Fans are often upset when long-tenured players leave for a fierce rival, and that sometimes leads to name-calling. It’s more rare to see that from a media outlet, but that’s what happened with Tuesday’s Indianapolis Star, which headlined their sports front with “Patriot or Traitor?” for a Gregg Doyel column about long-time Colts’ receiver Reggie Wayne leaving for the Patriots. Here’s the page in question:

This is the most idiotic headline in @indystar history..truly embarrassing and ridiculous pic.twitter.com/wOo97P1EM5 — Dan Dakich (@dandakich) August 25, 2015

To be fair to whoever wrote the headline, it is representative of the column in question. Doyel does talk about why Wayne’s entitled to play wherever he wants, and how 75 per cent of the Colts’ fans who responded to a Twitter poll he took supported that, but he also “wonder[s] about his motivation for picking the Patriots” and suggests that Bill Belichick may have signed Wayne “just to stick it to the Colts.” He ends the column with the language in question:

We’ll never know. Wayne can say what he wants, and you can believe him, but we’ll never know. We do know Wayne wanted to play this season for the Colts, but the Colts didn’t want him back. Wayne was a fraction of himself last season, his speed and even his hands noticeably below his standards — and NFL standards, truth be told — but he was hurt. Maybe he’s faster now. Maybe his hands are back to normal now.

Maybe we’ll see this season. Maybe, if Belichick doesn’t pull a Tebow 2.0 on Wayne, we’ll see it Oct. 18, when the Patriots visit.

Imagine the sound over the loudspeakers at Lucas Oil Stadium:

For the Patriots, Tom Brady’s pass is complete to Reggie Wayne.

Reggie Wayne, Patriot?

Or is it Reggie Wayne, traitor?

So, don’t blame the headline writer for repeating language Doyel used. And Doyel’s column does at least try to represent both sides of the argument. Still, it’s rare to see a media outlet throw out “traitor,” especially when it’s about a player his previous team didn’t want back, and that’s created a significant amount of blowback for Doyel and the Star. Here’s a small sampling, including an angry tweet from Colts’ LB Robert Mathis:

@indystar is this for real??? Did you really just do this? pic.twitter.com/WR3BsxTmB0 — ROBERT MATHIS The1st (@RobertMathis98) August 25, 2015

@RobertMathis98 @dandakich @indystar Local sports section resorts to trolling. Wonder why people don't think its worth paying for… — Brandon Tucker (@BrandonTucker) August 25, 2015

@RobertMathis98 @indystar @TYHilton13 Reggie didn’t leave the Colts, the Colts left Reggie. I don’t blame him one bit. Cheap ass headline. — William H. (@EmbersToAsh) August 25, 2015

https://twitter.com/IndySportFans/status/636265811766853632

@GreggDoyelStar pathetic. Lol you get paid for this crap. Good for you. — Teddy googs (@Ted_Guglielmo) August 25, 2015

@GreggDoyelStar @indystar are you sure you don't write for the Onion? — BleedCelticsGreen (@BleedCsGreenMH) August 25, 2015

So, Doyel and the Star clearly annoyed plenty of Colts, and Colts’ fans, with this column and headline. They did get lots of attention, however. Still, calling a departing player a traitor may be best saved for angry fans rather than media organizations and journalists…