NBA Player Fined For Sending A Happy Twitter Message Too Soon
from the seems-a-bit-pricey dept
We've noted that the NFL has instituted its own overly restrictive social media policy that limits how and when players can send Twitter messages, but I hadn't realized that the NBA had done something similar as well. Unfortunately, it looks like Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks ran afoul of those rules and was fined $7,500 for a single Twitter message. What awful thing did he say? Well, he was actually just happy about a victory:"Back to 500. Yess!!! "500" means where doing good. Way to Play Hard Guys."Seems like the sort of thing the NBA should be encouraging. It's a nice connection with fans, who feel that they're getting in on some of the excitement from a player they like. So, what was the problem? Well, the NBA "rules" say no Twittering until after the media sessions are done after the game. So, basically, he was too anxious to spread the excitement to his fans. And this is fine-worthy? It's hard to make sense of a policy that tells players not to connect with fans, and not to let them in on the excitement.
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Filed Under: brandon jennings, social media, twitter
Companies: nba, twitter
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Oh, I agree it'll change, though I think you're perhaps not giving the old farts enough credit. They understand social networking just fine, but they still have the early 00's NBA press conferences seared into their mind's eye. This all stems from their need to get a stranglehold on a bunch of mush mouth, profanity spewing thugs that couldn't figure out how to dress appropriately for their press conferences.
They also understand the original social networking of the NBA: gang affiliation.
This anti-Twittering stance will go away once the old guard of thugs have left the NBA and the only players that remain were indoctrinated into the new suit and tie NBA way of thinking.
Basically, once Allen Iverson retires....
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It would be easy to ban the use of social networks to spew profanity and promote gangs. But instead they ban all use, even when the player is saying something good. That proves my point. Rather than look at it rationally and ban the misappropriate uses and allow the positive uses, they ignorantly put limits on all uses.
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The ban would be easy, but would leave the door open too much for their to be gray area abuse. Instituting overbearing and absolute rules in a workplace is stupid, as any business management professor will tell you....unless of course you have an immature workforce, as that same professor will say.
I'm having a hard time thinking of a much more immature workforce than the NBA....
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Most sports leagues and associations ban coaches and players from bad mouthing refs after the game. They do not ban coaches and players from praises refs. But yet, despite this "gray area" the ban still works. The same thing could be done with Twitter, but they're simply too ignorant to do so.
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Agreed. Moving on....
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He may be, but that wasn't the point. When you have an immature workforce, you don't make rules for the exception, you make rules for the majority of your workforce. These strict rules on social media seem to be put in place because of the Iversons/Artests/Noahs/etc....
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NBA is struggling mightily to put fannies in the seats. This policy does not help its image.
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your team must suck.
And as far as the twitter. Its all about money. The media has first rights as to what a player has to say, not twitter.
It's not brains urgery, but you quite obviously haven't a clue.
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Of course the fine is valid
Many organizations have restrictions on media contact of any sorts until after the "game time" is over, and that includes the press conference period after the game. NASCAR routinely levies very huge fines for drivers who don't make it to the post race press conference, and can even fine the drivers for comments made during those interviews.
$7500 is a pretty light fine for a guy making millions playing a kids game. Next time he can keep his handheld in his pocket until everything is over.
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Re: Of course the fine is valid
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Just another peek into the future
The government may not be able to make laws restricting your speech, but corporations can certainly fine you for speaking when they do not permit you to do so.
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The NBA, NFL, Nascar etc... could truly care less about what players may be twittering. The reality is that they have all sorts of contracts and deals with vendors, media outlets, municipalities, owners, investors and others that stipulate the "rules" about everything from access to the players, the league's message, the marketing of games, likenesses, their image etc etc etc etc etc.... It is all in the name of who cashes in first on these things. So if player A wants to tweet that he dunked the shit out the ball in the 4th quarter, he can, but not until after the moguls who own the team, the media who need to sell ad time to boost the falling ratings of whatever show they are gonna be broadcasting Player A's interview on, the advertisers and other hangers on who cash in on every facet of the game and the players makes THEIR money. Then and only then are the slaves who dunk the ball, run the touchdowns, hit the homers, sink the puts, or drive faster than the rest of the crowd allowed to speak about something that the world no longer needs to hear. Money and the power to control the message. That is what 99% of all things in this world seem to be about in the end.
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Brandon Jennings
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Brandon Jennings
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