I guess the thing that comes along with the London Olympics being the most social, is all the bone headedness inherent in everything social these days.
Case in point, Swiss soccer player Michel Morganella has been kicked out of the games and (even worse?) had his Twitter account deleted for comments he made about a player from South Korea, the team that had just finished beating Switzerland 2-1. The Guardian writes:
The Swiss Olympic team chief, Gian Gilli, said Morganella, a member of the football squad, was being stripped of his Olympic accreditation before Switzerland’s final group match against Mexico on Wednesday.
Morganella has since issued an apology for the allegedly racist comments.
… and Aussie swimmer Emily Seebhom’s bid for Olympic gold in the women’s 100 meter backstroke ended in tears and silver. She was expected to coast to victory after an impressive, Olympic record setting performance in the semifinals. The Verge writes that she:
… admitted that spending too much time on Twitter and Facebook may have affected her performance. After establishing herself as a hot favorite with her preliminary swims, Emily was showered with congratulations and encouragement on the social media sites, which, she says, made the victory in the final feel almost like a job already done.
Finally, proving you don’t have to be an athlete to be dumb, a UK teen was arrested for a malicious tweet to Great Britain Olympic diver Tom Daley after he and another diver came in fourth place in a synchronized diving event.
Daley retweeted a message that said: “You let your dad down i hope you know that.”
Daley’s father, Rob, died from brain cancer last year. Speaking before the Olympics, Daley revealed that his father “gave me all the inspiration that I’ve needed”. The teenager, from Plymouth in Devon, told the BBC: “Winning a medal would make all the struggles that I’ve had worthwhile. It’s been my dream since a very young age to compete at an Olympics.
British police say they have arrested the teen they believe sent the offensive tweet, who has (again) apologized.
If you take one thing away from the London Games, make it this: think before you tweet.
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