Our story so far: Pro athletes are out of control with Twitter, embarrassing themselves and their organizations at an unprecedented rate. We’re going to need a Presidential decree to stop it at this point, I fear. Mr. Obama, you need to act now. Health reform can wait. The latest to enter the SbB Social Networking Hall of Fail: Marquis Daniels of the Boston Celtics.

CELTIC HUB happened to notice on Wednesday that Daniels had tweeted a rather discomforting message to one of his readers. Unfortunately, as Twitter is available to read by everyone (you knew that, but pro athletes apparently do not), what was apparently a crude joke is now out there for everyone to enjoy. Dog lovers and Michael Vick fans may not be amused:

From Henry Abbott at TRUE HOOP:

Last night, Zach Lowe of CELTICS HUB e-mailed somewhat alarmed to have seen that Marquis Daniels had tweeted this:

• Any body got a rednose pit dat u wana breed wit my Orlando raised brown eyed Doberman I have her tail n ears clipped…she’s a prize fighter 

Holy ghost of Michael Vick. Please, Mr. Daniels, on behalf of the Celtics and all that is holy, explain this in a way that makes sense. You are not really bragging about your prize fighter of a dog, right?

Lowe reached out to Daniels by Twitter last night, and got a couple of quick denials that this is what it appears it might be:

• celticshub it was a joke towards someone I kno back in orlando alot of my posts r me joking on someone 
• wat did u think I was talkn bout….lmao, ion even like animals wit teeth….lol

But it gets better. Daniels had another response to Lowe:

RT@lambo6 To whom it may concern I don’t fight dogs/cats/chickens/elephants/kangaroos r whateva it was a joke …

RT(Con’t)@lambo6 Stop tryin to make nothin into somethin.

And to prove it was all a joke and that he had nothing to hide, Daniels promptly locked his Twitter account.

Look, I don’t know how this picture can be painted any more clearly at this point. When you’re a pro athlete, being paid zillions to represent a franchise, becoming a member of the media and broadcasting your “jokes” is not wise. Because that’s essentially what you’re doing: Chad Ochocinco, for example, has more than 160,000 followers to his Twitter feed, and more on UStream. I don’t know how many follow Daniels, because I can’t get in there now to look. But I’ll bet the number represents the circulation of a mid-level newspaper.

So when you crack wise about breeding dogs for fighting, then act surprised when some don’t get the joke, well, I have no further advice for you. Technology is just a bit over your head.

And so Marquis Daniels is our first candidate for the official SbB Twitter Hall of Fail. Other candidates?

Michael Beasley

Bruce Feldman

Marcus Fitzgerald

Robert Henson

Jim Larranaga