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(09/26/17 6:09am)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
The women’s soccer team blew past two opponents last week. The Lions combined for 16 goals over a grand total of 180 minutes. On Thursday, Sept. 21, the Lions defeated Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham, 8-0 on the road. The team then returned home on Saturday, Sept. 23, and earned a conference win against New Jersey City University, 8-0.
Seven Lions helped put the team on the board against the Devils, with senior midfielder Jessica Goldman scoring twice. Her first goal came only eight minutes into the game when she beat Devils freshman goalkeeper Kassidy Germann with a shot to the bottom right corner with an assist from freshman defender Ally Weaver.
The seniors were the game changers during the first half as forward Christine Levering and forward Hannah Richman also scored in the 13th and 42nd minute respectively. Sophomore defender Jen McGrogan launched a free-kick into the box where Levering received the cross and headed in a shot. Meanwhile, Richman scored when she tapped in the ball off a pass from freshman midfielder Faith Eichenour.
Heading into halftime, the Devils only took one shot at the College’s goal. The Lions defensive backline, comprised of sophomore Ally DeRiggi, senior Kelly Wieczerzak and McGrogan, have only allowed 29 shots in total through their first seven games. Only 12 of those have been on target. They are only one of the three NCAA Division III teams to not concede a goal this season.
“We’ve been playing well,” said coach Joe Russo. “I think we’ve been defending collectively as a group and we’ve been pretty fortunate in our finishing… It’s been pretty well spread out amongst our whole group.
In the second half, multiple players earned their first goals of the season including sophomore midfielder trio Taylor Nolan, Alexa Pestritto, Alexa Beatty and freshman forward Stephanie Figueroa.
During the last 25 minutes of play, Russo subbed out sophomore goalkeeper Nicole DiPasquale for freshman goalkeeper Alexandra Panasuk. Against FDU-Florham, Panasuk only faced two shots and recorded one save. With the win behind them, the Lions next match would be their first game of the season in the TCNJ Soccer Complex against New Jersey City University.
The team applied pressure to the Gothic Knights quickly, pushing downfield immediately and finding itself offside in two back-to-back calls within the first five minutes of play. The effort paid off in the fifth minute when senior midfielder Kayla Bertolino scored with the help of McGrogan and Levering.
Freshman forward Julia Obst said that her team’s quick play was following a pattern.
“In the beginning of the game it was really exciting because we got the ball and went right down there,” Obst said. “It’s always fun to score in the first 10 seconds. That’s a big part, most goals are scored in the first and last 10 seconds of each half. That’s when they’re caught.”
The team finished most of their chances in the first half. After Bertolino’s early strike, the Lions found a lot of success between the tenth and 20th minutes.
In the 12th minute, Nolan received a pass from Wieczerzak and got past the defense and beat the keeper with a shot to upper right corner. After that, Levering and junior midfielder Elizabeth Thoresen scored back-to-back goals seconds apart from one another in the 16th minute thanks to assists from freshman midfielder Kelly Carolan.
“The three center mids — me, Taylor and Allie — all working together, pressing, talking,” Carolan said. “So I think just the work in practice really paid off.”
Before the teams could break for half, freshman forward/midfielder Caroline Rubin challenged for the ball and got tangled up with an NJCU player. She fell to the ground holding her right leg. Her clear distress could be heard and seen by the crowd in the Soccer Complex as she needed to be helped to her feet and taken off the field in a cart.
After the match, Russo was asked if she was able to walk on her own power on the sideline.
“Not very well,” Russo said. “We really don’t know at this point (how bad it is). She got her knee tangled up with one of their defenders. Time will tell.”
On Monday after the team’s practice, Rubin confirmed that she will undergoing an MRI sometime in the next week.
In the second half, Russo’s squad had trouble finishing in the early goings. While keeping the Gothic Knights from taking any shots during the last 45 minutes, the Lions multiple chances yielded no results.
In the 70th minute, Figueroa caused an opponent to turnover the ball in their own box. Instead of taking it herself, she passed to sophomore forward Gianna Zarra, who slammed in the ball to the net and earned her first goal of the year.
Obst then netted two goals in the last 25 minutes, with the second coming off an assist from Lianidis to put the Lions up by 8-0.
With a 7-0 undefeated record, the Lions have a double dose of Rutgers on the menu next. In consecutive conference matches, the team will head to Camden to take on Rutgers University-Camden on Wednesday, Sept. 27. They then come home to take on Rutgers University-Newark on Saturday, Sept. 30, in the TCNJ Soccer Complex at 1 p.m.
(09/19/17 7:39am)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
The women’s soccer team increased its undefeated streak to five games last week. The Lions defeated Johns Hopkins University, 1-0, in their home opener on Sept. 13, in overtime before earning their first conference win against William Paterson University, 4-0, on Saturday, Sept. 16.
The recent history between the nationally No. 5 ranked Lions and No. 9 Blue Jays has been well documented. Coming into Wednesday’s game, senior forward Christine Levering knew that.
“They’re always a good fight,” Levering said. “We just know coming in that it’s going to be a hard, physical game… Every year it’s always a tough one.”
Levering herself has the most experience against the Blue Jays on the Lions roster. In 2013 during her freshman year, after both sides played to a draw during regulation, Levering scored the game winner 13 seconds into the second overtime period. After a 2-1 loss in 2014, the teams have drawn in their yearly match-ups in both 2015 and 2016.
The women’s soccer team increased its undefeated streak to five games last week, (envato elements).
The most recent meeting between the two ranked powerhouses nearly ended the same way. The first half of the game was evenly contested in the middle of the field with neither team getting many chances. On the wet turf of the Lions Stadium field, neither team could control the ball for long or with much confidence. In all, both teams combined for six shots in total in the first 45 minutes, with the Lions getting four.
In the 37th minute, senior forward Hannah Richman was able to bring the goalie out and get past her. With an open net, the Blue Jays backline pressured her into shooting the ball wide keeping the score level at nil.
In the second half, the Lions offense immediately became the dominate force in the contest.
Just four minutes in, senior midfielder Jessica Goldman sent a corner right to senior midfielder Kayla Bertolino. The latter took a shot that seemed to be going to the net, but senior goalkeeper
Bess Kitzmiller was able to make an incredible jumping block to send the ball over the crossbar.
In the first 15 minutes of play, the Lions took 15 shots. Kitzmiller saved two of those shots. The Blue Jays defense was busy as three players had to step in front of shots and block them with their bodies. In all, the Lions put up 17 shots in the second half compared to their opponents’ three. Head coach Joe Russo said the difference between the two halves was tempo.
“I told them at halftime to catch (their) breath,” Russo said. “The way we played the game was so frenetic and it was 900 miles an hour… We wore them down by keeping possession and going wide.”
Even with the increased offense, the Johns Hopkins squad kept the College back, putting pressure on any possible breakaway chances and forcing both teams into overtime.
The Lions didn’t allow overtime to go on long, as sophomore defender Ally DeRiggi chipped a shot passed the defense to set up a breakaway goal by Levering, giving her team the 1-0 victory.
Russo said that his team, even after beating such a high ranked opponent, has to look ahead to the next game.
“We’ve already dismissed it,” Russo said. “We have to go to Patterson on Saturday and get three points in the conference. There can’t be any bit of a hangover from what has taken place tonight to what is going to happen on Saturday. First conference game, tough place to play and they’re always well coached so we need to go there and get three points.”
The Lions trip into Patterson was met with little resistance from the Pioneers in their first New Jersey Athletic Conference game of the season.
The team outshot William Patterson by a total of 16 to 0, with the Lions backline keeping the Pioneers at bay through the full 90 minutes.
The College shot six times in the first 16 minutes of play, with the last one coming in the 16th minute and reaching the back of the net. Bertolino received a pass from Levering on the right wing and bashed the ball next to the left post, earning her first goal this season. Less than two minutes later, senior midfielder Elizabeth Thoresen took a long shot from 20 yards out, hit the underside of the crossbar and increased the Lions lead, 2-0.
The Lions first half rout was put on halt for about ten minutes and the Pioneers defense blocked and saved multiple shots, but confusion in the box gave the Lions another chance at the net. Sophomore midfielder Despina Lianidis found herself with the ball at the top of the box, she slickly passed the ball to an open Richman on the left wing who sunk her third goal this season.
In the 84th minute, one young Lion had her moment. Freshman midfielder/forward Caroline Rubin saw the Pioneers goalie bobble the ball inside her own box. Acting quickly, she possessed the ball and shot into the open net to give her team the final score of the match, 4-0.
The Lions returned to the field Sept. 19, when they traveled to Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham. On Saturday, Sept. 23, the Lions are at the College’s Soccer Complex for a conference match against New Jersey City University starting at 1 p.m.
(09/19/17 7:31am)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
The month of September has been unforgiving to WFAN Radio host Craig Carton. After celebrating the 10th anniversary of his immensely popular morning sports talk show “Boomer and Carton,” with co-host and former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason, he was arrested for an alleged involvement in a million dollar ponzi-scheme. On Wednesday, Sept. 13, Carton resigned from the station.
“Unfortunately, the unfounded legal issues currently plaguing me will only be a distraction to everyone at WFAN and the show I helped build,” Carton said in a statement on Twitter. “With that in mind, I have submitted my resignation to the station and they accepted. I am sad to see this chapter of my life close but know that it will allow me to focus on my family, my well-being and clearing my name, while giving the show the best opportunity to succeed without further disruption.”
On Wednesday, Sept. 13, Carton resigned from the station (envato elements).
He’s been accused of stealing millions of dollars by selling fake concert tickets in order to pay his own gambling debts. Although the crime is terrible, it still stings to see someone who was such a large part of my life fall from grace in such a hard fashion.
On the air, Carton was loud. He was brash and sometimes downright mean to people, but to me he was always entertaining. During the 10 years he was on the air, I would wake up in the morning before school to hear him and Esiason.
The cycle was simple. Wake up and hear Carton bash a team, usually the New York Mets ever since he started “Mets Fans for Yankees” — an effort to convert Met fans away from the inevitable suffering of late season Mets baseball. Then it was eat breakfast and get dressed while hearing the duo take callers live on air. Finally, get in the car for the 40-minute trip into Jersey City for highschool, flipping back and forth between E Street Radio and WFAN.
For years I’ve always said the radio hosts on WFAN were one of the reasons why I got into sports.
Every host offered a different perspective. Late nights with WFAN radio host Steve Somers were a slow and relaxing discussion with a emphatic and well-spoken host. Middays with Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts are two loud mouths to keep you going during the hump of the day. Boomer and Carton had the classic funny man routine.
It was amazing listening with my dad and hearing his different reactions to different people on WFAN, especially Carton. “He’s a loudmouth” or “He doesn’t let people finish” were common gripes, but I always stood by hosts like Carton by saying “But, Dad he’s funny!”
I learned so much about broadcasting from the duo. I learned how to be knowledgeable and respectful from Esiason, but I learned how to be loud and make my presence known from Carton. I credit my personality changes over my life to a lot of things, but the Boomer and Carton show was no small part.
Anyone can be a writer or personality in the sports world because everyone can have an opinion. But to be successful you have to stand out and make people notice you. Whether they are annoyed or entertained, they know who you are and what you do.
with the “Boomer Show” now kicked off and looking for a permanent co-host, I can now safely end that chapter of my life. I never really thought of Carton as a “good person” and he should never be any one person’s role model in life.
But here’s hoping someone else can make an impact as big as he did.
(09/12/17 4:31am)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
The women’s soccer team began the regular season with a road win on Saturday, Sept. 9, at Collegeville, Pennsylvania. The team defeated Ursinus College, 4-0, and extended its current winning streak to three games.
While away from the College, the No. 12 ranked Lions had no trouble making themselves at home inside the Ursinus Bears’ end of the field. Through 90 minutes, the Lions had 23 shots, with 11 of them being on goal, compared to the Bears’ two total shots all game.
The offensive side was the dominant force of the game, maintaining possession for a majority of the match and keeping the Bears defense on their toes. Senior forward Christine Levering led the team with five shots on goal, with senior midfielder Jessica Goldman coming just behind her with four. Of the starting 11 for the Lions, seven took at least one shot during the contest. Senior midfielder Kayla Bertolino marked the scoreboard within the first six minutes. She rebounded a blocked shot for a goal and put her team up, 1-0.
After this, both sides became less offensive and more aggressive. The Lions and Bears tallied up four fouls all together in the next nine minutes. One of these came in the Bears’ box in the 15th minute, allowing senior midfielder Elizabeth Thoresen to step up and nail a penalty kick to extend her team’s lead, 2-0.
The score-line stayed the same for the remainder of the first half, but not for long into the second half. In the 53rd minute, freshman midfielder Kelly Carolan played in a shot from 40 yards out into the bottom left of the net to earn her first goal as a Lion.
Up by 3-0, senior forward Hannah Richman entered the game in the 63rd minute for Thoresen, after a round of substitutions. Richman was able to put her energy to work right away. In a corner kick, Levering crossed the ball in the Bear’s zone and Richman was able to convert a low cross into her second goal of the season and her team’s fourth of the night.
While the offensive side dominated the game, head coach Joe Russo took time in the second half to substitute out sophomore goalkeeper Nicole DiPasquale after she had started every game. He opted to put in freshman goalkeeper Alexandra Panasuk for the remaining 21 minutes of play, where she didn’t have a chance to face the Bears offense.
Coming into this year, with former Lions goalkeeper Jessica Weeder leaving the college following last season’s NCAA Tournament exit, the team had three goalkeepers on the bench ready for play: DiPasquale, Panasuk and sophomore Sam Carney. During training camp, coach Russo said that the fact the Lions had so many options in the net was a great opportunity.
“They all have done exceptionally well,” Russo said. “We’re very fortunate to have three very good goalkeepers and we haven’t really settled on one or another. It’s very open and it’s very competitive race, one that you like to see especially with your goalkeepers. So I’m excited. As we get closer we’ll have to make a decision that’s best for the group.”
During an email interview, DiPasquale said that she and her teammates were working day in and day out waiting to see what the coach’s decision would be.
“At the end of the day, Coach Russo will make a decision that is right for the team and whatever decision that may be I will stand by it,” DiPasquale said.
With three straight clean sheet wins to her name, the young sophomore may be in the front running for the starting job.
The Lions come home this week and host their home opener against 13th nationally ranked Johns Hopkins University at Lions Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 7:30 p.m. The team will then travel north to Wayne, New Jersey, to compete in their first conference match of the season against William Paterson University on Saturday, Sept. 16.
(09/12/17 2:02am)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
Every four years, teams from around the world compete to take part in the FIFA World Cup for the chance to be called ‘World Champions.’ Copious amounts of fame and money are up for grabs.
The U.S. Men’s National soccer team has had a few missteps during qualification which continued against the Costa Rican National team in Harrison, New Jersey’s Red Bull Arena with a 2-0 loss on Friday, Sept. 1.
The team’s struggles may be the biggest story coming out of the match. Head coach Bruce Arena lost his first match since taking over, but an overlooked factor in the whole event is the area where it all happened. Hudson County, New Jersey and the surrounding New York metropolitan area both have a rich history when it comes to the sport.
During a session at the New York Red Bull’s training facility in Whippany, New Jersey, on Monday, Aug. 28, Arena spoke about what he expected at the game.
“My sense is that we’re going to have good support,” Arena told reporters. “I think when we played Honduras in San Jose there was concern there was going to be a big Honduran population attending the game… We’re well aware of the fact that there’s many Costa Ricans in the greater New York area but that’s all part of the exercise.”
Arena was sure to mention that New Jersey has it’s own special culture separate from his New York state roots.
“I’m from New York, so we don’t accept New Jersey as being part of New York,” the coach said with a chuckle.
That separation is one of the reasons why soccer could stand on its own away from the New York City glamor. The Garden State’s history with the game could be all the marketing U.S. Soccer needs when promoting an event.
Only a ten minute drive from Red Bull Arena sits my hometown — Kearny, New Jersey. On the surface Kearny seems like any other small suburb, sitting right outside of Newark with views of both the Jersey City and New York City skylines. However, in the soccer world Kearny has earned a far more prestigious title, “Soccer Town U.S.A.”
A New York Times article from June 1994, helps explain the sport’s cultural significance in Kearny.
“The town has two local soccer historians. On Kearny Avenue, the main strip, a sign proclaims, ‘Welcome to Kearny. Soccer Town, U.S.A.’ And the photographs, jerseys and cleats of past soccer heroes are enshrined in several glass displays at the local library,” wrote The New York Times.
While soccer today can be seen as a rich man’s game, with tickets for a top-level league fetching a high price and players being among the richest athletes in the world, it started out as quite the opposite. When immigrants came to the U.S. in the late 1800s and early 1900s, they not only looked for new opportunities but to bring their own distinguished cultures as well. This is how America produced areas like New York’s Little Italy and the early Italian neighborhoods of Newark, or the aforementioned Scottish and Irish area of Kearny.
The Times article further explains this trend by explaining the ties within the town to large European companies and their factories.
“The soccer tradition… can be traced to the mid-1870’s, a time when thousands of Scottish and Irish immigrants settled in Kearny, 10 miles west of Manhattan, after two Scottish companies, Clark Thread Company and Nairn Linoleum, opened two mills and a factory here,” wrote the Times.
Kearny’s history as a factory town, from the thread companies all the way to shipbuilding during World War II, employed thousands of immigrants. These immigrants, ranging mostly in Scottish and Irish descent, helped bring the game of soccer to the area.
In the late 1890s, they created one of America’s earliest semi-pro soccer leagues, the National Association Football League. A lot of these teams were just factory workers so names such as Kearny AC, Kearny Scots or Kearny Federal Ship Athletic Association Soccer Club were common. In total, during both iterations of the league until the mid 1920s, nine teams originated from the town.
The national team’s origins also holds history within the area as well. In 1885, Canada’s Western Football Association sent a team down to the United States in what would be their first international match held outside the United Kingdom. The American Football Association, at that time the U.S.’s unofficial governing body of soccer, organized a team and played Canada in a 1-0 loss. This game was not the official first match for the national team, but it is recorded as the first game where a team represented the country. The exact location of the game has not been confirmed, however most recorded accounts place it somewhere within the West Hudson area of New Jersey, which includes Kearny, Harrison and Newark.
John Harkes, a former USMNT midfielder and MLS star, explained in a 2014 MLS video that growing up in the area meant you never really escaped the sport.
“Soccer when you’re a kid is just everywhere you look in Kearny,” Harkes said. “Your dad’s coaching (your recreation team), your friends are kicking the ball around on the playground and so it becomes ingrained as part of your life. Soccer is everything you kind of live for.”
Speaking from experience, as someone whose father coached his recreation team for a majority of childhood, Harkes isn’t wrong. In fact, Harkes uncle, “Big Al” Alex Harkes, helped coach me to my first Kearny recreation soccer trophy with my father as an assistant coach.
The older generation continues to teach the younger generation in Kearny about the basics and, as Big Al has told countless Kearny youth, reminds young players not to be afraid of “using their left foot” if they get a shot at goal.
Harkes plays a special part in the history of soccer not only for Kearny, but for the U.S. National team itself. Harkes, goalkeeper Tony Meola and midfielder Tab Ramos all played for the 1994 World Cup squad that played in the United States while it hosted the event. To have three players come from the same town, let alone the same amateur club in Kearny High School, was an oddity that hasn’t been repeated since.
During the 2017 Gold Cup, the U.S. needed three goals over Nicaragua to win their group heading into the knockout stage. Clifton, New Jersey native Matt Miazga headed a free kick late in the second half to give his team the win, 3-0. While he would be dropped from the team after this game, his aid helped put the team in a comfortable spot on route to the Gold Cup 2017 trophy.
Going even deeper, the current U.S. squad features four players who were born in New Jersey. Forward Jozy Altidore and midfielder Alejandro Bedoya were born in Livingston and Englewood respectively, before growing up in Florida. Tim Howard, the U.S.’s star goalkeeper, was born in North Brunswick and for much of his early career played for state teams, including the Central Jersey Cosmos during his youth. He also played for the New York/New Jersey Metrostars, the previous name of the Red Bulls, during the mid 1990s and early 2000s.
The U.S. team captain comes from a family with deep ties to the team and a home down the road from the College. Midfielder Michael Bradley, the second leading active goalscorer for the team and fourth highest in history, comes from Princeton, New Jersey. His father Bob, who was born in Montclair, coached the Princeton University soccer team to numerous NCAA appearances and Ivy league championships over his 10-year tenure. His paternal linage doesn’t stop there as his father coached the U.S. National team from 2006 until 2011, reaching two World Cup competitions in 2006 and 2010. He continues to coach sides to this day with his current position with the new MLS team Los Angeles FC set to begin in 2018.
It’s important to note how major soccer promotions have used the state to great success. The original North American Soccer League, which ran from 1968 to 1984, had its biggest team play in the original Giant’s Stadium in East Rutherford. The New York Cosmos, the previous home of legends like Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto, sold out the American football stadium during soccer’s rise in the country. Later in 1996 after the NASL folded, Major League Soccer created the Metrostars, who continue to be one of the mainstays of the sport as the Red Bulls.
During the national team’s training session, U.S. defender Tim Ream, who played for the Red Bulls between 2010 and 2011, said that coming back to the arena was like coming home.
“It’s still really home,” Ream told reporters. “There’s still a lot of people here when I was (here)... you don’t find that at a lot of clubs these days… It’s nice to be back and see the things you used to see everyday. Little bit nostalgic.”
From its deep roots with early immigrants, to the glamor of the World Cup and even right here at the College, the sport of soccer seems destined to be intertwined with New Jersey. While New York may claim making it there means you can make it anywhere, it takes a lot to play on the field deep within the Garden State.
(09/05/17 5:50am)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
It’s no secret that soccer is the most popular sport around the world and it finally seems Uncle Sam is joining in. In recent years, television viewership for foreign leagues has skyrocketed in the U.S., with two top Liga MX matches scoring 1.7 and 1.55 million viewers on Univision, according to World Soccer Talk.
Despite these increases, I’ve noticed many flaws in America’s own league system during my summer internship with the North American Soccer League, a second division league in the U.S. Soccer Federation structure. Major League Soccer, the first division of the United States soccer league system, is unwilling to adapt to a tier structure like that of many European countries.
For example, English football has a more established and sustainable league system. It’s a flowing pyramid system with the Premier League, English Football League Championship, English Football League One and lower tiers working together as a unit. Teams can earn promotions to higher tiers through good performance on the field and ambitious management. Meanwhile, underperforming teams are relegated to lower tiers until they win more matches.
AFC Wimbledon is a perfect example of England’s effective structure. After its founding in 2002, the team has garnered fan support and surged to League One — the third highest tier in the English system — in record time.
U.S. Soccer desperately needs a promotion and regulation system that will allow American teams to start out small and reach new heights over time. While I’m not in total support for promotion and relegation like the English system employs for a multitude of reasons, I am in support for the way it fosters growth. I want to find a way for a team to start out small and reach great heights without going through the complicated and sometimes inconstant system that exists now.
Another pressing concern for U.S. soccer is cities and existing clubs alike all making bids to become the next expansion side. MLS imposes too many regulations for establishing an expansion team.
In a press release from late 2016, MLS released a list of criteria for teams hoping to join the league. After my internship, I realized the criteria needed revaluation.
Teams need “a comprehensive stadium plan that ensures the club will have a proper home for their fans and players while also serving as a destination for the sport in the community,” according to MLS.
In contrast to foreign clubs, American teams cannot justify building a 20,000 or 30,000-seat stadium. Many United Soccer League and NASL teams play in college stadiums, baseball stadiums or small soccer specific areas with around 10,000-person capacity. In a country where soccer isn’t the hottest ticket in town, perhaps it’s best to stick to smaller venues while fan support gradually increases.
One team that has applied to join MLS is North Carolina FC of the NASL. They are currently looking to build a new stadium, replacing their current home WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, that houses 10,000 people. New expansion clubs will also have to pay a fee of $150 million to MLS.
During this past decade, MLS’s expansion hasn’t improved the quality of American soccer. During this past decade, MLS’s expansion hasn’t improved the quality of American soccer. Teams such as Montreal Impact and Minnesota United FC have endured years of struggle. Teams shouldn’t need to spend millions and create lavish arenas like Atlanta United. They need to focus on pushing their salary cap to build a great team that can draw in new fans quickly. Unlike the English system or other European systems, US teams can’t spend so much money on foreign players. So, they should be focusing on using every dollar in that cap wisely rather than making a pretty stadium to play in.
Why can’t MLS just take teams in strong markets and allow them to develop naturally? A small North Carolina stadium isn’t anything like Red Bull arena in Harrison, New Jersey or Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, but it works for North Carolina FC and it should work for MLS. Joining MLS shouldn’t be a privilege, it should be something that a team can earn without forking over so much money.
U.S. soccer needs to end this bidding war and unite league structures. MLS, USL, NASL and every other promotion in the tiers need to collaborate more. National Independent Soccer Association and USL Division III have recently announced that they will work with higher leagues. This is a perfect start and will allow more teams to grow and gain fan support and stability.
Unless MLS opens its doors and treats every league around it with respect, it could all be for naught. If the country wants to be respected in soccer around the world, it needs to start respecting the game itself.
(09/05/17 4:16am)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
The Lions traveled to Haverford, Pennsylvania over the weekend to take part in the Haverford College Kick Off Classic, a pre-regular season tournament pitting the team against four other top notch squads. The Lions got a 3-0 win against York College on Saturday, Sept. 2, before beating No. 20 nationally ranked Arcadia University on Sunday, Sept. 3, in the championship game, 3-0.
Going into the weekend, head coach Joe Russo said he wasn’t going to use these games to practice with his new pool of freshmen.
“We’re going to play to win obviously,” Russo said. “There’s three very good teams. York is returning 10 of their 11 starters, Arcadia was 19-2 and Haverford is always in the NCAA Tournament. We were concentrating on Saturday’s game at 4 p.m. against York.”
The team followed through on that concentration in what turned out to be a dominating performance over York College. Early on, the Lions scoring chances were being expertly blocked by the Spartan’s freshman goalkeeper Jessica Wieber.
The team was able to get off five shots in total before York even had a chance to get a ball towards sophomore goalkeeper Nicole DiPasquale in the 25th minute.
Russo used the halftime to bring out a few fresh players onto the field, including senior forward Hannah Richman.
During practices on the previous Wednesday and Thursday, Richman was observed standing off to the side and not practicing with the main group of players. Russo made a statement regarding Richman on Thursday, Aug. 31.
“Hannah got nicked up just a couple days ago, so we really don’t have any feedback on her,” Russo said. “She’s meeting with the trainers and seeing the team physician tomorrow. (We’ll) have to go with whatever they say.”
Richman’s injury didn’t hinder her play much. In the 36th minute, Richman was able to net a shot passed Wieber to give her team a 1-0 lead. The Lions would not look back as the team ended the first half with 15 shots compared to the Spartans’ 3 shots.
The Lions continued their offensive dominance in the second half. However, the team kept missing scoring opportunities. Freshman midfielder Faith Eichenour stepped up for her team and scored in the 71st minute after smashing in a short corner kick from senior midfielder Jessica Goldman.
She wouldn’t be the only freshman to score in her debut match, when another late set of substitutes brought in freshman forward Julia Obst. After only three minutes of play and with over 20 seconds left in the match, Obst knocked in her team’s third goal off an assist from sophomore forward Gianna Zarra.
The immediate impact of Eichenour demonstrates the talent of the 12 freshman. Russo explained how much fans should look forward to seeing the new group play on the field.
“It’s a solid class across the board, from front to back,” Russo said. “There’s some exceptional backs, creative midfielders, some front runners I think that can score goals and a very good goalkeeper in that group. So really, it covers all our bases. It’s a good class.”
With the final score, 3-0, the Lions punched their ticket to the championship match the next day against Arcadia University, who bested tournament hosts Haverford College, 2-1, earlier that Saturday. Both teams came in ranked nationally with the Lions ranked 12th and Knights ranked 20th overall.
The Knights kept the Lions defense and DiPasquale on their toes by getting off three shots in the first 11 minutes.
The scoreless first half brought out intensity from both sides, with the Lions and Knights racking up a total of 14 fouls in the first 45 minutes of play. Going into the second half, it was that intensity that allowed the College to score thanks to a careless foul by the Knights. Senior forward Christine Levering was given a penalty kick. She easily launched the ball into the back of the net and gave her team a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute.
In The Signal last week, Levering was cited as leaving the team due to graduation. However, she has in fact returned for a fifth year.
In the last 10 minutes, Levering stepped up and showed off the same skills that helped her lead the team in goals last season. In the 84th minute, freshman forward Julianna Bertolino set up Levering who sunk a shot into the lower right corner. Only three minutes later Levering intercepted a back pass to the goalie and completed a hat-trick. The Lions eventually won the Haverford Kickoff Classic title, 3-0.
The team now prepares for the regular season to start on Saturday, Sept. 9, in Collegeville, Pennsylvania where they will take on Ursinus College.
(08/28/17 8:21pm)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
Boxing’s decline has coincided with the rise of MMA. MMA, now the darling of professional combat sports, has thrived with a younger audience that boxing can’t seem to attract.
For one night, two of the biggest names in each of their respective sports collided. Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr., boxing’s 49-0 main attraction, took on “The Notorious” Conor McGregor, the Irish loud-mouth poster boy of the UFC. They met for a boxing match in Las Vegas, Nevada on Aug. 26, in what many dubbed “The Biggest Fight in Combat Sports History.”
Many fighting purists called it a spectacle and not a real fight. The fight marked Mayweather’s return to the ring in nearly two years and McGregor’s first ever professional boxing match. The pre-fight coverage was nearly insufferable with claims of racism, bigotry, misogyny and every other hot button issue flying out of ESPN faster than freshmen darting for meal equiv.
Both fighters claimed the fight wouldn’t go the distance and technically they were right. Mayweather was able to dominate McGregor in the 10th round of the 12-round contest after one minute and five seconds, causing referee Robert Byrd to stop the match and give the boxing legend his 50th win.
McGregor shocked many skeptics — he came out strong in the first three rounds. You can argue that Mayweather took one of the first three rounds, but McGregor’s reach and ability to switch stances and styles so quickly pushed his opponent back. McGregor countered Mayweather. He didn’t perform as just a brute MMA fighter, but as someone who could fight with technique and style.
If it wasn’t for the constant hammer punches in the corner and other awkward antics, I would have actually believed McGregor could go all the way early on.
McGregor’s abilities weren’t enough to overcome Mayweather. His sporadic low punches, leaning in too far, aforementioned hammer punches in the corner and low energy culminated in his eventual defeat. I can’t fault the man too much since it was his first professional boxing fight, but in the end these mistakes led to his downfall.
After the early going, I saw the match slow down and Mayweather began to take the lead, while the UFC champ snagge a round or two in the middle.
“That was our game plan,” Mayweather told Showtime Boxing. “Our game plan was to take our time, go to him, let him shoot all his heavy shots early and then take him out at the end down the stretch.
“Me and my dad (Floyd Mayweather Sr., Jr.’s trainer) talked about it,” he added. “We wanted him to shoot his heavy shots in the beginning because we know in the MMA, he fights 25 minutes real hard. After 25 minutes, he starts to slow down.”
For all the hate he received, Mayweather is still the face of modern professional boxing. He’s undefeated, he’s charismatic and he always has a plan whenever he steps between those ropes.
Mayweather veered from his usual style — by round four he was stepping toward McGregor. Mayweather was landing punch after punch to the body and combining counters with a flurry of jabs.
McGregor’s early bursts depleted him, and he earned his first ever professional boxing defeat in the 10th round after Byrd stopped the fight — Mayweather’s first technical knockout in nearly 10 years and his first knockout decision in nearly six years. He had to change his style to do so, by peppering light jabs to gain points and taking the rounds to try chip down a much younger, taller fighter.
With his win and overtaking Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record, Mayweather once again announced his retirement from boxing.
McGregor said he plans to return to UFC, but might possibly box again.
August 26 won’t be remembered as the day boxing was saved, but I think it will be remembered as a shining moment where two icons clashed, if only for a brief moment and some worthwhile entertainment.
(08/28/17 8:16pm)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
Before most students arrived at the College, the women’s soccer team was hard at work preparing for its upcoming season.
The Lions dominated last season. They pushed for a 14-game winning streak and earned a New Jersey Athletic Conference regular season title.
During the run, the team was filled with an impressive squad of 15 freshman who will now be returning as sophomores. Sophomore backup goalkeeper Nicole DiPasquale was fond of her first year.
“Last season will definitely be one that I will never forget,” DiPasquale said. “Coming in as a freshmen to this team was one of the best things I have ever experienced. I have never been apart of such a close team before. We were truly a family and it showed on the field.”
With every gain comes a loss, however, as the team graduated midfielders Lauren Malajian, Sarah Marion, Marissa Scognamiglio and Marykate Sullivan along with defender Brianna Petro, forward Christine Levering and goalkeeper Jessica Weeder. Levering was the leading goalscorer last season and Weeder started every game for the team. Weeder was in her fifth year at the College and had been a dominant force on the field for much of her tenure.
“Playing under Jessica Weeder was a great experience and I definitely learned a lot,” DiPasquale said about her former teammate. “She was not only a great goalkeeper, but also a great mentor.”
The team is looking to replace its seniors with a batch of new players, while last year’s large freshman class hopes to use its newfound experience in full. DiPasquale hopes she and her fellow sophomores can help create the same sort of atmosphere as last season.
“Our freshmen class was super close right off the bat, and it’s exciting being able to share our strong bonds with the class below us,” DiPasquale said. “The team has high hopes that our strong friendships will relay itself on the field and help the team as a whole. We want to give the freshmen as good of an experience as the upperclassmen gave us last year.”
If they can recreate the same sort of play as last season, the Lions have the potential to be a dominant force in the NJAC. The Lions earned eight out of 10 votes in a preseason coaches poll, according to an NJAC press release. Rowan University and Montclair University earned the remaining two votes respectively.
Though the lady lions may have struggled throughout the past three seasons in the NJAC finals and NCAA Tournament, players remain optimistic. For the seniors, this could be their last chance to finally break that barrier and earn a coveted postseason title. DiPasquale has a lot of confidence, despite several roster changes.
“I have no doubts that our team chemistry will be any different than it was last year,” DiPasquale said. “That being said, I am very confident that we will be very successful this year.”
The Lions begin the year with the Haverford College Kick Off Classic in Haverford, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, Sept. 2, against CUNY York at 4 p.m. The Lions start the regular season a week later on Saturday, Sept. 9 in Collegeville, Pennsylvania., against Ursinus College at 1 p.m.
(05/02/17 5:57am)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
Another school year is coming to a close and while the College’s students study for final exams and finish up projects, I feel it’s important to look back at the year in sports. Though it’s impossible to recall everything, as I look back, it seems as though fans nearly got to witness the impossible.
To start the school year off, the World Series was one for the ages. It was a must-watch for the seven games it took to determine a winner. A combined 176 years without a championship between the two teams, the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians looked to make history by avenging years of failure.
Cleveland took a 3-1 series lead after four games, but this time, unlike the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals last summer, it was Chicago who came back to win it all in an incredible seventh game. That cool November game saw a home run lead it off, back and forth scoring, and a rain delay. Then, after nine innings the teams were tied before the Cubs earned the 8-7 win with a single run. When first baseman Anthony Rizzo told catcher David Rosss that he was in a “glass case of emotions,” I wondered how many fans in both cities could relate.
Another streak was broken only one month later on the college gridiron. The annual Army-Navy game saw the former win for the first time in 14 years, 21-17, in M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. While not a bowl game, it deserves to be among the highlights of the college football season and ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt explains why on his 1 Big Thing segment.
“These are not men who are gonna play on Sundays,” Van Pelt said, according to ESPN. “But the men and women of our military academies are the best of us. Smarter, disciplined, more vigilant.”
Army saw their lead fade away in the fourth quarter, but tough resolve and a solid defense helped them achieve the win.
The win was inspired not only for every future servicemen in that stadium, but for the fallen Army cornerback, Brandon Jackson, who was killed in a car accident earlier that season.
Also this year, college sports set the biggest upsets of the school year. Clemson knocked off Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship game, the University of South Carolina make it to the Final Four of March Madness and the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team lost for the first time in more than three years.
Whether it be disdain against Alabama’s head coach Nick Saban or rooting for the underdog once your bracket was busted, sports fans found themselves drawn to these incredible events.
February was a tough month for everyone here at the College.
We were all returning from a relaxing winter break, the cold days seemed far from over and the New England Patriots won Super Bowl LI in an improbable fashion, 34-28, against the Atlanta Falcons.
Quarterback Tom Brady was in full-on vengeance mode after being suspended four games during the start of the season. He carried his team to make a 25 point comeback.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan had a lot to think about when it comes to the final plays of that game, such as running the ball to clinch a win. His team played like champions for three quarters, but in the end you can’t sleep on Brady no matter how big the lead. I can’t deny that No. 12 is the greatest quarterback I’ve ever seen play the game.
But where there is great triumph, there is also great loss. This school year was no exception.
When athletes die, fans can’t help but hope that they are remembered fondly and try to remember them at their glorious moments. This year saw a few major deaths, all with varying emotions and reactions.
The baseball world mourned in unison last September, when the news broke that Miami Marlins pitcher José Fernández was killed in a boating accident off the coast of Miami.
In tribute to the Cuban athlete, the Marlins retired his number and erected a statue outside their stadium to show how much the young man was loved. However, Fernández’s reputation suffered when the final investigation report determined that the pitcher was driving the boat recklessly while intoxicated and on cocaine. This leaves many wondering where the young star’s legacy stands.
The tragic loss of nearly the entire Brazilian Chapecoense soccer team also rocked the entire sports world in late November 2016. We saw these players, 19 in total, taken away in the blink of an eye as they traveled to compete in their team’s first ever Copa Sudamericana final. I think we can all agree it was tragic. But the moments of strength and unity that came from the event were inspiring.
The team was awarded the title after their opponents, Atlético Nacional, requested it be done. The Brazilian fan base also came together for 90 minutes of silence. And while the owner of the airline, LaMia, continues to be investigated for poorly handling fuel requirements for its planes, the players will remain to be known as heroes.
The sports world had a wild and chaotic year. Players on the field put their hearts into each play, and reporters worked all hours of the day and night to bring us the news.
We can look forward to more big news next year. Whether you get your news from Sports Illustrated or The Signal, the sports world doesn’t stop for anyone.
(05/02/17 5:13am)
By Michael Battista
When I was growing up, I never saw gender as a dividing factor in sports. As someone who enjoys playing soccer and baseball, I always liked being able to participate in activities with girls.
While professional sports like to keep men and women separated, intramural sports at the College have helped break down gender walls. Many of the College’s intramural sports options can be played in either gender-specific leagues or co-recreational leagues, which is something I highly admire.
Shawn Dean, the coordinator for sports clubs and intramural sports at the College, said he’s seen the program be very successful during his time running it. With volleyball being one of the more successful programs, Dean said certain groups on campus really enjoy the games.
“I think (intramural sports) are very popular, especially within Greek life,” Dean said. “Fraternities and sororities team up together and they get awarded points for participating.”
I went to a Jesuit prep school in Jersey City, N.J., for high school, which is an all-boy school. When I was in high school, I saw many of my friends take part in intramural sports and playing games using the full extent of the rules. When I began paying attention to the co-ed version of the games we would play at my high school, I started to notice the rules were being bent.
In some co-ed programs, the guys are required to pass the ball to a girl in soccer before any shots can be taken. In the game of baseball, if a guy walks then the girl who is next in line to bat is given a choice of whether she wants to be automatically sent to first base or bat. In basketball, extensive defense around a girl is prohibited and only one-on-one blocking is allowed.
I’ve never liked these sorts of rules, which vary depending on the program, because I always felt they implied that one gender was better than the other at sports. While arguments can be made such as the fact that guys usually have larger physiques than girls, I still think it’s wrong to assume that one cannot compete with another athlete just because of their gender.
I’m happy to say that the College’s rules when it comes to intramural sports do not single out one gender. Instead, any rule-change applies to both guys and girls. There are no exceptions based on gender.
At the College, intramural indoor soccer rosters need to consist of five players and a goalkeeper. Those five players can either be three males and two females, or vice versa. In Greek league softball at the College, each team must consist of at least four of each gender. While an alternating gender batting line-up still exists, the rules are still applied evenly to both guys and girls.
“We changed the format of our leagues this year,” Dean said. “We added a bunch of open leagues, specifically softball. There were no co-ed modifications for that. It was sort of a test run by us to see if that would make sense for the future and so far it’s been positive feedback.”
The College’s intramural programs abide by rules set forth by a parent organization, the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association, which many other institutions use as well, Dean said.
I’m extremely happy to see students get the chance to play sports without gender-specific restrictions at the College. As a freshman, I loved participating in intramural games and I always tell others to give it a try. It’s a great way to bond with freshman floormates and build a community that doesn’t single anyone out.
Students share opinions around campus
“Should there be gender-specific rules for co-ed sports?”
“No, I don’t think there should be. Everyone should have an equal playing field.”
“It seems like it’s mostly up to the teams.”
(04/25/17 9:17pm)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
In this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Chicago Blackhawks, the highest seeded team in the Western Conference, were swept in the first round by the Nashville Predators. If I guaranteed this outcome earlier this season, I would have been admitted into a psych ward. But that’s exactly what happened, and while it was amazing to watch, it also served as a reminder of how much the salary cap matters in the NHL.
For those who are unaware, a salary cap in sports means that every team in a league has a limited amount of money they can spend on players’ salaries. Its purpose is to keep rich teams from buying all the talented athletes, which would leave other teams at a disadvantage. However, it has a side effect in the NHL where traditional championship dynasties have virtually disappeared.
The NHL had a history of teams winning multiple consecutive championships. The last time it happened was when the Detroit Red Wings won back to back in 1997 and 1998, just over a decade before the NHL set a hard salary cap for the 2005-2006 season.
On his show, “Pardon the Interruption,” ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon explained this situation in regard to the Blackhawks.
“When they won the Stanley Cup in 2010 by beating (the Philadelphia Flyers) and the hard NHL cap forces you to basically turn your team over by half… they came back in three years and they won (in 2013),” Wilbon said. “And they had to go away for another year, and they came back and they won (in 2015). And this is the cycle you have to have.”
Every year after the Blackhawks won, the team lost players in order to make room for new talent or resign contacts. After a team wins, the next season can see big roster changes thanks to contracts expiring and players wanting more money or traditional young talent getting a chance to play. As a result, hockey fans see the Blackhawks win the championship in 2015 before falling in the first round of the playoffs the next two years.
Hockey will never see a time like the ’60s to ’80s ever again. The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup 12 times between those years. The New York Islanders won four cups in a row between 1980 and 1984 before falling in the 1985 final. Their opponent, the Edmonton Oilers, went on to win five of the next seven Stanley Cups.
All of these teams had incredible arsenals that didn’t have any restrictions. Montreal had players like centers Henri Richard, Jean Beliveau and right winger Yvan Cournoyer who all won at least 10 cups with the team. Edmonton had the power trio of centers Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and defender Kevin Lowe.
These teams basically housed half of the league’s all-star team. Teams with no money, like the now defunct Atlanta Thrashers, posed no threat and were left with little to compete with.
But it isn’t doom and gloom in regard to repeated success, it’s just a new process in effect. With the cap currently set at $60 million and teams able to spend up to $70.2 million in certain circumstances, brand new “salary cap” era dynasties took place.
The aforementioned Blackhawks are a perfect example, as they have been able to balance franchise talent like right winger Patrick Kane and center Jonathan Toews with young rookies, including five on this year’s roster. The constant reshuffling and rebuilding allows this team to be a constant presence in the playoff hunt and three recent Stanley Cups.
The Los Angeles Kings are another great example, no matter how much I hate them. They won two times in three years between 2012 and 2014. Young talent like defenders Brayden McNabb and Drew Doughty mixed with experienced players like goalkeeper Jonathan Quick are what got the Kings its rings. Even though they beat the New York Rangers in 2014, I respect their organization’s strategy.
The Edmonton Oilers are using a similar strategy right now. They haven’t been in the playoffs since 2006 when they lost in the Stanley Cup finals. Now with center Connor McDavid in his second year and a sustainable Oilers team around him, these Edmonton boys look like they can become a team to recon with as shown by their playoff series win against the San Jose Sharks this season.
So, in the end, I love the salary cap. Sure, my rich New York Rangers can’t rule the world like their baseball brothers in the Bronx did in the late ’90s or buy a ring in 2009, but it maintains parity for everyone. Plus, if a team does repeat as champions, it makes the accomplishment even more special.
(04/18/17 7:49am)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
WWE is an industry built on storytelling and athletics. Fans come to watch performers commit incredible feats of strength while playing characters of differing archetypes. These characters take part in stories involving two simple character types: the bad guy and the good guy. However, one wrestler might be taking his role as a villain too far.
John “Bradshaw” Layfield, better known as JBL, has been with the company for more than 20 years as a performer, backstage personality and commentator. He is known for running his mouth, being cocky, supporting heel wrestlers and a plethora of other things that firmly cement him as a bad guy.
Recently, Forbes and Sports Illustrated have alleged JBL’s history of real-life backstage bullying.
Earlier this year, Mauro Ranallo, a noted mixed martial arts play-by-play specialist and smackdown commentator, won the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s “Best Television Announcer” award and retweeted the announcement.
JBL reportedly took offense to this. Traditionally, WWE employees do not acknowledge wrestling awards that come from outside of the company. On WWE programing, he was heard bashing Ranallo more than usual. But sources within the industry and close to Ranallo, including his close friend and podcast partner Bas Rutten, insinuate the bullying continued offscreen.
Ranallo then began missing shows, starting with the March 14 episode of Smackdown Live, with WWE announcing it was due to snow. Ranallo then excused his subsequent absences and said he was dealing with sickness before the topic was dropped entirely.
Later in the month, Ranallo tweeted and thanked fans for supporting him during his long-term bipolar disorder and depression.
“I’m deeply touched by your tweets of support,” he said in a tweet from March 24. “My doctor wants me to stay off social media for now, but I wanted to thank you.”
JBL denies bullying Ranallo, but previous history isn’t putting him in the best light.
On June 12, 2005, WWE put on a pay-per-view called “ECW One Night Stand,” which was a tribute show to former wrestling organization Extreme Championship Wrestling. Many older wrestlers had issues with the ECW talent, including JBL. During the show’s closing moments, a large, scripted brawl took place. JBL was seen targeting wrestler Brian Heffron, then known as The Blue Meanie, and delivering stiff punches into his skull, leaving him bloody and wobbling in the ring.
After the incident, Heffron posted about the incident on his Myspace page, saying, “It’s no secret that Bradshaw never liked me from my first day in the WWE to my last.”
Another incident in 2008 saw JBL getting punched in the face during a WWE tour of Iraq for U.S. soldiers. According to reports from Bleacher Report and Rolling Stone’s Jason Solomon, then-commentator Joey Styles was reportedly fed up with Bradshaw’s harassment during the trip and took matters into his own hands.
During a radio interview with Right After Wrestling in 2010, JBL himself mentioned that he hazed new wrestlers during his tenure with the company.
“A lot of people want to talk about me and my hazing,” JBL said. “Yes, I did. I make no apologies about it whatsoever. When I started, guys were hazed, and for good reason. They wanted to know that in a riot, which we had a few back in the day, were you going to be on the side of the boys or the fans?”
He went on to say that today’s WWE does not have a hazing culture. However, he wouldn’t apologize for what he did, saying it helped new wrestlers be initiated into the group.
School cliques, companies or sports teams shouldn’t have bullying or any sort of malicious acts be a stepping stone for acceptance. As far as I can tell, JBL has never been disciplined for any of his actions at any point.
WWE as a company created and promoted an anti-bullying initiative called “Be a Star,” which encourages “positive methods of social interaction and encourages people to treat others as equals and with respect,” according to the company’s website. If JBL is truly involved with the bullying culture WWE has, then they need to take action.
Instead, the situation may be taking a worse turn as the April 14 issue of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that WWE is initializing settlement talks with Ranallo and his representatives to stay silent on the issue. While no settlement has been confirmed at this time, JBL’s antics go against everything WWE’s campaign stands for. Ranallo’s contract expires in mid-August this year and it seems highly unlikely that WWE fans will ever hear him call wrestling matches again.
(04/18/17 1:10am)
By Michael Battista
By now, most of the world has heard about last week’s United Airlines Flight 3411 fiasco in which a passenger was forcibly removed from his seat by Chicago Department of Aviation security officers because the flight was overbooked.
After no passengers volunteered to leave their seat in exchange for $800 in vouchers, including one for a hotel room, the plane’s crew then turned to a computer, which randomly selected four passengers using a variety of factors.
Dr. David Dao, who’s from Elizabethtown, Ky., refused to give up his seat after being picked. His removal by extreme force, including having his head slammed into an armrest, was captured on video by multiple passengers and went viral over the next few days.
United Airlines is now going through one of the biggest public relations disasters I’ve ever seen an air travel company go through. Stock prices are falling, backlashes are breaking out online and more stories critical of the airline are all fueling this fire.
Companies need to learn that passengers aren’t just names filling up seats or buying products, they are actual people.
“For a long time, airlines, United in particular, have bullied us,” said Thomas A. Demetrio, Dao’s lawyer during a press conference on April 13. “Are we going to just continue to be treated like cattle?”
No video evidence shows Dao resisting or being violent with the officers, so I can’t fathom a single reason why the amount of force used on him was applied. Demetrio also claimed his client suffered a “serious broken nose, injury to the sinuses,” a concussion and may require reconstructive surgery.
It’s fairly obvious Dao sustained a head injury, not only from the blood pouring from his face and splattered on the plane, but the fact that he ran back onto the flight somehow and began yelling “I need to go home” before collapsing.
Worse than that is the actual disregard for Dao that came from within the company itself in the incident’s aftermath. United’s CEO Oscar Munoz sent an email out to employees a day after the incident, claiming his staff “followed established procedures” and Dao was being “disruptive and belligerent,” according to CNBC.
In a way, I can respect Munoz standing up for his employees. Too many times I have seen employers throw employees under the bus for either doing their job or for being in a lose-lose situation. To be fair, no United employee did anything wrong during the altercation — it was police that escalated the situation and injured Dao.
But claiming Dao was being belligerent for not wanting to give up his seat is incredibly dumb. The video shows Dao trying to explain that as a doctor, he needed to get back to Louisville.
While no one deserves to be treated the way Dao was, it is still important to realize that Dao wasn’t fully in the right. An airline company has the authority to pull passengers from their plane, and Dao really should have followed instructions.
Airlines overbook flights because it’s smart and cost effective. It allows planes to factor out passengers who miss flights for whatever reason and keep planes full. A YouTube video from Wendover Productions explains in more detail why airlines overbook.
It and also says Chicago O’Hare is one of United Airline’s hubs, meaning flight connections happen there regularly.
“A large percentage of the passengers taking a flight from Chicago connect from another flight and, since one-quarter of U.S. domestic flights arrive late, many people miss connections,” the video explains.
The flight in question needed to make room for employees traveling to Louisville in order to work a flight out of that area. United should put their employees over customers if they want smooth service. A passenger usually can handle being delayed and find another flight, while an employee needs to be on the flight they are scheduled to work.
So, in the end, both sides are wrong, but United and the Chicago officers are the one who are expected to be more professional. They are expected to respect and care for the people who do business with them everyday.
United also could have made an exception to their computer’s choice, or possibly booked him on another flight with another company in order to get him home or to work quicker, as well. If he truly did have to leave and wasn’t obeying the company’s orders, then yes, he can be forced off.
Still, any force that gives a man that many injuries without any obvious resistance is going way too far, and ample punishment in the form of a lawsuit should be taken up.
Students share opinions around campus
“Did United handle the overbooking situation fairly?”
“The video looked terrible, but the worst thing was overbooking the plane in the first place.”
“No, he rightfully had a spot on the plane. There could’ve been a less forceful way to go about it.”
(04/11/17 6:32am)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo announced his retirement on April 4 after 12 seasons in the NFL.
After hearing the news, I wasn’t exactly sure how to feel. As a Giants fan, should I be happy that the old enemy is finally retiring? Should I be sad that the guy who notoriously chokes under pressure or gets hurt midway through the season is giving someone better a chance?
As a player, Romo has always been average with spurts of greatness. In his first full season in 2006, Romo led the league in average passing yards with 8.6. In 2007, he lead Dallas to a 13-3 record and the NFC East title while throwing a career high 36 touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro-Bowl four times and was known as one of the best fourth quarter quarterbacks in the league — during the regular season.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo announced his retirement (envato elements).
For all of his accomplishments, Romo had just as many faults that never eluded him. In his second game against the Giants on Oct. 23, 2006, he had a huge opportunity to make an impact after then-Dallas starter Drew Bledsoe was taken out of the game due to a poor first half.
Romo’s first throw was intercepted by the Giants and was one of three interceptions during the game, including a pick-six. He passed for 14 of 25 and earned 227 yards while throwing two touchdowns in the loss, 36-22.
Romo’s career was filled with multiple instances of coming up short after making it so far. In 2006, he led the team to the first playoff round against the Seattle Seahawks.
He gave the Cowboys the lead through most of the game, before Seattle came back to make it 21-20 with more than two minutes remaining. Romo led the team to Seattle’s eight-yard line on fourth down, where a field goal would win them the game.
At this time, Romo still served the team as a holder during kicks and all he needed to do was catch the ball and allow kicker Martin Gramatica to execute the field goal. Instead, he botched the snap and was tackled after trying to run the ball into the endzone. The Cowboys would end up losing the game.
This was the origin of Romo’s choking nature. During his career, Romo would only win two playoff games out of a total six.
Then there were a lot of injuries. During his career, Romo suffered several injuries that took him out for varying amounts of time.
There was the broken right pinkie finger in 2008, when he missed the playoffs and the Cowboys went 1-2 to finish the season without him. He broke his left collarbone in 2010 against the Giants, and he ruptured a disk in 2013, which caused him to miss a winner-takes-all game against the Philadelphia Eagles, in which his team lost.
He had two transverse process fractures in 2014, followed by breaking his left collarbone twice the next season in 2015.
Finally, he suffered a compression fracture in his L1 vertebra in 2016, allowing rookie quarterback Dak Prescott to take the league by storm in Romo’s absence.
So, in the end, who is Romo? He’s an average player whose name was universally known throughout the league with greats like former-Denver quarterback Peyton Manning and Brady. Fans knew Romo and they worried about which version of him their team would be facing. Would he be the player who could pinpoint hail mary’s to win close games or would he be the guy to take a bad hit, fumble the ball and be out for a few games?
He’s almost like a opposite version of Eli Manning, who also joined the league in 2004. Both are known for their late game heroics when it comes to comeback wins, but Manning could do it beyond November. Both of them have struggled in the first round of the playoffs, with both only getting past the opening round twice.
In contrast to Romo always losing in the second round, Manning went all the way to win a Super Bowl ring — twice! Both players had to deal with polarizing defensive teams during their careers. However, Manning has earned a reputation for being durable and taking hard hits before getting back up, while Romo endured career-ending hits.
Romo is now leaving the football field for the broadcasters booth, joining CBS as a color commentator alongside the legendary Jim Nantz. It’s going to be nice having someone who’s fresh off the field to call games, especially since Romo’s played against so many of the teams he’ll be watching.
As a football fan, it’s nice to see such a recognizable and talented player continue to work in the league in a new role. But as a typical Giants fan, it’s nice he finally figured out the NFL is too tough and is now taking a job to commentate on players who might actually win a Super Bowl.
(04/04/17 7:51am)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
Months of buildup from WWE culminated on Sunday, April 2, at its biggest show of the year, Wrestlemania 33, in Orlando, Fla. While the show started off with big matches and tremendous moments, I became increasingly disappointed as the seven-hour event went on.
From the pre-show at 5 p.m. until midnight, Wrestlemania 33 featured many matches that were perfectly delivered to the sold-out Citrus Bowl crowd, however, there were many letdowns and boring moments that took away from the excitement.
The pre-show matches of the night accomplished what they are supposed to: energize the crowd. The cruiserweight championship bout between Austin Aries and defending champion Adrian Neville helped show what the underutilized high flyers could do. With Monday Night Raw only giving cruiserweights about five-minute matches, the short showing put both wrestlers on a pedestal for the fans.
The “Andre the Giant” Memorial Battle Royal was a great way for 33 wrestlers to take part in the show. New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski helping young wrestler Mojo Rawley win the match was a nice way to get starpower into the event. Rawley’s victory in the battle royale also helped turn the crowd in his favor.
When the main show started, the crowd was treated with four back-to-back matches. The U.S. Title match was a 15-minute clinic of athleticism and storytelling. My favorite moments were Kevin Owens yelling lines like “Did that hurt? Like when I stabbed you the back?” at Chris Jericho or reaching for the bottom rope with just his index finger. He showed why he is the best heel on the main roster.
The loudest reaction of the night came during the tag team match with Matt and Jeff Hardy returning to WWE for the first time since 2010. The original match pitting champions Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows against the tag teams of Claudio “Cesaro” Castagnoli and Stephen “Sheamus” Farrelly, and New Jersey-native Enzo Amore and Big Cass was amazing. Adding the hottest free-agents in the wrestling industry to a ladder match was one heck of a way to spike interest. While I wanted Enzo and Cass to win, I hope to see the Hardy Boyz continue their “Broken” personas in WWE.
Two of the last three matches of the night went under six minutes each. The night ended on a disappointing note for wrestling fans watching around the world. Roman Reigns against The Undertaker was down right sad to watch. The Undertaker is 52 years-old at this point and his body can’t endure hard impacts. Seeing Reigns hit him with spear after spear, trying to put him away — it was harder to watch Reigns kick The Undertaker for the final blow.
Even Reign’s hesitation to finish off the legend was impressive to watch. After he finally laid down for the three count, WWE had to lower the volume of the microphones that picked up crowd reaction to silence the fans’ boos. The Undertaker laid on his back after Reigns left before sitting up and leaving his trademark gloves, coat and hat in the middle of the ring before slowly walking up the entrance way.
It may be the last match of his historic career and Undertaker went out in a very old school way.
Overall, Wrestlemania 33 was a B+ show as it started off with incredible matches, but seemed to give its payoff early. In the middle of the show, Seth Rollins vs. Triple H suffered greatly from fan fatigue since it ran longer than 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, John Cena actually proposed to his girlfriend in the middle of the ring after their win.
If both the Smackdown and Raw shows had their own events for these feuds, with as much buildup as they had, the overall payoffs could have been much better. But everything shoved together into a seven-hour “thrill ride,” as WWE advertised, meant the show sometimes dragged on. It still delivered a lot of impactful moments, though, which can be replayed on their own for future enjoyment.
(03/28/17 5:08am)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
After a grueling two-week tournament that spanned the globe in both venues and competing teams, the United States stood tall as baseball’s World Champions on Wednesday, March 22, after defeating Puerto Rico, 8-0, in the World Baseball Classic final.
I’m not going to lie and say I watched every game of the event, though, I did wake up at 5 a.m. a few times to watch teams like Australia, Israel and the Netherlands during the group stages.
This tournament was a mix of god awful games, nail biters and great stories. A team like China, which has competed in every World Baseball Classic since the tournament’s start, earned only a single run during its time and gave up 24 runs all together.
Then teams like Chinese Taipei lost all three of its games, but it wasn’t because of the bats. The team scored 20 runs over three games in high scoring battles. Ultimately, the team’s pitching was its entire downfall. It may have been bad baseball in a traditionalist view of the game, but it was fun to watch those early group stage battles.
Team USA pitcher Danny Duffy told USA Today that seeing every different matchup and playing type was the best part of watching the tournament after his team won.
“That’s what made this tournament so fun, watching everyone having their different style,” Duffy said.
Going back to Team USA — it’s about time that it stood at the top of the mountain. In an article for The Signal, I talked about how American professional sports teams call themselves “World Champions” even though it seems undeserved. I mentioned how U.S. baseball teams especially can’t hold that title, but it’s nice to finally say the title has been earned.
For the past three tournaments in 2006, 2009 and 2013, Team USA could only muster a fourth-place finish. Team USA and MLB didn’t care about the tournament at all, even when all-time greats like Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey Jr. took part. Nothing Team USA did seemed to matter over the might of nations like Japan, South Korea or the Dominican Republic.
Team USA didn’t win with an all-star lineup, much like the legendary 1980 United States men’s national ice hockey team. It won with young talent who had fun being there. When Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim center fielder and New Jersey-native Mike Trout turned down an offer to play for the team, some fans seemed worried that other big time players would follow suit. Why should they waste time with an international tournament that takes away from spring training and wouldn’t be broadcasted on prime time television? The tournament was only available on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.
But the players in the tournament — which did include a fair amount of major league talent such as San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey and Baltimore Orioles centerfielder Adam Jones — came together more than I’ve seen some major league teams do. They topped teams like Japan, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico where their international talent has been on display in MLB and baseball is massively popular.
They may have secured the best record after the tournament ended, but they won when it mattered. Team USA was able to silence Japan and Puerto Rico in the Championship round with solid pitching and clutch hitting.
But I don’t think this is just about talent. Major League Baseball has been lacking in the fun category in the past few years. Players are told to not flip bats, admire home runs and overly celebrate after making a great play in the outfield. Excessive celebration wasn’t a problem in the World Baseball Classic and made games more fun to watch.
During the Championship, pitcher Marcus Stroman had a no-hitter going into the seventh inning against Puerto Rico. Ultimately, his 73 pitch performance earned him the Most Valuable Player award. During the game, after he retired the Puerto Rican side and headed back to his dugout, cameras caught him doing a little shimmy dance. It’s this sort of dumb, fun move that makes me like players.
“Sometimes you’ve just got to be yourself out there, you know,” Stroman said in an interview with MLB Network after the win.
That’s the sort of mentality major league baseball needs if it wants to bring people back into the game. Instead of following unwritten rules that say how players need to act during situations, just let them be themselves and celebrate if they want, especially without the fear of being hit by a 90 mph fastball during their next at-bat as retaliation.
I truly hope that we can see Team USA put on another great display in four years. Sure, I hope it wins with a more exciting and nail-biting title game. Almost in a World Cup-like fashion, I hope fans go into the 2021 tournament with excitement after hearing about this one. Maybe interest in the sport and tournament will increase in this country, as a result.
(03/21/17 5:22am)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
I got an early gift on March 13, one day before my birthday: I was brought to the ice at Madison Square Garden for a few photos after that night’s Rangers game
The visit was a thank-you gift from the Rangers organization to my father for being a season ticket holder since 1978. He also received a custom jersey with the name “Battista” on it and the number 78, a few weeks back during another special ceremony. His season ticket holder representative allowed him, my brother Joseph and I to come for a game during spring break and get a few minutes on the ice.
There’s few places I hold in higher regard than Madison Square Garden in New York City. It’s called “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” and I think it’s earned that mantra over the years. I can honestly say it’s my favorite place to watch a hockey or basketball game.
When you step into the building, you feel the history all around you. You see moments and memorabilia thanks to tributes and plaques scattered around the arena. When I was younger, I took places like Madison Square Garden, the original Yankees Stadium and Giants Stadium for granted.
It wasn’t until after I was older, after the latter two places were replaced by bigger and newer stadiums, that I realized how much these details mattered.
I have been lucky enough to stand on the grass at Metlife Stadium during the Non-Public Schools Group 4 Championship game between St. Peter’s Prep, my alma mater, and Paramus Catholic in 2013. The same turf on which Super Bowl XLVIII would be played, wide receiver Victor Cruz came to his own and former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin would coach his last game — the operative word in most of those moments being “would,” as I still hadn’t really adopted the stadium as my own at that point.
I hadn’t made my memories with it, but it was still an incredible night. Up until this point, I didn’t think I’d reach that same sort of experience until I found a job as a sports journalist. I couldn’t help but remember stories my 98-year-old grandfather had told me about being able to leave the original Yankee Stadium after games by walking across the outfield when he was younger. He and my late grandmother were able to walk across the same grass some of the most iconic baseball players in the history of the game, like catcher Yogi Berra or center fielder Joe DiMaggio, had just played on before their eyes.
In today’s world, where security guards keep a close eye on fans and professionally trained crews make meticulous changes to a field or rink so it meets established standards, it’s nearly impossible to imagine this sort of event even happening for any sport. I’ve grown up watching hockey players come and go. I’ve sat in the upper seats in Madison Square Garden for most of my life, section 423 and now section 211, post renovations, and I’ve seen these men glide along the ice back and forth. It’s was only once I got right next to the glass toward the end of the game that I truly realized I’d been watching giants my whole life from above.
The clock struck zero and the Rangers 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning was final. The players exited the ice, leaving my family and other groups waiting to head onto it. It wasn’t as slippery as I thought it would be, which was a relief after the MSG legal team had me sign a waiver that kept me from suing in case of injury. I stepped onto the same ice that I’d watched so many times from high above.
The memories came back at me, some good and some bad.
This is where I saw former Ranger greats like centerman Mark Messier, defenseman Harry Howell and right-wing Andy Bathgate get their numbers raised to the rafter.
This is where I watched left-wing Chris Kreider score and tie the Montreal Canadiens at 2 with 30 seconds left in regulation during Game 3 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Final, resulting in me nearly choking my brother from the force in which I wrapped my arms around his neck. This was the ice where I saw the Rangers collapse during the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals and fall 2-0 to the Lighting in Game 7.
This was the ice that had brought me countless memories, both tears of joy and sorrow as well as expletives of why the Rangers couldn’t take advantage of power play situations and so much more. It may have only been for a minute or two for the photo, but it’s one of the best experiences of my life thus far.
I’ve stepped on the same ground as the giants who shoot down the ice and whose names I’ve worn across my back for years. I didn’t have to do it as a sports journalist, where emotions and favorites are suppose to be checked at the door. I got to do it as a fan and really enjoy the moment. After we finished the photos, I saw my brother kneel down and run his hand across the ice as he walked toward the exit. I was standing near one of the faceoff circles and for a moment, I stood where centers Derek Stepan or Kevin Hayes would before challenging the other team for a faceoff.
I kneeled down and put my hand on the dot for a few seconds. I couldn’t help but look up at section 211, seat 9 and pretend to see a screaming fan hoping to win the draw. I smiled and walked off, taking with me the memories and the ice on my hand, knowing I had walked where the giants had.
(03/20/17 11:26pm)
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
The Women’s and Gender Studies Department kicked off Women’s History Month on March 8 with a lecture entitled “Tweet Storm: The Rise of Trump, the Mainstreaming of White Nationalism and the Real Threat to Building just and Sustainable Communities.”
Jessie Daniels, a sociology professor at Hunter College and sociology and psychology professor at The Graduate Center, CUNY, led the event, which fell on International Women’s Day, and discussed the rise and sustained presence of white nationalism in sustainable, non-racially or sexually segregated communities within the country.
As the first part of the event’s title suggests, Daniels looked back at the election of President Donald J. Trump. Later that week, for example, white supremacists like Richard Spencer, of the now famous “Nazi Punch” video, were heard chanting and shouting phrases like “Hail Trump!”
This sort of rise to power was aided by Trump’s use of false, racially biased statistics on topics such as black-on-black crime in the U.S. and murder rates by other minorities, according to Daniels. She said false information like these statistics led Dylann Roof to shoot up a church in Charleston, S.C., in 2015 because he felt black people “were raping our women.”
“People’s lives are at stake because of these kinds of false statistics,” Daniels said.
In an interview with The Signal, Daniels said she hoped the audience understood that Trump is an example of modern white supremacy from her presentation.
“I wanted to talk about how the current president is really an example of something that I’ve been studying for a long time,” Daniels said. “I’ve been studying white supremacy’s various manifestations, in print and online, and one of my main arguments is that white supremacists’ rhetoric is very connected to the mainstream of political discourse, and in many ways Trump is exhibit A of what I’ve been talking about for 25 years.”
To help understand how this all came about in the U.S., Daniels used the example of a woman at an Alt-Right meeting who was interviewed by journalists. The woman, named Emily, said she hated herself after reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” for a school project.
“‘I hated myself my whole life because I was white, ever since I was 11 years old and the guilt was just piling on,’” Daniels read off her powerpoint, quoting Emily.
This all changed, however, once she learned about white nationalism: The idea that white people are their own race and have their own white national identity. The guilt went away and she became more empowered.
Daniels used examples from her books “White Lies” (1997) and “Cyber Racism” (2009) that further explained the phenomenon. She said that over time, white nationalism disguised itself and found residence within the mainstream. Some believe that white nationalism is gendered down to it’s core beliefs, but remains similar enough to mainstream rhetoric about race and gender.
She defined terms such as white nationalism and white supremacy, and helped connect it to things people may see in everyday life such as the role of women as mothers or men as the breadwinners.
Daniels said male white supremacists see others, including white women, in roles that are not as crucial to the workforce. They believe white men built the country while women were building the family among other smaller tasks.
As this ideology has grown, the news media has been able to bring in viewers from examining and showing off these ideas, according to Daniels. Appearances of white supremacists on shows such as Geraldo Rivera’s talk show and replays of racially charged messages from Trump’s rallies have helped TV networks’ ratings.
“‘It may not be good for America, but it's damn good for CBS,’” Daniels said, quoting CBS Chairman Les Moonves.
Daniels said this tactic allows the media to appear that they are not white supremacists.
“What news media is doing there is they’re distancing themselves both from the white supremacists and from Geraldo,” Daniels said. “And what that does is it lets news media… off the hook when it comes to examining their own white supremacy.”
As this integration has become more commonplace, so has hate speech within the public eye. Some websites, which Daniels labeled “cloaked websites,” are able to trick web viewers into visiting by appearing to provide information they want. In reality, the site only contains hate-induced propaganda that may undermine racial and social accomplishments that the U.S. has achieved over the last century, according to Daniels.
Websites like martinlutherking.org, which is hosted by the white nationalist forum stormfront.org, help move the idea that there are “two sides to every story,” Daniels said. That is the ultimate goal of white supremacists — to have their voices heard.
As the presentation went on, Daniels answered questions from the crowd, and the ideas circulating still proved this is a major issue.
“I think it’s important because… I think people’s lives are at stake,” Daniels said. “When the policies of our government are based on this entrenched system of white supremacy, then people die because of it, and it’s not a random distribution of people in the population that die — it’s disproportionately people of color, it’s immigrants, it’s poor people.
“And that’s part of what Trump’s policies are enacting,” she added. “That system of white supremacy where, again, we have white people systematically benefitting and people who are racialized as other (are) systematically at a disadvantage. And there’s something inherently wrong with that, and we have to pay attention to it.”
(03/07/17 2:56am)
Michael Battista
Staff Writer
Two weeks ago, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban made a decision that wasn’t in his playbook. It wasn’t proposing a trade that would elevate his NBA team out of the lower levels of the Western Conference nor was it funding some wacky invention or company on ABC’s “Shark Tank.”
He went out and decided what was news and what wasn’t.
Bleacher Report posted a tweet on Feb. 24 with a GIF showing forward Dirk Nowitzki messing up a shot attempt. The caption with the tweet read “DIRK FOREVER” and fit in with the website’s usual postings. These types of quick-hit content that convey an emotional message — be it humor, sadness or respect — are common in the sports world.
Cuban didn’t find the tweet amusing. Being a calm, rational owner of a million dollar sports franchise, he did what he deemed to be an appropriate response — bully the owner of the website to take down the post.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban made a decision that wasn’t in his playbook (envato elements).
In an email sent to David Levy, president of Turner, which owns Bleacher Report, Cuban eloquently titled the message “Are you fucking kidding me?” He said he “expected an apology” before criticizing the website’s social media team.
Levy responded, saying his team does what it can to reach a millennial audience. Bloopers like Nowitzki’s and other quick content are perfect for that.
Cuban disagreed, saying he could communicate with the millennials and would do so if the tweet wasn’t taken down immediately. All of these messages were CC’d by Cuban to Adam Silver, the current NBA commissioner, and were later tweeted out to the public by the owner himself.
The offending tweet was removed not long after, and the website released a follow up tweet saying how much of a legend Nowinski is.
To use the owner’s exact words, I’d like to ask, “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Cuban doesn’t get to decide what is news nor does he decide who is capable of creating content for a website. While it’s a stretch to say he’s acting like Joseph Stalin or Kim Jong-Un — as some have been doing over the past few days — the fact is telling journalists what to say and do is exactly how news stops being news.
It becomes what those in power want you to hear and not the truth. It becomes advertizing and not storytelling.
Why can Cuban throw his weight around and get away with this? The incident proved he can act like a thin-skinned crybaby, whining until he gets what he wants. If he doesn’t, he threatens the company by turning their own audience against them. I can’t say if this would have worked or not, but threatening people’s jobs over an air ball is stupid.
Maybe I’m overreacting, right? What does a guy who tweets GIFs for Bleacher Report have to do with quality journalism? This isn’t the type of content that garners Pulitzer Prizes. It’s not like a president is telling a newspaper to not release files they deem too important. But then again most news isn’t.
“The strategy is simple. Fans tell us what they want and we create, curate and deliver the content they are seeking,” a part of Bleacher Report’s mission statement reads. “Regardless of market size, our robust staff of featured columnists and breaking-news writers across the country work around the clock delivering only the sports news and topics that fans care about — all in real-time.”
Fans decide what is newsworthy and what isn’t, not Cuban. Fans decide what they want to see and how they want to respond to it. If the people who had the most money got to determine who was criticized in the sports world, I don’t think readers would see as much hate for the New York Yankees or New England Patriots.
Cuban tried to clear the air by reaching out to Dallas SportsDay a few days later.
“I (couldn’t) care less about the video,” Cuban told Dallas SportsDay. “It was the caption that made it disrespectful. When it was up, there wasn’t a single reply saying it was funny. Just the opposite. Did you laugh? Find anyone who did? Aren’t blooper reels supposed to be funny?
“No one is saying I missed the humor,” he added. “They are just commenting about my being adamant about it coming down. Sometimes humor attempts go wrong. This was an example of an attempt gone wrong.”
No, it wasn’t. Sometimes people don’t like a joke. The only difference here is that I can’t swing my college tuition bill around and see whatever was bothering me disappear. I need to get over it and so should Cuban. With everything going on in the world today, especially with Cuban’s own disdain for President Donald Trump, it shocks me that he’d pull a move out of Trump’s playbook.
The only playbook he should be using is the one for his team, which, in any case, needs reworking as the Dallas offense is currently sitting at the bottom of the league in both points-per game and total points, according to ESPN.