We Are The Fans: Best of the Blogs Book Proposal

Several years ago, back when sports blogging was "the thing to do", I had a grand idea. I wanted to collect the best in sports blog writing and publish it. I had a title ("We Are The Fans: The Best of Sports Blogs"), a 17-page proposal, and dozens of selected examples.

Unfortunately, not one literary agent or publisher was interested. Although everyone said it was a great idea, there was the dilemma of copyright and compensation. How would I pay each of these bloggers who originally published their work for free? What about bloggers who were more established than others? What about blogs on sites such as ESPN or Deadspin? What would be the qualifications for a blogger to be featured: published, never-been-published, laid-off but still writing?

(Speaking of Deadspin, if I had somehow gotten a deal, I really wanted former Deadspin editor Will Leitch to write the foreword. He would have been perfect as most sports blogs acknowledged him as sort of the "godfather" of sports blogs.)

Now, nearly six years later, sports blogging as a "thing" is pretty much dead. Most bloggers have let their websites die and moved their voices to twitter and other social media platforms. Or they have joined bigger platforms that allow anyone to post and pay a pittance. A small percentage of the bloggers I wanted to feature have actually turned their writing into a career.

Also dead is my hope for this project. Therefore, I've decided to post parts of the proposal here. I'll eventually post links to the stories that are still online, so you will have what I thought were the Best of the Blogs here, instead of in a nice hardcover book on you coffee table.

I guess you can print them out and staple them together, if printers and staplers are still a "thing".

We Are The Fans: The Best of Sports Blogs

Proposal by: Michael Lortz

10/14/2008

Overview

During the past five years, the sports media landscape has drastically changed. Fans who used to be at the mercy of the ESPN monopoly of national sports reporting now express themselves through sports blogs and other interactive media. These online venues have given average fans ways to broadcast their own opinions and engage in conversation with other fans with similar views.

The creative freedom of blogging has opened doors for fans to showcase their skills in a number of different ways. Some have used their blogs as daily diaries, writing about their favorite team and chronicling their views on each game, score, or transaction. Others have used their corner of the internet for general sports musings, usually providing commentary on news from throughout the sports world. Yet another group has used their forum to fill gaps in mainstream reporting, filling statistical niches and focusing on deeper analysis.  Lastly, a fourth group of fans have published insightful, well-written posts that could compare to any mainstream editorial or feature piece.

Unfortunately, due to the cacophony of the blogosphere, the best independent blogging voices are often only heard by a select few. Although members of the sports blogosphere generally promote each other and share admired work, the best blogged sports writing is barely read by a fraction of the audience held by the mainstream sports media outlets. To illustrate, the most read sports blog, Deadspin.com, receives an average of approximately 8 million readers per month. By comparison, ESPN.com receives a much greater average of 20 million readers per month.

By showcasing the best and most creative entries of the sports blogosphere, We Are The Fans introduces readers to a new group of voices. Voices that speak much like their own, think as they think, laugh as they laugh, and cheer (or boo) as they cheer. We Are The Fans is not only a collection of essays, musings, and commentary, it is the voice of real sports fans.

Chapter Outline

1. Nostalgic – Past Events: Among the freedoms of bloggers is the ability to chronicle those moments that meant so much to them. This chapter will highlight blog entries in which authors recall their special sports moments.


2. Satire: Quite a few sports bloggers use satire as a way to highlight and poke fun at hot sports topics. This chapter will be comprised of posts from those bloggers who skewer their intended targets with over-the-top hyperbole and often create humorous caricatures of athletes.


3. New Media versus Old Media: This chapter will highlight some of the best posts on the subject of the evolution of communication in sports writing and the effect the advent of sports blogging has had on sports media.


4. Race and Gender in Sports: Race and Gender are as much an issue in sports as in any other aspect of society. This chapter will highlight some of the best writing by bloggers of both sexes and various ethnicities on the subject of race, gender, and equality in sports.


5. Live Blog: One of the biggest advantages of the blogging medium is the ability to update work and react immediately to an event. This chapter will feature some of the best live blogs in the sports blogosphere during the biggest events.


6. Reflective – Current event: Similar to the chapter on past events, this chapter will sample the best blog writing on current events that affected the writer. Among the possible examples are a long-awaited championship, death of a favorite athlete, or anything thing else that moved the blogger to write.


7. Analytical/ Statistical: Bloggers often fill the gaps in mainstream reporting with extensive analytical research. Without the pressure of deadlines, bloggers are able to look deeper into the statistics of sports and shed light on the nuances of the games. This chapter will gather the best of these analyses.


8. International: Many sports bloggers come from different ethnicities and bring these international perspectives to their blogs. These fans look at sports from a non-American viewpoint. This chapter will highlight the best international sports perspectives.


9. Top 10 Lists: Many sports bloggers have taken their queue from late night talk show hosts and gotten laughs through top ten lists. This chapter will list the best of the sports blogosphere’s top 10 lists.


10. Pop culture comparisons: Proving that the analogy part of the SAT test never dies, many sports bloggers use the familiar if X is to Y, then A is to B formula to compare sports entities to popular culture figures. This chapter will feature the best of these posts.


11. Comedy/Humor: As fans, many bloggers are able to take an outside look at sports and approach their posts from a humorous, light-hearted perspective. This chapter will highlight the best and funniest of these posts.


12. Insightful: This chapter will feature those posts that discuss sports, athletes, or events in an insightful, non-conventional way. Many of these posts are longer, well-written pieces that give insight to a perspective that most fans might not think about.


13. Miscellaneous: The final chapter will collate all posts that do not fit in the above categories. This chapter may discuss elements such as sporting equipment, memorabilia, or sports businesses.

The problem with student loans and poor guidance

There were two very interesting, very different stories about college graduates written last week.

The first, written in the FSView & Florida Flambeau (which I used to write for), tells the story of recent FSU grad Giovanni Rocco. According to the FSView, Rocco is the poster child for the horrible plague of student loans and increasing college costs. The FSView writes that Rocco now owes $42,000 for a dual degree in Political Science and Communications.

The same day, NBCNews.com posted an article on Michael Vaudreuil, a 54-year old father of three who graduated after working as a janitor at Worchester Polytechnic University for eight years. According to NBCNews, Vaudreuil graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in mechanical engineering with a minor in psychology. He took advantage of the university's policy of free tuition for employees and completed one to two classes per semester.

In the big picture, this is what is wrong with our university systems. They push the idea that students have to complete undergrad programs in 4 to 5 years and that they have to do these programs immediately after high school.

College administrations need to do better.

Yes, college costs have risen. Yes, student loan rates have risen. But students make their schedule. Vaudreuil took an adult approach to his education. He saw his resources and applied them to his situation, figuring as long as he maintained the course, he would reach his goals.

I don't mean to pick on a younger Seminole, but Rocco did everything college students shouldn't do.

• He knew he didn't have the funds, but took loans anyway.


• He majored in a program that leads to low paying entry level jobs.


• He participated in student clubs instead of working.

“I decided that it was more important for me to get a quality education and not focus so much on how to pay for it,” Rocco says. “If you’re only thinking about how to pay for it and not what you’re going to get from it, that might cheat you out of a good opportunity.”

This is what college students need to be talked out of. Opportunities are great, but maturity means balancing opportunities with cost.  The typical student is already facing enough learning experiences in college. They are learning their capacities in social relationships, academics, group involvement, and time management. They should not be left to flounder in financial management.

By the simple fact they barely out of their teen years, most college students do not think about long-term risks. Most also don't think about long-term financials. They need to be given better information on how their debt will grow. They should also be given realistic plans that incorporate not only their academic needs, but also their financial budget. College student loan counselors need to work better with academic advisors in crafted plans for each individual student.

And if the case calls, counselors need to tell kids to stop taking on debt. Even if that means delaying their education.

Of course, Vaudreuil faces his own challenges now. According to US News, people over 50 face increase challenges finding new employment. The workforce is getting younger, faster, and more fluid and Vaudreuil needs to compete with his new skills against many young workers half his age. As a mechanical engineer, he might never make senior management. Time might have passed him by for a lengthy career in the field.

But he is still debt free. And in the big picture of taking care of his family, an entry level job in mechanical engineering should pay more than his current job as a janitor. In the long run, he and his family can look forward to improving their status in life.

Meanwhile, Rocco will be saddled with debt for most of his working life. He will struggle to pay off the balance as the interest on his loans begins to accumulate. When he buys a house or a new car, his personal debt will continue to grow.

From an employers' perspective, the fact that these two stories are public, we can make some judgement on the personal traits of each. Hiring managers will look up Rocco's name and read about a student that while intelligent, made poor financial decisions and didn't think long-term. He might also be more likely to jump to higher paying opportunities sooner, turning off hiring managers at organizations that might not pay as much.

For Vaudreuil, hiring managers will see someone with determination. The right company will see someone they can plug right into their corporation and get maturity and someone who plots a goal, understands the risks, and is dedicated.

As someone who enlisted in the military so I could get the GI Bill to pay for college, re-enlisted in the National Guard to pay for my first graduate degree, then put aside money made in Afghanistan to pay for my second master's degree, trust me, there is nothing wrong with taking your time to get through college.

If college takes 10 years to graduate, then it takes 10 years. A career path is not a race.

Review of Hip-Hop & Philosophy: Rhyme 2 Reason

A few months ago, I picked up the book "Hip-Hop & Philosophy: Rhyme 2 Reason". Published in 2005, the book explores the ideas in hip-hop culture and music and compares them to ideas and concepts in classical and modern philosophy. It attempts to bring academia to pop culture as it discusses the social and impact and messages in hip-hop culture and music.

Overall, I thought the book was pretty good. Especially when it covered what is now "conscious hip-hop" - songs with social lyrics. Also interesting were chapters on the use of the words "nigga" and "bitch" and their impact on listeners. Also covered is an exploration in the messages of inner city struggle and how hip-hop is a vessel for communication, a motivating message, and vent for frustration.

Hip-hop has always been a culture with two sides: a playful, party minded side, where MC and DJ entertain and try to captivate the crowd with wicked wordplay and a blend of beats that keeps folks dancing, and a serious side, where urban story tellers broadcast stories of the streets. What these two sides celebrate or denounce is widely covered in Hip-Hop & Philosophy. For example, the book attempts to answer why lawlessness is often celebrated in hip-hop crime songs. Are these stories fantasy or a reflection of a broken social contract between the artist's environment and his/her society?

The cited works in Hip-Hop & Philosophy is a who's who of lyrical talents. The works of Public Enemy, Nas, Common, Ice Cube, and Dead Prez are often quoted as examples of hip-hop taking a social stand. Meanwhile, quotes by 50 Cent, Nelly, and several others show hip-hop's non-socially conscious and often not socially acceptable side.

My biggest critique with Hip-Hop & Philosophy is in the opening essays. Too often the authors in the beginning of the book try to hard to inject hip-hop slang into the text. For example, Derrick Darby in an attempt to question the power of God, writes how God would be challenged to roll a blunt too big for Him to smoke or how God couldn't create a glock too big for Him to wield. Surely, Darby could have found better examples. Darby also injects far too much slang in his essay, making it almost unreadable.

Co-editor Tommie Shelbie is almost as bad as Darby in his essay on love. With quotes such as "Socrates rocks the mic with heavy doses of logic, irony, and aggression", Shelbie also panders to hip-hop ignorance. Older readers know Socrates never rocked a mic in Ancient Greece and younger readers should be taught honestly Socrates method of communication. It is perfectly acceptable to say he preached or spoke his word to the masses in the manner he did. The point is to make the comparison between modern hip-hop and the ancient philosophers, not to lose readers by making Socrates "hip".

Ten years after its publication, the messages discussed in Hip-Hop & Philosophy are still relevant, perhaps even moreso. There is no doubt this book can help those who don't understand the Black Lives Matter movement. Many of the messages of the movement are spoken in hip-hop and discussed in the book. Of course, also still relevant are the negative elements in hip-hop - the idea that women are "bitches and hoes" and the goal is to make money or acquire power by any means necessary. I wonder what Hip-Hop & Philosophy would say about "trap rap", southern rap, and other sub-genres that have created several culture clashes within hip-hop.

Overall, Hip-Hop & Philosophy wasn't a bad read. It is not a bad book to keep between my philosophy classics and books on African-American culture such as Soul on Ice, Soledad Brother, and the Autobiography of Malcolm X.

Would I read it again? Maybe not cover to cover, but I might reference it at some point when writing about modern social movements.

Overall Grade: B

College Humor's Amazing Rocky 4 video

Back in November, College Humor created an awesome mockumentary about the fight that wasn't: Rocky Balboa vs Ivan Drago. They imagined if it did in fact happen.

Once again, I was on the right path, but slightly off. About a dozen years earlier in grad school, I postulated that Soviet failures in non-economic areas were in a small way responsible for the collapse of the Soviet Union. I cited the 1980 Olympic hockey loss as a key moment when the Soviet Union began to be looked as losers and the US as winners.

"Further destroying the confidence of the Soviet people was the continued successes of the West (i.e. the U.S.) and an increasing number of Soviet failures in non-economic areas. Even before glasnost, the Soviet people saw an increasingly confident U.S., possibly led by their 1980 Olympic hockey victory, elect Ronald Reagan, a “preeminent anti-communist” not afraid to take on the “Evil Empire” (7, 2). Meanwhile, the Soviet military’s continued failure in Afghanistan began to chip away at the infallibility of the Red Army. The Soviet ideal was collapsing and needed to be changed."

Just another example why national momentum is important. Countries that lose momentum usually struggle to gain it back. This goes for most political movements, ideas, and even sports teams. People like a winner.

And another example when I wonder what path I should take in life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyWx1CkMTtI

Florida State's epic April Fool's joke

On April 1st, Florida State University and the University of Florida played an epic April Fool's joke. With the coordination of both university presidents, the schools announced the creation of a merged "super university".

The FSView (who I wrote for years ago) had a great article about the fake merger. According to the FSView:

The exact date for the merger and the relocation are still unknown, but a source close to the situation tells the FSView “it should be take about 27 weeks and two days, but no longer than 4-8 months.”

My reaction when I heard the news that I would be an alumnus of the same school as Tim Tebow:



Not to put a damper on the great joke, but the proposed location of the FSUUF super university was listed as Perry, FL, a quaint little town between the two current universities.

When I think of Perry, I don't think of sleepy Florida town along Highway 19. I remember a place where Al Sharpton and other leaders of the African-American community converged to protest a local bar that discriminated against an African-American state politician from Maryland.

According to a 2001 Orlando Sentinel article,

Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth leveled charges of racism this week against a bar owner who was accused of forcing a black patron through a back door and into a back room before serving him.

I remember this being a medium-sized deal in North Florida while I was at Florida State. It made the news for a few weeks. Especially because Al Sharpton got involved.

I used to drive through Perry on Highway 19/98 on my trips to see family.  After the incident, I made it a point not to stop in town for gas or food. Sometimes I would blast Rage Against the Machine songs at top volume. That was my contribution to fighting racism in Perry.

Being how hyper-aware college students are of social issues, I can imagine this incident being dug up and amplified if the two colleges were really to merge. Thank goodness that is not the case.

On Rejection

Last year, during my incredibly arduous job hunt, I applied to over 150 jobs. Some I felt I was extremely qualified for. Some I felt I was moderately qualified for. Some I took a chance. Out of those 150, I had a few interviews and few call-backs. But not one offered me a full-time job.

When it was all said and done, my 15 years of work experience and 1.5 master's degrees had to settle for a $15/hr internship. Great opportunity and great people, but I was a bit bitter at being only recognized as an intern.

One year prior to my job hunt, I shopped around the novel I wrote while I was in Afghanistan. I pitched the book to agents and publishers. I looked up their profiles, wrote personalized pitch letters, and waited for months. Of the 40 or so agents and publishers I emailed letters to, I received four rejection letters. I got nothing from the other 36.

I knew publishing was going to be tough, but to not receive any interest out of 40 letters was discouraging. I thought at least one person would want to read the first few chapters. I was proud of my work and still want to get it published. After I finish my MBA I intend on re-engaging the novel and write creatively again.

Since my first crush in 8th grade, I've had my failures with the opposite sex. I once read that guys should think about lions in regards to talking to women. According to biology, lions only catch 1 of 20 gazelles they chase. They don't catch every gazelle. Likewise, every guy has his failures. But I was the guy who wrote an editorial in his college newspaper about carrying an unused condom in his wallet for four years. (Not going to mention how true that editorial was.)

(Come to think about it, I am glad it was unused. Because carrying a used condom in my wallet would have been absolutely disgusting. But I digress.)

The bottom lines is, like most guys, I've had my share of rejection with women. Women I liked who were not interested in me, women who were interested but not in a dating way, and women who were interested in me and I was interested in them, but the timing wasn't right. I'd suspect I'm not too out of the norm.

Interesting aside: while I was job hunting over the last few years, I've kept dating to a minimum. The emotional toll of the job hunt was too much. I didn't think adding any social rejection on top of professional rejection was a good idea.

But when you tally all these rejections up, especially over the last few years, there is a lot of failure. I've been reading a lot about creativity recently. Most "experts" say you have to know how to fail. Failure is part of the effort. Inventors, artists, and writers always learn from their failures. They learn what to do, hone their craft, and attempt again, smarter and more dedicated.

After several hundred rejections, I've become almost immune to it. The best part about having a heaping hoard of rejections in the past is when people try to coddle me through a rejection or assume I am upset about a situation. During those times, I just shrug. I'm more focused on finding what will work and learning from my effort instead of dwelling on what went wrong.

Rejection is a diminishing bump in the road. A crawling baby struggles with a bump in the road because it is not coordinated enough to navigate the landscape. To a baby, the bump seems huge. An adult runner leaps over the bump in the road without losing their stride. Even if the bump makes them lose stride momentarily, in two or three steps they are running at full speed again.

A conversation with Mabili about Kenny K

As part of my on-going project to chronicle the life of Tampa’s first hip-hop DJ, I’ve been interviewing many people in the Tampa Bay area. Although at first, I was interviewing people via audio recording, I figured video might be a better medium to share.

This my second video conversation on the subject of Kenny K. I had the opportunity to chat with long-time radio personality Mabili of WMNF 88.5FM. Mabili has been a good friend for a while and has been key in helping me align other interviews.

Explaining Leia's hug of Rey through PTSD and General George Patton

The first time I saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens I walked out of the theater excited, happy, but also confused. The whole movie was great, I thought, except for one scene. One scene didn't fit.

"The hug"


After Chewbacca, Rey, and Finn returned from Starkiller Base (sans Han Solo), Chewbacca helped with Finn, but Rey stood beside the Millenium Falcon. From the bystanders awaiting the ship's return emerged General Leia Organa. Leia walked past Chewbacca and embraced Rey.

At first this didn't make sense. Chewbacca and Han Solo had been friends for over 40 years, Leia was Han's former lover, Chewie and Leia have a history as friends, Leia knew Han was killed, so why did they not mourn together immediately?

The scene bothered me until the second time I saw The Force Awakens. Then I looked at the scene from a totally different angle.

On two separate dates in August 1943, General George S. Patton, one of the most decorated and esteemed generals in American history encountered two US military members facing "shell-shock", or as we call it today "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder". These two young soldiers were in medical treatment centers despite not having any physical injuries. When General Patton asked them what was wrong, both answered that they couldn't fight any more. As a battle hardened officer commanding troops during a World War, Patton refused to accept that answer. In both incidences, Patton slapped the soldier, yelled at him, and in the second incident, threatened to shoot him if he didn't rejoin his unit. From the History Channel:



From what we know about Rey, before joining Finn and BB-8, she hadn't been off Jakku since arriving as a child. She hadn't been shot at, hadn't had to fight a Sith knight, never handled a lightsaber, and never been involved in the detonation of a planet. And it is very possible she had never seen anyone close to her killed and had another friend near death.

For Chewbaccca, the only thing new was the death of Han. He was an old hand at battle, having experienced war and its tragedies since the days of the Clone Wars.

After they landed on D'Qar, emotion probably hit Rey like a brick wall. Gone was the adrenaline of combat. Like the soldiers under Patton, Rey was tired, hurt, and confused.

Like a great military officer should, General Organa saw past her friends and saw someone standing by herself, someone she did not recognize (although there may be some inferred Force bonding). Most importantly, General Organa saw someone who might be suffering from the first symptoms of PTSD.

And the general hugged the young soldier.

Of course there was time for Leia and Chewbacca to mourn, and I'm sure they did. I'm also sure Luke felt Han's death from where he was. And I'm sure Leia and Luke will have a moment to mourn, whether on screen or in a backstory.

But at that immediate moment, it was Rey who needed support more than anyone else.

JJ Abrams shouldn't apologize for that scene. It wasn't "a mistake". From a military perspective, it was exactly what should have happened.

A Conversation with Paradox about Kenny K

As part of my on-going project to chronicle the life of Tampa's first hip-hop DJ, I've been interviewing many of the veteran performers in the Tampa Bay area. Although at first, I was interviewing people via audio recording, I figured video might be a better medium to share.

This my first video conversation on the subject of Kenny K. I had the opportunity to chat with long-time hip-hop performer Paradox aka Spike La Rock. Spike has been a good friend for a while and has been key in helping me align other interviews.

Chris Rock's hidden Oscar tribute to Eddie Murphy

Chris Rock killed the Oscars. Amidst his skewering of "White Hollywood" (btw, "sorority racist" = classic), Rock dropped a very subtle tribute to his mentor Eddie Murphy.

Check out Chris Rock discuss the new Rocky movie at the 7:08 mark:



"Rocky takes place in a world where white athletes are as good as black athletes. Rocky is a science fiction movie. There are things that happen in Star Wars that are more believable than things that happen in Rocky."

Compare that to Eddie Murphy's take on the Rocky movies in his classic stand-up special "Raw":



"Italians ... white people, period, ya'll go crazy after you see a Rocky movie because y'all believe that shit."

Then Murphy describes a scenario of a little white man attempting to fight a black man after seeing Rocky.

This isn't the same joke, but it is the same premise: that Rocky is a white person fantasy. Chris Rock didn't have to put that 30 second bit in his routine, but he did because it went with his overarching theme of race in Hollywood. But I bet even though he didn't acknowledge it, Rock knew he was updating Murphy's classic premise.

Of course, Rock's entire monologue was an extended update to Murphy's brief discussion of race at the Oscars, way back in 1988:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNAePAAYPrc