Keeping It Heel
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A Tar Heel’s Guide To Twitter

By Monica Biddix

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If you are reading this post, more than likely you are computer/Internet literate and familiar with social media. You may even have a Facebook page or a Linkedin account if you are job hunting like I am. However, if you haven’t set up a Twitter account yet then you are missing out on one of the best avenues social media has to offer and hands down THE BEST way to follow your favorite sports team.

Unlike Facebook, you do not need to “friend” someone in order to read their tweets. This is how “Twitter King”, Ashton Kutcher has 9,103,657 followers but only follows 687 people. Celebrities or people in the public eye can choose whom they follow so they are not bombarded with tweets from all their fans. Now, I am sure some crazed fans may get overzealous and message their object of affection incessantly but this is where the block option comes into play. But for those of us, like myself, who are just curious as to what our favorite athletes, actors, etc are up to, Twitter provides an opportunity to connect and observe like never before. It is also essential if you are a die-hard Carolina basketball fan.

Remember the UNC Cheerleader who was injured in a fall during the final minutes of the game against Elon? While the announcers showed concern, they never really gave us an explanation of what actually caused her injury. However, because I follow several UNC sites that have representatives at every game, within minutes I knew how the accident occurred. According to people at the game, while the cheering squad lingered on the court during the time out, a referee inadvertently bumped into her male spotter which caused her spill.

So forget about getting the most in-person coverage from the commentators. That is soooo 20th Century! It’s pretty simple to join. Go to www.twitter.com and set up an account. All you need is an email address and a password. Also, you won’t have to worry about accepting apps or invitations to join Farmville because twitter only allows you to share tweets, pictures and links. But beware it is not for the verbose as tweets must be 140 characters or less.

OK, so now you have an account, so who do you follow?

First and foremost, please follow your favorite fansided.com site, Keepingitheel @NN_Keepinitheel.

For the best in game coverage and to know just how red Roy’s face got in that last time out, here are a few UNC media affiliates that usually have representatives at the game:

Inside Carolina Magazine: @InsideCarolina   Tar Heel Times: @TarHeelTimes    Tar Heel Fan: @tarheelfanblog

Tar Heel Monthly: @TarHeelMonthly

To stay current on any other news, the best thing to do is search for hashtags. Hashtags are sort of like Twitter’s search engine. They are one or more keywords strung together preceded by a numerical sign or “#”. For example, last night if I wanted up to the minute coverage of the BCS Championships, I would have searched for #LSU, #Bama or #BCSChampionship. The most popular hashtags on Twitter at any given moment are said to be “trending” and are listed on the right hand side of your Twitter homepage. For UNC fans, here are some of the more popular hashtags for all everything Tar Heel related:

#GoHeels #TarHeelNation #UNCBBall #UNC #UNC_Basketball

Finally, one of the coolest things about Twitter is you can follow your favorite Tar Heel player. Some players have an official “Fan Page” which is most likely moderated by a UNC manager or someone else in the athletic department. Harrison Barnes’ tweets are protected because you know he’s kind of a big deal. But here is a list of some Heels who are Twitter regulars and much to Roy Williams’ chagrin, PJ Hairston is one of them. Please note that some of the statistics may have changed.

Kendall Marshall @ KButter5

@About: Chapel Hill via 703 Brother. Son. Sneakerhead. I once climbed a mountain, just to see how tall it was.

Current # of Followers: 38,704

Twitter Notes: Follows Anthony Davis of UK and numerous sports columnists and journalists. This kid LOVES sneakers.

My Favorite Marshall Tweets:

“Shoutout to the Tarheel student body that came out yesterday! great showing for the ACC opener. Keep it up!” January 8, 2012

“What is twitter? One of these inventions that came along with the Internet.” LOL #CollegeGameday” January 7, 2012

John Henson @_John_Henson_

@About: ..Just out here rotatin’ under the 5 P’s… ( Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance)

Current #of Followers: 33,934

Twitter Notes: Follows The Discovery Channel, Marcus Jordan, Snoop Dogg and Conan O’Brien among others.

My Favorite Henson Tweets:

“Chocolate cake !!” December 26, 2012

“Just talked to Big Z…I wonder what the Zellers get each other for Christmas..? Hmmmm… #ZellerPresents”  December 25, 2012.

Dexter Strickland@DStrick01

@About: UNC/Jersey Just a boy from Jersey balling at UNC tryna do it BIG so my family wont struggle.

Current # of followers: 30,424

Twitter Notes: Follows Jawad Williams among many other former Tar Heels and Scoop Jardine.

My Favorite Strickland Tweet:

“Coming to da gym to get a workout in..walk in da locker room to see all my sneakers & clothes gone..ok fellas prank war it is!!” January 5, 2012

Tyler Zeller no longer has a Twitter account and Barnes’ account is private, but you can follow their fan pages @TeamBarnes40 and @TylerZeller44.

Other Tar Heel Tweeters of Note:

PJ Hairston: @P_makeitrain_J

James Michael McAdoo: @macCANdoo

@TeamJHenson

@KMarshallFans

@TeamKMarshall

@Team_McAdoo

@Real_BlueSteel

So there you are Carolina fans. Happy Tweeting, but please tweet responsibly, and don’t forget to follow us @NN_Keepinitheel!

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