Olympics Social Download

Tonight as I sat and watched the Olympics they had a segment called "Social Download" and it was some astounding numbers dealing with social media.

Usain Bolt, who repeated as 100 M champion, and his teammates from Jamaica (Yohan Blake and Asafa Powell) have enough Facebook fans to fill the Olympic Stadium 94 times.  Capacity at Olympic Stadium in London is 80,000.

Michael Phelps was the most talked about person on Facebook in week 1 of the 2012 Olympics.  More mentions for the 18 time gold medalist than the President, Mitt Romney, and Justin Bieber.

Gabby Douglas winning the all around gold in gymnastics has been the most tweeted about event in primetime thus far in the Olympics.  Interesting side note you probably saw on Facebook, rearrange the letters in her last name and what do you get?  Douglas = USA GOLD.

I'm sure you've seen Usain Bolt in this pose

A farmer has created a Usain Bolt corn maze:

And our gold medal winning U.S.A. women's gymnastics team getting their Usain Bolt on:











Social Media and the Olympics

Social Media has changed things somewhat in regards to knowing and not knowing the results in the Olympics.  With the games going on in London, it is nearly impossible to get on the internet, Facebook, Twitter, etc without seeing the results that don't air until later that evening on NBC.  There have been some complaints early on about NBC and the tape delaying of events.  My thoughts are this: people are either at work during the days, or not going to get up at 3 AM to watch these events live.  If they were only aired live people would use DVR.  Isn't DVR essentially tape delay?  NBC just now forces us to see the commercials for companies that are paying serious money to have their company or product advertised during the Olympics on prime time.  NBC is a broadcasting company who payed over a billion dollars to have the rights to air the Olympics.  They are not a sports only network.  Some may argue that knowing some of the results ahead of time will make more people watch to see exactly how the U.S.A. Men's gymnastics team fell apart in the team competition, or they'll make sure they watch to see Phelps win his record number of medals, etc. 

Social media has also given fans the ability to follow their favorite athletes and see the games from a different perspective.  Without social media, I have no idea what it looks like walking in to the Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremonies, but thanks to LeBron James and his Instagram photos, I get to see it.

Access like this has really given fans a completely different perspective and allowed us fans to see things we otherwise never would have seen (at least from these angles)

On the negative side, the IOC prohibits athletes from recognizing companies/sponsors via social media if they are not an official sponsor of the Olympics themselves.  This has upset some athletes who feel they owe it to the companies who sponsor and endorse them.  The athletes have the platform (social media) and don't believe they should be restricted from doing this.  I would side with the athlete on this one.

There have also been two athletes to my knowledge who have been sent home by their countries for using Twitter in the wrong way.  Both athletes made racist remarks about other countries.  This leads me in to a brief statement and debatable topic among coaches.  How much do you limit your athletes use of social media?  My personal belief is that social media is a great tool for gathering information, if you have the fan base you can connect with them, and it can be a great teaching tool.  The negatives are there will be people who go to far and say too much.  They believe because they have the right to free speech (at least in our country) and the platform to express themselves, they should be allowed to say anything they want.  This is wrong.  When you are part of a group, team, company and are representing something or someone other than yourself, you have to take caution and there can be penalties for crossing the line.  I will get in to this more with some happenings at various college athletic programs across the country.

All in all I think social media is a great thing, and I've enjoyed that part it is playing in these Olympic games.

Ronnie Fields

Documentary trailor on a guy named Ronnie Fields out of Farragut Academy in Chicago.  Was a year behind Kevin Garnett, had a 51 inch vertical, set all kinds of records, and was one of the greatest dunkers you may have never heard of.  I had a chance to see him play a couple times in the CBA.  May even still have the autographed Rockford Lightning pennant somewhere.  There are still two huge murals on the wall of his high school.  KG and Ronnie. 

Things To Improve On

The following is an ESPN article written before the July 2012 recruiting period.  The following list of areas players can improve on is not limited to high school players.  College players need to improve on these areas as well.  "Do your work early" is a phrase we like to use and that goes right along with shot preparation.  Attacking the defense first without dribbling is something I firmly believe in.  It makes me think back a few years to some of the very successful Villanova teams.  They do a great job of teaching the jab series.  All 5 guys they have on the court are threats to score because they work so hard on the jab series and in turn, giving guys the confidence they need to believe no matter where they catch the ball, they can beat their man.  I spent some time with Ed Pinckney who played at Villanova and was an assistant there as well.  Ed is now an assistant with the Chicago Bulls.  Rebounding out of your area is something so few guys will do.  Like it says, the truly great rebounders are the ones that go get the ball when it doesn't just fall in their lap.

Biggest things HS players need to improve on

July, 3, 2012

 

By Reggie Rankin | ESPN.com

 

Being a former college coach, I understand potential/upside but players have to be productive as well. The more productive you are, the more options you will have.

I had a conversation with Boston Celtics assistant coach Kevin Eastman recently and if high school players can improve these areas of their games they will increase their overall production, which will also make them more attractive players to college coaches:

Shot preparation
So many high school players are not ready to shoot when they are open and receive the ball. Players need to be flexed with their hands and feet ready on the catch. Also, when coming off a screen, players are too upright. A general rule is to be as low as the screener's shoulder, show your hands to the passer and have your footwork organized (for example have your inside foot closest to the rim).

Attack the defense first without dribbling
Players need to add a series of jab steps, pivots and shot fakes before they dribble. Not only will this move the defender, but it will allow them to save their live dribble for attacking instead of figuring out their attack once they start dribbling, which is a complete waste.

Feed the low post
There is nothing that frustrates a low-post scorer more than a perimeter player who can't deliver him the ball when he is open. Perimeter players must understand they have to get a great passing angle and when the pass is being pressured, they must look to fake, be strong with ball, step through contact and deliver the ball to the post player on target.

Keep the ball high
When post players make a scoring move or rebound they must do a better job of not bringing the ball down and allow a smaller perimeter player to make a play. They need to be strong, keep the ball high and complete the play.

Scoring moves
Players need a go-to move and counter move from both low blocks and the high post. Post players need to develop four moves and work to extend their range to the high post and then build from there. Jump hooks, drop steps, up-and-unders, turn shots, face-and-shoot moves, face-and-attack moves -- have an answer for every defensive scheme.

Rebound out of their area
Many bigs are good area rebounders when the ball comes within reach. However, for a player to be considered a great rebounder he must be willing to maneuver through traffic, understand the angles on missed shots and run down every missed shot.

Players should keep these notes in mind to help them stand out during a pivotal July evaluation period.

Grad School

I have recently started my Masters Degree in the Human Development Program at Saint Mary's University.  One of the main things that attracted me to this program was the ability to design some of my own courses.  My main focus is Social Media and Technology and how they are used primarily, but not entirely in the field of athletics.  As a college coach, our audience and the students we recruit are getting information in a much different fashion that people did even 5-10 years ago.

One of my courses will be maintaining and updating a blog 3X per week.  My goal is to make this a resource with things relating to technology and social media, but also other things that are happening in the world of athletics, motivation, etc.  For example, one of my classes I will be looking at the Big Ten and SEC, a Division 2 conference, as well as a Division 3 conference as if I was a prospective student.  The only information I will be using is anything that can be obtained online.  Examples would be school website, facebook, twitter accounts of coaches and the general athletic department, YouTube.

I will try to post some of the better ideas and things I find that schools are doing.

Dream Team

For those of you who do not have NBATV and were unable to watch The Dream Team documentary on Wednesday (June 13, 2012), here it is in its entirety. 

Favorite parts:

* John Stockton getting off the team bus and walking through the crowds unnoticed
* "Don't ever drink beer with Larry Bird" - Charles Barkley

Click HERE to watch the video bigger

Bear Bryant

The following piece is written by Paul "Bear" Bryant and speaks to the fact that in many phases of our job (especially recruiting) and our lives, there are no little things:

I had just been named the new head coach at Alabama and was off in my old car down in South Alabama recruiting a prospect who was supposed to have been a pretty good player and I was havin’ trouble finding the place. Getting hungry I spied an old cinder block building with a small sign out front that simply said, “Restaurant.” I pull up, go in and every head in the place turns to stare at me. Seems I’m the only white ‘fella’ in the place. But the food smelled good so I skip a table and go up to a cement bar and sit. A big ole man in a t-shirt and cap comes over and says, “What do you need?” I told him I needed lunch and what did they have today? He says, “You probably won’t like it here, today we’re having chitlins, collared greens and black eyed peas with cornbread. I’ll bet you don’t even know what chitlins are, do you?” I looked him square in the eye and said, “I’m from Arkansas, I’ve probably eaten a mile of them. Sounds like I’m in the right place.” They all smiled as he left to serve me up a big plate. When he comes back he says, “You ain’t from around here then?” And I explain that I’m the new football coach in Tuscaloosa at the University and I’m here to find whatever the boy’s name was and he gives me directions to the school so I can meet him and his coach. As I’m paying up to leave, I remember my manners and leave a tip, not too big to be flashy, but a good one and he told me lunch was on him, but I told him for a lunch that good, I felt I should pay.

The big man asked me if I had a photograph or something he could hang up to show that I’d been there. I was so new that I didn’t have any yet. It really wasn’t that big of a thing back then to be asked for, but I took a napkin and wrote his name and address on it and told him I’d get him one.

I met the kid I was lookin’ for later that afternoon and I don’t remember his name, but do remember I didn’t think much of him when I met him. I had wasted a day, or so I thought.

When I got back to Tuscaloosa late that night, I took that napkin from my shirt pocket and put it under my keys so I wouldn’t forget it. Heck, back then I was excited that anybody would want a picture of me. And the next day we found a picture and I wrote on it, “Thanks for the best lunch I’ve ever had, Paul Bear Bryant.”

Now let’s go a whole ‘buncha’ years down the road. Now we have black players at Alabama and I’m back down in that part of the country scouting an offensive lineman we sure needed. He’s got two friends going to Auburn and he tells me he’s got his heart set on Auburn too, so I leave empty handed and go on to see some others while I’m down there. Two days later, I’m in my office in Tuscaloosa and the phone rings and it’s this kid who just turned me down, and he says, “Coach, do you still want me at Alabama?” And I said, “Yes I sure do.” And he says o.k. He’ll come. So I say, “Well son, what changed your mind?” And he said, “When my Grandpa found out that I had a chance to play for you and said no, he pitched a fit and told me I wasn’t going nowhere but Alabama, and wasn’t playing for nobody but you. He thinks a lot of you and has ever since ya’ll met.” Well, I didn’t know his granddad from Adam’s house cat so I asked him who his granddaddy was and he said, “You probably don’t remember him, but you ate in his restaurant your first year at Alabama and you sent him a picture that he’s had hung in that place ever since. That picture’s his pride and joy and he still tells everybody about the day that Bear Bryant came in and had chitlins with him. My grandpa said that when you left there, he never expected you to send that picture to him, but you kept your word, and to Grandpa, that’s everything. He said you could teach me more than football and I had to play for a man like you, so I guess I’m going to.”

I was floored. But I learned that the lessons my mamma taught me were always right. It don’t cost nuthin’ to be nice. It don’t cost nuthin’ to do the right thing most of the time and it costs a lot to lose your good name by breakin’ your word to someone. When I went back to sign that boy, I looked up his Grandpa and he’s still running that place, but it looks a lot better now; and he didn’t have chitlins that day, but he had some ribs that would’ made Dreamland proud and I made sure I posed for a lot of pictures; and don’t think I didn’t leave some new ones for him too, along with a signed football. I made it clear to all my assistants to keep this story and these lessons in mind when they’re out on the road. And if you remember anything else from me, remember this – it really doesn’t cost anything to be nice, and the rewards can be unimaginable.