PDA

View Full Version : Should Duke be concerned about player Twitter accounts?



BD80
09-24-2009, 12:09 PM
A growing issue has been players posting comments via the internet that can be viewed by the public. KU's Tyshawn Taylor is just a recent example.

Pro teams have contractual leverage to control what players do or say, but what can a college do?

An example is that Ty Thornton and Seth Curry each use the term "twigga" in their "tweets," which is a combination of "Twitter" and an expression, the use of which I believe is discouraged.

At what point can/should the program/school take action?

I hope the basketball office is monitoring the players' MySpace, Facebook and Twitter pages, but is there a line to be drawn? I think we are lucky due to the quality of people on the team (and on the staff).

It is interesting that Kyrie is a "trend setter" with respect to Twitter, having the on-line Q&A and promising to announce his decision via Twitter. I would guess that that is an issue that would be discussed with the staff. Frankly, I think this is a big advantage for us, because it falls within Coach K's wheelhouse called "leadership."

allenmurray
09-24-2009, 12:25 PM
A growing issue has been players posting comments via the internet that can be viewed by the public. KU's Tyshawn Taylor is just a recent example.

Pro teams have contractual leverage to control what players do or say, but what can a college do?

An example is that Ty Thornton and Seth Curry each use the term "twigga" in their "tweets," which is a combination of "Twitter" and an expression, the use of which I believe is discouraged.

At what point can/should the program/school take action?

I hope the basketball office is monitoring the players' MySpace, Facebook and Twitter pages, but is there a line to be drawn? I think we are lucky due to the quality of people on the team (and on the staff).

It is interesting that Kyrie is a "trend setter" with respect to Twitter, having the on-line Q&A and promising to announce his decision via Twitter. I would guess that that is an issue that would be discussed with the staff. Frankly, I think this is a big advantage for us, because it falls within Coach K's wheelhouse called "leadership."

If a coach is respected by his players the program doesn't need hard and fast rules. I remember a few years ago in an interview Shane Battier was asked about something (tatoos, hairstyle, facial hair - something of that nature, I can't really remember what). His response was, "Coach wouldn't like it". The interviewer followed up by saying, "but is there a rule against it?". Shane responded something to the effect of, "I don't know, I just know coach wouldn't like it." End of discussion.

DukeUsul
09-24-2009, 12:37 PM
Yes the staff should be concerned. I would hope that they are educating the student-athletes on how it reflects on their image and that of the team and University. I hope someone tech-savvy on the staff is monitoring and will pull them aside if they say something inappropriate.

dukeimac
09-24-2009, 12:52 PM
Well, I would not wait if I was a coach today. I would have a sit down with the players and tell them not to go there. You can just bet if a UNC fan gets a hold of their twitter, facebook, etc. they will try to induce them into saying something that will be seen as bad. Things get out of hand fast and you don't need to do or say much for that to happen. If you are thinking a comment might be bad then someone else is also.

I know people who have been fired for saying things on twitter and facebook, a student athlete is no exception. It is not "semi-private", it is public information once you have posted it.

It surprises me that after all the problems (the fake rape case for example) that people still have not learn just how damaging allegations can be and they don't need to be factual.

brianl
09-24-2009, 01:17 PM
While this is an assumption on my part, I know that the student athletes have a rather involved orientation each year for all (not just incoming Freshmen). I'm sure that the staff is way ahead of the curve on making their point on the consequences of the whole social networking thing.

It's a completely different world now that these kids face.

airowe
09-24-2009, 02:22 PM
Communications Director/Recruiting Coordinator watches the guys and lets them know when they're out of line:


Okay Nolan! Too bad Kenny isn't a tweeter. RT @NdotSmitty: class about to start! no twitting, straight paying attention, and participating!5:50 PM Sep 16th from TweetDeck

This was in response to this tweet from Nolan Smith:


Class.. I Cant wait till I can be like @tylawson3 @KevinDurant35 and just wake up and hoop all day!!! The life!!

and then this one:


my night class is about to start in 3 minutes! no twitting during class, straight paying attention, and participating!


After Dave Bradley's tweet, Nolan posted this:


College Athletes watch what you say on Twitter and Facebook! The world is watching, and school newspapers are too! be smart you feel me!!

Classof06
09-24-2009, 02:34 PM
Disclaimer: I have never been on the Twitter website and have no idea which Duke players (if any) have accounts.

I hate to say this because it makes me, as a Duke fan, look really snobby, but I don't think our kids are the kinds of kids that would say anything controversial over twitter or facebook. I just don't see it.

From my four years at Duke, I know our basketball players certainly aren't angels, they're college kids and prone to mistakes like anyone else. But they're generally pretty smart kids in terms of acknowledging their place in the community and how their actions reflect on the program. They know what they would have to deal with in Coach K if they slipped up.

Just my $0.02

flyingdutchdevil
09-24-2009, 02:45 PM
Disclaimer: I have never been on the Twitter website and have no idea which Duke players (if any) have accounts.

I hate to say this because it makes me, as a Duke fan, look really snobby, but I don't think our kids are the kinds of kids that would say anything controversial over twitter or facebook. I just don't see it.

From my four years at Duke, I know our basketball players certainly aren't angels, they're college kids and prone to mistakes like anyone else. But they're generally pretty smart kids in terms of acknowledging their place in the community and how their actions reflect on the program. They know what they would have to deal with in Coach K if they slipped up.

Just my $0.02

Love this post. Agree completely. Certain duke players are recruited for a reason, and those that write university-hurting tweets are not going to duke. And I trust that the fear of seeing coach K after you do something ridiculous like that will be enough to deter you from writing ridiculous tweets in the first place.

Let Nolan and Lance tweet - good for them. It helps to shed duke's "royalty" and "exclusive image". IMO.

Kewlswim
09-24-2009, 03:24 PM
Howdy,

I was wondering does Twitter or Facebook or the other social networking sites make the people prove who they are if they claim to be someone famous or a college athlete? In other words, when following Tweets how do we know the tweets are from that person and not someone saying they are that person? Would tweeting as "Grant Hill" when the person is "Joe Smith" be even possible? I guess it would sort of be like forging a check, though I am not sure these services make a person swear they are the person they say they are. I am not sure this belongs here, might be an "off topic" question.

GO DUKE!

airowe
09-24-2009, 03:25 PM
Love this post. Agree completely. Certain duke players are recruited for a reason, and those that write university-hurting tweets are not going to duke. And I trust that the fear of seeing coach K after you do something ridiculous like that will be enough to deter you from writing ridiculous tweets in the first place.

Let Nolan and Lance tweet - good for them. It helps to shed duke's "royalty" and "exclusive image". IMO.

You should read some of Nolan and Lance's old tweets. They're "questionable" as BD80 said in another thread.

DukeUsul
09-24-2009, 03:33 PM
Howdy,

I was wondering does Twitter or Facebook or the other social networking sites make the people prove who they are if they claim to be someone famous or a college athlete? In other words, when following Tweets how do we know the tweets are from that person and not someone saying they are that person? Would tweeting as "Grant Hill" when the person is "Joe Smith" be even possible? I guess it would sort of be like forging a check, though I am not sure these services make a person swear they are the person they say they are. I am not sure this belongs here, might be an "off topic" question.

GO DUKE!

There IS a way to get a "Twitter Verified" account process in beta, but it's not enforced on people claiming to be a person. But the true person can assert their true identity by getting verified.

http://twitter.com/help/verified

Kewlswim
09-24-2009, 03:46 PM
There IS a way to get a "Twitter Verified" account process in beta, but it's not enforced on people claiming to be a person. But the true person can assert their true identity by getting verified.

http://twitter.com/help/verified

Hi,

So I take it people following recruits and Duke athletes are following verified people? I've read others comment, and I will have to agree, following a recruit seems sort of creepy.

I tried twitter for a short while. I followed some of the Duke coaches and Jon. I then stopped actively using it. I like facebook because reconnecting with both H.S. and college friends is fun.

GO DUKE!

DukeUsul
09-24-2009, 04:25 PM
Hi,

So I take it people following recruits and Duke athletes are following verified people? I've read others comment, and I will have to agree, following a recruit seems sort of creepy.

I tried twitter for a short while. I followed some of the Duke coaches and Jon. I then stopped actively using it. I like facebook because reconnecting with both H.S. and college friends is fun.

GO DUKE!

No. None of them are verified. However, anything that DukeBluePlanet is following is an indication that they are for real.

JaMarcus Russell
09-24-2009, 07:02 PM
You should read some of Nolan and Lance's old tweets. They're "questionable" as BD80 said in another thread.

I went back to mid-July on Nolan's page and found just one questionable tweet (really just one questionable word). I've never understood the popularity of the site, and I didn't really find the stuff on Nolan's page particularly interesting because he wasn't really breaking any news (except his impressive mile time of 5:15). However, if Nolan's page is supposed to be one of the more controversial pages associated with Duke players, then the staff shouldn't have much of anything to worry about.

Lance's are a little bit more questionable, but only because he has decided to make his banter with friends public to the world.

I did check on the pages he is following though, and I learned that Marty Pocius signed with Kaunas, the best team in Lithuania. His page was easier to read (and he also had much fewer updates), but this is a great development for him. Ed Cota used to be their starting point guard.

airowe
09-24-2009, 07:16 PM
I went back to mid-July on Nolan's page and found just one questionable tweet (really just one questionable word). I've never understood the popularity of the site, and I didn't really find the stuff on Nolan's page particularly interesting because he wasn't really breaking any news (except his impressive mile time of 5:15). However, if Nolan's page is supposed to be one of the more controversial pages associated with Duke players, then the staff shouldn't have much of anything to worry about.

Lance's are a little bit more questionable, but only because he has decided to make his banter with friends public to the world.

I did check on the pages he is following though, and I learned that Marty Pocius signed with Kaunas, the best team in Lithuania. His page was easier to read (and he also had much fewer updates), but this is a great development for him. Ed Cota used to be their starting point guard.

You're right, I probably shouldn't have lumped Nolan in there. I really only use it for streaming news. Its kind of like the ticker at the bottom of the screen. Good for updates for a guy like me who's always on the run...

Highlander
09-25-2009, 08:49 AM
If a coach is respected by his players the program doesn't need hard and fast rules. I remember a few years ago in an interview Shane Battier was asked about something (tatoos, hairstyle, facial hair - something of that nature, I can't really remember what). His response was, "Coach wouldn't like it". The interviewer followed up by saying, "but is there a rule against it?". Shane responded something to the effect of, "I don't know, I just know coach wouldn't like it." End of discussion.

In one of K's books, he said "Rules get in the way of leadership." He argued that weak leaders use rules to avoid having to make decisions. Ergo, the team has very few hard and fast rules from what I understand other than things like "be on time" and "don't do anything that would embarass you, the team, or Duke Univeristy."

theAlaskanBear
09-25-2009, 10:22 AM
I agree with those who say there don't need to be rules.

Honestly, I think tweeting is potentially a really great thing for college athletes. Hear me out:

As a professional athlete, the most important thing you will do with your time (other than training/playing) is public relations. In college though, the individual player doesnt usually get the attention like they do in the pros which can leave them unprepared for the scrutiny.

Twitter could be an excellent tool colleges can use to train athletes in public relations, and as a way to build fanbases and increase public exposure. It is also an avenue to show fans personality and make the fan-player relationship more intimate.

soccerstud2210
09-25-2009, 11:13 AM
Hi,

So I take it people following recruits and Duke athletes are following verified people? I've read others comment, and I will have to agree, following a recruit seems sort of creepy.

I tried twitter for a short while. I followed some of the Duke coaches and Jon. I then stopped actively using it. I like facebook because reconnecting with both H.S. and college friends is fun.

GO DUKE!

FYI kyrie announced he will commit via twitter. so the creepy ones will find out first

Indoor66
09-25-2009, 11:46 AM
FYI kyrie announced he will commit via twitter. so the creepy ones will find out first

wow!

airowe
09-25-2009, 11:49 AM
FYI kyrie announced he will commit via twitter. so the creepy ones will find out first

I'll be sure to let you know.

Signed,

Creepy

hc5duke
09-28-2009, 03:34 PM
you could also piss off your coach with twitter and get suspended: Leach bans players Twitter pages (http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-disgruntledtexastech&prov=ap&type=lgns)

Leach is a little bit crazy (maybe unstable is a better word) but in this case it seems justified.

Tim1515
09-28-2009, 04:19 PM
Sites like Twitter, Facebook...etc might make recruiting easier for Duke. I've heard of a lot of companies checking for facebook pages after an interview to see who the "real" person is. I have no idea how things go during the recruiting process but i can imagine everyone is on their best behavior when coach K is around. Teacher, friends, family will never say anything bad about a recruit. The staff might be able to get more information from a facebook page then right from the kid's mouth.

Wheat/"/"/"
09-28-2009, 08:55 PM
College is supposed to be about education, so let them all learn. No need to try and limit this stuff. It's the age of mass communication now.

Unfortunately, some will probably learn some lessons the hard way.

They will learn, one way or the other, it's damn hard to get your meanings across with the written word, and requires some thought. Often a lot of thought, which is an area where most kids can improve.

They will learn that some things are better off left unsaid, or unwritten.

Students/players will find out sooner or later that the send button, whether Twitter, Facebook , a simple e-mail or text, etc... is a little different than the spoken word. Sometimes a lot different.

That "great" thought, poorly expressed thought, questionable comment, will never go away after the send button is hit.

And if a poorly expressed thought or questionable comment does leave you, it's just as likely to come back and bite you in the ^$# as not at a later date.

We leave a trail of words throughout cyberspace, and when we look back, Google is following us like an Apache in an old western.

While "Smilies" are a nice idea, they just don't get it done.
How many times have we all written a thought and looked at them and none seem to fit your meaning?

Nuance is usually taken for granted when we speak, it's often lost when we write. That can get you in trouble.

That they will learn, sooner or later.

throatybeard
09-29-2009, 12:17 AM
I think we should be more concerned, from an NCAA perspective, about our own creepy stalker fans reacting to recruitee tweets and then following them all over campus on their visit.

airowe
09-29-2009, 12:25 AM
I think we should be more concerned, from an NCAA perspective, about our own creepy stalker fans reacting to recruitee tweets and then following them all over campus on their visit.

Welcome to the 21st century.

devil84
09-29-2009, 08:44 AM
I think we should be more concerned, from an NCAA perspective, about our own creepy stalker fans reacting to recruitee tweets and then following them all over campus on their visit.

I agree. As the parent of a college freshman who was recruited by several schools last year, this thread is very creepy. I'd have been very concerned if I had seen a thread with hundreds of posts noting that grown people were getting nothing done at work because they're refreshing my child's twitter page every five minutes.

And Throaty brings up a good point about NCAA perspective, too.

I know everyone's excited, but most of the recent posts are "needless posts" that don't advance a discussion. These only serve to make our fans look like stalkers.

NSDukeFan
09-29-2009, 09:15 AM
College is supposed to be about education, so let them all learn. No need to try and limit this stuff. It's the age of mass communication now.

Unfortunately, some will probably learn some lessons the hard way.

They will learn, one way or the other, it's damn hard to get your meanings across with the written word, and requires some thought. Often a lot of thought, which is an area where most kids can improve.

They will learn that some things are better off left unsaid, or unwritten.

Students/players will find out sooner or later that the send button, whether Twitter, Facebook , a simple e-mail or text, etc... is a little different than the spoken word. Sometimes a lot different.

That "great" thought, poorly expressed thought, questionable comment, will never go away after the send button is hit.

And if a poorly expressed thought or questionable comment does leave you, it's just as likely to come back and bite you in the ^$# as not at a later date.

We leave a trail of words throughout cyberspace, and when we look back, Google is following us like an Apache in an old western.

While "Smilies" are a nice idea, they just don't get it done.
How many times have we all written a thought and looked at them and none seem to fit your meaning?

Nuance is usually taken for granted when we speak, it's often lost when we write. That can get you in trouble.

That they will learn, sooner or later.

Were you talking about Twitter and Facebook, or posting on DBR?

airowe
09-29-2009, 09:16 AM
I see where you are both coming from, and I certainly am not one to constantly refresh a page, but college basketball recruiting is not something heavily covered by the national media. Because of this, a number of things have occurred.

1) The number of people with access to this information and therefore the amount of information is very small. This leads to the majority of these people with access being in a position where they can actually charge money for their access and info.

2) Due to the nature of recruiting, where there are a finite number of elite basketball players available to a finite number of elite programs, and any information to which players a coach is targeting and which way a kid is leaning can give an advantage to another competing coach, this news is kept even more secret.

3) College basketball recruiring, by its nature, involves high school kids. There is no way around it.


People have been paying for recruiting information for years, this is nothing new. But, withthe advent of twitter, it gives the people who follow this stuff a direct (and free) pipeline to which way these kids may be leaning. While it may seem creepy to many to follow a high school kid on twitter or friend them on Face book, the large majority of people doing so are not interested in who that kid is dating, or what new toy they got, but whether they will play for the college team they love. Its not so much about following the kid, but following the team's recruiting.

This leads me to the team I love, Duke. I guarantee you wouldn't see this level of obsession and gravitas towards Duke's recruits if we had a commit more recently than 10/10/08, almost a year ago. Due to our recent early exits from the tournament, our neighbors recent success, and the fact that Duke is in the running for 2 of the top 4 recruits in the country, and the passion is there for the team, the kids actions will be followed closely.

Before you get all creeped out about grown men and women obsessed with the actions of a teenager, realize that that passion is more than likely directed at the team, and not the kid. It wouldn't make a difference who the kid is, but if the team changed, the level of interest will drop dramatically, if not disappear.

Wheat/"/"/"
09-29-2009, 01:44 PM
Were you talking about Twitter and Facebook, or posting on DBR?

I guess my point was,If it has a send button- think before using it- be prepared to own up to it, now and forever.It really does not matter the forum.

It's a new world of communication than most of us grew up in.I've learned my own lessons the hard way:(

BD80
09-29-2009, 02:22 PM
...I've learned my own lessons the hard way:(

You mean you have given up that hideous shade of baby blew and are finally giving in to the devil - Blue Devil that is? An epiphany while fishing?

Many of us on this board have long believed that you are far too articulate, too reasonable, too well mannered to be a tar heel. :D

Well. Even if you haven't yet come to terms with the devil within, be assured that many of us would be willing to substantially forgive your heelish past. Simply confess that Laettner was a better player than hansbro ... ;)

NSDukeFan
09-29-2009, 02:51 PM
I guess my point was,If it has a send button- think before using it- be prepared to own up to it, now and forever.It really does not matter the forum.

It's a new world of communication than most of us grew up in.I've learned my own lessons the hard way:(

I actually recognized that your post was not about DBR posting, but just thought it fit so well, with forum guidelines, etc. I should have put a smiley face or something after my post or something, but I think this just proved your point that it can be difficult to convey meaning via the internet and to be careful what you post.

I think I will be done posting for awhile as I see that I am now Grant Hill and would like to stay that way for awhile.

Wheat/"/"/"
09-29-2009, 03:19 PM
You mean you have given up that hideous shade of baby blew and are finally giving in to the devil - Blue Devil that is? An epiphany while fishing?

Many of us on this board have long believed that you are far too articulate, too reasonable, too well mannered to be a tar heel. :D

Well. Even if you haven't yet come to terms with the devil within, be assured that many of us would be willing to substantially forgive your heelish past. Simply confess that Laettner was a better player than hansbro ... ;)

Rest assured that I will always pull for the Heels to beat Duke. And beat them badly. I am the guy you better be guarding down by twelve from the 3pt line with 2 seconds left on the clock, because I will be looking to drain it.
I am Singler slapping the ball away if I lose, pissed.
Some things you just can't change...:)

As for Laettner Vs. Hans, that would be a great matchup.
There is only one outcome I can promise, blood and pain from someone....Oh, and trips to the foul line. :)

devil84
09-29-2009, 07:58 PM
Before you get all creeped out about grown men and women obsessed with the actions of a teenager, realize that that passion is more than likely directed at the team, and not the kid. It wouldn't make a difference who the kid is, but if the team changed, the level of interest will drop dramatically, if not disappear.

I totally understand that the passion is directed towards the team and the hope that the kids will play at the viewer's favorite school.

But in and around the many grown adults hanging on their every tweet waiting for that one tweet that they want (or facebook stat or whatever electronic message they're looking at), the kids also use Twitter and facebook for communicating with their friends. Maybe YOU* don't care about his girlfriend or the latest toy they bought. But what about the other followers? Would they friend his girlfriend? Peruse his facebook friends or following his friends' tweets? Can you see where I'm coming from? [By "you," I mean a generic "you" -- whoever is reading the tweets and stats, not necessarily airowe in particular]

I mentor hundreds of high school age students (and are still friends with them as they move on to college). Most of them have friended me on facebook over the last three years. To eliminate the "creepy" factor, I do NOT initiate a friend contact if I know the person is under 25. They have to initiate the friend request. I don't write all over their walls, though I may "like" something pertaining to band/Scouts/whatever is our common bond, or comment if they say it's ok. And while I read whatever comes across my news feed, unless there looks to be something jeopardizing their safety, I don't stalk their pages. (They, apparently, stalk mine, as they reference in our conversations).

I have talked to the students, their parents, and various unrelated friends, and it's pretty well agreed that friending someone even just 10 years younger than you and "fb stalking" them IS creepy. That includes people who obviously aren't parents or family posting on their walls (that's mortifying for the kid, not creepy, as they've explained to me). For my HS friends, they view Twitter as a waste of time -- facebook has far more functionality (pictures, videos, chat, groups, events, and writing on walls). Twitter is just kinda the status part -- not as interesting as facebook. Besides, parents Twitter. Ewww.

Duke players, alumni, coaches, staff, recruits, and their families read DBR. Imagine being a recruit's parent and helping them find a school. Read some of these threads. Where would you want your child to go? To the school with the stalker fans or the school with the fans who talk about the recruit without posts that indicate the poster is so obsessed with refreshing your son's Twitter page that the poster can't get any work done?

It's one thing to trash your productivity at work refreshing a 17 year old's Twitter page, but it's quite another to brag that you're doing it on a public message board. THAT is the really creepy part.

FireOgilvie
09-29-2009, 08:20 PM
I totally understand that the passion is directed towards the team and the hope that the kids will play at the viewer's favorite school.

But in and around the many grown adults hanging on their every tweet waiting for that one tweet that they want (or facebook stat or whatever electronic message they're looking at), the kids also use Twitter and facebook for communicating with their friends. Maybe YOU* don't care about his girlfriend or the latest toy they bought. But what about the other followers? Would they friend his girlfriend? Peruse his facebook friends or following his friends' tweets? Can you see where I'm coming from? [By "you," I mean a generic "you" -- whoever is reading the tweets and stats, not necessarily airowe in particular]

I mentor hundreds of high school age students (and are still friends with them as they move on to college). Most of them have friended me on facebook over the last three years. To eliminate the "creepy" factor, I do NOT initiate a friend contact if I know the person is under 25. They have to initiate the friend request. I don't write all over their walls, though I may "like" something pertaining to band/Scouts/whatever is our common bond, or comment if they say it's ok. And while I read whatever comes across my news feed, unless there looks to be something jeopardizing their safety, I don't stalk their pages. (They, apparently, stalk mine, as they reference in our conversations).

I have talked to the students, their parents, and various unrelated friends, and it's pretty well agreed that friending someone even just 10 years younger than you and "fb stalking" them IS creepy. That includes people who obviously aren't parents or family posting on their walls (that's mortifying for the kid, not creepy, as they've explained to me). For my HS friends, they view Twitter as a waste of time -- facebook has far more functionality (pictures, videos, chat, groups, events, and writing on walls). Twitter is just kinda the status part -- not as interesting as facebook. Besides, parents Twitter. Ewww.

Duke players, alumni, coaches, staff, recruits, and their families read DBR. Imagine being a recruit's parent and helping them find a school. Read some of these threads. Where would you want your child to go? To the school with the stalker fans or the school with the fans who talk about the recruit without posts that indicate the poster is so obsessed with refreshing your son's Twitter page that the poster can't get any work done?

It's one thing to trash your productivity at work refreshing a 17 year old's Twitter page, but it's quite another to brag that you're doing it on a public message board. THAT is the really creepy part.


If Kyrie didn't want people to look at his Twitter page, he wouldn't announce his school decision via Twitter! If he didn't want the attention or thought it was "creepy", he could announce it like everyone else.

People are waiting for this ONE post, which is ridiculously important to our basketball team and will definitely have an effect on future recruits. It would be creepy if people were writing him messages or something like that, which no one is doing.

jesus_hurley
09-29-2009, 09:06 PM
I follow Kyrie on twitter (gotta get that out there first). I also follow the coaching staff and during the season some of the players. I follow JWill (who was at Cameron today at 5 signing autographs - learned that from twitter).

I'm following Kyrie since he said that's why he was going to announce his decision. But refreshing his twitter page every five minutes is just unnecessary. Just get the updates sent to your phone - you find out just as quick

q&a right now with him: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/q-a-ky-irving
9-945

Being a facebook friend is a little creepy to me though

airowe
09-29-2009, 09:26 PM
I totally understand that the passion is directed towards the team and the hope that the kids will play at the viewer's favorite school.



I mentor hundreds of high school age students (and are still friends with them as they move on to college). Most of them have friended me on facebook over the last three years. To eliminate the "creepy" factor, I do NOT initiate a friend contact if I know the person is under 25. They have to initiate the friend request. And while I read whatever comes across my news feed, unless there looks to be something jeopardizing their safety, I don't stalk their pages. (They, apparently, stalk mine, as they reference in our conversations).

I have talked to the students, their parents, and various unrelated friends, and it's pretty well agreed that friending someone even just 10 years younger than you and "fb stalking" them IS creepy. That includes people who obviously aren't parents or family posting on their walls (that's mortifying for the kid, not creepy, as they've explained to me). For my HS friends, they view Twitter as a waste of time -- facebook has far more functionality (pictures, videos, chat, groups, events, and writing on walls). Twitter is just kinda the status part -- not as interesting as facebook. Besides, parents Twitter. Ewww.
To the school with the stalker fans or the school with the fans who talk about the recruit without posts that indicate the poster is so obsessed with refreshing your son's Twitter page that the poster can't get any work done?

It's one thing to trash your productivity at work refreshing a 17 year old's Twitter page, but it's quite another to brag that you're doing it on a public message board. THAT is the really creepy part.

Devil84,

Thank you very much for your perspective. I certainly am not in a position to mentor so many young people and come in contact with them, but I did come up at the tail end of the social media boom and did get swept up in it. I hope that you can see things from the perspective someone who may not be in high school now, but is a part of the social media world. I think you made some wonderful points, and I do agree with what I feel is the most important part of your post, here:


I don't write all over their walls, though I may "like" something pertaining to band/Scouts/whatever is our common bond, or comment if they say it's ok.

This is where I believe the stalkerish behavior crossing the line (although again, it's just my belief) and I absolutely don't do this. I've never posted anything on a recruit's wall on facebook as I believe this is not only "creepy" as you say, but could in some instances be considered a recruiting violation and therefore harm Duke Athletics, which is not the goal here. I point you back towards an important part of my post:



People have been paying for recruiting information for years, this is nothing new. But, with the advent of twitter, it gives the people who follow this stuff a direct (and free) pipeline to which way these kids may be leaning.

I use twitter and facebook as a free and instant pipeline for information about the future of Duke basketball. I think this is where people here become defensive, when they are getting accused of being stalkerish and creepy, yet all they want is more information. Please consider this when you start throwing these words around at people.

As to this,


But in and around the many grown adults hanging on their every tweet waiting for that one tweet that they want (or facebook stat or whatever electronic message they're looking at), the kids also use Twitter and facebook for communicating with their friends. Maybe YOU* don't care about his girlfriend or the latest toy they bought. But what about the other followers? Would they friend his girlfriend? Peruse his facebook friends or following his friends' tweets? Can you see where I'm coming from? [By "you," I mean a generic "you" -- whoever is reading the tweets and stats, not necessarily airowe in particular]

I can't speak for those other people, only myself, but I certainly don't think you should start throwing accusations around at people unless you know they've done something, and at that, I don't think it serves any purpose to do so in a public medium. I feel that's best handled privately. I know with your role as board moderator you are speaking to a larger audience and trying to curb behavior towards the standards set by the owners of the site (Thank you all so much for controlling this site the way you do. It is an oasis of reason in an otherwise insane world of message boards) but please don't vent towards members of this great site your frustrations of a few rogue fans. There's no way for you to know who these people are.



Duke players, alumni, coaches, staff, recruits, and their families read DBR. Imagine being a recruit's parent and helping them find a school. Read some of these threads. Where would you want your child to go?

I obviously don't have a child who is being recruited right now, but EVERY school has a subset of fans who going to show this kind of behavior. You don't have to pass a test to become a fan of a certain university.

Kyrie, as I type this, is having a question and answer session in a live video chat online. If you don't think he welcomes this kind of behavior, you haven't been paying attention. Not every recruit is the same, and neither are their parents. Take Harrison Barnes for example. The kid doesn't have a facebook, myspace, twitter account. He doesn't welcome this kind of attention and therefore doesn't get it. It doesn't make him any better or worse of a person than Kyrie, just different. The generalization that you presume that no kid or parent would want to send their kid to a school based on a fan's message board posting is way too broad.

In one of Kyrie's recent video chats, he stated that he had heard of DBR, but had never been hear, so maybe what we say here doesn't hold any weight with him. Maybe it does, and I agree that the decorum should stay above a certain level (thank God) but a few people commenting on how excited they are about his decision is not going to make or break a decision. Let's not be that self-important.

Again, I thank you for your perspective, but please respect others as well...

Wheat/"/"/"
09-29-2009, 10:14 PM
It's one thing to trash your productivity at work refreshing a 17 year old's Twitter page, but it's quite another to brag that you're doing it on a public message board. THAT is the really creepy part.

The original thread question was should Duke be concerned...and I'd have to answer yes, all schools should be. But this whole deal is a player choice issue to me, "to Tweet, or not to tweet, that is the question".....Hmmmm

As was mentioned, Kyrie chosing to tweet/facebook whatever and display himself as he wishes to the public is his choice. If he's OK with that, I have no problems. I just hope he, and all the other players recognize the potential pitfalls.

To be fair, we should also recognize the potential positives...he's branding himself to a huge audience of college BB fans. We will "know" him. He will create more name recognition. If we all like him, we may buy that candy bar he's hawking someday. Or some GM might draft him one spot higher than the next guy of equal talent if they think he can help sell tickets because he is popular.

I watched the live internet interview he did the other night, it was interesting, and his choice to make public.
I've never seen that format before for a hoops recruit. He's an intelligent guy. I even posed a question to him in the chat box that he responded to.

I'm 51 years old and I didn't feel at all creepy, just a little geeky... no a lot geeky, for being such a fan of college hoops.
I asked him if he had played Kendall Marshall, and he replied "it was a battle".

That's about the same as following his twitter account to see when he announces his college choice. What's creepy about that sort of thing? We are fans after all.

IMO, there is a different standard for public figures than non public figures.
Kyrie Irving playing at Duke and potentially entertaining millions of fans weekly on world wide TV, along with all this other multi media stuff out there he's doing, makes him a public figure. He will have to live with that.

To your point,...I can agree some fans can go over the top, always have. I just don't see the creepy factor here.

Now if someone as old as me, or really anyone, is out there following random kids twitter and facebook accounts, or hanging out on teen web forums etc...then we would be entering into the creepy zone.

Just my $.02

BlueintheFace
09-30-2009, 04:15 PM
This has become very relevant recently as last night Kyrie Irving and Nolan Smith both had U-Stream chats.

All the threads on the board seem to devolve in to this topic anyways so lets keep it quarantined to one toxic thread. Here is an article from SI.com on Kyrie and twitter:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/kevin_armstrong/09/29/twitter.irving/index.html

SIDENOTE: Please be mindful of the NEW warning thread from DBR at the top of the message board.

Duke of Nashville
09-30-2009, 04:25 PM
Coach K is one of most mainstream coaches out there. The way that he projects himself into the public, whether it being advertisements or Olympic Basketball...or whatever, is exactly what these kids are doing.

Coach knows how to handle himself when the tapes are rolling. And for as long as I have ever followed Duke Basketball, K has recruited those whom also know how to carry themselves, as well as their University, while under the publics' eye.

Indoor66
09-30-2009, 04:41 PM
Coach K is one of most mainstream coaches out there. The way that he projects himself into the public, whether it being advertisements or Olympic Basketball...or whatever, is exactly what these kids are doing.

Coach knows how to handle himself when the tapes are rolling. And for as long as I have ever followed Duke Basketball, K has recruited those whom also know how to carry themselves, as well as their University, while under the publics' eye.

I don't disagree with the quality of the young men K recruits. I think we must recognize that they are young men. They are subject to lapses, errors and slips that are common to young me. I think the instant communication and interview process is fraught with peril.

Mike Corey
09-30-2009, 04:45 PM
Something tells me that any and all U-Streaming, Tweeting, etc., from current student-athletes will be discontinued before the start of the basketball season.

Indoor66
09-30-2009, 04:49 PM
Something tells me that any and all U-Streaming, Tweeting, etc., from current student-athletes will be discontinued before the start of the basketball season.

I hope so.

Duke of Nashville
09-30-2009, 05:07 PM
Something tells me that any and all U-Streaming, Tweeting, etc., from current student-athletes will be discontinued before the start of the basketball season.

“A common mistake among those who work in sport is spending a disproportional amount of time on “x’s and o’s” as compared to time spent learning about people.”

“People have to be given the freedom to show the heart they possess. I think it’s a leader’s responsibility to provide that type of freedom. And I believe it can be done through relationships and family. Because if a team is a real family, it’s members want to show you their hearts.”

-Coach K

Potential Problem-Yes
Get rid of it-?



I am sure K already has, or already will spend time to talk to his players about the issue at hand. We all know what happend at Kansas. What would be the point of discontinuing, or banning, a certain communication device, that really has not garnished our rep in anyway. IT can be regulated and guided with proper responsibility put into place.

Just like you said, these are Young Men, if they want to tweet, Tweet!

BlueintheFace
09-30-2009, 05:32 PM
Something tells me that any and all U-Streaming, Tweeting, etc., from current student-athletes will be discontinued before the start of the basketball season.

I would be shocked if it wasn't

ACCBBallFan
09-30-2009, 05:34 PM
“A common mistake among those who work in sport is spending a disproportional amount of time on “x’s and o’s” as compared to time spent learning about people.”

“People have to be given the freedom to show the heart they possess. I think it’s a leader’s responsibility to provide that type of freedom. And I believe it can be done through relationships and family. Because if a team is a real family, it’s members want to show you their hearts.”

-Coach K

Potential Problem-Yes
Get rid of it-?



I am sure K already has, or already will spend time to talk to his players about the issue at hand. We all know what happend at Kansas. What would be the point of discontinuing, or banning, a certain communication device, that really has not garnished our rep in anyway. IT can be regulated and guided with proper responsibility put into place.

Just like you said, these are Young Men, if they want to tweet, Tweet!

Nolan is aware of the risk and even acknowledged he had to amend one of his prior entries.

It's just a better technology for what happens on these boards. BTW, Nolan did say he scans these boards occasionally.

I don't think these have replay capability. Questions scroll really quickly and they pick and choose wisely IMO which to answer and which to ignore. If you are quick enough with cut and paste can capture the questions but not the replies except if you use a tape recorder.
dirty691966 wrote:

Nolan said the starters will be him, Jon, Kyle, Mason and either zoubs or Lance.

I think he is saying either Z at the 5 and Mason at the 4 or Lance at the 4 and Mason at the 5.

He also said in a game of 1 vs. 1 he takes Miles over Mason since as a (honorary) big brother to Quinn, he would never let the little brother win.

I think who gets that 5th starter spot might vary by opponent, but expect it may more often be Lance at PF and Mason at C, as defense takes precedence.

---------------------------

BTW, Nolan did say he was having another Ustream tonight at about the same time and would try and get a teammate to join him.

The UK fans were upset Nolan called in by phone to Kyrie Irvings Ustream.

Some interesting comments on there about Nolan being in the doghouse when Zoubek's face got in the way of his arm. People asking him about 2 game suspension and the like, which he disavowed. Nolan explained it away during his Ustream as having been pushed into Zoubek by someone else.

When asked on his Ustream, Nolan said hey before he was into the Duke-UNC rivalry he rooted for Louisville because his dad went there. So not really concerned how UK fans feel about him calling Kyrie.

He went on to say he came to Duke to win a NC. If he just wanted to play basketball he could have played at DC community college.

Both Nolan and Kyrie and Kyrie's buddy Jerry seem to be good kids. Jerry is BFF and cannot play basketball any more due to heart condition. Jerry gt a little confused over whether Kyrie was going to Big Blue Madness or Countdoown to Crazies and Kyrie said BBM on his twitter.

At one point Kyrie said something about if # 11 is Hurley's retired number, then he will just have to choose another # than 11, but then mumbled a few seconds later if I end up at Duke.

Kyrie went on to say he will do a Ustream after his UK visit, not clear whether the would do one weekly, for example after his Texas A&M visit.

devil84
09-30-2009, 08:01 PM
Airowe, thank you for your thoughtful reply. I think we're largely in agreement.


I use twitter and facebook as a free and instant pipeline for information about the future of Duke basketball. I think this is where people here become defensive, when they are getting accused of being stalkerish and creepy, yet all they want is more information. Please consider this when you start throwing these words around at people.

...

I can't speak for those other people, only myself, but I certainly don't think you should start throwing accusations around at people unless you know they've done something, and at that, I don't think it serves any purpose to do so in a public medium. I feel that's best handled privately. I know with your role as board moderator you are speaking to a larger audience and trying to curb behavior towards the standards set by the owners of the site (Thank you all so much for controlling this site the way you do. It is an oasis of reason in an otherwise insane world of message boards) but please don't vent towards members of this great site your frustrations of a few rogue fans. There's no way for you to know who these people are.

OK, here's where my point is being missed. I have absolutely no problem with following twitter. It's a great way to stay abreast of what's going on with whatever topics you choose to follow. If people make their twitter site public and ask people to follow them, by all means, take them up on their offer. Check all you want.

However, POSTING that you are spending all your free time waiting for a kid's tweet, well, there's a level of obsession that makes some people very uncomfortable. These people could include parents or relatives of the recruit, the basketball staff, and the board owners and moderators (note the use of the plural on "moderators.") Someday, something could be posted that is unsettling to the NCAA. Let's not even get close to that line.


The generalization that you presume that no kid or parent would want to send their kid to a school based on a fan's message board posting is way too broad.

I am asking people to consider what they post from the perspective of a parent of a recruit (as well as a coach, a player, and another fan on the board, while we're at it). I asked if people would be comfortable with that kind of talk if that was their child -- I did not imply that a parent would reject a college out of hand based on a fan's message board (though, depending on what was posted, they might). Parents do have an impact on where their child goes to school. Who knows which fan board will say something that leaves a very sour taste in a parent's mouth and begins to steer their child away from that school. Let's not let DBR be that board.


In one of Kyrie's recent video chats, he stated that he had heard of DBR, but had never been hear, so maybe what we say here doesn't hold any weight with him. Maybe it does, and I agree that the decorum should stay above a certain level (thank God) but a few people commenting on how excited they are about his decision is not going to make or break a decision. Let's not be that self-important.

You don't know what will make or break the decision. You don't know who reads this. It may not make a difference to Kyrie or Kyrie's parents that read this thread and make a decision about our fans; Kyrie seems to enjoy all of the hype he's building. But it may be the potential recruit who is in his first year of high school, who has parents that are just now deciding whether or not to allow their child to have a facebook account, twitter page, cell phone or even email address (yes, there are quite a number of high school freshmen without these essential communication tools). You really just don't know who is reading these boards!

More importantly, there are current members of DBR who are not comfortable with this kind of discussion. You'll note that a new sticky has been put up to address this behavior.

I apologize if I have offended anyone -- that was not my intent. My intent was first, showing that I agreed with other posters that mentioned their discomfort with the tone of the thread. Secondly, I wanted to note that posts are read by a number of different kinds of people, and that some readers are taking them quite differently than the poster may have intended and to elevate the level of discourse.

Where some think "it's all in good fun, what's the harm?" other people may see an unsettling display of obsession. Well over 50 posts were pruned (probably closer to 100) after careful deliberation of the mods. I don't think there's really any single post that is so far over the edge, it's more the collection of people hyperventilating over the decision of a high school senior that are all very near the edge. It's quite one thing to have the same discussion in your office, by email, or amongst your facebook friends, but it's different when you do this in public.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, seek out the information you desire, using any form of technology you like, as often as you desire!! Then come back here to talk about it! Just keep the level of obsession to yourself. That way the people that find that behavior too over the top for their tastes won't have the ability to complain.

Lord knows I have some obsessive behaviors that people find unusual and even creepy. Volunteering with high school students when your own children graduated is considered rather creepy; I don't understand it, but I have to accept it and take deliberate action to avoid any "creepy" behavior. I'll not publicly divulge the number of hours I spend volunteering, lest people start an intervention for me. What I'm saying is that I'm definitely practicing what I'm preaching here. I'd really like for my DBR friends to be held in the highest regard, as I send a lot of parents of the kids I mentor over here (and I don't tell them how much time I spend here, either...).

riverside6
09-30-2009, 08:40 PM
Nolan tonight at 9:15

airowe
09-30-2009, 08:42 PM
Thanks for getting back devil84. I certainly don't want to turn people away from Duke or from DBR, as I feel both places are respected for many valid reasons. I'll keep checking my posts before they go public, and hopefully we can all live in peace.

Go Duke!

BlueintheFace
10-01-2009, 12:15 AM
Quinn Cook held a ustream chat that was almost exclusively Duke fans. Brad Beal joined in and by the end Cook was thanking all of the Crazies for joining his "Duke Chat."

There are legitimate criticisms to be made about u-stream chats, but sometimes these things can have a real positive effect.

Kim*
10-01-2009, 09:21 AM
They just need to be careful. Really, really careful.

moonpie23
10-01-2009, 12:30 PM
i agree totally.......i was shocked..


it is basically an un-supervised press conference. they need to be extremely careful...

Kim*
10-01-2009, 02:28 PM
I honestly don't think it's a good idea at all. I mean yeah I guess it's nice that they're trying to connect with the fans or whatever, but this just has bad news written all over it. I hope it doesn't backfire.

I checked Nolan's out for a few minutes the other night and after about only 10 seconds of me being in there he made a questionable statement that I was shaking my head at. I just wanna wring these kids' necks sometimes!

Lord Ash
10-01-2009, 02:42 PM
Yeah, I can just imagine that it could cause some huge, huge problems... all you need is a player to drop one or two choice phrases that are "acceptable" among friends joking around but NOT acceptable "out in the world."

It is a lot of fun to see the guys as people; I think everyone has enjoyed the Blue Planet videos. But no filter at all? Dangerous, dangerous game.

airowe
10-27-2009, 05:41 PM
No one has ever called the NCAA rational. Let's not play with fire...


http://kentucky.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1499&tid=76373618&mid=76373618&sid=888&style=2


We don't need this happening to Duke. Let's let the coaches do the recruiting...


"The University of Kentucky Athletics Association is currently reporting a violation to the NCAA based on impermissible contact with recruits by boosters of the UK program. This violation occurred when several boosters posted on the myspace.com pages of potential UK recruits. These posts encouraged (often in very inappropriate ways) the recruit to choose UK"

Welcome2DaSlopes
10-28-2009, 09:22 PM
Nolan is on ustream right NOW

Welcome2DaSlopes
10-28-2009, 09:31 PM
Seth is on there tonight as well. His first Ustream

gotham devil
02-06-2010, 01:53 AM
http://twitter.com/cburgess34

I will be telling people I played at Duke until the Utes pull their heads out. 10-12 record with a loss to CSU @ home just won't cut it.
9:16 PM Feb 4th from web