Social media is forever, but the mistakes we make on them are not. This is a lesson slowly but surely playing out in the sports world, as social media platforms — and the athletes using them — mature.
In the short history of Twitter and Facebook, athletes have found ways to make massive mistakes that capture headlines and cause headaches. Whether insensitive opinions, politically-motivated comments or just plain dumb decisions, social media gaffes are easy targets.
Traditional news media lampoon them. Fans fuel their virality. And declarations abound that so-and-so athlete is “done with Twitter” or “will never recover” from just a few characters sent in haste.