University of Iowa to Its Student-Athletes: Stop, You're Embarrassing Us - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

Remember when Iowa was all embarrassed by the football players flashing unholy amounts of money and gang signs? No, the other time. Well, university officials remember too, and they're determined not to let it happen again. The University of Iowa instituted a social networking policy this week, and as law professor (and policy architect) Bill Hines explains, the sole target is PR:

"What we're concerned about is creating inappropriate material on a site that the public can access and associate with the athletic program," Hines said.

Sure, the policy does nothing to address the lapses in discipline that precipitated the pictures, but it's not supposed to. That's what actual conduct codes are for. But as new avenues for PR embarrassment proliferate, it seems only in a school's best interests to curtail public access to their players. That's completely within every athletic department's modus operandi to begin with. This policy, therefore, is less a hastily applied band-aid and more the natural end result of the coexistence of Facebook and college athletics.

Personally, I'm sorry to see the policy in place, as I've mentioned elsewhere. I love discord and hilarity, and embarrassing Facebook pictures accomplish both in giant quantities. Nonetheless, the only truly remarkable aspect of Iowa's decision is that more schools haven't made it already.