At the beginning of the semester I felt stress and anxiety about the blog posts. I thought it would be tough to write 300-400 words each week and stay on top of it along with all my other assignments. Once I got started and began writing the blogs though I felt as ease because I realized I really enjoyed it. My number one tip would be to try and cover topics you enjoy. Of course each blog post will have its own topic but I was able to relate every post to something I was interested in which made the posts feel less like homework or a paper and more like a conversation. I felt as if I was a reporter reporting on things that interest me. It never felt like homework.
Basketball is what I wrote about the most. I love the sport of basketball and I quickly realized whenever I wrote about basketball it never felt like I was doing an assignment. Writing about something I was interested in also improved the quality. As long as I get a 10 for this post I will finish the semester with a 100% for my blog posts. Therefore that’s evidence that if you write about something you enjoy you’ll be more successful.
A final tip I would have is to take things easy and not too serious. Of course you want to take the assignment serious and turn it in on time but this isn’t your APA English paper, this is your public relations blog. Try and write entertainingly and fun. Don’t bore your readers, even if your only reader is Dr. Billman. Overall if you try, pay attention, and come to class you will do well and should have an good time.
We are less than a week away from the release of the XBOX Series X & the Playstation 5, which means we are also less than a week away from the release of NBA2k21 Next Gen. Knowing this the folks at 2k released a trailer of the new neighborhood called “The City”. For the past few years we’ve known the neighborhood as a place where everyones created MyCareer players to come together and play pickup basketball games. The City is the same concept but much bigger. Here are some of the things that jumped out to me in the trailer.
The Futuristic Theme
The neighborhood has looked very modern, almost like a current day park. This year with The City we are getting a very futuristic theme. In the middle of the city is a cylinder looking building that has a “Jetson’s” like look to it. This is where City events like court conquerer will take place. This is much better than the tent they had for current gen.
2. New Hairstyles
In the trailer we can see players with new braid hairstyles. This is great news because the community has asked about new hairstyles for years now. This will increase creativity and realism when creating your MyCareer player.
3. New Stores
Currently we have 3 stores in the neighborhood, Swags, NBA Store, and 2K Shoes. Now in The City we will have stores for each brand. For example Nike and Adidas will have their own stores compared to current gen where both of those brands would be in Swags. This is great news because it adds more realism and kind of makes shopping for your MyCareer players like shopping for yourself in real life at a mall. We also see some new accessories in the trailer like face masks and jewelry.
4. Gatorade Rental Courts
This year you will be able to rent courts with your friends and play unranked 3 on 3 or 5 on 5 games against and with friends. This is great news because it allows you to play with friends without having to worry about how you are playing or your ranking.
Overall The City looks like a major improvement on the neighborhood and its something all 2k players should be looking forward to. We will have to wait and see what other additions they have for us in The City.
How has social media changed the way we communicate? What are some positives and negatives to social media? These are some questions brought up to me by my public relations professor. When I look at these two questions, what stands out the most is that word negative. A negative result of social media for me is that it has exposed insecurities I never knew I had. Insecurities that I don’t believe would’ve been uncovered if not for social media. One thing that never bothered me until social media was my weight. I knew I was bigger but I remember being younger and embracing this. I liked being bigger than everyone my age. It made me feel tough, in charge, and proud. All those feelings changed once I started using social media. Those positive feelings turned to negatives. No longer was being bigger a good positive thing, it was something to feel insecure about. Every attractive, popular, rich, and famous guy I saw on instagram was one of two things; muscular or skinny. The only overweight beloved people seemed to be comedians. I did not want to be a comedian though, I wanted to be Jared. I began trying to lose weight my Senior Year of high school around Easter, unfortunately it hasn’t been easy. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I still struggle with my weight today and to fix that struggle I know I need to use the insecurities that I gained online as motivation, look at the people you see on social media living the healthy life you want to live, and use it to achieve that life.
I can’t act as if social media is only negative though, it has brought me strong connections with friends and family I may have not achieved without it. I think about some of my friends that I exclusively know through social media. Without social media we would have never met and my days and nights I spent talking to those people would have been filled with something completely different, my life would be different. Social Media can also be a way for news to spread. Unfortunately we all know about the amount of untrue news that is spread online but there are good informational news stories I come across daily because of Social Media.
The other question was, how has social media changed the way we communicate? It has changed it for the better and for the worse. The better can be seen in our schools and families. Like I said before I am more connected now that ever before to family members and friends. When it comes to schools, St Ambrose can use social media to send out info and communicate with us and our parents all at once. So is social media good or bad for our lives? Depends on who you ask and when you ask.
NBA2k21 Comes to Xbox Series X on November 10th & to PS5 on November 12th
Every year the folks at 2k roll out their new installment to the NBA2k series. In September NBA2k21 “Current Gen” for PS4 & Xbox One was released. This was met with mixed reviews, many believed that NBA2k21 “Current Gen” was more like NBA2k20.5 but had hope for NBA2k21 “Next Gen” where the real changes would be made. The step up in console performance will make the game more realistic and immersive than ever before. One thing the fans of the franchise look out for each year are the players overall ratings. Even some players care about their rating, Hassan Whiteside of the Miami Heat memorably said “I’m just trying to get my 2k rating up” when he was asked about his triple double in 2015.
Today 2k released some players overalls via their Twitter account @NBA2k , Some of the top players ratings for NBA2k21 “Next Gen” include:
đź‘‘ Still King đź‘‘
The No. 1 ranked player in NBA 2K21 is @KingJames at 98 OVR
A memorable season where he finished second in MVP voting and had a playoffs run that ended with a championship and a finals MVP LeBron James earned himself the highest rating in NBA2k21. Though I would argue he deserves a 99, the King should be happy with his rating.
Jimmy earns a 93 OVR after his unbelievable playoff run
The second overall released was Jimmy Butler. Clocking in at a 93 overall surprised some people. Jimmy was only an 89 on “Current Gen” but earned the raise during his incredible playoffs run. Jimmy is deserving of this rating and anyone who wants to argue that hasn’t watched Miami play this season.
A less surprising rating was Giannis’ rating of 97 overall. Milwaukee would be lost without the Greek Freak and he is defiantly deserving of the second highest rating on 2k. The MVP will continue his reign as one of the best players in the league and in the game.
Devin Bookers 2k rating in “Current Gen” was a 86 and it was disrespectful. Devin Bookers 2k rating in “Next Gen” is a 88 and it is just as disrespectful. Devin Booker carried a bum Suns team to an 8-0 record in the bubble and played incredible in each of those eight games. Not to mention the great season he had before the bubble. DB deserves a 90, no way around it.
Overall outside of a few mistakes, I think the ratings team at 2k did a good job this year. We know as soon as the season starts players ratings will go up and down depending on how they play so in reality these are just placeholders for now. D-Book will earn that 90 before the season is over, mark my words.
During the eight resumed regular season games in the bubble, TJ Warren played like he had drank Michael Jordan’s Space Jam secret stuff. Averaging around 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists compared to his pre-bubble stats of 19.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. This was a huge jump and is enough to have him in the running for the imaginary award of “Most Improved in the Bubble”. Reasons for the increase could be the motivation he had from his pre-bubble scuffle with Jimmy Butler. Unfortunately TJ and his Pacers lost in 4 to Jimmy and the Miami Heat and thats why he only comes in at number ten here.
9. Michael Porter Jr.
When he wasn’t praying for the police who brutally murdered George Floyd or denying the existence of COVID-19, MPJ was playing really good basketball. Averaging 22 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists was more than enough to get the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals. MPJ is a young exciting star with lots of potential, he just needs to keep the wacky opinions to himself.
8. Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum was the Celtics biggest contributor in the bubble. Putting up 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, Tatum is going beyond expectations for a player drafted 3 years ago. Tatum led his Boston Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals and lost in 6 games to the Miami Heat. Unfortunately his playoffs run will be remembered more by getting blocked by Bam Adebayo.
7. Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Goran Dragic
Goran & Bam scored or assisted on almost half of the Miami Heat’s scoring in the bubble while Tyler had a huge 37 point game against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals as a rookie, these two statistics were enough to land the trio on this list. Goran is having a career resurgence, Bam is evolving into an All Star, and Tyler is a 20 year old rookie exceeding all expectations. These 3 were a big reason the Miami Heat made it to the NBA Finals.
6. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis won the seasons NBA MVP award and had a good bubble but not a great bubble. Averaging 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists, Giannis made his impact not only on the court but off. Giannis was apart of the NBA’s protest being one of the first teams to protest their game because of police brutality. Giannis’ team the 1st seeded Bucks were upset in the second round by the 5th seeded Heat, this is the reason why Giannis is not higher on this list.
5. Devin Booker
Devin Booker not only averaged 30 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists but he led his poor Suns team to an 8-0 Bubble Record. This was still not enough to make the playoffs though due to their record before the bubble. If Booker plans on playing like this next season, the Phoenix Suns should be playoff bound for the first time since Steve Nash.
4. Jamal Murray& Damian Lillard
Jamal Murray came into the bubble as a future superstar, he came out of the bubble as a current superstar. Jamal ended his bubble run averaging 31 points a game, an insane scoring statistic for someone who had never averaged more than 20 points until now. Dame on the other hand had a historic bubble run, averaging 37 points, 4 rebounds, and 10 assists. The only reason Dame isn’t higher on this list is because the disappointing end to the season at the hand of the LA Lakers, losing 4-1 in the first round.
3. Luka Doncic
Luka and his Mav’s fell short to the LA Clippers in the first round, they shouldn’t hang their heads though Injuries and Ejections helped this come to fruition. Luka on the other hand averaged a triple double with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. This is incredible when you remember he was only drafted 2 years ago.
2. Jimmy Butler
From blasting expectations to Big Face Coffee, Jimmy Butler silenced all doubters during his bubble run. Jimmy’s stats will not jump out to you though, he averaged 21.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists. This may be surprising due to the stats of players that are lower on the list than him but you had to watch him play to understand. Being a Miami Heat fan I watched every single game Jimmy played in during the NBA Bubble and without him I don’t believe Miami would’ve even made it out of the first round, and here they were in the NBA Finals. Jimmy contributed in big ways that don’t show up statistically, his defense on players like TJ Warren, Giannis, and Jayson Tatum is evidence of that. Teams in the bubble who played the Miami Heat got hit by the “Jimmy Effect” and did not play like themselves when against him. The Bucks who were the first seed lost in an embarrassing five games to Jimmy and the Heat, something no one but Heat fans would have predicted. Jimmy made tons of noise off the court as well, starting a company inside Disney’s resorts. “Big Face Coffee” sold coffee in sizes small, medium and large and Jimmy charged $20 a cup no matter the size. Somehow this was a huge success
Number 1. LeBron James
King James did it again. Winning a Championship and Finals MVP while putting up 26.2 points, 9.9 rebounds and 8.3 assists in the bubble. When LeBron arrived in LA in 2018, many said he had only chosen to go there to have a career after basketball in movies. King James proved all of those haters wrong with Championship number 4 for his hall of fame career. Not only did the Lakers have to fight through the COVID-19 season stoppage, but they had to mourn the loss of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, someone James was very close too. LeBron did it, he did it to silence haters, he did it to improve his legacy, but most of all he did it for Kobe.
On September 15th 2020 Apple revealed their 2020 product line to the world. Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch SE, and iPad Air. Although fans were happy with these products, one product was missing. Where was the new iPhone? Many had expected the new iPhone to be announced during this event including myself. The subreddit r/Apple on Reddit had a live discussion thread during the event. As the event ended the threads comments were flooded with questions like “What about the iPhone?” and “Thats it?”. Needless to say most fans were confused and many fans were upset. This was the first time in awhile that Apple had hosted a fall event and not revealed the iPhone.
iPhone 11
Many fans began to speculate why Apple hadn’t shown off the new iPhone. The number one conclusion was that it had to be delayed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. This in my opinion is the most likely conclusion. Another theory is that Apple is choosing to do some sort of a “shock drop” and surprise release the new iPhone on a random date. This though is the last thing I see Apple doing during a pandemic or really during anytime. Apple could just be waiting until October to host an event separately for the iPhone. This could be good news. People often complain that iPhone’s are too similar from year to year and maybe this year the changes are so big that Apple decided the iPhone would need its own event. This however is also unlikely in my opinion. I believe the delay is the most likely conclusion. Apple is probably just running behind and putting the final touches on the new iPhone and so they decided to delay the release. I do believe we will find out about this new device this month in October, I just don’t believe its because the changes are so drastic. What does Apple have up their sleeves? I think we will find out soon.
NBA Jam was a basketball video game released in 1993. It was an arcade style game. Ditching the 5v5 realism for a 2v2 over the top experience. In the game players could jump to the rafters and make slam dunks like the hoop was six feet tall. The game was incredibly popular, so much so that a modern sequel was released in 2010. That is the app I will be reviewing today. I’ve had time to play the game for a few days now and one thing I can say for sure is, this game is addicting. It is easy to pickup for anyone no matter their experience with mobile games. The controls are simple and the gameplay is fun. Besides the generic play now mode, my favorite game mode is the campaign. You take one NBA team and try to defeat all thirty NBA teams in a row without losing. You can save your progress which is a good thing because these games typically take eight to ten minutes in my experience. In total you are looking at four and half to five hours worth of gameplay in one single mode, this is a lot of gameplay for a mobile game. In the campaign mode I used my favorite team the Miami Heat. One downside was that this game hadn’t been updated since its release in 2010 so all of the rosters were from 2010. This meant the Miami Heat had LeBron James & Chris Bosh as their duo rather than Jimmy Butler & Bam Adebayo. When I sat and thought about it though, I realized this rosters were a plus just as much as they were a negative. Having somewhat “retro” rosters from my childhood was really cool and a fun way to have some nostalgia. My least favorite part of the game was the controls. I said earlier that the controls were easy to pick up and understand and they certainly are, I just don’t like mobile game controls. Having a controller over a touch screen will always be my preference.
Overall NBA Jam for iOS and Android is a very fun early 2010s basketball arcade game. I think its an obvious choice for any basketball fan who wants a fun pocket game.
According to Dictionary.com Social Media is defined as “Websites and other online means of communication that are used by large groups of people to share information and to develop social and professional contacts”. This is a much more sophisticated than my personal definition. My personal definition of Social Media is “Apps that connect you to others via the internet.”. Social Media use for me is split into two different categories, Interactive & Viewing. The Interactive category would include Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, & Reddit. Those are social medias that I interact with and post on. The Viewing category would include YouTube & TikTok. Although Instagram & Facebook are both on the interactive side, I use them both differently. I love sharing political articles to Facebook, just to anger my older conservative family members. On Instagram I normally just share photos of myself and friends for others to see. YouTube & TikTok though are in the same category and are used pretty much the same way. These are social medias that I don’t interact with or post on. I still use them frequently and view content, I just don’t post any of my own. I subscribe/follow creators & watch videos on both apps daily. I access all of these social medias on my iPhone. The iPhone has an app called Screen Time. This allows you to look at your app use therefore I was able to see how long I had been using these social medias this week as of Wednesday.
Youtube (5 Hours 46 Min)
Twitter (4 Hours 48 Min)
Snapchat (4 Hours 31 Min)
Reddit (1 Hours 59 Min)
TikTok (1 Hour 58 Min)
Instagram (1 Hour 41 Min)
Facebook (50 Min)
This really didn’t surprise me. I use Youtube every night before bed. Sometimes listening to podcasts as I go to sleep. Twitter is my go to social media for information and updates not from friends but from my interests. Snapchat I use as a messaging app to communicate with others so I am on it frequently throughout the day. Reddit I use similar to twitter, I read about my interests and about politics. TikTok is just used as a way to cure boredom. Instagram would be a lot higher if they didn’t have such a messed up algorithm which I’ll touch on later. Facebook is for old people.
My Favorite Social Media Site
We can obviously see that YouTube is my favorite social media site, beating second place by almost an hour of use. One interesting fact about YouTube for me is that they don’t necessarily rely on notifications to get me to use their app. I will just go on YouTube around the same time every night and suggested videos based on the night before are there on my home page. An app like Snapchat though heavily relies on notifications to get me to use it. According to my screen time I average 847 notifications A DAY from snapchat. Eight Hundred and Forty Seven. While I only average 50 a day from YouTube. These notifications will be something like “(Insert Creator) uploaded a new video”.
Instagram however is not my favorite as of late. Ever since early 2019 they changed their algorithm from allowing you to see most recent posts to now letting you see posts they think you’d like or interact with. This causes me to be unable to receive much content. My instagram feed only updates with 1 or 2 new photos every few hours, not because no one is posting but because Instagram decided that those 1 or 2 out of 20 are the only ones I need to see. I wish my Instagram feed would just always show me the most recent post so I would have more content to view. I want to see all of my friends photos not just a few.
Blogs are completely new to me, therefore “The Bulldog Reporter” has a pretty easy first impression. Although I don’t have much to compare it to, I was still excited about the idea of this assignment. Giving my raw thoughts on a site in a laid back atmosphere like a blog post. What I really enjoyed about this blog was the political commentary about the 2016 election. I am a huge fan of politics. I have been ever since my senior year of high school when I took my required Government Class. To this day I stay in touch with my teacher from that class. Without her I wouldn’t of found out about my interest in politics. I wasn’t into politics during the 2016 election but looking back on it now I see that I really missed out. Polls had Hillary Clinton defeating Donald Trump in a landslide, but in a shocking turn of events Donald Trump was elected president.. Thats why I am worried for the 2020 election. Polls show democratic nominee Joe Biden as the winner of the election, if democrats look at this as a lock for Joe to win they may not go out and vote which is what will hand Trump the victory.
Joe Biden & Donald Trump
What I find interesting about the Bulldog Reporter is that they correctly predicted Donald winning the state of Florida in 2016 even though polls found Hillary to have the edge. This makes the Bulldog Reporter trustworthy in my eyes. My overall favorite part of their blog though is the fact that it is a short read. People tend to have short attention spans and by having short blog posts you can guarantee that most people who take a look at it will read the entire post. This is a similar business model used by Youtuber David Dobrik. All of his vlogs (Video Blogs) are 4 minutes and 20 seconds long. He says this is because he knows most of his audience would get bored if the videos were any longer than that. He prefers to have a action packed short video rather than a dragged out boring long video. This has obviously worked for David as he currently sits at 18.3 million subscribers. This is something that I want to incorporate into my blog posts. I want a short read with no filler content.
The only thing I didn’t like about The Bulldog Reporter was their website setup. I thought it was strange that they didn’t have their own website. Maybe this is common in blogs but to me it felt off for a huge blog to be using a different domain.
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Jareds PR Blog 