Jacory Harris Receives Racially Charged Twitter Message Before Coach Bans Team’s Use of Website

Perhaps the biggest and most ground-breaking aspect of Twitter is that it gives fans direct contact with their favorite athletes. Generally, that's harmless, but when a 20-year-old quarterback has a bad game, it can get ugly.

And it did for Miami Hurricanes quarterback Jacory Harris, who threw four interceptions in a 36-24 loss to Ohio State on Sept. 11. After the game, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, many fans vented their frustrations directly at Harris via Twitter, with one user that "they don't want a black quarterback here."

A few days later, head coach Randy Shannon banned his players from using Twitter, saying it was an unnecessary distraction. Shannon, however, said his decision was based on the site being a "distraction" and not the racist message directed at Harris.