College Football and Social Media
There are quite a few Georgia Bulldogs who jumped in the deep end of social media in 2009. From Facebook to Twitter, and probably some Myspace thrown in for good measure, being “social” with friends we don’t know has become all the rage. Although, I can see some positive aspects to this phenomenon, the negatives keep piling up in my mind’s eye.
Going back to last year when I jumped in the pool myself, it was interesting to connect with so many Dawg fans of all ages. As a former player, it was fun and a little bit of an ego boost to be perfectly honest. I can’t even imagine how crazy it could get for a present day player….wait, yes I can.
I have followed Jeff Owens and Mike Moore from the beginning of the 2009 season. I added Darryl Gamble, Tavarres King, Neland Ball, Bacarri Rambo, Drew Butler and AJ Green. Along the way I picked up on some players from other teams as well. I’m going to hold off on their names, you’ll understand shortly.
On the surface one would think it would be great to follow and understand the day to day routine of a college football player. At times it was true, but there were other times it was disappointing. When the season did not go according to plan, it gave over zealous fans the ammo they needed to criticize some players. It was ugly.
One in particular was Jeff Owens, who tweeted early and often about his daily grind, never missing an opportunity to let his followers know when he got his grub on. Jeff received some some serious heat after the Florida game, I believe it was. In addition, none other than David Pollack was relentless in in the fall, telling #95 to try a salad from time to time. Sometimes brutal, sometimes funny, but #47 was really just trying to help I think.
This has been a bad week for college players and social media. Elijay Fields of the Pitt Panthers was dismissed for pictures he posted on Twitter (click and also see picture below). If thats not enough, try Oregon’s Jamere Holland, upset because he thought,(mistakenly) that one of his boys had been kicked off the team for a DUI. He let loose on Facebook and now he’s the goner(click).
Like I mentioned earlier, I have been following some players from other schools besides Georgia and I have seen Tweets about partying, getting high and even one guy watching his room mate having sex in the room. It’s crazy. It’s like these kids think the only ones reading it are their friends and or team mates.
Another example is the fan pressure exerted on Facebook pages during recruiting season. Da’Rick Rogers was supposedly bombarded by Georgia and Tennessee fans. Now Rogers and Baccari Rambo have had a verbal sparring match online. It seems to have subsided for now, but I have a feeling it’s not over(click).
All in all, as a fan I think social media is cool. It gives you an unequaled access to players and their thoughts day to day. But the abuses are so numerous, if I were a coach, I would want my players to steer clear. I think any player willing to risk exposing himself to the fringe that exists out there, better be thicked skinned, because people will put you on blast in a hurry. And by all means watch the “Twitpics” and keep your mouth shut!
My own personal time on Twitter and Facebook has been dwindling because of having to devote more time to my business, but I feel sure when the season gets here, I will be among those barking…
Gooo #Dawgs!
Excellent points Rex. Really hoping UGAAA repeatedly pounds the message of caution to our players about what they tweet/facebook/blog and how their online presence is perceived. Most corporations are seeking online profiles as another mode of background checks before hiring perspective employees. Clearly, NFL & NBA teams are doing the same.
Jeff Owens in particular handled himself with the upmost diplomacy & professionalism in the face of some truly douchebag fans. I can only hope the rest of our players will follow his lead this season.
02/24/2010 at 4:42 PM
College kids really don’t get that their “friends” and followers are not really just friends. They don’t realize they don’t need to post anything they wouldn’t want their mother to read. Fans also need to step back and treat players they would want their own sons to be treated. Social media is a good thing but limits do need to be set to protect the athlete.
02/24/2010 at 12:09 PM
Thanks for sharing. It’s important to learn from mistakes and move on…….and to not let the not so smart actions of others to eliminate the opportunity for good. I found out about this site because I friended Chas Henry on Facebook and made note of his groups and friends. (By the way if you know when he’s in Georgia and might have time to meet some fans let me know!)
I LOVE that the head coach at our high school tweeets. Just a comment or two after a game or event speaks to the masses about how we played good even if we didn’t win, or how he’s helping players learn leadership on and off the field. And it’s great fun to watch a college or NFL game and follow tweets…makes it more interactive. It’s like you have fellow fans (or rivals) right with you even if you aren’t in the stadium.
I’m grateful that you blog and tweet and FB because I learn new things, gain perspective from someone who has “been there” and calls out the things that try to take down when we should be about building up. Onward and Upward!
02/24/2010 at 12:08 PM