SI

The Twitter 100

The Twitter 100 As we mark Twitter's fifth anniversary, it's a good time to acknowledge the social media site's influence on the sports landscape. Every NBA,

SI Staff

The Twitter 100

As we mark Twitter's fifth anniversary, it's a good time to acknowledge the social media site's influence on the sports landscape. Every NBA, MLB, NHL and NFL franchise has a Twitter presence and its impact on news has been profound, as SI.com's Jon Wertheim reports in this story. For SI.com's inaugural Twitter 100, we polled more than 50 Sports Illustrated staffers -- from reporters to writers to editors -- who are hard-core Twitter users and asked them which feeds they considered essential to their daily routine for finding news, information and entertainment from the sports world. We gave them one guideline: You could not choose anyone associated with SI or our main Twitter feed (@SINow). After weeks of debating the endless possibilities, we've whittled down the list to our top 100, which we present in alphabetical order (click here to view by sport).

*Of course, we know this list is subjective and we want hear from you about who we left out and where we screwed up. Weigh in with your thoughts here.

    2. Gilbert Arenas
    3. Orlando Magic guard
    4. Follow Gilbert Arenas on
    The eccentric former All-Star tweets everything from pictures of himself planking to live play-by-play of his blind dates.
    2. ASAP Sports
    3. Producer of press conference transcripts
    4. Follow ASAP Sports on
    If you want to read full transcripts from postgame news conferences, ASAP Sports is your source.
    2. Bruce Arthur
    3. National Post columnist
    4. Follow Bruce Arthur on
    Arthur has sent more than 49,000 tweets on basketball, politics and pretty much every other subject.
    2. Paul Azinger
    3. Professional golfer
    4. Follow Paul Azinger on
    The 12-time PGA Tour winner has a sharp wit and retweets terrific golf-related content including videos.
    2. Baseball Reference
    3. Baseball statistics website
    4. Follow Baseball Reference on
    The most detailed analysis of baseball statistics on Twitter.
    2. Judy Battista
    3. New York Times NFL writer
    4. Follow Judy Battista on
    Sharp-tweeting writer keeps her followers updated on the latest in pro football.
    2. Matthew Berry
    3. ESPN fantasy analyst
    4. Follow Matthew Berry on
    The Talented Mr. Roto is a must-follow source for fantasy news -- and the occasional ode to his beloved Howard Stern Show.
    2. Jay Bilas
    3. ESPN college basketball analyst
    4. Follow Jay Bilas on
    Bilas combines his immense knowledge of the game with strong, unfiltered opinions and humor. But will he ever follow anyone?
    2. Paul Bissonnette
    3. Phoenix Coyotes forward
    4. Follow Paul Bissonnette on
    He may be a fourth-line grinder, but Bissonnette is the most entertaining hockey player on Twitter.
    2. Cindy Boren
    3. Washington Post writer
    4. Follow Cindy Boren on
    Boren, the paper's social media editor for Sports, is a great source for staying abreast of the latest news, especially involving D.C. teams.
    2. Andrew Brandt
    3. Sports business analyst
    4. Follow Andrew Brandt on
    The former cap guy for the Packers and the president of the National Football Post is a must-source for the business of the NFL.
    2. Albert Breer
    3. NFL Network reporter
    4. Follow Albert Breer on
    Breer has his ear to the ground for all things labor and NFL transactions.
    2. Bylaw Blog
    3. NCAA compliance blog
    4. Follow Bylaw Blog on
    The feed of John Infante, a compliance officer at Colorado State, is the Twitter authority on all things related to NCAA infractions.
    2. Jose Canseco
    3. Retired baseball player
    4. Follow Jose Canseco on
    Proposing to Lady Gaga? Check. Calling ex-girlfriends evil? Check again. The Juiced author's feed is a never-ending funhouse of unexpected and often surreal activity.
    2. Stewart Cink
    3. Professional golfer
    4. Follow Stewart Cink on
    One of the first golfers to embrace Twitter, the entertaining Cink has developed a huge army of followers.
    2. CloserNews
    3. MLB closer blog
    4. Follow CloserNews on
    Nobody monitors relief aces like Tim Dierkes. The perfect feed for racking up points in the saves category.
    2. Larry Coon
    3. NBA Salary Cap FAQ author
    4. Follow Larry Coon on
    The authority on the intricacies of the NBA collective bargaining agreement. His feed will be busy for a while.
    2. Natalie Coughlin
    3. U.S. Olympic swimmer
    4. Follow Natalie Coughlin on
    The 11-time Olympic medalist is also an amateur cook and loves to tweet about urban farming.
    2. Mark Cuban
    3. Dallas Mavericks owner
    4. Follow Mark Cuban on
    David Stern's favorite owner delivers championship-worthy TwitPics and rants (some of which have been fine-worthy).
    2. Oscar De La Hoya
    3. Retired boxer
    4. Follow Oscar De La Hoya on
    Champ-turned-promoter loves talking boxing with the sport's power brokers and fans in equal measure.
    2. Lou DiBella
    3. Boxing promoter
    4. Follow Lou DiBella on
    The occasionally foul-mouthed DiBella pulls no punches with his candid dispatches on the sweet science and current events.
    2. Novak Djokovic
    3. Professional tennis player
    4. Follow Novak Djokovic on
    He's new to Twitter, but the Djoker is hooked. The Wimbledon champ and new world No. 1 tweets candid photos and funny one-liners.
    2. Darnell Dockett
    3. Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman
    4. Follow Darnell Dockett on
    From political opinions to his live-tweeting of being pulled over by the police at a traffic stop, Dockett offers a kaleidoscope of amusement.
    2. DraftExpress
    3. NBA draft website
    4. Follow DraftExpress on
    If you love the draft, you must follow site founder and editor Jonathan Givony.
    2. Darren Dreger
    3. Canadian sportscaster for TSN
    4. Follow Darren Dreger on
    Dreger is the first to know everything in the hockey world -- or at least it seems that way.
    2. Jared Dudley
    3. Phoenix Suns forward
    4. Follow Jared Dudley on
    Dudley is well known in the basketball social media world for his JMZ twitter videos -- funny clips of his teammates that he posts during road trips.
    2. Kevin Durant
    3. Oklahoma City Thunder forward
    4. Follow Kevin Durant on
    The NBA's leading scorer actively engages fans and broke the news of his five-year extension with the Thunder on his account.
    2. Kelly Dwyer
    3. Yahoo! Sports basketball blogger
    4. Follow Kelly Dwyer on
    A combination of analysis and quirky tidbits, Dwyer's Ball Don't Lie blog is a must-read for basketball junkies.
    2. ESPN Stats Info
    3. Stats and factoids from ESPN
    4. Follow ESPN Stats Info on
    These Bristol statheads tweet great factoids after big events.
    2. Bruce Feldman
    3. ESPN The Magazine senior writer
    4. Follow Bruce Feldman on
    The college football writer delivers a steady stream of interesting tidbits throughout the day.
    2. Jennie Finch
    3. Former U.S. softball pitcher
    4. Follow Jennie Finch on
    Great tweets and photos on her burgeoning family (she and Giants minor league pitcher Casey Daigle have two sons: Diesel Dean and Ace Shane).
    2. Bryan Fischer
    3. CBS Sports college football writer
    4. Follow Bryan D Fischer on
    You want quality volume? The recruiting expert has tweeted more than 34,000 times.
    2. Eric Fisher
    3. Digital media, MLB and technology writer for SportsBusiness Journal
    4. Follow Eric Fisher on
    One of the best reporters for the definitive sports business publication (@sbjsbd). Individual reporters such as Tripp Mickle, Liz Mullen and John Ourand are also great follows.
    2. Larry Fitzgerald
    3. Arizona Cardinals wide receiver
    4. Follow Larry Fitzgerald on
    The All-Pro receiver is one of the best at interacting with fans and followers.
    2. Pat Forde
    3. ESPN.com senior writer
    4. Follow Pat Forde on
    A mixture of news and opinion, the colleges writer is a master at getting under the skin of certain fan bases (especially Kentucky's).
    2. Scott Fujita
    3. Cleveland Browns linebacker
    4. Follow Scott Fujita on
    The NFL veteran offers honesty (including his own political bent) from inside the locker room.
    2. Jay Glazer
    3. Fox Sports NFL Insider and MMA reporter
    4. Follow Jay Glazer on
    Sure, there's plenty of self-promotional MMA stuff on the feed, but nobody breaks bigger NFL stories.
    2. Jeff Gluck
    3. SB Nation motorsports editor
    4. Follow Jeff Gluck on
    A huge presence in the NASCAR blogging/social media world, Gluck organizes tweet-ups at Cup races. Among those who have attended: NASCAR chairman Brian France, Hall of Famer Bobby Allison, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch's wife, Samantha Sarcinella.
    2. Jeff Goodman
    3. CBS Sports senior basketball writer
    4. Follow Jeff Goodman on
    The newsbreaker is a must-follow for recruiting and college coaching information.
    2. Ozzie Guillen
    3. Chicago White Sox manager
    4. Follow Ozzie Guillen on
    Whether it's slamming Sean Penn or baseball's umpires, the outspoken skipper is always entertaining.
    2. Hank Haney
    3. Golf instructor
    4. Follow Hank Haney on
    Tiger's former swing coach offers lifelines to frustrated hackers as well as insight into Woods and other players.
    2. Kevin Harvick
    3. NASCAR driver
    4. Follow Kevin Harvick on
    The boisterous racer mostly uses his account to tweak his opponents (Kyle Busch, most recently).
    2. Stuart Holden
    3. U.S. soccer and Bolton midfielder
    4. Follow Stuart Holden on
    The midfielder gives soccer fans an entertaining taste of what it is like playing abroad.
    2. Jim Irsay
    3. Indianapolis Colts owner
    4. Follow Jim Irsay on
    The most active NFL owner on Twitter, Irsay is an amusing stream of consciousness, from music to football to all things in between.
    2. Lolo Jones
    3. U.S. Olympic hurdler
    4. Follow Lolo Jones on
    Jones tweets openly about her social life and responds often to fans.
    2. Nate Jones
    3. Lawyer and agent for Goodwin Sports Management
    4. Follow Nate Jones on
    The digital guru obsessively tweets (more than 40,000 since he joined) on all things basketball.
    2. Andy Katz
    3. ESPN.com senior writer
    4. Follow Andy Katz on
    Katz is ESPN's premier college basketball reporter. Also knows Obama.
    2. Oliver Kay
    3. The Times of London soccer writer
    4. Follow Oliver Kay on
    Once August comes around, look to Kay for all your Premier League soccer needs.
    2. Brad Keselowski
    3. NASCAR driver
    4. Follow Brad Keselowski on
    Perhaps the most active Sprint Cup driver on Twitter. Regularly converses with fans and has even engaged in debates with media.
    2. Christina Kim
    3. Professional golfer
    4. Follow Christina Kim on
    The LPGA's most prolific tweeter riffs on life, love, technology, music and, occasionally, golf.
    2. Kevin Love
    3. Minnesota Timberwolves forward
    4. Follow Kevin Love on
    The bruising Love is one of basketball's most honest tweeters. On future teammate Ricky Rubio playing in America: "I'll believe it when I see it."
    2. Erik Malinowski
    3. Wired.com writer
    4. Follow Erik Malinowski on
    The man behind the site's sports blog is a great source for unexpected and cool stories.
    2. Floyd Mayweather
    3. Boxer
    4. Follow Floyd Mayweather on
    Whether he's sending TwitPics of winning betting slips, name-checking rapper friends (50 Cent! Gucci Mane!) or linking to impromptu webcasts on Ustream, Mayweather is unafraid to put his crazy life on full display.
    2. Rory McIlroy
    3. Professional golfer
    4. Follow Rory McIlroy on
    The U.S. Open champion isn't prolific, but he posts fun pictures and doesn't censor his charming, goofy, fun-loving personality.
    2. Bob McKenzie
    3. TSN hockey analyst
    4. Follow Bob McKenzie on
    A respected Canadian hockey journalist, McKenzie breaks oodles of news and brings a great insider's take of the game. His Twitter tag: The Hockey Insider.
    2. Mid-Majority
    3. College basketball blog
    4. Follow Mid-Majority on
    The basketball-centric account covers the 24 mid-major conferences.
    2. MLB Depth Charts
    3. MLB blog
    4. Follow MLB Depth Charts on
    With its up-to-the-minute roster news, this feed is essential for those obsessed with their fantasy team.
    2. Daryl Morey
    3. Houston Rockets general manager
    4. Follow Daryl Morey on
    Morey gives refreshing opinions beyond the typical PR banalities; he's the only NBA GM who actively tweets.
    2. Logan Morrison
    3. Florida Marlins outfielder
    4. Follow Logan Morrison on
    LoMo has hilarious R-rated tweets. If you don't want that, well, as the second-year player has tweeted, don't follow him.
    2. Hikaru Nakamura
    3. U.S. chess player
    4. Follow Hikaru Nakamura on
    The 23-year-old American chess Grandmaster tweets about chess and poker. What more could you want?
    2. Chad Ochocinco
    3. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver
    4. Follow Chad Ochocinco on
    The flamboyant wideout has turned his feed into a promotional tool for his non-football stunts.
    2. Outsports
    3. Sports news and information
    4. Follow Outsports on
    The premier source for gay sports news, photos and videos.
    2. Candace Parker
    3. Los Angeles Sparks forward
    4. Follow Candace Parker on
    Parker presents an honest and amusing glimpse into the life of a WNBA superstar.
    2. Wendy Parker
    3. Sports journalist, blogger and web editor
    4. Follow Wendy Parker on
    The former Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports writer is one of the definitive sources on Twitter for women's sports news.
    2. Jay Paterno
    3. Penn State football assistant coach
    4. Follow Jay Paterno on
    One of the few college football coaches who tweets, JayPa loves sharing photos of life in Happy Valley.
    2. Andrea Petkovic
    3. Professional tennis player
    4. Follow Andrea Petkovic on
    She's ranked No. 11, but Petkovic is our No. 1 when it comes to WTA players on Twitter.
    2. Brandon Phillips
    3. Cincinnati Reds second baseman
    4. Follow Brandon Phillips on
    The power-hitting Phillips has a 2.0 goal: He wants to be the Chad Ochocinco of baseball tweeters.
    2. Bob Pockrass
    3. SceneDaily.com NASCAR writer
    4. Follow Bob Pockrass on
    He's considered one of the sport's most authoritative reporters.
    2. Ian Poulter
    3. Professional golfer
    4. Follow Ian Poulter on
    The Ryder Cupper from England can be defensive, self-indulgent and sometimes cranky, but he's rarely boring.
    2. Old Hoss Radbourn
    3. Fake 19th century pitcher
    4. Follow Old Hoss Radbourn on
    Named after a real-life pitcher from the 1800s, this "dapper gent" gives his raunchy, 19th-century views on baseball events.
    2. Megan Rapinoe
    3. U.S. women's soccer team
    4. Follow Megan Rapinoe on
    The bleached-blonde, gum-chomping, fun-loving midfielder has delivered on and off the pitch during the World Cup. After Stu Holden gave her team a shout-out, Rapinoe tweeted: "Cheer your pretty face off!!!!"
    2. Joe Rogan
    3. Comedian and UFC color commentator
    4. Follow Joe Rogan on
    Rogan shares his insight and opinions on all things Octagon. Don't let the veteran comic's irreverent and sarcastic front fool you: The guy knows his stuff.
    2. Ken Rosenthal
    3. Fox Sports senior baseball writer
    4. Follow Ken Rosenthal on
    Few are as plugged in to baseball as Rosenthal, who tweets at least 20 times a day.
    2. Darren Rovell
    3. CNBC sports business reporter
    4. Follow Darren Rovell on
    Rovell offers plenty of interesting nuggets and photos (especially if you like ballpark food), as well as the occasional self-aggrandizing tweet.
    2. Angela Ruggiero
    3. U.S. women's hockey defenseman
    4. Follow Angela Ruggiero on
    Want to feel smarter? Start following this Harvard grad, IOC member and one of the greatest women's hockey players ever.
    2. Rush the Court
    3. College basketball blog
    4. Follow Rush the Court on
    The feed features a great collection of opinionated writers.
    2. Zack Ryder
    3. WWE personality
    4. Follow Zack Ryder on
    Professional wrestling's first "Internet Champion" has used social media to become one of WWE's fastest-rising stars.
    2. Adam Schefter
    3. ESPN NFL insider
    4. Follow Adam Schefter on
    Schefter is one-stop shopping for all things NFL. "Filed to ESPN" is his favorite tweet.
    2. The Secret Footballer
    3. English Premier League soccer player
    4. Follow The Secret Footballer on
    Anonymity allows this player to supply his candid thoughts on the soccer world. @WhoisTSF is dedicated to trying to deduce his identity.
    2. Bill Simmons
    3. ESPN.com columnist and Grantland.com editor-in-chief
    4. Follow Bill Simmons on
    ESPN.com's alpha dog is worth the follow. Unless you have an irrational hatred for Boston sports teams.
    2. Kelly Slater
    3. Professional surfer
    4. Follow Kelly Slater on
    When he isn't riding a wave, the surfing icon is constantly on Twitter.
    2. Soccer By Ives
    3. Soccer blog
    4. Follow Soccer By Ives on
    American journalist Ives Galarcep is a plugged-in source of news and rumors on the pitch.
    2. Marc J. Spears
    3. Yahoo! Sports NBA writer
    4. Follow Marc Spears on
    Along with his colleague Adrian Wojnarowski, Spears' feed is a terrific aggregate of NBA news and commentary, especially on potential trades.
    2. SportsFeat
    3. Long-form sports journalism website
    4. Follow SportsFeat on
    The feed features current and past articles posted several times a day.
    2. Sports Law Guy
    3. Tulane Law School professor
    4. Follow Sports Law Guy on
    Gabe Feldman provides analysis of the ever-increasing melding of sports and the law.
    2. Eric Stangel
    3. Late Show with David Letterman head writer
    4. Follow Eric Stangel on
    Letterman's head writer and executive producer devotes most of his Twitter time to cracking jokes about sports. You'll be laughing.
    2. Jayson Stark
    3. ESPN.com senior writer
    4. Follow Jayson Stark on
    Stark is a terrific source for breaking baseball news (especially on the Phillies) as well as a go-to page for periodic trivia questions.
    2. Marc Stein
    3. ESPN.com senior NBA writer
    4. Follow Marc Stein on
    Stein tweets less than his colleagues, but what he delivers is always pertinent and interesting information.
    2. Jared Sullinger
    3. Ohio State basketball player
    4. Follow Jared Sullinger on
    The talented sophomore retweets nasty posts about himself, and has the most refreshingly honest feed of any college athlete.
    2. Tennis Reporters
    3. Tennis writer
    4. Follow Tennis Reporters on
    If you are looking for a wired tennis journalist, look no further than the Northern California-based Matt Cronin, who runs this account.
    2. Pete Thamel
    3. New York Times national college sports reporter
    4. Follow Pete Thamel on
    A bulldog reporter who breaks big stories across college sports.
    2. Janko Tipsarevic
    3. Professional tennis player
    4. Follow Janko Tipsarevic on
    The ATP veteran from Serbia tweets about classic literature and does a mean video impersonation of Novak Djokovic.
    2. Ken Tremendous
    3. Television producer and baseball writer
    4. Follow Ken Tremendous on
    The nom-de-Twitter of Michael Schur, the co-creator of NBC's Parks and Recreation and the Fire Joe Morgan blog, Mr. Tremendous provides hilarity on baseball and other sports issues.
    2. Dana White
    3. UFC president
    4. Follow Dana White on
    The always-outspoken White offers abrasive opinions and engages fans. Can't imagine @nflcommish telling followers to "e mail and tweet ESPN for f***in up the results, not me."
    2. Ryan Whitney
    3. Edmonton Oilers defenseman
    4. Follow Ryan Whitney on
    The fun-loving Whitney always speaks his mind. Sample tweet: "Not many things are more satisfying than seeing someone fly by you on the highway only to see them pulled over a mile up the road."
    2. Jack Wilshere
    3. Arsenal midfielder
    4. Follow Jack Wilshere on
    The young footballer posts candid pictures from the English Premier League team's training ground, retweets his fans and likes to whinge when things at Arsenal aren't going quite to plan.
    2. C.J. Wilson
    3. Texas Rangers pitcher
    4. Follow CJ Wilson on
    The All-Star left-hander is not your typical athlete: He is a science-fiction fanatic who lives a straight-edge lifestyle.
    2. Steve Wilson
    3. Associated Press European sports editor
    4. Follow Steve Wilson on
    The writer will be a must-read when the 2012 London Olympics come around.
    2. Adrian Wojnarowski
    3. Yahoo! Sports NBA columnist
    4. Follow Adrian Wojnarowski on
    The well-connected Wojnarowski is often first with news from around the league.
    2. Greg Wyshynski
    3. Yahoo! Sports NHL blogger
    4. Follow Greg Wyshynski on
    The editor of the Puck Daddy blog, Wyshynski delivers NHL fans a daily smorgasbord of news.

    • (Follower counts as of July 12)
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