Should Athletes Take a Political Stand on Twitter? Ask the Agent
Does your agent know that you have a Twitter account? Have you discussed with your sports lawyer whether your Twitter feed has the potential to cause legal trouble?
In this era of Twitter, when every athlete has the chance to bypass the media and talk directly to his fans, how many athletes take strong stands? Jets kicker Jay Feely has a Twitter account, and is not afraid to be an athlete who expresses political opinions. In the long run, it's probably great that Feely has a forum to talk in an uncensored manner.
However, the larger issue is to question what impact an athlete can have on his career - and his endorsements - if he fails to strategize his message. I think that very athlete Tweeting about what he had for dinner, praising the fans, or complaining about a long practice is missing a tremendous opportunity. People praise Twitter because it allows the athletes to communicate without a filter.
Being forthright with your fans is a great opportunity, but athletes should keep the larger goal in mind: It's all about exposure and marketing. The time when every athlete could command multiple endorsements is over; companies are extra judicious in screening their potential endorsers and you can be sure that they are checking out your Twitter account before they ink you to a deal.
So what's the best approach? Some athletes have someone else Tweet for them, which makes no sense at all. That type of arrangement is a total waste of effort because it tells the public nothing about the athlete and defeats the purpose of Twitter, which is to provide a direct pipeline from Tweeter to the public.
Bottom line: You need a strategy, and everyone's strategy will differ a bit. Consult your sports agent or sports attorney for more information.
