Jets, Giants more liberal than most on tweeting
Photos: Jets preseason & training camp
Photos: Giants preseason & training camp
While NFL coaches around the country wrestle with the problem of how to tackle Twitter, New York's two professional football teams seem quite comfortable with their players' use of the social media micro-blogging tool.
The Jets and Giants have liberal social media policies, and perhaps as a result have a number of players who Twitter.
According to Peter John-Baptiste, a Giants spokesman, the team has no formal policy other than players "are expected to treat their Twitter accounts the same way they would handle speaking to a group of people or to the media in the locker room.''
Among the Giants who tweet are Antonio Pierce, Sinorice Moss and Kevin Boss. Pat Hanlon, the Giants' vice president of communications, has a Twitter account linked to Giants.com.
The only guideline the Jets give their players about tweeting is "use your best judgment," said team spokesman Bruce Speight. Among the Jets who tweet are Nick Mangold, Jay Feely, Kerry Rhodes and Mark Sanchez, who twittered about singing "In the Still of the Night" at a team meeting Wednesday night.
Other teams, however, have not been as open-minded about the new craze and the league is formulating a broad policy to address the use of social media platforms, including Twitter.
During games, the NFL bars the use of cell phones, computers, PDAs and other electronic devices by players, coaches and other team personnel on the sidelines, in the locker rooms and in the coaches' booths in press boxes.
Among the recent Twitter controversies at training camps around the country:
Vikings tight end and former Giant Visanthe Shiancoe caused a stir when he tweeted from a meeting introducing the staff "Zzzzzzz zzzzz zzz zzz''
The Chargers fined cornerback Antonio Cromartie for tweeting that the team's training camp food is the worst in the league and questioning whether it could be the reason the team consistently struggles in the playoffs.
Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy has told his players that anyone caught tweeting during a team activity will be fined $1,701.
Bill Parcells' Dolphins have extended a player Twitter ban to the media and fans, prohibiting anyone that attends the team's public training camp sessions from blogging, tweeting or texting during drills.
Yet, one gets the feeling that the league is much more inclined to embrace Twitter than some of its coaches are. The NFL has its own Twitter account as does commissioner Roger Goodell. Using NFLcommish, Goodell recently tweeted from the draft.
With Roderick Boone
Barbara Barker has a twitter account at twitter.com/meanbarb
