Typical troll dismissing the original attack as a "joke" to cover himself. Jokes are typically funny or at least attempt to be funny. There's a world of difference between an honest joke and a joke that is basically an attack encapsulated into a wrapper that looks like a joke. He obviously knows what he's doing when he chooses his choice of words. For example look at this joke:
"So there's this guy who is cheating on his wife and he goes into this bar and..."
vs.
"So Leo, you're cheating on your wife, and you go into a bar..."
Both might technically be jokes but one is making a strong suggestion, one is not. A good troll plans these phrases in such a way that they can get the information out but can run and hide behind the technicality when it suits their purposes. Someone accepting or someone giving an apology doesn't change the intent in retrospect it's just a nice happy ending for gawkers to feel good about
This was my initial reaction too: Mike's comments were phrased as an attack as I heard them.
Although it didnt come across as 100% deliberate to me. I think how it was phrased vindicates Leo's reaction because it sounds like an attack, it's somewhat Arrington's style and TC are up in arms over the pre a bit but I dont think it should come back on Mike as hard as it seems to have.
To be honest though I would have expected some form of comment... so..... he fails there really.
EDIT: I never thought I'd say this but Arrington had a point. Hell BBC Radio 4 presenters make worse attacks than this on politicians et all on the morning news shows. And you know what: that makes dfamn good journalism.
"So there's this guy who is cheating on his wife and he goes into this bar and..."
vs.
"So Leo, you're cheating on your wife, and you go into a bar..."
Both might technically be jokes but one is making a strong suggestion, one is not. A good troll plans these phrases in such a way that they can get the information out but can run and hide behind the technicality when it suits their purposes. Someone accepting or someone giving an apology doesn't change the intent in retrospect it's just a nice happy ending for gawkers to feel good about