All posts by Hunter Simmons

Believe it or not, it has been almost nine years since the fateful release of South Park’s 136th episode: Ginger Kids. The reactions to this episode were quite rapid. I was in my sophomore year of high school, still formulating an identity for myself, when I was first called a “Ginger.” At the time, I did not find the term derogatory whatsoever, but others disagreed, making YouTube fame. Honestly, I was not really sure what to think. One of my buddies from drumline would joke and say that if IRead More

I have been complaining about the demise of Saturday Night Live for quite some time now. Many of my ilk will recall the “good old days,” when names like Will Ferrell, Cheri Oteri, Chris Kattan, and Tim Meadows (to name a few) became synonymous with laugh out loud humor. Today, unfortunately, the long-running show seems more occupied with making glaring political and social statements. Timid outrage aside, there were still some glimmers as the ship began to sink. Both Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader brought life to NBC’s floundering comedyRead More

In a recent article, San Diego was voted as the most tortured sports city. Both the Padres and Chargers do not have a single championship to their names since their introduction into professional sports in 1969 and 1970 (post-AFL), respectively. San Diego has also hosted a couple basketball teams (the Rockets and Clippers), but the market was never strong enough to keep them. I know, somewhere Champ Kind is crying into a plate of chicken wings. However, as a native San Diegan and avid Charger/Padre supporter, I felt inclined toRead More

It’s easy to lament the trends and fads of today’s teenagers. Hell, even as a 23 year-old, I find myself starting many complaints with, “Back when I was your age…” Every generation loves to think that they are God’s gift to mankind, but they come with their own set of what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-type problems. Let’s take a look at how Generation Y, as they call it, stacks up.   The Good: Ingenuity and Determination Teens today are doing some remarkable things at unprecedented rates. Just look at Malala Yousafzai’s crusade for women’sRead More

I have been to Europe now a handful of times in my life and I have come to really enjoy myself whenever I go. Other than the nauseating flights to get there, the people, culture, and lifestyle in Europe is something special. There are the usual things that take getting used to, such as random traffic signs, different currency, and an altogether unique and pungent brand of body odor many seem to carry around with them. For those of you who haven’t been, let me offer some suggestions in order toRead More

I could open up with, “Baseball is America’s pastime yadda yadda yadda,” but I’ll avoid the clichés for the sake of our collective sanity. Most cultures internationally do not understand baseball for the same reasons we Americans typically do not understand soccer, but I’m not here to wage a fight along those lines. We know all about the All-Star athletes that were voted in, but let us take a moment to identify some All-Star fans. And by “All-Star,” I mean “stereotypical.” A lot of these types can be found acrossRead More

My fiancée would argue that I am extremely resistant to trying new things, and for the most part, she’s completely correct. I usually live and die by the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” motto, especially when it comes to my diet. What makes it even worse is that my pickiness is at an extreme. With food, for example, I routinely feast on the following: cheese pizza, bean and rice burritos, macaroni and cheese, plain bagels, and other assortments of bread. I should be the size of a house,Read More

Yes “soccer,” not “football.” I’m not usually a cranky American, but football = pigskin, just so we’re all clear. It’s funny how so much animosity can be harbored towards a singular sport, but soccer has come a long way. Compared to the US soccer scene ten, even five years ago, tremendous progress has been made in harnessing support and fandom for our men’s and women’s national teams. (I actually have a meager collection of jerseys now.) But compared to something like the NFL, MLB, or NBA, MLS does not standRead More