It seems more and more of the contributors at Scienceblogs are aware of what Ed Brayton points out:
PZ is often treated the way Manny Ramirez is treated by Boston Red Sox fans, who often can be heard saying “that’s just Manny being Manny.” When he goes off on a completely unjustified attack on me like that and even dares to question my commitment to an anti-creationist movement that I have spent the better part of two decades fighting for, as he has several times in the past, I get numerous private emails from our mutual colleagues that say, in essence, “Look, we all know PZ is a jerk, he’s always been a jerk, but that’s just the way he is. You can’t let him provoke you like that.” Well, to be honest, I’m just not built that way. I have never initiated a personal attack on him, but if he starts it I have not the slightest inclination to play the passive victim. If you behave like an asshole to me, I have no problem calling you an asshole; if that bothers you, stop being an asshole.
So I guess that’s the big question for Scienceblogs in 2007: Will PZ Myers stop being an asshole?
(I’m holding my breath. No, really!)