Twitter can be the home of many strange and unexplainable things. That was evidenced by the social media site's reaction to a goal scored by Anaheim Ducks forward Corey Perry on Thursday night. Suddenly, the Ducks player was trending, with many less people talking about his goal than his personal condiment decisions.
Twitter reacts
All it took was one goal against the Chicago Blackhawks to get Twitter fired up. Immediately, "#CoreyPerryFacts" emerged, seemingly out of nowhere. People began to tweet about what condiments Perry puts on odd food items, as well as his method of consumption for drinks.
Most of the tweets appeared to be in jest, though some of the more serious ones compared the Ducks forward to a piece of garbage.
It's unclear where "#CoreyPerryFacts" originated, but Reddit seems like a possibility. The hashtag seems to emerge every time Perry does something on the ice, positive or negative. It seems odd to spew made-up facts about a hockey player for no reason, but it does fall in line with the trend for Twitter to enjoy editorializing about something, as well as the narrative of "alternative facts" that has gripped the Internet for months now.
The hockey player
That goal Perry scored on Thursday proved to be the game-winner. It was the only goal scored in the entire game, his 12th of the season and the one that ended a seven-game winning streak for the Blackhawks.
It's hard for Twitter to laugh at that.
Still, Twitter will continue to mock Perry for what has largely been a disappointing season for the veteran forward. Last season, he scored 34 goals; this season, just 12. In fact, Thursday's goal was his first in a month, mired in a shooting slump with a remarkably low shooting percentage.
It would appear his All-Star days of even a year ago are behind him.
Meanwhile, the Ducks appear to have a limited ceiling this season. That could change if Perry gets going, but that's a big question mark. They are currently second in the Pacific Division, seven points behind the San Jose Sharks for the lead.
