Facebook Sports Stadium gives sports rivals a place to vent

No, Facebook hasn't just constructed a real, physical space for people to exercise and play sports. Deity forbid they do something that will actually unhook you from the social network. Instead, they have created the virtual equivalent of a sports forum where both fans as well as rivals can dish it out with words, something people already do on Facebook anyway. But now you can do it officially and with game stats right in front of you. In short, Facebook has just created the social network equivalent of a sports channel.

Whenever there's a sports match, Facebook will be flooded with posts from both sides of the court, with people posting updates about the game, maybe even images, and others commenting for or against said posts. And, of course, trash talk. There will always be trash talk. The problem with this kind of social interaction is that it is messy, scattered, and disorganized. Facebook Sports Stadium corrals them under a single Facebook roof.

Think of it like Events Nearby, except they might not be nearby. Or Twitter Moments, except on Facebook and for sports. In essence, Facebook gives sports fans play by play updates on matches, scores, and even where to find it on the old tube, should you prefer to really view it in live action. Of course, it also gives fans a place to cheer, or jeer, making it easier to see where the lines are drawn.

The feature is rolling out first in the US and on the iPhone, unsurprisingly. And the first sports to receive the special Facebook treatment will be American football but Facebook promises to also support others like basketball, soccer (that other football), and more. Soon, that is.

SOURCE: Facebook