| FollowFriday : On any given Friday, thousands upon thousands (maybe even millions) of Twitter users enter the hashtag #FollowFriday (or #FF), followed by one or more “mentions.” The idea is for users to share the names of other “interesting people” that they follow and think you should too. These recommendations serve as positive comment cards for the digitally inclined.
JumpstartMyPC.com has decided to bring FollowFriday to our blog. Read on and, if you are so inclined, add these “interesting people” to your own list. |
FollowFriday – Round 14
The FIFA World Cup is here. Today officially marks the start of the most widely viewed sporting event in the world and, if the numbers are anything like that of the last World Cup (2006 in Germany), there will be hundreds of millions of people watching the matches over the next month.
For U.S. fans, catching the majority of the televised games will be a challenge, considering the games are being held in South Africa. There is a 7 hour time difference between Johannesburg and the Central time zone here in the states. So, while many of you are at work or asleep (for quite a few matches) the tournament will be in full swing overseas. For true soccer fans this means late nights and finding creative ways to watch/follow the games from the office. Luckily, we’re here to help.
We’ve rounded up several places you can track the World Cup so you won’t miss a minute of the action.
FIFA.com is the official home of international soccer and they have gone all out for this year’s World Cup. Their web site is both visually stunning and well organized, giving you quick, easy access to all of the latest information on teams, scores, schedules and more. You can even join in some of the games they have running during the tournament, including he Predictor Game and a Fantasy Game.
In addition to the web site, FIFA has a Twitter and Facebook presence, as well as a few desktop widgets for you (if you can install programs on your work PC).
Twitter: http://twitter.com/FIFAcom
Web Site: http://www.fifa.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Fifa-World-Cup-Sudafrica-2010 – I am not sure if this Facebook page is officially linked with FIFA or the tournament, but there is plenty of World Cup action being posted here.
Widgets: http://www.fifa.com/newscentre/widgets/index.html
FIFA.com is Soccer!
ESPN - When people think of sports, they think of ESPN. Of the 64 matched, ESPN will televise them all on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC. 52 of those will be simulcast online at espn360.com, along with the opening ceremonies. Unfortunately, not just anyone can gain access to ESPN360, or what is actually now called ESPN3.com. According to their web sit “ESPN3.com is available at no charge to fans who receive their high-speed internet connection from an ESPN3.com affiliated internet service provider.”
Web Site: http://espn.go.com/
ESPN3 (for online streaming): http://espn.go.com/espn3
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ESPN360
ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 & ABC Will Cover all 64 Matches
Univision has put together a web site for World Cup coverage and offers it in English for those of us who don’t speak Spanish. As with the other sites mentioned you can catch up on schedules, players, scores, photos, etc.
According to NewTeeVee.com “UnivisionFutbol.com will offer free live streams of all 64 games and doesn’t care about your ISP. There will also be real-time stats and minute-to-minute commentary. Everything will be in Spanish, which should make the goooooooooools even more exciting.” I have yet to find the link to “watch live,” but I imagine the coverage will show up front-and-center once the games begin. If you can’t get onto ESPN360.com, this might be your only source for live web coverage.
Web Site: http://futbol.univision.com/world-cup-2010-south-africa (in English)
Univision Has World Cup Coverage For Everyone
One word of warning for all you sports fans!! - Big events like the World Cup create big opportunities for cyber-terrorists. Searching for places to watch the games online makes sense, but visiting sites you are unfamiliar with can be quite dangerous. Read our March Madness article for information on protecting yourself from malware and viruses while surfing.
Try out one or all three of the sites we recommended today and check back next Friday for more great #FollowFriday recommendations. Don’t forget, if you want to share this article with friends or family, all you have to do is click on the ShareThis button below.
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Tags: #FF, #worldcup, english, ESPN, ESPN3, ESPN360, FIFA, Follow, Follow Friday, FollowFriday, football, Friday, futbol, Online, soccer, South Africa, streaming, Univision, World Cup
