I Follow: Michael Collins

Editor’s note: I Follow is all about ESPN employees on Twitter: what they tweet, whom they follow and how you can interact socially with anyone and everyone.

Today, we focus on ESPN.com golf reporter Michael Collins, who previously worked as a standup comedian and as a professional golf caddie. Collins will be filing reports from this weekend’s PGA Tour event in Phoenix.

Twitter handle: @ESPNCaddie
ESPN Job: Golf reporter
Followers: 8,673
Following: 586
(*as of 1/29/13)

When did you join Twitter and why?
I think I joined in 2009 because someone from the PGA Tour’s Twitter account pestered me to do it. Best thing I’ve ever done career-wise. I got this job because of Twitter. My [current] boss contacted me through Twitter and asked if I would have time to talk. I thought it was a joke at first. Thank goodness I direct-messaged him my number.

Who is your favorite person to follow on Twitter?
It changes weekly. I follow a bunch of people so some weeks it may be Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo), other weeks it’s Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter). Tiger’s Headcover used to be really funny but haven’t heard it in a while. The caddie Kip Henley (@KipHenley) is always entertaining.

Who is the most interesting person who follows you on Twitter?
I never really looked at who was following me. I tried to go through them when I saw this question but after about 150 I realized it’d take too long! But I have learned the beauty in covering golf is that athletes, musicians and movie stars all love this crazy game so my followers are the most eclectic group of all sports. Very cool having stars as followers but that’s a lot of pressure [not really].

If you could add any one person as a Twitter follower, who would it be?
Would love it if President Obama followed me. Don’t care, I just tweeted him. Keep your fingers crossed.

What’s your favorite Tweet you’ve received or your favorite Twitter moment?
Two. First when I started really getting into it, Rickie Fowler and I had some fun at q-school during practice rounds and he put on Twitter I was the funniest guy in golf. Got almost 1,000 followers within about 5 hours. My email shut down after two hours. That was nuts.

Second, last year during the Pebble Beach tournament George Lopez, Don Cheadle and Anthony Anderson were all sitting around George’s house reading and responding to stuff on Twitter about golf. Watching it I thought to myself, ‘Wow, this sport makes us all equal. Whether you make $18,000 or $80 million a year, Twitter is a way we can all connect to one another and share the thing we love. Of course, then we all started ripping Anthony for getting caught on TV eating barbecue ribs. Twitter is also a great way to make fun of friends!