Our New Social Media Relationship with Sports

            Nowadays we are all connected via our tablet device or smartphone, often blogging, tweeting, texting, or Instagramming. But has social media given sports fans an outlet to better connect with their team and players?

            Most NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB teams and players interact with their fans through social media. However, their social media goes beyond promotions, advertisements, and team updates. Social media has created an electronic bridge between fans and their team.

            It allows fans to connect with players on a personal level. Like anyone does, players tweet and Instagram about their family, friends, and daily lives. Often times, fans place professional athletes on a pedestal. However, let’s all take a moment to remember that every athlete is just like every one of us. Just like us, they’re addicted to watching Netflix and catching up on the latest Sports Center. Many current and former professional athletes have taken advantage of their social media accounts by inspiring and encouraging fans and athletes alike.

            Many football, basketball, and hockey stars can be seen tweeting among their fans and holding conversations with them. Social media has allowed athletes to form a new, more personal relationship with their fans. On any Sunday during football season, my timeline is filled with my peers tweeting at their favorite or least favorite players and teams. While some tweets are encouraging, others can be viewed as hurtful and rude. However, the power of social media allows fans to voice their opinions directly to the athlete or organization.

            Featured columnist for The Bleacher Report Amber Lee says, “Since emerging from relative obscurity and growing into one of the social media big boys, Twitter has given fans and reporters an unprecedented level of access to celebrities online… Both uniquely intimate and constrained, it allows athletes to personally interact with fans, but with an audience of millions.”

            Nevertheless social media can get the best of us. We’ve all tweeted something we wish we could erase from our digital footprint forever. Although Twitter can act as an open forum between fans and athletes, it can also fuel feuds. For example, we recently discussed how Rob Gronkowski turned to Twitter to make light of the Pat’s Deflategate situation. But a few days later the organization warned players to “chill out” about addressing the issue on online platforms.

            Social media has altered the way fans participate in sport. Instead of watching a game, fans can scroll through their Twitter to read about the latest turnovers, fumbles, and touchdowns. It has changed the way people interact with their team. A recent article from a South Jersey newspaper wrote about the growing benefits and problems social media brings to high school sports. (http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/sports/2015/01/23/social-media-arena-explodes-high-school-sports/22231905/) High school and college athletes are placed on a pedestal. Their actions are under constant scrutiny and they are held to higher standards than the average student. Social media platforms make it more challenging for athletes to mix their private life with their academic and sport careers.

            However, it also gives athletes the opportunity to share their political and societal beliefs. Whereas a decade ago it would be more difficult for professionals to voice their opinions, now it is simply a few clicks away. For example, during the Ferguson and Mike Brown cases, players used the power of social media to support the two causes. Their opinions came under fire about whether or not personal life should interfere in a professional work environment. That didn’t stop NBA superstars Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose from wearing their “I Can’t Breath” shirts during warmups. (http://www.sporttechie.com/2015/01/21/social-media-gives-professional-athletes-powerful-platform/)

            The following link (https://au.sports.yahoo.com/news/article/-/26014778/the-most-popular-athletes-on-social-media/) shows a recent report of the most popular athletes on social media. Being that it was dependent on worldwide statistics, no American football players topped the list. A majority of the athletes were soccer and tennis players. No surprise that Cristiano Ronaldo had a landslide victory over Lionel Messi for being the most popular.

            While social media can have its pros and cons, the ever-growing popularity of these online outlets defines a new relationship between fans and their sport.