CougCenter - Mike Leach lifts Twitter ban for WSU football playersWhy Washington State? Well that's a stupid question.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47853/fave.png2013-05-16T16:55:40-07:00http://www.cougcenter.com/rss/stream/33125492013-05-16T16:55:40-07:002013-05-16T16:55:40-07:00It's true! WSU football players can tweet again!
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<img alt="What all WSU football players are doing right now, probably." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2YzcQ64sRtKRPECie54rWwzYTfk=/39x0:3959x2613/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13246569/20130127_ajl_al2_318.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>What all WSU football players are doing right now, probably. | Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Our long national nightmare is over.</p> <p>We wondered the other day what was going on <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cougcenter.com/wsu-cougars-football/2013/5/14/4329898/jake-rodgers-twitter-mike-leach">when offensive lineman </a><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/114036/jake-rodgers" class="sbn-auto-link">Jake Rodgers</a> suddenly returned to Twitter -- after all, Mike Leach had banned his players from using the social media platform back in October.</p>
<p>It appears we have our answer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>No way... <a href="http://t.co/XO7G0cwkde" title="http://twitter.com/RahmelDockery/status/335165972623269888/photo/1">twitter.com/RahmelDockery/…</a></p>&mdash; Follow Dockery™ (@RahmelDockery) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahmelDockery/status/335165972623269888">May 16, 2013</a></blockquote></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;"><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></span></p>
<p>Apparently, that's a text message from WSU that went to all the football players. So, if you're a person who likes to follow football players on Twitter, get excited! Here's a sampling of the sorts of things you have to look forward to!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>I think Adam Sandler is a brilliant actor</p>&mdash; <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/78188/jeff-tuel">Jeff Tuel</a> (@qb10jvt) <a href="https://twitter.com/qb10jvt/status/334815072524316672">May 15, 2013</a></blockquote></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;"><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>When you find that perfect spot in bed where the pillows are just right &gt;&gt;&gt;</p>&mdash; <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/78222/travis-long">Travis Long</a> (@tlong89) <a href="https://twitter.com/tlong89/status/327824276226994176">April 26, 2013</a></blockquote></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;"><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>She get it from her momma</p>&mdash; rickey galvin (@RICKEYGALVIN) <a href="https://twitter.com/RICKEYGALVIN/status/260644718914985984">October 23, 2012</a></blockquote></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;"><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>@<a href="https://twitter.com/rawwdog24">rawwdog24</a> well good to see that UW education is paying off and you can put together a sentence that pertains to the conversation we had</p>&mdash; Phenry42 (@phenry42) <a href="https://twitter.com/phenry42/status/254445444300677121">October 6, 2012</a></blockquote></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;"><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></span></p>
<p>OK, that last one was pretty funny, actually.</p>
<p>Thus concludes (we hope) this whole ridiculous drama surrounding WSU football and the use of Twitter. As we suspected all along, Leach's ban wasn't permanent, and you now once again have unfettered access to mundane musings of your favorite Cougar football players.</p>
<p>At least one player is thankful for the second chance.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2636543/Leon_Brooks_Tweet.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="Leon_brooks_tweet_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2636543/Leon_Brooks_Tweet_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1368748329953"></p>
<p>In case you're wondering, Brooks turned his account back to private shortly after this. So nobody can blame him if this goes sideways.</p>
https://www.cougcenter.com/wsu-cougars-football/2013/5/16/4338438/mike-leach-lifts-ban-on-wsu-football-players-using-twitterJeff Nusser2013-05-14T07:12:08-07:002013-05-14T07:12:08-07:00Rodgers returns to Twitter. This is curious!
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<img alt="Is Jake Rodgers just crazy? Well he did help in this touchdown celebration." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BaLq2MbCSLdbZqcTCTwRCpKCfEI=/0x268:2825x2151/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13130653/156882898.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Is Jake Rodgers just crazy? Well he did help in this touchdown celebration. | William Mancebo</figcaption>
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<p>Just what does it mean? These are the kinds of dumb things we try to figure out during the offseason.</p> <p>Back in October, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cougcenter.com/2012/10/23/3546276/mike-leach-twitter-ban-wsu-football">Mike Leach handed down an edict that banned WSU football players from using Twitter</a>. Since then, we've had nary a tweet from a still-eligible athlete.</p>
<p>Which made this little thing from Monday night somewhat ... curious?</p>
<p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Im back mofos!!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23returnoftheking">#returnoftheking</a></p>&mdash; jake rodgers (@jakerodgers_69) <a href="https://twitter.com/jakerodgers_69/status/334080795264294912">May 13, 2013</a></blockquote><br><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Of course, this raised some eyebrows:</p>
<p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>@<a href="https://twitter.com/bward09wsu">bward09wsu</a> im not at liberty to discuss that information yet. it would create a national security issue.</p>&mdash; jake rodgers (@jakerodgers_69) <a href="https://twitter.com/jakerodgers_69/status/334130147890438145">May 14, 2013</a></blockquote><br><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>This prompts a number of natural questions.</p>
<p><i>Has Rodgers quit the team? </i>He had a rough 2012 and missed the spring, but we haven't heard any word of him transferring -- as someone noted to me, he has his number in his Twitter handle.</p>
<p><i>Has Leach lifted his Twitter ban? </i>Again, nothing has been announced, and we haven't seen something amounting to a stampede of players back to Twitter.</p>
<p><i>Is Rodgers just crazy? </i>Well ... <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cougcenter.com/2012/4/26/2978072/jake-rodgers-metal-sign-video-wsu-cougars">he did/does have a spectacular mullet</a>, so I wouldn't put anything past him.</p>
<p>Perhaps the biggest question?</p>
<p>WHY IN THE WORLD DO I CARE RIGHT NOW?</p>
<p>Oh yeah. Offseason.</p>
<p><b>EDIT, 7:24 a.m.: </b>As noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/TrackSuitCoug/status/334311322038718465">WSU fan Joe Baker</a>, it appears <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Tuskegeebruh">Ivan McLennan is active on Twitter</a>. McLennan is a junior college transfer who enrolled for spring semester and apparently never stopped tweeting. Sooooo ..... ?</p>
https://www.cougcenter.com/wsu-cougars-football/2013/5/14/4329898/jake-rodgers-twitter-mike-leachJeff Nusser2012-10-25T12:02:36-07:002012-10-25T12:02:36-07:00This is why we can't have nice things
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<figcaption>Jordan LeClaire / Twitter</figcaption>
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<p>This is why we can't have nice things.</p> <p>And so it begins. Just halfway through Mike Leach's first season in Pullman, one fan is already unhappy -- or so it seems. And they let it be known with a "Fire Leach" sign in their window. The house is on College Hill, and I think I recognize it. Then again, College Hill houses all look pretty similar.</p>
<p>Maybe it's a joke. Maybe it's a disgruntled fan. Maybe it's just a cry for help. Maybe someone is just real upset about <a href="http://www.cougcenter.com/2012/10/24/3548508/mike-leach-ban-twitter-wsu-football-social-media" target="_blank">the Twitter ban</a>. Who knows! But here we are!</p>
<p>Photo via Jordan LeClaire (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/icoug" target="_blank">@iCoug on Twitter</a>)</p>
https://www.cougcenter.com/2012/10/25/3554898/fire-mike-leach-sign-photoBrian Floyd2012-10-24T14:43:09-07:002012-10-24T14:43:09-07:00Losing magnifies every small issue
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<figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Why all the uproar over the Washington State football team, its Twitter ban and every little comment? The answer is always losses.</p> <p>Let's just do this bit by bit, because it's all so foolish.</p>
<p><b>Mike Leach is throwing everyone under the bus!</b></p>
<p>When a team is on the skids, the questions come ... and they never end. There's a constant search for what's wrong, why it's going wrong and how it can be fixed. And every word a head coach says is scrutinized.</p>
<p>That's what happened when Leach started talking about empty corpses and a zombie-like quality from some of his seniors. The reactions ranged from a search to figure out who he meant to fans interpreting it as Leach throwing his team under the bus. And, in fact, after every loss it's been nearly the same thing: Leach speaks candidly about the shortcomings of his team, usually from a mental-side, and his words are then dissected.</p>
<p>Lost in the shuffle are his words about the coaching staff needing to do better and correct mistakes in practice. He's still taking responsibility and talking about what his staff can do to better prepare guys mentally for games, or for battle.</p>
<p>And what else is he going to say? Do you want excuses and the same old things, like we heard under the previous staff? Or do you want honest assessments of the team -- brutally so?</p>
<p>The coaching staff can micro-manage every single detail throughout the week, but ultimately the players have to make a decision on gameday. Do they want to pack it up and go home, or turn and fight when something goes wrong? Are they absorbing what's being taught to them, or just going through the motions?</p>
<p>We overestimate how much a coaching staff influences the outcome. Coaches can call the perfect plays and have their guys in the perfect spots, but when the action is underway, it's on the players. It's on the players to be in the right frame of mind. It's on the players to keep their heads in the game. Coaches can beg, plead and yell all they want, but the mental aspect of the game is on the players.</p>
<p>So yes, calling out the mental lapses is sending a direct message to the players. Because they have to choose whether they want to be here or not. They have to make a decision that they're tired of getting beat on and do something about it. The coaches are there to put them in the right spots, and take ownership of that, but the actual, tangible things we see on the field come down to the athletes.</p>
<p>When the team is losing and everyone is on edge, every little thing will be picked apart.</p>
<p><b>Boy, this Twitter ban will sure fix the Cougs' on-field problems!</b></p>
<p>Believe it or not, head coaches are responsible for much more than wins and losses. Sure, that may be the standard they're judged on, but it's not the end all be all. And not everything a coaching staff does is geared towards winning and losing, though notching wins is the ultimate goal.</p>
<p>College head coaches are mentors, babysitters and molders of men. Along with producing results on the field, it's their job to help mold young men and women. There's a character element at play, and you're fooling yourself if you think this isn't a big part of their job.</p>
<p>Washington State has, at times, had an image problem. Players getting arrested, failing drug tests or doing downright stupid things makes everyone look bad, from the top of the program down. This can be anything from the aforementioned arrests to simply saying ridiculous things. Coaches and administrators have to spend a lot of time dealing with issues -- personal, academics or otherwise -- as a part of their daily routine.</p>
<p>Vulgar and offensive tweets reflect incredibly poorly on the athletic department, even if it's not the intent of the athletes. They're representing the entire athletic department, as well as the school and its alumni base. If they can't act like adults and be responsible, then there's consequences -- and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cougcenter.com/2012/10/23/3546276/mike-leach-twitter-ban-wsu-football">they're now facing those consequences</a>.</p>
<p>But acting as though a Twitter ban was enacted with the ultimate goal of winning games is foolishness. Simply banning the medium does help in a way in that administrators have to spend less time on a wild goose chase, tracking down errant tweets and dealing with their consequences in the middle of the season. It's bad publicity, and for the moment <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cougcenter.com/2012/10/24/3548312/mike-leach-twitter-ban-wsu-football">just banning the whole thing removes one element from the equation</a>.</p>
<p><i>Edit: Forgot one.</i></p>
<p><b>This is really going to screw up recruiting!</b></p>
<p>No. No it is not.</p>
<p>We joke about recruits latching onto small things and being fickle. And in ways, they are. But those really small things that some believe tip the scales just don't. The kid who joked about one campus not having a Chick-fil-A? Well, it had a Chick-fil-A, and the kid was joking.</p>
<p>Look, coaches invest years -- yes, years -- getting to know kids and recruiting them. There's phone calls, visits to high schools, official visits and more. It's a long process that amounts to dating, in a way. Twitter is not going to be the deciding factor.</p>
<p>There are some kids that will tell you they HAVE TO HAVE THEIR TWITTER. These kids are 17 years old and also HAVE TO HAVE the newest, hottest pair of shoes. And in the end, it doesn't even matter. Because all they want is attention.</p>
<p>Remember Kenny Lawler? He had some of y'all eating out of the palm of his hand on Twitter. Everyone was convinced he was headed to Washington State. And then he went to Cal, and fans showing him love on Twitter really didn't matter.</p>
<p>And besides, are athletes really that worried about Twitter? Are they "building a brand" around an empire of tweets about sandwiches, class and studying game tape? It's not as big as you think.</p>
<p><b>Wooooo glass houses</b></p>
<p>We can't be outraged that Jim Mora berated a member of the sports information staff. We can't be mad that Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian threatened to pull the access of media members for reporting on injuries. We just can't have an opinion of anything now that Leach has enacted a Twitter ban. He's stifling free speech! And it's hypocritical to call out others!</p>
<p>Here's the problem: There's a massive difference between threatening to pull access of media members, or anything of the sort, and banning Twitter. Kiffin isn't my boss. Mora isn't my boss. Mike Leach is the "boss" of the players. He's within his right to say they can't use social media while laying out the consequences if they do.</p>
<p>It's incredible how many Straw Man arguments are being thrown around in the wake of a Twitter ban. Mike Leach is outspoken, but he's stifling his players! What a hypocrite! It's simply crazy that the difference between these things isn't recognized.</p>
<p>More to the point, all of these issues are coming to light with the fanbase on edge. As losses pile up, everyone gets on edge. They're cranky. They want wins and will pick apart every little detail while the team is losing. We've seen this same crap for the past five years. The team starts to lose and the fans turn.</p>
<p>None of this would be a blip on the radar if the team was winning. There wouldn't be an empty corpse uproar, even if Leach mentioned that things were going well, but some seniors had checked out. The Twitter ban would be a footnote because who cares, we're winning!</p>
<p>Instead, Washington State is coming off a bye week, news is slow and everyone is cranky. That's a long way of saying Saturday can't come soon enough.</p>
https://www.cougcenter.com/wsu-cougars-football/2012/10/24/3550500/mike-leach-twitter-ban-empty-corpse-wsu-footballBrian Floyd2012-10-24T09:48:59-07:002012-10-24T09:48:59-07:00Why did Mike Leach ban Twitter?
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<figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Is there a double-standard at play? Is Mike Leach restricting free speech? And why do you care about what athletes tweet?</p> <p>I've seen a lot of responses to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cougcenter.com/2012/10/23/3546276/mike-leach-twitter-ban-wsu-football">Mike Leach's Twitter ban -</a>- some of them agreeing with the decision and others vehemently opposing it. The decision to keep Washington State football players off Twitter is a polarizing one, with some decrying the move as a way to stifle free speech. The issue, however, isn't quite so simple.</p>
<p>In this case, Washington State University is akin to an employer -- even if real amounts of cash isn's changing hands. Players are given scholarship money and stipends, and in return perform a service; Practice, games and all the other things that come along with being a football player are the service. We can debate the whole college athletes being paid thing, but in basic terms athletes are employees.</p>
<p>Because the players are, in theory, employees, there are expectations that come along with the job. There are team rules: Players are expected to keep their grades up, attend practices and stay on the right side of the law. Some of the rules are, in fact, related to laws -- drugs and arrests can result in dismissal -- and others are just rules defined by the coach. Breaking these rules leads to the dreaded "violation of team rules" punishments.</p>
<p>A Twitter ban is now one of those rules, along with showing up to meetings on time and going to class. Being a member of the football team is a privilege, and that privilege can be revoked at the coach's discretion. It's not a right, and standards have to be met to remain in good standing. The same goes for a "real job." You can be fired for being stupid or saying stupid things -- if your employer catches wind of it.</p>
<p>And no, the first amendment doesn't protect the players' rights to tweet.</p>
<p>I've seen quite a bit of uproar about a possible double-standard at play when it comes to the Twitter ban. The outside world sees Mike Leach as an outspoken, eccentric coach, so why would he muzzle his team? There's a lot of painting in black-and-white, but the Twitter ban is more complicated than that.</p>
<p>Like his players, Mike Leach is an employee. There are consequences for his actions. If he comes out and holds a profanity-laced press conference where he rips into everyone and everything, he'll face discipline. If he criticizes officials or the conference, he'll face monetary fines or suspensions.</p>
<p>The difference between, say, Leach's rant in the locker room that's been replayed on YouTube repeatedly and a player tweeting out vulgar items is pretty simple. I don't care what a coach or player does behind closed doors. When it's being done in a public setting, however, there's a problem. One side of the equation is private; the other is broadcast to the world, projecting an image out to the public.</p>
<p>Simply, Leach is smart enough to be rather even-keeled in press conference. If he were reading some of the tweets that caused the ban to be enacted aloud, there'd be issues. He's not stepping in front of a mic -- and Twitter really is just a big microphone to the world -- and talking about hoes, blowjobs and other things that are degrading to women.</p>
<p><i>But ... but ... but what about his colorful tangents on the radio, like the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cougcenter.com/2012/5/25/3044191/mike-leach-interview-bear-hunting-dancing-marriage-advice">whole anniversary talk</a>?</i></p>
<p>Again, there's a pretty big difference between joking about his wife "not it out of this unscathed" and "bitch get on your knees and swallow my kids" being tweeted by a college athlete (sorry for the explicit nature of the phrase, but it was done to illustrate a point).</p>
<p><i>But ... but ... but what about context?</i></p>
<p>This is important, and something I've been talking with Andrew Sharp about all morning. In a large majority of cases, football players are tweeting rap lyrics. I understand that. When <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2012/7/15/3160590/tyler-hunter-lil-boosie-twitter-kill-cops">Tyler Hunter tweeted about killing a cop</a>, I immediately recognized what it was: He was tweeting a Boosie lyric after being harassed by a police officer. There was context.</p>
<p><i>Sharp, by the way, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2012/10/24/3547516/mike-leach-washington-state-twitter">wrote about Twitter bans this morning,</a> and did it well. He hits on both sides of the issue, and his last two points are important ones.</i></p>
<p>For most of the world, however, the context is lost. I'd guess that the large majority of the public would see a tweet that looks vulgar while not realizing it was a lyric. College kids like to tweet lyrics, and those come without context. Take by themselves, one could get the impression that these are stream-of-conciousnes thoughts when in reality it's probably a sign that the tweeter is listening to music.</p>
<p>This creates a problem. When the context is lost and an offensive tweet is taken by itself, the potential for a firestorm is there. Recently, a Washington State player sent out a tweet with the n word. It was a lesser-known rap lyric, and it still didn't make it right. Had it made it out into the wild, there would've been issues. Same thing with Hunter: The context was lost, and the athletic department had to go into damage control mode.</p>
<p><i>But ... but ... but why not educate them?</i></p>
<p>Because it's a hassle at this point. We're in the middle of the season and, while there's been ongoing social media education, taking time to do crash courses isn't the best use of time. Members of the football team are already dealing with classes, tutoring sessions, film and practice, while trying to fit a ton of information into their brains. Throwing extensive social media classes on top of it all doesn't make a ton of sense right now.</p>
<p>So Leach just squashed the whole thing. Instead of piling something else on, he enacted a team-wide ban. It was the easy way out, sure, but it makes sense for the time being. Could he revisit it in the offseason, after tackling the issue? Sure. But right now probably isn't the time.</p>
<p>It's also important to note -- for context -- that Leach isn't the most technically savvy person around. He's said quite a few times that he always ends up breaking computers and has someone who helps him with the technology aspect of his job. His wonderful wife, Sharon, tweets from his account. Leach isn't the most progressive coach when it comes to technology.</p>
<p><i>But ... but ... but I need to know what these college athletes are thinking and saying!</i></p>
<p>I can't help you. This sounds like a personal problem.</p>
<p>It's not as though we're missing out on any infinite wisdom here -- except for <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/114027/andrew-furney" class="sbn-auto-link">Andrew Furney</a>, whose account is a national treasure. For the most part, the tweets are banal. You shouldn't really care about what an athlete says, because it's not that much different from a typical college kid -- they're just in the spotlight more.</p>
<p>But it does become a problem when the school is having to put out fires caused by context-free tweets that are deemed offensive. Leach is a grown-ass man that, while rambling and random, knows that consequences for his action. Athletes ... not so much. And when they're acting as representatives of the university, sometimes it's just better to shut off the social media until the school can get a better handle on the problem.</p>
https://www.cougcenter.com/2012/10/24/3548312/mike-leach-twitter-ban-wsu-footballBrian Floyd2012-10-24T06:01:50-07:002012-10-24T06:01:50-07:00Hot Cougar Action: Twitter banning and more
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<img alt=""Are you saying I'm banned?" "You're banned"" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/a9xMSFrTzMWI5xq_PDcTnW1NlYw=/0x0:2837x1891/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/1904753/154097951.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>"Are you saying I'm banned?" "You're banned" | William Mancebo</figcaption>
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<p>If you are a Washington State football player, you probably didn't find this article via a link on Twitter.</p> <p>As you've probably heard by now, <a href="http://www.cougcenter.com/2012/10/23/3546276/mike-leach-twitter-ban-wsu-football#comments" target="_blank">Mike Leach banned WSU football players from using Twitter</a>.</p>
<p>While some are worried about what the football players are missing out on, fear not. The football players will most likely turn to the basketball players to do their tweeting for them. Unfortunately for those players, there is a good chance Leach will be onto this plan and ban the basketball players from Twitter as well.</p>
<p>With both groups banned, the players will turn to the baseball team to handle the tweeting. Leach may think something is up, but will most likely let it slide and everyone will end up with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ6e9siQyrY">some delicious mango</a>.</p>
<p><b>Football</b></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://seattle.sbnation.com/washington-st-ncaaf/2012/10/23/3546044/washington-state-cougars-mike-leach-bans-twitter">Washington State Cougars coach Mike Leach bans players from Twitter - SB Nation Seattle</a><br>Washington State Cougars coach Mike Leach announced his players were banned from using Twitter, Christian Caple of the Spokesman Review reported on Tuesday.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/oct/24/leach-bans-players-from-tweeting/">Leach bans players from tweeting - Spokesman.com - Oct. 24, 2012</a><br>PULLMAN – Just one week after players were instructed by a professional about the dangers of social media, Twitter is no more for the Washington State football team.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/sportslink/2012/oct/23/leach-no-more-twitter-players/">Leach: No more Twitter for players - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Oct. 23, 2012</a><br>Just when you think it's another day at the office with the Washington State football team, Mike Leach announces a Twitter ban. Read on.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/10/23/2341456/gentlemen-time-for-cougs-to-get.html">Gentlemen, time for WSU Cougars to get tough | WSU Cougars - The News Tribune</a><br>Mike Leach continues to say his Washington State football team needs to get bigger, stronger, more mature and tougher. Not necessarily in that order.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019505224_apfbct25stanfordqbshuffle1stldwritethru.html">No. 19 Stanford shuffling QBs, formations more | Local News | The Seattle Times</a><br>One of the last things that might come to mind when most people think about Stanford is a spread-option formation and a running quarterback.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/article/Stanford-wary-of-WSU-s-spread-offense-3976171.php">Stanford wary of WSU's spread offense - SFGate</a><br>If Stanford needs any extra slice of motivation for Saturday's home game against Washington State, which has yet to win a Pac-12 game, it can mull over the 491 passing yards and 617 total yards it allowed to the last spread-offense team it faced.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://lindyssports.com/college-football/pac-12/stanford/article/headline/washington-state-should-not-be-a-problem-for-stanford/47897">Washington State should not be a problem for Stanford | Lindy's Sports</a><br>Stanford (5-2, 3-1 in the Pac-12) kept its Rose Bowl hopes alive by smothering Cal’s offense in a 21-3 victory on Oct. 13, and the Cardinal simply needs to avoid a major letdown to beat Washington State at Stanford on Oct. 27 and stay in the Pac-12 title race.</p>
https://www.cougcenter.com/wsu-cougars-football/2012/10/24/3546998/wsu-cougars-football-washington-state-mike-leach-twitterMark Sandritter2012-10-23T19:56:33-07:002012-10-23T19:56:33-07:00Mike Leach bans Twitter
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<figcaption>James Snook-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Mike Leach took the somewhat drastic move of banning Twitter, and it was probably for the best.</p> <p>And with that, Washington State football players have gone silent on Twitter. Truth be told, this was a long time coming. It kind of needed to happen, and a few things prompted the swift action now. But first, the news...</p>
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<p>Mike Leach said after practice today that he has banned the use of Twitter by his players.</p>
— Christian Caple (@ChristianCaple) <a data-datetime="2012-10-24T01:18:17+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/ChristianCaple/status/260913066722615296">October 24, 2012</a>
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<p>When asked what prompted the ban, Leach said: "I decided." Said he doesn't even want to see players tweet "I love life."</p>
— Christian Caple (@ChristianCaple) <a data-datetime="2012-10-24T01:18:44+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/ChristianCaple/status/260913182686724097">October 24, 2012</a>
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<p>That's true, but there was more to the story. As Leach was banning Twitter, Bill Moos was also talking about the platform. Christian has more:</p>
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<p>Just spoke with Bill Moos. Said some "vulgar" tweets were brought to his attention today, but Leach's decision was not directive from Moos.</p>
— Christian Caple (@ChristianCaple) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristianCaple/status/260922616100057088" data-datetime="2012-10-24T01:56:14+00:00">October 24, 2012</a>
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<p>Moos said he backs the decision. "They aren’t bashing coaches or the program or any of that, but it’s not what we want to be perceived ..."</p>
— Christian Caple (@ChristianCaple) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristianCaple/status/260922806743740416" data-datetime="2012-10-24T01:56:59+00:00">October 24, 2012</a>
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<p>"...as how our program is represented." Said many player tweets "would not be approved by the Parent Teacher Association."</p>
— Christian Caple (@ChristianCaple) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristianCaple/status/260923002257035265" data-datetime="2012-10-24T01:57:46+00:00">October 24, 2012</a>
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<p>Moos said there was a mandatory student-athlete meeting with professional last week to discuss dangers of social media.</p>
— Christian Caple (@ChristianCaple) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristianCaple/status/260923420294905856" data-datetime="2012-10-24T01:59:25+00:00">October 24, 2012</a>
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<p>Now, before anyone gets hot and bothered, know that there have been some vulgar -- offensive, really -- tweets from athletes. Moos saw some of these, which is like a parent catching their children doing something real embarrassing. He was embarrassed, which in turn makes Leach embarrassed. And you really don't want either of them embarrassed about the image of the team being projected onto the public.</p>
<p>To be perfectly clear, this move isn't about eliminating distractions, giving away team secrets, or even airing team business -- though the latter is something that will get players on Leach's bad side quickly. It's not as though Leach is looking at this like some kind of magic key to winning. Even after an education discussion about the dangers of social media, there were tweets floating out in the world that really shouldn't have been.</p>
<p>I'm all for education and teaching players instead of censoring. But if you've seen how some athletes interact on Twitter -- Washington State athletes and elsewhere -- you know how poor it can look to the outside world. You know, like this one:</p>
<p><a href="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1263133/classes-are-pointless.png"><img src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1263133/classes-are-pointless_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Classes-are-pointless_medium"></a></p>
<p>via <a target="_blank" href="http://www.landgrantholyland.com/2012/10/6/3464208/cardale-jones-twitter-play-school-college-football-tv-schedule">Land-Grant Holy Land</a></p>
<p>It's rather innocent and the uproar was rather ridiculous, but one tweet can create a public relations wildfire that coaches and administrators have to divert resources to control. And Jones' tweet wasn't really vulgar or offensive. Imagine, as an athletic director, being presented with a bunch of tweets from athletes -- without context -- that would make you blush. What would you do?</p>
<p>So, like a kid who breaks a rule, the football team has lost its tweeting privileges. And that's fine. It's not as though anyone was changing the world, one tweet at a time. And, in fact, it's become rather sad to see what some athletes -- again, WSU or not -- throw out on social media.</p>
<p>Sometimes you've just got to kill the whole thing completely, because it becomes downright embarrassing for the whole athletic department when the athletes who are representing the school are doing so in a way that doesn't fit the image of the university. I know they're young adults and they'll say what they're going to say by way of social media, but this was a necessary move, all things considered.</p>
https://www.cougcenter.com/2012/10/23/3546276/mike-leach-twitter-ban-wsu-footballBrian Floyd