OchoCinco At It Again...

I woke up this morning, turned on the TV to ESPN and was not surprised at all to see Chad Ochocinco was fined by the NFL. The NFL announced this morning that it was fining Ochocinco $20,000 for his actions and described his behavior as "unprofessional," and "unbecoming of a professional athlete."

The Bengals played the Ravens in week 9 and during an official replay involving Ochocinco, he went to the referee with a dollar bill in an attempt to "bribe" him. The league said that Ochocinco did in fact use the word "bribe" and that is something it will not condone. It was obvious to all that were watching that Ochocinco meant it as a joke, too bad the NFL isn't laughing.

ESPN commentators have been discussing the issue all morning. Some claim that the NFL was too harsh and need to lighten up. Some think NFL punishments are not being handed out fairly: for example, recently DeAngelo Hall was involved in a fight on the sidelines during a game and was not fined at all.

Chad Ochocinco, who has been known for his controversial tweets, seems to be shrugging the incident off. The first thing I did after hearing the news on ESPN was to check Ochocinco's Twitter page, it was nothing out of the ordinary. He was tweeting about playing Call of Duty and 50 Cent songs. A couple of hours after the incident he had this to say via a tweet, "OCNN NEWS_: I've been fined 20k this week by the NFL, myself and @rocksoftware have no problem paying the 20k fine." Followed by, "OCNN NEWS: in fact I'm gonna match the fine and donate it to a good cause (league has enough)." And finally, "OCNN NEWS: Ocho Cinco and President of @rocksoftware are going to donate 20k to hillview.org and feedthechildren.org"

While I respect the fact that Ochocinco is donating money to these charities, I believe the real motive behind his actions is to show the NFL he couldn't care less how much it fined him. Some might say that the NFL is being to hard on him, but it's not like this is the first time the guy has been in trouble. He is known for causing scenes, being inappropriate and showing off. Basically the NFL does not want Ochocinco to be the face of the league. The league has to be tough on him to show fans and other leagues that they do not condone his behavior and it is not representative of what the NFL stands for.

It would probably take a day or two to get an official statement from Ochocinco with reporters and cameras, but with Twitter the public can go right to his page and see his response just a few hours after the news broke.

Minnesota Timberwolves and UFC Offer New Position

Social media has really taken off within the last few years and organization are acknowledging this and taking advantage of it. The Minnesota Timberwolves recently posted an opening for a new job position: "Social Networking Intern." The job description states that the intern will work closely with the manager of Interactive Services and the vice president of Marketing Communications. The intern will update the Timberwolves social networking sites and monitor other social networking sites such as, blogs, forums, message boards, etc. The main responsibility of the intern holding this new position is to aid in online contests, promotion and interact with fans online. In addition, the job requires the person to update supervisors about any "online buzz" about the team.

The UFC is also offering a new position entitled, "New Media Marketing Internship." The intern will be working with the Business and Marketing departments closely and "will help influence the direction of online and other forms of new media marketing campaigns." The UFC has been trying to promote its brand and knowledge of mixed martial arts for the last couple of years now.

I think it's great that these sports organizations are now taking advantage of social media knowing that they can reach their fans in an interactive and efficient way. It will help fans feel more connected with the team or a specific fighter. One aspect I find interesting is the fact that these positions are for interns and "new media" or "social networking" do not yet have their own departments in these organizations. Maybe the Timberwolves and the UFC are offering these types of positions as internships knowing that it will draw a younger group of people who just so happen to know the most about social media. Perhaps these organizations hope to learn more about social networking from a younger age group....or maybe that's just how I'm interpreting it.

Irving to Make a Decision

Kyrie Iving, who I have talked about previously, is set to announce his college of choice tonight via twitter and ESPNU. He has been updating his followers on his Twitter account throughout his recruiting process and is finally going to announce where he will be attending college next fall.

Tuesday Irving took to his Twitter to clear up some false rumors floating around the online community. Numerous sources claimed that Irving had committed to Duke, when apparently he hadn't: "I don't know what's going on with all these supposed sources but I have not committed to duke." The next day, Irving announced via his tweet, "I will be deciding between texas a and m, duke and kentucky...I have not committed to duke...I will be announcing on espn u."

If you're a college basketball fan be sure to tune in at 5:30 p.m. on ESPNU or follow Irving on Twitter to get his decision.

More Push For Instant Replay

Last night Major League Baseball umpires missed three calls in the Yankees vs. Angles game....three calls! Two of which were missed by the same third base umpire. Unfortunately, all of the calls went in favor of the Yankees and against the Angels; naturally it had some people wondering, "Who's paying the umpires?" Not that it would have mattered much in my opinion, the Angels got rocked last night losing 10-1.

Regardless, more and more fans as well as baseball commentators and analysts are pushing for the instant replay to be expanded. I have discussed this topic in one of my previous blogs, but after last night's game many people that were not supporters of instant replay are now thinking it might not be such as bad idea after all. ESPN's baseball analyst, Tim Kurkjian said, "In today's media everyone can see [the missed calls], and baseball is going to have to take a look at this."

Arenas' Silence Will Cost Him

The NBA recently fined both Gilbert Arenas and The Washington Wizards $25,000 after Arenas repeatedly refused to participate in pre-season interviews and/or press conferences before and after exhibition games. The fact that Arenas has been shying away from the media spotlight lately has some people confused. Early on is his career Arenas was known for putting himself out there for the world to see. Arenas was known for speaking his mind and his out-going personality; he gave interviews willingly, shot commercials and even had his own blog.

Now that Arenas is back from his injuries, which have sidelined him for the last two season, he says he is just focused on playing ball. "I don't feel like speaking anymore, I just want to go out there and play. If I'm not going to get fined, I don't think you're going to hear from me again. I don't have a blog. I don't have a tweeter. When I was entertaining all you guys focused on was my words. Now I'd rather you just focus on my basketball." Honestly, I can't say that I blame him. His only mistake was putting himself out there in the first place. So many professional athletes are becoming "celebrity star athletes" and it's fun for a while, but the constant attention can get tiring. At this time, Arenas is trying to work hard, come back from his injuries and have a successful season, he probably doesn't want any distractions and having to answer to the media before and after games is the last thing he wants to do.

Arenas has since declined to comment on the fine, but did say, "I'm not the entertainer anymore." Many athletes view the media as a fair-weather friend; when they're doing well and helping their team the media loves them and is constantly praising them. But they minute they don't perform the media is all over them, and the fans unfortunately will follow. Message boards will fill up with comments like: "Why doesn't he stop blogging and tweeting and get in the gym and start practicing more."

Expanding Instant Replay in Baseball

Many baseball fans around the nation have been asking whether or not Major League Baseball should expand its instant replay policy, especially after what happened in the Yankees vs. Twins playoff game. It was only about a year ago when MLB finally decided to allow the use of instant replay regarding a questionable home run. Since taking this first step toward allowing instant replay, many fans feel it is easy to expand it and now use technology to determine other calls, such as: fair or foul and safe or out.

Personally I am hesitant when it comes to expanding instant replay in baseball. I understand that it can change the course of the game and in the end you're only going to get the right call. Being an athlete myself for many years I can't tell you how many times I've been on the wrong end of a bad call and how frustrating it is, but at the same time it's always been a part of the game. It's not fair and it sucks, but at some point if you play long enough you're going to be on the right side of a bad call and get a break.

Some people are arguing for the expansion of instant replay but only in play-off games or play-ins games, when it's really crucial. But if you're going to do it for those games, why not do it for all of them, why differentiate? It's a tough decision, which is probably one of the reasons it took so long for baseball to implement the instant replay for home runs. In the end, I don't think it's a bad thing; like I said you're going to get the call right. It does take some controversy out of the game....and let's admit it, we all love controversy!

Professional Leagues Ban Twitter

The NHL is the latest professional sports league to ban twitter. The NFL was the first to take the lead in banning the use of twitter before, during and after the games. This rule applies to coaches, training staff and anyone involved in the production of the game. The NBA was not far behind banning tweeting 45 minutes before tip-off all the way until press conferences are completed after the game. Major League Baseball does not currently have a policy on the use of social networking but has had a long-standing policy of banning all communication devices 30 minutes before the game.

The NHL seems to be taking a precautionary route in following others' decision to ban the use of twitter. Most likely because it sees the trouble the NBA has gone through with numerous players and even an owner finding themselves in trouble with what they have tweeted.

ESPN reports that the Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers have all set guidelines regarding twitter that are even more strict than the NBA's policy. These teams forbid the use of twitter not only during games but any time that is considered "team time," which includes practice, team meetings, travel, etc. Mark Cuban, the Dallas Maverick's owner, is reportedly the only person the NBA has fined in relation to tweeting. He was fined $25,000 for criticizing game officials on twitter. Former Bucks' foward, Charlie Villanueva, is just one of the players that has been criticized for tweeting during games or about them. Last season Villanueva make a comment on his twitter account during halftime of a game in which they were losing. Bucks' Head Coach, Scott Skiles, commented on the team's strict guidelines saying, "Don't put your personal business out there and don't put your team's business out there," he went on to say, "Their free time is their free time and their work time is their work time."

Many players like Shaq, Andrew Bogut and others feel the new rule is completely reasonable and said that they have never tweeted anything inappropriate. Bucks' guard, Charlie Bell, had a little different take on the new guidelines. He believes that twitter is a great way to say in touch with the fans and says he will continue to interactive with them; "It's going to be tough trying to stick to the rules and guidelines , but you've got to think about everything that you tweet...Hopefully I don't get fined too much."

Personally I agree with these leagues' decision to ban twitter during certain times. Fans do not need to know every single detail; there are some things that should just stay within the team. I also believe that tweeting certain information and details can take away from the "inside the locker room/behind the scenes reporting" that reporters work hard on. I don't believe twitter can completely damage the multi-million dollar contracts that leagues have with Fox Sports, CBS or any other major networks. I think the true, underlying reason for leagues setting up these guidelines is to protect franchises from idiotic and immature comments that some players make regarding their coaches, teammates, referees or whoever.

Twitter and Recruiting?

All three of my brothers (Josh, Devin and Kaelan) are athletes and love watching and playing sports; however, they are not just huge sports fans but true "students of the game." They never cease to amaze me when it comes to discussing players, their contracts and statistics and don't even get them going on draft picks and the top ranked high school basketball recruits in the nation! Last night, as I was ichating with my brother Josh, he asked me if I had heard of Kyrie Irving. I hadn't and he went on to explain something to me that I found incredibly interesting....

Kyrie Irving is a 17 year old point guard from New Jersey who is ranked in the Top 10 high school basketball recruits in the nation by three of the top recruiting sites (Scout, Rivals and ESPN Recruiting). What makes this kid so interesting is the fact that he has 2,396 followers on twitter and updates his "fans" and college coaches via his tweets. Many of his followers are students at Duke, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Texas A&M and Seton Hall; the five universities Irving is most interesting in. These students send Irving encouraging messages trying to convince the young player to attend his/her university. Many college coaches are following him on twitter to see what he thinks about their universities. One of Irving's tweets said: "Duke official was great! I enjoyed every single second....everything there fits me and is right for me...you never know what will happen!"

The coolest thing is the fact that Duke students were prepared for his visit and were determined to make him feel welcome. Irving of course let his followers know in advance when he was coming, "Duke visit in 2 days...school tmrw but I gotta say I'm excited..." Duke Blogger is a website dedicated to updating fans on Duke basketball and once they saw that Irving was coming to Duke for an official recruiting trip they spread the word! They put out messages telling everyone at Duke to make Irving's visit one to remember and dedicated Duke fans listened. When Irving showed up on campus he was welcomed by a massive sign on the side of a dorm building listing all the previous Duke point guards that have led the basketball team to a national championship. Irving was very impressed to say the least.

It's crazy to see how social media can be used as one more tool for college coaches in recruiting. Crazy college basketball fans are also taking advantage of following top recruits on twitter and reading their favorite blog site; these fans can actually say they were a part of Kyrie Irving's recruiting trip and if he commits, they can take partial credit for bringing him to Duke!

Athletes and Social Media

Athletes and social media generally don't mix well together. More and more athletes are garnering negative attention when involving social media. The latest incident involves Tyshawn Taylor and his facebook status updates. Before and after the highly publicized feud between the KU football and men's basketball teams Taylor took it upon himself to post his feelings on his facebook for everyone to see. Some of the posts include: "I got a dislocated finger...from throwing a punch...so don't let the news paper gas yall up aite," earlier he wrote "real (racial slur)s do real things...point plankn," and finally before the actual fights, "keep my name out ya mouth for you get smacked in it."

Unfortunately for Taylor and KU Athletics these status updates from Taylor were blasted all over Fox News, Sportscenter, ESPN's website and numerous people have now blogged about it. I'm from California and shortly after the fight I received several calls and texts from family and friends back home asking what the hell was going on! Within hours people all the way from the West Coast knew about the incident between our football and basketball teams thanks in large part to Taylor's facebook status posts. Although the fight itself would have brought enough media attention, Taylor's statements on facebook were what Fox News, Sportscenter and other major media outlets focused on. When will athletes learn that what they post on their twitter and/or facebook accounts is not private!

It is one thing for a person to express how they feel through a social media site but unfortunately athletes do not have this privilege because what you say as an athlete not only affects you, but your team and what you do and say represents your team. In Taylor's case, he not only represented himself poorly but he embarrassed his team AND the entire University of Kansas. KU is a very respectable university and people think highly of Kansas, especially because it's in the heartland of America. Universities such as USC and Miami have a reputation of their athletes getting into trouble and not putting out a positive image, but KU does not want to fall into the same category as these other universities.

Having been an athlete myself here at KU I know for a fact that coaches and administrators beg us to be cautious about the type of information we put up on facebook and twitter. They understand how it can affect negatively on the university and the athletic department. I know both the football and basketball team as well as Taylor could not fathom how much national attention this incident would bring. It just goes to show you how viral something can be when involving social media, so many people now have access to sites such as twitter and facebook and they are paying attention!

Media Stirring the Pot

Anyone who is a sports fan and/or watches Sportscenter regularly probably saw parts of the San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres game the other night (Sept. 7).  After the very heated and emotional game Sportscenter, radio stations, websites and their discussion boards went on to discuss the game at length especially in relation to the Giants upcoming series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  

The Giants' newly acquired pitcher, Brad Penny, took the mound against the Padres and gave yet another impressive performance to help the Giants with a win.  But more people were apt to talk about Penny's response to the home run hit by Padres' Adrian Gonzalez in the top of the 6th. Penny was less than pleased when Gonzalez hit a home run off him.  Penny felt Gonzalez stood and admired his home run a bit too long and had a few choice words for him as he jogged to first and again when he rounded third. This display came a mere 24 hours after "the bowling ball" act put on by the Milwaukee Brewers after Prince Fielder hit a walk off home run.  One could say the Giants were still pissed off and looking to take it out on someone.  Penny took it upon himself to let some frustration out on Gonzalez.    After the game Penny admitted, "I'm a guy who wears my emotions on my sleeve," and went on to explain that he was not the only one, "They [the Padres dugout] were barking at me, too." 

Needless to say the Giants and Penny were the talk of sports stations and websites that night and on into the next day.  The media continues to "stir the pot" by preparing fans for Penny's upcoming start this weekend against the Giants' rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Penny left the Dodgers last year with bitter taste in his mouth and when reporters asked Dodgers' third base coach, Larry Bowa, to comment on Penny he had this to say: "You mean the same guy who was never on time, out of shape and has one complete game? He has more stuff to worry about than me. He has to worry about getting people out. He was never on time, he never helped the kids out. You go right down the line, everybody who was on the DL watched the games. But not him. He was out of there."

The tension between Penny and the Dodgers is much anticipated by fans and is something that the media is thriving on.  Media outlets are setting the stage for an explosive series between the Giants and Dodgers.  Lets hope for bloggers and commentators it's an exciting one; if not what else are they going to talk about? Simple Stats? Boring!

Sports and the Media: A Good Relationship?

Throughout the years the image of professional athletes has changed drastically.  They have gone from role models and someone's hero to being a "celebrity sports star."  As my dad describes, "Back when I was a little boy athletes were beyond reproach, we didn't know them like fans know them today." My dad describes athletes such as, Jerry West, Bill Bradley, Willie Mays and Walter Peyton as ambassadors to the game.  They were role models for little boys and the fans loved them; at the same time, did the fans really know these guys?  Now a days, fans know exactly where Paul Pierce and Dwight Howard are via their twitter posts.   Minutes after Michael Beasley's gets his new tattoo he post a picture of it to his twitter account for all of the world to see. Some people argue that fans know too much about professional athletes. In my opinion there are some advantages and disadvantages to getting an inside look at who these athletes are.  One one hand, sporting fans can now see that athletes are human and have just as many problems, if not more, than they do. Instead of turning on Sportscenter to watch highlights of their game, some athletes find themselves on TV discussing their recent run- in with the law.  Plaxico Burress, Donte Stallworth and most notably, Michael Vick all find themselves in this position.  Athletes today make last generations' athletes look like saints.  In reality, the media today is everywhere and watches these athletes' every move.  For example, TMZ now follows Manny Ramirez to his favorite restaurants in LA. As I said before it can be a good thing that fans now know who their favorite players really are, but like anything, there is a downside.  

With the accessibility of the media today, you now have people who feel free to express their opinions about whoever they like.  Instead of pursuing a traditional journalistic route, many are choosing to simply blog and have the freedom to say what they like without their editor yelling, "You can't say that!" With so many bloggers expressing their opinions, and at times tearing apart athletes and their performances, damage can be done.  In pointing out athletes' fault the fans realize they are not gods that people so often put on a pedestal.  They are in fact human and being human they are not perfect and they are going to make mistakes.  Aside from their lives off the field, all athletes struggle in their sport.  They are going to have bad days, weeks, or a year.  Dontrelle Willis is a perfect example of how harsh comments damage an athlete.  This summer, the Florida Marlins put Willis on the DL for an "anxiety disorder." Not too long ago Willis was one of the most exciting, young pitchers in baseball, but after he signed a big contract with the Marlins and then failed to perform media outlets and the fans jumped all over him.  Commentators and writers began to express their doubt in the young pitcher and the fans flooded message boards with negative comments.  Psychologically Willis is struggling to stay confident and he has stepped away from baseball at the moment.   

Sports and the Media have a very unique  relationship, one that provides access to your favorite athletes and these athletes can let the world know what they're all about.  However, some athletes grow to  despise the media and the way in which it forms its own opinions about athletes and puts them out there for the world to see. I will be discussing this issue weekly and would love to know what you think!