(Thumbnail image adapted from twitter-athletes.com and tennistweets.com)
"Dwight Howard: Shout out to all my Twitter fans, I love you all.
ESPN Anchor: These short messages are called tweets. Some are personal, Lance Armstrong announcing the birth of his baby boy Max. Some deliver breaking news like Timberwolves Forward Kevin Love informing his followers that his coach Kevin McHale wouldn’t be back with the team next season…a day before the team announced it." (ESPN)
On Twitter, fans are following their favorite athletes by the millions. Football, basketball, even tennis players, it doesn’t matter the sport. The NBA’s Shaquille O’Neil leads all athletes with over 2 million followers.
NFL player Chad Ochocinco even wants to tweet from the sideline.
ESPN analyst Marcellus Wiley doesn’t see the point.
“You’re actually going to take away time during a football game and tweet about things that are occurring, that are on TV, that we can actually see ourselves. So I think it’s actually pretty idiotic that he says he’s going to go out there and do it.”
The NFL announced players won’t be allowed to tweet during games, but Ochocinco has a plan. On his U Stream show he made his own announcement. For every home game this season he will be flying a different Twitter follower to Cincinnati.
"Every Week I will fly someone out that’s on Twitter and you will be my designated tweeting person for that game since you already know how to work the device."
If you’re Ochocinco’s tweeting person, he will teach you hand signals so you know what to tweet.
From the football field to the tennis court, the issue has found its way to tennis’ US Open, which started this past Monday. Players were warned about twittering, according to Digital Media Wire.
“The International Tennis Federation has instructed players not to tweet “sensitive information” about themselves or other players at the upcoming U.S. Open.”
US tennis star and Twitterer Andy Roddick doesn’t agree and sounded off, of course via Twitter...
"i think its lame the US Open is trying to regulate our tweeting...i understand the on-court issue but not sure they can tell us if we can"
Roddick adds this during a US Open press conference.
“The part where its like, we will be monitoring, watch what you do…away from, besides tennis, I thought that was a bit much. And the best part was that then I went to the US open website and I actually found a link to my Twitter page.”
Some fans care more about watching the sport then following the tweets.
A commenter on ESPN’s website wrote,
“Should a player be on a cell phone during a game, read a book during a game? No! Why the debate?”
Another commenter on the New York Times website writes,
“Andy: Just serve, volley, return shots and concentrate on your game and opponent. That’s what’s important and what you, your fans and spectators care about. Not the Tweets.”
Roddick isn’t alone though, the British Andy Murray is also an avid Twitterer and spoke to the Daily Telegraph.
“If players want to use Twitter, and like to tell the people who are following them what’s going on…they should obviously be allowed to do that.”
And according to Pocket-Lint.com “Twitter Warnings” were posted around the courts at the US Open in New York, and apply to coaches, agents, family members and tournament staff.
So what do you think, should athletes be able to serve up tweets when they’re competing? Should they be monitored even when they’re away from the sport? Let us know what you think.
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