The NCAA Strikes Again. No More Hashtags

There are people in this world who are put in charge of things that absolutely do not allow anything fun and/or popular to happen. These type of people make me rage because their definition of "fun" is to put white paint on top of dried white paint and say "HEY LOOK, IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF WHITE MAN PASS THE WATER I'M GETTING DRUNK TONIGHT".

Today, the NCAA is that person. Well, I know, they always have been this type of person. But sometimes you MUST, MUST go above and beyond the call of duty!

Social media police: The NCAA has banned hashtags on college football fields.

— Jordan Moore (@MooreSports) May 1, 2013

BOY GODDANG I'M GLAD WE TOOK CARE OF THAT.

This is the same damn organization, mind you, that allows football fields to be red, blue, or whatever color you can get for 15% off at Home Depot that day. The same organization that wouldn't allow cream cheese to be used by basketball players because it was an "extra benefit" till this year.

In this PDF from the Football Rules Committee, it's listed what you can have on the field. Inside same piece you learn that players can't have "tinted" visors or goggles on either. Man, I could imagine the rage when someone says "HEY HE MIGHT BE LOOKING SOMEWHERE AND I CAN'T SEE HIM THAT'S CHEATING".

I mean, maybe Mike likes this, but for what the issues are on and off the field, this is some petty garbage going down. In the end, schools have learned to use these things to get conversations started. Heck, a multitude of television platforms use it now to talk about things like soccer matches and bowl games, as well as non-sports things ranging from televised debates, political discussions, even breaking news stories. However, it sure seems that if it doesn't make the NCAA money, you can't have it.

But, maybe the whole commercialization of College Football is something that is going wild. I mean sur.....

So thaaat's why. RT @cbahn: That same NCAA ruling to ban hashtgs? Also OKs sponsor logos being put on pylons.

— SBN College Football (@SBNationCFB) May 1, 2013

Yep. okay for Adidas' logo (and Nebraska's) to be on a pylon, but hashtags could get you a hour of Mark Emmert giving you his rendition of the Sears Catalog in a raspy voice while you're handcuffed to a chair.

Good to see the NCAA can get on top of this while twiddling their thumbs on things like stipends or such. But, gosh darn it, they can make it no fun and sponsor it by Dasani and Buffalo Wild Wings fast enough no?

Then again...... could this mean no more #TEAMSUNSHINE?

EDIT: Looks like the NCAA, in truly being fun killers, left a loophole:

The NCAA banned hashtags. One problem: the home team can change the rule that bans hashtags: ow.ly/kCtLN

— John Infante (@John_Infante) May 1, 2013

The NCAA’s Football Rules Committee issued a bulletin to football officials that appeared to come through ArbiterSports, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the NCAA which handles official scheduling among other services. The bulletin talks about Rule 1-2-1-(f) of the Football Playing Rules which covers advertising and has this to say about social media:

All other items, including social media designations such as URL’s and hashtags, are prohibited.

So no hashtags. One problem: Rule 1-2-1-(f) is included in this heading:

Administrative rules that may be altered by game management without mutual consent include:…

1-2-1-e-g, i and j

So you cannot have a hashtag on the field. Unless you are the home team and really want one.

/HEADSLAM John messed it up. They can't change it. But still... /HEADSLAM