Bold South Strategies

12/05/2025

How Theodore Roosevelt Saved Football 🏈

In the early 1900s, college football was wildly popular—and wildly dangerous. The game revolved around mass formations and pileups, with minimal protective equipment and a culture that treated “brutal” as a feature, not a bug.

By 1905, the sport hit a public breaking point. Serious injuries and deaths drove national outrage. Newspapers debated banning football. Some schools considered dropping it entirely.

The surprising catalyst for reform? The President of the United States.

Theodore Roosevelt loved football. He believed competition built character. But he also saw the reality leaders sometimes ignore: if the product keeps hurting people, public support evaporates—and the whole thing collapses.

So in October 1905, Roosevelt invited leaders from Harvard, Yale, and Princeton to the White House and pushed them to clean up the game—enforce sportsmanship and make real safety reforms. Roosevelt didn’t write X’s and O’s, but he used the bully pulpit to force the people in power to act.

That winter, universities organized to reform football, creating a national governing body (the IAAUS, which evolved into today’s NCAA). Then the rulebook started changing in ways that reshaped the sport and—not coincidentally—made it more “open-field” and less “human battering ram”:

1906 (the big overhaul):
✅ The forward pass becomes legal—designed to spread defenses out and break up the mass-collision style (early rules still made it risky, so adoption was slow)
✅ A first down now requires 10 yards (originally in 3 downs), discouraging constant short-yardage pileups
✅ Restrictions tighten on dangerous mass plays and formations
✅ A neutral zone separates the lines pre-snap, reducing some of the worst collisions
✅ Even the game length is reduced (less fatigue, fewer reckless hits)

1910–1912 (the sport becomes recognizable):
✅ 4 downs to gain 10
✅ A standardized 100-yard field with end zones
✅ Scoring shifts toward the modern game (including the touchdown becoming 6 points)

The headline is fun—“Roosevelt saved football”—but the real story is bigger:
Football survived because its leaders chose reform over denial.

They didn’t remove toughness—they removed needless danger. And because they did, football got to keep evolving into the sport millions of us still build Saturdays around.

12/03/2025

Charleston City Council wrapped up its final meeting of 2025 last night. Here’s the quick breakdown of what happened:

1️⃣ The $4.2B transportation sales tax is taking shape

Council reviewed Charleston’s priority list for the proposed 2026 countywide transportation sales tax, including:

*Major fixes on Johns & James Island (Maybank, Main, Riverland, Folly)
*Flooding + road work on the peninsula (Lockwood, East Bay/Concord/Morrison, Calhoun by the medical district, Huger)
*A large share for West Ashley (Magwood flyover, Hwy 61, US-17 improvements)

Because of commuters and visitors, a significant portion of this tax would be paid by non-Charleston residents.

2️⃣ Zero Folly Road annexation

Neighbors raised concerns about drainage and traffic along Grimble Rd Extension.
Heirs and attorneys emphasized the land’s 100+ years of family ownership and the importance of resolving long-running litigation.

Key point: This property can be developed whether it’s in the city or the county. Annexation simply determines which rules apply, especially stormwater standards — the city’s are stricter.

3️⃣ DEI language + federal grant compliance

Council also advanced an ordinance adjusting language in the:

*Women & Minority Business program
*Human Affairs & Racial Conciliation Commission

This follows new federal grant requirements that cities certify they aren’t operating certain “DEI programs.” Staff warned Charleston could risk millions in federal grant funding if the code isn’t updated by year-end.

Council gave the changes first reading and sent them to Community Development Committee next week for a deeper review.

Charleston changes fast, and the decisions made in meetings like this quietly influence how—and where—the city grows. More to come in January when the new council is sworn in.

05/16/2023

Press Release SPEAK Strategic Public Affairs, LLC, a leading public affairs, strategic communications, and political consulting firm, has announced its official name change to Bold South Strategies (BSS). This long-planned expansion comes with exciting developments, including new hires, expanded ser...

05/15/2023

We are incredibly excited to announce that effective today, SPEAK Strategic Public Affairs, a leading public affairs and strategic communications agency based in Charleston, South Carolina is changing its name to Bold South Strategies. This long-planned expansion comes with new developments, including additional hires, expanded services, and a refreshed vision for the agency.

Bold South Strategies will continue to be led by CEO Tyler Jones, who has led the firm since its inception in 2016. Joining the leadership team will be Renee Harvey as Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner. Harvey, a 2011 graduate of the College of Charleston, most recently served as Finance Director for Dr. Annie Andrews’ 2022 campaign for Congress and co-founded a new PAC, Their Future PAC, with Andrews to help elect kids-first candidates. Before her work in politics, Harvey had an extensive career in the tech sector.

Bold South Strategies will expand its offerings by launching a fundraising arm focused on raising money for candidates, committees, PACs, and nonprofits.

Bold South Strategies will be launching additional divisions ​and ventures ​that will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information about Bold South Strategies, please visit

Bold South is more than just an agency. It’s an approach — our approach — to life, politics, and business. One thing you learn by working in South Carolina politics is you don’t get anywhere by being timid. We know how desperate our state and region is for modernization, innovation, new idea...

05/05/2023

May the 4th be with you.

03/29/2022

SPEAK Strategic, one of South Carolina’s premiere political strategy, issue advocacy, and public relations firms, is hiring a project-based Videographer to join their Creative Team!

Located in Johns Island, SC, SPEAK Strategic was founded in 2015 and has grown from a one-man operation to a diverse team of experienced creative minds and seasoned communications professionals who are dedicated to bringing positive change to South Carolina. We currently offer a range of creative services including but not limited to photography, graphic design, direct mail, and small-scale videography, as well as general consulting, public relations, and press relations. We want your help to grow our video production department!

We’re looking for someone who’s creative, organized, self-motivated, deadline-driven, and interested in local issues and businesses looking to grow their footprint. The SPEAK Strategic Videographer will work alongside the Creative Director and will be responsible for planning, filming, and editing videos that will be used for a variety of projects including but not limited to advertisements, social media content, internal promotions, and corporate informational videos.

Responsibilities:
- Film videos on set or location with clients.
- Ensure equipment for a shoot is prepared, present, and is in working order.
- Plan the shoot with the Creative Director, project lead, and client.
- Edit footage in post-production.
- Brainstorm new ideas for social media content or advertisements for clients and for internal purposes.

Candidate Requirements:
- A creative mind ready to make suggestions for video production.
- Proficiency with editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, etc.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Proficiency with camera equipment, lighting tools, and sound equipment.
- Has the ability to prioritize and manage your time wisely.
- Has experience with video production.
- Capable of optimizing videos for a variety of social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.
- Ability to meet hard deadlines.
- Detail-oriented.
- Capable of thriving in a fast-paced environment.

This position will require you to be in Charleston, SC, but does have the potential for travel throughout the state in special circumstances. Some remote work is acceptable but must be scheduled in advance.

Note that this job does require some physical labor including moving equipment and filming outdoors.

Video equipment and Adobe Creative Suite will be provided.

All applicants for this position should include their resume, CV, and video reel or creative portfolio to Rebekah Hullihen at [email protected]. Those who do not submit a video reel or portfolio will not be considered for this role.

04/16/2021

SPEAK Strategic is seeking a full-time campaign videographer (paid) to assist on Democratic political campaigns. All video and audio equipment is provided. Access to editing software is also provided.

Candidates should have the following qualifications:
- Previous videography experience,
- Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite editing software or Final Cut Pro.
- Capable of optimizing videos for a variety of social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube,
- Ability to meet hard deadlines with a tight turnaround,
- Must be creative and capable of taking initiative to concept new videos,
- Interest in Democratic politics,
- Good multitasker with close attention to detail,
- Flexible and willing to change plans as new things develop, and
- Capable of thriving in a fast-paced environment.

Applicants must have excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Must be able to work effectively independently and as part of a team.

Must be willing to travel as needed.

Interested applicants should submit a resume and portfolio or other sample work to Rebekah at speakstrategic.com

03/10/2021

At SPEAK, we don’t horse around when it comes to advocating for our clients…even the four-legged ones!

03/06/2021

We are wishing the best of luck to our very own Davia Bunch as she competes in the Miss South Carolina USA pageant tonight. We are so proud of everything she has accomplished, and cannot wait for South Carolina to see how hard she has worked for the opportunity to represent our state again.

Davia, you're going to change the world, and we are so lucky to have a front-row seat. Break a leg!

02/15/2021

Over the last two years, Matthew Miller has been instrumental to the success of SPEAK Strategic. He quickly rose up the ranks from assistant to the CEO, to account executive, and eventually becoming our political director. He helped elect good candidates up and down the ballot and always fought for what he believed in. We knew eventually Matthew would move on to bigger and better things and that time has come. We will miss the heck out of Matthew at the office, but we are excited to see his success in Kansas. Thank you Matthew for all that you've given to SPEAK and to each one of us personally. You will always be a part of the SPEAK family and there will forever be a place for you here if it gets too cold in Dodge City. Good luck and Godspeed!