NFL’s New Policy: Social Media Is Now A Banned Substance

It looks like Twitter, Facebook and Twitpic are now equivalent to hGH and EPO to the NFL.  They are all banned during football games for players and fans alike starting this fall.

The NFL released a new social media policy following in the steps of the initial SEC policy of restricting the use of social media during football games.

Some of the restrictions put in place include:

• Twittering during a game by either the player themselves or someone on their behalf.
• Any social media activity within 90 minutes before and after the game.
• Restriction applies to not only players, but coaches, team personnel, and officials.
• Restrictions on play-by-play descriptions of NFL games (e.g. Twittering) to only authorized media.

In the past, I have written in favor of restricting athletes from Tweeting during active games due to the effect it could have on their on-field play, but this new policy extends the restriction to those fans/journalists/gloggers who attempt to tell other people what’s going on the field using social media channels.

Part of the restriction seems to be aimed to cut off the head of one Chad OchoCinco, who was planning on having a fan flown into each game to Tweet on his behalf.  Pure marketing genius, in my mind, for a guy who understands self promotion, but in the NFL’s eyes, social media enemy No. 1.

The other part looks to keep all of those cash rich television contracts in place.  It doesn’t really matter that fans, citizen journalists, and even glogger (game bloggers) have been using social media at pre-season games with much success.

While the SEC had the wherewithall to listen and adjust their social media policy based on fan response and overall common sense, I don’t expect the NFL to make any adjustments to theirs in the near future.

Just as they already penalize an athlete’s bad behavior or for a coach’s criticism of a referee, I fully expect this policy will be enforced.

Nothing says “stop tweeting” like a $2,500 fine. Right Antonio Cromartie?

However, I don’t see this policy being enforceable on any level as it relates to fans, citizen journalists or the like, but I’m going to guess that the NFL will attempt to find some unsuspecting fan to sue to show they are serious or until they realize how counter-productive it is to try to enforce it.

In the past, fans could usually voice their displeasure through turning off the TV or not showing up at games – somewhat like what happened after the 1994 MLB Baseball strike.

However, the NFL is too big, too popular and there isn’t a competing sport at this time that frustrated fans can shift their allegience to show their contempt.  I’m sorry, but the UFL isn’t a contender at this time.

Therefore, starting this fall, NFL fans will have to just arrive at each game with their phones hidden next to their beer cans and learn how to Tweet and Facebook without getting caught.

But if you do get caught, get ready to be tested.

If it’s me, I’ll be guilty as charged.

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Steve Raquel is sports fan and an online social media expert who helps individuals and businesses navigate and succeed in leveraging social media.  He also manages the online lives of dozen of professional athletes as the VP athlete relations of FanFuego.com, an online sports social network that connects pro athletes with passionate fans. Contact Steve directly at sraquel@fanfuego.com or follow him on twitter at @sraquel.

SEC Revises Social Media Policy, Keeps Ban on MySpace and Friendster (Satire)

In an expected move, the SEC revised its social media policy that outlawed the use of all social networking during any SEC game this season. 

The revised policy, released yesterday afternoon, seemed to remove most of the social media banned restrictions.  The revised policy now allows fans to freely tweet, Facebook, and take as many photos of Heisman Throphy winner Tim Tebow or LSU running back Charles Scott with their iPhone as they want during the game. 

Video restrictions will still remain in effect.

However, in an unprecedented move, the SEC specifically left social networks MySpace and Friendster in as part of the 2009 policy ban. 

When pressed on the issue, SEC Assistant Vice Commissioner Cory Jones said, “Does it really surprise you?  Nobody goes there anyway and I had to give into CBS to keep my $3 billion TV contract.  Them fools just don’t realize how they just got their pants handed to them by some good ol’ boys.”

One senior MySpace executive, who answered anonymously for fear that Tom would defriend him, said, “Nice, kick us when we’re down why don’t you?  Facebook has already surpassed us, we’ve cut 40% of staff, and now this.  I get it.  We’re the 50-year-old has-been movie star that isn’t even on the B-list. It’s doesn’t matter anyway, we’re going to rule the music scene instead.”

Attempts to contact Friendster for a response were unsuccessful as their URL had been redirected to an adult porn site based out of Belarus.

As for the fans, emotions were mixed.  Auburn Senior Ken Moore was indifferent to the restriction.

“Mywhat?  I gave that up when I was like 13.  What’s Friendster?  I’ll have to Google that and get back to you.  All I do anyway at games is drunk tweet and take pictures of me and my buddies drinking beer. War Eagle!”

Florida State Freshman Kerry Lane was more emotional. 

“OMG, I was just on my MySpace page and I was like, so upset.  I told all of my friends from high school about it and they were like sooooo mad.  I’m totally protesting.”

The SEC doesn’t plan on making any additional changes to the social media policy this fall, except potentially adding in the inability to tweet anything with the letters C, B, and S, which CBS added in as an option for the 2010 season.

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Steve Raquel is an online social media expert who helps individuals and businesses navigate and succeed in leveraging social media.  He also manages the online lives of dozen of professional athletes as the VP athlete relations of FanFuego.com, an online sports social network that connects pro athletes with passionate fans. Contact Steve directly at sraquel@fanfuego.com or follow him on twitter at @sraquel.

SEC to Ban Social Media at Games: 4th and Dumb

Imagine walking into Gator Stadium this fall and watching Tim Tebow throwing a game winning pass at the end of overtime.  How do you celebrate in today’s age?  After hugging everyone around you and doing the chomp, you would probably take out your phone and do one or more of the following:

• Take a picture and upload it to Twitpic or Facebook
• Update your Twitter status to say ” Unbelievable Throw!  Go Gators”
• Take a video and upload it to Facebook or YouTube.

 

What if I told you that starting this fall, if you live in the SEC, you won’t be able to.

It’s true. Recently, the SEC released their policy to restrict the use of social media during any of their football games this fall.  Part of the issue is $3 billion deal that CBS has with the conference over the next 15 years according to The St Petersburg Times that gives them the only “authorized” media coverage of all SEC games.

Remember Big Brother?  He just showed up in the seat right next to you.

While I understand the agreement in principle, this policy is almost completely laughable, unenforceable, and in my opinion, creates an incredible backlash that will eventually cause the SEC to either bury the policy or publicly remove it.

Attempting to restrict 90,000 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium from being able to share their Gator passion, especially through social media, is like trying to keep a mama bear from her cubs.  I’ll paraphrase the renown philosopher Mr. T when he says, “Pity the fool who won’t let me use my I Phone…” 

In addition, how will any stadium be able to enforce this policy with any level of consistency?  How can you tell the difference of one who is checking their email or is tweeting?  Will CBS starting going after fans like the music industry did for people illegally download music?

There will be lawsuits and I’ll only guess a lot of Gator alums with a law degree that would gladly help out.  And that is only one campus.

What the SEC fails to see it is the fan is central to the enjoyment of the game and that by restricting the ability for fans to share their passion, especially through the use of social media, you’ve ruined the game experience for them.

Instead of restricting fans from being able to utilize social media, the SEC and CBS should look at ways to leverage the fans use of Twitter, TwitPic, Facebook, and YouTube to help make the fan experience even better than before. 

Get their input on a blown call via twitter, send their game winning shots to a Facebook Fan Page, or even record their post-game thoughts like a CBS reporter to YouTube that will be played that evening?

Unfortunately, since the SEC is worried more about pleasing CBS than it is the fans, they’ll find out soon enough through social media how well the policy is received…and it won’t be done in 140 characters or less.

And you can tweet me on that.

 

Steve Raquel is an online social media expert who helps manage the online lives of dozen of professional athletes as the VP athlete relations of FanFuego.com, an online sports social network that connects pro athletes with passionate fans. Contact Steve directly at sraquel@fanfuego.com or follow him on twitter at @sraquel.