First it was Chad Ochocinco (aka Johnson, aka 85), then it was 2010 recruit Kyrie Irving, and then last night Duke guard, Nolan Smith, took his turn. Certainly there are other athletes out there doing it, but Smith is the first ACC athlete to step into the realm of which this author is aware. The latest craze has athletes connecting with fans in Q & A sessions with both parties in their own living rooms. Never has connecting with an athlete been so easy and casual, but the question is, where are pitfalls of such an activity?
A few things to consider...
- The casual setting could lead to a player dropping his guard and making a mistake. Just as the NFL is taking note of Twitter actions, you can be sure that each college institution will be monitoring their players closely. A slip of the mouth would quickly be broadcasted throughout social networks and put both player and school in hot water.
- These online interactions are also another example of players cutting off the media. Why get the news from a 3rd party when the source is on your computer?
- The ease of broadcasting online could lead to more live events online. What if Bob Gibbons decided to broadcast every game of his holiday tournament on ustream.tv?
- We are only at the beginning of this craze, what becomes of this next? Technology would allow these web shows to happen anywhere an internet signal can be reached. How long until this makes it into pickup games, locker rooms, or practices? Is that unrealistic?
Where do you stand on this topic? Let us know in the comments.
