Newsletter #4
"The Resemblance is Uncanny" - Jason Kelce
Despite being chronically online and heavily embedded in Sports Twitter, I don’t think I’ve fully grasped the extent to which Taylor Swift and the Kelce brothers have permeated the fabric of all things everything. I’ve enjoyed the discourse partly because it mirrors the juxtaposition this account looks to examine - bridging the gap between two verticals often seen as polar opposites. But also, it’s been really good for business. Things came to a head Sunday, when the official NFL Twitter account posted the following:
Luckily, a bunch of folks stepped in to help me source the photographer - Kathryn Riley, who I interviewed here about her shot at the Bills snow game.
I was then able to quickly put up an image comparing Jason sans shirt to The Feast of Bacchus, matching on a rotund figure drinking amongst revelers, and then all hell broke loose. The post picked up a ton of traction, and reached what I’m told is the current apex of pop culture, the New Heights podcast:
I think the first few seconds are laggy so stick with it
If you open the full episode, it’s around the 1:02:30 mark. As my co-worker spelled out for me: “Getting the Swiftie following is definitely the biggest honor one can receive.” So no matter your feelings on Taylor & the Kelce brothers, just know that it’s helping me create content, and that should be all that matters.
Art/Sports I’m Into
Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper)
With some lite stalking you’ll uncover that Todd and I are co-workers in the real world, but take a quick look at his account @CrumpledJumper on Twitter and I bet you’d agree that the cronyism at play is justified.
Todd specializes in storytelling through Sports data, populating graphics using numbers and imagery, while always trying to let the visual convey the message. A modern artist, he also manages to find the most interesting advanced statistics and metrics to build off of.
Howard Beck called this the greatest NBA tiers graphic he’d ever seen
His work is often humorous, and every piece of his you consume leaves you entertained, educated, and craving more.
Artist of the Week
Bill Traylor
Born into slavery and spending a majority of his life as a sharecropper, Bill Traylor became widely recognized as a central figure in American folk & modern art only after his death. Starting at the age of 85, he began using primarily cardboard scraps as his canvas and produced nearly 1,500 pieces before his death.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum did an excellent job preserving the timeline of Bill Traylor’s life, and I highly recommend spending the time to read through. In addition, if Folk Art is your thing,
comes highly recommended.
Sports Photographer You Need to Follow
Reginald Thomas II
Spurs fans are blessed; the No. 1 pick pipeline producing David Robinson-Tim Duncan-Wemby, an all-time head coach in Gregg Popovich, and five NBA titles. It’s an embarrassment of riches that now includes the ultra-talented Reginald Thomas II, whose title on paper is Team Photographer, but in practice is Artist-In-Residence.
His unique style often centers around black & white photos that function at a much richer tier than a traditional action shot. It’s an approach that highlights why basketball is beautiful, and we’re all lucky enough that we don’t need to be Spurs fans to enjoy his work.
Up Next
I’m planning a deep dive into Clyfford Still (will probably run next Friday), and likely another photographer interview dropping at some point next week. Stay tuned. Also, two bonus Travis Kelce memes after the fold for paid subscribers!