Man in the Hat media

Over the past few months the sports world has again crossed paths with the political world, involving religion and race (and I say this begrudgingly because I hate it when sports and politics intermingle). First, religion. On April 10, the Freedom From Religion Foundation issued a complaint to the Clemson University football program, and its head coach Dabo Swinney, on the grounds that, "Christian worship seems interwoven into (it's) football program," said FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott. You can read the full press release from FFRF here . In a nutshell, they cite Clemson chaplain James Trapp as pushing a Christian ideology, say the team pushes Bible studies, has "Church Days," and holds baptisms through the team. Swinney then offered a response in a prepared statement 13 days later, which you can read here . There is no point in debating the merits of these charges, since in Swinney's response he essientially admits that his program and school...

The designated hitter. Has there ever been a spot in a batting lineup that has caused more controversy than that infamous DH Well, the controversy needs to end, and the only way I see it ending is this: Major League Baseball needs to make a decision, do we expand it to both leagues, or get rid of it entirely? In my opinion, get rid of it. Sure, the DH does make a lineup more potent, but baseball is a game of strategy, and the DH simply takes it all out. What do you do with your pitcher, usually, the teams worst hitter? How long do you leave him in in a crucial one-run game and he is coming up to bat? Who do you put in to relieve the pitcher? National League managers earn their money making that decision that can decide division and wild card races. But in the American League? Find your best nine hitters and kick back for the day and let the pitching coach make the decisions. To me, baseball is a game where you have to be proficient on offense AND defense. The DH has com...

I'll preface this review by saying there are spoilers in this review!!! I typically don't put spoilers in my reviews, but for this particular film, I al most have to to review it. For thos e that don't want anything spoiled, I'll go ahead and say this is a this is very much worth the price of admission. I went to see it in IMAX, and it was well w orth it. Now, to get into th e film. From this point on, there will be spoilers . You have been warned.   I like this movie, but I'm not in love with it. For thos e wondering, this is the sequ el to J.J. Abrams reboot of the famed sci-fi series. This film is essentially a retelling/prequel to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. For anyone who can't figure this out, John Morrison, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, is Khan .  That is key to k now points of the film I liked and disliked. What I liked about it was one, they made Khan just terrif ying, but you also sy mpathize with him to an extent. I als...

What does a studio do to follow a summer mega blockbuster such as "The Avengers Well, there isn't much. Marvel's super hero teamup movie, in my opinion, re-set the bar on summer popcorn blockbusters. So, they make Avengers 2...in 2015. Until then, the studio has to build up to it, with Phase 2, which is kickstarted with " Iron Man 3." So what is the story? Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has been sleepless and busy since the events of New York in the Avengers, and has shown signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.  While that is going on, a terrorist named "The Mandarin" has been busy blowing stuff up all over the world, and after a misfortunate event, puts the bearded terrorist, played by Sir Ben Kinglsey, square in Iron Man's sights. From there, Stark goes on the final arch of his characters development in this triology. Shane Black, writer of Lethal Weapon, takes over for Jon Favereau, and gives the film a more grounded persp...

News is leaking out that the ACC may be facing looming changes. You can't blame the front office to change after last weeks drubbing at the hands of rival conference, the Southeastern Conference. Last week, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest all were soundly beaten by South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Vanderbilt, respectively. But the rumors are unsettling for fans of the Tigers and Seminoles. With Maryland leaving for the Big 10, a new team had to be added. But now it is rumored (and likely) that Virginia may also leave for the Big 10. So, who is the league in talks with? Louisville, Connecticut and....Navy? Yes, the Midshipmen. No disrespect to the academy, but if the ACC goes after Navy, then the league needs to fold and quit. Navy is not an athletic first school. They are in the business of academics and preparing its students for the service. Athletics is not even secondary there. Now, I highly doubt Navy is invited, and to be honest, Lou...

Change is never easy. If it was everyone would embrace it and the world would be more chaotic than it already is. But change can be a good thing: it breeds new opportunities, new challenges and the chance to grow as a person. And after next week (Oct. 8-12) I will be leaving behind a sense of normalcy and facing a change head-on. For a little over the past year I've been working at The Journal in Seneca covering high school sports. And while this was just a part-time gig, it was time-consuming with nearly something to do every day and cultivating relationships with sources. But after this week I will no longer be an employee there. Instead, I'm trading in my box scores and polo shirts for budget reports and neckties, as I begin a new chapter of my life, being a news reporter for the Hartwell Sun in Hart County, Georgia. While nervous, I'm excited the challenges this new beat will bring. But I won't forget what I've learned the past 15 months working at ...

High school football is less than a week away from starting its official "Week 0" contest. And while the South Carolina High School League, with its sometimes baffling decision, hasn't yet released a playoff format for the newly aligned Class 3A division, they have made ruling on where 3A, along with both classes of division 4A, will have its state championship game. According to renowned reporter Jason Gilmer, the weekend of champions is relocating back to the Capital City. Here is his report . South Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium As he said, last year's state championships for 3A and 4A were held at Clemson University's Memorial Stadium on the border of Pickens and Oconee counties. The SCHSL has, for once, made a smart decision. This is not a slight against Clemson: There stadium is similar in size to South Carolina's Williams-Brice. The problem, as I touched on in a column when it was announced Clemson was hosting the games, is logi...