The Kansas City Chiefs didn't know who they were messing with when a team staffer sent a brusque Twitter message to a disgruntled fan who had vented about the team's ownership on the social network this week.
It all started on Monday, when decades-long Chiefs supporter Travis Wright (pictured at right), who uses the Twitter handle @teedubya, was texting with a friend about what they felt was absenteeism and stinginess on the part of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt. The team last won an NFL playoff game in 1994, finished last year with a losing record and dropped its season-opener last weekend. Frustrated, Wright tweeted the following message:
Wright didn't think much of it; after all, angry tweets from sports fans are hardly unusual, and his was mild compared to others. But he woke up Tuesday morning to find this direct message in his inbox:
In response, Wright tweeted the above image of the DM, with a comment about how it was a poor move for a major sports brand. He thought the fuss would die until he learned that the Chiefs had blocked him on Twitter.
At that point, he says, it was time to go "thermonuclear viral" in telling the story. Wright, who manages social media remotely for a major Silicon Valley company, started a Reddit thread about it, which became extremely popular. Eventually, someone from the team issued this vague apology over Twitter:
Wright, however, didn't see the apology until someone on Reddit told him about it. Why? The team had blocked him on Twitter. The rest of the team's followers did see it, though, which led to more questions. The blocking and subsequent pseudo-apology only incensed Wright even more.
"What's funny is that I have 127,000 followers and they have 107,000, so they didn't do any research on who they were dealing with," he tells Mashable.
The story continued to go viral, and by Wednesday afternoon, Wright had been a guest on several local TV and radio shows. Several national outlets, including Yahoo!, picked it up as well. He says he's gotten some abuse via social media from fans who accuse him of blowing the exchange out of proportion, but that most people have given their support. On Reddit, reactions to his thread are 72% positive.
"My first tweet was kind of rude," he admits. "But when you manage a billion-dollar brand, you can't come back with vitriol at a fan."
So what's the biggest takeaway for pro sports teams, here? Best to let fans vent. And, if you do engage in any banter, be aware of who you might offend. Social media influencers like Wright wield more power than many companies realize, and that new dynamic can burn a sassy brand.
Wright says that as of Wednesday evening, he hadn't heard from any Chiefs reps since the whole debacle began, but suspects they've learned a lesson.
"It was just like, 'If you want to play, let's play," he tells Mashable. "This is my game here. This is the game I play. So the Chiefs are 0-2 on the season now."
Do you think Wright was right to call so much attention to the Chiefs' social media diss? Or did he blow it out of proportion? Give us your take in the comments.
BONUS: Who to Follow on Twitter This NFL Season
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The league's official account. A no-brainer for any NFL fan.
The Eagles receiver is a hoot to follow because you never know what you're going to get, except for three things: capital letters, exclamation points and Instagram photos. Those you can count on.
ESPN's NFL Insider is a tweeting machine and constantly breaks news from around the league. A true must-follow for NFL die-hards.
The NFL.com writer is another good news source and an especially good follow for his steady retweets of other writers, outlets and players.
Fearsome on the field, Steelers linebacker James Harrison is friendly and down-to-earth on social media.
This parody account of the legendary coach and broadcaster will have you laughing out loud.
Sports Illustrated's senior NFL writer is a great source for quick news, links to columns and 140-character takes on the league's biggest stories.
Barnwell covers the NFL for Grantland.com. He's extremely knowledgable about the league and about how to bet on its games.
Professionally speaking, Berry's entire purpose in life is to analyze fantasy football for ESPN so he's a must-follow if you want bragging rights over your friends.
Tennessee Titan Jason McCourty and twin brother Devin of the New England Patriots are active and engaging on Twitter. They also share the same account (signing their posts either "J-Mac" or "D-Mac"), which makes their banter and updates all the more entertaining.
As his handle implies, Brian McCarthy does PR for the NFL. He's a good follow for updates straight from the league, as well as the lowdown on its latest innovations and initiatives.
Possibly the most fun team owner in all of sports, when it comes to Twitter, Irsay is offbeat, irreverent and always entertaining.
If you're interested in the business side of the NFL, from marketing to ticket sales, Rovell is the undisputed place to start.
Between now and February, the Twitter account of this popular NFL site will serve you a robust diet of links and news each week to carry you through to next Sunday.
The Texans running back may not be an NFL star yet but he's a star on Twitter, where the Auburn product loves to talk college football.
Bill Simmons has built up a massive and loyal following during his tenure as a columnist for ESPN. His feed is usually good for a few good chuckles, as well as links to his mammoth NFL columns and mailbags.
The SI.com NFL writer is both funny and insightful.
Dave Zirin covers sports for The Nation and always approaches topics from a political angle. He's sure to have plenty to say, especially as repeat NFL concussions continue to make headlines.
ESPN's senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen is a never-ending stream of NFL news on Twitter.
Brees is an MVP-caliber player for the New Orleans Saints, but his tweets also reveal a keen awareness of and intelligence about issues off the field.
Battista covers the NFL for The New York Times. Her deadline game recaps are second to none, and she can also be a good follow for real-time game updates.
Jason McIntyre is purveyor of The Big Lead sports blog. The blog is a great source for analysis, player gossip and media news alike. Following McIntyre is a surefire way to stay up on the national NFL conversation.
Cam Newton's backup in Carolina is a first teamer on Twitter, where he's generous about interacting with fans, and frequently provides funny insights into his life off the field.
The Jaguars place kicker loves to interact with fans and is one of Twitter's funnier athletes.
Blogger Kerry Byrne isn't as big a name as many of the others on this list, but he's a great source for analysis and fresh perspective.
It's Prime Time, baby! Need we say more? The Hall of Famer always entertains on the field, on camera and on Twitter.
The Jaguars tight end tweets all the time. The constant stream gives a nice look into his life and mind.
Bowen writes for the National Football Post, but he has a leg up on most NFL reporters, having spent seven years in the league as a player before entering the media game.
On Twitter, this NBC Sports blog is great to follow for its tireless procession of NFL links and news.
The Patriots running back is a fun follow for his constant interaction with fans.
Follow this account for a wide variety of links to NFL coverage from all angles.
If you take fantasy sports seriously, Rotoworld's football feed is a great way to gain an advantage over the rest of your league.
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