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Category Archives: Sports and Leisure
The category includes feature stories about sports and activities important to the beat of the blog.
Mister Vulture… From U.S. Army to Puerto Rican Blogger
With over 152 million blogs on the internet, the world of blogging can be a pretty difficult one to get into. For US Army veteran Luis Soto he kind of fell into the world of blogging.
“I’m proud to be Puerto Rican. We come from a small island with such talent… we have such smart individuals, we have a rich culture, great food, beautiful people, it’s a beautiful place. I’m very proud to be Puerto Rican.
Soto started blogging and streaming while he was still on active duty, posting everything from trips with his wife and family to video game streaming. His posts started out as a hobby, but personal hardships made him consider honing this skill into a business venture.
Soto left the military and moved from Maryland to Colorado where his wife’s family is from. His army credentials in IT helped him secure employment as a system administrator at Regis Jesuit High School, a private catholic school in Aurora, Colorado. “I got promoted in one week [which was] a huge pay bump says, Soto. The job security and pay offered by this school would be short-lived.
Sotos’s wife Brandi was pregnant at the time and the hour and 36 minutes commute took a toll on his ability to be there for his expecting wife. “It was rough, Brandi gave birth and it was really hard for me to help her… I just decided to talk to the IT director and I told him hey I’m going to have to resign,” Soto recounts. Thankfully his disability pay with the VA was good enough to hold him over and pay his bills during this time.
Being at home Soto decided to try and turn his hobby into something that would bring some kind of income. “I entered this competition and I wanted to see how good my skills were and I ended up winning,” says Soto. His win helped him secure three sponsors for his vlog and streaming channel, “and now I’m here getting paid just to stream, make videos, talk to people, [and] play games… I never thought that would happen but it’s almost like a little dream come true. Soto now goes by the handle Mister Vulture and creates contact for Twitch, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube.
“Now I’m able to spend time with the family now able to help take care of the baby [and have] a healthy relationship,” said Soto while babysitting his son while his wife was at the beauty salon.
Facing back-to-back unemployment first from the Army and later from his IT job in Colorado how was Soto able to land on his feet in such an inspiring way? Soto says it’s a mix of perseverance and risk-taking. “Everything I do I try to make sure I have a way out, it’s something I learned years ago. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith… and if it doesn’t work out at least I can say I did it and I made it somewhere.
Justin Bearce is one of Soto’s subscribers. Bearce knew him while serving in the US Army and didn’t know that much about his blog until one day he was talking with him about video games and trying to start a YouTube channel.
“I saw his stuff and I was entertained by it…I can definitely see the effort he puts into it because it comes out really well… I also notice how the quality has grown over time as he’s done more and got more experienced with it… I can definitely tell he enjoys it,” says Bearce.
A mechanic by trade and a hobby gamer, Bearce enjoys the subjects Soto covers in his videos. “Video games…. and doing things outside of the home… or working on his cars… those are pretty solid topics to cover on his blogs… and just how well he presents it and how [he] communicates with his audience…he does well with that… he looks in the camera… speaks clearly… [and] has little funny moments that happen naturally… he doesn’t force it…” Bearce observes.
Beside making enjoyable content, Soto is inadvertently sharing his culture with his audience. Bearce mentions that “Just knowing that he’s from…. Puerto Rico and he came here started doing this… it definitely brings what his experiences are to… someone that hasn’t been outside of the Continental US… and I think that’s one of those unique things that makes it a unique blog.”
If you want to check out Soto’s blogs and channels you can subscribe to Mister Vulture at the following links:
Number 21… A Number Never Forgotten by Puerto Ricans
Remembering one of our greats…
Puerto Rican baseball great Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash on January 1, 1972, while en-route to a humanitarian mission
Public domain photo by unknown author.
Years after his death in 1972, Roberto Clemente is still proudly remembered by Puerto Ricans as one of the greatest people in Puerto Rican history. This shining star of Major League Baseball is an icon to the people of Puerto Rico not only for his contributions on the field but for all that he accomplished off the field as well.
I was not even born until 5 years after his death, but throughout my life I have heard Clemente’s name spoken with pride by my parents, friends, and many others. I still have the Clemente baseball card my father got me when I was younger and remember cheering for the Pittsburgh Pirates despite never having visited the city myself. One place that I could get a physical connection to this man was the Roberto Clemente Coliseum. This venue located in San Juan was the premier spot for concerts, sports, and shows on the whole island. I would visit this man after every visit to the coliseum, well at least I visited his likeness. Walking past the front of the coliseum, Roberto Clemente’s statue would welcome me to some of the most memorable events in my childhood.
In the United States Roberto Clemente is remembered for playing 18 seasons with the Pirates from 1955-1972. Clemente was the 15 time All-Star 12-time Gold Glove, 4-time National League Batting Champion, National League Most Valuable Player for 1966, and for being part of the World Series Champion Pittsburgh Pirates in 1961 and 1971 where he was again voted Most Valuable Player. Despite all his accomplishments, Clemente also helped the civil rights movement. He challenged the perceptions of people in the United States toward Latino and Black players of the time during a time of racial tensions.
In Pittsburgh, the bridge that bears his name is a testament to the love the people in this city would grow to have for him. He also received many awards in this city for his behavior off the field. These included the Sportsman of the Year in 1961, 1966, and 1971. Clemente’s love was not limited to baseball, the people of Puerto Rico, or the fans in the United States and he would end up giving his life for his humanitarian ideals.
Clemente had a deep love for humanity and was known for his acts of charity and compassion. His death was a noble one. After an earthquake hit Nicaragua in 1972 killing about 11,000 people and leaving another 300,000 homeless, Roberto Clemente could not standby idly. On December 31, 1972, he boarded an airplane to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Nicaragua. Sadly the plane would not reach its destination, crashing shortly after taking off from the Luis Munoz Marin Airport in Isla Verde, San Juan.
In 1973 Major League Baseball inducted Roberto Clemente into the National Baseball Hall of Fame becoming the first Latin American to be so honored. Yes, it was long ago, but to Puerto Ricans and all of his fans, number 21 is number 1 in our hearts.
This 1993 video honors the life and accomplishments of Roberto Clemente.