It’s a pretty powerful thing, that ‘like’ button. Especially when you’re an influencer with nearly 400,000 followers.
Tampa Bay Lightning superstar forward and upcoming free agent Steven Stamkos discovered this fact — again — this week, after liking a TSN tweet linking him to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It all started after The Score’s NHL editor Ian Maclaren tweeted this:
Oh boy here we go … pic.twitter.com/7AydNOMBOW
— Ian McLaren (@iancmclaren) December 9, 2015
It was the third time Stamkos has liked a tweet linking him to the Leafs since 2014 (he’s stated each time that the likes were “accidental”). Predictably, Twitter mentions of the 25-year-old from Markham went through the roof:
Also predictably, fans of both teams flipped out.
91% of Leafs fans are trying to figure out a way to turn their Kessel jersey into a Stamkos — Stats Canada (@stats_canada) December 9, 2015
Some analysts prognosticated the provocative liking of tweets was simply a new way of getting leverage on his current employer:
Steven Stamkos “accidentally liking tweets” is the new contract negotiation strategy https://t.co/aaHdohYw6i
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) December 9, 2015
It’s hard for some of us to imagine: the ability to move social media with the click of a button.
But the latest Stamkos affair is just another lesson on why celebrities of all stripes need to choose their words — and likes — carefully when engaging on social media.
