Hello

Welcome to The Designated Player. This is a blog created by me, Christian Araos, for Jeff Cohen's Indy Media Class at Ithaca College.

In the likely event I keep this site going after the course is done, I will use it for ramblings about stuff that usually would not make my regular postings on any of the other sites I write for. Think of it as a behind the scenes look at myself, sports and/or media and/or anything else.

To quote HOV: Allow Me to Introduce Myself.

I am 20 years old and a junior at Ithaca College with a major in journalism and minors in Honors and Sport Studies. I currently write for three entities: One Goal, Empire of Soccer and The Ithacan. I write columns for the first two and do beat reporting on the other. I'm on Twitter as well so follow me if you want @Christian_Araos.

I'm trying to enter a career in sports writing but in a capacity that uses my sport studies minor. In other words, I'm trying to bring a new perspective on sports or at least a different one than the usual. Not saying I'm into counter-narrative because there's no such thing, just making sure I bring a new dish to the table.

As for the name of the blog, the Designated Player is a term in MLS (Major League Soccer) that is used for players who are signed to contracts outside of the salary cap. These players are the most valuable to their team not just for their salaries but their potential impact on and off the field. They are the standouts when compared to their teammates but they are also held to a higher standard.

And therein lies the goal of this site. To provide a point of view that stands out from the rest while holding myself to a high ethical standard.