Tag Archives: Sean Carty

Just Another Thursday Rundown

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Hola everyone! Can you believe that it is Thursday again? You have my permission to sit back, relax, and enjoy the latest rundown. Watch out, here come the five topics…

Chillaxin – Beau already has life figured out. Our little man knows what it takes to relax. He just needs his favorite spot on the carpet, an apple (or two), and his mommy’s iPad. Doesn’t he look content?

Have you ever seen a more content 1-year-old?

Root Beer Anniversary – Come on now! How is the 10th anniversary of Don’t Blink supposed to compete with the 155th anniversary of the invention of Root Beer? I really enjoy a cold Root Beer (but not a Root Beer float) and one of my life goals is to pull off what my good friend Cody did with the ultimate Root Beer taste test challenge. Similar to what I did with chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, he took six different Root Beer brands and let his family sip until they settled upon their personal favorites. I really hope to replicate this.

Feel free to enjoy an A&W to celebrate the anniversary of Root Beer.

The Choice – This week, the results of a very interesting survey were released. Here was the question: Would you rather work from home or accept a $30,000 raise? The majority of the respondents opted for the work from home option. I am a little torn but I hope my readers don’t think I am an anti-family man if I say the $30,000 raise sounds pretty good to me. What would you choose?

I enjoy working from home. But if I was presented with the hypothetical situation I think I would have a tough time saying “no” to the cash.

Most-Viewed Thursday Rundown – Yesterday I counted down my top 10 most-viewed Don’t Blink blog posts of all-time. A Thursday Rundown did not make that prestigious list so I thought I would give the genre its glory in tonight’s blog post. Out of the 400+ Thursday Rundowns I have written, the most popular one was titled “Coach Carty Update, Teal Turf, and More” and was published on April 2, 2015. The post touched on the response from my initial Coach Carty entry, covered the installation of CCU’s “Surf Turf” earlier in the day, listed what I ate for lunch that week, detailed my reaction to the “Foxcatcher” documentary and the Justin Bieber roast, and congratulated an old colleague and mentor of mine. I have a pretty good feeling that the Sean Carty update is what really generated the traffic for this one.

In my most-viewed Thursday Rundown blog post I wrote about the installation of the “Surf Turf” in Brooks Stadium,

Cool Throwback – So which looks more like the modern day Robin Williams we all watched on the big screen? The boy or the mom? Man, that is a tough call…and a pretty cool photo.

I was a big Robin Williams fan.

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Thank you for your attention once again. Enjoy your weekend and we will catch up next week. Don’t Blink.

My Top 10 Most-Viewed “Don’t Blink” Blog Posts

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As someone who makes a living analyzing the data, I know better than most that the numbers don’t lie. However, when it comes to my own blog posts, I like to think that the entries I write that are near and dear to my heart will perform the best. And when they don’t? Well, something must be wrong with the data, obviously.

To be honest, I don’t go that far, but I sure am glad that I have a decent analytics program on the backend of my blog that gives me the hard data. If not for that, I might convince myself that my readers liked my fortune cookie blog post more than they actually did.

Tonight, based on complete objectivity and in the spirit of the 10th anniversary of this blog, I am going to countdown my top 10 blog posts according to all-time page views. My personal top 10 blog posts will be revealed later this month but this evening is about you and not me. So let’s pull the 10 most-viewed blog posts out of the 2,000 that have been written over the past decade.

10. Why I Don’t Like Trivia Crack (Jan. 11, 2015) – Remember this app? Well, I hated it, and judging by the popularity of this blog post I think a lot of other people did too.

Remember this? I wasn’t the biggest fan of Trivia Crack.

9. Happy 32nd Anniversary, Mom and Dad (Aug. 16, 2013) – I think my parents just have a lot of friends because I have no other idea why a simple blog post like this would rack up so many views. Perhaps it was the clown photo? This summer they will celebrate their 40th anniversary.

8. To Buy the Bucket of Popcorn or Not? (Jan. 13, 2014) – In this post I debated back and forth about whether I should purchase a $19.75 tub of popcorn from Carmike Cinemas that would be refillable for just $3.75 throughout the year. Obviously I wasn’t the only one who faced the dilemma. Read he post to find out the decision I made.

A few years after writing this blog post, I ended up buying the bucket and refillable soda cup too

7. Feeling Bad for Coach Carty (March 31, 2015) – During the Spring of 2015, I wrote a series of blog posts in support of Sean Carty, my high school football coach who was screwed out of his job. The posts were widely shared in the Mead community and I like to think that they played a small part in Carty’s reinstatement as head football coach.

Me standing with Sean Carty in Missoula probably in 2012 or 2013

6. Our “Bar Rescue” Tour (March 1, 2015) – Sidney and I went on a nerdy tour that all “Bar Rescue” diehards dream about. We traveled to North Carolina and visited three different bars that Jon Taffer transformed on his show. What an experience!

Sidney and I inside Klick’s 22, one of the bars featured on “Bar Rescue.”

5. The Battle of the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Creams (May 15, 2016) – It brings a smile to my face that this post still racks in the views on a daily basis because it was so much fun to write. Sid blind tested five different chocolate chip cookie dough ice creams and ranked her favorites. The results will shock you!

This is the lineup of different cookie dough ice creams that Sidney tasted.

4. Instagram Spam (April 9, 2013) – Hey, guess what? Instagram had a spam problem back in 2013 too. I sounded off about the different types of spam that plagued Instagram and by doing so struck a chord with thousands and thousands of other people who were fed up as well.

I wrote extensively about Instagram spam in a 2013 blog post.

3. The Pros and Cons of Living in Myrtle Beach (May 3, 2015) – This blog post helped establish me as some type of Myrtle Beach relocation guru. I can’t count all the direct messages I received (and continue to receive) from people asking questions about the city. The comments on the post itself are also vast. I realized the influence of this post one day when I was giving a presentation at CCU. After I finished, a new employee came up to me and said she had read my blog post, consulted with me about some questions she had, and then made the decision to move to Myrtle Beach based off the post and what I told her.

Living in Myrtle Beach is awesome, but it has its pros and cons just like any other place.

2. A True Professional: Barry Anderson (September 25, 2012) – Barry Anderson was the best mascot in the NBA during his many years behind the Benny the Bull mask in Chicago. Prior to the Chicago Bulls, Barry was Monte at the University of Montana. Although my time in the athletic department didn’t overlap with his, Barry would return for Homecoming during the years that I was running the mascot program. I got to know him and respect him. This blog post I wrote that highlighted the man behind the mask was read enthusiastically and frequently by the thousands of Benny the Bull super fans.

This guy is a hero to many.

1. The Truth About a “Bar Rescue” Experience (April 17, 2016) – The opportunity came open to explore some questions I had about my favorite show and I was able to convert it into the most-read (by a large margin) blog post in the history of Don’t Blink. Each day this blog post receives tons of traffic, especially on Sundays when marathons and new episodes of “Bar Rescue” air. It is frequently linked on fan forums and reality TV message boards. I would like to thank Maria Bedient for telling me her story and setting the record straight on so many things. This is simply the blog post that keeps on giving.

Murphy’s Law in Reno is depicted on the fifth season of “Bar Rescue” and is the bar where Maria Bedient worked.

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Talk about random, right? One thing I have learned about authoring a wide-ranging blog is that you never completely know what will resonate with your audience. After 10 years, except for “Bar Rescue,” I am not 100% sure what will become a fan favorite for years to come and what will bomb. It is a good thing that I have patient readers who tolerate the many posts that don’t always hit the mark. This has been fun! Don’t Blink.

We Run it Down Again

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Good evening to all my valued readers. I hope you all enjoyed a great month. How about we send out March with a Thursday Rundown?

Fair Warning – As just mentioned, March is about to end. That means that tomorrow is April 1. Forgive me for making a PSA out of this blog post, but be on guard to not fall for any April Fools’ jokes tomorrow. Especially be vigilant for dumb gags on social media. Make it a point to anticipate all of the pregnancy and moving across the country stories now so you don’t get burned tomorrow.

Love You Forever – As with millions of other families, the “Love You Forever” book has a special place in the hearts of the Resers. My mom would always read the book to us and softly cry. Today my sister sent me this link to a blog post about the book. It was an interesting read and I have two quick comments regarding it. First off, I never even knew that the “helicopter mom” reputation existed for the book until this afternoon. To be honest, even as a critical thinker, I have a tough time understanding that theory. Secondly, it was neat to hear the author sing the song. I was hoping it would sound like how my mom sings it but it was waaaaaaaay different. Thinking about “Love You Forever” was a nice walk down Memory Lane.

Talk about one special book.

Talk about one special book.

London Has Fallen – On Easter Sunday, Sidney and I went with her parents to the movies. We decided on “London Has Fallen.” If you ever read reviews, you might know that critics despised this film. They absolutely trashed it. However, I enjoyed it. In fact, I would say it was the best movie I have seen in the theaters for at least a couple months. It was action-packed from start to finish and I got a real kick out of Gerard Butler. Also, how bad can a movie be if Morgan Freeman is in it? I 100% recommend “London Has Fallen.”

My ticket to "London Has Fallen." I enjoyed the film.

My ticket to “London Has Fallen.” I enjoyed the film.

The Start of the Carty Crusade – On this date in 2015, I wrote my first blog post on Sean Carty. Targeted by a group of parents, he was stripped of his football head coaching duties at Mead High School. However, the truth would come to light. With Carty fighting, I kept writing. Because of Sean’s strong will and the backing of the community, he was fully re-instated as head coach a couple months later. With so many people working hard to make sure the right thing happened, I wanted to assist too. I tried to contribute in my small way by telling the story through this blog.

Me standing with Sean Carty a couple years ago in MIssoula.

Me standing with Sean Carty a couple years ago in MIssoula.

Wedding Update #26 – A couple items to report on for this update. First, Sidney went to Charleston yesterday to get her bridal portraits done. At her parents’ house there is a large framed photo of Sid’s oldest sister in her wedding gown. Pretty soon there will be one of Sidney too. Secondly, as a wedding gift my parents are paying for Sidney and I to spend our wedding night in a Myrtle Beach hotel of our choice. After some research and after determining which venues actually have vacancy (Myrtle Beach is a tourist destination after all), we have narrowed it down to two choices. A decision is expected by the end of the night.

Our latest countdown until our big day. In less than six hours we will be at the 70-day mark.

Our latest countdown until our big day. In less than six hours we will be at the 70-day mark.

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I look forward to seeing you all in April. Have a great weekend and don’t make a fool out of yourself tomorrow. Don’t Blink.

My Top Ten Blog Posts of 2015

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It is time for the big blog post. With 2015 coming to an end, today I countdown my top ten posts of the year. In my 2014 edition, I had 253 entries to choose from. This year I have 252. How about that for posting consistency?

I am making a small change to this year’s top ten. Instead of going in chronological order like last year, I will list the posts countdown style. Yes, this year I will name my top post of 2015. Before we reveal the best of the best, I want to give a genuine thank you to all my readers. I sincerely appreciate your loyalty and support. Each year readership goes up and my motivation to write becomes greater and greater. Thank you.

As I did last year, I went through all my blog posts I wrote in 2015. From there I wrote my favorite 20 on a piece of paper and then selected finalists. Although my top favorite was never in question, it was competitive filling out the rest of the countdown. Enjoy.

10. Top Ten Mistakes Made By Social Media Professionals (November 17): I start my top ten list with another top ten list. In November, I wrote a blog post listing the ten mistakes that plague social media professionals the most. While I thought the content itself was good and helpful, this post stands out because I got a little creative/weird. I created and starred in a meme for each blunder, an endeavor that was both fun and time consuming.

This is one of the memes that illustrated a mistake that social media professionals make.

This is one of the memes that illustrated a mistake that social media professionals make.

9. Premium vs. Knockoff Showdown (June 7): Needing a blog post idea one Sunday, I went to the store and filled my cart with name brand snacks such as Cheetos, Pop Tarts, and Fruity Pebbles. I also threw in the generic counterpart of each product as well. I then took it all to Sidney’s house and gave her a blind taste test of the real deal and the knockoff. It was a fun experiment with a very definite result.

One of the collages I included in my blog post testing the differences between generic and premium items.

One of the collages I included in my blog post testing the differences between generic and premium items.

8. A Visit From Santa and His Elf (December 23): Although I wrote this just a week ago today, it is memorable and special enough to make the countdown. My brother was nice enough to let Sidney and I come to his workplace, the Northeast Youth Center, and visit the kids. However, we channeled our alter egos for this particular appearance. I dressed up as Santa and Sid dressed up as an elf. Once at the center we surprised the children and then read to them. The hugs we received after we passed out the candy canes will be something we always remember regardless of whether I wrote this post or not.

Sidney and I reading to the kids at the Northeast Youth Center.

Sidney and I reading to the kids at the Northeast Youth Center.

7. The Best Way to Prepare for Marriage (November 25): At the conclusion of our Pre-Cana classes that Sidney and I took to prepare for marriage, I wrote this blog post about how enriching the experience was. Having a great sponsor couple in Tim and Kathy McCormick was a huge blessing and left us very happy that we took this route to allow us to marry in the Catholic church in June. I think my enthusiasm is evident in the post.

Sidney and I with our sponsor couple, Tim and Kathy McCormick.

Sidney and I with our sponsor couple, Tim and Kathy McCormick.

6. The Fake Brent Reser (May 13): This particular blog post makes the countdown because it illustrated the power and dedication of my readers. In May, I was alerted by a friend that a fake profile of myself was circulating on Facebook. It used my name and likeness but contained loads of bogus information and corny status updates. I asked you to help me out and report the profile to Facebook. Thanks to my readers, within 24 hours the impostor social media account had been removed.

5. A Great NCAA Tournament Experience in Omaha (March 22): I had the honor of traveling with the Coastal Carolina men’s basketball team to the NCAA Tournament in March. As I have said on numerous occasions, attending the Big Dance in a working capacity is a major highlight for anyone with a career in intercollegiate athletics/higher education. I had a terrific experience as I enjoyed my time in Nebraska with many great people from the Chanticleer athletic department. Every moment (except for the loss to #1 Wisconsin) was great, but perhaps my best highlight was engaging in a Twitter dialogue with the rival school that generated lots of positive attention for CCU.

Me on the court moments before Coastal and Wisconsin tipped off.

Me on the court moments before Coastal and Wisconsin tipped off.

4. Twins or Not? (March 3): I still get made fun of for this one! I hired twins to produce a commercial for Don’t Blink. Well, rather I hired a person to produce a commercial for Don’t Blink. Billed as a video ad starring two twins, Sidney immediately called “fraud” when she watched it. She bluntly told me that it was the same girl playing both parts. I asked my readers to weigh in and they overwhelmingly supported Sid. I was duped!

I had my leg pulled.

I had my leg pulled.

3. Blog Takeover: Dating a Blogger (August 9): This year, after much convincing from my fiance, Don’t Blink debuted a new feature. Each month on a Sunday, Sidney writes a guest post for my blog. Although I have loved every post she has written, her initial one will always hold a spot in my heart. She explained the “peaks and pits” of dating a blogger. It was so funny and honest that it became an instant classic in Don’t Blink history. It was after the overwhelmingly positive reaction to this post that we decided to extend the “blog takeover” concept to a monthly basis.

2. The Triumph of Sean Carty and the Community (May 22): During the spring, I blogged several times about Sean Carty, the former head football coach at Mead High School. Starting with a post titled Feeling Bad for Coach Carty, I did what I could to keep my former high school football teammates and other community members updated on the road Sean took to fight back against the screw job inflicted upon him by a few bitter parents. When the truth came out and the motives of the small number of moms and dads were exposed, Coach Carty was reinstated as the head coach. This blog post captured the sweet feeling of vindication and what can happen when the community unites together. After the battle was won and the message sent, Carty would later gracefully resign to spend more time with his family.

Standing with Sean Carty a couple years ago in MIssoula.

Standing with Sean Carty a couple years ago in MIssoula.

1. The Proposal (June 24) – There was never a doubt. By a large margin, this is my top post of 2015. When you write about the best moment in your life, the words just come easy. The Proposal was written with love and euphoria. It received an amazing social media response and it will be something that Sidney and I look back on and read for the rest of our lives. It is #1 for another reason too. Shortly after Sidney and I got engaged, her grandmother passed away. Sid’s mom told me that the family used the blog post to give them some relief and joy during the difficult time. When I write my top posts of the decade in 2020, The Proposal will probably be #1 as well.

That magic moment.

That magic moment.

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It was quite the year for Don’t Blink! If you have any memorable posts from 2015 that I did not cover, please let me know. Enjoy the rest of 2015 and be sure to catch my first post of 2016. Don’t Blink.

Q&A About “Don’t Blink”

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Quite often people ask me questions about my blog. Whether it be in person, through text, or through the comment feature on brentreser.com, it seems like I always receive some of the same ones over and over again. For my Sunday blog post, I thought I would open up the mail bag and answer some of them.

Today I take the opportunity to answer some questions regarding my blog.

Today I take the opportunity to answer some questions regarding my blog.

Q. How do you find time to devote as much time as you do to your blog?
A. I simply budget it into my day. On my weekday blog posts, I begin writing as soon as I get home from work. I won’t eat dinner until I publish whatever I am writing that day. To me, it doesn’t seem like my blog takes away that much of my time just because it is a major project of mine that I enjoy working on. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I probably spend about 40 hours on Don’t Blink a month.

Q. How much time does it take you to write a single blog post?
A. This definitely depends. Blog posts where I incorporate a lot of images take considerably longer than Thursday Rundown posts. Posts where I recap a trip or experience will take longer than a post where I am just spitting out my thoughts on a certain subject. The length of time it takes me to write a post ranges anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. Like I said, I hop on my writing the second I get home from work. Sometimes I will start the next day’s blog post before I go to bed the previous night just so I don’t have to spend as much time on it when I return home.

Q. Where do you get your blog post ideas?
A. Pretty much from everywhere. I read a lot. I have much of my life documented to the point of every small detail. I also do a lot in my free time that translates into blog content. I become inspired with ideas from my work, my family, and my friends. Social media and current events play a role. Food is always a great source for my ideas. Of course my readers provide suggestions as well.

Q. What are your favorite blog posts to write?
A. No question, my features I do on people. These are always special for me to write and then special for that particular person to read. The posts I do on people are the most raw, passionate pieces I do. Of course Thursday Rundowns are fun too because they are so random and easy to write. From feedback I have gathered I also know that my readers really enjoy those particular posts as well.

Q. Can you get a little more specific? Are there any posts that specifically stand out to you?
A. Most recently, the series I did on the Sean Carty saga registers high. Not only did those posts bring in a crazy amount of traffic, but they helped (at least a little bit) a man retain his job. The post I did on former Montana athletic director Jim O’Day also is a favorite of mine. If you want some more specifics, check out this post I did at the end of last year chronicling my top ten favorite posts from 2014.

Q. Do people actually read your blog?
A. Although I took a swipe at my readership numbers in this blog post, I do somehow have a dedicated following. Although not huge by any means, my site routinely garners a four digit number of views per day. This of course inspires me to write often.

Q. What is your blogging schedule?
A. I am pretty good at blogging five times per week, Sunday through Thursday. I am now in my fifth year of writing Don’t Blink.

Q. When are you finally going to give Don’t Blink up?
A. Good question, I don’t really know. I would think that when the day comes that Sidney and I have kids my free time to author a blog might diminish. But right now I am all in.

Q. Speaking of Sidney, will she ever takeover your blog again?
A. You bet she will! Look for her next post in a couple weeks.

Q. Any advice to wannabe bloggers?
A. Go for it! Just hold yourself accountable and stick to a schedule. Don’t get discouraged if people aren’t reading it at first. It takes time to build a following. Besides, if you are writing your blog solely for other people you are doing it for the wrong reason.

Q. Is there anything else you would like to add?
A. Yes, I would like to say one thing…Don’t Blink.

On Carty’s Terms

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This past Monday evening, Sean Carty stood up in front of parents at an information meeting and announced his resignation as head football coach at Mead High School. To some who first heard the news, the reaction was shock. Why would someone who fought so admirably to retain his job turn around and walk away? Why would someone who put his name and his reputation on the line to save the post he held for 14 years step down? Why would someone who pulled off one of the greatest victories ever over parent interference and entitlement call it quits? The answer is easy:

This was never about Sean Carty.

This was about securing the confidence of coaches in the district who feared they would have to work according to an outrageous and flawed precedent. This was about preventing parents from thinking they could hire an attorney, make false claims, and ruin someone’s life. This was about retaining the dignity of the Mead community, a community that had its reputation suffer greatly when the initial decision was made. It just so happened that the burden to make things right fell on the shoulders of Sean Carty.

Sean Carty resigned as head football coach at Mead High School on Monday. His leadership will be missed.

Sean Carty resigned as head football coach at Mead High School on Monday. His leadership will be missed.

For six turbulent months starting with the investigation and ending with Coach Carty’s reinstatement, the man went through hell. However, even though Sean admits that his “health suffered drastically” throughout the ordeal, he kept fighting until the victorious end because simply it was the right thing to do. He fought so the next amazing coach victimized by delusional parents wouldn’t suffer what he endured, he fought so the district that many of us grew up in wouldn’t become a joke.

After engineering a major win for the Mead community, Carty was finally in a position to do what he felt best for him and his loved ones. Once the parents were silenced and the decision reversed, he decided to step away under his own power and on his own terms.

“The pressure stopped and that is when I felt I could clear my head and finally do what was right for my family and I,” Carty told me last night.

With the crusade behind him and a strong message sent, his family decided that football could go on the back burner for a little bit. Of course, because of the person Sean Carty is, he didn’t take the decision lightly.

“This decision was difficult because I didn’t want to let anyone down,” Carty remarked while once again offering up heaps of gratitude to the community for the tremendous support throughout the trying months.

Carty assured me that neither the district nor parents put pressure on him to resign. Despite a quote from a parent suggesting otherwise in the local newspaper (which he erroneously attributed to the wrong historical figure), defeated moms and dads played no factor. I recognize that I have been critical of this group so let me say that I do appreciate their respect of the reversed decision. Bottom line, you can take it to the bank that Coach Carty’s call to step away wasn’t influenced by anything or anyone besides Sean and his family.

Also, Sean asked for the clarification of one thing. In the Spokesman-Review article that covered his resignation, it mentioned that an improvement plan was completed Friday. In reality, that plan, according to Carty, was “not even a document yet.” In fact, there had only been a loose discussion on what any such document would stipulate. He called this piece of the reinstatement process “no big deal” and added that it “had zero to do with my decision.”

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The legacy of Sean Carty during his tenure as head football coach at Mead High School is twofold. The first component will be his success working with students. He will be remembered as a brilliant coach who ran a clean program that produced great individuals. He will be remembered for his four Greater Spokane League Championships and solid win-loss record over a 14-year-span. The tradition, passion, and integrity he brought to Mead football will resonate within the program for a long time.

Of course the battle he fought over the past six months will serve as the second component of his legacy. As I have already talked about what his resiliency meant during this period, let me just say this: A lot of district coaches, community members, and Mead football alumni will be walking up to Sean Carty and shaking his hand for a long time to come.

In the end, Sean Carty got his job and reputation back. However, it took him a couple extra weeks to finally realize what he needed to do to get his life back. He made that decision on Monday night. Just as the community can now move on, so can Sean.

“I am very happy right now and at peace,” a relieved Carty breathed.

You deserve it, Coach. Don’t Blink.

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Previous Posts About Sean Carty’s Ordeal:
Feeling Bad for Coach Carty
The Triumph of Sean Carty and the Community
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The Triumph of Sean Carty and the Community

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It just usually doesn’t turn out this way.

Many times when an organization makes a personnel decision, especially an educational body, the decision stands. Although a full line of appeals await, many times it is fruitless. Even in this recent Mead High School case where the verdict was so flawed and so knee-jerk, the powers that be usually don’t budge. In fact, in my initial blog post addressing the non-renewal of the head football coach’s contract, I likened the chances of a reversal to the completion of a Hail Mary. I guess I didn’t give full consideration to the fact that they were dealing with Sean Carty.

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When I received word last night that the Mead School District had struck down the principal’s decision and reinstated Carty to his head coach position, I was elated. I typed out an all-caps text message laced with question marks and exclamation points and sent it to the man himself. Carty responded in the best way possible.

Could this have been more perfect?

Could this have been more perfect?

Yesterday at around 3 p.m., the superintendent informed Carty in-person that the job he had held with honor, integrity, and success for 14 years was still his. By 3:30 p.m. he was strategizing on how he would bring the team, all players and all parents included, closer together than ever before. Think about that for one second. If you had a small group of people who literally made your life hell for six months and did all they could to take away your passion, wouldn’t you want to rub your vindication in their faces? Not Carty. He is not dwelling on the lies and the smear campaign. In fact, he probably wouldn’t even address it if you asked him. Sean says he is all about uniting the team and that the actions of a few adults is “water under the bridge.”

I want to take Carty’s lead and not dwell on the parents. Rather, I would much rather focus on Coach Carty’s resiliency. Or I would much rather focus on the humility of the Mead School District to correct the mistake of one of its administrators. Or I would much rather focus on the savvy and intelligence of the three men who helped represent Carty through the appeals process…Don Beloved, Paul Kautzman, and David Whitehead. Or I would much rather focus on the patience of the assistant coaches who also battled through this storm without contracts. Or I would much rather focus on the strength of Carty’s wife and two daughters who had to witness the injustice.

Sean Carty would like to focus on the community. Both in our texts last night and a brief call this morning, he expressed his gratitude to the people of Mead and elsewhere who supported him. Former players, current players, athletes, non-athletes, parents, staff, and so many other groups immediately came to his defense. It was a tough time but the overwhelming support he was given made a huge difference. He has his job and his reputation back but Carty told me those wins pale in comparison to something else:

“Just knowing that I had a positive impact and that people believed in me is victory enough.”

I would also like to express my gratitude to the community as well. I was so impressed with all the people who contacted me wanting to do anything they could to help out. Some of these people I had not talked to in years, most I had never talked to in my life. Coach Carty stood up for what was right and fought this. But the collaborative effort of the community gave him that extra boost he needed. Social media is extremely powerful.

The sun shined down a little brighter off the blue track that circles the football field at Mead High School this morning. Those same rays also radiated off the big gold rock that greets each player before practice. Thankfully, the school will now have to wait a little longer until they name it after Sean Carty. All is right in Panther Land again, the good of high school athletics triumphed over the bad. Don’t Blink.

Big Developments in Carty Case and My Letterman Reaction

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It is another great day to be alive! I hope this week has gone smoothly for all of you. Thursday is here again and that means it is time for the latest rundown. Here we go…

Carty Developments – I definitely have some new information on the Sean Carty appeal process to share with you. Dr. Rockefeller excused himself from hearing Coach Carty’s case because the two men developed a personal relationship over the years. An assistant superintendent stepped in instead. I have been told that the allegations hastily leveled against Carty from a small group of parents have been completely discredited. The ruling body will not even consider the silly complaints lodged by these people. Instead, if the contract non-renewal is upheld, it will be solely on the belief of the district that the Mead football program needs to go in a new direction.

Of course many people will probably be upset about this. You see, an investigation was conducted as a result of these allegations. District time and resources went into this examination. In the end, it was all a complete waste. Although this is a major victory for Coach Carty, his football job still hangs in the balance. If the assistant superintendent feels that Carty’s overall winning record, GSL championships, and model way of developing young men is not enough, he will take his case to the final level…the school board. Coach Carty will know his fate very soon, perhaps tonight. If we aren’t celebrating his reinstatement, I will make an edit underneath this paragraph encouraging any supporters to e-mail the school board in a show of support for Sean. Stay tuned.

Scroll down to the very end of my blog post to see a very elegant comment left just today that a former blogger on the prep scene left regarding Coach Carty and parents. It is very telling.

********BREAKING: Sean Carty is once again the head football coach of the Mead Panthers. He was reinstated a couple hours ago. Coach Carty would like all of his supporters to know how thankful he is for the role this community played in fighting for what was right. Click here for Carty reaction and my final reflections on the whole ordeal. Congrats to Sean and his family.**********

Letterman Finale – When it comes to show finales, they can be hit or miss. In my opinion, David Letterman hit a grand slam with last night’s final episode of the “Late Show.” I thought his opening monologue set the tone and that his reflection/thank you session was satisfying. However, my two favorite moments came with the top ten list and the ending montage. It was a lot of fun watching the major celebrities walk out one-by-one to reveal the contents of the list. It kept me guessing on who would walk out of the curtain next but mostly I was fixated on what the next item on the list was going to be! Dave going down the line to shake hands with each person before the commercial break was priceless.

When the show ended with that collection of photos while the Foo Fighters played “Everlong,” I felt everything came together. Even though each image appeared on screen for about a tenth of a second, every one seemed to register with me. It really explained the significance and scope of the “Late Show.” An icon left the airwaves last night.

Residence Hall Reveal – When the academic year comes to a conclusion, strong content for social media can sometimes be hard to find. Not this week. Over the next 14 months, we will have four new residence halls opening up on campus (yes, our university is growing like crazy). We wanted to make a splash introducing these new buildings to the community. Deciding to give each new residence hall its own turn in the sun, I showcased each one on a separate day this week. Making sure to reveal each one in a special way across our main social media outlets, our audience loved learning the names of the new halls and viewing the slick renderings of each building. Tomorrow the #CCUResHallReveal will culminate with a video giving the viewer a hard hat tour of all four structures.

Renderings of all four of our new residence halls. They are named Chanticleer Hall, Tradition Hall, CINO Hall, and Teal Hall.

Renderings of all four of our new residence halls. They are named Chanticleer Hall, Tradition Hall, CINO Hall, and Teal Hall.

NBA Conference Finals – I am not straddling the fence when it comes to who I want to see come out of their respective conference finals. I am hoping for an Atlanta Hawks vs. Golden State Warriors championship. I just can’t bring myself to cheer for Lebron and the Cavs…no way. When it comes to the Western Conference, I am cheering for a team instead of against one. I really want to see Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry make it to the NBA Finals. Watching the Warriors make it to the grand stage would be refreshing and fun. Once the championship is set, I will be sure to fill you in on who I want to see hoisting the trophy at the end.

Bikefest – In Myrtle Beach there is a major event called Bikefest. Thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts converge on our area every Memorial Day weekend. The city becomes swamped and getting around is very difficult. Last year the event was marred by several shootings and deaths. It caused a colossal outrage in the community and the planning to clean up the event pretty much started the Tuesday after Memorial Day. I kid you not, the efforts to make sure this year’s event is not a repeat of 2014 have been chronicled on the front page of our local newspaper pretty much every single day since last May. Law enforcement from all over the state will be aiding our local police officers to make sure the weekend goes off without a hitch. To say Bikefest is a complex issue is an understatement. There is a big racial element that causes a great divide and many misunderstandings between groups. My only hope is that we will have a very harmonious next three days here in Myrtle Beach.

Bikers take over Myrtle Beach during Bikefest. (Photo courtesy of the Sun News).

Bikers take over Myrtle Beach during Bikefest. (Photo courtesy of the Sun News).

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On that Bikefest note, have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. I will keep you updated on the Sean Carty situation. As always, I am very thankful to all my readers for taking the time to read my ramblings. You all are the real MVPs. Don’t Blink.

As promised, here is a comment that was left today on my initial blog post about the happening at Mead High School:

Comment from blogger

Carty’s Turn, Perfect Timing, Bye Bye April

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On the cusp of an epic weekend in sports, I am back for the Thursday Rundown. Let’s get right down to the five topics. 

Carty’s Turn – After a long and shameful campaign by a small group of parents to derail Sean Carty of his football head coaching position at Mead High School, it is finally time for them to shut up. Coach Carty will submit his appeal to the principal tomorrow. I can’t imagine how life has been for Carty since this debacle started, forced to watch the screw job in silence. But now it is time for his side. Keep in mind that tomorrow starts just the first round of the process. If necessary, Carty would take it to the superintendent and then ultimately to the school board.

From what I have been told, the case against Coach Carty is much weaker and trivial than the group of parents let on. With the support he has garnered combined with his solid 14-year record at the helm, Carty has a chance. In fact, for the first time since I have started writing about this issue, I am going to say he has a good chance. If you have yet to write to the good man running the district, please feel free to send your letters of support to Superintendent Rockefeller by clicking here.

Sean Carty will finally have the floor to tell his side.

Sean Carty will finally have the floor to tell his side.

Teal-Shaded Summer – Yesterday I introduced our summer social media campaign to our audience here at Coastal Carolina University. I came up with something I am calling A Teal-Shaded Summer. Bribing our students with our really cool Chauncey sunglasses that everyone wants, I had all the volunteers I needed instantaneously to make this campaign a success. What will happen is our students will travel to their summer destination, pop on the shades, and take a photo. They will then submit the images to me and I will feature one student per day across our social media channels. As an astounding half of our student population is from out of state, these sunglasses will travel far.

The Teal Shaded Summer will kick off on May 25.

The Teal Shaded Summer will kick off on May 25.

Perfect Timing – With the firing of the Houston Rockets’ social media director and the uncomfortable back-and-forth between the Twitter accounts of the Yankees and Mets, we witnessed some bad practices in the social world this week. On Monday we released our latest “Coastal Now” episode and my segment seemed to highlight the alternative to the “shaming” route that seems so popular among organizations on Twitter. To view me addressing the benefits of acting with civility 140 characters at a time, click here.

I talk about the benefits that occur when organizations are civil on social media.

I talk about the benefits that occur when organizations are civil on social media.

End of April, Start of May – To be honest, I am not crying over April passing us by. For the first time in my life, I felt less than my best physically for the better part of a month. These South Carolina conditions just hit my previously untapped allergies like a ton of bricks. However, I am already feeling better as I look forward to May. Tomorrow will mark my one year anniversary of working at Coastal Carolina University. Immediately after finishing this post, I will start writing another one that will briefly commemorate my mini milestone. You can look for that post to be published at noon tomorrow.

Sports Weekend for the Ages – By now it has been well-documented…this is an unprecedented sports weekend. Take your pick between the NFL Draft, NBA Playoffs, Kentucky Derby, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, and NHL Playoffs. Well, of course you don’t really have to take your pick because most of us sports fans will be watching bits and pieces of them all. Personally though, I think I am most excited about the fight. The buildup has been extreme and it is taking place in my all-time favorite city, Las Vegas. I want the fight to go to the last round with Pacquiao knocking out Mayweather just before the final bell.

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Have a great night my friends. Time now for me to start writing again so I can be finished by the time Jameis Winston is taken in the Draft. Don’t Blink.