What's the Problem? - Social Media

The tweet heard around the world was the one that Brad Keselowski posted during the 2012 Daytona 500 after the race was red flagged due to Juan Pablo Montoya hitting the Jet Dryer. This tweet really began the Social Media Era for NASCAR and since that one tweet there has been new rules made along with new ways for NASCAR Fans to connect with their favorite driver on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, along with a few others. Since that tweet NASCAR now has a rule that you can not have your cellular device in the car with you during the race. It makes sense because of the fact that it could be used in a technical advantage in some sorts. Since that groundbreaking tweet NASCAR has used the the social media in a way that fans and NASCAR itself which make the fans have a place where they can complain about things like the Kyle Busch

issues on both Saturday and Sunday. NASCAR fans are some of the most passionate fans in any sports and that's what makes social media so crucial to the NASCAR community because it gives a place for fans to ask their favorite drivers questions, win giveaways and etc. Recently though Social Media has been a place for people to complain about Kyle Busch winning all of the time or for some trash talk to be thrown from Crew Chiefs. Most recently Cole Pern, crew chief for the #78 Furniture Row Toyota Camry, went off on Joey Logano's move yesterday in Southern California. That post is quoted below along with Cole Pern's twitter handle if you would like to go follow him!

"I guess @joeylogano can't see through his squinty douchy eyes."

— Cole Pearn (@colepearn) March 20, 2016

This was the simple showing of going on Social Media at the wrong time. When your mad you surely are going to say something you don't absolutely mean. Later in the day Cole sent out an apology tweet that is stating the following. "Well I guess you shouldn't tweet when you're mad. My apologies for being over the line." This is where Social Media is becoming a bad thing in our sport and that's what NASCAR does not like to see. Then NASCAR begins questioning posts like that above and then they begin policing social media a little more which then makes fans slightly angry. Fans enjoy seeing raw deals like that above and the Matt Kenseth Joey Logano incident last year in Martinsville. This is a problem that needs to be evaluated. Yes fans enjoy fights and stuff like that but

that is not what we watch NASCAR for. We watch it for the racing, the wrecks, the pure enjoyment of seeing a car going fast and not here to watch the WWE or Some soap opera. It's in the shape where we want our sport looks good to those new fans so that our sport can grow more and more. This social media problem is one thing that needs to be evaluated and at least tell the NASCAR community to think before you post which is just simple common sense. Tell me what you think in the coments! The debate is open! Please keep all coments clean and respectful.(Koelle,2016)