Katie Davidson, Marketing Coordinator
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I’m done with One and Done.
May 13, 2008 :: Katie Davidson :: 0 CommentsAt this point, OJ Mayo cannot be held responsible for what happened in his nine months at USC. Everyone involved made terrible decisions but no involved parties can be blamed. BDA Sports crossed the line doing what people in business development do every day: putting their best foot forward, loading the pipeline. It's bad business not to chase a 9th grade kid with talent like Mayo's.USC has got itself into a world of trouble but is also not to blame completely. They let the same thing happen with Reggie Bush. Mike Garrett should be fired, but for the simple fact that he had Mayo on the team but still got beat by Kansas State in the first round of the Tourney. Garrett knew exactly what was happening with Mayo and Guillory, but had no reason to do anything but let Mr. Mayo play the way he wanted.
So, who holds the bag for Rodney Guillory showering Mayo with expensive gifts, money, clothes and food? Who else but the NCAA themselves? They made rules that were supposed to help college sports but did not enforce them. Now they scratch their heads wondering why players and coaches broke the rules.
The NCAA is about to launch a multi-million dollar investigation into what exactly happened between Guillory, Mayo, BDA Sports and USC. Let me save them some money: Do away the rules or enforce them.
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My Freshman 15
Feb 18, 2008 :: Katie Davidson :: 1 CommentsWe’re two weeks out from the most invigorating, unpredictable and emotional month of the year in college sports. Dick Vitale lives for this stuff. It’s March Madness, baby! It all comes down to the Sweet 16, the Final Four and the National Championship. This year, it’s the freshman class with most on the line – surrounded by huge hype and NBA dreams. Who will we watch next year as sophomores, and who will we watch live their dreams in the NBA draft? Here’s my ‘who’s who’ of the 2008 SuperFreshmen you need to be watching right now:
1. OJ Mayo (USC): Recruited himself into the toughest conference in the nation and isn’t disappointing. Scored 19 points against Memphis and Derrick Rose, absolutely no small feat. His YouTube highlights bring more hits than the videos of Britney headed to Starbucks.
2,3. Douglas Roberts/Derrick Rose (Memphis): With Rose currently out with a small sprain, this weekend we got to see more of the impressive depth Memphis can bring. Rose and Roberts are the top players for the most promising team in the nation. C-USA is likely to send only one team to the Big Dance and Memphis is my pick to win it all.
4. Eric Gordon (Indiana): Memphis is blazing the path while Indiana is hot on the trail. You don’t go 23-4 without a smart and powerful guard like Gordon. He has shown amazing versatility putting points on the board. I bet he’s coaching the Hoosiers after Kelvin Sampson gets fired.
5. D.J. White (Indiana): White and Gordon are the Tom Brady and Randy Moss of college basketball. White is unstoppable on the floor averaging 19 minutes a game. He’s also second in the Big Ten in scoring (teammate Gordon is first).
6. Michael Beasley (Kansas State): I’m renaming this guy Beastly. He could be my entire list. The number 1 high school recruit. Big 12’s Rookie of the Week, twice. The left-hander scores double-doubles in almost every game. Watch him while you can now, he’ll be playing in the pro’s next year.
7. Kevin Love (UCLA): Cousin to a Beach Boy and son to a former NBA star. By the way, he’s also an amazing center, often scoring when double-teamed. At 6-5, 260, he finds ways to put up points no matter what.
8. Kyle Singler (Duke): I’m not jumping on any Singler or Duke bandwagon, but he’s a top NBA recruit.
9. James Harden (Arizona State): Herb Sendek’s mantra should be, ‘Doing well is the best revenge’. He’s coaching a great game this year - the Sun Devils have amazing potential and some remarkable recruits. Harden averages 10 points a game, watch for him to be huge in coming years.
10. Jerryd Bayless (Arizona): After sitting out a few games early in the season with a knee injury, Bayless is now back averaging 34 minutes per game, and 20 points per game. He plays an aggressive game and can score in clutch moments.
11. Davon Jefferson (USC): A North Carolina native, he could prove to have academic issues. Jefferson will likely develop into an amazing forward, but look for him to get more minutes on the floor once Mayo’s gone pro next year.
12. DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh): Plays hard, gets rebounds. Also gets into foul trouble. But I’m all about anyone who brings a win over the Blue Devils.
13. A.J. Ogilvy (Vanderbilt): At 6-10, 250, he holds a strong physical presence in all games for Vandy. He’s the number 2 scorer in the SEC behind teammate Shan Foster. My prediction: Vanderbilt is this year’s ringer in the NCAA Tourney.
14. Nick Calathes (Florida): I have to throw a Florida player in the mix. The defending champs freshie player is poised beyond his years. He has a great jumper but can also penetrate inside.
15. JJ Hickson (NCSU): I’m not happy with the talent Sidney Lowe’s been able to bring to N.C. State this year, but Hickson could be the start to change my opinion. I’m impressed at the fierce athletic ability he’s brought to the Wolfpack. He definitely needs work but I think we’ll see him starting more in upcoming games.
Disclaimer: Although I know my ABC’s (Anyone But Carolina), I am not a professional sports analyst.
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Going Green Gives a Little Extra This Holiday Season
Dec 3, 2007 :: Katie Davidson :: 1 CommentsAs we gear up for another bustling gift-giving season, I’m mindful more than ever of the presentation of my gifts. I don’t mean how to make my gold bows more Martha-like. I’m thinking of how my beautifully wrapped presents are killing our environment. According to the National Retail Federation, trash from gift wrap and shopping bags totals about 4 million tons annually. And each year between Thanksgiving and New Year's, Americans increase their trash by approximately 25 percent, or an extra million tons per week. And paper accounts for more than 40 percent of what's in a typical landfill .
As the current green movement rolls on, people are looking for what they can do to stop pollution, clear out the landfills and save the planet. But there is no magical answer or one single button that can be pushed. When it comes to sustainability, what will truly make a difference are the little things individuals and companies do.
I’ve begun to notice changes around the Capstrat office. Our internal group, the Capstrat Green Committee, drives these changes. Developing innovative ideas for our environmental practices, they’ve turned Capstrat employees into green ambassadors. For example, we now use stainless silverware instead of disposable utensils and coffee stirrers and don’t supply paper cups at the water cooler. While employees gulp down the 25 cent sodas from the drink machine, Capstrat has provided us two extra recycling bins for cans. We have hosted events using sustainable caterers. We strongly encourage others not to print emails. We have switched over to paper-less meetings and defaulted all computers to double-sided printing. We’ve given everyone cardboard boxes to recycle paper at their desks. We take this paper and make notebooks for staff.
We push each other to be as green and eco-friendly as possible. Capstrat has a chance to make a difference with 80 people, and we’re not wasting that opportunity. Think of ways you and your office can be more sustainable this holiday season. For example, instead of traditional holiday cards, send out e-greetings.
One obvious personal solution is to not wrap any presents at all. Even my grandmother has caught the green bug. In recent years, I’ve gotten my ever-reliable pairs of socks wrapped in re-used gift bags, covered in recycled tissue. This could mean she’s finally run out of the wrapping paper I sold her in grade school. But, I hope it’s because she’s more aware of helping the environment.
This holiday season, keep an eye out for the little ways you can alter your routine, and wrap your presents in meaning. Try wrapping Granny’s new set of towels in your old Victoria’s Secret catalogues, and tell her you made a donation to the planet in her name. She’ll understand.
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