Is the sideline TV sports reporter destined for extinction? Colorado State basketball coach Tim Miles recently took a big step toward eliminating the quick mid-game Q-and-A that’s a staple of hoops broadcasts.
During halftime of a game against UNLV, Miles sent a public halftime Twitter update on his thoughts about the contest.
With his Rams down by 16 points at the break to nationally ranked UNLV, Miles posted this message:
We just allowed them to get into way too much of a rhythm.You can’t allow UNLV to hit 7 threes in a half!
— Tim Miles (@CoachMiles) March 1, 2012
Miles is no stranger to social media, though. He has more than 5,000 Twitter followers despite coaching at a relatively under-the-radar school. He tweets frequently, and the school recently produced a series of videos that riff on his social media savviness. In one video, Miles jokingly rips his players for posting weak tweets.
And maybe his tech emphasis is working beyond just marketing and public relations — after Miles’s halftime tweet against UNLV, Colorado State came back to win the game 66-59 and keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. He’s also made halftime tweets during previous games this season.
Mashable doesn’t know of any other notable pro or college coaches who have posted halftime Twitter updates, let alone made a habit of doing so. Two years ago, Louisiana State University football coach Les Miles said he planned to make a habit of tweeting mid-game, but he never followed through on that. So credit goes to Colorado State’s Tim Miles for making great use of social media in the often tradition-bound coaching world.
The history of athletes posting Twitter updates during competition, however, is entertaining. NBA player Charlie Villanueva tweeted during halftime of a game in 2009 but was then banned from doing so by his coach. Last week, NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski tweeted on-track from inside his car during a hazard delay in the Daytona 500. He gained more than 100,000 followers in just a couple of hours and NASCAR publicly applauded his use of social media.
What are the most visceral examples of sports and social media colliding mid-competition that you know of? Let us know in the comments.
Thumbnail image courtesy of iStockphoto, melhi
Source: Mashable
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