A few characters can mean a lot for professional athletes

Nick Swisher

Social media has been a topic of debate over the past few years for professional athletes. What puzzles many is the fact that things so small and unrelated to anything can stir up much controversy. Messages posted on Twitter or Facebook have worked very well for certain players, while other athletes have made poor decisions when posting a message. The fans really make the judgement of whether the message is appropriate, and even if it is simply a “joke” for the athletes, some fans don’t think of it like that.

Chad Ochocinco, a wide receiver who at the time played for the Cincinnati Bengals, has made a number of bad decisions over the years while playing in the NFL. During a simple harmless preseason game in 2010, he made another. While sitting out of the game, Ochocinco sent a tweet. The NFL does not allow a player to use social media during the game. Ochocinco was fined $25,000 for his act.

Athletes also have become very popular on Facebook or Twitter. Nick Swisher, a right fielder for the New York Yankees, currently has about 1,430,000 followers. He has interacted well with fans and knows what to say and what not to say. Swisher tweets all the time. He also is a huge supporter of stopping cancer which makes his popularity extremely high.

Social media is something that has hurt some players, while others have had great success with it. If it is possibly going to cost the athlete $125,000, maybe it just isn’t right for some players. Communicating with others who do not share that personality can be damaging to both the player and the fan.