Is NHL blackout on social media taking the fun out of sports?

Can you imagine an NHL hockey player in the dressing room between periods, with his gloves off and helmet on the floor, picking up his cell phone and tweeting his coach’s instructions on how to play the rest of the game?

It has yet to happen in pro hockey but in March 2009, when the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks were hanging on to a playoff spot in a game with the Boston Celtics, at the half, after his coach’s pep talk, forward Charlie Villanueva tweeted:

Later, when the tweet was publicized, Villanueva stated he wrote it to motivate himself. He in fact did lead the team with a team-high 19 points and the Bucks went on to win the game.

The coach’s comment reflected the corporate line. “Anything that gives the impression that we aren’t serious and focused at all times – is not the correct way we want to go about our business.

The NBA later put social media blackout periods in place, followed by the NFL and now the NHL.

Sports have to be entertaining. With interviews during the game at rink side, with players and helmet-cams and live mics during all star games; fans might feel this social ban to be too conservative an action.

But I agree with the blackouts. If I was a gambler, pregame tweets and blog posts would be the equivalent of breaking news, affecting my bet.

To expect that the world’s elite athletes have to concentrate on the game while they are at the arena doesn’t sound like too much to ask.

The NHL memo outlining the policies is basically common sense and includes one suggestion: “Pause before posting.”

Mistakes sometimes happen in the heat of the battle. Something we should all remember.