With Twitter, Player and Fan Interaction has Become More Personal Than Ever Before

Twitter Usage Has Boomed Amongst Professional Athletes

As Twitter, the popular worldwide social media website, continues to grow, it is evident that more and more athletes are registering for the social network in order to improve interaction between them and their fans. In fact, according to tweeting-athletes.com, there are currently 1,901 NFL players, 517 NBA players, and 528 MLB players that are currently active on Twitter. With the ability to post messages, photos, and videos, Twitter undoubtedly gives these athletes the opportunity to connect with fans in a revolutionary way, however as numerous events have shown, there can be both good and bad repercussions of this resource. 

Twitter Provides Some Fans with the Opportunity to Connect with Their Favorite Players

Brandon Phillips alongside Echols' U-14 Team after the game

In terms of the beneficial uses, there are countless ways in which athletes have used Twitter in order brighten the day of a fan. For some, this is as easy as re-tweeting a fan or sending them a message, however some athletes have used the social media site in order to treat their fans to some truly unbelievable experiences. One athlete who has certainly gone above and beyond with his Twitter account is Brandon Phillips, all-star second basemen for the Cincinnati Reds. Known by his Twitter profile name, "DatDudeBP", Phillips is notorious for holding trivia contests on his Twitter and rewarding the winners with game tickets, memorabilia, and even plane tickets to come meet him and the team. Perhaps his most notable moment however came last May, when Phillips surprised a 14-year-old Twitter follower at his U-14 baseball game. According to the article from Yahoo Sports, the young follower, Connor Echols, decided to tweet Phillips prior to the game, saying, "@DatDudeBP should really come watch the 14u Cincy flames in West Chester tonight". After seeing the tweet on his phone, Phillips thought "'Let me go out and support the little man."' Thinking back on the night, Phillips recalls, "'I went out there and he had a great game. I met all his teammates. I met everybody in the park. It was fun. I had a great time"'. In addition to signing autographs for all of the children in attendance, Phillips undoubtedly provided Echols with an experience that he will remember for the rest of his life. While this act says a great deal about Phillips' character, it also undoubtedly highlights the benefits of Twitter, as it can provide athletes with the opportunity to give back to fans in unimaginable ways.  

Many Other Athletes Have Tarnished Their Reputations Due to Their Activity on the Site

Aside from Phillips, there are many athletes who have had far less favorable experiences with their Twitter accounts. In fact, some athletes have even tainted their public image or lost fans due to ill-advised tweeting. For example, this past summer, Greek athlete Paraskevi Papachristou was kicked off of Greece's national team prior to the Olympics for posting an offensive comment on her Twitter page regarding African immigrants. Thus, due to her poor decision making on Twitter, Papachristou instantly lost her chance to participate in the Olympics, and she embarrassed the entire nation of Greece after coming across as insensitive and racist. Moreover, many other athletes have come across as poor role models on Twitter, despite the fact that many young users look up to them and actively monitor their tweets. By using inappropriate language, posting pictures of themselves drinking alcohol, or openly antagonizing other users on the site, these athletes often reveal sides of themselves on Twitter that the public would be better off not seeing. 

Twitter: More or Less Effective than Pro Sports Journalism? 

As evidenced, Twitter can clearly change the way in which some athletes are viewed in the public eye. However, with that being said, the site still provides the public with an incredible behind-the-scenes perspective of today's professional sports scene. While sports journalism may often provide us with thorough, interesting stories about our favorite professional athletes, Twitter gives us the chance to digitally interact with these players, and receive updates from them personally. Yet, considering the vast unprofessionalism that is often displayed on Twitter, most users would likely say that sports journalism remains the more reliable source of sports news. As Twitter progresses, however, one can only hope that players learn to monitor their accounts better, so that we can all reap the potential benefits of the site.