2009 has been a breakout year for sports and social media. Athletes, teams, leagues, coaches, media and sponsors have finally started to take note of how social media impacts sports and fans. There have been some really great executions and ideas as well as some missteps.
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Women’s Pro Soccer Players Allowed to Provide Real Time Updates Via Twitter During First Game
Posted on March 23rd, 2009
After the news came out last week that the NBA’s Charlie Villanueva had used Twitter to provide an update to fans during halftime of a game (and then went on to score 19 points in the second half to lead the Bucks to a win), Coach Scott Skiles and the Bucks decided to put an end to Villanueva’s halftime tweets:
“We made a point to Charlie and the team that it’s nothing we ever want to happen again,” Skiles said. “You know, (we) don’t want to blow it out of proportion. But anything that gives the impression that we’re not serious and focused at all times is not the correct way we want to go about our business.”
A few days later, Shaquille O’Neal sent fans an update via Twitter hinting that he would be giving them halftime “tweet”.
“Attention all twitterers I’m a tweet at halftime and not get fined like vill a new wave a whteva his name is,” Shaq wrote. He followed through on his word, and Suns coach Alvin Gentry knew about it beforehand and didn’t care.
Using Twitter to provide real-time updates to fans during games is an awesome way to give fans access to the players they love and get them closer to the game. Fans still crave the same thing they always have–access–but teams need to make sure they’re taking advantage of new technologies to deliver this. If fans are closer to the game and players, it’s good for the teams; creating stronger fans equals more revenue.
I’m all for preserving the game and making sure players are focused, but the benefits of using Twitter outweigh any potential negatives. Besides, how much focus can you lose by sending a 140-character message? Is this really any more distracting than when players are asked to give halftime interviews?
It looks like the new Women’s Professional Soccer league also sees the value of Twitter in involving fans in the game. But they’ve taken it a step beyond just tolerating halftime tweets. During the league’s first game on March 29, players will be allowed to use Twitter to provide real-time updates throughout the game, from the sidelines. It will be interesting to see if this is a one-time-only thing or if it is something the new league will embrace throughout the season. For a league that is seeking to attract fans in any way possible (and what league isn’t?), I think this is a great move that will generate some buzz and have some of the bigger leagues watching closely. What do you think?
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Comments 8
March 23rd, 2009 at 8:17 am
Jason, I’m going to have to take the opposite position on this one. I think tweeting from the sidelines will be one of those little distractions that will make people take the league a little less seriously. I want my professional athletes to be concentrating on the game, not sending out tweets. I can imagine the cameras focusing on a player tweeting during the game and the comic commentary that would accompany it.
March 23rd, 2009 at 8:30 am
Thanks for your thoughts, Dave. I think the perception that this is distracting just isn’t true for soccer. There are very few substitutions in soccer, unlike basketball or football, where players are swapped in and out pretty regularly, and players have to constantly be ready to go. I really don’t think this affects players on the bench in soccer..much if at all. I agree that people will joke about this, but I at least think it’s good that the league is trying to embrace new technology. If it works, and fans embrace this, great. If not, at least they’re trying new things.
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:06 am
I have to agree with Dave on this one…
I get it. I do. I understand the value of social media, netowrking, etc etc. But at some point, it just becomes a bit ridiculous.
Yes, soccer does have to be marketed a different way, and it is good to embrace a new technology for the league. But a bunch of players sitting on the sideline tweeting in random thoughts during a game just seems a bit much to me.
If you do it at halftime, okay, that’s one thing, but to do it during the game, that is another.
Things do not have to be so instaneous all of the time now. It is starting to be the typical ‘give it to me now’ attitude.
If I was a coach I would be furious. Leave reporting to the fans to your own time, regardless of the sport. When you are on the field, you are ready to play, you aren’t ready to send ‘tweets’.
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:10 am
In general soccer people’s perspective on this matter will be negative for all the obvious reasons. Soccer is very traditional sport, and most coaches will want their players 100% focused on the game. I don’t think there’s anyway you will see players tweeting during the World Cup for example!! However, I think for WPS this makes perfect sense. As a new league that is trying to establish relevance and a gain a position in the market, providing this kind of unprecedented access and insight is exactly what they need to do.
March 23rd, 2009 at 1:07 pm
I don’t think it is ‘unprecedent access’. It is some players, on the sideline, texting in their thoughts to a website.
Unprecedented access would be seeing a Sir Alex half time talk aired on Sky Sports. Or a shot from the Real Madrid lockerroom at full time. Not some players texting in their thoughts.
It because they are PLAYERS. And that is their job when the game is going on, to play!
March 24th, 2009 at 7:30 am
I see the point of distracting athletes, however, they were doing it during halftime.
Sitting on the sidelines, sure, they should be watching, cheering on their teammates, looking at the coach for gameplan changes, but at halftime? Halftime is literally a break in the game.
Taking 30 seconds to tweet during a break doesn’t seem like too much disruption or distraction.
August 15th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Just found this article, and am utterly fascinated by the conversation.
Although my sport (boxing) doesn’t lend itself to tweeting in the same ways, I can certainly see the marketing value of allowing basketball players their halftime tweets, or soccer players some sideline tweets. Hell, I’d be glued to Twitter right this minute if Gina Carano was tweeting during these hours leading up to her history-making fight tonight with Cris Cyborg Santos.
In fact, I don’t see why we shouldn’t follow the same rule on it that is followed in all sports: if it interferes with the outcomes, change it. If sideline tweets from the soccer team causes the team to be less focused in general, or the marketing win is outweighed by traditional media outrage (surely a less and less potent force these days), then shift gears. If a b-ball player isn’t delivering points when that’s what they’re paid to do, they will be pretty motivated to make change. Most athletes are powerfully focused on their sport, but we also realize the importance of fans.
Nice post. I’d love to see a follow-up report.