In many instances, the best way to respond to a heckler or critic on social media is to remain silent, especially if you are a high-ranking school official.
Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard has publicly stated that he does not adhere to this belief. Pollard responded emphatically on Twitter earlier this week to a fan who questioned his hiring of Matt Campbell from Toledo to be the Cyclones’ new football coach.
Pollard’s tweet: “Classic. This guy was blasting us 24 hours earlier. We do not need front runners. Please stay off the bus!”
The fan, who has the handle @killer_clone on Twitter, tweeted before the hiring that he was “not impressed at all” with Campbell and later wrote, “if it was up to me it would be Pollards last chance at getting it right.” This fan, a possible booster of the program, responded to being told to “stay off the bus” with, “Wow, guess I need to turn in my 4 season tickets and stop with the Gold level donation”.
Who’s more embarrassed by this exchange?
Pollard is known to speak his mind in social media. In an October article with Coaching Search, he explained that he is “an optimistic person, so if you want to spit on me, I don’t have to take it.”
“If you’re going to be a jerk and you think you’re being a smart aleck or smart ass, I don’t have to listen to it,” he continued. “I had somebody write to me that I am a state employee and I have no right to block people. Oh really? Great. I mean, that’s the joy of Twitter… If you want to use social media to be obnoxious, then I can use social media to not have to listen to your obnoxious, immature comments.”
Evidently, the high road does not go through Ames, Iowa.
From a reporter’s perspective, Pollard’s stance is refreshing. We like it when people tell it like it is. But in the grand scheme, it goes against what many programs address with their student-athletes when it comes to social media: Don’t embarrass yourself or the university. Iowa State does not disclose its social media policy specifically for its athletes, but the school itself has issued this guideline: “If representatives are expressing opinions and suggestions under their personal social media accounts, they are able to speak freely in these forums. They should, however, continue to conduct themselves in a professional and respectful manner.”
If Pollard let go of the comments of @killer_clone and remained silent – as is expected off the Cyclone athletes – he provides less of a forum for this critical fan.
Arizona men’s basketball coach Sean Miller took to Twitter last March to address dissatisfied fans after the Wildcats lost to Wisconsin in the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season.
“To the people that try to make us feel like our season was a failure. Go cheer for ASU! #BearDown”
Miller’s tweet was posted at 11:48 p.m. after a long emotional night following the loss. He obviously was within his right to respond to critical fans, some of whom obviously struck a nerve. Miller may not even regret posting it.
Miller did not violate a code in Arizona’s published social media guidelines released by the school’s human resources department.
In the “Protect the University’s Assets and Reputation” section, the first code reads: “While you have rights of free expression as a private citizen, remember that others view you as a member of the UA community. Before posting social media content, consider the impact it may have on the University’s reputation.”
Miller did not adversely affect Arizona’s reputation by telling dissenting fans to “go cheer for ASU!” But social media is not the right forum.
The press conference is a perfect setting to sound off, if necessary, because everybody can see the emotions involved with the coach or administrator and come to a better understanding. More often than not, it’s best for highly-visible coaches or administrators to allow the tweets of detracting fans to go unaddressed, mostly because athletes are expected to act accordingly in a social media forum.
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