Kendrick Lamar: Worth the Hype?

The big musical story of 2012 was the ascension of two unlikely musical stars who looked to redefine musical genres who have, frankly (no pun intended), gone rather stale: Frank Ocean and Kendrick Lamar.

I love Frank Ocean. I think that he is a fantastic hybrid of of old-school R&B and the positives of this new wave style that many artists have attempted to play. Not only are his beats and lyrics original and clearly indicative of his true mentality, the man's voice makes the human race swoon. He'd melt frozen butter with it if someone challenged him.

The hype for Frank Ocean is there and he earned it. Not to mention, he has already done more to break down the exhaustible stereotype of men in this part of the music industry by admitting to being a bisexual. If nothing else, he has certainly established himself in the history of the genre for this reason.

But I am not so sure about Kendrick Lamar. I'm a notoriously hard first listener of new albums, particularly for artists who come in with so much hype and I have never heard of before. Very rarely do I listen to albums the first time and enjoy them, my own favorite artists included. And Kendrick Lamar was no different in this regard. Underwhelmed would be the easiest way to explain the way that I felt about it.

Insightful lyrics for sure, Kendrick taps into his personal life experiences to draw inspiration for his songs. **Side note: it will be interesting to see 5-10 years from now if he is still utilizing those past experiences or if he will go the way of so many rappers and lose sight of his roots. That remains to be determined though** But the beats? The rhythm of the songs? I don't know, it just didn't resonate with me.

Now, I have listened to the album probably two dozen times and it has grown on me. I am somewhere in between where I once was and where the hype level is. His beats continue to underwhelm me, but the more that I read about him, the more I see the influence of his childhood on his lyrics. Never underestimate the significance of tapping into personal experiences when engaging in your work.

One of the main reasons I think that people are so into Kendrick Lamar is because he sounds like old rap. Now, in now way am I claiming to be an expert on rap history. In fact, I know only probably a little bit more than the average person. But I know enough and have listened to enough of it to realize the similarities between it all. I also don't know how to communicate these similarities because I am not some independent coffee shop drinking, fake glasses wearing, ironic mustache donning Pitchfork writer **I read Pitchfork frequently. Big deal**

At the end of the day, I don't really know how I feel about Kendrick Lamar. I think he is talented for sure. And he might be one of the better new rappers in recent memory. BUT, I will be interested in seeing where he is in a few years. Will he still be the insightful poet with words he was on the first album, or will he be another poster boy of perceived rap stereotypes?

Dennis Dixon Redux? My Take on the RG3 Injury

In 2007, in a game against the Arizona Wildcats, Oregon fans watched a budding national championship birth crumbled on Dennis Dixon's left knee. Nevermind the fact that he had already busted out a 44 yard touchdown merely minutes before as if it were easier than the term papers written for him. All it took was one misplant on that knee and, POOF, gone. Oregon went on to lose the game with Brady Leaf as their starting quarterback. The season finished its tailspin with a loss to Oklahoma in the Holiday Bowl.

Rewind one week before that game against Arizona. Dennis Dixon scrambles up the sideline against Arizona State in a matchup between two top five teams in Autzen. As he is pulled to the ground, his knee jams and then locks. He hobbles to his feet and finishes out the game. Ducks fans let out a sigh of relief.

Fast forward one week after the Arizona lost. The story emerges that Dennis Dixon experienced a partially torn ACL in the ASU game. There were only three people who knew: Dennis Dixon, then head coach Mike Bellotti, and the Oregon team doctor. They weighed their options and Dennis Dixon was adamant about playing. They agreed to not tell anyone about it and the doctor gave the okay for Dixon to play. A national championship, after all, was on the line for the Ducks. How could Dixon sit out?

Does this sound familiar to the RG3 situation? If it doesn't, you have been living under a rock. When I watched Griffin scramble for a first down at the start of the fourth quarter and the instant replay showed him grimace with every step he took, all I could think was: Dennis Dixon. When I saw his knee buckle on that play when he fell over, all I could think was: Dennis Dixon. And when it became clear that the ACL was just gone, the same thought once again: Dennis Dixon.

Both RG3 and Dennis Dixon wanted to do what was best for their team. Any athlete in their situation would do the same. For one, the average career in the NFL is terrifyingly short and these players know that every down could be their last. And that is especially for a quarterback in the playoffs in his rookie year.

Anyone who blames RG3 for wanting to be on the field has clearly never been a part of organized sports before at basically any level. He knew that the only chance his team had to win was if he were out there leading them, injured or not. RG3 acted in a way that is expected of an athlete, particularly one of his caliber. It is the same reason why Dennis Dixon laced up his cleats to play Arizona even though he knew his knee could go at any second.

No, there is no fault for RG3. But Mike Shanahan, you, sir, do not get off so easily. Here is my problem with Shanahan's decision to put RG3 back in the game: he should know better. He is practically in charge of all football operations in Washington. They traded three first round picks for the #2 pick used on RG3. The Redskins gambled away their future on this guy.

RG3 no doubt has the skills of an elite quarterback. He will dominate this league one day. But it certainly is going to be harder now after his second ACL surgery on that leg. And Shanahan knows this now, but he will truly learn it the hard way.

Shanahan has to have the good sense to tell his young, ambitious, and committed quarterback, "You've played a hell of a game and the season has been one to remember, but you have at least 10 more ahead of you. I am going to have to sit you for the rest of the night." RG3 could be pissed and demand to be put back in, but it shouldn't matter. He is just a kid in the game of football compared to Shanahan. And the coach's responsibility, especially at that point and time, is to protect his player. No, not just any player. But the franchise player.

RG3 wants to play every game like it is his last. That's because he is a competitor. But just as Mike Bellotti made the mistake of letting Dixon keep playing, so too did Mike Shanahan. A coach must know the line between what is best for the team at the time and what is best for the team in the future.

Tostitos Surprises Veterans: An A+ Effort

For those of you who watched the Fiesta Bowl last week, I hope that you had the opportunity to see the video that was played during halftime which showcased one of Tostito's recent CSR efforts. Tositos brought together 20+ veterans and told them that they were going to get an opportunity to play a game of flag football arranged by Tostito's event staff. Fairly simple.

At the same time, they gathered together some 5,000 people and told them that they were going to see a free concert. But neither party was aware of what the other was involved in. So imagine the surprise to  both groups when the veterans were supplied with real jerseys and locker rooms and then an opportunity to run out of a tunnel to the tune of thousands of screaming fans. At the end of the game, the two groups got the opportunity to watch a free concert, capping off an outstanding night for all.

But what really set this apart was the celebrities that Tostitos brought in to coach and play with the veterans. Current Ohio State coach, Urban Meyer, and legendary former Florida State coach, Bobby Bowden, were up and down the sidelines trying to lead their team to victory. Kurt Warner and Marcus Allen were on the field with the veterans, passing, kicking, and rushing with the veterans. Owen Wilson, Neil Evertt, Marcellus Wiley, and Samantha Steele all participated in the festivities as well.

As far as creativity goes, I'm fairly lukewarm on this idea. But what really made the difference is how well Tostitos executed the entire event. Everyone's faces seemed to communicate happiness and true surprise, fans and veterans alike. And I know that when they compiled the shots for this video, they obviously went for the best possible visuals, but something tells me they were not short on valuable material.

More and more companies are turning to these types of events to drive their corporate responsibility efforts. Frankly, I don't think that companies should ever move away from CSR that involves veterans. Nobody in their right mind is going to suggest that a company has ulterior motives when they go to help the troops.

Overall, I was truly touched when I was watching this video. And that isn't something that happens very frequently. With all that is going on in the world today, moments like these are true reminders that there IS still hope in humanity. Maybe a bit hyperbolistic, but any brand that is capable of eliciting that kind of emotional response has certainly crafted an impressive, and touching, campaign.

Read the press release about the event here.

Come On, Chip, I'm Groveling Here

Dear Chip Kelly,

Please, please, please do not go coach the Cleveland Browns.

I have come to accept that you will leave for the NFL. And it pains me to say so. You came back this year simply to win a National Championship and you were denied by a field goal once again. You went down to the wire with the Bucs last year, but presumably wanted to leave your mark on college football forever and came back for one more year.

One more year and no National Championship. Only this time, we aren't going to be so fortunate to have you stick around for next year. Cleveland wants you so badly, they flew down to Arizona to speak with you before the Fiesta Bowl.

I trust that you will stick to your mantra of "Win The Day" and address the NFL coaching propositions when that day arrives. But I'm not naive enough to believe that college football and Oregon dominance holds the same allure that it did last year.

So go to the NFL. Make loads of money. And you'll probably be successful. Just don't do it with the Cleveland Browns.

Here is the thing about the Browns, Chip: players, coaches, and fans go there to die. Cleveland's run of mediocrity over the last two decades is impressive in a twisted sense. The revolving door of players and coaches makes pretty much everyone DOA when they step off the plane in Cleveland.

Chip, I really think you could be successful in the NFL. I also think you could go on to be the greatest NCAA football coach that history has ever seen. And if I were in your position, I would take my fat salary at Oregon, my incredible facilities and outrageous amounts of money from Nike and build a program that goes toe-to-toe with the big boys year after year. But, I'm not you.

I can't stop you from going to the NFL. But I can pray like hell you don't do it with the Browns. Chip, you're way too good of a coach to take over a franchise like that. I do not want to see you flame out in the NFL because you are trying to coach bad players in a poorly managed organization.

If it means one more year at Oregon and waiting to see what else is available next year, so be it. But I have seen too much from you to see you take a chance in Cleveland.

Know that I will always be behind you, even if you do take the Browns job. But I'll watch with one eye covered in that case.

Sincerely,
Duck Nation

Social Media as a Love Drug: Destructive or Complementary?

The New York Times has an interesting series of articles up right now debating the role of social media in today's relationships - Social Media Is a Romance Contraceptive. Before I started to read the various opinions from the dating experts (if there can truly be such a thing), I spent a significant amount of time thinking about how platforms such as Facebook and Twitter affect my relationships and those of my friends and families.

I used to think that Facebook provided a good outlet for one person to get to know another. While many people attempt to maintain their privacy by hiding their pictures, posts, and activities on the site, it generally isn't too tough to dig a little deeper for information. Looking up mutual friends provides one quick outlet for scratching the surface. THe information that Facebook offers up in the pre-dating stages can help someone decide whether to pursue or look in other directions. Certainly in this instance, Facebook absolutely aids in the development of romantic possibilities.

I can think of a few instances where this has resulted in successful dates and a few disastrous mismatches. Facebook isn't always going to provide the best or most accurate representation of the person. For the purposes of a pre-relationship, however, it serves as a pretty solid base and can certainly catalyze relationships.

In my experience and that of others, I can safely say that is where social media platforms stop being beneficial to relationships. One of the stupidest arguments I see arising because of social media is the Facebook relationship status. For those who are single and perusing Facebook to see who is single, a person listed in a relationship certainly makes their job a little easier for who they may want to date. Beneficial for the single person, certainly. But for the couple in the relationship, that simple act of listing themselves in a relationship may have prompted a war between the couple.

Facebook is a quasi-dating website whether they intended to have it function like that or not. Anyone who says that they have never looked up someone they were interested in to see if they were in a relationship or not is a liar. But just as some people do not want the public to see their pictures or wall posts, some do not want it public who they are dating. Seems reasonable, right? Unfortunately, in today's world, many couples see the relationship status as an important step in the dating process. If you do not want to be listed in the relationship, questions of trust arise.

What, you are afraid that people will know you are taken and not want to talk to you? You need the satisfaction of talking to girls/guys who think you are single? My attention isn't good enough?

Now, I realize that at the age of 23, my dating experience is limited. But as someone who grew up in the generation of Facebook's ascension, I would like to think that I know how this goes. The relationship status is a microcosm of what Facebook does to relationships. If not treated carefully, it plants seeds of distrust and insecurity. Facebook and social media on the whole can take even the most stable relationships and start to crack them with suspicions, whether justified or not.

Posting on a person's wall too frequently, posting a questionable status, being tagged in a picture with the wrong group of people. I have seen every single one of these instances result in an argument between a couple, which is absurd, absolutely. But the problem is that social media is weaved so cohesively into our everyday lives that we cannot help but cause these problems. To the older generations, these issues sound insane. To people my age and a little older, everyone can name an instance where they have fought over an incident from social media. Or they know someone who has.

The biggest problem with social media and relationships is that it doesn't offer any productive value for couples. It doesn't build romance or trust. Think about the couples that you know who use Facebook to talk about how much they love their significant other or to show off the flowers they were bought through a mobile upload. You hate them. I hate them. They annoy practically everyone on social media. It is exactly why you see fewer and fewer people talking about relationships on Facebook. I'm not interested in your Valentine's Day plans, just like you probably are not interested in mine. And I can almost guarantee you that none of your other 800 friends want to know either.

Social media, and Facebook in particular, is just not the place for people to enhance their romances. As I mentioned earlier, Facebook serves a great purpose to see whether people are single or taken and to give a quick high level summary of an individual. But beyond that, it doesn't deserve a place in relationships. It razes them faster than Monica Lewinsky ever could.

The problem is that it is too late. Social media is in relationships for the long haul. For better or for worse.