Social media has an expansive outreach. It is even more ridiculously expansive when it is used by a well known entity. The twitter manned by the San Francisco Giants has a following of 1.7 million. That number does not even begin to encompass how many people will come across their content thanks to likes, retweets, quotes, news articles and more. In addition to their Twitter, their instagram has 1.3 million followers. They have a massive following and their content is capable of reaching millions.
Unfortunately, the San Francisco Giants just recently lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night, it came down to final game of the five game series. The Dodgers will go on to play the Braves for the national league championship series. A quick disclaimer: i’d be impartial if I wasn’t an SF native (💔).
Fans were quick to flock to social media post-game. The series ended over a controversial call in the bottom of the ninth inning. Second baseman, Wilmer Flores was called out on a checked swing leading to the Dodgers 2-1 win. Twitter was quick to post the screengrab and debate the call. Videos and online discussion ensued, inevitably leading to unfavorable exchanges due to the historic rivalry. Instead of acknowledging the missed call, the San Francisco Giants posted a tweet thanking their fans for a memorable season. Rather than slandering the call that ended their record-breaking season, they commended the people of SF for their loyalty and support. You can see the tweet here and below!
This was a respectful move by the professional baseball team. It is the standard and the mutual understanding for the social media of a pro team to not disrespect winners, no matter the opponents. This goes to show a positive relation between the team and its outreach. They remain in high-spirits despite the heartbreaking loss. The same words were posted to the SF Giants’ Twitter and Instagram and both have the same sentiment. There was no sulking or staying quiet despite the harsh fanfare online. Rather than opting to say nothing, an approach that some sports teams DO take, the Giants congratulated the team and their fans.
Sports is something millions of people get passionate about. It’s infinitely more fun to win — and tweet about that — but I argue that it is just as important to acknowledge the losses. Afterall, the wins wouldn’t mean as much if defeat wasn’t part of the equation. A smart, ethical and respectable move is to tweet something heartfelt rather than vengeful. Kudos to all sports teams who face tough losses and continue to make their rounds on social media.
PR & Social Media 