Mashable is one of the best blogs out there talking about all the next big things. Their post today on the imminent announcement of the NBA’s social media policy is a great example of why expert advice about online media should be taken with a grain of salt. In reading the tea leaves on what limitations the NBA might create on its players use of social media and networks, Adam Ostrow calls the NFL’s policies unnecessarily stringent:
The NFL recently reinforced its reputation as the “No Fun League” by banning all social media activity by players, their representatives, and team personnel both during and 90 minutes before and after games.
Actually, that restriction isn’t so bad. Considering that there are extremely intricate guidelines about sharing information – especially on injury reports – a careless update on Facebook or Twitter can inadvertently tip a team’s hand.
There’s always a case to be made for maximizing your communications avenues. But given recent player conduct, the NFL offers a good example of when it may be a good idea to sacrifice a little transparency for message control.
Jim Eltringham 