College Football Playoff’s Impact on Phoenix
By Cheval John January 11th, 2016
Tonight, the nation will see who will win the College Football Playoff National Championship matchup between No.1 Clemson Tigers and the No.2 Alabama Crimson Tide in Glendale, Arizona on ESPN.
Everyone will expect Alabama to win their 11th national championship in the sport of football and fourth in seven years because they have a tradition of winning.
Many can almost compare Alabama to an NFL powerhouse because of the way their head coach, Nick Saban run the program.
No one would expect Clemson, who is seeking their second ever national title, to beat Alabama despite being the lone undefeated team in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
History have a way of repeating itself.
Clemson’s last national title in 1981 has some similarities.
In that year, they opened the season against Wofford, an Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponent en route to their first championship.
In the 2015 season, the Tigers opened their matchup against Wofford.
Just maybe, Clemson will pull off the shocking upset.
What is really interesting is the way the coverage of the national championship game has been displayed leading up to the matchup.
ESPN, the world wide leader in sports, have been broadcasting the events and interviews with the football players and the coaches today.
You can at times have a sense of the atmosphere that the fans of both Clemson and Alabama are experiencing at the pre-championship football matchup events.
You might come to a conclusion that the events is almost like the Super Bowl.
And you can expect to see major corporations and non-profits capitalizing on the opportunities to promote their uplifting services and products during the national championship game.
Looking at these tweets below:
It's pretty quiet inside right now, won't be that way in a few hours #RollTide #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/scGf2nBRJm
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) January 11, 2016
And even some are using this matchup to promote their causes.
Like this tweet from the U.S. Fish and Wild Life
Tonight's #NationalChampionship is going to be a wild game! #ProtectOurMascots pic.twitter.com/CuFEbGONLM
— US Fish and Wildlife (@USFWS) January 11, 2016
And let’s not leave out the SEC Network:
In one hour … You Are Looking Live! #SECNation from the #NationalChampionship. pic.twitter.com/MuuuY0l5dn
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 11, 2016
And this tweet from the College Football Playoff
An inside look at @UOPXStadium. Don't forget the #NationalChampionship kicks off at 6:30 MT on @espn. pic.twitter.com/mvqpdV1eBY
— CFBPlayoff (@CFBPlayoff) January 11, 2016
Now with all of the media attention that the national championship is getting, you can expect the Phoenix metropolitan area to benefit financially from this.
In a lot of ways, Phoenix is benefiting tremendously from the media exposure that they are receiving.
But from an insider’s perspective, the media attention that they receive is only when a major event like the Super Bowl or in this case, the national championship, happens in their surrounding area.
Monique Hoffmann, a.k.a. Q The Brand, shared with me on the live streaming platform called Blab, that many people don’t know about the positive offerings that the Phoenix area gives to businesses.
She also brought a bigger perspective on the fact that many large businesses are not taking advantage of social media to promote their businesses for the better.
She also mentioned that if they do use social media, they are looking for the quick return on investment (ROI) and not looking at the long term positive results due to their efforts from being on social media.
It is like they miss the boat on the fact that they have to build trust with their customers and fans if they want to be successful.
And the most interesting thing that was mentioned in the blab show about the College Football Playoff by Clair Wyant, a fellow Phoenix resident as Q The Brand, is that Clemson Athletics have been utilizing social media the correct way to build further trust and engagement with their students, faculty and alumni base.
So in essence, Clemson understands the true value of social media.
So if you can continue to use social media correctly to build a loyal audience, you can succeed in your business as an small business owner or solopreneur for the better.
As for my predictions regarding the national championship matchup, my intuition says that Clemson will pull off the shocking upset and win their second national championship.
North Dakota State Is The Team Of This Decade
By Cheval John
The Bison won their fifth consecutive NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) National Championship after defeating Jacksonville State 37-10 in Frisco, Texas.
The five consecutive national championships won by the Bison is an NCAA record in football at any level.
It seemed as if they were not supposed to win anymore after their third national championship when Craig Bohl had left for Wyoming in 2014 and Brock Jensen had graduated.
But somehow, some way, North Dakota State have kept the winning streak going under coach Chris Kleiman.
The journey for North Dakota State was tougher this year than their previous championship runs.
The Bison lost to Montana in the opening matchup of the 2015 season.
Then their senior quarterback, Carson Weinctz went down with a wrist injury on October 17th during their 24-21 loss to South Dakota at the FargoDome.
Video courtesy of North Dakota State Athletics
That injury to Weinctz brought further doubt to the Bison faithful that they were not going to return to Frisco.
They even thought that they would have gotten their refund because they buy their championship tickets to the National Championship matchup in August.
However, the Bison football team believed that they were going to turn their season around because they have won before when nobody thought that they would win.
Freshman quarterback Easton Stick stepped up and led the Bison to an 8-game winning streak that includes securing their fifth consecutive conference championship and also keeping their playoff winning streak of 16 matchups in the Fargo Dome alive and well.
However for the championship matchup against Jacksonville State, the coaching staff decided to let Weinctz start after he was cleared to play football by the doctors.
And Mr. Weinctz went 16 of 29 for 197 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 79 yards and two scores on 9 carries.
The Bison’s mindset of believing that they can win despite the obstacles that they face is a testament to what the residents of North Dakota love about their team.
Did you know that the Bison is 8-3 against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) since they joined the Division I level?
Do you also know in those 8 wins against FBS teams, five of those wins are consecutive against the Big Ten and Big 12 combined?
The Bison football team also have a strong fan base in Fargo, North Dakota and probably in all of college football.
The Bison faithful travel well whenever the football team is on the road
That is evident whenever the Bison are playing in the championship matchup in Frisco.
North Dakota does not have any professional sports teams.
So the only sports teams that come close to professional is the collegiate sports teams from the different universities that are in the state.
And the fact that North Dakota State has a rich history of winning national championships when they were in Division II before transitioning to Division I tells a story of how they have captured the hearts of the residents of North Dakota.
Video courtesy of North Dakota State Athletics
The residents of North Dakota understands that hard work and dedication is what gets them to be successful in life for the better.
North Dakota State exemplifies the work ethic that the residents of North Dakota share that makes them proud for the better.
The Bison also showcases the importance of having a positive mindset and working hard to achieve your dreams for the better.
When a person have the positive mindset and the work ethic to succeed in their respective careers for the better, they will eventually have the same success like North Dakota State.
What’s The Word? Top Ten Episodes of 2015
By Cheval John
2015 was a challenging and fun journey with my show, What’s The Word?
I had the opportunity to meet some of the employees of BlogTalkRadio at Podcast Movement in Fort Worth, Texas.
They shared about the evolution of their platform and how it will enhance the audio quality of podcasters who are using their service.
The best part was discovering the live streaming platform called Blab.im where anyone can showcase their expertise if they are entrepreneurs, marketers or even sportscasters.
And the fact that they send you audio and video file of the show if it was on the record makes it easy for anyone to launch a podcast.
To me, blab is more interactive and you can engage with your audience while they are watching your live recording of the podcast.
With that being said, I will continue to use BlogTalkRadio because they are making improvements on their platform and I really don’t have to do much editing of the show.
And I am looking forward to what 2016 has instore for my show and also to uplift people who listens to the show for the better.
So I am delighted to share the top ten episodes of What’s The Word? from 2015 (not in order of course):
1. Laura Wilkinson: Olympic Diving Gold Medalist
2. Greg Walker, Author And Entrepreneur
3. Nicole Welch: Host of Real Time, Real Men Only
4. Patty Elizee: Host of The Brand You Economy
5. Kelly Hungerford: Moderator of #BizHeroes
6. Brian Fanzo: Partner and Chief Digital Strategist At BroadSuite
7. Adel de Meyer: Social Media Specialist and Hootsuite Ambassador
8. Gordon Tredgold, Author of “FAST”
9. Christin Kardos: Social Media Strategist At BayLeaf Digital
10. Melodee Meyer: Founder of The Fit Free Project
And here are a few honorable mentions from What’s The Word?
Amy Robles: Host of Think Enriched Podcast
Lara Galloway: Author, Speaker and Coach
The Most Inspirational Moments of 2015
By Cheval John
Two sports moments stood out to me in 2015 that inspired us to keep on pushing towards achieving our dreams for the better.
The two sports moments that I am chatting about is the Toronto Blue Jays comeback win against the Texas Rangers in the American League Divisional Series and Holly Holm’s shocking win against Rhonda Rousey.
THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS
The Toronto Blue Jays was facing an 0-2 deficit after losing the first two matchups against the Texas Rangers in their home city.
The Rangers had everything going for them because they take away the Blue Jays’ home field advantage with an opportunity to return back to the American League Championship series for the first time since 2011 on their second consecutive run to the World Series.
It is rare for team who have been down 0-2 in a best of five playoff series come back and win the series.
Toronto was looking to pull off three consecutive wins against the Rangers and join the 2012’s San Francisco Giants, who came from behind to win their divisional series and later the World Series.
Not only did they accomplished the task of winning those two games in Arlington, Texas, they outplayed the Rangers 13-5 to return to Toronto in a winner takes all Game 5.
The Rangers got a huge gift in the top of the seventh inning.
With a runner on third base and the scored tied at 2, Russell Martin’s routine throw back to the pitcher hit off the bat of Shin-Shoo Choo and into fair territory that made it a live baseball and allowed the third run to score.
The gift run should have given Texas the opportunity to put Toronto out of their misery.
That was when the craziness began in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Rangers committed three uncharacteristic errors on routine plays that loaded the bases.
After Josh Donaldson’s blooped fielder’s choice play tied the score at three, Jose Bautista came up to bat.
With a energetic crowd sensing that something great was going to happen, Bautista delivered the go-ahead three-run moonshot heard around Toronto and Canada.
Note: The home run happened around the 15:55 of this YouTube video by Major League Baseball
The Blue Jays were able to prevent a possible rally by Texas in the top of the eight inning and cruised towards an epic comeback series win.
HOLLY HOLM
Many did not believe that Rhonda Rousey was going to lose the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fight against Holly Holm.
Entering this matchup, Rousey was undefeated and held the championship belt in her three year reign in UFC.
Holm was a former boxer and had only fought twice in the UFC since joining their organization in 2014.
It seemed as if she was not ready for the spotlight because she had not had many fights in the UFC like Rousy.
And only once that Rousey went past the first round in a UFC fight before the matchup with Ms. Holm.
Holm took Rousey past the first round and did the impossible when she landed a left kick to Rousey’s face and pinned her to the ground.
Short video courtesy of Dreist Studio
The win by Holm sent shockwaves around the world.
And what is even more impressive about Ms. Holm is that she has remained humble despite the sudden fame.
So there you have it, the two sports moments that stood out in 2015.
If you are searching for inspiration when you think that you will not achieve your dreams for the better, look at these two sports moments of 2015.
Because if the Toronto Blue Jays and Holly Holm can overcome the odds to be successful for the better, then anyone can follow their lead in achieving success that will make a positive impact on the world.
The Most Wide-Spread SuperBowl In History
By Cheval John
Photo Courtesy of LegendsSportsBar.com
The most anticipated event of the year in the National Football League (NFL), the 50th SuperBowl is set to become reality tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. eastern, 3:30 p.m. pacific.
For a lot of people, this SuperBowl is the most spread out in history.
According to the Houston Chronicle‘s John McClain, the NFL’s media center headquarters is in the city and county of San Francisco, while the media day event that took place on Monday night is in San Jose, 48 miles south of San Francisco.
And Levi’s Stadium, which is the setting for the big game, is in Santa Clara, California, 45 miles south of San Francisco.
Another observation that Mr. McClain noted in his article for the Chronicle is that the teams who are participating in this momentous event are based in different parts of the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Denver Broncos are practicing and staying at a hotel in the city of San Francisco.
The Carolina Panthers are practicing and staying in San Jose.
So the logistics of the whole SuperBowl events taken place in the San Francisco Bay area, are in a lot of ways a nightmare.
For veteran sports journalists like Mr. McClain, who have covered the NFL for the Houston Chronicle for 35 years, and Charean Williams, writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who is in her 22th year of covering the NFL, the travel will be challenging and at the same time fun.
As Jackie McMullan mentioned years ago during an behind the scenes of ESPN’s, “Around The Horn,” the SuperBowl is where journalists are working extremely harder because they have to cover stories like never before.
They have to showcase every angle of what is happening at the city that is hosting the SuperBowl.
In the case of this SuperBowl being held in the San Francisco Bay area, these journalists will have to travel long distances to do interviews with the football players who are participating in the SuperBowl, go to the NFL Awards show, plus go to the NFL meetings where the commissioner of the NFL address the state of the football league that he is in charge of.
One can ask, what if the 49ners was still playing their football matchups at the old CandleStick Park in the city of San Francisco, would there have been a SuperBowl in the Bay area?
I can honestly guess that the San Francisco Bay area would not have hosted the SuperBowl if the 49ners have played their home matchups in their old stadium.
But because of the newly built Levi’s Stadium in the city of Santa Clara, which has a population of over 120,000, they were able to lure the NFL to host the big matchup in their area and bring in a whole lot of revenue to their respective cities.
Plus, they will be able to gain more national and even international attention like never before.
For example, the mayor of Santa Clara, Jamie L. Matthews, was featured in the New York Times about how he will not attend the SuperBowl despite getting a free ticket.
Though it was not planned, Mr. Matthews’ “refusal” to attend the SuperBowl that is being hosted in his city, has gotten a lot of press because people were curious to know why he would turn down a free ticket when many others are paying thousands of dollars to be at the stadium.
So for those who have traveled to the San Francisco Bay area for the SuperBowl, I commend you because y’all can say that you were at the most wide-spread SuperBowl event in history.
As for the predictions of who will win the SuperBowl?
I will say that the Denver Broncos will surprise everyone and defeat the heavily favored Carolina Panthers.
And everyone else who live in the Denver area like my friend and coach, Tamara McCleary, are also believing for a Broncos win.
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