Are You Kidding Me?!

I love the smell of football in the Fall. I like it when the air gets chilly enough for a sweater but yet still nice enough for shorts. I can't wait for the faint smell of someone illegally burning leaves (it used to not be illegal around here) in their backyard. Most of all, I love that Fall brings with it, football season! I'm gearing up for a rock'n 5th grade tackle football season, maybe a few high school games with the SME Lancers, hopefully a KU Jayhawk football game and maybe catch a Chiefs game. I'll be snapping photos and video left and right and submitting them to friends and family who I know will want to see the hilarious and amazing moments of these games. Some of the best photos I have taken in the last 3 years, are of these games. (see the photo on this blog). I've posted them for many to see, especially on Facebook. The SEC (SouthEastern Conference consisting of 13 colleges) however, doesn't want its fans doing the same.

Yesterday, the SEC announced they are banning social media from their college football stadiums. This means no excited tweets about a great play or concern over an injured player on the field. It also means no "you better get over here to see this" type of enthusiastic messages to friends and family on Facebook or Twitter, which invariably increase college revenue. No Twitpics posting the latest spiritwear surrounding the fan. Again, a loss in revenue. So what's the reward in this for the SEC?

Apparently the SEC, not really comprehending the power of social media (and especially the reverse psychology of telling teens and college age kids not to do something... are you kidding me!) they are protecting their interests of their broadcasters... ESPN and CBS which the SEC are paying $3,000,000,000 over the next 15 years to show the SEC's games. User generated clips, which are easily accessible from mobile devices like a phone, completely undermine the need to carve time to sit down in a chair and watch it on the ol' television.

How the heck do you think those college officials are going to enforce this new rule? Social media is like a freight train right now... and sadly, I think alumni and fans will tweet and message through Facebook and sports blogs about their disappointment regarding this stance. What faster way to turn off your clientele? It leaves me scratching my head and asking "Are you kidding me?!"

Good luck to those colleges and their fans: University of Alabama, Auburn University, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, Louisiana State University, University of Mississippi ("Ole Miss"), Mississippi State University, University of Tennessee, and Vanderbilt University