Domestic Violence in Sports....a growing epidemic.

 Domestic violence in sports and society is a growing epidemic. From homes, to universities , to professional sports organizations domestic violence touches everyone especially those in the sports realm. The Ray Rice case and suspension is just another example of an issue that needs to be handled in a different way. The consequences/suspensions handed down to players/coaches in many peoples eyes are not strict enough. Many people believe harsher penalties are needed to help change the culture that is domestic violence in sports. 

Below is the link to my podcast which talks about domestic violence in sports, specifically the Ray Rice case and suspension.

Domestic Violence Podcast - Google drive

VIRAL POST!!!!!! Harlem Shake...Minnesota Timberwolves Style

I can still remember back in early 2013. I had stopped over to talk to one of my friends and his wife and he asked me if I had heard of the Harlem Shake craze? I was like nope, and he said you need to watch what people are doing with this song. So started the Harlem Shake craze! Since then it seems to me that everyone, every one's dog, every one's cat.....I mean everyone has performed some remix of the Harlem Shake since then. From music artists, to schools, to professional sports teams......everyone has their version!

Of course championship teams of all sports had to get their remix in too! The first time I saw the Miami Heat perform their Harlem Shake I thought it was pretty funny.

I am a Miami Heat fan and have always enjoyed watching Lebron James play and also supported his move to Miami.........But after a while this video was popping up all over the place, and over, and over, and over. Yep to the point where I was like, oh my god this is getting really old! Kind of like when you hear the same song on the radio over, and over, and over.

Being from the Midwest I am a die hard Minnesota sports fan. I mostly cheer for the Vikings and Twins but also pay close attention to the Timberwolves. Yes I know they aren't that good, and once they trade Kevin Love I don't see the future being too much brighter. I did though find a viral video that made me smile when it comes to the Minnesota Timberwolves!

I have watched this over and over again and I still laugh every time! Just like they say at the end of video, some things get old fast! I know the Minnesota Timberwolves haven't been to exciting to watch in the last couple years, but one thing is certain, Timberwolves mascot CRUNCH always gives you something to be happy about!

Blog #4 - Sutton Impact - Time to Vent!

 

Mr. Sutton is one to not back down to anyone, and is willing to stand up for what he believes in! Confrontation or no, Mr. Sutton is even willing to challenge Mark Cuban. Since this blog is themed to follow his lead, I think it's a good time to vent about parents and youth sports!!!

 As a parent of someone just starting to play competitive sports and also being a coach, I am shocked how some parents act at sporting events! Yes I am very enthusiastic, excited, and involved when it comes to our boy playing t-ball, but cheering and motivating is one thing. What truly bugs me are the parents who treat their little kids like they are professional athletes. Really lady sitting next to me yelling at her son and the others players, THEY ARE FIVE YEARS OLD, give them a break! I know we all want our kids to get better, we all want them to succeed in sports and life, but treating them like professional athletes is only going to drive them away! Two years ago I offered to help ref a 5th and 6th grade basketball tournament. I have never ever seen parents act so immature in my life. I have never seen coaches yell and get after kids as much as some did that day. I won't blast names of the teams and where the tournament was, but I haven't offered to ref since that experience!

As a coach I am also disturbed to hear some of the things that comes from the stands from parents and spectators. Just because some kids are six foot tall doesn't mean they are twenty-five years old. My advice as a coach is watch the teams who are really good. The parents say little to nothing during the games and they let the coaches coach. THOSE types of parents help their kids in the off season, in the drive way, and in the gym. The key word there is help, not yell, not scold, not down grade, they HELP, and usually in a positive character building way. As a coach do I always keep calm, low tone, and stay smooth? No I don't, I know i am not perfect, but that's the role of a coach. We are there to get our players to better themselves, the team, and the game and each player is different. Some thrive on the energy and challenge given to them, and some perform less when they are told what to do and vocal energy is given.

What I am impressed with is how more and more I am hearing stories about other parents, coaches, and viewers stepping up for these kids and voicing their opinions about letting the kids play. On Facebook for example I am continually viewing articles, and pictures shared by friends showing signs found at ball fields that state that the kids are just that, kids. The more we as parents, coaches, and fans stand up to others who think its okay to ruin a kids day playing a GAME, the better chance we have of ridding these types of people from the playing fields all together.

Mr. Sutton doesn't mind expressing his feels, is fine with backing what he believes in, and seems up to any challenge he deems important. I am usually one to not start an argument or vent just to vent but this is a topic which has bugged me for a while. I hope all of us can remember that the games our kids play are exactly that, games. 


 

Blog #3 - We choose - ESPN World Cup coverage: Too much or not enough?

I will be the first to admit that I am not a soccer fan. Other than Landon Donovan and hearing some about Mr. Altidore I know nothing about the U.S. soccer team and its past. I do know that the U.S. team in years past has not been a dominant force and even if it seems they tend to get better every World Cup, the U.S. team just can't get to the point of the upper echelon teams. This is the first World Cup where I feel I am watching as a fan, instead of just watching scores as I turn on ESPN. I find myself more and more excited to watch other countries play, especially Brazil and Germany. I notice that ESPN has the exclusive rights to the matches and most of the coverage. Yes, the coverage is of course more than usual when we talk about soccer, but as the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" you would assume they would have additional coverage. My question, "Is ESPN's coverage of the World Cup seem too much or not enough?

Every morning driving to work I listen to ESPN radio. While I am at work I listen to ESPN podcasts along with other news feeds and stories. What I am hearing and reading is a mixed review. ESPN itself of course seems to be discussing more of the World Cup, but even some of the podcast members ESPN employees think they are promoting it too much. I have heard things from "they are wasting money", to "the coverage will die when the World Cup is over", to "Many fans don't care". I assume of course ESPN has put a lot of money and time into the World Cup so of course the coverage will be there. Other sports networks also discuss the World Cup but not to the extent of ESPN. I have noticed companies like Sports Illustrated for example, have expanded their blogs, web pages, and apps to include additional information and discussions about the World Cup. Of course their coverage is not to the extent of ESPN. I have listened to sports talk radio shows in the last few weeks complaining about the excessive soccer coverage. One of these radio stations is in Minnesota. The funny thing is the State of Minnesota and the Minnesota Vikings are currently working together on bringing an MLS soccer team to the Twin Cities. For a local sports radio station to say that the soccer coverage is being overdone is kind of contradicting if the city  your working in is trying to bring an MLS team into town isn't it?

 I wonder though, what is going to happen when the World Cup is over? What happens if the U.S. team loses today (7/1/2014)? Will ESPN then back off the coverage or are they obligated to keep pushing on? As a bandwagon fan for a month or so I think the ESPN coverage is about right, not too much or too little.......but what do I know, I am not a true soccer fan.

Now what about the other side to the question? Many websites, blogs, etc. have said that ESPN hasn't done enough to cover the World Cup. They believe that overall the company has done an okay job, but that they are too quick to switch coverage from the World Cup to other sports like Baseball, NBA, or Tennis. Before the NBA Finals were over the World Cup coverage on ESPN was taking a back seat to the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs. Now that the World Cup is the only main sporting event taking place, ESPN has really picked up its World Cup coverage. I found the link below and it actually does a great job of describing the ESPN coverage from the beginning of its coverage to now from a soccer expert point of view.

http://worldsoccertalk.com/2014/06/21/review-of-espns-world-cup-tv-coverage-after-week-1/

This article is from worldsoccertalk.com and they know a lot more about soccer than I do. I happened to stumble upon this article when I was looking through websites, blogs, twitter comments, etc. dealing with the idea that not enough coverage is being offered to soccer fans. This is just one example but their are many more that feel the same way.

To me, it seems like the fans who are bandwagon fans, fair weather fans, or not fans at all of soccer believe that ESPN has given too much coverage to the World Cup. True soccer fans, analysts, and experts seem to feel like ESPN is not having enough soccer coverage, and is breaking from their coverage too soon. Some also believe ESPN is jumping coverage so much from one channel to the next (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News) that its to the point where fans are becoming annoyed with the Company.

In conclusion, I myself believe the ESPN World Cup coverage has been just about right. I like the background stories about certain teams and players. The commentary has been okay, but like I said, I am not a big soccer fan and I do not know who most of the commentators are, so who am I to judge. Many fans see ESPN's coverage of the World Cup as too much or too little and many of those fans are going to Facebook, Twitter, blogs, websites, etc. to vent their thoughts and ideas of the coverage..........By the way, "GO USA!

Blog #2 - Website Evalutaion/ Calgary Hitmen

The website that I am reviewing is www.hitmenhockey.com. I am not a hockey fan but will occasionally watch a hockey game once and a while. Since the NHL Finals are on I might watch a little more than I normally would. I am actually happy that I was given this website because it allowed me to see and compare a hockey website to a MLB or NFL website. I also know barely anything about the minor league hockey system so this website was able to open my eyes to that league too.

From the second the site opens, you are made well aware who's site it is! There is a huge Calgary Hitmen logo along with their name in big bold letters near the top. Also on the front page is a rotating news clicker that fills up about half the screen. The images are very bright, clear, and each one has a summary sentence and also a bright red tab that says "read more."

The front page alone is much more interactive than many other sites I have seen. There are tabs for Facebook, and Twitter near the top of the page next to the other tabs. There is also a stay connected section on the right of the front page showing recent Facebook and Twitter comments and posts. There seems to be a lot going on with the front page of the website but with the background being darker and the tabs being white and large, it is very easy to see where tabs are and what they link to.

Each main tab has a drop down affect breaking that tab into additional tabs. The tabs are clearly marked allowing easy navigation and accessibility. The first tab is the "Newsroom" tab, and in its drop down tabs are Hitmen Facebook, Hitmen Twitter, Hitmen Instagram, and also Hitmen News. I think having these tabs first shows how important social media is to the website designers and to their fans. From fan zones and schedules, to what they stand for and their involvement in the community, the main tab board and front page to the website are very accessible, easy to navigate, and seems to be highly interactive, just like hockey!

To add to the interactive availability the website also has many videos which are of high quality. Right on the front page they have videos of this last years top ten hits, top ten goals, top ten everything. Also the website has a tab for its own Hitmen TV, more videos, and also live webcasts. The interactive element goes on and on especially in the fan zone tab.

Overall I think this website has done an amazing job of being colorful, bright, and busy while not having the ability to overwhelm someone. There is social and interactive media on every page and with a high quality effect. The pages, and pictures seem very clear and crisp, and the videos load quickly and are also clear. Even though I previously didn't know a lot about hockey, I was able to learn a lot about the Calgary Hitmen in an organized and fast manner by viewing the website www.hitmenhockey.com.

Technology Deprivation - Blog #1 - 5/29

I took an extra day before I started my technology deprivation to just prepare myself for the next morning. I told myself about ten times before I went to bed Thursday not to use my phone Friday, but when I woke up Friday morning I let my dogs outside and what did I do, I opened up Facebook. The second I saw that beautiful blue screen come on I was like oh no, stop and close it out! Even at 5 am I was already using some type of social media. That is what I have always done in the morning while my two dogs were out doing their thing.

The second time I had to stop myself was while I was getting ready not twenty minutes later. Every morning while I am getting ready and eating breakfast I will open up the ESPN app on my phone and see if I had missed anything from the previous evening. This time I caught myself and didn't even open the internet browser. Yes, it was starting to get a little easier.

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the summer I work at a golf course and mow fairways. Usually I am pretty good while I am on the mower because I really need to focus on what I am doing. I left my headphones at home so I wouldn't be tempted to use my Pandora app while at work. So far at work, so good. Then about noon, I happen to look at my phone to see if I had any missed calls and there it was, the missed text message prompt. It was all bright and red like a Christmas tree light wanting me to open it up. I was able to remember this time that I could not open it.

I got off of work at 2 pm. I got into my car, got my phone out and of course being a little tired opened up the text message, not on purpose of course, and found out one of my softball buddies had text me so I responded. The second I hit send I was like*&%$, you can't do that today! So when my buddy responded back I just called him.

The rest of the afternoon went great not using technology because I was busy helping decorate and setup for my cousins surprise 30th birthday party. I almost broke the deprivation promise again when someone in my family asked me to look up Hy-Vee's phone number on my phone to see when the food was going to be there. Instead I had someone else find the number for me and then I used my phone to call.

The rest of the night wasn't to hard to stay away from using technology. I spent a lot of time talking with friends and family which didn't allow me to be on my phone. What I did notice though were many of my family and friends on their phones while we ate and talked. There were times when I was like hey you should talk to me instead of being on your phone.

I think as the day went on it became easier to not use the technology that was in the palm of my hand or burning a hole in my pocket. I did seem to be more aware of what was going on around me and also seemed to be more active and interactive especially when it dealt with other people being near. I think that I could go longer if I needed too but not sure if I would want to. What I missed the most about being technology deprived was my inability to check scores and stories on ESPN or other sports media pages.

Wow this is new!

Hey everyone, well this is my first time ever blogging. So before I mess a bunch of things up and before I do my first KSS 782 blog I thought i would just ask. What if any is the etiquette for blogging? Should I label things, add locations, have a signature, or do I just let it flow and see where things go? I know that I can check the D2L website and it can offer me some guidelines but I thought I would actually ask classmates and people who actually deal with blogging every day.

Have an awesome day!