MLB Playoff Predictions
Jadon, Nate and Grant predict how they think the 2023 MLB Playoffs will go. Will the Braves take it all? How far will the Rangers go? Who has the best bracket?
Jadon
I have the Rangers upsetting the #1 Orioles in the ALDS, which is NOT bias. The Braves will win the World Series, because they are the best team by far. I don't really think anyone stands a chance. The NL Wild Cards are pretty weak, I don't see them doing any damage.
Grant
I believe the Orioles will take out the Rangers in the ALCS because of their additions to their roster, but I picked the Rangers to beat the Rays because they aren't nearly as good as they were before the All Star Break. Ronald Acuna Jr and Spencer Strider will carry the Braves to the World Series. I at least got my Dodgers to the NLCS.
Nate
I, much like my classmates, went super chalky and picked the Braves to win the World Series. I really hope the D'Backs beat the Brewers, so that my bracket is better than Jadons. Go Red Sox.
2023 NFL Draft Recap
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Nik, Jacob & Mr. Wood recap the top 5 picks of the 2023 draft along with grades for their favorite teams and who had the worst draft.
The return of OBJ?!?!
By: Nikolas Munoz
In 2014, Odell Beckham Jr was the offensive rookie of the year and made one of the greatest plays in NFL history on a Sunday night against the Cowboys, snagging a 43 yard one handed touchdown grab, so infamous, it would land him on the cover of Madden.
But over the last couple of years, OBJ has been on a downward spiral as he was exiled to the sports world hell known as The Cleveland Browns. Bad quarterback play and a newfound injury problem has stunted the chances of a career bounce back in Ohio. Near the end of the 2021 season, he was sent to the 'City of Angels' to join the LA Rams on their Superbowl run, with another man on his own career bounce back, quarterback Matthew Stafford. With a tenured signal caller at QB, OBJ went off and hauled in 27 catches, for 305 receiving yards, and 5 touchdowns. Those 5 touchdowns he hauled in those 8 games of play also was more than he had in the last 15 games as a Brown. He was on pace for over 100 and 2 touchdowns in the Superbowl, but another injury took him out early on. Nonetheless he finished his playoff run with 21 catches for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns.
So with all this said... I think that from the evidence shown on the Rams shows that Odell has some gas left in the tank. And with the season near its close, some prime contenders could make the leap to Superbowl locks with Beckham joining their squad. The Cowboys and Chiefs have shown interest in OBJ, but I don’t think they would be the best fits as Odell would be brought in as a number 2 guy to alleviate coverage off their top options in Ceedee Lamb And Travis Kelce.
The Ravens and to me the most interesting, The Giants, would be perfect fits for obj since he coming in would instantly be the number 1 option. Baltimore has failed Lamer Jackson with getting him weapons at the receiver over his time in the black and purple. And the one option he has had at the spot in Marquise Brown, was shipped off on draft night. Odell would instantly have a huge impact on the team in it’s passing game especially with Mark Andrews health becoming a concerning factor. As for a possible national headliner, a return to the big apple and his first team. The New York football Giants have been in a tight position at wide receiver this year after a year ending injury to Sterling Shepard and inconsistent receiver play. The Giants would become a true threat offensively with the amazing run game of Saquan Barkley and then adding a strong passing game with Odell back on the team.
The options are sky high for Odell’s potential and the team who would pick him up would find this with constant targets and enough plays with him in mind. OBJ would be back and in full force.
But over the last couple of years, OBJ has been on a downward spiral as he was exiled to the sports world hell known as The Cleveland Browns. Bad quarterback play and a newfound injury problem has stunted the chances of a career bounce back in Ohio. Near the end of the 2021 season, he was sent to the 'City of Angels' to join the LA Rams on their Superbowl run, with another man on his own career bounce back, quarterback Matthew Stafford. With a tenured signal caller at QB, OBJ went off and hauled in 27 catches, for 305 receiving yards, and 5 touchdowns. Those 5 touchdowns he hauled in those 8 games of play also was more than he had in the last 15 games as a Brown. He was on pace for over 100 and 2 touchdowns in the Superbowl, but another injury took him out early on. Nonetheless he finished his playoff run with 21 catches for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns.
So with all this said... I think that from the evidence shown on the Rams shows that Odell has some gas left in the tank. And with the season near its close, some prime contenders could make the leap to Superbowl locks with Beckham joining their squad. The Cowboys and Chiefs have shown interest in OBJ, but I don’t think they would be the best fits as Odell would be brought in as a number 2 guy to alleviate coverage off their top options in Ceedee Lamb And Travis Kelce.
The Ravens and to me the most interesting, The Giants, would be perfect fits for obj since he coming in would instantly be the number 1 option. Baltimore has failed Lamer Jackson with getting him weapons at the receiver over his time in the black and purple. And the one option he has had at the spot in Marquise Brown, was shipped off on draft night. Odell would instantly have a huge impact on the team in it’s passing game especially with Mark Andrews health becoming a concerning factor. As for a possible national headliner, a return to the big apple and his first team. The New York football Giants have been in a tight position at wide receiver this year after a year ending injury to Sterling Shepard and inconsistent receiver play. The Giants would become a true threat offensively with the amazing run game of Saquan Barkley and then adding a strong passing game with Odell back on the team.
The options are sky high for Odell’s potential and the team who would pick him up would find this with constant targets and enough plays with him in mind. OBJ would be back and in full force.
2022 NFL PREDICTIONS
Sports Broadcasting and Practicum students predicted how the 2022 NFL season will play out. Who has the best predictions?
NFL Draft - Round 1 Predictions
Donovan and Nik from The Quad made their predictions for the 1st round of the NFL Draft, mocking the top 10 picks and looking into their crystal ball for other night one selections. How well did they do? Take a listen and find out.
NBA Playoffs Preview
by: Cam Williams
The 4 teams that can win the title
-Suns… for the simple fact that they were the best regular season team in the league this year, and their experiences from last year’s finals will help them. CP3 and Devin Booker know how to lead teams, and will prevail this year.
-Bucks… The 2021 defending champs deserve to be in this tier, The 2x MVP with Giannis, with a top 3 defensive player in the league in Holiday, and a good tertiary star in Middleton there isn’t a reason they can’t go back to back.
-Warriors… The dynasty of the late 2010’s is still intact, but the window is closing. They won’t have a healthy Steph Curry probably until the second round of the playoffs, but with the emergence of Jordan Poole they should be optimistic about their chances. Lastly their playoff success solely depends on Klay Thompson’s ability to make shots, it’s as simple as that.
-Suns… for the simple fact that they were the best regular season team in the league this year, and their experiences from last year’s finals will help them. CP3 and Devin Booker know how to lead teams, and will prevail this year.
-Bucks… The 2021 defending champs deserve to be in this tier, The 2x MVP with Giannis, with a top 3 defensive player in the league in Holiday, and a good tertiary star in Middleton there isn’t a reason they can’t go back to back.
-Warriors… The dynasty of the late 2010’s is still intact, but the window is closing. They won’t have a healthy Steph Curry probably until the second round of the playoffs, but with the emergence of Jordan Poole they should be optimistic about their chances. Lastly their playoff success solely depends on Klay Thompson’s ability to make shots, it’s as simple as that.
The 2 darkhorse teams
-Mavericks.. My personal favorite team, I believe that Luka Doncic is on his way to becoming the best player in the world. In his last 2 playoff series he has averaged 33, 8, 9 going against arguably the 2 best perimeter defenders in the league in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. He has 2 other ball handlers to take the load off this year in Spencer Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson, but for the mavs to make it to the top he has to be Luka Magic and do the unthinkable.
-Nets… Even though the Net’s are the 8th seed and in the play-in tournament they still have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, I don’t think I have to say anything else. They will always have a chance with those two.
-Mavericks.. My personal favorite team, I believe that Luka Doncic is on his way to becoming the best player in the world. In his last 2 playoff series he has averaged 33, 8, 9 going against arguably the 2 best perimeter defenders in the league in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. He has 2 other ball handlers to take the load off this year in Spencer Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson, but for the mavs to make it to the top he has to be Luka Magic and do the unthinkable.
-Nets… Even though the Net’s are the 8th seed and in the play-in tournament they still have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, I don’t think I have to say anything else. They will always have a chance with those two.
1 Absolute Sleeper
-Raptors… A surprising team this year, in which Nick Nurse has the Raptors playing some of the best basketball post Jan. 1st in the NBA. With no defined star, the raptors are long wings who get their hands on balls and make life hard on the defensive end, and one offense they have shooters and an all-star in Fred Van Fleet. Siakam and Barnes are having great years as well, so don’t be surprised if the Raptors somehow sneak into the Eastern Conference Finals.
MVP - Jokic- The first player to have 2000 points, 1000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a season edges out Giannis and Embiid for the MVP for the second year in a row.
Rookie of the Year - Cade Cunningham.. The Local Arlington Bowie product has been very steady in his first year, I believe he sneaks out past Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley.
Most Improved- Jordan Poole.. Averaging 18 points a game, having 11 straight games with 20 + points,and also improving his scoring average by 7 points, there isn’t much of a debate for someone else here.
6th Man of the Year- Tyler Herro… Averaging a solid 20 points a game on great shooting splits, Herro is in a bounce back year after a disappointing showing last year following his bubble performance.
Coach of the Year - Monty Williams.. In my opinion he should’ve been last years winner as well, but for the second straight year leading a Phoenix Suns franchise to a #1 seed, as well as having the most wins in franchise history in a single season, Williams beats out Jason Kidd and Ime Udoka.
-Raptors… A surprising team this year, in which Nick Nurse has the Raptors playing some of the best basketball post Jan. 1st in the NBA. With no defined star, the raptors are long wings who get their hands on balls and make life hard on the defensive end, and one offense they have shooters and an all-star in Fred Van Fleet. Siakam and Barnes are having great years as well, so don’t be surprised if the Raptors somehow sneak into the Eastern Conference Finals.
MVP - Jokic- The first player to have 2000 points, 1000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a season edges out Giannis and Embiid for the MVP for the second year in a row.
Rookie of the Year - Cade Cunningham.. The Local Arlington Bowie product has been very steady in his first year, I believe he sneaks out past Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley.
Most Improved- Jordan Poole.. Averaging 18 points a game, having 11 straight games with 20 + points,and also improving his scoring average by 7 points, there isn’t much of a debate for someone else here.
6th Man of the Year- Tyler Herro… Averaging a solid 20 points a game on great shooting splits, Herro is in a bounce back year after a disappointing showing last year following his bubble performance.
Coach of the Year - Monty Williams.. In my opinion he should’ve been last years winner as well, but for the second straight year leading a Phoenix Suns franchise to a #1 seed, as well as having the most wins in franchise history in a single season, Williams beats out Jason Kidd and Ime Udoka.
Most Disappointing Team
- Lakers.. With aspirations of holding the Larry O’brien trophy this past offseason after landing Russell Wetsbrook, you could tell after the first 20 games this Lakers team was going to be a disaster. They have had more starting lineups than wins (39 to 31 at the time of this article) and they are all injury prone older players who don’t play defense. The only high of this season which is to be celebrated would be LeBron challenging for the league's scoring title, looking to become the oldest winner of the award.
Most Disappointing Player
- Westbrook.. A player that makes 44 million a year shouldn’t have the limitations that Russell Westbrook has. I also don’t want to hear that he can’t play with LeBron because he’s ball dominant, because that’s an excuse. Kyrie Irving and Dywane Wade were both ball dominant before LeBron got there and they learned how to feed off of one another to win a ring. There is no reason Westbrook should be bad from the free throw line, the 3, and inside the paint in which he makes his living. If Westbrook doesn’t pick up his play next year for a good playoff team, he will always be known as a guy who put up empty stats on non winning teams.
- Lakers.. With aspirations of holding the Larry O’brien trophy this past offseason after landing Russell Wetsbrook, you could tell after the first 20 games this Lakers team was going to be a disaster. They have had more starting lineups than wins (39 to 31 at the time of this article) and they are all injury prone older players who don’t play defense. The only high of this season which is to be celebrated would be LeBron challenging for the league's scoring title, looking to become the oldest winner of the award.
Most Disappointing Player
- Westbrook.. A player that makes 44 million a year shouldn’t have the limitations that Russell Westbrook has. I also don’t want to hear that he can’t play with LeBron because he’s ball dominant, because that’s an excuse. Kyrie Irving and Dywane Wade were both ball dominant before LeBron got there and they learned how to feed off of one another to win a ring. There is no reason Westbrook should be bad from the free throw line, the 3, and inside the paint in which he makes his living. If Westbrook doesn’t pick up his play next year for a good playoff team, he will always be known as a guy who put up empty stats on non winning teams.
Cowboys Moves, Mr. Unlimited and the New Commander in Chief
by: Cam Williams
Photo Cred: Getty Images
With NFL Free Agency looming and the draft over a month away, trade season is here in the NFL. The first domino to fall was the blockbuster trade that included Russell Wilson and a 4th round pick to the Broncos, for 2 first rounders, 2 seconds, a 5th rounder, Noah Fant, Drew Lock, and Shelby Harris.
As Russell Wilson’s 10 year run with the Seahawks came to an end, he proved why it is so valuable to have a no- trade clause for a big time player in the NFL. The Denver Broncos were the team that came to mind for Wilson, as he gave the okay to the Seahawks front office to get the deal done. Wilson joins a Broncos group with talent on both sides of the football. With Jerry Juedy, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick in the passing game; Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon in the running game, Wilson should have plenty of weapons to contend for a Lombardi trophy next year.
As for the Seahawks side of things, they enter the rebuilding phase releasing their all time leading tackler in Bobby Wagner. In my opinion John Schnieder fleeced the Broncos in this particular deal. To get 4 picks in the top 64, and 3 above average rotational players, Schnieder made the most of the deal in regards to meeting Russell Wilsons’ request.
As Russell Wilson’s 10 year run with the Seahawks came to an end, he proved why it is so valuable to have a no- trade clause for a big time player in the NFL. The Denver Broncos were the team that came to mind for Wilson, as he gave the okay to the Seahawks front office to get the deal done. Wilson joins a Broncos group with talent on both sides of the football. With Jerry Juedy, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick in the passing game; Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon in the running game, Wilson should have plenty of weapons to contend for a Lombardi trophy next year.
As for the Seahawks side of things, they enter the rebuilding phase releasing their all time leading tackler in Bobby Wagner. In my opinion John Schnieder fleeced the Broncos in this particular deal. To get 4 picks in the top 64, and 3 above average rotational players, Schnieder made the most of the deal in regards to meeting Russell Wilsons’ request.
Photo Cred: DMN
The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of decisions to make this upcoming offseason. They have a 20 million dollar receiver who doesn’t show up on the road. Another 20 million dollar defensive end who hasn’t had a double digit sack season since 2017. They have to make changes, and they can’t keep paying these high end players who aren’t performing at the capability that we are accustomed to. They started off by restructuring the contracts of Dak Prescott and Zack Martin, which helps, but doesn’t resolve all of the major problems in the building.
Did I forget to mention that they have a running back who is getting paid 90 million dollars to split reps with a guy on his rookie deal? Ezekiel Elliott has underperformed yet again for the 2nd consecutive year, barely getting over the 1,000 yard plateau. Tony Pollard is in a contract year, and will be looking to prove he deserves a big payday whether it is in Dallas or not.
As for the receiving corps, Cedee Lamb will be featured as the number 1 receiver next year. Presumably, with the release of Amari Cooper, they will likely retain Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson. It will definitely be a different look for these Cowboys on both sides of the ball next year, and depending on what happens in the next few months will decide the fate of the Dak and Zeke era.
Did I forget to mention that they have a running back who is getting paid 90 million dollars to split reps with a guy on his rookie deal? Ezekiel Elliott has underperformed yet again for the 2nd consecutive year, barely getting over the 1,000 yard plateau. Tony Pollard is in a contract year, and will be looking to prove he deserves a big payday whether it is in Dallas or not.
As for the receiving corps, Cedee Lamb will be featured as the number 1 receiver next year. Presumably, with the release of Amari Cooper, they will likely retain Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson. It will definitely be a different look for these Cowboys on both sides of the ball next year, and depending on what happens in the next few months will decide the fate of the Dak and Zeke era.
Photo Cred: Sports illustrated
Another semi- blockbuster trade that occurred was Carson Wentz being sent to the Commanders. Wentz rejoins the NFC East, but in a different uniform; things ended poorly with the Colts as they missed the playoffs on the final regular season game losing to the Jaguars.
GM of the Colts Chris Ballard said that they needed to have a bigger locker room voice, and leader to take them over the top. Leading Tackler Darius Leonard wasn’t pleased with the trade, showing his emotions on twitter. “About to be 5 years with the Colts and 5 different QB’s.” If the Colt’s don’t get this next one right, they might be on the cusp of a rebuild. In regards to the Commanders, they get a quarterback in Wentz who is proven unlike Taylor Heinicke. It will be a fresh start for Wentz, as he’s been on 3 teams in the last 3 years. He will be looking to lead a Commander's team who hasn’t been to the Super Bowl since 1991.
GM of the Colts Chris Ballard said that they needed to have a bigger locker room voice, and leader to take them over the top. Leading Tackler Darius Leonard wasn’t pleased with the trade, showing his emotions on twitter. “About to be 5 years with the Colts and 5 different QB’s.” If the Colt’s don’t get this next one right, they might be on the cusp of a rebuild. In regards to the Commanders, they get a quarterback in Wentz who is proven unlike Taylor Heinicke. It will be a fresh start for Wentz, as he’s been on 3 teams in the last 3 years. He will be looking to lead a Commander's team who hasn’t been to the Super Bowl since 1991.
"Moral Victory" for the Cowboys - Nik, Donovan and Mr. Wood discuss
The Cowboys started the season with a 31-29 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady engineered a last second drive to set up the game winning field goal for Tampa Bay. Nik, Donovan and Mr. Wood discuss who was to blame for the loss and how we feel about the remainder of the season. Click the link below to listen to our podcast.
NFL Teams that can go "First to Worst"
by: Nik Munoz
New Orleans Saints:
The NFC south is a very mid division when it comes to quality of teams not based in Tampa Bay. The Bucs are an easy favorite to win the division with their world class defense and star powered offense. With 7 players placed on the NFL top 100 players, half of them on the defensive side of the ball. However the true key piece to the division is the performance of Sam Darnold on the Carolina Panthers. With a young defense and young offense, the quarterback performance could very much be the only way the Panthers can fully (finally) surpass the Saints. With Brees gone, many defensive and offensive stars gone, and Jameis Winston as the projected starter, the Saints future is not looking like they can repeat as division champs. Also notice how I didn’t once mention the Falcons.
photo cred: USA Today
The NFC south is a very mid division when it comes to quality of teams not based in Tampa Bay. The Bucs are an easy favorite to win the division with their world class defense and star powered offense. With 7 players placed on the NFL top 100 players, half of them on the defensive side of the ball. However the true key piece to the division is the performance of Sam Darnold on the Carolina Panthers. With a young defense and young offense, the quarterback performance could very much be the only way the Panthers can fully (finally) surpass the Saints. With Brees gone, many defensive and offensive stars gone, and Jameis Winston as the projected starter, the Saints future is not looking like they can repeat as division champs. Also notice how I didn’t once mention the Falcons.
photo cred: USA Today
Pittsburgh Steelers:
Big Ben has struck midnight on his NFL career. And an ageing team on offense and defense. Believe it or not, the little brother of the division , the Cleveland Browns, are the favorites to win the AFC north. An absolute S tier offense and a defense that has added even more talent already on an loaded D. This actually might be the year the Brown’s aren’t gonna Brown. The Ravens off course are still a top team to win the superbowl with a master class defense and a high ruining offense. The Ravens will still give the steelers a tough time just like they have since Lamar Jackson joined the Baltimore flock. The Steelers will most likely lose the division to one of their northern rivals. And yes before you ask the Bengals will not compete due to the fact Joe Borrow will be dead by their bye week.
photo cred: NFL.com
Big Ben has struck midnight on his NFL career. And an ageing team on offense and defense. Believe it or not, the little brother of the division , the Cleveland Browns, are the favorites to win the AFC north. An absolute S tier offense and a defense that has added even more talent already on an loaded D. This actually might be the year the Brown’s aren’t gonna Brown. The Ravens off course are still a top team to win the superbowl with a master class defense and a high ruining offense. The Ravens will still give the steelers a tough time just like they have since Lamar Jackson joined the Baltimore flock. The Steelers will most likely lose the division to one of their northern rivals. And yes before you ask the Bengals will not compete due to the fact Joe Borrow will be dead by their bye week.
photo cred: NFL.com
Washington Football Team:
Last year saw by far the worst division in NFL history in the 2020 NFC East. However the Dallas Cowboys have massively improved in their defensive skills by drafting Linebacker Micah Parsons in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. Also a fully motivated defensie has been formed because of the Cowboys draft going completely to the defensive side of the ball and very unproductive players such as Leighton Vander Esch, Jaylen Smith, and Demarcus Lawrence have had their “replacements” drafted. Assumingly fueling the fire of the Cowboys D. The Giants have an absolutely loaded defense and many stars on offense led by Saquan Barkley. But if Daniel Jones can’t throw a football more than 10 feet accurately, the Giants can throw any chance of winning the division out the window. The Eagles will just be happy to make it to week 5 with at least half of their starters ready to play. Even with a fierce Chase Young led defense, and some notable names on offense, if they couldn’t win more than 7 games last year with the relatively same squad, Then at least one team from the NFC (L)east can take the crown for the one and done team in the NFL.
photo cred: PFF
Last year saw by far the worst division in NFL history in the 2020 NFC East. However the Dallas Cowboys have massively improved in their defensive skills by drafting Linebacker Micah Parsons in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. Also a fully motivated defensie has been formed because of the Cowboys draft going completely to the defensive side of the ball and very unproductive players such as Leighton Vander Esch, Jaylen Smith, and Demarcus Lawrence have had their “replacements” drafted. Assumingly fueling the fire of the Cowboys D. The Giants have an absolutely loaded defense and many stars on offense led by Saquan Barkley. But if Daniel Jones can’t throw a football more than 10 feet accurately, the Giants can throw any chance of winning the division out the window. The Eagles will just be happy to make it to week 5 with at least half of their starters ready to play. Even with a fierce Chase Young led defense, and some notable names on offense, if they couldn’t win more than 7 games last year with the relatively same squad, Then at least one team from the NFC (L)east can take the crown for the one and done team in the NFL.
photo cred: PFF
Favorites for NBA Finals and MVP
Deante and Elijah discuss their top 5 teams they believe could make the NBA Finals and who might win the NBA MVP. Click the button below to listen to the podcast.
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Deante's Top NBA MVP Candidates
1) Nikola Jokic 2) Joel Embiid 3) Steph Curry 4) Luka Doncic 5) Dame Lillard Top 5 Title Contenders 1) Philly 76ers 2) LA Lakers 3) Brooklyn Nets 4) LA Clippers 5) Utah Jazz |
Elijah's Top NBA MVP Candidates
1) Nikola Jokic 2) Joel Embiid 3) Luka Doncic 4) Giannis Antetokounmpo 5) Steph Curry Top 5 Title Contenders 1) Brooklyn Nets 2) LA Lakers 3) Phoenix Suns 4) Philly 76ers 5) Utah Jazz |
How Covid has changed the sports world
by: Jet Villaire
We can all admit that Covid -19 has affected every aspect of our lives. Even sports are not safe.
THE FANS/NO FANS
A beloved pastime of many Americans is going to a sporting event, whether that be baseball, football, basketball or hockey... they love going to 'em. And with the coronavirus it has affected people's ability to do so. With some NFL teams letting a limited attendance in the stands and other leagues banning fans all together. With a shocking no fan attendance for the Seahawks in the 2021 playoffs, you have to think their loss to the Rams wouldn’t have happened so decisively if the Seattle Seahawks even had a quarter of the famed 12th man.
THE FANS/NO FANS
A beloved pastime of many Americans is going to a sporting event, whether that be baseball, football, basketball or hockey... they love going to 'em. And with the coronavirus it has affected people's ability to do so. With some NFL teams letting a limited attendance in the stands and other leagues banning fans all together. With a shocking no fan attendance for the Seahawks in the 2021 playoffs, you have to think their loss to the Rams wouldn’t have happened so decisively if the Seattle Seahawks even had a quarter of the famed 12th man.
TESTING POSITIVE
From the whole Dallas Stars organization getting quarantined, to big name players such as Karl-Anthony Towns testing positive for Covid, I can make a pretty definite conclusion that Covid-19 has affected the day-to-day lives of many, if not all players. Another big point of how Covid has affected the dynamics of all sports is a local team the Dallas Mavericks having 5 of their top 8 scorers have to sit out due to Covid protocol. With the 4 games they have had to sit out being lost by the mavericks and hurting their playoff spot severely it is an understatement to say that Covid has rocked Dallas based teams.
From the whole Dallas Stars organization getting quarantined, to big name players such as Karl-Anthony Towns testing positive for Covid, I can make a pretty definite conclusion that Covid-19 has affected the day-to-day lives of many, if not all players. Another big point of how Covid has affected the dynamics of all sports is a local team the Dallas Mavericks having 5 of their top 8 scorers have to sit out due to Covid protocol. With the 4 games they have had to sit out being lost by the mavericks and hurting their playoff spot severely it is an understatement to say that Covid has rocked Dallas based teams.
THE FINANCIAL SIDE
We all know a ton of businesses have lost a lot of money due to Covid-19, but i think the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB have lost the most money from Covid-19. Not having fans in the stands not only affects team financials due to loss of ticket sales, but it also has a lot to do with concessions with franchises losing millions of dollars.
WHERE WILL WE END UP?
To be frank, I do not know. With the unpredictability of Covid we honestly can't tell you what will happen. But what we do know is we will have sports. It might just be shorthanded, on a different day, and without fans.
We all know a ton of businesses have lost a lot of money due to Covid-19, but i think the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB have lost the most money from Covid-19. Not having fans in the stands not only affects team financials due to loss of ticket sales, but it also has a lot to do with concessions with franchises losing millions of dollars.
WHERE WILL WE END UP?
To be frank, I do not know. With the unpredictability of Covid we honestly can't tell you what will happen. But what we do know is we will have sports. It might just be shorthanded, on a different day, and without fans.
Building the Cowboys
By: Jet Villaire
The Cowboys have not only built a Super Bowl contender in four years, but they have built one of the best offenses in the league. Let's see how they did that year-by-year.
2016
The Cowboys had one of the best drafts we have ever seen. In the 1st round they drafted Ezekiel Elliott who went on to win two rushing titles in three years. With their 2nd round pick they drafted Jaylon Smith, a top ten overall prospect, who suffered a severe injury during his final year at Notre Dame, causing him to slide in the draft. Surprisingly, their best pick in the draft a fourth round when they selected franchise quarterback Dak Prescott, who won Rookie of the Year.
2017
The cowboys had a worse, but not bad, draft then they did in 2016. They drafted Chidobe Awuzie and a lot of other contributors to the team. Cowboys legend Drew Pearson made a memorable speech during Chido's selection. After the Cowboys missed on 1st round pick Taco Charleton, they did pick up future starting secondary players Jourdan Lewis and Xavier Woods.
2016
The Cowboys had one of the best drafts we have ever seen. In the 1st round they drafted Ezekiel Elliott who went on to win two rushing titles in three years. With their 2nd round pick they drafted Jaylon Smith, a top ten overall prospect, who suffered a severe injury during his final year at Notre Dame, causing him to slide in the draft. Surprisingly, their best pick in the draft a fourth round when they selected franchise quarterback Dak Prescott, who won Rookie of the Year.
2017
The cowboys had a worse, but not bad, draft then they did in 2016. They drafted Chidobe Awuzie and a lot of other contributors to the team. Cowboys legend Drew Pearson made a memorable speech during Chido's selection. After the Cowboys missed on 1st round pick Taco Charleton, they did pick up future starting secondary players Jourdan Lewis and Xavier Woods.
2018
2018 was the complete opposite of 2017. The cowboys drafted Pro Bowl linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, wide receiver Michael Gallup, offensive lineman Conor Williams and plenty of other contributors. The most notable addition for the Dallas
Cowboys in 2018 was the addition of pro bowl receiver Amari Cooper, trading their 2019 first round pick to get him.
2018 was the complete opposite of 2017. The cowboys drafted Pro Bowl linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, wide receiver Michael Gallup, offensive lineman Conor Williams and plenty of other contributors. The most notable addition for the Dallas
Cowboys in 2018 was the addition of pro bowl receiver Amari Cooper, trading their 2019 first round pick to get him.
2019
2019 was another off year for the Dallas Cowboys offseason. The most notable pick up was Tony Pollard.
2020
2020 might've been the most productive year for the Dallas Cowboys I’ve ever seen. Drafting star receiver Ceedee Lamb with their first round pick and a stud corner Trevon Diggs in the second round. Free agency was no different, adding defensive lineman Dontari Poe and Everson Griffin, and safety Ha-Ha Clinton Dix. Most importantly, what everybody has been waiting for: the firing of Jason Garrett and signing a winning coach in Mike McCarthy.
2019 was another off year for the Dallas Cowboys offseason. The most notable pick up was Tony Pollard.
2020
2020 might've been the most productive year for the Dallas Cowboys I’ve ever seen. Drafting star receiver Ceedee Lamb with their first round pick and a stud corner Trevon Diggs in the second round. Free agency was no different, adding defensive lineman Dontari Poe and Everson Griffin, and safety Ha-Ha Clinton Dix. Most importantly, what everybody has been waiting for: the firing of Jason Garrett and signing a winning coach in Mike McCarthy.
Top 10 lists
Our sports broadcasting students list their top 10 in specific areas of sports. Do you agree with their lists? Let them know on twitter.
TOP 5 DYNASTIES OF ALL TIME - Justin Hardin - @jsweezyofficial
1) UCONN Women’s basketball team 2000-14
-In 15 seasons they won 8 championships and had 4 undefeated seasons, including a 90% win streak from November 16, 2008 - December 30, 2010
2)Pittsburgh Steelers 1972-84
-They won 4 super bowls in 6 years and are still the only NFL team to ever do that
3)Oakland Athletics 1971-75
-They won the AL division 5 consecutive seasons and won the World Series 3 consecutive seasons with Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson
4)Oklahoma Sooners Football 1953-57
-The Soonners had 47 straight wins from 53-57, in that streak they had 27 shutouts, including back to back championships and a record of 60-3-1 in a 6 year span.
5)North Carolina women’s soccer 1979-2012
-They won 22 national championships, including 15 consecutive ACC tournament championships and 9 consecutive NCAA tournament championships. ( Win rate of 90%, winning 704 games and losing or ending in a tie in 78 games.)
1) UCONN Women’s basketball team 2000-14
-In 15 seasons they won 8 championships and had 4 undefeated seasons, including a 90% win streak from November 16, 2008 - December 30, 2010
2)Pittsburgh Steelers 1972-84
-They won 4 super bowls in 6 years and are still the only NFL team to ever do that
3)Oakland Athletics 1971-75
-They won the AL division 5 consecutive seasons and won the World Series 3 consecutive seasons with Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson
4)Oklahoma Sooners Football 1953-57
-The Soonners had 47 straight wins from 53-57, in that streak they had 27 shutouts, including back to back championships and a record of 60-3-1 in a 6 year span.
5)North Carolina women’s soccer 1979-2012
-They won 22 national championships, including 15 consecutive ACC tournament championships and 9 consecutive NCAA tournament championships. ( Win rate of 90%, winning 704 games and losing or ending in a tie in 78 games.)
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Best college/Pro football stadiums - Justin Hardin - @jsweezyofficial
10) Albertsons stadium - Boise State Broncos Football 9) Husky stadium - Washington University Football 8) Ford Field - Detroit Lions Football 7) LA Memorial Coliseum - USC Football 6) Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta Falcons Football 5) Heinz Field - Pittsburgh Steelers football 4) Lincoln Financial Field - Philadelphia Eagles football 3) U.S. Bank Stadium - Minnesota Vikings Football 2) At&t Stadium - Dallas Cowboys Football 1) Mercedes Benz- Superdome - New Orleans Saints Football |
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Ten best college football programs
by: Isaiah Kasambu 10. Auburn Tigers 9. Oregon Ducks 8. Georgia Bulldogs 7. Baylor Bears 6. Florida Gators 5. Oklahoma Sooners 4. Ohio State Buckeyes 3. LSU Tigers 2. Clemson Tigers 1. Alabama Crimson Tide |
Top 10 Quarterbacks in football
by: Isaiah Kasambu 10. Carson Wentz 9. Matt Ryan 8. Kirk Cousins 7. Dak Prescott 6. Lamar Jackson 5. Aaron Rogers 4. Tom Brady 3. Brees 2. Wilson 1. Mahomes |
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Best running back in the NFL today
by: @jetv_radio 1. Ezekiel Elliott. 2. Dalvin cook 3. Saquon Barkley. 4. Christian McCaffery 5. Derrick Henry. 6. Alvin Kamara 7. Todd Gurley 8. Le’veon Bell 9. Melvin Gordon 10. Austin Ekeler |
Best NBA shooting guards of all time
by: Jet Villaire 1. Michael Jordan 2. Kobe Bryant 3. Dwayne Wade 4. Ray Allen 5. Allen iverson 6. Clyde Drexler 7. Reggie Miller 8. Vince carter 9. Tracy Mcgrady 10. James harden |
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Five Reasons College Baseball is Awesome
By: Chandler Mumme
With the start of the season for most teams around the country happening this weekend and my annual 100 day countdown to the season finally nearing its long awaited end, I began to think of a few of the countless number of reasons why I love college baseball and why I think people should start to take interest.
Omaha: Known as the promised land of college baseball. A trip to Omaha, Nebraska is the collective goal for every single team in America. Unlike other sports where the location of their championship game rotated of changes from year to year, the College World Series has taken place in Omaha since 1950. Like how Christans aspire for heaven, college baseball players aspire to make it to Omaha.
Traditions: College baseball is full of traditions and each and every school has their own. From the Ole Miss beer slide to Vanderbilt’s in between innings skits in the outfield, college baseball is full of traditions and gimmicks you don’t see in other sports.
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Uniforms: Roughly 300 schools play D-1 baseball and with that comes a multitude of different uniforms combinations. You have the more traditional schools like the Texas script, LSU golds, Ole Miss powder blues and many others. Along with the new designs you get from the likes of Oregon and Vanderbilt, the uniforms of college baseball are a beautiful, unique and a huge part of the sport. Postseason: The postseason format in college baseball is the best there is in my opinion. There are more games, more unpredictability and possess a better atmosphere than both the CFP and March Madness. Just last year, Michigan, one of the four last teams to make the tournament, made an improbable championship run defeating Pac-12 powerhouses Oregon State and UCLA before winning their first four games in Omaha. In the past 15 years smaller schools like Fresno State and Coastal Carolina have won national titles showing that the parody in college baseball is unmatched.
The Players: Big leaguers have a lot of slack in their game. Sometimes they turn it on but to quote LeBron, they spend a lot of time in “chill mode.” Which makes sense. It’s an extremely long 162 game marathon. The body gets worn down and it’s more of a grind mentally. Not so in the college game. The Hard 90 is a way of life. Dogpiles. Sprint to your position. College kids play with a passion and energy that is pure and authentic compared to most professionals.
The Players: Big leaguers have a lot of slack in their game. Sometimes they turn it on but to quote LeBron, they spend a lot of time in “chill mode.” Which makes sense. It’s an extremely long 162 game marathon. The body gets worn down and it’s more of a grind mentally. Not so in the college game. The Hard 90 is a way of life. Dogpiles. Sprint to your position. College kids play with a passion and energy that is pure and authentic compared to most professionals.
Mavericks Free Agent Targets
by: Chancellor Nealey
The Dallas Mavericks have been an up and down franchise for a long time. Downs like losing to the Heat in 2012 and being just one spot away from getting Michael Jordan in 1984. They’ve had up’s like winning the 2010 NBA Finals and most recently trading for Luka Doncic in the 2018 draft. Although they’ve been a little bit on the down side the last 3 years due to not making the playoffs since the 2015-16 season. Now maybe the time to return the Mavericks back to a winning franchise. They’ve acquired Luka Doncic who is the front runner for Rookie of The Year and has had a rookie year that resembles to players like Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and many more greats. We’ve also traded for Kristaps Porzingis who had a great first 3 years averaging 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks his third year and was also an All-Star but missed his fourth year do to an ACL injury. He’s already stated that he will take the Mavericks qualifying offer and not explore the Free Agent market. Now that I’m done explaining what the Mavericks already have I’ll explain what the Mavericks should do to create a playoff contending team in the 2019-2020 season.
Let's start with the 2019 draft, I am a big fan of this draft as I believe it isn’t the most talented class but has the potential to be one of the deepest. The draft lottery has never been to kind to us as we’ve never moved up before in history. They had the same odds of landing of a top 4 pick alongside the Pelicans and the Grizzlies who… got the top 2 picks; pretty unlucky if you ask me since we landed 10th. But we still have the 37th pick which isn’t the best but could still get us a good second round prospect at Shooting Guard or Small Forward to fill the empty void at the positions due to the trades of Wesley Matthews and Harrison Barnes, and since Luka will probably take over the Point Guard spot. Reading many Mock Drafts and exploring highlights I’ve stumbled upon SF/SG Louis King out of Oregon University. I truly believe the Mavericks should circle his name as their first option. King is a 6’9 Guard who can catch and shoot from 3, create his own shot on a drive, athletic, rebound, and has a smooth mid-range jumper. Louis King is predicted to go 38 to the Bulls which is one pick behind ours. But there is still a good chance he may go ahead of us. Louis King is truly a sleeper pick who could actually collect a starting spot on the Mavericks. Since it is the draft and nothing is promised they should always have a backup plan. If they aren’t able to draft King prospects such as Dylan Windler, KZ Okpala, Kyle Guy, Isaiah Roby, and Luka Samanic in that order would be a tremendous backup plan for the draft. Hopefully they’ll be able to draft an impact player such as Jalen Brunson like they did last year.
Moving on to free agency they do have some expiring contracts. Such as Maxi Kleber, Justin Jackson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Kristaps Porzingis (will accept qualifying offer), J.J. Barea, Devin Harris, Trey Burke, and then Dwight Powell who has a player option. Out of all of these Mavericks players; they should sign Kleber, Finney-Smith, Justin Jackson try to bring back Powell, Barea for experience and obviously Porzingis. I could go to depth about why but, Powell is a must sign other than Porzingis his rebounding, scoring, and shooting has came along why from when Powell was first drafted. Moving on from expiring contracts there are big Free Agents on the Market; here are my top 15.
1. Kevin Durant SF/PF
2. Kawhi Leonard SF
3. Kyrie Irving PG
4. Klay Thompson SG
5. Kemba Walker PG
6. Jimmy Butler SG/SF
7. Tobias Harris PF/SF
8. Khris Middleton SF/SG
9. D’Angelo Russell PG
10. Kristaps Porzingis C/PF
11. Nikola Vucevic C/PF
12. DeMarcus Cousins PF/C
13. Malcolm Brogdon PG/SG
14. Al Horford C
15. Julius Randle PF
Let's start with the 2019 draft, I am a big fan of this draft as I believe it isn’t the most talented class but has the potential to be one of the deepest. The draft lottery has never been to kind to us as we’ve never moved up before in history. They had the same odds of landing of a top 4 pick alongside the Pelicans and the Grizzlies who… got the top 2 picks; pretty unlucky if you ask me since we landed 10th. But we still have the 37th pick which isn’t the best but could still get us a good second round prospect at Shooting Guard or Small Forward to fill the empty void at the positions due to the trades of Wesley Matthews and Harrison Barnes, and since Luka will probably take over the Point Guard spot. Reading many Mock Drafts and exploring highlights I’ve stumbled upon SF/SG Louis King out of Oregon University. I truly believe the Mavericks should circle his name as their first option. King is a 6’9 Guard who can catch and shoot from 3, create his own shot on a drive, athletic, rebound, and has a smooth mid-range jumper. Louis King is predicted to go 38 to the Bulls which is one pick behind ours. But there is still a good chance he may go ahead of us. Louis King is truly a sleeper pick who could actually collect a starting spot on the Mavericks. Since it is the draft and nothing is promised they should always have a backup plan. If they aren’t able to draft King prospects such as Dylan Windler, KZ Okpala, Kyle Guy, Isaiah Roby, and Luka Samanic in that order would be a tremendous backup plan for the draft. Hopefully they’ll be able to draft an impact player such as Jalen Brunson like they did last year.
Moving on to free agency they do have some expiring contracts. Such as Maxi Kleber, Justin Jackson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Kristaps Porzingis (will accept qualifying offer), J.J. Barea, Devin Harris, Trey Burke, and then Dwight Powell who has a player option. Out of all of these Mavericks players; they should sign Kleber, Finney-Smith, Justin Jackson try to bring back Powell, Barea for experience and obviously Porzingis. I could go to depth about why but, Powell is a must sign other than Porzingis his rebounding, scoring, and shooting has came along why from when Powell was first drafted. Moving on from expiring contracts there are big Free Agents on the Market; here are my top 15.
1. Kevin Durant SF/PF
2. Kawhi Leonard SF
3. Kyrie Irving PG
4. Klay Thompson SG
5. Kemba Walker PG
6. Jimmy Butler SG/SF
7. Tobias Harris PF/SF
8. Khris Middleton SF/SG
9. D’Angelo Russell PG
10. Kristaps Porzingis C/PF
11. Nikola Vucevic C/PF
12. DeMarcus Cousins PF/C
13. Malcolm Brogdon PG/SG
14. Al Horford C
15. Julius Randle PF
All 15 of these guys will probably be seeing a healthy paycheck, but the real question is which one should be receiving one from the Dallas Mavericks. Here on this list there are long shots and Free Agents that are within a good reach; we’ll start with the long shots. Long shot number 1, Kevin Durant, Durant is clearly the best player in the Free Agent pool and arguably the best player in the world to some people. The addition of a “score from anywhere threat” with underrated defensive talents and veteran/ championship presence will complete the young duo of Luka and Porzingis. Dallas needs to throw the whole bag at KD, even if it means ignoring expiring contracts and other Free Agents. Next is Kawhi Leonard, who I feel is a bigger long shot than KD, due to the fact that he may stay in Toronto due to their Conference Finals in his first year. Kawhi Leonard is the third coming of Michael Jordan (behind Kobe) in my opinion in terms of his game personality. His defense is still top tier even though it has shied of a little bit. During the playoffs he has shown that he is still a man amongst boys and that he can get an important bucket and go shut down the best player on the other end, he’s also shown that his game is aging like fine wine as his scoring averages continue to increase. Kawhi is worthy of a max obviously but it would be a nice fit for him to come back to Texas and team up with Luka and Porzingis. The third free agent is not necessarily a long shot but depending on how the playoffs end and who offers him a max, but it could be. Klay Thompson, a match made in heaven for the Dallas Mavericks, pick and pop duo with Luka and Kristaps with Klay Thompson on the wing would be absolutely astonishing. Klay is the best fit out of anyone in the Free Agent pool, Thompson is one of the best shooters of All-Time and has shown he is deserving of a Max contract. He doesn’t always wear his emotions on his sleeves so he hasn’t really shown interest on where he wants to go, but if he goes to the Mavericks they will surely be a playoff contender and possibly a championship contender if other teams in the West don’t have a Super team build up again.
Now that we’re done with the long shots let’s look at the players in arms reach. Number 1, Kemba Walker, I wasn’t too fond of this idea considering that Luka should be the PG for the rest of his Mavericks career. But Walker is a great off ball player who can create his own shot and catch and shoot as well. A lot of people pray to never have a ”Dennis Smith Jr. relapse” again with another ball dominate PG, but with Kemba Walker that would most likely not happen; he’d still be a leading scorer of our team but it won’t hurt Luka and Porzingis’s workload. Next is All-Star, Khris Middleton, a Small Forward out of Milwaukee. Middleton is one of the best three point shooters in the entire league shoot at a 3-point percentage of 47%! Middleton isn’t a max type player but Dallas isn’t too shy with their contracts and who they give them too. Middleton and Walker are targets for the Mavericks reported by Stein. Middleton is a better fit for the Mavericks more than Walker because of his amazing catch and shoot ability. We can’t have both so it’d be interesting to see whether the Mavericks take the better “system player” or just the better player in general. Last we have All-Star center out of the Orlando Magic, Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic is having a career high in points (20.8) and rebounds (12.0) so it’s fair to say he’s finally reached his prime at the age of 28. He’s a 7 footer who has a good mid-range jumper and can shoot from 3. The pairing of Kristaps and Vucevic would be one of the league's best big man duos. The Dallas Mavericks should definitely consider bringing him in.
Now that we’re done with the long shots let’s look at the players in arms reach. Number 1, Kemba Walker, I wasn’t too fond of this idea considering that Luka should be the PG for the rest of his Mavericks career. But Walker is a great off ball player who can create his own shot and catch and shoot as well. A lot of people pray to never have a ”Dennis Smith Jr. relapse” again with another ball dominate PG, but with Kemba Walker that would most likely not happen; he’d still be a leading scorer of our team but it won’t hurt Luka and Porzingis’s workload. Next is All-Star, Khris Middleton, a Small Forward out of Milwaukee. Middleton is one of the best three point shooters in the entire league shoot at a 3-point percentage of 47%! Middleton isn’t a max type player but Dallas isn’t too shy with their contracts and who they give them too. Middleton and Walker are targets for the Mavericks reported by Stein. Middleton is a better fit for the Mavericks more than Walker because of his amazing catch and shoot ability. We can’t have both so it’d be interesting to see whether the Mavericks take the better “system player” or just the better player in general. Last we have All-Star center out of the Orlando Magic, Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic is having a career high in points (20.8) and rebounds (12.0) so it’s fair to say he’s finally reached his prime at the age of 28. He’s a 7 footer who has a good mid-range jumper and can shoot from 3. The pairing of Kristaps and Vucevic would be one of the league's best big man duos. The Dallas Mavericks should definitely consider bringing him in.
Cameron and Ammar say goodbye to
The GOAT
Sports Broadcasting's first attempt at on camera "Stand Ups"
Our sports broadcasting class is learning a bit of the video side of the industry and they are getting their feet wet by practicing on camera "stand ups." Different students will be covering different stories and teams and each student has written and "memorized" their own stand up. Take a look at their first attempts.
Possible Mavericks Trades
by: Chancellor Nealey
photo cred: Mavs Money Ball
The Dallas Mavericks have reportedly fell into the possibility of trading Dennis Smith Jr. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that the Mavericks have been in “ongoing talks” about a trade including Dennis Smith Jr. The reason that Dallas wants to trade 2017 9th pick and All-Rookie Second team guard is because they are positive that 2018 3rd pick Luka Dončić should be their starting Point Guard and not Small Forward or any other position that dampers his potential. Based on analytics (+/-) Luka Dončić plays better when Dennis Smith Jr is off the court. It is clear that Dennis Smith Jr. should not come off the bench nor play Shooting Guard due to his inability to shoot the ball very well. So the best thing for him and the best thing for Dallas is to trade him to a team who is in need of a playmaking Point Guard such a s Smith Jr. Now saying that, it is most likely not going to be just Smith Jr. leaving, The only players you could say that are safe from being traded are Luka Dončić, DeAndre Jordan, and Dirk Nowitzki. Besides those three guys there really is no one who is stuck to this organization. If the Dallas Mavericks do follow through with a trade it is possible they will aim at the Power Forward position currently occupied by starter Maxi Kleber. Personally I do not believe the team lacks at any position they’re obviously strong at the point guard position, Wesley Matthews and Devin Harris fill up the Shooting Guard position very well. Harrison Barnes and Dorian Finney-Smith, Power Forward is stacked with Kleber and Powell, and DeAndre Jordan along with Salah Mejri fill up the Center position pretty well. But it is obvious something needs to be done because they are currently 13th in the Western Conference. Now speaking on that situation here are some possible trades that the Mavericks could make with other teams in the NBA trade pot.
● Mavericks get Bradley Beal and Ian Mahinmi
● Magic gets Dennis Smith Jr., Dwight Howard, and Salah Mejri
● Wizards get Nikola Vucevic, Wes Matthews, Dwight Powell, Future Draft Pick.
Personally I feel like this trade is the most layered. Mavericks pursuing Bradley Beal could fill the holes in their shooting gap as they rank 19th among 3 point shooting at 34.8% and bringing in Ian Mahinmi would help replace Dwight Powell. The Magic getting Dennis Smith Jr. would finally help settle their need for a put Point Guard and could definitely help push their quite Eastern Conference playoff run as they are in the 10th spot and are 1 win behind the 8th spot. Dwight Howard coming back to the Magic would definitely be a big lift for them as they struggle at that position. Due to Bamba, Birch, Isaac aren’t carried their weight as they all average below double digits points and aren’t close to averaging double digit rebounds. It is possible the Howard could come off the bench once he gets back from injury but he is still a good player who can rebound and get second chance points. And as for Salah Mejri… he’ll probably get waived. I do feel like this trade is a little bit of a reach because Nikola Vucevic is a very well rounded center and should not be trade by a team who wants to make the playoffs and doesn’t want to rebuild. Wizards would obviously get the longer stick in this trade. Vucevic is emerging to be a top 5 center this season and are getting a good Shooting Guard in Wesley Matthews, Dwight Powell and a future draft pick. If I’m the Wizards I’m pushing this trade as Bradley Beal is most likely going to leave when his contract is up.
● Mavericks get Kevin Knox and Enes Kanter
● Hornets get Dennis Smith Jr., Frank Ntilikina, Knicks 2019 first round pick, Future Mavs second round pick.
● Knicks get Kemba Walker, Wesley Matthews
I’m not a huge fan of receiving Kevin Knox because I don’t feel like he’d fit in our offensive scheme with Harrison Barnes. Knox is more of a shot creator and isn’t the best catch and shoot player as he his field goal percentage is fairly low. But as for Enes Kanter, I feel like he could be a great addition to our post up offense as Maxi doesn’t really specialize in that technique of play. Hornets getting Kemba Walker obviously would not fill the gap of Kemba Walker but it could be a key addition as they look to rebuild and go young. Frank Ntilikina has been sort of a bust for an 8th pick as he only averages 6 points on a 34.4% clip. The Knicks acquiring Ntilikina wouldn’t be the best uplift but he could possibly be a decent “come off the bench” player. While acquiring two point guard the Hornets would also have the second draft pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. But this is where it gets confusing you have already acquired two playmaking Point Guards; do you waive Ntilikina then try to start R.J. Barret, keep both players and take a shot at R.J. Barret even though you have Tony Parker on your roster, or say “hey we already have three Point Guards let’s get Cam Reddish or Nassir Little.” Well if I were the Hornets I’m getting Barret no matter who is on my roster this guy is the real deal. The only problem would be who’s taking a seat on the bench Barret, Smith Jr. or Lamb? well I can’t really answer that question myself as they are all good players at their position but someone’s gotta take a seat back. So if that trade does happen… well we’ll be noticing either some departures in free agency or drama in the locker room. Knicks getting Kemba Walker and Wesley Matthews and giving up a first round pick, Enes Kanter and Ntilikina who are both bench players would be amazing to their organization! Just imagine Kemba, Hardaway Jr., and Porzingis while Matthews comes off the bench. I truly believe that is a contending team in the East so if this trade starts floating in the air I believe the Knicks will grasp it without hesitation.
● Mavericks get Aaron Gordon and D.J. Augustin
● Magic gets Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, and Salah Mejri.
The Mavericks receiving Aaron Gordon would be a sneaky good addition to the team. Gordon is a player averaging 15 points and right below 8 rebounds a game. Although he is not a huge superstar he is a young player who has room for potential and has shown he knows how to score. If he were to step foot on the Mavericks franchise he would be a starting Power Forward while Maxi moves back to the bench giving exceptional bench play. While speaking about the Mavericks bench what if we added D.J. Augustin a 10 year veteran averaging above 11 points and a shy under 5 assists. Now these aren’t great numbers for a starter but these numbers coming off the bench would be great for the Mavericks due to the season ending Achilles injury on J.J. Barea but the only problem is… who is in the starting backcourt with Dončić well you have Devin Harris, Brunson, and Augustin and I wouldn’t want any of those guys to be the starting Shooting Guard for the Mavs and if this trade does go through it will be interesting to see who gets that starting job. The Magic receiving Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews and Salah Mejri would be a huge addition as they are quite contenders for the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Smith Jr. would fix their playmaking woes as they would rely on Augustin to do all the passing work and that really isn’t his strength. Acquiring Wesley Matthews would relieve some of their shooting struggles maybe transform their offensive scheme from just isoball and post up to a more balanced offense. And Salah Mejri will probably be waived or at the back of the bench. But I personally believe out all of the trades this is the most realistic.
● Mavericks get Bradley Beal and Ian Mahinmi
● Magic gets Dennis Smith Jr., Dwight Howard, and Salah Mejri
● Wizards get Nikola Vucevic, Wes Matthews, Dwight Powell, Future Draft Pick.
Personally I feel like this trade is the most layered. Mavericks pursuing Bradley Beal could fill the holes in their shooting gap as they rank 19th among 3 point shooting at 34.8% and bringing in Ian Mahinmi would help replace Dwight Powell. The Magic getting Dennis Smith Jr. would finally help settle their need for a put Point Guard and could definitely help push their quite Eastern Conference playoff run as they are in the 10th spot and are 1 win behind the 8th spot. Dwight Howard coming back to the Magic would definitely be a big lift for them as they struggle at that position. Due to Bamba, Birch, Isaac aren’t carried their weight as they all average below double digits points and aren’t close to averaging double digit rebounds. It is possible the Howard could come off the bench once he gets back from injury but he is still a good player who can rebound and get second chance points. And as for Salah Mejri… he’ll probably get waived. I do feel like this trade is a little bit of a reach because Nikola Vucevic is a very well rounded center and should not be trade by a team who wants to make the playoffs and doesn’t want to rebuild. Wizards would obviously get the longer stick in this trade. Vucevic is emerging to be a top 5 center this season and are getting a good Shooting Guard in Wesley Matthews, Dwight Powell and a future draft pick. If I’m the Wizards I’m pushing this trade as Bradley Beal is most likely going to leave when his contract is up.
● Mavericks get Kevin Knox and Enes Kanter
● Hornets get Dennis Smith Jr., Frank Ntilikina, Knicks 2019 first round pick, Future Mavs second round pick.
● Knicks get Kemba Walker, Wesley Matthews
I’m not a huge fan of receiving Kevin Knox because I don’t feel like he’d fit in our offensive scheme with Harrison Barnes. Knox is more of a shot creator and isn’t the best catch and shoot player as he his field goal percentage is fairly low. But as for Enes Kanter, I feel like he could be a great addition to our post up offense as Maxi doesn’t really specialize in that technique of play. Hornets getting Kemba Walker obviously would not fill the gap of Kemba Walker but it could be a key addition as they look to rebuild and go young. Frank Ntilikina has been sort of a bust for an 8th pick as he only averages 6 points on a 34.4% clip. The Knicks acquiring Ntilikina wouldn’t be the best uplift but he could possibly be a decent “come off the bench” player. While acquiring two point guard the Hornets would also have the second draft pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. But this is where it gets confusing you have already acquired two playmaking Point Guards; do you waive Ntilikina then try to start R.J. Barret, keep both players and take a shot at R.J. Barret even though you have Tony Parker on your roster, or say “hey we already have three Point Guards let’s get Cam Reddish or Nassir Little.” Well if I were the Hornets I’m getting Barret no matter who is on my roster this guy is the real deal. The only problem would be who’s taking a seat on the bench Barret, Smith Jr. or Lamb? well I can’t really answer that question myself as they are all good players at their position but someone’s gotta take a seat back. So if that trade does happen… well we’ll be noticing either some departures in free agency or drama in the locker room. Knicks getting Kemba Walker and Wesley Matthews and giving up a first round pick, Enes Kanter and Ntilikina who are both bench players would be amazing to their organization! Just imagine Kemba, Hardaway Jr., and Porzingis while Matthews comes off the bench. I truly believe that is a contending team in the East so if this trade starts floating in the air I believe the Knicks will grasp it without hesitation.
● Mavericks get Aaron Gordon and D.J. Augustin
● Magic gets Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, and Salah Mejri.
The Mavericks receiving Aaron Gordon would be a sneaky good addition to the team. Gordon is a player averaging 15 points and right below 8 rebounds a game. Although he is not a huge superstar he is a young player who has room for potential and has shown he knows how to score. If he were to step foot on the Mavericks franchise he would be a starting Power Forward while Maxi moves back to the bench giving exceptional bench play. While speaking about the Mavericks bench what if we added D.J. Augustin a 10 year veteran averaging above 11 points and a shy under 5 assists. Now these aren’t great numbers for a starter but these numbers coming off the bench would be great for the Mavericks due to the season ending Achilles injury on J.J. Barea but the only problem is… who is in the starting backcourt with Dončić well you have Devin Harris, Brunson, and Augustin and I wouldn’t want any of those guys to be the starting Shooting Guard for the Mavs and if this trade does go through it will be interesting to see who gets that starting job. The Magic receiving Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews and Salah Mejri would be a huge addition as they are quite contenders for the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Smith Jr. would fix their playmaking woes as they would rely on Augustin to do all the passing work and that really isn’t his strength. Acquiring Wesley Matthews would relieve some of their shooting struggles maybe transform their offensive scheme from just isoball and post up to a more balanced offense. And Salah Mejri will probably be waived or at the back of the bench. But I personally believe out all of the trades this is the most realistic.
Cowboys Season Ends
Where do they go from here?
by: Alec Medford
photo credit: Getty Images
This past Saturday, the Dallas Cowboys fell to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, ending their season. Though a disappointing ending, there were many lessons learned from this season. Here is how the Cowboys can make themselves instant contenders in one offseason.
The first act of business is to re-sign Demarcus Lawrence and Cole Beasley. Let’s start with Lawrence. Tank is a pivotal part of this young and talented defense, finishing the season with 64 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and an interception. The stats speak for themselves, but what they don’t explain is his leadership. Tank is not afraid to speak his mind and always gets the sidelines pumped. Beasley is a centerpiece of the Cowboys iffy offense. The stats weren’t impressive compared to 2017, but he comes in clutch on 3rd down and in the red zone. He is expected to get paid top slot receiver money, and the Cowboys have the cap to do just that.
Step two is to fire Scott Linehan and Kellen Moore. Ah, the elephant in the room is finally addressed. The silver lining of the Cowboys season is that this offense has the talent on the field, not on the sideline. Dak Prescott’s success has been visibly lowe with Kellen Moore, his former backup, coaching him. Yes, his backup is now his coach. I don’t know who thought that was a good idea, but hey, it won’t last much longer than this. Scott Linehan, on the other hand, is not helping this team in the slightest. Third down conversions and the red zone offense have been horrendous. Not to mention, running the ball up the middle on every first down is a great idea to him. Offensive coaching changes will help propel this team to where they want to be.
Step three, sign safety Earl Thomas. Thomas followed coach Jason Garrett down the tunnel after defeating the Cowboys last Christmas Eve and told him “come get me”. This was the story of last offseason and early this season: will Seattle trade Earl Thomas to Dallas? The answer was eventually no, but the story does not end quite yet. Weeks later, Thomas would suffer a broken leg against the Cardinals in their week 4 matchup, and was caught giving the Seattle sideline the “bird”. Yikes. That being said, Seattle has no plans to bring back the 30 year old veteran. Though aging, Thomas shows no signs of stopping, racking up 22 tackles and 3 interceptions in his 4-week-long season. The secondary is this young Dallas defense’s only weakness. The veteran leadership and skill of Thomas would be vital, and Dallas can likely pick him up for a little cheaper than expected thanks to the leg injury.
The final step, step four, is to sign Jared Cook. Yes, I know Blake “Jaws” Jarwin impressed late this season after Geoff Swaim went down with a wrist injury, but Jared Cook is the play-making tight end that the Cowboys need after losing Jason Witten to retirement last season. Jared Cook hauled in 68 catches for 896 yards and 6 touchdowns. Are you kidding me? That’s some teams’ wide receiver one production levels. This guy is insane at getting the ball downfield not just by catching, but can also block. He is a complete, veteran tight end that the Cowboys desperately need. Bringing in Cook can bring back the old Y-Option and bootleg plays that were so successful with Witten and Romo back in the day. The Dak to Cook connection would be crucial to ball movement and would force defenses to respect the tight end, opening up Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and the run game with Ezekiel Elliott.
This team should not hang their heads after the season ending loss to the Rams. The Dallas Cowboys are not far off from being serious contenders, and these four steps could propel them to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1993. Cowboys fans, rejoice.
This team should not hang their heads after the season ending loss to the Rams. The Dallas Cowboys are not far off from being serious contenders, and these four steps could propel them to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1993. Cowboys fans, rejoice.
NFL Divisional Round Playoff Previews/Predictions
Ammar Bashir, Cameron Chlup, Chandler Mumme
Colts @ Chiefs
Cameron- The legacy of failure for the Chiefs and Andy Reid will continue, the Chiefs defense won’t hold up but Patrick Mahomes will shine, the Chiefs are a year away from fully reaching their potential, as they need more defensive pieces.
Colts 38-31
Ammar - I love Andrew Luck and in the last 10 weeks, the Colts have the #1 scoring defense in the NFL. The Chiefs all season were a powerhouse, but there’s no doubt who's playing better right now as the Colts come in 10-1 in there last 11. While Mahomes and the Chiefs struggled down the stretch against quality opponents. Andy Reid off a bye week has only lost once in his career, but while this may seem crazy, he’s the lesser of the 2 coaches right now in my opinion and has a worse roster because his D stinks.
Colts 34-31.
Chandler - Andrew Luck and the Colts are on fire, their 21-7 win over the Texans last week proved that the Colts are going to be around for awhile. Pat Mahomes looks to add to his MVP caliber season with a strong playoff performance. The Chiefs struggled in big game during the reg. season (@NE, @ LAR, & LAR), but with a week off, I expect Andy Reid to have his squad ready to go Sat.
KC 34-27
Cowboys @ Rams
Cameron- No bias but the Cowboys defense has held up against rushing attacks before and they will do it again, it will be a defensive battle if the Cowboys can’t get their offense rolling, and if you force Jared Goff to win the game, Cowboys shouldn’t be too worried. Cowboys 20-17
Ammar - While the key in the Rams 3 losses have been teams being able to stop Gurely and the Cowboys having a stout run D, I sort of just have a gut feeling that in front of the home crowd LA will be able to pull out a close one. McVay and Goff disappointed in January last year against an average Falcons defense, and I think they’re going to come out ready for this January. The Cowboys do have juice and have a few things going for them, but the talented 13-3 Rams will do just enough to make me cry all night.
Rams 24-20
Chandler - Dallas has been a different team since the acquisition of Amari Cooper. Since the trade the Cowboys are 8-2, but the strength of this team is the defense. With a elite front 7 good enough to slow down Todd Gurley will force Jared Goff to throw the ball downfield. What worries me about Dallas is they give up big plays and they don’t have the offense to win a shootout.
Rams 30-21
Chargers @ Patriots
Cameron -There is something special about this year for the Chargers, Melvin Gordon and Phillip Rivers have led the offense to great things as they will finally get over the hump over the evil empire. The Patriots are struggling with having to rely on Tom Brady as this is probably going to be the last year of 'Prime Brady' we will see. Philip Rivers will deliver.
Chargers 28-24
Ammar - Basically for the reason that I’ve said all year, i don't know if I can trust the Chargers to go to New England and win in January. While they have been disappointing and actually have a worse record this season than the Chargers, I still just trust Brady and Bill to pull it off. Melvin Gordon's injury might be a huge factor if he doesn't play and Phillip Rivers didn’t look too good in Baltimore. In the end, I think the Pats will play a good clean game and the Chargers will find a way to lose.
Patriots 27-24
Chandler - This year is the best chance for Rivers to make a super bowl run. With Melvin Gordon, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams, this offense can compete with anyone in the league. Defensively, the Chargers must get after Tom Brady, with time in the pocket Brady will pick any defense apart. If the Chargers can manage a fast start, don’t be surprised to see an upset in Foxboro.
Chargers 27 -24
Eagles @ Saints
Cameron - The Eagles are no question a different team with Nick Foles under center, and this will be a closer game, but Drew Brees in the Superdome is a different animal, as the crowd will go nuts and the saints offense will turn up in a tightly contested game unlike when these two met earlier in the season. Nick Foles will keep it close, but the saints are too much.
Saints 35-31
Ammar - In a week of difficult games to pick, this is definitely the easiest. While Nick Foles is weirdly winning games in crunch time as a backup again and just seems to have some magic, I think this is the best team the Eagles have played with him under center. While the entire team especially the defense is playing a lot better, the Saints have been the best team all year and Drew Brees has never lost a home playoff game. I will say Philly looked pretty even with a 12-4 Chicago team last week, so it wouldn’t be a total shock if they pulled off another upset, but I think the Saints should control this game. Not as much as they did a few weeks ago against Philly when they beat them 48-7, but they should be in the driver's seat most of the way.
Saints 31-23
Chandler - The battle of Westlake High School quarterbacks, both Brees and Foles are former Super MVPs and looking to make another run. The Saints dismantled the Eagles the first time around in week 11 but this is totally different Eagles team with Nick Foles at the helm. Where the Saints have a big advantage is attacking the Philly secondary, all pro receiver Michael Thomas is set up for a huge game.
Saints 35-20
Carson: KC-45 IND-31 Alec: IND-35 KC-34
Carson: LAR-31 DAL-21 Alec: DAL- 27 LAR-24
Carson: LAC-17 NE-14 Alec: NE-24 LAC-17
Carson: NO-42 PHI-38 . Alec: NO-28 PHI-21
Cameron- The legacy of failure for the Chiefs and Andy Reid will continue, the Chiefs defense won’t hold up but Patrick Mahomes will shine, the Chiefs are a year away from fully reaching their potential, as they need more defensive pieces.
Colts 38-31
Ammar - I love Andrew Luck and in the last 10 weeks, the Colts have the #1 scoring defense in the NFL. The Chiefs all season were a powerhouse, but there’s no doubt who's playing better right now as the Colts come in 10-1 in there last 11. While Mahomes and the Chiefs struggled down the stretch against quality opponents. Andy Reid off a bye week has only lost once in his career, but while this may seem crazy, he’s the lesser of the 2 coaches right now in my opinion and has a worse roster because his D stinks.
Colts 34-31.
Chandler - Andrew Luck and the Colts are on fire, their 21-7 win over the Texans last week proved that the Colts are going to be around for awhile. Pat Mahomes looks to add to his MVP caliber season with a strong playoff performance. The Chiefs struggled in big game during the reg. season (@NE, @ LAR, & LAR), but with a week off, I expect Andy Reid to have his squad ready to go Sat.
KC 34-27
Cowboys @ Rams
Cameron- No bias but the Cowboys defense has held up against rushing attacks before and they will do it again, it will be a defensive battle if the Cowboys can’t get their offense rolling, and if you force Jared Goff to win the game, Cowboys shouldn’t be too worried. Cowboys 20-17
Ammar - While the key in the Rams 3 losses have been teams being able to stop Gurely and the Cowboys having a stout run D, I sort of just have a gut feeling that in front of the home crowd LA will be able to pull out a close one. McVay and Goff disappointed in January last year against an average Falcons defense, and I think they’re going to come out ready for this January. The Cowboys do have juice and have a few things going for them, but the talented 13-3 Rams will do just enough to make me cry all night.
Rams 24-20
Chandler - Dallas has been a different team since the acquisition of Amari Cooper. Since the trade the Cowboys are 8-2, but the strength of this team is the defense. With a elite front 7 good enough to slow down Todd Gurley will force Jared Goff to throw the ball downfield. What worries me about Dallas is they give up big plays and they don’t have the offense to win a shootout.
Rams 30-21
Chargers @ Patriots
Cameron -There is something special about this year for the Chargers, Melvin Gordon and Phillip Rivers have led the offense to great things as they will finally get over the hump over the evil empire. The Patriots are struggling with having to rely on Tom Brady as this is probably going to be the last year of 'Prime Brady' we will see. Philip Rivers will deliver.
Chargers 28-24
Ammar - Basically for the reason that I’ve said all year, i don't know if I can trust the Chargers to go to New England and win in January. While they have been disappointing and actually have a worse record this season than the Chargers, I still just trust Brady and Bill to pull it off. Melvin Gordon's injury might be a huge factor if he doesn't play and Phillip Rivers didn’t look too good in Baltimore. In the end, I think the Pats will play a good clean game and the Chargers will find a way to lose.
Patriots 27-24
Chandler - This year is the best chance for Rivers to make a super bowl run. With Melvin Gordon, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams, this offense can compete with anyone in the league. Defensively, the Chargers must get after Tom Brady, with time in the pocket Brady will pick any defense apart. If the Chargers can manage a fast start, don’t be surprised to see an upset in Foxboro.
Chargers 27 -24
Eagles @ Saints
Cameron - The Eagles are no question a different team with Nick Foles under center, and this will be a closer game, but Drew Brees in the Superdome is a different animal, as the crowd will go nuts and the saints offense will turn up in a tightly contested game unlike when these two met earlier in the season. Nick Foles will keep it close, but the saints are too much.
Saints 35-31
Ammar - In a week of difficult games to pick, this is definitely the easiest. While Nick Foles is weirdly winning games in crunch time as a backup again and just seems to have some magic, I think this is the best team the Eagles have played with him under center. While the entire team especially the defense is playing a lot better, the Saints have been the best team all year and Drew Brees has never lost a home playoff game. I will say Philly looked pretty even with a 12-4 Chicago team last week, so it wouldn’t be a total shock if they pulled off another upset, but I think the Saints should control this game. Not as much as they did a few weeks ago against Philly when they beat them 48-7, but they should be in the driver's seat most of the way.
Saints 31-23
Chandler - The battle of Westlake High School quarterbacks, both Brees and Foles are former Super MVPs and looking to make another run. The Saints dismantled the Eagles the first time around in week 11 but this is totally different Eagles team with Nick Foles at the helm. Where the Saints have a big advantage is attacking the Philly secondary, all pro receiver Michael Thomas is set up for a huge game.
Saints 35-20
Carson: KC-45 IND-31 Alec: IND-35 KC-34
Carson: LAR-31 DAL-21 Alec: DAL- 27 LAR-24
Carson: LAC-17 NE-14 Alec: NE-24 LAC-17
Carson: NO-42 PHI-38 . Alec: NO-28 PHI-21
December Sports Vlogs
Alycia and Mr. Wood list off the top yard games of all time
The Issues I Have With Kareem Hunt’s Interview & Why The NFL Is In The Wrong
by: Michael Bier
Photo Cred: Associated Press
Here’s the main issue I have with Hunt: The way he handled the situation was a cry for help. It wasn’t a desperate cry, but rather one that sends the message, “I just wanna play as soon as possible.”
Hunt recently requested an interview with ESPN to go over the recent discovery of assault that led to not only his suspension, but his release. The main problem I have with this interview is his lack of remorse. If you watch and listen it sounds as if he just wants to let the world to know “I’m not that type of person” and yet the way he answers the question in a rather indirect form would make one believe he simply just doesn’t care deep down inside.
Kareem Hunt: I’m asking for forgiveness and I definitely believe I deserve forgiveness. Everything is really happening fast right now and I just want everybody to forgive me and I know it’s going to be hard. I made a bad choice. I’m not going to let this bring me down.
Lisa Salters: Why do you think you deserve that?
Kareem Hunt: I think I deserve it because if you really know me and the people I’m close to, I’ve had really close women who are friends and I’m respectful of women and I made a bad decision at that time and I hope that people forgive me
Hunt treated this interview as a mandatory post game interview, and that’s where he messed up. I personally would be a little more lenient with him if he answered the questions more directly, but he’s far too young and inexperienced to understand how to properly treat the situation.
Kareem Hunt’s actions were evil and disgusting, and not only did he lie about the situation long before the truth came out, but he’s not receiving the backlash he truly deserves. I have a major issue with the NFL and how they’ve chosen to treat the situation. The fact that it was TMZ that broke the news says a lot about how the NFL cares to promote positivity not only on, but off the field as well.
Hitting a woman, regardless of the circumstances, is not ok at all whatsoever, and the National Football League needs to take more strides in order to speak volume to the seriousness of that. A six game suspension is simply not enough, and sooner than later Kareem Hunt will be back on the field, as he did not Ray Rice his career, thanks in some part to the NFL.
In conclusion, Kareem Hunt is not remorseful whatsoever, and while I’m a fan of him as an athlete, I am not a fan of him as a person. Kareem isn’t sorry for the actions he took on, he’s sorry and evidently frustrated he got caught.
Hunt recently requested an interview with ESPN to go over the recent discovery of assault that led to not only his suspension, but his release. The main problem I have with this interview is his lack of remorse. If you watch and listen it sounds as if he just wants to let the world to know “I’m not that type of person” and yet the way he answers the question in a rather indirect form would make one believe he simply just doesn’t care deep down inside.
Kareem Hunt: I’m asking for forgiveness and I definitely believe I deserve forgiveness. Everything is really happening fast right now and I just want everybody to forgive me and I know it’s going to be hard. I made a bad choice. I’m not going to let this bring me down.
Lisa Salters: Why do you think you deserve that?
Kareem Hunt: I think I deserve it because if you really know me and the people I’m close to, I’ve had really close women who are friends and I’m respectful of women and I made a bad decision at that time and I hope that people forgive me
Hunt treated this interview as a mandatory post game interview, and that’s where he messed up. I personally would be a little more lenient with him if he answered the questions more directly, but he’s far too young and inexperienced to understand how to properly treat the situation.
Kareem Hunt’s actions were evil and disgusting, and not only did he lie about the situation long before the truth came out, but he’s not receiving the backlash he truly deserves. I have a major issue with the NFL and how they’ve chosen to treat the situation. The fact that it was TMZ that broke the news says a lot about how the NFL cares to promote positivity not only on, but off the field as well.
Hitting a woman, regardless of the circumstances, is not ok at all whatsoever, and the National Football League needs to take more strides in order to speak volume to the seriousness of that. A six game suspension is simply not enough, and sooner than later Kareem Hunt will be back on the field, as he did not Ray Rice his career, thanks in some part to the NFL.
In conclusion, Kareem Hunt is not remorseful whatsoever, and while I’m a fan of him as an athlete, I am not a fan of him as a person. Kareem isn’t sorry for the actions he took on, he’s sorry and evidently frustrated he got caught.
September Video Blogs
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College Football Playoffs Predictions
by: Carson Wells
Since 2014 the NCAA has been playing in a playoff format that decides the national champion. The playoff format is semifinals and then the championship game. Alabama has won 2 of the last four championships and our heavy favorites to win another one this year with one of Nick Saban’s most impressive offensives he has ever had.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
They are the Favorites to win and like I said why wouldn’t they, they have the most accomplished coach in FBS History and he has one of the most dynamic and impressive offenses he has ever had and as always brings in a great defensive supporting cast. Alabama hasn’t named a starting quarterback yet, so that means they could start either Tua Tagovailoa or Jalen Hurts at Quarterback and plus they are 2 deep at the running back position with Damien Harris and Najee Harris. Alabama also has a decently easy schedule with only having 3 ranked opponents and their non conference teams are Louisville, Arkansas St., Louisiana Lafayette, and The Citadel. Alabama should win the SEC East as no one should be able to touch them and it should be a very tough SEC Championship, but they can probably win and solidify their season by going to the playoffs.
2. Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers have one of the most talented teams in the NCAA. Dabo Swinney has produced another championship team that could be better than the other one with their defense being really good and Kelly Bryant leading the offense. The Clemson Tigers also have a pretty easy conference with the ACC not having many good teams and Florida State losing their elite coach there are not going to be very hard for the Clemson Tigers. Clemson will come into the playoffs as the favorites to beat Alabama.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the youngest team that will be in the top 4 this year with sophomore Quarterback Jake Fromm and Sophomore running back D’Andre Swift plus their reviving core that will feature junior Mecole Hardman and senior Terry Godwin and the transfer Demetrius Robertson from Cal this offense is lethal from everywhere on the field. Their defense lost a lot of key starters this summer like Roquan Smith, Lorenzo Carter, Trent Thompson, John Atkins, Dominick Sanders, and Davin Bellamy, but their new guys are still good and returning starters like Jonathan Ledbetter, Natrez Patrick, D’Andre Walker, Julian Rochester, and Richard Lecounte. Georgia has a pretty easy schedule with not facing any ranked non conference opponents and their best non conference team is Georgia Tech. Georgia conference schedule is tough, but no teams that would give Georgia too big of a scare. Georgia’s toughest opponent will be in the SEC championship. Lastly Kirby Smart is one of the up incoming elite coaches in the NCAA.
4. Wisconsin Badgers
The 4th team that will make it is Wisconsin with their Paul Chryst bringing in a veteran team ready to compete after 3 sub par seasons. Alex Hornibrook is entering his 3rd year starting and Jonathan Taylor, plus their two starting wide receivers AJ Taylor and Kendrick Pryor. Their defense is even better with a stacked linebacker core and heir d line can be nasty if they are all healthy and their secondary is super young but is fast. The schedule is pretty easy and is strong enough to give them the edge over the outsiders of Washington and Oklahoma.
by: Carson Wells
Since 2014 the NCAA has been playing in a playoff format that decides the national champion. The playoff format is semifinals and then the championship game. Alabama has won 2 of the last four championships and our heavy favorites to win another one this year with one of Nick Saban’s most impressive offensives he has ever had.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
They are the Favorites to win and like I said why wouldn’t they, they have the most accomplished coach in FBS History and he has one of the most dynamic and impressive offenses he has ever had and as always brings in a great defensive supporting cast. Alabama hasn’t named a starting quarterback yet, so that means they could start either Tua Tagovailoa or Jalen Hurts at Quarterback and plus they are 2 deep at the running back position with Damien Harris and Najee Harris. Alabama also has a decently easy schedule with only having 3 ranked opponents and their non conference teams are Louisville, Arkansas St., Louisiana Lafayette, and The Citadel. Alabama should win the SEC East as no one should be able to touch them and it should be a very tough SEC Championship, but they can probably win and solidify their season by going to the playoffs.
2. Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers have one of the most talented teams in the NCAA. Dabo Swinney has produced another championship team that could be better than the other one with their defense being really good and Kelly Bryant leading the offense. The Clemson Tigers also have a pretty easy conference with the ACC not having many good teams and Florida State losing their elite coach there are not going to be very hard for the Clemson Tigers. Clemson will come into the playoffs as the favorites to beat Alabama.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the youngest team that will be in the top 4 this year with sophomore Quarterback Jake Fromm and Sophomore running back D’Andre Swift plus their reviving core that will feature junior Mecole Hardman and senior Terry Godwin and the transfer Demetrius Robertson from Cal this offense is lethal from everywhere on the field. Their defense lost a lot of key starters this summer like Roquan Smith, Lorenzo Carter, Trent Thompson, John Atkins, Dominick Sanders, and Davin Bellamy, but their new guys are still good and returning starters like Jonathan Ledbetter, Natrez Patrick, D’Andre Walker, Julian Rochester, and Richard Lecounte. Georgia has a pretty easy schedule with not facing any ranked non conference opponents and their best non conference team is Georgia Tech. Georgia conference schedule is tough, but no teams that would give Georgia too big of a scare. Georgia’s toughest opponent will be in the SEC championship. Lastly Kirby Smart is one of the up incoming elite coaches in the NCAA.
4. Wisconsin Badgers
The 4th team that will make it is Wisconsin with their Paul Chryst bringing in a veteran team ready to compete after 3 sub par seasons. Alex Hornibrook is entering his 3rd year starting and Jonathan Taylor, plus their two starting wide receivers AJ Taylor and Kendrick Pryor. Their defense is even better with a stacked linebacker core and heir d line can be nasty if they are all healthy and their secondary is super young but is fast. The schedule is pretty easy and is strong enough to give them the edge over the outsiders of Washington and Oklahoma.
2018 Practicum Radio - NFL Predictions
(photo credit) Sky Sports
The 2018 NFL Season is upon us and our 999theWild staff has made their predictions for several categories. Practicum Radio and Sports Broadcasting students looked into the future and made predictions on the Super Bowl, Rookies of the Year, the MVP and how the Cowboys will do this season. Check out our picks. Let us know how we did on twitter @999thewild.
Stanley Cup update
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2018 NFL MVP - Chandler's Top 5
5) Alvin Kamara- The New Orleans running back was electric out of the Saints backfield as a rookie last season rushing for 728 yards and 8 touchdowns. Kamara also averaged over 6 yards a carry for the season with a long of 74 yards. Not only was Kamara a runner, he put up 826 yards and 5 touchdowns receiving, and averaged 32 yards per return along with a 106 yard touchdown return as a kick returner. Not many teams will stack the box to stop the run because quarterback Drew Brees is a proven top 3 quarterback and can easily spread the field. Kamara’s number of carries will increase due to the fact Mark Ingram is suspended for the first four games of the season.
4) Deshaun Watson- Quarterback Deshaun Watson showed signs of being special last season, although his time was limited due to a torn ACL in November. In 7 games, Watson threw for 1,699 yards and had a 19/8 touchdown to interception ratio. Over Watson's six starts, he had a 109 QBR, which led the league during that span. The Texans return both of Watson’s top wideouts DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller V. Entering his second year healthy, Watson will have a better understanding for the playbook and NFL should slow down for him. 3) Tom Brady- The Patriots Quarterback coming off yet another stellar year leading the Patriots all the way to a superbowl appearance. Brady threw for 4,577 yards and 32 touchdowns. Despite entering this season 41 years old, Brady has shown no signs of slowing down by playing in all 19 games last season and not missing a game due to injury since 2008. Brady has been the most consistent player in the league over the past 8 seasons and will be hungary for a championship coming off a disappointing loss against the Eagles in super bowl 52 last season. 2) Todd Gurley- Coming off a carer year, Rams running back Todd Gurley is looking to lead the Rams to the playoffs again. Gurley finished second in the league in rushing last season rushing for 1,305 yards averaging almost 5 years a carry. Gurley also led the league in rushing touchdowns with 13 in 15 games. The Rams will give Gurley a ton of carries a game in a offense that relies on the run game. Gurley looks to led the Rams back to the superbowl for the first time since 2000. 1) Aaron Rodgers- After a hot start to the 2017 season where Rodgers threw for 1,675 yards and 16 touchdowns in 6 games, Rodger’s took a hit against minnesota that broke his collarbone ending his season. Heading into his 14th season, Rodgers looks to add to his legacy by adding a second super bowl to his HOF resume. When healthy, the 2 time MVP (2011,2014) is arguably the best quarterback in the league and a future hall of famer. Why Mavs Fans Should be Excited for Deandre Jordan
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