Link: No Fun League cracking down on Tweets
On the heels of Chad Ochocinco’s claim that he will tweet DURING actual games earlier this week, Commissioner (read: Dictator) Roger Goodell is expected to ruin everyone’s fun rule on the “legality” of the issue soon.
Goodell, who is attending the Allen & Co. conference in Sun Valley, said in a brief interview that while the league has not said anything official about Twitter, he expects it will soon. He thought the league’s current policy about the use of electronic devices during the game would need to be updated for Twitter. Although the intent of the rules are clear, Goodell feels that the more specific you can be with the teams the better.
Among the issues besides tweeting during the game are whether players should be allowed to tweet just before and after games and during halftime.
Many athletes have built huge followings on Twitter and some see it as a way to communicate without the filter of the press. Of course, Goodell isn’t saying that players can’t tweet, he just doesn’t want them doing it when they should be worried about what play the team is running.
As a fan, I think the idea of players being able to tweet during games about plays, injuries, trash talking and everything else you can imagine is absolutely phenomenal. As a journalist, I think it’s just another sign of the apocolypse for our kind. Do you guys think players should be allowed to use twitter during games?
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I think Rhodes said it best, its not that they shouldn’t be able to tweet but our team would likely not condone it.
I’m not against ochocinco doing it but then again he isn’t on our team. If one person is drawing attention away from the team, and more importantly the game, then it should be up to the coach and team to say hey cut it out its making us lose focus. If he isn’t effecting the game then let him do what he does.
If this is still a team sport, no! Athletes should not be allowed to text, IM, tweet or anything else until after the contest is over.
harlan
It seems to me that this is something that should be left up to the teams. If the teams want to allow it, even encourage it, fine. If they don’t that’s fine, too.
I get a kick out of the folks who say that the players shouldn’t be doing it because it is a team sport, or they need to concentrate. Anyone who has ever played any team sport knows that there is more than one occasion during the course of a game when players are doing nothing that has anything to do with the outcome of the game or their performance on the field. If you think every conversation on the sidelines is about what plays to run or what the other team is doing, you’re kidding yourself.
Personally, I think that the major sports should take a page out of the NASCAR playbook. They should be more open and accessible to the fans, not trying to curtail things. The access that fans and media have to NASCAR participants is far greater than any other sport, and it adds quite a bit to the fan experience.
i wish the worlda crack down on tweets. our lives get sadder every year.
I think 31 teams should twitter during play. Our team should then knock the opposing side’s teeth and circuit boards out with a flurry on the field of play. Distractions are not needed on the field for us.
It may not be the greatest ever. But I say before and after a game is fine. From the beginning to the end of a game should be nothing but focus and trying to win the game. Even though we all know much more distractions occur on field as well as off, we don’t need to add fuel to the fire.
Plus, its also way better than to see some of the players get “miked up” and then have the media pick and choose what will be played on air. I say Twitter will give us the real inside scoop.
Are u kidding? U thinlk tweeting during the game is good? U have gotta be joking this is a SPORT…. Its about athleticism and trash talking on the field… Not through a cell phone…
To be honest the normal everyday people that tweet have a severe problem… Get a life no one cares or wants to know about what your doing all day…
Go spend more time with friends and family instead of tweeting on ur phone and computer…
f them the shouldnt be tweeting at work. there getting pd to play and pay attention of whats going on in the game and in the locker room.
Ed the same could be said of posting on web blogs, no?
I think Twitter is awesome, a year ago could we expect a player to not only comment on an article written about him but respond to comments as well.
I guess Kerry Rhodes and Chad Ocho Cinco aren’t as cool as you cuz they twitter and answer fans back directly. Which is why fans like Fonzie got put on blas. You must be really cool cuz you only comment on blogs.
Please no. Never. Ever. Not in my lifetime please.
I already think tweeting is stupid, and this whole coverage of tweeting is stupid too. Letting athletes doing it during the game would be a catastrophe.
No.
Misery – that’s the point. It already happened in an NBA game and caused a minor controversy. I guess we should applaud the NFL for having the foresight to address this in advance.
“Anyone who has ever played any team sport knows that there is more than one occasion during the course of a game when players are doing nothing that has anything to do with the outcome of the game or their performance on the field. If you think every conversation on the sidelines is about what plays to run or what the other team is doing, you’re kidding yourself.”
I agree with the rest of your comment, but I don’t agree with this. Admittedly, I have never played football, but in basketball it would be irresponsible to ever let your concentration on the game be distracted.
Can someone please explain to me why a player can’t wait until after the game is over?
Shouldn’t he (Ocho) or any other player for that matter, be more concerned with concentrating and focusing on the game. Don’t these guys do a lot of scheming and reviewing plays when the defense is on the field. Ocho Johnson has been nothing but a huge distraction for the Bengals for like the last five years. I bet they wish they had traded him a year or two ago.
Check and see how often I post on this blog…only when something like this strikes me enough interest to say something…
And idk but anyone who comes on this site is a jet fan and I don’t qualify that as the same as twitter…