Try to follow him!
The chronology:
- ESPN’s new Twitter policy makes waves.
- I learn that Buster Olney was on Twitter and try to find him.
- I do, right here.
- I learn that his account is suspended.
All in an hour’s time. Then I dig deeper. I search on Twitter for “busterolney” and find a bunch of people yelling “FAKE!” Apparently “busterolney” had tweeted “updates” that were anything but real, but convincing enough that he was retweeted with vigor by all and sundry.
Obviously, ESPN is hurt by a fake reporter reporting fake scoop under the ESPN banner no matter where it happens. However, Twitter would seem to be the fastest and most conducive medium for this sort of hoax, or for a hack of any kind. (Remember Rich Eisen?)
Perhaps this really is all about controlling the message by shutting down a medium, but, instead of trying to keep ESPN’s talent from spouting off, it’s trying to protect ESPN’s talent from fakes doing that for them.
