The Gym That Became A Home

Posted on April 15, 2014 by brent

First the bad news: This is another blog post consisting of me saying goodbye to something in Missoula. Now the good news: You only have two more days of this left.

When it comes down to the one place where I have spent the majority of my days in Montana it is surprisingly not at work. It is not a residence I have lived in. It isn’t even Buffalo Wild Wings. From the time I arrived in Montana in 2006 to my departure tomorrow I have spent some part of probably 90% of my days at the University of Montana Fitness and Recreation Center.

Out of my years in Missoula, I entered the doors of this facility more than any other place in the state.

When I complete my final workout at the rec tomorrow it will put an end to an exercise era for me where I went through the turnstiles of the facility no less than 2,000 times (yes, I did the math). The UM Rec Center provided me with the one constant I had during my entire eight year odyssey in Missoula. It will be strange walking out of it for the last time.

Right when I got to campus as a college freshman I started to hit up the gym. Throughout my time as a student I would rise at 5:30 a.m. every morning so I could arrive at the rec for the 6 a.m. opening. I would get my workout in and then move on with my day. When I got hired by Grizzly Athletics I had the ultimate perk of working only 200 feet from my loyal gym. My exercise sessions transitioned from early morning to the lunch hour but as my iron pumping times switched something else stayed the same: Relationship building.

Me standing outside of the University of Montana Fitness and Recreation Center this afternoon.

I have met many people by way of working out at the rec center. When you bust your butt to get better at a consistent time each day you notice the other people who are also consistently busting their butts to get better too. A bond forms. Many times the bond develops into a verbal, first-name relationship. Other times it doesn’t get to the talking stage but more than enough is expressed by the nod of respect that is exchanged each time paths cross. I have developed both of these types of bonds over the years.

Besides the people, I will miss other things about the rec center. I will miss the beautiful facility itself, a multiple story building complete with an outstanding weight room floor, top notch cardio equipment, climbing wall, racquet ball courts, running track, and great smoothie bar. I will miss the convenience that I have enjoyed so much over the past 4+ years working for Grizzly Athletics. I will miss the interactions, conflicts, and people watching I observed. I will miss the respite I got each day when I would stop what I was doing at around noon and sweat it all out at the gym.

But with that in mind I still go back to the people. You can’t replace them. When I interviewed at Coastal Carolina my student tour guide took me to their rec center and it is a beauty! I will have no problem getting my workouts in and getting a good escape from the rigors of the daily grind. However, the people who go to the rec center at the University of Montana will still be in Missoula. But you know what? People bust their butts at gyms all across the country. Soon enough I hope to have relationships with the folks I will see on a consistent basis at the CCU facility. But I won’t forget about the regulars who I shared the gym floor with at the University of Montana Rec Center for eight years. With that said, I can’t wait to dominate my workout tomorrow. Don’t Blink.

No! I Don’t Want to be on “Hoarders”

Posted on April 15, 2014 by brent

The mad dash to pack for my move across the country has made one thing crystal clear to me: I am (was) a pack rat.

Over the last several days I couldn’t believe the stuff I pulled out from storage bins, boxes, and bags. While I knew I would face some tough decisions on what to keep and what to toss I ended up becoming very accustomed to doing the latter. It was almost automatic for my hand to grab something and then transfer it immediately to the black garbage sack right beside me. In an earlier stage of my life I naively thought that every receipt I ever received or every game program I brought home would somehow enlighten me years down the road. Well, when you are about to move 2,500+ miles eastward the $28.74 receipt from 2010 at Johnny Carino’s doesn’t bring about the wisdom you thought it would.

Besides bagging up eight garbage sacks of clothes, an absolute embarrassing amount for a guy, I bagged up an equal number of bags filled with useless junk. I am talking electric and cable bills galore, hundreds of magazines, an obscene amount of stationary pads, no less than thirty decks of cards, enough shoe boxes to fill a Foot Locker, game tickets for every sporting event I have attended in my life, peechee folders to supply a medium sized elementary school, countless key chains/bottle openers/cozies, way too many hotel room cards, an impressive collection of hats that I would never wear, ripped calendar pages spanning eight years, and probably every single cheesy souvenir that you could brainstorm in five minutes.

With allowing myself to finally throw away many of these knick-knacks it prepared me for getting rid of more important and sentimental items that would just bog me down on my trek to Myrtle Beach. I tossed my JanSport backpack that I had used since high school. I disposed of old cell phones. I sent my two flip cameras to the dumpster. I said adios to cords, chargers, and batteries. I even whispered goodbye to the lap top computer I received as a high school graduation present and that I used all the way through college.

It was tough to do but I tossed my old lap top from my college years into the big black trash bag and threw it into the dumpster.

So what did I keep? Besides the essentials I made sure to keep the significant number of cards, letters, and notes I have received from my family over the years. It crossed my mind for maybe a split second that I should part with them too but I couldn’t do it. Traveling to South Carolina with me will be over 100 envelopes filled with birthday wishes, holiday greetings, and thinking of you notes that I have received from my parents and siblings. I feel it will just give me one more connection to them as I live far away.

I am getting better at letting go. Of course it is aided by a sense of urgency and practicality but that’s okay. If anyone out there is looking for some real bargains, I suggest dumpster diving at the Crestview Apartments. Don’t Blink.

My Final Sunday in Missoula

Posted on April 13, 2014 by brent

The “lasts” keep coming as I prepare to move out of Missoula and the final Sunday that I will ever spend in the Garden City provided me with a lot of them. I enjoyed a packed day driving around town and taking in experiences that are unique to this western Montana town. Let me share with you my Sunday adventure.

I woke up early and attended the 8 a.m. Palm Sunday mass at St. Francis Xavier. I have thoroughly enjoyed attending services in this absolutely beautiful and historic church. I have benefited from the excellent preaching and ministering by the priests and deacons that have presided over the St. Francis altar. I have taken great refuge in the peace and tranquility I have gained while attending mass during stressful and crazy times. This morning I tried to pay a little more attention to the stained glass masterpieces that enclose the church and cemented a mental picture in my mind. I walked out of St. Francis Xavier today hoping that I will find a great Catholic church in Myrtle Beach as well.

Driving out of the parking lot this morning I took one final picture of St. Francis Xavier. What a great church!

After mass I headed over to the Adams Center to watch University of Montana Cheer Squad tryouts. Even though I worked my last football event last night I still wanted to see who would be performing on the sidelines during the games this fall. Most importantly though I wanted to show up and support the returners on the squad who have enriched my life so much. I got to see the tumbling portion of the tryout, talk to a couple of the girls, and meet the mom of one of my favorites on the squad.

I made it a priority to catch some of the UM Cheer Squad tryouts today.

I stayed too long at the tryouts and had to dash from the University of Montana to the other side of town where I paid my last visit to the hospice family that I volunteer for. Over the past few months I have become very close to this strong couple. Last week when I served my volunteer hours with them I didn’t know if I would be making today’s final visit because of the woman’s deteriorating health. However she was still her kind and thoughtful self this afternoon. Leaving their house today was hard. The husband had a tough time keeping his composure when telling me thank you and I had to do all I could to keep mine when I went inside the room of the wife. Confined to a bed now she used all her strength to reach her arms out and give me the biggest hug while saying “Thank you and God Bless you, honey.”

Needing a little time to just take it easy for a little bit I went back to my apartment and packed a few things while watching the final round of the Masters. I am satisfied with Bubba Watson’s victory and find his achievement of winning two out of the last three green jackets pretty darn good. Once again I was very impressed with the broadcast.

Before I could even see Bubba put his green jacket on though I zipped back over to the University of Montana for a little bit of Sunday exercise. For the final time I hiked “The M.” On an absolutely gorgeous and sunny early evening I trekked up that mountain and sat up at the top for longer than usual, admiring the breathtaking view of the Missoula valley. As I started to go back down I saw everyone beneath me looking over to their right. I of course looked in that direction as well and spotted four elk grazing about 300 feet off the trail. Perhaps they showed up to say goodbye to me?

Myself at the top of The M and also a grainy photo of the elk I saw.

I drove down Stadium Way and into the Adams Center parking lot where I went to my office and continued that process of packing up. As I put things away I realized that even though I am 100% ready to leave the state of Montana I am still going to miss Missoula. Don’t Blink.

Tonight’s Spring Game: My Last Hurrah in Washington-Grizzly Stadium

Posted on April 12, 2014 by brent

I am praying right now that the current Missoula sunshine will stick around through this evening. Tonight Washington-Grizzly Stadium will host the 2014 Griz Football Spring Game and let’s just say that I rather have our fans treated to pleasant spring conditions rather than the forecasted rain and wind that is supposed to come. No matter, one thing I have learned in my almost five years with Grizzly Athletics is that our fan base will come out despite the conditions. However, I just want to see them as comfortable as possible.

We have a lot planned for tonight. At 4 p.m. the Grizzly Scholarship Association will host a tailgate in Lot W, located at the south stadium entrance. At 5 p.m. a kids’ clinic will be held on the Washington-Grizzly Stadium turf as the coaching staff will give the young ones plenty of opportunities to show what they got. At 6 p.m. the Spring Game will kick off. Although a scoring system foreign to most people will be in force (you can read about it here) it will still be very much structured like a game, a good thing for fans who want to see action that will mirror what they will see during Saturdays this fall. After the game the team will hold an autograph session under the lights on the field.

Brynn, Kristen, and I with our marketing interns in the Control Room during the 2013 season. Tonight will be my last time working in this cramped, and sometimes stressful, space.

Tonight’s festivities will mark my last time ever climbing the wooden stairs of the press box and performing my duties in the control room. After working 36 home football games plus the Spring Game in 2012, this will be my last hurrah. I am fortunate that I will get to work and sit/stand next to Dave Guffey and Brynn Molloy, two Griz staffers who I have had the pleasure of working with during my entire tenure at Grizzly Athletics. After five seasons I will appropriately take in the gorgeous view I have enjoyed and the special role I have served one final time. If you are in Missoula, rain or shine, come down to Washington-Grizzly Stadium for tonight’s Spring Game. I would love to see you there. Don’t Blink.

My Top Ten Best Moments Working For Grizzly Athletics

Posted on April 9, 2014 by brent

I have just one week remaining at the University of Montana and I can’t help but think of all the wonderful moments I have had the privilege of taking part in or helping directly with during my tenure. Tonight I want to reflect on some of the times I will never forget while serving the Montana Grizzlies. I give you my top ten moments working for Grizzly Athletics:

10. 2013 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament: After experiencing the men’s tourney the year prior, I got the opportunity to attend the Women’s NCAA Tournament when the Lady Griz qualified for the Big Dance in 2013. Serving as the Pep Band/Spirit Squad contact while also covering all facets of the trip for our social media audience I enjoyed my time in Spokane at Gonzaga University. Although the Lady Griz ended up falling to powerhouse Georgia they put up a great fight and I got to watch all the action from under the basket.

I snapped this photo of the team at the practice session at Gonzaga the day before the game.

9. NACMA Retreat: During the summer of 2012 the University of Montana had the distinction of hosting the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators Board of Directors retreat. Former Marketing Director Christie Anderson worked her way up to a prestigious spot on the NACMA Board of Directors and spearheaded a successful campaign for the hosting opportunity. She let me come along to beautiful Whitefish, Montana, where the retreat was held and help out with the three day event. I had the opportunity to network with the best intercollegiate athletic marketers in the country. Listening to their ideas and challenges provided me with a wonderful learning and development opportunity.

I hung around these intercollegiate athletics marketers for a few days

8. 2013 Home Opener Against Appalachian State: In what would be my last football season for the Griz, our home opener was truly memorable. After much buildup to a brand new fan experience in Washington-Grizzly Stadium our advertising did not disappoint as the game went perfectly. All of our planning, brainstorming, and hard work paid off as everything from the sky divers to the Monte entrance to the fireworks to all the intricacies of our protocol went off without a hitch. And oh yeah, on a gorgeous night under the lights our football team steamrolled Appalachian State, 30-6.

My brother and dad got to come over for this great game. After the game I went on the field with them to get a picture.

7. The Roots of “United”: After our athletic director and head football coach were let go completely out of the blue in March of 2012 the Missoula community was in crisis mode as people reacted to the news in a variety of different ways. As the dialogue started to get very volatile and as the national media started to converge the young men on the Griz football team gave all of us a true example of what class and restraint is all about. The team provided us with a letter that we posted on www.gogriz.com that gave a nod to their former leaders, took responsibility for the allegations, promised to hold themselves to higher standards, and asked the community to stick with them. At the conclusion of the letter it stated that with or without that community support they would come back stronger than ever. They certainly did.

6. Montana Grizzlies Facebook Page Reaches 100K Likes: In a major milestone for the Griz Social Media program, our department’s official Facebook page went over 100,000 likes in early March of 2014. In a league completely above anyone else in the Big Sky Conference and the FCS, this mark validated the emphasis our department had placed on social media and provided just another example of why Griz Nation has some of the best fans in the country.

5. A Memorable 2013-14 Lady Griz Basketball Season: Although the 2013-14 Montana women’s basketball team did not advance to the NCAA Tournament I will still remember it very fondly for a couple reasons. First there was Robin Selvig’s 800th win. The celebration that ensued with him and his team followed by Coach Selvig’s humorous and touching speech will forever stay with me. Secondly, the two games we got to host for the WNIT were so much fun. The team played their hearts out and our fan base truly showed up to support them as much as possible. Although I really wish the Lady Griz would have picked up the win against San Diego I will just remember the noise level in the arena and the feeling inside of me that our players and fans truly valued the post season opportunity they were given.

I hope somewhere this speech is recorded (photo courtesy of the great Todd Goodrich).

4. 2009 Appalachian State Snow Game Semi-Final: This game goes down as the most memorable game ever inside of Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Besides the national television audience, the snow, the lights, and the big time victory to advance to the national championship it was also a breakout game for me as the stadium DJ. As a brand new employee for Grizzly Athletics tasked with the big job of running music at the football games, I was always nervous come game time. However, after that game my nerves seemed to permanently go away. Mostly because of the atmosphere that night everything I sent through the stadium speakers seemed to work. Music traditions were born that evening and it was the only time I ever played music postgame at a football event as fans stayed long after to party on the snowy Washington-Grizzly Stadium turf.

3. Griz Demolish Montana State in Bozeman in 2011: During the football season of 2011, the Griz-Cat game was held in Bobcat Stadium with Montana State boasting an undefeated record in Big Sky Conference play. No one gave Montana a chance. It was supposed to be some type of formality for the Bobcats to win and celebrate with the Brawl of the Wild trophy. Are you kidding me? The Griz used the disrespect to kick the tar out of Montana State from the get-go. Early third quarter the fans inside Bobcat Stadium were literally leaving. When the final horn sounded Montana had sealed the victory 36-10 and at the time secured another Big Sky Conference championship. Vacated or not, standing on the sidelines for that game was the sweetest moment I have had as a Griz.

Christie and I during the half at the 2011 Brawl of the Wild Griz-Cat game.

2. Griz and Lady Griz Go Dancing on Same Day Under Same Roof: Just the buildup in general to March 16, 2013 was an awesome moment all in itself. Grizzly Athletics had the pleasure of hosting both the men’s and women’s basketball Big Sky Conference tournaments last year. As I worked every single one of those tournament games I kept telling myself how lucky I was to have the opportunity to be a part of something like this. To get to the final day and realize that we very well could send both our teams to the premier college basketball tournaments in the nation made me know that an already awesome experience could get even better. Boy, did it.

With fireworks going off pregame and confetti falling from the rafters after, the game presentation we put together was almost as good as the play of our teams. The Lady Griz defeated Northern Colorado and the Griz took down Weber State as both Montana basketball programs punched tickets to the Big Dance on the same day on their home floor. Not only had both our basketball teams pulled it off but our staff had pulled it off as well in providing quality tournaments that you don’t see at other conference schools. Along with the 2013 Griz football home opener, I had never been more proud of the experience afforded to fans that day.

March 16, 2013 will never be forgotten in the history of Grizzly Athletics.

1. 2012 NCAA Tournament: By far one of the best experiences of my entire life, getting to travel with the Griz basketball team to Albuquerque for the 2012 NCAA Tournament earns the #1 spot on my list for top moments while at Grizzly Athletics. NCAA Tourneys are so special in general but to have the opportunity to be front and center as a participating institution takes it to a whole different level. I had the opportunity to cover the tournament for our social media outlets and gogriz.com. I got to attend the practice with the team. I enjoyed a tour of The Pit. I volunteered my services passing out tickets to the people on the travel party. I watched the game courtside with Christie and our dance team coach.

But you know what? Besides the responsibilities strictly related to the tournament I also got to have a lot of fun. I soaked in the refreshing Albuquerque sun, ate the best Mexican food I had ever had, stayed in a super nice hotel, toured the town, and had the best time with my co-workers. What an amazing experience!

Monte and I before we went out on the court for the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

————

I am so indebted to Grizzly Athletics for these special moments that I will carry with me forever. I will reflect on them now but in three weeks I will be totally committed to making new top moments and memories at Coastal Carolina University. Can’t wait to start building a new top ten list in the South! Don’t Blink.

Dreams That Linger Throughout the Day

Posted on April 8, 2014 by brent

In the past I have written about dreams but I have never really discussed the phenomenon that I am about to bring up.

Most nights I will dream and have very little recollection of what I actually dreamt about. Sadly, my dream journal is lacking these days. Some nights I will dream and wake up in the morning with a vague idea of what happened. Then, on a very small percentage of nights, I will wake up either in the middle of the night or in the morning with a complete recount of what I had dreamt about. When this happens, the memories will usually stay with me throughout the whole day.

Last night I had a dream about a person who I had not really had any contact with for a couple years. This person didn’t die or we didn’t have a falling out but we had gone our separate ways and I really hadn’t thought much about this individual over that time. However, after my dream last night I couldn’t stop thinking about this person throughout all of today. The dream came totally out of the blue and sidetracked my mind for the next twelve conscious hours after. I thought about reaching out to this person but decided against it.

This happens to me in other ways too. Several times I have had dreams about certain things from my past that happened many years ago, I am talking about totally mundane things such as a family gathering at a park. When I woke up in the morning the dream residue was still floating around in my brain and I thought about that reunion in the park (or whatever event it was) all day long. It just stayed with me. I find it fascinating because the only way I would have ever thought about those events ever again was if I decided to look back in my journals to those specific days several years ago. Instead a random dream brought them back into my consciousness. I have also had dreams that took me back to events when I was really young. Upon awakening the dream was still crystal clear but I couldn’t actually pinpoint if the event the dream portrayed had actually happened or not. I would go through the whole day trying to trace through my memory bank trying to decide if the dream represented a real life event from when I was a toddler or if it was a figment of my imagination.

I sometimes feel the impact from nightmares throughout the day too. However one of two things will happen. Either the nightmare will seem completely silly and non-frightening as the day goes on or the unconscious experience will trouble me all the way up until I go to sleep again the next night. Definitely very interesting.

I don’t always want to have weird things I dream up in the wee hours of the night/morning stay with me during the day but every now and then it is okay. To me it is kind of like a mystery trying to figure out how I could have dreamt whatever it was and why it had such an impact to stay with me when the sun rose. Dreams are fascinating and their power can sometimes extend much further from when our eyes are closed. Don’t Blink.

I Will Miss You UM Spirit Squad!

Posted on April 7, 2014 by brent

As I wind down my time at Grizzly Athletics I will be saying goodbye to a lot of people. When the time comes I will write an all-encompassing post thanking all the people who helped me so much during my time here. However, I don’t want to fill my blog space each night with the latest from “Brent’s Farewell Tour.” I know majority of my readers don’t want a nightly dose of my swan song.

With that said, I do want to make an exception tonight and express my appreciation to a very special group. This evening up in our football booster area (The Canyon Club) we had our Spirit Squad end of the year banquet. It was a time for our cheer squad, dance team, mascots, and coaches to get together one more time to celebrate the 2013-14 season while giving out awards and eating good food. It was also a time for our seniors to say goodbye after their many years of devotion to the program. This time around I said goodbye too.

This is me with our cheer squad and coaches after tonight’s banquet.

Stereotypes run rampant in our society and one of the most unfair ones center on cheerleaders who are labeled as ditzy, obsessed with their looks, and cruel to others. Although I never subscribed to this thinking it took me less than an hour here at the University of Montana to realize that this stereotype just isn’t inaccurate but completely opposite from the truth and terribly unfair.

I feel so fortunate that I got to have such involvement with the young women and men who make up the University of Montana Spirit Squad. Because of my role as mascot coordinator combined with the Spirit Squad sitting under the marketing umbrella I got to know many of our cheer squad and dance team members very well (while of course developing even stronger bonds with our two students who serve as Monte). I can confidently say that they are some of the most driven, humble, hard-working, and passionate people I know. They do what they do because they love to dance/cheer and because they love the Griz. Basically what I am trying to say is that they do it for all the right reasons.

This is me with the dance team. Going to miss these girls!

Like I alluded to above, I feel fortunate that I have developed relationships with many Spirit Squad members that go above playing music for them at games or driving them around on various Griz road trips. I think of many of them as friends, people who I truly care about and people who I know care about me too. For the most part I am a positive guy and I love life but I can’t count the number of times I have had a Spirit Squad member brighten my day by stopping by my office, saying something nice over social media, or yelling my name to say hi at games. In a truly humbling moment just this year, a cheer squad member asked to do a profile on me. Wait…a profile on me? It is these types of things that will really make me miss these special individuals once I make the move to South Carolina.

This is me with the cheer team at camp in Idaho in 2012

I don’t think the public really understands this, but the students who make up our Sprit Squad go through rigorous try outs to earn a spot in the program. They devote thousands of hours throughout their careers at practice, at competition, and in the community all in the name of Grizzly Athletics. They put their bodies through stress and pain so that they can please stadiums and arenas full of fans. The fact that they can subject themselves to this and still have enough energy to show so much respect and kindness to people like me says a lot about each one of them.

Of course I will miss our mascots, Monte and Mo!

To the two mascots, the cheer squad, and the dance team: THANK YOU for making me feel so welcome in the Spirit Squad family. I will miss all of you. Don’t Blink.

Sunday Evening Smorgasbord

Posted on April 6, 2014 by brent

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I feel like treating my readers to a Sunday evening smorgasbord of topics so let’s get right to it and watch out as I throw five different things at you.

Iowa Recap: Last weekend I visited a friend in Iowa City, Iowa. It marked the first occasion that I actually got to spend time in the Midwest. I enjoyed seeing a different part of the country. I saw my fair share of cornfields and might have felt a little exposed with no mountains around me. I had the opportunity to meet some super nice people and relax a little bit from my hectic life. I enjoyed seeing the Iowa football stadium and driving around a few of the different communities that make up Iowa City.

The Wolf of Wall Street: On Thursday night I finally got around to watching “The Wolf of Wall Street.” I thought the movie for the most part was pretty good, although I wouldn’t want to watch it again. It was just a little too long for me. Also, I must claim ignorance when it comes to the stock market. You could fit my knowledge of stocks into a thimble so a lot of the “shop talk” addressed in the movie went over my head. However, I did enjoy the premium acting. Leonardo DiCaprio killed it and I especially liked the scene with him and Matthew McConaughey in the restaurant for lunch and also the scene on the boat with DiCaprio and Kyle Chandler (he played the FBI agent). Jonah Hill provided some good laughs.

Hosting Glen: This weekend I got to enjoy time with my brother. Glen flew out of Missoula for a job interview so after he returned on Saturday morning he got to spend the day with me. From the wonderful confines of my apartment we had a nice time watching Felix Hernandez and the Mariners dominate the Oakland Athletics and then witness the Connecticut victory over Florida in the Final Four. For the second Final Four game we watched the action at Buffalo Wild Wings. From there we concluded the night bowling with a couple of my friends. This morning we enjoyed a nice breakfast and then watched a couple episodes of “Bar Rescue” before Glen hit the road for Spokane. As it marked the last time I will ever host my brother in Missoula again I am glad we once again had a great time.

Speaking of That Breakfast: Glen and I ate at Stone of Accord for breakfast this morning. Over the past couple of years the brunch offered at Stone of Accord became my favorite. Although I love the traditional breakfast fare of pancakes, waffles, and French toast the Irish themed options at “The Stone” always just hit the spot for me. I became a huge fan of the cow pies offered…meat, eggs, veggies, and mashed potatoes combined together for a filling and unique meal to start the day. Don’t forget the soda bread that comes with each entre either. I am beyond stoked for the southern eating I will soon become introduced to but I will miss Stone of Accord.

NCAA Basketball National Championship: Although I wanted to see a Florida-Kentucky national championship game at least I get to see one of those teams in the chipper tomorrow night. I hope the Wildcats defeat Connecticut. For some weird reason I kind of like Coach Calipari and I love the story line of a freshmen starting five getting the better of much more experienced players. Go Kentucky!

——-

Have a great week! It is going to be a very busy one for me but it won’t slow me down from publishing to Don’t Blink. I will talk to you guys tomorrow. Don’t Blink.

How I Used Instagram to Choose My Home

Posted on April 4, 2014 by brent

Moving across the country to start a new job will give any person a mile long checklist of things to do before the official start date. When I accepted a position at Coastal Carolina University last week I put one of the most important and stressful components of relocation at the top of that list: housing. For the past several days I have poured a lot of energy into finding a nice place in the beautiful Myrtle Beach area. I am happy to say that with about three weeks to spare I have found my new home.

I did not take this decision lightly. Knowing only that I would definitely be renting I looked at houses, condos, and apartments. Not enjoying the luxury of looking at properties in person definitely adds an additional component of mystery and stress to the search but luckily I was not alone. The head of University Communication at CCU put me in contact with one of his real estate friends to give me advice and guidance throughout the process.

As the smoke started to clear I settled on an area where I wanted to live and I had my eyes set on two apartment communities. I left no stone unturned as I researched both of them through every means at my disposal as I scrutinized websites, read every review ever published, interrogated the leasing agents, and of course consulted my real estate contact. With me still going back and forth on what community I wanted to live at I decided to institute a tiebreaker by going to one final source…social media!

As I looked through the photos on the Facebook page of one of the two complexes I was looking at I saw a flyer for an Instagram contest they conducted (that creativity won them extra points from me right on the spot). Tenants could enter the contest and possibly receive money off rent by taking a picture at the complex and using a certain hashtag. Of course right when I read it I opened up Instagram and searched the hashtag.

Several beautiful photos showing the complex’s pool, pristine landscaping, and apartment layout popped up. Here I was looking at photos actually taken by tenants living there! No doctored or enhanced professional photos taken by the complex to possibly fool me. Although the photos looked nice these Instagram users were obviously submitting the images because they wanted to win a contest. Of course they were going to try really hard to post pictures that looked aesthetically pleasing. Because the promotion ended months ago I knew I could reach out to these people and get an honest opinion on what they thought about living at their location.

I targeted four of the people who entered the contest, two males and two females, and I commented on the pictures that they submitted. Well, technically I didn’t “comment”….it was more like asking them to tell me everything they liked and disliked about living there. Within a couple hours I had long, detailed responses from all four, with one of them transitioning into a very helpful e-mail conversation. The reviews they gave me were glowing. Besides the e-mail conversation I entered in with one of the people, I also asked follow up questions on Instagram to the others. I got the information I needed and of course it made my decision a no-brainer.

I received some great reaction from Instagram users who took the time to answer my questions. Here are the initial responses I received.

By April 28 (pending an accepted application of course) I will be living at Alexan Withers Preserve, an apartment community in Myrtle Beach that is absolutely gorgeous, only five minutes from the beach, and just a mile from the vibrant city center. Although those are just facts that you can get from the website, it was the reaction I received via Instagram that won me over. When legit people who I contacted out of the blue described the complex as “the best I have ever lived in,” “luxurious,” “overall I would recommend Alexan ten times out of ten,” “brand new,”and “the crowd is great” it eased a lot of my fears and uncertainty.

An image of the apartment complex I will be living in. Thanks to the Alexan Withers Preserve Instagram account for the photo. (@alexanwithers)

Social media helps me in my life every single day in multiple ways. I find it fascinating that even a service such as Instagram that is more designed to showcase photos rather than serve as a way for people to talk and ask questions can yield fantastic results. Congrats to Alexan Withers Preserve. They designed a contest intended to engage and reward current tenants but it also brought them a new one. I can’t wait to live there. Don’t Blink.

The Best TV Production in Sports

Posted on April 3, 2014 by brent

When it was announced this week that Tiger Woods would not play in the Masters of course I was disappointed. He brings so much talent, skill, drama, and tension to golf’s biggest stage that it turns into must-watch TV. However, his absence won’t make me ignore the action at Augusta this next weekend.

I will still watch to see the other best golfers in the world battle it out for the green jacket. I will still watch because of the tradition of the tournament. I will still watch because even though Tiger won’t be there storylines will still develop. I will still watch to see spectacular shots and putts that make me shake my head and look up to the sky while simultaneously muttering “are you kidding me?” But even if none of these above things didn’t exist there is still something about the tournament that would still glue me to a television screen.

I love watching the Masters most of all because of the television production. In my opinion there is no other sports broadcast as beautiful as the Masters. Wait, mind if I take it one step further? In my opinion there is no television production period as beautiful as the Masters. This is the one time where I make sure to find a TV with high definition and just enjoy the breathtaking views and angles provided by CBS.

Although the spectacular images delivered right to our television screens constitute my favorite part of the Masters production I truly like it all. CBS does an incredible job of shifting from hole to hole. They got it down to a complete science. The team also knows how to tell a story and will do whatever needed to adjust to cover emerging leaders and changing plots. Then of course you have Jim Nantz. His voice is synonymous with the tournament and you can’t help but admire his knowledge and respect for the history of Augusta. I personally never tire of listening to David Feherty. His colorful analysis and sharp Irish accent always manages to put a smile on my face. To cap it all off you have a sporting event pretty much devoid of all commercialism, a very pure and rare thing.

But again I keep coming back to the imagery. Nothing beats the mixed dark and vibrant greens contrasting with the polos and visors of the golfers combined with the random outfits from the gallery. On a big screen television under high definition you literally feel like you are on the course with golf’s best. Because of the simplicity of golf, the absence of equipment covering the body up, the beautiful Augusta course, and the manpower and effort that CBS pours into covering the event anyone who takes time to watch is in for a magnificent treat.

So sure it sucks that Tiger Woods is not playing. Is it a deal breaker for me? Definitely not. I can’t wait to watch the 2014 Masters and take in the best television production of the year. Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser

Monthly Archives: April 2014