To Tweet or Not to Tweet

ZBU: To tweet or not to tweet is a thought that has become as prevalent as the famous Shakespeare quote once was. Thanks to social media, spur of the moment thoughts and instant reactions can be broadcast to the world. For an average guy like you or me, usually about 40 people in the world actually read what we have to say. For pro athletes, however, no matter how popular they are, thousands of people read every little thing they tweet and the more controversial the statement, the more publicity it gets. This of course is not rocket science and comes with the territory of being famous.

 It was no surprise then when Miami Dolphins safety Don Jones got destroyed by fans and media this week after tweeting "horrible" and "OMG" upon seeing Michael Sam, the NFL's first openly gay player, kiss his boyfriend after being drafted.

Now, to tweet or not to tweet is definitely a thought Jones should have had but clearly didn't. Nothing positive could have come from making such a discriminatory statement this day and age. I do, however, wonder if I agree with the Miami Dolphins then fining Jones, making him apologize and take educational classes. I understand that he represents the Dolphins brand and if we broadcast the companies we work for on social media and made comments like his, our companies would probably take action as well. But I guess what I'm getting at is if we are going to allow social media to exist and provide us with others' instant emotions and reactions, how can we regulate and verbally crucify people for what they have to say? Jones reacted to something not natural in his mind and (granted in a very juvenile way) he reacted. Should he have thought twice and kept those thoughts to himself? Probably. But should he have to? I don't know. There was a time when Michael Sam would have been forced to keep such a picture private. Who gets to play dictator and decide what thoughts and pictures should and shouldn't be revealed to the world? Just because someone has an unfavorable and even ignorant opinion that most won't agree with, does that mean he should not be entitled to one at all? An even better question is if social media didn't provide an outlet for virtual mobs to attack someone's opinion would the Dolphins even have taken such swift face-saving actions?  There are only opinions to serve as answers to these questions but when Hamlet asked whether or not he should be, I don't think he was worried about what everyone else thought he should do. So I guess in my opinion, to tweet or not to tweet is to be or not to be and that my friend is the question.

PAV: Love the Shakespearean analogy. What this issue comes down to is the Dolphins saving face, as you said. They can't continue successfully as a brand while allowing one of their employees to be outwardly homophobic. If they allow the tweet to go unpunished, then they are enablers of ignorance and society doesn't like institutions like that. What they did was best for their brand, even though they are essentially impeaching on said player's constitutional and sovereign rights. I don't think anyone's opinion should be regulated and at the same time I don't think opinions like Don Jones or Don Sterling's should be taken seriously. There are obviously people in the world who feel a certain way about things they are either ignorant to or afraid of, i.e. black people and gays.

The official statement from the Miami Dolphins and LA Clippers should be "Who cares what these two-bit scum bags think of black men and gay men. They don't speak for our organization as a whole and never will." I realize Donald Sterling, as an owner, essentially speaks directly for his organization, but his opinion is his opinion and he has no power to turn anyone away from the gates at the Staples Center.

To answer your question: Tweet. Tweet away until you are only followed by the ignorant few who share your idiotic ideals. The rest of us will continue to adapt to a changing and improving world. You can stay dumb.

Perspective for Once

PAV: So this really small thing got me kind of revved up about a topic I don't think gets mentioned enough. I was checking the postgame stats for the Miami Heat's thrashing of Charlotte on Sat., April 29. The recaps on the Yahoo! Sports app have user created video loops. Not only are these mini-highlights created by users, they are also commented on. One intelligent young lass, referring to herself as "Elsie" took this opportunity to make a very bold character distinction between Michael Jordan and King James, saying, "LeBron is an all around better player and better human being than MJ will ever be."

"People" like "Elsie" demonstrate the ignorance created by extreme fandom and the anonymous nature of social media. The extreme fandom creates a false intimacy between fans and athletes. This woman has never met Michael Jordan or LeBron James, yet she feels the need to make sure everyone reading her comment knows that MJ is not a good person. She feels protected by the internet and can pass any sort of character evaluation she chooses because of that protection. This hits me on a deeper level...

Disclaimer: this next paragraph is going to seem unrelated until very late in the process. Stick with me.

I watch a series called "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" on crackle.com. Its basically Jerry Seinfeld picking up his comedian friends in a beautiful vintage car and taking them to breakfast. The interactions are nothing but organic and the laughs are certainly genuine, which is why I'm drawn to the show. I recommend it even if you aren't a Seinfeld fan. In an episode last season, Jerry picks up Michael Richards (Kramer from Seinfeld for those of you born after 2001). During their conversation Richards reveals that he has struggled mightily after a racist tirade directed toward an audience member during a stand-up show in 2006 (if you watch this video just know its obscene and offensive, but you should gain some perspective from it). Seinfeld and Richards talk about the importance of coming from a place of selflessness. Seinfeld says "you have to free yourself...we are just raindrops on a windshield." His message is that we need to stop focusing on the judgement and gain awareness. If "Elsie" would just appreciate the entertainment and athleticism provided by both MJ and LeBron, she wouldn't be angry at the former for letting her down at some point to the degree that she feels the need to call him a "bad person." Take things at face value. Appreciate whatever happens to be in front of you right now. If you ever stop doing that, step back and check your perspective.

ZBU: A lack of perspective and a false sense of intimacy are definitely two of the biggest negative by-products brought to us by technology and social media.  There are "Elsies" with opinions all over the internet who sadly truly believe some of the crap they are saying. I would love to see how they would react if their every move was dissected and mocked. "Nice presentation Elsie...too bad you're overpaid and will never have as much talent as Bill up in accounting. His presentations are Hall of Fame caliber."   Maybe that is the only way they would actually gain some perspective... and I may have just come up with the next big reality show. Gain some Perspective.

Anyways, a point I want to make that I believe is often overlooked is that athletes and celebrities endure a lot of anger and stress due to social media. Sure we hear about the catastrophic blow ups like Michael Richards and I know they get paid millions of dollars but I think there needs to be more praise for those who do have perspective and don't let "Elsies" get them down. Last week, Dan Patrick interviewed the Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday and they discussed some of the negative tweets he's been getting by people who own him on their fantasy baseball teams. Holliday laughed and said he understands it because he's a big fantasy football player who of course hates when his team loses. He went on to say that he's trying really hard and can hopefully get some points for owners soon. His playful mocking tone was a great example of a nonchalant way to deal with the fanatics who feel they are entitled to say what they want. Holliday is a guy who has perspective and refuses to let random people online ruin his day. There will probably always be "Elsies" trolling online, but maybe approaches like Holliday's will eventually allow them to see just how ridiculous they are being.