USA Today’s Nancy Armour urges sports world to avoid ‘toxic cesspool’ X

USA Today columnist Nancy Armour has never been one to hold back when it comes to taking on what she sees as toxicity and bigotry.

As such, she’s found a target in Elon Musk’s X social media platform.

In her latest column for USA Today, the longtime sports columnist calls out a recent X (formerly Twitter) post by three-time Olympic champion sprinter Gabby Thomas, in which the Harvard graduate said “hundreds of people commenting on my Twitter page that specifically because I am black, they must assume I did not earn my admission into Harvard nor did I earn my diploma.”

Armour sees this as a prime example of what the platform has become under owner Elon Musk.

“A toxic cesspool whose owner embraces, encourages, and amplifies the very worst of humanity,” she wrote. “And it ought to be a blaring warning to the NFL, NBA, college athletics, and all the other folks in the sports world who are ignoring the alternative to it.”

The columnist cited many of the longstanding issues with the social media platform under Musk’s watch, including pornography showing up next to league content or a rise in white supremacist interactions. She also noted Musk himself who, through multiple actions and words, has aligned himself with antisemites and white supremacists, and how people like NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell might want to consider what it says to align their business with him. There’s also the fact that several notable sports-related subreddits recently banned X posts.

Armour suggested that sports leagues and athletes may want to consider moving to a platform like Bluesky if they haven’t already, where there are healthy moderation and blocking options (all of which have been removed by X). She also spoke with Dallas Mavericks minority governor Mark Cuban, who has become a Bluesky evangelist.

“The value of Bluesky to athletes is that, because it’s moderated, players can engage and talk to their fans, without being overwhelmed by idiots,” Mark Cuban told Armour in an email. “Bluesky with moderation allows leagues, brands, players, celebs to engage with fans. I see it every day. The quality ratio is about 90 pct on Bluesky vs about 50 pct or less on X.”

While some sports media members and some pro sports leagues have made the jump, many of the major leagues and entities have remained cautious and remained on X despite the fraying infrastructure. According to reports, money may be at the heart of the issue for the NFL. There’s also the fact that X remains a strong news resource for many in the sports industry.

Cuban thinks that once Bluesky added a few more bells and whistles, it will be able to attract many of those in the sports media and business world who have been holding off.

“I think the only missing pieces for Bluesky are real-time news and scores, which is rapidly being added, and a few verticals,” Cuban said. “I think that changes over time.”

Armour ends with a parting shot that goes beyond sports and speaks to a fundamental question about what we want from our social media platforms.

“Social media is supposed to be fun and informative, a way to reach people you otherwise wouldn’t,” Armour wrote. “When it becomes a haven for white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and others who don’t value democracy or diversity, it’s time to leave.”