Column: @ChronicHoosier, the man behind the Tweets

If you are a Hoosier sports fan and on Twitter, there are probably a lot of people you follow to get information. Many of those are fact-based, but some are much more than that.
 
At this point, many people have probably heard of @ChronicHoosier. It is the uncensored and sometimes lewd Twitter handle that spits out facts, betting lines (although he says he’s never bet money on a game), comments and, most importantly, opinions about IU athletics.

@ChronicHoosier says things that people don’t agree with, but that seems to be the point sometimes. Being anonymous makes it easy. Although he says his real identity is one of the worst kept secrets in Bloomington, he still gets away with it.

Here’s the exclusive Q&A with Bloomington’s own @ChronicHoosier.

IDS How long ago did you start tweeting from Chronic Hoosier?
@Ch I started it back in April of 2009.

IDS What gave you the idea?
@CH I got tired of talking to myself. It was a more efficient way of communicating. I just found myself on there, and now I haven’t shut up in a couple of years now.

IDS How did it get so popular?
@CH It may be just the perspective. I’m not trying to communicate from the seat of a credentialed media member. It’s not like I have any ethics or standards I follow. I don’t really pay attention to consequences either.

IDS Are you trying to be funny?
@CH More than anything, I’m just myself. There is really not a driving desire to be the funny guy. Those that know me know that my vernacular is pretty close to what you are going to get on Twitter.

IDS Where do you get some of your ideas?
@CH IU athletics in general is something (in which) I’ve always been pretty immersed throughout my whole life. I’m an IU alum myself. I’ve been fortunate to be around IU athletics at some length for the better part of my life.
Like most Hoosiers, it is something we are very emotionally invested in. When you have that kind of passion, it drives you to communicate about that topic.

IDS Favorite IU sport?
@CH Basketball, although I love me some soccer too.

IDS What’s the best sport to rag on?
@CH You’re baiting me to rag on football, I know.

IDS Is it nice to get to say things uncensored?
@CH Fuck yeah, why else? It’s one of the weird elements of doing what I do, the whole anonymity too. There are litany of conflicts that may arise if my identity became messed with some of the opinions, or at least the way people perceive my opinions.

IDS How do you feel about all the fake Twitter accounts?
@CH Parody is tough. It’s good when it’s done well. It’s not worthy of your attention when it’s done poorly. There are few that are done really, really well. I think @FakeCoachWilson is pure gold, @TheBigHandsome obviously as well.

IDS How’d you feel about the Ohio State game?
@CH Like a swift kick in the nuts. As bad as the game was, I’m still bitter about Minnesota. I really expected that this was going to be a shellacking, at least in points. I thought we’d put forth a lot more fight and effort than we did in the first half. We pretty much bent over and grabbed our ankles after they started exerting themselves.