Man in the Hat media

I don't usually foray completely out of the sports world, but there are some occassions I cannot resist.  That catalyst usually occurs when film comes up. While I like sports, I love film. It was recently reported by National Public Radio , and other outlets, the streaming service of Home Box Office (HBO), known as HBO Max, announced it was pulling "Gone with the Wind" from its catalog, for the time being.  The decision comes after an upswing in support and protests for racial equality and police accountability across the country after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis law enforcement.  LINK: Clemson's Dabo Swinney's remarks on race fall short   HBO's reason is below: " Gone with the Wind  is a product of its time and depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been commonplace in American society." "These racist depictions were wrong then and are wrong today, and we felt that to keep this title...

Sports has alwasy been a distraction from upheavel occurring in the world, and at times unifier. Going back to Preston Eagleson breaking college football's color barrier at Indiana in 1890, or when Jackie Robinson was finally allowed to play in Major League Baseball back in April of 1947, sports has at times been the proving ground for social progress, especially in America. LINK: Profiles in courage from sports While the Coronavirus has put sports on hold, sports figures and leaders have been looked on to put the murder of George Floyd, and overall race relations in the country, and give a nuanced perspective.  National Basketball Association coaches Steve Kerr and Greg Popovich, of Golden State and San Antonio respectively, each praised the the 2016 kneeling protests of former NFL quarterback Colin Kapernich , when he attempted to bring attention to police accountability as it related to the African-American community.  The college ranks have also seen coaches come out in su...

The National Football League has seen a major free agent domino fall. Tom Brady, now formerly of the New England Patriots, has found his new team. A March 18 news confirmed the six-time Super Bowl champ will join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2020 season (assuming the Coronavirus allows for the season). This move adds to the excitment level growing in the Bay. A new, Hall of Fame level QB and new uniforms (that will look more like the Super Bowl winning team) all feels like a fresh start. CBS Sports writer John Breech penned a strong case of the positives of why Brady should go to Tampa, which you can read here. In short: lots of salary cap space, weapons at wide out and tight end, a coach looking to win now and a front office needing a face to put on the franchise that can sell merchandise without much effort. I'd add in Brady gives some stability to a position that has been mediocre at worst and inconsistent at best since, well, its inception in 1976. Yes, Vinn...

It is no secret America, the world really, is sports crazy. But that crazy has been outplayed by the hysteria that is the Corona virus, known as COVID-19. Originating in Wuhan, China, the virus has seemingly spread all over the world, and does not appear to be stopping soon. Click here for a full background on COVID Though it started in 2019, effects weren't really felt on a widespread level in the United States until March of this year. It began slowly, but on the week of March 9, things seemingly exploded with confirmed cases across the country. What has followed has been a mix of misinformation, hysteria and general confusion. Since this is a blog focusing on sports, I'm straying away from the political side of things, but just for clarity, this situation has been woefully mishandled. It is a tough scenario, without question, but leadership is lacking at multiple levels. I believe John Oliver said it best. "Don't be complacent, but don't be an idio...

It is nearly one of my favorite times of the year: Opening Day in college baseball. The day in my opinion can only be topped by Opening Day in Major League Baseball.  Why? For one, MLB starts in much warmer weather, and you try getting a flat beer and a lukewarm hot dog at a college ballpark for $15. This year team's will look to unseat Vanderbilt from atop the college baseball landscape.  All that hope, all that promise, all at its highest with that first pitch. One thing that makes baseball opening day interesting from a non-sport perspective is the walk up music. Sure, hip-hop and EDM have seen a rise, but not much can send shivers up a batter's spine than a reliever coming in while rock music blares over the speakers.  In truth, rock bands can teach us a little bit about baseball. No, not just the factor chemistry plays a big role, or finding people who have a common vision or sound of how things need to be. Also, the roles and importance of p...

Jordan Burch signed with South Carolina, after an extended hysteria caused by the media. Photo Courtesy Rivals.com National Signing Day has come and gone. One of the biggest media-made events saw the usual major prospect signings, prospects switching at the last minute and the usual "class rankings" to decide who won and lost signing day. I can't hold my nose too high to it. During my time as a high school beat reporter I covered a slew of signing events, where athletes signed to places such as Alabama, Clemson, South Carolina and Wake Forest to little known Divison II programs. It was and remains a huge coverage day on the local level. On the national level, it has helped fuel the creation of the recruiting industry, for better or worse. For South Carolina, the focus fell quickly to Jordan Burch, a national-level recruit out of Hammond, a private, independent school in Columbia who signed with the Gamecocks on February 6. But the story behind that signing too...

To quote the late great ESPN anchor and personality Stuart Scott, the Super Bowl is on...in two weeks. Soon, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will remind the country that yes, football is played on more than just the east coast. Can the Chiefs win the organizations first Super Bowl since 1969, or will the 49ers see a return to the time of Joe Montana/Steve Young and capture the organization's sixth overall Lombardi trophy? Who knows, and who cares, we have the April NFL draft to talk about, and those 30 other loser organizations not playing for the shiny silver ball. It was announced this week the 2020 draft will be held in Las Vegas, surely to help bring attention to the league's newest team market with the Raiders set to begin playing there next season. LINK: NFL to hold 2020 draft in Las Vegas LINK: Raiders new stadium could be done by June And let's just forget the fact the draft is nothing more than a way for the league to fill TV time for ...