I’ve never gotten into the Twitter craze.

 

For those unfamiliar with Twitter , it’s a free social networking and micro—blogging service that enables its users to send and read instant messages known as tweets .

 

I actually have a Twitter account, I think (a friend signed me up—I still haven’t done anything with it), and occasionally get e-mails stating this person or that is now following me on Twitter . What they’re following, I haven’t a clue.

 

Yet, despite my apathy toward the service, it’s wildly popular.

 

In fact, it’s so popular, it was one of the main ways people were able to get news out of Iran during the popular uprising over the elections this year, despite the government’s attempts at a news blackout.

 

Celebrities and major sports figures aren’t immune to the pull of the service either, and have been known to tweet about all kinds of stuff.

 

This led to a recent ban by the NBA of any use of the service by players, coaches, etc. during and immediately following games, as it was seen to be interfering with aspects of the sport and how those running it wanted it covered by the media.

 

The latest incident involving this national, nay, international phenomenon is the case of Larry Johnson.

 

Johnson, the 2003 first-round NFL Draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs, has been a member of the team ever since—at least until this morning.

 

The Chiefs' management confirmed this morning that the team released the troubled running back the day he was to return from his suspension. It was the second suspension Johnson had received in the past year, and is indicative of his turbulent career at Kansas City.

 

There’s no questioning Johnson’s on-field talent, at least up until recently.

 

Johnson has set numerous NFL records, including the most carries in a season with 416 in 2006 when he rushed for 1,789 yards, as well as being the first player in NFL history to begin his career with three straight 150-plus yard performances.

 

Johnson only got a shot at those performances because of injuries to Priest Holmes and Derrick Blaylock. Then-Chiefs’ coach Dick Vermeil had never wanted to draft Johnson, and voiced his objection over the pick when it occurred, wanting to select a defensive player instead.

 

That estrangement between Johnson and Vermeil would lead to a similar estrangement between Johnson and both the management and fans of the Chiefs, long after Vermeil had left the organization.

 

In 2005, Johnson got the same chance he’d been given in 2004, despite his coach’s reluctance to use him. With Blaylock no longer with Kansas City, and Holmes going down with a season-ending neck injury, Johnson was given a chance to shine, and he grabbed that opportunity by the throat, wringing everything he could out of it.

 

By the time the season ended, Johnson had rushed for 100-plus yards in nine consecutive games (every game he started), rushed for 20 touchdowns, totaled a franchise-record 1,750 yards on the ground (despite not starting seven games), and held a Chiefs’ record for one game with 211 yards rushing and two touchdowns, a feat he accomplished against the Houston Texans on November 20, 2005.

 

He also proved to be a strong target at receiver, notching 33 catches for 343 yards on his way to earning a selection in the Pro Bowl that year. His amazing play also garnered him the honor of being named the Kansas City Chiefs MVP for the 2005 season. Unfortunately, his exploits weren’t enough to get the 10-6 Chiefs into the playoffs.

 

Since then he’s had some mixed success.

 

As mentioned above, Johnson's 2006 season was stellar, when he rushed for 17 touchdowns. But in 2007, he was injured in Week Nine during a game against the Green Bay Packers. The foot injury was initially thought to be minor, but proved to be season-ending, and left Johnson with just 559 yards on the year, along with three rushing touchdowns.

 

His 2008 season was even less memorable.

 

In his first game back from injury, he had a respectable 74 yards on 22 carries and would go on to combine for 319 yards on 52 carries over his next two games (a 6.1 yards per carry average). However, he was then suspended for the Chiefs’ game against the Tennessee Titans for violating team rules and benched during the game against the New York Jets.

 

He was also suspended by league commissioner Roger Goodell for the game against the San Diego Chargers, and finished the season with a paltry 874 yards and five touchdowns.

 

That brings us to this season.

 

Johnson hasn’t really done much this year. As of today he’s rushed for 358 yards on 132 carries for a 2.7 yards per carry average. He’s also had 12 receptions for 76 yards, but hasn’t had a single rushing or receiving touchdown.

 

Simply put, Johnson appears to be a shell of the player he was just three years ago. More important than that, he’s now an unemployed shell.

 

Despite being the highest paid running back in the NFL, signing a six-year contract with the Chiefs in 2007 that paid him $45 million including $19 million in guaranteed money, Johnson finds himself no longer with a team and unlikely to sign with another anytime soon.

 

And this is not because of his use of Twitter . Make no mistake; his tweet only gave him a unique way of expressing his views. However, it was the views he expressed that eventually got him canned.

 

On October 27, 2009, the Chiefs suspended Johnson for comments he made on his Twitter account that disparaged fans, as well as Chiefs head coach Todd Haley, and that reportedly included the use of gay slurs in addressing the media and fans.

 

Despite his apology for the remarks, Johnson is through playing football in Kansas City. Whether this is a good thing for him and the Chiefs is yet to be determined.

 

However, regardless of what happens with Johnson and his career, and no matter how well the Chiefs do in his absence, I’d still like to ask Larry one question:

 

Considering you’re using Twitter , and have a semblance of knowledge about how easily all of this stuff is to get out to lots of people, how could you possibly think your remarks weren’t going to become fodder for every Tom, Dick, and Harry to attack you?

 

So, Larry:

 

What’s Up With That?