November 13, 2009
By Rebecca Gladden
In the brave new world of online social media, businesses and industries are struggling to keep up with the changing face of real-time communication.
Seemingly overnight, Twitter has become the social network of choice for approximately 18 million users, and that number is projected to grow to 26 million in 2010.
Back in April, when I covered the NASCAR race weekend at Phoenix International Raceway, I made it my mission to discover whether any full-time Cup drivers were using Twitter on a regular basis.
All of the high-profile drivers I questioned scoffed at the idea of Twitter, stating they had neither the time nor the desire to interact with fans via that medium.
At the time, Max Papis, a part-time driver in the Cup series, was emerging as one of the best-known NASCAR tweeters. He embraced the technology fully, sharing information and pictures of his life both on and off the racetrack. Several younger drivers in the lower series were also making their Twitter presence known.
Since that time, a number of NASCAR Cup stars have joined the Twitter ranks, including Michael Waltrip, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Elliott Sadler, and Bobby Labonte, who all tweet on their own behalf. Though not currently driving in Cup, Kenny Wallace and Kyle Petty have a combined following of nearly 34,000, and other drivers, including David Ragan, Robby Gordon and Marcos Ambrose, have Twitter accounts that appear to be managed by their PR teams.
Like other sports, NASCAR has had to adjust to the shifting internet landscape. This year the sanctioning body created the "Citizen Journalist Media Corps," conceding that, while traditional print media outlets were laying off many of the sport's best known beat writers, independent blogs and websites were growing in prominence and impact.
NASCAR has no guidelines at present regarding driver conduct on social networks like Twitter, except perhaps what might come under the generic 'actions detrimental to stock car racing' rule, or a particular driver's team contract regarding objectionable behavior. Other pro sports, including the NFL, NBA, and pro tennis, have found it necessary to address the Twitter situation, issuing rules for their players regarding its usage.
A few months ago, after reading a story about how pro sports are dealing with Twitter concerns, I tweeted NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston and asked whether our sport would attempt to regulate drivers' comments on social networks.
"Absolutely not!" Poston replied. "Sports is about discussion and debate and should be encouraged. Tweet on."
So, is Twitter a problem for NASCAR?
Perhaps not. In general, Twitter has proven to be an exciting medium for fans to interact with some of NASCAR's top drivers and personalities in a way they never could before.
But NASCAR has a reputation for tightly controlling its image and the outward flow of information, and Twitter bypasses those control mechanisms.
Last week, Denny Hamlin was upset by NASCAR's crackdown on drafting at Talladega. He took the time to share his frustration with his followers between the drivers' meeting and the start of the race: "Suiting up for the race.. Not happy about rule change 1 hour before race time.. Let us RACE."
The same day, Michael Waltrip tweeted*, "So if drivers bitch about NASCAR, ignore them. No, better yet, tell 'em to grow up. We all signed up for it. It's not NASCAR's fault. Wieners."
Then, Hamlin to Waltrip: "We signed up to drive our cars.. Not be told how to."
The two continued to debate publically, ending on a friendly note.
This week, after learning that NASCAR's actions at Talladega were prompted in part by a complaint by Jeff Gordon, Hamlin tweeted, "Jeff G told NASCAR we shouldn't be bump drafting.. Cuz they never did in the past.. Who's running this sport??"
He later back-pedaled a bit, telling followers that, while he respects Gordon, "Everyone's voice should be heard, not just guys that have been here the longest."
Waltrip is known on Twitter for his bathroom humor, off-color jokes and crude remarks, some of which would be considered R-rated. Kenny Wallace used the word 'sh*t' on Twitter and received some criticism from followers. His response? "Why is it when I say Sh*t!...there are a couple of you that freak out??...I mean C'Mon!...I am Married and have 3 girls!..we are on twitter."
Earth-shattering? Maybe not. But it does make me wonder whether NASCAR will eventually be forced to reign in its drivers on social media, as other pro sports have done. Or perhaps, following the lead of the NBA, NASCAR will simply set guidelines on tweets related to the competition-side of the sport.
"Players do videos, players are on YouTube, players are instant messaging, players are tweeting, players are on Facebook," NBA Commissioner David Stern said in September. "They are just like everyone else. They are allowed to do that.
"The question is judgment and discretion. You can't legislate that."
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