THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Every now and then on social media, you find a must follow
Twitter can be a nuisance.
If you happen to be in a profession where sharing information is pretty much mandatory, you’re stuck with tweets.
And Facebook.
And Instagram.
And so on.
But Twitter is different in so many ways, both good and bad.
The annoying side of it is linked to time, because if you truly want to make and promote connections on Twitter (not to mention grabbing all those hot takes from cyberspace), you’ve basically got to tweet, retweet, “like” tweets, yada, yada…
About 14 hours per day.
Being a Twitter junkie is a full-time job. You get to thinking that if you don’t check your account for just a few minutes, some incredible piece of news will have come and gone.
On the bright side of it, though, you may accidentally come across some hilarious GIFs, or hop to a link containing an emotional speech, or stumble on some facts that make you giggle, or find a spectacular photo you need to save, or see someone’s opinion that you just HAVE to share, or…
You might find Megan Brown.
FIRST, a breeze through some basics: Megan is available on Twitter almost 24/7 — roughly putting in more time than parents with a newborn.
She’s @thatgirlondeck.
Megan is an early 30s New Yorker who loves the Milwaukee Brewers and popsicles, who makes a living online as a social media consultant and marketing guru, and who is serious about her world but also just funny as hell.
This lady represents exactly what I meant about the happy accidents that can make Twitter worthwhile — which means I only “met” her through one of those online accidents, where a friend of a friend of a colleague posted something that a stranger “liked”…
So that person pops up on your stream and, if the newcomer seems like someone who might add anything at all to your own sphere of work or play, you decide to “follow” them.
All of which is a long way of saying that Megan Brown in New York City, who bumped into me as @thatgirlondeck with a terrific take on Taiwanese baseball, is now a pal.
Since she has a smidge over 24,200 followers, it isn’t likely she’s noticed I’m a new fan, but…
Hey, that’s Twitter.
What?
The Taiwan thing?
Oh, sure.
Megan retweeted a fun fact from @CPBL (Chinese Professional Baseball League), noting than in Taiwan, any inning in which a team scores more than three runs is called a “Big Orange.”
She even retweeted a video of Chan Tzu-Hsien walloping a grand slam to make the point with lovely drama.
The very first response to Megan’s retweet (“omg I love that. A Big Orange.”) came from @infieldflygirl.
Who else?
I love it.
I want it all right here, right now, but…
We’re out of oranges.
IN JUST the few days that Megan — sorry, @thatgirlondeck or on the web at thatgirlmegan.com — has been lighting up my Twitter feed…
Let’s see, she’s introduced me to her Yorkie (the Mini Fox), shared a tremendously moving talk on racial unrest by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, retweeted an ESPN story headlined “Man accused of vomiting on girl at game,” reminded us that June 7 would have been Prince’s 62nd birthday, and ran a photo (from @nut_history) of Ken Griffey Jr. in a dugout chat with the late Padres star Tony Gwynn.
It’s terrific.
Non-stop.
I’ll never whine about wasting time on Twitter again.
Maybe.
One of Megan’s tweets was the reason I decided to mention her in the first place.
I saw it, liked it, clicked without thinking on the tab to “follow” her — and fell down a raucous rabbit hole.
The tweet that got my attention really deserves mention, because it can make any sports fan think.
Enjoy some memories, too.
She asked simply: What player did you like most who was with your favorite team for just ONE year?
Oh, boy.
In our neighborhood, my first thought was Gardner Minshew — the kid who rocked the Palouse.
Then I thought of Nigel Williams-Goss, who almost took Gonzaga to the promised land.
Williams-Goss, as all of you know, was one of several single-year stars for the Zags: Brandon Clarke, Zach Collins, my buddy the cold-blooded Ryan Woolridge, and on and on.
Anyway, it’s a great question for a pub debate, no?
Megan has plenty more, so, my advice…
Go for it.
Email: scameron@cdapress.com
Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. “Moments, Memories and Madness,” his reminiscences from several decades as a sports journalist, runs each Sunday.
Steve also writes Zags Tracker, a commentary on Gonzaga basketball, once per month during the offseason.