Andrew Luck Should Stop Being Selfish and Take the Money!

So Andrew Luck, the quarterback at Stanford University, has decided to stay in school and finish his degree.  Here is an excerpt from the Associated Press story on Yahoo! Sports today:


 STANFORD, Calif. (AP)—Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck says he will stay in school for another year instead of entering the NFL draft.

Luck was widely considered to be the No. 1 pick by Carolina if he chose to leave school early. But he made his announcement Thursday that he wants to remain at Stanford so he can graduate as scheduled next year.

Luck led the fifth-ranked Cardinal (12-1) to a school-record 12 wins this season, including a 40-12 victory over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl on Monday night. Stanford is set to finish the season in the top five of the AP poll for the first time since the unbeaten 1940 team finished No. 2.

On the surface it seems like a fairly magnanimous decision.  We see a talented young man eschewing the guaranteed millions of the NFL draft in order to finish school.  Taken at face value one might even mistakenly conclude that Andrew Luck has his priorities straight - that he has somehow risen above the temptations of money and fame, that he understands the value of a college education - but that's a bunch of baloney.  In reality Andrew Luck is not selfless, he is a 21-year-old kid - the type of prized athlete who has always received special treatment because of his immense talent.  His explanation for staying in school also suggests that this is ultimately a selfish decision and one made for the wrong reasons.

Of course he probably doesn't need the money.  Andrew Luck already has everything he could ever want - his family is not going to go hungry and he's a celebrity at Stanford.  However, even if Luck has everything he needs for himself, this type of money would give him a chance to do something real and meaningful in the lives of other people.  The millions of dollars that he stands to lose forever is more than the GNP of a small country.  Last year's top pick, Sam Bradford of Oklahoma, got exactly $50 million in guaranteed money, including a $24 million signing bonus and $26 million to be paid over 6 years.  That's a pretty big lottery ticket that Andrew Luck is holding, and the cost of not cashing it in can be huge.  The most recent player who was projected to go #1 overall but opted to stay in school instead was USC's Matt Leinart in 2005, and he paid a hefty price.  Today Leinart does not have the reputation of a humble, introspective, deep lover of education.  On the contrary, The former Trojan is most famous for breaking up with his then-pregnant girlfriend, and being romantically linked to Paris Hilton.  Leinart, pictured above in the hot-tub, is better known for being an overgrown frat boy than for anything he's done on the field.  Andrew Luck could be headed down that same path. 

In Leinart's case, he lost out on roughly $11 million by staying in school for his senior season.  Alex Smith, the defacto top draft pick in 2005, ended up with $24 million in guaranteed salary.  A year later, after dropping to the 10th pick, Leinart signed a contract worth about $14 million.  By comparison Mario Williams, the first overall choice in 2006, got approximately $26 million from the Houston Texans.  Sam Bradford's $50 million contract last year set a new record for pro football paydays, but in the NFL draft a new precedent is set every year, and contract values creeping steadily higher, Andrew Luck could have counted on an offer from Carolina similar to Bradford's.  Injuries are a part of football.  The list of promising players who have had their careers cut short is long, and their faces are obscured by shadows.  Even assuming that Luck manages to stay healthy, if Stanford fails to improve on its best season in 70 years, or if other pro prospects emerge, Andrew could drop precipitously in next year's draft. 

Luck can finish his degree anytime, but this sort of opportunity comes only once in a lifetime.  There will never be a better situation for him - he has nowhere to go but down.  We're talking about losing a life-changing amount of money, if not for him then for countless other people.  Instead of being devoted to his education, it seems more likely that the 6-foot-4, 235 pound, 21-year-old quarterback (pictured above) would rather spend one more year as the big man on campus at a huge west-coast school than move to Carolina and be put through the ringer of an NFL off-season program.  He's risking an awful lot on that California dream. 

Of course Luck doesn't truly need the extra money, but then why not give something to charity?  If it doesn't matter to him whether he makes $50 million or $20 million when he eventually turns pro, then take the higher sum and donate the extra $30 million.  That kind of cash could go a long way and do a lot of good in the world.  It's enough to feed and clothe literally thousands of people.  If Luck stays in college, that money will be handed over to confirmed cheater and thief Cam Newton, or whoever else might be end up being the #1 pick in Luck's absence.  The money is there right now, this year, and it can be used for good, or it can be used to buy one more year at Stanford.  I guess Andrew is counting on his luck holding out for another year.

Best of 2010 Awards

We are officially in 2011, Christmas is over and the year of the rabbit will soon begin in China!  2010 was a great year, and this week every media outlet in the country is rolling out a year in review.  It's time now for a Sports Bar Junkie "Best of 2010" segment, recapping the best in sports and popular culture from a tremendous year.  I won't waste any time with nominees or democratic voting, like a 24-hour sports book handicapper's hotline (or China), we've just got winners:

BEST NEW SONG PLAYED ON STADIUM LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEMS:

This track has been played in more NFL stadiums this year than any song since "Who Let the Dogs Out" circa 2000.  This time, however, I really love the tune!  Here we have the radio edit - the one they play in the stadium for the benefit of the children - and thus the Sports Bar Junkie remains a family blog.

BEST NEW ALBUM OF 2010:  LCD SOUNDSYSTEM (This is Happening)


Runner-up:  THE ARCADE FIRE (The Suburbs)
The grandiose ballads of The Arcade Fire swept me off my feet in 2010, but LCD Soundsystem wins the crown with its superior danciness!  Check out the single One Touch for a glowstickin' good time.

BEST VIDEO / POP CULTURE MILESTONE:

Antoine Dodson became an overnight phenomenon in 2010.  You've probably seen this video 61 million times already this year, but if you have not, just watch it and then spend the next three days trying to get this song out of your head.  Add a shout out to Auto-Tune as the revolutionary social media and v-logging tool of the year!

BEST SPORTS BAR HAPPY HOUR:
The Beached Whale, Fort Myers Beach, Florida
For excellence in $1 drafts and $5 mussels

BEST TRIVIA HOST:
DJ JD (Justin "Spindiana Jones" Dial), Ferg's Monday Trivia
Sorry Todd, maybe next year.

BEST FOOTBALL TEAM:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers!
#8 in the NFC standings, #1 in our hearts.

BEST FANTASY FOOTBALL TEAM:
Worst To First, owned by Charles Breen of St. Petersburg
#1 in the standings, #8 in our hearts.

BEST NEW ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE:
Four Loko!
I'm sorry so many college students abused your gifts this year.  RIP, original recipe with loads of caffeine.

BEST NEW SPORTS BAR ENTREE:
Chicken Quesadilla, Ferg's Sports Bar and Grille
You were so good this year!

BEST FAMILY FEUD HOST:
Steve Harvey
Great year, Steve.  You edged out the "Tiki Feud" guy.

SLEAZIEST HOST OF ANYTHING EVER AWARD:
Maury Povich win it again!
Congratulations, you're still the champ MoPo!

That's all for now.  Be sure to check back next year for The Best of 2011 and more!  Remember, Drag Queen Bingo tonight at Georgie's.  Also remember, liquor before beer, you're in the clear - yellow then black, friend of Jack!

Ferg's Sports Bar and Grille Review

It’s time for the long-awaited, much anticipated review of Ferg’s Sports Bar in St. Petersburg, Florida.  If it seems like I’ve been paying an undue amount of coverage to this bar so far, that’s because I have been.  Ferg’s is the place that started it all for me – where I cut my baby teeth on team trivia and nacho platters.  Ferg’s is the definitive sports bar in Pinellas County to which all other bars must be compared.  Although Ferg’s is famous for being located across the street from the stadium (Tropicana Field), its centralized location and proximity to Interstate 275 means that this sports bar makes a great meeting place and jump-off point whether you’re heading west to the beaches afterward, or east towards downtown.  It just makes sense, like cat-yodeling.  However, even if your night ends when the game does, you’ll find that Ferg’s does just about everything right!  It’s a great place to relax and soak up the Sports Bar Junkie experience.

Food

Ferg’s does nothing fancy when it comes to the food, but all of the dishes are solid, and there is some nice variety on the menu.  My favorite meals are the fried buffalo chicken sandwich (hot), the nachos, the stadium salad, and the chicken quesadilla.  The fries are crispy and the chicken wings are meaty!  Ferg’s also offers up smoked fish spread, a grouper wrap (not real grouper), and a generous selection of salads.  The burgers are only OK, and I must warn you about the chicken wings: though delicious when served piping hot, these wings turn particularly gross when they get cold.  Consider ordering just five at a time, so that this fate does not befall your tasty wings.  Personally, I love to order the stadium salad (a house salad with cheese and bacon) and a basket of fries and then combine the two!  It’s certainly not orthodox, but I call this creation a “fried Greek salad” (get it, Greek Orthodox, that’s a pun)?  Anyway it’s delicious, and if you don’t believe anything I say, just order a chicken quesadilla and try your best not to like that!  They post daily specials on the blackboard, keep an eye out for grilled cheese, it is beer’s best friend.  Overall it’s very good bar food, but nothing too special.

Food - 4/5

Beer

The bar at Ferg’s is loaded, and they can make you just about any mixed drink your heart desires, but at what cost?  No, seriously, I don’t know how much it costs and my bill is frequently a little bit higher than I expected.  There is a pretty good variety of beer available on tap, including Yuengling, Coors, and Blue Moon.  Occasionally Ferg’s runs a special on bottled craft beers, but not often enough for my liking.  However, if you know your way around the bar, you can do pretty well for yourself.  Happy hour runs from 6 through 7 on the weekdays, and all domestic and well drinks are half-priced.  $1.50 pints and $2 glasses of wine are definitely things the Sports Bar Junkie can work with!  A little known fact is that during happy hour, it’s cheaper to go with single drafts than it is to order a pitcher, so keep that in mind when you’re there with your friends.  The Blue Moon draft is my favorite, but that beer never gets the half-price treatment, so I usually choose Yuengling, but go with the wheat beer if you’re feeling flush, they even throw in an orange slice!  I like the selection, I like the variety, I’m not too keen on the price, but I always have a good time.  Drink and be merry, the Sports Bar Junkie endorses the beer!

Beer - 4/5

Service

Uh-oh!  It’s hard for me to say that the service is bad, because they’re all very nice girls (and yes, they are all girls), but it’s even harder for me to say that the service is good, because it isn’t.  While the servers are never rude, sometimes I wish they would be, since that would mean they were at my table.  Ferg’s is the place where I developed and perfected my patented two-fisted, double-arm full extension waitress signal.  Such a move might be seen as impolite at most establishments, but I find it practical in this application.  In Ferg’s defense, my last few visits were some of the best, meaning I haven’t had to wait 40 minutes to order, so maybe things are improving.  There are some new faces, and I haven’t seen the worst offenders in a while.  Most of the time I have no complaints, but if it’s 6:50 p.m. and I’ve got 10 minutes to find the waitress and order a drink before happy hour ends, I get a little nervous when I don’t see anyone around.  One failure in that situation is definitely one too many!  Overall, the staff has a good attitude and a lot of ground to cover, but the fact remains that the service is sub-par.  Maybe it's time to invest in one of these.

Service - 2.5/5

Atmosphere

I like the look inside of Ferg’s.  I like the green tables, I like decorations, I like the bar, everything is so colorful and I love the vibe!  I enjoy the way the interior is divided into three distinct rooms, each with its own character.  The lighting is just right, and the sound system is usually broken good.  The bathrooms are conveniently located, and they have their own TVs!  Popcorn is self-serve from their standing popcorn machine and it’s also free.  There’s something very welcoming and not pretentious about the atmosphere at Ferg’s; it’s a big place that manages to feel cozy.  The expansive outdoor patio offers the sensation of being drunk outdoors in public without the citation.  My only complaint is that the chairs could be more comfortable, but it’s not that bad. 

Atmosphere - 4.5/5

Sports

Ferg’s is definitely the place to come watch sports, and that is ultra-important to a sports bar.  Ferg’s throws the best big-game block parties I’ve ever been to.  Plus it’s sandwiched between the baseball stadium and the police station, which makes me feel oddly comfortable partying there.  There are a whole mess of TVs to watch and no bad seats in the house.  An impressive amount of sports memorabilia adorns the walls, and the crowd always seems to be into the action.  There is no better place to watch a Rays game.  It’s the next-best thing to being at the game, and the drinks are cheaper!  For football, baseball, basketball, and college sports fans, few places are as lively as Ferg’s.  Did I mention they have TVs in the bathroom?

Sports - 5/5

Fun

There is no better bar game in town (that I know of) than the Monday and Thursday night trivia contests at Ferg’s Sports Bar!  The game starts at 7 p.m. and moves briskly towards the final question at about 8:30.  The point-allocation scoring system forces you to wager on how confident you are in your answers, and the questions themselves test a wide range of knowledge, from sports to science and literature.  Ferg’s has spared no expense, bringing in the Tampa Bay Dream Team to run the show, and the hosts do a great job every week.  Bar tabs are the prizes for the winning teams, and you can use them right there on the spot to cover your bill.  The trivia game is a great lead-in to Monday Night Football or as a night out in itself.  There’s not much else going on besides trivia; no darts and just a few dusty arcade machines stuffed in the corner of the back room.  Nevertheless, Ferg’s, in the heart of St. Petersburg, is one of the most fun sports bars around.

Fun - 4.5/5

OVERALL = 24.5/30

GRADE = B+

The Future

The world can be a highly competitive place.  Students compete for grades, employees compete for promotions, and as I type this there are thousands of men and women competing for the best shopping deals on “Black Friday. "  Competition doesn’t have to be a scary or unnerving.  Competition can be a lot of fun.  We play traditional computer and board games as a way to relax; these are essentially competitions.  Over time game makers have discovered some interesting techniques that they use to motivate players to play and enjoy games.

Seth Priebatsch runs SCVNGR, a mobile start-up company with the revolutionary idea that we can build a game layer on top of the world.  In his speech entitled The Game Layer on Top of the World (filmed July, 2010 for TEDxBoston), Seth argues that the power of game dynamics can be used to build brand loyalty and ultimately influence people for good.  Game designers know that status is a particularly good motivator.  Status is why the average World of Warcraft gamer spends 6.5 hours-per-day playing the game.  He (or she) is willing to put in that much work because the reward is to have a hulking, powerful character that impresses all the other players on the server.

From my own experience I know that leveling up (for status) is a really effective motivator.  I used to stay awake and play Call of Duty 4 for an extra hour or two until I had achieved the next highest rank.  In college I played Resident Evil Outbreak well into the night, trying to post a high score that would be visible to all my contemporaries.  If I had convinced myself that I could achieve superior status by citing the most sources in my bibliography, or by reading the most pages in my textbook, I might have spent those late hours on my studies instead.

I’m using this as an example of how powerful game dynamics can be.  Compared with many more practical endeavors, building a highly ranked WoW character is very time-consuming and difficult, but the feat is regularly achieved by people that society would deem lazy by professional and economic standards.  How can this be?  Well, the status game dynamic is very influential, and has the potential to be used by businesses to attract and retain customer.  Sports bars are a business that I think could benefit from manipulating game dynamics.

Sports bars already participate heavily in the first game dynamic that Seth discusses in his presentation: the appointment dynamic.  In fact Seth uses the concept of happy hour as his chief example.  By being in a certain bar at a certain time (happy hour), that player essentially wins – his reward is half-priced beer.  Happy hour has already influenced that lives and habits of millions of consumers, but there is more that can be done to attract more regular patrons.

Now I’m going to discuss how manipulating the game layer can revolutionize the way sports bars do business.  A lot of businesses already offer some sort of frequent customer program.  Most of them operate on some variation of the punch-card system.  For example if you buy 10 coffees and have the cashier stamp your coffee-card, the next one is free.  The problem with this system is that it isn’t very much fun, and those cards just end up cluttering up your wallet.  I may have cashed in on a free beverage once in my life, but overall this system feels more like work than a reward.

The social framework of the internet is already in place (ex. Facebook).  We can make rewards systems a lot more effective, and more importantly, fun!  Seth describes the progression dynamic whereby, “You have to make progress and move through different steps in a granular fashion.”  This is going on wherever you see a progress bar.  Seth believes that when we are presented with a progress bar and easy steps to take to try and complete that progress bar, that we will do it because something deep inside compels us to.  “We will figure out a way to move the blue line all the way to the right edge of the screen.”  Seth’s company works on finding ways to use games to drive traffic to local businesses.  He suggests a game that requires people to go places and do challenges to earn points will be a lot more fun and engaging than remembering to bring your punch-card every time. 

I can see a future of sports bar marketing where winning at trivia will earn you 50 points, ordering the secret menu item of the day earns 25, and repeating the secret phrase of the day to the waitress – it’s found online at the company website, of course - will net you 10 points.  You could literally have a blue progress bar online to keep track of it all, just like at the website Linked In.  Other patrons would be able to visit the bar’s Facebook fan page and see their total score, your total score, how many times you had each won at trivia, and if one of you had amassed enough points to be a “grand Fergs all-star” or some other status-conferring title.  There could be group-based achievements too, to take advantage of the communal discovery dynamic Seth discusses.  I guarantee that some people would compete hard for the rank of number one customer if there is status at stake, and prizes are involved, and that means big money for the sports bar.  It would be easy for a sports bar to install this sort of system because the social framework is in place right now.  The time it would take an employee to update the rankings at the end of the night is practically negligible.  Earning enough points to fill your blue bar would no doubt result in free food or drink, and then you could start filling it up a second time like prestige mode on Call of Duty 4. 

I’ll admit that I chose to focus on game theory because I like to play games.  One thing that drives me to revisit certain sports bars is the chance to have fun by playing a game while I get the social experience of eating dinner with friends.  I think that sports bars could take this a step further and do what Seth is doing with his company, which is incorporating a kind of progression system (leveling up), with a rewards dynamic.  I agree with Seth that everyone likes to see some sort of visual progress.   I believe that a game-based rewards system could revolutionize the way sports bars attract customers, and it would be a lot of fun as well! 

 

The Things I Will Do To Boost My Readership...

If I was going to continue this blog, there are definitely some areas I would want to focus on to boost my readership.  The first step is to identify the aspects of my blog that appeal the most to my audience.  Let’s see, someone that reads a sports bar blog is most likely going to be a smart and sophisticated individual, a person whom the opposite sex finds simply irresistible.  Good, now that I’ve got a starting point, what does this cunning fox, this renaissance man (or woman) want to read about?  I know!  The answer is beer and food.

The most common question I get when I talk about a sports bar is, “How is the food?”  Though I’ve tried to mention my favorite dishes (the quesadilla at Fergs, the stone crab at Pincher’s and the wings at Norman’s), I fear I’ve not delved deeply enough into cuisine to satisfy the critical culinary curiosity of my reader’s refined palates.  Going out for a meal is a unique social experience.  One of my favorite elements of contemporary sports bars is that they are rapidly adding restaurant quality meals to a menu that used to consist only of “bar food” like nachos and pizza.  Those comfort foods are still immensely popular, but grilled chicken, seafood and salads are gaining a foothold in today’s family sports bar.  Combining the restaurant experience with the bar experience is what makes a sports bar so uniquely appealing, and in the future I promise to dedicate a good portion of my blog to reviewing the menu.  This way my readers will be able to plan their dinner and their night out all at once!     

To keep my sassy, sexy readership coming back for more I have to stay on the cutting edge of culture.  I don’t have the energy or desire to review every single sports bar in the state myself (however, there is another way which I'll get to in a moment).  Nay - to stimulate such rich and complex minds, I can’t fill pages with dry content, I need bubbling liquid news that hits on the many things my readership is curious about, and splashes up on adjacent topics that they might also enjoy.  Maybe a new seasonal beer has just dropped; I want bar patrons to turn to my blog to see if it’s worth ordering.  When there’s a major event like that, I’ll need to have a video review ready.  I can interview people drinking the beer, I can set up a blind taste test and have a little fun with it, and I can inform my discerning audience of some reasonable alternatives.  I need to illustrate how the new beer is best enjoyed in both a colorful and dynamic way, through the liberal use of multi-media.

In my class we talked about the differences between what we call web 1.0 and web 2.0.  In a nutshell, web 1.0 represents the old way of doing business on the internet, where websites are basically encyclopedias of information created by “the man.”  Web 2.0 is more organic: content is often personalized and is created, at least in part, by the end user.  Web 2.0 has really taken off in the form of social networking, file sharing and sites like Pandora, which generates custom music playlists for you based on your personal taste.  I think one way to increase long-term readership of my blog would be to infuse it with some elements of web 2.0.  For example, instead of a calendar of events, happy hours and specials, I could add a widget that generates suggestions based on criteria that my sexy readership enters on their own.  Say you have a craving for chicken wings and there is a big hockey game on TV, type in “chicken wings” and “hockey,” and you will get a list of hockey bars - like Dave Andreychuk’s Grille in Channelside - that have wing specials.  Or perhaps you enjoy Champion’s League Soccer and dark beer; my widget could notify you when Guinness is 2-for-1 at O’Boobigan’s.

The best part about a true web 2.0 widget is that every sophisticated socialite out there can add their own favorites places and meta-tags to the database, just like on Wikipedia.  After all, my readers (Sports Bar Junkie fans) are so smart that they already know what they want, and my job is just to facilitate them.  Of course, if none of the things I’ve mentioned help me boost my readership, I can always resort to gratuitous compliments and pandering! 

New Social Networking Website is Up and Running

Greeting friends,
It is at this time that I ask for your opinion.  Really, I'm always interested in what you think, and the things you have to say.  I want to know, which are your favorite sports bars, and why?  What do you find interesting about the videos and links I've posted here?  Think about what you can add to the discussion.  I want to hear all about it!  :-)

Also, please come and check out this social network I've created dedicated to the art and science of true sports bar leisure!  I've uploaded some great pictures and videos, and I've also created a forum where we can discuss our good times and our bright ideas.  The best part is, now you can upload your own files to the site as well (once you sign up as a member).  Please contribute your pictures and stories to our social networking site.  I know I'm dying to see what you've got, and to start a conversation over there.

I have a plan for how Blogger will use this new social networking site: If anyone has a favorite sports bar I haven't mentioned, please post some information about it in the forums under the "best bars" thread.  If anyone finds a fun bar game, like trivia on a new night or a shuffleboard contest, please post about that under the "sports bar games" thread.  Once I check it out I'll give it a full write-up on the blog.  It's easy, and this way everyone in the social network can stay abreast of what's out there.  In Blogger comments are only tied to one post, but the social networking site sorts comments by subject so that way everyone can find them easier.  It's sort of like the "event" designation on Facebook; invitees can indicate whether they plan on attending the event or add additional notes and details.  I know there's a lot more fun stuff out there.  I discovered my favorite bar game, Tiki Feud, completely by accident.  I was driving past the marquee and wondering what a tiki feud could possibly be.  So if your favorite hangout is someplace that I haven't mentioned yet, by all mean follow this link (to the forums) right away and tell us all about it.  The future of sports bars is in your hands!

Last Call for Sports Bar Junkie Followers

Alas, I've had a lot of fun writing this blog, but my class, RTV3280: Writing and Reporting for Interactive Media, is almost done (I'm in the home stretch now).  As a result, I'm afraid that I'll be wrapping up my blog soon.  I know -- it's tragic.  I hope no one gets too upset or takes this decision the wrong way; it's not personal, it's just business.  I was having a good time writing articles, recording audio and adding video; but without this class, I may be forced to move on to other mediums (like a job, hopefully :- P).  And anyway, I don't mean to tease you or get your hopes too high, but I am going to continue to write for at least little longer.  Maybe I'll make another audio slideshow (with some natural and ambient sound this time), or I'll review some more sports bars before I call it quits.  After all, it would be great if I could use this blog as an example of my work.  I might even get to do some professional writing some day -- that is if I continue to "step my game up."  To whoever read this blog, thank you so much.  If you're a hiring editor who loves sports bars, IM me!  ;-)  It's been real!