Author Archives: Tom Garrett

(The) Star Wars Revisited

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Tom Garrett

This is an expanded version of an article that appeared on A New Voice last week, regarding the latest iteration of George Lucas’ venerable franchise . . . How a person feels about Star Wars is probably dependent largely upon when that person … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Literature, Movies, Reviews | Tagged 1970s, 1980's, Annikin Starkiller, Commentary, Dark Horse Comics, George Lucas, Literature, Movies, Reviews, Star Wars, The Star Wars | 2 Comments

Thanks, Lawyers

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Tom Garrett

I recall that a continuing legal education (CLE) course I took a few years ago included a discussion of accommodations necessary at baseball games to avoid tort liability. The attorneys teaching the course were in agreement that a disclaimer on … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, General Culture and News | Tagged Advertising, Attorneys, Cell Phones, Commentary, Commercials, General Culture and News, Lawyers, Litigation, Pictures, Rants, Sprint | 2 Comments

By Request

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Tom Garrett

The fact that I’m doing a Total Divas recap this week comes as much of a surprise to me as the fact that I did one last week for With Leather over at Uproxx.com. However, I got some good feedback from my discussion … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Reviews, Television | Tagged Brie Bella, Daniel Bryan, Diva Las Vegas, Eva Marie, John Cena, JoJo, Justin Gabriel, Natalya, Nattie Neidhart, Nikki Bella, Reality Television, Reviews, Television, The Funkadactyls, Total Divas, WWE | 1 Comment

The Sampler Platter

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Tom Garrett

One of the many benefits of my decision to disengage from the cumbersome world of prep sportswriting is that I now have a much greater ability to write for other outlets. It’s nice to present my work for different audiences … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Links, Politics, Sports, Television | Tagged Barack Obama, Commentary, Education, Links, NFL, Politics, Sports, Television, Total Divas, Washington Redskins, WWE | Leave a comment

Closing the Book

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Tom Garrett

Most people who know me in “real life” are aware that I’ve covered high school sports for VirginiaPreps.com since I was in college (back before VirginiaPreps was a Rivals.com affiliate). I decided last winter that I would step away from … Continue reading →

Posted in Podcasts, Sports | Tagged Gary Criswell, Gary Hess, High School Sports, Podcasts, Sports, Sportsradio 910, VirginiaPreps | 2 Comments

The “W” vs. The “E” – SummerSlam 2013

Posted on August 17, 2013 by Tom Garrett

It’s impossible to convince Attitude Era die-hards that we’re living in the Golden Age of professional wrestling, but I think it’s true—from a writing standpoint. Take, for instance, the main event of this year’s SummerSlam. For two straight weeks, we’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Sports, Television | Tagged Alberto Del Rio, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, Commentary, Daniel Bryan, John Cena, Pro Wrestling, Sports, SummerSlam, Television, Triple H, Vince McMahon, WWE | 2 Comments

Anti-Bullying Intent, Anti-Free-Speech Result?

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Tom Garrett

Last week, over at A New Voice, I tackled the inevitable collision of anti-bullying efforts and the free speech rights of students. An expanded version of that piece is below: A broad new social media policy recently implemented by California’s Lodi Unified … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, General Culture and News | Tagged Bullying, Commentary, Constitutional Law, Education, En Loco Parentis, Free Speech, Freedom of Speech, General Culture and News, Lodi Unified School District, Stockton, The First Amendment, Tinker v. Des Moines | 1 Comment

An Incomplete List of Things That Are Not Bullying

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Tom Garrett

A non-exhaustive recitation of items that aren’t bullying: – Your doctor telling you that you need to lose weight to avoid negative health consequences. – A baseball player who has agreed to abide by union and MLB rules being punished under those … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, General Culture and News | Tagged Bullying, Commentary, Feelings, General Culture and News, Weight Loss | 8 Comments

Box Office Belies Dying Industry

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Tom Garrett

It’s been a memorable summer at the box office, and not in a good way. The list of 2013 movie flops is a sad roll call of would-be blockbusters. In the last month alone, five films that cost more than $100 million to produce … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Movies | Tagged A New Voice, Avatar, Commentary, Elysium, Inflation, Movies, RIPD, The Lone Ranger | 1 Comment

15 Things I Learned from the “G. I. Joe: The Movie” Commentary Track

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Tom Garrett

Even at age 9, I didn’t know quite what to make of G. I. Joe: The Movie. It seemed at the time like I had been a G. I. Joe fan all my life, but the truth was that I was … Continue reading →