While most students at Marquette have been preparing for midterm exams this past week, Nathan Marzion, a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences, added a 1,000-word apology letter to Brewers fans to his to-do list.
In May, Marzion, a vocal Cubs supporter, tweeted that if the Brewers finished ahead of the Cubs this baseball season, he would write a 1,000-word apology letter to every person who liked his message.
Within the next couple of days, Marzion’s tweet gained traction. His bet got 3,800 likes from fans who promised to file away his tweet for later in the season when the Brewers came back.
Eric Gebhart, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said he kept track of everything his friend tweeted over the course of the season.
“In May, I remember when he tweeted out about the apology letter, but then as he started tweeting more things, I started bookmarking his tweets and I put together a thread on Twitter,” Gebhart said.
Marzion’s tweet eventually came back to bite him when the Brewers caught up to the Cubs, beating them in the tie-breaking game at Wrigley Field Oct. 1. A few fans began reposting the tweet he posted in May, but it was not until the Brewers’ official Twitter account recognized the tweet that Marzion’s Twitter began blowing up.
“I was sitting in philosophy and I saw on my phone that the Brewers’ Twitter account quoted my tweet,” Marzion said. “I was like ‘Oh it’s this tweet! Dang it!’ … [Then] it started blowing up. I think it got over 7,000 likes.”
Caitlin Moyer, a professor in the College of Communication and director of new media for the Brewers team, said she revisited Nathan’s tweet when the Brewers beat the Cubs.
“We saw Nathan’s tweet back in May when it was gaining a little traction,” Moyer said. “We like to file different things away just in case and when we won the division I decided to make him pay up in good-natured fun.”
The fated tweet caught attention beyond social media. Sports Illustrated reached out to Marzion and wrote an article Oct. 3 about his blunder, titling it, “Cubs Fan Keeps Promise, Writes 1000 Word Apology Letter to Brewers Fans.”
Marzion said he was determined to be a good sport about his tweet, especially since so many people were now expecting him to pay his dues.
Powering through his disappointment over another Cubs loss in the wild card game, Marzion wrote his apology letter between class and his work at both the Spirit Shop and as a ballboy for the Milwaukee Bucks. He created a form that everyone who liked the tweet could fill out with their email so he could send them a copy of his letter.
Marzion said that about 2,000 people filled out his form and received his letter. He could only send the email to 100 people at a time, so he had to repeat the action 20 times — a time-consuming task.
“To send the emails alone took about an hour, and it took me a couple of hours to write (the letter),” Marzion said.
Once it was sent out, Marzion’s letter was met with great appreciation from friends on Twitter, Moyer and Brewers fans alike. In the apology, Marzion speaks to his love for the Cubs but also admits that he got too cocky and underestimated the Brewers this season.
“So now it’s time for me to truly apologize,” Nathan’s letter stated. “I am sorry for doubting the Brewers and not giving them the respect they deserve. I didn’t think they were good enough to contend with the Cubs for the division just yet, but they have proved me wrong.”
Marzion said that throughout the event, he was determined to follow through and show people he was a man of his word. He said he knew he could have written a half-hearted letter or not followed through at all, but he said he wanted to be better than that.
Moyer and Gebhart both spoke to Marzion’s good-natured response to the tweet. Moyer said she appreciated Marzion’s composure throughout the event.
“(The letter) came from the heart,” Moyer said. “The whole thing was really good-natured. His original tweet wasn’t offensive in any way. He handled it really well, especially since it blew up to be a lot more than he expected.”
As a final touch, Marzion’s letter includes a link to Anthony Rizzo’s charity foundation. He encourages everyone who enjoyed the apology to donate.
