Look out private high school football teams, because the Knights are coming. On September 4th the season begins and if it’s anything like last year, you better bring your A-game.

The local private school Clearwater Academy International started its football program in 2008 and since then has been a force to be reckoned with. Since 2012 their varsity team remains undefeated and continues to take home trophy after trophy.  

Now, normally, I wouldn't be the one being so excited about this. I’m not much of a football fan, but watching these guys play is legitimately intense. Despite often doubling the score of the other team, they never seem to get cocky, even when they pull off plays bordering on insane. During some of the games I managed to attend, I watched three separate occasions of mad dash sprints across tens of yards. And even in one case all the way from one end zone to the other.

So, if you’re interested in watching some football in person, I’d recommend checking them out. Their first game is at Land O Lakes, Florida, against Academy at the Lakes at 7 PM, and promises to be something to see. And if you can't make it to that one, check out their game against FISH, at Brandon, Florida next Friday at 7:30 PM.    

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If you liked this article, you can read more of Brandon Scott’s work over at The Hive, or on his website: www.coolerbs.com.

The arts are important--I don’t think anyone would argue against that. Which is why it’s such a cool thing that Clearwater now has its very own center for it.

Located on Cleveland Street in Clearwater, the Clearwater Center for the Arts resembles, at least in my opinion, a miniature art museum. The walls are covered in paintings of all different sizes and shapes, each one beautiful and vibrant, and best of all, made by local artists. Not only is the place somewhere you could easily spend a half-hour wandering with a smile on your face, you can also take the artwork home with you. Everything’s for sale, and at reasonable prices.

Additionally, the center also has a host of events going on at any given time, ranging from thespian to poetic. And with the frankly jaw-dropping stage in the back of the Center as a platform to perform on, I can’t think of a better place in the city for these events.

So, if you’re looking for a little art in your life, or want to help support the creativity of this city, consider giving the Clearwater Center for the Arts a look!  

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If you liked this article, you can read more of Brandon Scott’s work over at The Hive, or on his website: www.coolerbs.com.

WABAMM at Tampa Bay Veteran's Alliance Memorial Groundbreaking Ceremony | Skycrest, Clearwater

Local press coverage is a vital part of small town USA and there is nothing to promote an organization like the ground breaking for a veteran’s memorial.  The Tampa Bay Veteran’s Alliance broke ground today on their regional memorial in Downtown Clearwater, FL today.

It was a bright sunny May morning, with few clouds in the sky, not too unbearable heat temperatures outside, and very good shade in Skycrest Park.  Father Bob Swick and Marc Norton, who head the TBVA introduced the first steps to making their veteran’s memorial a reality with patriotic fanfare and a vast amount of positive public relations from a number of very important local figures. 

The City of Clearwater’s Mayor, George Cretekos was in attendance and spoke a few words about the positive nature of the TBVA Memorial, and the nature of Father Bob.  Congressional Representative David Jolly also spoke and was effusive in his praise for the memorial and the good works that Father Bob has done for veterans in our area.

Marc Norton the President of the Tampa Bay Veteran’s Alliance Building Fund spoke and was very grateful for the attendance, thanking our veterans in attendance and describing how the memorial would look upon completion.

This was a great event and Wabamm is proud to be part of it.  Promoting the value of our nation’s veterans is always a worthwhile task, and anything we can do to promote one of the nicest parks in the county for families of all generations to come and spend time together is a good thing.

We would like to add our thanks to Father Bob and the Tampa Bay Veteran’s Alliance for producing this memorial and giving us the occasion to attend a local event we will remember.

Football fans throughout Tampa/Clearwater are hungry for an engaging personality to captain the Buccaneer's ship. Not since Warren Sapp, the former outspoken and super talented Buccaneers defensive tackle, have the Bucs had a personality fans find charming and the competition fears.

Over the past two years playing at Florida State, Jameis won all but one game, won a national championship and won the Heisman Trophy as the best college football player. There is no doubt among experts that Jameis Winston has the tools to be one of the greatest QBs of all time, both in the huddle and in the media.

Jameis Winston was recently the 1st player picked in the NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, thus Tampa's experts determined he was the collegiate player that could most help our NFL team. The NFL is a 12+ billion dollar per year industry and the players on the field make the plays which is the product sold to the fans and advertisers.

So what's the problem? Well, Jameis was suspended and missed a game for shouting something (I assume it was obscenities) in public, had to make amends for something to do with crab legs theft, and is currently defending himself against a sexual abuse claim by a fellow Florida State student.

Newspapers and televisions are filled with shitty news, likely because they make big money by promoting chaos and conflicts. I usually feel worse after I watch the nightly news, how about you? As an alternative which seemed more sane, I became an avid sports fan. I turn to sports when I want to read or watch something that is fun and relatively meaningless. Unfortunately, more and more sports radio, tv and newspaper articles are being filled with the ugly side of life. I know people aren't perfect, the news media tells me that everyday and athletes aren't perfect either, but that doesn't mean I want to or have to know why they don't walk on water.

Here's my solution... Let's hold athletes accountable for the environments they create and/or put themselves into, whether its getting cozy with a co-ed after a few beers, jumping in the car with a pot-smoking buddy, beating their spouse/kids, or visiting doctors known for getting around the illegal steroid issues. 

What is popular in nursery schools across the planet and many parents have used it effectively is "TIME-OUT". So the next time an athlete gets accused of stealing crab legs, assaulting a fellow student or whatever, let's (the media, their sport's team owner/coach, fellow fans, etc.) collectively put the athlete into time-out. The US employs embargoes on countries that violate human rights and conversely rewarding those countries with commerce that play nice. How about if we get to see sports with the good citizens (except MMA where the barbarians belong) and let the good guys make the money and get the endorsement money?  

Don't let those in legal trouble play their sport and let's make invisible these individuals - no tv/radio coverage, endorsements, don't search for them on the internet, etc.

Let those that seem to find trouble everywhere disappear into a mutual executed black-out until their issues are fully resolved, that they have the realization that they are responsible for creating their own environment and they are the ones creating the bad situations they are finding themselves in.

A close game being played by Little League baseball players or the best athletes in the world is entertaining. Think about the greatest annual tournament on the planet, the NCAA basketball tournament (sorry World Cup fans), is not played by the best players in the world, in fact none are yet considered professional in their sport of basketball.

I want my sports back and without the ugly news.

Would I like to watch the Bucs play and win with an elite athlete that will excite the fan base? Yes, but Jameis Winston needs to go to time-out first and come back when his legal issue is fully resolved and he gets it that he, whether innocent or not, is the one that created the noise!

It's time for a time-out Famous Jameis!