The social media revolution has taken over the world, especially the world of sports media. Information that in my youth may have taken days to get in print or on the air, now takes just seconds. Facebook and Twitter are the buzz words of the day, and sports fans of all ages can use them to keep abreast of anything going on with their favorite teams or athletes.
It took me a long time but finally I have caught up with technology and become a user of both Facebook and Twitter. Personally, I prefer Twitter because it is quicker and easier for me to use since most of the time I am updating scores from my phone and I can "tweet" through a text message. Of course, most of my followers are old fogies (no offense intended) such as myself who are content just to use Facebook so I am more than happy to go with the flow.
Twitter is nice because I can just sit here at my desk with my phone in front of me and watch the "tweets" arrive, which usually gives me and Terry Rigdon something to discuss at lunch. (By the way, a quick note to Terry's wife-he is never allowed to retire!) Just in the past few days, I have been bombarded with news that I bet none of you have even heard about.
First of all, it was on Twitter that I saw the breaking news that Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o was supposedly duped by an imaginary girlfriend. What a bizarre story that has turned out to be! Most of you know that I am a big Irish fan, but still I have to wonder what Manti was thinking. I would imagine that the star football player at Notre Dame could have his choice of about any lovely co-ed on the campus but he goes with the one he has never seen. Skyping with a blank screen? Now that had to be exciting. Te'o has not made any on-camera remarks but is scheduled to be on with Katie Couric. I hope he fares better than Lance Armstrong.
I also found out via Twitter, through a tweet from Boomer Esiason no less, that the National Hockey League was back in business after a long lockout. This area is not a hotbed of hockey but I do enjoy the NHL games that fill the Sunday afternoon gap between football and Reds baseball. Plus the NBC hockey announcer, Mike Emrick, is fantastic.
I know the media has done nothing with this story, but I heard it all over Twitter. Did anyone know that Ray Lewis was retiring? That news came as such a shock because I hadn't seen it reported anywhere. According to Twitter, Ray Lewis was going to get another "stab" at the Super Bowl. Get it? Actually, all the Ray Lewis glorification has made me want to boycott the Super Bowl. Just curious, do the Ravens have anyone else on their roster?
Through the wonders of Twitter, I learned that the 2013 Topps baseball cards will be out on Jan. 31. There is nothing that makes me feel more like a kid again than busting open a new pack of baseball cards. In fact, much to my wife's dismay, I have already ordered an entire box. I can't wait to get my hands on those! I have seen some samples and the photography is incredible. My dream is to someday have one of my action photos on a baseball card. That would be the ultimate.
Twitter last night informed me that the 2015 MLB All-Star Game will finally be back in Cincinnati. What a grand time that will be for the Queen City! My son is already planning how that can be his final hurrah before he heads off to college. If somehow I can manage to get there, it will be one of those father-son moments that you never forget, such as my Dad taking me to the 1970 All-Star Game. I still have the ticket.
Just glancing through some "tweets" as I type this, I spot some headlines such as "Massive Boulder Crushes Woman Asleep In Bed," "Droopy Pants lead to capture of small-town crook," "Left mascara in my car overnight-frozen," and "Gillette invites couples to kiss and tell on Fountain Square." (Maybe I will discuss that with the wife, might soften the blow of the baseball cards.)
I apologize that I must end this column on a sad note, but not everything on Twitter is good news. I received a "tweet" that informed me that Steve Martin's chimney had the flue. Think about that one for awhile!
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