Tag Archives: Coastal Carolina baseball

Cultural Thursday Rundown

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Thank you for taking time this evening to visit Don’t Blink. You picked a great day to do it because my latest Thursday Rundown is ready to go. Here we go…

Not a Baby Anymore – Sid has spent this week coping with the fact that Sloan has reached a new age bracket. In the pediatric world, she is no longer considered a baby but a (shut your eyes and cover your ears, Sid) toddler. Some big developments have transpired. The doctor advised us to not give her bottles anymore, a blow to Sidney because she used bottle time to bond with Sloan. Additionally, our daughter will move up in daycare starting next week, leaving the babies and joining the 1-year-old classroom. Seeing her transition from the easy life of cribs and toothless friends to the “real world” of mats and walking toddlers has Sidney a bit stressed. But as the pediatrician told us, all these changes impact the parents more than they actually impact the baby (I mean toddler). We will be just fine!

Sloan turned 1 and is now a big girl.

Facetime in the Classroom – I was in the middle of something at work this morning when I looked down at my phone to see that Sidney was Facetiming me. Surprised and a little worried, I immediately picked it up. When I did, I found myself in the middle of a 2nd grade classroom. Mrs. Reser was teaching her students about different cultures and wanted to use me as an example. She was explaining that different regions in the country have their own distinct cultures. Telling the students that I am from the west, she asked me several questions about how life in South Carolina is different from life in Washington and Montana. She had hooked up her phone so that I was projected onto the large classroom screen. The kids were so excited and it was a nice way to help Sidney with her lesson. It made my day!

Sid Facetimed me today so I could talk to her class about culture.

St. Patrick – For her birthday, Sloan received many thoughtful and fun gifts ranging from clothes to toys to books. After her presents were opened, Sid and I gave Sloan a special memento we purchased from the gift shop at our church. It is a mini St. Patrick statue that also comes with a St. Patrick holy card. We feel it is important for Sloan to be proud that she was born on the feast day of one of history’s most beloved saints. Although clothes will become too small, toys will break, and books will be handed down, hopefully Sloan will keep track of her St. Patrick’s statue as the years go by.

We gave Sloan a St. Pat figurine and a St. Pat holy card as a birthday gift.

The Facebook Scandal – I feel a lot of people are confused about the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal so let me try to explain it in layman’s terms. A company used a personality test (I have discussed these before) on 270,000 consenting Facebook users. However, those users not only gave the company (Cambridge Analytica) access to their own profile information, they granted access to their friends’ profile information as well, giving the company info on over 50 million Americans. Cambridge Analytica was then able to sell this data to clients (such as the Donald Trump campaign) for social media advertising use. Facebook is on the hook for allowing companies the ability to harvest data from non-consenting users. To top it all off, Facebook had a delayed and disorganized public relations response.

Congrats, Coastal – Our baseball team defeated Clemson this past Tuesday in “grand” fashion as Lee Sponseller smashed a bases loaded home run to defeat the Tigers. However, it wasn’t the first time this athletic season that CCU got the best of our in-state rival. The men’s soccer team eliminated Clemson from the NCAA tournament in November. It isn’t just that our university is competing with an institution that is double our size and 70 years older than us, it is that we are actually beating them. Coastal Carolina University continues to rise and I am very proud to be a part of #TealNation. Go Chants!

It was great to see Coastal beat Clemson again.

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I hope everyone has a nice weekend. Enjoy the NCAA Tournament and always make sure to count your blessings. Don’t Blink.

This Is My Thursday Rundown for 5-11-17

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Welcome back to Don’t Blink. Wherever you are, I hope you are getting some decent spring weather. Here we go with my latest Thursday Rundown…

Date Nights – Sidney and I spent part of a couple evenings this past week enjoying time together. On Saturday night we attended an Alice In Wonderland-themed Kentucky Derby party where we watched Always Dreaming gallop to victory. Then, last night, we attended a Coastal Carolina baseball game. The evening was absolutely gorgeous as we chomped down on ballpark food and relaxed in the friendly confines of Springs Brooks Stadium. Although the Chants ended up falling to the College of Charleston, 6-5, it was a pleasant experience. Thanks to Sidney’s family for watching over Sloan in both instances!

Sidney and I enjoyed our date nights at the Kentucky Derby party (left) and the Coastal Carolina baseball game (right).

So Much Energy – It was revealed yesterday that LSU’S head football coach, Ed Orgeron, drinks 8-10 energy drinks PER DAY. If I just drink ONE energy drink per day my head is spinning and my heart is pounding. To think about a 55-year-old man downing 10 Rock Stars in eight hours makes my body want to explode for him.

How can a person drink 10 energy drinks in a day?

New Great Value Ice Cream Flavors – Last summer, the world was stunned when the Walmart brand of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream was judged superior by Sidney over such powerhouses as Ben & Jerry’s and Blue Bunny. Empowered by the results of the blind taste test, I no longer felt embarrassed buying the Great Value brand. Last weekend, I noticed that more flavors are now available. Great Value has stepped up its game by offering more creative options such as an I Love Peanut Butter flavor and a Smores flavor. But what captured my taste buds was the Banana Puddin’ flavor. A banana flavored ice cream infused with a whipped cream ribbon and loads of vanilla wafer pieces, you might find yourself going back for another bowl. In my opinion, it is a perfect selection for the upcoming summer season. Next time you are at the ice cream aisle in Walmart, make sure to buy generic!

Banana Puddin’ ice cream by Great Value is something that both Sloan and I really like.

The Latest of Sloan – Each day, Sloan seems to get cuter. Likewise, each day I seem to grow as a dad. It is the perfect combination! Life is good and there is no greater joy than coming home at the end of the day and seeing my wife and daughter. Here is the latest photo collage of Sloan.

The latest photos of Sloan Anne Reser

Still Enjoying Southern Fast Food – Three years ago on this date, I ate at both a Waffle House and Bojangles for the first time…talk about a calorie binge! Both restaurants offered a tasty dining experience and 1,095 days later I still enjoy both places. However, I definitely eat at Bojangles more than Waffle House. There is a location right next to our house as I am quite fond of the Cajun filet biscuits for breakfast and the chicken rice bowls for lunch/dinner. A day later on May 12, 2014, after my arteries became unclogged, I blogged about the epic day of Southern fast food cuisine.

Three years ago on this date, I ate at Bojangles (left side of collage) and Waffle House (right side of collage) for the first time in my life.

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Thanks for reading. Enjoy your weekend and most of all make sure to have a very happy Mother’s Day. Don’t Blink.

What the Coastal Baseball Team’s National Championship Means

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I took the Fourth of July weekend to recharge from the two weeks of fun and craziness that resulted from the Coastal Carolina University baseball team’s victorious College World Series run. Over the last couple days I tried to pin down what I thought was the biggest story of this remarkable feat. With the local and national media already covering all the angles from the impact on the university to the legacy of Gary Gilmore to the legendary Cinderella story to the memorable cast of fun student-athletes and quirky dugout props, I looked for something a little different.

It turned out that the “something” I mentioned above is really two things for me. Yes, when I remember the College World Series run 20 years from now, I will remember a couple key things.

1. A national championship was won
2. A community was recognized

In regards to my first point, I don’t even think about the underdog aspect of it. You see, numerous powerhouse programs compete for the baseball national championship each and every year. Many more average programs and mid-majors do as well. At the end of it all, 294 Division I college baseball teams come away disappointed. Only one team stands atop that mountain as champions. It doesn’t matter if you are a favorite, a Cinderella, or a dark horse, winning a national championship is the prized goal.

The Coastal baseball team attained it.

When you open up a book of baseball history 100 years from now and look at the list of champions, you won’t see any information on whether a certain school was supposed to win or not. Rather, you will just see that school’s name.

So what I am trying to say is that I realize the fact that a medium-sized, mid-major university winning the College World Series is a big selling point right now. However, over time that part of the story might fade but Coastal’s achievement as the best team in college baseball in 2016 never will. Let that soak in. Coastal Carolina University is home to a national champion and nothing will ever take that away. I love an underdog story but to me they are just the champs.

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The other part of the College World Series experience I will remember is the remarkable support and pride that swept over the whole Grand Strand area and much of the state over the past few weeks. Now I know any community will embrace a team when it brings back a championship but this situation is just a little different.

Our state is home to two giants in higher education, Clemson and South Carolina. Sometimes a young institution such as ours with a smaller enrollment and alumni base can get overlooked by others. The run to baseball glory brought national attention squarely on Coastal Carolina University and #TEALnation shined. Just as our student-athletes exhibited passion and pride on the diamond each night, the Conway community represented itself with the same principles as well. Other Palmetto State citizens saw this and jumped on.

Covering the welcome back event at the airport on Thursday night was insane. There was an energy in the air that was unmistakable. Although my career has been short, it was one of the coolest moments I have ever experienced. When the student-athletes ran off that plane they brought some leftover Omaha mojo and combined it with the hunger and desire that was brought by the crowd, producing an unbelievable scene. The atmosphere was awesome and our Coastal Carolina community was fostering it.

The same show of support was on display a day later at the ceremony in Springs Brooks Stadium. The place was packed with teal and it was almost a surreal moment. However, with the national championship trophy resting comfortably on the podium it reminded us all that it was in fact reality and that the Coastal Carolina/Conway community was alive and well.

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I may never be associated again with a school that wins a major Division I national championship. Most people never are. I would sincerely like to thank our student-athletes and coaches for taking Coastal Carolina University on this unforgettable ride. Don’t Blink.

The Coastal Baseball Team National Champs Thursday Rundown

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It is tough to punch the keys on my keyboard now. Coastal Carolina University is home to the baseball national champions. Social media is completely bonkers at this moment and my adrenaline is through the roof but I wanted to take a quick breather and write. In the near future I will reflect on what this Coastal baseball team actually did. However, since it is a Thursday, I thought I would talk about the finer moments of the experience for me in tonight’s Thursday Rundown.

Fun On Twitter – In most professions, people are aware of and keep in touch with their counterparts in similar positions at different companies. This holds true for higher education social media professionals. I am friends with the person who heads up the social media program at the University of Arizona. When it became official that our schools would play each other in the College World Series Finals, we were excited for the social media possibilities. Over the past several days the @UofA and @CCUChanticleers Twitter accounts have gone back and forth in friendly dialogue. For our most memorable exchanges, click here and here.

My Own Media Circus – Over the past couple of days, I have made the rounds on the major three local news stations here in Myrtle Beach. On Tuesday, WMBF interviewed me. Then yesterday I sat down with reporters from WPDE and WBTW. All of these stations visited me to talk about the impact the baseball team’s success has had on our main social media program as a whole and just our entire university in general. Although I can’t say my interviews were stellar, I really appreciate the coverage Myrtle Beach media outlets are giving to our university.

Me during my interview with WMBF on Tuesday.

Me during my interview with WMBF on Tuesday.

Bonding Time With My Wife – When the Chants were playing the games, I covered them right from my living room. I had my electronics in front of me but my wife right beside me. Sidney is not a big sports fan but she watched every College World Series game that CCU played in with me. That means over the course of six nights and one afternoon we bonded together over baseball. We ate dinner, commented on the action, and rooted on the Chants. It was a lot of fun.

Sidney and I are true Chanticleers.

Sidney and I are true Chanticleers.

No Surprise – It was well-documented that Coastal Carolina Chanticleers merchandise flew off the shelves in Omaha. This fact didn’t shock me. I have said since I arrived at CCU that our colors are unique and fun. Teal stands out and is inviting. With the exposure our baseball uniforms have received on ESPN for several different nights, I have a good feeling that a lot of people not just in the Grand Strand area and Omaha are going to be getting their hands on Chant gear.

You can't beat our school colors.

You can’t beat our school colors.

Celebration Time – Now comes more fun. Over the next 24 hours we will celebrate our baseball team. This evening I will be at the airport at 11 p.m. when the team comes back home after two weeks in Omaha. Tomorrow we will hold a parade for the team in downtown Conway. Following the motorcade we will have a ceremony at the baseball stadium. Great opportunities for memories and social media gains.

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Congrats to the Coastal Carolina University baseball team on a remarkable achievement. It is a great time to be the guy who is running the social media program for the school but an even better time to just be a Chanticleer. Don’t Blink.