Gatorade apologizes, backs away from tweets mocking LeBron James

Gatorade has apologized for a series of tweets in which it seemed to mock LeBron James for cramping during an NBA finals game.
James, who endorses rival Powerade brand, needed to receive intravenous fluids after the game in which the stadium's air-conditioning failed.
Gatorade issued a statement Friday saying, "We got caught up in the heat of the battle," and voicing support for all the players on the Miami Heat.

It's unclear why Gatorade felt the need to apologize here. Its tweets were certainly feisty, but they didn't appear to cross the line.

And therein is the problem. It's simply not clear where the line is in real-time media. Fans took to Twitter after James cramped up and voiced their fury -- often at Gatorade, which people mistakenly believed James endorsed. Gatorade responded with what seemed at the time to be witty and on-point tweets.

Here's some pun-filled advice to both Gatorade and Powerade: If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the social-media kitchen.