N.J.’s big bet | Morning Newsletter

Good Sunday morning, everyone. Here’s what you need to know today:

New Jersey is on the cusp of creating a new industry: offshore wind power. It’s not only to reduce carbon emissions, but also with the hopes of transforming into a dominant player in renewable energy along the East Coast. And with it, there could be a lot of jobs.

And this week, I chatted with sports reporter Damichael Cole about what’s going on with March Madness and what you should know about this year’s tournament.

— Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Each week we go behind the scenes with one of our reporters or editors to discuss their work and the challenges they face along the way. This week we chat with sports reporter Damichael Cole to get his take on the NCAA tournament.

We’re a week into March Madness, but what are the biggest takeaways from this year’s lineup?

The biggest takeaway for me is the fresh blood in college basketball. Of the top 12 overall seeded teams, only Kansas has won a national championship in the last 20 years. Schools like Baylor, Gonzaga and Illinois have a really good chance with the perennial powerhouses like Duke, Kentucky and Louisville struggling, and that’s good for college basketball. We will likely get a champion that hasn’t been historically dominant.

As a sports writer, do you do your own bracket or just let things play out?

Yes, I do my own bracket every year. In fact, I make multiple brackets. Making brackets is a fun part of the tournament when you’re one of the 5% of people who picked a major upset. I don’t think it’s morally compromising as a sports writer when you’re doing it for fun.

What would you tell someone who’s just not that into sports about why they should pay attention to the tournament?

March Madness is the epitome of success stories. There will be small schools who go toe-to-toe with a basketball powerhouse. It’s like the Hollywood movies. Also, it’s a one-game tournament. If you lose, you’re out. There’s no series. So the pressure of being at your best every game adds so much intrigue. The emotion is raw.

What are a few recent stories of yours that you’re particularly proud of?

I’ve written lately about Drexel’s run to the NCAA Tournament, but I also wrote about boxing icon Marvin Hagler and did a story about the one of the best/most forgotten Black baseball teams in history, the 1905 Philadelphia Giants during Black History Month.

Why did you become a journalist, and what drew you to sports reporting?

Naturally, I’m a person of clarity. I want to know who, what, when, where and why. I often ask the annoying follow-up question, when most are expected to just say “okay.” That and, of course, I’ve always had a general love for sports. All of my childhood books that I still own are sports books. Playing sports, reading about them, and I feel my natural personality all lead me to this field.

What’s something you do for fun when you’re not working? Got any good show or book recommendations?

I like to call myself the best at recommending shows. It’s not often I get bad views on my selections. I’m into a lot of action-packed shows with government conspiracies involved. One of my favorites right now is Snowfall on FX. It highlights how crack cocaine infiltrated Los Angeles in the 1980s. My favorite of all time is Prison Break, which is available on Hulu. If those don’t crack, try Shooter or Blacklist on Netflix. A little blood is shed in each of those shows, but the common thing is higher powers in the government are involved and most people have no clue. If the blood and government thing isn’t for you, try All-American. It starts off as a story about a Compton kid who transfers to Beverly Hills to play football and experiences some cultural differences for the first time in his life.

Email Damichael Cole at dcole@inquirer.com and follow him on Twitter at @DamichaelC.

Hope everyone is out there enjoying this pleasant weather like @jtbritt3166 and his dog. Thanks for sharing this one!

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out!

Even if you only have a cramped, cement backyard to work with, you can still grow vegetables. First, you’ll need a raised bed for your plants, which Nicole Enders, founder of Philadelphia Box Gardens, recommends because it’s “much more forgiving to a beginner — in terms of watering, drainage, and just general upkeep.” It may take a little more set up, but it’ll be easier to maintain and harvest from your garden later. Here’s how you can get started with your own vegetable garden.

How will you be enjoying the Philly spring weather? It’s officially spring, so we asked our Instagram followers what they’ll be doing now that the weather is a little nicer. And if the exclamation points are any indication, there’s a lot of excitement for this time of year. Here are a few responses:

🌸 “Going to see the cherry blossoms!”

🐶 “Just took the dog to play fetch at FDR park!”

👟 “Running to Race Street Pier *without* a base layer, gloves, and a hat.”

🥕 “Gardening and getting ready for my summer veggie garden!”

🐦 “Back porch watching the birds!”

Be sure to follow us on Instagram at @PhillyInquirer so you can join in the next time we ask a question.

John Langenstein’s virtual Friday night bingo game is getting all kinds of attention. Hosted in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, his game has attracted everyone from WWMR’s Pierre Robert to a bingo-playing chicken.