Shut It, Athletes; Just Tweet

Frank Deford doesn’t want to hear your outrageous predictions or tearful faux-apologies, athletes, and he doesn’t want to read about them in the papers, either, reporters. “Come on, guys, just because some jock babbles incoherently, you don't have to pass it on,” he admonishes his fellow journos. That’s why Deford is happy players are jumping on the Twitter bandwagon. First off, it’s a good fit “because it doesn’t require an ability to spell correctly or employ grammar.”

Secondly, and more importantly, Deford writes on NPR, “twittering is specifically for those who have signed up for the twittering universe, so those of us who do not wish to be bombarded by aimless, misspelled chatter are a protected species.” And Tiger Woods did the athletes who confine their inanity to Twitter one better: “He had the decency to get lost.” Deford hopes when the disgraced golfer does return, his first statement will be, “Ladies and gentlemen, I tee off at noon tomorrow.” But he’s not hopeful. (More Twitter stories.)