Philadelphia, PA (The Phanatic Magazine) - I'm usually safely behind the curve in the
technological revolution.
I text, and am fairly well versed in the world of computers, but I still
struggle with my DVR and can't figure out how to sync up Rhapsody to my cell
phone.
If it were up to me, I would still be tucking a newspaper under my arm when
the mood struck, and buying CDs at Sam Goody.
I could care less about My Space and Facebook and I have never been, nor do I
have any desire to be, "tweeted."
In fact, when I think "tweet," I picture a young Michael Jackson singing
"Rockin Robin," or Sylvester the Cat chasing around Tweety Bird.
So, for the rest of the technically-challenged, Twitter is the latest in thing
in the social networking world, a micro-blogging service that enables its
users to send and read other users' updates known as "tweets."
According to the good folks at Twitter.com, "Tweets" are text-based posts of
up to 140 bytes in length. Updates are displayed on the user's profile page
and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them.
Evidently plenty of people love getting updates on the grocery-shopping skills
of their favorite celebrities, politicians and sports stars.
Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva is one of a handful of NBA players that has
embraced the Twitter phenomenon and has cultivated more than 1,600 "followers"
subscribing to his feed.
On Sunday, Villanueva took things a little too far.
Instead of updating his fans on his latest cereal purchase or the BLT he had
for lunch, the rising star posted a message to his Twitter feed from his
mobile phone during halftime of the team's win over the Boston Celtics.
Using the screen name "CV31," Villanueva wrote: "In da locker room, snuck to
post my twitt. We're playing the Celtics, tie ball game at da half. Coach
wants more toughness. I gotta step up."
Certainly nothing earth-shattering but the no-nonsense coach who wanted that
toughness, Scott Skiles, wasn't amused when he found out.
"We made a point to Charlie and the team that it's nothing we ever want to
happen again," Skiles said after practice Tuesday. "We don't want to blow it
out of proportion. But anything that gives the impression that we're not
serious and focused at all times is not the correct way to go about our
business."
Probably a legitimate point by Skiles but Villanueva did finish the contest
with a team-high 19 points as the Bucks, who are fighting for the final
playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, topped the C's 86-77.
Skiles gave Villanueva the benefit of the doubt but made sure the former UConn
star understood other people could view things very differently.
"I think a reasonable person could look at that either way," Skiles said. "I
know from the comments I've gotten from some people in the game that there
could be people who think it's a sign (showing lack of focus). We just want to
distance ourselves, that's all."
For his part, Villanueva didn't think his "tweet" would cause such a stir but
did understand that some people could jump to the conclusion that he wasn't
all that focused on the task at hand.
"That wasn't the case at all, because I was very into the game," Villanueva
told The Associated Press. "But you can interpret it two different ways. You
can look at it like, 'OK, he's definitely going to step up' versus, 'Oh, he's
really not into the game, he's not paying attention.'"
Skiles elected not to fine Villanueva for his indiscretion but called it a
"no-brainer" that players shouldn't be doing such things from the locker room.
"My personal opinion is, it doesn't have any place in the locker room," Skiles
said.
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