Image courtesy of Twitter
By Bennett Conlin
As JMU’s 2019-20 athletic season nears, it’s time for our annual look at the best Twitter follows for JMU sports fans. We like to put this handy guide together so new fans, or fans not fully engaged in the JMU sports Twitter scene, can get exposed to the best JMU sports content on Twitter.
We will begin with a shameless Twitter plug, as you can follow us @JMUSportsNews.
OK, now we’ll move away from the self promotion. We’ll break the best Twitter accounts into different segments for simplicity’s sake. We’re also going to limit each category to a maximum of five accounts, as we don’t want to throw “must follow” around too loosely.
Editor’s note: We want to clarify that nobody on this list paid for their inclusion. We tried to solicit payments, but it seems nobody was willing to pay a minimum of $1 million to get listed. We’re confused, shocked, disappointed and still poor.
Media
Greg Madia – The Daily News Record’s football beat writer is one of the first follows any JMU sports fan should make. His main beat is football, but he also covers JMU’s other sports from time to time. If you’re interested in JMU football, Madia should be your first follow.
He’s a tremendous writer and has been on the beat for a few years now. His experience covering the program makes him exceptionally knowledgeable.
Shane Mettlen – The Daily News Record’s basketball beat writer joined the beat last season. He’s another talented reporter and excels at covering recruiting. The world of college basketball recruiting is complicated and hectic, but Mettlen’s Twitter is always updated with the recruits receiving recent offers from the Dukes.
Follow Shane Mettlen on Twitter.
TJ Eck – The sports director for WHSV, Eck is a vital member of the sports media community. He’s an active presence on Twitter and his video coverage of the Dukes helps tell the full story of JMU athletics. He’s a quality follow.
Alex Flum – A sports anchor and reporter for WHSV, Flum is a talented young journalist and University of Maryland alumnus. The school has a tremendous journalism program, and he’s a bright star in the industry. He covers JMU sports thoroughly. Eck and Flum form a great team for WHSV.
The Breeze Sports – In my completely biased opinion, I’ll say that JMU’s student-run newspaper produces quality sports journalism on a regular basis. Few outlets cover all things JMU athletics, but The Breeze covers everything. Follow the sports Twitter account for consistent coverage throughout the year.
Follow The Breeze Sports on Twitter.
JMU Staff Members
Curt Dudley – JMU’s director of broadcast services, Dudley knows everything going on inside JMU’s different athletic programs. He started at JMU in 1988, and his decades of JMU knowledge make him one of the best follows on Twitter. He always shares interesting bits of information on all of JMU’s athletic programs.
Follow Curt Dudley on Twitter.
Kevin Warner – JMU’s assistant athletic director for communications knows his stuff. He’s a great follow for interesting statistics and data that back up JMU performances. If you’re into numbers, Warner is a quality follow.
Follow Kevin Warner on Twitter.
James Madison Athletics – Instead of choosing between the school’s various SIDs, head coaches and athletic administrators, I decided to recommend the school’s main athletics Twitter account. If you’re looking for a broad overview of events in JMU athletics, follow this account.
Fan Accounts
Sons of Bridgeforth – Run by Lawrence Smith, a JMU alumnus and admin for FCS Fans Nation, Sons of Bridgeforth provides everything you want in a fan account. The Twitter account is active and funny, but the account also provides rational takes. Smith’s knowledge of FCS football makes this account a good follow.
Follow Sons of Bridgeforth on Twitter.
Michael Evangelista – One of JMU’s most passionate fans, especially on social media, Evangelista deserves a place on this list. His Twitter feed’s activity level might top that of everyone’s on the list, and he’s a knowledgeable fan. He cares about football position battles, offensive line depth and big picture JMU discussions, and his feed reflects those interests. If you want a feed that’s constantly sharing information and thoughts related to JMU, pound the follow button.
Follow Michael Evangelista on Twitter.
NOT Curt Cignetti – While Sons of Bridgeforth provides rational thoughts on JMU athletics, NOT Curt Cignetti is much more willing to scorch the Earth with his hot takes. While he’s certainly fun to follow when JMU athletics are doing well, he might be an even more exciting follow when the Dukes drop a key game.
Follow NOT Curt Cignetti on Twitter.
JMU Duke Blawg – One of the better accounts for staying up to date with JMU athletics news, JMU Duke Blawg’s feed offers interesting information related to all of JMU’s athletic programs. This account is a good follow for die-hard fans looking to consume as much JMU sports media as possible.
Follow JMU Duke Blawg on Twitter.
Chase Kiddy – Part media member, part fan, Chase Kiddy’s account qualifies as the most unique on this list. He’s spent time at The Breeze and HERO Sports, and Kiddy knows what he’s talking about. He’s a quality writer, which ensures that his tweets aren’t just knowledgeable, but they’re also well-written and engaging.
You may also win a few additional sports bets by giving him a follow and trusting his advice. Not everything in his feed is JMU related, but the stuff that is always delivers.
Follow Chase Kiddy on Twitter.
The Best Account
JMU Sports Blog – Selecting the greatest Twitter account in the JMU Sports world takes minimal effort. This is a no brainer. JMU Sports Blog has been going strong for a decade, and the media entity/fan account continues to deliver fantastic content. Whether it’s blogs, podcasts, Facebook posts or tweets, JMU Sports Blog never fails to offer an insightful and interesting perspective. If you’re only going to follow one JMU sports Twitter account, follow JMUSB.
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