Social Media and Sports Organizations

Social Media – Issues for Organizations

�  Less control over release of information

�  However, increases organization’s ability to monitor employees

�  Many organizations screen potential employees by looking at their social media activity

�  Also monitor current employees social media activity

Sports Organizations Stance

�  Generally negative towards social media

�  Some teams restrict players from using social media in team facilities

�  Many collegiate athletic departments ban players from using social media

�  Policies on social media (both professional and collegiate) are vague and deal more with negative than positive uses

Sports Organizations Stance

�  Paying closer attention to athletes SM use and in some cases publicly telling them to modify SM use

LoMo Tweets �  “Full disclosure, I called a # from that bathroom

stall offering a “good time”. Not so much. Wish I had a mulligan on that one”

�  “don’t be a fool wrap ur tool. #rolemodeltweet”

�  “Damn, if I was a chick, I’d totally f*%k that dude…#ThoughsWHeniLookInTheMirror”

�  “I was just informed that instead of using the toilet in the middle of the night. I used the litter box. #meow”

LoMo Tweets �  “I just took the type of growler that could change

the course of human history #2Flusher”

�  “Laughing cause ur last name is a girls name. Bitch RT @ckslimus @LoMoMarlins laughing because your team sucks”

�  “Is it possible to scratch anywhere below your waist and not smell your finger afterwards?”

�  “or if ur a hot single female who likes 2 french kiss RT @TheyCallMeFlog If u like baseball or have a decent sense of humor, follow LoMo”

LoMo Tweets �  “Tweeting while Pooping in a public restroom is the

modern day version of writing on the stall wall with a Sharpie #JustDoIt #LetItFlow”

�  “Sales rep is pushing 4 me 2 go w skinny jeans, I’m not sold on the wash. What do u guys think? #TooMuchWoodUnderTheHood

Sports Organizations Stance

�  NFL bans SM 90 minutes before game through end of postgame interviews

�  NBA bans 45 minutes before game through end of postgame interviews

�  Some teams have tried to ban during “team time”

�  Mike Dunleavy, “The minute you’re on our property, there’s no tweeting”

�  Mark Fox, “I want our players to focus on our team, I don’t want to hear a bunch of Tweets”

Sports Organizations Stance

�  Is there a problem with regulating time SM can be used and saying little about content?

�  Lack of clear boundaries, leads to conflict

�  Athletes may circumvent teams

Example �  2009 – San Diego Chargers fine Antonio Cromartie

$2,500 for tweeting negative comments about training camp meals

�  Many players defended Cromartie via Twitter

�  Kavika Mitchell “Our voice is our rite. It’s bullsh!t that the league is scared of twitter. We have opinions. We sit back…and listen to all the bullsh!t media, coaches, and fans have to say, so if the chargers food sucks. It sucks. Please! B mad at real sh!t”

Example

�  Created lots of media attention for Chargers

�  Was it worth it?

Example �  Charlie Villanueva tweets during halftime of game

during 2009

�  Leads to questions about how effective policies are?

�  Would it be problematic if players tweeted during games?

Self-Disclosure Issues �  In 2009, Larry Johnson tweets complaints about head

coach Todd Haley, fans respond and start criticizing Johnson

�  Johnson responds with homophobic tweets directed at fans

�  “@[Twitter ID] think bout a clever diss then wit ur fag pic. Christopher street boy. Is what us east coast cats call u.”

�  “@[Twitter ID] Sorry ur a cornball n ur mom birthed u broke. But I’m cakn patna. While u work or school for 5 dollars n hour. Ha!”

Self-Disclosure Issues �  Johnson fined $300,000 released shortly thereafter

�  Appropriate or not?

Self-Disclosure Issues �  Fans criticize players at games, but responses from

players are limited

�  Teams cannot control when players access social media and therefore, cannot control their responses

�  Should athletes respond to “haters” on Twitter? Why or Why Not?

Self-Disclosure Issues �  Not just limited to athletes

�  Myron Goodman, Sales Rep for Wizards put on FB that team was drafting John Wall, when no announcement had been made

Other Issues �  Players disclose information teams do not want

public

�  Dwayne Bowe “Importing” in ESPN Magazine

�  Players using Facebook and Twitter to coordinate groupies

Other Issues �  Australian women used FB to connect other women

with football players for sex.

�  Groupie culture been around a long time, but SM elevates it

�  Publicizes behavior teams would prefer to stay private

�  Issues with using SM to coordinate groupies?

Social Media and Dissent �  Dissent - “when employees voice incongruence with

workplace policies and practices”

�  Dissent is made to 3 different audiences:

�  Upward – supervisors/managers

�  Lateral – co-workers

�  Displaced – those outside workplace (e.g., family)

Social Media and Dissent �  Social media has provided athletes and sports

figures with avenue to voice dissent

�  Mark Cuban, owner of Dallas Mavericks routinely criticizes NBA via social media

�  Dwight Howard criticized officiating on Twitter

�  James Harrison heavily criticized NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Twitter during NFL lockout

Social Media and Dissent �  Athletes use SM to voice dissent over playing time

�  Tasmyn Lewis

�  “I did a time trial of 56.8 on my own, my second fastest time ever, yet apparently, I am not in shape to run at worlds. If you are in charge, communication is important, so is organization, however, if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”

�  Agents also tweeting criticism (Jermichael Finley’s agent tweeted that Rodgers lacked leadership)

Issues �  Sports organizations fine sports figures and

athletes who criticize the league via social media

�  Is this wise? Is there a better way to handle it?

�  Authenticity

�  Many athletes blame inappropriate social media posts on someone else who had access to their account.

�  Should athletes be sharing log-in information with others?

Issues �  Training

�  Little effort made to provide training on social media use

�  Training tends to be negative and based on “fear” messages, little effort on how athletes can use social media strategically

Recommendations �  Sports organizations should provide clear guidance

on what is and is not acceptable to post on social media

�  Need to define terms such as “inappropriate”

�  Need to live with some things, and focus on more problematic content

�  Social media should be more cooperative, rather than prohibitive

Recommendations �  In other words, more about using responsibly than

simply prohibiting and monitoring content.

�  This is particularly relevant in collegiate athletics as many athletic departments utilize intensive monitoring of student-athletes social media

�  Social media rules should be established cooperatively, rather than “top-down” from the organization or athletic department

Recommendations �  Social media is not going away, thus:

�  Sports teams and athletic departments need to promote strategic use and work together with athletes to foster good social media habits.