Brian Out Loud Archive

One of our core values at the Navarre Press is that we are not here for us. Rather, we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.

I stay pretty connected to the athletes I cover, especially with social media now such a prevalent part of our lives, and they will often reach out and let me know they appreciate everything I do.

I still remember my first week at the Navarre Press and the time I reached out to Navarre girls soccer coach Rob Simon about getting stats on his team as it prepared for a tournament game.

He shared the stats but also noted in his email that John Richardson, a freelance writer for our paper, is “their guy” when it comes to girls soccer coverage.

We were left with a season-opening college football matchup two weeks ago on a Saturday night at Pen Air Field in Pensacola that wasn’t exactly one you’d call even or fair.

No disrespect to Warner, but the NAIA program from South Florida isn’t on the same level as the University of West Florida, an NCAA Division II national power.

Some of you feel as if college athletes owe you something. Or that they aren’t entitled to an opinion.

I see this sense of entitlement all the time on social media. I’m baffled by it. Usually, I shake my head. You typically see it in football more than any other sport.

We have former athletes all over the region and beyond playing sports at the college level.

Two of the biggest names in the game are Nick Brahms and Dante Wright, and both have important seasons ahead of them as they are positioned to be the next Navarre alums to join the ranks of the pros.

Meighan and I took our crazy, energetic, special in more ways than one chocolate lab to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos’ Bark in the Park night last week.

This wasn’t Greyson’s first rodeo at the special event the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins hold once a year, giving canine companions, both large and small, a chance to hang out and watch a baseball game.

Deshaun Watson set sports social media on fire last week after it was announced his suspension this coming NFL season will last only six games.

The ruling was made by Sue Robinson, the league’s disciplinary officer, and it seems like a crazy light sentence to serve based on the accusations against one of the biggest stars in the league.

Interviews on the radio aren’t a new thing for me. I’ve been doing them every week for close to a year now.

Yet, I was put on the spot last week when I was asked to hop on the air for a few minutes on ESPN Pensacola to talk high school sports on a day that I wasn’t expecting to do it.

Fans lined the railing along the walkway leading from the tunnel to the field on a rainy Tuesday night in early July at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

They had hats, bats, gloves, shirts and cards. Someone even had a plastic shovel.

I’ve never really been a big fan of all-conference, all-region or even all-state teams.

Don’t get me wrong. The recognition for the athletes is great and well-deserved. I have nothing against that part of it.