Twitter is one of my favorite tools as a fan and blogger. It allows me to keep up with players around the NFL, and sometimes even allows fans and players to interact on a more personal level than an autograph signing. That's why it pains me, to a small degree, that Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has instituted a Twitter ban through training camp for all Bengals players.
According to CBS Sports, Lewis instituted the ban when players reported for training camp, and the head coach will be leaving it up to his team leaders to decide whether to extend the ban into the regular season.
Since Twitter's rise to popularity, former Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco Johnson has been a constant and active (as well as controversial) presence on the social networking site, often provoking opponents, fans, and anyone else that might be listening. It's possible, if not likely, that the ban is a result of past distractions that Marvin Lewis would simply rather not have.
It's not clear yet whether the ban is binding under the new CBA, but even if it's determined that Lewis can't ban his players from social media sites such as Twitter, my feeling is that most players on the team will voluntarily give up tweeting for the greater good of the team.
