Media Day 2012

Today was Media Day, in case you missed it.

With the Super Bowl less than a week away the hype is building quickly. Media Day is a chance to round all the players up before the big game, throw them each at their own table, and have them bombarded with questions from reporters of all kinds.

But how can you stand out as a reporter on such a hectic day? Why ask the questions you know every other reporter and their mother is going to be asking when you can just go home and Google most of the information anyway? An article here, on the Boston Globe’s website mentions some of the stranger questions asked that were asked today.

Such as trying to get Wes Welker to spell Bill Belichick or asking Umenyiora if he knows of any Eli’s other than Manning. Rob Gronkowski was asked what his favorite Madonna song is.

I think that’s great. Why not have some fun with the opportunity to talk players and coaches and try and put some of the players on the spot with out of the norm questions. I bet Eli was asked about his brother Peyton by at least 50 different reporters. Where’s the fun in that?

I’m not sure what I would’ve asked him myself to be honest. But I can guarantee if I was wandering around Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Eli would have remembered reporter Nick Hodgins.

Go Giants!

The Super Bowl Party

“What are you doing for the Super Bowl?”

If you haven’t been asked this question at least once in the past week or so you either live under or a rock or need to make some friends. The Super Bowl is obviously a huge deal, whether you are sports fan or not. The commercials alone are worth setting aside a few hours to watch the game and get together with your friends and throw a party.

This leads to the question, is Super Bowl Sunday about watching the game or about partying?

I noticed an article on Yahoo’s home page the other day about great super bowl party games and I thought to myself, this is the last thing I would want to be doing during the game. I don’t want to be distracted at all. I’m not debating the idea of getting together with friends, but I want to WATCH the game. I want to pay attention to every single moment of the game, I don’t want to be distracted by anything.

Maybe I’m biased because my team is in the game this year. Last year, while caring about the game, I probably was more concerned with what level hotness of wings we were getting rather than the actual game itself. This year, I just want to make sure I have a good television with a crisp picture to watch the Giants beat the crap out of the Patriots.

Granted, games are more fun to watch with friends, but I don’t want a party going on in the background while I watch the game. The point of Super Bowl Sunday is the game, and nothing is going to distract me from that.

The Goat

Anyone who has ever played sports has been there at one point in their life. That moment where you know you messed up and worst of all let your teammates down.

I was reading an article during the week on Kyle Williams the kick returner for the 49’ers in response to the ten points, and arguably the win as well, he cost his team. Granted I am a huge Giants fan and I couldn’t have been happier. But from an athlete stand point I couldn’t help but feel bad for Kyle Williams, he obviously didn’t intend to screw up that bad.

The article, posted here on ESPN, was explaining how he has been receiving threats via Twitter/Facebook from 49’ers fans. It may not seem like a huge deal because it’s over the internet, but that’s exactly the problem. People think just because they are hidden behind a computer screen it gives them the right to say whatever they want. It doesn’t.

"Some people cross that line and don't think twice about it ... don't think that there's somebody on the other side of that line that may feel that or that may have to respond to that or may have to deal with that," Williams said in the article.

Williams then goes on to explain how the true fans have come to his support and his teammates have been nothing but good to him since the game. Maybe there is some hope for humanity after all.

I mean, he did screw up really badly. But threatening someone you don’t even personally know? That’s a little much.  Facebook, Twitter and social media in general are certainly changing the way sports and pretty much everything in general works. Does that make it okay to abuse our first amendment while hiding behind a monitor?

The First Blog

I’ve always heard about blogging, read blogs, and had countless journalism professors ask, “Do you blog?” Well, I’ve decided to change my answer to that question and get started with the Blogs, blogs, do I capitalize blog? 

Whatever.

Granted I am starting this because a prof told me to. But so what, I was going to eventually make one anyway, really… I was. To be honest I’m not even sure where to go with this. I guess it’s my Blog, blog, I’m not going to capitalize it, I can write about whatever I want.

For the first post I figure it would make sense to introduce myself. If you care enough to come here and read what I have to say then I at least owe it to my readers to introduce myself.

I go to school at Monmouth University in West Long Branch NJ. I have a major in Communication with a focus on Journalism. I am en editor at my college’s newspaper The Outlook for the Club and Greek section. I get to cover a lot of events on campus which is pretty cool, next semester I may switch to entertainment. Ultimately I’d like to write about sports and music, which I figure I can start here on this blog.

What better place to learn from mistakes?

This blog won’t be graded and I don’t have to stress over every word I type. I can actually write for myself with no reason behind it other than wanting to share my thoughts with whoever is willing to read them. I don’t have to worry about word count or deadlines, I can write what I want and when I feel like it.

Thanks for reading.