Tuesday Newsday: 09 February 2016
What news stories, editorials, or blog posts do I find interesting? Important? Influential? I’ll pick three or so and give a short opinion every Tuesday.
Cam Newton’s Abrupt Exit
— via Deadspin
So Denver beat Carolina in San Francisco this past weekend and Cam Newton seemed more than just a little dejected after the game. On top of losing the biggest game in American sports — badly, if you ask some people — the NFL inexplicably placed the Broncos’ press conference near enough to the Panthers’ press conference. Other than poorer than poor staging, this led to Cam Newton possibly hearing one of his opponents blasting him all while he was expected to field questions about his recent defeat.
Much could be said about how Newton responded to this whole incedent. You could view him as a big baby, devoid of sportsmanship… or you could see him as a man who took a beating on and off the field, the weight of the whole loss on his shoulders, overwhelmed. I played sports and was no stranger to criticism, mockery, and direct attacks on my play and my character. While high school hockey in Northeast Ohio isn’t the Super Bowl, I understand how frustrating it can be to blow the big game. I feel for Cam. He had a momentum coming into the game and plenty of people rooting for him. He couldn’t bring home the trophy. I’m fairly certain that anyone blaming and hating on Cam couldn’t be more hurtful that he could be to himself right now.
Who Wants Chipotle?
— via Wired
I worked for Starbucks during their big shift back to a “Coffee First” methodology. I was there when the stores were closed and we watch Howard Schultz, newly reinstated ceo of Starbucks, deliver his message to every employee of Starbucks on the same day at the same time. It was a cool experience. Even though it was one store with a handful of people, you knew that every other employee of Starbucks in the USA was doing the exact same thing at roughly the same moment. There was a cool solidarity there.
Where Starbucks wanted to shift focus back to their beginnings and offer customers a more humble experience, this whole Chipotle thing is a little less romantic. As a person who is looking forward to eating Chipotle again, the health scares that have been cropping up are more than disconcerting. That on top of a criminal investigation and plummeting stocks? It’s all a bit weird.
Keep that in mind if you plan to eat your free Chipotle burrito that they’re offering! Yum?
Iranian Vacation
— via The New York Times
I wasn’t as aware as I could have been of the tourism appeal of Iran. I think of myself as a sensible person. I’m aware of travel risk and wouldn’t dare seriously endanger my life for the sake of travel. Be that as it may, since sanctions on Iran were lifted, tourists are on their way. It’s sending an encouraging sign that the traveling public senses a change in the region. Iran may be the next Cuba, in a way… but with the presence of ISIS in the Middle East, I’m not sure sure that lifting sanctions alone should be signal enough to head for an Iranian vacation.
