I Follow: John Buccigross

John Buccigross

Editor’s Note: I Follow is all about ESPN employees on Twitter: what they Tweet, whom they follow and how you can interact socially with anyone and everyone.

Twitter Handle: @Buccigross
Followers: 74,761
Following: 77
(As of 3/19/2012)

You tweet about all sports, what are your favorite non-sports topics to Tweet about?
Since 2001 I’ve written a hockey column on ESPN.com. My readers know that Twitter is an extension of the texture of that column. And music, parenting, golf and health have always been topics I’ve written about. I have lots of interests but sports and music bubble to the top.

You also directed one of your tweets about 1990’s fashion. How did that happen?
Out of college I worked at Chess King in the afternoon and then worked at a small Cape Cod TV station for free from 4 p.m. – 11 p.m. I did this for about six months. I made six bucks an hour and got 40% off the Chess King line which was like a warehouse for a Color Me Badd video. Chess King comes up from time to time. It’s stuck in my subconscious like a bad childhood experience.

What has been the funniest question someone has asked you on Twitter?
If Bucci Mane is related to Gucci Mane. I tell them, yes, of course.

Who is your favorite person(s) to follow on Twitter? Why?
My son, Jack (12 years old) and my daughter Malorie (18 years old) are both good tweeters. Longhorn Network producer Ande Wall is also an excellent tweeter, Scott Van Pelt and all the hockey reporters I follow. Matt Carle of the Flyers is very good. Nashville Predator Colin Wilson was the best Tweeter last summer but someone must have told him to stop. Too bad. He was great

Who were you the most surprised to discover they follow you on Twitter?
I don’t really know who follows me although I have recently noticed lots of NHL players follow me which caught me by surprise. I tweet for fans of ESPN not for peers or athletes. I’m not comfortable having cozy relationships with players. I am very sensitive to serving the customer first. That sounds corny and sanctimonious but it’s really how I feel. I feel Twitter is a great service for ESPN people to give viewers’ monthly cable bill more value.

You use some of your patented SportsCenter handles (like “salad” and “jazzercise”) as part of your hash tags, what inspires them?
I’m the undisputed hashtag king on Twitter. Just ask the people. It’s my favorite part of Twitter. It’s like freestyle rapping. I don’t think about them or research them. They have to come to me in three seconds or I don’t use them. It’s a way to empty my trash bin of pop culture, song lyrics and useless information.

Back to top button