The NFL Draft is the best reality show in sports. That was proven true once again Thursday night as Laremy Tunsil, who was once thought to be a sure bet to go first overall to Tennessee, dropped to the Miami Dolphins at No. 13.
The reason? Minutes before the draft started a video of Tunsil smoking a bong appeared on his Twitter account.
Then, after he was eventually drafted, two screen captures of him asking members of the Ole Miss coaching staff for money surfaced on his Instagram account.
The immediate rumour was the source of the leaks was Tunsil’s stepfather, who recently filed a lawsuit against the left tackle, though the man in question—Lindsey Miller—professed his innocence.
Got all that? ’Cause we’re not done.
Laremy’s post-draft press conference addressing the Instagram hack was a public-relations nightmare. He both insinuated the post was doctored before revealing that he indeed took money while at Ole Miss. He was then quickly rushed off stage.
Olivia Pope would have had a much better course of action and reaction.
The way this went down just shows how unprepared agents and teams are to deal with resolving crises based on what happens online because it is a forum they can’t control.
Sports are different from other forms of entertainment in this regard. While celebs in other industries can likewise be hurt by what happens on social media, many of them are also in position to spin it. Beyoncé can take the rumours of Jay-Z cheating on her and the security-camera footage of her sister Solange striking him, and parlay them into the Lemonade album that set the internet ablaze.
But you can’t make lemonade out of bad press in sports. Athletes and their teams are in the business of eliminating distraction and outside noise. There is no real vehicle to profit from it.
And while other athletes have gotten in hot water for things said or posted online, Tunsil is part of an ever-growing mountain of evidence that not only do you need to be mindful of what you post but how you’re documented. Private moments saved on or sent with personal devices aren’t totally secure for any of us, but especially not for high-profile people, athletes included.
Tunsil couldn’t have controlled the hacking of his accounts and the leaking of the files, but he could’ve controlled their creation. And you can bet the next time someone pulls out a camera phone around him and starts filming, he’ll have something to say about it.
In other words, Tunsil and the other 30 men drafted into the NFL on Thursday may start following the example of one of the highest-profile athletes of all time: Derek Jeter. Jeter doesn’t have a Twitter account. He isn’t on Instagram. He may yet find himself in hot water on social media, but it almost certainly won’t be by his own hand.
The policy has worked wonders so far. Despite living in the media circus of New York City and dating a long list of A-list celebrities, no dirt about Jeter ever leaked. The only rumour that ever surfaced was that he’d given a one-night stand a gift basket upon leaving. Because of how well he protects his privacy, Jeter was able to address the rumour on his own terms in a candid interview with Joe Buck.
The alternative to that type of situation? Laremy Tunsil had not one but two social-media platforms used against him on the biggest night of his life. Depending on where you believe he was going to be drafted he lost $7 million dollars or more.
We very well might look back at the 2016 NFL draft as the night athlete social-media usage died. The opportunity cost of an athlete’s social-media account doesn’t seem to outweigh the risk. Either way, here’s hoping we don’t watch the public flogging of a pro athlete being “Tunsiled” again any time soon.