"Don't tweet" seems to be the message that all high-profile sports players are seeming to get from incidents with other players tweeting.
Just yesterday, I heard about running back Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs getting in trouble for using 'gay slurs' on Twitter. Apparently, while replying to a tweet from a follower he used the F-word that rhymes with "bag." This was after questioning head coach Todd Haley's experience on Twitter. Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, called on the Chiefs to take disciplinary action against the running back and seize the chance to educate on the dangers of homophobia in sports. Johnson has not been suspended but banned from all team activities indefinitely until the matter is resolved. He has apologized.
This isn't the first sports player to get heat from tweeting. The entire Texas Tech football team was banned from tweeting by their coach when linebacker Marlon Williams tweeted about their coach being late for a meeting the day after a big loss to #12 Houston. Team captain Brandon Carter (you need to see his picture) also got in trouble for breaking team rules and tweeting near the end of September about how he thought their season was going bad.
The Miami Heat have a similar rule about Twitter. They are banned from using Twitter at the arena, practice, or gametime.
Another player who got in trouble for using Twitter was New York Jet's receiver David Clowney. He sat out a game for tweeting about his playing time, or lack thereof. It wasn't even an overly negative Tweet. It said, "1 play in the 1st Half, 4 plays in the 2nd half ... A bit disappointed about my playing time but very happy and satisfied about the win."
Personally, I know these people are in the public eye, but, aren't they still people? Why are they getting in trouble for tweeting what they are feeling? I think that there should be some freedom of speech allowed. I realize that what you tweet about reflects on your organization, but, it is on a social network. Everyone may not agree with what they tweet,but, it is not like they are saying this in an interview or on the team's website. Personally, I say give them some freedom of speech if I have to listen to everything that "common people" have to say.
What do you think? Do you think these rules make sense? How do you feel about what they said? Do they deserve freedom of speech?
I'm not familiar with sports clan rules or standards having never been involved in any type of sports, but this seems extreme to me. I can see getting in trouble for inappropriate language or maybe sensitive team information, but this seems sort of like what the kindergarten teacher used to say, "If one of you can't do it, none of you can do it."
ReplyDeleteThe punishments for some of these tweets seems a bit harsh, especially the one David Clowney made--it wasn't even that bad! I agree with you about the lack of freedom of speech that seems to be common among sports teams. I also do realize that these people are representing their team, but what doesn't makes sense to me is that the public doesn't seem to realize that just because one person said something, doesn't mean that the entire team is going to be affected by it. I'll be the first to admit that people share WAY too much on their Twitter and Facebook profiles, but why should they be punished for simply communicating?
ReplyDeleteMy opinion is that celebrities/athletes being told they cannot tweet is different than celebrities/athletes getting in trouble for what they already tweeted. If it is made clear in the beginning that while they are employed by a certain television show, movie, or sports team, it is not appropriate for them to tweet, then they shouldn’t do it. If they are not told this, they tweet, and then subsequently get in trouble for the content of their tweet, I think that’s wrong.
ReplyDeleteIf there was not an expectation set that tweets about their work were off limits, their employers have no right to punish them for what they are tweeting. As you said, what happened to free speech? Besides, what does it really matter to the team as a whole if one player tweets about his dissatisfaction with the amount of playing time he had?
I understand that there are issues of freedom of speech and the fact that they are still people, but there are other places to vent. If they are frustrated about playing time, talk to the coach or a teammate, or a close friend. There is no need for all of a team's "drama" to be placed for everyone to see. I play softball at VCSU, and I make sure to keep my negative thoughts inside when it comes to social networking, because the truth is, people can misread things, they can misinterpret things, etc. They are not involved with the team and may not understand the circumstances. People just need to be smarter about how they act.
ReplyDeleteI am getting sick of all the Twitter updates taking over SportsCenter. It has actually become the most common way for athletes to communicate with each other. They are short enough to where ESPN is all over them, but long enough to where these athletes can get in major trouble. I don't fully understand the fascination with this phenomenon. I like to watch my favorite athletes play their sport, not listen to them complain or tell me what they're eating for lunch today.
ReplyDeleteZach,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you! Unless the team has rules already set in place like the Miami Heat, then I think they should be free to Tweet. I personally feel that the rule the Miami Heat has in place is a good one. During practice, games and before these things you should probably be focusing on the game and playing, not on Twitter. However, I also think that unless they are saying something bad about their teammates, coaches, etc., that they shouldn’t be punished for what they say on Twitter. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. It’s pretty simple.
To me, the least important thing about an athlete is what they have to say. What really bothers me is that these people think they can get away with anything because they are an athlete. I have a feeling that if I started posting comments such as the comments made by Larry Johnson, I would be in more trouble than he is at this time. I would lose my job, not just a weeks pay.
ReplyDelete