Wayne Rooney Deletes Man U From Twitter Bio Amid Controversy

There was a time, not so long ago, when pro sports stars who were disenchanted with their occupational situations had just a few choices. Among those options: suffer in silence, approach management behind closed doors and hope for the best, or wage an ugly public relations campaign for a change of scenery.

Twitter, however, has added some new and deliciously passive-aggressive possibilities to the mix.
Take English soccer star Wayne Rooney, for example. The striker has played for legendary club Manchester United since 2004, but late last month reportedly told management he wants out this summer. Management, in turn, has insisted it won't get rid of him.

Rooney hasn't commented on that, but recently did make a subtle — yet potentially significant — change to his Twitter bio. What used to read, in part, "Manchester United player" now simply looks like this:

Does Rooney know for a fact that he's played his last Man U match? Is this a simple act of dissent? Or is the move just a benign symptom of his exasperation with the club?

Either way, he's not the first high-profile athlete whose Twitter bio omission has been viewed as a public statement. Back in October, Lance Armstrong removed the line "7-time Tour de France winner" from his own Twitter profile as the International Cycling Union mounted its doping case against him and nullified much of his official legacy in the sport.