This blog post has been in my head for a while, so I think I will just jump right in. I definitely think there are some merits to the relationship between social media and today's college athletes. (The NCAA prefers to call them "student-athletes" but I'll just call them college athletes. I really should call them employees of the school, but that's another blog post.) One one side of the spectrum, tweets and Facebook posts really help build a fan base and following for the team and college. I, for one, follow many Memphis Tigers basketball players (current and former, along with a few future) and find it fascinating. Maybe I'm a dork, but I like to see how they interact with each other on social media and Twitter and how they trash talk each other a bit when they are playing summer ball in the Bluff City Classic.
I think these young men help build excitement around their team by giving fans a sneak peek into their lives outside of the 2 1/2 hours we see them on the court during basketball season or on TV. Sometimes they even have profound things to say. Other times, not so much...
On the other side of the spectrum, however, I think too much Twitter and social media can be detrimental to the team, its players and even its fans. Think about how many people have made stupid comments via Twitter that have affected their reputation forever? All is takes is one ill-placed tweet or post and your reputation is ruined.
I guess what I am saying is SOCIAL MEDIA IS DEFINITELY ABOUT FREEDOM OF SPEECH. BUT IT IS NOT FREEDOM OF RAMIFICATION. So, when a player posts trash talk about the other team, you better believe that team is going to see it and a smart coach would use it to his advantage in the locker room to get his team fired up.
If I were a coach, I would ban social media on game day. Players would have to turn their iPhones or Blackberries or whatever device they have before they turn in for bed the night before (for an earlier game) or first thing that morning for a night game. They could have one last tweet before turning the device in and going dark from social media. Then, it would be time to focus. That would alleviate some game day posts and potential trash talking. And posting from the locker room? No way. Not that they are saying mind-boggling things, but let's face it, if they are tweeting from the locker room right after the shoot around, they are not as focused on the upcoming game. And being a college athlete is about focus and determination.
I also think putting social media in the hands of young, naive players is a bit irresponsible. They should be coached by their coaches and the coaching staff about the ramifications of negative social media instances. Their social media activity should be monitored by the coaching staff so the coach knows what is going on in their personal life. (Please note, some coaches may be out there doing this, but I'm not so sure. The players I follow could use a little coaching on reputation management.) It would be unfortunate if someone were to ruin their career and future due to a reputation-altering tweet or Facebook post.
I think social media has its place in sports, certainly, but I wonder about the negative impact that comes from it, particular on game days. Only time will tell, I guess, and I will still go one following my Memphis Tigers and other athletes to see what they are up to. Besides, how else would I know what Jalen Rose's Bible verse is for the day?
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