Sports and Twitter: What social media means to

America’s Athletes

By Chris DeBellis

INDEX

Visual map

inform

Other media

private

Interactive

(Click the white ones!)

websites

User meaning• Athletes are able to show their fans that they

aren’t that much different than the average person through interactions, pictures, and links

• Fans have a chance to communicate with their favorite athletes in a way that they were never able to before

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4ojy4YDrFE&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=F36085B3F7077B0B

learn more about the meaning behind twitter in sports!!!

Value

valueAthletes who have become avid Tweeters such as Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco are extremely passionate about being able to connect with those outside of their immediate environment. Fan interaction is something that is taking on a new level of importance with these athletes. This has become very evident recently and is highlighted even more so through Ochocinco's tone in the video. He was distrought when he was forced to temporarily silence his Twitter. These athletes place a great deal of value in the number of followers they have, knowing that the majority of them are fans. Many have started to go above and beyond for their fans, and Chad Ochocinco is quoted as saying that he will never be too busy to let his fans know what he is doing.

Twitter united• Shaquille O’Neal of the Cleveland Cavaliers is over 2 million followers on

his Twitter

• Chad Ochocinco of the Cincinnati Bengals have recently eclipsed 400,000 followers

• Terrell Owens of the Buffalo Bills is approaching a quarter million followers

• ESPN TV show, SportsNation, allows viewers to talk sports on Twitter and chooses the very best Tweets to air on national television… The show’s Twitter has over 450,000 followers

• Interested? Check out all your favorites on Twitter-Athletes.com

Social objectstweet

respond

connect

follow

illuminate

share

inform

message

update

react

vent

learn

communicate

speak out

debate

show

contact

express

relate

bond

question

congratulate

share

Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic has shared 6 consecutive links to other sites, including a site that allows his fans to vote for

him for the 2010 NBA All-Star game

tweets

Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies tweets his fans an apology after being ejected in an Aug. 9th game

this past season

twitpics

Picture uploaded by Reggie Bush himself… caption reads “Red Bull really gives you wings! Lol!”

Dinner of Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco 11/16/09… “Chicken, rice, Jupinà, sweet plantain , cafe conleche, n a cigar “

follow

Twitter allows fans to stay up on the latest sports news and connect with their favorite athletes in ways they were previously unable to

Direct messages

Private inbox to send personal messages just like everyone is used to on Facebook!

trends

Stay current and see what everyone else is talking about whether its updates on your favorite sports team, or a major global event

Images • http://sports.popcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/chad-ocho-

cinco-johnson-things-bengals-are-good.jpg

• http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5HGoV-KZ8LQ/SkjRnhjCg6I/AAAAAAAAAZM/GoRI0_hS-7I/s400/shaq_cavs.jpg

• http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Serena-Williams-tennis-247737_400_510.jpg

• http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/gfx/baseball-justin-morneau_392.jpg

• http://scottnolansmith.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/twitter_bird.jpg