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Well, much of the "reaction here" either came from trollish posters who were barely signed up (I encountered the thread after a lot of posts were pulled from posters I'd never heard of) people who merely didn't believe the good professor or people whose sarcasm couldn't be detected by the dull-witted. Much of it.

And, of course, there's the other side, who sought the gotcha moment including you yourself who intended to use this thread to make an enemies list.

It's certainly possible that two ordinary white church-going men in their 30's and 40's (huh?) figured out who he was, tailed him hoping he would pull over and then hoping he would get out of his car so that they could pummel him to within an inch of . . . well, having at least one hospital meal.

A slightly more likely scenario is that Phelps' gang stalked the guy and pulled this thing.

However, the probabilities are infinitesimal compared to the likelihood that the wounds are self-inflicted. Either directly or for-hire.

I base that on (1) what is known about his character (2) the fact that he didn't blame the perpetrators but attempted to blame all IDers right away (3) the perpetrators knew him and where to find him, but attempted to do their deed on a public (but rural) road (how far away from campus does he live, anyway?) (4) the perpetrators went to all this trouble and didn't really hurt him badly but then didn't smash up his car, either. I mean, if you really want to show the guy a lesson and you're a couple of thug a-holes with a "metal object", you leave the guy with at least two smashed windows. Somebody earlier mentioned a lost tooth, but this article only mentioned "bruises and sore spots".

I can't feel sorry for the guy, because even if it all happened exactly the way he said, including the vague "he thinks they struck him with a metal object" he's essentially OK, if a little shaken.

His reaction to this is creating a justifiable "Boy who cried `Redneck'" reaction by posters here and if it turns out to be 100% true, I'll save any sympathy for him and channel it into negative reaction towards the perpetrators.