Great Mistake, One Year, Camp Carty, Olive Garden

Posted on April 16, 2015 by brent

A reason why I like my Thursday Rundown weekly post is because it breaks up the traditional paragraph format that I usually write in. However, this past week I have written a few times in a bullet point/list style. So let me apologize right now for taking away some of Thursday’s thunder because here I go again with a list of five random items.

Happy, ummm… Half Birthday? – Today my office went out to lunch to celebrate those people who have birthdays in March and April. During the meal, our graphics team handed out birthday cards. If you didn’t read my post about this very special tradition, please click here and do so because what they do is awesome. Anyway, imagine my surprise when I was given a card! There was a miscommunication and our Director of Creative Services (the one who I put on a t-shirt) had one created for me, thinking it was my birthday. I don’t turn another year older until October 8. I felt a little bad that so much effort was put into creating something for me that I didn’t deserve but man what they created sure was funny. Join me as we go Behind the Blog.

Our graphics department created this hilarious birthday card for me based on VH1’s “Behind the Music.” Yes, that is my face on Slash’s body.

One Year Ago – Today marks one year since I last worked for Grizzly Athletics. On April 16, 2014, I walked off the campus of the University of Montana for the last time, lured away by the amazing opportunity at Coastal Carolina University and the beautiful weather of Myrtle Beach. A lot has changed within the Adams Center since I left but I definitely still feel connected to the place. If they aren’t playing the Chanticleers, I am cheering for the Griz.

It has been one full year since I last worked for Grizzly Athletics.

Carty Camp – Regarding Sean Carty’s quest to retain his rightful spot as Mead High School head football coach, the appeals process is close to getting started. From what I have been told, union leadership and district coaches (not to mention the Mead community) are devoting all efforts to get this terrible decision overturned. In a development that will make any student-athlete or 99% of parents cringe, the small group who fought for the ouster of Carty actually did so with threats of a lawsuit. Can you imagine? I don’t like my kid’s coach so I am going to sue. I hear that as time goes on, these parents will be exposed more and more. Once again, the e-mail address of Dr. Rockefeller can be accessed by clicking here. If you have a few minutes, I encourage you to write a letter of support for Sean Carty.

The community is united to save this warrior (photo courtesy of Dan Pelle).

Olive Garden Improvements – In the past I have been critical of the Olive Garden but I love the changes they are making. Pretty soon every single table in every single Olive Garden restaurant will have a tablet. Via the device, customers will be able to order drinks and appetizers. Talk about convenience! Having the power to bypass the wait for a server to come to your table to take such an order in my mind is a nice luxury. The human interaction will still be there though as servers will take entrée orders and provide customer service. Probably best of all though, customers will be able to use the tablets not just to pay bills but to split them as well. Although I might think Olive Garden breadsticks are extremely overrated, I have always appreciated the restaurant’s dedication to improving the dining experience.

Two Babies – It has been too long since I updated you on my niece so let me get you up to speed. Mikayla is now seven months old and is smiling, playing, and kicking. She is starting to get a fuzzy head and is developing a very loving personality. This past week, my parents welcomed a brand new baby kitten into the family. Muffin replaces Nabisco, a treasured cat our family had for about 16 years who passed away in September of 2013. I can’t wait to get back to Spokane at the end of June and see both Mikayla and Muffin.

Mikayla and my sister on the left and Muffin on the right.

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Another Thursday Rundown in the books! Have a great evening and thank you for your readership. Don’t Blink.

Striking it Lucky with Food and Drink

Posted on April 15, 2015 by brent

This afternoon I opened up a two-piece Starburst pack just hoping to avoid getting a yellow chew and an orange chew paired together. Imagine my jubilation when I opened the corner and saw a pink chew and then ripped all the way down to see a second pink piece! It was as if I won the lottery. My excitement with the contents of a pack of candy left over in my office from Halloween had me strolling down memory lane. I started thinking about other lucky scenarios with food and drink back when I was younger. For tonight’s blog post I want to quickly touch on four other awesome edible joys that defied the odds.

I got very lucky with my Starburst pack today…double pink chews!!

Solid Chocolate Peanut M&M – From a young age my mom told us the story about how at the M&M factory the workers sometimes forget to put a peanut in the Peanut M&M sized chocolate shell. To make up for the embarrassing mistake they instead fill the hollowness with delicious milk chocolate. This actually happens! Never one to shy away from scarfing down Peanut M&Ms, I have enjoyed several solid chocolate ones over the years. When we were kids though, it was a huge deal. If I ever ate a solid chocolate one I would let my brother and sister know about it and they would do likewise. I am pretty sure we also lied every now and then about eating one just to make the others jealous. Racking my brain right now, I would say that for every five packs of Peanut M&Ms, you will find one M&M that is peanut-less.

That Special Gumball – If you are my age, you must remember when malls would have gigantic gumball machines. Picture a classic red mini gumball dispenser and enlarge it a thousand times to have an idea of what I am talking about. Anyway, about halfway through the hay day of these machines, they started inserting gumballs inside that had the word “winner” written across it. The chance of putting a quarter in the slot and having the winning gumball dispensed was always a dream of mine. However, I never achieved this glory. Sadly enough, I can’t even remember what you received for getting the special piece of gum.

Fruit Snacks Special Piece – Growing up, especially at the houses of my friends, we ate fruit snacks like I eat peanut butter sandwiches now. We of course ate the character inspired ones, whether it be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Scooby-Doo, Looney Tunes, or whatever. A quirk with all of these packs of fruit snacks (my family called them “fun fruits”) was that there was a unique shape in all of them. For example, when it came to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles you would have shapes of all the turtles but then there would be a piece that was round in shape and looked like some type of special coin. It was totally different from everything else and if you even got one in your pack, you considered yourself very lucky. If you managed to received two in a pack, you were living very large. In my group of friends it was mandatory to share one of your special pieces (if you received two) with your poor buddy who didn’t receive even one.

Winning Free Soda From Bottle Cap – Growing up, my brother and I participated in every single Coca-Cola and Pepsi promotion you could think of. My obession for collecting Coke and Pepsi points/caps lasted through college where people in my residence hall would hand deliver me their consumed drinks so I could cash them in. My first introduction to winning free stuff from soda companies was the simplest promotion of them all…twisting off a bottle cap for the 1 in 7 chance of winning a free 20 oz. beverage. Now you are going to think terribly of me for this but back when I was probably 11, I would go to the coolers in stores that carried Sprite. I would then take the bottles, tip them at an angle, and would be immediately able to tell if it had a cap on it that was good for a free beverage or not. It was way too easy. When you lifted the drink you could easily tell if the bottle had three lines of text (a winner) or a single line of text (loser). I enjoyed several free Sprites during my pre-teen days. I guess this is more about being really greedy and dishonest rather than lucky.

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I will be back at it tomorrow evening with my Thursday Rundown. Until then, indulge in some type of snack or drink from your childhood. Have a great night. Don’t Blink.

Taking Advantage of Free Scoop Day

Posted on April 14, 2015 by brent

A cool thing for a guy like me is that Myrtle Beach is a major ice cream town. As the area is both an ocean and a tourist city, it just kind of comes with the territory. All over Myrtle Beach you will find awesome mom and pop ice cream shops. You will also find the corporate giants as well.

Today, Ben & Jerry’s held its Free Cone Day across the world. From noon to 8 p.m., customers could walk into any location and receive a free scoop of ice cream in a cone or a dish. If you live in Myrtle Beach, you don’t have to travel far to take advantage of the offer. Ben & Jerry’s has definitely invested in some real estate in this area with various stores across the city. Well, I decided to not just take advantage of the offer, I decided to abuse the offer. With Sidney accompanying me on my ice cream journey, I hit up four different Ben & Jerry’s ice cream parlors this evening. Below I will briefly summarize my experience at each location with a few photos and a few words.

Location #1 – 1200 Celebrity Cir.: We kicked off our tour at the location right off of Celebrity Square. This shop definitely was the busiest out of the four but it was also the most efficient. About eight scoopers worked behind the counter to make sure everyone got their ice cream quickly. I wasn’t even that close to the actual counter before an employee hollered at me to see what I wanted. After you ordered they herded you down to the end of the counter where they handed you your cone. I chose The Tonight Dough, a Jimmy Fallon-inspired cookie dough ice cream with a mixture of caramel and chocolate flavors. Sidney opted for classic cookie dough. We went outside the shop and ate.

This was the first location we went to. Busiest but most efficient.

Location #2 – 1303 Celebrity Circle: For the second round, we visited the Broadway at the Beach location just across the bridge. This shop had a carnival type feel with a tent outside, a local meteorologist scooping cones, and plenty of gifts to purchase at the end of the line. This location was busy but not as crazy as the first one. I opted with a flavor called banana peanut butter and Sidney just went with classic strawberry. Out of the four flavors I tried tonight, banana peanut butter was my favorite.

The second location we went to had a very festive feel to it.

Location #3 – 2005C Ocean Blvd: On the third leg of the ice cream odyssey we found ourselves at a location on Ocean Blvd. and 29th Avenue. It was definitely an eclectic type of shop as it shared space with a cheesesteak/burger joint. This location was the second busiest but the least efficient. We stood in line for a long time and it was a little disorganized as people entered the store from two different doors. The line was already backed up to the wall so when people walked in they didn’t really know where the end of the line was and who was there first. Not to worry though, they still had ice cream left by the time I reached the counter. With Sidney out for the count, I put in my solo order for a scoop of turtle cheesecake. My scooper pretty much gave me a double scoop, giving me more ice cream on that cone than the two separate servings I received at the other stores combined. There was just one problem…he served me butter pecan. I wasn’t going to complain though, it was free. I took a couple bites and then threw it away.

Location number three was a cluster.

Location #4 – 2913B Ocean Blvd: Our victory lap was at a small location ten blocks down. Nestled next to a Starbucks shop, the location had several elderly volunteers greeting us as we walked in. Compared to the other Ben & Jerry’s locations we visited this evening, this place was pretty much dead! I walked right up to the counter and ordered a cotton candy cone. We walked out and I took a couple licks/bites before throwing it in a garbage can right before we got in my car.

I took me no time to get my cone at the final location.

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I know every restaurant/convenience store/retail shop has a “Free _______ Day.” Usually I don’t get sucked in. But with ice cream at stake and a stupid blog post right in front of me I had to take Ben & Jerry’s up on the offer…four different times. Don’t Blink.

Having a Blast at Mike & Mike

Posted on April 13, 2015 by brent

I had the opportunity to do one of the cooler things of my career this morning. I awoke at 3:30 a.m. and went to the Dye Club at Barefoot Resort for Monday After the Masters. The brainchild of Darius Rucker, this charity event draws professional golfers and celebrities. The portion of Monday After the Masters that I was specifically attending was Mike & Mike, only my favorite sports talk radio show ever. Because of the close relationship between Rucker and “The Mikes”, it is a tradition that the show comes to Myrtle Beach each year for the fundraiser. Our dance team, mascot, and pep band were on hand to give this morning’s show a special spark so I was given a media credential to cover it.

Just a few photos to get started. That is me in front of the set (you can see Golic), a photo I took of Golic and Chauncey that the show actually used for its own social media purposes, and my credential.

I just want to briefly mention the minor disappointment and get it out of the way before I talk about what a blast I had. Unfortunately, Mike Greenberg had to cancel last minute. The common fan half of the show, contrasting to the ex-jock persona of Mike Golic, had a family issue he needed to tend to. In his place was Ryan Ruocco, an ESPN up-and-comer who happens to be the same age as me.

Our dance team represented Coastal Carolina University very well.

The students and a handful of us staffers arrived at the broadcast site around 5:30 a.m. As someone who attended College Gameday last September, something jumped out at me immediately. Mike & Mike was much more intimate. Instead of numerous different sets, a large crew, and a spectator area liberally roped off to accommodate a thousand students, the Mike & Mike setup was cozy. You probably had no more than a hundred chairs and a crew that numbered around ten.

As you can see, it was not an overwhelming set. Especially during the early morning hours, everything seemed very intimate.

The show started and it was pretty much just like watching at home. Everything went very smoothly. Even though it was their first show ever together, Golic and Ruocco had a natural flow. I stood right next to the dance team just a few feet from stage and enjoyed the banter about the Masters. An ESPN cameraman would come over to the band when the show was about to go to break. While Golic or Ryan would start to send the show to the first commercial the band was given permission to start playing. While Mike & Mike seemed just like I was listening in on the radio or watching on ESPN2 during the live action, once the commercials started a much more personal side came out.

Once the show went to break, Mike Golic was all over the place talking with the audience. I took this photo while he was interacting with our dance team.

If I could describe Mike Golic in one word it would be awesome. During the commercial breaks he did several different things from talking to our dance team, addressing the crowd with a microphone, signing autographs/posing for photos, and judging a “best sign contest” with Ryan. He acted just like a regular guy and was accommodating with every request. I photographed him with Chauncey, our dance team, and then with the whole group including Ryan Ruocco and Shane Battier and each time he was gracious and humble. When the show ended he let his hair down a little. When he competed in the longest drive contest he chugged a can of Michelob Ultra as he walked up to the tee and then had the whole gallery laughing as he made joke after joke while taking his swings.

A few of the photos I took during commercial breaks. Golic was always walking around talking with the audience.

Celebrity guests on the show this morning included Shane Battier, Golden Tate, and, of course, Darius Rucker. Before he went on Mike & Mike, Darius was holding court with about 15 members of the media. Chauncey saw this and ran over, completely video bombing the whole operation. Mr. Rucker was a good sport about it though and I got some awesome photos of the exchange. For Darius’ interview with Mike and Ryan they went away from the main set to a putting green. With the other members of Hootie and the Blowfish surrounding the three, I stood a few feet away and watched the lively and funny interview. Unfortunately I don’t think Darius recognized me from the crucial part I played in his latest music video.

This was one of my favorite photos I took today. Golic and Ruocco interview Darius Rucker and his band.

The show started in the dark with a modest crowd. However, as the sun came up more people arrived and the buzz started to heighten a bit. It was cool to watch the transformation. Although I enjoyed every minute of my experience, I did start to realize that a four-hour radio show is a long time. I have a lot of respect for Golic and Greeney going out there Monday through Friday and talking to millions of people for 20 hours.

A couple photos showing the night and day contrast along with a shot of Darius and a photo of Golden Tate with Golic and Ryan.

When the show ended, the Monday After the Masters longest drive event commenced. Darius Rucker performed the National Anthem and teed off first. After him I watched up close as folks such as Larry the Cable Guy, Rick Barry, Josh Kelley, and Golden Tate took whacks with the club. It was as if each celebrity put on a show himself as he stepped up. They all told jokes and they all connected with the audience in a different way. After the longest drive contest it was time for the actual golf competition to begin. Although I would have loved to stay I had to get back to the office.

A photo I took of Larry the Cable Guy and Chauncey. When Larry got up to the tee he told everyone to look out.

I had a wonderful experience watching Mike & Mike. As with College Gameday, it is so special to watch the actual show in person after watching/listening to it religiously on television/radio for so long. Mike Golic is the real deal and I am now a big fan of Ryan Ruocco; I hope he becomes a prominent player at ESPN. I was very proud of how our dance team, pep band, and Chauncey represented Coastal. Several times during the show they were recognized on-air, just another example of invaluable exposure. I am thankful for what I experienced today and can’t wait for the next awesome adventure I get to go on for work. Don’t Blink.

What Will I Write About Next Sunday?

Posted on April 12, 2015 by brent

Every now and then, I like to really take the input of my readers to heart. This evening, I want you to decide for me what activity you would like to see me do and then write about for next Sunday’s blog post. Please keep in mind, the three proposals I am going to ask you to vote on aren’t meant to be wild and wacky ideas. Rather, they are just topics that could turn into interesting blog posts. In a perfect world, I would do all three of these. However, time is scarce and I would need a Saturday to do one of these activities on. So for right now, I am just going to do one of them and you are going to decide which one that is.

Palm Reader – On my way to work, I pass a few sketchy tiny homes with old signs out in front reading “Palm Reading” or “Fortune Telling.” Each one has a woman’s name attached to it (think something similar to “Cleo” from those old infomercials). With how eccentric these places look from the outside, I can’t imagine what I would walk into if I actually went for a reading. Under no circumstances do I actually believe what these “mediums” have to say, I would just want to go for the experience and see what a modern day fortune teller looks like and how she operates.

Eating Challenge – Back in July, I wrote about how I got cold feet when it came to attempting an ice cream challenge. However, at that time I didn’t feel like I had to go through with it because no one expected me to. If you vote for this activity, I will have to order up the challenge whether I have second thoughts or not once I enter the parlor. I would be going back to O.D. Pavilion Ice Cream to attempt the Waterdog Challenge which consists of devouring seven scoops of ice cream in five minutes. Do you think I can do it?

72 Holes of Mini Golf – When I first arrived in Myrtle Beach, I wrote a couple blog posts about the amazing putt putt golf courses the city has. Just recently a promotion has surfaced involving four of the eclectic courses owned by the same owner. For $35, you receive a pass to play all four. Of course they don’t expect you to play them all in one day but that is what I would do. To make this activity a little more interesting, I would be competing against Sidney for those four rounds as we travel across the city to each of the different courses. Competition would be fierce and it would definitely be a long day.

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So how will I spend next Saturday? I would prefer you leave your vote underneath my Facebook status teasing this blog post. You can access my Facebook page by clicking here. However, if you don’t have Facebook or wouldn’t want to be caught dead commenting on my page, you can vote in the comment section of this blog post as well. What will it be…palm reader, eating challenge, or 72 holes of mini golf? Don’t Blink.

Carty Crusade, Homegrown Honey, Easter Extravaganza

Posted on April 9, 2015 by brent

With the temperatures hovering all week in the mid-70’s and a high temperature of 82 in the forecast for tomorrow, life is pretty sweet in Myrtle Beach right now. With the days getting longer, I still have time to enjoy the sunshine before it gets dark so let’s get started with the Thursday Rundown.

Coach Carty Crusade – The momentum has started to shift at Mead High School. The shady attempt by a small group of parents to oust Sean Carty from the head coach football position has met resistance…a lot of resistance. In my original blog post testifying to how much Coach Carty shaped me as a man, I sadly stated that it would probably take a “Hail Mary” for the termination to be overturned. It might now just take a 30-yard pass.

The Mead community has stepped up to the plate for Coach Carty while the embarrassing actions of a handful of parents are being exposed. Here is what you need to know: Carty’s appeal will be heard first by the principal. It will then go to the superintendent. The final possible appeal would be to the school board. Keep in mind that with the time Carty has to file the initial appeal combined with the two five-day periods he will be allotted to take the appeal higher if needed, this whole process will most likely stretch over a month. Although the days might pass with little news, know that you can write Dr. Rockefeller at any time. He is a fair man who will personally read what you have to say. You can e-mail him by clicking here.

SnapchaNt – Last week I reported on the massive success of SnapchaNt. Although it is cool for our social media events to be covered by the local Myrtle Beach media it is always special when the student newspaper recognizes your efforts. SnapchaNt made the front page of The Chanticleer. To read the article, click here. For awkward entertainment, click here for my Social Circle segment that I used to recap SnapchaNt.

You can read the article (recommended) or watch me (not recommended).

One Final Turf Photo – Last night I devoted a whole blog post to our brand new teal turf. However, as of last evening the field did not have the yard markers and conference logos applied. In the past 24 hours, more progress has been made. I can now officially give you the completed product.

The completed teal turf inside Brooks Stadium at Coastal Carolina University.

Homegrown Honey – I work with the best people. Late last week I was beyond miserable. Although I grew up around pollen, I had never battled South Carolina pollen. With the yellow stuff covering the CCU campus I was in pretty bad shape. But our Director of News and Public Affairs Martha Hunn came to my rescue. She told me about an old remedy for allergies that consisted of consuming honey each morning. She didn’t just tell me about the remedy though, she brought it to me. In an extremely nice gesture, Martha brought me a jar of 9 Lakes Honey, the best stuff in Conway, South Carolina.

Of course I would be totally remiss if I didn’t thank my girlfriend for really nursing me back to health. In addition to the medications she provided me and the hot meals she cooked for me, she put up with a grumpy Brent. Thanks Sidney!

Martha presented me with this jar of 9 Lakes Honey.

Easter Experience – By the time Easter rolled around I was feeling much better. Although I didn’t get to spend the holiday with my family, I had a joyous time spending it with Sidney and her family. I went on an Easter egg hunt (no joke), attended Easter Sunday mass, created and sent out my holiday message, and enjoyed great Easter meals on both Saturday and Sunday. What a wonderful time of the year Easter is! I hope you all had a blessed holiday as well.

I had a very nice Easter!

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Thanks for sticking around for another rundown. Remember to write to Dr. Rockefeller, admire our teal turf, and always take honey for allergies. Don’t Blink.

The Best Turf in College Football

Posted on April 8, 2015 by brent

I know I might be a tad bias, but I feel that Coastal Carolina University now has the best looking field in college football. Throughout my blog I have consistently given you updates on the teal turf project from the initial sketches to the grass removal to the early stages of the turf installation. Minus some hash marks and the Big South Conference logos, I can now present to you the final product.

I present to you the teal turf at Brooks Stadium.

I am oozing with pride about this. In my opinion, it turned out beautiful. Many of the original critics of the turf now feel the same way I do as most have conceded it looks much better than what they thought. Of course the nay-sayers were vastly outnumbered to begin with. For the most part, the Coastal Carolina community was behind the project. We all recognized that the turf would bring our athletic program a higher level of safety, efficiency, branding, and national exposure.

Here is a photo I snapped from the end zone.

It only took the laying of the first strip of turf for the realization of the latter benefit. Immediately upon the first pieces of teal and bronze hitting the surface, various national organizations ran stories on the new rug inside Brooks Stadium. Respected media outlets such as NBC Sports, USA Today, and Yahoo Sports all reported on it. Football fans from all over the nation swarmed to message boards to discuss it. Local media crews had an absolute “field” day.

Me hanging out on the turf. I love how it looks!

Of course our social media channels here at Coastal Carolina won big with the turf as well. The images and video I put on our main accounts garnered massive engagement. The main Twitter account of Chanticleer Athletics (@GoCCUSports), however, was the big star. Many of the national organizations used the account’s tweets in their stories. You can’t beat that exposure.

Another angle of the field, affectionately referred to as “The Surf Turf” (photo courtesy of Jada Bynum).

Already nicknamed “The Surf Turf,” the Coastal Carolina football field has a brand all its own. Much respect to our athletic department for taking a chance and going with something very unconventional. The initial result is nothing short of gorgeous and I can’t wait for all the additional publicity that will come during the 2015 football season when teams actually start playing on it. What a big victory for our University! Don’t Blink.

Courtharbor Match Madness

Posted on April 7, 2015 by brent

*** To participate in Match Madness and help us choose the name of our product, please click here.***

At the end of February, I started helping out with a company called Courtharbor. Based in North Carolina, this business specializes in an innovative tennis product that will make any fan of the sport jealous that they didn’t come up with the idea.

Courtharbor is an innovative company with an awesome product.

The founders of Courtharbor created what is currently called a court divider. What it consists of is a durable HDPE frame that holds a 4 ½ foot long by 4 ½ foot wide cover. You place the court divider perpendicular from the baseline fence in a tennis facility and let it go to work. The apparatus will catch stray balls that would otherwise move from one court right into the middle of another court, thus interrupting whatever match, clinic, or lesson is going on. It is all about efficiency and uninterrupted tennis.

A look at a Courtharbor court divider.

But it is also about branding opportunities. Courtharbor smartly constructed the court dividers in a way that any logo, slogan, hashtag, or quote can be placed front and center on the cover for every person at the tennis venue to see. How about that?! A product that specializes in both practicality and marketing!

However, even with such a dynamite product there was one issue: the name. Although the two words “court divider” describe what it is, it doesn’t really express the creativity and attitude of which the product embodies. It is also just way too generic. We decided that we wanted something catchy and fun, something that will capture the attention of the tennis community.

Today we introduced a major company promotion called Courtharbor Match Madness. Playing off of March Madness, we created an eight-line bracket for the placement of eight possible product names. One of the eight names that will fill the lines below will make it through to the single line on the right and replace “court divider” as the name of Courharbor’s signature product.

This is what the bracket looks like. We are unveiling the names two at a time each day.

This Facebook-exclusive promotion started at noon today with the initial first round matchup. The potential names of Court King and Court Hub are battling it out against each other to make the semifinal round. Over the next few days we will unveil the six other potential names through the other three first round matchups. Our Facebook fans will decide which name advances to the next round by voting. It is easy to vote! When a matchup is live, our fans simply have to comment with the name they prefer underneath the post asking the community to vote.

This is today’s initial first round matchup. This graphic is now posted on Facebook and to vote all you need to do is respond underneath it with either “Court King” or “Court Hub.”

As with any good social media promotion, participation is encouraged and rewarded. At the end of Match Madness, a drawing will be held. At stake is a Courtharbor gift package full of tennis goods. Making the chances of winning more interesting, users can earn entry into the drawing up to seven times. You see, each time someone votes, he/she will be entered into the drawing. With four first round matchups, two semifinal matchups, and a championship round, a person who lets his/her voice be heard each time will have seven chances to win the gift package.

This is a gigantic step for Courtharbor. A product name is absolutely crucial to a company. I humbly ask that you participate in Match Madness because we need your input. Click here to visit our Facebook page. While you are there, make sure to like our page but must importantly vote. Help decide the name of a product that some of you will probably hear a lot down the road. Don’t Blink.

My Permanent Mark at Coastal

Posted on April 6, 2015 by brent

I have slapped my website URL and social media handle on pens, t-shirts, stationary, business cards, and more. However, up until this point, a slab of concrete had alluded me. That all changed today.

A few months ago, I wrote about an opportunity for members of the Coastal Carolina community to leave their legacy. For a $250 donation, Chanticleer supporters can have their own brick engraved on the “Alumni Walk,” a pathway that leads up to the newly renovated Atheneum Hall Alumni Center. Wanting to give back to my employer while also maybe receiving a few website hits in the process (so shameless of me), I purchased a brick.

Atheneum Hall is where the Alumni Walk is located. Atheneum Hall is also the structure that makes up our University logo (Photo courtesy of Jada Bynum).

This morning, workers installed the first wave of personalized bricks into the walkway. I smiled proudly when Alumni staff member and #CCUSocialMedia Dream Team member Erika sent me a photo of my concrete square. Not soon after the text I went over and looked for myself. Making sure I promoted my employer before myself, the first two lines of the brick show allegiance to my University. The next two lines spell out my social media handle and my blog address. While I know I left out my life motto, I figured down the road I could always purchase another brick and add it in.

My brick being laid (Photo courtesy of Erika Pomerantz).

It just really appeals to me to have something like this. That brick will grace that pathway for a long, long time. Fifty years from now that marker will still be there. While I know I probably won’t still be authoring my blog in 2065 my hope is that the web address will still be working and the content archived. How cool would it be for a freshman to stumble upon it and use whatever crazy device invented at the time to look me up?

They installed the first wave of bricks this morning. (Photo courtesy of Jada Bynum).

A great part of this brick campaign is how the final product has turned out. I have seen other schools install personalized brick projects and the engraving just doesn’t look very good. These bricks are crystal clear and well done. If you are one of my local readers, you can order your own brick by going here.

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We have the men’s basketball NCAA championship game on tonight. I respect Coach Krzyzewski so much but this evening I am rooting for Wisconsin. First off, I think it looks great upon our basketball team at Coastal if the Badgers win the title just because our guys played them so close. Secondly, I would like to say that I watched the national champions play from the closest vantage point possible during their NCAA Tournament run. Whoever you are cheering for, enjoy the game! Don’t Blink.

Silly Rabbit, Easter Bunnies are Weird

Posted on April 5, 2015 by brent

This morning I read a very interesting argument. Pam Stone, a syndicated newspaper columnist, might be the Scrooge of commercialized Easter traditions. However, I think maybe every now and then we need a little holiday buzz kill if the proposition is legitimate.

Stone’s advice for shopping malls across America is this: Get rid of the Easter Bunny.

After finding the mascot of Americanized Easter celebrations creepy, out of place, and cheesy, the final straw came recently. News came out that a company that specializes in contracting out Easter Bunnies to malls (yes, apparently these exist) placed a sex offender in a shopping center here in the South. This disturbing image of a pervert in an awkward, strange cartoon rabbit outfit pushed her over the edge. Get these weird costumed goons out of American culture, Stone urged.

Easter Bunnies are just odd.

I will say this: I don’t think I have ever seen a “classy” looking Easter Bunny. Honestly, I don’t think I have ever seen an Easter Bunny that wasn’t hideous. But in my opinion, that is the fun part! In my experience, it seems like no two Easter Bunnies are the same. You go into any mall or to any Easter Egg hunt and the mutated rabbit is going to have its own original take on the word bizarre. If I don’t say to myself “Oh My!” when I see a giant bunny sitting in a throne, something isn’t right.

Most Easter Bunnies look like they are carrying diseases.

I enjoy laughing at the various ways costume designers try to make an Easter Bunny look “natural”, “cute”, or “appropriate”. It is the definition of putting lipstick on a pig. It just isn’t possible. But what I found even more funny (and sad) was the scene I witnessed last night. On Easter Eve when Sidney and I walked through Coastal Grand Mall a mere 30 minutes before closing there was a line of 20 adults with their kids waiting for last minute photos with the Creeper Bunny. Why?

Creating a “cute’ Easter Bunny is impossible.

I don’t feel strongly enough to banish the Easter Bunny. I get that some parents have traditions that involve their kids and the furry disaster. I also realize that children receive joy out of meeting the Easter Bunny and receiving whatever coloring book or fake ring that it hands out. But come on, can’t we all agree that these things belong more in our nightmares instead of shopping malls? Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser

Monthly Archives: April 2015