An Ode to the Benchwarmer

by J. Brown

I feel bad for Braxton Miller. 

He's a superstar quarterblack, he gets his tuition (and maybe some other things) paid for at no expense to him, and he's arguably the most popular kid on one of the biggest college campuses in the country. If all that weren't enough, he probably has the most resume-boosting, upper crust-sounding name of any Black athlete ever. By most accounts, he should probably feel bad for me. I mean, the guy gets Twitter shout-outs from LeBron, for crying out loud. Despite all of this, I can't help but think about last year's NCAA College Football Championship and how it might have affected him.

After leading the Ohio State Buckeyes to a 12-2 record in 2013, Miller was expected to be a Heisman favorite in 2014. He had won Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year for the past two years in a row. The Buckeyes were ranked fifth in preseason polls. Things looked promising. But after Miller sustained a season-ending shoulder injury during a preseason practice, suddenly, it was all over.

As some of you know, the Buckeyes would go on to perform quite well without him. They finished the 2014 season with a 14-1 record, qualified for the first ever NCAA College Football Playoffs, and ending up winning the championship behind the heroics of Cardale Jones, who was the 3rd-string quarterback when the season started. As the confetti fell and the commentators waxed poetic about the resilience of the team and the abilities of their new undervalued leader, all I could think about was Braxton Miller. How does he feel? Sure, his team just won a national championship, but they did it without him from start to finish. They didn't even need him, and they actually fared better without him. What's worse: He was basically forgotten. I re-watched the closing moments of the championship game on YouTube, and the cameras never even showed his face during the celebration.

Was he happy about this? Did he enjoy seeing his team win it all, or was he a little bit salty that they did it with him standing on the sideline? Can star athletes truly enjoy wins that they didn't affect in any significant way?

Dissenting Opinions: THE GRIZZ

by Lee Deltoro

I do not like Memphis Grizzlies basketball. I know that makes me a heretic. I refuse to care. I do not want to hear about the beautiful struggle that is Courtney Lee’s jumper, or what these long-suffering fans deserve. Yes, Z-Bo was a knucklehead, and now he's not. I’m more concerned that he is an example of someone coasting from "natural talent". It's not as if increasing your vertical leap is some mythical path, the secrets of which died out with the last alchemists. Get in the gym. Work. Tony Allen is a great one-way player. But why extol him over Monta Ellis? He has all the physical tools to be a great scorer as well, but he refused to put in the time it takes to do so. Marc Gasol is from Spain and he has an older brother. Mike Conley is slightly better than you thought he was. Memphis basketball is where ideological adversaries find common ground. Blue collar work ethic meets alt-culture cynicism. 

Half the celebration of Grizzlies basketball is ironic. There is a whole generation that loves the subversion of the mainstream. "I am a breakfast defector" seems akin to "Go Grizz!" Since “Pace and space” are the words of the day, they instead flock to “grit and grind”. What’s interesting is that the same pundits who love Memphis today also loved Phoenix’s free-flowing offense 6 years ago. All hail D’Antoni! They constantly bemoaned the Lakers lack of outside shooting and slowness of pace. Before they were analytics darlings, the plodding Spurs were loathed for their lack of entertainment value. These people embrace today’s different, no matter how similar it is to what we’ve seen before. 

Nightman: The Podcast - Episode 5

"Birthdays, Relationship Advice & 90s Radio"

Cast: J. Brown, Nick, Kalis, Lee Deltoro

For the fifth installment, the crew discusses the slippery slope of relationship advice (should you give it? should you listen to it?). We also touch on why birthdays don't matter anymore, the inconsistencies of weather reports, and whether TV is now more important than movies.

Also, some listeners were having some playback issues with the last few episodes, so I've switched back to Soundcloud and re-uploaded the first four episodes. You can go back and listen to them out here, here, here and here.

Thumbs Up

by Lee Deltoro

Which is more important: The earthquake that recently devastated Nepal, leaving thousands dead and countless more traumatized, or the trailer for San Andreas, the new earthquake thriller starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? Any decent-hearted adult knows it's Nepal. But which has come up in conversation with my college-educated friends over the past week? Yes, San Andreas. So for someone who is looking to engage with us, The Rock is a better bet. And I am positive that for a large number of us, there are apt comparisons. Does this mean we are all soulless sociopaths? No, we have just adjusted our value system to the world around us. 

With each new cultural phenomenon comes a change in value systems. We are in the midst of such a change today. Tidal waves of ideas and images are constantly reshaping the keystones of culture. With these quickly eroding, where do we find guidance? Previously, each of us had a relatively consistent set of examples by which we judged ourselves and others within our immediate circle. Today, our cultural ecosystem has transformed from a savannah to a rainforest. There are more expressions of individual life experiences entering your space than ever before. Through online interaction, we bear witness to a kaleidoscope of characters, imperceptible to generations before us. 

Nightman: The Podcast - Episode 4

"Party Protocol & First Dates"

Cast: J. Brown, Brittany, Andrene

Our fourth podcast features a lively discussion on the protocols for hosting and attending a house party. We also talk about our worst first dates, and explain why you should stop rooting for Floyd Mayweather.