Sports

Sports are fun and important. But mostly fun.

We Really Need To Talk About Jalen Hurts’ Mustache

There is something that is incredibly important that the entire sports media has failed to report on.

They should all be ashamed of themselves frankly for how derelict in duty they have been on this front.

You should cut the cord, end subscriptions, and stop clicking on their stories because of this oversight.

Jalen Hurts, the freshman quarterback of the University of Alabama has a French police inspector mustache.

There.

We’ve said it.

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Literally pick any French police inspector from a film- recent or otherwise. They will have similar facial hair to Jalen Hurts.

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It hasn’t always been so French for Jalen.

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In fact there was a time when the mustache didn’t exist at all. Those were smoother days indeed.

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Sure. We can sort of understand why no one in the sports media landscape has taken on this very important topic.

And we guess that Hurts’ dominant performance on the field- which he’s doing as an 18 year old is pretty cool in its own right.

But his mustache deserves more attention.

I mean come on!

His facial hair is such a throwback that we bet his grandparents can’t even relate to it.

Oh wait.

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Nevermind.

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

Some Virginia Tech Fans Just Seriously Went Over The Line

Sports should never become this.

Before the start of tonight’s University of Miami vs Virginia Tech football game, some fans decided to take it WAY over the line.

Barstool Sports Tweeted out a picture of the following banner that they found in Blacksburg.

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Just awful.

The banner mentions Jose Fernandez, a 24 year old Miami Marlins player who died in late September in a boating accident.

Gross.

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

Marlins Pitcher Jose Fernandez Dies At Age 24 In Tragic Boating Accident

Jose Fernandez, a talented pitcher and a young icon of what is possible for Cuban-Americans died early Sunday morning in a boating accident.

The Miami Marlins confirmed the news in a statement.

This is breaking news. Stay with RISE NEWS.

“The Game Knows”: How This Former College Softball Player Kept The Faith While Riding The Bench

By Jordan Patterson

“The Game knows.”

Throughout my career as a college softball player at the University of Alabama, I heard that statement hundreds of times.

From teammates, from coaches, and even from family.

There was always a part of me that wanted to believe that the Game really did know.

That it saw all of the extra work I put in.

That it appreciated my genuine happiness for the teammates who played over me.

That it sensed just how badly I wanted to succeed. And because of that, my time would eventually come.

On the day that my collegiate career came to an end, if you had asked me whether I believed that the Game knows, I probably would have said yes.

It wouldn’t have been a lie, but my words would have lacked conviction.

Throughout my career, I worked hard. Very hard.

I tried to do things the right way and be a good teammate. And yet, things never really clicked for me on the field. So yes, I thought that “the Game knows” was a nice idea to cling to, but it didn’t ring true for me at the time.

Ask me that question today, however, and I will look you dead in the eyes and tell you with an unwavering voice that the Game really does know. You can’t fool it- it sees your heart. It knows who deserves to be rewarded, and it will do so accordingly.

So what changed? Why am I now a believer? Well, let me tell you a story.

I arrived on Alabama’s campus in the fall of 2010, making the 10 minute drive from my parents’ house down the road.

This was what I had dreamt of for as long as I could remember- to wear the script A on my chest. I was excited, nervous, and full of hope. My classmates quickly became my best friends (#SS forever). I was working my butt off in the weight room, coming to practice early, staying late, and loving every minute of it.

I was a catcher, and there were two junior catchers on the team who were both wonderful players and even better people.

They taught me so much, and I truly loved getting to learn from them (shout out to Kendall Dawson and Olivia Gibson- BS da best).

I didn’t play much at all during those first two years- a few pinch hit opportunities here and there. The two of them handled almost all of the catching responsibilities.

I missed being on the field every day, but I knew what I signed up for when I decided to play at Alabama.

I knew that catching time would be limited in the first two years. It didn’t matter to me- I just wanted to WIN.

I figured that I would spend those first two years learning, getting stronger, and improving all aspects of my game.

By junior year, I would be ready. Ready to lead the infield, ready to manage the pitchers, ready to get the job done at the plate.

I have never worked as hard as I did during those two years. I improved, but not as much as I hoped that I would. As I said, I didn’t play much, but I stayed the course.

I tried to be a great teammate and contribute from the bench through positive energy and enthusiasm.

We ended up winning the National Championship my sophomore year, and it was the most rewarding experience of  my life.

That team was truly something special. So special that one of my dearest teammates wrote a book about our journey that year- Finish It by Cassie Reilly-Boccia. READ IT. You won’t regret it.

Jordan Patterson (center), holding the national championship trophy, surrounded by her parents.

Jordan Patterson (center), holding the national championship trophy, surrounded by her parents.

Coming off of the National Championship, I was more determined than ever.

We had two catchers coming back- myself and a sophomore, Chaunsey Bell. I knew that both of us would be given opportunities to prove ourselves early on, and I was going to give it everything that I had.

I had played the role of supportive teammate for two years and really took pride in that. It’s so important. Every team needs role-players who take pride in their job on the bench.

But now, I wanted to be on the field more than ever. The Game knew, right? It had seen all of the hard work over the past two years. It knew my heart. In the back of my mind, that little phrase gave me hope that it was finally my time.

I’m not exactly sure when, but I remember getting a call from my coach the summer before my junior year.

“We are adding a transfer to your class. We know that y’all are very close, but we trust you to take her in and make her a part of your family.”

Absolutely. No-brainer. I had full trust in our coaches and knew that they would not bring anyone into our family that didn’t belong there. I wasn’t sure who the transfer was, but I was excited to find out.

A couple of weeks later, I was sitting at my desk at my summer internship when I got a text from coach Patrick Murphy or as we affectionally call him, Murph.

“Molly Fichtner is going to be a part of our family! Here is her number. Please reach out to her and make her feel welcome.”

I excitedly got on RollTide.com and read the article about Molly’s transfer, and my heart sunk.

While Molly had played shortstop at her old school, the press release said that she would probably be working at catcher here.

I can’t explain the feeling that I got- I just remember thinking that this was going to change everything.

It was such a selfish reaction, and it is the moment that I am most ashamed of from my four years at Bama.

Well, it did change everything. Molly arrived on campus that fall and I immediately knew that she was special. She fit in perfectly with our team and quickly became one of my best friends.

On the field, she was stellar. She swung a great bat and consistently threw baserunners out stealing. She beat me out, plain and simple.

That year was a roller coaster of emotions.

I was so happy that Molly had ended up at Bama. She belonged on the big stage. She was one of the best people I had ever met, with a heart bigger than her home state of Texas.

On the other hand, I was heartbroken. While no spots in the lineup are ever set in stone, and I kept working hard, I simply knew that my next two years were going to be much like my first two.

If coaches read this, they will probably cringe at that statement, and they would be right in doing so.

You never want your players to give up on themselves. There are so many stories of players who turn it around their senior year and are basically a completely different player.

If I was a coach, I would preach that to all of my non-starters. You are never stuck in that role. There is always something you can do to get better, and don’t ever stop trying.

I knew that Murph still believed in me.

However, looking back, I think that there was a reason that I got the “feeling” that I was going to remain a role-player. W

hen I began to accept that my job as an upperclassmen was going to be leading from the bench, I was able to truly commit to it.

I kept working hard, still came early and stayed late, but my motivations for doing so began to change. Instead of being motivated by the desire for personal success, I was motivated by the desire for team success.

I needed to work my butt off so that I could demand that others do the same. I needed to keep getting better at blocking and framing so that the other catchers were pushed to get better.

While I had always been a “team player” on the surface, I had finally morphed into a “team player” at heart.

There were still times during those two years that were hard. As an athlete, you always want to be on the field.

It’s something that’s inside of you- a burning desire that doesn’t just go away.

Tears fell on occasion.

It didn’t happen often, but sometimes I would wonder why it just never clicked for me on the field, even though I tried so hard and cared so deeply.

Now, I’m two years removed from the game, and I wouldn’t trade those moments of sadness and frustration for anything.

You know what? That’s life.

Sometimes, you are going to put every ounce of your being into something, and it’s not going to work out exactly the way you wanted it to.

Get over it.

No, I never became a starter. But I did have the best experience of my life.

I learned lessons that I never would have learned otherwise.

When I walked off the field at the Women’s College World Series in 2014 after Florida beat us in the championship series, I had no regrets. I was truly thankful to the Game for everything it gave me, and I didn’t expect anything else from it.

I had experienced so much team success at Bama, and that truly was enough for me.

Little did I know, the Game would give me the biggest personal reward of all two years after I walked off the field.

I chose to go to law school after I got done playing. The legal market is pretty tough right now, and jobs can be hard to come by.

If you want to work in a law firm, the best way to secure a job for after graduation is to get a Summer Associate position.

Most firms hire law students the summer after their second year of school, with the intention of extending a full-time offer after the summer is over if you do a good job. Competition for these positions is fierce and the interview process is lengthy.

After living in Tuscaloosa for my whole life, I have been itching to move to a big city.

When it came time to start applying for Summer Associate positions, I knew that Washington, D.C. was my top choice geographically.

The problem was that it can be pretty hard to get your foot in the door at D.C. law firms.

They do not typically recruit students from Alabama, tending to get their Summer Associates from more “prestigious” schools. Side note: I would put my school up against any in the country and am so thankful that I ended up there. But I digress.

A family friend of my family is a partner at arguably one of the best law firms in the world, and I expressed my desire to end up in D.C. to her.

She graciously offered to set me up with another partner at her firm who knew a lot about the D.C. market.

I was thankful for any help that I could get, and booked a flight up to go meet with him. I had nothing to lose- I wasn’t even thinking about asking this man for an interview.

He was just going to give me some advice on how I should go about applying to smaller D.C. firms that might be willing to interview a student from Alabama who was not at the top of her class.

As it turned out, he ended up being the Hiring Partner- in charge of hiring all of the firm’s Summer Associates.

Well, lucky for me, he happened to Google my name before meeting me for breakfast. When he did, he found a Tuscaloosa News feature article that was written about me during my senior year.

The article basically told the story that I’ve been telling you here: that I was a hard worker and always tried to be a good teammate.

The Hiring Partner brought it up at breakfast, saying that those are the qualities he looks for when hiring law students and that it’s not often that he has tangible proof that someone possesses them.

He then proceeded to ask me “if I was opposed to interviewing with them.”

Um.. NO!

The firm flew me back up to D.C. the next week.

I had five 30 minute interviews with different attorneys.

The first four went very well. I walked into my last interview with one of the attorneys that was on the recruiting committee (so it was really important that this one went well).

He was a big sports fan, so we immediately started talking about softball.

He asked me if I had played much, and I truthfully answered no. Then I got THE question: “What did you learn from that?”

There is not a single interview question in the world that is more suited for me than that one.

I proceeded to explain to him for over 45 minutes precisely what I learned from being a role-player throughout my four years at Bama, rather than a starter. Resiliency. Selflessness.

How to take pride in your role, whatever it may be. What it really means to put the team first. I walked out of his office knowing that it was the best I had ever done in an interview.

Two days later, the Hiring Partner called and offered me a job. I lived in D.C. for the summer, working at the firm, and loved every minute of the experience. I was surrounded by former Supreme Court clerks, attorneys at the very top of their fields, and genuinely wonderful people.

On paper, I had no business being here. I do not have the same level of qualifications that my fellow Summer Associates had. Yet, there I was. All because I chose to keep working hard even though I wasn’t seeing the results that I wanted.

My coaches and teammates noticed.

A reporter chose to care about a story that almost no one else would. And then, of all things,  someone Google’d me.

Do not tell me that the Game doesn’t know.

So, to any players out there struggling with being a role-player: keep working hard. Keep putting the team above yourself.

Keep trusting your coaches. Believe me, I know that it hurts at times. But the Game sees you, and it will reward you.

It won’t always be in the way that you wanted or pictured it, though. Sometimes the reward will come years later, in a way that will have a much greater impact on the course of your life than getting more playing time ever will.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Jordan Patterson is a former University of Alabama softball player. She is currently in law school at Alabama. 

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

Cover Photo Credit: Jordan Patterson/ Facebook

WATCH-The Truth Behind Tomi Lahren:

Taking The Right Stand By Not Standing

On Friday night, an NFL preseason game that would not have otherwise been of any great consequence played home to a silent political protest which has got the whole nation a-flutter.

San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick chose not to stand during the playing of the national anthem before the game.

In explanation, Kaepernick said,”I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

The last sentence is of course in reference to the numerous cases concerning the alleged use of excessive force by police officers in dealing with citizens of racial or ethnic minorities.

The 49ers made their stance quite clear in the immediate media wake of the event, releasing a statement which read, “The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pregame ceremony. It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose to participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.”

Quite frankly, that should be the end of the story.

Kaepernick expressed his constitutional right of free speech to silently protest for a stance that he believes in.

Unfortunately, as with most statements made in the name of racial or other hot-button questions, this was thrown out the window in the eyes of many who fell back on the out-dated notions of “national pride” and “patriotism”.

In just the last two days, there has been a mountain of criticism thrown onto the gesture.

The three arguments that have most often been made against Kaepernick’s actions are: un-American, disrespectful, and negative.

First, the use of ones constitutional rights is about as American as it gets.

The founding principle of this country is that every citizen has certain rights and freedoms which are universal (“unalienable rights”).

Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Expression, both covered by the First Amendment to the Constitution, are the exact rights Kaepernick is taking full advantage of here.

If a fan in the stadium for the same football game chose not to stand, nothing would be made of it. A figure in the public light has the exact same freedoms.

Secondly, a national flag or national anthem should not be respected by default. A country is nothing more than artificially-drawn lines built and altered as it suits the needs of people or environment.

A flag is nothing more than a piece of cloth which is marked with certain colors and patterns which are recognized as “representing” a particular country or region.

Respect for these ideas are not earned, but instead demanded and coerced by tradition and peer pressure.

It is not disrespectful, as there is no inherent respect which comes with the flag or anthem.

Furthermore, declining to stand for the anthem, or declining to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in school, is not disrespectful to the service men and women who fought and died for this country.

Those soldiers and civilians gave their lives not to protect the rights of the many, or powerful, but to protect the rights of all citizens.

The disrespect here is insinuating that these sacrifices were made to promote your personal way of life.

Lastly, this idea that what Kaepernick did was “publicity stunt” or shines a poor light on those who Kaepernick is supporting (read: minorities) is dripping in white privilege.

It is easy for current and former players to deride Kaepernick’s actions when they are not personally affected by the circumstances which the man is protesting.

I have also heard someone say that Kaepernick “should be doing positive things”, in other words, that he should be working in his community to bring about positive change.

While this is a good thought, it does not take into account that this is not a problem restricted to a single community.

It is a national issue and deserves national attention.

This man is choosing to put his public persona and, perhaps, money on the line to defend his beliefs.

That is not “negativity”.

That is making a choice and living with the consequences of that choice.

Question: was it negative when NBA star Dwyane Wade appeared on a panel for ESPN’s The Undefeated to talk about gun violence in Chicago one day before his cousin was shot and killed by a stray bullet only a few blocks away?

Of course not.

Just as Wade witnessed first-hand the violence of the inner city growing up, so too has every person in this country borne witness to the very thing that Kaepernick was protesting.

In fact, it is imperative that people in the limelight, celebrities and the like, do their part in showing solidarity with those whose voices have so long and often have been shouted down.

They should do just as Kaepernick has done, use a gesture, whether in silent protest or in grandiose discourse to bring these issues to the forefront.

Personally, I hope that Kaepernick continues to observe his constitutional rights.

More than that, I hope that people come to understand that gestures like this are not made to get the media talking about the person who made the gesture, but instead about what that gesture represents.

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

Cover Photo Credit: Mike Morbeck/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)

Why Adult Kickball Leagues Perpetuate Gender Stereotypes

Some time has passed since my season as an adult kickball player has come to a close and I’ve had a week to reflect on my experiences.

Kickball, a game that is supposed to be fun and played amongst school age children has become a phenomenon of sorts for the 20-something crowd who pine for the nostalgia of their own childhood.

I decided to join a team in a league with some friends to see what the hype was about and to stay active, if even once a week (there are only so many hours a day one can binge watch tv).

I had zero expectations going in to the season and I was only hoping to have some fun, be goofy and enjoy my time.

Little did I know that the random strangers who were on my team with my friends and I took this game way too seriously.

We are all grown adults with big boy and big girl jobs that we clock in and out of each and every day, yet the idea of kicking a ball and winning turned them back in to the school yard children they once were.

I realized in that first game, when a teammate and team captain who had placed me in right field (because he took one look and me and assumed I had no athletic skill without any prior conversation) screamed across the field asking if “I was awake out there.”

It was in that moment that I was brought back to my childhood when I first experienced being teased for lack of athletic prowess or skill.

It was in that moment that I once again felt my manhood had been called in to question, being treated as if I was like one of the many girls on the team who they also assumed had no physical skill on the field.

I flash backed to those times in the school yard when I chose to sit out from playing with the other boys who played the recreational games at recess because I didn’t want to be shamed or made to feel lesser as a male because I was not as athletically inclined as they were.

My interest and desire to “be the best” in sports never existed.

It was meant to be fun, to be spectated on, and because of my views I often times found myself on the outs with those who I shared the same genetic makeup as.

My frame, my build and my stature have always indicated to others merely from my perception alone at first that I am not to be taken seriously, that I am not into sports and that I am just a joke.

As the years have gone by I have more than come to terms with not being the sporting type but that little bit of insecurity always existed, even if it was so far buried.

The five weeks I played on the kickball team I was subjected to those same insecurities I had as a young boy, a teenage male, and an adult male by the other males on the team who didn’t value me as an equal because I had not played kickball bi-weekly since the incarnation of these adult leagues.

I was told to “bunt like the girls” because they thought I couldn’t kick.

Week by week I attempted to try to prove them wrong.

There were weeks where it just wasn’t my week and I was okay with that but it was those five weeks when I realized how idiotic the whole thing was.

I was letting people who take kickball seriously get under my skin when I realized that it was so minute and unimportant in the grander scheme of life.

The idea of what a man is has changed drastically over the years and it’s because of these new roles and non-conforming ideas of what “men” and “women” are that I felt okay that I wasn’t an athletic specimen.

It’s okay to not be physically inclined to kick a ball far out in the outfield that won’t be a pop up fly.

It is because of my experience on this Co-Ed adult kickball league that made me think about my future children and who they will become.

No longer does gender conforming roles guide how children are raised and no longer are stereotypes acceptable.

Our value as a person should not be based on how much or how less we equal up to our gender identity.

Next time you think about putting someone down because they’re not performing by what society’s standards expect of them because of their gender, remember that they have insecurities just like you and that their interests vary from yours and they should be respected.

There is a fine line between a joke and an insult.

Think before you speak and before you pass judgement on those who you don’t know.

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.

Cover Photo Credit: James/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)

Why the Olympics Has The Worst Ratings in Years

By Melissa Davidson

Unless Bob Costas gets pink eye again, is there anything that can save NBC’s ratings and coverage of the Olympic games in Rio thus far?

Opening ceremony TV views were less than steller – down 35% among all viewers from London’s opener four years ago.

The following night fared only slightly better, down about 28% from London but still at a 20-year low, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Ratings are starting to see an upswing as American men and women sweep swimming medals and magical gymnast Simone Biles continues to shine. Total viewing data, including digital formats, will be available later this week, NBC promises.

Time will tell, but the way millennials are viewing sports, including the Olympics, is changing with the times.

Let’s look at the trends to see why.

1) Social media and livestream

What catches the eye throughout the day on Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat, may determine if you tune into watch the Olympics on TV. Seeing something on social media influences one’s decision to tune in.

Now, after reading about #PhelpsFace on Facebook, I really want to see him win the 200-meter butterfly because it would prove his shade is justified.

NBC’s livestream multicast has taken some of the audience away, but TV is still king with 60% of consumers saying they will watch the games on TV.

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Photo Credit: Jorge Andrade/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)

However, several millennial friends of mine say watching coverage on TV is plain “annoying” with all the commercials and weird commentary from old men who just don’t get it.

It’s great that NBC is optimizing with mobile devices, even if the set-up isn’t flawless.

You can watch video with the NBC app without having to listen to Olympic commentators, whose words really rub some people the wrong way.

2) Traditional cable and video

To back up the claim that millennials are seeking out videos instead of traditional television and cable, a study found that young people are into YouTube celebrities just as much as traditional TV celebrities.

As for sports, the study found that millennials are more accustomed to seeking influencers on YouTube and Facebook than from ESPN.

ESPN – either the cable channel or the app – is still the place to go for 25- to-34-year-olds: 58% list ESPN as their resource for sports-related video content, followed by Facebook at 52%.

Among younger people, 13- to 24-year olds, YouTube gets 64%, Facebook with 53% and ESPN just 42%.

Interestingly, 4% of this younger group discover sports videos by looking to experts like sports pundits and analysts.

3) NBC strategy

Creating strong, positive, emotional reactions to a product fosters the desire to remain loyal to a brand over a long period of time.

But if the brand isn’t delivering, my word-of-mouth promotion isn’t going to be great, and I’m not likely to return in the future.

That’s marketing 101 and the reason why location and relationship are marketing buzzwords in 2016.

Some people are loyal to the “packaged” programming that NBC says the majority of the viewing public prefers over the actual, live competition.

I read a story recently in the Humanist, written by a millennial, who says she loves the inspirational stories that are rolled into a couple of weeks of programming.

Photo Credit: Jorge Andrade/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)

Photo Credit: Jorge Andrade/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)

I’ve also spoken with friends who say they don’t care for the “soft-focused story aspect of competitions” and simply want to see the games.

These opinions align with a piece written by columnist Sally Jenkins in the Washington Post that says NBC’s packaging of the Olympics is an insult to viewers and the athletes themselves.

“Even if you buy NBC’s argument that the majority of the public prefers edited, packaged programming over the vagaries of live sports competition, then ask yourself this question: Why aren’t NFL football telecasts tape delayed and packaged? Why don’t the networks delay and collapse the games in favor of sugary features showing childhood films of the Manning brothers on a swing set instead of wasting viewer’s time with a penalty-filled second quarter?”

“The fact is, no network would do that. Why? Because the networks assign a dignity and an import to a live NFL game that they don’t to women’s gymnastics.”

4) Women ‘do’ sports

Most of the money and attention spent on sports and athletes is directed at men, both at the professional and amateur levels.

Of the 150 million NFL fans, 45% are women and over one-third of viewers are women. Women on Team USA make up 53%.

A lot of American women are going to bring home medals. In fact, the women’s gymnastics squad just won the team All-Around Gold Medal for the second consecutive Olympics.

And because so many women watch sports on TV, NBC broadcasters need to stop with comments like “the man responsible” for Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszu’s world record in the 400-meter individual medley is her husband/coach.

The current strategy of NBC Olympic coverage isn’t winning over the public.

What if the execs listened to what the customer wants to see and how they want to see it?

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.

Cover Photo Credit: Jorge Andrade/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)

How Come The Media Had To Spoil Jerry Jeudy’s Alabama Announcement?

By Jose R. Lavergne

Last Thursday should have been an exceptionally joyous occasion for Jerry Jeudy, a high school football standout from Deerfield Beach.

He was announcing his decision on where he would be attending the next three to four years of his collegiate/football career.

He narrowed down his choices to Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, and Tennessee.

Instead the greed from some members of the media was put on the forefront.

Without any consideration for when the scheduled announcement was taking place, his decision was leaked on Twitter that he was attending Alabama before Jeudy had a chance to mention it himself.

The actual announcement would go on to be delayed by Jeudy.

One can only speculate that shock and frustration behind the time delay.

I have to commend Jeudy for comporting himself like an adult and not letting this bitter situation take away from his excitement in committing.

He thanked his mother for helping become the man that he is today and moved forward in putting a visor with the Alabama logo on it.

In our lives, we all have moments that are meant to be special for us.

A relatable example to most of us is our graduation.

Whether from kindergarten or high school, we feel this sense of joy for accomplishing something in our lives, and get to enjoy accolades from those closest to us.

We should NEVER take away that from anyone, especially from a kid.

He was given his first tough adult decision, and the media did not allow for him to voice it himself.

If we want as the media not to be ostracized from great news stories, how about showing respect for the person in the story.

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.

Cover Photo Credit: @jerryjeudy/ Twitter

Giancarlo Stanton Crushes Competition With Record-Setting Home Run Derby Win

SAN DIEGO — Not too long ago Giancarlo Stanton was struggling just to hit a baseball consistently. On Monday night, Stanton repeatedly sent them soaring and speeding out of the park more times than anyone in the history of the Home Run Derby. Stanton blasted the better part of 61 home runs overall to win his… Read More

College Football Playoff Semifinals Will Remain On New Year’s Eve For Now

HOOVER, Ala. — No significant changes are on the horizon for the College Football Playoff, the four-team tournament that determines college football’s national champion. “Our model works — 13 high-integrity people, football experts (who are) evaluating, studying, debating, frankly working their tails off during the season and producing a ranking that, while someone will always be… Read More

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