National media still does not get it, some still hate on Clemson’s social media ban
By: will-vandervort August 6, 2018

Clemson football players, by their own choice, instituted their annual social media ban prior to the start of fall camp. They of course did this last week and the ban is issued for the entire season.

However, for clarification purposes, the ban is only for posting their thoughts or comments. The players can still go on social media and read my thoughts, yours or whoever.

For the record, I am one of those guys that does not care either way. However, what I do care about are facts. The fact of that matter is this is a player led movement. It always has been.

When I see media members, especially one in particular, every year try to make a big deal about this, it kind of gets to me. Why does it matter so much to you Darren Rovell? Did Clemson do something to you? Did it hurt your feelings or something? Did it beat your favorite team or embarrass the conference your alma mater plays in (he is a Northwestern graduate, by the way)?

But every year Rovell, ESPN’s sports business reporter, starts his propaganda and others in the national media usually jump on the bandwagon. Well, Rovell started his annual gripe this weekend and of course got his facts wrong, again.

You might think a guy who graduated from Northwestern, the premiere journalism school in the country, would know to check his facts before spouting off.

In his tweet, which he claims is the fourth year straight year Clemson players sign off on Twitter and Instagram. That’s not true. They don’t sign off, they just don’t post. Also, Clemson has been doing this since 2011, which makes it eight straight seasons.

Rovell is not the only one to attack the Clemson program. SI.com writer Jonathan Jones tweeted, “College coaches killing social media for their players is the opposite of teaching a man to fish. I hate that Dabo (Swinney) and others do it.”

Again, get your facts right. Swinney has nothing to do with this. Does he and Clemson benefit from it? Absolutely, but again, this is a player led decision.

If you don’t believe me, Rovell and Jones, then let’s go to a source. Former All-ACC center Jay Guillermo, who played on Clemson’s 2016 National Championship team, attempted to set the record straight for Rovell.

Even members of Clemson’s local media have taken to Tweeter in defense of the players’ social media ban.

https://twitter.com/stevenbradley3/status/1026465686682394625

As for Jones’ and Rovell’s claims that the ban is hurting Clemson players, especially those who are communication majors, can’t be further from the truth. Jimmy Sanderson, who researches sports management and how it relates to social media for Texas Tech University and who also worked and did the same thing at Clemson, explains to Rovell in this tweet how that can’t be further from the truth.

The point of this, let the players do what they want. This is something the players did for themselves. Dabo Swinney and Clemson as a whole have nothing to do with it.

For the record, Clemson is 82-15, has won a national championship, four ACC’s Championships and produced seven straight 10-win seasons since the ban started in 2011. By the way, Clemson has also been ranked in the top 10 in the APR every year but one in this same time frame. Coincidence?