Sports + Social Media = Genius?

Social media entered our lives quietly and slowly, mainly in the form of Facebook. It was an exclusive club for those in colleges with the coveted email address that ended in .edu (that's how I got my start) and it became one of the most addicting sites on web. In between classes you'd find a computer on campus and check your Facebook to see what was up in the world. It was the CNN for college kids. Facebook has since become open to anyone with the ability to set up an email account, has spawned a movie, gained pretend worlds where people need pigs and chickens (still don't get any of the games people play on there), but has still been THE way to communicate.

As much appeal as Facebook still holds, Twitter has the become next big trend that won't die (lets not forget somewhere around the beginning of Facebook there was this thing called MySpace, but does anyone really know their password?). The key to making Twitter work is the fact that each Tweet it limited to 160 characters, just like a text message. This means you can have a sporadic thought and leave it at that. Then anyone who follows you can say their .02cents about your comment if they want. Often personalities in the public eye will tweet questions and reward correct answers with autographed stuff. I've seen people win anything from books to brand new Nike sneakers. Yes, a new pair of Nike's via Twitter. Go figure.

Since social media has become part of our daily lives, we have been able to connect with people that we will most likely never meet, nor probably would have had the chance to ever talk with. Thanks to Twitter, people feel like they know more about their favorite players and celebrities since we are more privy to their lifestyles. How else would we know that Coyote Paul Bissonnette is the resident team DJ or that Penguin Eric Tangradi is minorly addicted to Dunkin Donuts coffee?

The issue with social media is when it crosses the line. The NFL has had to address players tweeting from the locker room and instituted a policy that prohibits the use of social media from 90 minutes before kickoff till after the game is over. Shockingly more leagues haven't set forth a policy but I won't be surprised when they finally do.

With over 4,000 athletes from all sports currently tweeting, no one can follow them all. The best way is to find a few that truly interest you because you like them or their team, or have funny things to say and go from there. They area always retweeting friends who just so happen to be celebs and athletes. Two of the funniest and most random people to follow @BizNasty2point0 and @rainnwilson who are seriously off their rockers at times. You can find out the true verified accounts of athletes here. Most bloggers also have accounts and it's fun to see them go back and forth with others.

Thanks to Bissonnette's unfiltered approach to life, he is currently tweeting from his second account after shutting down the first after some rather controversial tweets. He has since found a filter in the form of his agent and the people of the Coyotes which is probably good. He's also obsessed with the homeless and giving back and has managed to turn this strange love into a way to give back through selling t-shirts with proceeds benefiting shelters. Of course we can thank Twitter for my knowledge of this thanks to countless tweets and articles that have been tweeted about this. It all comes full circle.

Sadly Twitter also is a way to find out some not so good news. I follow CNN Breaking News and have basically kept up on the news this way. They link you straight to articles on their site from around the world. Riots in London, bad weather, soldiers dying overseas. It's strange to read the headline in 160 characters about what has happened. Twitter is truly what you make of it. I follow all sorts of people/organizations that range from my favorites athletes and teams to magazines and a person who tweets about reality tv and the outfits they wear. Go figure. Through twitter people you don't know come alive. You find out who loves Vegas and who loves going to shows. It's a strange world, but rather interesting if you figure out what you want to use it.

Roundup.....

First off, I demand to know where summer has gone. The sun has been hiding for 5 days now and it's been rainy and miserable. Uncalled for since it's still August. Even in PA, summer usually still exists in August. Of course this fall-like weather just ushers in those feelings of football and hockey creeping back into our everyday lives. Now the question is how many days left till the first puck is dropped and I'm so glad you asked. Please click on this handy dandy link to find out. Seriously someone must be losing his or her mind waiting for the season, but this is pure genius. Love it.

The Penguins had to go into damage control somewhere between last night and this afternoon thank to a tweet from Josh Rimer of NHL Radio on XM. Rimer tweeted "Hearing from 3 sources now that Sidney Crosby won't b ready 2 start season. I hope it's not true because the NHL needs its best players!" Of course this set the free world into a frantic frenzy that Crosby was dying again. Seriously people, he most likely suffered 2 concussions in a 5 day period and the symptoms from the first at the Winter Classic never came to a head till the second one really rattled him. Yes, it was scary and still is, especially since he's only 24 and has been out this long, but the Penguins have set the new standard for how a concussion should be dealt with if you ask me.

SuperShero held a media scrum this afternoon to defend against Rimer's tweet. He said the same stuff anyone with half a brain already had figured out. Crosby has been practicing, he's been ramping up his workouts and it's when he tries to be superman that he begins to have issues. Well Shero didn't say that exactly but based off what people have said about his off-season workouts over the years, they aren't for the faint of heart and we all already now what is acceptable for the average hockey player is probably an F in the Crosby school of grading. I have faith he will be okay in the end.

Shero of course pointed out the obvious once again since some people in the world don't quite get it yet. "....That’s the thing for me and for the organization is the bigger picture with Sidney Crosby making sure that he is 100 percent cleared and ready to play when he does come back. He’s not going to be pushed to come back to practice or play. I want to make sure a year from now, three years from now, five years from now that he’s still the best player in the league and take the appropriate steps and back him, and go from there." Couldn't have said it better.

Another gem from this media scrum was when someone asked if he thought it would be better for Crosby to be in Pitt and not in Nova Scoita. "No, I don't think so. I think he’s a creature of habit and this is what he does in the summertime." Understatement of the year that Mr. Crosby is a creature of habit. This is the guy who walks around the arena to avoid the visiting locker room door and has to have a PB&J like a 5 year old before every game, just to name a few of the quirks he exposed us to on 24/7. I'm sure him being in Pitt for the off-season would be similar to a lost puppy dog.

One positive piece of news out of the Crosby world was he celebrated his 24th birthday last week. Yes, 24. He's already won everything in hockey so I guess he'll be looking for duplicates and triplicates now. A cup ring for each finger? No clue, but this is why he won't be rushed back. He's a whopping 24. The real question is when do people stop referring to him as Sid the Kid? I'm thinking 25 might be the cutoff but what do I really know.

Moving away from Crosby and onto the Great One's son. Trevor Gretzky has signed with the Chicago Cubs and will be playing in their farm system for the time being. Probably the smartest thing Trevor ever did was pick up a baseball bat. It's one thing to follow your father into a sport. It's another when he's considered the Greatest one to play the game. He's much better off making and breaking records in a sport where he won't be compared to or put down by critics if he doesn't match his father's records. Wayne was a generational talent and by not having his son follow him into the NHL I think will let Trevor truly be a great baseball player in his own right.

Captain oh Captain....
Many teams wait till training camp to announce new Captains and Assistant captains and many let it be a team vote/decision which really justifies the title of Captain to me. Of course many Captains are obvious choices so here are 3 teams with some easy decisions that should have little drama surrounding them.

The Flyers have apparently been Chris Pronger's team but the wrong guy was wearing the C. Since shipping Mike Richards to the Blue Jackets, the C is Pronger's for the taking. Unless the equipment guy sews the C on 68 by mistake, this a shoo-in.

Another no brainer is the Rangers putting a C on Ryan Cahallan's chest. Since he got a 3 year deal done to avoid arbitration, I don't see why there would be any issue. I also would put money on the home grown talent of Marc Staal and the $60 million dollar man that is Brad Richards to be wearing the A's this season.

Parise wearing the C for the Devils should be a no brainer. Since he only has a one year deal, I wouldn't be shocked for the Devils to go with 3 A's this season or a rotating C (which to me is the most ridiculous thing to ever happen in the world of Captaincy). I vote for 3 A's and if they get a long-term deal done with him then give him the C he has earned. No point in making him a Captain if he could leave after a season.

NFL Corner
The NFL pre-season officially began this past weekend!! Woohoo. About time. I think the most interesting thing I've learned is that even the most die-hard of Eagle fans are scared of their "Dream Team" busting up at some point. I kind of love it. Especially since they acquired Steve Smith of the NY Giants with his surgically repaired knee, now it seems the Eagles have backtracked a little bit on how ready he really is. Didn't the Giants say this all along?

I also would love to know what Kevin Boss was smoking when he signed a contract to play for Al Davis. Forget the fact that it's the Raiders, the man agreed to play for one of the craziest owner in all of sports. I understand few players will stay for less money but I'd stay for less if it meant I'd never have to decipher the cryptic sayings of my owner. Good luck because I seriously think you might need it.

I've become something of a twitter head this summer. I write something sporadically but the best part of twitter is stalking people. Especially famous people and athletes. I've been following some semi-boring, semi-interesting and highly amusing athletes this summer and will share with you tomorrow my thoughts on social media and it's place in sports. Plus my take on who has the most fun and uses it best. Hint: BizNasty takes the cake.