As I write this, I’m amazed that I could simultaneously post a message on my Twitter account that reads: Writing a new post for Scores Report. Very excited. Still haven’t showered. The thing is, while I’m in awe of the technology, I’m not overly excited about it. I could never fathom why anybody would want to know what I’m doing throughout my day. I imagine that my friends (or “followers”) would finish reading my “tweet,” and have the mental thought of, “God, what a loser. Why would he post this?” Maybe not. However, after reading various friends’ and professional athletes’ Twitter posts, I’m always let down. What was I expecting? These people are just as boring or normal as I am. Instead of sitting here reading what other people are doing, I could be doing something more constructive. So, no, I don’t have a Twitter account. I don’t have a MySpace page or a Facebook account, either. If friends want to know what I’m doing, they can hit me up on my pager. Just kidding. Nevertheless, I do see the upside of certain sports figures posting frequent updates about the state of their teams or careers. It’s just when it borders on the excruciatingly mundane or stupid that I yearn for the days of the telegram.
Upside
On April 24th, those who checked Lance Armstrong’s Twitter learned that French anti-doping authorities had thankfully dropped charges against the cyclist that could have banned him from the Tour de France. Really think about that for a second. This information, which is important to so many people, was available before any media outlet could report it. Yes, blogs have shown the ability to run news and rumors more quickly than traditional media, but Twitter reveals “stories” first-hand, because it comes straight from the horse’s mouth. I think that’s incredible. Of course, there are two sides to every coin, and what one athlete “tweets” can obviously contradict a more truthful report – the kind television and newspaper journalists spend hours putting together. In a society of whirlwind information, we need those institutions now more than ever. Anybody who’s seen Season 5 of “The Wire” can attest to this statement. Although, blogs and now Twitter provide instantaneous content, those who operate them understand their audience and the “quick fix” it expects. What I appreciate about newspapers is the fact that they compile information from a myriad of sources before presenting this data in a single story. Still, it’s only a matter of time before ESPN starts a show called “The Chirp” (or something equally insipid) that does a run down of the best of athletes’ Twitter accounts. If not, they’ll at least include it in their rolling crawl at the bottom of the screen.
