For the record, I am a Sixers fan, and I love Allen Iverson. The Background Three years ago, yesterday, Allen Iverson asked for a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. “As hard as it is to admit,” he said, “a change may be the best thing for everyone.” Eleven days later, Iverson was traded to the…
Sam Taggart
Author Archive | Sam Taggart
Social Media Report Card – The MLB
Ah, baseball. America’s past time. The game has been around, and flourished, for a long, long time. In recent years (since the mid 90’s), baseball has hit a rough patch, with the Steroids Era. However, baseball is trying to change its image, and social media is part of that effort. Social media makes sense for…
Social Media Report Card – The NHL
In full disclosure, VaynerMedia assists the National Hockey League with their online and social media presence. Therefore, to be fair, I will not be assigning the NHL letter grades as I have done for the NBA and the NFL, rather I will leave it to you, the reader, to decide the league’s grade. Please leave…
Social Media Report Card – The NFL
In the second installment of “Social Media Report Card,” we’re talking football. In the past year, the National Football League has certainly engaged in social media, but have they excelled? Last week, I discussed the NBA. I gave them a ‘B,’ even though I felt like they have consistently done the best job of the…
The Power of Social Media Giveaways
“In full disclosure, Jalen Rose is a VaynerMedia client. We are assisting him in growing and diversifying his brand online, primarily through the use of social media.” Yesterday, former 14 year NBA veteran and current ESPN analyst, Jalen Rose, launched a giveaway on Facebook and on Twitter. He will give one winner a signed basketball…
Social Media Report Card – The NBA
Over the next four weeks, I am going to write about the social media presence of the four major sports: the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, and Major League Baseball. Over the past year or so, each league has adopted social media in its own way, and each league…
Tiger Wood$: The Billion Dollar Man
One billion dollars. $1,000,000,000. Can you say, “Tiger, Tiger Woods, y’all?” That’s a lot of zeros for a guy who gets paid to play a game for a living. Heck, that’s a lot of zeros for a guy who gets paid to do anything for a living! According to Forbes Magazine, Tiger Woods became the…
Attention Athletes Using Social Media: Care!
On September 21st, @NYJET_Prime tweeted to Dustin Keller, “Hey, I just sprung for a white Keller Titans Jersey, I’m starting to sniff favorite Jet ever, lol. Pls sign 15 year contract!” Two days later, Keller replied, “Hey @NYJET_Prime Thanks. Appreciate the support. Check out this video I made for you http://bit.ly/3PWTyz.” The ensuing reaction from…
These Athletes Should Be on Twitter
For professional athletes, Twitter can be an incredibly valuable tool. It is a way to connect with current fans and to earn new ones. It is also an alternative to traditional media, providing direct access the public. Twitter is a tool for crisis management, where athletes can accept criticism and attempt to change opinions. Most…
How Twitter Gives Fans Free Access to Games (& Why Ochocinco is Brilliant)
In early July, the National Football League announced they would enforce a ban on players using Twitter during games. A Mashable article from July 9th stated, “If you were hoping for Chad Ochocinco to pull out his cell phone and tweet after scoring a touchdown this season, prepare to be disappointed.” Last week on uStream,…
Before Shaq on Twitter, There Was Gilbert
When you think of social media and basketball, you think Shaquille O’Neal. He has over 2 million followers on Twitter and about 900,000 fans on Facebook. He is hilarious, innovative, active, and engaging. He was one of the first athletes to get involved with social media and his personality has helped make him one of…
The Top 100 Sports Tweets
I decided to make this list because it truly combines the two things I’m most passionate about: sports and social media. Plus, I got to spend a bunch of time searching through the tweets of ten of the best sports-related Twitter users. It was tough, and honestly, I could have made a list just of…