Pop culture authority Sam Maggs displays strong knowledge of sports on MTV Canada

In a culture where geek is now chic, it does not stop the sensational Sam Maggs from providing her articulate commentaries on other facets of life. While sports and the athlete would be the antithesis to comic books and role players, Maggs is a lot like a gatekeeper, finding balance in both realms while staying true to her ideals. It is part of a framework which makes her an inspiration for other young women looking to break into media.

A mainstay on MTV Canada’s “Play with AJ” television program, she is one of several bloggers that participates in the highly popular 30 Seconds of Fame segment. Debating the latest ramblings in sports, the topics are an amalgam of humor and nonchalance, while providing the winner with 30 seconds to discuss anything that is on their mind.

While Play with AJ’s primary focus is on sports, it melds the worlds of fashion and popular culture into a unique package that complements Maggs’ well-rounded and diverse views, making her a highly popular commentator for the network. During the Play with AJ 30 Seconds of Fame special (aired in December 2013), Maggs stole the show by commenting Miley Cyrus should take on former Disney stars in a Hunger Games setting.

Maggs (second from right) appearing on the All-Blogger episode of Play W/AJ on MTV Canada (Image obtained from Twitter)

In Maggs case, she provides liberation for the closeted geek (or jock) that enjoyed hockey as much as they did sci-fi. As a side note, pro wrestler CM Punk appeared on AMC’s The Talking Dead, a companion program (providing commentary) to their landmark hit, The Walking Dead. Adrienne Smith, a women’s tackle football player for the Boston Militia organized a trip to the White House to discuss the empowerment of women in sport. For Halloween, she was dressed as Wonder Woman.

As women continue to gain a foothold into sports, Maggs is helping to challenge the cultural norm of what a female sports fan should be. Educated at both the University of Western Ontario and Toronto’s Ryerson University, Maggs also contributes as an editor at GeekoSystem. While past decades sadly painted all women in sport with a butch persona, today’s women are trying to reinforce the notion that it is ok to not only be beautiful and feminine while liking sports, but you can also be yourself.

Megan Ann Wilson emerging as a sparkling spokeswoman for basketball

Based out of Toronto and New York, Megan Ann Wilson is a strong female voice in the world of basketball. While she is a stylist and image consultant that is contributing to the zeitgeist of sports fashion, Wilson is far from just eye candy. Known on Twitter as @SHEGOTGAME, her skills with VIP Styling, Editorial Styling and Wardrobe Design are only part of the package.

Image obtained from: https://twitter.com/shegotgame

Making her mark in the world of sporting style also requires a love of the game. This is where Wilson helps to add credibility to the growing role of women in the traditionally male dominated field of men’s sports. Contributing as the Fashion Editorial Director of basketball lifestyle at DUNK360, her review of Russell Westbrook wearing a sleeveless tunic at the 2013 Teen Choice Awards was honest yet peppered with constructive criticism for a better outcome on the next red carpet event.

She has worked with athletes and broadcasters while working hard to accumulate a strong following. Some of her clients include NBA players Wesley Johnson and Lance Stephenson, multiple World Series champion David Cone and the San Francisco 49ers Tarell Brown, to name a few.

Knowledgeable about the game, her newfound TV fame is resulting in a legion of new devotees. For fans of MTV Canada’s Play with AJ, she is a mainstay on the 30 Seconds of Fame segment of the program. As said segment features a panel of three sports aficionados, it is not uncommon that she will find herself competing against some males who are far from subtle.

Not afraid to dish it out, she brings vivacious humor. One topic of discussion on 30 Seconds of Fame discussed the brazen topic of streaking at a sporting event. When asked what event she would streak at, she had everyone roaring in laughter when she replied, “an eating contest”.
As a three-time champion of the segment, not only does she proudly represent the sisterhood of sports fans, she is also the recipient of the well earned Play with AJ Bobblehead.

During that episode, she remarked articulately about the current reality of basketball in Canada. Hoping it will augment conversation among fans, Wilson remarked about how Canadian basketball phenom Andrew Wiggins is on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Complemented by the fact that a Canadian was selected first overall in the 2013 NBA Draft, Wilson brings up a strong point that Wiggins could go first in 2014.

While her colleagues in the United States are intrigued by this boom period in Canadian basketball, it is a sentiment that does not seem to be shared north of the border. Wilson’s points emphasize that we should celebrate our sporting accomplishments.

Similar to Canada’s endearing performance in women’s soccer at the London 2012 Summer Games, this renaissance period in basketball is proving that Canada has a place in the global sporting conversation. Perhaps Wilson’s cheers can make fans believe that a basketball medal at the 2016 Rio Summer Games or Tokyo 2020 is realistic.

Play with AJ adds a new dimension to the sports talk show genre

Blending elements of popular culture, fashion, social media and of course sports, Play with AJ is one of the freshest and entertaining sports talk shows on the air. Hosted by Aliya Jasmine, who cut her teeth on other MTV programs such as 1 Girl, 5 Gays, she brings a strong sporting background. The 30-year old native of Ottawa was also named to Hello magazine’s list of the 50 Most Beautiful Canadians in 2013.

On the 2013 ESPY Awards red carpet discussing Colin Kaepenick’s appearance in the ESPN Body Issue (Image obtained from: https://www.facebook.com/AliyaJasmine)

Jasmine has co-hosted the Juno Cup, a hockey event featuring professionals against musicians, reported on the Vancouver Winter Games and is a self-professed sports junkie. In July 2013, she joined Cabral “Cabbie” Richards in Los Angeles as part of TSN’s red carpet coverage for the ESPY Awards. She would speak to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick about his appearances in the ESPN Magazine Body Issue. Her love of the game clearly comes across as the program provides another strong venue for women to stake their claim in the ultra-competitive world of sports journalism.

Promotional shot for Play with AJ (Image obtained from: http://news.mtv.ca/photos/)

The most endearing aspect of the program is that it does not take itself too seriously. While some sports programs believe they can solve all of sports problems and prognosticate with self-proclaimed expertise, Play with AJ approaches sport from a perspective of humour and nonchalance.

Opening the program with a monologue, AJ covers the intersection where pop culture and sport collide. She also pays homage to social media by acknowledging the unique sporting tweets of the week. One recent episode featured a tweet from Justin Bieber where he is photographed shirtless among the likes of Tyson Chandler and Kevin Durant.

One subject from her monologue is always segued one of her subjects into the TSN Talkback. With an on-air personality from The Sports Network, her subjects range along the lines of discussing Justin Bieber with Darren Dutchyshen to the Fame Game of NFL Quarterbacks (like Colin Kaepernick making the GQ cover) to A-Rod’s douchebag status with Jennifer Byrne.

Interviewing reality star and diehard New York Mets fan Snooki (Image obtained from Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliyaJasmine)

Channeling the energy of skits from Pardon the Interruption, 30 Seconds of Fame is a segment filled with self-effacing humor that steals the show. Featuring a panel consisting of three bloggers and sports writers, they have to think fast on their feet as they are presented with numerous scenarios.

The segment goes through two rounds of hilarious elimination as each eliminated panelist is exiled to the infamous Shame Zone where they are booed by a group of hecklers and sprinkled with popcorn. The eventual winner earns 30 seconds of face time and is able to speak whatever is on their mind.

An added bonus of the segment is that viewers can participate as well. Viewers can tweet their own view on the scenarios discussed in 30 Seconds of Fame.

Perhaps its greatest asset is the fact that the segment tends to feature at least one female on the panel. Ranging from the likes of Missy Deyo, who covers Major League Baseball for the Kingston Whig-Standard, Nadine Liverpool, broadcast associate at Rogers Sportsnet and Miranda Furtado, these women all have something unique to offer.

Babes Dig Balls founder Miranda Furtado on 30 Seconds of Fame (Image obtained from: http://babesdigballs.com/the-babely-boss-makes-an-appearance-on-mtvs-play-with-aj/)

Furtado, the founder of Babes Dig Balls, a sports site organized by women for a target audience of women was one of the winners. Megan Ann Wilson, a stylist and columnist with a love of basketball, is a two-time champion at 30 Seconds of Fame. Had she won her third appearance at 30 Seconds of Fame, she would have been the first recipient of the Play with AJ Bobblehead.

Liverpool was another fantastic female who prevailed on her respective panel and shared a powerful and moving 30 seconds in which she states why women need to believe in themselves and that they can succeed in sports.

Former hockey enforcer turned fashion guru Steve Avery in a one-on-one interview with AJ (Image obtained from Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliyaJasmine)

From interviewing the likes of pop culture icon Snooki and country star Tim McGraw, the final segment of her program is a one-on-one interview which is a hybrid of topics ranging from sports, fashion, popular culture and music. Serving as the portal in which sporting personalities and celebrity figures can discuss non-traditional topics (such as Snooki’s devotion to the New York Mets and her newfound boxing promotion), the interviews come across as fresh and interesting.

While a hockey flavor is sprinkled into the feature, it is not the typical hockey interview. Although Jasmine once worked for the NHL Network, her Play with AJ interview with Sean Avery focused on his love of fashion and his reluctance to talk trash about Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. Perhaps the best aspect of the Avery interview was the discovery that one of the cameramen on set was his cousin.

Toronto Maple Leafs sniper Joffrey Lupul spoke on the show about how he likes to play guitar. With his love of music, he discusses the difference between rock-star fame and hockey fame. When pressed by Jasmine, he stated that the various bands Jack White played with are the only type of music he would listen to.

Only on Play with AJ could Lupul declare that the Arcade Fire are one of Canada’s best bands while talking about being booed by the hockey patrons in the domiciles of divisional rivals such as Ottawa, Montreal and Buffalo.

More than just an on-air personality, she also helped to write and produce a video on breast cancer awareness which went viral and made news world-wide. With hundreds of thousands of hits, the video was meant to be a public service announcement.

Packaged to look like a typical beer commercial in which a buxom beauty walks in slow motion, admired by various voyeurs, the tone of the PSA is geared towards increasing cancer awareness for a younger demographic. A close-up of a chest states with tongue in cheek, it is time to save the boobs.

Still from AJ’s viral video

In the effort to help promote Boobyball, a cause started by two remarkable women, Amanda Blakely and Ashleigh Dempster, Jasmine’s PSA helped to educate by sending the message that breast cancer is a leading cause of illness among women in their twenties.

Executed with the help of volunteers, the PSA also hit home for Jasmine, as her cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer. By donating her time to the Boobyball event, funds have been raised for the Rethink Breast Cancer cause.

Through her wit, compassion and love of sport, to call Jasmine the total package would be an understatement. Her star only rises with this new program on MTV Canada. In an era when women in sport, whether it be in athletic competition or in journalism, are still struggling for their opportunity to be considered equal, Play with AJ motivates a young generation of female sports fans to believe that they can shatter the glass ceiling.