Thursday « Kenny Smith | A remarkable thing happens …

Thursday

photo / Rowan / Thursday / video — Comments Off
30
Oct 25

Ethics always saves the day

A full afternoon of classes. In my criticism class we watched three short pieces. Usually, on Thursdays, we settle in for a long documentary, but I wanted to try a few shorter packages. We talk about specific themes in all of these programs, but I wanted to hopefully make a point about how stories get necessarily compressed, and what might be accentuated, or omitted, in these shorter pieces.

So we started with Chris Nikic making history in Florida.

That one worked pretty well. And then we watched this NFL propaganda about new helmet technology, featuring former wide receiver Steve Smith Jr.

I thought that one was interesting because we spent a day earlier this term discussing the NFL’s CTE settlement, via a Washington Post story. It is interesting in a “how it’s done” way, but it is 100 percent a piece intended to make fans feel good about the what the league is doing for player safety. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s not a subtle thing, either.

Then we ended with this public television package trying to understand and explain Philadelphia sports fans.

And that’s where I lost them. Not exactly sure how that happened.

But in org comm we continued our talk about ethics, which is always a really exciting time. Fortunately, we have a big gambling scandal in the NBA to talk about. I had them read this Joon Lee opinion column and we discussed several elements of that. I had them look up a few other interesting points for some more context. We talked about their own impressions about gambling in sport. And then we ran through some different sorts of hypotheticals. They were largely into it, which is a great result in a week when you’re talking about ethics.

In the office, way up high on the sixth floor, I noticed the trees were looking lovely.

Last week might have been the peak leaf turn here. Maybe it is this week. Probably it won’t be next week. Nothing about foliage fits into the old calendars anymore, but admire them when you can. And from above, if at all possible.

And admire Catober, while you’re at it. The month ends tomorrow. (But there will be some too-good-to-omit photos next week for a Catober bonus post.) You can see them all by clicking that link and scrolling through a month of cozy kitty photos.

Rowan / Thursday / video — Comments Off
23
Oct 25

Keep your eyes on the scenery and your hand upon the wheel

I got a great deal of work done in the office today. The key was I had a list. The other key was, no one was on our floor during most of the time I was there. The other key was that I had an extra 75 minutes in the office based on how my day was set up. What that really means is that I’m closing in on some of the work that should have been done days ago.

But other work keeps popping up. And student papers. And every other thing. Plus prepping for the next class. Plus remembering the things I’d forgotten.

Right now, at least two things may be considered permanent fixtures on that list.

It’s OK, though. I’m sure next week I’ll have the time to finish those items. This is a thing I’ve said for the last four weeks. Or 12 years, who can really say?

Anyway, in lieu of anything better, I’d like to share with you a few of the lovely views from my drive home from campus. It’s quite the bit of scenery.

Tomorrow, I’m getting these stitches removed from my back, and finding out how many more days I need to take it easy. (I’m pretty much over that, which is always how you know you’ve recovered nicely.) Join me tomorrow for a report from the doctor’s office, won’t you?

But before that, make sure you’re caught up on Catober. Today was Poseidon’s day to look handsome, and he pulled it off easily. But both kitties are giving vibes. Click that link and scroll back to make sure you’ve seen them all.

adventures / photo / Rowan / Thursday / video — Comments Off
16
Oct 25

Theory, and zooming in

It was another afternoon in class today, which meant it was another night of doing slide deck prep and a morning of getting the final details in and then the afternoon in class. At least it was warm and sunny out, and so it didn’t feel like I should be somewhere else while sitting under florescent lights.

I’m kidding. There are giant windows in the classroom I’m in right now and the natural light is plenty. We don’t even turn on the lights some afternoons.

In my criticism class we talked about this episode of Bomani Jones’ podcast. If, for no other reason that everyone loves Deion Sanders and, Jones is right, Spencer Hall is one of the best writers going today. I’ve been reading him for decades. Had him on a podcast in 2006 or so. And look at him now.

So we’ve now heard two different styles of podcasts in the last week, a narrative-documentary hybrid and now an interview show. We’ll have another variation for their midterm next week. I will be asking them questions they should be used to by now. After that, it will be back to video products. We’re going to spend a day on short form packages. I’m waffling on what I want to use for that day.

In org comm I followed up the Tuesday conversation about social identity theory with a talk about Role Identity Theory. These two approaches complement one another, and they cover a lot of ground about

Social identity theory gives us the in-group and out-group concepts, and tries to explain how we define ourselves based on their group memberships, like religion, nationality, or, in our case, fandom. In SIT identities come from difference based on the activities in which we partake. Role identity theory concerns itself with the meanings and expectations associated with various roles we play in our lives. This is all shaped by social and contextual factors and, interestingly, acknowledges the conflict that comes within our many roles, because of those expectations. These two ideas, SIT and RIT, work nicely together, but it’s all about cognitiion; they don’t get to emotion.

Which allowed me to talk about identity fusion theory. It has become an important psychological theory in the last few decades, and tries to explain how we develop these profound senses of alignment and unity with a group. It’s an interesting area because it gets into the extreme pro-group behaviors, including self-sacrifice that people make. The theory goes through the deep emotional investments that motivate action, while allowing people to maintain their personal agency. The general idea, in a sports context, is that we see these personal connections and interactions in shared spaces.

It’s an interesting approach, because what is fandom but a huge expression of emotion?

Identity fusion is currently the leader for a class I’m teaching in the spring, too.

The view from our office. If you look closely enough, you’ll see my lovely bride, who is walking back from a class in another building.

And now the rest of the week will just be computer work. There will be plenty. I have a great deal of grading to do. I am already plotting out how the next three days will go, based on meetings and batches of grading. I think I can get it all in over the wekend, without going too crazy, and just in time to start the cycle over again next week.

Sometimes it is difficult to see how you can get all of your work done when so much of your time is spent on part of your work.

I took this photo of the honeysuckle last week and never got around to sharing it. Safe to say that the radical pruning we did on the thing in the spring has been overcome. It has grown a bunch over the summer and fall, and is still flowering a great deal.

This variety has no nectar in it, however, and that’s a shortcoming. It’s a disappointing under-performing, over-performing, bush vine. But it has covered much of the new garden trellis in just six months, so there’s that.

Are you all caught up on Catober? It always over-performs. Click the link, and see them all. And come back tomorrow for more.

cycling / photo / podcast / Rowan / Thursday — Comments Off
9
Oct 25

Classes and bicycle clicks

Once again, a quickish post, because that is the theme of late. It is a necessary theme. Why, I do not really understand, but it just is.

We’re entering a little podcast section of the criticism in sport media course. Today was our first. They’ll listen to a different style of production next week. And, two weeks from today we’ll have a little midterm exercise on a third style of podcast. After which, we will move back into video products. By then we’ll also be halfway through the term, and I am hoping we’ll start turning a corner into some real critical analysis. But, today, we discussed this.

It was clear that some people actually listened to this episode. And not all of them especially liked it.

There are six or eight general styles of podcast, this sits in perhaps two of those little worlds, and it is well done. Also, the story is a good one, and it is well produced. But it didn’t land to the degree that I’d hoped. One key task in teaching media criticism is to convince people of the need and value of critical analysis even when it’s not your favorite subject matter. The episode above is the final installment of a four-part serial about money in college basketball. The exploitation and the exploited. That should be fairly mainstream for a sports media audience. The podcast they’ll listen to next week is a bit more of a back-and-forth talk show. Maybe that’ll solve our problems.

In the org comm class I returned the students into their groups — they are running a fantasy football league as part of the class — and pretended to be their GM, telling them each to nominate and pitch one of their players as a feature story for Monday Night Football. At the end of the class they all gave a give spiel. Then we all voted on the best one. One group got a few extra points for having the best story and best pitch, almost by unanimous consent. And, truthfully, they were ready to help the MNF producers tell a great story.

When we got home this evening my lovely bride told me to go on a bike ride. I do what I’m told. She had to go do something else, but I got to pedal away into the early evening air.

Normally, I would avoid or crop or otherwise edit a little power line out of my photos, but I liked the way the sunlight was bouncing sharply off the underside of this one.

And my timing was just right, such that i got a terrific shadow selfie. I’ve almost got the technique here down, as you can see.

It was just a little 50-something minute ride, through and around town, but I was grateful for the chance to get out and do it. (Thanks, hon!)

This is going up the little hill where our subdivision is. So, once again, I was able to time this out pretty well. Power lines notwithstanding.

That’s it. Tomorrow will be less fun than this, but at least it starts the weekend!

photo / Rowan / Thursday / video — Comments Off
2
Oct 25

A specific elegance

Here’s the view from the campus office, where we live next-to-corner-office wishes and sixth floor dreams. Also, I share this office with my lovely bride, though we are seldom there at the same time. Offsetting office hours make that happen this semester.

Anyway, just look at those clouds. There’s a certain elegance in the clouds when they thin and march out like that. I wonder if that’s how earlier artists were inspired to take on the challenge of forced perspective.

The office has lights, but I do not know if they work. Plenty of natural light comes through that window, and I’ve never tried turning them on.

The office has the four travel posters that commemorate our honeymoon. And there are a few other framed things on the wall. I should add some of my own. And there’s a bookshelf, but I should add some books that are currently sitting in the basement, looking awesome. We have a rug we need to bring in.

I have also been collecting vintage local sports pennants. I’d all but completed the set when countries started shipping things to the U.S. The baseball pennant I bought two months ago from someone in Canada is somewhere stuck in that morass, so I’m getting a refund. But I need a new vintage baseball pennant, so back to E-bay, I guess. Then we can get a giant frame and hang that on an office wall.

In my mind, this will look really classy and cool.

The first problem is that there’s a lot of cool stuff I could put on a wall. The second problem is the nails. Or, more precisely, the nail holes. It feels very permanent, and I don’t mean in the photo that’s been on your grandparents’ wall your whole life sense of permanence. This is silly, there are several high quality putties and sealants and a fresh coat of paint goes a long way, but puncturing drywall is a real commitment.

This also explains all of the things not hanging on walls here at home, where I could also put up some other cool stuff.

In Criticism today we watched the new documentary on British Olympian Tom Daley.

It left something to be desired, from a critical perspective, but Daley was an executive producer, and I’m sure that figures into it. He’s going to tell his story his way — and why not? With that in mind, much of it felt a lot like a sort of oral history he was recording for his children.

It’s also an unconventional documentary in some respects. He’s watching footage of himself on a big screen, footage from throughout his life, because there have always been video cameras. And he was such an incredibly high profile athlete throughout his diving career, there were always broadcast cameras, too. Plus, I’m a big believer in the need of time and space away from the subject of a documentary. Maturing, evolving, crystallizing perspectives and all of that. This doc ends with his Paris Olympics. (And it felt rushed at the end.)

It got a mixed response from the class, now I’ve just got to get them to explain aloud why. But criticism is a learned process, and we’ve got some time yet to go this term.

In org comm my god-brother-in-law came to talk about his work. He’s a professional mountain biker, a filmmaker, a storyteller. Brice is also pretty great at all of those things. So he talked about niche storytelling. He was great at that, too. Here’s one of his films.

What was gratifying to me was to see how so many of the students were engaged in what he was saying, even though he is in a niche field, and this was not their niche. Well, most of them. One guy in the room, turns out, rides a bit, and they got nerdy with the vocabulary in a hurry, which was amusing to watch. There were suddenly industry specific terms flying all over the place and everyone else in the room came to realize they had no chance of catching up, or even catching on. It’s a niche kind of storytelling.

And look, I ride bikes. I tell stories. I do niche things. I teach this class. I was taking notes on what Brice was telling us.

I have some more things to grade, but if I did that tonight, what would I do tomorrow? Plenty of other things, of course. So I’ll just grade (tomorrow) instead.

See how I do that? There’s a certain elegance to it.