Why Both?

Rog asked me the other day if we truly wanted to make this blog a dual-threat - did we really see the need to cover both sports and music. It was definitely a fair question, but my answer was quick and simple...absolutely.

I'll make no secret that this blog was born out of the idea to solely provide free sports predictions to the masses based on the gut instincts and self-developed strategy of intelligent (sharp), avid sports fans who represented the general betting public (squares) rather than the Vegas experts. Now you know how the blog got its name. What provided the change-up and the addition of music content was reading though old posts from the "Tangent Lyrics" blog that preceded SHARPsquares. I realized how much fun we had writing those and how music allows for so many levels of opinions beyond which side of a point spread you prefer.

Secondly, I quickly realized that there is no shortage of games to decide on or write about right now because we're in the greatest part of the sports gambling season, in my opinion. Tons of action, teams starting to figure out who they are, a game literally every night (thank you MAC for making it impossible for Vegas to rationally post what the Over should be), etc. But just like fall weather and perky breasts, things won't stay like this forever. There will come a day when our choices are Royals-Mariners or WNBA Playoffs, which means all but one of us will perceive that as nothing to bet on. There will come a day when we're tempted by Oscar moneylines. There will come a year when you have nothing but yourself to blame for your World Cup blowout. And rather than force ourselves on topics not worth the risk of carpel tunnel, we will have music. We will have fresh music. We will have old music, in the form of a reunion for some and an introduction for others. And in seasons where quality album releases are few and far between, we'll take you down a road you haven't been in a long time or lead you down a YouTube rabbit hole that will make you wonder if you'll ever get out. Because the music will always be there, and that means we can always be there too.

Finally, the last three months have made me realize that sports, and the media that blankets it, tend to contract a habit unsafe to all those involved and spectating . . .the beating of a dead horse. How many ways can a lockout truly be covered? Does the reporter really need to stand outside the courthouse and deliver updates? Is it really going down like that? How many ways can cheaters be analyzed, whether it be with drugs or mistresses or equipment? How many angles can a play be broken down in the postgame, even though the game drew higher ratings than any show on CBS with an acronym? How many spins can you truly put on Jerry Sandusky? There are times when all we want to do with sports is get away from them, and limiting this blog to only one vision means there would be times you'd want to get away from us, too. Enter music - the palate cleanser for the mind from all things over-analyzed.

We are SHARPsquares. We are sports AND music.