Do you have a problem with Jim Irsay and his tweeting?

[BleedingBlue]

Twits should stay off twitter.

Companies or businesses that have twitter accounts are usually handled by a Marketing department. Once again Irsay's ego overshadows everything as he has decided to remove the buffer and just do it himself.

[southwest1]

If the concern is self-promotion, I think maybe that's independent of Twitter. If Twitter is the medium being used for self-promotion, then perhaps you would feel the same about Irsay writing a blog or being involved in other activities that are more about him than about the team.

I personally don't think that a team owner has to blur into the background. In fact, many pro sports team owners are involved in several different pursuits. They wear different hats. Magic Johnson is part owner of the Dodgers; should he not work as an NBA analyst anymore? Mark Cuban is involved in several activities aside from running the Mavericks, including running a TV show. He was also on Dancing with the Stars. Did that take away from his team's ability to win a championship?

This is what I mean about the either/or mentality. The team will survive without every decision Irsay makes having to do with the Colts. The team can run smoothly without Irsay hiding under a rock somewhere.

In this case, I think Irsay made a mistake. He shouldn't have mentioned a potential trade on Twitter. But it's not about Twitter to me. He shouldn't have mentioned it at all, not until it was done. Had he announced the trade after it was done, using Twitter or any other social media outlet, or using a sky writer, I don't care. But saying that you're working on deal can undermine your negotiations, and even kill the deal under consideration. No upside. But again, that's not a Twitter issue. That's a "keep your mouth shut" issue.

I appreciate your insightful response Superman. I had no problem with coming up with innovative ways to promote a publicly traded company like a football team that sells shares to it's fan base to generate revenue to offset some expenses like the GreenBay Packers do for instance. I just have a problem with which individuals are actually selling the product in question. Look at the owner of the Miami Dolphins, Stephen M. Ross, 95% CEO of this company with a net worth of 3.1 billion. This stadium, despite numerous celebrity alliances with smaller ownership percentages of this franchise, still cannot fill seats on an annual basis.

Famous names, whether they are Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, or Mark Cuban, do not solidify prosperity and success over the long haul winning does, or should I say, winning Championships within the past 4 years on average. Production is king and shiny hardware is all that really matters. Winning makes it easier to get state and congressional funding for new stadium construction, renovation upgrades, and it serves as a justification for raising ticket and exclusive merchandizing rights on countless products from hats, jerseys, mugs, and pens.

The question isn't the value of an active, onsight owner versus an absentee one; the question is delegating the promotion of a football franchise to the proper professional personnel best equipped to handle that role technologically, legally, fiscally, commercially, and graphically. Yes, the owner can write a weekly blog, type a monthly newsletter, and he/she can even contribute to a daily chat room. Here's the only stipulation: A legal team has to approve all statements made by the owner and management before it can be distributed on the worldwide web as a precautionary measure to avoid inflammatory language and any potential lawsuits against the franchise, logo, or company name at large. I don't expect an owner to hide under a rock, disappear, or join FBI Witness Protection. But, I cannot let any owner conduct themselves with no oversight or supervision either in the interest of protecting and preserving the organization's stellar reputation.

"He shouldn't have mentioned a potential trade on Twitter...But saying that you're working on deal can undermine your negotiations, and even kill the deal under consideration. No upside. But again, that's not a Twitter issue. That's a "keep your mouth shut" issue." This is exactly why legal and fiscal assistance is absolutely mandatory when it comes to having a dual partnership with all NFL owners IMO. Your professional anti-litigation team prevents an owner from misusing the medium of twitter in a counterproductive way without having to write a large settlement check for slander for example.

[coltsfanatic24]

if this trade doesn't go through he should stop tweeting. now other nfl gm's calling around could make a better offer.

[GoColts8818]

if this trade doesn't go through he should stop tweeting. now other nfl gm's calling around could make a better offer.

better offer for what? We have no way of knowing who they are going after based on twitter. It could be any one of about 10 players based on the rumors that are out there.

[Indyboy757]

I do wish Irsay would have kept this one to himself untill the deal was done

[GoColts8818]

I've said it before if Irsay's tweeting bothers you it's real easy to ignore just don't read it and don't read the stories about it. Also I really hope the people upset about Irsay's tweeting and giving away information aren't the same people who complained about Polian being too secretive for years.