Athletes' Freedom of Tweet
By Nick Ostiller
America is deeply rooted in the concept of free speech, and over the past two years, sports and personal liberties have become intertwined through the influx of athletes voicing their thoughts via Twitter. Whether it's a simple question to followers about where to eat on the road or a reflection on a recently completed game, Twitter has gained increasing popularity with today's athletes, who seem more opinionated about life than ever before.
This popularity has not caught on with league executives. The National Football League first acted on the issue in 2009, banning players from tweeting 90 minutes before a game and until postgame interviews were completed. Many observers felt that these rules were enacted to counter the public hint from Cincinnati Bengals' Chad Ochocinco about tweeting from the sideline during games. Although it is understandable that the always protective NFL does not need its employees turning into mini-reporters, what sports fan wouldn't want a comical behind-the-scenes perspective on the unique events of a professional football game?
Recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers' Rashard Mendenhall stirred controversy not because he tweeted at halftime, but because of his poignant tweets regarding the death of Osama bin Laden: "What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side." The Steelers organization immediately sought to distance itself from the comments and requested Mendenhall make a public apology.
I understand that the Pittsburgh Steelers are a business and Mendenhall is their employee. However, the fact that the Steelers did not allow Mendenhall to stand by his beliefs goes against the core liberties on which this country was founded.
Teams and leagues are already traversing a slippery slope regarding a person's freedom of speech by prohibiting tweeting before or after games. But in the case of Mendenhall, to admonish a man for speaking his mind during his personal time is plain wrong.
For some closing perspective, there have been six Major League Baseball players this year alone that have been arrested for driving under the influence. Although this is condemnable, would a team preventing its players from having a drink during their own free time be the same as prohibiting them from sending a tweet? Most would agree that driving under the influence is much more dangerous than tweeting, yet athletes are citizens just like everybody else, so where is their "freedom of tweet?"
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