The Public Apology has joined the Twittersphere (or is it the Twitterverse now?). After holding out for a week after the website launched, the editorial team has finally taken the plunge. As one of the most influential athletes in the media game, Shaquille O’Neal told legendary sportswriter, Mike Wilbon (of ESPN and formerly The Washington Post): “Bro, if I was one of your bosses at ESPN and you didn’t get on Twitter, I’d fire you. How you gonna be relevant?”
That was in February 2009 when the only people on Twitter were pornstars, re-habbing ‘celebrities’ and Justin Bieber fans, but nearly 2 and a half years on, it turns out Shaq was right. Wilbon, one of the world’s leading Twitter-bashers recently caved and signed up. He has since taken to Twitter like The Wire’s Bubbles took to crack. And if Twitter is dope, then ThePublicApology team will soon be wandering the streets of West Baltimore looking to score.
Now we can be first on the scene when a high-profile athlete/celebrity makes an online gaffe in 140 characters or less. Wayne Rooney recently threatened to bash a fan; Stephanie Rice directed a homophobic slur at the South African rugby team; and Pittsburgh Steelers running back, Rashard Mendenhall, launched into some rambling psychobabble conspiracy theory about the Twin Towers.
All this and more happened on Twitter. Whether you like it or not, this is where news happens. Somebody said that.
So check us out @ThePubApology and join our legion of followers – the first three of whom were either trying to sell us insurance, a cut-price mortgage or get us to join their Ponzi pyramid scheme.
By Mike Davis