It is with no great surprise that technology has infiltrated every component of American life. It seems that sports are the latest victim of this trend. Recent news has criticized athletes as well as athletic programs for their abuse of Twitter. Athletes are spending more time tweeting and accepting friend requests and less time focusing on what’s happening on the field.

Last year, Charlie Villanueva of the Detroit Pistons drew the attention of the sports media for tweeting during halftime of one of his games. It appears Villanueva is not the only one.  Athletes such as Lebron James and Kobe Bryant have openly admitted to checking text messages and Facebook during games.

When do athletes cross the line?  Well, I’ll tell you.  Athletes go overboard when they are tweeting at halftime of a game they are losing. Athletes cross the line when they are not athletes anyone truly cares about (cough Charlie Villanueva cough).  It becomes increasingly apparent to me that those athletes who become reprimanded for their Twitter obsessions are those who need to spend more time on the court honing their game.

Scientists have recently observed that people may or may not be at risk for arthritis and thumb injuries from using Blackberries as often as they do. If this is true, athletes must be banned from using them. As a New York Yankees fan, the last thing I need is to go on Twitter to find Derek Jeter posting “Out for playoffs, tore a ligament in my hand posting the last message.”

Institutions across our country are disabling athletic programs from using Twitter and Facebook.  Coaches are already banned from speaking to prospective athletes at a certain age.  Lately, they’ve been tiptoeing around the rule by using Twitter and Facebook instead of what has now become the traditional text message.  Texas Tech recently announced that athletes are no longer allowed to use Twitter whatsoever. This is a step in the right direction. Someone needed to make athletes realize that they are damaging the credibility of their sport!

If you have the time to tweet in between quarters, you clearly aren’t focused or concerned with the outcome of your game. All this media attention to athletes and Twitter got me thinking what athletes we actually care about might be saying:

Brett Favre, quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings, might be saying:  “Sure, we had a pretty exciting win over 49ers this week, but that’s not the big news … my social security check should be in any day now!”

Michael Vick, quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, might add:  “Reading Clifford the Big Red Dog to preschoolers in Philly. I hate being on probation.”

Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, would probably say:  “Searching for the fountain of youth … it’s time to make my fourth attempt at a comeback. Charlotte here I come!”

Vince Young, quarterback of the Titans, as well as J.J. Redick, former Duke basketball player, are both thinking: “I wonder how I could look good in warm-ups, because everyone knows I’m not gonna play today…”

I even thought about what some old-school players would tweet:

Wilt Chamberlain, former NBA star, probably would’ve said:  “Just scored 100 points against the Knicks, just got paid, and it’s Friday night and I’m about to get … well you get the idea.”

Athletes are tweeting so often it is becoming an addiction.

Personal exposure has become too important. I just hope we return to the time when winning the games and being the best in your sport were motive enough.