As I write this, I am excited because Thanksgiving break is almost here, and that means I can, for at least a little while, take a minute and relax. With that being said, the first semester is almost over, and while I am on track to finish will all A’s and B’s, there are still some things, especially in my Sports Broadcasting class, that I could do better in.
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The Sports Broadcasting Institute is at an interesting point. My class is kind of in a rut, while other classes within the program, albeit with their own situations, I knew coming into the year, the inaugural year of the program, that there were going to be some bumps in the proverbial road. Plus, I knew the personalities in the class weren’t exactly known as hard-workers. However, what was at first seen as a simple problem is turning into what could be a key obstacle in the program’s future success. Majority of students have been a little lax in their work, myself included, but I don’t think it’ll last. The students may have a few minor quirks, but who doesn’t? I firmly believe we are a talented group of individuals who can turn it around and still have a fantastic year.
With that being said, let’s move on to a more light-hearted topic. On the 14th, our teacher Mr. White has changed up our groups again, and now I’m in a group of four with girl named Shonterria Fountain and a dude named Jesus Mendez, and a rather interesting character in Quentin Wynn. Our group is in charge of making two commercials; one about the upcoming basketball season in Rockdale County, and the other about how our program will be covering the GHSA (High School) football playoffs. Now, with much more focus than the previous rotation, we got right to work, but even with the added effort, our basketball script didn’t get approved until 21st. However, I finally understand what he was getting at; first, like he would always say, we were “writing like it was our English class”. For example, in the basketball script will end with us saying fans can catch the game on our broadcasting site, rockdalelive.com. But instead of saying something simple like “you can watch the game at rockdalelive.com”, we were typing things like “you can access the live broadcast at rockdalelive.com”. Mr. White wanted us to just write like we were conversing with someone. There was no need for fancy vocabulary. Now, notice I only said the BASKETBALL script was approved; the FOOTBALL script is another story. The issue is not with the actual problem, but rather with the means to make it better. The problem is that instead of being a commercial, the script makes it appear as though it is a promotional video, promoting the football teams within the county. Fortunately Jesus, who was in charge of the script, was able to write a script suitable to Mr. White’s requests. There is a reason I said Quentin was an interesting character, and the events of the past week help prove my point. When we got the basketball script approved on the 19th, I told Quentin to meet me after school the next day to shoot our part. The next day comes, and he’s not there. When I see him on Wednesday, and he said “I thought you meant next class”(we have block schedule so the class is every other day). I try to be cool, and tell him we can shoot on Thursday. Thursday came, and he wasn’t there again. Now I start to wonder about his work ethic. I see him later that day, a little irritated, and tell him we have to shoot on Friday. Friday would’ve worked, except he didn’t tell me he didn’t have a ride. So I was left hanging again, for the third time. Monday comes around, he explains his side about the ride on Friday and how he waited for me on Thursday; soon enough I tell him specifically to meet me in the gym right after school. We will see what happens then. I have my doubts still, but I have a feeling this rotation will be a sign of good things to come. Now I know the last time I posted, I was probably talking about a sports team, specifically Atlanta sports teams, and sporting news from around the United States and internationally. However, I’m changing the script this time; I’m going to talk about the RCA Sports Broadcasting Institute. It’s a program based in Conyers, Georgia where students are actually producing sports footage for the school in Rockdale County, promoting games through social media, and shooting live news shows. This program allows for students to gain experience and knowledge in a field that is in need of experienced workers, whether in college or in an actual production house; to be a part of something exciting and fulfilling; and to even make money, as the program also offers video recording jobs.
In my group specifically, we have to put on a newscast that includes weather, events in the area, news at the different schools, community service, and sports coverage. There can also be features if there are any interesting stories coming about. For instance, a couple weeks ago we did a feature on Candace Hill, a track star at Rockdale County High School who recently won the Gatorade National Athlete of the Year for her sport. Before we can start shooting any footage or conduct any interviews we might need, we first must write scripts, which is basically an outline of how we will shoot and record each part of the newscast. The scripts include the location of the footage, who’s being recorded, how they’re being recorded, and what each person is going to say. We also have to include any other pieces we plan to add later, like any fancy graphics or voiceovers that will be put in later. After each script is written, we show to our teacher for approval, and he either gives us approval, or he points out things we can make better and sends us back. Once our script is approved, a team of 2-4 people from the group will receive a camera and a tripod, as well as bring their own headphones, and go out to the location and begin shooting. Even though the topics vary in time consumption, it’s important that time is not wasted, because if everyone is focused on the task at hand, the faster the task can get done. Also, if there is an interview or feature being conducted during this time, it is imperative that we are prompt ad courteous for the interviewees. Make sure to say please and thank you to the people that you’re interviewing, because their time is valuable just as yours is. Once the piece has been shot, we go back to the classroom/ production house to begin the editing process. That can be anything from cutting out unnecessary footage, to making the sound as good as possible, to adding things like graphics and voiceovers. Editing can be short and swift, or it can take a day or two; it changes from footage to footage. The goal is to make the best video possible. This process takes place for all videos that are shot. Once all the sports coverage, weather, community news, and features are shot, we now put them together to make the newscast. Since most of the footage is already prepared, the newscast is a piece of cake; just be sure to be focused, and everything will go smooth. And that, my friends, is the preparation and process of our newscast. Even though summer league is over, two Las Vegas participants will continue to represent the Atlanta Hawks. Guards Lamar Patterson and Terran Petteway have earned roster spots on the Hawk’s ball club. Patterson has been a part of the Hawks since they traded for him in the 2014 NBA Draft. He played in Turkey last year, so this will be his first stint with the team. Petteway is an undrafted rookie from Nebraska, where he averaged 18 points and 5 rebounds a game. He was also Third-Team All-Big Ten, as well as an AP All-American honorable mention award. We welcome Patterson and Petteway to Atlanta, and wish them the best of luck this season.
There’s been other news around the NBA. Probably the most interesting signing would be the one of Seth Curry. The younger brother of MVP Stephen Curry played extraordinary during the NBA summer league, making the All-Summer League first team. Seth will be playing alongside DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings. Now the kings are looking like a dark house threat in the western conference, with the addition of Curry and the ever-entertaining Rajon Rondo. Keep an eye on the Kings this season; you might be surprised. Now, from the feel good story of Seth Curry to the Australian point guard Mattew Dellavedova. Delly has officially with the Cleveland Cavaliers, after a postseason performance that left many debating the definition of playing hard and playing dirty. Dellavedova was kinds exposed in the NBA Finals as nothing more than a high-energy role player off the bench. Everything will most likely go back to normal when starting point guard Kyrie Irving fully recovers from his broken kneecap. In other NBA transaction news, Shabazz Napier, at least for the time being, will no longer be a part of the Miami Heat. Napier has been traded to the Orlando Magic in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick. This is after he received high praise by former Miami heat forward LeBron James when he was coming out of college. In addition to Napier being moved, Zoran Dragic, brother of starring point guard Zoran Dragic, has been traded to Boston in exchange for a 2016 second round pick. Miami also sent Boston a 2020 second-round pick and cash. The Golden State Warriors decided to get in the action. They traded David Lee for Gerald Wallace and Chris Babb from Boston. Lee saw his playing time drop dramatically this past season, first with his slew of injuries, then Draymond Green emerging as an excellent stretch big for Golden State. With Green producing at such a high level, coach Steve Kerr has make Draymond a stater, sending Lee deep into the bench. If it wasn’t for the fact the Dubs needed a scoring stretch big during the playoffs, Lee might’ve stayed on the bench for majority of the season. This trade works for both parties because the Warriors won’t have to worry about playing Lee, freeing up more time for Green. In Lee’s case, it’ll send the highest paid player on the Warriors to a team like Boston that needs a veteran presence like Lee who can also score the ball. It’s the Atlanta Hawk’s summer league team leading this week’s news break. The Hawk hopefuls put on an amazing showing in Las Vegas, making it all the way to the semifinals. Unfortunately, that is where their run came to an end, when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs 75-68. I guess it shows that he student is still no match for the master (cause Coach Mike Budenholzer came from San Antonio and virtually ran the same offense in Atlanta.) We saw good things out of Hawks summer league leaders Mike Muscala and Edy Tavares. With Muscala, Tavares, Tiago Splitter, Al Horford, and Paul Millsap on the roster, the Atlanta frontcourt now looks like a much more formidable unit against other NBA frontcourts. In other Hawks news, Coach Bud will be attending a very important event: the first-ever NBA game in Africa. He will be reuniting with his mentor Gregg Popovich on the bench and help coach Team Africa, where they will have the likes of Luol Deng, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nicolas Batum, and fellow Spur Boris Diaw at their disposal. They will be taking on Team World, who are led by Chris Paul, Bradley Beal, and the Gasol brothers (Marc and Pau). They’re coached by Lionel Hollins, and assisting hi, is Brad Stevens.
In other NBA news, there were some big names moving, as well as staying put on their respective teams. Josh Smith left the Rockets to take less money and join the L.A. Clippers. And today a five-player trade took place between the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets. Denver sent point guard Ty Lawson to to Houston, and in return the Nuggets got Nick Johnson, Kostas Papanikolaou, Pablo Prigioni, Joey Dorsey, and a 2016 first-round pick. This trade really does work out for both sides. In Denver’s case, it’s a huge weight off their shoulders, since problems started to emerge, from Lawson against the management, to Lawson getting in trouble with the law. Plus, it now frees up the starting spot to top-10 pick Emmanuel Mudiay, who can come into his own with the troubling Lawson gone. In Houston’s case it’s a big upgrade to their point guard position and to their overall team. Since Dwight Howard was out most of the year with injury, pretty much all of the scoring responsibilities fell on James Harden’s shoulders. Also, since Patrick Beverly isn’t really a true offensive weapon, the facilitating also fell on Harden’s shoulders as well. Those problems came to haunt the Rockets as they wen t on their playoff run. When they played the Warriors, Harden did all he could, but even the contributing role players didn’t even do their job, and Houston was quickly disposed of by the more balanced Warriors. With the addition of Lawson, it gives Houston another reliable scoring option, alleviating some the weight off the Beard’s shoulders. It also gives the Rocket’s more versatility, with the ability to go offense-defense with Lawson and, hopefully healthy, Patrick Beverly. Expect Lawson, the Rockets, and Nuggets to be better of fafter this trade. Some interesting news to kick off this week; the Atlanta Hawks sign Justin Holiday from the Golden State Warriors. If the name sounds familiar, it’s either because Holiday was just on the reigning NBA champions, or because of his brother Jrue Holiday. And that’s only the first of quite a few moves that have been made recently. Do you remember Austin Daye? The guy who scored 52 points last week? Well apparently that’ll be as god as it gets for a while, because this past Thursday the Hawks waived Daye. He played on consecutive 10-day contracts before signing a multiyear deal. Also they officially re-signed Paul Millsap, and sign big man Edy Tavares. Now Atlanta frontcourt looks a lot more formidable: they have Al Horford, Mike Muscala, Tavares, and Tiago Splitter who can all play the five spot. Add in Millsap and Mike Scott, all of a sudden the Hawks can have size and strength on the boards simultaneously. And size could have really helped them in the conference finals against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavalier’s front line of Tristan Thompson (6’10) and Timofey Mozgov (7’2).
In other Hawks news, the summer league is underway, and a lot of players are making names for themselves. From former Michigan standout Brandon Ashley, to draft pick Lamar Patterson, to summer league mainstay Stephen Holt, to new guys like Terran Petteway, everyone is giving all they got to make a roster in the NBA. The NBA has been a nonstop free agent signing party. Everyone and their mother officially signed with their new teams. Of all the interesting storylines, none is more captivation than the one of DeAndre Jordan. The story goes that DeAndre wasn’t getting along with Chris Paul, and that he wanted a bigger role in the offense. That wasn’t going to look possible with Paul and Blake Griffin on the payroll. So Jordan ventured into free agency, where The Dallas Mavericks really impressed him. In fact, Jordan even verbally agreed to a four-year, 88-million dollar max deal. However, the pressure of being the man must’ve gotten to him and, with the coaxing of the Clippers to come back, he did a complete 180 and returned to the Clippers. Now, why is this big deal? It’s not because DeAndre changed his mind and backed out of his deal; it’s how he did it that’s turning heads. He did not tell Mavericks owner Mark Cuban that was going back to the Clippers. Matter of fact, it’s been stated that his mother, of all people, told Cuban he wasn’t coming to Dallas. Ever since the Jordan signed the contract, his mental toughness has been called into serious question. Hopefully this decision will prove to vindicate Jordan, and not result in more feuds with Chris Paul, or even worse, the Mavericks having more success without Jordan. To end on a more positive note, the San Antonio Spurs absolutely owned free agency. Not only did they get the biggest name in LaMarcus Aldrige, they did so while retaining Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, Danny Green, and the future of the franchise in Kawhi Leonard. And while they did lose Tiago Splitter, they did add David West. The Spurs are looking like a real contender out west. It’s always good to see fellow Atlanta Hawks do well against the best competition out there. That’s what happened to Hawk Austin Daye, who scored a dazzling 52 points today in the Drew League. Keep in mind that the Drew League is one of the best pro-am leagues, if not the best, in the world. Now from good news to even better news; Kyle Korver is expected to make a full recovery from elbow surgery. As of right now it’s a cautious but positive outlook in terms of him being ready for training camp. Also, the Atlanta Hawks summer league is almost underway, and the roster was posted today. The names you’ll most likely recognize is Mike Muscala, Walter “Edy” Taveres, and Lamar Patterson, players who the Hawks have ownership over. You might also remember Stephen Holt, who played for the Hawks last summer league. It should be a good summer for the Hawks. In other Hawks news, the team officially announced on the 30th that Coach Mike Budenholzer will be promoted to president of basketball operations, and Assistant GM Wes Wilcox has been promoted to head GM. The move was made after the previous GM Danny Ferry decided to call it quits after a long and tiring situation with the racist remarks stated about Luol Deng. We wish the best for Ferry in his future endeavors.
The NBA free agency is underway. It’s another year of big name players looking for big-time contracts from big-time teams. This free agency year, the big men are about to get paid, and the number one option on the list of most teams is former Portland Trailblazer LaMarcus Aldrige. As of right now the Lakers, Spurs, Mavericks, and Knicks are the main teams with a chance to sign him, with San Antonio leading the way. The Lakers might have talked themselves out of potentially signing him, because according to reports, Aldrige was not impressed with LA’s pitch. All signs point to him going to the Spurs, since it would be him taking the place of Tim Duncan, the same passing-of-the-torch style movement when Duncan took over for David Robinson. Also, with Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, and Aldrige as the core, the spurs will be set for years to come. There is still a very, very small chance that he might go back to Portland, but that’s only because they can offer more money than anybody else, considering the fact they own his bird rights. Other big names include DeAndre Jordan and Greg Monroe. In other news, the USA Women’s national soccer team is world cup champions! But what’s more astonishing is not what they did; it’s how they did it. They defeated Japan by a resounding 5-2 score line, with Carli Lloyd scoring a hat trick (three goals) in less than 18 minutes, which gave the US a 4-0 lead at the team. They did this knowing this Japan team, more or less, is the same team that defeated them in PK’s the previous world cup. I am so proud, and surprised, of this large victory by the US women. A good bit has happened since the last post, so be prepared. First of, the NBA Draft took place on Thursday, and it did not lack for excitement. Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns was taken first overall by Minnesota, Then all the speculation was confirmed when the Lakers took freshmen guard D’Angelo Russell over Duke center Jahlil Okafor, who went third to Philadelphia. The New York Knicks took foreign big man Kristaps Porzingis, which was followwed by a massive wave of boos. The real surprise of the lottery (first 14 picks) was Justise Winslow falling all the way to Miami at number 10. And with the first pick outside the lottery, the Atlanta Hawks selected Kelly Oubre Jr, and that’s when things got interesting. First the Hawks traded the 15th pick (Oubre) to the Washington Wizards for their 19th pick. Then, the Wizards selected guard Jerian Grant, where Washington traded the 19th pick (Grant) to the Knicks for Tim Hardaway Jr. Remember the 19th pick belonged to Atlanta, so Hardaway actually went to Atlanta. That’s a lot to keep up with. Hardaway is good pickup for the Hawks because it gives more scoring depth on the wing, and possibly insurance if DeMarre Carroll leaves in free agency. In other Draft news, Kentucky had seven players drafted on Thursday, tying the record for most players drafted from one school.
It has also been announced today that Atlanta guard Kyle Korver will ungergo surgery to remove loose bodies in his right elbow. It is the third surgery Korver has had, after the broken nose in the regular season and the broken ankle suffered in the playoffs. He is expected to be ready by training camp. Tomorrow is a big day for not only soccer fans, but United States fans in general. The US Women’s national team will take on Germany in a semifinal matchup on July 1st . This will be the toughest test the United States will probably face, since the German women are ranked number one in the world, and picked to win the World Cup. Most soccer analysts are acutally picking against the US to defeat German, who is the top goal scoring team in the tournament. However, the US has the top defense in the tournament, so it’s your classic “unstopppable force versus the immovable object” clash. Only one will prevail. The winner of that game will face the victor of the other semifinal battle between the Cinderella of the tournament, England, squaring off against Japan. There is some bad blood between the US and Japan, as Japan had defeated the United States in penalty kicks to win the previous World Cup. Things are shaping up to have a possible rematch between the two titans, a rematch the US would surely love to have. The United States have been an intriguing story the last few matches, when head coach Jill Ellis changed the formation, as well as the lineup. She took Sidney Leroux and Abby Wambach out of the starting lineup. We’ll have to see if the changes prove beneficial. It is almost that time, ladies and gentlemen: the NBA Draft. Teams are finishing up individual and group workouts with possible draftees, last-minute mock drafts are being let out, and in three days the dreams of sixty young men will realize their dreams are becoming a reality. With that being said, the top of the draft remains somewhat a mystery. The Minnesota Timberwolves will most likely take Kentucky freshman Karl-Anthony Towns with the first pick. But after that, it gets a little more interesting. As we inch closer to the draft, it sounds like the Lakers are leaning heavily towards taking Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell, especially since there are so many valuable big men on the free agent market. Then you have the Philadelphia 76ers. They have a wide variety of options at number three, with the only surefire thing being Duke center Jahlil Okafor. Knowing that the 76ers primary goal is to collect talent, they’ll probably take Okafor under the circumstances. Then the Knicks will have a very tough decision to make. At least three or four players have been slotted to be taken here, with the frontrunner being international prospect Kristaps Prozingis. After that, who knows what could happen. In other news, my hometown Atlanta Hawks may have received a blessing from heaven. Forward Pero Antic has decided to take his talents to Turkey, and play in the Euroleague. Now Antic is a solid big man who can stretch the floor, but when his shot goes away, which is what happened in the playoffs, he’s of no value.
In other news, as reported by the Atlanta franchise, the Hawks officially part ways with Danny Ferry. It all started when Ferry was accused if stating racist remarks about Forward Luol Deng, who at the time the Hawks were trying to recruit. The remarks about Deng soon hit the front pages of newspapers and even ended up on top sports network, ESPN. Soon Ferry decided to take an indefinite leave of absence. As time progressed, it became more apparent that he was going to leave the franchise. In the press conference today, Ferry detailed that “While the past year has been incredibly difficult and humbling, it is critical for me to clear my name and for people to realize that I have always built a culture of respect, diversity, and honesty”. Ferry’s tone clearly indicated that he was sorry and regretful for his actions, and hopes the best for the Hawks. Now while this is a bad turn of events, Ferry did have success as the Hawk’s General Manager. In his tenure of a little over three years, he’s created a winning culture in Atlanta, putting together a quality team over the past few years. And as an added bonus, majority of people, including myself, don’t’ believe Ferry is a racist person nor were his statements racially charged. The United States women’s national team advances to the quarterfinals! They defeated Colombia by a score of 2-0. They will play the Republic of China, who defeated Cameroon 1-0 two days earlier. Since much hasn’t happened with the Hawks in a week, the dialogue about them should be brief this week. Late-signee Austin Daye made the roster for the Hawks, Kyle Korver once again proved he’s one of the best shooters in the league by shooting a NBA- best 49 percent from three this past season, and Jeff Teague finished a season where he was selected an All-Star for the first time in his career. The Hawks also have a lot of options for the upcoming draft. They could go the risk/reward route by selecting Kelly Oubre Jr. out of Kansas or UCLA’s Kevon Looney. Maybe they could select a proven youngster like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Or they could go with experience, like Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker, Notre Dame senior Jerian Grant, or stay in state and select Georgia State Senior R.J Hunter. Only time will tell.
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Mason T. SmithWritten by a student working to be better. Archives
March 2021
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