As deadline day loomed and the La Liga season started, I found myself frustrated by a lack of football as I was stuck in the deep South courtesy of Hurricane Irene.  My friendly inquiry about changing the TV channel in a sports bar to Fox Soccer was scoffed at.  I didn’t even bother to ask about GolTV.  Apparently, a high school (American) football replay is the preferred choice (which may have been the opinion of a few Arsenal fans since I was looking for their game against United). 

As I itched for information on the goals of the day and the potential transfers, I found myself refreshing Twitter every few minutes.  The La Liga season kicked off for Real Madrid against Zaragoza while I was waiting in line to get on a standby list.  Not only was I given the up to the minute highlights, but I learned that the shot by @XabiAlonso (Xabi Alonso) was phenomenal.  It was clear that the fans and fan girls were giddy over a hat track by @Cristiano (Cristiano Ronaldo).  And there was no denying that Karim Benzema (no confirmed Twitter account yet) had several great shots blocked and looked great in the process.  (Note:  I am not sure if the shots looked great or Benzema himself - given the source, likely both.)

We all know Twitter is biased and full of rumors true and false.  It is guaranteed to provide amusement, is a great way to kill time, but periodically it will irritate and offend.  Negatives aside, the ability for the fans to interact with their favorite players can truly have a positive impact.  Real Madrid Twitter King, @aarbeloa17 (Álvaro Arbeloa), always entertains with his posts - be it his passion for “Gladiator” or his commentary about pulling pranks on his abuela (grandmother).  @eGranero11 (Esteban Granero) regular provides a range of eclectic new music and personally I have added several new bands to Pandora courtesy of his recommendations.  I also never would have expected @XabiAlonso to be an Entourage fan.  How well does “let’s hug it out” translate?  @SergioRamos (Sergio Ramos) has been catching up to some of his teammates lately, posting quite a bit in the last few days while on international duty including pictures with @llorentefer19 (Fernando Llorente) and @juanmata10 (Juan Mata).  And thanks to the translate function one can follow nearly any player or fellow fan, no matter what language they speak.  Twitter can also change opinions and here I must take a moment to apologize to @Joey7Barton (Joey Barton).  Courtesy of Twitter, I discovered you aren’t the evil *____* I thought.  Sorry.

Most professional sports organizations are concerned about Twitter’s impact (especially regarding transfers or team secrets) and fines have been leveled and discussions have been held to ban players from tweeting.  My hope is that they realize the positives outweigh the negatives.  It is simple.  More fans = more money.  The closer the fans feel to the players the more they are going to want to support their teams, buy their gear and attend the games.  If necessary, give the players guidelines.  Clubs prepare them for the press.  They should be preparing them for social media (and for the positives and negatives that come with it).  Twitter isn’t going away; in fact, it is becoming bigger every day.  Two years from now we may have a new fixation, but social media is an integral part of our lives to come and I, for one, hope the players and clubs embrace it.