There are two kinds of people in this world: people who love Twitter and people who love to hate Twitter; there seems to be very little room in between.
Unlike the coach of my favorite NFL team, I fall into the first category; although at first I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. Being confused and uncertain is a common experience among first time Twitter users.
I first signed up for Twitter six years ago — on November 19, 2008 — in the computer lab of the DeVry University in Bakersfield, California (where I had been teaching classes earlier that day). I quickly found it suited my stream of consciousness style of thinking and need for newly acquired knowledge.
My most unique Twitter experience involved Matthew Gilbert — not me, but the the TV critic for the Boston Globe. One day while teaching a class at UC Santa Barbara I received an email from him. He asked that since I had control over, but was not using @MatthewGilbert, would I be so kind as to let him use it.
The producers were running scared because, since I was born in Boston and we had the same name, they assumed I was the “other” Matthew Gilbert and that I had somehow infiltrated the show to “scoop” it before it aired!
In any case, I only briefly thought about his request and then decided to let him use the Twitter account; how could I deny my namesake? Besides, in an effort to personally brand myself, I always use my middle initial — A — because there are quite a large number of “other other” Matthew Gilbert’s!
In response he posted a very cordial tweet (from the new account). From time to time we tweet each other and, more recently, he acquired the domain www.matthewgilbert.com from me top promote his new book: Off the Leash.
So, in six short years on Twitter I not only found my way to new professional and personal opportunities, but I found myself (well, sort of). Thank you for a superb six years, Twitter — I look forward to the next six with enthusiasm and excitement!
With the 2013 NFL Season now upon us (and today being the New England Patriots‘ first game) I felt compelled to look back at how the team did last year and discuss how they might fare this season. My big question: will their good or bad history repeat itself?
Although disheartening, the Patriots’ Super Bowl 46 loss was nowhere near as gut wrenching as their Super Bowl 42 loss to the Giants. That failure also ended the Patriots’ quest for a perfect 19-0 season.
While emotionally I wanted the Patriots to win Super Bowl 46, rationally, I had my concerns throughout the season as the team somehow stayed alive with a patchwork defense and an inconsistent offense.
Despite being disappointed by the Patriots’ inability to bring home a fourth Lombardi Trophy, I realized failure presents pathways to personal progress and, in response, devised the seven introspective insights below — one for each of the New England Patriots Super Bowl appearances:
1. Expectations Undermine Attitude: When you feel entitled to something, that expectation creates an assumption that you will get it because you “deserve” it. Generally, when this occurs, you become complacent and assume the outcome is inevitable. This is a recipe for disaster.
During their (almost) perfect season, despite claims of “humble pie,” there seemed to be an expectation that the Patriots would win Super Bowl XLII and make NFL history. Brady was even dismissive in response to then New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress’ prediction that the Patriots would lose 17-23.
Ironically, the Patriots would actually only score 14 points in their 14-17 loss to the Giants (though they did score 17 points in Super Bowl XLVI, but once again the Giants outscored them with 21 points — cue sad trombone).
2. Junkyards Don’t Always Make Juggernauts: No team has done more with less than the New England Patriots. Since the beginnings of their dynasty, the Patriots built from the draft and reformed players like Corey Dillon and Randy Moss who had lost their way with other teams.
Former Patriots Director of Player Personnel Scott Pioli is famously quoted as saying “we’re building a team, not collecting talent.” This is a philosophy similar to that portrayed in the recent Brad Pitt film Moneyball (affiliate link) which is ardently embraced by head coach Bill Belichick.
The Patriots are notorious for collecting picks in each year’s NFL Draft, but then “trading down” with other teams to pick later and pay their players less. Notably, in an article titled The Clutch Enigma: Tom Brady the author argues “It’s not that Brady has lost his ‘clutchness,’ it’s simply that the Patriots’ teams (namely the defenses) have gotten worse, and Brady has become the focal point.”
3. Win or Lose, Players Get Paid: As a fan of a sports team, there is a good chance you are more emotionally invested in the success or failure of your teams than the payers. As Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plashke pointedly explains in his February 9, 2012 article For the pro athlete, it’s just a job, “The players don’t care as much as you do.”
Even Chad Ochocinco — with his abysmal record with the Patriots of 15 receptions for 276 yards and one touchdown — was still paid (I am reluctant to say earned) a base salary of $6,000,000 for tweeting and updating his Facebook status all season instead of contributing to the team!
So, since playing is a job for the athletes, does it really make sense to so heavily invest ourselves emotionally in their performance?
4. Failure is a Launchpad for Learning: When failure occurs, it is human nature to look for a reason — a scapegoat — to explain why that which was never considered possible has now become reality.
Arguing over whose fault it was is relatively meaningless: in my opinion you can win a game on one dramatic play, but losing a game is the result of an accumulation of errors.
This is not easy to do, but the upside is excellent if you can turn adversity into opportunity. Regardless of the reasons for failure, if you treat it as a learning experience, you never really lose — at least philosophically; I realize they keep score in sporting events!
5. Family — not Football — Comes First: I was most concerned about my younger son, Max, when the Patriots lost Super Bowl 46. When he went to sleep just before half-time, the Patriots were rolling. The next morning he awoke to reality, but he just brushed it off and was on to his next adventure.
He took their loss to the Ravens in last season’s AFC Championship Game harder (likely because he watched it unfold in real time), but again by morning the sunrise had dried away the tears.
It’s amazing what adults can learn from kids if we pay attention. It’s also amazing what a good night’s sleep can do!
Poignantly, following the Patriots, Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox — the teams my Dad grew up with — was a way for me to maintain a connection with him even during a long period when we were estranged.
Having that unique shared interest with Max (my older son, Jacob, has little interest in sports), creates a similarly compelling connection.
Talking about Boston sports teams with him and having been able to attend a Red Sox/Dodgers game last month is priceless Father/Son time. A trip to Foxboro is in our future.
6. Being with Friends Lessens a Loss: The next best thing to family are friends, and through a mutual love — or is it obsession? — of the Patriots I’ve found my way to a great group whom I would have otherwise never known.
Both virtually (via Facebook or a fan message board) and personally (at TGI Fridays or an equivalent place to watch a game), I’ve connected with a network of fans who are also friends.
Many of them have been there for me during challenging times and moments of celebration as well.
I’ve spent Thanksgiving with some of them and shared my first time watching a Patriots game with my younger son, Max, with the same “football friends.”
While I hope to never watch the Patriots lose another Super Bowl, watching it happen at the home of my friends Tom and Coni made the loss less significant because my friendship with them and their family is so significant.
7. There’s Always Next Year: Many Patriots fans didn’t expect the 2012 team to get as far as they did; so any of the wins after the regular season felt a bit like bonus content on a Blu-ray DVD. Despite that, it was hard not to get caught up in the moment and start believing (but see “Expectations Undermine Attitude” above).
On the bright side, the team “almost” won the Super Bowl with marginal talent in key positions. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick remain a powerful pair and, if they can finally add a deep threat receiver (or two) and actually field some quality defensive backs, who knows — they could make an eighth trip to the Super Bowl this season.
Imagine if I liked the Chicago Cubs or any team in Cleveland?! I’d really feel a sense of déjà vu like former Major League Baseball first baseman Keith Hernandez in the short video below:
In Conclusion
To summarize the seven points above:
Expectations Undermine Attitude
Junkyards Don’t Always Make Juggernauts
Win or Lose, Players Get Paid
Failure is a Launchpad for Learning
Family — Not Football — Comes First
Being with Friends Lessens a Loss
There’s Always Next Year
Given all the insights above, the one remaining question: should the Patriots replace Tom Brady with Punxatawney Phil? More importantly, will the Patriots return to — and, if they do, win — the Super Bowl this year?
January 19, 2014 Update: One game away from returning to the Super Bowl; a good run for a team with so many injuries and off-field issues. I am proud of what the Pats were able to do with the limited resources they had. And, of course, there’s always next year!
Sometimes you can say more with music than you can with words.
In that spirit, I am today launching a new feature on this blog in which I will showcase a musical selection on Mondays appropriately titled Music Mondays.
Due to the nature of my schedule, there might not be an entry here on every Monday, but whenever the mood strikes, there is some thematic relevance, or some especially poignant purpose in doing so, you will find music here for your aural enjoyment.
This selection — the opening movement of German composer Carl Orff‘s “Carmina Burana” — is a “scenic cantata” and is based on 24 poems from the medieval collection Carmina Burana.
This piece — which deals with the idea of fate (fortuna) — was chosen because today is the 60th birthday of Bill Belichick, the head coach of my favorite NFL team, the New England Patriots.
“The only head coach in NFL history to win three Super Bowl championships in a four-year span. He currently ranks 10th all time with 177 total victories as a head coach. His winning percentage of .639 ranks third in NFL history among coaches with 150 or more wins, trailing only George Halas (.682) and Don Shula (.666).”
How’s that for good fortuna? Of course, there have also been struggles, but, Belichick took a team from the bottom of the NFL and made it a championship contender. This piece is also played at each Patriot’s home game as the players enter the field.
Lastly, Belichick casts a rather “ominous” presence while on the sidelines during games and, due to his frequent wearing of hoodies, has often been called “Darth Hoodie” (a reference to Darth Vader).
And so, without further adieu, here is O Fortuna for you to hear:
Yesterday, while volunteering during my younger son Max’s visit to his school’s library, we found and read through a Boston Celtics book together. On the cover of the book was a picture of the Celtics playing the Chicago Bulls. When Max, who loves basketball and is playing in a youth league, saw the picture, he exclaimed “that’s my team!”
He then added that he wears jersey number 13 (presently worn by Joakim Noah), to which I joked “unlucky 13?!” Being a week shy of 6, Max looked at me and said “what does that mean?”
I realized our cultural dislike (in some cases fear) of the number 13 — which, in Greek, is called triskaidekaphobia — is learned. But why does our culture dislike the number 13? Since today is “Friday the 13th,” another common fear (called paraskevidekatriaphobia in Greek), I wanted to briefly explore some of the origins for these irrational ideas. Below are some snippets of insights I collected:
“The number 13 and Friday are recurring presences in mythological, spiritual and religious tradition. In Christianity, 13 people attended the Last Supper before Judas’ betrayal and Jesus’ death on a Friday. A Norse myth warns of dire consequences for dining in groups of 13. Friday the 13th was the date the medieval Knights Templar were imprisoned.”
“…the number 13 may have been purposely vilified by the founders of patriarchal religions in the early days of western civilization because it represented femininity. Thirteen had been revered in prehistoric goddess-worshiping cultures, we are told, because it corresponded to the number of lunar (menstrual) cycles in a year (13 x 28 = 364 days).”
“Twelve gods were invited to a banquet at Valhalla. Loki, the Evil One, god of mischief, had been left off the guest list but crashed the party, bringing the total number of attendees to 13. True to character, Loki raised hell by inciting Hod, the blind god of winter, to attack Balder the Good, who was a favorite of the gods. Hod took a spear of mistletoe offered by Loki and obediently hurled it at Balder, killing him instantly. All Valhalla grieved.”
“As if to prove the point, the Bible tells us there were exactly 13 present at the Last Supper. One of the dinner guests — er, disciples — betrayed Jesus Christ, setting the stage for the Crucifixion.”
In his speech he addresses questions such as “Why do people see the Virgin Mary on cheese sandwiches” or “Why do people hear demonic lyrics in ‘Stairway to Heaven’?” It is for many of the reasons above that people look for logic — or at least deeper meaning — in places where there might really be none.
When it comes to Tim Tebow, many well-meaning and honestly inspired individuals nevertheless connect dots that don’t necessarily make sense connecting and draw conclusions that are entirely based on assumptions and anecdotal evidence. “Tebowmania” seemed to hit a crescendo following the hysteria when what appeared to be a “halo” formed over Mile High Stadium in Denver last Sunday after the team’s playoff win.
Interesting, whereas many jumped to conclusions that it was some kind of heavenly sign, one rationally minded reader of the article (who uses the name “Rotten Rodriguez”) explained it as follows:
“It wasn’t a halo. I was at the game. After Denver scores pyrotechnics are shot out of a cylinder in the south end zone. A smoke ring came off the cylinder then floated over the stadium for as long as it take a smoke ring to dissipate.”
If only Tim Tebow wore the number 13 instead of 15, perhaps he could have provided additional inspiration for those who suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia. That would be especially helpful this year since, as the USA Today article also points out, “for the first time since 1984, those three Friday the 13ths — Jan. 13, April 13 and July 13 — are exactly 13 weeks apart.”
So, if you suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia, maybe you should start Tebowing — or consider the luck-related insights of Guy Kawasaki to whom I attributed the phrase “go luck yourself!”
Update: Despite the above exploration into the absurdity of superstition, I wore my “lucky” Wes Welker jersey when my favorite NFL team, the New England Patriots, hosted the Denver Broncos for the AFC Divisional Game on Saturday, January 14, 2012 and they won! The following week, on Sunday, January 22, they beat the Baltimore Ravens in dramatic fashion at the AFC Championship Game, sending the Patriots to Super Bowl XLVI — while, again, I wore my “lucky” Welker jersey. Unfortunately, the Patriots faced and — in an almost exact replay to Super Bowl XLII — lost, yet again, to the New York Giants on Sunday, February 5, 2012. And, in true ironic form, one of the many reasons the Patriots lost was because Welker dropped a badly thrown pass from Tom Brady — negating the Patriots attempt at a very possible come back win. How’s that for luck and superstition? I admire Welker, but clearly I will need to wear a new jersey next year!
Even the most venerable entities are not immune to economic adversity.
From American Express to Wynn Resorts, drastic action has been taken to ensure survival. The financial firestorm has scorched America’s oldest educational institution: Harvard University. In a bold move designed to ensure its fiscal survival, Harvard University today announced that it is selling it’s campus and going entirely online.
Billionaire businessman and 1965 Harvard Business School alumnus Robert K. Kraft purchased the 308 acre campus for an undisclosed sum. Kraft will develop the land into a massive commercial and residential complex in the heart of Cambridge, MA named “Harvard ‘s 100 Yards.”
“This was the most economically viable option; we will save millions of dollars in toilet paper alone!” said Harvard President Dr. Drew G. Faust.
The school has experience with online learning through its Extension School and development of edX, but will develop a proprietary instructional platform for this new venture: Fully Online Optimized Learning System (FOOLS). In addition to robust learning tools, FOOLS will integrate several interactive features, including a virtual classroom environment similar to Second Life.
“We will miss our beautiful campus, but I am sure it will be equally as invigorating sending instant messages to each other,” Faust added. “L-O-L as they say!”
The change comes at a time of unusual fiscal concern at the historic campus. The university’s $36.9 billion endowment recently suffered losses of at least 22% (estimated at $8 billion) and projections anticipate a further decline. Insiders fear the loss could be even higher once real estate and private equity declines are considered.
AOL founder Steve Case has volunteered to produce thousands of CD-ROMs containing the systems operating system. Nobody expects to use them for anything but improvised coasters, yet Case insists.
Internet raconteur Philip J. “Pud” Kaplan will ease the transition by creating a “deadpool” game in which students can bet which classmate will fail next. Likewise, Facebook founder and former Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg will personally design an application to virtually recreate the social scene at the university.
Loic Le Meur and Gary Vaynerchuk will provide a continuous supply of French wine and cheese to the developers, faculty, staff and students during the transition. Social media expert Chris Brogan has also been hired to provide strategic vision while Loren Feldman will produce daily video updates of the technical development using puppets. Shel Israel and Robert Scoble will document the historic transition on Twitter.
“These people are all dopes,” Feldman groaned when informed of the news. “They should have asked me for my opinion since it is always the right one!”
To address any potential psychological concerns Dr. Phil and Dr. Laura will be on call to offer counseling services to those in need.
“The school is getting real,” said Dr. Phil. “Far too often people wait until it is too late to do what’s right.” Not to be outdone, Dr. Laura is quoted as saying “without dormitories those stupid co-eds won’t be shacking up like unpaid whores!”
“As an alumnus I am proud to be a part of this project. Today we are all Crimsons!” Kraft exclaimed.
Preliminary plans call for a residential area divided into four football-themed sections: First Down, Second Down, Third Down, Fourth Down, with an exclusive area for custom homes named Tom Brady Estates.
Also included will be a robust retail area with an array of retail stores. The initial list of national tenants includes Hooters, Victoria’s Secret, TGI Fridays, Subway, and Jiffy Lube. Patrons with small children can leave their children at “The Antonio Cromartie Daycare Center for Children with Forgettable Names” for a flat fee of $31.
In recognition of the land’s educational roots, a New England Tractor Trailer School (NETTTS) campus, “The Ted Kennedy Memorial School for Underwater Driving,”and a Greer Childers Body Flex Academy — along with several other instructional outletes — will open on the former site of the ivy league school.
With a nod to sustainability the entire development will recycle and reuse its waste at the Eric Mangini Waste Processing Center. The facility will be heated by the hot air from ESPN headquarters in Bristol, CT (delivered directly via an underground pipeline).
With safety as a top concern, all 308 acres will be secured by a state of the art security and video monitoring system. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was personally involved with the design of the video camera network.
“It’s beyond anything I could have imagined,” commented Belichick. “The video system alone is worth the investment!”
Look for the first phase of “Harvard ‘s 100 Yards” to open next summer!
That’s what the past two months feel like. When I last posted to this blog the new year had just begun and I was a few days away from beginning several new classes at various campuses across Southern California (in addition to my continued online teaching).
The experience was both overwhelming and invigorating. I would not have traded it for the world. The schools for which I worked and the classes I taught included the following:
Axia College of University of Phoenix (Online): Contemporary Business Communication (COM/140), Effective Essay Writing (COM/150) and Utilizing Information in College Writing (COM/125).
DeVry University (Bakersfield): Composition (ENGL-112), Critical Thinking and Problem Solving (COLL-148), PC Hardware and Software (COMP-129), Project Management (MGMT-404).
International American University (Palmdale): Marketing (BUS-505) and one class of Organizational Behavior (BUS-525).
UC Santa Barbara Extension (Goleta): Buying Behavior (BUSAD X409.47).
Most surprisingly was the number of miles I found myself driving each week. In the first week alone I logged 950.6 miles (across six days)! Initially I was scheduled to make the round trip from Santa Clarita to Bakersfield on Interstate 5 five days a week with one return trip through Palmdale (via the 58 Freeway) where I teach an additional class on Mondays. I also spent five consecutive weekends making a round trip to and from Santa Barbara for my class at UCSB Extension.
Fortunately I was able to revise my schedule and cut out a round trip to Bakersfield, reducing my total days of driving from six to five. However, this only marginally reduced my total miles to 842.2 miles the following week. Overall I wound up averaging between 700 and 800 miles weekly — and had my oil changed twice!
In total, from January 1st through February 29th I estimate that I drove a total of 6,212.80 miles! Granted this is not exact (and it could be over or under by a 100 to 200 miles), but suffice it to say I enjoyed some serious quality time with my car!
To alleviate the strain of constant travel, I stayed a total of seven nights in Bakersfield (on Wednesdays when I had a late night class followed by an early one the following morning — plus one additional night on a Tuesday).
I made the mistake of spending the first night in a Motel 6 for the bargain price of $35. I knew I was in for a treat when my room had no working television, the heater was stuck on and the thermostat was missing all of its buttons. Plus the shower closely resembled the “Orgasmatron” from the Woody Allen movie “Sleeper!”
The next week I discovered the Vagabond Inn (Bakersfield South) — a veritable palace compared with the Motel 6, and with their Internet rate — was only $5 more! All of the rooms offered a mini-fridge, microwave and coffee maker — in addition to free wireless Internet (which was unfortunately unreliable — good thing I have a Sprint Mobile Broadband account!).
I was unable to get from Santa Clarita to Bakersfield three times in a row during the two month span. The first time, the last Monday in January, was due to a personal matter and then two days later, on Wednesday, Mother Nature stepped in and blasted the Grapevine with a snowstorm, resulting in the closure of Interstate 5.
After traveling no more than one mile, I was stuck on the 5 in Castaic for an hour after the CHP closed the freeway and forced everyone off at the Hasley Canyon exit. Humbled, I retreated home and admitted defeat.
I then missed the very next Monday, which was the first one in February and also the day after the New England Patriot’s heartbreaking loss to the New York Giants in Superbowl XLII (I was born in Boston and was avidly following the team’s amazing season — now the “perfectly imperfect season” as I like to call it).
Still in a state of shock and cycling through the stages of grief, I decided I would make a valliant effort to circumvent the snowed-in Grapevine.
So, I drove all the way to Palmdale on the 14 Freeway, intending to make my way West to Bakersfield on the 58 Freeway (the reverse course I normally took on Mondays to get to Palmdale for my afternoon class). Unfortunately, by the time I got there, the storm had moved East and the 58 was closed too!
For a brief slice of time the freeway re-opened, and I got as far as Tehachapi until the CHP, concerned with the weather once more, began escorting traffic, which resulted in a three to five mile backup. Drained, I admitted defeat and realized I was stuck and would not get to Bakersfield that day. I also missed my Palmdale class. What a day!
And now, slightly more than two months later, I have embarked on another session of classes with DeVry, completed my class at UC Santa Barbara Extension and cycled through to new blocks of classes at Axia. I am also now facilitating a new course online: Written Communication (COM/215).
Despite these various changes, one thing has become clear: I thoroughly enjoy teaching and, even though I realize I have a long way to go to refine my craft, I am very grateful for these opportunities to do so. What is also glaringly apparent is that it has been far too long since I updated this blog. It isn’t as if I didn’t think about it, however.
Every few days I kept thinking that I really needed to post something new — a quick update, a brief note, a random picture or two — but every day I was overwhelmingly busy just being busy. I found that there were some small points I wanted to make but that I felt compelled to explain the bigger ones first, thereby resulting in a back log.
Ironically, I used this blog as a launching point for assignments in two of my classes: English 112 (Composition) at DeVry and BUSAD X409.47 (Buying Behavior) at UC Santa Barbara Extension. My students had mixed reactions to the experience, but, all things considered it was an engaging experience for each of them that I think (well, at least hope), provided some helpful hands-on exposure to blogging.
Despite the fact that I did not add anything to this blog for some time, I did take several photos of my various trips to and from the many locations at which I was teaching. I will post them separately in a few days along with several new posts I have been waiting to make. Thanks for your patience and, to whoever out there reads this blog, your interest!
There are two kinds of people in this world: people who love Twitter and people who love to hate Twitter; there seems to be very little room in between.
