Blitz August 2015

TOM BRADY Tainted Legacy?

What Went Wrong With

2015 Guide to DFW Microbrews

HBCU ATHLETICS? Off the Court with

MAGIC JOHNSON

CULTURE 5 Visual Artists You Should Know

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Blitz

INTELLIGENCE

6 The Ever-Expanding NHL Will adding teams dilute the talent pool and damage quality of play?

8 Unequal Playing Field The impact of HBCU athletic programs struggling financially.

13 2015 Guide to DFW Microbrews The Metroplex microbrew scene is still growing at a phenomenal rate and here is our guide.

16 The Road Less Traveled Dierks Bentley challenged himself with his most personal album yet.

22 The Boob Tube Late-night television shows have new faces, still care about ratings and the vibe is changing.

Publisher and Editor Staff Photographers Kelly G. Reed John Breen, Dominic Ceraldi,

Jarrod Fresquez, Michael Kolch,

Features Director Rick Leal, Sandy McAnally Amber LaFrance Staff Writers

Peter Gerstenzang, Keysha Hogan,

Pop Culture Editor Martin Iheke, Frank LaCosta, Ethan Harmon Lance LeVan, Chris Sick

Contributing Photographers/Artists

Sports Editor Matthew Brinston, Kasumi Chow, Quinn Dombrowski, Lance Rinker Desiree Espada, Jonah Gilmore, Christopher Gonzalez, Eva Rinaldi, James Maynard,

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{In-depth}

BY MARK MILLER – @MARKMYWORDSTEX

Magic Johnson Delivers,

By Doing Things His Way

E

ven at age 55 and more than two decades removed from his stellar basketball career, Earvin “Magic” Johnson still displays the radiant smile and positive attitude that has been his lifelong trademark.

The man who helped change an entire sport in the 1970s and 80s and since has become perhaps the most powerful African-American businessman in the world was speaking to a group of bowling center owners and bowling industry leaders late one June morning in Las Vegas. Through anecdotes and stories, the audience quickly learned how Johnson and his Magic Johnson Enterprises have proven to be as successful as he was in collegiate and professional basketball.

“What he believes is what he does and what he consistently does is make a difference in the lives of others,” said Brunswick Chief Executive Officer Brent Perrier in introducing Johnson at International Bowl Expo.

Johnson’s strong belief in putting black America to work is backed by his more than 55,000 employees. His Magic Johnson Foundation has built 18 technology centers, has 150 students on scholarship, and conducts job and health fairs.

“Mindset, practice, attitude, and work ethic can change a lot of situations especially in sports and in business,” he said.

His athletic legacy started in Lansing, Mich., where he acquired his nickname at age 15. He won the state high school championship his senior year and the 1979 National Collegiate Athletic Association championship game, as a Michigan State University sophomore against Larry Bird and Indiana State University of course.

He helped the Los Angeles Lakers win five titles in nine trips to the National Basketball Association Finals in 12 years and was a member of the famed Dream Team that won the 1992 Olympic gold medal. It was his last feat on the basketball court after retiring due to testing positive for HIV. Wanting to invest the money earned from the Lakers in business, he quickly learned minorities

were the No. 1 group of people going to the movies but had no theatres in their immediate communities. That’s when he partnered with Sony to create Magic Johnson Theatres.

“I knew what minorities wanted and I had to over-deliver to them,” he said. “If you over-deliver to the customer, you’ll get the retention that you’re looking for and they become your brand ambassadors, you don’t have to pay to market.

They become the people out there marketing your business for you.”

With his theaters a quick success, he entered into a partnership with Starbucks Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz to build 125 locations in urban areas. Exchanging scones for deserts like sweet potato pie and changing background music to Michael Jackson, Lionel Ritchie, and Earth, Wind and Fire, he once again hit the jackpot, selling out for a reported $27 million.

About the same time, the then Lakers executive and part owner realized the value of the team was at its all-time high and he sold those shares too. Needing a place to park his new millions of dollars, he took advantage of an opportunity two years ago to buy into the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Whoever thought a basketball guy would have a chance to get involved in baseball,” he said.

Once again, Johnson “magically” helped turned things around. Since becoming part of the Dodgers, the team has gone from 17th in the majors in attendance to No. 1 primarily by improving the fan experience. He’s trying to do the same as part owner of the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association and as an owner of the new Los Angeles FC soccer team coming in 2017.

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UFC 190

Preview

BY LANCE LEVAN – @LANCELEVAN1 Ultimate Fighting Championships 190 is being held in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, Aug. 1 and this is going to be a very good fight card. The top three fights are going to be serious battles. I’m not sure if any of these fights have the makings for “Fight of the Night,” but they are going to be very exciting.

(C) Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey (11-0-0) vs. (No. 7) Bethe “Pitbull” Correia (9-0-0) This is going to be a five-round women’s bantamweight (135 pounds) title fight. Once again, the champion is back in the Octagon. Once again, in my opinion, she is fighting someone who is not on the same level. But by the same token, Rousey already has fought everyone who is a UFC contender. And I completely understand that anyone can be beaten on any given day.

Believe me, I totally understand that. I am not trying to “write-off” Correia before she even steps in the Octagon. I just feel that is a lopsided match favoring Rousey. I think that Ms. Rousey will go back to the tried and true arm-bar submission in the first round this time. My prediction: Rousey wins via arm-bar submission in the first round.

(No. 8) Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (22-10-0) vs.

(No. 11) Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-6-0) This is going to be a three-round light heavyweight (205 pounds) fight. I am very torn on this match-up. I like both of these guys and they both are great fighters. They both are black belts in BJJ. I think these guys are going to want to slug it out, standing. “Little Nog” is a fighter who likes to stand and throw punches. Rua has a good percentage of his fights stopped by landing heavy hands on his opponent. I think when it comes down to it, this fight is going to be won by two things: the fighter who is able to land the first HARD punch and whoever has more heart.

The Nogueira brothers have more heart than most other fighters combined. Rua will need to overcome that AND land unanswered heavy blows. Little Nog just needs to keep coming forward, like he always does and keep landing punches in bunches. My prediction: Nogueira wins unanimous decision.

(No. 14) Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve (29-7-0) vs.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (34-9-1, 1NC) This is a three-round heavyweight (265 pounds) fight. Holy cow, I like watching Struve fight.

He’s 7-feet tall, SEVEN FEET TALL. Most National Basketball Association players aren’t that tall, and this guy is a highly-ranked, professional mixed martial arts fighter. He is a brown belt in BJJ and a black belt in kickboxing. On the other side of the Octagon is “Big Nog,” one of my favorite fighters. You basically have to shoot this guy with a bazooka to stop him. The word quit is not in this warrior’s vocabulary. Not only that, but he is a highly decorated BJJ practitioner who has his 4th-degree black belt. Both of these guys are on a two-fight-losing streak. Both of them are going to be looking at getting things back on track and putting one in the win column. Struve has a reach of 84.5 inches, currently the longest in the UFC. It’s going to be difficult for Big Nog to get close to Struve. If Nog does close the distance and gets in close, he will have to be careful of Struve’s knees and elbows. But, if Nogueira gets his hands on Struve, I think he has the advantage in the grappling department and in the groundand-pound department. In my humble opinion, I think Nogueira is going to take this one. Like I said earlier, I like both of these fighters. I have huge respect for them. In the end, there can only be one… My prediction: Nogueira wins by TKO in the third round.

He’s also recently bought into a life insurance company, a television network (Aspire) and a food services company that recently won the contract for both Disneyland and Disney World.

Disagree with me about the UFC 190 matches?

Let me know via Twitter @BlitzWeekly and we’ll see who has better picks the night of the fights.

“Now Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse at both parks eat my company’s food,” he said.

PRESENTED BY THE GYM

Not too bad for a tall, skinny kid from Lansing, Mich.

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For the NHL, Expansion is a Godsend (IF Done Right)

BY LANCE RINKER – @LANCEMRINKER

Whenever talk of National Hockey League expansion comes up, there are concerns voiced about how increasing the league’s size from 30 to 32 teams will dilute the talent pool and damage quality of play. Fans and NHL analysts alike have said many times over that the NHL would be better served to relocate teams in weak markets to markets more ripe with avid NHL fans.

So, yes, the talent pool would become a bit diluted. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

With record-level revenues and a minimum $500 million expansion fee, which the NHL wouldn’t have to share with the players, it seems as if expansion by two teams is inevitable at this point.

Now imagine what those same players could do against those fringe players when their teams take on the two expansion teams during the regular season. The highlight reel moves and goals that could be had as a result would absolutely be good for the sport because of how marvelous watching that happen could be.

If history is any indicator, Las Vegas and Seattle both fall short of that criteria. Quebec City and Toronto, on the other hand, are premium locations to award franchises to and would do well with the large number of hockey fans already there in terms of appeal, but also would be profitable if run responsibly.

While the two new teams probably would be terrible, that doesn’t mean they won’t be competitive.

But how do the two cities that make the most sense for expansion stack up against the two that don’t?

Commissioner Gary Bettman made the news official at a press conference following a Board of Governors meeting in Las Vegas on June 24.

“Over the past several years we have received numerous expressions of interest from potential markets and ownership groups that have indicated an interest in joining the National Hockey League,” Bettman said. “The Board decided today to examine those expressions more formally and also to welcome any other groups or markets that may be considering pursuit of an NHL team.”

Interested groups were able to begin submitting applications to the league July 6 and must do so before an Aug. 10 deadline.

But what about the concerns of talent dilution, competitive play, and of course – what cities have a legitimate shot at an NHL expansion franchise and does that city have enough avid hockey fans to financially support it?

Would It Dilute The Talent Pool?

By the simple nature of expansion in professional sports leagues talent dilution is inevitable. If two teams are added, you are also adding at least 50 jobs for players who may be fringe third- and fourth-line players at best, or aging veterans who have been muscled out by younger, more talented players.

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Imagine how excited you get when you watch some of the very best NHL players – looking at you Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, and Jamie Benn – deke and hustle their way past some of the other premier players in the sport to score a beauty of a goal, or set up a score with an amazing through-the-legs pass for that vital assist?

Expansion teams would get their first real taste of acquiring talent through the expansion draft, which always is exciting when you get to experience one. However, there also are enough players available in free agency right now to build two decent enough teams.

There are plenty of options for expansion teams to build up competitive teams. They won’t make the playoffs, but they’ll at least be fun enough to watch most nights.

What Cities Are Serious Contenders?

The NHL has never been more successful in terms of overall revenue, bringing in a whopping $3.7 billion in 2014, but it’s a bit of a different story with overall product demand.

The league still has a handful of teams in markets where there are not enough hockey fans to financially support them. Given that the list of cities, which are considered serious contenders for an expansion team, includes Las Vegas, Seattle, Quebec City, and Toronto, there are legitimate questions surrounding two of the four proposed destinations for the two new teams.

According to research done by Neil Paine at FiveThirtyEight, an NHL club’s operating income is closely correlated to the number of avid NHL followers in its media market. The break-even level of local fandom for a profitable franchise was found to be 300,000 to 400,000 fans. Teams with fewer than 300,000 hockey fans have a tendency to lose money and prove to be burdens on the NHL long-term – which is why the wisdom of adding a team in either Las Vegas or Seattle is iffy at best.

1 Seattle Seattle has roughly 240,000 NHL fans, fewer than that of Phoenix and Florida’s Tampa Bay, home to two franchises that haven’t turned a profit in many years. The fact that Seattle also is lacking a concrete plan for an arena to house an NHL team, it’s improbable at best the city could win an expansion team and have the team ready to play in Seattle by 2017.

2 Las Vegas Las Vegas has the potential to be one of the most interesting destinations for any major sports franchise. But with only about 91,000 hockey fans in the Vegas media market, nearly 40 percent fewer than Nashville – the current least avid NHL city – it’s not a stretch to imagine the team being in financial ruin if tourists don’t show up nightly to hockey games in droves.

The largest reason things are looking good for Vegas right now is a group led by prospective team owner Bill Foley already has picked up more than 13,000 season-ticket deposits. That’s an impressive number considering the NHL has made zero promises that Las Vegas, or any other city, would even get a team.

Couple those notable figures with the fact an arena already is under construction that will hold 17,500 people for hockey games and it seems clear that Vegas is the obvious front runner for one of the two teams.

3 Quebec City Quebec City used to be home to the Nordiques, before losing the team to Colorado in 1995. With nearly 530,000 hockey fans already in place the city has a stronger case to be made for receiving an expansion team than Las Vegas or Seattle. The city also compares favorably to Winnipeg, which the NHL finally returned to in 2011 (after sending the original Jets team to Atlanta of all places) and the team has turned a profit each of the past three seasons (per Forbes’ data).

Despite its small metropolitan population – roughly 800,000 people – Quebec City just finished building a brand new, state-of-the-art arena and its rabid fan base is anxious to get NHL hockey back.

4 Toronto Toronto already is home to the Maple Leafs, but has one of the largest hockey markets in Canada and if a second team were awarded to the city it would instantly become more popular and more profitable than most existing NHL franchises.

The biggest issue would be the Maple Leafs ownership blocking a second team from entering their market, but that could all be resolved on the business side of things.

Placing a second team in the Greater Toronto area seems like a no-brainer, with more than 4.6 million people there and the large majority of them avid hockey fans.

For hockey fans in Canada or American cities hoping to score the latest addition to the NHL, whichever two cities do get awarded expansion teams likely will be due to what makes financial sense, aside from the massive expansion fee, and what is sexy enough to sell. That seems to point to Vegas and one of the two Canadian cities.

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9. B rady is implicated that he was “more probable than not” aware of the deflation.

10. N FL suspends Brady without pay for four games for upcoming season (which he appeals) and Patriots are fined $1 million plus lose 2016 first-round draft pick.

Since the whole Deflategate fiasco started, many have wondered if the Patriots dynasty was tarnished since this wasn’t the first time they were caught cheating.

Remember Spygate? The incident, involving Patriots personnel videotaping the New York Jets defensive coaches signals in a 2007 game, thrust Belichick and Brady (mostly Belichick) into the light as cheaters, a stigma that non-Patriots fans seem to not forget.

So the question remains: Is the Patriots legacy, and more specifically Brady’s legacy, completely tarnished after this latest punch-to-the-gut debacle?

The Success Story Since Brady took over for Drew Bledsoe in 2001, the Patriots have gone 160-47. In that 2001 season the Patriots won 11 of the 14 games Brady started. The Patriots ended the regular season 11-5 with a division title before going on to win Super Bowl XXXVI. Brady would be named Super Bowl MVP.

BY PATRICK MALONE @PATRICK_MALONE

IT WAS SECOND-AND-GOAL FROM THE HALFYARD LINE. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was in the shotgun with Marshawn Lynch waiting to his left. With the world expecting Wilson to hand the rock off to Lynch, including my own grandmother (God rest her soul), the unthinkable happened…

Instead of handing the ball off for a not certain, but almost assured second Super Bowl win in as many years, Wilson launched the ball to his intended target Ricardo Lockette and was intercepted by Malcolm Butler; thus cementing the New England Patriots into Super Bowl history with their fourth Lombardi trophy since 2000.

Rewind two weeks earlier to the American Football Conference Championship. The Patriots hosted the Indianapolis Colts in a game where Andrew Luck and company completely faltered in a 45-7 blowout at Gillette Stadium. As the media made their rounds thereafter, news started leaking out the Colts had gone to the league with specific information involving said game.

This information would lead to the infamous investigation known as Deflategate.

The 411 For those who don’t what Deflategate is, here are 10 things you need to know: 1. Patriots accused by Colts for deflating footballs in AFC Championship game.

2. The National Football League investigates Patriots for deflating footballs.

3. Patriots coach Bill Belichick denies knowing anything about deflated footballs.

4. Belichick tells media to ask his quarterback about deflated footballs.

5. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady tells media he knows nothing about deflated footballs.

6. A fantastic song is made and put up on YouTube about Brady saying the word footballs a lot.

7. NFL publishes 243-page report called the Well’s Report.

8. The report concludes it was “more probable than not” that the Patriots equipment personnel were to blame.

The accolades don’t stop there though for the former sixth-round pick and the Pats. In Brady’s 13 seasons as starter, the Pats have gone to six Super Bowls and won four. Brady won three Super Bowl and two league MVP awards, joining Joe Montana as the only players to win multiple MVP and Super Bowl MVP awards On top of that, Brady has 10 Pro Bowl selections and more division titles (12) than any other quarterback in NFL history. In short, Brady has been a damn good quarterback.

Ultimately, it comes down to two camps. People either believe the Pats aren’t cheaters/don’t care or think they are guilty of all of the above.

The Believers According to profootballtalk.com, NFL rival Terrell Suggs has had nothing but praise for Brady and believes his legacy isn’t tainted. He also said he has a sterling reputation in the NFL for what he’s done on the field.

Suggs’ comments can be interpreted a number of ways, but the biggest takeaway could be just that. Brady still has a sterling reputation in the NFL. Even the man who lost his starting job to Brady is defending him.

“It’s being treated like this major crime,” Drew Bledsoe said, via NESN. “Ultimately we’re talking about something that has zero impact on the game.”

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One argument that could also be made for Brady is that he had nothing to do with Spygate; that was Patriots personnel. But since Brady is a Patriot, and arguably the face of the franchise, his name is going to be associated with any kind of cheating that comes out.

There also are those with mixed feelings like NFL great Dan Reeves. He believes that the Patriots use of deception in substitution is actually a bigger deal than the deflated balls and they are more-or-less stretching the rules than cheating.

“The game shouldn’t be decided upon deception,” Reeves said, via USA Today. “It should be decided by execution. To me, they don’t need to do it.

They’re extremely good, period. So they’re just stretching the envelope, I guess. That I don’t like. I don’t think (the sneaky substitutions) are right. Is it illegal? No. Is it done as if it is illegal? Yeah.”

The Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin Eaters Some former NFL players aren’t taking too kindly to the whole deflating of balls situation.

Former NFL running back Jerome Bettis thinks someone’s guilty.

“Do I think Tom cheated?...Someone did,” Bettis said, via USA Today. “Maybe Tom didn’t…But it was under his direction of how he liked his footballs.”

Bettis’ words “of how he liked his footballs” are a reference to Brady’s previous comments expressing his desire for slightly under-inflated footballs. He said he likes them set at closer to 12.5 psi instead of 13.5, the league maximum.

The Decision There always will be doubt and speculation when the words Patriots, Belichick or Brady are used in the same sentence. It will always be a hot topic of conversation, as many will still associate the word cheaters to that franchise. Nevertheless, we simply cannot ignore what they have been able to do in the past decade - and longer.

And while many will still play the blame game and point the finger, the Patriots’ situation should be looked at from all perspectives. They are a franchise with skins on the wall. They have spent the past decade managing the salary cap to a tee and producing good football players from the draft. They do all of the football operations very well and that is hard to ignore.

Yes, they were caught. Yes, they were punished.

And yes, Brady is still married to the lovely Gisele (which is another reason why people probably dislike him so much). But time and again the Patriots have done so many other things right.

And who’s to say the other 31 teams aren’t doing the same thing? Time will only tell what kind of legacy the Patriots and Brady leave behind, but that’s the beautiful thing about time—there’s plenty of it.

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UNEQUAL PLAYING FIELD

BY DARIUS WILLIAMS – @BLITZWEEKLY

Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletics Struggle Financially It was Jan. 22, 1989 at Super Bowl XXIII on the final drive for the San Francisco 49ers who trailed the Cincinnati Bengals 16-13. The ball was on their own 8-yard line with the clock showing 3 minutes, 10 second of remaining time.

You should know how this ends, right? The great Joe Montana from the storied University of Notre Dame program marched his offense down the field for the go-ahead touchdown to secure the franchise’s third Super Bowl victory. You may remember the excellent pass protection he had on that last drive from his offensive line of Harris Barton, Guy McIntyre, Randy Cross, Jesse Sapulo and Bubba Paris all who attended bigtime college programs. The backfield featured two University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. Split out wide were two receivers from less-storied programs, two players from historically black colleges and universities, more affectionately known as HBCUs. These two players – John Taylor from Delaware State University and the great Jerry Rice from Mississippi Valley State University – were the main focal points of that gamewinning drive.

Rare are the days now when players from HBCUs play such prominent roles for Super Bowl teams or for any National Football League team for that matter. What used to be a breeding ground for NFL talent has become an afterthought for scouting departments throughout the league.

From 1967 to 1976, 443 players were drafted

by NFL teams. In one particular draft, 1974, four players from HBCUs went in the first round. In the 2014 NFL Draft, only three players from HBCUs were among the 256 who had their names called by the 32 franchises in the league.

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It has been well documented about the exacerbating trend of players from HBCUs being overlooked and somewhat ‘blacklisted’ by NFL teams in the last 20 years. Many things are attributed to this happenstance but they all fall under one particular umbrella…a disparaging difference in funding for HBCUs as it relates to their larger and wealthier counterparts from Division I/Football Bowl Series schools. It all equates to the ‘Big Boys’ are eating the steaks while their smaller, weaker siblings are making due off of Ramen Noodles.

Fifty years ago during segregation, HBCUs consistently produced elite level athletes through their programs. Before the trend of integrating predominantly white college institutions, specifically in the south, black athletes had no choice but to display their gifts on the campuses of HBCUs. Former Dallas Cowboys Player Personnel Director Gil Brandt often said that he would spend as much time on the campus of Tennessee State University as he did the University of Tennessee. Following his lead were other NFL scouting departments which eventually led to an onslaught of black players excelling on the NFL gridiron. Taylor and Rice were joined in hallowed history by a ‘Who’s Who’ list of NFL Hall of Famers like Rayfield Wright, Bob Hayes, Larry Little, Mel Blount, John Stallworth, Art Shell, Jackie Slater, Richard Dent and Walter Payton to name a few.

Once legendary University of Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant witnessed USC’s Sam Cunningham run rough shod through his Crimson Tide defense with ease in 1970, the idea to integrate a program who some thought would be the last to do such a thing suddenly began to creep into his mind.

Soon the flood gates were open. Talented black

athletes adopted a “Grass Is Greener” approach to their college studies. The lure of large Division I schools with their die-hard fan bases, huge alumni endowments, greater booster club funding and the chance to display their skills to millions of viewers on national television proved to be too much to turn their backs on. By doing this, the HBCUs have been left with a depleted talent pool from which to choose from and put on the field. Less talent on the field leads to fewer NFL quality players to be drafted.

The financial disparities when taking a closer look are astounding. The operating budgets are miniscule to say the least for HBCUs as opposed to Division I/FBS schools. Federal funding to HBCUs have been somewhat of a joke. According to documents made available through Georgia state open records law, Savannah State University operated it entire athletic department on a budget of $4.5 million last year. At the same time, the state’s “bell cow” school, the University of Georgia, paid its 10-member coaching staff a total of $6.4 million. The Bulldogs had a total operating budget of $16 million for the football program alone. The athletic programs throughout the university operated on a hefty $93 million budget. The disparity speaks for itself.

Savannah State is living in the lap of luxury in the eyes of Grambling State University. With a tradition that tops all HBCUs, historic Grambling was Stop Numero Uno for NFL scouts in the 1960s and 1970s. Legendary Grambling head coach Eddie Robinson amassed more than 400 wins in his five decades at the college in northern Louisiana.

On that very campus in 1967 was a boycott the day of the homecoming football game. It was a well-organized protest, led by Student Council

President Willie Zanders. This particular protest was to bring awareness to the racial disparities in educational funding that permeated in the state of Louisiana 13 years after the Supreme Court had struck down the principle of “separate but equal” as unconstitutional.

A few seasons back Grambling staged another noteworthy protest. It wasn’t the student council that led it this time. This one was executed by Grambling’s own football team. Fed up by the 1,500-mile bus trips to and from games instead of flights, dilapidated conditions of their facilities, old outdated equipment and missed team meals the team boycotted an early-season contest against long-time rival Jackson State University.

This brought to light to America the hardships of this once proud institution.

Studies showed that the state funding of Grambling dropped from $31.6 million in 2008 to just $13.8 million in 2013. Grambling was forced to cut the number of academic programs from 67 to 47 and laid off 127 employees. It deferred $24 million of maintenance and rehabilitation for classroom buildings, dormitories, the main library and football stadium. Alumni endowment did little to help the cause as well. With just under $5 million coming in annually from alumni, compared that to the state largest school, LSU, whose alumni endowments are reportedly around the $440 million is laughable.

Another HBCU institution in Louisiana, Southern University, also has had its share of financial barriers. After laying off 10 percent of its faculty to cut costs, the university failed to meet the requirements for the state’s GRAD Act. This ACT calls for an increase in both the graduating of students and retention of faculty, therefore Southern lost state funds and was unable to

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increase its tuition. Southern, like Grambling, seemed to have been greatly affected by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal eliminating $690 million in state funding from colleges and universities. LSU on the other hand just raised the ticket prices to its 90,000-seat football stadium to supplement the difference. That’s a luxury neither Grambling nor Southern are afforded on their campuses.

It has become commonplace in the last 10 years in late August and early September to see an HBCU pitted against one of the FBS powers. You may ask yourself “Why is Alcorn State playing the No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide?” Seems to be quite the mismatch putting a group of young men who didn’t even make honorable mention in their small division high school district against a team with Parade All-Americans on their taxi squad. There is a reason for these 77-0 maulings.

With the current financial condition of most HBCU athletic programs, a quick way to make

the money actually profited from that game can range from much as $15,000 to as low as $2,500.

Back in 2012, the Florida State University Seminoles hosted Savannah State. At first glance you see a score, 55-0, that doesn’t really look that bad considering the teams. Florida State has beaten a lot of teams by similar margins. The difference in this game was that it was played with a continuously running clock in an effort to keep the Seminoles from scoring more than 100 points.

It appears now even that financial stream has come to an end for HBCUs as well as major college football has gone to a four-team College Football Playoff where there are two national semifinals and a championship game. Most HBCUs will be left off the schedules of the big power schools due to ‘strength of schedule’ being one of the major criteria the selection committee takes into consideration. Scheduling a less-talented Division I school will be the trend moving forward for the power schools. So now a

Mississippi Valley State on the other hand had to find a way to get by on a significantly smaller operating budget of $3.6 million for 2014. By that estimation, Alabama coach Nick Saban could take half of his annual salary and increase the Delta Demons budget 100 percent and still manage to somehow survive on the other $4 million he would have remaining from his hefty annual salary.

Federal funding and the way it is dispersed has more to do with the academic makeup of an institution and enrollment than what the football team record was for the season. HBCUs have annually underperformed in the classroom, thereby lowering the graduation rate. In the modern world we live in today, HBCUs are not only losing prospective students to major universities, but now they are in full competition with community colleges, online universities, trade schools and the military. They can’t receive adequate funding if there is a paper trail of lowered performance and enrollment.

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Payton also went on to talk about when the downfall of HBCUs athletics, football in general, began its tailspin back in the late 1980s. He mentioned the very popular “Classic” football games between HBCU schools with large alumni bases and following. Moving them to places like Chicago and Indianapolis to help spread the brand of HBCUs and to make a little extra money, leaders of these schools often focused too much on the schools’ popular marching bands and the many parties surrounding the game instead of the football game itself.

“When you go to a steakhouse, the thing that makes or breaks your meal is the steak,” Payton said. “It’s not the salad or the baked potato. We haven’t been focusing on the most important issue and that’s the quality of football.”

There are no foreseeable solutions to the financial woes of HBCUs athletic programs. If they operate like most Division I powers and relied on the

“We haven’t been focusing on the most important issue and that’s the quality of football.” - Eddie Payton some money is to volunteer your team to serve as that sacrificial lamb to a highly-ranked Division I, deep pocketed school. Through these scheduled slaughters, HBCUs and other FCS schools can walk away with a check up to $750,000 for their services. When compared to the gate and concession of a typical home game of say a Savannah State, which would actively seek two or three road contests of this manner, it’s evident as to why it’s a viable revenue stream. Shortly after the bands have marched off the field and the players are having their post-game meal,

loaded Auburn University team obliterating Texas Southern 63-0 won’t hold water with the committee come time for selecting their four teams.

Forbes listed the most valuable college football teams of 2014 a few months back. Sitting at No. 1 was the University of Texas with an operating budget of $131 million, down from the $139 million for 2013. Rounding out the Top 5 were: Notre Dame, Michigan, Alabama and LSU bringing up the rear at $103 million.

Many HBCU alumni feel the problem lies within.

A history of mismanaged funds by the schools have basically rendered donations useless as an avenue to help with money issues. Some also feel that the focus of HBCUs has been out of place the last 30 years. Former NFL player and Jackson State University alum Eddie Payton (Walter’s brother) said in an interview, “It’s not that we are getting less money – it’s that everybody else is growing while we have basically stayed the same.

We haven’t cultivated our fan bases and now the quality has gone down. It’s going to be hard to get those people back.”

revenue created by the athletic program, they are inevitably doomed. The system currently in place has enough loopholes in it to have just enough of a case against providing the proper assistance it gives to the more fortunate institutions. Previous mishandling of federal funds, lower enrollment, poor graduation rates and overall leadership issues all have contributed to the demise of a once-proud contingency of learning institutions.

At this rate, the chances of another Super Bowlwinning drive highlighted by HBCUs alums are about as slim as the one Savannah State had against Florida State in 2012.

Brand Development and Creative Marketing 469-877-1533 info@culture-hype.com

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5 Visual Artists on the Rise We have rounded up five visual artists on the rise. Whether you’re an art geek or just appreciate the craft, we have something here that is sure to catch your eye.

BY KENDRA KINION – @THEKENDRAKINION

Toni Martin

This spunky and tenacious artist is a force to be reckoned with. Her portraits and abstracts contain detail that is bold yet delicate. With a personality as big as Texas, Martin’s work deals with issues of women’s empowerment and seeing life through the eyes of others. Martin’s first solo exhibit “EUPHORIA” opened with a reception on July 25 and will remain on display until Aug. 28. The exhibit is benefitting Ally’s House, a non-profit that helps create a stable environment to help teen mothers become prosperous.

Francisco Moreno

This guy has some serious skills. His most recent exhibit involved camouflage and a classic 1975 Datsun 280Z. Using variations of black and white geometric shapes; Moreno was able to portray modern American themes in art history. But this is not a new concept. His idea for camouflaging the car came from World War I. George Washington and his crew previously used a similar technique against the enemy camouflaging their ships into what looked like abstract paintings. Who knew taking a look back into American history could render such a cool exhibit in the 21st century.

Kevin Tedora

Kasumi Chow and Desiree Espada

Jason Sanders

Okay so technically this should be two artists. But Chow and Espada worked together on their latest project so we decided to create a duo for the third visual artist on the rise. These collaborative photographers just wrapped their first exhibition Truly, Madly. Chow and Espada’s work is rich and often carries a compelling narrative. Be on the lookout for more work from these two.

Kasumi Chow and Desiree Espada

Matthew Brinston

This artist also is a survivor and you can see it through his unique haircut that showcases the scar he received from a car accident in 2013. Once a model and musician, Brinston now showcases his talent as a visual artist. He creates pieces with value and contrast. If you want to see Brinston’s latest work, you can catch him at NRG Recording Studios in Los Angeles this October for a joint exhibition with RossVon Rosenberg. Brinston also is working on a mural that is going up in late July at Bonton Farms as a piece focused on inspiring the community, which just happens to be one of Dallas’ many food desserts. He also just finished successful shows at Life in Deep Ellum and Epocha.

Christopher Gonzalez

Christopher Gonzalez SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

If you like art that pops out at you, this guy’s work is for you. He uses color to affect the subconscious.

Raised in Texas, Gonzalez is a self-taught artist with influences from iconic genius Andy Warhol. You might also see some guidance from artists like Van Gough and Jackson Pollock. If you want to catch up with Gonzalez’s work, you can view his newest exhibit, Color Chaos, from 6-9 p.m. daily through July 31 at Epocha.

Matthew Brinston

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THREE UT O B A S THING TIFUL A BEAU N WOMA

TAMMY What are you doing or wearing that makes you feel the sexiest?

A great pair of high heels, it changes your attitude, your mannerisms, your walk, and it lifts the booty!

Where is your favorite place to go to on a romantic dinner, and what would you order?

Honestly an at-home pizza date watching a movie is so romantic to me! Being comfortable with someone is the best.

OUR PEDIGREE D MAGAZINE READERS CHOICE “BEST HOT DOG” 2014 BLITZ WEEKLY BLITZIE AWARD “BEST HAMBURGER” 2014 URBAN SPOON “MOST POPULAR HOT DOG” 2013 D MAGAZINE READERS CHOICE “BEST HOT DOG” 2013 BLITZ WEEKLY BLITZIE AWARD ‘BEST HOT WINGS” 2013 DALLAS OBSERVER READERS CHOICE “BEST HOT DOG” 2013 DALLAS MORNING NEWS “BEST BURGER IN DFW” 2013 BLITZ WEEKLY “BEST SPOTS TO WATCH THE SUPER BOWL” 2013 HOW ABOUT WE “TOP DALLAS DATE SPOT” 2013 CRAVE DFW “BEST DOGS OF DALLAS” 2012 DALLAS MORNING NEWS “BEST BURGER IN DFW” 2012 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST BURGER” 2010 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST GREASY SPOON” 2009 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST NACHOS” 2009 D MAGAZINE “D-BEST HAMBURGER” 2006 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST BURGER” 2006 AOL CITY GUIDE “BEST CHEAP EATS” 2006 AOL CITY GUIDE “BEST LATE NIGHT DINING” 2005 AVID GOLFER MAGAZINE “BEST WINGS” 2004 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST HANGOVR THERAPY” 2003 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST HOT DOG” 2002 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST HAMBURGER” 2002 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST PLACE TO BUY A DOG” 2001 D MAGAZINE “BEST HANGOVER HELPER” 2001 THE MET “BEST BAR FOOD” 2000 D MAGAZINE “BEST WINGS” 2000 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST WINGS” 1998 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST HOT DOG” 1994 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST WNGS” 1992

Favorite sports team and why: The U.S. Women’s soccer team! They just won the World Cup and I love to support strong women!

Jarrod Fresquez Model: Tammy Make-Up: J ai Okoli – Makeup Junkies, INC. Hair: George Graham – Makeup Junkies, INC. SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

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Quinn Dombrowski

F

or some it’s known as the Nectar of the Gods, for others it’s more like the hair of the dog.

Like money, too much can be damaging, but if you have respect for it then you can come closer to mastering it.

I’m talking about beer. Yes, alcohol. There remains a select group of a chosen few who have decided to walk the path of righteousness. They have dedicated much of their lives to perfecting the craft so that others may eventually garner the same respect they have for a beverage that can be so commonly mistreated and unappreciated. Because it’s not about the alcohol content, but the love that was put into making it.

Business can be grueling – trying to stay in the black when all you want to do is share your passion with others. Give the people what they want, and it looks like Texans want beer, and good beer at that.

2015 Guide to DFW Microbrews Are You Brave Enough To Try Them?

Here at Blitz Weekly, we feel obliged to further this widely-growing trend in North Texas by giving you as complete list of breweries featured in the area, along with all the little tips and tricks for each we can muster to lend out.

Deep Ellum Brewing Company

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Wintervention 10 percent ABV, a seasonal saved for cooler temperatures. Tours take place the first and third Saturdays of every month from 1-3 p.m., $10 Cash. Get there early.

Lakewood Brewing Company Established 2012 – lakewoodbrewing.com This is a family-owned brewery with both Dallas and German ties. Wim Bens is a Southern Methodist University graduate who was born in Belgium and moved to Dallas when he was 7. Factor in the constant visits back home during his youth, and you can expect to see the influence pay off in his beer.

The brewery started in a garage in Lakewood, but now operates in Garland. Though with a slogan like “For whatever neighborhood you call home,” the beer knows no limits. Rock Ryder 4.8 percent ABV, named after the bicyclists who loop the White Rock Lake trail, is an American Rye Wheat that has taken home more than its fair share of gold at brew competitions.

Tours are free every Saturday 1-5 p.m., and Sunday 1-3 p.m. with one tour each hour. Also check out the tap room.

Community Beer Company

Established 2011 – deepellumbrewing.com

Established 2013 – communitybeer.com

Have you ever had a labor of love? Something you enjoyed so much that you did it just for the sport and camaraderie? That feeling of accomplishment when the day is done? Hell, that’s why Deep Ellum started its brewery in the first place. The beer has spread across Texas like wildfire, and then put out with lots and lots of beer. It’s hard to tell if the brewery represents Deep Ellum of if Deep Ellum represents the brewery. Dallas can be very proud of both.

Beer often is a communal product, enjoyed among a group of friends. One of those friends has his or her own yeast lab and resident microbiologist/assistant brewer on staff since Day 1 to ensure yeast quality, and therefore – beer quality. Another friend is Barley, the brewery dog, who loves chewing on the malt as much as people love drinking it. Loved by beer nerds and session drinkers alike, the Mosaic IPA 8.6 percent ABV gets its name from a new hop variety named “Mosaic,” which is predominantly where the immense, raw hop aroma and flavor is derived.

Tours are mostly on Saturdays, but they are more like events. Buy tickets at least a week in advance. Or just stop by the taproom on a whim to enjoy the awardwinning beverages.

Who are we kidding, the Dallas Blonde 5.2 percent ABV is the crowd favorite, if not for her good looks, then for her good taste. Open house tours are Thursdays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at noon. Buy tickets online in advance or pay $15 at the door. Or you can just head straight to their taproom.

Peticolas Brewing Company Established 2011 – peticolasbrewing.com Peticolas loves beer as much as it does soccer. Water, malted barley, hops and yeast, that’s all the people there need to deliver a quality brew. But towards the end of every fall, they walk down the street to our neighborhood spice manufacturer, Pendery’s, to pick up cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. Thus, Wintervention is born.

Peticolas is best known for the Royal Scandal 6.5 percent ABV, an English Pale Ale, and the spiced beer

Deep Ellum Brewing Co.

Established 2013 – fcbrewing.com Redefining what it means to be cerveza, Four Corners has taken on Oak Cliff with a full force of brewing passion. Most of its beer takes on a unique persona of Mexican-Tejano tradition with names like El Chingón, El Bajada, and Paletero. Best known for the beer cooler bike, maybe? Local Buzz 5.2 percent ABV is rich with locally-sourced honey and pretty tasty in the summer also. Tours are free with RSVP on its website at noon and 1:30 p.m. Saturdays. There also is an all-day alehouse open seven days a week.

Christian Motte

Dean R.

BY TAYLOR BERRIER @THEGALAXY89

Four Corners Brewing Company

Lakewood Brewing Co. WWW.BLITZWEEKLY.COM

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Franconia Brewing Company

The Collective Brewing Project

Established 2008 – franconiabrewing.com

Established 2014 – collectivebrew.com

That estimated date barely scratches the surface of the history embedded in the Franconia name. Dating back to the 1800s and five generations of brewing, this place has had a long time to perfect its Germanstyle beers. And happy cows come from Texas, as Franconia’s recycling initiatives send 100 percent of the leftover hops to Koster Cattle Company which then turns it into cattle feed. If you’ve never had a Hefeweizen, now’s the time to try one. The Franconia Wheat 4.8 percent ABV is brewed with original Bavarian wheat yeast and is simply a must try. Tours are every Saturday at 11 a.m. for about two hours and worth the $5.

Another Fort Worth oasis of craft beer, the Collective brings us beer that stands out in taste as well as flavor and yes, they are two separate things. But it achieves results in both categories. The brewing process here is a delicate one, having started the venture as a little home brewery, the college buddies not only have learned quickly the business of beer, but the craft process of making it a delicacy. The Aaaapes in Spaaaace 5.2 percent ABV is hinted with apricot, an IPA on the closer side to candy or froyo.

Mmm. Taproom hours Wednesday through Friday 5-9 p.m., and Saturdays 2-9 p.m.

Rahr & Sons Brewing Company Established 2004 – rahrbrewing.com “It is because of the rich history we decided to continue in the paths of my ancestors and open our own brewery – Rahr & Sons Brewing, in the town of Fort Worth, Texas – a town very dear to my heart. We will follow in the traditions of my family and brew majestic lagers and rich ales using age-old recipes in the styles of the Rahr brew masters of the past.

We are dedicated to brewing only the finest beers possible – we hope you enjoy drinking them!” – Frederick William Rahr Jr. I believe this quote says it all. My favorites is the Texas Red 5 percent ABV. The notes of caramel and its sound malt character are perfectly balanced with just a bit of hops. Tours and tastings are every Wednesday 5-7:30 p.m. and Saturdays 1-3 p.m., $10 for anyone over 18 years of age, but beer for 21 and up only. This is family friendly, so kids are permitted free of charge.

Martin House Brewing Company Established 2013 – martinhousebrewing.com This particular brewery has been rocking the craft brewery foundation in Fort Worth. Martin House Brewing Company strives to create beer that becomes an extension of the lifestyles of its consumers. And sorry to name drop, but the Toadies have been known to rock the joint on multiple occasions. And drawing the blueprint that one is not limited to pairing beer with food, but that music and physical activity are just as important. Probably best known for its Imperial Texas Double Red Ale 9 percent ABV is best paired with mountain biking and whatever music you like. Tours and tastings are Thursdays 6-8 p.m. and Saturdays 2-5 p.m. with a $10 admission.

In case you were wondering, Nine Band stands for the nine bands on an armadillo. This is the nice, clean beer Texas craves. The place doesn’t try to be special.

The people here don’t shove their beer in your face and demand that you like it. They only hope people will see the quality when it engulfs their taste buds.

Once you try it, you will see why Texas is proud to serve the Cactus Cat Kölsch 5.2 percent and Nine Band Pale Ale 6 percent ABV to its residents to cool off during the hot Texas summers. Look out for their new brew, Badge, a blonde ale perfect for the late summer heat. Check out tours at their brewery in Allen at noon Saturdays but book them online in advance to let them know you’re coming.

Cedar Creek Brewery Established 2012 – cedarcreekbrewery.com Great American Beer Festival gold medalists and attention hogs at beer festivals all around, Cedar Creek remains on the saner side of brewing. Main ingredient? Passion. Already outgrowing itself at a tremendous pace, the ice cold beers have been met with a very warm reception. The beer is brewed the way you’d want while chillin’ at a lake or the beach.

One of the greatest names for a beer I have ever seen, I would have to try the Dankosaurus IPA 6.8 percent ABV. Pine, citrus, peach, and tangerine, ‘Nuff said.

With a cafe and taproom open Wednesday through Sunday, the calendar is filled with tastings, classes, and festivals making a trip to Seven Points all the more worthwhile.

Cobra Brewing Company Established 2013 – cobrabrewingco.com Beer with a bite, I have had the unique pleasure of experiencing this brewery and its delicious suds for myself. Cheers to what this family-owned and

Established 2014 – grapevineontap.com One beer I’ve started to see in many grocery stores across North Dallas is from this recent startup brewery that’s far surpassed the term startup and grown into something more of a prodigy. God bless Texas and God bless the beer made in it and by founder and Pastor Gary Humble. All-around wellbalanced brewing is the simplistic venture Grapevine Craft Brewery has taken up, and this is evident in The Monarch 4.3 percent ABV, a classic American wheat that’s nothing fancy, just good. The taproom and beer garden are open daily 3-10 p.m.

903 Brewers Established 2013 – 903brewers.com Speaking of holy beers, 903 Brewer’s founder and head brewer Jeremy Roberts has created beer that’s focused on the basics, but doesn’t forget to add a little twist that makes itself memorable. He and his team not only have crafted some great beers, but great food recipes to pair with them. You’re going to want some of that Sasquatch Chili to absorb the 10.7 percent ABV of the Sasquatch Chocolate Milk Stout. Is that a food baby or a beer belly? But the most popular beer undoubtedly is The Chosen One Coconut Ale 6.8 percent ABV with flavors of sweet biscuits and toasted coconuts, your taste buds are in for a surprise. Tours are free every Saturday noon-5 p.m. or check out Trivia Night every Thursday at 5 p.m. Pet and family friendly, you also can catch some live music there every now and then.

Revolver Brewing Established 2012 – revolverbrewing.com Although located in Granbury, this place has flagshipped itself as a part of Fort Worth. A little off the beaten path is a great way to describe the beer too.

Agave nectar, black pepper, and blood oranges. The folks here don’t take themselves too seriously, but they take extreme pride in their craft. True Texans.

Countryside brew that’s true. Blood & Honey 7 percent ABV is a zesty American Wheat Ale, probably

the most popular. If you’re looking to get away from the big city, Revolver will be your perfect escape.

Family friendly, but no pets, $10 admission gets you access to live music and a food vendor. Every Saturday noon-3 p.m.

Panther Island Brewing Established 2014 – pantherislandbrewing.com Get it in your mouth. That’s the motto over at Panther Island, because these people know once you do, you won’t be able to stop drinking their beer. Located on the banks of the Trinity River, they are proudly housed in one of Fort Worth’s oldest brewery building. One would think the idea was that one day, their beer too will be a historical landmark. Some would think that it already is. Alergeez 5.7 percent ABV includes good ol’ fashioned Texan honey, chamomile, and rose hips. Tours are Fridays 5-9 p.m. and Sundays 2-6 p.m. This isn’t just a tour of a brewery, it’s a tour of Fort Worth. Come hungry.

Shannon Brewing Company Established 2014 – shannonbrewing.com Shannon has made it a mission to go old school, but in a manner certainly deserving of the bragging.

The folks here utilize an almost ancient brewing methodology and basic quality ingredients that would make prohibitionists think they had died and gone to heaven. The secret is the fire-burning techniques handed down four generations of brewing in both a one-of-a-kind mash tun and kettle resembling those of an old-world brewing process.

All this makes some damn good quality beer. The Shannon Irish Red 5.8 percent ABV is Shannon’s nod to St. Patrick. Shannon is the emerald of Keller. Tours are available every Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. with the taproom and beer garden open Thursdays and Fridays 4-9 pm and Sundays noon-5 pm. And you can bet there’s food.

Texas Ale Project Established 2014 – texasaleproject.com I remember my first beer. I just wish it was one of Texas Ale Project’s brews. I might never have had another beer again. OK, that’s a stretch. But the point here is that Texas Ale Project aims to get you hooked by using ingredients that entangle flavors from both the core contents, the hops. Located in the Dallas Brew District, a.k.a. the Design District, the people here formulate intricately designed brews to get just the right taste they want to deliver. Somethin’ Shady 5.5 percent ABV is a porter that’s hard to pass up.

You can check out the artful taproom Thursday and Friday 5-9 p.m. and Saturdays 1-9 p.m. It’s not weird, just pure science.

Christian Motte

Martin House Brewing Co.

Grapevine Craft Brewery

Christian Motte

SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

Established 2015 – ninebandbrewing.com

Chris J.

Jonah Gilmore

Franconia Brewing Co.

Nine Band Brewing Company

operated brewery can do with malts and hops. The place is increasing in popularity and for good reason.

The idea of converting used dairy tanks into tanks for brewing beer was simply genius, and green.

My favorite was the Golden Girl 6.1 percent ABV, a beautifully full-bodied ale but still approachable and inviting. It’s a brewery that’s also a taproom, and a taproom that’s also a brewery. Opened to the public and their pets Fridays and Saturdays 5-10 p.m., $10 gets you a pint glass, three refills, and entertainment for hours. Live music usually on Saturdays.

Nine Band Brewing Co.

Cobra Brewing Co.

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Armadillo Ale Works Established 2015 – armadilloaleworks.com

Bearded Eel Craft Brewery Established 2014 – beardedeel.com

FireWheel Brewing Company Established 2012 – firewheelbrewing.com

Established 2014 – rabbitholebrewing.com This brewery located in Justin focuses on unrepresented beer styles and provides customers with the storied mythos of excellence, eccentricity, and uniqueness. But that mythos turns into something worth believing as it follows through in the results. Mike Modano’s 561 Kolsch-style Beer 4.7 percent ABV was crafted to commemorate Mike’s record career goals for U.S.-born hockey players, 561 showcases German pilsner malt, noble hops, and a meticulous fermentation regimen. Tours are every Saturday noon-4 p.m. Events on Thursdays can include any number of various activities sure to amuse and entertain, but for an even more trippy experience, just check out the website.

Ivanhoe Ale Works Established 2015 – (website in progress) Check out Facebook for all of the info and updates.

Ivanhoe Ale Works is located in historic downtown Denison, an area known to me through my way up to Choctaw. These guys have an extensive 25-year background in wining with the Homestead Winery, which is exactly where they decided to set up shop next to. Their true object of desire was a company that combined brewing craft beer side by side with fine wine, becoming Texas’ first wine-brew.

The Ivanhopa IPA 7 percent ABV is by far the crowd favorite, but you can expect much more to come.

You can come in Mondays and Tuesdays 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and Wednesdays through Saturdays 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and drink beer, or tour and taste for $10 every Saturday 1-4 p.m.

Bitter Sisters Brewing Company Established 2015 – bittersistersbrewing.com The only brewery operating in the Addison city limits, it strives to serve an area highly concentrated with experienced drinkers and restaurant hoppers. The family-operated brewery brews mostly German-style lagers. Though pretty standard, this beer will make you question the norm. The Busy Body Blonde Lager 5.92 percent ABV is the kind of beer that’s always up in everybody’s business but is approachable to the point that dammit if you don’t still want to be friends with it. Bitter in attitude, but not in taste. Tasting room is open Saturdays 11 a.m-3 p.m.

3 Nations Brewery Company Established 2015 – threenationsbrewery.com This brewery took over Grapevine Craft Brewery’s old space located in Farmers Branch right off I-35 after demand had exceeded capacity. If history is any indication, the same will be the fate of 3 Nations, as demand for craft brewery is not dependent upon one brewery alone. But that doesn’t mean these people aren’t happy with their present location. They take pride in the friendships and close relationships they form not only with the people they serve their beer

Oak Highlands Brewery Dallas’ Lake Highlands neighborhood now is home to its own brewery after Oak Highlands Brewery opened July 18. Owners Brad Mall and Derrin Williams rolled out a selection of five beers, including a tripel, dunkelweizen, kölsch, IPA and Dortmunder lager. The brews will be available at the brewery’s taproom as well as local bars, restaurants and stores. Food trucks will be stationed around the brewery on weekends.

If I had to pick a beer off the bat, I’d go with the DfDub 7 percent ABV for its choice of banana and clove hints in a dark wheat brew. Customers can stop by the brewery for a glass of beer between 4-8 p.m Thursdays and Fridays and between noon-6 p.m. on Saturdays, $15 admission gets you everything you could ask for, food, beer and something to put it in, and live music.

Shannon Brewing Co.

Tupps Brewery Established 2015 – tuppsbrewery.com Handcrafted in McKinney, this beer is tested first with the eyes and then with the nose. Tupps founder and head brewer Tupper Patnode expected nothing less of his beers other than to clarify loudly what it means to be a Texas beer. Quality of content and attractive personalities in both taste and form, these brews take home the aesthetics award. Texas Shade 5.1 percent ABV is the optimal drought-killer wheat and the perfect escape from the Texas sun. Pet and kid friendly, happy hours at the beer garden are Wednesday and Thursday 4-8 p.m., Fridays 4-10 p.m., and Saturdays 11 a.m.-10 .pm. Tours and tastings are scheduled on their Events section on their web page.

Audacity Brew House

Rabbit Hole Brewing

Four Bullets Brewery Established 2015 – fourbulletsbrewery.com Four Bullets is a collaborative effort between Andrew Smeeton and Jeff Douglas, with the former handling head brewer duties and the latter taking on the role of sales manager and assistant brewer. It’s a synchronized partnership and an unmatched duo in Nano-brewing. Each beer brewed here comes with a Texas twist and tells you in its taste it was made with love and an unrivaled bond to the craft. Two Pairs Pale Ale 5 percent ABV is a west coast pale ale, hoppy but not overly hopped, well balanced with hints of citrus, and a great aroma. Open Saturdays noon-6 p.m., this little brewery in Richardson is proving to be the David in David and Goliath among craft breweries, but give it time. Build it, and they will come.

So there you have it, if you have beer stuck on the mind, you better go put some in your stomach. And why not learn a little something along the way?

There’s a lot of new beers out there, and a lot of cool and interesting folks rewriting the standards of beer. Craft beer and breweries have expanded exponentially and for every beer you have tried, there’s a beer you haven’t. And beer was made to be shared with friends. I hope this guide finds you and yours well and perhaps sparks a new appreciation for something that has always been so delicious.

Oak Highlands Brewery

Charlie K.

Just a few guys from Dallas trying to take part in the beer revolution sweeping the state of Texas, and they’re doing a hell of a job at it. They cover the full spectrum of beer in their brewing repertoire and deliver solid flavored brews that are sure to quench the snobbiest of beer nerd’s thirst. They know what makes Texas great and they incorporate that into their beer: bigger is better. Their TPA 6.0 percent ABV is an example of a perfectly balanced Texas Pale Ale. Tap room hours are as follows: Thursdays and Fridays 6-9ish p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m.-9ish p.m., and Sundays

Established 2015 – oakhighlandsbrewery.com

Neal Z.

This Nano-brewery start up in Fort Worth was founded by couple B.J. and Becky Burnett. Every beer brewed here is done in a one-and-a-half-barrel system giving every batch the love and attention it deserves. Their beer theory is when a person drinks a beer, they should taste the ingredients and experience a complexity that only can be found when it’s made by someone who truly loves the product they make. The Texican 6.24 percent ABV is a Serrano chili pepper infused ale that promises you it’s not spicy, but actually perfectly crisp for the summertime. Tours are every Friday (with some exceptions) 6-9 p.m. for $12-$15 depending on your choice of cup and this tour is reserved for 21 and up only.

Rabbit Hole Brewing

Christian Motte

Never has a brewer been more about community than Audacity. Based in Denton, Audacity has set out to reach out to the people it serves. These people know what beer pairs well with what food, but they also know it’s futile when a person can afford neither the beer nor the food. So they made it their mission to support food drives and feed the hungry, letting the quality of their beer speak for itself in the process. The Black Widow Imperial Chocolate Stout 8.8 percent ABV was a gold medalist at the Best Little Brewfest in Texas and will warm you up inside and out. Tours are free every Saturday 3-7 p.m. A taproom is open Tuesday through Thursday 2-9 p.m, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., and Sundays 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

to, but those who help them do it. Selection is small, with just two beers to choose from: The American Wit 5.5 percent ABV and the GPA German Pale Ale 5.2 percent ABV. Only been open for just a little over a month. Tours are still in the process of getting set up.

James Maynard

Audacity Brew House Established 2014 – audacitybrewhouse.com

noon-6ish p.m. Brewery tours are every Saturday at noon, 2, 4, and 6 p.m. Tickets for all tours are $10 each and go on sale when the taproom opens at 11 a.m. that day, first-come, first-serve. And they didn’t forget about the DD with their own craft brew root beer and other sodas on tap.

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Michelle M

After a successful Kickstarter campaign and a little help from Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Armadillo Ale Works was able to open its brewery exactly where it wanted, and where it felt wanted, Denton. The place draws inspiration for its beers from the city, people, and culture of Denton. So the beer getting a gold medal at the GABF was like Denton getting the medal as well. The place’s motto and beer is “North of Ordinary.” Greenbelt Farmhouse Ale 5.2 percent ABV is a regional brew whose name will make any native feel as much pride as what Armadillo puts into making the beer. For events, follow Armadillo on Facebook, as it is relatively new to the scene. But keep an eye for it in different venues all across North Texas as Armadillo quickly grows in popularity.

AUGUST 2015

Four Bullets Brewery WWW.BLITZWEEKLY.COM

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AUGUST 2015

VOL. 8 - ISSUE 7

Dierks Bentley Took The Road Less Traveled With Latest Album

BY ALAN SCULLEY – ALANLASTWORD@GMAIL.COM

nino munoz

PROFILE

The man hasn’t become complacent with his success. Rather than follow a generic formula for an album, the 39-year-old challenged himself in new ways and explored his emotions. The result: his most personal album yet and Dierks Bentley has a story to tell.

Riser, the latest album from Dierks Bentley, is being lauded for its collection of mid-tempo tunes and ballads that find Bentley digging deeper than ever emotionally – a direction inspired largely by the death of his father two years ago and the recent birth of his first son.

For an artist who has been known for such energetic songs as “What Was I Thinking,” “Sideways” and “5-1-5-0,” the more restrained and contemplative material on Riser is a bit of a stylistic changeup for Bentley.

The album, though, nearly leaned even further toward introspective balladry and mid-tempo material. That changed, Bentley said in a recent phone interview, when the song “Bourbon in Kentucky” was released as a lead single ahead of the planned release of the album.

Bentley said. “I had some guys that were real honest and just said ‘Man, it’s a tough song for us to play. It’s heavy.’ But it was real. I was going through some stuff there. That was a dark song that I just gravitated toward. We put it out there and mainly saw that it was going to be a struggle and a fight. So yeah, we pulled it.”

In abandoning what was going to be the lead single, Bentley and his team took a second look at the album and decided to return to the studio and cut a few tracks that were more upbeat, both musically and lyrically – including “Back Porch,” “Sounds of Summer” and the recent chart-topping single from the album, “Drunk on a Plane.” Bentley thinks Riser became a better musical statement as a result.

The song – a slow-burning, broken-hearted duet with Kacey Musgraves that’s full of sadness and disappointment (“There ain’t enough Bourbon in Kentucky for me to forget you”) – was not what radio wanted during the lighter, brighter days of summer 2013.

“It was a good record and reflective of me and what I had kind of been through,” Bentley said of the original version of Riser. “But after ‘Bourbon’ died and all of this time had passed by, I wasn’t really in that moment. I wasn’t feeling that way anymore. I was feeling much more, my son (Knox) had just been born (in October 2013). I felt good.

“You have a lot of fun things happening at radio, and all of a sudden you have this song that comes on that kind of just, some radio programmers told me it literally stopped the station in its track,”

“So the record, instead of being so much about just a couple of certain moments in my life, really became a bigger picture of who I am over these last couple of years,” he said.

SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

That said, Riser – while a quality effort -- is not a safe album for Bentley. It still leans decidedly toward darkly-hued ballads and mid-tempo songs rather then the kind of good-time rockers and romantic or nostalgic ballads that generally populate country radio playlists.

Of course, taking risks is nothing new for Bentley.

He steadily gained popularity over the course of his first three albums, and when his fourth CD, 2009’s Feel That Fire, delivered two more charttopping singles (“Sideways” and “Feel That Fire”), Bentley appeared ready to blast into the upper tier of country stars.

But instead of sticking to his winning mainstream country formula, Bentley took a stylistic detour and released a bluegrass album, 2010’s Up on the Ridge.

“People said I was crazy. It would ruin my career,” Bentley said. “Once you get settled in your career and you get going, it’s really easy to get complacent and not take chances. But taking chances is what got you to that place to begin with. And one of the things Up on the Ridge did, I really felt like I re-set my career clock when I made that record because from that record on, I feel like I’ve been making records differently, with a lot more attention to detail in the songs,

looking for outside songs, trying to make really the most complete albums we can.”

As it turned out, Up on the Ridge, if not a blockbuster, was a decent success, and when Bentley returned to mainstream country with his 2013 album, Home, he hit new heights with three No. 1 singles, while the album itself debuted at No. 1 on “Billboard’s” country album chart.

Now with Riser having also debuted at No. 1 on “Billboard’s” country album chart, produced chart-topping hits in “I Hold On” and “Drunk on a Plane,” as well as a top five single in “Say You Do,” Bentley is promoting the album with a headlining tour of amphitheaters this summer, mixed in with some festival dates including Aug. 29 at Gexa Energy Pavilion. Bentley figures to stick mainly to his hits.

“The band loves the new songs and loves Riser.

But right now, the set list is pretty rocking and perfect for amphitheaters,” Bentley said. “I think about making a set (and I think back) to my first country shows. That’s what I loved about them, that energy, and I was out there on the grass and I probably stealing somebody’s beer, just the energy and the fun and I definitely like to keep that up.”

VOL. 8 - ISSUE 7

AUGUST 2015

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AUGUST 2015

VOL. 8 - ISSUE 7

DIY: How to Make a

KICK-ASS Music Video

MizGin

Meet Rising Swedish Pop Sensation,

BY JAMES GRAHOVAC – @BLITZWEEKLY

I

BY PETER GERSTENZANG – @HAPPYSPAPPY

n the past few years, looking to expand my artistic horizons, I have started directing music videos.

I’ve loved it, even if my last budget wasn’t big enough to pay the craft service bill for Val Kilmer.

But recently, I was approached by a would-be rock star, a guy whose utter lack of musical talent was made up for by his bank balance. So I had money, a crew and a camera fine enough to get a good wide shot of a huge group. Unless that group is Carnie Wilson. So, if you’re in directorial mood and think you’d like to shoot a video, here are some things I picked up and would like to pass on. Barring the STD I got from that pretty female extra.

David Shankbone

The Musicians: Know this going in: musicians are neurotic, selfabsorbed, hypochondriacal control freaks. Who can make you long for a family reunion with two of the relatives who molested you. Then there’s the dark side. The day of the shoot, my rock star came four hours late, because he thought he was having a heart attack. Ultimately, his claims weren’t as convincing as those of his cardiologist, who told him he was fine. Even though this doctor also gave him a dual diagnosis: that this guy was as crazy as catshit. So directors, be aware that your star will be impossible to deal with. It’s a start.

Get A Grip: Since you’ll most likely be dealing with two tons of equipment, make sure you have two strong grips to carry everything in and out. If you think you can get by without them, you’ll still need two strong grips later. One to carry you and your exposed intestines to the doctor after your exploding hernia. And later, one to squeeze you into your brand new truss.

johnsondaveed

Shooting: When directing a video, get yourself a great cinematographer. By “getting,” of course, I mean, hiring one. Not just spotting a guy with a movie camera, throwing him into your van and dragging him to your shoot. I would tell you more about why that’s wrong, but it violates the terms of my plea agreement.

A great ‘DP,’ can come up with so many interesting angles, so you, the director, don’t have to do anything. Every once in a while, just pretend to frame a shot with your hands. And use as many French terms as possible. Throw in mise en scene occasionally and people will draw back in respect.

Call yourself an auteur and they will bow. Wear a beret, a monocle and jodhpurs and you’ll be directing your next video in Bellevue. As a part of your plea agreement.

JohnnyMrNinja

Post-Production: This arguably is the hardest part of your job.

Autobahn Two Partly because it involves editing, syncing and color correction.

But mostly because it’s so expensive, you’ll a need a second job to pay for it. Ever seen a director double as a paper boy? It’s pathetic.

And even with my disguises, I still don’t know how my neighbors recognized me. To cut costs, try to learn as many post-production tasks as possible. Start with editing. Just remember, that means cutting from one image to another. Not just taking every fourth frame and throwing it out. All that does is make your video a little shorter. Which is a little simplistic. Still, if they’d done that with Heaven’s Gate, think of how much better it would be. My final bit of advice regarding making your video? Trust your instincts. And you will find that much everything somehow seems to work itself out.

SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

First things first, your song “Get You Off” has quite a number of views on YouTube. How do you think the American audience has received your music?

The reception has been really positive overall. I’m very happy that people responded to the song and video like that. It was my first promotional release so I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it was great. I love my fans and the warm welcoming I got!

young designers from around the world. Just like my music, I love bringing things together to make something new. It’s about everything working together – the music, performance, pop, fashion, that’s art and for me what makes an artist.

What can you share with us about your latest EP “If I Said I’m In Love (Suicide)”?

The title of my new single is “If I Said I’m In Love (Suicide)” and we decided to put out an EP of a few different versions of the song. I really like this record and I’m super excited now that it’s out! The song is about the withdrawal process of toxic love and regaining control of your life...I think it’s better to face temporary pain and heartache but survive rather than kill yourself slowly. For so many people bad love is like an addictive poison...You think you need it but it slowly kills you!

When you want to get away from it all what do you do to relax?

HAH! Listen to music. But honestly there hasn’t been much time to relax lately!

Being in the entertainment industry isn’t easy, some say it’s a labor of love. What were some of the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome?

That might be right depending on who you are. I personally don’t walk into things for the simplicity of it. It is the challenges that motivate me and keep me going. Makes me kind of want it even more.

Where does your passion for music and performing come from? Any particular musician or artist influence you?

From when I was a little girl, I must have been around 8 years old, I remember watching MTV every day and listening to really amazing songs.

That was when I really fell in love with music and felt like “This is what I want to do when I grow up.”

What are your thoughts on fashion?

I love fashion...I like to mix high couture and

Have you ever been to Dallas or even Texas?

First impression?

No, I actually haven’t yet. I would love to visit very soon.

We heard a rumor that many Swedes speak English better than Swedish. Is this true or just a big joke?

That’s a big joke! Ha Ha! But, they do teach us English at a very early age, so a lot of Swedes are very good at it.

Favorite food and why?

I actually love very simple Swedish dishes!

What’s the next goal you’d like to accomplish?

I have only one goal and that is for the entire world to hear my music. So when that happens I can think about the next goal.

If you could have one superpower what would it be and why?

It’s funny that this is one of your questions since I actually thought about that before. In the past I thought that it would be great to be “invisible,” but then it hit me that it’s kind of lame and wouldn’t help anybody. So my superpower would be to erase all the evil in the world and leave only love.

Much cooler right?

If we opened the trunk of your car right now, what would we find?

BASS!!

On Call-Outs and Campuses VOL. 8 - ISSUE 7

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BY CHRIS SICK – @CHRISSICK

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viral status. I’m not blaming the Internet for everything, but if you’ve spent any time on it whatsoever you can’t help but be aware of its tendency to bring out the worst in an argument.

very election season begins a little sooner than the last.

Election Day 2016 is well over a year away, but it’s seemingly never too early for candidates to begin the race to the bottom with mindless invective and ugly populism. Living cartoon Donald Trump became an example (again), when he labeled Mexican immigrants “thieves and rapists” while announcing his candidacy. So far his comments have cost him his television show and numerous profitable partnerships.

I say that as someone who didn’t learn critical thinking and rhetorical skills at my fancy-pants university, but rather from arguing with smart people on the Internet. And from that, learning when to shut the fuck up and listen, so that I might learn something new. As I said before, I’m not interested in arguing to “win,” as much as I’m always on the lookout to learn.

It’s something I think is in short supply. And it’s also the last conclusion I wanted to reach. Many writers tackling these issues conclude with an earnest plea for a kinder, gentler discourse. But what’s frequently missing from these calls is the recognition that we’re occupying an unusual historical moment.

Even before the political season began in earnest, it seemed that not a month goes by without some controversy stemming from political correctness blows up. Earlier this year, Jerry Seinfeld complained that college campuses are becoming too PC for comedians, echoing Chris Rock late last year. And the year kicked off with an intense debate in media circles following an article by New York Magazine’s Jonathan Chait labeling political correctness undemocratic.

But nowhere is the problem in sharper relief than on college campuses, where the political right sees the academic left as rapidly approaching a level of thought policing on the order of fascist regimes. Which renders this topic particularly interesting to me, good liberal that I am, as I enter my final year as a nontraditional (read: old) undergraduate at an Ivy League university famed for its protests.

Understanding this issue is important to me, and understanding why it is might help eventually unknot the issue a bit. See, I don’t write these columns with the idea of winning some argument, even when I’m picking fights with media figures who play this game for a well-paid living. The subjects that make up these monthly installments are largely chosen because they interest me, and in the work of researching and deciding my sometimes controversial stance, I get to learn a thing inside and out.

Academics who teach or administrate will tell you that college is not about getting a job, and that the least valuable takeaway is the paper. Instead,

the university tradition is meant to inspire critical thinking and intellectual rigor in those who undertake it.

Such beliefs seem inherently at odds with a political correctness that demands trigger warnings for potentially upsetting texts, investigates professors for controversial or offensive positions, or disregards tenure over media outrage. The common refrain, coming both from media figures like Chait and those critiquing PC within academia, is that such outcomes have a chilling effect, and stifle freedom of expression.

Given that these stories are frequently sourced with blind quotes from unnamed professors too afraid of losing their positions to go on record, I decided to play at being a real reporter and reach out to academics I know for their perspective on the issue. I was surprised by how many professors and administrators I know who have strong feelings on the issue, but turned out to have little appetite for offering their opinions for publication at all, much less going on record.

Ultimately, a few provided me with some interesting reading that suggested that political correctness on campus is the perfect controversy – there’s something there for everyone to hate.

Left-leaning commentators, from academics to reporters to comedians and artists, bemoan its effects, and in many cases point to the corporatization of universities as the likely culprit.

Those on the right see the culture of calling-out or shouting-down offensive opinions as the logically extreme outcome of identity politics.

In short, while there are defenders of political correctness, there also are enough opponents across the ideological divide, pointing to tangible examples and citing different structural causes, to suggest something, somewhere, has gone awry.

Even if you’re a good (far-left) liberal like myself, it’s difficult to get behind an outrage culture that seems to target its allies more frequently than its opposition.

Pluralism, for most of the 20th century, meant different denominations of Christianity.

Even being an American was (often still is) synonymous with being white, male, and straight. But within just a few years, the U.S. will be majority-minority. For the first time we’ll be forced to try pluralism for real.

And it’s going to be messy and it’s going to upset a lot of people who are used to being kept very comfortable. We should have less call-outs, sure, and there’s widespread support for that across ideological divides.

But more than anything, we – as a culture – need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, with being unsettled. With being faced with a dynamic pluralism that demands – sometimes angrily – respect for different identities and doesn’t take any shit off those who won’t give it. And we’re going to have to fight and figure out how to make that all work, well beyond the confines of campuses.

And to go on the attack through tweets and status updates – mediums not prized for offering the space for a nuanced back-and-forth, so much as how they award vicious critique with WWW.BLITZWEEKLY.COM

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AUGUST 2015

VOL. 8 - ISSUE 7

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VOL. 8 - ISSUE 7

AUGUST 2015

Bits of Wisdom…Will Ferrell I live by ‘earnin’ and burnin’ meaning, I like to make money and spend it before I even have it.

That’s the way I live my life.

There’s always going to be someone as funny as you or funnier.

Talk to your children at least once a week. If you’ve got time, do it two or three times a week.

Procrastination isn’t just a really long word, it’s a way of life.

Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow Internet to see who they really are.

Eva Rinaldi

Enjoy the little fun things – like taking your kids to school – before they’re all grown up.

Leo: July 23-August 22 Summer flings might come and go, but STDs are forever.

Andrew J. Hewett chewednews.blogspot.com CAT BRIBED WITH KITTY-TREATS? Diego Martinez-Espinoza, a Mexican national, was under house arrest in Highland Springs, Va., awaiting trial on cocaine-smuggling charges, when he got his cat to take his place. This was done by putting the GPS monitor on the feline. His absence was discovered when the battery ran down a few days later. Last heard, the accused was still missing a month-and-a-half later.

Scorpio: October 23-November 21 “One must fail to succeed” does not apply to you, because you will only keep failing.

Virgo: August 23-September 22 Keep watching the Shia LaBeouf motivation video. You still suck at life.

Sagittarius: November 22-December 21 Hey fat ass! You’ll discover that you’re so out of shape that you get winded just getting out of bed.

Libra: September 23-October 22 People aren’t mispronouncing your sign, they’re just calling you a liar.

Capricorn: December 22-January 19 When people call you “thick-headed” it’s not the same as “hard-headed.” One is stubborn and the other has more skull than brain.

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THIS, TOO, SHALL PASS After Anil Yadav, 30, received an x-ray, he was placed on a strict diet of bananas and a special liquid. That’s because he’d swallowed a necklace stolen off the neck of a 52-year-old woman walking home in the Sion area of Mumbai, India. Dr. Debangshu Dam, a medical practitioner based in Delhi, says, “Eating lots of bananas will cause gastro-colic reflex which will make him pass stool.” It took 60 bananas, though.

WHAT AN UNLUCKY THIEF Calhoun County Chief Deputy Matthew Wade tells of a Cherokee County man driving along in Piedmont, Ala., in April 2015, when he looked in his rear view mirror to see another driver following behind him, driving a pickup truck he recognized. Reason he knew the truck? It had been stolen from him earlier that morning. After a police chase and wreck, the driver, identified as Terry Proctor, 29, was arrested.

Aquarius: January 20-February 18 When people tell you to swallow your pride, the joke is on them since you have nothing to be proud of.

Taurus: April 20- May 20 The universe’s message to you will go ignored again when you don’t buy a Taurus Pistol.

Pisces: February 19-March 20 No matter what your mother told you growing up, Irritable Bowel Syndrome isn’t common.

Gemini: May 21-June 21 At the nude beach, people aren’t smiling at you because of your good looks. It’s because you make them feel better about themselves.

Aries: March 21-April 19 You misheard your girlfriend when you thought she said “Superman in the sack” she actually said “super bad.”

Cancer: June 22-July 22 Avoid the phrase, “things can’t get any worse” for you; it’s just tempting fate.

WWW.BLITZWEEKLY.COM

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VOL. 8 - ISSUE 7

The State of Late Night Talk Shows

BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT – @WHOISSTEPHENE

Well we are less than a month away from two more late-night television shows having new faces. After Jon Stewart hosts his final show on Aug. 6, Trevor Noah steps in as the new host of The Daily Show with another Comedy Central late-night show host, Stephen Colbert, filling in for the recently-retired David Letterman on The Late Show.

This marks major change to late-night television as the changing and replacing starts to feel like musical chairs and the vibe is changing too.

Jimmy Fallon

Seth Meyers

Carson Daly

James Corden

Jimmy Kimmel

Bill Maher

Jon Stewart

Eric André

Conan O’Brien

Say Goodbye to Viewer Rivalries

blitz-august15.pdf 1 7/24/2015 12:37:40 PM

The network shows’ viewer ratings are all down from a year ago with Jimmy Fallon and the Tonight Show leading, but does that even matter anymore? For the top executives at each network, sure their egos grow to a self-righteous state as each quarter shows their name at the top of the list. For Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O’Brien and the rest of the hosts, they don’t care about who-beats-who. The days of “leader of the viewers,” mocked so elegantly by Ron Burgundy and friends, have vanished with the departures of rival artists of the craft Letterman and Jay Leno.

Even Colbert addressed the question of rivalry with Fallon on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with Jerry Seinfeld.

“I think nothing would be more boring than a late-night war,” Colbert said. “He (Fallon) and I went and had drinks and talked about it actually.”

That’s fine. These guys don’t have to hate or dislike each other. Just as long as the deepthroat, edge-cutting jokes that resonated from Letterman remain prominent in their comedy.

A big draw from NBC, CBS, and ABC executives hiring these new hosts is the appeal to the younger crowd, and social media contributes to that.

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The attention span of the newly-targeted audience of 20-to-30 year olds is short and quickly distracted. The networks feel the 50 + still are watching and always will, so the battle for new viewers starts with the YouTubers. Nobody actually knows what matriculates from Fallon’s seven million plus YouTube subscribers, or what TeamCoCo’s channel consisting of the popular “Clueless Gamer” segments contributes to his show. Fallon would like to think it makes him more relatable and likeable, while Conan just wants more viewers and guests to keep his show treading above water over on TBS.

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It’s an advertisement. All social media platforms can be if used correctly. It’s a way to promote yourself to your fans and it’s turning late-night

shows into day-after viewing. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. As far as I know it’s not contributing to real income, but it was important in the hiring process for these hosts. Colbert is very active on Twitter and YouTube, publishing about 10 tweets a week and occasionally posting satire-filled videos on YouTube.

For the people bothered by change, your late night viewing may be over. The new even flow of late-night has vastly changed over the year and with Letterman retiring, late-night talk shows are losing their edge.

The Good Guys Always Win Who would’ve thought being nice to everyone would make you the most popular late-night comic? Well it’s working for Fallon. The days of Letterman asking Paris Hilton about prison when her public relations people specifically said NOT to are out the window. The book on Fallon involves being nice and respectful to all guests. It works for Fallon. He’s hosting one of the biggest, most sought-after jobs in entertainment and is leading the pack. Don’t fix what ain’t broke right?

If you’re looking for edgy comedy, tune into The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Sept. 8.

He won’t have the same sarcastic, satire right-

wing Republican persona he had on the Colbert Report, but he will have his same wit. This is a man who had Republican officials on his show just jab sarcastic and backhanded compliments making them uncomfortable and unaware of the mockery being made.

Colbert is not Letterman, but he is a qualified replacement. He’ll upset presidential candidates (as you see he already has with his Donald Trump mockery video). He’ll attack dying stars in the entertainment field and he’ll issue uncomfortably politically incorrect humor. The only thing Colbert won’t do apparently is attack the other guys on the other networks.

That’s It for the Show, Goodnight Everybody!

The landscape of late-night television is in uncharted waters. Three heads on the Mount Rushmore of comedy are gone in two years.

Hits to the respected networks that will take time to overcome and with the resurgence of online streaming and cable television shows, its glory days seem to be behind them. Conan and Kimmel are left as the veterans of the pack, but their shows will not be strong enough to carry the legacy left by Leno and Letterman. Some of it will have to be carried by the new guys.

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