Response: Mike Sorenson's, Analysis of a celebrity endorsement"

Not only was this blog entertaining but it was controversial at the same time.I decided to respond to a post by Mike Sorenson discussing Tiger Woods' endorsement of Nike Golf. All of Tiger Wood's endorsers are put in a very interesting potion right now due to all of the controversy that is surrounding him. He is making headlines for himself for all of the wrong reasons which is putting his many endorsers in a very sticky situation. Do they keep Woods signed as being the face of their company? Or do they drop him? Does Nike really want to be perceived as accepting people who have affairs with multiple women?

After reading Mike's post i was found rather shocked. Although Tiger Woods is hands down the best golfer in the world, in no point in this post was his recent controversy brought up. Up until now Tiger had been a role model for almost any athlete. He seemed composed, professional, and determined which are all qualities that made him a perfect spokes person. Yes, Woods has made millions of dollars for a company such a Nike, but is this trend going to continue? Mike says, "Nike golf would be nothing without Tiger." I would have to disagree. Tiger has indeed made Nike Golf what it is today, but due to his mistakes i feel as though Tiger is actually hurting Nike Golf by representing their company. It is going to take a while to clear his reputation, but for now he is not someone that should be the face of a company.

Yes, his ads and commercials may be catchy but after all he has done i find it very hard to look at him the same way. I think it is foolish to say that Nike won't drop Tiger any time soon, because one of Tiger's other major endorsers, Gillette and Gatorade, dropped him immediately after the controversy. As Mike clearly focused on Wood's financial contributions to Nike, it would be interesting to see the numbers following the incident.

Let's Keep it Real

In Michael Pollan's, In Defense of Food, he discusses the importance of eating "real food." Today, the Western diet it filled with fortified, refined foods, which is taking the place of the food found naturally in our world. We are all victims of eating fake food at one time or another, and i feel though it is becoming especially worse now being a college student. Everyday i walk into Pops Club, the dining hall, and i look around and realize that nearly half of the items being served were frozen, processed, or fortified with nutrients in one way or another. With that being said, for some unknown reason i put these ungodly ingredients into my body without a care in the world.

Every summer my parents tend to overuse our grill outside of my house. Don't get my wrong, i love grilled meat and vegetables; but a girl needs some variety in her life. Corn on the cob is a staple for our family. We soak the corn in water for hours, and then finally grill it with the husk on. It is delicious to say the least. On the contrary, here at school i am stuck eating once scoop of previously canned "corn". I mean, it looks like corn and smells like corn, but the corn i find in my dish is no where near tasting like the corn straight off the cob. Anything that can sit on a shelf for years at a time really isn't something that we should be digesting.

Nutrient wise the corn on the cob is obviously the better choice. Although the caloric values are the same, the canned corn has a whopping 489mg a sodium per serving; whereas the corn on the cob has only 23mg. To add, the canned corn loses about a gram of dietary fiber. I can't wait until the summer, when i get to feast on corn straight off the cob each and every day.

In the article, Are You Filling Up On Real Food or Fake Food, by Dr. Leslie Can Romer she discusses what “fake” food really is and goes through all of the possible health problems that can be associated with consuming these foods. I completely agree with this article's argument against processed food and why organic food should be consumed instead. The only way to consume the vital nutrients you need is to eat food when as it is in it's natural state.

How to Hit a Forehand:Speech Evaluation

Let me just start off my saying that watching yourself on camera is one of the most awkward things in the world. I have become very accustomed to going over tapes of myself playing tennis; but watching myself give a speech is in a whole new ball game. As speech giving isn't necessarily my forte, i have obvious areas of improvement; but i have to say in general i wasn't half bad. The content of my speech was very informative and easy to follow. I clearly explained what the forehand is along with some very key concepts that one needs to know about the sport of tennis.

The physical presentation of the speech is where i need a little help. I tend to move around a lot; and my hands can't seem to stay still. The volume and enthusiasm of the speech was very good, considering i had lost my voice. I also seem to have a lot of energy when i am up there. (I don't know whether that is a good or bad thing) I could have looked up a little more, but in general i think i did a decent job of making eye contact with the audience. You could clearly tell i was nervous up there which is something i need to work on. Standing in one position the entire time and being confident is key. The speech picked up when i started to actually explain the steps to hit the forehand. I seemed more confident and used my visual aid (tennis racket) effectively. My racket did a great job of being my visual aid.

I would definitely choose to do a speech on my topic again. This would help me be a better coach for tennis when speaking in front of large groups, and there are many little things i could have added and changed to my speech. If i was to do it again i would go through common mistakes people tend to have while hitting the forehand. Also i would try and look more confident and relaxed while speaking. Wearing something more flattering might help too. Take a look and see for yourself.

Response to "Thoughts of Defense of Food."

In this post the author discusses the problems with the western diet, and our addiction to fast food. The idea that without the constant consumption of processed food and weekly dining at restaurants, our country wouldn't be spending millions of dollars taking care of our obese, heart disease stricken society. I agree with the fact that we should "...be eating tasteful things that we like and to enjoy with the people that are closest to us." After all it is during meal time that you recap with the people you love about anything interesting or exciting that has happened earlier in the day. Food is really one thing that everyone can enjoy. "The best food for your health is the most pleasurable food. " said Michael pollen.
He talks about our nations obsession with trying to eat "overly healthy." By taking out the fat and sugar of food you are unable to experience and appreciate how that food is meant to be; in its natural state. My mom always told me to never eat anything that her grandma wouldn't recognize as food. We should all go back to our roots and rediscover how to eat. This idea strongly agrees with that of Michal Pollen. If we began eating only foodstuffs that occur naturally in the world then the diseases of affluence would be non-existent. We are all suffering from our fast paced lifestyles, and the "I want it, and I want it NOW" attitude. Take time, relax, and enjoy that apple picked right from the tree.
I recently listened to a section on All Things Considered titled Rules for Eating. Michal Pollen was featured on it discussing his newest book called "Food Rules." Abiding by his general slogan, "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." He highlights a few of his rules stating that you shouldn't eat food that is pretending to be something its not, put candy on its pedestal as a treat, and eat plants (not food made in a plant).

Finally, a positive role model for young women.

Woman's magazines today are filled with page after page of waif-like, malnourished looking, female models. The expectations for young girls today to fit into this unrealistic mold is at its peak. I was nearly about to put down this months latest GLAMOUR magazine when i stumbled across a brilliant ad by Nike. Serena Williams is an outstanding athlete with hundreds of titles to prove it. Unlike many women on the WTA tour, Serena has a beautiful athletic body that she isn't afraid to flaunt. Despite her major melt down displayed at last years US Open, Serena is an excellent role model for all women. She is powerful, confident, and uncaring of what the lastest critique is about her. Nike has always been a adamant supporter of female athletes, so it came to no surprise that they stepped in after statements made by Don Imus regarding the Rutgers woman's basketball team. As a response to these comments Nike launches ads like the one Serena Williams appeared in. "It's important to hear from women who overcome stereotypes, ignorance and inequality," Williams says. It's also important for a woman "to be an athlete, be strong and not feel sorry for kicking someone's butt." One dollar is donated to the Let Me Play Fund, which issues grants for equipment and uniforms. So far the campaign has been successful (first appearing in April 2007). More than $450,000 have been raised in cash and equipment. Nike has continued to launch these advertisements, and continues to be successful.

I later found an article online discussing the debate on paying men and women tennis players the same amount of money for capturing a grand slam title. The fight for respect as female athletes will continue to take place. Although women are physically unable to perform at the same level as men, female athletes are the types of role models that we need.