Poems About Sports

Poetry is such a beautiful and emotional thing. Poems about sports has always fascinated me endlessly. Each of these poems are about several different sports and paint such fabulous pictures, regardless of whether or not you like the sports, you can’t help but respect the poems. So without further ado, here are some of my favorites about sports.

1. A Boy Juggling A Soccer Ball

This poem has such gorgeous and descriptive imagery while describing this seemingly simplistic event. It’s just a boy juggling a soccer ball, nothing outrageously interesting, but the language used turns it into something much more respectable and fantastic.

2. Slam, Dunk, and Hook

I love this poem because it makes a game of pickup basketball about so much more than just that. It uses great descriptive language that captures the fun that can come from just playing a simple game of basketball with your best friends, while you go through events in your personal events at the same time. It makes me want to get my friends together and just play the game and make memories.

3. Fast Break

“A hook shot kisses the rim and hangs there, helplessly, but doesn’t drop,” I love this line because it really puts us in the shoes of somebody playing the game of basketball, in the present tense. We can feel all of the sights and sounds around the boy. Poetry is really a beautiful thing because it takes the most simple words and spins it into something more complicated and striking.

4. The Seventh Inning

This is a very long poem and reads more like a story. But it holds up as a poem due to the structure. I love how the story flows in such a unique way that makes it all the more memorable. It’s filled with words, I typically enjoy poems that are much shorter than this one is. But something about this poem still makes it work and stick out in my mind as being one of the better sports poems.

5. Casey At The Bat

Could I really talk about famous sports poem and leave this one off? It’s by far the most famous poem on the subject and it’s become a type of pop culture phenomenon. There’s an interesting cast of characters that fill the lines of this incredible poem. It also takes you through many different emotions. It’s odd how easily he’s able to get you emotionally invested and just caught up in the story. Basically, the question most fitting for me to ask is, who doesn’t love this one?

The Less Popular Sports

There are several sports that I really haven’t touched on yet this month. Unfortunately, there’s 30 days in April and there’s many many sports that I could talk about. However, I didn’t really want to talk about sports that I don’t know much about. So I just stuck to what I know the best which isn’t exactly a lot of different sports, just the main ones. I thought it’d be best to at least acknowledge these sports.

1. Hockey

I think hockey is a really awesome sport. It’s one that definitely doesn’t get enough credit. I mean, what other sport has so much physical action? Basketball, football, and baseball don’t have the type of physical contact and the fouls are hardly ever called. Like one hockey player once said, hockey gives you a free nose job. Hockey does have it’s pretty big stars but only a few of them, much less than the main sports I’ve already mentioned frequently this month. But here is my much too short talk about hockey. I’m sorry I couldn’t talk about it longer, I’d just sound uneducated on the sport (because I am) so I’ll stop here!

2. Soccer

One of the biggest sports in the world. It has a much bigger appreciation and following in other countries but I think it’s sort of catching on in the United States. The World Cup had such a high rating when it was on this summer. Pretty much everybody was suddenly a huge soccer fan but not so many people care during the actual season, but that’s typically how it goes. A lot of the most popular players aren’t actually American, but again, the World Cup gave some American soccer players attention like they’ve never seen before. Outside of the World Cup, there really isn’t much to say about the sport. I think the clubs and how they organize the teams can be a little more complicated than what I’d like for it to be. But it does deserve it’s special shout out since there are so many people who play the sport and also love watching it!

3. Swimming

I love swimming for fun but it was never something that I was good enough to do as a sport. I think it can be a really fun sport to watch, especially during the Olympics. There’s also several different popular athletes I can name off the top of my head: Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Mark Spitz, etc. Okay, let’s be honest, Michael Phelps is easily the most popular but Ryan Lochte is pretty up there too. Lochte is most famous for his attitude and vibrant outspoken personality. Phelps is most famous for his incredible swimming and his weed smoking. There are also many talented women swimmers who deserve some recognition as well. Both men and women swimming teams were absolutely dominant for the United States in the Olympics back in 2014. It was a really fun time to watch and I can’t wait for 2018 for the next one.

Rookie Playlists Over Everything

It’s safe to say that I’m running short on inspiration. I can’t think of much to think about which is really frustrating because I want to post everyday, but I also don’t want to post anything that I don’t really care about. So this is where I’m currently at. I’ve decided that the best solution to this problem is to shout out one thing in particular that has managed to inspire me.

As most of you should know by now, I’m a big fan of Rookie Mag. I’ve been introduced to so many new bands and artists because of them. It’s also safe to say that every Friday, the online magazine releases a playlist that is always worth the listen. They manage to mix a variety of different genres as they capture a playlist that centers around a particular theme. It’s truly inspiring to me and I just want to bring it to everyone’s attention in case you haven’t heard of it!

While I’m at it, I might as well do my best to point you towards some of the best playlists on the website. This most recent playlist is all garage rock songs that are all about appreciating who you are. Everyone needs to hear a playlist like this. It’s already become my go to.

This playlist holds nothing back and brings on the feels with artists like Fiona Apple, FKA Twigs, Kate Bush, and Nicki Minaj. Need I say more?

As the description says, “Listen to this mix when you’re looking for a place to go and nowhere seems to fit.”

Rookie’s Hanging With playlists are always the best but the one about Rayanne Graff and Angela Chase remains as my favorite.

I think I’ve included enough playlists to get you on the ground with what Rookie is all about! While you’re listening to the mixes, you might as well look around the website as well. You may find yourself getting sucked in to this world and beautiful music just like I did.

Celebrities Who Went To College

It’s true that a lot of celebrities skipped getting a degree and went straight to college. Some became actresses and actors then later pursued college. Regardless of when they did it, these are all famous people that you don’t know because of their brains but they’ve certainly proved their smarts!

Natalie Portman

This stunning actress has brains too! She went to Harvard and got her degree in psychology. She also speaks many different languages like: Hebrew, French, Arabic, German, Japanese, and obviously English. She’s proved that being smart and learning things just because can be beneficial to you in the future!

James Franco

This actor has basically studied everywhere at this point. He obviously can’t get enough of education which isn’t a bad thing at all. He first started off studying at UCLA. After becoming an actor for awhile, he decided he wanted to attend graduate school so he did so in New York. I’m not going to mention all the schools he attended for graduate school since there’s like three rather wordy names. But basically, he’s currently getting his PhD at Yale University.

Conan O’Brien

The funny comedian graduated from Harvard University.

Edward Norton

This actor went to Yale University where he was a competitive rower. He also managed to act in the university productions alongside fellow actors Ron Livingston and Paul Giamatti. Norton ended up graduating in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in History.

Meryl Streep

This actress who’s been nominated for more Oscars than anyone else is also extremely educated. She went to Vassar College then Yale School of Drama.

Rivers Cuomo

The Weezer lead singer went to Harvard after Weezer’s debut album reached commercial success. He ended up attending class off and on from 1995 to 2006. He ended up graduating Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English.

Emma Watson

The Harry Potter star was obviously young when the film’s were made. She decided to go after a degree. Watson began attending Brown University in 2009. She took a little hiatus to go back to acting but she’s apparently back at the school and set to graduate this year!

How To Dress Like Ariana Grande

Here is an article that I wrote for Teen Scene about how to dress like one of my big fashion icons Ariana Grande! I think the girl is straight up gorgeous. I love her hair and just her style in general. She always looks extremely classy and she knows how to accessorize. I could even update this more, let’s just talk about how fabulous she looked at the Grammy’s?! It’s crazy to see how far she’s come since her Broadway days! But anyway, here is a link to the article which I hope you enjoy reading!

Best Podcasts

Podcasts are pretty much the big thing right now. Here are some of the ones that are really worth listening to. There’s thousands of podcasts but these are the ones in particular that are important and awesome. Check them out!

Fresh Air is the first podcast that I ever really listened to. I remember being in the sixth grade listening to Terry Gross interview Dave Grohl about the new Foo Fighters album. That was also my introduction to Nirvana. Grohl told stories about his experiences as a drummer for the band and stories about the late Kurt Cobain. It was cool to listen to and has stuck with me for a long time now. I continue listening to this podcast because the guests are always so popular and the interviews always feel really genuine and they aren’t ever boring.

Invibilia is a podcast from NPR that’s actually pretty recent. They’ve completed their first season and it wasn’t nearly as long as I hoped it would be. However, every episode taught me about things I never have previously thought about. Every story told on this podcast is just as interesting as the last. Prepare to be enchanted with all the information this podcast provides listeners with.

This is easily my favorite music podcast. I love All Songs Considered but I feel like this choice is under the radar and should be recognized. Each episode revolves around some kind of aspect to music. They only talk about topics they feel that no one else is. They uncover things about songs that were written in a dream to political songs to backing tracks. The episodes are fairly short so it’s easy to listen to a bunch of them at once in order to catch up.

I couldn’t leave Serial off a post about the best podcasts. Serial is obviously the most downloaded podcast of all time for a reason. The first season of this storytelling podcast is about the true story of Adnan Syed who was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend in 2000. He was sentenced to life in prison but a family friend of his contacted Sarah Koenig about looking further into the case. Koenig discovered that there’s a lot of flaws in the case to convict Syed but if he didn’t do it then who did? The way the podcast is structured is one of it’s serious strengths. Each episode focuses on a different aspect in the case and it’s impossible to keep one opinion throughout the whole season. One episode you’ll be sure of Syed’s innocence then the next episode will make you sure that he’s guilty. If you love a good story, listen to Serial. You won’t regret it.

Criminal is a podcast kind of similar to Serial. However, the episodes are a lot shorter and it focuses on a different criminal case each episode. The stories are all incredible and compelling. The only problem is that there’s not more episodes available. You’re bound to get hooked on the episodes that are currently released.

Selected Shorts is a pretty great podcast. Each episode centers around one central theme. Then famous performers, actors, and actresses read these stories in front of a live audience. The short stories are always beautiful and some of them will be familiar to you but not all of them will be. The cool thing about selected shorts is getting to hear these stories come to life by such brilliant and hilarious performers.

I’m on a role with storytelling podcasts so why stop now? The thing different about this one from the other storytelling podcasts is that it’s true personal stories. These performers- some famous and some not, tell stories from their personal lives. It’s equally heartbreaking and heartwarming. One of my personal favorite episodes is the story actor Ethan Hawke tells. He talks about his mom’s ex husband Michael and how he was a secret influence in his life. It falls into the category of both heartbreaking and heartwarming because Hawke desperately craved for the attention of Michael and he was a straight up jerk. It makes a hilarious story though. Every episode of The Moth is different but the personal quality of it is always there.

My brother made me check out this podcast and I don’t regret it. It’s more than just mildly offensive. The podcast is a lot about sex but it talks a lot about what’s going on in the world. KFC is always up to date and it’s always absolutely hilarious. They also had a bunch of episodes dedicated to Serial because KFC was so obsessed with it. The opinions they had about Serial was laugh out loud funny and I recommend that be your introduction to the podcast.

 

Magazines to Read

Spring break can get a little busy, especially if you’re planning on hitting the beach or something like that. These suggestions are magazines that you should read while in a long car ride or on a plane. Whatever it may be, these suggestions obviously don’t require too much of your time. Anyone can make just a little bit of time for some magazine reading! Hey, who knows, if you love it you might even subscribe to the magazine so you’re able to read more and more of it!

This magazine always has the most famous celebrities on the cover. It also is filled with a lot of pictures and wise style and relationship advice. Glamour is starting to become more like Cosmo, it has a lot of really sexual tips. But I still recommend it because the fashion and general articles are still amazing. Plus getting a subscription to Glamour is so cheap and you won’t regret it!

W magazine is filled to the brim with stunning photographs. It always has such stunning photoshoots with the models and celebrities. It also is just an incredible fashion magazine and general magazine for women. It’s hard not to love these stories and pictures.

Hey, you gotta stay educated right? Time is the biggest news magazine out there. It has so many issues and always keeps you up to date on what’s going on in the world. If you like reading in-depth articles, this is the magazine for you. I find it so interesting because it informs you about facts you may not know about. Plus so much research is spent on these stories and you can’t help but respect that.

If you just really want to read about what’s going on in the movie and television world, look no further than EW. It’s filled with so many interesting celebrity interviews and general news. It always keeps me updated on what’s going on in the entertainment world and that’s always fun to read about. It’s not too heavy but it’s always entertaining and what more can you ask for during your break?

The New Yorker is definitely my personal favorite “literary” magazine. I included the quote marks because that’s not really what it is. It talks about everything and so many different topics. The New Yorker has pretty much everything stacked inside the magazine. It’s filled with pieces from some of the greatest writers. It also has detailed profiles on certain popular celebrities and it’s news stories are always on issues that are ongoing.

Despite the fact that the swimsuit cover is the most popular issue, Sports Illustrated actually has some really cool stories about sports. It keeps up with what sports on going on when. If you’re a fan of sports, this is obviously the top magazine. It profiles all the best and most popular athletes, both current and old. The stories are really in-depth looks and you can always count on them to be extremely well written.

Best Education Quotes

Quotes have always been my favorite. These quotes on the topic of education from some of the worlds greatest leaders and educators are all extremely important. Hope you like them as much as I do!

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”- Nelson Mandela

“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”- Mark Twain

“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”- Robert Frost

“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.”- Margaret Mead

“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”- Malcolm X

“Intelligence plus character- that is the goal of true education.”- Martin Luther King Jr.

“A quality education has the power to transform societies in a single generation, provide children with the protection they need from the hazards of poverty, labor exploitation and disease, and given them the knowledge, skills, and confidence to reach their full potential.”- Audrey Hepburn

“Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation.”- John F. Kennedy

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”- Aristotle

“The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.”- B.B. King

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”- Henry Ford

“The secret in education lies in respecting the student.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”- Albert Einstein

“Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.” – Plato

“You can never be overdressed or overeducated.”- Oscar Wilde

 

Birdman Review

Birdman is a weird yet brilliant film starring Michael Keaton, who is most famous for playing Batman. In this role, he plays Riggan Thomson, a washed-up actor who played the superhero Birdman in the popular franchise decades earlier. He attempts to make a comeback by acting on Broadway.

A lot of this film deals with Riggan being haunted by the role he previously played. Literally, he hears the voice of Birdman and it even follows him around. He also has magic powers and can fly which is definitely the weird thing about the movie.

However, it’s directing is really great and there isn’t a bad acting performance in the movie. Emma Stone shines as Riggan’s daughter who just got out of rehab and is now acting as his personal assistant. She resents her dad for missing out on most of her life and holds it over his head every chance she gets. This is one of the best performances I’ve seen from the Hollywood star.

As far as Oscars go, Boyhood started winning Best Picture awards early on in the award season. But Birdman hasn’t been counted out just yet. It’s pretty clear that the race is between Boyhood and Birdman to take the top award. Personally, I think Boyhood should win the award for reasons SMJ already talked about. The movie is easy to relate to and Birdman is only something that a specific group of people- those in show business can relate to.

Edward Norton has a memorable performance as an experienced Broadway actor Mike Shiner, who fills in for an actor that gets injured just days before the show opens for previews. Mike causes Riggan more harm than good. The two constantly clash and don’t agree on really anything. The tension between them creates an interesting but small part of this complicated plot.

There’s some dark moments of the film. Such as, the times when Riggan constantly battles with the fact that he wasn’t there for his wife and daughter. The movie is actually depressing at times. I heard that it was a comedy but I didn’t expect it to be so dark. The funny moments are brief but also memorable.

In my opinion, the best scene comes towards the end of the film. You’ll have to watch it, but I’ll give just a little hint. Basically, let’s just say that Michael Keaton’s character ends up running around Times Square in nothing but his pair of briefs. The moments in the show that go horribly wrong are when the movie finds it’s funny moments.

All in all, the movie is unique and I’ve never seen a movie quite like it. It’s also one of those movies where so much happens that you have to watch it back a second time just to catch everything. Whether or not it wins Best Picture, Best Actor, or any of the other Oscars it’s nominated for, this is still a movie worth watching. Did any of you see Birdman? Do you think that Michael Keaton played too much like Batman in this role? Let me know your thoughts!

Call For Submissions

Hey lovely people!
Thank you for reading my blog. Whether it’s your first visit or your tenth, I hope you enjoy what I have to say here. My mission is simply to share my love and passion for pop culture, movies, music, and books with anyone who will read it. I’m looking for submissions for the month of March. The theme is going to be loss including: loss of loved one, pet, friends, self, and whatever else you can come up with! I decided to make this my theme because recently, my grandpa passed away. He was the nicest guy I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to have in my life at all. I’m going to continue missing him and I felt like I should write about this experience and share books, movies, and TV shows I love that explores the different kinds of loss. I want to hear your stories about loss because I’m just one person and so it’ll become repetitive if I keep sharing my own wrestle with loss. It would mean the world to me if you emailed your stories about loss. If you’d rather not send anything personal that’s okay, I’ll take any pop culture recommendations on the topic or whatever else you can come up with! There’s no particular guidelines or word count, just send me anything and everything. Send ideas or completed stories to geigergirl96@gmail.com
Thank you so much!
Rachel