I wouldn't worry too much about the trolls. They're just a few inconsequential squawkers who are incapable of seeing the bigger picture. What would concern me if I were @steemsports is the withdrawal of support from the whales who had been supporting the project.

Over the past two weeks, I've been sucked into this nonsense with my own posts, getting flagged by users who have no clue what "vote-buying" is. (I don't even have a voting requirement to enter my contests.) Also, these same crusaders seem to be completely oblivious of other users who actually publish posts that would be considered vote-buying. They're only targeting the popular sports posts, as far as I can tell. So their crusade isn't even about principles...it's about the trending page - and successful projects/users.

The saddest part about their accusations and attacks is that they claim it's happening in order to "save Steemit" because what we're doing is "harmful for the platform." Meanwhile, they're actually creating a hostile environment with their constant accusing and flagging based on ignorant assumptions and a complete misunderstanding of what's actually occurring. And the latest @steemsports post about their magazine interview/promotion highlights how easily perceptions can be damaged by ignorance and malicious behavior.

That being said, one thing I will point out is that there ought to be a more professional PR face for the business here on the platform. Some of the back-and-forth that I've seen is not at all helpful for the @steemsports brand. That needs attention.