Writing & Archives
A collection of past articles and posts — preserved and organized by topic.
I try to do something different every year for my album of the year list, so this year I wrote a little poem for each of my top ten albums. Let me know which albums you loved this year in the comments
I am always looking to challenge myself when I make these lists so they don't get stale. For this year's list each album will get one more sentence about it than the album before. So, No. 10 gets one
Politicians would dream of the crowd Andy Mineo recently had at his show at the Texas Theater on the campus of The University of Texas at Arlington. College and high school kids got hyped next to midd
My Top 5 features a few artists you would expect and a few you wouldn't. As always, there's a band that I would have never guessed I would put in a Top 10 list (The National) and some that I absolutel
My music lists tend to be eclectic as they usually reflect different things about me. One, I tend to lean on musicians that I have admired and like for a long time. It should be no surprise that Cold
I've been making top ten album lists since 2012 and I've done them in different formats every time. This year I've broken it down into three posts: The Honorable Mentions, 10-6, and 5-1. First up is t
Check this post out on my new music Medium page the Ramble . Cold War Kids have been one of my favorite bands since I first started listening to them in 2007. I’ve anticipated the release of each of t
I will remember 2016 musically as the year of the unexpected album. There were great releases from bands that we thought were never going to get back together (A Tribe Called Quest), bands that I thou
He’s from the same hometown as Alabama Shakes and his album was produced by the same guy who produced the latest albums by Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, and Chris Stapleton. But Anderson East is set
Trip Lee is a rapper, pastor, author, and public speaker signed to Reach Records whose fifth album, Rise, dropped October 27, 2014 and rose up to the No. 1 spot on the iTunes hip-hop chart. The releas
This year I almost dreaded doing this list because I heard so much great music that I knew I would leave something off. In fact, as I survey the list I can think of a number of other albums I would li
One of the biggest surprises of the year for me, Interpol returned to the realm of indie greatness with El Pintor . Interpol are indie darlings from New York, but they really haven't done anything gre
The debut album of this Oklahoma band was long-awaited by those who have seen them play live in the last few years. Horse Thief are a group of guys who graduated from the Academy of Contemporary Music
Here is my annual list of my favorite albums of the year. I tried out a new format this year, so let me know if you like this one. If you just want to know who made my list, you can see them here. If
2014 was the year of Lecrae. The rapper, and unashamed Christian, was everywhere in the hip-hop world this year, even being nominated for "Best Rap Performance" Grammy for his song "All I Need is You"
These heavily-accented rockers from Scotland have had a number of songs become popular in the last few years, but until Unravelling they hadn't put out a complete album of quality. I love their older
Ryan Adams is one of the most prolific musicians alive, whose music spans genres from Country, to Americana, to Blues, to plain old Rock and Roll. Adams actually took three years off from his last alb
If you know anything about my music tastes, you knew this would be on the list. The Black Keys are my favorite band, but that doesn't mean I think everything they do is perfect. In fact, my least favo
There were a number of surprises this year, but Delta Spirit's amazing Into the Wide is definitely my favorite surprise. I've liked a number of Delta Spirit's songs over the years, but never a full al
Last year when I put Cold War Kids' Dear Miss Lonelyhearts in my top ten I said that they had finally found their voice and put it together in a complete album. I'm glad they put out another album so
His honest songwriting brings to mind other regretful, yet unrepentant artists like Jason Isbell and Justin Townes Earle. His voice brings to mind Waylon Jennings. And he's even been called the savior
I wrote about this album in the past , so I won't spend too much time here. The solo debut of the former frontman of The Walkmen did not disappoint. Hamilton Leithauser used the opportunity of a solo
I haven't done any media reviews lately so here are some of my favorite things that I've listened to and watched this summer. Music: Hamilton Leithauser - Black Hours "Give me the lion's share of your
This is the eighth in a series of eight posts breaking down each of the Black Keys albums leading up to the release of Turn Blue on May 13. Honestly, if you've read any of these posts, you have probab
This is the seventh in a series of eight posts breaking down each of the Black Keys albums leading up to the release of Turn Blue on May 13. Most of the time when I'm talking about an album that I rea
This is the sixth in a series of eight posts breaking down each of the Black Keys albums leading up to the release of Turn Blue on May 13. This album was The Black Keys first foray into the mainstream
This is the fifth in a series of eight posts breaking down each of the Black Keys albums leading up to the release of Turn Blue on May 13. For The Black Keys fourth full album, Magic Potion , the boys
This is the fourth in a series of eight posts breaking down each of the Black Keys albums leading up to the release of Turn Blue on May 13. This is not technically a full studio album from The Black K
This is the third in a series of eight posts breaking down each of the Black Keys albums leading up to the release of Turn Blue on May 13. This album has a very special meaning to me. I've said it bef
This is the second in a series of eight posts breaking down each of the Black Keys albums leading up to the release of Turn Blue on May 13. Is there a more aptly titled album than Thickfreakness (2003
This is the first in a series of eight posts breaking down each of the Black Keys albums leading up to the release of Turn Blue on May 13. These posts will give a small amount of background on each al
[Writing this post is sort of a milestone for me as it represents that I've been keeping up with this thing for a year now. Although I haven't written as much as I'd have liked to, I have enjoyed it i
I graduated from college in 2013, meaning my school days are over for the foreseeable future. However, that doesn't mean I've stopped learning. Really, it just means I get to choose where I use my cog
After a few months off, I have decided to finally explain why exactly I called my blog "Scott Bedgood's Mind is Ramblin'". Its based on this song by the Black Keys. The song is from their album "Chula
Because there aren't enough of these lists available online, and because I don't have anything like final papers or websites to finish, I compiled a list of my favorite albums of 2012. So here they ar
At the end of the day, it's just a building, but to me and many others it's a hall of memories. We've seen wins and losses, eaten ridiculous food, felt our legs stick to those green seats in 1 million
When Dirk Nowtizki finally retires, a part of me will go with him. No athlete has been more of a constant in my life than Dirk. At 28, Dirk's been playing for the Mavericks for more than two-thirds of
By the time he hit five-years-old, Mike Osegueda loved baseball. By the time he was fourteen, he knew he wanted to be a sportswriter. By the time he was eighteen, he thought his career was over. “I wa
We all know Baker is going to win. Normally I wouldn't make a definitive statement like that, but this one seems so secure that I feel ok saying that. Watching the Heisman Trophy ceremony on Saturday
Join me in the dumpster. This is the first email from my Bedgood's Big 12 Bullets email newsletter . I've posted it here as an example of what you'll get if you sign up. It's free, it's fun, and most
Dear Sportswriters, I am one of you. I get it. You've got some hot political takes. You hate Donald Trump. You think people need to know these things. They don't. Sports aren't politics. The New Engla
Barry Switzer wants to watch college football with you. Yes, you. He wants you to be sitting right next to him, in his house, munching on his snacks, with drinks from his fridge, talking Sooners footb
University of Texas Defensive Tackle Paul Boyette Jr. seems to always be surrounded by great athletes. And that’s just at home. Boyette, a senior from Humble, TX, is married to WNBA player Imani Boyet
Bram Kohlhausen’s name will forever be etched in TCU legend despite the fact that he started only one game in his career for the Horned Frogs. But what a start it was! Kohlhausen led TCU to the greate
Lance Berkman, the legendary former Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals player, recently had an opinion . He cared so much about it that he made a video about it. He should not have done this. Now
In 2012, when Ty Darlington stood in front of his high school graduating class in Apopka, FL giving his valedictory address, he was terrified. Only two and a half years later, Darlington was asked to
For the Locketts, setting receiving records at Kansas State is a family business. Current Wildcat Tyler Lockett recently passed his father Kevin’s career receiving yards record and he’s on pace to bre
It's still hard to believe that Ron Washington won't be clapping and smiling and spitting seeds and hugging and laughing on the top step of the Rangers dugout ever again. It's even harder to believe t
Let us now praise famous men The sports world lost two great men when baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn died after a battle with salivary gland cancer and ESPN reporter Richard Durrett suddenly died i
The Dallas Cowboys and Adam Sandler have a lot in common. I realized that last night after watching the Cowboys blow another season and then changing the channel to end up on "Grown Ups". [caption id=
Major sports seasons are all unique in their own ways. They are all designed to get maximum entertainment and maximum dollars out of fans. Some are too long, some are too short, and some are perfect.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="295"] Me and friends in happier Hamilton times, a few days after his four home run game. We even acknowledged then that he likely wouldn't return. Joe Nathan ac
I recently got to spend time with the artist Arturo Torres to discuss his latest best-selling book with Shea Serrano, his incredibly tough upbringing, and his pride at being a new dad. It was one of t
My new book Lesson from Legends: 12 Hall of Fame Coaches on Life, Leadership, and Leaving a Legacy is available on Amazon right now. The contains so much incredible wisdom from men who have seen it all in college football and in life.
Bun B, Kendrick Lamar, Big K.R.I.T. Tim Keller, John Piper, Louie Giglio. Bubba Watson, Justin Forsett, Steph Curry. The first three: famous, critically-acclaimed rappers. Keller, Piper, and Giglio? W
After years of hard behind-the-scenes work, grinding away, and even winning an Emmy for his writing, Ben Schwartz is finally having his moment as a star. And, assuming these jobs pay well, you could s
Glover Quin is a starting safety for the Detroit Lions, the number-one ranked defense in the NFL, but his interests extend beyond football into real estate, sneakers, and most importantly charity work
This is a follow-up to yesterday’s profile of adventurer, author, and motivational speaker Alastair Humphreys. Alastair Humphreys has biked around the world, hiked through the Empty Quarter Desert, ro
Doug Chernack and Mike Bender have been making a career out of celebrating awkwardness since 2009, when they launched their popular website ‘Awkward Family Photos’. Since then, the site has spawned th
Dan Pashman’s success story involves a little heartbreak, a lot of show cancellations, a few layoffs and a unique idea involving a deep love of delicious food. It also took perseverance, as five years
For Part 2 of our Q & A with writer Will Leitch, we got a bit more philosophical. Leitch and I discussed how to get ahead in an industry saturated with writers, but we also discussed the state of
Will Leitch is best known as the founder of Deadspin , the incredibly influential Gawker sports blog started in 2005. He left Deadspin in 2008 for New York Magazine where he is now a contributing edit
EJ Manuel is a quarterback for the Buffalo Bills and a former Florida State Seminoles star. Manuel helped bring the Seminoles back to college football prominence, and he was a first round draft pick i
Andy Forch and Richard Greiner started the lifestyle and apparel site Huckberry in their apartment in 2011. They wanted to focus on people like themselves, who are interested in the outdoors, but aren
2015 was definitely the biggest year for my career as a writer. I interviewed Grammy winners, big time actors, New York Times Bestsellers, and of course, the most popular thing I wrote was a quick blo
College Football Hall of Famer, fighter pilot, and 3x Super Bowl Champion Chad Hennings’ new book, Forces of Character: Conversations About Building a Life of Impact , hits stores this week. In this e
Secure Your 1-on-1 Spot Today Be the speaker everyone remembers. How many times have you watched someone deliver a boring, uninformed, forgettable speech and thought, I know I can do better than that
"Gen Z employees have *no idea* how to communicate." "Gen Z employees can't pay attention in meetings." "Gen Z employees don't want to work hard." These are complaints we hear all the time. Everyone r
A common reaction when people find out that I'm a stand up comedian is something like, "Wow I could never do that. How are you not nervous to speak in front of people?" Some sources say 75% of people
What you do before and after a speech is just as important as what you do during the speech. A recent comedy show was a great example. This is an area where I struggle as a comedian and a speaker. Bef
I felt a crunch I was in the backseat Jake was driving There was a dent a few feet below the big white words "Student Driver" **** Jake was 17 or 18 Just now learning to drive Too busy with music and
The water ran down the hill onto the street and down into the gutter From the gutter to the creek and under the bridge to the lake They'd been on for days even though it was raining Feral cats grew hu
this mall is still open don't ask me how no, the locks aren't broken but it's a demolition zone now it used to be cool to go to Valley View but all the people have gone away no more 15-year old chicas
My documentary Don't Think You'd Understand: The Billy Ray Jeter Story is now available for free on Vimeo. You can watch the short-film which had it's world premiere at the Texas Theatre (the place wh
Let's fall in love with our telephones off - Langhorne Slim, "Never Break" I'm not addicted to my phone. I mean, I don't have to have it all the time. I don't check it incessantly for no reason. I don
I hate distance running. Anything over a mile and I’m out. And I’m tired of hearing from people who love it that I just have to stick with it a little longer until I can enjoy it. If only there was so
My wife and I recently returned from our second trip to Iceland. Many people ask us why we went back to Iceland so soon after going the first time. Well, there are many reasons: we wanted to see it in
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbO2Eh_SJj4] I don't want to choose black or blue I don't want to see what they've done to you I don't want to live in my father's house no more You only reali
My goal was to do a trip to Iceland for under $3000. We came in at $3,010.11. Just barely missed it. We would have made it, but an extra 12 hours spent in Boston Logan airport meant two brand new book
My wife and I recently fulfilled a lifelong dream of traveling to Iceland. I've wanted to go there since at least middle school, but maybe even before that. When I was in third grade I became fascinat
Conan O'Brien is making the most important late night talk show. Statistically there are one million late night talks shows on at around the same time every night. The hardest one to find is Conan bec
In September of 2014, Ebola was ravaging West Africa, killing thousands while threatening to spread beyond the scope of West Africa to Europe and eventually North America. Some in the media were panic
In high school and college, even in Texas and Oklahoma, I often felt like an outsider because I believed in conservative values. I felt heartless, racist, sexist, or worse because that's how the polit
Matt Fiedler and Tyler Barstow were a couple of music-obsessed twentysomethings in Chicago working for a startup when they came up with an idea. It wasn’t necessarily a new idea as much as it was a re
If one of the coolest moments of your life involves a guitar shaped like a Slurpee and the House of Blues, you know that you’ve chosen an interesting hobby. For Rob Baker, a custom guitar maker from R
When you lose the job you love, the one you’ve had for eleven years, the one that took you to Los Angeles, and the one that connected you with the biggest names in your industry, you’re allowed to sul
Spencer Hall is a successful blogger and one of the most fascinating people to follow on Twitter (@edsbs ) because of his irreverent takes and comedic observations about life and his favorite sport: c
When you start an extremely popular blog called The Art of Manliness, you tend to build a reputation for yourself that may be hard to live up to. “People have this idea that I’m this super manly, Ron
Tom Patterson had a problem. It’s one that at the time was nameless, but it affected men the world over: Excess Fabric Gut. He was tired of undershirts that would come untucked inside of dress shirts
Whether you realize it or not, you’ve seen Titus Welliver before. Maybe you saw him in Argo , or The Town , or Transformers 4 . Maybe you saw him on TV in “Deadwood”, or “Sons of Anarchy”, or “NYPD Bl
Ben Davis is a Dallas, TX-based entrepreneur and the founder of the upscale men’s grooming club The Gent’s Place . They currently have locations in Frisco, Dallas, and Kansas City. The Gent’s Place ha
Maybe you were under the impression that a vest made of ice isn’t cold. But you would be very, very wrong. It’s cold. It’s very, very cold. Give Fat (Or Maybe This Vest) The Cold Shoulder The Cold Sho
Jeff Halevy is an internationally famous fitness expert and the CEO and founder of the Halevy Life gym in New York City. He’s so confident in his gym that it comes with a money back guarantee. He’s pa
Walk Off The Earth is a Canadian rock band that found massive success on YouTube in 2012 with their cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know.” But they were always more than a cover band, and ha
Hayley Orrantia is one of the stars of ABC’s hit show The Goldbergs . Orrantia, who grew up outside of Dallas in Highland Village, TX, is also a singer-songwriter who expects her first EP to be releas
Who : Michal Kapral is a Guinness Book of World Record holder in the unique sport of Joggling. The sport is a combination of juggling and running, and Kapral holds the joggling marathon record at 2:50
Jeff Raider is the co-founder of Harry’s , an online razor company that promises quality razors for much less than the larger companies charge. Raider, along with Andy Katz-Mayfield, started the compa
Dr. Christian Conte’s passion is helping others harness their out-of-control passions in a positive manner. The co-host of Spike TV’s Coaching Bad , along with former NFL star Ray Lewis, Conte is a le
Nick Clark is the founder of The Common Desk , a coworking space in Dallas. Clark started the company in 2011 after leaving his job in commercial real estate. They have expanded twice since the foundi
Colin Mochrie can’t remember what day it is. He’s just touched down in his home town of Toronto on a Tuesday and he’s got live shows in LA starting Thursday, before traveling to Michigan for shows, an
Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors have just the solution for whatever is ailing you with their newest release, Medicine . The group is on their own tour for now, but will soon join up with NEEDTOBREATHE,
Beau Jennings found what he was searching for. He crisscrossed the country searching for the spirit of the legendary figure, Will Rogers. And in many ways, he found Rogers. But in many more, he found
Parks and Rec is going to leave a huge, Leslie Knope scrapbook-sized hole in your life. While you can never replace what Pawnee has given you over the last few years, here are some ways you can get th
There’s a storm a’ cold brewin…that doesn’t make any sense. Everyone is selling cold brew these days. And it’s not cheap. But, like most coffee, it can be made from home pretty easily. My wife and I h
Brooks Peck is an award-winning soccer blogger whose blog Dirty Tackle gained a large following while at Yahoo! Sports for the better part of five years. Dirty Tackle is now an independent blog, but P
The Muppets were always for adults Yes, it was always ostensibly a kids show, but many jokes were made for the adults watching it too. Heck, that’s the whole reason for the existence of the great Stat
As we’ve discussed in the past with writers like Jeff Pearlman , the path to a career in sportswriting is often a well-traveled one. Usually it’s the sports-obsessed kid who realizes he’s not going to
You know me by now. I mean, I think you do. I’m 6’4” with bad posture and a dislike of wearables. You didn’t know that? Well if you don’t know, now you know. Then one day, the Lumo Lift hit my desk. I
Some protest songs are straightforward. Neil Young’s “Let’s Impeach The President” doesn’t make use of much in the way of nuance. Some tell famous stories in a new way that can change how a listener f
There’s the teenagers playing flamenco music on the streets who suddenly had the number 2 song on the iTunes World Music chart. There’s the wine salesman making music in his bedroom who was able to qu
Kirk Whalum is a Grammy-winning jazz artist who recently released The Gospel According to Jazz IV, the fourth in a documentary and music series that dates back to 1998. Primarily a saxophonist, Whalum
Unlike the NBA All-Star game with its comical defense and orgy of alley-oops, or the abomination that is the NFL Pro Bowl, the MLB All-Star game is almost exactly the same as every other baseball game
Their music sounds like it could be from any time between 1890 and 2015, their backgrounds are as diverse as West Virginia, San Francisco, New Jersey, and North Carolina, and their band name leads you
Some music is so good you can feel it in your bones. But, with the After Shokz Bluez 2S bone conduction headphones, it doesn’t matter how good the music is, you’re definitely going to feel it in your
MuteMath’s Paul Meany slouched, staring at the ceiling as he pondered the many reasons for the four year delay between 2011’s Odd Soul and their upcoming Vitals .“We tried to work fast, but in the end
This is a short story. Concept credit goes to Ryan Viohl, Estevan Molinar, and myself. “I’m sorry, sir, I have to ask. Are you Jeb Bush?” “Puka shells be $5 lady.” “I already said I don’t want puka sh
It’s been said over and over again that this is the true “Social Media Election” . I would argue that 2012 probably was the first social media election, but #Factsdontmatter anyway. I will now break d
I remember a world before the internet. At least, I think I do. But really, I remember a world before trending topics. Facebook used to be a place where I had to think of something creative to put in
Last week at church my wife and I were praying through the prayer outline we were given (it was a different, but neat service) when I noticed something going on around me. The family on my left was pr
There's been a lot of hand-wringing lately in the Christian community about the demise of America. Here's the problem: "Demise of America" really means the demise of a "Christian" America. Christianit
Cynical "Christian" clickbait sites like the Conservative Tribune, Right Wing News, and any of their ilk are as bad as anything on the internet. They troll the internet and pop culture for things that
[ spoilers throughout] War is hell and Fury is hell to watch. And that's why it's perfect. In no way is Fury fun to watch, it's not entertaining, it's not inspiring, it's not uplifting. Even the inter
I promised this post to you about a month ago, but I never got around to writing it for multiple reasons. I asked my friends who went to the movie with me to write their thoughts down so I could have
You should not go see Left Behind . If you are an evangelical who thinks you need to supports every "Christian" movie made, regardless of it's artistic or theological quality, you should not go see th
This is not a post about the big-game hunting cheerleader. Sorry if that's what you want it to be about. I know that when I shared it on Facebook that's the image that popped up. And in the internet w
Death. Just one moment. A period in the sentence of life. There's no doubt that it is a significant moment. But not any more significant than other moments in a life full of them. Giving it more meani
I'm fighting the urge that says that you don't care why I haven't blogged in a little while. If you are reading this, you clearly care at least a little bit. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="1
Hitler was evil. No one debates that. He is synonymous with evil itself. While I agree with this fact wholeheartedly, I wonder if we want all of our historical figures to be like Hitler. Black and whi
As far as I know, Alexander the Great was the only man in history to have conquered all of Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Countless others have tried, and countless have failed. Whether they fell in th
"There is a town in north Ontario, With dream comfort memory to spare, And in my mind I still need a place to go, All my changes were there." Helpless - Neil Young http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYWrl
Many of you (like one person) may be wondering why I decided to call my blog "Scott Bedgood's Mind is Ramblin"
Confession: I don't care about the gay marriage debate. There, I said it. I don't care whether gay people are allowed by the government to say "I do". Do I think homosexuality is a sin? Yes. Do I thin
(Spoilers throughout. Don't read unless you have seen it. Feedback welcome in the comments or on Facebook.) The thing with Tarantino movies is that they expect you to play along with Quentin Tarantino
As I pedalled back to the house alone, hands frozen, legs sore, bike creaking, I thought to myself: Things never end the way we think. There is no romance. I guess I should back up and explain the sit
