Ad Review: Gatorade - "Be Like Mike"

This 1992 Gatorade advertisement featuring Michael Jordan is simply iconic. The little "Be Like Mike" jingle, the clips of MJ on court, the clips of "regular people" emulating Michael, and the clever product placement all add to a final product of a fantastic commercial. This commercial could, and did, really catch the attention of basketball fans, and regular people alike, because let's be honest, Michael Jordan was THE guy in the '90s. Even though I was too young to experience MJ in his prime, it's pretty much gospel that he's the greatest basketball player of all time, and anything featuring him would skyrocket in sales. I mean, Space Jam was a hit, and that movie is incredibly corny. But, it has MJ, and Bill Murray and the Looney Tunes, but mainly MJ, and it's now a classic. So is this commercial. I don't have the actual numbers but I'm willing to bet that Gatorade's stock rose immensely after this commercial made its debut, and 25 years after its release, it still stands up as one of the best of all time, a title fitting of anything featuring Michael Jordan.

A Short Summary - Research Project

In researching the history of SportsCenter, I really learned much more than I expected. Along with the fact that SportsCenter was brought to life by ESPN executives Chet Simmons and Scotty Connal in 1979, I was surprised to learn that the building where it was originally taped wasn’t even finished being built. There wasn't any running water., and the set itself was being held up by loose two‐by‐fours. Also, I probably never would've known that the first phrase to ever be said on a SportsCenter broadcast was “If you’re a fan, what you’ll see in the next minutes, hours, and days to follow may convince you you’ve gone to sports heaven,” spoken by original and longtime host Lee Leonard. I wouldn't have known that on February 6th, 1981, Rhonda Glenn joined ESPN and became the first full-time female sportscaster for a national TV network. I would've never known that almost everyone at SportsCenter hated Keith Olbermann and didn't want him there. As a millennial, it was surprising that SportsCenter didn't begin broadcasting in high definition until 2004 and that the "rundown graphic" wasn't always on the screen. Learning all that has only led to me respecting ESPN, and SportsCenter specifically, so much more. However, there was one thing I always knew even before going into this project: I fucking love sports.

A Short Summary - Media Journal

This assignment made me realize that as a 20 year-old in America, I use the media almost constantly. Whether it be through checking social media accounts out of boredom, watching sports, checking sports news, listening to music and/or podcasts, media use is almost a constant occurrence for me. I wish it weren't but it is. I can't escape it, even if I tried. I usually wake up and immediately unlock my phone to see if someone died or got traded overnight, and immediately open up an app to occupy my attention while I get ready to start my day. It’s surprising how often I pull out my phone absentmindedly and scroll through Twitter, not looking for any specific tweet, just scrolling. Between that, reading hockey news, doing homework online, and working on designs in Illustrator, it’s a wonder that I have any time to even speak to my family. This assignment has taught me that constantly being engrossed in the media, social or not, can be potentially damaging. I mean, you never know what’s going on right in front of you while your face is buried in your phone or laptop looking at dumb memes. Maybe from now on, I’ll be more careful about my media usage. Maybe I won’t scroll and tap during a lecture, but instead actually pay attention to what the professor is saying. Maybe not, but I'll definitely try.

A Completely Biased Film Review - Wayne's World

Originally a skit on "Saturday Night Live" during the late '80s and early '90s, Wayne's World is about two dudes in Aurora, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago... excellent) who host a public access TV show. In the film, Wayne and Garth (portrayed by Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, respectively), go see Crucial Taunt at the local Gasworks, and Wayne falls completely in love bassist/vocalist Cassandra (Tia Carrere), because well, she's a babe! Schwing! Wayne spends the rest of the movie trying to get Cassandra to fall in love with him while simultaneously dealing with the sleazy TV producer Benjamin (Rob Lowe) who tries to screw them over, force them to sell out, and steal Cassandra from Wayne. The film, written by Mike Myers is chock full of ridiculous situations, amusing details, hysterical fourth wall breaks, and hilarious dialogue. Myers and Carvey both have perfect comedic timing, and they create colorful characters who are always absolutely hilarious. Their look, the way they talk, and how they comment on the action directly into the camera is just incredible. Rob Lowe is fantastic at making Benjamin into a totally loathable ass kisser, and Tia Carrere is both sexy and hilarious. Wayne’s World is one of my favorite movies ever, as it’s one of those comedies that I don’t ever get tired of watching. I've seen it countless times and I still find myself laughing way too hard and quoting every line. This movie is completely dumb, but it’s supposed to be. I really could not recommend this film any more. Party on, Wayne!

Album Review: Every Time I Die - Low Teens

This 2016 album by Buffalo, New York's Every Time I Die is one of metalcore/hardcore's most varied offerings of recent memory. This record does something a lot of bands struggle to do in this genre; It offers originality and individuality. Each song is it's own entity, with no dead weight, and no "filler tracks" anywhere to be find. Whether it's the laid back groove of "It Remembers" (featuring Panic! At The Disco's Brendon Urie), the eerie discordance of Fear and Trembling (feat. Tim Singer), or the southern tinged shredding on "I Didn't Want To Join Your Stupid Cult Anyway," every song has something completely fresh to offer. Low Teens is the logical expansion on ETID's previous album, From Parts Unknown (2014), pushing each aspect further, not rebuilding the genre or themselves, but definitely adding some freshness to their sound. Tight instrumentals, improved and incredibly deep lyricism, and the fury of a band that's got a lot more fire in it's belly makes it one of the best albums to come out this year. For fans of hardcore, metalcore, loud vocals, and/or intricate guitar work, I could not recommend this album any more.

Welcome to What The Puck?

Congrats; you found it. Whether you deliberately searched for my little corner of the internet, or you just happened onto it, thanks for stopping by. Let me introduce myself... Hi, my name's Conner. I'm a Computer Graphics major at FCC, hoping to get into the field of logo and uniform design. A dream job, for me, would be designing a new logo/uniform for either an NHL team or an MLB team. Other than designing logos and such, I spend most of my time watching hockey (hence the title of this very blog) and baseball, listening to punk rock, and collecting vinyl records. I love Forrest Gump. It's the greatest film ever made. That's fine if you disagree but you're wrong. Wayne's World is sick, too. And The Shining. So is Quentin Tarantino. That's not a film but whatever. Alright, I'm gunna stop rambling. Thanks again for stopping by!