Why Golfers Are the Best Athletes to Follow on Social Media (And It Isn't Even Close)...

None of these pictures are my own.

In an age where connectivity rules the world, we all seek to gain an inside look into our favorite celebrities, athletes and political figures in any way possible. Oftentimes, this results in us following or liking the pages of these figures in hopes of being able to tap into not only a behind the scenes look into their daily lives, but basically following them on a daily basis to see how they live (consequentially, allowing us to live vicariously through them).

That being said, as I currently settle in to watch approximately 10 hours of Honda Classic coverage mixed with a few laps of the Daytona 500, I got to thinking about who the best "follow" is on social media in the world of professional sports. There is no doubt that the most controversial and sometimes downright stupid follows via social media come from the NFL or the NBA. If you're a fan of either sport and enjoy following your favorite players on Twitter, Instagram, etc. you will notice that it can be cluttered with feuds or "Twitter wars", example currently being Shaq "The Diesel" vs. JaVale McGee. Not entirely sure what sparked this war, but I've enjoyed watching Shaq call JaVale a "punk bitch" on a regular basis.

Anyways, I'm not interested in hearing about athletes political views especially since we get enough of that on the once-popular sports highlight show (now turned talk show) SportsCenter, but I'm more interested in getting a glimpse into the daily lives of my idols and seeing how they spend their free time when they're away from the rink, course or field. In my own (correct) opinion, no group of athletes allow for this inside look than the pros on the PGA Tour, and here are three examples of why:

1. The Spring Break 2k16 Crew (Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Smylie Kaufman and Justin Thomas)

I've been a fan of golf my whole life, and as a recently turned 28 year old, I've grown up watching Tiger, Phil and others dominate the game for a long time. While Phil can still put asses in the seats, however, there has been a group of golfers over the past five or so years who have taken the game by absolute storm. Gone are the days of the "old boys club" mentality, especially when you have a tattooed Rickie Fowler, iron man of Rory McIlroy and a straight up mad man in Patrick Reed hooting and hollering on golf courses all around the world. 

 

I can't recall a time where a spring break has been more documented than last year's spring break trip to Baker's Bay in the Bahamas, featuring the group mentioned above. This is why golfers are such an awesome follow on social media, is because of the content these guys produced. The medium used for this trip was primarily SnapChat, of course you'd have to be a follower of these guys to catch a glimpse of what they were doing. While there was some golf involved, I was a particular fan of the bridge jumping, along with the various jerseys being rocked by Smylie throughout the week. Take a glimpse for yourself here.

2. Dustin (and Paulina) Johnson

If you're married to hockey royalty like the reigning POY in 2016 is, chances are your life is going to be heavily documented, and not just because your wife is one of the most attractive people on earth. Everyone loves a comeback story, and Dustin Johnson is living proof of this characterization, dealing with heavy drug problems in years past only to find himself on an absolute tear and coming off his first win of 2017 last week at the Genesis Open in LA. Although DJ doesn't post  very often to his Instagram page, Paulina seems to carry the slack for both of them (and now, as of last week, is carrying more than just slack after announcing the couple's second child is on the way!) Congrats to these two, and keep the wins (and pictures) coming. 

3. Bubba Watson

Although Bubba gets a bad rap for being one of the most disliked players on the PGA Tour, you can't help but die laughing at his many ventures (somewhat) off the course. From his famous hover craft to his recently created jetpack, there is no shortage of content produced by Bubba. Keep it up big man! 

2017 Problems: How Long is Too Long When It Comes to Online Shipping?

Bloomberg - Wal-Mart Stores is scrapping its ShippingPass program, which struggled to compete with Amazon.com’s Prime, opting instead for a two-day shipping model that doesn’t have annual membership fees.

Subscribers of ShippingPass, which had offered two-day delivery for a $49 membership, will receive refunds as the service is eliminated, Wal-Mart said in a statement. The new approach – rolled out Tuesday morning – offers the same shipping speed for free to anyone who makes a minimum purchase.

It comes as no surprise that we are in the prime (pun not intended) of the e-commerce boom, in which shoppers of all ages are turning to the internet for their shopping needs. Gone are the days where customers are simply shopping for gifts, clothes or electronics online, but are now turning to the web to shop for everyday household items such as groceries, cleaning supplies and even their morning breakfast order of coffee and breakfast sandwiches (looking at you Seamless, which I'm pretty sure isn't yet available in Maine, which is super neat). In an age in which speed is the number one decider among consumers on where to shop, e-commerce giant Amazon has nonetheless been the leader in this industry for years upon years.

However, super commerce giant Wal-Mart announced Tuesday it is scrapping its customer membership program ShippingPass in which customers pay a yearly fee of $49 for two-day delivery and is simply going with two-day shipping on all orders over $35 with no annual fee. In fact, I had no idea Wal-Mart even had a shipping loyalty program so this is certainly news to me, but if we're talking about shipping speed and total cost, this is certainly a smart move to compete with the illustrious and incredibly convenient Amazon Prime. Wal-Mart by no means is nipping at the heels of Amazon, especially with total sales generating only (only, ha) $4 billion in 2015 compared to over $100 billion from Amazon during the same period. Regardless, this is a very strong step to make the e-commerce arena more competitive especially with Wal-Marts low prices in their back pocket.

All this being said, I watched a local news segment last night which featured a woman who purchases something online every single day. How does this happen? What do you possibly need to buy on a daily basis? She further explained how she shops for all things clothes, food, the works and with her rather large family she doesn't have the time to shop at traditional stores. She was also asked the question of "how long is too long" to wait for online shipping. In coordination with Wal-Mart's announcement yesterday, she said if it takes three days to ship then it's too long.

THREE DAYS? THREE DAYS IS TOO LONG? This is what I'm talking about with speed being a key decider on where people are going to shop. I have friends who have waited a solid month for a replica hockey or football jersey shipping from China and had no complaints whatsoever (probably because they paid about $50 for a supposedly authentic jersey which I suppose is worth it). It will certainly be interesting to see these types of trends among other online retailers and how things will play out in the near future, because shoppers today are so infatuated with speed and instantaneous service. It seems rather ironic that the woman mentioned above shops online daily for groceries to be shipped in two days from the comfort of her own home, but somehow can't spend an hour at the local Hannaford's? Whatever works, I guess. 


http://www.pressherald.com/2017/01/31/wal-mart-shipping-program-sent-packing-after-8-months/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/266282/annual-net-revenue-of-amazoncom/

Least Surprising News of All-Time: Millions Call Out Sick After Super Bowl Sunday...

The maker of Heinz ketchup has proposed making the Monday after the Super Bowl a national holiday. Altruistic though it may seem, the company is almost certainly hoping that the campaign will inspire football fans to bring on the post-game food comas with the help of its stable of products.

Aiming to appeal to people’s sense of both productivity and patriotism, Heinz cited a statistic that more than 16 million people call in sick or simply don’t go to the work the day after the Super Bowl, leading to an annual loss of $1 billion.

Kind of goes without saying that the Monday following the Super Bowl is the most called-out day in the United States. Whether or not your favorite team is participating in the big ole game, no one wants to drag their asses to the office after quaffing pizza rolls and Timmy's girlfriends world famous buffalo chicken dip. By the way, is there a more overrated and cliche food to bring to a football game than buffalo chicken dip. I feel like no one eats the dip, but rather argue as to who's is better, cheesier, thicker, whatever. Bottomline, it's sent me straight to the toilet on numerous, painful occasions and I have since learned to stay away from the stuff.

Nevertheless, Heinz's effort to make "Smunday" (stupid ass name) a national holiday is a solid idea and it got me thinking about other days I enjoy calling out of work for. Those who know me know I'm no stranger to taking an old fashioned mental health day (or 20), but I can't help but think of a handful of days where I have zero motivation, which isn't saying much in comparison to other days.

First day that comes to mind is the day after Thanksgiving. If you're lucky enough to already have that day off then congratulations to you. I've been fortunate to work for companies' who offer black Friday as a paid holiday and couldn't imagine having to stare at a computer all day with half a blueberry pie still in my stomach...I'd much rather do that at home while watching Home Improvement reruns.

Next day that comes to mind is any Friday during the summer. Yes I know what you're thinking: "hey Brian, you can't call out sick every Friday in the summer!" You wanna bet?


Third date which brings zero motivation and desire to sit in an office is the 5th of July, or 6th of July if the 4th falls on a weekend... Make sense? Again, if you get lucky and the 4th falls on a weekend chances are you'd have the 5th off already, then that leaves the 6th of July. Hell that whole week should be paid time off. It's only American.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/288409

How is My Inauguration Friday Going?

January 20, 2017: The date millions have had circles on their calendars for months. Regardless of belief and opinion, this is truly a date which will change our lives forever. One thing we can take solace in, is the realization that we are American, we live in a democratic society and have the freedom we have because of our men and women sacrificing their lives each and every day.

That being said, let me give you a little insight into how my day is going on this Inauguration Friday:

8:29am: I arrive 31 minutes early for work on a rather balmy Friday in January, only to find an empty office in which I don't have a key, so I wait around for eight minutes for someone to let me in. After said eight minutes, I figure I'll take a walk and enjoy some of this air.

8:38am: I walk outside to find a parking ticket on my windshield with the parking ENFORCER parked next to my car ready to pull away. I look at the time the ticket was written: 8:34am. Are you shitting me? The (female) parking enforcer rolls her windows down after I demand her to, telling me I've parked in a handicap spot. I plead my case, say I had to unlock my office for my co-workers and I am about to move my car, only to no avail. $200, yes $2fucking00 down the drain. Should I contest? My sources tell me it's not worth it...which isn't reassuring.

11:15am: Flip on the live coverage of the Inauguration on Facebook live, mostly for a glimpse into the facial reactions of the Trump’s, Obama’s and Clinton’s. I remember watching live in 2008 when Barry was being sworn into office and remember how excited I was. Today, however, I’m nervous.

12:01pm: I bite into a stale Dunkin Donuts munchkin.

1:00pm: I realize people are probably having a better day than I am. Oh well, can only go up from here. A new era indeed.

Second (Assist) Opinion: Five Songs Guaranteed to Bring You Back to Your High School Days

There are fewer things in life that instantly bring a smile to my face than hearing a jam that takes my mind back to the days of high school, or, more specifically, any point in time between 2001-2007. Ask any one of my closest friends and they will tell you this period of time was not only my prime in terms of looks and athleticism, but also the golden age in music and will remember these songs forever. Didn't matter what type of music was playing on our car stereos (or actual stereo system for that matter), simply because we didn't know any better. Hearing a song that came out during that time period today brings a sense of nostalgia that is unrivaled to any other feeling and will most-likely drive myself down a rabbit hole of YouTubing similar songs I used to blare in my 2001 Toyota Camry. Here is where productivity suffers...

That being said, I decided to release my list of top-five songs that will instantly bring my mind back to the worry-free days of high school, when life's most important responsibilities included not being late to the bus leaving for hockey practice and figuring out where to get beer for the upcoming weekend. Since all my buddies and I listened to was punk/alternative rock (ie. Senses Fail, Brand New, etc.) this list is heavily of this genre, no disrespect to Ludacris, Petey Pablo, Lil Jon and others. Whether you agree or disagree (and if you watched FUSE every morning before school like I did, you will probably agree), I guarantee you'll go searching for some old burned CD's:

Honorable Mention: Buried A Lie - Senses Fail

All I can say about Senses Fail is what the hell happened to these guys? When the Taste of Chaos tour came to Portland back in 2006 you couldn't find an extra ticket anywhere (except in the pockets of the Scarborough High School hockey team because we had a game that night). If I need an instant pick me up or playlist to accompany me at the gym, Senses Fail was featured 99% of the time. Was a major fan of their first two CD's but have zero interest in anything they've put out since.

5. Until the Day I Die - Story of the Year

Fuse, Fuse, Fuse. I can't tell you how many times I've watched this music video before school on the Fuse network. By the way, each view of this video was completely voluntary. Why? I'll tell you why: that dude's guitar flip at the end of the video. You know how difficult it is to do an air-guitar flip without looking like a moron? I mean, I pulled it off, but still...

4. A Decade Under the Influence - Taking Back Sunday

Ah yes, the ultimate sing-a-long song on repeat while driving to school. I say this because this was an every day occurence sophomore year and still brings so much nostalgia and good vibes whenever it gets played. Had the opportunity to hear this live on a few occasions and this is a true jam that I am convinced will never get old.

3. Ohio is for Lovers - Hawthorne Heights

The biggest screamo jam there ever was. Enough said.

2. The Taste of Ink - The Used

A lyrical masterpiece, if I do say so myself. I can't tell you how many times the opening line "Is it worth it, can you even hear me?" has been shouted throughout the locker room or inside my best friend's 1990 Volvo station wagon.

1. Seventy Times 7- Brand New

Brand New will forever have a special place in my heart as the number one band that brings me back to my high school days, with this track leading the way 100% of the time. Like TBS, I had the privilege of attending a few Brand New concerts and nothing gets the crowd going like ole Seventy Times 7.