Twitter: just a bit of sport…
By Sam Chimes
Mashable’s Ben Parr has posted an interesting article that relates to a Twitter spat between two NBA stars.
The incident in question has seen the man mountain Shaq ‘dissing’ Orlando’s ace Dwight Howard. The taunts, that included this gem, are not really the reason Ben has decided to discuss the barney, instead focussing on how Twitter is changing the media landscape for those at the top in the world of sport.
Citing examples that include Lance Armstrong announcing the birth of his son via the micro-blogging tool, Ben sees the ‘direct line of communication’ Twitter offers as a major factor in its pervasiveness,
“Shaq, who is not one to shy away from practically anything, has embraced this new line of communication to let his thoughts and feelings be known, and the same goes for dozens of other sports figures. From Mark Cuban (basketball) to Shaun White (skateboarding), the allure of direct communication has helped spur Twitter adoption.”
Of course what is missing here is the third party, what is (or even was) mainstream media. No longer does a sports star with an opinion need to be quoted to reach millions; he can simply do it himself – which, if you like your sporting heroes unmediated, is a brave new world…
