This article was published 14 years ago
Commentary

When an online post goes out of control

Green Bay Packers Cullen Jenkins sacks Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler as drawn by Jack Kurzenknabe. – Image credit: Flickr / Jack Kurzenknabe

The war of words started on Twitter even before Chicago Bears’ Quarterback Jay Cutler decided that he could not continue to play in the NFC championship game against the Green Bay Packers.

Potential Hall of Fame and NFL Network analysis Deion Sanders was strict with his message, “I’m telling you, in the playoffs, you must drag me off the field. All the medicine in pro lockerooms, this dude comes out! I apologize bear fans!” Jacksonville Jaguars running-back Maurice Jones-Drew was the opposite: “All I’m saying is that (Cutler) can finish the game on a hurt knee. I played the whole season on one.” Jones-Drew also compared Cutler to former University of Florida head coach Urban Myers.

Those messages were tamed compared to Arizona defensive tackle Darnell Dockett: “If I’m on Chicago team, Jay Cutler has to wait ’till me and the team shower (to) get dressed and leave before he comes in the locker room! #FACT”

Dockett also had to apologize last year when he live streamed himself taking a shower.

But Dockett wasn’t the only person that had an unfortunate encounter when sending nude photos of themselves: Portland Trailbazer’s Greg Odem and maybe Brett Favre are two well-known cases. A Minnesota 19-year-old was charged with breaking into a private email account that belong to the girlfriend of Cleveland Indians’ Grady Sizemore and posted nude and semi-nude photos of the center fielder on the web.

Sometimes its’ best to have someone else manage your social media account.

Sports analysis were really surprised by the amount of negative response Cutler was receiving online but these types of messages have been going on for years. There are several people online that truly believe that the messages they post online will not be seen by many.

New York Jets’ head coach learned the hard way when Deadspin posted alleged foot-fetish videos of his wife that were posted on YouTube. Ryan declined to comment on the matter at a press conference, saying it was “a personal matter.”

A good theory was developed for email; if you’re typing a angry e-mail message, wait a few minutes before you send it. Because consequences will be handed if you send that drunk or angry e-mail message. This should be applied to Twitter and Facebook as well.

When we get caught, we claim that this will be a learning lesson and it won’t be repeated. Dockett said after the showering incident: “(This is) not going to change what I do on Twitter. I’m just going to be much smarter and do things for my team for them to look at me as being accountable.”

Rinse, lather, repeat.