Jake Fischer

Spose Q&A: Rhymes, Respect and Peter Sparker

2013-06-11T12:53:08-04:00

Ryan Peters grew up in Wells, Maine loving the Boston Celtics and bumping to Alternative Rock and Rap. Little did Peters know, when his band kicked him out during the freshman year of high school, it would be the beginning of a phenomena and spark a passion that would take him to the golden heavens of radio.

Known today by his 10,000-plus followers on Twitter as Spose, Peters has seen nearly every aspect of the music industry. Spose began rapping as an extracurricular activity in high school and then blossomed into a musician worthy of a record deal. He's been on the top of the world with a record deal and also had to put out an album under a façade of a label. But he does it for the love of rhymes and the love of music.

Spose first hit the radio waves when his song "I'm Awesome" received airplay on Maine radio stations in January 2010 and ultimately permeated throughout the nation. Today, he's ready for the next step in his career, living life with his independent label, Preposterously Dank, LCC and his new album, Peter Sparker, which drops today, June 10 as a free download.

The album is the product of funds Spose raised from a mixtape he sold on Kickstarter. "I called it the Yard Sale," Spose said. "It was a 20-song CD of all the shit I had never released that I had in the attic, you know?"

I recently caught up with the New England product to talk everything from free styling, his confusing record deal fail and his newest album.

What originally interested you into rapping?

I was in this alternative rock band in junior high and the beginning of high school and I got kicked out of the band. So, I started like a side project called the Frothy Four, which was a rap group with a few seniors in high school. I was making them artwork and they were making me beats and I was making them beats. I felt pretty cool because I was a freshman hanging out with the seniors. At that point I was just rhyming and by the time I was a senior, I took rapping pretty seriously.

What do you think made you good at rapping and free styling?

I feel like 90 percent of free styling is just confidence, like blind arrogant confidence. And I was a pretty arrogant little punk [laughs], so I was pretty good. But, I was also writing a lot. We made three albums worth of material in high school. I had made 60 tracks, so I definitely worked at it and was always trying to make everyone practice and spend any money I had on studio time.

What was your best rapping moment or memory in high school?

I was on the soccer team, but I wasn't good. I was just the rapper kid on the team, you know [laughs]? So the whole team would go into the woods before a game and kick a beat. I 'd spit the rhymes to get everybody hype before we'd run out. Then I'd be rhyming on the warm up track, it was tight. On the bus one time, after we won a playoff game -- and this was probably the biggest moment in the history of Spose to everyone on that bus -- some kids were like, 'try to rhyme everybody's name on the bus.' So I did. I rhymed everybody's names, the players, the coaches and even the bus driver [laughs]. That was before smart phones though. If we had smartphones then, that would have been my billion-view video on YouTube [laughs].

When did you become Spose instead of just Ryan Peters, the normal high school kid?

I was pretty much Spose at that point, I think that started during my freshman year of high school. To some chicks I was my normal name, but to most dudes I was known as Spose. When I started rapping with those seniors, my friend Matt decided he was Sticky 1 and I was Spose and that was it [laughs]. But it wasn't until my senior year of high school/freshman year of college where I started to work on my first actual album, Preposterously Dank, as Spose in 2007.

Going into college, did you expect to be a rapper?

Going into college, I was already a rapper in my mind [laughs]. At that point, I don't think there's anyone more blindly confident than an 18-year-old-male in America [laughs]. I was so self-assured at that point, and maybe even a better rapper at that point because it was all I did. And now that it's a business, I spend more time doing the business shit than anything else. I went to college because I thought being a rapper was unrealistic. And, if it was going to happen, it was going to happen anyways. I had already been rapping for years at that point, and I think I was pretty good at that point. I went to University of New Hampshire as an English major because I wanted to get into journalism and then I transferred to Suffolk University in Boston. I never got my degree because two classes left to go, I got a record deal and I withdrew.

Is there any chance you're going to finish up your degree?

Oh, I would say there's a 99 percent chance, for sure. I definitely want to. The only thing stopping me would be death or a plague.

When you got offered a record deal, what was the first thing that went through your mind?

When they first called me, I thought it was fake. I thought it was a bill collector calling or something. I had skipped out on paying rent. And I thought they were trying to catch me [laughs]. At that point, I got the record deal with Universal and they were offering me a shitload of money, they just wanted this song and they wanted to fly me out to New York City and I got a lawyer. It happened really fast. Universal was pushing really hard to get this deal done, like they called me up on a Thursday and they wanted it done by like, Monday. I had made three albums in high school with my joke rap group, but this was realistically only my twelfth song. So, It was very early in my career that it happened. I was unprepared, you know? So, I jumped in the water, but I have some shark scars to prove it.

So, you originally signed a record deal with Universal, what label is Frothy Four Records?

Frothy Four Records was when you, like, fake put a record label on your first album. So, I independently put out my first album under Frothy Four Records. It wasn't until after I signed a deal with Universal that I created my label, Preposterously Dank, LCC like my first album, or P. Dank.

What album or song do you credit for the takeoff for your career?

In 2009, I put out a mixtape called "We Smoked it All" with my friend Cam from high school. One of the songs on We Smoked It All was called "I'm Awesome" and then that shit just skyrocketed. It had a mind of its own, man. What's crazy is that thing -- that thing that made me all that money and let me perform all over the country -- that shit just came out of my brain. It's crazy that you can create something like that straight from your brain. It's cool that there's that option in life.

Q: What are some of the favorite places your career has taken you?

Spose: It's really cool that music allowed me to visit all these cities in America and Canada that I had always wanted to visit. I mean, obviously it took me to L.A. and New York, but once you go to those cities and you're somewhat important, those places kind of unlock for you, it's incredible. All of sudden a you're not looking up at the buildings in New York City and wondering what's going on the top floor of that building... you're there. But, the one place that really stands out to me is Ann Arbor, Michigan and I don't really know why. I just kind of found my moment of serenity there on tour. We had just found out that our album had gone gold and the Celtics were in the Finals and it was Game 7 against the Lakers. I just love America man, the geography of it, the culture, the people. It's amazing.

Q: Today, why aren't you still with Universal?

Spose: Well, I got dropped from Universal after I made an entire album for them. I would have loved to have stayed with them because that album was the shit. Frankly, I think I would have been set for life with that. People say they've never seen a label spend all the money and the time and the resources to make an album and then never release it, even just online at no cost and make money off of it. It pisses me off. To be honest, a lot of those tracks are on the Yard Sale [laughs]. Fortunately, a lot of those tracks I was able to leak out and essentially never get caught [laughs]. I made those songs for them and I put out the ones that I wrote 100 percent myself. When you're on a major label, the gun's to your head. You need to perform. This is why they brought you in, the spotlight is on. I really thought that I brought my A-game.

Q: Now you have an album that drops on June 10, how long has it been in the works?

Spose: I started working on this album when I was working on my last album, The Audacity, last year. While I was working on that, I started this one almost as a release or a vacation from The Audacity because it was a lot of work. I wrote the music, I played a lot of the instruments and sometimes I'd just want to rap and write some rhymes for old times sake. So, I knew after The Audacity I wanted my next move to be a straight-up rap album.

Q: The album is called the Peter Sparker Mixtape. Who exactly is Peter Sparker?

Spose: If had to put it in a sentence? Peter Sparker is the rhyme-slinging defender of the middle class and doesn't care about making radio songs. He's a lot of rapping. Most of the album is just straight Hip-Hop. That's kind of why it's called the Peter Sparker Mixtape, which is just me rapping as an alias. There's some forward thinking music and I definitely step towards a lot the trends and flows that people do now without compromising what I've always done.

Q: Why is this album special?

Spose: This album is almost like a reaction to The Audacity. It was sort of deep and dark album. I had lost a record deal, I got into some personal troubles and I got into financial troubles. So that album came from a dark place I was in. So, I decided that I really needed to make a fun album, or a party album. So, I really set out to make a party album to celebrate working class people. When young 19-year-olds or in people in there 20's get out of work and go to a party, what are they bumping too? It's all about awesome cars and shit that they'll never possess. So, I wanted to make music that people can vibe out to, but it's about your life and not the unattainable things that Rick Ross has.

Q: Is there a track on the album that is your favorite?

Spose: Yea, It's called 03 Altima, it's my jam. It's about my first car, that I still have to this day, a 2003 Nissan Altima. It's a shitty car at this point -- it's got almost 200,000 miles on it -- but when you just got paid and you're done work for the week, you feel like you're the fucking man in that car! That's the kind of anthem I wanted to portray in that song and the album in general. You can celebrate even if you're not affluent and living lives that only come true in your wildest dreams.

Q: Peter Sparker is free to download for all your fans. The press release says it's a gift to your fans. Why is that?

Spose: I don't have the most fans, but the fans I have are hardcore. If you do the math on that Kickstarter thing that raised, like, 28,000 dollars, the average pledge was almost 40 dollars per person. So it's not like they threw me a dollar. People actually really cared and really supported me. So, the album is a thank you to those fans for sticking with me. But, the other thing though is that I don't want 10 dollars to separate me from a potential fan. If somebody doesn't know me or they listened once and decided they don't like me, I want them to have free opportunity to hear me or to reassess me. I make most of my money off of iTunes, so for me to give something away for free is a big risk to my finances, but they all deserve it. It was dope that my fans did that.

Q: What's next for Spose?

Spose: Until August I'm pretty much just chilling in New England. But I'll be performing at a couple of hippie festivals this summer. So, wherever all the hairy armpits are, I'll be playing at those [laughs]. I'm playing actually a pretty huge show in my home state at this venue the State Theatre that I grew up going to, so that'll be big for me as the first time I've ever played there. Then, in August, we're heading out to the Midwest and playing to stuff from the Yard Sale. It's gonna be pretty dope.

The Benefits of Personal Training

2013-06-03T08:26:06-04:00

With June now upon us, the NBA Draft is suddenly just weeks away. That realization only means one thing for the hundred-some prospects currently vying to be selected by an NBA franchise on June 27: workouts, workouts and more workouts.

Commonly, these prospects sweat with a group of guys that their agents all represent and put on showcases in big cities like Las Vegas and Minnesota. But, there are a select few who forgo the hype of group training and prefer to work privately with an individual coach.

This summer, Michigan sophomore guard Trey Burke, and unanimous National Player of the Year, has decided to choose the latter route and has been prepping for his dream come true with his longtime personal coach/trainer, Anthony Rhodman. Burke has been benefitting from his individual workouts with Rhodman ever since he was a freshman in high school.

Before school, Burke would awake at 4:30 a.m. every morning to meet with Rhodman and would be already working out by 5 a.m. Three hours later, Burke would finish up his daily routine of basketball and strength and conditioning drills with Rhodman as his classmates arrived at school. Clearly, the former Wolverine has the hardware to prove how well his determined and unrelenting work paid off for his basketball career. He's now projected to be a top 10 pick in the NBA Draft.

Dirk Nowitzki has also benefitted from his extensive work with his own personal trainer -- a shooting coach, Holger Geschwindner, from the Dallas Maverick's native country, Germany. Stories and rumors flooded the surface of American media outlets during the Mavericks' 2011 championship run of how the 11-time All-Star worked with Geschwindner daily, putting up hundreds of shots in the waning hours of the night... during the playoffs. Nowitzki won the 2011 NBA Finals MVP and cemented his legacy as one of the top power forwards of all time.

Today, any young athlete can be paired up with his or her own personal trainer in any sport and reap the benefits. One of the most efficient ways of doing so is the up-and-coming website, CoachUp.com. Founded by former pro-basketball player, Jordan Fliegel, the company provides an online service that puts private coaches in touch with aspiring athletes based on their location.

"Forgive me if I get too emotional here, but CoachUp really is the embodiment of the American Dream." Fliegel said. "Its the idea that anyone can improve with the right guidance and support. Its the idea that dreams matter, and that people should be encouraged to do what they love -- whether that means striving for excellence in a sport, or paying forward one's knowledge to the next generation as a coach. We are breaking down the barriers (price, distance, access, etc.) to connecting athletes with the coaches who can help them get better at doing what they love to do. It's a beautiful thing."

If young athletes today can capitalize on their opportunity to work closely with personal trainers, maybe one day their dreams can come true. Perhaps a few days down the road, they will be waiting to hear their name called out on draft night, just like Trey Burke and Dirk Nowitzki before them.

NBA Officiating Has Gone Kindergarten

2013-05-02T09:04:15-04:00

While the 2013 NBA Playoffs have certainly been entertaining for the thousands of basketball fans across the world, I have found myself constantly turning away from the television during many a game.

Don't get me wrong; I have loved watching the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets race up and down the court and share the ball. I love how evenly matched and physical the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies are. And, I truly enjoyed watching the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs dismantle the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively.

But, every double foul, ridiculous flagrant and soft technical that these officials call makes me sick to my stomach. This isn't playoff basketball, it's kindergarten basketball.

The National Basketball Association is not a league where everyone deserves equal opportunity and fairness. One guy in a team's locker room can make $16 million and have a locker next to a guy who makes $85,000. But, the new NBA officiating rules have been created in order to forge a game where everyone can be safe, where a 6-3 shooter can fearlessly drive at a 7-1 behemoth because he knows he'll be protected by the refs.

It's bogus.

Back in the day, that 7-1 gargantuan would put the scrawny guard on his butt for challenging him in his domain: the paint.

When you look at documentaries that show basketball from the '70s, '80s and '90s, the game has completely changed. The playoff series between the Knicks and Reggie Miller's Pacers could never happen in today's league. Larry Bird and Dr. J could never have gotten into fights in today's league. Guys like the bad boy Pistons, Bill Laimbeer, Kurt Rambis and Kevin McHale could never exist in today's league. And, it's a shame.

On top of all that, players and coaches get fined enormous sums when they justly criticize officials. Crunchology's in depth data visualizations on NBA fines show how much of an impact zebras have on the entire NBA -- not just the game, but players wallets, too. Usually people argue that referees don't control the outcome of basketball games and that players and coaches should stop complaining. However, when refs award teams two free throws for a flagrant foul and one free throw for a technical, they actually can have a legitimate impact on a game.

I will continue to watch the NBA playoffs and be invested in who is crowned the next world champion, but I will also continue to be peeved at this fake brand of officiating.

Lil B Q+A: Music, Based God and Ball

2013-04-29T13:31:24-04:00

Recently, Jay Z has made headlines by entering the realm of sports management. But, the connections between the world of rap and basketball go much deeper. You can find millionaire rappers sitting courtside in almost any big market NBA arena. Multiple players have made appearances in music with their own rap albums and collaborating with musicians.

Brandon McCartney, AKA Lil B, knows more than well just how connected the world of rap and hip-hop is with the game of basketball. Growing up in the Bay Area, his life and his music have been heavily influenced by the many basketball players who have come from his neck of the woods. And, he's used the success of many basketball players as motivation and examples of how to move up the ranks an become successful.

I recently caught up with the Based God to talk everything from music to his multiple personas and the beauty that is the game of basketball.

Q: You've been considerably successful at only 23-years-old. What has been your main motivation that drives you?

Lil B: First, man, thank you. You know, just staying positive and all the people that really want to see me succeed and love me. I definitely do what I do for them. I have a lot of people that really love my music, man, and it's a blessing to have the support that I do. The support from the people, man. To get all the love from them, is just amazing and it keeps me going day by day.

Q: Is there any event or a person that really pushed you in the right direction?

Lil B: I got started when I was about 15, or 16. My first break through was the Vans song with my group The Pack. That became a worldwide thing. That changed the world, man. It changed music, it changed the game, it changed rap, you know what I'm saying? We started a movement and a new way to think about life and what music can represent. It taught me to also be innovative, man, and that's what I'm trying to do every day.

Q: You have created a, sort of, controversial image and message surrounding yourself and your music. Why make an album called, I'm Gay? Why get in beef with other rappers? What's the point in all that?

Lil B: To be honest, there's not too much controversy on my part. All the beef on my Wikipedia page is sort of outdated, the information isn't all correct. I wanted to get in contact with them and give them all the correct information. But, my mixtape changed the world. I'm a heterosexual man -- I love women -- but I also support the world and love everybody. I wanted to say it's about spreading love and breaking down barriers, not building up hate.

Q: I've been dying to ask, what's the difference between Brandon McCartney, Lil B, and Based God?

Lil B: It's all run by one person, but, real talk, Brandon McCartney is a book author, the Based God is perfect and Lil B is the trendsetter, the person that everyone follows and pays attention to. The Based God is amazing, man. I actually released a classical music album [Choices and Flowers] executive produced by Lil B and the Based God composed it. The album actually debuted on the Billboard Top 100.

Q: That's great it was successful, but what you do you mean by that? What does it mean that Lil B produced it but the Based God composed it?

Lil B: I can't make Based God music all the time. The Based God is something that is better than Lil B and better than Brandon McCartney; he's something that I aspire to be. Sometimes, I know it's not me that makes this music. Like, when the Based God comes, he speaks to me. It's not me, even though I'm there playing the music live, myself. I give it all to Based God, I'm just putting stuff together that the Based God gives me. We're just making history day by day, brother.

Q: So, I just want to clarify, you are not the Based God? He is some sort of super national presence that just takes over when you're writing lyrics and music?

Lil B: The Based God is a very complex thing. I know the Based God. The Based God's here, I can't say anybody else knows him personally, but he's here. The Based God showed himself in a video a couple years ago, it was a rare glimpse. Like I said, I'm Lil B and I just aspire to be the Based God. The Based God's perfect.

Q: So, you compare yourself to The Based God. But, is there a professional athlete that you can sort of compare his career path to yours?

Lil B: Yea, most definitely. Stephen Curry, Jeremy Lin. This isn't my personal opinion, but somebody once compared me to J.R. Smith. Real talk, Steph Curry is who I kind of feel like right now. Just a young, great new face in the game. I'm young and fresh in it and I know I'm a champion. I know I've got it in me, they can't stop me. Steph plays with that attitude too. He's gonna be a champion one day. I guess I'm kind of like J.R. because we're both unpredictable but we always come through, too.

Q: I know you play a lot of ball. Who is an NBA player that you compare your game to?

Lil B: A lot of my partners compare me to Ty Lawson. I share the same type of drive, I can get to the hole by any means necessary. I've been working on my jump shot, too.

Q: A lot of people compare the rap world and the basketball world and even view the two industries as connected. What are some parallels you see between the rap game and the League?

Lil B: Well, the Lebrons are Lil' Wayne and Jay Z. They're the best that's in the game right now. But, I'm the rawest rapper in the game. They have their rings but I'm coming for the championship. Diddy won a championship, 50 Cent, Eminem, a lot of people. They've all inspired me. I have a song that's called Rap Dreams, Hoop Dreams. Besides education, everybody's got hoop dreams from day one in rap. Rap, sports, music have so much of an impact on the world.

Q: I know one of your favorite players is Stephen Curry and that you are from the Bay Area, are the Warriors your team?

Lil B: Definitely Warriors. Warriors all the way, all day. But I have a special connection with every team and many players. Steph is definitely my favorite player, but shout outs to Russ Smith, he got his championship recently. He's a big fan of mine.

Q: Yea, I know you and Russ have interacted a lot on Twitter. How do you guys know each other?

Lil B: Russ is just a big fan of my music. He came to one of my shows once and that's where I met him. I just support the hell out of him and he supports the hell out of me.

Q: Going back to the NBA, we're in the middle of the playoffs right now. Who do you have winning it all, can the Warriors do it?

Lil B: The Warriors have shocked people before. The Warriors have done an amazing job thus far against the Nuggets. But, it's wide-open man. It's an open field for anybody. Miami is probably the best out of everybody, but it's an open field.

Q: Basically, you're everywhere. You know NBA players, you know college players, you know high school players. You're very in the rap game and you're very involved in the world of basketball. When it's all said and done and your career is over, how do you want people to remember Lil B. What is going to be your legacy?

Lil B: I want people to smile when they hear my name. I love everyone. I want to help make it a better time for the kids after me. That sums it up right there.

An Optimistic View Out My Northeastern Window

2013-04-19T16:21:47-04:00

I've been instructed to stay locked in my residence hall at Northeastern University for eight hours now. I have a television. I have full Internet access. Dozens of friends and loved ones have contacted me all day. Compared to the vast ranges of hysteria that has flood the minds of many Boston college students, I could be considered a stoic rock. But, the turmoil of this week's tragic events has certainly infiltrated every small crevice of my dormitory.

To know that the sweet, homely and green Copley Square has been unjustly morphed into a crime scene is unfathomable. The fresh cut grass of the Trinity Church lawn is supposed to remind us that Spring is here. Instead, yellow tape and endless rows of National Guard vehicles are preventing anyone from even setting foot in one of the greatest features of the most populated college town in America.

I walked the short 1.1 miles from the heart of Northeastern's campus down to Copley on Tuesday afternoon. And, under the shining sun that assured our resiliency, I could only watch as the liveliest area of the city acted as a ghost town. Yet, hundreds of Bostonians still walked the Back Bay streets with cheery smiles and warm hearts. Many young men and women were taking their lunch break to enjoy a jog.

Now, just three days later, I'm prohibited from even setting foot outside. My iPhone just shrieked with an alert from MEMA that read, "EMERGENCY WARNING: Shelter in Place still effective." I'm looking out my window at the barren streets of this city and imagining what this beautiful 73 degrees and sunny Friday afternoon would look like if it were any normal day.

As college students, we're supposed to add an exuberant and fresh energy to this city. Instead, we're glued to our televisions not knowing what "breaking news" is accurate or not. Social media and cellphones have evolved this phenomenon into an unheralded affair. The refresh button has never been clicked on web browsers at a more torrid pace.

I have several friends, who are students here, who went to high school with Dzhokar Tsarnaev. I have several friends who went into Cambridge just a few days ago for dinner. My fraternity's formal is supposed to be held at the Sheraton Commander Hotel in the Boston suburb tomorrow evening.

However, amidst all this tragedy, the plethora of casualties and numerous deaths, I've sensed a feeling of love and camaraderie wash over this campus and this city. Students and people have bonded together. This age of technological advancement and cyberspace has never made me feel closer to family and friends from my hometown in Cherry Hill, NJ and all across the country and world despite being hundreds of miles apart.

Since the first bomb exploded at the Boston Marathon finish line at 2:50 p.m. on Monday, I've received an incredible 193 phone calls from compassionate, worried and altruistic people in my life. I've been texted by 43 different people, asking how I'm doing. And, of course, my Facebook chat has rarely stopped popping up.

While thousands of people in Boston are being kept inside from the beautiful Spring that is upon us, while the number of lives that have inexplicably been damaged by two angry young men is utterly heartbreaking, while the nation is staring at the news with their jaws to the floor, we have felt endless support and compassion in Boston. We know we are not alone.

We have all heard how the city of Boston is strong and its people are even stronger. And, in a city like this, it is not too difficult to feel like its abundance of good and kindness far outweighs the evil that lurks in this world.

Thus, as I do not know how much longer I will be stuck here just staring somberly out of my window, I am certain that the glimmer of hope that I see dancing on these deserted streets will never disappear.

The Evolution of the Final Four

2013-04-01T12:34:28-04:00

The 2013 NCAA Tournament may perhaps be one of the wildest in the event's 75 years of existence. We've all been witness to the No. 15 Seed Florida Gulf Coast Eagles' success and two No. 1 Seeds fail to reach the Elite 8. The majority of the basketball world has watched in awe as these dedicated and passionate student athletes fight for victory on either CBS, TNT, TBS or truTV. In fact, According to Nielsen numbers CBS Sports and Turner Sports' coverage of March Madness "averaged a 6.3/14 overnight rating/share, the highest rating for the opening week of the NCAA Tournament in 23 years, when the tournament expanded to its current format."

But, what about seeing the games in person?

If you've attended the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament in year's past or this season, you know the buzzing excitement that fills every crevice of each arena. It's not just the brand of exciting basketball that is being played just feet in front of your face, but it's the speed of the day and volume of the atmosphere that makes March Madness truly eclipse other sporting events.

When the Tournament debuted in 1939, the men's basketball championship game was held in Patten Gym, an arena in Evanston, Ill. that seated just 1,000 people. Over the years, as the tournament's hype and impact on American culture has grown, so has its championship game's attendance. Eventually, the tourney's championship game moved to venues like Freedom Hall and Madison Square Garden that can seat around 19,000 fans.

Today, the NCAA has recognized the tourney's energy and, in recent years, has made an effort to allow as many fans to experience the championship weekend festivities. For the past several years, the Final Four and Championship weekend has been held in enormous football and baseball complexes all across the country in order to maximize attendance, allowing tens of thousands of fans to attend the games. And, 2013 will be no different.

Besides, morphing a football stadium into a basketball arena is American entertainment at it's finest!

Next weekend, the 2013 Final Four will be held at the Georgia Dome and the seating capacity is expected to range anywhere from 70,000-80,000. The attendance record for an NCAA men's basketball championship game was 72,922 back when the game was held at Detroit's Ford Field in 2009.

Now, how can one become apart of these fabled festivities?

The easiest way is to be a student of the participating universities. During the First Four in Dayton, schools were allocated approximately 200 tickets for students and members of their basketball programs. In the second and third rounds of the tourney this year, schools were granted 550 tickets per game.

But, if you're not in school, prepare to shell out some cash.

When Final Four tickets first hit the open market, prices were already pretty steep. And, now that the tournament has promised compelling and theatric play, prices of Final Four tickets will undoubtedly skyrocket.

Originally, of the 14,392 tickets that SeatCrunch.com, a ticket allocation site that provides fans an opportunity to both buy and sell tickets, the average ticket price for the Championship game was $616.89. If you want to just go to the Semifinals, you can get there for a much cheaper average $535.56 per ticket, according to the site.

What is truly incredible is the price many people will pay to be thousands of feet away from the game action. On Friday afternoon, before the Sweet 16 kicked off, SeatCrunch's NCAA Men's Final Four Page had tickets available in the upper-deck of the University of George football stadium for $218.00. And, crazily enough, SeatCrunch is also offering parking passes for the event for -- what is actually a great price considering the event -- $120.

If those numbers don't show how valuable and coveted Final Four tickets have become, what does?

Thus, as the NCAA Tournament celebrates its 75th anniversary with an eye-popping competition, the tourney's championship game has certainly come a long way from it's original 1,000 seat location.

Will you be there?

It Is Time To Start Talking ACL Tear Prevention

2013-02-19T19:07:58-05:00

While the NFL is cracking down on head injuries and the MLB continues to investigate performance-enhancing drugs, many are overlooking one of the biggest health issues in all of sports: the ACL tear.

Today, the sports world is up in arms about removing the one-and-done rule in the NBA following Kentucky freshmen Nerlens Noel's knee injury Tuesday night at Florida. But, as well all know, Noel is not the only big name to go down with an ACL injury in the past recent months.

Rajon Rando. Robert Griffin III. Derrick Rose. Adrian Peterson.

All of the above have torn their ACL ligaments in the last 14 months. In fact, there are hundreds of athletes through all of professional, collegiate and high school sports that suffer this gruesome three-letter injury annually.

Type in "ACL tear" into the ESPN.com search bar and you will see stories about 10 different professional and collegiate athletes who have suffered ACL tears on the first page alone. By the way, there are 21 total pages that come up with that search.

Thus, with so many athletes potentially losing their careers over this severely debilitating injury, is it time for the practicing members of sports medicine to begin looking at methods to prevent ACL tears?

Yes, shredding ligaments in one's knee is nothing compared to other the potential threats retired NFL players face as they age. However, when an ACL tear can potentially ruin an athlete's potential of getting drafted and making their first paycheck, it could cause some serious distress for young athletes' and their family's financial status. Noel, a top NBA prospect, will most likely not see his draft stock suffer too dramatically because of this injury, however lower-level prospects, whose families will depend on their earnings, could experience serious career-altering setbacks from suffering such an injury.

Now, with no medical experience whatsoever, it's hard for fans, like myself, to really understand if preventing this injury is actually possible. But, with multiple professional sports franchises and athletes having their respective futures put in jeopardy by ACL tears on a monthly basis, it seems time to at least start discussing the possibility of research ACL tear prevention.

The Anomaly That Is Super Bowl Tickets

2013-01-25T14:11:52-05:00

On the first Sunday of February, much of the entire world stops and watches the greatest cultural event on the annual calendar: the Super Bowl. However, even though more than 110 million viewers are expected to tune in to CBS's broadcast of the big game, the true Super Bowl experience happens within whichever lucky stadium hosts the storied championship game each year. If you find yourself among those trying to get their hands on the highly demanded tickets for the upcoming February 3rd game -- good luck! Even though the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans can seat a maximum of 76,468 people for an American football game, Super Bowl tickets are very hard to come by.

To truly understand the rarity that is receiving Super Bowl tickets, take a quick gander at this breakdown of tickets that are available in the primary market. When the Super Bowl match up is released, the immediate distribution of tickets works in percentages. First, 17.5 percent of the tickets are allocated to the AFC Champion team and another 17.5 percent to NFC Champion team. With that chunk of the total tickets, the championship teams, the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, for example, will divide the tickets amongst organization personnel and then the families of players and coaches. The remaining portion of the teams' tickets following that initial distribution goes into a lottery for the teams' season ticket holders to win. Next, 5 percent of the tickets go to the Super Bowl host team. The Saints, for example, will also distribute their tickets in the same fashion that the championship teams this year.

After that, 34.8 percent of the tickets are allocated to every other team in the NFL. Essentially, each NFL organization not playing in or hosting the Super Bowl receives 1.2 percent of the total Super Bowl tickets to divide in whichever way. Some teams will give a small portion to their season ticket holders as well, however the heavy majority of those tickets are given to organization personnel.

The final 25.2 percent of the game's tickets go to the NFL itself. The league of course gives tickets to personnel and funnels tickets to certain media outlets. Interestingly, some of the league's percentage of tickets is also given to some celebrities, sponsors and football icons as well.

So, for the average fan, unless you're an extremely lucky season-ticket holder of a conference champion or host team, there aren't too many other ways to access tickets. But some people who are fortunate enough to win the lottery look to cash in on the opportunity instead of enjoying the experience. When a fan wants to make a little extra off his good luck, he turns to the secondary ticket market and sells his seats to sites like StubHub, Ticketmaster and SeatCrunch.

These tickets are easier to obtain for fans, however they grow much more expensive. According to SeatCrunch, the site initially received 2,092 tickets to sell for an average cost of $3,647 per ticket. That average does not include luxury suites, however, which began selling on SeatCrunch at $420,000 for a 32-person suite. The site also says that tickets can change before the game, and usually fluctuate around 10 percent in the two weeks leading up to Super Bowl Sunday. But, if you want to just simply purchase a ticket for one, you can by a ticket for just over $2,000 on the SeatCrunch -- just prepare for a nosebleed.

If you take a visit to SeatCrunch's Super Bowl page, you can purchase tickets for multiple happenings during the weekend. The page's ticket options vary from the game itself, to Media Day, to even the Maxim Super Bowl party the night before the game. If you're really just craving a taste of that sweet Super Bowl nectar, the sky might be the limit on what you'll do to take in that entire experience.

In retrospect, if you want to get tickets to see the big game up "close" and personal, you need a little bit of luck and a whole lot of patience. But hey, the Harbaugh brothers did the same thing, and look where they'll be on Super Bowl Sunday.

10 Questions for Manti Te'o

2013-01-19T01:19:24-05:00

As Manti Te'o remains verbally silent throughout the early stages of this girlfriend hoax travesty, it seems to be only a matter of time before the Notre Dame linebacker sits down for an interview or holds a press conference regarding his take on this fiasco. Te'o has already released a statement claiming he is innocent and is simply a "victim of what was apparently someone's sick joke," and Notre Dame athletic director, Jack Swarbrick, held a press conference in complete support of the university's supposedly inspirational figure. However, Te'o's numerous comments on his girlfriend to varying media outlets have seemed to contradict each other. And, Deadspin.com's greatly detailed and lengthy report suggests that Te'o is not a victim of anyone but his own wrongdoing. With no clear explanation for what actually transpired, this story has left many questions unanswered.

The following are 10 questions I would like to ask Manti Te'o regarding this situation:

1. In your October 2 interview with ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski (2:26 mark), you told him that this apparent woman, Lennay Kekua, was the "love of your life." How could you consider someone the love of your life without ever seeing her face-to-face? How does one develop true feelings of love for someone that he or she never met?

2. If you had never seen your girlfriend before, why did you tell ESPN's Heather Cox following the Michigan State game that you would see both your grandmother and girlfriend again? And, why would your father tell the South Bend Tribune in an October 10 interview that you and your girlfriend had been together several times in Hawaii?

3. You told Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel, that "she really loves [your] parents and [your] parents really love her." Did this girl actually have a relationship with your parents if you had just talked to her on the phone and online?

4. If you truly loved this girl, how come you didn't take any time at all to visit this girl's family following her death? Why did you immediately play football? How could you never have wanted to visit her grave?

5. Why did it take you 20 days to call your Notre Dame coaches (0:28 mark) that your apparently deceased girlfriend contacted you by phone during the December 6th ESPN's Home Depot College Football Awards show in Orlando?

6. Did you fabricate and embellish some details of your relationship to hide that this relationship was solely online and over the phone?

7. As your girlfriend's death was receiving most of the media attention, did you ever regret that the loss of your grandmother had been somewhat overshadowed?

8. Do you find it inappropriate that Notre Dame has hired private investigators to investigate your case, per Swarbrick, yet they remained silent following Lizzy Seeberg's suicide that resulted from an alleged sexual battery from a Notre Dame football player?

9. According to reports, you learned of this hoax on December 2, approximately an entire month before the Discover BCS Championship game. Thus, why did you continue to answer questions about your girlfriend before, during and after the game?

10. If Deadspin.com had never broken this story, do you think nobody would have known about this issue outside of you, your family, the supposed culprits and Notre Dame? Further, would Swarbrick have never even made a public statement if no media outlet reported it?

Now, the entire sports world, and much of the world in general, waits in anxious confusion for Te'o to speak.

To Play or Not To Play? That Is the Question

2013-01-09T17:41:45-05:00

Early Wednesday morning, Dr. James Andrews completed surgery to repair the right knee of Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. More commonly known as RG3, Griffin suffered partial tears of his ACL and LCL in the Skins' playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday evening. The injury has been heavily scrutinized and turned the rookie quarterback's knee into the most highly discussed ligaments since Andrew Bynum.

Griffin's recovery is projected at 6-to-8 months w/ rehabilitation that will focus on his quad strength to protect and help stabilize knee.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 9, 2013

The question being, should Griffin III have been in the game?

ESPN talking heads such as Herm Edwards, Merril Hoge and Jalen Rose all spoke adamantly about this situation, claiming that RG3 should've been on the sidelines.

I maintain, there is NO way RG3 should have been allowed to continue playing. Bad move by every decision maker involved! #Skins #NFL
— JALEN ROSE (@JalenRose) January 9, 2013

Meanwhile, Ron Jaworski countered those arguments and said Griffin should have been playing in the game. Growing up watching Philadelphia sports, when it comes to playing hurt, naturally I think of Allen Iverson. The supposed 6'0" guard's philosophy was always something along the lines of, "If I can walk, I can play." I personally played with a similar mindset in high school as well. Robert Griffin III agrees, too. After the game, he told reporters, "I don't feel like me being out there hurt the team in any way. I'm the best option for this team and that's why I'm the starter."

Many may question, criticize & think they have all the right answers. But few have been in the line of fire in battle.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 7, 2013

To me, situations that include players dealing with injury should really just be between the player and the coach. And, when it's all said and done, the player should have the right to decide whether he or she can play, with that player taking responsibility for whatever consequences come from playing. Griffin decided to play and now he's taking responsibility for his actions, getting into surgery as soon as possible, with 34.5 weeks until opening day of the 2013 NFL season.

Even as an Eagles fan, I have tremendous respect for Griffin's physical talent as a football player. But, I have even more respect for his actions on game day and his reactions following his injury.

However, I've had great difficulty respecting and understanding Houston Rockets rookie forward Royce White's actions regarding his playing status.

For those unfamiliar with the situation, White suffers from an anxiety disorder that causes him to feel severe amounts of stress in somewhat uncomfortable situations. One of those situations, for White, is flying and it's caused a rift between the former Iowa State Cyclone and the franchise.

Rockets suspend Royce White for refusing to provide services as required by his Uniform Player Contract.
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) January 6, 2013

Entering the season, there were dozens of reports how the Rockets and White were working together to create the best possible formula to have their 16th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft on the court in the least stressful situation possible. Listen to White's comments on trying to be a team player and a member of the Rockets organization back in mid-November.

As you heard, White says he "tries to manage it as best as possible," yet he has not appeared in a single game for Houston this season and it's really due to his irresponsible actions. He himself even said it's not possible to take a bus to every game on the entire 82-game NBA regular season schedule. So, to compensate for his disorder, the team optioned to send White to the NBA's Development League in order to play in a more stress-free environment. But, White refused.

White said in November that he's "willing to do whatever the coach needs and whatever the team needs [him] to do."

The Rockets need him to put on a jersey and help the team, that made his dreams of playing in the NBA come true, fight for a playoff spot this spring. Houston is currently the sixth-seed in the Western Conference and could really benefit from a 6'8", 260 pound forward who can both bang inside and hit jumpers with ease.

Now, I have no understanding of what it feels like to live daily with an anxiety disorder. But, I do know that White traveled frequently during his time within the high school basketball circuit and in college as a player in one of the nation's premiere basketball conferences. Clearly he's traveled before and clearly he's been able to handle and play a grueling schedule.

If the NBA is really Royce White's dream come true, he should be acting a little more graciously towards the Houston Rockets instead of tweeting #BeWell and going on Twitter rants about mental health and being human.

Threat, Fines, Suspension won't deter me. I won't accept illogical health decisions, I will keep asking for safety & health. #BeWell @dmorey
— Royce White (@Highway_30) January 6, 2013

When it comes to dealing with being healthy enough to play -- whether mentally or physically -- players, especially professional athletes should take responsibility for their actions. As grown adults, professional athletes have the right to say, "Hey, coach, I feel well enough to play. I'll take responsibility for any repercussions that follow." However, if you're contractually obligated to try to perform to the best of your abilities, like White, who's technically owed $1.6 million this year, you need to do whatever it takes to get onto the floor or field and help your team win ball games.

White keeps saying he wants to be safe and healthy, but he's not even giving the concept of him playing NBA basketball a chance. He's flat-out being unreasonable.

When it's all said and done, people value professional athletes based off of winning and their respect for the game that gets them paid. Robert Griffin III has shown his understanding of that, whereas Royce White has simply looked like an immature kid in a grown man's world.

A Philadelphia Fan's Reflection on Andy Reid

2013-01-04T12:25:48-05:00

According to reports, Andy Reid has reached an agreement to become the next Kansas City Chiefs head coach. But for many in Philadelphia, their attitudes about Reid and his era in Philly are diverse.

While the first half of Reid's 14 seasons as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles was full of glitz and glamour, the closure to his long-term stint came with much controversy, criticism and regret. In fact, the one phrase that could truly describe the Andy Reid era might just be, "what if?"

As a Philadelphia kid who grew up in the Andy Reid era, I literally cannot remember an Eagles game Reid didn't coach. To my generation, football has been synonymous with Andy Reid. And, it's come with many memories -- both positive and negative.

I remember the countless wings I ate in my basement with my dad and brother watching five Eagles NFC Championship Game appearances from 2001-2008.

But, I remember the Eagles only winning one of those NFC Championships.

I remember screaming and dancing as the Eagles clinched the NFC Title, 27-10, in 2004 over the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field.

But, I remember Reid coaching lopsided play calling and McNabb blowing chunks in the Super Bowl. But, like in Wayne's World, it simply was never meant to be.

I remember cheering when PA Announcer Dan Baker's booming voice announced that the Eagle's challenge was successful and the play had been overturned.

But, I remember Reid countlessly mismanaging the game clock, missing many opportunities and wasting timeouts because of a multitude of miscommunications.

I remember some of the electrifying deep balls that McNabb threw under Reid's West-Coast regime.

But I remember the Eagles criminally underusing running backs like Duce Staley, Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy.

I remember the complete insanity that was in the air when the Eagles signed Michael Vick in the summer of 2009.

But, I remember how the Eagles overreacted to Vick's outstanding 2010 comeback season and committed a ridiculous $100 million to a guy who had only started all 16 games in a season once.

However, for a man that has dealt with so much turmoil, scrutiny and pressure in his life, you have to look back at Reid's era in Philly with a warm heart and appreciation. Yes, he never won a Super Bowl. Yes, the Eagles only earned a 12-20 record in his final two seasons in Philadelphia. And, yes, he immediately returned to football following the tragic death of his son.

But, while Andy Reid's final seasons in Philly have left a sour taste in many Philly fans' mouths, we still have to look at the positives. Reid led the Eagles to the playoffs in all but one season throughout the entire decade of the '00s. He also brought this team to only their second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. He won eight NFC East Division titles as well.

I celebrated Reid's firing from the Eagles on Monday -- not because I look down upon him as a coach or person, but because both parties needed to go separate ways. The Eagles need a culture shock and Andy Reid needs a new community and city to turn into his new project just like he did in Philadlephia 14 years ago.

While he's caused me countless migraines, too many heartbreaks and frustrated Monday mornings, I still respect the game of football and the illustrious elegance of the National Football League. And, I still respect Andy Reid as a football coach. Many in Philly should feel the same.

Andy Reid is in no way a Philadelphia sports legend like Adam Schefter called him on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia, but he did have an impact that the City of Brotherly Love will never forget.

Division II and Division III Athletes Excel in the Classroom and on the Field

2013-01-02T15:13:06-05:00

With all of the recent conference realignment in the NCAA, college sports have seemed to lose a little bit of its integrity. For years, many have criticized professional sports for being driven by money and fame and turned to the college realm to appreciate athletes competing for fun and out of passion. But, many are now also thinking that the college game is no longer innocently beautiful. However, one word still proves that it is: student-athlete.

No, I'm not talking about Division I athletes who are constantly getting caught up in the middle of recruiting scandals and eligibility investigations. I'm talking about Division II and III athletes who truly define the word student in that complicated and complex term.

Many D-II and D-III student athletes were and still are talented enough to play at the D-I level, but academics and school size of D-II and D-III institutions are more suited for students who purposefully attempt to be as successful in the classroom as they are on the field. Being within a small community on a small campus while also fostering family-like relationships with teammates only helps D-II and D-III athletes experience a more well-rounded college experience. And, they also tend to further develop the great work ethics and true passion for the game they love.

Take Matt Goodman, for example, an Owings Mills, MD product who is a freshman pitcher at York College in Pennsylvania. Goodman, a 5'10 southpaw, was always told he was too small and not good enough to make it to the college level, but he never stopped fighting and working. Today, he stands at the top of his individual mountain.

"Being a college baseball player feels amazing. There's no better feeling," Goodman says. "This is what I've been working for all my life."

Goodman did receive several Division I offers, but chose a smaller school for a better education in what he believes to be both a better academic and athletic environment.

"Being able to balance baseball and work at the same time has been a big challenge," he admits. "But your education is what you make it. My coaches aren't looking over my shoulder to make me do my homework. I'm all on my own. But it's my responsibility to go to my teachers and learn what I need to learn."

Conor Dempster is also a true student-athlete. A wide receiver at Farleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, Dempster chose to attend a Division III university instead of a Division II or Division I-AA school in pursuit of receiving a better education.

"I decided I'd rather get a better education and have the opportunity to play all four years," Dempster says. "Being a big fish in a small pond is better than a small fish in a big pond, especially when you're going to receive a good degree in the end as well."

Unfortunately for the talented Burlington, NJ product, Dempster was forced to redshirt this season due to heart irregularities but will be back on the field for spring ball following the school's spring break. He hopes to be a high school history teacher once his playing days are officially over.

Chris Santo, a sophomore forward on the Saint Anselm College men's basketball team, knows the difference in DI and DII athletics better than almost anyone. A former Vermont Catamount, Santo transferred to Saint Anselm this summer in search for more playing time along with a better education. In the midst of his first season at the D-II level, Santo is definitely experiencing some differences from the Division I level.

"I'd say Division I is more year-round," Santo says. "At Vermont we were enrolled in a summer course, here we're sort of on our own once classes aren't in session."

He also had to spend all of his Thanksgiving and winter breaks on campus while at Vermont, practicing and playing with the team. Now, he's currently enjoying part of his 9-day break at home, away from squeaking sneakers and enjoying ugly Christmas sweaters.

While the pace of the game has definitely slowed down for Santo in D-II as opposed to D-I, the talent level is still there. But, he's more focused on the different educational values.

"At Vermont, they had resources there for you," he said. "There was an academic support group of maybe four or five people who weren't necessarily tutors. Now, there are fewer opportunities for that extra help, and the academics are more rigorous."

According to the Hawks' sixth man, he's receiving a far better education, while also competing with the same athletic intensity.

Most importantly, Santo, along with Goodman and Dempster, are taking on the responsibility of their own education just as serious as any other student, while also excelling in the field of play.

Today, college athletes in general are unfairly stereotyped as immature, uneducated and undeserving of the college education their able to receive at the institutions they play at. However, if you really look at the work that Division II and Division III student-athletes simultaneously put into their degrees and teams, they deserve a lot of credit.

Maybe they deserve even more than some regular students.

Re-Entry: Returning Home From Study Abroad

2012-12-08T17:39:53-05:00

As I write this, I'm staring at a half-packed duffle bag that's ready to ship my roommate's belongings back from London, England to his hometown in Somerville, Massachusetts. After spending nearly four months studying abroad across the pond, time has whizzed by and I find myself, along with 75 classmates, preparing to re-immerse ourselves in our home culture for a month before officially moving in to Northeastern University's campus in early January.

When people think of study abroad, they most commonly think of how difficult it is to be forced to transition into a foreign society and culture in the time it takes to snap your fingers. However, integrating back into one's home culture following months of time abroad is not a cakewalk either.

Just as the student who studied abroad grows and changes from his or her experiences, that student's friends and family has also changed in that time period. For me, my brother has been living as an only child for almost a quarter of a year after being the youngest of three siblings for the previous fifteen years of his life. Will this change positively or negatively affect our relationship? Will living in a country where I was considered a responsible adult and could legally consume alcohol and purchase tobacco change the way I interact with people in American society?

Relationships aren't the only monumental factor that impacts a study abroad student's re-entry to their home life. Culture shock also plays an enormous role.

According to the University of Minnesota, the leader in the study of culture shock, many students struggle with re-entry on different levels. As part of the school's International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), re-entry has been a thoroughly researched topic. Dr. Michael Paige, a professor at Minnesota has said, "What you potentially can experience is the unexpected confrontation of the familiar." Essentially, students don't expect their home culture, something considered known and precious, to change without them there. With that, students studying abroad are naturally prone to missing events at home.

For this semester, while studying in London, I missed the final stages of the presidential election. While I was able to follow and watch all three debates on YouTube, I, along with my classmates, didn't really experience our first election being able to vote. I definitely wish I could have experienced the final campaign commercials, newspaper ads and seeing dozens of lawn posters in my neighborhood. And, as this next presidency will likely decide the direction of our nation's economy, I feel as though I will never be able to truly grasp how the country reacted to the campaigns and reelection of President Obama.

However, Mieke Berg, 34, missed out on experiencing a greater American cultural event while studying abroad: September 11, 2001. Berg, a native of Minnesota, studied abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland from the fall of 1999 until June of 2000. Following a life-changing term in the United Kingdom, Berg decided to return to the same program in Edinburgh the following year as a staff member from July 2001 to July 2002. While her semester allowed her to interact with many students and experience a foreign culture in a new light, she missed out on the most defining moment in American patriotism of the past fifteen years. When returning home, she was immediately surprised by the severity of the customs questions she received and the seemingly substantial number of American flag pins, signs and badges that were plastered all over the Minnesota airport and TSA officers' uniforms. When recalling what it felt like to not truly feel the same level of patriotism as her parents and friends did in the months that followed the 9/11 national tragedy, Berg is saddened and a little regretful. Unfortunately she has never really felt comfortable at home ever since and has been living in the United Kingdom for the past decade.

This fall, Berg was the Site Director for the Northeastern University N.U.in England location for the program I attended in London. Now a fully-functioning member of British society, and currently engaged to a lovely British gent, Berg faces a struggle with recognizing as an American on almost a daily basis.

"I still feel a bit uncomfortable when I'm home," she says. "I've missed the majority of Bush's administration, I haven't been in the country for President Obama. The country is going in a different direction than I am."

While I don't expect to develop a distant perspective on the problems and events within country that I know and love as home, re-entering into my home culture is something I never expected to be so analyzed and interesting. But, as the American education system continues to promote the importance of global citizenship, transitions into different cultures are something many students are starting to master. Re-adjusting to living in my own bed in my own room will certainly be different than moving to an entirely new city or country, but it is still a necessary transition to make. Now, I, along with many other abroad students, can look forward to transitioning into yet another exciting culture, with plenty of opportunities and experiences to be had.

Embracing British Football

2012-11-26T13:25:27-05:00

As a diehard American sports fan, my favorite sports to follow religiously are baseball, basketball and football. Respectively, each sport connects to different values and aspects of the country's society. Baseball, once considered America's pastime, provides fans with great family atmosphere in ballparks. The fast-paced and action-packed flow of basketball really appeals to society's crave for nonstop entertainment. Football, the country's perfect sport, embodies almost every element American's value. Every down is full of underlying stories about the American dream, money, power, dominance as well as teamwork and sportsmanship.

Similarly, British football, or soccer as Americans know it, also appeals to the millions of British fans because of their cultural values. Generally, Europeans value their nation's athletic successes more than Americans do, and that passion for sport and greatness truly comes alive at the football pitch. The two sports also have plenty of other similarities. Obviously, both nationally acclaimed sports are played on massive green-grass fields, but many other resemblances exist.

When I attended Fulham FC's match against Sunderland AFC last week, I took a moment to truly embrace these similarities and many of the two sports' cultural differences as well.

I found it very interesting that in both countries tailgating, beer and food are utilized in the same fashions. It really doesn't matter what land your feet are standing on, football is truly about watching and enjoying sport with your friends. Both football, American and British, also possess something of an in-stadium element of entertainment that ranges from mascots to music to video board games.

However, more differences exist in the two cultures than similarities.

Take the stadium video board for example. After visiting two British football stadiums, Wembley Stadium and Craven Cottage, soccer fans' differing values were clearly shown in the stadiums' relatively tiny video board. In American sporting stadiums, gigantic multi-ton jumbotrons hang in every building. Americans clearly value instant replay as soon as possible, along with as much catered entertainment as possible.

British fans simply value the love of the game and pure sport. There are no statistic screens on every wall inside the arenas, seats aren't especially comfortable and the crowd's passionate applause is always in unison. On the field, the British game is more sport than business as well. With advertisements on each teams' jersey, fans aren't distracted by the minimal ads around the pitch, unlike the thousands of company names and slogans plastered around American fields and courts. Fans even sit in their team's fan section at stadiums, similar to high school football games in America. And, famously, these seating patterns allow for fantastic, endless team cheers during the game.

Even though I consider myself a proud, educated and passionate top-tier American sports fan, I really appreciate British football's cultural values and elements that differ from America's. I look forward to every Sunday from one in the afternoon until eleven-thirty at night, even though I'm a tortured Philadelphia Eagles fans, but I wish American football adopted some of soccer's international elements.

How cool would it be for UCLA fans to be able to sit in their own section at USC's Coliseum? Wouldn't all the Baltimore Ravens fans out there enjoy sitting with fellow purple and black fans at a Pittsburgh Steelers game at Heinz Field? And, of course, Red Sox fans would appreciate a Boston section in Yankee Stadium.

In a world where casual sports fans and sports naysayers constantly argue that professional sports represent everything that is wrong with the globe's monetarily driven society, it would be nice for American sports culture to adopt more pure appreciation for the games and the physical specimens who play them. While the sports business is far too lucrative to turn from its profitable corporate functions, as fans, we have the moral responsibility to start appreciating sport for the human greatness it celebrates instead of the negative American values it sometimes portrays.

American Football Doesn't Belong in Britain

2012-11-12T09:54:03-05:00

On Wednesday, July 6, 2005, thousands of Londoners flooded the city's famous landmark, Trafalgar Square, to witness International Olympic Committee bid chairman, Lord Coe, announce whether London or Paris would become the lucky host of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. When Coe announced the capital of England would be the home of this past summer's Games, all in attendance burst into a thunderous celebration about the opportunity to promote the beauty of sport, British values and healthy competition to the entire world.

While the city successfully hosted the Olympics this summer, London's relationship with global sport is not quite over in 2012. On Sunday, the city played host to the National Football League Week 8 contest between the New England Patriots and St. Louis Rams. However, when I ventured to Trafalgar Square on Wednesday, barely any Brit enjoying the last few rays of the beautiful fall day showed similar excitement about the NFL in London as they did about the Olympics.

Why you may ask?

Because the NFL isn't properly catered to the British, and overall European, sports culture. The Patriots-Rams Week 8 matchup at Wembley Stadium was of course a sellout. But, unfortunately, the sellout is more due to the British fans' general excitement for the event, not for the game.

Of the people I spoke to at Trafalgar Square during the week, the only person who truly possessed any significant NFL knowledge, was married to an American, and had attended a few Super Bowl parties in the States. A group of 16 and 17-year-old teenagers mixed up the NFL and the NBA, a diehard Arsenal soccer fan didn't know what a quarterback was and one nice gentleman thought Tom Brady's goal was to kick a pigskin into an end zone.

Unlike the NBA, the NFL barely makes an effective attempt to internationally market its product. NFL Europe, an American football league that existed in select European cities, failed to last for more than 16 years when it folded in 2007. And now, Jacksonville Jaguars owner, Shad Khan, is sending his team across the pond to Wembley for one home game a year during the 2013-2016 season. Currently, the Jaguars struggle to sellout their home games in Florida, forcing Khan to believe that there are better options elsewhere. While it may seem that expanding the viewership of the NFL is great for business and the league's product, it actually diminishes the game.

For starters, the British, and overall European, people aren't accustomed to the speed of American football. Many people I discussed football with explained how British people absolutely hate watching the incredible number of commercials during NFL broadcasts. Being used to 45 straight minutes of competitive soccer action, the constant stoppage of play is somewhat irritating to foreign NFL spectators.

Secondly, Wembley stadium isn't truly suited for an NFL contest. While the stadium does seat over 80,000 fans for an American football game, the arena area doesn't possess football fan-friendly features and the concession area of the complex has absolutely no aesthetic elements whatsoever. In the arena, there are only two jumbo-trons that are too miniscule to even be considered jumbo. There are no screens to constantly show statistics and there aren't other screens to keep fans attention buzzing during the downtime of the game. Specifically, the stadium staff hardly ever engaged the fans with give-aways and activities. In the concession area, the stands are simply labeled, "Food" or "Merchandise." Overall, for being considered the nicest stadium in Europe, it can barely compete with the oldest NFL stadiums of today, let alone the modern complexes.

The game experience was something of its own category as well. With the NFL-sponsored tailgate in the stadium parking lot, the rainbow of NFL jerseys and herds of fans flocking the stadium, Wembley had a Super Bowl-like aura in the air outside the building. However, the second you entered the stadium, it became immediately evident that the fans were attending an event and not a game.

To sum up the in-game atmosphere, it was very similar to the Her Majesty's Theatre's atmosphere in which I saw the Phantom of the Opera on Saturday night. The audience applauded when acceptable and was relatively silent otherwise.

The London Times didn't even mention the game in their Sports section Sunday morning. And, I haven't even mentioned the fact that the St. Louis Rams lost a home game to go play in London in front of a New England fan-dominated crowd.

Expanding the NFL's global accessibility is definitely a positive for the league's marketability, revenue and brand, but I don't think they're going about such positives in the correct way. Why not play multiple preseason games a year in London? Why not send a team across the pond for their entire training camp? Maybe even play the Pro Bowl in England's capital. But, forcing a team to sacrifice a home game to play thousands of miles over seas in front of a crowd who isn't emotionally invested in the game on the field? That's just a waste.

Football has become America's game of the 21st century. So, let's keep it in 50 states, where even if they don't sell out, fans are actually emotionally invested and in-game atmospheres are actually interesting.