In recent years, sports organizations and athletes are increasingly using social media as a tool to communicate with fans. Social media can be defined as the tools, platforms, and applications that allow consumers to connect, communicate, and collaborate with others (Williams & Chinn, 2010). Social media differs from other forms of communication such as radio, newspapers and television because it supports user participation on a collective and massive scale. Contributions are also distributed among participants to view, share, and improve (Williams & Chinn, 2010). For sports marketers, social media is the perfect tool to use when creating relationship marketing campaigns. It is also the perfect tool for athletes to use to brand themselves. There are several social media platforms available to these sports organizations and athletes. Facebook is used to provide information, post photos and videos, and promote upcoming events. YouTube is an inexhaustible source of video highlights and bloopers. Twitter is a faster source of information and requires less time and effort than other social media (Witkemper, Lim, & Waldburger, 2012). Positives also come with negatives, and unfortunately, social media can have a negative effect among sports organizations and athletes. Since social media is still in its early stages, professionals are still trying to understand how it works, economically and, of course, socially. Before social media, fans and others turned to newspapers, radio and television for statistics, scores and bland interaction from coaches and players. Sports communication was born in the 1920s, the “Golden Age of Sports”. (Hancherick, 2011). Several developments fueled... middle of paper... i-gay commentary on Twitter but were not punished by the NFL. Rashard Mendenhall of the Pittsburgh Steelers was condemned for his published comments about Osama bin Laden and for supporting Adrian Peterson's comparison of the NFL to the slave trade. Professional athletes who care about their success and image must recognize the sensitivity of the topics they talk about. Whether these professionals like it or not, they are in the public eye and are considered role models by fans, parents and children. Not only does social media present problems for professional athletes, but also for prospective college athletes. Young athletes in high school or college don't understand that posting inappropriate content on social media can be detrimental to their future as athletes. Coaches or other players who talk trash could steer colleges away from this