Social Media Issues And Sports

Sports Media has confronted social issues in the past few years. Athletes are constantly taking on roles in the social networking world and feeding fans with information in seconds. The issue is that sports media is being watered down and traditional journalists are competing against social media outlets (Facebook, twitter, etc.) to present news. Social media has bolstered sports and created brand powering with teams.

The following is a list of the ten most popular sports entities globally in the media: 1. FC Barcelona 2. NBA 3. Real Madrid 4. Manchester United 5. ESPN 6. Lakers 7. Chelsea 8. AC Milan 9. Arsenal 10. WWE (courtesy of
http://www.sportsfangraph.com
). These teams and professional sports leagues have become popular in the media for their marketing appeal. FC Barcelona has gained 8.5 million twitter followers and 41,609,365 Facebook fans.

 

(courtesy of: sportsfangraph.com)

FC Barcelona has used their media power to promote their sponsors (e.g.Unicef, Qatar Foundation, etc.) and gain fans internationally. Players like Lionel Messi have become global superstars thanks to networking on sites like Facebook and twitter. The message is spread in different languages and forms to all present the same idea… “Support our team.”

What fans most enjoy is the personal feel of social networking and media with sports they feel like they are on the same playing field with athletes and their opinions can be heard through social media tools. Fans love seeing athletes post pictures to twitter of their everyday excursions

 

(courtesy of Johnny Manziel twitter)

Athletes seem more “real” through the use of social media outlets and sites. They show a side that fans can appreciate and relate with.

            However, there is a downside to Social Media and it’s relationship with sports. Athletes reveal news and the surprise factor seems non-existent. Houston Texans running back Arian Foster was scolded for tweeting photos of his MRI. Some team officials fear that team policies and secrets will be revealed on social networking sites. Brooklyn Nets point guard Derron Williams infamously broke the news of his contract via twitter.

            The pressure to provide more to fans and the masses has been magnified thanks to social media. Many of the sports stories are watered down and it is hard to filter online news/speculations. Journalism has been under fire for its validity and honesty, mostly due to the influx of false news appearing on social sites.

            Athletes have been under fire for misusing social media and abusing it. Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson tweeted about his discontent for their coach and was released for doing so. Free Agent wide receiver Chad Johnson was fined for tweeting during an NFL preseason game. Running back Rashard Mendenhall was criticized for his controversial 9/11 tweets.

            The issues of social media are not limited to professional athletes. Even collegiate and high school athletes have been affected by social networking. Former high school football player Yuri Wright faced scrutiny for a twitter issue. The Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ) cornerback tweeted provocative and derogatory tweets during his senior year. Wright was expelled from Don Bosco Prep and lost scholarships from Notre Dame, Rutgers, and Michigan. Wright currently plays at Colorado, but lost out on an opportunity to play at a national powerhouse program due to the misuse of social networking.

 

(courtesy of beermugsports.com)

A positive aspect is the ability for coaches to scout out players through sites like YouTube. Athletes can upload their high light tapes and add commentary/music for a modern appeal. Certain highlight tapes gain followers and are spread across media networking sites, helping boost a player’s chance of getting recruited.

            Social Media has become a crucial part of sports. Over 80% of people monitor social media while watching sports at home… nearly 60% monitor social media at live sports games. Doing so creates social media “outbursts”. For instance, Tim Tebow threw a touchdown pass to beat the Steelers in the playoffs…he broke a record for tweets gaining 9,000 a second pertaining the incident. Current Houston Rockets Point Guard Jeremy Lin gained 550,000 twitter followers during the “Linsanity” craze.

            The issues of social media and sports are diverse and plentiful. There are positive aspects of social media and there are sides that seem detrimental to professional athletics. A balance seems necessary; however obtaining such equilibrium is not easy.

 

 

Works Cited

• “How Social Media Has Changed The Sports World.” Social Media Coach For Athletes RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.
• MarketShare. “The Lines Between Social Media And Sports Continue To Blur.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 13 Feb. 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.

“Socialympics: How Social Media and Blogging Has Boosted Sports Media.” Convince and Convert Social Media Strategy and Content Marketing Strategy

Extended Weekend Playlist

The weekend is basically here and that calls for a playlist. Some bangers to get you going and ready for some good times. A little bit of everything to get the good times rolling. Enjoy.

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New Hype: Chuck Da Ruckus

I have been looking for a new artist that I could just jam too on replay all day. It’s been a long time since someone’s hit me like that, but I really dig this kid Chuck Da Ruckus (CDR). CDR, who’s real name is William Twyman, is a 6’2” 230lb linebacker who plays for Brown (pretty smart guy). Chuck balances school, football, and music dropping bangers like “Friday Night Fade” (Check it out here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goTXPUZlt1U). CDR switches it up with the serious track “Most Consistent”. He displays a smooth lyrical attack that is paired with a clean beat. CDR is a fresh face with huge potential. Once his songs get a little more hype he’ll blow up. Check out Chuck’s facebook page here http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chuck-Da-Ruckus/368056456603475?fref=ts

T.G.I.F Playlist and News

It’s Friday and time for a weekend playlist to get you going. I have some throwbacks and new jams mixed in. The playlist is as followed: “Guap” by Big Sean, “Do My Dance” Tyga ft. 2 Chainz, “Fantasy” by Mariah Carey, “Die Young Reidiculous Remix”, “Tipsy (Candyland OG Remix), “I’m Not Your Hero” Tegan and Sara, “Swimming Pools Bird Peterson Remix” Kendrick Lamar, “Burn It All” The Dean’s List, “Ride” Lana Del Rey, “National Anthem Remix” Lana Del Rey ft. Tensnake, “Raging Silhouettes” Kap Slap ft Avicii, Ralvero, “Action” Terror Fabulous ft Nadine Sutherland. A good mix to get you pumped for the weekend. In other news, I am disappointed Big Sean pushed back his debut for Hall of Fame. He is aiming for a release sometime in early 2013. In sporting news, Miguel Cabrera took home the AL MVP… congrats bud. Sad news that Hostess has gone out of business… Twinkies can survive nuclear bombs, but they fell victim to a bakers fall out. 

 

Featured Artist: Big K.R.I.T.

It has been a while since I wrote a featured artist piece. I personally chose Big K.R.I.T. because I am a huge fan of the Meridian, Mississippi MC. Big K.R.I.T.’s bio on Def Jam Recordings starts with a statement that defines the 24 year old rapper… “It is rare to find an artist who has both age and wisdom on his side.” K.R.I.T. was born Justin Scott, and grew up admiring soul singers. As he grew up he turned to hip-hop gravitating towards southern rap icons like  8Ball & MJG, UGK, Scarface and OutKast. K.R.I.T. grew up with baseball aspirations, however he saw more promise in hip-hop.

Originally K.R.I.T wanted to be called Kritikal. He changed it to K.R.I.T. (King Remembered In Time) when he moved to Atlanta to get a better chance at breaking into the rap scene. Things looked tough at first, but Johnny Shipes reached out to K.R.I.T. and offered to work with him for six months “no paperwork”. K.R.I.T. teamed with Shipes and Cinematic Music Group. After producing and dropping a few songs, K.R.I.T. garnered attention from Sha Money. Sha Money was impressed and signed K.R.I.T. to Def Jam.

K.R.I.T. went on to drop the mixtape K.R.I.T. Wuz Here. The mixtape gained much critical acclaim, which led to some opening acts for artists like Wiz Khalifa. K.R.I.T. went on to drop ReturnOf4eva. ReturnOf4eva  was praised by numerous artists, fans, and critics. ReturnOf4eva was followed by 4eva n a day. 4eva n a day received solid reviews as well. His studio album Live From The Underground was released in June of 2012. K.R.I.T. teamed up with stars like Bun B and Big Boi. Ludacris and 2Chainz also made appearances on K.R.I.T.’s debut album.

K.R.I.T. has a flow that is unparalleled. It is so smooth and on point. K.R.I.T. has a souther drawl that compliments his traditional down south beats. K.R.I.T. has gained much respect in a short amount of time. Artists respect his production skill and musical genius. K.R.I.T. will most certainly live up to his acronym if he continues this path.

Top 5 Big K.R.I.T. Songs

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Music Mayhem… The Voice Says Farewell To Brandon Mahone

I was upset to see my favorite contestant on The Voice, Brandon Mahone, get sent home. Mahone duked it out with veteran singer Nicole Nelson. Coach Adam Levine chose “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”for the two strong singers. Adam was worried with Brandon’s confidence. Performing on such a big stage is very nerve racking, however I don’t feel that Mahone lacks any confidence. According to his background, he has overcome adversities and is a proven singer with natural talent. Mahone puts full effort into his passion. I personally feel that Mahone was too talented for Levine to coach. Adam could only push him so far. Mahone has so much natural ability. He is self driven and will have no problem succeeding in the music industry. Mahone is so young and has not reached his peak yet. I was in Detroit a few times this summer, and happened to get a chance to visit the Motown Museum and embrace the Motown scene. I can certainly attest that Mahone is a throwback with modern style and old world charm. He has the look, motivation, and talent to succeed. Follow Mahone on twitter to stay updated with his career @BrandonsDreamz. (Note: Nicole Nelson is an excellent singer as well…no credit should be taken away from her for this weeks victory). Mahone will be doing big things in the near future. He is a respectable young singer with faith in his loving mother, god, and his music. Best wishes to Brandon Mahone.

Brandon Mahone 17 Year Old Chicago Native

Mahone’s Rendition of “I Wish It Would Rain”

Temptations Original Version

It’s very easy to tell Mahone brings a lot to each performance. I got chills from his audition. After a sad event with a girl I recently had I listened to it and felt the emotion. Kudos to Mahone for making it as far as he did. Big things to come for him.

Why Justin Verlander Won Already…

He’s going out with Kate Upton! Obviously that’s a major win right there… probably second best prize next to Cabrera’s Triple Crown. The Tiger’s ace was rumored to be dating Upton. The rumor was debunked by none other than Verlander’s grandfather, who approves (when grandpa approves you know you got a good catch). Upton is a Michigan native who has been spotted at Tiger’s games. She starred in a MLB 2K12 ad with Verlander. She denied him access to the Perfect Game Club…apparently there’s nothing wrong with his “game” though. Kudos to Verlander. Hopefully he can get a real win tonight against a Yankees lineup that has struggled to hit this post-season.

Celebrate…it’s worth it