There's No Sharing in Basball!

One of my favorite lines from any sports movie is the famous, "There's no crying in baseball" line delivered by Tom Hanks in "A League of Their Own". His character was making the point that pro athletes (particularly women) are not supposed to show emotion during the game. It was a joke. What is not a joke is the fact that professional athletes in nearly every sport are banned from sharing while on the field. That is, they are banned from using social media while the game is live.

However, the tide is slowly beginning to turn. The NFL allowed players for the first time to tweet during the 2016 Pro Bowl. Most recently, The MLB has decided to lift it's ban on 'in-game" social media use by allowing players to use Snapchat in the dugout during one spring training game on March 11th. (Click on the article  for more information.) There is no doubt that social media now plays a major role in professional sports. Players and teams alike boast millions of followers. Social media provides a great platform to showcase the games biggest stars and most popular players. It also gives the fans greater access to the teams they love and creates a stronger sense of connectivity to the players who make the game so fun to watch. It is difficult to argue that strong business case cannot be made.

This leads to the bigger question. Should athletes be allowed to tweet, snap, or post during a game? I think it really depends on the sport. I grew up playing hockey and lacrosse before eventually giving up hockey to accept a college lacrosse scholarship. Looking back on my experience, I don't see how social media can play a role during a game. The action is too fast paced and the act of taking a picture from the bench, or sharing a tweet while the game is live is just not practical.

However, I don't see the harm in allowing players to use social media in a sport like baseball, football, or even golf. These sports provide much longer periods of downtime and do not require the level of constant attention like hockey, basketball, or my beloved lacrosse. Fans of the game will most likely want the access and the leagues will probably continue to become more socially friendly, but I don't know if there is ever going to be a widely accepted practice among all professional leagues.

I don't know if there is a right answer to this question, but I would love to know your thoughts.