering pointed analysis or breaking down the good and bad of any coach or player’s game. But to drop a tirade of insults into a college athlete’s Twitter timeline is crossing the line.

Having been involved in organized sports since I was seven, I once possessed the desire for my son, now four, to exceed the modest levels of success I reached.

If my Twitter timeline yesterday is an example of what’s ahead, maybe I should dream a different path.