Chad Ochocinco Creates Own Twitter-Based News Network

The AP is reporting that Cincinnati Bengals football player and social media star Chad Ochocinco is in works with Motorola to develop his own Twitter based social media news service called OCNN – Ocho Cinco News Network.

His plan is to use Motorola’s new line of phones and player contacts from around the league to provide “breaking news” on NFL teams and players.  His tag line is interestingly named, “If I break it, you might as well believe it.”

Right….

The goal as Chad says, is to “knock out the middle man,” meaning that users would  get news straight from him and his posse of NFL reporters, bypassing current media providers like ESPN, FoxSports, and CBS.

As a result, those outlets, instead of reporting breaking news, will be left retweeting it. 

Interesting concept, but I’m not sure how much I trust a guy who’s name needs to be bit.ly’d to ensure his tweets has enough meaningful information.

However, this athlete-created news channel is showing how the increasing value of social media in sports and the speed of who can report it first becomes blurred and as a result, the value of media rights become challenged.

Can Chad build a legitmate network that can build the trust of insiders and “scoop” sports writers at their own game?  Will they even allow it?

In addition, it’ll be interesting to see how this new “network” will fly based on the recent NFL social media policy restriction set in place that restricts any social media activity 90 minutes before or after any game, especially the Miami Dolphins , who have restricted any social media involvement by any of their players, team, and personnel?

Oh, and keep in mind as I have written before, the NFL won’t hesitate to law down the law for violators.

However, in this case, Chad isn’t alone.  He has an official NFL sponsor on his side helping him to break some of those barriers and supplying him with the two things he needs the most: phones and millions in marketing dollars.

If the NFL tries to shut him down, they’ll definitely be biting the hand that feeds them.

Will that make them change their tune? 

I guess we’ll have to wait and see…and maybe Chad will be the one to tell us.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Chad Ochocinco Creates Own Twitter-Based News Network

The AP is reporting that Cincinnati Bengals football player and social media star Chad Ochocinco is in works with Motorola to develop his own Twitter based social media news service called OCNN – Ocho Cinco News Network.

His plan is to use Motorola’s new line of phones and player contacts from around the league to provide “breaking news” on NFL teams and players.  His tag line is interestingly named, “If I break it, you might as well believe it.”

Right….

The goal as Chad says, is to “knock out the middle man,” meaning that users would  get news straight from him and his posse of NFL reporters, bypassing current media providers like ESPN, FoxSports, and CBS.

As a result, those outlets, instead of reporting breaking news, will be left retweeting it. 

Interesting concept, but I’m not sure how much I trust a guy who’s name needs to be bit.ly’d to ensure his tweets has enough meaningful information.

However, this athlete-created news channel is showing how the increasing value of social media in sports and the speed of who can report it first becomes blurred and as a result, the value of media rights become challenged.

Can Chad build a legitmate network that can build the trust of insiders and “scoop” sports writers at their own game?  Will they even allow it?

In addition, it’ll be interesting to see how this new “network” will fly based on the recent NFL social media policy restriction set in place that restricts any social media activity 90 minutes before or after any game, especially the Miami Dolphins , who have restricted any social media involvement by any of their players, team, and personnel?

Oh, and keep in mind as I have written before, the NFL won’t hesitate to law down the law for violators.

However, in this case, Chad isn’t alone.  He has an official NFL sponsor on his side helping him to break some of those barriers and supplying him with the two things he needs the most: phones and millions in marketing dollars.

If the NFL tries to shut him down, they’ll definitely be biting the hand that feeds them.

Will that make them change their tune? 

I guess we’ll have to wait and see…and maybe Chad will be the one to tell us.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Washington Redskins Allow Game Tweets: A Crack in the NFL Armor?

Did the Washington Redskins find a weak spot in the NFL social media policy?

I hope so.

As you know a couple of weeks ago, the NFL unveiled a social media policy tighter than Fort Knox, restricting anybody related to the NFL from utilizing social media 90 minutes before and after any NFL games.

I wrote earlier that I expect the NFL to enforce that policy on the players and personnel through hefty fines and public admonitions.  It has caused Chad Ochocinco to consider closing his Twitter account rather than attempting to fight the system.

However, the NFL’s policy of restricting fans from using social media during games was something I didn’t believe could be enforced. 

Now it looks like that one NFL team has thrown the NFL’s defense off by testing that policy starting this Sunday.

In an article written by Aaron Brazell it says that the Washington Redskins are actually encouraging their fans to Tweet during games using the #redskins hashtag that will be posted on large screens in the stadium and online for those who aren’t at the game.

Encouraging fan engagement during NFL football games?  What a novel concept!

If the Redskins are successful, which I completely believe they will be, I expect other NFL teams will come out with their own ways to get fans engaged using social media during games this fall.

When that happens, I hope the NFL will take notice and start looking to go from a defensive to an offensive mode and score points with social media savvy NFL fans…like me. 

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Steve Raquel is sports fan and an online social media expert who helps professional athletes, individuals and businesses navigate and succeed in leveraging social media as the president of Illinois Online Ventures.  Contact Steve directly at sraquel@iovmedia or follow him on twitter at @sraquel.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

NFL’s New Policy: Social Media Is Now A Banned Substance

It looks like Twitter, Facebook and Twitpic are now equivalent to hGH and EPO to the NFL.  They are all banned during football games for players and fans alike starting this fall.

The NFL released a new social media policy following in the steps of the initial SEC policy of restricting the use of social media during football games.

Some of the restrictions put in place include:

• Twittering during a game by either the player themselves or someone on their behalf.
• Any social media activity within 90 minutes before and after the game.
• Restriction applies to not only players, but coaches, team personnel, and officials.
• Restrictions on play-by-play descriptions of NFL games (e.g. Twittering) to only authorized media.

In the past, I have written in favor of restricting athletes from Tweeting during active games due to the effect it could have on their on-field play, but this new policy extends the restriction to those fans/journalists/gloggers who attempt to tell other people what’s going on the field using social media channels.

Part of the restriction seems to be aimed to cut off the head of one Chad OchoCinco, who was planning on having a fan flown into each game to Tweet on his behalf.  Pure marketing genius, in my mind, for a guy who understands self promotion, but in the NFL’s eyes, social media enemy No. 1.

The other part looks to keep all of those cash rich television contracts in place.  It doesn’t really matter that fans, citizen journalists, and even glogger (game bloggers) have been using social media at pre-season games with much success.

While the SEC had the wherewithall to listen and adjust their social media policy based on fan response and overall common sense, I don’t expect the NFL to make any adjustments to theirs in the near future.

Just as they already penalize an athlete’s bad behavior or for a coach’s criticism of a referee, I fully expect this policy will be enforced.

Nothing says “stop tweeting” like a $2,500 fine. Right Antonio Cromartie?

However, I don’t see this policy being enforceable on any level as it relates to fans, citizen journalists or the like, but I’m going to guess that the NFL will attempt to find some unsuspecting fan to sue to show they are serious or until they realize how counter-productive it is to try to enforce it.

In the past, fans could usually voice their displeasure through turning off the TV or not showing up at games – somewhat like what happened after the 1994 MLB Baseball strike.

However, the NFL is too big, too popular and there isn’t a competing sport at this time that frustrated fans can shift their allegience to show their contempt.  I’m sorry, but the UFL isn’t a contender at this time.

Therefore, starting this fall, NFL fans will have to just arrive at each game with their phones hidden next to their beer cans and learn how to Tweet and Facebook without getting caught.

But if you do get caught, get ready to be tested.

If it’s me, I’ll be guilty as charged.

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Steve Raquel is sports fan and an online social media expert who helps individuals and businesses navigate and succeed in leveraging social media.  He also manages the online lives of dozen of professional athletes as the VP athlete relations of FanFuego.com, an online sports social network that connects pro athletes with passionate fans. Contact Steve directly at sraquel@fanfuego.com or follow him on twitter at @sraquel.

Ochocinco Twittering During Games: Ochoseis It Por Favor

Today, the NFL ruled against OchoCinco, for which I’m grateful for. 

For someone who manages the twitter accounts of a number of athletes on FanFuego.com, I love the fact that my athletes use twitter to connect with their fans, but I am in agreement with those athletes who want to keep twitter out of game play. Have them twitter all they want before and after, when they can focus on the twitter, enjoy the banter and stay engaged.

Other athletes have already indicated that they wouldn’t be “twittering” during game play including LPGA’s Paula Creamer who said “I will not be twittering in my round. It should not happen in any sport.” 

In addition, we’ve seen the impact it has with perceived game play when Charlie Villanueva of the Milwaukee Bucks twittered “In da locker room, snuck to post my twitt. We’re playing the Celtics, tie ball game at da half. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up” during halftime of their match up with the Celtics.  Bucks coach Scott Skiles quickly reprimanded Villanueva by stating, “…anything that gives the impression that we’re not serious and focused at all times is not the correct way we want to go about our business.”  Well said coach.

I believe by allowing athletes to start twittering during gameplay, in a way that impedes their ability to perform at an optimal level, creates a slippery slope that may result in the following repercussions:

•      Reduction in playing efficiency.  The athletes that I work with on FanFuego.com, always stress they need to focus on the field to perform their best.  If a player/players focus is attempting to think of the next “160” characters to tweet about to their fans, I believe their ability to be effective on the field takes a hit.  Inevitably, an athlete is going to “squitter” (combination of a squib – bad kick and twittering)  resulting in a Bill Buckner event that fans, teammates, coaches, league, and media will point to Twitter being a major factor.   Personally, I wouldn’t want one of my athletes to go down in history like that.
•      Unwarranted fan expectation of athlete engagement.  If Chad has his way and more and more athletes follow suit, fans will consider this an assumed expectation of all athletes, which I don’t think is fair.  Now, other athletes in other sports will want to do the same and instead of enjoying the game for what’s it worth, athletes will be denigrated to “mini” experiences and opportunities to one-up each other Instead of watching for what is going on the field, they are cuddled up with their cell-phones instead of a playbook.

Keep in mind, I do think technology has had a positive role in sports—instant replay, the virtual first down marker/line judges, dunk cams, and even miked coaches.  While all of those have improved the experience of the game, it hasn’t interfered with it (although miked coaches tend to be more selective with their words). 

However, twitter is this incredible and popular technology that has already shown the ability to allow athletes and fans the ability to connect in ways never seen before, but at the same time, have the ability to influence some game changing outcomes that may cost an athlete an incredible opportunity to shine.

And if that day ever comes, will 160 characters and a cellphone be worth it? 

I don’t think so.

Steve Raquel is an online social media expert who helps manage the online lives of dozen of professional athletes as the VP athlete relations of FanFuego.com, an online sports social network that connects pro athletes with passionate fans. Contact Steve directly at sraquel@fanfuego.com or follow him on twitter at @sraquel.

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