NFL Blog-Nathan Winegardner REVISED

Roger Goodell Makes the Wrong Move

As many might know the NFL has been struggling with domestic violence issues for the past few months. And with all this attention on the NFL people are now starting to be scrutinized for the lack of effort to prevent this kind of behavior.


Rodger Goodell announced Tuesday November, 18th that Adrian Peterson is now suspended from the NFL until next year. After breaking the NFL's Personal Conduct policy.

 Goodell has taken upon himself to try and fix the NFL single handedly, but it cannot be done and shouldn't be done.

Goodell is pushing this situation so hard in order to protect his own reputation, and the leagues, not Adrian Peterson's. If another domestic violence issue were to pop up today I believe that the first questions he would ask would be "Is there a video? Are there pictures? Who knows about this?" all of these questions would be to defend himself instead of asking the important questions like, "Is the victim okay?, How is the family doing?, What can I do to help?". He needs to put more interest into others and less of himself if he hopes to keep the good wishes of the fans. The laidback approach he is taking to these matters is concerning to many people, parents do not want their young children to seeing this behavior as acceptable and the commissioner is the one responsible for the actions of his players.

Roger Goodell has stuck himself between a rock and a hard place. He understands that these types if incidents can be a career killer, and that is what scares him the most. There are appropriate ways of solving such matters but Goodell has not uses any of them. Goodell is treating Peterson as if he were a child stating, "We are prepared to put in place a program that can help you to succeed, but no program can succeed without your genuine and continuing engagement...You must commit yourself to your counseling and rehabilitative effort," What? The problem goes much further than just the players actions. The administrative part of the NFL including the commissioner is just as much at fault. Both the accused player and the NFL should work together in order to solve these problems instead of just pointing fingers at one another.

Adrian is not a young boy that needs a "timeout" or that needs to go see the "principals office" nor is he a mentally unstable person that needs to be put in programs and activities that will make him better. He was disciplining his child, granted he might have not done it in the incorrect fashion but he maid a mistake, and I can guarantee that there are much worse things going on in the league that they could be paying attention to. A mistake such as this does not fit the punishments Goodell has place upon him.

I understand that Goodell is trying to make a point to the rest of the league that if you do break this conduct policy (keep in mind they have not even finalized this new policy) that there will be severe consequences. And this is a great move but using Peterson as an example to the league was a poor decision. Peterson is a well respected member of the football community and with the past negative public relations that Goodell has put on himself attacking Peterson only added to this. The reason he jumped on this so quickly was because of the NFL's poor public relations he moved so fast that he neglected to see the flaws in his own logic.

Goodell has been hiding scandals his whole career, especially when it comes to domestic violence crimes. As Dave Zirin a reporter for The Nation states," During his tenure, fifty-six players were arrested on domestic violence charges, and have been suspended for a combined thirteen games." This is a remarkable number taking the fact that Adrian Peterson will end up missing fifteen games for one small mistake that he made. Goodell is in the wrong when it comes to how he dealt with Petersons case. The NFL needs to start moving in the right direction in order to retain the integrity that many fans support. For Goodell's sake I hope when the NFLPA appeals this verdict that he reconsiders what he as done, because many are now asking if Roger Goodell is the best choice for commissioner of the NFL. 

 http://www.thenation.com/blog/181608/why-nfl-commissioner-roger-goodell-must-go-and-who-should-replace-him#

http://boston.barstoolsports.com/random-thoughts/roger-goodell-lecturing-adrian-peterson-about-morals-made-me-puke/


http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/11/18/7188877/adrian-peterson-reinstatement-denied-nfl-2014-season

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2014-11-18/roger-goodell-power-discipline-adrian-peterson-suspension-appeal-union-ray-rice-neutral-arbitrator?eadid=SOC/Twi/SNMain

http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2014/11/18/roger-goodell-makes-right-move-in-suspending-adrian-peterson/

The Walking Dead- Matt Meyer Final Draft

        Qualities of a leader; just, level-headed, knowledgeable, altruistic, strict, logical, and helpful all of which Rick Grimes had at the beginning of the first season of The Walking Dead. Then things started to change, slowly all the characteristics that Rick possessed were starting to seize to exist in and around him.

        Going into a coma was the event that started Rick's adventure into the "new world" that the disease had created, when Rick woke up he no longer had the quality of being knowledgeable. The entire world that he had known prior to being in coma was no longer there, it had been taken over by the dead, the living-dead. Essentially being born into this new world he turned to the only thing that he still knew which was family, and so his journey began.

        After finding his family and some others he became the leader of the group, and during some hard times he had to make some hard decisions. Rick exemplified his, strict and in a kind of backwards way just characteristics, when he decided to leave Merle, a burden to the group, on top of a city building handcuffed to a pole. However even though this action in the long run helped the group Rick's characteristic of having a level-head was destroyed in the process because this was a result of him losing his cool and acting on an impulse.

                         

        While the group carried on after facing tragedy and having to move from their camp they found a small farm house with its residents willing to take them in after finding out that one of the children were severely hurt. After the child healed, who happened to be Rick's son Carl, Rick decided that staying at the farm was the group's safest option and made an executive decision and went against his just being and took over the farm without permission of its owner.

        As shown the farm didn't last very long and the group eventually left and found a prison where they could take shelter. During this time Rick's wife Lori had a baby and in the process she died. This event took Rick's logic away, he started seeing her and running off to try and catch her. This hurt the group because they needed Rick to lead them, but this was becoming harder for Rick to do because of all the events that he has gone through and the difficulty of staying alive in the new world. With Rick running off and not protecting the barriers or helping with physical tasks or even taking care of his two children his helpfulness disappeared and others had to take charge like Glenn and Carl.

        The day that Rick lost his altruistic characteristic was the day that the group was split up. The Governor, a leader of the nearby colony, came to the prison and essentially blew it up because the group imposed a threat to his colony in his eyes. seeing this and barely surviving the attack Rick's only two goals were to find the group and take revenge on whoever hurt his group or family in the past and to kill anyone that imposes a threat to them in the future, it was no longer to grow and live in harmony.

        All hope for the characteristics to come back were lost when Rick and Carl were attacked. One of the attackers was threatening Carl and Rick turned to the dark side and ripped his throat out with his teeth and then preceded to beat the other attacker. The hate that you could see in his eyes or just his actions shows that there is no soul left in his body. The events that he has been through has destroyed him, however his true instincts show through while he is still protecting his child. Also, people including Carl now fear Rick this just shows that the same characteristics only the opposite will create a monster instead of a leader.

        Although the characteristic of being strict is still prevalent in Rick after all of the events that he has gone through that quality alone does not make for a leader. People went from idolizing Rick to fearing him. And all of the reasons that this viewpoint has changed were solely reliant on the new world and struggles that he has been put through.

                   

The Kardashians--FINAL DRAFT--Aliyah Walker

       The Kardashians: Booty Women or Business Women?             

        Over recent years it has come to no surprise to see one of the Kardashian sisters posing half-nude on the cover of magazines or for a social media site. To opposers their actions have been questionable but others show nothing but support for the sisters. The Kardashians are constantly criticized for the way they rose to fame or being famous for no reason at all. A sex tape scandal, multiple short-lived marriages, and many seasons of their reality shows later the Kardashians are still relevant as ever. No matter which end of the spectrum you are on about your feelings toward the family, I think there is one thing everyone should be able to agree on: the Kardashians do have talent.

        

        Now when I say talent I'm not talking about them being great at sports or math. I'm referring to their talent to recognize what people want and give it to them. Do you think the Kardashians would still be around if they didn't make every part of their life interesting and open to the public? The answer is no. They have learned how to keep themselves relevant, they know what keeps people talking and their actions reflect this. 

        

        It doesn't matter what people have to say about them good or bad because they are capitalizing off of it. Every magazine article or social media post said about them just brings more attention to their name adding to their fame. They have successfully recognized that they lead an appealing life and that people want what they have. On their television show they broadcast their fancy vacations, the luxurious mansions they own, and all of the cool cars. They eat at the best restaurants and wear the nicest clothes. The family just has all of the nicest things. That is why people continue to tune into their reality show season after season, who wouldn't want to live a lavish style like the Kardashians? 

        

        To support my claim I watched a recent interview that Wall Street Journal held with mom and manager of the sisters, Kris Jenner which can be viewed here:

        In the interview with reporter Lee Hawkins she discusses the brand of the Kardashians. A brand that made roughly $65 million last year. You can read about how they did that in this article: http://www.eonline.com/news/226698/the-kardashians-made-65-million-last-year-and-you-didn-t. The sisters are the face of many things including clothing, fragrance, jewelry, and beauty product lines. They have dabbled their hands into several projects and been successful at majority of them. Along with materialistic things their reality television show is also a hit, it is going on it's tenth season and it also has three spin-off shows. 

       

        During the interview Kris also lets us in a few things the audience may not have had prior knowledge of. For example, how the sisters owned their now extremely prosperous store Dash before they rose to fame. They were interested in entrepreneurship before everyone knew who their names were. I believe that even if they hadn't gotten as big as they now are that they would have kept their businesses running and maybe even expanded. Kris helps refute a lot of accusations made against her daughters and she stands up for her children as a mom and also a manager. Before reading this article I wasn't completely convinced that the Kardashians were serious business women, Kris quickly cleared things up for me. 

        

        People are always going to have opinions about the Kardashians. Some will be good and some will be bad, but in the grand scheme of things no one's opinion of them matters. They are a family of successful individuals, it doesn't matter how they reached this success they are using it to their advantage now and living a life many of us wish we had. There will always be people who disagree with their actions, but as like as everyone keeps talking about them then they will continue to stay popular. 

        

        Just a week ago Kim Kardashian West posted a picture on social media with the caption "break the internet" it features her taking off her dress and showing her bare ass. I am not saying that her actions are good or bad, but I am saying that social media went into a frenzy. Kourtney Kardashian, who is pregnant has done a nude photo shoot. She posted plenty of pictures on social media to show that she is comfortable with her pregnant body. And younger sister, Kendal Jenner has recently announced that she is the new face of Estee Lauder, a make-up brand. 

        They all showed the world by making the crowd anticipate their big announcements and sharing this over social media. Each member of the family has pulled stunts like this with social media and it's because they know the reactions that people will give them. They use everything said about them as an advantage because it just continues to make them more famous. It doesn't matter if you like them or not, everyone should respect the Kardashians because they are actually extremely intelligent. And even though sometimes they might use their booties to get what they want, they are definitely still business women.

        

Greeks are on Top Carra Scott >Final Portfolio>

Greeks are on Top

          Society labels Greeks on campus as beer drinking, jello shot taking, dancing on elevated surfaces students. They make it seem as if ones who are members of a fraternity or sorority have doomed the campus to hell. As I am a member of a sorority here at The University of Louisville I cannot deny that we aren't guilty for partying, but what college student isn't? It is only easiest for society to blame specific groups of people for something a large percentage of all the students do as well. 

          What most don't realize is all the good that comes from the Greeks on campus and how being involved with Greek life benefits students. Greek Life presents you with many amazing opportunities that will help better yourself while here on campus and throughout the rest of your life. As for campus, the campus will reap all of the positive aspects of the Greek organization as long as Greek Life is present.

          How does Greek Life benefit campus? It has been shown in numerous studies that students who are members of the Greek organization tend to have higher GPAs than students who are not. This holds true because of the standards that you are held to, depending on the chapter you join. It is a requirement, for all of the different sorority and fraternity chapters,to have a certain GPA in order to keep their membership. This pushes the student to do better in school in fear of getting kicked out of the chapter that they love so much, some students need that extra motivation to keep them on track in their studies. With being involved in Greek Life you are expected to thrive in your studies. Therefore students of Greek Life help the university to look better statistically once the GPA average is factored.

          As a college student we all come here looking for a new start, new friends, and new experiences. During your short time here on campus Greek Life allows you to do all of these things as well as make your time here more meaningful. The Greek organization will present many opportunities through philanthropy events, community service projects, and chances to test your leadership abilities. Being apart of a sorority or fraternity means you will be required/expected to attend all of your philanthropy events, each fraternity and sorority has a specific organization that they help by raising and donating money. As a Chi Omega, the philanthropy we support is The Make a Wish Foundation, our biggest event that we host is the Chili Cook Off. Here we have people who pay to enter their chili, we action off different baskets filled with goods, and also can pay to "Pie a Chi O". There are also a required number of community service hours that you must complete in order to be a member. This is the reason why you see so many members of the Greek community at so many of the events around campus. Not only does being in Greek Life allow you to give back to your campus but also your community.

          Greek Life positively effects students as they are enrolled in school as well as strength and improve paths that lead well into their future. Once you have committed to a fraternity or sorority you are then a member for the rest of your life, connecting you to thousands of brothers/sisters you have through alumni. Greek Life introduces you to a great network, you never know when you could run into one of your fellow sisters/brothers who owns the company you are applying to work for. After doing some research I found just how successful many members of the Greek organization actually are. Out of the nation's 50 largest corporations, 43 are headed by fraternity men, which I found on http://thefraternityadvisor.com/greek-life-statistics/, where you can also find other fascinating statistics on all the things members of the Greek organization do for our country.

          So if Greeks heighten the university's overall GPA, dominates participation in community service, raises the most money for a variety of organizations all around the country, and then precedes to excel in the real world with successful job, how exactly is Greek Life bad? The days of false assumption and negative stereotypes of Greek Life is over. Greek Life is good. Greek Life is beneficial. Greek Life builds successful and thriving citizens. 

Molly Steinmetz--- Beyonce

Beyonce: Feminist or Terrorist?

Beyonce is a pop icon of our generation. She is a multi-billion dollar artist who has sold billions of albums and won numerous awards for her work. She embodies the image of a confident woman and she is a powerful image for women all over the world. She shows power and strength in her attitude. Beyonce has always been an advocate for equality and women's rights. She believes women should have the same opportunities and chances as men. Our world is centered mostly around men and Beyonce says that women should change that and fight for what they want. Show the world what women are really made of.

Beyonce calls herself a feminist. A feminist is someone who is a supporter of feminism. Feminism is the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. Beyonce shows these characteristics of feminism through her music, music videos, and fashion. 

Not everyone agrees with the fact that Beyonce is a feminist. Some say she is a terrorist. Hook from the Huffington Post says that he sees Beyonce as an anti-feminist, “that is assaulting, that is a terrorist… especially in terms of the impact on young girls.” Hook claims that Beyonce is a terrorist because of her impact on young girls and the influence she has on them. Hook believes that Beyonce has a major impact on young girls and how they see themselves, and thats why Hook classifies Beyonce as a terrorist. These are very Harsh words to label someone as. There are two views on Beyonce, that she is a feminist or that she is a terrorist. 

I agree with the argument that Beyonce is a feminist. I think Beyonce is a great representation of what a feminist is and what feminism means. She embodies these characteristics and embraces being a woman. Beyonce shows characteristics of feminism in many aspects of her life like music, music videos, fashion, fragrances, etc. She shows it through her music but more specifically through her lyrics like in the song Run the World (Girls). In this song she talks about women having power and not letting men walk all over them and control everything. In these lyrics "I work my 9 to 5, better cut my check, This goes out to all the women getting it in,You're on your grind, To other men that respect what I do, Please accept my shine, Boy I know you love it, How we're smart enough to make these millions, Strong enough to bear the children, Then get back to business." Beyonce shows that women can work just as hard as men and do as much as they can and still do more. She is powerful and independent. She can survive on her own by making her own money and providing for herself. 

Run The World (Girls) Music Video

The fashion in the video Run The World (Girls) also shows a strong pride for feminism. Their outfits represent power and strength. It gives the women confidence and a strong sense of self. I think the fashion in this video represent the quote "When you look good, you feel good" concept. They are ready to conquer anything and "run the world."

Beyonce calls herself a modern-day feminist. Beyonce made feminism 'sexy' for women all over the world!

I truly agree with the fact that Beyonce is a feminist. She shows all the qualities and traits of what being a feminist truly means. She empowers women and helps them find themselves. She is a great role model for women all over the world and many women look to her for strength. Beyonce has taught women to be happy with their body. To be proud of what they have. Never be ashamed of yourself and be proud of who you are. Beyonce struggled with her body image in the past. She was never happy with her legs until she realized that everyone has something that they wished they could change about themselves. But that's what makes us who we are and unique to the world. She learned to accept it and it showed women and girls all around the world to accept themselves for who they are as well. 

Beyonce is a great role model and is in my opinion one of the greatest artist of not only our generation but in history. She is a great influence on women rights and equality. Beyonce is a feminist and continues to live that title out through her work.

Miley Cyrus and the Change Heard Around the World--Hannah Marshall

We all know about the odd change of life that Miley Cyrus underwent throughout the past year or so. She quickly went from Mom and Dad’s favorite Disney channel star “Hannah Montana” to a sexpot icon. So, why? In numerous interviews and one-on-one’s with Miley she attempts to explain to her audience the cause behind all the drama, but It’s easy to see that no one is convinced. I’m pretty sure that after being exposed to her horrid 2013 VMA performance with Robin Thicke we all wish we could un-see some things. Lady Gaga stripped down to her underwear during the same performance, but does anyone actually remember that? No, because Miley managed to grab the audience’s attention for the entire night when she introduced the world to her skin-colored, latex two-piece, and the newest popular dance move, “twerking”. On this night, Miley crossed the line for too many of her audience members, and soon there were two sides to her fan base- love her or hate her. (You can watch the 2013 Music Video Award’s by clicking this link: http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/videos/we-cant-stop-blurred-lines-give-it-2-u-medley/942064/#id )

What made Miley’s VMA performance so controversial? Well, considering half of her fans are made up of small, Disney-channel-watching children and their parents, it’s blatantly obvious to them that Miley’s new look is over the top vulgar and extremely revealing. Miley spared no one when she was onstage at the VMA’s rubbing up against Thicke and straining to stick her tongue all the way out. Clearly she doesn’t care all that much if she offends half of her audience, but why doesn’t she? Immediately many of her fans began to draw assumptions about her going crazy, just like how we watched Britney Spears go nuts. Some even believed that she was doing it only for the fame and fortune that would come out of the media and all of the attention. Miley begs to differ.

Miley argues that what she does is for her own good and the happiness of herself, and that her audience just needs to learn to accept that. Following the VMA performance Miley decided to take her newest album, “Bangerz”, on tour. After seeing everything she did on live TV, people we’re baffled to hear that she would be showing her bare butt to anymore former Hannah Montana fans. In one interview Miley tells us how she things her “tour is educational” for children and young adults alike. Now, when we think of something being educational we imagine history facts and all things PG rated, not strobe lights, marijuana references, or giant stuffed animals twerking. All of a sudden her fans not only wanted to come for her music, but they wanted to see the show. This was a tour like no one has ever seen before, and that’s where Miley thinks it’s educational. She believes when you expose people to such an art form that no one has seen before it is considered an educational experience. 
So, is she crazy? In terms, her audience is actually experiencing something new, and everything they watch and take in is technically something new they have learned. So, well done Miley, your tour really is [slightly] “educational.” Listen to her album cover song "SMS (Bangerz) feat. Britney Spears by clicking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEWAciqLoQw

 

What many of Miley’s fans refuse to see is that the change she recently underwent is only the beginning. Growing up is eminent and a part of life, and with that you find yourself and who you are. But how will she ever find herself if she doesn’t test out the waters? I predict that in the future she will morph, yet again, into something completely different and alien. The world will probably go through another sort of shock and we will be here again, debating on whether or not it’s reasonable or for her better. To prepare for that, I believe we should open our minds up to her and expect the unexpected. It’s not fair to jump the gun and judge her immediately based off her actions. We, as her fans, should take into account her feelings and emotions when considering dropping her as a credible music artist. She really does try her hardest, and if you’ve never been to one of her shows I recommend it, because her hard work is evident. 

Brian Jones - MG Gormley

Anyone who hasn't been living under a rock for the past fifty years knows about the Rolling Stones. What many people don't know about are the dynamics within the band. Most likely, more of you have heard the name Mick Jagger than Brian Jones. Today, Jagger is arguably the most popular member of the Rolling Stones and therefore seen as their leader. Because this is how things are now, people often mistakenly assume that this has always been the case. However, another member was once the bandleader of the Rolling Stones, but his name has been forgotten as history has been rewritten, lost even to some of those who consider themselves die-hard Stones fans.

Brian Jones, founder and member of the Rolling Stones from their conception in 1962 until his death in July of 1969, was originally looked upon as the band's leader. Jones was already a well established blues artist before he started the band, which helped them immensely with their beginnings as a blues band. His radical style, attitude, and musical abilities are largely what catapulted the Stones into fame; it was hard for the public to ignore Brian and, in effect, the Rolling Stones. By looking at the  covers of their first few studio albums released in the UK, it's easy to see that Brian Jones was the face of the Rolling Stones during the early years.

The band's first album, "The Rolling Stones,"
was released in the UK in 1964.

Their first album, “The Rolling Stones,” was released in 1964. The cover is a simple portrait of the band with minimal lighting behind a black backdrop. No band name or album title appears on the cover. This is an odd choice for a band's premiere record and foreshadows the unforeseen strides that the Stones would later take in the music industry.

One aspect of this cover that stands out is how prominent Brian is when compared to the other band members. He stands slightly in front of his band mates and is dressed differently, lacking the jacket worn by the rest of the band. Brian even poses differently, appearing authoritative, and the lighting highlights his blonde hair, whereas it seems to swallow most of the other band members. These choices clearly establish to onlookers who the leader of the band is.

"The Rolling Stones No. 2," released in 1965.

Their second album, “The Rolling Stones No. 2,” was released in 1965. This cover shares multiple similarities with the band's first album. Once again, the cover contains no text and similarly places Brian at the focal point of the image. Brian is standing tall and looking sternly at the camera. In contrast, Mick Jagger, who is seen today as the band’s front man, is placed in the back of the photo, looking distant and mostly concealed by shadows.

"Out of Our Heads" was also released in 1965.

The band's third album, “Out of Our Heads,” is the first of the Rolling Stone's UK releases to include text on the cover. To the right of the album title and band name, the band poses between two walls. The emphasis on Brian on this cover is extremely obvious. The other four band members are crowded in a tiny slit at the top of the photo, and Bill Wyman hardly fits into the picture. Brian, on the other hand, sits below them and a few feet in front of them. Yet again, Brian is placed at the focal point of the photo and poses authoritatively. This album cover clearly sets Jones apart from the other Rolling Stones, indicating him as the band's leader. 

All three of these album covers reveal Brian's role as head of the Rolling Stones, but this can be seen, as well, in their interviews. Below is an interview, posted in two parts, given in the band's hotel room in Montreal, 1965. 

 

From watching this footage, it's easy to recognize that Brian was the band's spokesperson at this time. Brian commandeers nearly the entire interview and speaks on behalf of the other band members. This is especially explicit when Brian says "we all like basically the same American artist.... don't we fellas?" This interview reveals that Brian was the member expected to answer for the band when questions weren't addressed to anyone in particular. Some viewers see this interview as an example of the dynamic that later added to the friction between band members and  led to Brian's eventual estrangement from the band. Brian's leadership position in the band's early years is established, a position that would not sit well with the band in the end. 

Though the dynamic and style of the band clearly changed after Brian's death, resulting in Mick's rise as the face of the Rolling Stones and their transition to rock artists, the band we see now is not the Rolling Stones as they always have been. By looking at the way the band was represented in both their album covers and their interviews, it is evident that Brian once led the band. Though his superior role did not last, it is one that is revealed when examining their early work, and it is a role that should not be forgotten.