Communications breakdown
Jim Rodriguez: It's a new world when it comes to social media
Here is what’s trending...your future.
It started on Monday when the Clippers decided to hit the reset button and trade Blake Griffin to the Pistons.
“Shocked” is how Griffin described it.
After all, he was just months removed from signing a 5-year, 173 million dollar deal with Los Angeles. But it was more than the trade itself that blew Blake away. It is how he found out he was going from Lob City to the Motor City. Wait for it.... social media.
Griffin told ESPN: "Finding out through Twitter or through other people is a tough way to find out when you've been with a franchise for so long.”
Seven and a half seasons to be exact.
This is the same franchise that while trying to re-sign him last summer, had employees raise his number 32 jersey to the rafters at Staples Center symbolizing a future retirement ceremony.
The Clippers have every right to move a player, any player. Just like a player can veto a deal with a no-trade clause. But there is an uneasiness about this. No heads up, no conversations, nada. Here’s your stuff and peace out.
I get that Griffin is a millionaire a hundred and seventy times over. Like that’s suppose to make it easy.
Think how freaked out you were when Facebook changed their page layout. Now try moving halfway across the country.. tomorrow.
This is something that isn’t lost on LeBron James. The “King” dropped this dilly dilly on the media:
"When a player gets traded, [the front office] was doing what was best for the franchise," James said. "But when a player decides to leave, he's not loyal, he's a snake, he's not committed.
"That's the narrative of how it goes. I know that firsthand."
Thank you LeBron. We’ll get to you later this summer. Maybe he’ll Facebook Live his Decision Part 2.
Things got even wilder on Tuesday for corner back, Kendall Fuller.
As news broke about the Chiefs trading quarterback, Alex Smith to Washington; a report said there was an “unidentified” player in the mix that was going to Kansas City.
Fuller on his twitter account, @KeFu11er dropped these pearls as the identity of the player was coming to light:
At 10:45pm on Jan 30, 2018:
Awkward...
14 minutes later:
Nahh its not me.. I don’t thinkk
Lol im on here tryna find out just like yaa
Three minutes after that (11:02pm):
Mannnnn im safe! I ain’t get traded
Then an hour later. 12:09am, Fuller posts the meme of Homer Simpson backing up into bushes and disappearing:
Me on Twitter after tweeting all that then finding out i got traded!
And a minute after that:
Talk About A Night
Hell, I tilt my head like a puppy in confusion when my smart phone rings. I forget you can actually speak to someone on it.
I’m sure a grandparent somewhere said that social media will be the death of us. I’ll take my chances. It’s far better than any show on TV. Plus it’s really crockpots that will kill us all.
Can’t wait to see what’s next.
You can listen to my radio show, The Sports Bosses , weekdays at 9 a.m. on SBNation Radio.
