If you’re not on Twitter during the Super Bowl, are you even watching it?
As the head of US Sports for Twitter, TJ Adeshola knows more than anyone just how essential the social media platform is during the biggest moments in sports.
Before Twitter graced us with its presence, there was never a way to communicate with people all over the globe about the thing that you’re all watching at the same time. The best example of that is of course the Super Bowl.
Each year millions of people log on to the platform during the Super Bowl to give their spiciest takes about a wide variety of things they see unfold in real time as the game is happening, and it goes beyond just the players on the field.
Take, for instance, CBS color commentator and former NFL quarterback Tony Romo. Yes, all season long Romo was praised for his natural ability in the booth with Jim Nantz, but during the AFC Championship game Romo lived out his own version of A Star Is Born.
“What’s so fascinating is people were so enamored with his commentary,” Adeshola said. “He was legitimately calling plays out before they occurred, so he trended all night on Twitter and was the second most mentioned person on the platform behind Tom Brady.”
It’s not surprising considering Romo was the fourth-most mentioned NFL personality on Twitter during the 2018 season. But you wouldn’t know that if you weren’t online. That’s why sports fans should be on Twitter during the games. It’s where the conversation is happening. It’s the modern-day water cooler. Or as Adeshola calls it, the global sports bar.
Specifically during the Super Bowl, scrolling through your timeline will help contextualize what you’re watching on your television screen. If you think you’re alone in thinking the referee threw a flag for roughing the passer when he shouldn’t have, there’s no doubt thousands of people on Twitter feel the same way.
From former players to some of the top NFL commentators, Twitter has become more than a way for you to share your thoughts. It’s become it’s own newsfeed filled with endless memes and social commentary.
“It has become a habit to have your phone with you as you’re watching the game because it’s two different experiences,” Adeshola said. “We call Twitter the global sports bar or the barbershop because while you may not be physically sitting at the bar, it feels like you’re sitting there with your friends in one mobile experience.”
Twitter creates a new community for sports fans to interact with each other in a whole new way, and Adeshola urges any fan to get in on the conversation.
“If you’re a sports fan and not on Twitter during the Super Bowl you’re missing out,” Adeshola said. “I would encourage you to hop on Twitter during the Super Bowl to see what’s happening during the game.”