Brian Out Loud Archive

I feel like there is this image in the minds of some that NIL (name, image, likeness) is a bad thing for college sports.
And yes, let’s not bury our heads in the sand here. Scandals will emerge as a result of NIL.

Florida touts itself as the king of football in the country, and in some respects, that statement rings true. The track record of players from here who have gone on to become big-time stars in college and the NFL speaks for itself. Few states have had that kind of success over the years.

In my days as a Boy Scout, our go-to fundraiser was selling candy bars. And unlike a bad team’s plans to win a championship, it never failed us.

Summer flew by like a cross-country runner sprinting hard to the finish line. That means only one thing. It’s time for another season of high school sports.

After next season, the Gulf South Conference is going to look different. It won’t quite have been gutted to the degree the Pac-12 has in recent weeks, but the Pac-12 can relate to the pain the GSC is enduring. Shorter and North Greenville are headed to Conference Carolinas. That means only six will remain, including the University of West Florida, the 2019 NCAA Division champion in football.

We are just going to take it one game at a time. We have to work hard and give the best effort possible. We can’t let the same mistake beat us twice. Oh sorry. I was working on my coach speak. I’ve been promoted to coach in case you haven’t heard. Social media gave me the gig. And we all know that everything on social media is true.

Miracles aren’t just something reserved for religion. They are a real thing in sports, whether you choose to believe that or not. We might not be talking miracles on the level of Jesus turning water into wine or raising Lazarus from the dead, but miracles are as real as this column in the sports world.

So much is made of being the best athlete. Of being the best scorer, the best quarterback, the best hitter, the best golfer. And look, sports stars are great. They are entertaining to watch because of what they can do in their particular sport.

High school coaches don’t have it easy. Most of them try to do the best job that they can, but often, they are in a no-win situation. I’m not saying coaches are perfect. They get things wrong. We all do. It’s called being human.

There is something special going on when it comes to athletes in this area. And often, those athletes will find their way to the pro level.