Black and Blue Review
B efore we get into this edition of BBR This Morning, a brief introduction:
One of the many pleasant surprises we’ve had since launching in April has been the amount of offers from people hoping to get involved. And not folks just looking for work, but mostly those who believe in what we’re trying to do. Thank you to all who have reached out, not just for your interest, but for your understanding of our plans to build with patience.
Over the next few months, we will be slowly adding content from a number of contributors, from writers to data wizards. Some will be in a one-off capacity, others in more of a formal role. All will have backgrounds in the specific content they’re providing.
Our first foray into opening up things a bit is the addition of an intern. Russell Burton is a senior communication studies and journalism student at UNC Charlotte. The aspiring sports reporter is also a daily editorial assistant at SportsBusiness Daily.
He came on board recently without any promises, and he’s quickly impressed as someone who ‘gets it.’
Wednesday night, we sent him to gather pictures, videos and quotes from the event below. He then wrote up a brief recap of Cam and the kids.
C am Newton gave a handful of Charlotte-area youth football players the surprise of their young lives Wednesday. The teams gave a rousing cheer when the Panthers’ quarterback emerged from the corner of a Revolution Park football field.
Newton, who was an unannounced guest, presented more than $65,000 worth of checks on behalf of DICK’S Sporting Goods and its inaugural “Sports Matter” campaign.
“It’s an opportunity for me once again to give back,” Newton said. “Words can’t even explain how much it means to me just to see kids doing something positive.”
During a five-week funding period, Sports Matter raised more than $2 million in donations nationwide. DICK’S then matched those donations dollar for dollar. The funds are currently b
eing distributed to teams in need across the U.S.
The five Charlotte-area teams that achieved their fundraising goals were awarded money they’ll use to update equipment, purchase new uniforms and fund trips to play outside their respective co
mmunities.
After presenting the teams with their checks, Newton gave the kids one final treat. He made sure he threw at least one pass to every one of them.
“It’s always extremely important to me that I have some type of impact on my community,” Newton said. “My main focus is always to change people’s lives as best I can and use my influence in a positive way. That’s what I try to do on a day-to-day basis, whether in the limelight in front cameras, whether I’m just in the airport or grabbing something to eat. I’m always trying to empower somebody to be better than they were the day before.”
BBR NUGGETS
- ICYMI BBR posts from a busy Wednesday
- Others
- We missed this Tuesday. EA Sports did a cool thing for George Gring. — Twitter
- Creative way to use your old Steve Smith jersey this season. — Twitter
- An 89 sighting in Baltimore. — Yahoo
- Some great words from Nate Chandler. — Instagram
COMING UP
Offseason workouts wrap-up Thursday with the final of three minicamp practices. In an effort to take the high-noon heat off the players, and to give them a head-start on their summer vacation, the session was shifted to 9:45 a.m., a half-hour earlier than originally scheduled.