Reading list: What I've been working on
In case you missed it, here's what I've been doing lately
I’ve been noticing an inconsistency in the way readers and viewers have been interacting with my work on social media. Sometimes the posts get a lot of interaction. At other times, it’s pretty quiet.
I’m sure someone can explain the algorithm to me and account for some of the inconsistency but I’m going to do an end around and include a periodic update here on my substack to keep you updated with what’s been going on.
Basically, a recurring In Case You Missed it.
So here goes:
Before the combine, I wrote about the Jaguars needs for Jacksonville Today.
As it turned out, the needs become even more apparent after Monday’s cuts. The Jaguars cleared out salary cap space. Despite that, they were unable to get a long-term deal done with Josh Allen. I wrote about the impact for FloridaPolitics.com. Feel free to scroll down to find my writing but there are also some good pieces on
In the coming weeks, I’ll be writing more about what the Jaguars need to address in free agency which begins March 13. I’ll also be conducting some mock drafts to see who the Jaguars could have to choose from with the 17th pick of the first round.
As of right now, I would be shocked if the Jaguars first three picks were something other than cornerback, wide receiver and defensive line. Of course, that could change over the course of the next seven weeks.
Every year, one of the events I enjoy calling is the Gate River Run. This year, the experience was a little different for me. Instead of it being part of my ongoing job with Channel 4, I was asked to come back and broadcast the race. It is a big lift. Preparing for all of the elite athletes and the top local athletes demands a massive amount of preparation. It’s usually something in the neighborhood of 30 hours of work to prepare for the two-and-a-half-hour broadcast.
Working with 1996 US Olympic marathoner Keith Brantly is always a joy. He is still involved with USA Track & Field and was an ambassador at the Olympic Marathon Trial in Orlando last month. He also coaches runners so his knowledge base is impressive.
This year, we were joined in studio by Kelsey Pontius. Kelsey is a local runner who competed in her second U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February. She is also a certified sports dietician who works with some of the world’s best distance runners. Her insight into the race were terrific. If you missed the race, you can rewatch it here.
Sporting JAX
The rest of my week is taken up with my duties as the Director of Broadcasting and Digital Content with Sporting JAX, the group bringing pro men’s and women’s soccer to Jacksonville. There’s a lot of work to do before kicking off and some of that includes building a community via our digital channels. At some point, possibly soon, we’ll announce our broadcast partnerships and some exciting things that we will be able to bring you. Until then, we have a YouTube show and a podcast.
The Sporting JAX Report this week focused on the top goal scorers to watch as the USL Championship season gets set to kick off on Saturday.
On The Sporting Pod, Mauricio Ruiz and I discussed the impact of the new national TV deals for the USL and how it will impact Sporting JAX. We also discussed the impact of soccer documentaries on fandom.
The Sporting Pod is available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Amazon, and YouTube. If you are interested in following the teams’ progress, please subscribe.
Also, please join me at the USL Championship kickoff watch party Saturday at Island Wing Company in Bartram Market. RSVP here (details below):
That about covers it. Thanks for reading to the end. As always, please share this post with anyone you think would enjoy my coverage. A special thanks to paid subscribers who help make it possible for me to continue my independent writing.