WEST LAFAYETTE — More than a decade ago, Matt Painter instituted an in-season social media ban for Purdue basketball players.
“I thought it was a brilliant move,” Painter said on Tuesday afternoon, a day before the Boilers play at Northwestern.
The ban was lifted in 2019 and, with the need for current players to utilize social media for marketing, it would be nearly impossible to run a successful program with such a rule in place.
This comes to surface after the Boilermakers’ recent losses, a team currently 22-7 after a 17-1 start to the season, leading to vitriol from social media accounts targeted at Purdue’s team and individual players.
“The thing I don’t like about it is I think Notre Dame, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio State, they should blast us,” Painter said. “I don’t like when Purdue blasts Purdue. You’re not with us there.”
Purdue’s 82-74 loss at Ohio State on Sunday marked its second in a row and third in the last four games. The Boilermakers entered the season with high expectations, voted as the No. 1 team entering the season and as the betting favorite by sports books to win the national title.
Those expectations have played into the disappointment from fans, but disappointment can be displayed without personal attacks, Painter said.
“It doesn’t mean you can’t talk to the game. But when you get personal and you say things personal about our guys, I’ve got a problem with it,” Painter said. “Come on. You’re on our side.
“If Ohio State wants to blast us, good. They’re our rivals. Indiana is our rivals. Notre Dame. That’s part of it. They should blast us. They don’t like us. They like their team. But when people on our side are doing it, but we’re also giving attention to people that aren’t really our fans. People that are with us, they bleed with us. We have great fans. Those guys you see Tweeting, those aren’t our guys.”
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Social media criticism of Purdue basketball draws Matt Painter’s disgust
Reporting by Sam King, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
