Daily Bruin senior staffers take some time out and talk Twitter. With the social networking tool, which allows users to sound off about anything in 140 characters or less, taking sports by storm, columnists Andrew Howard and Brantley Watson discuss their favorite tweeting athletes and coaches and what this means for sports.
Which athlete at UCLA provides the best and most insightful tweets on Twitter?
Howard:Nelson Rosario, hands down. iamNELLZ has added a new word to my vocabulary: HAM, which means to unleash mayhem on something/someone. I used this phrase last weekend when I texted my friend: I just went HAM on some Roscoe’s.
Watson:IamOC1, aka Randall Carroll, based on one tweet alone. I don’t necessarily agree with athletes dissing the higher-ups on the net, but there’s no denying that it makes for great entertainment. Plus, he curses a lot. Inglewood, always up to no good.
Outside of UCLA, which professional athlete should everyone follow on Twitter?
Howard: The main reason I got a Twitter was to follow pro athletes, and the best one is my boy DeSean Jackson. It might take you a while to understand exactly what he’s saying, but the Twitpics and USTREAM videos of him playing Xbox 360 are classic.
Watson: Child, please. Chad Ochocinco, the orginator of controversy. Twitter for pro athletes is about trash-talking, and no one does it better than 85. But my wild card is Skip Bayless. He’s not an athlete, but his tweets are ballin’! Pun intended.
We can’t leave out the alumni, so we ask the same question, but now for UCLA alums.
Howard: Russell Westbrook. When I was a senior in high school, I saw him dunk all over my team. Add in the fact that he went to UCLA and I feel like I have a connection with Russ … kind of. He always tweets about “mean naps,” which I wish I could do right now.
Watson: Check out this gem: “Respect and honor our past! Remember those that came b4 us as they make us who we are today and give us the ability to go forward. luv u MLK.” Courtesy of Baron Davis. That’s the type of tweet I like. I’ll go with B. Diddy.
Coaches Rick Neuheisel and Ben Howland have Twitter accounts. Should coaches use Twitter?
Howard: Last May, Lane Kiffin got in trouble for tweeting a recruit’s name before the recruit officially signed with Tennessee. Yet I think coaches having Twitters should be encouraged. It’s the next wave of technology, and coaches must keep up with the times if they want to connect with today’s younger generation.
Watson: I’m not sure I dig coaches having Twitters for the simple reason that, similar to every other social networking site on the web, Twitters can be hacked. Someone’s bound to hack into a college coach’s Twitter and end up affecting his or her job standing.
In light of the Randall Carroll situation, should college athletes have Twitters?
Howard: I think that the Randall Carroll situation was a case of not fully realizing how public a forum Twitter is. I’m perfectly fine with college athletes having Twitters, as long as they understand that there are some things that are better left unsaid.
Wastson: I think it’s okay for college athletes to have Twitters, but with some restrictions. I enjoy a good expletive as much as the next guy, but college athletes should watch their language. Your actions on Twitter aren’t just observed by your pals.