Since Twitter’s 2006 launch, many have argued for the inclusion of an edit button to fix typos, erroneous information, and more. But many others, especially in the media, warned of the dangers of an edit button, citing the potential for users to alter tweets dramatically after they were retweeted or embedded elsewhere.
When Twitter did roll out edit functionality worldwide to Twitter Blue subscribers last fall, the company took a step to address that, making it so the original version of edited tweets can still be seen. And that’s how we come to ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky initially tweeting about a quarterback prospect (“the best since [Matthew] Stafford”) heading to Georgia, then later revising that into something not specifying position:
Many theorized that this is about top quarterback prospect Dylan Raiola, as Orlovsky played with his father Dominic in Detroit (as did Stafford), and Dylan’s sister Taylor quoted that tweet with dog emojis:
This was the previous version of Dan’s tweet.
If he has any inside info, seems to point to 2024 #1 overall recruit Dylan Raiola announcing a commitment to Georgia soon. https://t.co/MC54uZpz9u pic.twitter.com/TgGUf1MItI
— Max Chadwick (@MaxChadwickCFB) May 15, 2023
Dan Orlovsky played with Dylan Raiola’s dad in Detroit. https://t.co/HnsIHy3A4Y
— Brooks Austin (@BrooksAustinBA) May 15, 2023
https://twitter.com/CornhuskerJuan/status/1657938123622346752
And yes, Raiola did announce his commitment to Georgia Monday:
BREAKING: Five-Star QB Dylan Raiola tells me he has Committed to Georgia!
The 6’3 220 QB from Phoenix, AZ chose the Bulldogs over USC, Nebraska, and others.
Raiola is ranked as the No. 1 Player in the 2024 Class https://t.co/TTGXUBw3mc pic.twitter.com/AGQOpjTsDf
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 15, 2023
But Orlovsky’s tweet, and editing of it, took some criticism, including a comparison to his most infamous NFL moment (which the league itself has featured in its “Worst Plays Ever” collection):
The first version of Orlovsky's tweet was the recruiting reporter equivalent of running out of the back of the endzone unchallenged for a safety.
Did he just spoil the commitment of the nation's No. 1 overall prospect? https://t.co/EwUlHLYmFx https://t.co/Y9Ifkvzl8G— Andrew Nemec (@AndrewNemec) May 15, 2023
This is not even close to the strangest thing Orlovsky has said or done as a member of the media, with some past highlights there including thoughts on bathroom usage, towels, red wine with ice cubes, spices (or lack thereof), Joe Montana, and more. But it is an odd thing, and one that has added Orlovsky to the ranks of unexpected insiders with KatyPerrysBootyHole and wetbutt23, FredTheDog04, Brian Chandler, and Mike Tice. Even if he tried a disclaimer of an edit. Remember, kids; delete and tweet again, don’t edit tweet.
[Dan Orlovsky on Twitter; top image of Orlovsky on First Take in 2022]
