Football season has begun with full-force across the U.S. The CDC has specific guidelines for athletes starting to play again in attempt to return to normalcy, but still stay safe during gameplay.

Guidelines include recommendations such as staying home if showing signs of sickness, players bringing their own equipment, reducing physical closeness and wearing a mask if possible.

Quarantine has discouraged people to get outside and regularly exercise, coinciding with increased rates of depression.

Following CDC guidelines allows youth and adult sports to resume, allowing for athletes to reintroduce exercise into their routines.

But where is the line?

COVID-19 remains a threat to American citizens going to the grocery store, let alone swapping bodily fluids tackling someone.

So, why are sports still happening?

At my school, students are struggling this semester with taking many of their classes exclusively virtual.

I have one in-person class that has a “hybrid” option, so my day-to-day campus interactions have severely suffered.

My best friend, Cody, is a theatre major and cannot effectively learn his craft because in-person classes are prohibited. Simply put, our university does not have the ability to offer its typical resources in the midst of a pandemic.

Honestly, I feel kind of robbed. Football players and watchers alike interact at their games with no issues, exposing how the university truly prioritizes their students.

Usually around this time of year, one could find me shopping for fall decorations, fall outfits, fall snacks and New Orleans Saints swag to prepare for the upcoming NFL season!

Although, this year looks a bit different. Honestly, I have yet to think about how my favorite team will do this year.

Especially considering it’s Drew Brees’s last season!

Nonetheless, I’m in a constant effort not to let extenuating circumstances get me down. I’m confident that I will still throw socially-distanced and masked football parties with 10 or less of my closest friends!

Other people are opting to view their football in restaurants since many stadiums are not allowing fans to watch the games.

Despite restaurants seeming like a decent alternative, social distancing restrictions will still be enforced, allowing for about half the usual gameday capacity.

The official NFL season began yesterday, September 10th with Kansas City hosting Houston and winning 34-20.

So far so good, I’m curious to where the rest of the NFL season will take us. The NBA has set a leading example for what safe gameplay looks like, and I’m hopeful that other professional sports leagues will follow.

Holding these events in the middle of a pandemic seems a bit risky in my opinion, but give the people what they want, I suppose.

Like many of America’s youth, I spent quite a considerable amount of time playing youth sports. My parents were keen on the idea of me being an active, well-rounded child, so sports seemed like my best option!

I found a passion for being active at a young age because of our busy sports schedule; although, where there is clean, quality fun for children, usually party pooper parents come to follow.

The purpose of recreational sports is to encourage children to exercise good sportsmanship, make friends and, most importantly, have fun!

Based off of personal experiences, though, parents seem to think that 12 and under baseball is the MLB.

I’ve seen multiple accounts of full-on cursing and screaming matches between an umpire and a parent, usually resulting in that parent being excused from the game.

Not to mention, this is mostly mortifying for the children playing. One can imagine how morale is shot after your dad is screaming “BALL!” for every strike you throw.

This is a phenomenon that my peers have also related to; several of their dads have had to be escorted out for being “unsportsmanlike” to say the least.

I’d like to see an initiative to stop this form of bullying. It’s simply unhealthy and uncouth.

Public service announcement to all sports parents: sit back, relax and keep your mouths shut!

Since I can remember, professional sports have always been a huge deal in my life. As soon as I could understand the word “touchdown“, I made sure to scream it the loudest at every game!

One of my many talentless-talents is overthinking. But, with overthinking comes a lot of obscure, curious questions.

As a sat down in an attempt to brainstorm blog ideas, the BIG question popped into my head:

What was the first ever league?

The answer: baseball.

Where baseball might not have been the first sport to ever exist, its players and coaches created the first ever sports league called the “National League“, the older of the two leagues in the Major League Baseball.

The National League initiated to replace its predecessor, the “National Association of Professional Base Ball Players” in an attempt restart with a clean slate with reform in rules and club organization.

Although baseball is known as the “first” professional sports league to ever exist, the four most popular national sports followed very shortly after, coining the term “Big Four”.

The “Big Four” consists of the Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Hockey League (NHL).

The Big Four leagues currently hold 30–32 teams each, most of which are concentrated in populous metropolitan areas of the U.S. and Canada.

Sports fans across North America fuel the “Big Four” sports industries; big league industries also contribute a considerable amount to the economy of a nation.

To conclude, I’m happy I asked this question. The history of pop culture and sports intertwined to one, answering my question and putting the way modern-day sports are practiced into perspective.

If you haven’t heard, the Brooklyn Nets have officially hired Steve Nash as their new coach. My social media feeds instantly flooded celebrating the Nets’s newest addition.

Given my self-identified role as a social justice warrior, I stress the importance of being aware of the world around you through educating yourself through news.

During today’s daily scrolls, an article headlining: “Charles Barkley ‘disappointed’ in those arguing white privilege played role in Steve Nash hiring” caught my attention!

The devil’s advocate in me started to brainstorm; how could this famous,loved ball player face criticism for earning his dream job?

Barkley clarifies that he approves of the Net’s new coach, but feels disappointed that qualifying candidates of color with much more were so quickly grazed over.

Steve Nash has no coaching experience, he’s just one of the many iconic basketball players who dominated the court.

The majority NBA coaches are White. Bringing awareness to this is important. The NBA should be wise in their selecting qualified, diverse individuals.

Where I understand Barkley’s point, it’s unfair to play tic for tac. Only time will tell if Steve Nash conquers the job as well as his competitors do.

“Right now, listening is better than talking,” explained Michael Jordan to a group of all White NBA franchise owners.

As if 2020 could get any worse, issues of social justice persist with the shooting of Jacob Blake. Blake was shot seven times in the lower back by a police officer in an attempt to detain him; he is currently paralyzed from the waist down.

With this, the Black Lives Matter movement remains full-force in fighting to end racial prejudice and fight for a needed change.

Players on the Milwaukee Bucks made their support for #BLM evident after their Game 5 tip off; a change of heart resulted in a decision not to play.

The intention to sacrifice one playoff game evolved into their opponent, the league and players and teams from sports leagues around the U.S. joining them in solidarity.

Michael Jordan, the only Black team owner in the NBA, took advantage of the boycott to speak out and be an influence for his colleagues.

Despite Jordan’s team season being over, he spoke on a call with the 13 remaining team owners to help guide them in progressing past this:

“I am on this call, not as an owner, not as a former player, but simply as a Black man,” Jordan declared after his meeting.

The NBA plans to continue gameplay with 13 teams inside the “bubble” Friday or Saturday.

There are not many things I find interesting about golf. In fact, my favorite part of golf is the golf cart and me driving it.

Aside from me absolutely shredding behind the wheel, my knowledge of golf is severely lacking.

Although, an article my dad sent me explaining how Tiger Woods’s son crushed it at the US junior golf tournament in Palm City, FL sparked my interest.

Charlie Woods shot “3-under” in nine holes in the competition, snagging 2nd place overall.

As his son swung his way to the top, Tiger placed 17th at the PGA Championship.

Additionally, Tiger frequently caddies for his son. Woods has maintained a hands-on approach in teaching his son the ins and outs of the golfing world.

11-year-old Charlie is quickly on the rise to become another talented US professional golfer at a young age.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree? More like the golf ball from the tee.

School is officially back in session! Every year going back to school is bittersweet for me. Although, I’m finding that as I progress in my collegian career, my courses are keeping me engaged and excited for more.

Thank God all of those prerequisite classes are DONE.

This semester I’m enrolled in mass communication and journalism (MCJ) 203 at The University of Southern Mississippi. This course is the next step in learning to write for news in my public relations career.

Each of us was assigned our own topic for our blogs this semester. Out of all the options, sports was selected for me…

Although my knowledge is limited, I’ve always enjoyed learning about and playing sports! I grew up playing softball, basketball and running track. Being from New Orleans, being a Saints football fan is practically is my blood.

Aside from the sports I played, everything I learned about sports came from explanatory 101s with my dad and other sports fans in my life. I’d also occasionally tune-in to whatever ESPN channel or sports radio station just so happened to be playing.

I’m hesitant but excited to start incorporating everything sports into my day-to-day. Join me on this journey of broadening my horizons and blog my way to the pros!

As COVID-19 spread its wings into the U.S., American citizens panicked. Millions of questions were asked with no answers there.

History fashioned before our eyes; normal living became meandering our way through a pandemic.

Amid losing my jobs and in-person courses being cancelled, wondering what football season would look like was on the list of the least of my concerns.

People living through COVID-19 want to make life work. Adjustments and modifications to every day life are implemented in attempt to resume some version of “normal living.”

This includes practices being implemented in professional sports; specifically, the NBA. A coworker of mine suggested I explore the ins and outs of the “NBA bubble” after I’d mentioned I was unfamiliar.

After some research, I learned about the strict measures taken by the NBA to ensure their quarantined bubble is not disrupted.

The entire operation takes place in Orlando, Florida at the Walt Disney World Resort. Teams arrived at the NBA bubble on July 7th; so far, the NBA has proven to be successful.

They have become an excellent model for other leagues in how their sports will safely resume.

All in all, I’m impressed with the NBA pulling off their season accordingly. It’s incredible what humans can do to adapt.

Which ever team wins the champion will for sure make history!

The 2020 spring semester has definitely earned the title for “the strangest semester completed thus far”, and I think it might keep it forever.

I started a new chapter in my academic career by switching my major to public relations.

This decision introduced me to the wonderful world of media writing. I was eager to become a “grammar Nazi”, and to add tools to my belt that would improve my writing for my career.

I’m grateful to have had a chance to learn the basics in a classroom setting before the world changed with coronavirus.

Although proven challenging, I’ve found comfort in how flexible and accommodating my university, jobs and teachers have been.

Corona virus has changed and challenged thousands of lives; although, Difficult times brings out sides of people that wouldn’t be seen otherwise. Expressing sympathy and understanding is at an all-time high.

Nonetheless, this might have been the reset society needed.

I’ve had the opportunity to reconnect with some extended family and old friends.

I’ve also had more time to focus on my studies; I knew “teaching myself” and keeping disciplined would be challenging, but I now feel like nothing will stop me from my degree.

Lastly, I’ve learned a lot about myself through writing weekly blogs. I’ve never been challenged to exercise my creative muscles in such a modern, relatable way.

I’m eager to create more content and look forward to improvement.

All in all, I look forward to continuing my “life as a blogger” under more ideal circumstances.

Until the fall!