DETROIT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Third-year play-by-play broadcaster Tom Helmer had a chance to catch up with Head Coach Chris Creighton, senior tight end Thomas Odukoya (Almere, Netherlands-Helen Parkhurst-Garden City C.C.), and senior defensive linemanTuran Rush (Charleston West Side, W.Va.-Capital-Antelope Valley) at Mid-American Conference Football Media Day at Ford Field, July 20.
Helmer previews the upcoming season and how exciting it will be to have fans back inside “The Factory” at Rynearson Stadium,
Read the transcripts below of the interview or listen to them by clicking the links above.
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Tom Helmer 0:02 Tom Helmer, here with Head Coach Chris Creighton, it is Media Day. It feels somewhat normal to be back at Ford Field and everybody around and talking. So feel good. ,
Chris Creighton 0:12 Absolutely. Yeah it’s, I mean, it’s a tiring day and whatnot, but it’s, uh, it definitely marks like, hey, the football season is, is almost here, you know, it’s, you think about it, you’re counting the days down, but you come you see everybody, and you’re talking about the team and all of that. And so, it definitely, you know, accentuates how, how soon it is,
Tom Helmer 0:34 let’s talk about the team, how you feeling about this 21 squad,
Chris Creighton 0:38 I love our team. I do. It’s been fun being with them, you know, and not being away from them. And I think that our guys are, are really determined, we don’t want to be the same as we were last year, even though it’s the, you know, same group of guys, we want to be different than we were, we felt as though, you know, we finished strong, and we’re on a really good trajectory. And if we’d played six more games, you know, could have felt really good about it. But nonetheless, we, you know, didn’t achieve what we wanted to and even in a short, you know, season. And so we want to be different this year. And we’ve taken that really seriously. And we’ve worked on that ever since early January. And so it’s gonna be fun to see how that comes to fruition.
Tom Helmer 1:26 What is the secret sauce when you think about your team and what it’s going to take to be back here at Ford Field on December 4 for the conference title game? You know,
Chris Creighton 1:34 I think we have the the intangibles, I really do. I think we have the senior leadership, I think that we have, you know, the chemistry, we have the desire, the work ethic, the receptivity to coaching, I think we’ve got to run the ball better. We’ve got to be stingier versus the run. We have to take the ball away more, and we have to take care of it. I mean, I really, that’s what I really believe that that’s what it will take.
Tom Helmer 2:07 One of the great things too, is when you guys smash that cinderblock wall against St. Francis to come out of the field, there’s gonna be fans, there’s gonna be a band waiting for on the other side.
Chris Creighton 2:16 No doubt, hey, listen, I can’t wait. You know, for that I really can’t. And I know people can’t wait. You know, we, I think our golf outing was an indicator. I mean, it’s something that we had to cancel the year before. And things sold out Well, before it ever had sold out before. People are excited about getting back together. You know, and so I think Friday night, September 3, and The Factory is going to be a huge party, I really do. Two years of players, families have not met each other. It’s unbelievable. When you think about that, I mean, two fifths of our team’s families have not even done this yet together. And so when I say that it’s going to be a celebration, and that there’s going to be like, you know, genuine excitement, I think there’s going to be on a couple different levels. One is just being able to do that and to be there in that venue with those people. And then of course, you know, getting to watch college football and watch, you know, their sons, or for our fans, watch their team play. It’s just gonna be an electric night.
Tom Helmer 3:14 Because the bummer is we had the bowl game here against Pitt at Ford Field. And I talked to so many alumni and Eastern Michigan fans, that said, that was awesome. It was fun. It was great to see those people. I can’t wait to go to the first game next fall, and then that never happened. So it’s been this long waiting period to come back.
Chris Creighton 3:31 Yeah, well, I know our marketing people are getting a hold of, you know, all those people that you were talking to and making sure that they know we’re playing on Friday night, September 3, and, you know, five other dates outside of that. And, you know, last year, we spent the whole time saying to our guys doesn’t matter, right, if there’s fans or not, we got to play at a high level. Well, it does matter, right? It does matter. You know, and we’re gonna play whether there’s a lot or there’s a little we’re gonna play at a high level, but it does matter. It brings energy. It’s a great environment fun. They’re a part of it, and so I can’t wait to have them back.
Tom Helmer 4:06 Would you consider this your most experienced team because so many players are coming back? You had that six game season? You have so many veterans for lack of a better word.
Chris Creighton 4:15 Yeah, I think that’s true for virtually everybody in college football. So yeah, and we have 24 or 25 starters back and that we’ve been recruiting obviously, you know, and guys that are incoming freshmen and then guys who, who have some years underneath their belt and so we definitely will be the most experienced team, you know, that I’ve ever coached. However, again, I think that nearly everybody in the in the in the country can say that.
Tom Helmer 4:47 I know I speak for all Eastern Michigan fans, but I’m pumped, I just can’t wait for September 3. It’s going to be great coach. I know I’m excited. And we look forward to the product you guys are gonna put on the field this season.
Chris Creighton 4:54 Yeah, I can’t wait to see again there and for everybody who’s come in can’t wait to see.
Tom Helmer 0:02 Tom Helmer, here with Thomas Odukoya, talking some college football as we get ready for the 2021 season, a full 12 game season, that’s gonna feel pretty good…
Thomas Odukoya 0:11 Finally, oh, it’s gonna feel great. Playing six games last year was kind of weird. But I’m excited to you know, get back to the grind and be able to play some other teams outside of our conference as well as our, you know, normal eight game schedule in the MAC.
Tom Helmer 0:24 Playing such a short season last year, what did you personally get out of that? What’s your takeaway from that season?
Thomas Odukoya 0:30 Don’t take anything for granted. I mean, there was a point last year in the fall where we thought we weren’t going to play at all maybe play in the spring. And we finally get those six games and they went by in a snap. This is going to be my last season of college football. So I’m going to enjoy every second of it.
Tom Helmer 0:45 And what’s going to be the special sauce for this team to be back here in Detroit, December 4 to play in the MAC title game?
Thomas Odukoya 0:53 I mean, it’s built on what we already had, you know, we’re a tight knit group. We’re gonna play for each other, we’re gonna play with each other. I’m very excited of building on that brotherhood, that family bond that we have. And I think as a family, we can be the best in a MAC. So I’m excited to show it out on the field as well.
Tom Helmer 1:12 How nice is it going to be speaking last year to come out of the tunnel this year, and there’s actually going to be fans in the stands?
Thomas Odukoya 1:18 I’m so excited. I’m so excited. It felt so weird playing in front of nobody, no band was there, no cheerleaders, nobody. So just having an atmosphere again, being able to feed off the support, feed off the fans feed off the cheers. It’s gonna be amazing.
Tom Helmer 1:32 You guys start with St. Francis. And then the week after that, you go to Wisconsin to take on the Badgers, any concern you overlook a team like St. Francis?
Thomas Odukoya 1:41 I mean, we played a really good FCS team in 2019 in Central Connecticut State that almost came to our place and upset us. So that was just another reminder for us. Like don’t don’t think anybody is below you don’t think of anybody as like, Oh, this is an easy cakewalk game because we’ve showed in recent years to that Big 10 teams like to think that about us that we’re just you know, a small MAC school and then we go to their place and we beat them and example are Rutgers, Purdue Illinois, and we almost knocked off Pitt in the bowl game. So you know, we’re going to prepare for St. Francis like we’re going to prepare for Wisconsin.
Tom Helmer 2:16 Yeah, last time you guys were in this building you guys played against Pitt, as you said almost beat them. Bowl games have pretty much become the norm at Eastern Michigan now instead of the exception you’ve had a big part of that How does it feel to leave that kind of legacy that Eastern Michigan’s in a much better spot now than it was even three four or five years ago?
Thomas Odukoya 2:34 It means means the world to us we went from a team that you know was just trying to compete with people to a team that was beating you know, a lot of people so being able to go to various bowl games and raise the standard raise the bar is amazing in a program like this but as also a constant reminder of you know, how far how far things could set back so we got to you know, push ourselves every day continue to go want to know, to continue to raise that bar and upheld that standard of being able to go to the ballgames and stuff like last
Tom Helmer 3:06 Question is a fashion one you guys are gonna wear two helmets this year, the green with the block E and the gray, you got a preference you got one you like over the other?
Thomas Odukoya 3:15 My favorite combination has to be the gray white white, so I love that one. The green obviously is nice, too. You know, you can’t go wrong with the green but I love the gray one.
Tom Helmer 0:02 Tom Helmer, here with Taran Rush as we get set for the 2021 season, a full 12 game season How good is that feel?
Turan Rush 0:09 It’s a very, very amazing filling managers knowing that all this hard work we put in, we get a full schedule. So it’s fun to get out there.
Tom Helmer 0:16 What was the benefit of even playing a six game season last year? What did you personally get out of that?
Turan Rush 0:22 I had a chance to develop my game, it was all like another spring ball. So, my pass rush got better in spring ball, plus the season, I had a chance to develop learning more offensive sets. So I can recognize a play before to play even starts. So I got better with just being a smarter football player.
Tom Helmer 0:39 Non-conference wise, you guys start with St. Francis. And some might say, well, that’s that’s an easy one for Eastern they might look pass them to Wisconsin, but you and I talked a little bit about Central Connecticut State. You can never look past anybody in college football, can you?
Turan Rush 0:52 No, Sir. Any given Saturday, you can lose. It’s all about who can make smarter plays and execute the most so like don’t matter what school what conference would come from, everybody got playmakers? Everybody athletic, everybody fast. Everybody’s strong. So it’s about executing and playing together as a team.
Tom Helmer 1:09 What’s it going to take what’s going to be the special sauce this year for this team to be back here in Detroit for the MAC championship game.
Turan Rush 1:16 Go 1-0 every day. Try to use our talents that we got and just be successful within the office and defense.
Tom Helmer 1:23 Coach Creighton always says go 1-0 every week. Just worry about that week. It sounds simple. And it is but it really makes a lot of sense when you apply it.
Turan Rush 1:34 Ye s, sir. Coach Creighton always tells us when you do bad – flush it. When you do good, you got 24 hours to feel good about it and flush it because you always got to reset even though every play we got to go 1-0, win a play, winner a series, win a quarter. If you go literally break that down like that. You can’t lose like if you know you can win a quarter win every series you can’t lose. And it’s really that small. I seem like a small table. You have to look at it like that. Because if you look too far ahead, that’s when you you start losing focus of what you got right in front of you.
Tom Helmer 2:08 We’re talking with Taran rush. How nice is it going to be to have fans in the stands when you come out for that home opener
Turan Rush 2:14 Man is gonna be everything – fans are so important to the game of football and we really want y’all to come see us play to this year. You are family to us. Y’all part it is and we want to we want to see us win this year.
Tom Helmer 2:26 It’s gonna be a grind 12 games is gonna seem like a lot after only plant six last year. It’s been two years since you guys played a full schedule. Is your body ready for it?
Turan Rush 2:34 Yes, sir. We got some of the best staff in the MAC and nationally. They take of us – there made sure we got food to fuel our body with, the right rehab, and stuff. And when you love football, you can have some next and next well if you really love the game, you can play through it.
Sutherland House Experts is Empowering Quiet Experts through Compelling Nonfiction in a Changing Ideas Landscape
TORONTO, ON — Almost one year after its launch, Sutherland House Experts is reshaping the publishing industry with its innovative co-publishing model for “quiet experts.” This approach, where expert authors share both costs and profits with the publisher, is bridging the gap between expertise and public discourse. Helping to drive this transformation is Neil Seeman, a renowned author, educator, and entrepreneur.
“The book publishing world is evolving rapidly,” publisher Neil Seeman explains. “There’s a growing hunger for expert voices in public dialogue, but traditional channels often fall short. Sutherland House Experts provides a platform for ‘quiet experts’ to share their knowledge with the broader book-reading audience.”
The company’s roster boasts respected thought leaders whose books are already gaining major traction:
• V. Kumar Murty, a world-renowned mathematician, and past Fields Institute director, just published “The Science of Human Possibilities” under the new press. The book has been declared a 2024 “must-read” by The Next Big Ideas Club and is receiving widespread media attention across North America.
• Eldon Sprickerhoff, co-founder of cybersecurity firm eSentire, is seeing strong pre-orders for his upcoming book, “Committed: Startup Survival Tips and Uncommon Sense for First-Time Tech Founders.”
• Dr. Tony Sanfilippo, a respected cardiologist and professor of medicine at Queen’s University, is generating significant media interest with his forthcoming book, “The Doctors We Need: Imagining a New Path for Physician Recruitment, Training, and Support.”
Seeman, whose recent and acclaimed book, “Accelerated Minds,” explores the entrepreneurial mindset, brings a unique perspective to publishing. His experience as a Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, and academic affiliations with The Fields Institute and Massey College, give him deep insight into the challenges faced by people he calls “quiet experts.”
“Our goal is to empower quiet, expert authors to become entrepreneurs of actionable ideas the world needs to hear,” Seeman states. “We are blending scholarly insight with market savvy to create accessible, impactful narratives for a global readership. Quiet experts are people with decades of experience in one or more fields who seek to translate their insights into compelling non-fiction for the world,” says Seeman.
This fall, Seeman is taking his insights to the classroom. He will teach the new course, “The Writer as Entrepreneur,” at the University of Toronto, offering aspiring authors practical tools to navigate the evolving book publishing landscape. To enroll in this new weekly night course starting Tuesday, October 1st, visit: https://learn.utoronto.ca/programs-courses/courses/4121-writer-entrepreneur
“The entrepreneurial ideas industry is changing rapidly,” Seeman notes. “Authors need new skills to thrive in this dynamic environment. My course and our publishing model provide those tools.”
About Neil Seeman: Neil Seeman is co-founder and publisher of Sutherland House Experts, an author, educator, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate. He holds appointments at the University of Toronto, The Fields Institute, and Massey College. His work spans entrepreneurship, public health, and innovative publishing models.
Hallmark launching a streaming service with two new original series, and Bill Skarsgård out for revenge in “Boy Kills World” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Alex Garland’s “Civil War” starring Kirsten Dunst, Natasha Rothwell’s heartfelt comedy for Hulu called “How to Die Alone” and Sylvester Stallone’s second season of “Tulsa King” debuts.
NEW MOVIES TO STREAM SEPT. 9-15
— Alex Garland’s “Civil War” is finally making its debut on MAX on Friday. The film stars Kirsten Dunst as a veteran photojournalist covering a violent war that’s divided America; She reluctantly allows an aspiring photographer, played by Cailee Spaeny, to tag along as she, an editor (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and a reporter (Wagner Moura) make the dangerous journey to Washington, D.C., to interview the president (Nick Offerman), a blustery, rising despot who has given himself a third term, taken to attacking his citizens and shut himself off from the press. In my review, I called it a bellowing and haunting experience; Smart and thought-provoking with great performances. It’s well worth a watch.
— Joey King stars in Netflix’s adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s “Uglies,” about a future society in which everyone is required to have beautifying cosmetic surgery at age 16. Streaming on Friday, McG directed the film, in which King’s character inadvertently finds herself in the midst of an uprising against the status quo. “Outer Banks” star Chase Stokes plays King’s best friend.
— Bill Skarsgård is out for revenge against the woman (Famke Janssen) who killed his family in “Boy Kills World,” coming to Hulu on Friday. Moritz Mohr directed the ultra-violent film, of which Variety critic Owen Gleiberman wrote: “It’s a depraved vision, yet I got caught up in its kick-ass revenge-horror pizzazz, its disreputable commitment to what it was doing.”
— The year was 2006. Snow Patrol, the Northern Irish-Scottish alternative rock band, released an album, “Eyes Open,” producing the biggest hit of their career: “Chasing Cars.” A lot has happened in the time since — three, soon to be four quality full-length albums, to be exact. On Friday, the band will release “The Forest Is the Path,” their first new album in seven years. Anthemic pop-rock is the name of the game across songs of love and loss, like “All,”“The Beginning” and “This Is the Sound Of Your Voice.”
— For fans of raucous guitar music, Jordan Peele’s 2022 sci-fi thriller, “NOPE,” provided a surprising, if tiny, thrill. One of the leads, Emerald “Em” Haywood portrayed by Keke Palmer, rocks a Jesus Lizard shirt. (Also featured through the film: Rage Against the Machine, Wipers, Mr Bungle, Butthole Surfers and Earth band shirts.) The Austin noise rock band are a less than obvious pick, having been signed to the legendary Touch and Go Records and having stopped releasing new albums in 1998. That changes on Friday the 13th, when “Rack” arrives. And for those curious: The Jesus Lizard’s intensity never went away.
— Hallmark launched a streaming service called Hallmark+ on Tuesday with two new original series, the scripted drama “The Chicken Sisters” and unscripted series “Celebrations with Lacey Chabert.” If you’re a Hallmark holiday movies fan, you know Chabert. She’s starred in more than 30 of their films and many are holiday themed. Off camera, Chabert has a passion for throwing parties and entertaining. In “Celebrations,” deserving people are surprised with a bash in their honor — planned with Chabert’s help. “The Chicken Sisters” stars Schuyler Fisk, Wendie Malick and Lea Thompson in a show about employees at rival chicken restaurants in a small town. The eight-episode series is based on a novel of the same name.
— Natasha Rothwell of “Insecure” and “The White Lotus” fame created and stars in a new heartfelt comedy for Hulu called “How to Die Alone.” She plays Mel, a broke, go-along-to-get-along, single, airport employee who, after a near-death experience, makes the conscious decision to take risks and pursue her dreams. Rothwell has been working on the series for the past eight years and described it to The AP as “the most vulnerable piece of art I’ve ever put into the world.” Like Mel, Rothwell had to learn to bet on herself to make the show she wanted to make. “In the Venn diagram of me and Mel, there’s significant overlap,” said Rothwell. It premieres Friday on Hulu.
— Shailene Woodley, DeWanda Wise and Betty Gilpin star in a new drama for Starz called “Three Women,” about entrepreneur Sloane, homemaker Lina and student Maggie who are each stepping into their power and making life-changing decisions. They’re interviewed by a writer named Gia (Woodley.) The series is based on a 2019 best-selling book of the same name by Lisa Taddeo. “Three Women” premieres Friday on Starz.
— Sylvester Stallone’s second season of “Tulsa King” debuts Sunday on Paramount+. Stallone plays Dwight Manfredi, a mafia boss who was recently released from prison after serving 25 years. He’s sent to Tulsa to set up a new crime syndicate. The series is created by Taylor Sheridan of “Yellowstone” fame.
— One thing about the title of Focus Entertainment’s Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 — you know exactly what you’re in for. You are Demetrian Titus, a genetically enhanced brute sent into battle against the Tyranids, an insectoid species with an insatiable craving for human flesh. You have a rocket-powered suit of armor and an arsenal of ridiculous weapons like the “Chainsword,” the “Thunderhammer” and the “Melta Rifle,” so what could go wrong? Besides the squishy single-player mode, there are cooperative missions and six-vs.-six free-for-alls. You can suit up now on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S or PC.
— Likewise, Wild Bastards isn’t exactly the kind of title that’s going to attract fans of, say, Animal Crossing. It’s another sci-fi shooter, but the protagonists are a gang of 13 varmints — aliens and androids included — who are on the run from the law. Each outlaw has a distinctive set of weapons and special powers: Sarge, for example, is a robot with horse genes, while Billy the Squid is … well, you get the idea. Australian studio Blue Manchu developed the 2019 cult hit Void Bastards, and this Wild-West-in-space spinoff has the same snarky humor and vibrant, neon-drenched cartoon look. Saddle up on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Nintendo Switch or PC.
Former President Donald Trump is on the brink of a significant financial decision that could have far-reaching implications for both his personal wealth and the future of his fledgling social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG). As the lockup period on his shares in TMTG, which owns Truth Social, nears its end, Trump could soon be free to sell his substantial stake in the company. However, the potential payday, which makes up a large portion of his net worth, comes with considerable risks for Trump and his supporters.
Trump’s stake in TMTG comprises nearly 59% of the company, amounting to 114,750,000 shares. As of now, this holding is valued at approximately $2.6 billion. These shares are currently under a lockup agreement, a common feature of initial public offerings (IPOs), designed to prevent company insiders from immediately selling their shares and potentially destabilizing the stock. The lockup, which began after TMTG’s merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), is set to expire on September 25, though it could end earlier if certain conditions are met.
Should Trump decide to sell his shares after the lockup expires, the market could respond in unpredictable ways. The sale of a substantial number of shares by a major stakeholder like Trump could flood the market, potentially driving down the stock price. Daniel Bradley, a finance professor at the University of South Florida, suggests that the market might react negatively to such a large sale, particularly if there aren’t enough buyers to absorb the supply. This could lead to a sharp decline in the stock’s value, impacting both Trump’s personal wealth and the company’s market standing.
Moreover, Trump’s involvement in Truth Social has been a key driver of investor interest. The platform, marketed as a free speech alternative to mainstream social media, has attracted a loyal user base largely due to Trump’s presence. If Trump were to sell his stake, it might signal a lack of confidence in the company, potentially shaking investor confidence and further depressing the stock price.
Trump’s decision is also influenced by his ongoing legal battles, which have already cost him over $100 million in legal fees. Selling his shares could provide a significant financial boost, helping him cover these mounting expenses. However, this move could also have political ramifications, especially as he continues his bid for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential race.
Trump Media’s success is closely tied to Trump’s political fortunes. The company’s stock has shown volatility in response to developments in the presidential race, with Trump’s chances of winning having a direct impact on the stock’s value. If Trump sells his stake, it could be interpreted as a lack of confidence in his own political future, potentially undermining both his campaign and the company’s prospects.
Truth Social, the flagship product of TMTG, has faced challenges in generating traffic and advertising revenue, especially compared to established social media giants like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Despite this, the company’s valuation has remained high, fueled by investor speculation on Trump’s political future. If Trump remains in the race and manages to secure the presidency, the value of his shares could increase. Conversely, any missteps on the campaign trail could have the opposite effect, further destabilizing the stock.
As the lockup period comes to an end, Trump faces a critical decision that could shape the future of both his personal finances and Truth Social. Whether he chooses to hold onto his shares or cash out, the outcome will likely have significant consequences for the company, its investors, and Trump’s political aspirations.
