Can't Spell Teamwork with an "I"

So here is my reaction to the Teamwork 101 reading.

First off, the very first quote is wonderful. "One is too small a number to achieve greatness."

So profound, and so very true. No one person can achieve everything by themselves. Lets examine some of the greatest people to achieve greatness.

Bill Gates: Worked with others to develop Windows. Partnered with many to create great products such as that Xbox 360 I can't give up in Media Depravation day. Team Player.

Wayne Gretzky: Nickname "The Great One". 1,963 assists to teammates. Captained some of the best teams. Team Player.

Peter DePietro: Created major websites such as Clinton Foundation and Barnes and Noble to name a couple. Created these as part of the team. Team Player.

Whether you are the Richest man in the world, best player at a sport, or a University Professor who knows his stuff, to achieve greatness, we have to be team players.

Another part that I think was really interesting. was the "Why do we Stand Alone?" section. I love nearly everyone in my major, but there are a few that suffer from these qualities that make them a bad team player. The analogy of the spinning plates, and the more plates you spin, doesn't increase your talent, but increases the chance of a plate falling. I can't stand Big Ego's, and while sometimes I'll joke and pretend I have an ego, in reality, I go out of my way to make sure that I don't have a big ego, cause I hate those people. I'm a pretty outgoing person to, so where Maxwell says he has problems relating to the less outgoing folk, I understand what he's saying. What's the harm in saying hello?

"Working together with other people toward a common goal is one of the most rewarding experiences of life."

Playing hockey with my teammates...my friends...is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Winning a rec league championship means something, because we come together, united for one cause, communicate effectively and play efficient and at a high level to win. Talent won us games. We had a few games where we were just off, and our goalie wasn't playing well, but we had a few guys who could score and they won us games. Teamwork is what won us championships.

I go back to one of my best, and favourite (inline) hockey memories. So, I was subbing as a goalie for some friends who had a double header. We had 4 players and me, the goalie against a full team. No players got rest, and it was a constant barrage of shots that I had to face (one of the teams, my dad was the goalie of), and we had one player who was a good scorer, and two great defenseman. We communicated and came together and ended up winning both games. Everyone was shocked that four players with no rest, and a goalie (who is AWESOME) won a double header with only an hour rest in between games. I probably stopped 100 shots that day. I trusted my defenders to block shots, I trusted my offense to score, and they trusted me to give them the opportunity to win by keeping the biscuit out of the basket.

The three questions, What is my dream?, Who is on my team?, and What should my dream team look like? are very important too. Establish what you want to accomplish, assemble a team, and assemble the team that fits the dream. Maxwell says, "It's better to have a great team with a weak dream, than a great dream with a weak team."

As far as Bearcast goes, the chapter about developing leaders is really important to me, and to my vision of how Bearcast should be run. We need to find people who exemplify important qualities, and put a higher stake in them so that they can take over as leaders. I think I've done that this year with the Sports Director position. I know that if I'm not selected as a director next year, that our sports department will be in great hands, because I have a large stake in both Duane McDonald, and Steve Bohne. Their are pluses and minuses for every candidate, but I really think Steve has shown that he is a person Bearcast should want to have as a leader. This year was harder to schedule because our team was smaller, and too many people had internships and are graduating. Steve was really my go to guy all year long. Never had a problem doing games, filling in for people, and I can count on him to teach the new guys (by vocal leadership, and by example) of how we are run. Just yesterday, during his show, Steve was wearing a hoodie and jeans....certainly not Bearcast Sports dress attire, but I knew Steve was money, and he didn't disappoint, because he had brought kakis, a golf shirt, and shoes with him to look good, and comply with our self imposed dress code. I certainly think that we have some great candidates for directors next year, and I think Steve would make a great one! That being said, I know without a doubt in my mind that Duane would be a great director. He too exemplifies any and every quality you could think of. I can't say enough about Duane. I tried convincing Duane last year to apply, and even went as far as telling him that if I were making the decision, I would take him over Dylan, Scott, and myself. Nobody has a bad thing to say about Duane, and everyone respects him. He's a hard worker and a tremendous leader. One thing is certain, our Sports department will continue to grow and work harder, and become better with the leaders we have, and maybe the leaders we will have!

I finally agree with an author from our required books! After thinking that Mark Ramsey knew nothing about radio (especially satellite radio), I love Maxwell. I think he is spot on and I really believe everything he says. I don't know if this is how I'm supposed to feel, but when I read these words and I feel like I innately know the words in this book.

Leadership Experiences in my 22 Years

In 22 years, I think I have a good idea of what a good leader is. I was first exposed to my leaders, my parents, in January of 1988. When I was younger, I used to think leaders meant being bossy. As a young 5 year old, I of course, thought my parents were bossy, but with age I've come to realize that leadership is much deeper than any single word.

I had many different role models throughout my childhood from my parents, to sports superstars, to personalities. One interesting thing, is that during my lifetime, I don't think I've seen a good leader, as the leader of our country. When we learn about the Presidents of the US, we learn how great leaders Washington and Lincoln were, but really, I never thought they were that great of leaders. They both had tremendous accomplishments, and are a huge part of the history of the world, but to say they were the best leaders that the USA has ever had, I think is overkill. As far as politics goes, my role model has always been, and will always be FDR. I took a shining to him when we first began to learn about the 1920's to 1950's in seventh grade. Why? Simple. FDR took over a country at an extremely tough time in our country, and made us better. Was it he, himself who made us better? No, he had a team, and he had the people following him, he just lead the country. He was a responsible leader because he did what was necessary, including leading by example (something I think is super important). FDR did not want to be filmed in his wheel chair because he felt it made him appear weak, and as the representative of the USA, made the US look weak. He fought through all of the pain, of standing at podiums for an extended time, and made sure he was walking when he made appearances, to lead the country by showing his strength. I'm sure the people didn't know at the time, but we do now, that he was in bad shape, yet still was the most effective president the USA has ever known.

On the reverse end of the spectrum, there was another leader around that time who used leadership, and his charisma, to manipulate people. One of the most evil humans ever to walk the earth, Adolf Hitler, was a tremendous leader, but was not a responsible leader. I mean...he convinced Germans that the Jewish people were evil and the reason for no jobs for Germans. He displayed all of the qualities of a good leader, passion, vocal, led by example (until his death), and ruled for the people (except he did manipulate many people) but just had a terrible, disgusting message.

Politics aren't necessarily my thing though, but being born in the Northeast, I was fortunate enough to be blessed by being a fan and participant of the best sport in the world. No other sport can touch the leadership qualities that hockey players have, and when you play hockey, you really learn quickly how to be a leader, and who can be a leader. From a very young age, I was a Captain of Assistant Captain of many of the teams I played on.

I've always thought great leaders have many qualities. I don't think you could list every quality, because each leader is a little different, but they all follow a few basic rules (in my opinion).

1. Lead by example

-A good leader shows the people what they should do, or how they should perform. Practice what you preach basically.

2. Vocals

-A good leader needs to be vocal. That doesn't mean be mean, or degrading, or appear like a know it all, but a good leader can speak his/her mind

3. Timing

-A good leader knows when to be vocal, and when to step back. Usually when s/he steps back, thats when leading by example pays off, because other people step up and practice what the leader has been preaching, either by actions or vocals.

4. Rule for the People

-A good leader wants to please the people, and give the people responsibility, or a stake in the big picture

5. Perform at a high level

-The only way people will believe you, is if you perform at a high level. A good leader should want the extra responsibility, the weight on the shoulders, and perform at a high level.

6. When the "Game" is on the line, Give me the Ball

-When everything is on the line, the leader wants the ball.

In 22 years, I think I've got a pretty good idea of what it means to be a good leader, and in 22 years I think I've displayed those qualities in schoolwork, job, and sports.

Sports Survey

So I plan on giving this survey tonight to the sports department. I want people to be brutally honest so we can take criticism and apply it next year. With the questions asked, we can really find out what we can do to improve.

This is a survey given to all of our valued members of the Sports Department. Here we are going to ask you questions so we can better understand what we as a professional club, could do better. Please be 100% honest, and please don't be afraid to hurt our feelings. The point is to make this a better operating, and performing entity.

1. I learned about Bearcast Sports by:

2. I joined Bearcast Sports because:

3. How has your time in Bearcast Sports been? Was it what you expected?

4. When you first met the sports department, what were your first impressions? Was there anything that turned you off that was discussed during your very first meeting?

5. What do you consider the biggest weakness of the Sports Department and how do you think it can be improved?

6. What is your opinion of the scheduling process? Do you think it the most effective way to schedule games? How would you do scheduling or what can be improved of the current scheduling method?

7. What do you think of the current equipment used to call the games?

8. Is there something that you'd like to see the Sports Department get more involved with? This year, for example, we started Lexy, ice hockey PBP, and mock draft shows. What events would you like to see us do?

9. Should the Sports department promote more events for Broadcasts, special events (ie Mock Draft), and membership? How do you think we should go about doing this? What do we need to accomplish this (flyers, swag, appearances, etc...)?

10. Do you think you are getting what you want out of Bearcast Sports? Why or why not? What needs to be done to make this extra curricular advantageous to you?

Making Waves Part 3 Reaction

Soooo....here goes!!

Authenticity is an important thing. That is certainly a factor on whether or not I'll tune in to something, or believe someone. I think it's very important in Sports Talk radio, because I think it is very similar to their Jon Stewart example. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, wants to tune in to a radio program or watch a TV show where everyone agrees. Sometimes it's all about breaking the monotony. I do this all the time on the 5 Minute Major. For example, when we do pick-ems', and Scott, Jason, and the Fans agree on who's going to win a particular matchup, I choose the opposite just to create conflict and disagreement. Sure my record this year is awful in pick-em's due to that tactic, but it has opened up the avenue to play jokes on my poor ability this year, and even more conflict. I think PTI and Around the Horn are two shows (albeit TV shows...but PTI is on ESPN Radio) that accomplish fake authenticity well, because I don't really believe Woody Page is that ignorant about sports, I just know he plays a "character" that usually disagrees with the majority to create conflict. Fake Authenticity is extremely important in Sports Talk...in my opinion.

Then, Bill Breen goes on to say that the only fake thing on Sports Talk radio is their promos. They are cliche (which he says in nature are fake) and that promo's seem forced and lame. I don't know how I feel about this. On one hand, I think these promo's are ridiculous because of the stereotyped messages they portray, but at the same time, I pretty much am that stereotype. What do I like...well in a broad sense, I like...sports, women, beer and alcohol, video games, television, and technology. What do most guys like? Sports, Women, Beer and alcohol, technology, television, and cars...so they just play the stereotypes, and I think that describes a lot of men out there, who are primarily your Sports Talk Radio consumers. Is it wrong? No I don't think it's wrong, but if Sports Talk wants to get Female listeners, the culture is going to have to change.

I think the most important revelation in this book is the fact that we may be a few years away from WI-FI in our cars. If we get WI-FI, then that opens the doors to online stations, podcasts, iTunes, Pandora, Last.FM, Lala, etc... What AM/FM stations need to do now is begin boosting their websites to make them easy to navigate and appealing, combined with having exclusive content. If we get WI-FI in cars, than that means traditional radio stations will have so much more competition, and it will be harder for them to succeed. How do you compete with Pandora? Easy, talk/exclusive content. Sports Radio will NEVER cease to exist because it is all exclusive talk content...but will Fox Sports Radio be able to compete against individual podcasts, that will be the question. Who will have more listeners, the Mike and Mike in the Morning, or The BS Report with Bill Simmons? I tell you, if I was a betting man...I'll take Simmons.

Overall, I really didn't agree with this book a whole lot. I found myself really disagreeing with much of this book. I guess I believe the business stuff, but as I said last week, that kind of stuff just doesn't interest me, and it's probably a little over my head. I'm not business minded, but I think I'm creative enough to come up with great content, and to be fun to listen to on the air.

Sidenote...you should have known I was gonna take Tebow in our mock draft after my post last week! Come on Dr. Owens!!!

Even more to the side...sidenote...you should do more radio on Bearcast. Talk Sports with DJ Doc Owens!

NFL Draft Show Recap and Opinions

This is fresh and on my mind, so I'll talk about this event that we did yesterday. First off, wow, what fun. It's really cool to get so many people involved in this Mock Draft. I think this was a good starting point, but I still think we could have done better; and to be fair, I think that is the attitude you should always have ("it was good, but it could've been better").

One criticism that I hear about Bearcast is that there isn't a whole lot of feedback that individuals get. We don't require everyone to listen to Bearcast, and we don't require people to review shows, and I think it's unreasonable to assume that directors and our faculty advisor listen to EVERY show and provide feedback. I'm sure we'd like to, but it's just not humanly possible with all of the other stuff we have to do not only for Bearcast, but for other coursework, job, and other extra curricular activities.

The reason I bring that up is because I see Jason as a really good radio person. He's funny, energetic, and knowledgeable, in particular, with football. That being said, we all aren't perfect, and we need to all hear criticism to become better. There were times yesterday where I felt Jason panicked about what to talk about and began to blank. There were a few DJ errors that shouldn't have happened, and while we were all good, we could've been better.

The actual planning part may have lead to those DJ errors. First off, the actual idea is GREAT!!! We should be putting on these type of shows, because ultimately, I think this could be something that people would want to listen to, plus we can get many different people involved. However, I think there was a lack of communication for this event. I didn't know about this until a week ago. Everyone has ideas as to how events should be run, and if more people were involved in the planning, we could have came up with some great ideas, and implemented them. It's the same principal as to when you prepare for my show. I consult Scott, see what ideas he has, and then really over-prepare so that we don't have dumb time fillers.

So for next year, the idea would be to assign a team leader, Jason, and Jason would be in charge of the event. Then you have the Sports Director, Assistant Sports Director, and the Faculty Advisor participate, in other words, 4 representatives from Bearcast. Then this is what I would do. I'd find four respected people in the community to see if they would be interested in participating. Maybe someone from the Enquirer, a Sports radio/TV personality (Mo, Lance, Ken Broo, Dave Lapam, C. Trent, etc..), a member of the Bearcats football team (be it coach or player), and who knows....perhaps reach out to someone like Chad Ochocinco. I think he'd have some fun doing this. He likes doing some interesting stuff, and I think with his presence in the social media websites, he is easier to get a hold of. Lets aim for the sky...right! This is just an idea, but if we get people communicating, and involved, we could really turn this into something really fun, and really big.

Promoting this event was also an issue. When I was asked to become involved, it was, and is Dylan's and Jason's event, so I stayed hands off. I don't want to get the reputation of being a control freak, or someone who takes charge over other people's stuff, it's just not my style. However, suggestions I think are fine. Last week, I suggested to Dylan and Jason to email Zach to promote the event on our website...that just happened the day OF the draft. Next year, we have to promote this better, because everyone likes Mock Drafts.

So, NBA draft is June 24th, but who's to say we can't do a Mock Draft on the Tipoff with Steve Bohne a few weeks prior. In fact, I'm going to talk to him today about his interest in doing this type of thing for the NBA. We can take what we did, what worked, and what didn't work, fix it, and do another Mock Draft.

I thought the two best things that happened yesterday, were two, somewhat shocking, picks. First Dan taking Colt McCoy 8 overall. Normally I'd say that it's really dumb and makes us look bad if we do something ridiculous, but, in this situation, I think it works perfectly. Let me ask you, how many draft "experts" said that the Raiders would draft Darius Heyward-Bey? Exactly. Dan taking McCoy was great because, it was almost like counting on Al Davis to do something stupid. They could certainly trade down to get McCoy, but taking him over Claussen at 8 is genius. Secondly, the fake Buffalo - San Diego trade and the pick of Tebow at 28 overall was great because look how much conflict it started. Conflict makes good radio!

We talk about it in Emedia Programming, and in Ramsey's book that Radio doesn't like to take chances...but I think a Mock Draft on 1530 or 1360 would be a great idea...but if they don't want to do it, lets do it on Bearcast. To me, it is not risky doing any NFL Draft coverage.

Improving the Sports Department Part 1

So, I have the task of improving the Sports Department, so I've started a little bit of research.

First off, I have emailed Bobby Iddings, the Sports Director at WMUL-FM 88.1, or Marshall University's Student Internet Radio Station. Hopefully he can provide me some insight as to what equipment they use, and how they run the sports department. I looked up the past Sports Play by Play award winners and They were all Marshall University, and one Ithica College. I looked up their radio station, and I don't think they do any sports, anymore. I have never listened to a Marshall Broadcast (although I do plan on it now so I can see what makes them so good), but I just have this gut feeling that they only thing they have on us is better equipment. Sure I know there are a few guys in our sports department that probably don't have it, but at the same time, I am confident that the core of our department is better than theirs.

I started doing some research on the different types of sports equipment, but I want to ask around to see what kind of equipment is the best for what we need. I've also sent an email out to Travis Holmes and Mo Egger, as to what the professionals use when they broadcast remotely.

I also talked with Matt Hueneman about sound and he gave me some ideas. One avenue that could work for us could be using an actual computer and two SM-58 mic's and one condenser mic, and we could broadcast on UStream and have the studio guy patch the feed through, so that we sound a lot better. It's an idea, but I want to keep looking.

I'm in the process of creating the survey that I'm going to give at our sports meeting next Thursday. I want it to be anonymous so that people don't hold back. We need honest criticism.

I have some other ideas of ways to improve, but I'm looking into options right now, and more ideas come to me every day!

Reaction to Making Waves Part 2

My favourite chapter in the reading was about how to make your morning show funny. I think this is extremely difficult for the same reasons that late night TV shows are difficult. You have to have new, topical material to talk about day in and day out and find ways to make it funny. Sure some jokes are misses, but some aren't.

Steve Kaplan says the best way to structure a show in the morning is having a good cast of characters, and I know the perfect example for this. Last year, I would listen to Mo Egger on my way to campus, because I hated (still hate) Mike and Mike in the Morning, so Mo was the default choice. My opinion of Mo is that he's a nice guy, he's kind of funny, but as far as sports goes, he isn't opinionated enough. Sometimes you see him go "I think Adam Rosales has to go.....but maybe you keep him around as a depth player." Every other host would say, "Adam Rosales, SUCKS, and we need to get rid of him. Sure it's nice to see him sprint around the bases after a homerun, but after the third time of seeing that, who cares. He can't hit, he can't field so why keep him." The problem with Mo is he backs away from his opinions.

All that being said, I listened to Mo until his show was cancelled in budget cuts forced Fox Sports to put the Dan Patrick Show on. I was a little wary because a lot of the national shows aren't really that good, but I gave Dan a shot. I've always liked him, and he's from Mason (Comet Country!), so I gave him a shot. I've been hooked ever since. Dan is great. He is a great interviewer, and gets great guests, and asks his guests the questions that take some balls to say to someone. Connecting what Steve Kaplan says with Dan is simple....characters.

Dan Patrick- egotistical, full of himself, picks on his basketball skill by using words like "silky smooth jumpshot" and telling Coach K he could have started for Duke. He's experienced, married, and has kids so continually gives us life lessons.

The Danettes

Exec. Producer Paul "Pauly" Pabst- Soccer fan who gets made fun of by Dan a lot. Also a Cubs fan so....yea.....

Exec. Producer Todd "Fritzy" Fritz- Huge Broncos fan, gets made fun of constantly because he is the person that gets the guests on the show. Sends guests long emails and talks to them like he's the host of the show. Also contributes a few jokes here and there!

Producer Patrick "Seton" O'Connor- Huge Yankees fan and notorious story topper. Seton is the butt of many of Dan's jokes.

Producer Andrew "McLovin" Perloff- Huge Philadelphia sports fan. McLovin (in my opinion) is the funniest person on the show besides Dan.

So those are the main characters and they all rip on each other (including on Dan). They frequently bet on sporting events with the loser facing a few Dodgeball tosses. They get in fun situations and mischief (like this year, Seton and Fritzy thought they could block Tony Siragusa, which they couldn't). It's a sports show, that's more than a sports show that is funny and develops characters. I mean look at this! It's a damn dictionary of all of the terms they use!!! Even callers play a character, because when you call the DP Show, you gotta first say "(Your height, your weight)" then you hear a bell, and you continue with your call. Everything is great about this show, and it's successful because it's characters are interesting, and they are all funny, especially when they interact together. His guests seem to have more fun too. You think Coach K is uptight...until you listen to him insult Dan! My favourite Sportscentre anchors were always Dan Patrick and Rich Eisen, and now that Eisen is with the NFL Network, he is a frequent guest, and he and Dan are always so funny together!

One thing I've realized with reading this book is that I'm not a business person. I know it's important to know the business side of everything, but I know that I don't have the personality and the care that other people have toward the business side. Yea I think radio needs to change, and become more branded, and more than just a broadcasted radio show. The chapter that discusses video with radio is really important. Keeping with the theme of sports talk radio, DP Show on Direct TV 101, Mike and Mike, and the Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN2, Colin Cowherd on ESPNU, Rome is Burning (sure it's not like his radio show but another radio personality on air) on ESPN. Here is what radio needs to figure out though. National syndicated shows should find ways to become more innovative, and if that means taking content from TV and putting it on radio, or vice versa, than we should do it. If it means scouring the podcasts to find a diamond in the rough, than so be it!

Tune in next week to this blog as I go more in depth as to another person with characters on his show, yet he's only in podcast form right now. Stay tuned!!!

Leadership: By Tim Tebow and Brandon Kisker

First off let me say this....not with the 9th overall pick, but I HOPE the Bills draft Tim Tebow. I'm not a Tebow hater, and I'm not a Tebow lover, but I think Tim Tebow has a lot of great qualities that could rub off on the team. I'm not a hardcore religious person like Tebow is, but I really admire his leadership skills. In the history of the NFL draft, I don't think there has ever been another player who could rely on his "intangibles" to get drafted in the first 2 rounds of the NFL Draft, and the number one quality of Tebow, is his leadership.

I think Tebow has the right combination of personality and work ethic to be successful, which is why I think he will ultimately be successful in the NFL. His style of leadership is certainly a vocal leader, but I think he also goes out and leads by example. I also think Tebow is pretty genuine. What you see is what you get with him.

I think there are many people in sports you can look up to in terms of leadership style, and I'm a big proponent of using a "sports style" form of leadership. I'll write about that in a later post.

What do the scouts say about Tebow? He may not have the skills that Sam Bradford has right now, but he is working hard on developing those skills, and most importantly, is showing that he is willing to change his bad habits (I saw Gruden working with him....let me tell you, he has changed).

Now take a look at Jimmy Clausen...what do scouts say about him? They go on and on about his skill, but say he has an attitude problem, and may be too cocky. How can someone like him lead a team with a bad attitude? Thats the difference between Tebow and Clausen...I think Tebow is willing to change and adapt, and will be known as a "players" quarterback. First one in the weight room, last one out. The veterans will love this kid.

Now sure thats great for Tebow, who will make millions regardless of his NFL career, but what can I take from this and apply to radio. Well first off I think being a nice genuine person is a good start. People will want to work for you if you are a friend too. Sure you have to know when to stop being a friend and to be a boss, but if people like working for you, the moral will be up and people will be happier to work for you (in my opinion).

All that said, you have to know when to call out someone, and how to do it. Remember when Tebow gave his press conference speech saying that he will never lose after a poor effort from his team....look at the end result. It's all about motivation. I have to motivate my employees, and while there are many ways of doing this, you have to be very particular about the method.

Work ethic is one of the most important things, and I think this goes hand in hand with leading by example. For example, in Fall quarter, and really all year long, I've been doing my best to lead by example to the younger students in eMedia. I made sure I never missed a class, that I completed all homework, went above and beyond on assignments, and helped anyone that ever needed help. When I was a freshman nobody ever showed me how to be a good student. I thought it would be like high school, which came very easy to me. Well when I was at SUNY @ Buffalo, my grades were really bad. I didn't try hard, I skipped some classes, and was on my own for the first time in my life. When I transfered to UC, and especially when I wanted to get into eMedia, I thought everything would be handed to me. I learned that sometimes, life isn't always fair, because I thought my experience at Buffalo's student radio station (WRUB) I'd get in to eMedia for sure! WRONG!!! When I met with Ms. Fox and gave her my demo tape, she handed it back at me and basically told me all they care about is grades. I'm not going to get into why I think that is kind of stupid, but the point is, it made me work really hard to improve myself.

Now as a third year Freshman again, I want to give back and help illustrate to younger students how important school is, and how seriously you should take it. I continue to lead by example, and be as nice and genuine as I can to everyone. I think I have affected other students and their habits, to show them what has to be done, but some others may have been a lost cause, and I know in one case my work ethic is to blame.

There was a student in Fall's History of Emedia Class that would show up late all the time. Everyday, at least 15 minutes late, and he was always playing games and never paying attention. So we had to give a presentation, and my presentation was about ESPN. I gave my presentation, which only 2 of the 4 group members (including me) actually did work on, and after class was over.

Let me say, that sports is super interesting to me, but certainly not to everyone. I know not everyone loves or likes ESPN, but it is a huge industry and has changed how sports programming is presented in America. I realized when I was standing up there, how easy it is for teachers to tell who pays attention, and who doesn't. Well this kid was not paying attention and I could tell. So when he came up after class, I thought he was going to ask me to clarify something or ask me a question....instead...he asked if I could put a copy of my powerpoint on his flash drive.....WHAT!?!?! I, realizing I have my one shot at trying to give this kid, the kick in the ass he needed (the same kick that I wish I got my Freshman year) and told him no and that I saw him not paying attention, and that he should have taken notes....well...I haven't seen this kid since Fall quarter ended.

So I think Tim Tebow and his leadership methods are very admirable, and easily mimicked in any situation. I like the way he leads a team, but even more important than his leadership, is the fact that he's a winner. Everyone wants to win, in a job setting or in a game setting. I aim to win, and will lead my team in the best way possible to get that win, and then share that win as a team, not as a boss and his employees.

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TIM TEBOW FOR BILLS QB!!!!

Wanna be part of the media in Somalia? I sure as hell don't!!!!

So I was looking at some news and found an interesting story about radio stations in Mogadishu in the beautiful country of Somalia. Everyone knows about their infamous pirates, but I didn't know a whole lot about the country other than that. Well, this article paints a pretty picture of Somalia.

14 radio stations in Mogadishu are adhering to a ban by insurgent groups to stop playing music, or face dire consequences. This article goes on to say that if members of the media do not follow the insurgent's orders, they get anywhere from roughed up, to murdered. In 2009, nine journalists were killed in Somalia (did some research, Forbes made Somalia the most dangerous country in 2009). The ban also includes no foreign news broadcasts, especially broadcasts from the BBC and the Voice of America.

This is the most vivid quote in the entire article: "We are really losing all hope of life,” said Hashi Abdullahi, who said he liked to listen to music. The insurgents have “punished our life with bullets, and today they are punishing us with a ban on all types of music.”

I think this is vivid because it paints a brutal picture of a civilian in Somalia. Its amazing that music was actually helping to lift the spirits of some of the Somalians, and with this ban, I look at this quote and see a man who is utterly helpless to do anything in his country. He can't leave, he can't do what he wants, he lives in constant fear. This man is not living, he is merely existing.

The point of all of this is to say how glad I am that I live in a free country, and will want to work in one of many free countries when I'm done with school. The most fearful thing that I, a person interested in sports, has to worry about is probably whether or not I offend a sports star. Look at Don Imus, he offended an entire team and he didn't die for what he said!

Extremely interesting article, and really eye opening to the fragile state of some of the third world countries in the world. Somalia gets a lot of publicity because of the pirates, but just imagine what some of these other countries that don't have the publicity that an Iran, Iraq(3), Afghanistan(2), Somalia(1), and Cuba have had. What do you know about the Democratic Republic of Congo(4), Sri Lanka(7), Yemen(8), etc...

*(the number next to the country is where Forbes ranks them on the most dangerous country)

Reaction to Making Waves

By Brandon Kisker

Mark Ramsey brings up some very interesting points in the first 48 pages, and I think a lot of what he says is very true, but there are some things that I'm not so sure about, so I'm going to go a little bit more in depth with some reactions to the text.

The very first chapter is about choices, and about how Ramsey believes too many is actually a bad thing. He says the consumer spends more time surfing then they do consuming. He says Satellite radio, which offers hundreds of options, is actually worse for consumers than less choices, but I disagree. I think one thing Ramsey doesn't take into account is how similar choices actually are. Take the radio dial here in Cincy for example, I think we are about 80% rock, 10% Pop, 5% hip-hop and R&B, and 5% talk/sports. Think of how many other genres aren't represented in Cincy Radio. For example, I'm a huge HUGE HUGE reggae fan...but there isn't a single station that plays just reggae, or even reggae and world music. Instead I'm inundated with the same rock music on every station. I distinctly remember working for an installation company after I graduated high school, and hearing "Crazy Bitch" by Buckcherry on 6 different stations at the same time. How is that defined as a choice?

That's why I'm a HUGE fan of satellite radio. I love the choices you have, and it's not surfing that is the problem. I think most people will find about 10 channels they like, and if something comes on you don't want to listen to, or want to listen to something else, its just a matter of pushing a button. Plus listening to satellite gives you a number of options per genre. If you like rock, you can listen to current, adult alternative, hairbands, 90's rock, deep tracks, etc.... and on regular radio, you have "Crazy Bitch" on each station at the same time. That isn't variety or choice.

Another thing I found interesting was Ramsey's conversation with "Branding Diva" author Karen Post to discuss branding radio stations. She says one must understand why you are here, are you there to make money, educate people, etc... She goes on to list a few other things about branding but that comment and that the personality is important really struck a cord with me. Take Bearcast for an example, and take the biggest character in Bearcast as an example.....do you know who I'm talking about? Of course you know, because he is so unique, so strange, so corny, that this particular host, is successful at reaching his audience, and ultimately fun to listen to, and he has a good sense of humour. I think there are a few people in Bearcast who are really good hosts, but I think that the Shrimp is the most prepared to succeed in the field. I say this because he is his own category. Sure there are things he has to work on to streamline his show a little better, but overall, if I was a person looking for a large personality, I'd certainly give him a look.

For a real life example, take a look at Dan Patrick. Dan has great cohosts (the Danette's) that he picks on all the time, and his ego (I think it's a put on) makes listeners really love him. Jim Rome is another example in sports talk, a large character, certainly a unique style, and his fans love him. If you aren't a fan though, you would certainly like listening to Dan more than Romey though. One of the best shows out there is a show called Petros and Money (PMS) and that show works really well because the hosts are funny and both really unique, but compliment each other well. If you have a host that stands out, I think it makes branding a hell of a lot easier.

The other comment was about why you are here, which I sat back and thought about for myself for a few minutes. It is an interesting question to say the least, however, I think it has more to do with passion rather than branding (though I concede that the two must be related in order to be successful). Why am I in Bearcast? Why do I host a hockey show? Why is the purpose of The Five Minute Major? I think the answer to that, is passion. I'm not passionate about radio in particular, I like many different mediums. I think it's an old school way of thinking of only being able to use one medium. Think artists....they typically specialized in one form, watercolours, pointillist, glass blowing, etc... I think its wrong to think "I want to be a DJ" or "I want to be on TV", why can't you do both? Maybe its a sports frame of mind, but I'm used to seeing Kornheiser, DP, Rome, Scott Van Pelt, Colin Cowherd, Steven A. Smith, etc... on radio and TV. Going back to those questions, I think I'm here because I'm passionate about sports. I'm particularly passionate about hockey, and I want to help revolutionize the game of hockey, and make it more accessible to everyone. People may not agree with this, and I understand I'm extremely biased, but in my opinion, it is the fastest, most exciting sport in the world that is the ultimate team game. Why it's not as popular in the southern states as it is in many places in the world befuddles me at this time, but I aim to try and help the game of hockey progress. Thats why I'm in radio, and that's why I'm in Bearcast.

As far as what radio can do to change, this is my take. I think satellite radio is the best form of radio because it offers so much variety, that everyone will find something they like. The problem doesn't lie in subscription fees, because people pay for digital cable, a very similar service for the TV, but I think it lies in the startup costs. You have to have things installed and parts installed in your car and blah blah blah.....sooner than you know, that $14 dollars a month turned into a $250 startup cost PLUS that $14 a month. If satellite aims to be the future of radio, than they need to really look into making it cheaper, and more readily available for more people to subscribe. Think of cable tv, all you need is a cable jack which I think is in all recent buildings and houses (maybe not the older houses). The book says that it's rarely about the price, but I 100% disagree. Sure value is super important, but even if something has value, if it is overpriced, people won't buy it. I was offered FREE Satellite radio for my birthday from my parents. I really wanted it because of the world music, sports talk, and of course the NHL! Problem was I needed more parts than what the guy at Best Buy told my dad. It would end up costing my parents $250 for the part needed for the radio. Even though Satellite had value to me, it didn't have $250 + $168/year value to me, so I told my parents I didn't want it anymore, based on the cost.

Bearcast Project Ideas:

-Speaking with local high school radio clubs about Emedia and Bearcast

-Improving the Sports Dept (equipment, way to call football, promotion, lexy, everything)