Rams to London?
This morning it was announced by the NFL that the St. Louis Rams would be playing one of their “home” games in the next three upcoming seasons in London, England. This decision sparked many questions concerning the motives of the team and its owners.
Personally, I see this as Rams owner Stan Kroenke’s way of giving the Rams some positive attention and publicity, as well as trying to bring more popularity to the game of football in the United Kingdom.
“This is a tremendous honor for our franchise, the city of St. Louis, and our fans throughout the world,” said Kroenke. I believe he is making a strong effort to improve the team, turn around the franchise, and expand the fan base.
Now here’s the flip side.
The one thing that has fans worried though is the fact that with one less game in St. Louis for the next three seasons, could this be preparing the team to be moved to a new location?
Let’s hope not.
Nothing frustrates me more than when someone mentions the terms “Rams” and “LA” together. I don’t feel as if this is the intention for right now, but the lease the Rams have on the Edward Jones Dome will expire after the 2014 season, and a decision will have to be made.
I’m not excited about having one less game being played in St. Louis for the next three years, and that there is so much conversation floating around about possible relocation of the team, but until anything is definite about that I am just going to embrace this as a great opportunity for the team and the players.
Next season the Rams will be taking on the New England Patriots while in London, and the game will be played at Wembley Stadium on October 28th. The game will be televised on CBS and is scheduled to start at noon, central time.
#PBandJTerm In Review
Three weeks ago a group of about 15 Lindenwood students started meeting for a class about online personal branding. Today it all is coming to a close, but the knowledge that we will take with us is greater than anyone could have expected.
In two previous blog posts I have already went over what we had learned in the past two weeks, so this will cover what has been taught in just this past week. Many guest speakers have came into our class to speak on their own stories, experiences, and careers. It was wonderful to see so many people being successful in doing things that they love.
Derek Mabie spoke to us on Tuesday, and gave us a lot of awesome information on SEO. For those of you who don’t know what SEO is, it stands for search engine optimization, and basically helps you to know how many people are checking your site, and then how to take that number and increase it. SEO allows you to market websites and cause more traffic. Derek own his own SEO company called Evolve.
Yestersay Jess Leitch and Maddie Marshall came in to talk to us about their blog CIty In A Jar. They launched this blog about seven months ago, and are already being nominated for a River Front Times award. How cool is that?! These ladies post about local businesses in the St. Louis area, give recipes, and even touch on fashion a bit. Overall, it is an amazing blog, and they were able to share with us how they put the blog together, and how they were able to get so many viewers in such a small amount of time.
Building Our Own Sites
Yesterday, Michael Zandstra came to speak to us as well, about taking our WordPress sites and making them our own. You can by a domain name, and carry your blog over WordPress.org and completely make it your own website. He took us through the steps of how to purchase our own domains, where to host them at, and then some cool things we can do to spice up our sites after we create them. He presented some awesome information to us, and don’t be surprised if I ended up making my own site too! 
#PBand JTerm Comes To An End 
I can honestly say that I have learned more in this class than any other class that I have ever taken. Not only did we learn an insane amount of information tha twe can take with us forever, but we were forced to learn more about ourselves in creating our own personal brand. I mean, we all knew what we liked and had a few topics in mind that we wouldn’t mind writing about, but actually having to do so and create posts and brand ourselves was beyond amazing. We discovered what it is that we are truely passionate about.
Along with that comes the sense of community that we have created within this classroom. Having to comment on each others blogs and stay connected on Twitter has really allowed us to get to know one another, and share what we love and are passionate about as well. To anyone who may be looking for a J-Term class next year at Lindenwood, I 3000% recommend you take this class! And huge shout-out to Jill Falk for teaching us, and providing us with all this great information that is going to be so useful to us, for now and in the future!
My Top 3 Headed To The NFL
Draft Day
It’s almost that time again, the NFL draft is on its way…well in a few months. Thursday, April 26 to be exact (Round One), but why put off the discussion? To some this may not be all that exciting, or even something they care about, but to me, the NFL Draft is super exciting, and of high importance. This is the one time where all the teams in the league get to choose from all of the best college players in hopes of finding the perfect addition to their team. Rams, let’s get it right this time…..but that’s beside the point.
Here are my top 3 players as of right now, that have declared for the 2012 NFL Draft.
Stanford’s Andrew Luck is the obvious choice for number one, but with good reason. He was the best QB in college football this year…quite possibly. He may some competition with the next player on the list, but that is up for debate. For me, Luck was the best college player this season and has already locked up the number 1 overall pick. In my mind he will be the newest player named to the Indianapolis Colts, but we cannot be positive until Roger Goodell takes the stage at Radio City Hall in New York City, and makes the big announcement.
#2: Robert Griffin III (Baylor) 
Baylor’s 2011 Heisman winning QB Robert Griffin III, or better known as RG3 makes the number two spot on my list. Not only has he proven himself to be a great quarterback on the field, he is a great leader to his team as well. He led Baylor to a 10-3 season, and to a 67-56 victory over Washington in the Alamo Bowl. With his ability to pass, and comfort in the pocket, he is sure to be a successful NFL quarterback.
#3: Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State) 
Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon is hands down the best wide reciver in this draft class. No question. His capability to make big plays is astonishing. Being the Rams fan that I am and knowing our need for big playmakers on the offense, this is the guy that I want to see us draft in the first round. As explosive as this kid is on the field, he is without a doubt deserving of a very high draft pick.
Of course there are so many great, athletic, and talented players that are entering the 2012 NFL draft, but these are the three that stand out. You can catch the 1st round Thursday April 26, rounds 2 and 3 on Friday April 27, and rounds 4-7 on Saturday April 28, all on prime-time TV.
Here are the Top 10 NFL draft prospects according to Bleacher Report. I guess we will have to wait until April to see who is right.
Pujols’ Upcoming Season In LA
Sad Day In The Lou
St. Louis is known for its baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals, and also for the loyality of the fans. All of us who are Cardinals fans remember that terrible day back in December when we first found out that Albert Pujols had decided to leave this magnificent city, to take his talents to LA to play for the Angels.
Reaction
HE DID WHAT??? Yeah, it really did happen. Still sometimes hard to comprehend. Although that day every news station and ESPN channel continuously flashed shots of Pujols putting on the Los Angeles Angels hat, and every radio station put a stop to their music to talk about his announcement, it seemed unreal to me. I went through phases as I sat there and listened to the dreaded news.
First I was sad, and upset by it all, as I had grown up watching Pujols play. Then I was mad because I thought, how could he do this to us the fans, his team, and his CITY? And then after pondering on it for a few shocking moments, I found the situation funny. How could you leave a place that loves you so much, has (or had) more respect for you than any other player, and most of all, the legacy you would be leaving behind as potentially one of the best to have ever played the game in St. Louis and only in St. Louis.
Pujols at Lindenwood University
I can’t help but ponder over a few potential scenarios that could occur as Pujols makes his way to his new team.
What if he gets hurts? Are the Angels going to be okay with paying him all that money they promised if the guy can’t even hit?
What if he isn’t even their 1st baseman? The difference in the Cardinals and the Angels are that the Cardinals are in the National League meaning the pitcher is in the batting order, where as the Angels are in the American League and have a designated hitter to hit rather than the pitcher. Hopes he’s okay with being a DH, because it may come to that, who really is to know?
With the Cardinals spring training coming up very soon, I am already getting excited about what is to come for us and the 2012 season. I can’t help but already be saying 12 in 12 in the back of my mind. Pujols or no Pujols, I believe we can work our way through the playoffs and all the way to the World Series for the second year in a row.
The Angels, not so much. Any of you out there thinking the Angels will even close to winning the World Series in 2012? Didn’t think so
Here’s a quick tribute video of Albert for any of those who want to reminisce on the days when he played for the BEST team he will EVER play for.
And now Cardinals fans, here’s something even better! A rewind of the Cardinals 2011 season as World Champs! Doesn’t get much better than this!
Okay, I know I’m getting a little video crazy here, but one last song. Can you say SCREAM?!?! Let’s go Cardinals!!
Ambition to be Admired: Profile on SJ39
When you hear the name Steven Jackson, what comes to mind? Oh that’s that running back that plays for the St. Louis Rams, right? Exactly. But there is so much more than that…let me explain.
Steven Jackson, although he plays for one of the teams with the least amount of wins in the NFL this year, puts in more work to do his best at his job than any other person I know of. He is driven, determined, and a team leader, to say the least.
Let’s take the game against the Saints this season as an example. Jackson felt motivated to speak to his team before the game, stepped up as a leader, and gave his teammates some uplifting and encouraging words in hopes of a victory on the field.
Yes…they did win that day. And it was against a New Orleans team who was thought to be the best in the league at times during the season. That says a lot right there… the power of strong words coming from a strong leader. It means a lot.
This guy isn’t just someone who motivates his team, but in some instances, carries them. He has ran for 1,000 yards seven years in a row now. He is the Rams all time leading rusher. What an accomplishment!
The amount of work he puts in during the week to prepare for a game is unreal. The selfless dedication he has to his team is amazing. His desire to win is greater than any.
The photo above I thought was very fitting because of the message he is portraying. “They gone love me for my #ambition” is his exact quote, straight out of the song Ambition by Wale. Ambition is such an important characteristic to have, especially when you have to go out there and do your best in the NFL every Sunday, and Jackson represents just that.
Courtesy of Jackson’s official website, I found a poem he wrote himself at age 10 entitled I AM. It reads,
I am a NFL Running Back
I wonder if I will be great
I hear the crowd cheer
I see me scoring a touchdown
I want a Super Bowl Ring
I pretend I’m a great running back
I feel like I am a star
I touch the first place trophy
I worry we won’t win
I cry if I fell
I am a NFL running back
I understand some will be greater
I say what I mean
I dream to be the greatest
I try to be the best
I hope I’ll be remembered as one of the greatest
I am a NFL running back
-Steven Jackson
Now if that doesn’t show you his passion, dedication, and his pursuit of his dreams, then I don’t know what would. Great words right there from the young Jackson.
Here below is a tribute video dedicated to Jackson and his quest to 1,000 yards this season. It’s great and highlights some of his key moments.
To learn more about Jackson, see photos, videos, his own personal blogs posts, and a lot more really cool information check out his website at SJ39.com.
2nd week of Personal Branding Class (J-Term)
Wow. That is the one word that I can use to describe my thoughts on all of the information that we have learned this week. I seriously believe I have learned more in these two weeks of class than I have in classes that have lasted an entire semester.
There are so many things that we have learned about, and that we can do online. One thing that we did was go over our LinkedIn accounts, and revamp them. Nick Gilham, president of ”A Branded You”, came to speak to us, and gave a lot of great information on how to brand yourself and make your LinkedIn account more presentable and appealing to employers. My LinkedIn account has changed a lot just in this last week, because I was taught many ways to make it better!
WordPress
Although WordPress is something that everyone in this class is familiar with, obviously, we were still able to go more in depth with it and learn a few new things that really helped polish our blogs. I learned how to provide an RSS feed on to my account, and how to use different widgits to provide everyone who reads my blog with the information that I want them to see.
Prezi
Prezi is actually something that I have never heard of until taking this class. It is very similar to PowerPoint, and allows you to create slideshows, but is all done online. I was able to make my very first Prezi presentation, and was very proud to have learned how to use something so awesome. In all honesty, it was very intimidating at first because it was something that was foreign to me, but after jumping in there and using it for one of my presentations, l absolutely love it. Not to say that I’m never going to use PowerPoint ever again and only use Prezi, but it was nice for change and had a different effect. A pretty cool effect I might add.
Myself
Back to the presentation I had to do with Prezi, each of us had to present on a topic that we would love to blog about on a regular basis. This gave us the opportunity to discover blogging, truly see what we are passionate about, and what it is that want to spend our time writing on. I went back and forth between fashion, hair and make-up, and sports, and discovered that sports really are the topic that I am knowledgeable about, and love writing about the most.
In Closing
Lastly, I want to leave you guys with a tutorial on Prezi. Even if yall are thinking, Oh I’ll just stick with PowerPoint because it’s what I know, just try Prezi once. Once you get there hang of it, it really is awesome, and super easy as well. Everyone will be impressed by your presentations because they will be different from the typical slideshows that everyone else gives and are seen all the time. Take my word for it, it’s great!
My very first Prezi!
Check out my first Prezi presentation!!
Shows what I’m passionate about and what I love to blog about!!
All he does is WIN!!
We’ve all heard about the outcome of the Broncos/Steelers game yesterday, and even more so, we’ve heard about the QB for the Broncos, Tim Tebow. He’s a somewhat controversial player in the NFL because of the outspokeness of his faith, yet he gets more publicity than any other young QB…ever!
GAME TIME
Just as a brief overview of the game, Denver led for most of the game, and then in the 4th quarter, Pittsburgh came back to tie the score at 23. This sent the game into overtime, nothing the Broncos hadn’t been used to. The Broncos get the ball to start overtime, and on the very first play, Tebow passes to Demaryius Thomas who then runs the ball 88 yards, allowing the Broncos to win and move on the divisional round next week where they will once again meet the New England Patriots.
HE’S EVERYWHERE
But back to the subject of everyone’s attention, Tim Tebow, what makes him so popular to the public eye? If you turn on SportsCenter, all they’re talking about is Tebow. If you watch the news, the sports anchor always mentions Tebow. If you picked up the St. Louis Post Dispatch today you saw that the front cover was of Tebow.
NOT SO BAD
People have said he can’t throw, he can’t play, and he won’t make it in the NFL. If this is all true, then how is he taking the Broncos to the second round of playoffs? Just a question. If he’s so terrible, then how could that be possible? The defense is great which does help, but the offense actually is pretty good too, according to the stats of yesterday’s game.
He threw for 316 yards, each pass averaging 31.6 yards, threw for two TD’s and had one rushing TD. Not bad.
SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM
I have personally been on the “Tebow Bandwagon” for a long time, since he played at Florida. I loved what he stood for, and after watching him play at Florida all through college, of course I’m going to suport him and his team, win or lose. I think the fact that he is so open with his faith, and is such as such a “good person” is why people are intrigued by it and are wanting to more and more about why he is the way he is.
Another thing that anyone who keeps up with football knows about is Tebowing. Tebow always takes a knee after a game to pray and give thanks, and this is referred to as Tebowing. People have now adopted this concept all over the world, and immitate the pose.
I just think the whole story about this QB is very interesting and intriguing, and something that everyone has their own opinion on.
Lastly I want leave you guys with a video that in my personal opinion is hilarious and that speaks of why Tebow is a great QB, shoud play on Sunday, and how he “shattered the mold.”
Enjoy!…..you really will love it, I promise!! Tebow fan or no, you can appreciate it!
Packers on their way to another Super Bowl win?
The Green Bay Packers are one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl this year, but some are having their doubts. With the success of QB Drew Brees and the brilliant offense of the Saints, Green Bay will have a challenge ahead of them to represent the NFC in the Bowl, but nothing they haven’t seen before.
In week 1 the Packers put up a 42-34 defeat over the Saints on their home turf, Lambeau Field. The harsh conditions of the frigid Wisconsin air may have just been too much for the Saints to handle, or quite possibly the Packers just outplayed them.
We can’t rule out the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49’ers and Detroit Lions as potential NFC champs, but let’s face it, of the six, the Packers and the Saints are who it will most likely come down to.
The Packers suffering only one loss late in the season to the Kansas City Chiefs is one thing, but let’s take a look at the Saints again. They have a 13-3 record, and one of those losses was to the St. Louis Rams, who finished the season with only two wins.
What makes the Green Bay Packers a winning team? The QB of all QB’s Aaron Rodgers? The weapons he has downfield in Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, and Donald Driver? The run game led by James Starks, Ryan Grant and John Kuhn? Each of these players bring dynamic talent to the team, but when they all come together with the stunning protection of the offensive line, they drive down the field to put up points and allow themselves to be ranked number one in the league on points scored per game. And with the help of Clay Matthews, Charles Woodson, and the rest of the Packers defense, this team proves to be unstoppable.
Green Bay is the number one seed in the NFC, giving them a bye in the first round of playoffs, and securing them with home field advantage in the divisional round and all the way to the Super Bowl.
As mentioned earlier, Lambeau isn’t the most coveted stadium due to weather conditions, but the ruthless Packers team finds a way to put up the points and get the W’s there. From the flood of green and yellow, to the “cheesy” cheers and chants of Packer Nation, the Packers have an excellent shot at going all the way to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl, and leaping all the way back to Lambeau with the Lombardi trophy for the second year in a row.
A Brand You Shoud Know~ My presentation of Brian Solis!
If you would like more information on social media and personal branding, Brian Solis is a great person to help! Check out more about Brian at his website, briansolis.com.
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