KWICK 6 #017: March Madness & The Program

🤔 Thought of the Week:

March Madness is here! This is definitely the best time of year. The weather starts to heat up, and there are multiple days of basketball on television all day. Seasonal depression starts to make its exit. This is just a great time of year. I am recovering well from my surgery, and I do not need the pain medicine as often as I did. I won't say I will be 100% after these eight weeks, but I am nearly there.

💻 What I've Consumed:

The Program

I tend to watch one documentary and then deep dive into that topic through multiple other documentaries. The Program, on Netflix, is one of the supplemental documentaries I've watched. The documentary discussed the troubled teen industry by survivors visiting the closed "school" they were sent to. Synanon is mentioned again and quickly hits on how so many of these programs can be traced to that cult. It’s fascinating and sad that all the people who have campaigned for abortion not to be legalized are some of the same people who don’t want to make a change in this industry because of money. Profit is always the motivation in this country; the most vulnerable people are the victims. In this instance, children are used and abused, and their parent's fears are used to keep the industry running. I also think politicians and the media don't help. The narrative of crime-filled places with out-of-control teens keeps being recycled in our country, which then pushes legislation and fears of adults. 

March Madness and Media Coverage

2022 was the first time the women's tournament was able to use the March Madness branding, and it seems that since then (and the backlash of the disparity between tournaments), the marketing of the women's tourney has been much better. The money is starting to flow to the women, and the hype is building, and you can see it. The Instagram for the women's tourney is so much better than the men's. All season long, the social media for the women has been engaging with the fans. Of course, there is still room for improvement. All of the opening-round games and most of the 2nd round games were on ESPN networks; however, College Gameday was on before some games. But it focused on the men, which was a missed opportunity. I will be interested in seeing the numbers following the tournament. I also wish ESPN would highlight more storylines. Caitlin Clark is great, but will be in the W next year. ESPN has to share the stories to continue to market the women's game. Clark is being highlighted across ESPN, which is well deserved, but some outstanding freshmen are just as electric as she is and will be around next year. How will ESPN market the storylines without a Clark next year? Hopefully, the WNBA will capitalize on Clark being in the league.

Overall, this season and, more specifically, this tourney has been great. I love seeing the women's game grow. The talent has always been there. I wish ESPN covered women's sports like they did men's. True fans enjoy the game regardless of who is playing; we want to see good basketball, and women have that, too. I do want to highlight a YouTube channel I started following at the end of the WNBA season called Quita Loves Sports. She does a good job covering the game from WNBA, college, and overseas basketball. I truly have enjoyed her recaps and breakdowns of the games and news coming out of women's basketball.

📚 Currently Reading:

The Hexologist by Josiah Bancroft

20% completed. I started this book in mid-December but put it down at the start of January to read other books. It wasn't that I wasn't interested, but other books caught my attention. This book follows Iz and Warren Wilby after they are approached by the royal secretary, who tells them the king wants to be baked into a cake. I enjoy fantasy books with a mystery. Even though I am not sold on the magic system, I have enjoyed the book so far. I will say if you don't enjoy the humor in the book, the characters may irritate you. 

The Crenshaw Kings Series by Shvonne Latrice

Completed (Currently 4 books in series). This series follows the parents and then the children of the Crenshaw family. I love a romance series that follows a family and sees that family grow. This series is for romance readers who enjoy stories about personal growth and overcoming obstacles in relationships. 

The RCF Saga by Tacarra

Completed (Currently 3 books in series). This series follows the Richmond Crime Family, which includes brothers and their cousins. This series is a good fit for urban romance readers who enjoy stories about loyalty, revenge, and the dynamics of a crime family. It has some John Wick elements mixed with romance. 

💡 Lessons Learned:

Can you properly cherish and relish and revere something without the fear of losing it? It is the fear of losing ownership that gauges integrity. It defines whether a man is greedy or if he is generous. It defines what defines him. The world needed him. ~ Love in Color pp. 64

This collection of myths is reimagined from around the world. This quote comes from the story Attem in the collection. Fear tends to highlight a person's characteristics. Are they self-centered? Or greedy? Or generous? Or loving? This quote made me think: What do I fear losing? Am I willing to sacrifice that thing to help the world around me?