Please don’t curse that boy down there; He is my son, you see; He’s only just a boy you know, But he means the world to me. I did not raise my son, dear fan, For you to call him names; He may not be a super-star But these are just games. You don’t know those boys down there, They do the best they can; They’ve never tried to lose a match, They’re boys and you’re a fan. This match belongs to them, you see, You’re really just a guest, They do not need a fan that gripes, They need the very best. If you have nothing nice to say, Please leave the boys alone, And, if you’re forgotten your manners, Then please just stay at home. So, please don’t curse those boys down there, They’ll hustle ‘til they’re done, And win or lose or tie, you see, To us, they’re number one! The black ink filled the back page of the programs handed to fans in attendance. Each word pleading with them to practice good sportsmanship. The majority of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and fellow classmates screamed only in applause. However, not everyone adhered to the words above. It has been over 10 years since I stepped foot on a high school basketball court, but I still remember the words from the poem above. I still see the poem on sports programs from time to time, though not as often. While it serves only as a suggestion to how one should act, it is a powerful piece if you put yourself in the shoes of the parent narrating it. How would you want someone speaking to your son? These are the words I imagine echoing from Ted and Kathy Skowron's lips. I imagine a single tear falling to the ground as the final sentence escapes. They embrace in a rather emotional hug, consoling one another and promising everything will be ok. They find their son, Casey, and assure him he's still their number one. University of Arizona placekicker Casey Skowron missed a potential game-winning field goal in the Wildcats 28-26 loss against USC on Saturday night. (If you haven't seen it, a link to the video can be found here.) It was his third missed attempt that evening. As you can imagine, fans were not pleased with the outcome of the contest and much of their frustration was directed toward #41, Casey Skowron. It's not fair. It's not right. It's the world we live in today. I knew there would be backlash following the missed 36-yard attempt Saturday night. I expected to see Twitter explode with negative comments. In all reality, Casey Skowron probably expected it too. Though I guarantee it was the last thing on his mind. Some of the feedback was pretty straight-forward. Some of the comments were more derogatory. The most disgusting, despicable, and outrageously inappropriate tweet toward Casey Skowron went after his entire family. It doesn't matter if Casey Skowron misses a potential National Championship-clinching kick, no college athlete, hell no athlete at any level should receive comments like these. Many sports fans have taken to Twitter to express their excitement following big plays or victories. Sadly, others have begun to use it as a negative outlet. Some, as witnessed above, have gone beyond negativity and straight to atrocious. On a positive note, many Wildcat fans have defended Skowron. Teammate Austin Hill did so immediately after the loss at the post-game press conference. "I told him I still love him and he's my boy," Hill declared to reporters. University of Arizona athletic director Greg Byrne shared a similar message via Twitter: Casey Skowron will move on from these disastrous events. He will eventually forget about the threats and the Twitter backlash. Hell, he may kick a 46-yard game-winning field goal against Washington State on October 25. I wonder what kind of response that would get?
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It wasn't all that long ago, but I barely remember what life as a sports fan was like before March 21, 2006. Internet gurus know this as the official creation date of Twitter, the online social networking service used by 274 million people across the world. What Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone and Noah Glass likely didn't imagine on that day eight years ago, is how their creation would impact the life of a sports fan. If you are a member of Twitter, odds are you "follow" at least one account associated with sports. It may be your favorite sports team, a beat writer for a particular program, or even the local TV station or newspaper that offers updates on sporting events. Media members are now required to have Twitter accounts. Most are also expected to be fluent in Facebook, Google+, YouTube and so on. The reasons are justifiable. Multiple studies have shown that roughly half of all Twitter users receive some form of news on their "timeline" throughout the day. According to a 2012 GMR study, "people are 10 times more likely to check the internet for breaking sports news than they are to turn to sports radio." The study went on to say more people used Twitter and Facebook than news websites. That was two years ago. In today's world a person can easily access many varieties of news. Breaking news updates are readily available. Injury reports from athletic teams are posted near-daily. Sports scores can fill a timeline on busy weekends. But how much is too much? Journalists are constantly updating their Twitter (or Facebook) pages and sports reporters may be the busiest in the business. Thumbs across the country are flying across iPhone screens on Friday nights during high school football season. Saturdays and Sundays can be nearly as filling. A person will find many styles of social media reporting when it comes to live sporting events. There appears to be no right or wrong way to update live action sports. Some journalists, particularly the beat reporters, will provide a play-by-play experience of the game. Others offer scoring updates only. Some choose to keep friends and followers in the loop after each quarter or half. Again, there is arguably no correct way for tweeters to keep their followers entertained. But how much is too much? Play-by-play updates are extremely helpful if a fan is not at the game or away from their television or radio. I know a large number of sports fans that like to stay in the know of rival sports teams by way of scoring updates. Facebook users in particular seem to prefer less content clogging their feed. I follow a handful of Twitter users that provide the play-by-play variety of games. Here in Tucson, Daniel Berk and Jason Scheer do a great job with the Arizona Wildcats, offering insight and the occasional humor. Greg Rachac and Colter Nuanez still keep me interested in the Montana Grizzlies and Montana State Bobcats. Personally, I prefer to receive updates after "big plays" during games - scoring during football, dunks in basketball and so on. As a sports reporter, I usually find myself on the sideline and don't need a play-by-play take of a game. But I can see where other users would find such a thing beneficial. It is up to each social media user to decide who to follow on Twitter or which Facebook page to like. I consistently keep my followers entertained with updates I imagine I would like to know about. But remember, thumbs only fly across the screen so fast. -Richie |
AuthorRichie is a small-town boy chasing big-city dreams. When he's not involved with sports, he's spending time with his wife, Fallon; their yorkie, Tinker; and their Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rosie. Archives
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