Sunday, September 16, 2007

Facebook Strikes Again

We've learned that Facebook is a great tool when it comes to protests, but did you know that Facebook can also be used as a research tool? It seems that some Middlebury Lacrosse players and some enterprising Tufts Lacrosse fans found out just how handy Facebook can be. Just don't quote it on your history paper.

According to blogger Jules Pieri, a mother of three who lives in suburban Boston (a.k.a. "just outside of Boston"):

"I took my 15-year-old son to see Tufts University play Middlebury College in lacrosse last Saturday. Although mainly meant to be a 'please-explain-this-sport-to-me' bonding event, we also saw an unexpected example of how online social networks are influencing real-world life.

The game was mobbed and we were pinned in at the sideline fence by students on all sides. Just to our left, an enthusiastic group of Tufts students started passing around a paper 'dossier.' The clearly-proud owner of the papers told his buddies, 'I asked a friend of mine at Middlebury to send me Facebook profiles for their lacrosse team. Help me figure out who’s who.' The knot of loud, beefy guys started eagerly cross matching Facebook profile names to the game’s roster and player numbers. That task completed, the real fun began."

Saboteur! Who is the Middlebury mole?

"Every time a Middlebury player came close to us, the gang of Tufts students scanned the targeted person’s Facebook profile for appropriate trash talk fodder. Needless to say, they never came up empty-handed. Every detail that the Middlebury guys had posted online was fair game…girlfriend’s names (and quickly, their reputations); embarassing events (one Middlebury guy had admitted to a particularly unfortunate loss of sphincter control at a local bar–man oh man did that get a lot of airtime); the fact that the Middlebury goalie’s dad is apparently the CEO of a prominent corporation inspired a game-long barrage of 'silver spoon' insults.

When it was all over, I almost felt like we needed to brush all the airborne 'dirt' off of us. (Not so my son. His reaction to all the hurl-burly and insults: 'College is going to be soooo fun! I hope that fans do that to me some day. It will make me play even harder.')"

Middlebury sports fans: start making friends at other universities.

Middlebury athletes: start making your Facebook profiles private!

As cool as this was, the award for sports pranks goes to a couple of High School Seniors in Ohio. Check out this YouTube video for the details.

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