SPMT-430-Sports Communications

       The start of the 2023-2024 MLB World Series started 10/25/2024 with both games 1 and 2 at Dodgers home stadium, giving them the hometown advantage to start the series. I do believe in home town advantages because the hometeam is fresh and is not in weary from traveling, as well as being in their comfort zone being at home. Not taking away from anything the Dodgers did, but boy were the two playing great games of baseball. With the LA Dodgers winning the first game of the series, it was definitely a momentum shift in their favor to continue the winning effort into game 2. In game 1, the NY Yankees were leading the game 3 - 2 until at the end, LA Dodgers Freddie Freedman scored a walk-off grand slam homerun, which was amazing to see because the sports commentators stated that it was the first in World Series history. I honestly thought the Yankees were going to take home game one, but this is sports and the championship series, anything can happen and everyone i...

 Last week, my favorite team, the Washington Commanders, played against the Baltimore Ravens in a hyped-up match between two DMV-native teams. Every time they play against each other, the famous game is dubbed "Battle of the Beltway." With both quarterbacks being Heisman trophy winners, Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels, it was an exciting and competitive game to watch because the sports analysts/commentators commented on their play styles as if they were going to go head to head in a player vs. player game instead of a team vs. team type of game. Overall at the end of the game, the Baltimore Ravens came out on top, but the Washington Commanders fought very well and played a hard-fought game to be proud of themselves. Even the sports commentators said the same thing, that their gameplay was hard fought and that they should return to the locker rooms with their heads held high for playing a very competitive game of football. Probably that game was a good look into Washinton...

 For context, I train and coach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Centreville BJJ, and we are part of an affiliation called Big Brothers. There are about 10 plus BJJ schools in the DMV area that are affiliated with Big Brothers and a new school recently opened up in Fairfax called Cascades. The new gym owner is one of my old former coaches who taught me BJJ at Centreville BJJ and earned his black belt last year. The funny story is that both my gym and his new gym are held inside Tae Kwon Do schools. Both of our schools are Tae Kwon Do schools full-time, and BJJ schools part-time, mostly in the evenings. It was a great experience to cross-train with everyone who I don't normally spar with on a normal basis, and see most of the affiliates from multiple schools show up to support. As well as friends that I have made along the way who are not a part of the Big Brothers affiliation, who train at other schools and enjoy the opportunity to experience what is taught at each and every separate school....

     My Washington Commanders are starting to give me hope after today's game against the Browns on a 4 straight win streak. Granted, I know the Browns aren't a solid team, to begin with, but seeing today's game where the Washington team can capitalize after the unfortunate events of dealing with turnovers gives me hope that the team can keep their cool and stay level-headed when put in tough situations. Last week's game against the Cincinnati Bengals especially gave me a higher sense of morale because many sports broadcasters and analysts predicted that the Bengals would win over the Washington Commanders. Seeing that game, and how Jayden Daniel outplayed the other Heisman winner, Joe Burrow, gave me a great sense of competitiveness for the Washington Commanders. I understand some of the sports broadcaster's reasoning for picking the Bengals over Washington such as, Jayden is a rookie, and he is still in his rookie season while Jor Burrow is a seasoned veteran who ...