The age of constant communication took over from there. Blake's spoof on Wilson was caught on TV. That scene was captured via cell phone camera. Thus, photos of the event were awaiting Wilson when he returned to the Giants clubhouse after a bracing 13-inning victory.

And if that was the extent of this drama, it would count as just another day at the yard. Theatrical personal expression has been a part of professional team sports since forever. In recent years it has become must-do TV, to the point that it now qualifies as visual white noise. Since nearly all orchestrated acts come after a moment of triumph, nearly all of them carry the potential for getting under an opponent's skin.

Wilson's case is a little different. As he explained to MediaNews' Andrew Baggarly last summer, his gesture combines elements of mixed martial arts and the spiritual beliefs that helped him deal with his father's death. No doubt this is why Wilson was so upset after seeing Blake's derisive back-at-ya. The way he sees it, he is celebrating fundamental, life-affirming beliefs. "It shows no disrespect toward anybody," he said last year.

Now let's take a walk through Blake's head. (He left Dodger Stadium before he could be reached for comment Sunday, and the Dodgers were off Monday.) On Friday, Blake struck out against Wilson after a 13-pitch at-bat. It was a difficult day for the Dodgers , who had lost slugger Manny Ramirez to suspension a day earlier. It probably stunk watching Wilson nail down the win and punctuate it with his signature move.

The Dodgers beat the Giants on Saturday but were down to their last two outs in the 12th inning Sunday when Blake hit a clutch, game-tying homer off Wilson. It was a moment of triumph for Blake, and he responded.

If it was a deliberate slight against Wilson's spirituality and cherished memory of his father, it runs contrary to Blake's reputation. In fact, if you can find the photo that found its way to Wilson, you'll notice Blake engaging in another act of self-expression he was wearing pink wristbands to promote breast cancer awareness on Mother's Day.

More likely is that Blake had no concept of the meaning behind Wilson's action. Hey, who can keep up? Everybody's doing something. It's like Dance Dance Revolution out there, and it's not as if these moves are decoded in an officially distributed guide.

The guess here is that Blake will resurface with a plea of ignorance, if not a full-blown apology. Meanwhile, there is an aspect to this that Wilson should consider:

There are two sides to every message. One is the way it is intended. Then there is how it's received. You don't always get a free pass just because you meant no disrespect.

Wilson sends his message only after saving a Giants victory. In the heat of competition, that could easily be interpreted as the kind of "me at the expense of you" taunt that litters the sports landscape. Wars have been started over less.

Wilson may be buoyed by the knowledge his message is more profound than most. But as long as it's a free country, there's always the chance that what happens on the field won't stay there.

Contact Gary Peterson at gpeterson@bayareanewsgroup.com