Football & Social Media

Social media is a powerful thing isn't it? I don't think I really understood until I got going on Twitter. You can tweet your happyness or despair and people respond. It can be wonderful and it can be terrible all wrapped up in one big bow. 

This week activity on Twitter exploded with the excitement surrounding Quinn Magnuson's "unofficial" CFL Twitter Awards. If you haven't voted...and why the heck not? Get over there and do it now....or stay and read *wink*  The fun started when everyone tried to get all the football clubs to follow them. I found myself reaching out to all the CFL teams and appealing for follows.  Some did.  Some didn't.  I think everyone made new friends in the process and had a few chuckles. 

I followed Henry Burris.  Proof I can get over pretty much anything.

I even tweeted "I had a better chance of being followed by Jon Cornish than by the Sskroughriders" after being followed by many of the other teams.  You see...I am blocked by Jon Cornish. I have and never will harass the guy.  There is no denying he is a great running back.  I'm sure he does take a lot of crap from fans and no he shouldn't have to deal with it.  It's his right to block or mute if he wants to.

In my defense, I was merely mentioned in a tweet in which people were blocked.

All Rider Nation really wanted was an apology for the Moon Over Mosaic incident.

It's just a little suspicious at the amount of Rider fans who seem to be blocked. But I won't dwell on it.

Meh.

Take Darian Durant...last season he was fined by the CFL for his tweets regarding defending himself to someone not only harassing him but his family as well. What was he to do? Blocking may have been easier. But no matter because all Rider fans quickly came to his defense and the hashtag Dariansfault was born.

We are out there on the loose. We can tweet anything and anyone we want. I was overjoyed the few times I interacted with Kory Sheets and then when he recognized me in person...well...<faints>.  I've also been the victim of harassing too.  I've had to block people.  I've had to block fellow Rider fans and other CFL fans too. Why do we think we can say anything we want to on social media? Why when there is such a media presence saying don't bully does it continue to happen everywhere?  Why can't we just be kind to each other?

*shrugs*

As I said, this week has been a ton of fun but we are on the eve of the semi final games and tempers will probably flair.  The BC Lions became the crossover team and play the Montreal Allouettes in the eastern semi final. The Saskatchewan Roughriders were able to stay in the west and play the Edmonton Eskimo's in the western semi final.  I've predicted that it will be the Als and Riders to advance.  This time tomorrow night we will know.

All season there has been a quarterbacking issue. Montreal had to go out and find a quarterback. Lulay was back for about 10 minutes before being injured again. Darian Durant was injured in the Banjo Bowl. The Eskies seemingly had a good guy in Mike Reilly until he was plagued by an unknown ankle injury.  The mind games have been played in the west. The rosters are set. If our own Riders veteran QB Kerry Joseph can win this game it will go down as a legend.  I think he can.

This may be the end of the season for two teams. I hope fans stay calm.  I hope no manure is dumped.  I hope everyone can look for the silver linings.

And.....
.....Go Riders Go!