Is Twitter Good Or Bad For The NFL (and Other Sports)?

Talking around the water cooler with my football-watching, sports betting buddies, some interesting topics came up today, including:

1. Jeremy Shockey calling out LeBron James' football skills

2. Terrell Owens "coincidentally" stating that it was a beautiful day in Buffalo...on the same day Dick Jauron was fired

3. Chad Ochocinco challenging Anderson Silva to a fight

What do these three capers have in common? They all happened on Twitter, of course. The Twitter phenomenon is giving athletes a voice they never had before -- one coaches and league officials haven't learned how to regulate.

The initial reaction is to lambaste Twitter as bad news for pro athletes. These guys are role models and often need professional help managing their reputations, so it's scary to totally unshackle them and let them say stuff that gets them into trouble. The most notorious Twitter incident so far perhaps came when Larry Fitzgerald's brother Tweeted that Kurt Warner should throw to him more -- while a game was happening.

Before we write off Twitter, however, we should think about what it does to athletes' personas. For one, it helps us get to know players in ways we never could have in the past. 10 years ago, would Jeremy Shockey have called a press conference to announce his feelings about LeBron James playing football? Would any news media have even sought him out? After all, he's a New Orleans tight end talking about a Cleveland guard. Not exactly a natural connection. I wouldn't exactly have bet on that happening at my sportsbook.

Twitter also reminds us that athletes are real people just like us. Look at UFC heavyweight Shane Carwin. He's hyped as a mortal enemy of Brock Lesnar but Tweeted the other day that we should all pray for Lesnar and remember that he's a man with a family. A moment like that immediately takes us out of the hype and reminds us that these guys are really do exist.

It remains to be seen just how big of a role Twitter will play in sports -- but I'm reserving judgement for now. It ain't all bad.