Video Project Details
For my project, I wanted to show how the sports world is using social media. I wanted to specifically address the positive and negative ways in which athletes have adapted to the use of Twitter. I also wanted to present the different ways that social media is being used and addressed by broader organizations such as the NFL and the NBA. I believe that the use of social media by professional athletes has changed the way fans idolize their sports icons. By giving athletes a direct un-filtered media source, fans have begun to know their favorite athletes on a more personal level. The direct access that social media allows can help or hurt an athlete’s career. I believe that because social media is relatively new to sports public relations, some athletes don’t fully understand it as an information medium. Through my video I wanted to demonstrate the damage that an insensitive tweet can have on an athlete’s career. I also wanted to show the positive impact that frequent use of social media can have for athletes from a business perspective. When demonstrating the negative consequences of Twitter I chose Antonio Cromartie’s tweet concerning the New York Jets food services because on the surface it does not appear to be an extremely disrespectful comment. But because Cromartie used Twitter to publish his thoughts for the world to see, he felt the negative consequences. I also chose Michael Beasley because it demonstrated how a Twit-pic can also hold negative consequences. I think Rashard Mendenhall’s comments would cause an uproar using any medium, but I included him because it shows how an irresponsible tweet can impact players from a business perspective. When looking at the positive aspects of social media, I felt that Shaquille O’Neal embodied the best use of Twitter. Shaq not only uses social media as a way to connect with fans, but his use of Twitter has also increased his value in the eyes of potential endorsement deals. The ultimate goal of my video is to enlighten athletes and fans on the way in which twitter affects sports icons and their image as role models.
References
Associated Press. "Milwaukee Bucks Tell Charlie Villanueva Not to Twitter during Games Anymore - ESPN." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. 18 Mar. 2009. Web. <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3990853>.
Geraci, Mike. "Social Media Allows Pro-Athletes to Flip the Script on Sponsor Relationships." Verde PR and Consulting. 19 Jan. 2011. Web. <http://verdepr.com/blog/?p=1319>.
Heath, Travis. "Social Media and Athletes as Role Models." Gameonnation.com. 1 Oct. 2010. Web. <http://www.gameonnation.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=39:travis-heath-entry-one&catid=22:featurednews&Itemid=36>.
McCarthy, Michael. "Rashard Mendenhall Fired by Champion over Osama Bin Laden Tweets - Game On!: Covering the Latest Sports News." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. 5 May 2011. Web. <http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2011/05/rashard-mendenhall-fired-by-champion-over-osama-bin-laden-comments/1>.
Petchesky, Barry. "NFLPA's Labor Strategy Involves Liberal Use Of Twitter Hashtags." Deadspin, Sports News without Access, Favor, or Discretion. 17 Jan. 2011. Web. <http://deadspin.com/#!5735860/nflpas-labor-strategy-involves-liberal-use-of-twitter-hashtags>.
Reid, Jason. "Rashard Mendenhall's Mistake Teaches Athletes to Type at Their Own Risk." The Washington Post. 7 May 2011. Web. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/wizards/derrick_rose_relied_on_family_to_become_league_mvp/2011/05/05/AF5rTmKG_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage>.
Stein, Marc. "NBA Dunks Tweeting, Social Media during Games - ESPN." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. 30 Sept. 2009. Web. <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4520907>.
Sutherland, Joel. "Want to Learn How to Market on Twitter Effectively? Watch Shaquille O'Neal." New Media Campaigns | Web Design, Agency Partnerships, Online Experts. 26 Feb. 2009. Web. <http://www.newmediacampaigns.com/page/shaq-teaches-twitter-marketing>.
Thomaselli, Rich. "When Tweeting Athletes Turn Into League Liabilities." Advertising Age 80.37 (2009): 4-5. ProQuest. Web. <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdlink?Ver=1&Exp=05-06-2016&FMT=7&DID=1919058721&RQT=309&clientId=48067>.
Yuscavage, Chris. "Tweet Downs: The Dumb Things Athletes Say on Twitter." Drjays.com. 31 Aug. 2010. Web. <6. http://live.drjays.com/index.php/2010/08/31/tweet-downs-the-dumb-things-athletes-say-on-twitter/>.
Introduction:
- Ask question of social media’s impact on athletic imagery. (Has social media changed athletes, or has it changed the way fans view athletes?)
-Establish the image of athletes prior to social media using video coverage of the “role model” athlete. (Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, “Mean Joe-Green”, etc.)
- Transition into modern athletic video clips. (Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, etc.)
Body:
-Chop up Lebron James’, “Role Model” Nike commercial. (Highlight elements pertaining to his imagery as villainous icon).
-Chop up Tim Tebows’, “They Said” FRS energy drink commercial. (Highlight elements pertaining to his struggle for success as an evolving role model).
-Present recent athletic regulations pertaining to social media use by athletes. (NBA’s ban on texting during games).
- Show the evolution of athletic imagery through social media. (Highlight tweets that humanize athletes).
Conclusion :
Conclusion :
-Re-establish original claim that athletic imagery has shifted. (Visually compare and contrast former/modern athletes as “role models” via news/video clips).
- Fade out while raising the question, “Have our heroes become...people?"
The idea behind my project is that I believe the iconic image of athletes has shifted because of the advent of social media. Current players and their use of social media such as twitter, facebook, and etc. have enabled their fans to evaluate their “role models” not only on terms of talent, but also personality and morality. Former athletes had the ability to acquire a larger fan base because of their humanistic anonymity. The current athlete who uses social media has surrendered this anonymity in exchange for a more personal voice, which I believe, has ultimately in most cases limited their fan base potential. By allowing fans to grade the players on more than just their talent, social media has empowered fans with the ability to choose their idol based on personality traits. Current athletes are now burdened with the damage a tweet can do to their brand and their image as a whole. Although some players such as Shaquille O’Neal have embraced social media to bolster their stardom, others have fallen victim to its negative consequences. The question still remains; has social media changed the way fans view athletes as role models? Through the development of our video, my group and I will address the progression of change and social media’s sociological impact on how idols are categorized in sports.
Up to this point my group and I have been working to highlight the evolution of social media's impact on NBA athletes. Through my trailer I looked at how public opinion has shifted through the advent of social media in terms of how we idolize our athletes. I believe that our athletic icons have fallen in terms of fan based worship, not in the athletic arena, but more as everyday individuals to look up to. I think this directly correlates to the humanizing characteristics that social media has attributed to our athletes. Fans have begun to know and understand their former idols on a more personal level. The ability to put a personality with the athlete has diluted the grandiosity of the talent itself. Through further research I plan to compare and contrast the public perception of past athletes with those of modern athletes and how that relates to Twitter. I don't believe the athletes themselves have changed. I think the way in which we choose to relate to athletes is what has changed because of social media.
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