Carmelo Anthony is having a much more relaxing summer than last year. There’s no anxiety-ridden decisions to be made about whether to try and chase a ring elsewhere or stay put with his treasure chest and watch the losses pile up around him like he was at the Bronx-Pelham Landfill.
Come to think of it, it probably wasn’t that hard of a decision. Turns out $30 million is a lot of money to leave behind. But nevermind all that. Anthony has his sights set on a new venture with a Vice Sports’ video channel called The Clubhouse. Via Sydney Ember of The New York Times:
“The Clubhouse, which the company introduced on Tuesday, will feature shows that focus on life beyond the stadium, said Will Kiersky, the publisher of Vice Sports. Anthony, for instance, will look at sports cultures around the world in his series “Stay Melo.” In the first episode, Anthony goes to Cuba to examine the country’s rising interest in soccer. (Anthony recently became the owner of a team in Puerto Rico that will play in the North American Soccer League next year.) In another, he visits Baltimore, his hometown, to explore the intersection of sports and social issues.”
Anthony – outfitted in a decidedly American idea of traditional Cuban garb, of which a white Panama hat is always the pièce de résistance – spends most of his onscreen time talking with locals about the emergence of soccer in a country that has always been dominated by baseball, and, of course, visiting a local cigar shop.
It’s an enthralling look behind the scenes, and Vice plans to feature athletes in other sports as well, including Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots. Vice has been aggressively expanding both its content offerings and audience reach, and they’re hoping a series like The Clubhouse will help fill the late summer doldrums when most of the major professional sports are on hiatus.
(via Vice Sports; The New York Times)
