Four Ways To Stay Connected With Your Favorite Sports Teams On Social Networking Websites

Twitter: Twitter is a quick and easy way to find the latest sports news in 140 characters or less. Matthew Thompson, a sophomore international business  from New York, uses Twitter to stay updated on the games he can't physically watch.

"They don't play every game on TV," Thompson says. "You can find the updates on Twitter."

Thompson says he chooses to follow teams instead of individual players. Samuel Moore, a freshman, computer science major from Chicago also uses Twitter for game updates while on the go.

"Teams will give updates on the games, so if I'm not watching, I can keep up."  

Hundreds of athletes from various sports and teams are accessible through Twitter. Retired NBA powerhouse and analyst, Shaquille O'Neal, whose twiter handle is @Shaq has one of the most popular Twitter accounts with nearly 5 million followers. According to Yahoo!Sports, athletes such as Brazilian soccer star Kaká, Chad Ochocinco, Serena Williams and Le'Bron James are some of the most popular athletes on Twitter because of their follower rankings which rise into the millions.

Facebook:  Although sports enthusiasts may not feel as connected to their favorite athletes and teams on Facebook, it still offers users a way to bridge the gap. Devaughn Hodge, a sophomore finance major from Brooklyn, NY has used Facebook to get involved with events offered by teams and players. He says the site is great for finding internship opportunities, volunteer work, and promotions like sneaker giveaways. In 2009, Hodge learned about a basketball clinic in Harlem hosted by LeBron James using Facebook.  Many of the teams hold events in different cities and give fans an opportunity to volunteer.

Instagram: What sports fan doesn't like visuals? On Instagram, there are photos of players displaying their amazing athletic ability. "Players will post stats or pictures of them at the game, like them dunking," says Krystal Johnson, a Sports Management major from Philadelphia.  

According to Johnson, users will also post stats of their favorite team or player. Hodge, who is a New York Knicks fan, also uses Instagram to follow Knicks' forward, Carmelo Anthony. "It's cool because it's not all about basketball," says Hodge.

"He'll post pictures of family and his home life too."

Blogs: For more critical and in-depth analysis on any aspect of the world of sports, blog sites like Tumblr, Blogger, or WordPress are a great websites to go. Bloggers express their opinions about everything from a coach's recent firing or a controversial trade. NBA Offseason is a popular sports blog Tumblr spotlights on its website. NBA Offseason is a site independent of the National Basketball Association that posts both analytical and humorous pictures and posts involving the NBA.