It’s a crazy post-Stop Peter Bjorn & John world we’re living in. Got a problem with an indie rocker? Start a blog about it! Dave writes in to tell us about a slow-brewing blog beef between some dude who claims to have had his basketball stolen by Win Butler (find him at arcadefirestolemybasketball.blogspot.com), and Butler-brother Will, who claims that, in fact, Arcade Fire didn’t steal this dude’s basketball (and you can find him at arcadefiredidntstealdudesbasketball.blogspot.com).

Given this is all entirely unsubstantiated internet hearsay, we’d like to add this fact to the controversy: In the recent Rolling Stone (P. 67, para 2, Issue 1027 — Depp/Richards cover), Win told Gavin Edwards that “he tries to play basketball at least once a week, even on tour“! (Emphasis added for additional sensationalistic effect.)

Sounds like Win is totally guilty.

Comments (157)
  1. My continued drama with Jack White is much more interesting.

  2. Brad  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    the altercation is real. win mentioned on stage that he almost got arrested for trying to play basketball earlier that day before Saturday’s show in Berkeley.

  3. Dolly  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    Win mentioned that onstage in Berkeley, claiming that the security guards got all hysterical and called for backup. Or something.

  4. Atleast he only *almost* got arrested

  5. C-Note  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    “Boycott all Berkeley athletic facilities!

    Now here’s Intervention.”

  6. ko  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    now this is entertaining stereogum!

  7. I think I need to start my own beef blog titled “I Just fuckin’ hate Jared Leto.”

  8. mona  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    hahaha I ran into Win and the gang after the altercation, they were standing on the sidewalk outside of UC Berkeley. They didn’t seem to have the basketball in question with them though… and they were pretty jokey about the whole deal, didn’t seem that pissed off at all

  9. bleep  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    oh so fun!

  10. Groucho  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    Didn’t expect a headline like that. What’s next? “I Was Mugged and Raped by Belle and Sebastian”?
    “Sufjan Stevens Broke My Hockey Stick”?
    “I Got Yelled At By Jack White”?
    … No, wait. That one’s already happened.

  11. This reminds me of the time Sufjan Stevens knocked me down after gym class and stole my lunch money in 7th grade. You hear me, Stevens! I’m the big kid now! WATCH YOUR BACK!!! etc.

  12. kooky  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    hilarious.

    i know he’s not a rocker but he is a known fan so here it is: danny devito killed my dog.

  13. what, no arcadefirestolemybasketball.ytmnd.com?

  14. “Sufjan Stevens Broke My Hockey Stick”

    I’d buy that t-shirt.

  15. Steve  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    Vic Chesnutt kicked my ass once. I’ve never forgiven that bastard.

  16. Groucho  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    While we’re on it, Colin Meloy broke my glasses. I WANT THEM REPAIRED, DAMMIT.

  17. He stole my dog too!

  18. Wendy  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    arcadefirestolemypuppy.blogspot.com

  19. Liam  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    “The Shins gang-fucked my girlfriend”, anyone?

  20. ZACH  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    Bobby Mcferrin raped my grandmother

  21. Julie  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    “The Shins gang-fucked my girlfriend”. Gosh, even the hairy drummer was involved?

  22. Yusef  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    This was a better and more hilarious when I read about it on gorilla vs. bear about 4 hours ago, but thanks. Still funny, but their photo is timeless omg.

  23. Finchmeister  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    I seriously hope that this is not some viral marketing bullshit. The whole point of AF not doing music videos and not having a fan club and barely updating their blog is to keep their distance from the internet to retain their mystique.

  24. Cherry Ghost  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    “The whole point of AF not doing music videos and not having a fan club and barely updating their blog is to keep their distance from the internet to retain their mystique.”

    “Mystique”? Yeah…that all went out the window when they adorned the cover of Blender a couple of months ago.

    What’s really shocking here is that Win Butler apparently plays organized sports.

  25. Jennifer  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    I understand why it’s easy to be jaded, but there’s no way this is some viral marketing hogwash.

  26. jimm  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    “retain their mystique”

    I love the arcade fire, but this is every thing i hate about the arcade fire fan.

  27. Billy  |   Posted on Jun 4th, 2007 0

    Integrity? mystique? They’re a band that does theme songs for TV shows. Give me a break.

    Will Butler’s behavior on this matter should earn him the title of Biggest Douche In The Universe.

  28. the Hold Steady killed my Grandpa and kicked my dog

  29. white person  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    white people white people white people

  30. Elliot  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Tapes N Tapes stole my cd player

  31. someone  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    I highly doubt thats actually Will, just someone acting like him to add to this whole little “controversy.” While the incident obviously happened, it has even more obviously been blown out of proportion like everything having to do with any group. I mean come on, two people got angry at each other and because one happens to be in a band, he’s suddenly the douche bag.

  32. kevin  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    if you guys think ‘will’ comes off as a douche bag in his blog, you have no sense of humor whatsoever

  33. 2 sheds  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Grizzly Bear stole my picnic basket

  34. Courtney Love was a bitch to me. :´(

  35. pearl  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    patrick wolf threw up on me. :(

    that said, this is just silly. good silly.

  36. jayfarer  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Broken Social Scene fire-bombed my country and left it’s economy in shambles.

  37. campfirewood1980  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me.

    (waaaaiitt a second…)

  38. modestmousestolemycheese.com

  39. Erin  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    The Decemberists trained a falcon to crap on my head at my wedding.

  40. faz  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Bo Diddlied My Chemical Romance

  41. faz  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Sam Cooked My Bloody Valentine

  42. the mercy fox  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    megwhitestolemyheart.blogspot.com

  43. The Raconteurs hacked my blog.

  44. bill  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Super Furry Animals ate my homework.

  45. “The Decemberists trained a falcon to crap on my head at my wedding.”

    My fave. Hands down. You win!

    http://www.xanga.com/noiseburrow

  46. Steve Sanders  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Rufus Wainwright gave my uncle a handjob.

  47. calebs  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Rob Crow encouraged the Muppet Civil War henceforth compromising my dignity

  48. grzond  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Destroyer sunk my Battleship

  49. Good one, grzond

  50. LaLaLaplunk  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Rumors about me viciously spread by The Liars

  51. Marc Bolan  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Noel Gallagher stole my songs

  52. PacificLight  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    GIGANTIC ROFLcopter. THANKS ‘GUM, you made my day.

  53. dude  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    win butler plays basketball. bet he shoots underhanded and only watches the wnba.

  54. eugene  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Jeff Tweedy Sold Me a Used Jetta.

  55. 2 sheds  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    The Polyphonic Spree took my acid

  56. Alise  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Amy Millan stole my whisky

  57. lennyx  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Voxtrot made fun of my Gammy

  58. The Donnas got way more than their fair share of promo money!

  59. flick  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    The Eyeliners made me Emo.

  60. Matthew Lingo  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    The Decemberists stole Christmas.

  61. fexxy  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    The National borrowed my sweater and returned it with a stain.

  62. Jake  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Beth Ditto stole my sandwich!

  63. Matthew Lingo  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    The Decemberists stole Christmas.

  64. Hondo  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Mika flamboyantly absconded with my scooter.

  65. nay-lo  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Christopher Marlow wrote my plays

  66. Matthew Lingo  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Whoops double post. Fuck.

  67. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs stole my girlfriend (all 3 of them)

  68. mykietown  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Dingo ate my baby…oh wait…

  69. Scott K  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Spoon forked my knife!

  70. jdubs  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    fall out boy tickled my cornhole…i’m not joking, that fucker pete wentz was the worst offender. my poor, ex-virgin cornpipe

  71. Lana Clarkson's ghost  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Phil Spector shot me in the mouth and killed me.

  72. 2 sheds  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Arctic Monkeys ate my bananas

  73. Liam  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Jeff Mangum ruined my game of shuttlecock.

  74. ummm  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    didn’t carlos d allegedly give someone herpes?

  75. evanrachelwood'smom  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Marilyn Manson robbed my cradle

  76. jjacques  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Animal Collective gave my dog rabies.

  77. Jonny Q  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Voxtrot bummed a ride from me to the airport, and didn’t say thanks.

  78. “Mika flamboyantly absconded with my scooter”

    ^Props to hondo for this winner right here

  79. Sezah  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Youth Culture Killed My Dog

  80. ExplosionsInTheSkyStoleMyThunder.com

  81. Mel  |   Posted on Jun 5th, 2007 0

    Conor Oberst burrowed underneath my house and stole it’s support beams

  82. Camera Obscura were overly earnest in my general direction.

  83. kooky  |   Posted on Jun 6th, 2007 0

    ^^ lol!

  84. Deuce  |   Posted on Jun 6th, 2007 0

    Milli Vanilli stole my idea

  85. Hilary  |   Posted on Jun 6th, 2007 0

    Death Cab for Cutie took a bat to my mailbox.

  86. Kevin  |   Posted on Jun 6th, 2007 0

    Interpol cracked my Creme Brulee.

  87. Kevin  |   Posted on Jun 6th, 2007 0

    Amy Winehouse left my cake out in the rain.

  88. Tom  |   Posted on Jun 6th, 2007 0

    The Cold War Kids taped over my wedding video.

  89. The Dandy Warhols cancelled Veronica Mars.

    (sorry if this is a double post, comments are a bit twitchy today)

  90. Martha  |   Posted on Jun 6th, 2007 0

    Somebody *please* make a t-shirt with the Decemberist quote on one side and the Sufjan quote on the other. I’d buy it in a heartbeat.

  91. Art Brut used a metal spatula on my non-stick pan and scratched the shit out of it.

  92. not really  |   Posted on Jun 6th, 2007 0

    Yoko Ono broke up the Beatles.

  93. Amy Winehouse stole my drink.

  94. your cousin on Long Island  |   Posted on Jun 6th, 2007 0

    Billy Joel crashed into my house.

  95. lolly  |   Posted on Jun 6th, 2007 0

    Pepper’s Ghost stole my sample ballot.

  96. Tez Fahmequika  |   Posted on Jun 6th, 2007 0

    Heres a true one…Michelle Malone and Drag The River stole my zippo. I dislike them so!

  97. Wow, you guys are just too good!

    “Conor Oberst burrowed underneath my house and stole it’s support beams” and “Camera Obscura were overly earnest in my general direction” ftw

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