Professional Athletes
T
Story by H.Gore
Athletes
Online
playing a prank on a teammate. The numh e ber of people followprofessional ing him on Twitter is athlete has nearing a million. Working The Web evolved over Some question the the years; they value of having 24/7 acare bigger, fastcess to our sports stars. er, stronger, and Do we really need or want much more media to see Dhani Jones touring savvy. The physical the planet? Should Charlie Vilchanges can be explained by lanueva be tweeting at halftime advances in training, nutrition, or listening to his coach’s second and a dedication to their sport spurred half strategy? The athlete doesn’t have by incredible salaries. Taking control of a problem with either case, because the their image happened due to necessity. bottom line is it’s still information that Back in the proverbial day, they’re choosing to release. masses. Hello, Internet. athletes and reporters had a working Being able to control the infor Serena Williams, Curt Schilunderstanding of one another, leading mation that goes to the public doesn’t ling, Shaquille O’Neal, and Gilbert to more access for the writers and betalways work out well for the athlete. Arenas are among the wave of athletes ter exposure for the players. Journalists Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks, that have embraced the new media covering Babe Ruth traveled with the Martellus Bennett of the Dallas Cowmovement. Some, like Williams and Yankees by train and intentionally igboys, and UFC President Dana White Kobe Bryant, use personal Web sites. nored The Sultan of Swat’s late-night inhave all come under fire for controverAthletes like Arenas, and Donovan Mcdiscretions while deifying him in print. sial videos posted on YouTube.com. Nabb blog, while Chris Bosh uses YouThe days of writers and athletes being Arizona Cardinals backup quarterback Tube. One way or the other, athletes are partners are long gone. As Matt Leinart had his dedicasports have grown into a biltion to football questioned “A popular athlete having marital problion dollar industry, the two when pictures of him partysides have become adversaring with coeds surfaced on lems? Better get this in the paper. Star ies. Facebook. player in a bar? The world needs to know It seems that reThe athletes are willsentment of the athletes by ing to take the occasional about this.” the media increased as the bad with the overall good player’s wages grew. What before was that comes from accepting and using reaching the public while cutting out considered personal or not newsworthy new forms of media. There’s a major the traditional media middleman. became the stories that reporters were difference between embarrassing your One of the biggest users of the looking for. A popular athlete having self and having someone go out of their new digital media is the NBA’s Shamarital problems? Better get this in the way to make you look bad. We still quille O’Neal. Shaq has always underpaper. Star player in a bar? The world need traditional media to report on the stood how to handle journalists, but needs to know about this. games and serve as watchdogs over the he has added life to the final years of The changes in the mindset of leagues, but when it comes to finding his career by using the Internet. Shaq the media made many athletes look for out about the players, it’s always best to has shot videos of himself dancing with alternative methods of reaching the go directly to the source. his kids, romancing a doughnut, and SPRING 2009 theCROWNmag
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