HBC wise to prohibit team from using social media site
Are you new to Twitter, the latest trend on the social media roller coaster? And are you wondering why you haven’t heard anything out of your favorite Gamecock football players? Were you hoping to “coincidentally” run into Stephon Gilmore or Marcus Lattimore at the Russell House after they tweet about eating lunch there?
Well, coach Steve Spurrier has other plans, recently announcing that he’s banned Twitter for the USC football team.
Don’t be angry with the head ball coach. This is one of his best ideas, as it’s been evidenced that nothing good comes from athletes with Twitter accounts.
Exhibit A can be called “Antonio Cromartie threatens Matt Hasselbeck.” After Hasselbeck, a 14-year pro and current quarterback for the Tennessee Titans, tweeted, “Somebody ask Cromartie if he knows what CBA stands for,” Cromartie, a cornerback for the New York Jets, threatened to “smash his face in.” Later, Hasselbeck relented, saying it was a joke and that defensive backs and quarterbacks have a hard time getting along sometimes. I’m sure everyone believed him.
Let’s talk about former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor using his Twitter account to announce that he paid for his tattoos. I bet he wishes he could have that one back. Or what about when Cleveland Cavaliers’ owner Dan Gilbert used Twitter to congratulate the Dallas Mavericks and owner Mark Cuban, taking a shot at LeBron James by saying that “the lesson learned is there are no shortcuts.” I’m sure his proclamation really made Cleveland fans feel better about their 19-63 record.
How can we forget Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson’s tweet blaming God for his dropped pass in overtime that would’ve lifted his team to a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers? My favorite is when athletes like Detroit Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva tweet during halftime of a game. That really shows where your focus is.
As Spurrier well knows, technology has gotten quite advanced since his days as a football player, and when you say something on Twitter, it’s there forever. Sure, you can erase the tweet, but someone still saw it, and they’re scrutinizing you for it.
Certainly, you can tweet responsibly. The USC baseball team might tweet more than any other sports team in the country, and it has only made them more likeable; however, the culture between college baseball and college football is drastically different. When Auburn won the BCS National Championship, it was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. When South Carolina won its second consecutive College World Series, it didn’t get so much as a mention.
With scandals becoming an everyday part of college football, players are constantly being monitored. Why take the risk of them saying something dumb on the Internet? We all say stupid things, but we’re not all being watched. If Spurrier can eliminate a potential controversy, then it’s wise for him to do so.
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops isn’t in favor of banning Twitter for his players because it might be unattractive to recruits. If that’s a deal breaker for a recruit, then you probably don’t want him at your program anyway because it just shows he values social media over education and whatever offensive or defensive scheme suits him best.
So if you’re glum because you can’t desperately tweet at Alshon Jeffery to give you a shout-out on Twitter, don’t be. It’s never a good thing when an athlete’s tweet shows up on “SportsCenter” because he or she has said something that brings unwanted attention to the program. Spurrier has now completely eliminated that possibility.
You can still follow the baseball team.