Unless you’re a public school boy that just so happened to stumble upon something approaching ability in the sports of cricket and rugby union then you’ll more than likely fall in with the rest of the sporting world. This place that you fall into won’t be where you find intellectual visionaries or Stephen Hawking type banter.
You’re more likely to hear about their latest foursome, who out of the team can drink the night before a game and get away with it, or who has the best pink alloys on their new Range Rover Overfinch. Yes ladies and gentlemen this is the world of the elite sportsmen and for a look in you don’t have to watch reality TV anymore. Oh No!
Over the past year or so they’ve managed to work out how to use social networking and as we enter the New Year it’s not hard to guess which sportsmen got what for Christmas – that’s an iPad for those of you guessing. Whether it’s professional basketball, soccer, or even rugby, Twitter is currently feeling sorry for itself in a corner somewhere, such is the criticism the site is receiving from many in sport.
LeBron James showed his fellow professionals that he’s essentially the a-hole they thought he was all along, after bagging on his old teammates. All LeBron did was point out that God has been on his side all along, what’s so bad about that eh? Anyone that has a God on their side should be allowed to boast about it shouldn’t they?
Well if you thought LeBron’s outburst was quite something, the English sporting establishment is losing patience with Twitter a lot more quickly than the American one ever will. Maybe it’s to do with North America seeking more entertainment whilst Europe is happy enough to bumble along as usual. What’s clear though is that the players aren’t listening.
Ryan Babel’s Twoutburst at referee Howard Webb following Liverpool’s controversial loss to Manchester United at the weekend was up there amongst the wittiest reposts footballers can deliver. It has, however, been the catalyst that has seen bans and threats all over the place.
England rugby coach Martin Johnson has told players they’ll be dropped if they step out of line on the site, and Neil Warnock has banned his players from using it after they openly criticized an opponent. The football clubs should be keeping a better lid on it than this though – isn’t that what a PR department is for?
It won’t be long until the first court cases to include evidence from Twitter are joined in the upper echelons of Internet history by a high-profile sportsperson being dismissed for bagging the person they shouldn’t. It won’t be long until Wayne Rooney realizes that present he got isn’t an opaque window, gets on Twitter and professes his love for some blonde beauty that he’s paid for the privilege of, to the disgust of wife Colleen.
When he does join Twitter, look out for those novelty odds piling on him being the first to get a substantial fine or international ban for Tweeting something vulgar. In the meantime just watch on and laugh.
