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NFL Flirts With Twitter Ban

by Caleb Johnson on August 5, 2009 at 12:30 PM



Twitter is creating a whole new crop of sports journalists. They're on the field and the sideline, in the locker room and team meetings. They don't need a firsthand account, because this type of reporter is actually wearing the uniform. Needless to say, coaches and team executives aren't too pleased with the trend.

While the NFL doesn't presently have a policy on the use of social media sites, officials did tell The New York Times they are working on one, hoping to ban their use during game days. However, many individual coaches are taking the matter into their own hands and instituting rules this season. Sure, fans love to read tweets from players on their favorite team, but in a league where every bit of information is more closely guarded than the Hope Diamond, coaches are trying to grab Twitter before it breaks away like a running back headed for the end zone. Miami Dolphins nose tackle Jason Ferguson told the Times that head coach Tony Sparano banned Twitter because it could potentially reveal sensitive information to media outlets and might become a distraction to the team.
Recently, the Minnesota Vikings experienced just that: When quarterback Tavaris Jackson sprained a knee ligament in practice, his teammate Bernard Berrian started a firestorm by tweeting that Jackson was out for the season. Although that proved untrue, it's easy to see how coaches wouldn't want that information out there right away. At football's highest level, you need every competitive advantage you can get. Anyway boys, reach for that pass, not the cellphone. [From: The New York Times]

Tags: athtweets, nfl, rules, social media, SocialMedia, sports, top, twitter

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