Social media leads to mountains being made of mole hills

Social media has changed sports journalism.

Now, everyone with Internet access has the power to play analyst or reporter. This is a great thing for sports, for it drives fan interest. But this is a terrible thing for the athletes, who should realize by now that they are never off the clock. It’s not as easy as memorizing the faces of the members of the reporters pool anymore. That guy in the sweater vest at the bar, he has a smartphone. So does that girl in the yellow dress you thought you were interested in until you saw her cankles. Skinny dude with the handlebar mustache and copious chest hair spilling out from his v-neck sweater that you just stood next to at the urinal? He just blogged about the experience, and he may have taken liberties with the truth, but the crude photo he snapped to prove you were indeed his urinal buddy for a few awkward seconds does, fairly or unfairly, validate his account.

Welcome to the new wide, wide world of sports. For ten consecutive years Mickey Mantle was showing up drunk for games. Fans didn’t know about it, and he was hailed a hero. Today, if Tom Brady leaves a mere 12-percent tip at Ruth’s Chris, the next morning he could wake up to the local talk shows discussing how cheap he is.

Don’t get me wrong, the athletes are still clearly the fortunate ones. They make more money than ever, their privileges in life are greater than ever, and women are more determined to land one of them than ever before. But they are also more scrutinized than ever. And unlike professional journalists or broadcasters, the world of social media has no rules to abide by or professional relationships to protect.

It’s sort of like The Walking Dead. The athletes are Rick and Darryl and the old one-legged man, all of them still capable of tasting food, being able to think and reason, and free to have sex within their prison yard, but the zombies have them outnumbered and are constantly keeping those truly living on guard.

The end result from this new world is a much greater number of off-field headlines the players must answer to. Sometimes the stories are legitimate in nature, the type of information that could affect the team. Other times, the stories are just purely sensational in nature, and ESPN runs with them because they know the masses will find them interesting, if not impacting.

I call this the Mountain versus Mole Hill phenomenon. And recently there have been a rash of sports stories that have made headlines or taken up minutes on the airwaves that I feel needed to be sorted by using this simple little scale.

COLIN KAEPERNICK WEARS DOLPHINS CAP

Mole Hill

Kaepernick certainly could have been smarter about this, but no one with the 49ers is questioning where their quarterback’s loyalties lie. Fans need to realize that the players aren’t nearly as passionate about their professional rivalries as you are. Hate to break it you to Red Sox fan, but David Ortiz doesn’t hate the Yankees. And just because Kaepernick was wearing a Dolphins hat doesn’t mean he’s a Miami fan. The hat matched his shoes. That’s it. There’s nothing more to the story. Now, why Kaepernick was wearing sunglasses at the ESPYs Wednesday night is a much bigger issue. Makes you wonder if his one year of success has already gone to his head.

CAM NEWTON IS A FALCONS FAN

Mountain

It’s not Kilimanjaro, but if I was Panthers head coach Ron Rivera, I’d certainly bring Newton in for a chat. “Fourteen games a year, I root for the Falcons.” You can’t do that, son. I understand if you had a poster of Jamal Anderson doing the “Dirty Bird” that hung from your wall as a teenager, but time to take it down. You’re a professional athlete now. That means you have to be all about your employer. The fact that Cam Newton didn’t understand that until now is concerning.

JOHNNY MANZIEL LEAVES MANNING CAMP

Mountain and Mole Hill

Johnny Manziel was a partier last year and he won the Heisman Trophy. Suddenly, we now treat his social ways as an issue. And if his play slides at all, the media will be quick to use his offseason headlines against him. As long as Manziel is showing up for practice on time, is in shape for the start of the season and sets the tone for the Aggies everyday as a leader, then we can’t criticize him for being a college kid living the good life in his downtime.

However! Disrespecting the Mannings is a big deal. If Manziel has somehow convinced himself that he’s made it, then he clearly has a lot of growing up to do. Manziel will not be able to avoid concerns from scouts regarding his size and arm strength. The fact that he now has opened the door to criticize his character, leadership skills and commitment to improving has undoubtedly damaged his draft stock. If he was planning on entering the draft in 2014, he’ll have to rethink it. This guy needs to grow up before an organization risks a top pick on him.

JADAVEON CLOWNEY’S PRESS CONFERENCE

“SEC quarterbacks are scared of me.” Just plain stupid.

Mountain

If you truly believe that, keep it to yourself, use it to your advantage. Clowney just gave every team in the best conference in college football bulletin board material. The South Carolina defensive end is an exceptional talent, but he’s not Lawrence Taylor yet. Heck, Lawrence Taylor wasn’t even Lawrence Taylor while in college. With one incredibly stupid declaration, Clowney just made every left tackle in the SEC better.

WES WELKER DOING DEPENDS ADS

Mountain

Welker can remind us all he wants that his new “Real Fit” Depends Ads are part of a charitable effort, but all we’re left with us is the idea that, if necessary, Welker can poop himself, right in his pants, without ever having to leave the field.

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