The MBA Student Voice

The Dangers of Twitter

Yours truly learned a new lesson yesterday: don't use the twitter when agitated.  

Yesterday was the culmination of an excited Premiership season and it took the entire schedule to determine a winner.  Chelsea needed to win to take the title and that's exactly what they did, thumping 10-man Wigan 8-0.  The big scoreline was exactly how dominant Chelsea were yesterday.  My beloved United won as well, but came up a point short in the tables. 

Disappointment became agitation after Chelsea's sixth, seventh, and eighth goals.  I was not impressed by how the goal-scorers celebrated those goals.  

I will never begrudge a goal-scorer from celebrating when the score is close, or when a goal puts a game out of reach i.e. a goal that gives a three-goal lead in the later stages of the game.  

But (Ashley) Cole and Drogba went too far with their celebrations after goals 7 and 8.  Cole jumped around screaming and running back to the touchline and nearly to his own half of the pitch.  Drogba played air guitar with the corner flag.  Completely unnecessary and disrespectful to the opposition.  

(My regular readers are probably thinking this is contradictory to my support of Alex Ovechkin's celebrating after his goals.  The difference is that Ovechkin celebrates when his goal is the difference-maker or game-changer in the game - not in a blowout.  Remember when the Caps tied the franchise record for consecutive wins in Boston earlier this year?  Ovechkin scored the empty-netter and barely flinched afterwards.  Wigan had a player ejected earlier for a red card, and when Drogba and Cole scored the match was out of hand; no need to bop around like it's injury time or golden goal in the World Cup.)

So in this state of agitation, I sent a tweet saying that Chelsea had won the title unprofessionally.  However, the problem is that I'd let Drogba and Cole's antics after goals 7 and 8 overshadow the 100+ other goals Chelsea have scored this season.  That's grossly unfair on my part. 

I genuinely think Chelsea's accomplishments this season are nothing short of spectacular.  They have been the best team throughout the campaign -- consistency has been the hallmark of their success in my view.  Whereas United and Arsenal wobbled through streaks all year to finish second and third, Chelsea have been consistently performing at a high level despite off-the-pitch distractions like Terry/Bridge, the transfer investigation, and gripes about the manager from his former club.  They deserve to lift the trophy. 

Ultimately, my tweet was innocuous - I'm not a celebrity, nor did I offend anyone I knew because it came off as just another sports fan babbling on.  So it was an easy way to learn the lesson of the day -- be careful about when you are using the twitter as much as what you are saying. 

-- Sreesha

UCLA Anderson Entrepreneur's Conference

This Friday, May 7, UCLA Anderson will be hosting its annual Entrepreneur's Conference.  This is the 25th year of the conference, bringing together budding entrepreneurs, small businesses, financiers, and established businesses under one roof to discuss entrepreneurial ideas in various industries.  

Because so many of my classmates here at UCLA Anderson are eager to start their own business either now or in the future, this conference has become the signature event on campus each year.  There are some incredible speakers coming to the event from all angles.  It's open to the public as well -- you can get your tickets online -- so if you are planning to be in the Los Angeles area this weekend, it's definitely worth checking out. 

I'm organizing a panel focused on new media technologies in the sports business.  The panelists include folks from the NFL, ESPN, a division of CAA, plus a consultant and a digital media venture focused on the sports industry.  The other panels are also very fascinating for their industries as well, from finance to green tech to entertainment to fashion! 

As a first-year student here, there are many opportunities to be involved in organizing the conference.  It also is a great opportunity to meet people in the industry that you want to work or start a business in -- UCLA Anderson has many opportunities for that, but you can never really have too many. 

* * * * * * *

Thank you to everyone for their kind condolence messages on Thursday and Friday.  After the Capitals lost Game 7 to Montreal and were knocked out of the playoffs, I received so many thoughtful messages from family and friends.  At some point, I had to laugh; I don't know anyone on the team, no one died...but when you are emotionally invested in something that is taken away from you, it does leave you feeling very hollow for awhile, as Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post noted on Thursday. 

Most inspiring was Brooks Laich, who stopped to change a flat tire on the way home from the arena that night.  Here is someone with so much on the line in Game 7, with so much on his mind, and he still took the time to help a stranded motorist change a flat tire.  Incredible story. 

What can I say about my beloved Capitals that hasn't already been said?  

* we desperately needed a second scoring threat so that Montreal (or any other team) couldn't focus on Ovechkin and Backstrom.  Thus, it's hard to see where Alex Semin fits into the picture when he's gone goalless in 14 playoff games.  He's the most talented player in the NHL when he's on, but when he's off it's a struggle to see why he's in the lineup.  Not sure how much more patience Boudreau is supposed to have. 

* it didn't help that Semin didn't have a proper second-line center: Morrison has looked off since the Olympics, and Belanger never gelled with Semin the way he did with Fehr and Chimera.  Laich is better suited to the wing, and Fleischman is better suited to the press box.  Compare centers with Pittsburgh (Crosby, Malkin, Staal), Detroit (Datsuyk, Zetterberg), Chicago (Toews, Sharp) ... 

* Mike Green has been awful in the playoffs in the past two years as well -- I would argue that he's been passed on the depth chart by Tom Poti, John Carlson, Jeff Schultz, and possibly even Karl Alzner.  

* Boudreau was out-coached and had no good ideas other than the obvious, of putting Semin with Backstrom and Ovechkin.  I would have used Belanger-Chimera-Fehr on the power play with the first unit struggling.  I also think Knuble needed more ice than he got. 

* the only person with a Stanley Cup ring on the team is spare part Scott Walker. (Knuble was a spare part with Detroit in 1998, so I'm not counting that one). 

In all, this clip pretty much summed up the playoffs. Absolute bummer.  Can't wait for the slate to be wiped clean in a few months!