One moment Keith Urbahn praised hockey's Alexander Ovechkin. The next? Urbahn broke huge news on the death of Osama bin Laden, both "O" bits via Twitter in the world of social media.
Ovechkin "defines clutch," wrote Urbahn of the Washington Capitals star who had just scored a game-tying goal against Tampa Bay. Shortly after that, Urbahn's tweeting turned from sporting to worldly on Sunday night.
"So I'm told by a reputable person they have killed Osama Bin Laden," wrote Urbahn, chief of staff for former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. "Hot damn."
Indeed, and the killing of bin Laden, by Navy SEALs in Pakistan, quickly earned the attention of the sporting world following President Barack Obama's official declaration, with swift responses via the same manner Urbahn broke the story.
"So they have Bin Laden's body. Never thought we'd see the day," tweeted New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. "Figured he would be like Hitler and commit suicide or just disappear."
A decade ago, when bin Laden masterminded the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Twitter wasn't even a gleam in founder Jack Dorsey's eye. On Sunday and Monday, however, it offered the primary means for athletes to express themselves on bin Laden's demise. Some were thoughtful, some not so.
"No to catch a predator tonight. Not cool cnbc," wrote Dallas Cowboys running back Tashard Choice.
After some deliberation Choice rethought his initial opinion: "My bad my tweet people osama bin laden being dead is better news."
Texans linebacker Brian Cushing and Spurs guard George Hill injected curious twists on bin Laden's death.
"I wish i could have sacked osama bin laden before he was killed," Cushing wrote. "regardless i want to congratulate all of those who worked so hard to help make this happen.. huge day for the US."
"You can't tell me they just now finding Bin Laden," Hill wrote in all capital letters. "We prolly found him years ago and he wasn't giving us no info and we got tired of it."
Hill's quirky offering was hardly divisive compared to former Kansas State basketball player Jacob Pullen's sentiment.
"Everybody all happy about this Osama (expletive) but when somebody kill somebody in your family what happens … y'all act like he ain't got family," Pullen wrote.
He then offered, "And his family don't care about nobody in this country so I ain't happy about this (expletive) cause I fly somewhere every week I'm scared now."
Pullen later wrote he wasn't going to lose any sleep — "loose" as he put it - if people didn't agree with his opinion, adding that "know that one death leads to another."
Other athletes chose a more buoyant route.
"USA USA USA!!" wrote famed cyclist and Austinite Lance Armstrong.
"Obama words are earth moving and inspiring," opined NBA star LeBron James of the President's speech.
Still others injected humor - with mixed results.
"Since we caught Osama do I still have to take my laptop out at security?" wondered NBA star Steve Nash.
"Jack Bauer defeats reigning international hide and go seek champion!" wrote Texas Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson of the fictional hero of the TV show 24.
Perhaps tennis star Andy Roddick summed up Sunday's history best, in the midst of the athletes' unfiltered injections.
Perhaps tennis star Andy Roddick summed up Sunday's history best, in the midst of the athletes' unfiltered injections.
"Words cannot do justice to the amount of thanks we should bestow upon those whose life mission it is to keep the world safe," wrote Roddick. "Thank you
