Ed Note: This article appears courtesy The Sherman Report.
To tweet or not to tweet.
That is the annual question going into tonight’s NFL draft. Once again, ESPN and the NFL Network have told their reporters be selective about tweeting. This has to be Adam Schefter’s personal version of hell.
From Richard Deitsch of SI.com:
While ESPN and NFL Network will compete fiercely for audience this week, SI.com can report that once again the networks have come together for a gentleman’s agreement on the subject of tipping draft picks. Both networks have pledged not to show images of players on the phone in the green room at Radio City Music Hall and not to report pick-by-pick selections on the Twitter feeds of staffers prior to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announcing the picks on the podium. That Twitter agreement carries through at least the first two rounds.
Once again, that agreement doesn’t apply to Jason La Canfora. The CBS and CBSSports.com NFL insider plans to tweet out picks and more to his nearly 400,000 followers.
In an email, he wrote: “I’ll be doing my job, same as always brother.”
When I followed up, asking if he thought he had an advantage because of the limitations applied to the ESPN and NFL Network reporters, La Canfora responded:
“I don’t really care one way or the other. I’m charged with reporting as much fair and accurate information as possible with all things NFL, and free agency and the draft are about as news-driven as possible.
“I’m not concerned with whatever anyone else is or isn’t doing, just looking to serve out audience at cbssports.com with the best, most timely information as we possibly can, and to make sure my colleagues Will Brinson and Pete Prisco have the best info possible as quickly as possible for the live draft shows they are doing on the website.
“It’s a non-issue for me. Same approach as I have with anything else in regards to this job.”
If you don’t want your suspense ruined, then unfollow La Canfora for the night. Or just stay away from Twitter completely since other NFL reporters will be tweeting out picks.
However, you will be missing out if you put yourself in a Twitter blackout. There is a ton of good information in those tweets. It’s worth knowing a few of those picks ahead of time.
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