NFL’s Goodell on sideline tweeting

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Twitter may be catching fire everywhere, but don’t look your favorite NFL football players to be sending out tweets during the game.

That’s the word from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, when asked whether the league would institute a ban on players using Twitter while on the football field.

Goodell, who is attending the Allen & Co. conference in Sun Valley, said in a brief interview that while the league has not said anything official about Twitter, he expects it will soon. He thought the league’s current policy about the use of electronic devices during the game would need to be updated for Twitter. Although the intent of the rules are clear, Goodell feels that the more specific you can be with the teams the better.

Among the issues besides tweeting during the game are whether players should be allowed to tweet just before and after games and during halftime.

Many athletes have built huge followings on Twitter and some see it as a way to communicate without the filter of the press. Of course, Goodell isn’t saying that players can’t tweet, he just doesn’t want them doing it when they should be worried about what play the team is running.

But it will be interesting to see how sports leagues adjust to players using social networks. Teams often like to keep a tight lid on players with regards to the press and public. Whether the NFL, which some have dubbed the ‘No Fun League’ for its restrictions on players celebrating and hot-dogging on the firled, will see a backlash from some of the more out-sized personalities in the game remains to be seen. Guess we’ll just have to see if there is a response on Twitter.

-- Joe Flint