The tweet goes on and on . . .
Published: June 24, 2009, 12:30 am
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For the last two weeks, you’ve been able to follow me on Twitter. Don’t care? I didn’t either but I missed this boat for too long.
Twitter is the social networking site that is just blowing up all over the place. It’s what’s up in my world or yours or anybody else’s in 140 or fewer characters. And it’s a riot for those of us in sports.
You post an update and it’s a “tweet.” You sign up for others’ tweets and you become a “follower.” Sounds almost mystical. Got 75 watching my every word already. Sign up, please!
You can find out plenty of real information. You can use links to quickly plug your stories and blogs—which I’m doing regularly now. And you can simply find out the mindless as well.
It was Twitter where we got updates on Terrell Owens’ housing search and where he outed that poor Orchard Park real estate agent for her “unprofessional-ism.” Where Charlie Villanueva of the Milwaukee Bucks got in trouble with coach Scott Skiles for tweeting at halftime, and where Timberwolves rookie Kevin Love spilled the beans last week that Kevin McHale was out as coach.
Tweeted Love an hour later, “I am not a breaking news guy. I had no idea no one knew.”
There’s a cadre of local Sabres bloggers out there. I’m following you folks. Many of you are already following me.
I’m one of more than 69,000 people following Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Not five minutes after I signed up for Cuban’s updates, I got an e-mail saying I was being followed by Brian Cuban, his brother and attorney. Cool and spooky all at once.
Go to twitter-athletes.com and see the official list of verified accounts. (Careful: There are plenty of Twitter fakes.)
The verified list is led by Shaquille O’Neal and his 1.35 million followers. Yes, 1.35 million. Makes me feel a wee bit small. Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher (324,000 followers) asked Monday for suggestions on new at-bat music as he walks to the plate. You can follow official team sites (Bills, Sabres and Bisons all have ’em). I’m watching Red Sox owner John Henry. Martin Brodeur, Jim Balsillie. CC Sabathia. And about 90 others!
The New York and Boston media have quickly hopped on to Twitter as another way to beat the competition. When something big happens—like Luis Castillo’s dropped pop at the end of that crazy Subway Series game earlier this month—it’s pretty funny to see every beat guy tweeting a reaction on the spot.
The whole thing definitely makes you feel more like you’re there. Check out a couple of pregame tweets Tuesday from the Yankees’ trip to Atlanta.
Beat writer Pete Abraham of the Westchester Journal News told us from the clubhouse: “Yankees now watching ‘Miracle On Ice.’ A-Rod seems engrossed.”
Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger informed the world of a calamity every writer fears: “Guess who dunked his Blackberry into a cold cup of coffee and can’t do any tweeting from the clubhouse for a couple days?”
Five minutes later, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times told us the Turner Field organist had just rattled off “California Girls,” “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da,” and “Center Field.”
Does all this add anything to our knowledge of the game? Of course not. But it’s still fun. And some of their other tweets gave us real news, like Johnny Damon’s bum leg keeping him out.
Come hockey season, this is going to get wild. Practice, morning skate, travel updates. I can see them all.
Folks seem to love hearing about out-of- town arenas and restaurants on the Sabres Edge blog. This is another way you can go on the trip too.
What a world. Tweet, tweet, tweet.
mharrington@buffnews.com Twitter: BNHarrington
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