Bitter biscuits or why coaches should ban ALL twittering by players

[Jacie]

I know this is America, the First Amendment and all, but when someone representing an organization they chose to be a part of in exchange for renumeration, should they not be held to a standard of some sort? Can a college football coach legally ban his players from speaking their mind on Twitter? At least when it comes to matters pertaining to football?


Le’Veon Bell is a little bitter about Michigan’s Sugar Bowl success

By Graham Watson


Le'Veon Bell couldn't just let Michigan have its moment, could he?

After the Wolverines won the Sugar Bowl on a game-winning field goal in overtime, Michigan State's leading rusher took to Twitter to blast the Spartans' rival for its lack of road games, fortuitous conference schedule and beating an 'average' Virginia Tech team.

Really?

UofM proud that they had 8 home games, didn't play Wisconsin OR Penn St, AND lost to us? Yall can beat a average VA Tech team, be proud then


Seems like bitter biscuits considering the Spartans 11-win season had some pretty fortuitous moments that led wins, including a Hail Mary pass against Wisconsin and a missed field goal by Georgia in the Outback Bowl.

Don't hate on Michigan because they were selected for a BCS bowl game and Michigan State wasn't. The Wolverines finished four spots ahead of the Spartans in the final BCS standings thanks to an imperfect system. Yes, the Spartans beat Michigan and finished ahead of the Wolverines in the conference standings, but Michigan had better numbers in both human polls and the computer rankings.

It is what it is.

Bell is a perfect example of why players should stay off of Twitter. Instead of basking in Michigan State's first bowl win since 2001, he's too busy hating on his cross-state rival's success.

[Petro-Sooner]

Buttered biscuits are good!

[DarrellZero]

Yes freedom of speech is not absolute.

Stoops fired Jarboe for his gangsta rap (at least in part).

He could easily tell the boys stay off Twitter or else.

[8timechamps]

Buttered biscuits are good!

Wif some apple butter....Mmmmm, Mmmmm!!!!

[joejon_gresham]

Stoops has said he doesn't want to ban twitter because it could hurt recruiting. A recruit may want the freedom to tweet. I think it's valid and justified. If the player's abuse it then they should be disciplined.

[allanace16]

Stoops has said he doesn't want to ban twitter because it could hurt recruiting. A recruit may want the freedom to tweet. I think it's valid and justified. If the player's abuse it then they should be disciplined.

I feel like that's the most fair solution to the issue. And I can understand how the guy might be a little mad since without the Big 10 champ game, it's probably MSU where UM was in the Sugar Bowl, but if you want the glory (chance at the Rose Bowl) gotta live with being the goat sometimes and getting knocked entirely out of the BCS.

Plus while it's bitter, was he actually wrong? Seems like there's far worse instances of players and Twitter to get worked up over than this....

[rekamrettuB]

Hell if UM wasn't available the Sugar would have probably looked elsewhere...like Manhattan Kansas.

[SoonerAtKU]

Banning things is the easy solution. I liken it to an overly-strict dress code at work. Sure, it's easier to just say "suit and tie every day", but it's better management to treat cases individually and discipline when something falls out of line and is inappropriate.

[PrideMom]

Just need to recruit SMARTER people. In my day "keeping your mouth shut" was a strong attribute, so this should fall into the tweeters, too.

[virginiasooner]

Just need to recruit SMARTER people. In my day "keeping your mouth shut" was a strong attribute, so this should fall into the tweeters, too.

Completely agree. I recall what my mother said: If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. And as much as I'd like to take the twitterverse away from college athletes, the First Amendment allows them to make fools of themselves in 140 characters or less.

[dwarthog]

Banning things is the easy solution. I liken it to an overly-strict dress code at work. Sure, it's easier to just say "suit and tie every day", but it's better management to treat cases individually and discipline when something falls out of line and is inappropriate.

"You know what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like this?"

[SoonerAtKU]

"You know what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like this?"

"Who?"

[dwarthog]

"Who?"


"Jack Burton. *Me*!"

[Eielson]

Punish them for bad tweets, but don't get rid of twitter. This tweet does little for me.

[SoonerNomad]

To answer the original question. Yes, a coach can legally ban players from tweeting their thoughts. The First Amendment is not implicated without government attempting to restrain free speech. That legal analysis aside, I like the "idea" of giving the players the right to tweet and only punishing the ones that misuse that right.

The problem is the kids just don't get it. I am 100% sure that since the beginning of time players have ragged on their own coaches and teammates and on their opponents to one or two or ten of their closest friends and it stops there. However, today, if you in a moment of frustration or anger type in a comment about someone that should have just died in the room where you thought it, it goes out to the world. We have had the kid with the stupid youtube video acting like a gangster. Other schools have had racist and sexist comments tweeted by their players.

I would take Urban Meyer's stance and ban them. But I like the ideal of doing it Coach Stoops' way.

[PalmBeachSooner]

They should be able to twitter just about everything within reason that doesn't violate good taste ( such as the Jazz tweet last year). However, they should not be allowed to tweet their frustrations with the coaches, teammates, etc. If they do they should, at a minimum, be locked up in a shed during practice.