A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the Southeastern Conference banning social media to secure their revenue in media partnerships. Since the outcry of negative responses, they have revised their policy and are going to allow most social media participation. 

Now, the National Football League is announcing modifications to its social media policy to limit Twitter use by players, coaches, league officials, representatives of the players and even the media. They are not allowed to post a tweet 90 minutes before a game up until the press conferences are concluded after a game. The rules also prohibit NFL referees from using social media at any time.

FOR IT: Since this doesn't involve restricting the fans, as the SEC policy did, I'm more understanding. As a football fan, I don't want my favorite players to be distracted before and during a game, whether by trying to update fans or reacting adversely to someone's tweet. I can also sympathize with coaches as they try to maintain attention from their players and who wouldn't want potentially negative insights released, such as if a player is hurt or not feeling well.

AGAINST IT: On the other hand, as a fan, I follow players for their inside perspective and what better time to learn it than right before a game? Even a short and simple update makes me feel more connected to them personally and engages me as a fan. If the purpose of their Twitter update is to connect and build upon their fan base, then tweeting around game-time is a natural fit.

Football players have embraced social media in the past, with popular NFL player Chad Ochocinco of the Cincinnati Bengals, tweeting frequently and has recently launched a contest that combines on and offline activity. As the Chicago Sun-Times reports, the contest will "fly one fan to each home game... to be his designated Twitter stenographer. Through a series of hand signals, Johnson will get his message out - or try to - and give a fan a chance to see the game up close and personal."

Mashable loves the idea, saying it is "one of the cooler and more hands-on ways we've seen celebrity social media users engage their fans. Of course, if his performance on the field doesn't live up to expectations, his team might have a few issues with his seemingly constant presence on the social web."

CONSIDERATIONS: If Mr. Ochocinco is trying to get the attention and communicate with the elected Twitterer, he isn't going to be 100% focused on play at hand, so I definitely think that is more distracting than allowing him to tweet during the game. But even more important, the player is an individual. While they are under contract, the NFL is their employer. How far will we let an employer limit or prohibit the actions of an individual's use of social media? Is this limiting freedom of speech?

Banning something that will impact the player's performance is understandable. Clearly, they classify Twitter under this. Is this accurate? Would it keep a player from performing 100%? Does posting a Twitter update impact you from doing your job 100%?

ENFORCEMENT: Perhaps the biggest issue around the NFL limiting Twitter use is how they will go about enforcing the policy.

As Don Reisinger for CNET stated, "Still, if Ochocinco or any other player tweets during a game, it might be difficult for the NFL to enforce the rule. And since players can create accounts that the NFL might not even know about, it's doubtful that the league will be able to monitor all social-media activity."

BEYOND THE NFL:
Should large bodies, like the NFL, govern social media use? If so, should it be industry-specific or a larger, overall body like WOMMA? There are so many differences among industries, but the importance and benefits of driving conversations through word-of-mouth, including social media transcend those variables.

BOTTOM LINE:
Understanding that players and fans won't be pleased, the NFL should create more opportunities for conversations at the games and encourage social media in other means. Whether that includes nominating a fan "Twitterer", contests for the best tweets after a game, or connecting Twitter users with players before a game - there are so many creative avenues for driving positive conversations around the League, the games and the players.

Do you believe the NFL can and will enforce this? What are your thoughts on limiting social media use in professional sports?