[LUconn]

It's not just for SJ anymore

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=c ... &type=lgns

Social networking a potential trap for prospects

The woman in the Facebook picture is attractive, with auburn hair and icy blue eyes. She is flanked by several other women, each armed with an inviting smile and curvy features. Along with the photo is a hopeful note from the female “fan” asking to be added to a player’s personal networking profile.

The twist? These women don’t actually exist, at least not in the way that some unsuspecting NFL prospects are led to believe. Indeed, they are a figment of one NFL team’s imagination – a phony Facebook profile, used as a tool by one franchise in the pre-draft vetting process. A Trojan horse that, when used effectively, unlocks a door to a world of Internet pictures and information which most NFL teams are now consistently compiling to help polish their dossiers on draft picks.

[Ed Dantes]

I don't know why they need to go through such lengths. If I was an NFL team and I was scouting a particular player that had a facebook page, I would tell him that he needed to add me as a friend. Likewise, if I was the head coach at a school, I would say the same.

If I was hoping to be drafted and some team came up to me and said, 'we're interested in drafting you, but we need to take a look at your facebook profile', I'd accept their request.

[Maximus]

It's not just for SJ anymore

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=c ... &type=lgns

Social networking a potential trap for prospects

The woman in the Facebook picture is attractive, with auburn hair and icy blue eyes. She is flanked by several other women, each armed with an inviting smile and curvy features. Along with the photo is a hopeful note from the female “fan” asking to be added to a player’s personal networking profile.

The twist? These women don’t actually exist, at least not in the way that some unsuspecting NFL prospects are led to believe. Indeed, they are a figment of one NFL team’s imagination – a phony Facebook profile, used as a tool by one franchise in the pre-draft vetting process. A Trojan horse that, when used effectively, unlocks a door to a world of Internet pictures and information which most NFL teams are now consistently compiling to help polish their dossiers on draft picks.

Isn't that illegal?

[RagingTireFire]

Isn't that illegal?

No, but it sure is funny.

[ALUmnus]

I don't know why they need to go through such lengths. If I was an NFL team and I was scouting a particular player that had a facebook page, I would tell him that he needed to add me as a friend. Likewise, if I was the head coach at a school, I would say the same.

If I was hoping to be drafted and some team came up to me and said, 'we're interested in drafting you, but we need to take a look at your facebook profile', I'd accept their request.

Don't you think that if you did that, the player would quickly clean up his profile and stop using the account? When a spy spies, there's something of an objective there.

[TDDance234]

I don't know why they need to go through such lengths. If I was an NFL team and I was scouting a particular player that had a facebook page, I would tell him that he needed to add me as a friend. Likewise, if I was the head coach at a school, I would say the same.

If I was hoping to be drafted and some team came up to me and said, 'we're interested in drafting you, but we need to take a look at your facebook profile', I'd accept their request.

I'm pretty sure as a general rule if you don't want someone knowing something about you--don't put it in the internet. Sports or not, it blows my mind at some of the things people put up of themselves.

[Ed Dantes]

I don't know why they need to go through such lengths. If I was an NFL team and I was scouting a particular player that had a facebook page, I would tell him that he needed to add me as a friend. Likewise, if I was the head coach at a school, I would say the same.

If I was hoping to be drafted and some team came up to me and said, 'we're interested in drafting you, but we need to take a look at your facebook profile', I'd accept their request.

Don't you think that if you did that, the player would quickly clean up his profile and stop using the account? When a spy spies, there's something of an objective there.

True. But if it serves as a deterrent to bad behavior down the line, isn't that the point?

[markymark550]

So what happens if a player ignores the friend request from the fake account? Would a team/gm/coach respond favorably to a player not accepting a friend request from someone the player doesn't know? Or would it cause a negative reaction since they wouldn't be able to spy on the player?

[dompennix]

This is a little much but there are so many people posing as athletes on FB too. Steph Curry and Blake Griffin either forgot their password like 5 times or 5 people created fake accounts. I think I'll go with the 2nd one.

[Ed Dantes]

So what happens if a player ignores the friend request from the fake account? Would a team/gm/coach respond favorably to a player not accepting a friend request from someone the player doesn't know? Or would it cause a negative reaction since they wouldn't be able to spy on the player?

I'm sure they could do whatever they wanted. San Fran decided they didn't want to take Stafford as QB because he wouldn't talk about his parents' divorce.

At some point you have to stop looking at athletes as people and start looking at them as chattel, or investments. If I'm going to spend $10 million to develop someone, I need to be assured that he's going to keep his nose clean.

[markymark550]

So what happens if a player ignores the friend request from the fake account? Would a team/gm/coach respond favorably to a player not accepting a friend request from someone the player doesn't know? Or would it cause a negative reaction since they wouldn't be able to spy on the player?

I'm sure they could do whatever they wanted. San Fran decided they didn't want to take Stafford as QB because he wouldn't talk about his parents' divorce.

At some point you have to stop looking at athletes as people and start looking at them as chattel, or investments. If I'm going to spend $10 million to develop someone, I need to be assured that he's going to keep his nose clean.

Yeah, I was just trying to play a little devil's advocate for those that might not just accept every friend request.

I'm sure that with the extensive background checks that are performed they don't really need to rely on fake facebook accounts. It would just be an added bonus to anything they do find.