Sports Restricts Players Social Media Access
Close the social media down before, during and after games. Be sure to do the same thing when there’s a team meeting. That’s exactly what the NHL and other sport associations have done. A new policy has been issued concerning social media usage on game day. Popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are on the list of sites not to be used.
This new policy states that social media may not be used for a two hour period before game start and usage may not resume until media requirements have been fulfilled after the game. On off-days, no blanket restriction has been put into place for players. The league states that players must act in an appropriate manner and sensitive team information cannot be disclosed.
If a player chooses to use these sites, it is the same as being in front of a microphone. Everything said on these sites can be made public and all are to be considered on the record. If the policy is violated, the player is subject to punishment although what the punishment would be is not disclosed.
Deputy commissioner Bill Daly believes this is a sensible policy which lets the players make use of these sites while bringing to light the risks of doing so and trying to mitigate them. He believes fans won’t notice any difference in player usage as he says everyone has been very responsible up to this point when using social networking sites. Players and fans will still connect in the same manner.
This policy doesn’t just affect players either. The same policy pertains to NHL on-ice officials. They are forbidden from tweeting or maintaining social networking accounts. The NHL has received an endorsement since introducing this policy. Paul Bissonnette shared his support through the popular Twitter site. Mr. Bissonnette plays for the Phoenix Coyotes and states that he already follows this rule. He doesn’t tweet on game days now so this policy won’t affect him. He does tweet when they aren’t playing though and those rules will dictate how he does so.
Michal Grabner of the Islanders also feels this is a good policy. He already limits his tweets to generic subjects such as napping, eating and video game playing so fines aren’t of concern to him. Other sports, including the NFL and MLB, have restrictions in place concerning social networking use on game day.
Joining social networks has been a growing trend. If you’re curious, you should have a look at Tout.
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