An Ode to Kelly Keegs
Kelly Keegs is someone that I’ve had a long standing appreciation for. However, it wasn’t until Barstool Spring Break that I decided I absolutely love her. And not only do I love Kelly Keegs, but I respect the shit out of her. I am choosing to write an appreciation blog on her behalf because I think she gets a disproportionate amount of hate and I hope to simply offer new perspectives.
Despite getting eaten alive by faceless bots and proud haters alike, Kelly has never been afraid to voice her opinion. As I mentioned in my blog two days ago, it is too easy to read comments and start subconsciously allowing comments to affect your mental health and your perception of self. And let me make this clear (again), that is not a complaint but an objective fact. Despite how much the trolls love to hate on Kelly, she has never been afraid to voice her opinion. I know some of the faceless trolls would love to silence her but I find it incredibly admirable that she stands her ground. Not only does Kelly say what she wants, when she wants, but she is also open to debate. In fact, Kelly and I discussed multiple people during our time on Spring Break House together and we had vastly different perspectives on some of the people we discussed. Kelly and I are both passionate people but even after heated debates, we can come together and break bread.
And along the same lines, there is never a question about where Kelly Keegs stands on any person or situation. While most people shy away from sharing opinions that may cause backlash, whether that be online or in-person, Kelly does not. I think everybody has at least once questioned whether or not someone liked them. I, for one, have certainly wondered about coworkers’ stances on me. But the beauty of Kelly is that you never need to wonder. If Kelly Keegs did not like me, she would have no problem telling me as much. Of course, she would not go out of her way to tell me as much; but if I asked, I know she’d be honest. In my experience, it is rare to find people who are so open and honest; thus the reason I respect this quality so much.
Another trait of Kelly’s that tends to get swept under the rug is the fact that she will always defend her own. I know this doesn’t seem to necessarily matter to readers or Barstool fans but I believe it's one of her best qualities. And honestly, it really should matter to the fans. There are plenty of people within the walls of Barstool who love and support one another, but will never publicly defend the people around them in order to “stay out of drama”. If fans want to see the inner workings of Barstool and hear the inside scoop of employee interactions, we need people like Kelly Keegs.
Truth be told, this has been an incredibly difficult blog to write because there are about a million psychological factors at play and I unfortunately do not have the time to discuss all of that in blog form. Primarily, I think people have already formed opinions on her, and whether it is subconscious or not, her haters now nitpick everything she does. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I genuinely believe that if Kelly’s haters gave her a fair shot, they would find common ground with her. Saying that I love and support Kelly doesn’t mean that I cosign everything she says and does. But we’re human. We’re allowed to feel differently about different situations. And I guess I will leave you with this as my parting thought: no matter how you feel about someone, we are all human and all deserve grace from one another. And as always, have a lovely day everyone!
DISCLAIMER**** Kelly has no idea I wrote this blog, I just think she deserved some positive feedback on the internet!