Contacting athletes through MySpace

You did try going through the SID, right? I would be leery of going through myspace for the simple reason that, as someone already pointed out, people can set up fake pages.

 

If Mark Cuban had a MySpace page, it would be OK to talk to him through it.

 

I sent a message to three players, gave them my cell number and asked them to call me tonight if they wish to be interviewed.

The ball's in their court (or on their new artificial turf in this case), and if they call, they want to be interviewed and my story will have more sources. If they don't call, they don't call. My profile is private, and I don't think I made a mistake or risked anything.

 

You did the right thing. Good luck.

 

To follow up, three messages sent to sophomore returners, all read, no phone calls.

Oh well. No harm, no foul.

 

But look on the bright side, the next time you encounter them in person, they know you are a stalker and a reporter.

Way to go!

/sarcasm

 

I have read this thread a couple of times tonight and I can't decide on which way I lean. I know MySpace is a public site and it is easy to read about people and those people should know how easy it is for others to read their page, hence no problem for CradleRobber to talk to them through it. But some part of me feels like it is a violation and journalists should use other channels to reach athletes, be it the phone or e-mail or through an SID or a coach, I don't know. It just doesn't seem right to me.

 

If they feel stalked because they have a first and a last name that they used to create a profile that revolves around people contacting one another, then they're the dumbest community college fucks I've ever encountered. Obviously the message was a little off-putting since I didn't hear back from them, or they were too busy not doing homework, but it's not stalking. It was just trying to do my job the only way I could given the situation.

 

I'm not saying it's a good idea, but if you've exhausted all other possibilities and it's imperative that you get in touch with them, you do what you gotta do. Ultimately, our job is about getting information and sometimes it puts us in weird positions doing weird things to get that information.

How sending a message via a site like that is different from an e-mail, I'm not sure. It feels a little creepier, but when you think about it, isn't it a little less invasive than, say, sitting in the lobby of a team hotel or team complex waiting on somebody to walk through, then pouncing on them with a question?

 

It's a tool you can use, just like a phone book or anything else. Players voluntarily - usually - put their information up there, and they're public profiles. Sure, it's not preferred, but "anything to get the story" I say.

MySpace makes it no secret that it has searching and networking options, so anyone being on MySpace can be contacted. You can message them, and the ball's in their court.

That said, I'd only use it as a contact point to set up further contacts. Quoting information directly off the pages as a source, that's a slippery slope I'd rather not see used because of the likelihood it is fake or taken out of context.

 

Then please explain why you post that stuff on the web at all, where the whole world and its brother can see?

 

Quit hiding behind the internet and get out there and contact these athletes!