I am currently taking a sports journalism class and the class has been interesting and exciting thus far, but I think the best is yet to come. Towards the end of the semester students are expected to write a paper and offer a presentation on a sports issue.

The Miami Heat's "Big Three"of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh is the topic I chose to do the sports issue presentation on. Truthfully, I have never been a basketball fan until the big three era debuted for the 2010-2011 basketball season. Owners, coaches and fans placed the players on a pedestal. Ultimately, I was curious to see how the three of them would execute and how successful they would be in their execution. 

Currently, I am brainstorming ideas to get a feel of where exactly I want to go with my presentation. I want to view several different credible sources such as the Bleacher Report, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, etc. I want to discuss the credit and criticisms the big three has endured since their debut.
 
In addition, I plan to get opinions from colleagues , friends and family about potential topics for the presentation. My objective is to be specific, rather general. There is a ton of information on the big three, but I am going to narrow it down to the things I perceive to be the most interesting and important. 

Waking up on November 6, 2012, I felt nervous and anxious. I knew the 2012 presidential election would be a determining factor for not only my livelihood, but the livelihood of others. Grand Avenue Middle School, located at 2430 W. Wisconsin Avenue was jammed packed on this day with voters. 

First, I witnessed happiness, nervousness, confusion, negativity, positivity, etc. Although the lines were moving rather swiftly, the workers at the polls were a bit discombobulated. There number of unregistered votes outweighed that number of registered voters significantly. Oddly, the unregistered lines moved quicker than the registered lines. A couple people stood out as being extremely impatient. 

Secondly, I noticed that there were numerous younger individuals eagerly waiting to cast their votes. I went to the polls at 5:30 p.m. and it was obvious that this was a rush period. Individuals had on work clothes, but observing their facial expressions it was clear that nothing was going to stop them from casting their vote.

Next, I noticed the majority of people entering and leaving had a smile on their faces as if the presidential candidate that they had chosen had been elected already. I inferred that individuals felt like they were attempting to make a difference that they wanted to see some to pass.

Lastly, their wasn't anybody in particular that stood out to me. Everyone at the poll at the Grand Ave Middle school were reserved but friendly. This observation was interesting to me, because my initial thought was that someone would misbehave at the polls. 

By in large, this election meant a great deal to myself and I am certain others. I took it rather serious, because it will affect me tremendously. Witnessing others voting enabled me to see that they too took it serious as well.  

Just when I thought that things couldn't get any better, they did. On Tuesday, October 30th  #loweclass was graced with the presence of Gord Ash, who serves as the vice president and assistant general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers. I was pleased to be informed that I would have an opportunity to see him again this year.

First, Gord gave #loweclass background information on his career. He has been involved in sports journalism for over thirty years. Prior to managing the Brewers, Gord was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball club in the ticket department in 1978. Maneuvering his way up, Gord later became the general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays from 1995 to 2001. 

Second, Gord touched basis on the issues of sports journalism. He explained that one of the biggest issues of sports journalism is being first. Although we were discussing sports journalism, I believe this to be applicable to several other fields of journalism. Yes, consumers want news put out fast, but they also want quality. News sources should want to uphold their reputation or by any means necessary protect it from being tarnished. 

Gord notes that journalist can improve the quality and credit of their pieces by interviewing the players themselves. Today, more journalist get information directly from the player. This adds credit to their pieces. 

Last week's sports journalism class was interesting for one reason, reporter Sharif Durhams. Sharif has been the  social media editor for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for four years. In addition, he serves as the reporter for breaking news team. He enjoys h

Sharif's visit was an ultimate learning experience. He touched on a variety of topics that kept my interest. First, he familiarized the class with the news room and the role he plays as a member of the Journal Sentinel. He also explained the roles of some of the individuals he works closely with. 

Second, he intricately discussed the competitive side of journalism. Sharif believes that "it's not only journalism, its a business." He tells loweclass that one of the Journal Sentinel's biggest competitors is the Bleacher Report. Sharif explained that if someone has an idea, it is important to figure out how that idea works for you. He believes that, "in terms of ideas, you have to steal and borrow them."

Thirdly, he moves into the digital media adventures that JS online has dived into. Individuals can take the Journal Sentinel with them everywhere they can go, by downloading the application to their smartphone. I currently have the app, and it's great. Nonetheless the app keeps me updated and is a convenience.

Lastly, Sharif explains the role social networks play in his career. He prefers Facebook over Twitter. He describes Facebook as being, "more stickier." On Facebook an individual is able to track recent news or the most important news on their timeline without having to search high and low for it. 

On the other hand, Twitter consistently updates news, in which stories or pieces of stories are more difficult to track. Facebook is where the Journal Sentinel is getting their traffic from.

By and large, I really enjoyed Sharif's expertise, perspective and opinion on journalism and sports. His visit was nonetheless great exposure for the career path I am traveling. I  hope to see him again before the semester ends for more insight on journalism. 

The eMentor sponsored sports event asks, "Want to Know What It Takes to Make it in Pro Sports?" was a real eye opener for me. Prior to this event, I have given thought to a career in professional sports, but I never followed up on my inquires. 

The experts were able to give me the ins' and outs' of what it takes to take up a professional career in sports and how to be successful throughout that career.

I had the privilege of gracing the presence of sports pioneers: Gord Ash, Assistant General Manager, Milwaukee Brewers; John Hammond, General Manager, Milwaukee Bucks; John H. Steinmiller, Manager of Media Relations, Milwaukee Brewers. Not only was this event fun-filled, but I learned a lot from these pros in sports.

Throughout the discussion, I increasingly became interested, due to the experiences that were shared and the advice that was given. The insight Gord, John H. and John S. gave is undoubtedly helpful. 

My favorite part of the event is when they each shared a personal experience of their own before they reached the level in their career's they are now. John explained that in any career one must climb the ladder to make it to the top. Success is something that does not happen over night. 

John could not have simplified that more. I encounter so many individuals who want hand outs or numerous favors. I have learned that unless you are born with a "silver spoon" in your mouth, you have to work.

Overall this event was nonetheless beneficial because it was insightful. I was honored to be a part of this event. Most importantly, I learned what it takes to make it in the professional world of sports. 

In Sunday's game, not only did the Minnesota Vikings bring victory home, they dominated the field. The Vikings showed up and showed out, ending the game with a 30-7 victory over the Tennessee Titans. Without a doubt, the Vikings are soaring right now. With a restored defense team, I believe this season will be a victorious one.

Wide receiver for the Vikings Percy Harvin, contributed a great deal to this game. He caught eight passes for 108 yards for the Vikings. In addition Percy scored a touchdown and another receiving, helping the Vikings keep their stance to stay on top. 
"A beast, that's probably a good way to describe him," fellow teammate Christian Ponder said, adding: "We're going to keep giving him the ball." Although Chris did not complete a pass longer than 29 yards in the first quarter, Vikings were still up 7-0 over the Titans. 

Running back for the Vikings, Adrian Peterson finally got the okay to return to the field recently after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, also known as ACL. Adrian rushed his way to 88 yards on 17 carries, another outstanding performance on his surgically mended left knee.

Contrary to Adrian's performance, Titans running back Chris Johnson, charged 24 yards on 15 tries. 
"We are who we are. There's no draft coming up. There's no adding more players and getting new coaches," Titans coach Mike Munchak said. "This is the group we have, and with this group we have to play much better."

In sum, if the Vikings keep pushing themselves to their limits, they will prevail with success this season. They have come to far to give it all up. 

Sports blogger for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Don Walker conveys a strong opinion about the business aspect of sports. Prior to this blog, I was knowledgeable that sports had a business side, but I was unaware of the effects it actually has holistically.

First, I read a few of Don's articles and I think most of his opinions are logically based on facts. His blogs are believable, because they include quotes, statistics, and data. He is accurately able to credit his opinions. 

Second, the blog titled Packers at NFL average for ticket prices is one of my favorites. This article is extremely informative to me, because I have never been to a Packer game in my life before, but with the increase of ticket prices I am having second thoughts. 

Lastly, this article represents the complete business side of sports. I am curious of the reasoning behind these ticket increases. The most interesting portion of this article is the list of elements the Fan Index Cost consist of. After a Green Bay Packer Game, it is estimated that a fan spends $448.24 each Packer game they attend.

I am excited to meet Don today. I hope that if nothing else I can take from his visit. I hope to get a lot of my inquiries about the business side of sports answered. Most importantly, I am going to completely take advantage of his visitation. It's not everyday that you get to me an insightful journalist. 

Since the year 1999,  the Online News Association (ONA) has served as the foundation for digital journalist seeking growth and direction in their field. Members of ONA range from photographers, editors, designers, producers, etc. I like the fact that the ONA includes journlistic pieces from all different cloths, it shows their diversity. The site incorporates a wide range of stories, written by a wide of individuals. 

The ONA is a website with a mission to enable individuals innovation skills and keep them knowledgeable and informed about the vast advancement of digital media and technology.  In addition, the ONA encompasses a wide range of nominated and award winning articles. The ONA annually hosts a banquet to award undeniably great pieces of journalism. In addition the banquet serves as an opportunity for digital journalist to network and take home new information. 

Subsequent to reading various articles on the ONA website, a few articles were strikingly great pieces of journalism. First, the Virginia Tech University shooting article titled Virginia Tech Gunman Identified as a Student
was heartfelt. The story was extremely detailed. After reading the article, you cannot convince me that New York Times author Christine Hauser didn't do her research on this story to covey it in such a striking way. 

Secondly, the article titled Caught in the crossfire, written by Los Angeles Times author Kurt Streeter was very informative. Streeter's article is about the aftermath survivors of crime undergo. I enjoyed the examples Streeter provided, they were compelling. After reading this articles, I began to articulate the significance of life and how so many of us take it for granted daily. This article has truly altered my perspectives and enabled me to be more appreciative.

Thirdly, the article titled A lack of consequences for sexual assault, written by Kristen Lombardi is attention-grabbing. In brief, the article is about a college student who was currently attending Indian University. The student was sexually assaulted and the two administrators running the proceeding panel charged the student who committed the assault with a semester suspension and sexual contact. The victim felt that this was not a suitable charge. She expressed the disbelief and disappointment she had with the University.   

In sum, I really enjoyed reading through powerful pieces of journalism on the ONA site. For future reference, I will certainly take advantage of this useful medium. I believe, that it will serve as a great tool during the rest of my career at Marquette University. 

The NFL is happy to announce that replacement refs are gone for good. The NFL and the union reached an agreement after a couple days of discussing the issue of replacement refs. There was a settlement that the original refs are coming back to the field. Starting tonight the Baltimore Ravens vs. the Cleveland Browns will have the benefit of the original refs back! We have all seen the ramifications of what has happen with the replacement refs in the past three weeks! 

The Green Bay Packers vs. the Seattle Seahawks was groundbreaking in determining the incompetence of replacement refs.The Packers basically lost a game, because of a poor simultaneous call. A lot of teams were affected by replacement refs. Teams should not have lost games from bad calls. Replacement refs being replaced back by the original refs will definitely calm some nerves of teams, coaches and fans.

There is a such thing called "human error". Nobody is perfect. There will be mistakes made along the way, but I think everybody would agree that the original refs coming back would be in the NFL's best interest in moving forward. Commissioner Roger Goodell has apologized to the fans who were upset and stressed about the replacements the last three weeks. 

Now that the strife of unknowledgeable refs is over, it is back to business for the NFL. With previous officials being brought back some of them being veterans, people should not have to worry about the integrity aspect of the game. Teams can now play, knowing that they have a equal opportunity to defeat their opponent.