WHAT WE DID TODAY:
1/15
Rams to LA
Chip Kelley hired by 49ers
Alabama national champs
Missouri basketball sanctions
NBA draft early entry declaration date pushed back
1/7
NFL Playoffs
Nets coaching/GM change
Brad Stevens - leave to be with former player battling cancer
HS basketball coach headbutts referee
Co-op teams - how good would each of our sports teams be if we merged with Waterville?
1/5
Peyton Manning/HGH - relevancy, credibility of source
Tom Coughlin resigns - rare for an NFL coach to have such a long tenure - Chip Kelly fired after 3 seasons
NFL relocation to LA - why/why not is LA a good fit for an NFL team - why no teams are located in Las Vegas
Alabama/Clemson practice times different - based on semester of school
NHL Winter Classic - fair to play an indoor game outdoors? College basketball games played on aircraft carriers...
Draymond Green 3 straight triple doubles - top 10 player in the league?
High School Christmas tourneys - money making, mostly scrimmages - used to get a lot of out of state teams, these games counted for these teams, Maine is limited to number of countable games.
12/23
Visit from current college athletes - Bethany Winkin (Bryant Field Hockey), Devin Fitzgibbons (Felician Basketball), Alyssa Wood (Wesleyan Field Hockey)
Discussion of expectations of collegiate student athletes, experiences, etc.
Stories of experiences as a college athlete, on and off the field, academics, practice and game procedures.
12/21
Odell Beckham fight - out of proportion?
Jimmy Butler comments about Fred Hoiberg
Paul George fined for comments about officials
FIFA bans leaders for 8 years
FRD#3 in class
12/17
Tom Brady - support for Donald Trump - should athletes get involved in politics?
Bo Ryan retirement
Abby Wambach/comments on US men's soccer
Gilbert Arenas/comments on WNBA
Stephon Marbury - Kobe should play in China
Unconventional coaching techniques - Arkansas high school football team, Grinnell basketball - what is the highest level these styles will work with success?
12/15
Pete Rose - request for reinstatement denied
Derrick Henry - Heisman - best process for picking awards?
Bill Kennedy/Rajon Rondo
NFL replay / Belichick
MPA hockey replay for tournament
Waterville games / student sections
Private schools - should they have their own league?
12/11
Kentucky/Eastern Kentucky basketball
Iowa State - court storming - when is it appropriate?
MLB Winter Meetings
Steve Montador sues NHL - concussions
Parent attacks high school coach
12/7
College football Final Four
Carolina Panthers - Is Cam Newton MVP?
Mike Rice - Interim HS coach in New Jersey - is this the best spot for him?
Warriors 22-0
High School Sports weekend
12/3
David Price signs with Red Sox
NFL catch rule - meeting with commissioner
Warriors 20-0
Jimmy V week - Valvano's ESPY speech
Fall River Dreams question 2 in class
12/1
Football state championship game
NFC East - all teams below .500, all have a chance to make the playoffs
Maine football/Jack Cosgrove - can anyone win at Maine?
Kobe Bryant retirement
76ers/Jahlil Okafor - what else can go wrong? Drafting strategy...76ers picked Noel, Embiid, Okafor in successive years...Warriors have picked Thompson, Green, and Ezeli in the same time span.
NCAA basketball early season upsets
11/20
MLB MVP's - Harper unanimous, Donaldson worthy?
Carson Palmer pelvic thrust fine - where are the NFL's priorities?
NHL bye weeks - does this solve anything?
Warriors comeback/Steph Curry - can they win 73 games?
Football state game preview
Stephen A. Smith on Kristaps Porzingis - talent evaluation by media vs. scouts
What goes in to scouting and preparing scouting reports on individuals and teams
11/18
David Ortiz retirement - possible going away tour/gifts
Kentucky/Duke game - Kentucky likely new #1
College football playoff system - what is the best way to determine the national champion?
NHL All Star game 3on3 - will the gimmick work?
Houston Rockets players only meeting - what are the benefits and drawbacks of players only meetings?
Catch up day for reading and writing assingments
11/16
Football state game/recap of Northern Maine game
NFL security increase - how much security is too much? What are we willing to sacrifice in the name of safety?
Hack - A - Curry ...is this the best or only way to defend him? Possible solutions to the Hack-A strategy? Designated foul shooters? Decline fouls like in football?
Ronda Rousey/MMA - what does this say about us as a sports nation if this is one of the major headlines from this weekend? What constitutes a "sport?" (if it is illegal to do on the street, should it be a "sport?", MMA, boxing, auto racing, hunting, etc.)
Giants/Patriots game - coaching decisions, Odell Beckham catch/not a catch, and the NFL possession rules
MPA rules video - raises more questions than it answers
11/12
Sacramento Kings / George Karl / Demarcus Cousins / Vlade Divac - should the GM be on the side of the players or the coach?
Gerald Green - in hospital and suspended for off court fight
Greg Hardy - denies accusations - possible CTE?
Ray Armstrong - investigated for barking at police dog
NHL Scoring down by 1 goal per game - how can the NHL increase scoring? Are low scoring games even a problem?
Missouri Football - what precedent is being set by their actions?
Difference between practices of different level of the same sport - D1 much different from D3 in every aspect
How to get started in writing - look at a WHS grad's path
11/9
Reggie Bush sues city of St. Louis - who is responsible, if anyone, for his injury?
University of Southern Miss, self imposed tournament ban - is this better than waiting for the NCAA to investigate?
New York Islanders move to Brooklyn and attendance is down - is Brooklyn a good place for an NHL team?
Maine High School playoff update - football semis, state soccer games
Fall River Dreams response #1 in class
11/5
MPA tournament games - up for bid - what is a good price to pay for streaming vs. no broadcast at all?
Lebron ripping sleeves off jersey - are uniform innovations hindering the performance of players?
Erskine boys soccer - great run to the state game
Things high school athletes want - what are some perks that would add to the morale of a team or program?
Innovations to sports over time - the trickle down effect from the highest leagues to Maine - how do we increase this "trickle?"
Sports in different eras - fair to compare teams and players from different eras? How to account for changes in styles of play, rules, and equipment?
11/3
Grantland - RIP (!?!)
Royals World Series champs
Kobe Bryant - day off for "personal time"
Miami/Duke football game - ref suspensions
High School sports playoffs
Coaches Association meeting details - shot clock, sports season policy, football state game overlap
Why do so few coaches attend association meetings?
10/30
Austin Rivers - fined for throwing seat cushion into crowd
Oakland Raiders - relocating?
Joseph Randle - demoted, AWOL
Washington high school football coach fired for post-game prayer
State Championship field hockey game preview
Work on column analysis assignment
10/28
World Series game 1 - inside the park homerun, power outage, 14 innings
Kobe Bryant - 20 seasons playing for one team, new record
Ryan Mallet - cut for missing team flight
Lenny Dykstra - blackmailing umpires to get calls in games
Pennsylvania youth football - league organizers find bullets with their names on them in parking lot
Coaching: How to get better
-watch as much as possible
-research, find videos and articles
-apply what you find
-don't be afraid to try new things/experiment
-don't get frustrated if it doesn't work
-look for professional development opportunities
-change is GOOD - do something no one else is doing
-work on player development
Mike D'Antoni Harvard clinic presentation
10/26
Flip Saunders RIP
World Series - would baseball consider moving game times sooner to attract young fans? What about people on the west coast?
Coin toss to determine seeding for football playoffs - is there a better solution?
Officials shortage - how can Maine attract new, young officials?
Friday Night Lights final essay in class
10/22
Mets NL Champs, Daniel Murphy's record setting performance
Lousiville Basketball - allegations confirmed by a former player - sanctions/punishment will depend on where the funds came from
Fantasy Sports website scandals - how do we regulate fantasy sports?
ESPN layoffs - we get our information much more efficiently these days, not as much demand for people
College coaches tailoring their practices for pro scouts - what is the responsibility of the college coach?
10/20
Incident from boys' soccer game last night
ALCS/NLCS
Will Grier, Florida quarterback, suspended for steroids - probably should have been more careful about what he was taking
Length of preseasons - pro: maybe a bit too long, risk of injury, best players getting injured or refusing to play; college: very long, NCAA D1 basketball has 42 days from first practice to first game; high school: about right for fall and spring, too short for winter, especially if football plays in the state game...solutions?
Indianapolis Colts play vs Patriots - worst play of all time? Executed perfectly by UMaine in 2011 to win a game
Administrative issues seen in Friday Night Lights vs. what we have seen in Maine - player accountability, coach accountability, academic focus, on field behavior from players, parent issues, racism?
10/16
Lamar Odom - people taking advantage of the situation - reality tv star or star athlete?
Leavitt football player - near tragedy - more HS football violence
Maine HS sports postseasons - relevance of KVAC championship games/scrimamges?
MLB Playoffs
-Chase Utley slide - legal? Appropriate punishment?
-Jose Bautista/7th inning of ALDS game 5 - ball in play rules, bat flips, clean slides, etc. - Analysis from Mr. Keenan/umpire perspective vs. fan perspective.
Work on columns due next class
10/8
Friday Night Lights Quiz #3
(Half day; Mr. Browne on a field trip. No class 10/14 because of PSATs; next class is 10/16)
10/6
Louisville Basketball scandal - how credible is Pitino?
CC Sabathia - Yankees playoff chances
MLB Playoffs - is the extra wild card necessary? Does the system need to be changed?
Raffi Torres 41 game suspension - appropriate?
Maine D1 scholarship athletes
Video on the odds of getting a scholarship
Why do so few Maine kids get scholarships?
Why so few Maine kids are playing any sports in college
10/2
Tristan Thompson holdout - what does he have to gain? What will the Cavs do?
No NFL players arrested in September - first month in 6 years without an arrest
Jeremy Affeldt comments on steroid users - necessary to voice his opinion this way? What about other non-steroid users?
US Men's Olympic soccer qualifying - why is the women's team so good and the men's...not so good?
Youth sports and feeder programs - direct correlation to program success and quality of feeder program (US soccer?)
Article by Charles P. Pierce about children dying while playing football
Data analysis of sports deaths in American high school and college sports
9/30
SMU basketball/Larry Brown scandal - SMU/Brown reputation for scandals in past
Cleveland Cavaliers practice to be broadcast live on Facebook - right to privacy for players/coaches? Will this practice be a typical team practice?
Red Sox manager situation - what to do about John Farrell - back as manager next year? Front office job?
Academic eligibility - no MPA rule other than schools must have a policy - should the policy be uniform? Many other MPA rules/policies are uniform.
Lengths of Maine sports seasons - unfair due to football - good football schools always run through the first week of winter sports season - goes against MPA "even playing field" policy
Friday Night Lights response #2 in class
9/28
Camden football cancels season - should they have? Possible solutions to their problem - what it takes to build a program
New Jersey high school football player dies after hit in game - safety issues around football - will the game change?
Bryce Harper/Jonathan Papelbon fight - no consequences - should there be?
FIFA scandal - other scandalous activity around international sports
Follow up from last class: article on roles of assistant coaches
Look at what D1 basketball coaches make for salaries
Article from 1939: Bill Mansfield on officiating
Kalle Oakes column on Camden football
Look at Player's Tribune website
Article analysis assignment
9/24
Yogi Berra RIP
Bruce Rondon, Tigers closer, sent home due to "poor attitude" - he is still getting paid - should he have to give salary back?
Texas HS football ref update - coach told kids to attack the ref because the ref was using racial slurs - kids suspended from school for 75 days
Transfers: UCLA not allowing a player to transfer - what rights do college players have when transferring? D1 must sit out a year, two years if transfer is within conference - D3 no rule, can play right away - fair?
Should Maine high school athletes be allowed to transfer for athletic purposes?
Coaching: The often overlooked role of assistant coaches
College assistant coaches - volunteers work around the clock, doing whatever the head coach needs, sport related or not (walk their dog, do their laundry, etc.) - 24 hour a day job
Loyalty - never talk negatively about the head coach or other coaches
Build your philosophy as an assistant - note what you like/dislike about your current program, implement when you become a head coach
On-field roles - scouting, prep, gameplanning, recruiting - need to be knowledgeable in all areas - never know what coach may ask you to do
High school level:
Player development should be #1 priority - no one cares about JV wins!
Follow the philosophy of head coach - style of play, terminology, etc., even if you don't agree (loyalty again)
Head coach is the voice - what they say goes, they are your boss
Need to be willing to do what is needed - never know what can come up in a school day
Learn from situations that come up - the crazier the situation, the more you will learn and grow
9/22
The NFL and CTE - 87 of 91 former players tested positive - what is going to become of football with all of this info about the long term effects of concussions?
WNBA declining in popularity - why? What can the league do to be more popular?
Anthony Bennett buyout - the work that goes in to scouting, why some players are busts
Modern data analysis - finding the balance between the "eyeball test" and what the numbers say
Band vs. Mixtape - what players prefer for warmups
Looking at vintage photos of Winslow sports teams and athletic venues
Analysis of an article of a 1938 Winslow/Waterville boys basketball game - noting stylistic differences between then and now
*Check the Links section of this website for a sample of some of these photos as well as the aforementioned article
9/18
Pacman Jones - fined for bashing opponents' head off helmet - what is an appropriate punishment?
Kobe Bryant declared fully healthy to play this season - the wear and tear on pro athletes' bodies
Patrick Kane - accused, not suspended - consistency of punishments throughout leagues?
IMG Academy - prep school just for sports - ethical? Feasible in Maine?
Sportswriting over decades - famous writers and pioneers of sports media
Analysis of modern sportswriters in preparation for our first column assignment
(website of best sports articles ever written was blocked by school web filter - check the links section to read some of these articles at home)
9/16
Jason Pierre-Paul's hand - how honest has he been? What are the ethical responsibilities of all involved in this situation?
San Diego St. / Steve Fisher under NCAA investigation for violations - another controversy involving Coach Fisher
Texas AD Steve Patterson fired after only 22 months - the cutthroat world of Division1 sports, and football in Texas
James Harden wearing Jordans after signing contract with Adidads - what responsibilities do athletes have when they sign endorsement deals? How much money would it take to get you to wear one brand exclusively?
Steve Nash hired as player development coach for the Warriors - best get better
Team Canada underwhelms at FIBA Americas tourney - still a long way to go for Canadian basketball
Coaching: a favorite media target - how to get involved in coaching, how to work your way up
-need connections, pay your dues by doing the "dirty work", focus on education courses in college, get involved with a college team/coach, work camps, look to coach jr. high/travel teams while in college, work your way up as a volunteer/sub-varsity coach, research the job you want, try to get your first varsity or head coaching job at a low level/low stress place
9/14
David Ortiz 500 home runs - Hall of Famer? What about steroid allegations? Should alleged steroid users be in the HOF?
Moses Malone's death - greatest offensive rebounder in NBA history?
Floyd Mayweather retiring(?) - Who is the next household name in boxing? Is there anyone?
Patriots headset controversy - blown out of proportion because the Patriots are involved
NFL Week 1 highlights
Fantasy sports in America - the reason why the NFL is so popular today
Dealing with the media from a coach / athlete perspective - how to answer tough questions, how to not get in trouble, what to say/not to say. (See examples in the "Links" section)
Social Media - what to do/not do
9/10
Updates on:
-Texas HS football ref assault - racism?
-Matt Harvey - will make two more regular season starts
-Respect for the game - do we celebrate a tie?
"Do Your Job" Patriots documentary - coaching and preparation at the highest level
The "unwritten rules" of sports - are they necessary? Do some go too far?
Exploration of our class website - suggestions for upgrades?
FNL writing assignment
9/8
Brady wins appeal; the end of the Deflategate saga
Matt Harvey 180 IP limit - win now or win in the future?
Texas HS football ref assault - what is an appropriate punishment for these kids?
Respect the game – when /when not to celebrate wins
Mainers having early success in college - who are the best Maine high school basketball players of all time?
Media: Ethics
FRPA/confidentiality
Truth
Fairness
Responsibility
Different levels of play = different responsibility from media
HS – careful because most are under 18
College- same as HS but some "rules" are different because athletes are over 18
Pro-anything goes
9/3
NCAA Unionization - should college athletes be paid?
Women coaches in men's pro sports - good hires or publicity stunt?
High School fall sports preview
MPA Classification – could WHS sports teams compete if we petitioned up?
History of sports on TV
ESPN
Insiders/notes columns
Media accessibility – print what they hear, not what they see
9/1
RG3 - losing his starting spot - can an option QB be successful in the NFL?
Derrick Rose - will he be punished/what will it be?
School Mascots - are Native American mascots offensive? Who decides what "offensive" is?
Sports season policy - Should Maine HS athletes be allowed to compete on sports teams outside of the sports season?
Friday Night Lights assigned
Columns assigned
Explored different websites looking at columns - Grantland, FiveThirtyEight, Onlinesentinel, etc.
8/28
Interest Sheets
Deflategate - why is this so important?
Chris Borland/Cris Carter - get a "fall guy" in your posse - NFL and image
Celtics/Hornets draft pick trade - is one player worth six players?
Running clock in HS football - fair to young kids who only play in blowouts?
Timeline of media – popular sports, target audiences, accessibility throughout history
Rams to LA
Chip Kelley hired by 49ers
Alabama national champs
Missouri basketball sanctions
NBA draft early entry declaration date pushed back
1/7
NFL Playoffs
Nets coaching/GM change
Brad Stevens - leave to be with former player battling cancer
HS basketball coach headbutts referee
Co-op teams - how good would each of our sports teams be if we merged with Waterville?
1/5
Peyton Manning/HGH - relevancy, credibility of source
Tom Coughlin resigns - rare for an NFL coach to have such a long tenure - Chip Kelly fired after 3 seasons
NFL relocation to LA - why/why not is LA a good fit for an NFL team - why no teams are located in Las Vegas
Alabama/Clemson practice times different - based on semester of school
NHL Winter Classic - fair to play an indoor game outdoors? College basketball games played on aircraft carriers...
Draymond Green 3 straight triple doubles - top 10 player in the league?
High School Christmas tourneys - money making, mostly scrimmages - used to get a lot of out of state teams, these games counted for these teams, Maine is limited to number of countable games.
12/23
Visit from current college athletes - Bethany Winkin (Bryant Field Hockey), Devin Fitzgibbons (Felician Basketball), Alyssa Wood (Wesleyan Field Hockey)
Discussion of expectations of collegiate student athletes, experiences, etc.
Stories of experiences as a college athlete, on and off the field, academics, practice and game procedures.
12/21
Odell Beckham fight - out of proportion?
Jimmy Butler comments about Fred Hoiberg
Paul George fined for comments about officials
FIFA bans leaders for 8 years
FRD#3 in class
12/17
Tom Brady - support for Donald Trump - should athletes get involved in politics?
Bo Ryan retirement
Abby Wambach/comments on US men's soccer
Gilbert Arenas/comments on WNBA
Stephon Marbury - Kobe should play in China
Unconventional coaching techniques - Arkansas high school football team, Grinnell basketball - what is the highest level these styles will work with success?
12/15
Pete Rose - request for reinstatement denied
Derrick Henry - Heisman - best process for picking awards?
Bill Kennedy/Rajon Rondo
NFL replay / Belichick
MPA hockey replay for tournament
Waterville games / student sections
Private schools - should they have their own league?
12/11
Kentucky/Eastern Kentucky basketball
Iowa State - court storming - when is it appropriate?
MLB Winter Meetings
Steve Montador sues NHL - concussions
Parent attacks high school coach
12/7
College football Final Four
Carolina Panthers - Is Cam Newton MVP?
Mike Rice - Interim HS coach in New Jersey - is this the best spot for him?
Warriors 22-0
High School Sports weekend
12/3
David Price signs with Red Sox
NFL catch rule - meeting with commissioner
Warriors 20-0
Jimmy V week - Valvano's ESPY speech
Fall River Dreams question 2 in class
12/1
Football state championship game
NFC East - all teams below .500, all have a chance to make the playoffs
Maine football/Jack Cosgrove - can anyone win at Maine?
Kobe Bryant retirement
76ers/Jahlil Okafor - what else can go wrong? Drafting strategy...76ers picked Noel, Embiid, Okafor in successive years...Warriors have picked Thompson, Green, and Ezeli in the same time span.
NCAA basketball early season upsets
11/20
MLB MVP's - Harper unanimous, Donaldson worthy?
Carson Palmer pelvic thrust fine - where are the NFL's priorities?
NHL bye weeks - does this solve anything?
Warriors comeback/Steph Curry - can they win 73 games?
Football state game preview
Stephen A. Smith on Kristaps Porzingis - talent evaluation by media vs. scouts
What goes in to scouting and preparing scouting reports on individuals and teams
11/18
David Ortiz retirement - possible going away tour/gifts
Kentucky/Duke game - Kentucky likely new #1
College football playoff system - what is the best way to determine the national champion?
NHL All Star game 3on3 - will the gimmick work?
Houston Rockets players only meeting - what are the benefits and drawbacks of players only meetings?
Catch up day for reading and writing assingments
11/16
Football state game/recap of Northern Maine game
NFL security increase - how much security is too much? What are we willing to sacrifice in the name of safety?
Hack - A - Curry ...is this the best or only way to defend him? Possible solutions to the Hack-A strategy? Designated foul shooters? Decline fouls like in football?
Ronda Rousey/MMA - what does this say about us as a sports nation if this is one of the major headlines from this weekend? What constitutes a "sport?" (if it is illegal to do on the street, should it be a "sport?", MMA, boxing, auto racing, hunting, etc.)
Giants/Patriots game - coaching decisions, Odell Beckham catch/not a catch, and the NFL possession rules
MPA rules video - raises more questions than it answers
11/12
Sacramento Kings / George Karl / Demarcus Cousins / Vlade Divac - should the GM be on the side of the players or the coach?
Gerald Green - in hospital and suspended for off court fight
Greg Hardy - denies accusations - possible CTE?
Ray Armstrong - investigated for barking at police dog
NHL Scoring down by 1 goal per game - how can the NHL increase scoring? Are low scoring games even a problem?
Missouri Football - what precedent is being set by their actions?
Difference between practices of different level of the same sport - D1 much different from D3 in every aspect
How to get started in writing - look at a WHS grad's path
11/9
Reggie Bush sues city of St. Louis - who is responsible, if anyone, for his injury?
University of Southern Miss, self imposed tournament ban - is this better than waiting for the NCAA to investigate?
New York Islanders move to Brooklyn and attendance is down - is Brooklyn a good place for an NHL team?
Maine High School playoff update - football semis, state soccer games
Fall River Dreams response #1 in class
11/5
MPA tournament games - up for bid - what is a good price to pay for streaming vs. no broadcast at all?
Lebron ripping sleeves off jersey - are uniform innovations hindering the performance of players?
Erskine boys soccer - great run to the state game
Things high school athletes want - what are some perks that would add to the morale of a team or program?
Innovations to sports over time - the trickle down effect from the highest leagues to Maine - how do we increase this "trickle?"
Sports in different eras - fair to compare teams and players from different eras? How to account for changes in styles of play, rules, and equipment?
11/3
Grantland - RIP (!?!)
Royals World Series champs
Kobe Bryant - day off for "personal time"
Miami/Duke football game - ref suspensions
High School sports playoffs
Coaches Association meeting details - shot clock, sports season policy, football state game overlap
Why do so few coaches attend association meetings?
10/30
Austin Rivers - fined for throwing seat cushion into crowd
Oakland Raiders - relocating?
Joseph Randle - demoted, AWOL
Washington high school football coach fired for post-game prayer
State Championship field hockey game preview
Work on column analysis assignment
10/28
World Series game 1 - inside the park homerun, power outage, 14 innings
Kobe Bryant - 20 seasons playing for one team, new record
Ryan Mallet - cut for missing team flight
Lenny Dykstra - blackmailing umpires to get calls in games
Pennsylvania youth football - league organizers find bullets with their names on them in parking lot
Coaching: How to get better
-watch as much as possible
-research, find videos and articles
-apply what you find
-don't be afraid to try new things/experiment
-don't get frustrated if it doesn't work
-look for professional development opportunities
-change is GOOD - do something no one else is doing
-work on player development
Mike D'Antoni Harvard clinic presentation
10/26
Flip Saunders RIP
World Series - would baseball consider moving game times sooner to attract young fans? What about people on the west coast?
Coin toss to determine seeding for football playoffs - is there a better solution?
Officials shortage - how can Maine attract new, young officials?
Friday Night Lights final essay in class
10/22
Mets NL Champs, Daniel Murphy's record setting performance
Lousiville Basketball - allegations confirmed by a former player - sanctions/punishment will depend on where the funds came from
Fantasy Sports website scandals - how do we regulate fantasy sports?
ESPN layoffs - we get our information much more efficiently these days, not as much demand for people
College coaches tailoring their practices for pro scouts - what is the responsibility of the college coach?
10/20
Incident from boys' soccer game last night
ALCS/NLCS
Will Grier, Florida quarterback, suspended for steroids - probably should have been more careful about what he was taking
Length of preseasons - pro: maybe a bit too long, risk of injury, best players getting injured or refusing to play; college: very long, NCAA D1 basketball has 42 days from first practice to first game; high school: about right for fall and spring, too short for winter, especially if football plays in the state game...solutions?
Indianapolis Colts play vs Patriots - worst play of all time? Executed perfectly by UMaine in 2011 to win a game
Administrative issues seen in Friday Night Lights vs. what we have seen in Maine - player accountability, coach accountability, academic focus, on field behavior from players, parent issues, racism?
10/16
Lamar Odom - people taking advantage of the situation - reality tv star or star athlete?
Leavitt football player - near tragedy - more HS football violence
Maine HS sports postseasons - relevance of KVAC championship games/scrimamges?
MLB Playoffs
-Chase Utley slide - legal? Appropriate punishment?
-Jose Bautista/7th inning of ALDS game 5 - ball in play rules, bat flips, clean slides, etc. - Analysis from Mr. Keenan/umpire perspective vs. fan perspective.
Work on columns due next class
10/8
Friday Night Lights Quiz #3
(Half day; Mr. Browne on a field trip. No class 10/14 because of PSATs; next class is 10/16)
10/6
Louisville Basketball scandal - how credible is Pitino?
CC Sabathia - Yankees playoff chances
MLB Playoffs - is the extra wild card necessary? Does the system need to be changed?
Raffi Torres 41 game suspension - appropriate?
Maine D1 scholarship athletes
Video on the odds of getting a scholarship
Why do so few Maine kids get scholarships?
Why so few Maine kids are playing any sports in college
10/2
Tristan Thompson holdout - what does he have to gain? What will the Cavs do?
No NFL players arrested in September - first month in 6 years without an arrest
Jeremy Affeldt comments on steroid users - necessary to voice his opinion this way? What about other non-steroid users?
US Men's Olympic soccer qualifying - why is the women's team so good and the men's...not so good?
Youth sports and feeder programs - direct correlation to program success and quality of feeder program (US soccer?)
Article by Charles P. Pierce about children dying while playing football
Data analysis of sports deaths in American high school and college sports
9/30
SMU basketball/Larry Brown scandal - SMU/Brown reputation for scandals in past
Cleveland Cavaliers practice to be broadcast live on Facebook - right to privacy for players/coaches? Will this practice be a typical team practice?
Red Sox manager situation - what to do about John Farrell - back as manager next year? Front office job?
Academic eligibility - no MPA rule other than schools must have a policy - should the policy be uniform? Many other MPA rules/policies are uniform.
Lengths of Maine sports seasons - unfair due to football - good football schools always run through the first week of winter sports season - goes against MPA "even playing field" policy
Friday Night Lights response #2 in class
9/28
Camden football cancels season - should they have? Possible solutions to their problem - what it takes to build a program
New Jersey high school football player dies after hit in game - safety issues around football - will the game change?
Bryce Harper/Jonathan Papelbon fight - no consequences - should there be?
FIFA scandal - other scandalous activity around international sports
Follow up from last class: article on roles of assistant coaches
Look at what D1 basketball coaches make for salaries
Article from 1939: Bill Mansfield on officiating
Kalle Oakes column on Camden football
Look at Player's Tribune website
Article analysis assignment
9/24
Yogi Berra RIP
Bruce Rondon, Tigers closer, sent home due to "poor attitude" - he is still getting paid - should he have to give salary back?
Texas HS football ref update - coach told kids to attack the ref because the ref was using racial slurs - kids suspended from school for 75 days
Transfers: UCLA not allowing a player to transfer - what rights do college players have when transferring? D1 must sit out a year, two years if transfer is within conference - D3 no rule, can play right away - fair?
Should Maine high school athletes be allowed to transfer for athletic purposes?
Coaching: The often overlooked role of assistant coaches
College assistant coaches - volunteers work around the clock, doing whatever the head coach needs, sport related or not (walk their dog, do their laundry, etc.) - 24 hour a day job
Loyalty - never talk negatively about the head coach or other coaches
Build your philosophy as an assistant - note what you like/dislike about your current program, implement when you become a head coach
On-field roles - scouting, prep, gameplanning, recruiting - need to be knowledgeable in all areas - never know what coach may ask you to do
High school level:
Player development should be #1 priority - no one cares about JV wins!
Follow the philosophy of head coach - style of play, terminology, etc., even if you don't agree (loyalty again)
Head coach is the voice - what they say goes, they are your boss
Need to be willing to do what is needed - never know what can come up in a school day
Learn from situations that come up - the crazier the situation, the more you will learn and grow
9/22
The NFL and CTE - 87 of 91 former players tested positive - what is going to become of football with all of this info about the long term effects of concussions?
WNBA declining in popularity - why? What can the league do to be more popular?
Anthony Bennett buyout - the work that goes in to scouting, why some players are busts
Modern data analysis - finding the balance between the "eyeball test" and what the numbers say
Band vs. Mixtape - what players prefer for warmups
Looking at vintage photos of Winslow sports teams and athletic venues
Analysis of an article of a 1938 Winslow/Waterville boys basketball game - noting stylistic differences between then and now
*Check the Links section of this website for a sample of some of these photos as well as the aforementioned article
9/18
Pacman Jones - fined for bashing opponents' head off helmet - what is an appropriate punishment?
Kobe Bryant declared fully healthy to play this season - the wear and tear on pro athletes' bodies
Patrick Kane - accused, not suspended - consistency of punishments throughout leagues?
IMG Academy - prep school just for sports - ethical? Feasible in Maine?
Sportswriting over decades - famous writers and pioneers of sports media
Analysis of modern sportswriters in preparation for our first column assignment
(website of best sports articles ever written was blocked by school web filter - check the links section to read some of these articles at home)
9/16
Jason Pierre-Paul's hand - how honest has he been? What are the ethical responsibilities of all involved in this situation?
San Diego St. / Steve Fisher under NCAA investigation for violations - another controversy involving Coach Fisher
Texas AD Steve Patterson fired after only 22 months - the cutthroat world of Division1 sports, and football in Texas
James Harden wearing Jordans after signing contract with Adidads - what responsibilities do athletes have when they sign endorsement deals? How much money would it take to get you to wear one brand exclusively?
Steve Nash hired as player development coach for the Warriors - best get better
Team Canada underwhelms at FIBA Americas tourney - still a long way to go for Canadian basketball
Coaching: a favorite media target - how to get involved in coaching, how to work your way up
-need connections, pay your dues by doing the "dirty work", focus on education courses in college, get involved with a college team/coach, work camps, look to coach jr. high/travel teams while in college, work your way up as a volunteer/sub-varsity coach, research the job you want, try to get your first varsity or head coaching job at a low level/low stress place
9/14
David Ortiz 500 home runs - Hall of Famer? What about steroid allegations? Should alleged steroid users be in the HOF?
Moses Malone's death - greatest offensive rebounder in NBA history?
Floyd Mayweather retiring(?) - Who is the next household name in boxing? Is there anyone?
Patriots headset controversy - blown out of proportion because the Patriots are involved
NFL Week 1 highlights
Fantasy sports in America - the reason why the NFL is so popular today
Dealing with the media from a coach / athlete perspective - how to answer tough questions, how to not get in trouble, what to say/not to say. (See examples in the "Links" section)
Social Media - what to do/not do
9/10
Updates on:
-Texas HS football ref assault - racism?
-Matt Harvey - will make two more regular season starts
-Respect for the game - do we celebrate a tie?
"Do Your Job" Patriots documentary - coaching and preparation at the highest level
The "unwritten rules" of sports - are they necessary? Do some go too far?
Exploration of our class website - suggestions for upgrades?
FNL writing assignment
9/8
Brady wins appeal; the end of the Deflategate saga
Matt Harvey 180 IP limit - win now or win in the future?
Texas HS football ref assault - what is an appropriate punishment for these kids?
Respect the game – when /when not to celebrate wins
Mainers having early success in college - who are the best Maine high school basketball players of all time?
Media: Ethics
FRPA/confidentiality
Truth
Fairness
Responsibility
Different levels of play = different responsibility from media
HS – careful because most are under 18
College- same as HS but some "rules" are different because athletes are over 18
Pro-anything goes
9/3
NCAA Unionization - should college athletes be paid?
Women coaches in men's pro sports - good hires or publicity stunt?
High School fall sports preview
MPA Classification – could WHS sports teams compete if we petitioned up?
History of sports on TV
ESPN
Insiders/notes columns
Media accessibility – print what they hear, not what they see
9/1
RG3 - losing his starting spot - can an option QB be successful in the NFL?
Derrick Rose - will he be punished/what will it be?
School Mascots - are Native American mascots offensive? Who decides what "offensive" is?
Sports season policy - Should Maine HS athletes be allowed to compete on sports teams outside of the sports season?
Friday Night Lights assigned
Columns assigned
Explored different websites looking at columns - Grantland, FiveThirtyEight, Onlinesentinel, etc.
8/28
Interest Sheets
Deflategate - why is this so important?
Chris Borland/Cris Carter - get a "fall guy" in your posse - NFL and image
Celtics/Hornets draft pick trade - is one player worth six players?
Running clock in HS football - fair to young kids who only play in blowouts?
Timeline of media – popular sports, target audiences, accessibility throughout history