I struggled for a couple days before I sat down to write about Colin Kaepernick’s decision not to stand during the national anthem. In the end I still might not say everything right, but I’m not going to let that deter me from expressing my feelings about the situation. Continue reading “What Is America To You? Answering This Question Helps Us Understand Colin Kaepernick’s Decision”
Back in February after the Broncos defeated the Panthers in the Super Bowl there was controversy over the way the loss was handled, post-game, by Panthers star Quarterback Cam Newton. His responses were short, and his appearance even shorter after he exited the press conference prematurely. I didn’t see a problem with it, it was a tough loss and I don’t know what is expected as far as answers are concerned. Continue reading “Ep. 17: Randy Roberts, Film Studies at Purdue University”
Since 2011 the Los Angeles Kings have won two Stanley Cup Championships. Even when the Kings had Wayne Gretzky this feat wasn’t accomplished. It’s no wonder, then, that with that success came a rise in attendance for the franchise in Los Angeles. Continue reading “Ep. 15: Katie Hazelrigg, Los Angeles Kings”
It’s never been okay to downplay a woman’s athletic ability but somehow we continue to allow just that to happen. For too long, we’ve allowed ourselves to view women’s athletics as a novelty or, even worse, as us (mainly men) doing them a favor. I’ve played or followed sports for over 20 years and I have to admit, one thing that always remained fuzzy to me was the true definition of Title IX. I knew it had something to do with equality, but I wanted to know more about it.
That’s where today’s guest, Donna Lopiano, comes in. Continue reading “Ep. 14: Donna Lopiano, President/CEO, Sports Management Resources”
I think a lot of people can relate to the early morning/late night routine of getting ready for work or winding down the day by turning on a show like Sportscenter or a college network show. Even if its for a few minutes as a familiar backdrop to your routine, you can relate to “catching up” on what you might have missed in the world of sports. Continue reading “Ep. 12: Mike Yam, Pac-12 Network Studio Host, Give Me A Sense Podcast”
The world of sports agents isn’t one for the faint of heart. It takes a level of skill and determination that few have. For minorities, that rings even truer. Continue reading “Ep. 9: Bill Strickland, Pioneer NBA Sports Attorney/Agent”
When you speak to Schea Cotton, he commands your attention. You can feel the experiences when the now 38-year old, former #1 High School basketball player in the country shares his life experiences.
Such is probably going to be the case when you talk to a man who, at 15, was already better than his older contemporaries at the time. Players such as Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce are just some of the names Schea was lauded over. Greatness on the basketball court was expected, almost a forgone conclusion. But things didn’t work out; and not necessarily for the reasons one might assume.
In today’s podcast I had the privilege of sitting down with Schea Cotton, the high school basketball legend, whose film “Manchild” will be premiering at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 2nd at 9:00 p.m. (PST). (if you’re in the Los Angeles area, click the link for details on how to get tickets https://tickets.lafilmfestival.com/ )
I talk to Schea about his early life (4:00) and why he played basketball. His rise in the high school ranks while playing for Mater Dei and St. John Bosco (10:00). We also talk about what happened that kept him from playing basketball for two years before ending up in Alabama (15:00). We discuss his work today as an AAU coach and what he hopes people take away from the movie (20:00).
You can follow Schea on Instagram (@scheacotton) and Twitter (@ScheaCotton). Again, ticket information for the premiere in the Los Angeles Film Festival can be found here: https://tickets.lafilmfestival.com/Online/
Subscribe and review the Because of Sports Podcast on iTunes. Be sure to also follow host, Adam Cubbage, on Twitter (@DACubbage) and Instagram (@adamcubbage or @bospodcast). Questions or inquiries? Email bospodcast@gmail.com
For me, the pinnacle of athletic achievement is representing your country in the Olympics. Olympians are put through a qualifying process that has often left me speechless. Two Summers ago I met gymnast Samantha Peszek while working at a sports marketing company a couple years ago as she was preparing for her final season with the UCLA Bruins. She was training and coming back from an Achilles injury. Apart from winning a Silver Medal in Beijing, she was already an NCAA National Champion for the Bruins, and I wondered what made her want to come back and compete on a fifth-year of eligibility when she seemingly had nothing else to prove.
In today’s episode we talk with Sam in the first of a series of special Olympic Podcasts leading up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We discuss her upbringing (5:00), the process to making the Olympics (11:00), her experience during the Olympics (14:00), her life after the Olympics (17:00), why she chose UCLA over other colleges (20:00), misconceptions of the sport (27:00) and much more.
Check out more from Samantha on Twitter (@samanthapeszek) and Instagram (@samanthapeszek), and she runs a fitness Instagram account with fellow former Olympian, Alicia Sacramone Quinn (@asaq_3) you can follow called @thegympire.
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Rodney K. Smith, Director of Sports Law for Arizona State University, joined me to discuss a range of topics including NCAA policy changes (5:00), agent counsel for high school recruits (10:00), athletes and social change (20:00), and more.