Mike Phelan WRT 205

Looking back, this portfolio project has really challenged my partner and I throughout the entirety of the journey. While it did prove to be rather stressful at times, I feel as if being able to choose our topics throughout this class has granted me the opportunity to show a more creative side and divulge into research that really interests me, rather than just doing an assignment for the grade. This ability to connect with our research allowed us to interact more with our assignment as we did not necessarily feel forced to meet deadlines. Sports have always been apart of our lives, whether it be growing up playing on the field, or watching football on Sundays, there really is not a time that either of us could remember being without sports.  There were several points throughout this project that we both struggled immensely. One of our main issues stemmed from the fact that this research was passed along to a new partner. As Michael initially began the research, it was hard to ...

I watched a short documentary called “Auschwitz” that was narrated by Meryl Streep.  I found it to be very intriguing.  One of the reviews I found on imdv’s website stated, “Solid addition to the subject that does not really offer anything new though.”  This review was from an anonymous source.  I found it to be an odd review of something that is so powerful.  It also seemed a little contradictory. I was confused why they said it was a solid addition but did not offer anything new.  There are a few guidelines I think of when I think of of a film review.  A film review should include the title of the documentary along with the director.  In some cases, high budget documentaries will have a well-known narrator to intrigue the audience; in which case, I feel they should also be mentioned.  Most times, a review will provide background of the documentary along with an opinion on whether or not the film was successful.  They usually provide w...

When discussing ESPN’s use of technology to expand it’s horizons, I am aiming this piece at anyone who is your average sports fan.  At some instances I made direct references to my audience.  In many instances, I referred to the audience as fans of ESPN.  At one point I mentioned, “Now fans can feel as if they are much closer to the players and can grasp a better understanding of how athletes are physical specimens.”  Although I target the fans throughout the paper, I also try to expand horizons at some points.   Right now is the age of technology and social media.  We can see changes in the way were living and collected new information every year and we have to tweak our likes slightly in order to keep up with it.  For a large company like ESPN, those changes and adaptations are a little bit more drastic.  There are some articles that you can find on the internet about how ESPN is doing so but I feel like there should be a lot more informatio...

Unit 2 ESPN has been the leading platform for all sporting news in the world for almost forty years.  Over that time, there were many changes in the broadcasting industry that many companies struggled to overcome.  Possibly the largest obstacle, and still the most prevalent, was and is technology.  ESPN adapted over the years in order to stay relevant in a time of ever so changing technological platforms and social media.  This new technology allows ESPN to find, reach, and expand their audience in a way that best interests the company and it's viewers beyond just broadcasting.   Technology has allowed for ESPN to use and expand  upon fantasy football, Sports Science, and statcast.  All of these aim to target fans who want to get closer to the game and gain insight on live updates and injuries.   Fantasy football has been a game loved by everyone who enjoys sports.  In the early 1960’s, fantasy games were just a mere thought that no ...

Unit 2 Draft ESPN has been the leading platform for all sporting news in the world for almost forty years.  Over that time, there were many changes in the broadcasting industry that many companies struggled to overcome.  Possibly the largest obstacle, and still the most prevalent, was and is technology.  ESPN adapted over the years in order to stay relevant in a time of ever so changing technological platforms and social media.  This new technology allows ESPN to find, reach, and expand their audience in a way that best interests the company and it's viewers.   Fantasy football has been a game loved by everyone who enjoys sports.  In the early 1960’s, fantasy games were just a mere thought that no one expected to be what they are today.  Although, with the increase in technology, fantasy sports have become a major cornerstone in the sports industry.  ESPN jumped on the bandwagon in 1995 when they begun their first ever fantasy football le...

I found this to be one of the more interesting free writes from this unit.  This assignment allowed me to choose something that I was passionate about.  I chose to write about a current event in the field I one day hope to be in and a sports current event.