Given that Twitterhas, at least momentarily, taken over the world, I decided to debut a new monthly feature. It’s my own Twitter rankings, not based on followers, but on relevancy of tweets. This is by no means a definitive list and that's why we're promising to roll it out at the end of every month.
It is of course subjective, but I want this list to be as dynamic as possible. That’s why every day throughout the month, I’m taking your submissions, both on Twitter (@darrenrovell1) and at sportsbiz@cnbc.com.
1. Shaquille O’Neal (@THE_REAL_SHAQ): For the more than 1 million people that wanted to get into Shaq’s head, here it is. From giving away tickets to talking about the diet he called Shaqlyte, the “Big Tweeter” really knows how to get a laugh.
Best recent tweet: “The san diego wildlife parks sucks, u pay all this money and u cnt evn see the dam animals, Lions , tigers, and bears no way Uaaaw gag sound.”
2. Stewart Cink (@stewartcink): He’s certainly not the most relevant golfer, but he has done nice job at Twitter, as evidenced by his 251,000 followers.
Best recent tweet: “This is a Tour of intellectuals these days. Spelling Bee on in workout trailer and Jeopardy in dining room. Can't wait to see locker room.”
3. Pete Carroll (@PeteCarroll): Plenty of coaches have flocked to tweeting, but USC’s football coach gets it better than all of them. From his “Song of the Day” to his tweeting during a 5K race, even UCLA fans should check out what he’s doing.
Best recent tweet: “for all the grads struggling with what to do next, know that you're not alone -- almost everybody is always searching...”
4. John Daly (@PGA_JohnDaly): The everyman golfer has taken Twitter by storm. Given how many tweets he does (sometimes hundreds in 24 hours), we’re calling him “John Daily.” His only downfall seems to be the fact that he doesn't know when to stop.
Best recent tweet: “1st few things lookin to have in U.S. is White Cheddar Popcorn & a fresh U.S. Diet Coke!”
5. Bill Simmons (@sportsguy33): The popular ESPN.com columnist has proven that not only can he write a 8,000-word article, he’s also witty in 140 characters or less.
Best recent tweet: “Lebron's box score in newspaper I am reading: 45 11 24 15 19 3 14 12 3 37. Looks like a lottery drawing. We are all witnesses.”
6. Mark Cuban (@mcuban): The Dallas Mavs owner is as candid as you’d expect. If you follow him, realize that you'll be getting more business insight than sports.
Best recent tweet: “To answer the questions, Im not looking to buy any new sports teams, and if the Cubs come back up, I would not re-bid.”
7. Michelle Wie (@Themichellewie): The little known fact is that Michelle Wie is better at Twitter than golf. Her lack of buzz leaves her with less than 1,000 followers, which is a shame because she’s actually really good at tweeting.
Best recent tweet: “Did u know that the word "almost" is the longest word in english where the letters are in alphabetical order?”
8. Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy): McCarthy has used Twitter better than any PR person in the business. His 3,200 followers is a testament to how well he has used the space.
Best recent tweet: “Saints coach Sean Payton also tight w/ Jimmy Buffett. Buffett called play 4 NFC Pro Bowl team in 2007. Tiki Barber halfback option – INT.”
9. Levi Leipheimer (@Levi_Leipheimer): Lance Armstrong has a greater following, but Leipheimer actually gives better cycling play-by-play and might even be a little more interesting.
Best recent tweet: “Why do some hotels provide table linen for bath towels? They are as absorbent as newspaper.”
10. Rich Eisen (@richeisen): The former SportsCenter anchor turned NFL Network man not only does a nice job promoting what’s coming up on his broadcast, but also has some witty notes.
Best recent tweet: “Think about it. All week long, Lebron's buzzer beater was talked abt as stuff of legend (and it is) & yet, Brady gets the SI cover. In May.”
More Great Stuff On CNBC.com Including:
- 2009’s Top Selling Video Games
- Drive Your Dream Car For Under $1000
- I Picked Spelling Bee Winner: How I Beat The Odds
Questions? Comments? SportsBiz@cnbc.com
