The scandal with LeBron James started when he unfollowed
the Cleveland Cavaliers on his Twitter account. When James was asked about why
he unfollowed his own teams’ account he replied with a stubborn, “next
question” response (Healy). The whole reason why this was so controversial in
the eyes of the media was that James did the same thing right before he
announced he was leaving Miami in 2014. James certainly has a right to unfollow
whomever he desires, but he also has to realize that he is a professional
athlete and when he uses social media, he is accepting that his personal life
will be unmasked. Not only did his actions make LeBron look unfaithful to his
own team, but also it made the team as a whole feel as though their best player
was not fully devoted to the Cavalier organization. Although Twitter is a great
tool to reach out to fans, an important question to ask is whether athletes
should have certain boundaries on social media so it does not interfere with
their team’s chemistry etc.?
The Lakers organization was another team that recently
found themselves in the news due to social media. The Lakers rookie point guard,
D’Angelo Russell recently taped his teammate, Nick Young confessing to cheating
on his fiancé Iggy Azalea (Video below). Russell and Young were in a hotel room on the road
when Russell taped Young without his permission. The video was leaked
anonymously online and even though Russell claims that he didn’t know how it
happened, there were rumors that Russell briefly posted the video on his
Instagram before taking it down. Russell commented about the release of the
video and saying he didn’t know how it came out, “It wasn't something for everyone else to see.
It was for my eyes, his eyes only. That was it” (ESPN.com). Whatever the case may be, Russell still
put his teams’ chemistry in jeopardy by the power of social media. After about
an hour online, the video became viral and everyone around the Lakers
organization lost a lot of trust in Russell. Byron Scott (coach of the Lakers)
said about Russell, “He’s such a kid”, “You’re 19 but sometimes I think you’re
14” (Dwyer). After watching the video, many people believe that social media
was actually used positively in this instance because Russell’s video exposed
Young’s disloyalty to Iggy Azalea. On the other hand, in matters like this,
others believe that Young’s disloyalty is between him and Iggy only and no one
else, which is a fair argument to make.
Youtube:
"*Leaked/Full Vid* D'angelo Russell Secretly Recorded Nick Young Admitting
He Cheats On Iggy Azalea"
One sport that we see as a significant part of our U.S.
culture is American football. As of a week ago Twitter and the NFL agreed to a
deal that would allow Twitter to stream Thursday night NFL games. The NFL is
hoping the move “helps the social media group connect with new audiences”
(Urbain and Lever). Twitter is a major platform for fans to express themselves
about live games, which is why Twitter thought the partnership would be
beneficial for both parties. As opposed to the LeBron and D’Angelo Russell
mishaps, this recent news definitely shows how social media can be used in a
positive way. Twitter is paying $1 million a game, while other companies like
Yahoo have paid upwards of $17 million for single games (Frier, Moritz, Soshnick).
The investment for the NFL seems to be well worth it, but is this a positive
for social media, or is it going to far outside its original model?
Overall, we see that social media can play many different roles in the sports world, but which side (positive or negative) weighs heavier on the industry?
Work
Cited
D'Angelo Russell Apologizes for Nick
Young Video Fiasco." ESPN. ESPN Internet
Ventures, 31 Mar.
2016. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.
Dwyer, Kelly. "Report: Lakers
Angry at D'Angelo Russell for Taping Convo with Nick
Young." Yahoo
Sports. N.p., 30 Mar. 2016. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.
Healy, John. "LeBron James Unfollows Cavaliers on Twitter." NY Daily News. N.p., 22
Mar. 2016. Web. 09
Apr. 2016.
"*Leaked/Full Vid* D'angelo
Russell Secretly Recorded Nick Young Admitting He
Cheats On Iggy Azalea."
YouTube. YouTube, 30 Mar. 2016. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEqJ2RAmuko>.
Soshnick, Scott, Sarah Frier, and Scott
Moritz. "Twitter Gets NFL Thursday Night
Games for a Bargain
Price." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 5 Apr. 2016. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.
Urbain, Thomas, and Rob Lever.
"Twitter Wins Rights to Stream Thursday Night NFL
Games." Yahoo
Finance. N.p., 5 Apr. 2016. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.
Anne Noordsy
ReplyDeleteWe all know that social media comes with negatives and positives. Social media can especially be controversial when it comes to athlete and celebrity profiles. We enjoy viewing their social media profiles and getting a glimpse into their personal lives but there’s always the chance of the athlete or celebrity posting a debatable photo and/or statement. Their social media profiles are being watched with the eyes of hawks.
There are countless instances of athletes doing this. LeBron James is one athlete who made what seems like a simple decision but stirred things up in the sports world. James unfollowed the Cavaliers on Twitter last month which was apparently the “unfollow heard ‘round the world’ after the Cavs’ 121-94 win over the Nuggets” (Healy 1). Additionally, “James unfollowed the Miami Heat on July 20, 2014, nine days after his letter in Sports Illustrated announcing his return to Cleveland was published” (Healy 1). When asked for his reasoning behind unfollowing the teams on Twitter in both cases, James declined to comment.
While this case was certainly not the most scandalous, it goes to show how every move athletes make on social media is being watched. Obviously if an athlete is signed to a team like the Cavaliers or the Miami Heat, the athlete will follow the team on social media profiles to show their support and dedication. While James may have been mad, unfollowing the teams’ Twitter profiles wasn’t exactly the smartest decision in that this demonstrated James being disloyal.
Another athlete who made a debatable decision in his online use is D’Angelo Russell. “Lakers rookie D’Angelo Russell reportedly filmed a conversation with teammate Nick Young, who is famously engaged to rapper Iggy Azalea, without Young’s knowledge. The clip somehow found its way online recently, and as a result Russell has become a bit of a pariah inside the Lakers’ locker room” (Dwyer 1). An issue that was once private between Iggy Azalea and Nick Young was unfortunately filmed by Young’s fellow teammate and therefore spread all over the Internet and social media platforms. It wasn’t fair to Young for being unaware that he was being filmed and the alleged cheating should have been a conflict that was discussed between Young and his fiancée.
Noordsy Continued
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, athletes getting into trouble seem to be unavoidable with many athletes on the web recently. Athletes want to stay connected with fans, peers, etc. on social media but sometimes this can end badly. “Professional athletes, like many celebrities, are using social media to connect with fans and share their personal lives in ways they never could before. But because of some strict rules and professional faux pas, many athletes are finding themselves in hot water after their poorly timed or controversial status updates” (Berman 1). In the end, it all comes down to maintaining a professional and likable image.
When athletes like D’Angelo Russell and LeBron James get involved with messy social media situations, it’s hard for their fans to trust them and even like them just as athletes. Athletes must realize that while there are many positives to being engaged on social media and the web, there can also be many consequences to their online actions.
Works Cited:
1. Berman, Len. "When Social Media Gets Athletes in Trouble." Mashable. 4 Jan. 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
2. Dwyer, Kelly. "Lakers Angry at D'Angelo Russell for Taping Convo with Nick Young." Yahoo Sports. N.p., 30 Mar. 2016. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
3. Healy, John. "LeBron James Unfollows Cavaliers on Twitter." NY Daily News. N.p., 22 Mar. 2016. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Social media has affected the lives of all individuals in the spotlight, including athletes. In many ways it has turned athletes into celebrities, and allows fans to view these individuals in a more personal way. As you mentioned in your post, sometimes social media becomes too personal for athletes, which can have a negative effect on their career. I think this is an issue for all celebrities and people in the spotlight who use social media. However, most of the time it is the individuals own fault for not properly using their social media platform. Lebron James is a good example of an athlete who became under fire for his actions on Twitter and unfollowing the Cleveland Cavaliers. This became a controversial discussion, which James tried to avoid dealing with. “James may not want to talk about it but he had to know it wouldn't go unnoticed” (Healy). I agree that he has the right to unfollow whoever he wants, but as a public figure, he should always be thinking about how his actions will affect his image. As for how his actions will affect his team, I think that depends on the other team members and how they react to something like this.
ReplyDeleteThe incident with James shows that sometimes athletes and celebrities shouldn’t be in complete control of their social media pages. I think for people in the spotlight they should work with a publicist to identify the do’s and don’t on social media. However, sometimes social media that’s not controlled by an individual player or team can still have a negative affect. This is something that can be seen in your example with D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young, and the scandal around the leaked video. In this case, both Russell and Young were negatively affected. Although Russell claims he did not leak the video of Young confessing to cheat on his fiancé, the claims made against him show his disloyalty to a teammate. In Young’s case, his image was negatively affected for being exposed as a cheater and although he didn’t post the video himself, it shows how media can sometimes share too much personal information.
Even though social media has the power to be too personal and can have negative results on athletes and team members, it is still a positive platform if used correctly. Nielson found that Sport Events make up to 50% of all Twitter television conversation. “While live sports are viewed on TV, sports news and updates are consumed across platforms” (Nielson). With this being the case, fans can support their favorite players or teams through social media, which I think is beneficial on both ends. This allows the fans to be more connected to the players and teams, and the players and teams develop a stronger fan base and following through these platforms. Overall I think that social media is more positive than negative in the sports industry.
"2015 Year in Sports Media Report." Nielsen.com. Accessed 28 March 2016. Web.
Healy, John. "LeBron James Unfollows Cavaliers on Twitter." NY Daily News. N.p., 22 Mar. 2016. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.
I think social media definitely benefits the sports industry. As someone who is a big fan of the New York Rangers, I follow not only the Ranger’s social media pages, but some of the player’s pages as well. I enjoy having a look at their personal lives and seeing the snapshots of games and goal celebrations. For example, I follow Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers and seeing photos with his children, with his team and with his charity work has made me see that he’s not only a good goalie, he’s a good person and lives a life like many other people.
ReplyDeleteI heard a fair amount about Lebron James when he made his decision to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers after playing for the Miami Heat for many years. I just learned (from your post) that James unfollowed the Cavaliers Twitter account recently. My initial reaction was why would a player unfollow his current team? “Well, it may mean James was just filtering out his Twitter feed. Or maybe this is his way of expressing his unhappiness in Cleveland” (Healy). After he responded “next question,” it seems like James has something to hide. “James may not want to talk about it but he had to know it wouldn't go unnoticed” (Healy). That’s a big problem with althetes, celebrities, etc. on social media, their actions never go unnoticed. I think most people would have the same first reaction of thinking James’ actions are silly and questionable rather than jumping to conclusions that he is unfaithful to the team or unhappy in Cleveland. People as well as famous accounts can get annoying on Twitter, especially the one’s that tweet over 30 times a day about the same topics. It’s not unusual for people to unfollow others and get unfollowed by others. James’ big name acts as a disadvantage at this point because he needs a reason for everything he does. Athletes, believe it or not, are human just like us and they can make mistakes, do unusual things and act poorly at any time.
After watching that video on Nick Young confessing to cheating on his fiancé, it didn’t surprise me. Athletes are always in the spotlight and dating, engaged or married to someone else who is famous doubles that spotlight. Any type of scandal with atletes goes viral in seconds. There have been so many sports scandals in the past and it will continue in the future. It takes one player, one coach, one representative to ruin a reputation of a team. We’ve seen this with Ray Rice, Kobe Bryant, Michael Vick, etc.
Social media has always been a positive and a negative, and that applies for athletes as well. As I stated earlier, seeing the personal lives of your role models is something people love. “How athletes conduct themselves on social media allows teams and schools a glimpse into the personality of the people they are trusting to represent them in the future” (Markazi). But if athletes don’t know how to use social media properly, they should either have someone run it for them or use it strictly for professional reasons.
Healy, John. "LeBron James Unfollows Cavaliers on Twitter." NY Daily News. N.p., 22 Mar. 2016. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.
Markazi, Arash. "Social Media Is a Double-Edged Sword in Sports World." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 21 July 2015. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
As someone who generally only watches sports in regards to the talent of specific players or teams, I don’t necessarily involve myself with the sports world – especially when it comes to social media. However, it is quite often that I find myself stumbling upon articles here and there about individual players or teams who get themselves in hot water because of something that was said on social media. I find the line between athlete’s rights and their obligations to their sport to be somewhat blurry and undefined. This, of course lends itself to a number of issues and I think we will only see more and more as time goes on.
ReplyDeleteAccording to a recent Nielsen report in regards to viewing sports, engagement on other platforms during live TV is becoming increasingly popular: “While live sports are viewed on TV, sports news and updates are consumed across platforms. This trend results in sports dominating conversation via other platforms such as Social and Digital.” (Nielsen). With almost half of all Twitter TV conversation being related to the dismal ‘1.4%’ of sport events, it’s clearly evident that sports would have such an influence on our culture. Still, we have the issue as to where the line should be drawn – specifically in reference to the individual’s rights. Although most athletes and sport celebrity’s are in fact public figures, shouldn’t they have some sort of privacy / protection when it comes to the online-sphere?
With the option for having an account ‘private’ I would argue that any figure that disregards such an option is more so inclined to voice his/her opinion to the public. Whether such voicing stems from the ego or whatever it may be, backlash and consequences should be in the back of each player’s mind. In reference to a recent New York Daily News article about Lebron James un-following the Cleveland Cavalier’s Twitter account, Lebron undoubtedly had to have known what was in store after his actions online: “James may not want to talk about it but he had to know it wouldn’t go unnoticed.” (Healy).
Personally, I’m honestly not sure as to how such regulations would be put in place. I think when one pursues a passion such as a sport, to the extent that they are playing at the professional level – there should be some degree of understanding in regards to sacrificing some level of privacy. As unfortunate as it may seem, we do live in a time where information is free flowing and society can’t seem to get enough of it. While this may be beneficial for us, they’re clearly some negatives associated with regard to the personal rights of athletes and public figures alike.
"2015 Year in Sports Media Report." Nielsen.com. Accessed 28 March 2016. Web.
Healy, John. "LeBron James Unfollows Cavaliers on Twitter." NY Daily News. N.p., 22 Mar. 2016. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.
With athletes and celebrities social media can be tricky. On the one hand we want to see a more personal side to the people we look up to, but then on the other hand that could back fire on them.
ReplyDeleteLeBron James should try and work on being more careful with who he unfollowes on Twitter. He can’t hide it from anyone. He probably knew that it was going to cause some sort of hullabaloo, because “James unfollowed the Miami Heat on July 20, 2014, nine days after his letter in Sports Illustrated announcing his return to Cleveland was published” (Healy) and people noticed that he unfollowed them. Being in the public eye people pay special attention to you. “James may not want to talk about it but he had to know it wouldn’t go unnoticed”(Healy).
It’s amazing to think that football games are going to be streaming live on Twitter. When I read your blog and found out that this was happening, I did not think it was a good idea. I thought that people love the idea of game day. Sitting in front of the TV with your family and friends, eating wings and pizza, what could be better than that? Why would they go out of their way to watch a game on Twitter when its so much more fun to watch on your big flat screen TV. After reading Twitter wins right to stream NFL games and reading the line “twitter is where live events unfold and is the right partner for the NFL as we take the latest step in serving fans around the world live NFL football” (AFP). It just makes so much sense. Of course football games should be streaming on Twitter. It also works in many fans favor not just because they get to watch the game on Twitter but for the people who cant make it home to watch the game live on their TV, they wont miss it, they just have to go on Twitter. This is a positive.
D’Angelo Russell did the wrong thing to tape his teammate Nick Young and possibly exposing that he cheated on fiancé Iggy Azalea. The article Lakers angry at D’Angelo Russell for taping convo with Nick Young, Kelly Dwyer kept calling Russell a child, and that is exactly what he is. He did a very childish thing and also a very mean thing but taping his teammate, so his teammates treated him poorly, but I mostly agree with Dwyer when she says, “D’Angelo Russell didn’t deserve this sort of professional setting in his year, Nick Young didn’t deserve being set up, Iggy Azalea certainly doesn’t deserve having to answer for her fiancée’s alleged wandering eye, and Lakers fans (even after years of long playoff trips into June) don’t deserve this sort of Scott and Bryant-led season. It’s been a waste” (Dwyer). Its unfortunate that because of social media the game has to be affected.
It’s hard to give a definitive answer to whether social media in the sports world is a positive or negative because there are good points on either side. I don’t think situations like LeBron and D’Angelo are positive but I also don’t think they will stop. I do think things like the Twitter deal with the NFL is positive and more positive things like this should and most likely will continue to happen.
Work Cited
Dwyer, Kelly. "Report: Lakers Angry at D'Angelo Russell for Taping Convo with Nick
Young." Yahoo Sports. N.p., 30 Mar. 2016. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.
Healy, John. "LeBron James Unfollows Cavaliers on Twitter." NY Daily News. N.p., 22
Mar. 2016. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.
Urbain, Thomas, and Rob Lever. "Twitter Wins Rights to Stream Thursday Night NFL
Games." Yahoo Finance. N.p., 5 Apr. 2016. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.
The word social media immediately makes me think of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I don’t think I’m the only one who thinks this, as the Forbes article references the most popular sports teams on social media by the number of followers on Facebook and Twitter (Badenhausen). But thinking more broadly, social media also has a connotation that relates it to applications. Many Americans own an iPhone, and the iPhone houses millions of downloadable apps. To me, many of these apps can be thought of as social media, and also be thought of in a positive light.
ReplyDeleteThe deal between Twitter and the NFL, which will enable live streaming of Thursday Night Football on Twitter come fall, is news to me (Urbain)! I could not be more excited because one, I am a huge football fan, and two because I am a huge football fan from a small hick town, I have unreliable coverage of the live games I want to watch. With streaming coming to Twitter, I do not have to rely on my crappy cable service (aka the cable networks deciding to cover the Jets games over the Patriots games because half of CT apparently likes the Jets *sigh*). But I made it through last season fine… how so you ask?
The patriots have their own Pats App, not only with live play-by-play updates on game day, but it also includes the team roster, schedule and standings, and many social aspects. What makes this application social media is the news, videos, photos, and lifestyle sections. These are tabs that bring you the most up to date information about players’ lives both on and off the field. Now what if you aren’t a Patriots fanatic like I am? Then you turn to the worldwide station of sports, ESPN. Of course the largest name in the sports industry has an app, and that too offers not only live stats and scores, but everything sports related too!
I know these arguments point to social media in a way that does not directly relate to one person using it like your LeBron James example, but individual sports stars can use it positively too! Sticking with my Patriots theme, Chandler Jones (who was so sadly traded to the Arizona Cardinals recently), is very active on Snapchat. He is always posting videos of himself jamming to his favorite songs or working out in the gym, but he also gets personal with fans. After every home game last season, Jones would post a video of him driving out of the stadium waving to and thanking his fans for coming. If people were true fans and followed him, they would see he leaves out the same gate every time, therefore they could line up and potentially see and talk to him. He would also post when his meet & greets were, and then would take videos of himself with the fans at the events so they could be on his Snapchat stories. Not going to lie, I actually snapchatted him once and he responded! This personalized social media account does not frame Jones in a negative light at all, but rather an extraordinary one. I know not all athletes are capable or willing to keep a clean reputation on social media or use it for good, but there are plenty of cases out there that can argue that social media in the sports industry can be a good thing.
So yes, social media can ruins lives, both in the sports world and in the average person’s world, but I would say social media in the sports world makes more of a positive contribution than a negative one. However, the positive ones are not always the first to surface in the news, so don’t let that fool you.
Works Cited:
Badenhausen, Kurt. “Barcelona and Real Madrid Head The Most Popular Sports Teams On Social Media.” Forbes. N.p., 15 July. 2015. Web.
Urbain, Thomas, and Rob Lever. "Twitter Wins Rights to Stream Thursday Night NFL Games." Yahoo Finance. N.p., 5 Apr. 2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.
Social media, as we know, has become intertwined with everyday life. As a result, it’s normal to have different social media accounts and use them on the daily. However, in the sports world, athlete’s access or usage of social media is a different story. Athletes are vulnerable to the public’s eye and scrutiny. Not only this, athletes who play team based sports could potentially cause tension if social media is used in a poor manner. An example, where the usage of social media was used in a negative manner was when Lebron James unfollowed the Cleveland Cavaliers on Twitter account (Healy). Michael talks about this incident in his blog because it was viewed as putting at risk the team’s chemistry. I agree with Michael, that Twitter is a good tool to interact with fans but it also exposes athletes to judgment by the media and public. As a result, I would say that although it may not be favorable for athletes, there are boundaries and professional standards that are obviously in place just by the very nature of social media and being an athlete. Social media has its negative fallbacks in the sports world, but it can also be used in a more neutral or positive manner.
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned before interacting with fans on social media is one way that social media can be utilized in a more positive fashion. In addition, social media is a vital tool when it comes to branding teams and spreading popularity. For instance, the two most popular sports teams on social media are Barcelona and Real Madrid (Badenhausen). Currently, “the eight most popular professional sports teams on social media all play soccer” (Badenhausen). In terms of the soccer realm, social media is working as a branding platform. Statistics show that Barcelona has 84.5 million Facebook followers and 15.5 million Twitter followers (Badenhausen). Real Madrid has 83.3 million Facebook follwoers and 16.5 million Twitter followers (Badenhausen). These numbers illustrate the vast influence social media can have in terms of spreading popularity. In the sports world when social media is used as a branding tool with positive incentives it can lead to huge followings. However, individual athletes, when using social media in some cases, have forgotten to consider the impact their actions may have on them individually or on the team. As a result, social media can be either positive or negative. It is all relative to the way it’s being used and the motives behind it.
Badenhausen, Kurt. “Barecelona and Real Madrid Head the Most Popular Sports Teams On Social Media.” Forbes. N.p., 15 July. 2015. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.
Healy, John. "LeBron James Unfollows Cavaliers on Twitter." NY Daily News. N.p., 22 Mar. 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.
Social media has become a constant in my everyday life. I do not go a day without checking my Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook- and in that order exactly. Some may say that it has become an obsession for millennials but as a millennial myself, i think it has become a new way to network with people all over in a way that you couldn’t before. The advancements of all technology and social media networks gets greater each year. Most of my social media consists of my friends, family, fashion bloggers, food bloggers, media networks such as E! News, celebrities, and magazines. Though I have to admit, I use my social media networks to gain more insight on sports/games then most would think.
ReplyDeleteGoing to baseball games and hockey games with my family is one of my greatest childhood memories that have become a tradition for us still today. But unfortunately, I can not attend every game. So where do I go to get my information? Twitter, Instagram, even Facebook has the “Trending Now” section that would give you the update on whether or not the NYR won. If I’m scrolling through my social media, any topic of sports comes up. I follow the NYR and the NY Mets on social media just to keep up with the games they are winning and also to feel like I am a part of the games that I can not physically be int he stands for. When I’m back at home on breaks, I usually am always watching any sports games with my dad and brother. Being able to follow up on these games through my social media allows me to almost better understand and connect what is going on in the game since I’m not 100% into sports. I think for people who are still 100% into sports like my brother are using social media networks to gain information on any sporting events. In the article “2015 Year in Sports Media Report” by Nielsen, we learn that “While live sports are viewed on TV, sports news and updates are consumed across platforms.” When my brother and I are in the car and there is a game happening, he is constantly getting updates sent to his phone from his Sports Center app, constantly checking his Twitter feed to get updates from sport reporters and his friends, and checking his Instagram to see if any videos/pictures are uploaded showing highlights of the game that he wasn’t able to view on TV.
Social media has helped sports connect with fans and also sports lovers. Not being able to watch every game is upsetting for fans, so being able to connect on a more personal level through social media still allows them to feel a part of the game and not miss out on anything. While it may be good for fans, athletes of all sport teams have found themselves in trouble with voicing their personal opinions onto their social media networks. Athletes have used social media to voice their opinions on things just like every fan does, but because they have the title as “famous athlete” they are expected to not say certain things so publicly for the whole media world to see. In the article “When Social Media Gets Athletes in Trouble”, writer Len Berman says that “Professional athletes, like many celebrities, are using social media to connect with fans and share their personal lives in ways they never could before. But because of some strict rules and professional faux pas, many athletes are finding themselves in hot water after their poorly timed or controversial status updates.”
Athletes along with other high profiled people have recognized the importance is it to be a part of any social media in order to stay somewhat relevant and connected with fans. Sports would still be successful without social media, but it has definitely brought a closer connection between fans and athletes, whether it be in a positive or negative way, it does not really change the way people feel about the sports world.
Works Cited:
"2015 Year in Sports Media Report." Nielsen.com. Accessed 28 March 2016. Web
Berman, Len. "When Social Media Gets Athletes in Trouble." Mashable. 4 Jan. 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
As you pointed out in your blog, many players and coaches in professional sports organizations are becoming more and more active on social media networks, allowing fans to interact with them on a personal level like never before. This is great for all sports fans but what I think is even more significant about social media is the power it has to bring fans together (or make opposing fans hate each other’s guts). As one can tell just from scrolling through his or her Twitter timeline, sports is almost constantly talked about on social media. If people have an opinion about a sports team, player, specific play, or anything really, they take to Twitter or Facebook to share their thoughts and opinions. By adding a hashtag, you can categorize your tweet so that anyone else, in the world, who is looking up the similar hashtag can find your tweet. In our reading, “Twitter Wins Right to Stream NFL Games”, the author states how the NFL has created a deal to live-stream the NFL’s Thursday night football games in order to help the social media group connect with new audiences. The chief executive of Twitter, Jack Dorsey made the following statement about the new deal, "this is about transforming the fan experience with football. People watch NFL games with Twitter today. Now they'll be able to watch right on Twitter Thursday nights" (Urbain). By allowing people to watch the games directly through Twitter, it will significantly increase the communication and “buzz” that follows all games.
ReplyDeleteOne specific event that united many sports fans over social media in 2015 was the Patriot’s “Deflategate” incident. I say that this united sports fans because essentially you had to choose a side, pro-Brady and anti-Brady, and you united with anyone who was on your side. The majority of people expressed their opinions mainly through social media. Whether you were a Patriots fan or not, millions of people across the country were using social media and virtually connecting with each other through the different networks to discuss the scandal. All the talk about the NFL and Deflategate on social media actually resulted in a record-breaking audience for the Super Bowl. Our reading, “Year in Sports Media Report”, Nielsen stated, “despite the ‘Deflategate’ controversy surrounding the AFC Championship Game, Tom Brady and the Pats were able to hang on for their fourth Super Bowl win. The thrilling finish and the debate regarding the air pressure in the footballs prior to kickoff resulted in yet another TV record for the Super Bowl, as 114.4 million viewers tuned in”. As social media continues to evolve and grow in popularity it becomes a more and more intricate part of our society and that proven through its impact on sports.
Works Cited
Master, Stephen. “Year In Sports Media Report 2015.” Nielsen. February 2015.
Urbain, Thomas, and Rob Lever. "Twitter Wins Rights to Stream Thursday Night NFL Games." Yahoo Finance. N.p., 5 Apr. 2016. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.