BOZEMAN — Social media has its positives and its negatives, but a group of Montana State football players is trying to eliminate that distraction this season.
Wide receiver Taco Dowler is among them.
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"I'm not doing any social media. I just timed my posts (and) I'm going to have my wife post for me," Dowler said. "I don't want to see all the good stuff people say about me, and I certainly don't want to see all the bad stuff people say about me, my teammates, my brother or coach (Brent) Vigen."
It's a lot easier for people to make comments, good or bad, when hiding behind a screen.
"It's just kind of toxic, and keyboard warriors are a real thing," Dowler said. "Some of the meanest people don't have a name on their posts. Get a life, right? I mean it's as simple as that. I'm just going to sit back and and focus on me and continue to win and figure it out from there."
Dowler isn't the only Bobcat taking this initiative.
"Justin (Lamson) said he was doing the same thing, Caden (Dowler)'s doing the same thing," Taco Dowler said. "I think with success comes a bunch of attention. Obviously we were successful last year so there's going to be a lot of attention, positive and negative, on us."
Dowler says the team's priorities are elsewhere.
"We're just going to go about our business and try to win every week," Dowler said. "And just be a team, focus on each other and be brothers."
Montana State's Vigen knows this will bring more focus to an already focused group.
"When you have that focus, intent coming from your very best, your leaders, I think the trickle down is what matters the most," Vigen said. "I trust that those guys with or without social media could be focused, but if that can make an impact down through our roster, I think that's what really matters the most."
Vigen understands the prominence of social media and the effects it can have on people.
"So if our guys can take a step back from it and really appreciate the day to day moments that exist through the course of the season," Vigen said. "(If they) really focus on what we can do internally to become our very best, I think that would be pretty helpful."
