About Me

Sports have meant everything to me in my life. I started as a young 10-year-old climbing up on our brown sofas to sit down next to my father and watch those crimson and blue Kansas Jayhawks glisten across those hardwood floors. My earliest memories entail watching the Morris twins battle it out as three-point shooter Tyshawn Taylor letting the ball fly from all parts of the floor. I was entranced by the poetic rhythm of the ball gliding through the air as Cole Aldrich in 2010. I was captivated by Frank Mason III snaked his way through the defenders and if he was on ice skates. Svi Mykhailiuk demonstrated the art of off-ball movement and could shoot the lights out. My interests expanded as I got older and actually received my first cellphone. Since I was raised in Kansas City, the Chiefs, and Royals have always been my staple teams. I suffered through countless years of quarterback roulette. Trent Green, Matt Cassell (I vividly remember him because I was at a game in 2012 cheering for the backup to come in), then to Alex Smith who brought us to the playoffs, and finally the man, the myth, the legend Patrick Mahomes graced my team with his presence. I remember Tony Gonzalez goal post spikes, Dwayne Bowe making the hardest catches look easy (and the easy ones look hard), and Jamaal Charles killing my fantasy team. I remember Billy Butler showing off the speed as he stole third. I was in the crowd during the 2014 Royals World Series when Yordano Ventura's absolute gem of an outing (rest in peace). In 2015, the Royals won the title behind the plays of Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, and Mike Moustakas. I live and breathe this shit.

 

 

I'm currently 22 years old as a college undergraduate about to finish up my bachelor's degree in English Education. I choose to deal with high school kids as I try to break through as a young male in this world. I decided to start this today due to one of those high schoolers. We were in class "working hard" on our Shakespeare projects while the NCAA Tournament was "casually" on the big projector screen. As I was "helping students and answering questions" my eyes were glued to the screen watching Arizona bust another one of my brackets yet again. My student raises her hand and asks "Mr. C do you want to teach for the rest of your life?" I paused. I then replied, "I don't know, I haven't thought about it. I would like to start doing my own writing though... maybe analyzing sports for a living would be cool". As my eyes glanced towards Bollo getting dominated on the glass again, the student said something that has captivated my attention and it hasn't left my mind since that day. She said "well, why haven't you started?" I couldn't give her an excuse on why I hadn't. The only person that was stopping me from starting was myself.

So I'm starting today. No more excuses.

 

I am not an expert. I am a casual sports enthusiast trying to find a way to complain about when my team loses, what sports call didn't go my way, or what magical moments millions of other enthusiasts around the world witness themselves. I watch sports to see the magic happen in real life. I have some friends who may casually write a column for me or join me on a video. Either way, I'm excited to see where this journey takes me. Welcome to Dudes and Sports!!!

 

-THE DUDES