Baltimore Ravens receiver Steve Smith, Sr. announced on October 6 that he would no longer be using Twitter except for marketing purposes. Smith, along with teammate Torrey Smith (no relation) have quit the social media site largely due to negative comments. The fans' criticism, especially fantasy footballers, is apparently brutal, making it really tempting to respond. It must have been that renewed focus that translated to the lopsided beating Baltimore dished out on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday.
Steve Smith reportedly posted his last tweet on October 6, when he declared that he would no longer be using the site except via his foundation, and for other marketing purposes.
According to Smith, the negativity was not only affecting him, but his family life as well (via ESPN):
"I'd kill you on Twitter, so I had to stop. Somebody said something inappropriate to me, my wife said I wasn't being a very good example for my kids... Internet courage is like a Cover 2 corner. When you got safety over the top, you feel better about yourself."
ESPN reports that teammate Torrey Smith has also stopped using Twitter, primarily because of heavy criticism from fans.
Bullying has become a major topic of discussion in the last decade or so. Smith's actions highlight a serious problem with social media. The anonymity and digital distance can cause people to be so nasty and hateful. Even professional athletes can fall victim to cyber-bullying.
None of that stopped the Ravens from bullying the Bucs last week, though. QB Joe Flacco threw for 306 yards and 5 touchdowns on 21/29 passing. Smith caught five of those passes, one for a TD while Torrey scored twice on the way to a 48-17 victory for Baltimore (via NFL.com).
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