March Madness Hero Kevin Ware Says He's Done With Twitter

Sam Laird2013-04-29 21:34:41 UTC

Kevin Ware became an inspirational hero online this month after suffering one of the most gruesome injuries ever seen in a televised sports event.

Now he says he's done with Twitter.

If years of Internet abuse has ripped your memory to shreds, here's Ware's backstory: He pretty much snapped his right leg in half during his Louisville squad's March Madness quarterfinal win over Duke. Teammates sobbed on the court and the horrific video became a viral spectacle. But as Ware recovered from the brutal injury, his Twitter following ballooned to more than 175,000 followers as he posted upbeat messages, thanked fans for their support and interacted with scores of celebrity well-wishers.

But the fun's over, according to this somewhat cryptic tweet Ware posted on Monday morning:

This is my last tweet. All the support from fans was well appreciated but its a team rule. Losers like tmz is a prime example why I don't.

— Kevin Ware (@_billionairebev) April 29, 2013

What exactly all that means, however, isn't quite clear. Is the team rule new? What's changed between now and a few weeks ago? What did TMZ do besides, well, being TMZ? And if coach Rick Pitino can get a title tattoo, why can't Ware post a simple tweet? We've contacted Louisville for more comment and will let you know what they say.

Should college athletes be allowed to use social media? Give us your take in the comments.

Image via Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

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Kevin Ware Tweets the Most Inspiring Pic You'll See Today

Sam Laird2013-04-15 13:56:27 -0400

Got a case of the Mondays there, dear reader? Here's a photo that should put things in perspective.

Surely you remember Kevin Ware, the University of Louisville guard who became a March Madness icon two weeks ago after essentially snapping his right leg in half during a national quarterfinal game against Duke. His story largely played out on social media, where he became a force of inspiration.

Ware's been active on Twitter since the injury, gaining more than 100,000 followers in the process while becoming a national household name. He's posted messages of congratulations to his national champion teammates, corresponded with celebrities and expressed his determination to come back from the gruesome injury.

On Monday morning, however, he upped the inspiration ante by posting this pic of himself and his heavily bandaged right leg working out on an exercise bike:

we don’t quit, we don’t cower, we don’t run. we endure and conquer. #mambamentality twitter.com/_billionairebe…

— Kevin Ware (@_billionairebev) April 15, 2013

That's a pretty incredible photo if you recall that, just sixteen days ago, Ware had a massive bone sticking out of that very same leg as he writhed in pain on the ground and his horrified teammates sobbed on the court.

So there you go. It may be Monday, your boss may be a jerk, the coffee may be cold and your inbox may be totally overwhelming — but take a look at Ware's pic and know that you, too, can endure and conquer this day.

Image via Andy Lyons/Getty Images

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