1000 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(03/04/14 6:00am)
In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” George Tatoris, asks our expert panel three questions: how will the Sochi Olympics be remembered in years to come, should Carmelo Anthony stay on the Knicks for more money or leave New York to win a title, and is Derek Jeter’s retirement as big a deal as Mariano Rivera’s retirement was for non-Yankees fans?
1. Now that the Sochi Winter Olympics are over, how will they be remembered in the years to come?
Peter: These Olympics will mostly be remembered as a cautionary tale to future hosts about preparation, as Russia’s significant inadequacies overshadowed what was a pretty dull event sportswise. Nothing captured America’s or the world’s imagination, which is the barometer for a good international sports event — see the 2010 World Cup — and there were a lot of disappointments from a U.S. perspective. Instead, we’ll remember how the $51 billion spent on having the Olympics did more harm than good for the host: Russia couldn’t keep its shortcomings out of the limelight, as shoddy buildings and services for journalists and athletes, a frightening hacker presence and oppressive government policies — including against homosexuals and free speech advocates — reminded everyone why Russia is such an undesirable place to live. Sochi 2014 was a dud.
Mike: Oh, they’ll be remembered all right — if only for all the mishaps we saw surrounding these Olympics. Most Olympics do not feature athletes getting repeatedly stuck in bathrooms, fireworks mishaps and the dozens of other funny and strange stories that came out of the Games, and the lesser conditions we saw in Sochi will surely be brought up again in future Olympic years — especially when hearing bids from Russian cities. We’ll also remember these Olympics for the strange media mishaps, where the results graphics displayed the wrong flags next to winning countries, and for the heartwarming stories of Olympians rescuing the many stray dogs wandering the city’s streets. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that Americans will remember the actual results of the Games very well, with the possible exceptions of recalling how both of our hockey teams collapsed in the medal rounds and remembering this as the year Shaun White finally stopped being the best in his field. These Olympic Games didn’t bring many fond memories for the American team, but they will definitely be remembered for other, less noble reasons.
Matt: The Sochi Olympics will be remembered for being fairly uneventful. And that is a very good thing. With all of the talk of terror threats leading up to the games and Russia’s anti-gay policies, the games could have been a disaster. Thankfully, there were no incidents in Sochi. Well, besides events being postponed because of fog, athletes getting trapped in bathrooms and elevators, hotels not being fully ready for use, and drinking water that was a dark brown color, that is.
Mike wins for bringing up the failures of Olympic organizers, Peter gets 2 points for bringing up the failures of the U.S. , and Matt gets 1 point for bringing up the failures of terrorists.
2. Carmelo Anthony is at a crossroads. Should he stay on the Knicks, his contract would guarantee him more money in the long run, but the poor performance of the team gives him little chance to win a championship. Should professional athletes care more about the money or about winning championships?
Peter: As soon as a player shows that winning a championship has become second fiddle to anything, including money, they are not doing their job as a professional athlete. It’s hard to get excited about your team winning a Larry O’Brien Trophy your team doesn’t want to win. Only the excitement generated by NBA players and fans make the trophy coveted like it is, and without that, people will lose interest altogether and the league will hurt as a result. Anthony has already made enough money to guarantee his grandkids will be rich men and women. He should do his job, justify the fans’ interest and go for a title with a team outside of New York.
Mike: I think there are two different answers to that question. For the majority of professional athletes, namely the younger players and those who have never been superstars, caring more about money is the wise choice. It doesn’t matter all that much to a career role player how many titles he’s brought home if he goes broke within five years of retirement. But the big players like Anthony have already earned tons of money during their careers. I think those players, if they care about their professional legacies, should care more about winning titles than they do about their contracts. For Melo specifically, it’s a tough situation — he always wanted to play in New York, he’s making the most money he could possibly make there with both his actual contract and endorsements and his family loves him playing there. This would make it a lot tougher for him to leave and sign elsewhere, and his only real shot at a title is to become someone else’s second banana, which I don’t think Anthony would be OK with.
Matt: Anthony should strongly consider leaving the Knicks in the offseason. The Knicks are a disaster right now, and will be again next year. With huge contracts for Amar’e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler and Andrea Bargnani, the Knicks will have no cap space to spend if he re-signs. The team that is drastically underperforming this year will have almost the same exact look next year. Anthony has said he is willing to take less money to return to N.Y. so another top free-agent can sign with the Knicks in the 2015 offseason, but why would elite players want to join such a dysfunctional organization such as the Knicks? Winning championships should be more important to Anthony — and all professional athletes for that matter — than the money, and if he re-signs with the Knicks, he may never win a championship. Anthony should take the LeBron approach, and take his talents to a team like Chicago or the Lakers — both teams that are unloading players and salary in hopes of getting two top-tier players.
Matt wins for saying the Knicks suck, Mike gets 2 points for distinguishing between veterans and rookies, and Peter gets one point for bringing up the importance of fans’ excitement.
3. Derek Jeter will be playing his final season in the coming months. Should he be honored in every city like teammate Mariano Rivera was last season or should Jeter go out with less spectacle?
Peter: Jeter will leave the MLB with less spectacle, through no fault of his own. The MLB goodbye tours have been overdone for a while now, especially as Rivera’s own season of sentimentality was only a year ago. A lot of people were bored with these tours before the end of Rivera’s tenure, and Rivera was a better athlete than Jeter. He was convincingly the best player at his position of all time, a genuine once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, whereas Jeter has just been a great baseball player. More importantly, no one wants to see “Jeter Day” on the Sportscenter sidebar every time Jeter visits a new stadium for the last time — “Jeter says goodbye to Fenway!” is one more sappy farewell story I don’t need to hear. Jeter has been a fantastic professional and he deserves to be remembered as one of the great players of his generation, but I will appreciate him a lot more in the future if his last season goes relatively quietly in the news.
Mike: Should he be? That’s highly debatable — while Jeter is one of the very few athletes I’d put in the same near-universally-respected category as Rivera, I would also argue that Jeter did less for the sport of baseball overall than Rivera did. His contributions to the Yankees specifically were probably greater, so I think that the N.Y. organizations and fans should and will do much more for his final year than they did to honor Mo, but as he didn’t really impact that rest of the cities as much as Rivera did, I don’t think they should give Jeter all the ceremonies that they honored the closer with. Jeter has definitely earned a standing ovation during his last at-bat in each ballpark this year — which I’m sure he’ll get, and perhaps a little more from the Red Sox — but I don’t think he should get more than that. I also think that Rivera’s sendoff last season was so much fun and came with so much good publicity for the league and the individual teams that Jeter will get much the same treatment.
Matt: MLB will be losing the face of the league after this season. Derek Jeter will retire and will most certainly be honored at every park he visits this season. I do not believe he should get the league-wide send-off that Mariano Rivera received last year, though. Great everyday players like Jeter come around once every generation, but there will never be another closer on Rivera’s level. Rivera dominated the league for nearly two decades, en route to setting a nearly-unbreakable record for most career saves. He was the greatest closer to ever play baseball. On the other hand, Jeter will go down as an all-time Yankee great, but what he has accomplished over his career will be seen again. Mike Trout in Anaheim is already turning heads for his numbers after just two seasons. Unlike Rivera, Jeter’s accomplishments and records will be broken.
Peter wins for pointing out the overdone-ness of player sendoffs, Matt gets 2 points for pointing out Rivera’s greatness, and Mike gets 1 point for saying the MLB will embellish it. Jeter’s farewell anyway for publicity.
Around the Dorm ends in a tie, 6-6-6
(02/25/14 6:00am)
In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Tom Kozlowski, asks our expert panel three questions: Should the NHL stop sending players to the Olympics as a result of injuries to players like John Tavares, is Sports Illustrated putting Barbie on the cover of its swimsuit edition a legitimate controversy, and if the Indiana Pacers are the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference.
1) The New York Islanders’ John Tavares, arguably the best player in hockey, suffered an injury at the Olympics, which will sideline him for the rest of the NHL season. Should the risk of injury at the Olympics keep the NHL from sending its players to the games, and if not, should the IOC compensate teams when players are injured?
Andrew: While the injury to John Tavares is unfortunate, there is no reason why the NHL should stop sending its players to future Olympics. While there is the possibility of getting hurt, this tournament is one of the only times where these athletes have the opportunity to represent their country. While winning the Stanley Cup is very challenging, the hockey players are given the chance to win that title each year. The main reason why NHL players should go to the Olympics, though, is because of longevity. It is well known that the Olympics happen every four years, but in fact, in a recent study, 54.7 percent of all NHL players retire before making it to their fifth season. From their standpoint, the players may only have one chance to play on an Olympic team, so they must do whatever they can to make it count.
Chrissy: I don’t believe the risk of injury should keep NHL players from participating in the Olympics because I think many players would be willing to risk themselves to compete in the Olympics. It’s truly an experience to compete in the Olympics and many NHL players are able to do so — it becomes a spectacle to watch different players play for different countries. The risk of injury is absolutely there, but I think the players should have the choice to decide to participate or not. I don’t think the NHL should prohibit it at all. If a player does not want to risk anything, then he can decide himself if he wants to go or not. Therefore, I don’t think it is the responsibility of the IOC to compensate teams when a player is injured because it was the player’s and the team’s choice in the first place to go, and they should be willing to accept the circumstances.
George: To say Olympic injuries are a threat to the NHL is to ignore the nature of hockey itself. Ice hockey is a violent sport, and injuries are inevitable in any venue. Washington Capitals center Mikhail Grabovski, for example, was out for two weeks after injuring his ankle in a recent Devils game. Long absences from injuries are commonplace in hockey, so why does it matter if the injury occurs during the Olympics? It’s not like there’s no risk out of the rink either — Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang suffered a stroke recently that had nothing to do with the sport he played. It’s all luck. What happened to Tavares could have happened to anyone, anywhere. At the same time, it’s entirely reasonable for the NHL to want money — the Olympics are borrowing the players that make them money, after all. It makes sense for the IOC to pay for what ends up being damaged under their care.
Andrew wins for using a variety of statistics, Chrissy gets 2 points for saying the Olympics are a great opportunity, and George gets 1 point for saying chance is a big injury factor.
2) Sports Illustrated is stirring up controversy again with its swimsuit issue, this time by putting Barbie on the cover. Is the backlash against one of sports’ biggest publications deserved, or is this a non-issue?
Andrew: The backlash is completely unnecessary, and, to be honest, it works in the favor of SI. While there are many complaints going around, this publicity stunt is only making people talk more about this reputable news outlet. In a time when magazines and newspapers are steadily on the decline, the media must do whatever it can to get ahead. The reason many people buy the swimsuit issue is to look at beautiful women. While the cover may be different, there are still pictures of models on the centerfold, making it a non-issue. SI is a business, and if it means that they have to put Barbie on the cover to sell more issues, then so be it.
Chrissy: I believe backlash against the Barbie issue of Sports Illustrated is well-deserved, because SI has chosen to put the fakest form of a woman to put on its cover. This is even worse than the scantily clad swimsuit models they put on there normally. Barbie is the oldest form of something that gives girls false expectations for themselves. She’s plastic and not proportional to what a real woman is supposed to be. I know young girls are not reading this magazine, but I still think it gives the wrong message to the world. Barbie has been criticized since her creation in the mid-1950s for giving girls false expectations, so I believe putting her on a magazine that normally has real women — albeit in perfect shape and ridiculously photo-shopped — would be offensive to many people and inadvertently sends the wrong message.
George: The controversy surrounding the Barbie cover is ill-founded: We should be praising the folks at SI for publishing such a progressive cover, not criticizing them. In all the years publishing has existed, not once has a doll been plastered on the cover of a publication that normally centers on humans. This is because dolls have always been labelled with demeaning terms like “different,” “creepy” and “not alive,” but not anymore. Now, the wall separating the animate and the inanimate has fallen, laid to waste by the progressive minds at SI. No longer will sentient beings be above the non-sentient. All will live and not live in equality. Today, it is dolls — tomorrow, it will be indefinite lumps of plastic — and the day after tomorrow, rocks.
George wins for saying SI is being progressive, Andrew gets 2 points for saying the controversy helps SI, and Chrissy gets 1 point for highlighting the negative impact of Barbies.
3. The Pacers made the biggest splash in the NBA on deadline day, improving their depth by acquiring small forward Evan Turner. Does Turner affect Indiana’s title odds, and, regardless, are the Pacers the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference?
Andrew: While the two-time defending champion Miami Heat are still the Eastern Conference favorites, the trade acquiring Evan Turner certainly helps the Pacers’ title chances. Although the Pacers have a strong starting five, they have struggled in the past to get their bench involved. The acquisition of Turner helps to solidify this problem by adding much-needed depth to Indiana’s roster. While the Pacers had to give up the talented Danny Granger to receive Turner, Indiana definitely made the smart move. As of late, Granger has been suffering from injuries and has not played to his fullest potential. By picking up the 76ers small forward, the Pacers are earning a more consistent and reliable player — ultimately giving them the best chance to take the title come June.
Chrissy: I believe Evan Turner does not necessarily affect Indiana’s title odds — though he will contribute heartily to it. The Indiana Pacers are currently leading their conference with a 43-13 record. They have emerged this season as the dominating team in the Eastern Conference and will continue to dominate if things keep going the way they have so far this season. Turner has been a vital aspect to the 76ers and will continue to step up for the Pacers. After playing in the league for only three years, he has been more than impressive, and Pacers fans should be excited that he is an addition to their team. Regardless of this acquisition, the Pacers are still favorites to win the Eastern Conference title because of the stellar play they have exhibited thus far. Turner will no doubt only add to their success, but they have been on the road to victory since the beginning of the season.
George: Evan Turner is a decent player, but he isn’t enough to tip the scales against the favored Miami Heat — at least not on his own. Where Turner is now, he makes an excellent bench starter, something the Pacers need if they want to score higher than the Heat, but they’ll need their entire team to pull together if they want to come out on top. And it’s not impossible for the Pacers to do that — after all, last season they performed admirably against the Heat in the Eastern Conference playoffs. For the Pacers to get out of the Eastern Conference, they all need to be on top of their game — not just Evan Turner.
Andrew wins for saying the Heat are still favorites, Chrissy gets 2 points for saying Turner will contribute, and George gets 1 point for saying Turner’s impact will be limited.
Andrew wins Around the Dorm, 8-5-5
(02/25/14 6:00am)
By Jake Cohen
Correspondent
The College’s men’s tennis team fell at home on Saturday, Feb. 22, to Babson College, 6-3, in what was the opener of the spring schedule for hosts.
The match had a promising start for the Lions (0-1), who walked away with two out of three possible points in doubles. At first doubles, the pairing of senior Howard Telson and sophomore Pierce Cooper came away with an 8-5 victory, while the combination of senior Gabe Allen and junior Andrew Grossman were able to pull out an 8-6 win at the number three doubles spot.
The visiting Beavers were able to dominate in singles, though, taking five of the available six points, with Pierce Cooper earning the sole point for the Lions at the second slot.
Cooper’s 6-2, 6-3 win made his day undoubtedly the most impressive by the Lions, as he was the only player to notch a win in both singles and doubles. Yet Pierce was quick to acknowledge the strong outings put forward by his teammates.
“We played a good team, but all of our guys competed well,” Cooper said.
While the Lions were unable to come out on top in the end, the match was bittersweet for Telson, who recorded his 50th career win at doubles. Pierce credited his win at first doubles to the experience of Telson. As noted by Cooper, Telson’s experience is a valuable asset for the team, but it is a strength that the young Lions are lacking.
“We are a young team with a lot of new starters,” Cooper said. “But I expect as the season goes on, we will gain more experience and we will see better results.”
The roster for the College boasts the additions of five freshmen, including starter Mike Stanley, who teams up with sophomore Dan Presuto at second doubles, in addition to owning the fifth slot for singles.
Like the roster of the Lions, the season is still young. While there are bound to be some growing pains throughout the year, the future for the squad looks to be promising.
The Lions continue their season with a home match on Saturday, March 1, against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, followed by another home match against Washington College on Sunday, March 2.
(02/18/14 6:00am)
In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Peter Fiorilla, asks our expert panel three questions: Will Michael Sam’s sexuality be a detriment to an NFL team if he is drafted, what has been the most exciting story out of the Winter Olympics this year, and should the New Jersey Devils consider trading the legendary Martin Brodeur for their push to make the playoffs?
1. Coming out took courage from NFL prospect Michael Sam, but many pundits are saying it will be a distraction for any team that drafts Sam. Could Sam’s sexuality be a distraction like Tim Tebow’s spirituality, and if so, how low in the draft will Sam fall because of it?
Gabe: Michael Sam’s decision to come out shouldn’t be a distraction, but we know it will be because the media will turn it into one. I don’t know that Tim Tebow’s spirituality can really be called a distraction in a country that is made up of as many Christians as the U.S. is. It’s not like there aren’t plenty of very religious players and coaches in the NFL who can probably relate to Tebow better than most players can relate to Michael Sam. Sam shouldn’t fall in the draft because of his decision to come out, but in a sport as violent and macho as football, it’s likely that some general managers who would’ve selected him prior to his coming out may allow the stereotypes about gays being soft to prevail in their minds — consciously or unconsciously — and, in turn, think twice about drafting him anymore.
Matt: If you turned on ESPN anytime during the past week, chances are you were bombarded with news of Michael Sam’s coming out. Michael Sam will be a distraction to an NFL locker room only if the media continues their nonstop coverage of him. Many NFL players have already showed their support for Sam on Twitter. The sentiment around the league is that as long as Sam can help the team win games, his sexuality doesn’t matter. Sam was a first-team All-American and voted the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Based on his stats and on-field production alone, Sam should be a mid-round draft pick. However, a handful of GMs have said they would not draft Sam. I do believe that coming out has hurt Sam’s draft stock. A bunch of rich old men are usually not the most progressive people in the world. In the end, some team will be more than happy to pick Sam in the draft, and they will be getting a terrific football player.
Tom: In the wake of Michael Sam’s bold act of self-definition, officials around the NFL have criticized Sam for ruining what might have been a higher draft pick, let alone a more stable career. Of course they’re right — no one in their right mind would prefer personal integrity or courage when they could be making bank. Why else does the NFL and its meatheaded brigade focus so much on salaries and sponsors? Anything about personal standards is a distraction. Ben Roethlisberger allegedly raped several women, but that No. 1 draft pick was clutch: 90 players have been arrested on DUI charges since 2007. These are our real athletic role models. Supporting the timing of Sam’s announcement or his relationship with a professional team would be mad emasculating, bro. Frankly, his character is just too dignified for a league so rabidly close-minded. Aaron Hernandez was only a fourth round draft pick? I thought he’d kill it.
Tom wins for saying criminals do just fine in the NFL, Gabe gets 2 points for highlighting the NFL’s “macho” culture, and Matt gets 1 point for saying GM’s aren’t progressive.
2. What has been the most exciting story at the Olympics this year?
Gabe: The most exciting thing at the Sochi Olympics has easily been men’s hockey. With so many evenly matched and talented teams, the level of hockey has been something else. Also, the United States pulled out an impressive shootout win against the hosting Russians on Saturday, and they’re looking at a potential semifinal matchup with Canada on Friday, which will be must-see TV. Hockey is also even more exciting this year because there’s a distinct possibility that this is the last Olympics for a while in which NHL players actually compete.
Matt: From an American standpoint, I think Lolo Jones has to be the most exciting part of the Sochi Olympics. Jones was one of the most popular athletes in the 2012 Summer Olympics, but after failing to medal in London, Jones decided to try her hand at bobsled. After months of hard work, Jones worked her way onto the Olympic team. She beat out women who worked their whole lives to get on that team, and Jones made it in less than four years. You have to respect her dedication and athleticism. To make it to the Olympics in two different sports is almost unheard of. In fact, Jones is only the 17th athlete to ever compete in both the winter and summer games since the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. It will be very interesting to see if Jones can finally get that medal.
Tom: Bobsledding. Definitely not the sport, though. U.S. bobsledder Johnny Quinn had to knock down the bathroom door to his Sochi hotel when he found himself trapped inside. The door, which appeared to have been jammed, was actually body-blocked by Vladimir Putin himself, attempting to prevent an American victory and destroy their international open-door policy. The KGB also refused to answer Quinn’s pleas to the surveillance camera installed in his shower head. Out of options, the bobsledder used his push training to punch a hole straight through the framework. But when Quinn discovered what lie outside his bathroom — an underdeveloped Russian wasteland of forged democracy, bigotry and no more Smirnoff — he calmly climbed back through the hole and remained inside until the Olympics were over.
Tom wins for Quinn’s bizarre but funny story, Gabe gets 2 points for mentioning the Americans’ hockey win, and Matt gets 1 point for highlighting Lolo Jones.
3. It’s been another dysfunctional season for the New Jersey Devils, whose goaltender controversy might end up with legend Martin Brodeur being traded. Should the Devils dump the iconic Brodeur, and will they be able to fix their issues in time to make the playoffs?
Gabe: Brodeur has already said it wouldn’t shock him if he does end up being traded. If they do decide to trade the man, myth and legend of Devils hockey, it will likely be in a deal that helps the Devils’ cap situation. The Devils are only a few points out of the final playoff spot right now, and less than 10 points separate them from Montreal, who are currently in fourth in the East, but given the fact that there are four other teams in the same boat as the Devils on the outside looking in, trying to claw their way into the playoff picture, at best I give the Devils a 25 percent shot of making it if they keep Brodeur.
Matt: The New Jersey Devils should absolutely trade Martin Brodeur. Yes, he will go down as perhaps the best goaltender of all time, but he is a liability to the Devils. At the 2013 NHL draft, the Devils traded for Cory Schneider, an up-and-coming goalie with incredible potential. This season, Schneider ranks in the top-10 in save percentage and goals against average among all NHL goalies. Meanwhile, Brodeur currently has a less-than-stellar .899 save percentage. The Devils coaching staff continues to give Brodeur starts, even though it is clear Schneider is better suited to help this team reach the playoffs. The Devils should see the opportunity to trade Brodeur as a gift. They could trade Brodeur to a team in playoff contention that needs goalie depth and give Brodeur a chance at winning one last Stanley Cup. In return, the Devils could look to get scoring help, which they desperately need in order to make a playoff push, as they are 27th in the league for goals scored per game. The Devils are only three points out of a wild card spot, and trading Brodeur would be a step in the right direction to reaching that goal.
Tom: Brodeur’s on thin ice. If he chooses to continue his career past this season, it’ll be a slippery slope down to mediocrity on a team like the Minnesota Wild, thereafter appearing on their notoriously raunchy home video series “Goalies Gone Wild.” It would be a disgrace to breakaway from the Devils and destroy the legacy. Instead of slipping out the backdoor (or the area Brodeur forgets to protect during the games), Brodeur should cushion his fall in ability by retiring after the season and allowing the younger rink and file of the team take over.
(02/18/14 6:00am)
The College’s track and field team braved the bad weather this Valentine’s Day to be a part of the Lafayette/Rider Winter Games in New York City on Friday, Feb. 14.
The event included schools from all three Divisions, but sophomore Jake Lindacher said the team didn’t let that faze them.
“We know that we were competing against some Division I and Division II teams, but we do that just about every week,” runner sophomore Jake Lindacher said.
Lindacher participated in three events that night: he finished 27th in the 200-meter with a time of 23.33 seconds, fourth overall in the 60-meter dash at an ECAC qualifying 7.14 seconds and second overall in the 60-meter hurdles at 8.36 seconds, a personal best.
In order to prepare for the three events, Lindacher said he trained for each. He also relaxed himself between events and planned an eating schedule to make sure he remained energized when he stepped onto the track.
Despite ending his series of jumps with a foul, senior Scott Lisa earned third place overall in the long jump with an ECAC-qualifying length of 7.06 meters. Lisa tied with fellow Lion Zach Hubner for 10th in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.23 seconds.
Hubner teamed up with senior Dominic Tasco and sophomores Mike Larkin and Brandon Gilkes to win third place in the 4x400 with an ECAC qualifying time of 3:27.65.
The women’s team also had their fair share of success Friday. Senior Megan Flynn trounced her competition in the 3,000-meter run by more than eight seconds, coming in first place overall.
Flynn said she was not sure what was going to happen in the race because of problems she was having with her knee at the time. Her botched knee made her unable to do normal track workouts, forcing her to turn to the swimming pool and bicycle instead.
“Overall, I am happy with the race because I was not sure what to expect and it went very well,” Flynn said.
Women’s shot put saw two Lions place Friday night, with Joan Hales and Kristen VanBenschoten coming in sixth and seventh place, respectively. Hales also placed seventh in the weight throw with a distance of 13.59 meters.
“Joan has been having a very good season,” Flynn said.
In the 400-meter event, juniors Katelyn Ary and Michell Cascio placed 12th and 13th, respectively, with ECAC qualifying times.
The team found personal successes at the meet as well.
“Thirteen athletes ran, threw or jumped personal best marks,” Lindacher said, himself among the 13.
Freshman Laura Straub and junior Carly Martz were among those 13 as well, both breaking 19 minutes in the 5,000-meter race despite neither having run the 5,000-meter at a meet before.
Flynn stated that they are both close to the ECAC qualifying mark.
“It’ll be exciting to see how much time they are able to cut off as they gain more experience in the race,” Flynn said.
The 13 personal records that night represent something every sports team wants: progress.
“I’m progressing, and at this point in the season, that is all I can ask for — though there is still quite a bit of work to be done to continue the progress,” Lindacher said.
(02/11/14 6:00am)
1. With Kobe Bryant out for the All-Star game, if you’re the NBA commissioner, who are you choosing to replace him?
Mike: The new comissioner has already made this decision, and I’m going to answer in support of his decision — Anthony Davis was the only correct answer to this question. The Brow has been a stud all season, putting up averages of 20.7 points, 10.4 rebounds and a league-leading 3.2 blocks per game. I thought he should have been on the team to begin with, especially with Dirk Nowitzki — 21.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 0.6 blocks per game — making the squad. Sure, the Mavs are seven games up on the Pelicans, but Dirk has a stronger supporting cast that hasn’t been as hurt by injuries as Davis’s crew was in New Orleans — and if a better record makes an All-Star, then why isn’t Goran Dragic on the team? Simply put, Anthony Davis was the biggest snub this season, and new commissioner Adam Silver selecting Davis was just righting a wrong done by the coaches who didn’t pick him in the first place.
Peter. This question won’t generate much discussion. You could make half-hearted arguments for Suns guard Goran Dragic, Kings center DeMarcus Cousins or Grizzlies guard Mike Conley as all being worthy of replacing Kobe, but in the end, Anthony Davis is having far too good a year to pick anyone else for that final Western Conference All-Star spot. Davis is playing heavy minutes for an injured New Orleans team, which needs all the help it can get, and it shows: Davis is a top-five player in the NBA in PER and has an astonishing 10.9 EWA — estimated wins added — through just 50 games, for a team with 22 wins. He might not play for a good team, but Davis is the best player not already picked.
Chris: Anthony Davis was already selected to replace Kobe in the All-Star game, and that was the right decision. Davis is having the breakout year we all expected, averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, along with more than three blocks per contest. Those stats speak as to how he’s developed into a dominant rim protector and versatile scorer. Davis has a PER of 26.64, and he’s putting up these numbers on a below-average Pelicans team, which isn’t easy. A case can be made for Goran Dragic, but Davis is ahead of him in all of those categories, as well as most other categories. Plus, Dragic has a more competent cast around him. This is the first of many All-Star selections for Davis.
Mike wins for saying that Davis should have already made the team, Chris gets 2 points for summarizing Davis’s breakout season, and Peter gets 1 point for sleeping on Dragic.
2. After getting dominated in the Super Bowl, will the Broncos fall victim to the “Loser’s Curse” next season, or will they be back with a vengeance?
Mike: While I certainly don’t think that the Broncos will fall victim to the “Loser’s Curse,” I’m not too sure about the whole vengeance thing. I mean, yeah, it was fun to suggest that Peyton Manning was Evil Manning (Darth Touchdown) this season, but he doesn’t really strike me as a guy to be inspired by revenge. And on a serious note, I think the Broncos will still be a playoff team next season, but whether they win their division with the Chiefs (and, to a lesser extent, the Chargers), looming large will depend on how many of their key free agents return to the fold. The Broncos have nine of their starters from this season on the market, including highly valuable players in Eric Decker, Knowshon Moreno and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. If the teams fails to bring those guys back, it will certainly have a tougher time putting together a dominant season — and, of course, if Manning starts to lose his touch or gets injured, they could easily fall right out of playoff contention. So I guess to answer the question, I’d have to fall on the side of vengeance, although I really think it’s more of a “they’ll still be a playoff football team.”
Peter: The Broncos will not be back in the Super Bowl next season — and might not even be in the playoffs — as an impossibly difficult schedule and free agency casualties will bring Denver down. When Peyton Manning torched defenses for a record-setting amount of points last year, he was taking advantage of the fourth-weakest schedule in the NFL. In 2014, the Broncos will have their hands full. They play in an improving and tough AFC West — including two younger playoff teams in the Chiefs and Chargers — in addition to going up against the hyper-competitive NFC West, the other first-place teams in the conference and the AFC East. That schedule only includes two teams below .500: the Raiders and Bills. As the Broncos will likely lose so many of the complementary players who helped them go 13-3 last year — including star wide receiver Eric Decker, starting running back Knowshown Moreno, starting guard Zane Beadles and various players in the secondary and on defense — Denver has little room for error, and I think the team’s reign of terror in the AFC West is over. Either the versatile Chiefs or the Phillip Rivers-led Chargers will take command of that division, and, at best, expect Denver to lose in a wild card game.
Chris: I’m not sure how deadly the “Loser’s Curse” is. I think if a team gets so close to glory and barely misses it, they would be even more motivated to do well. However, I do think the Broncos will struggle next year, but for different reasons. Denver didn’t face a ton of tough defenses until the Super Bowl, which may have caused us to overrate their offense. Factor in Peyton Manning being a year older, and it will be that much tougher. The Broncos are a good team, I just don’t think they’re that much better than the field.
In a wide-open AFC, Denver could be in for some rough patches.
Peter wins for his authoritative overview, Chris gets 2 points for saying the Broncos will struggle, and Mike gets 1 point for highlighting the importance of free agency.
3. Joe Johnson was somehow chosen to appear in his seventh All-Star game by the coaches. Which Eastern Conference player was the biggest snub?
Mike: At first glance, Johnson’s selection seems like a tragedy, given how average he’s been this season. Take a closer look, though, and it’s not as bad as it initially appears. There are only two or three players I’d put above him in the East. I’ll start by saying Lance Stephenson is the popular choice, since being the league’s triple double leader usually means something, and since he’s been the third-most important player on the league’s best team. I’d also put Kyle Lowry ahead of Johnson, given his impressive stats on the conference’s third-best team. But I’m giving the biggest snub award to Al Jefferson, the big man who’s averaging 20 points and 10.6 boards for the Bobcats. Any player putting up 20 and 10 a night deserves serious All-Star consideration, but Big Al has done something even more impressive — he’s made Charlotte a legitimate team rather than a total laughing stock. Granted, they won’t strike fear into the hearts of any decent team anytime soon, but if the playoffs started today, the Bobcats would be the No. 8 seed, and Jefferson is the biggest reason why.
Peter: He’s the popular answer to this question, but also the right one: Lance Stephenson should be an NBA All-Star over Johnson for being a top-five defender in the East, while scoring efficiently — 14.2 points per game on 50 percent shooting, along with 5.3 assists per game — in a system that’s about as fast and fan as watching paint dry. Don’t over-complicate it — Stephenson is an integral part of the NBA’s best team and one of the league’s most statistically significant turnarounds in recent memory, as Indiana is winning at a 78 percent clip compared to 60.5 percent last year. Stephenson scores efficiently, gets rebounds and assists and plays fantastic defense. You can’t ask for much more.
Chris: Joe Johnson is having a decent year, but it hasn’t been All-Star-caliber. Instead, Orlando’s Aaron Afflalo should have gotten the nod. Afflalo is having a career year, averaging almost 20 points per game, while grabbing about four boards and dishing out about four assists. And like Anthony Davis, he’s putting up these numbers on a bad team. Johnson is worse than Afflalo in nearly every major category, including shooting percentage. Give the guy on the tanking Magic a shot.
Peter wins for his case for Stephenson, Mike gets 2 points for pointing out Jefferson’s 20-10 average, and Chris gets 1 point for saying Afflalo is having a career year in Orlando.
Peter wins Around the Dorm, 7-6-5
(02/03/14 6:00am)
In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Amy Reynolds, asks our expert panel three questions: should Americans be traveling to Russia for what has been called the most dangerous Olympic games ever, when will Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning retire, and what American athlete has the best social media presence?
1. Mike Morrell, the former deputy director for the CIA, warned on Monday, Jan. 27, that the Sochi Games are “the most dangerous” he’s ever seen. Should Americans be traveling to the region for a sporting event?
Chrissy: In regard to whether Americans should travel to Sochi for the Olympic games this week, I believe they absolutely should not. When the games are held in such a volatile region as Russia, there is always a threat of unrest or violence. However, this winter, with more than the usual unrest in Russia and its surrounding provinces, it would be severely dangerous to travel there just for a sporting event. Security is something that definitely takes precedence over athletics — no family should be willing to risk their lives for such an event. I’m concerned for every athlete traveling there to compete, but they have been training for years for this and many are willing to look past the threat of violence. But spectators are inevitably more cautious. There will always be the summer Olympics in Rio in two years and then the following winter Olympics four years from now. It’s not worth the risk for an event that is going to be held again in the future.
Gabe: Morrell also said he would go and take his family. There’s no reason to believe that this year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi are more dangerous than any other prior Olympics held all around the globe. Unless the Olympics truly becomes progressively more dangerous and likely to be the target of an attack every time they’re held, it’s hard not to take Morrell’s comments with a grain of salt. If he really believed the risk was definitely greater than at any Olympics before, why would he put himself and his family in that situation? Hopefully I’m right and Morrell is merely making an effort to have security and the public staying on their toes and being mindful of their surroundings as a precautionary measure.
George: When have we Americans ever been deterred by danger? We, who once stood unyieldingly against the abominable and unjust taxations of the dreaded King George III. We, who single-handedly saved Europe from utter cataclysm in not one, but two World Wars. We, who when threatened by foreign dangers, return fire with spectacular and controversial results. When have we ever let something as silly as “terrorism” affect our decisions? We will not bend over backwards for these criminals — we must show them that the only time we bend over is to provide moral-support-piggyback-rides-of-freedom for the talented athletes we will be sending overseas. Just as we rallied behind our troops in the World War II by buying War Bonds and planting Victory Gardens, we must also rally support for the remarkable athletes who we will be sending into the cold belly of our former-foe. Do not heed Mr. Morrell’s warnings — just because he has dubbed these Games “the most dangerous” in his life does not mean we should hide in our houses, cowering under our couch cushions for safety. We shouldn’t be afraid of danger. Danger is our middle name: United “Danger” States (it was Franklin’s idea).
Chrissy wins for saying security tops all, Gabe gets 2 points for mentioning that Morrell’s family is still going, and George gets 1 point for saying terrorism is silly.
2. When do you think Manning will retire?
Chrissy: I believe if Peyton Manning is able to lead Denver to a Super Bowl win, he should retire next year. It’s always best to end your career on top, and Manning has accomplished more than the average player in his career as an NFL player. Already having led the Colts to a Super Bowl a few years ago, Manning has proven his worth and could quite possibly lead Denver to another championship someday. With his neck injury, he would be putting too much on the line if he continues to play the next few seasons. This isn’t just a foot injury or a hand injury — a neck injury is serious and could lead to many more complications. It would be too risky to continue playing. However, if Manning can’t grab another Super Bowl, he should still retire soon since this last season was one of the best he’s ever had.
Gabe: Peyton Manning should retire when he loses his passion for the game of football. If he’s feeling old and tired or losing interest now there’s no reason why he shouldn’t hang up his helmet now. He’s already won a Super Bowl, and even the annihilation that the Broncos suffered against the Seahawks can’t change what he has done for the sport in his illustrious career. Also, the neck surgery he had a couple years ago was nothing minor, and the fact that he’s been able to recover and stay healthy for a couple seasons since then is nothing short of a miracle. At age 37, no one could blame him for walking away, but at the end of the day, I doubt he is ready to retire just yet.
George: He should retire whenever he damn wants to. Seriously, all the guy wants to do is play football. Who cares if he’s got some neck injuries that may resurface in the next few years? Who cares if his most recent Super Bowl performance was less than stellar (far less than stellar if you ask some people)? Manning is playing for himself (and also oodles of cash) — if he wants to keep playing then I say let him.
Gabe wins for saying passion trumps all, Chrissy gets 2 points for explaining how serious Peyton’s neck injury is, and George gets 1 point because it’s serious.
3. Which athlete has the best social media presence?
Chrissy: As much as it pains me to support a member of the New York Yankees, I have to pick Derek Jeter as the athlete with the best social media presence. An all-around good guy, Jeter is an impeccable role model for young kids and rookie ballplayers around the league. Even after a tough loss or disappointment, Jeter gives an interview of the classiest magnitude. He learns something from every loss. He’s willing to talk to any reporter and give his honest opinion. In light of all of the A-Rod scandals plaguing the Yankees the past few months, Jeter will serve as a constant breath of fresh air. Even though he’s not an athlete who takes to Twitter or Instagram after every game, he continues to remain in the spotlight just by being the role model he is. Sometimes it’s better for an athlete not to make public everything they do — he knows the correct balance of private and public information.
Gabe: Cristiano Ronaldo has by far the largest, best social media presence among professional athletes. Considered by many to be one of the best of all time at the world’s most popular sport, the footballer has over 24 million followers on Twitter and nearly 73 million fans on Facebook. When you consider the fact that Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, currently the NBA’s three most polarizing figures, have a few million less followers on Twitter combined than Ronaldo, the evidence is insurmountable.
George: Richard Sherman — the man’s loud on the field, off the field and on the Internet. His vitriol has drummed up endless debate on the Internet over whether his words are playful or just plain mean, and since his infamous interview in which he directed his outrage toward 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree, even people who don’t care about football are chiming in on the debate. Sherman’s social media presence not only comes from other people discussing his antics, but also his own mouth (fingertips?). He’s very active on Twitter — he constantly posts pictures and other interesting tidbits, including a neat image of what media day looks like to him. If he ever gets the itch to write more than 140 characters, Sherman turns to The MMQB, a blog-esque section of the Sports Illustrated website. Sherman has written a dozen articles so far.
Gabe wins for comparing Ronaldo’s following to those of NBA stars, George gets 2 points for describing Sherman’s high activity, and Chrissy gets 1 point for picking Jeter.
Gabe wins Around the Dorm, 8-6-4
"Did you bring the sauce?" —Gabe
(01/28/14 8:00pm)
In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Peter Fiorilla, asks our expert panel three questions: is Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman a victim or a villain after being shredded for his interview with Erin Andrews, who will win the Super Bowl and why, and who is the least likeable figure in the NFL?
1. Is Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman a victim or a villain after being shredded by the media for his interview following the NFC Championship game?
Amy: Richard Sherman is actually one of the most likeable people in the NFL, and certainly not a villain. In his interview with Erin Andrews, he was excited about going to the Super Bowl — I’d probably scream a little, too. The media are definitely overreacting, and they’re ignoring a lot of the great things Sherman has done. First off, he’s extremely charitable. Sherman’s only been in the NFL for three years, and is therefore still on his rookie contract, but he’s already one of the most charitable players in the NFL. This past summer, he organized a benefit to help build a home for an injured soldier, and in October, he visited a high school in Washington, where he talked about bullying and bought school supplies for 120 students and new cleats for the football team. And every Christmas he gives back to families in need. Plus, he’s got great Throwback Thursdays on Instagram. What’s not to love?
Mike: For the interview in particular, Sherman is a victim. His actions on the field might be a different story, but any post-game interview is going to contain some emotion. Just look at the scenario Sherman was in — his team had just won the NFC Championship over their bitter division rival, he was directly involved in a potentially game-saving play, and he was coming to the realization that, yes, he will be playing in the Super Bowl. The dude was pumped up, and he’s an outspoken guy in usual circumstances, so of course he’s going to go off like that. Anyone would in that situation, which is why having those interviews immediately after games end — especially with more volatile players — is never a very good idea. I remember distinctly an interview with Nyjer Morgan (better known by his nickname “Tony Plush”) right after the Milwaukee Brewers won the divisional round in 2011, in which he twice dropped the F-bomb on live TV, which anyone who realized that he’d just hit a series-clincher would not be surprised by, I don’t blame the athletes for these tirades: I blame the morons who put them on live TV seconds after the game.
Andrew: Sherman has been on the wrong end of the media as of late. While his interview with Erin Andrews may have been intense, No. 25 was just excited, and for good reason. Just minutes prior to the interview, Sherman had made an outstanding play to send his team to the Super Bowl. For any individual, chances like that don’t come often, so Sherman did what any athlete would do: he embraced the moment. While Sherman’s comments against Crabtree may have been harsh, the media and fans do not have the proper perspective. We do not know what words were being reciprocated between Sherman and Crabtree, other than that Sherman wished to shake the wide receiver’s hand after the game. As millions saw on tape, Crabtree did not oblige and pushed Sherman out of the way. In light of recent events, I believe that the media jumped the gun on attacking Sherman, ultimately making him a victim.
Andrew gets 3 point since we don’t know what Crabtree said, Amy gets 2 points for pointing out Sherman’s charity, and Mike gets 1 point for blaming the TV “morons.”
2. Who will win the Super Bowl and why?
Amy: Seattle will win the Super Bowl, and I have multiple reasons why. My first reason is the weather. The long-range forecast is saying cold rain or a wintry mix, which is not Peyton Manning’s forte. Plus, cold-weather games usually favor the more physical teams, and with Seattle’s top-five running game and hard-hitting defense, the weather will most likely be an advantage for the Seahawks. Most importantly, though, defense wins championships, and in this case, Seattle is the better defensive team. In fact, in four recent Super Bowls where the top defensive team played the top offensive team, the defensive team won three times.
Mike: The Seattle Seahawks, for two primary reasons: the location and one of the oldest adages in sports, that defense wins championships. The location is important mainly because of the two styles being employed during this game. The Broncos, with their Peyton-dominated high-octane attack through the air, will likely be slowed by the potentially extreme cold and likely snowstorms we’ll be seeing in Jersey this weekend. And no, it isn’t because Peyton can’t play in the cold, it’s because any QB is slowed down by the elements. That’s just how football works. The Seahawks, meanwhile, are usually reliant on the powers of Beast Mode’s running and their stellar defense, which is usually the winning strategy in conditions like those we’ll be seeing. Factoring in that usually when a dominant offense (with questionable defense) meets a dominant defense (with a decent offense), the defense ends up with the W, I’d say the Seahawks have the advantage. Play this game in warmer weather (or a dome), and the Broncos might have the edge, but that isn’t the case this year.
Andrew: They say that defense wins championships, and this game will be no different. The Seahawks have all the pieces to stop Peyton Manning and his record-breaking offense. While some critics may point out Russell Wilson’s inexperience as opposed to future Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning, I would like to mention a previous Super Bowl that seems eerily similar. In 2002, Tom Brady — second-year quarterback — upset former Super Bowl champion and NFL MVP Kurt Warner to spark the biggest upset at the time. While Manning is a having a historic year — just like Warner was having in 2002 — the Seahawks defense will definitely give him trouble. No quarterback has ever won a Super Bowl on two different teams. Joe Montana didn’t, and neither did Warner. The only question is if history can repeat itself, and I think Russell Wilson and the Seahawks can do just that.
Andrew, Mike and Amy each get 1 point for using the cliché “defense wins championships,” since offenses win Super Bowls too.
3. There are a lot of unlikeable people in the NFL. Last week alone, historically great cheater Bill Belichick whined about a legal hit on Wes Welker, Brandon Jacobs called Jim Harbaugh a b**** and Richard Sherman set off a frenzy after taunting Michael Crabtree. Who is the least likeable person in the NFL?
Amy: Fans love tough players, but there’s such a fine line between playing tough and playing dirty, and it’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed. Ndamukong Suh is one of the dirtiest players in the NFL, and therefore also one of the most disliked. Since drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2010, Suh has been fined seven times for a total of $209,000. He also lost $165,294 in pay as a result of getting a two-game suspension during his second season for stomping on the arm of Green Bay’s Evan Dietrich-Smith. Even his teammates hate him. Yeah, he’s a great player -— but no matter how talented he is, Suh’s not worth the trouble if his penalties will cost his team big plays.
Mike: This is an interesting question because there are so many viable choices depending on the team you cheer for and how closely you follow the league. But I’ll give you a simple answer: Ndamukong Suh. While Belichick, Jacobs and Sherman are easily disliked, they are also fast losing their evil touches — Bill hasn’t won diddly since Spygate, Sherman is now being defended by many great athletes and was more a victim than a villain, and Jacobs hasn’t been relevant since 2011. Suh, on the other hand, is a man who is perhaps best known for trying to stomp a man to death and has been suspended and fined for excessive violence toward other players on multiple occasions, with no real indicators that he will change his ways. It’s hard to argue that people who mouth off or cheat are less likeable than a man who stomps on faces, so Suh’s my answer for now. I would also consider Jerry Jones, but he really only hurts Cowboys fans, as the rest of the league kind of enjoys how badly he runs that team.
Andrew: Right now, the answer is simple. Aaron Hernandez — former NFL great — is the least liked person in the league. After being charged with homicide along with other multiple other charges, this tight end’s life is over. Take a look at O.J. Simpson’s trial. Still, to this day, it is believed that he had gotten away with murder. Regardless of the outcome of the tight end’s trial, the public, along with the players, will always look at him in disdain. While there may be other current players who are disliked, none of them can compare to Hernandez. Taunting a player or making dirty plays do not compare to allegedly murdering another person. Hernandez was not only an embarrassment for the New England Patriots, but he also severely hurt the credibility of the NFL.
Amy gets 3 points for pointing out Suh’s fine total, Mike gets 2 points for recalling Suh’s stomping incident, and Andrew gets 1 point because Hernandez is no longer in the league.
Amy wins the Around the Dorm, 6-5-4
"I'll give you a quote next time." —Amy
(01/22/14 8:34pm)
In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Mike Herold, asks our panel three questions: whether the turnaround of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers or Phoenix Suns is more impressive and surprising, what people should be looking forward to in the 2014 Winter Olympics, and why there is disparity in different leagues of different sports.
1. The NBA’s Western Conference has two surprisingly strong teams. Are you more surprised by the success of Portland or Phoenix, and which team do you think will better sustain their success next year?
Chris: Both the Blazers and the Suns have been extremely impressive. Portland has gone from fringe playoff team to contender, while Phoenix has gone from tanking to playoff team. But in terms of which is more surprising and which will continue their success, the answer for both is the Blazers. The main reason being that it’s much harder to become a contender than it is to be a playoff team. Portland’s surge is thanks to two main factors: the evolution of Damian Lillard and the addition of Robin Lopez. Lillard is officially a stud, and that’s thanks to his improved three-point shooting. He’s been more efficient, making 44 percent of his threes, as opposed to 37 percent from last year. And if you’ve been living under a rock this season, you don’t know that Lillard has been clutch, making big shot after big shot. Lopez has been huge as well not just because of what he does, but what he allows LaMarcus Aldridge to do. Lopez is a hustle and defense player who can play center, allowing Aldridge to play his more natural position of power forward and have an All-Star campaign in the process. If they can get more help from the bench, most notably from C. J. McCollum, they could become the Western favorites.
Tom: Phoenix is hot right now. Even in January, the city is approaching temperatures from the mid to high ’70s. Playing in Phoenix is like dribbling across the blazing flames of our solar system’s sun. Perhaps that’s why they’re called the Suns? Who knows, the team has been very hush hush on the etymology. But for being so pale, point guard Goran Dragic is fast and avoids sunburn. He likely bathes in enough sunscreen to lubricate his layups up and down the court at breakneck speeds.
Peter: The Blazers’ success has been a pleasant surprise in Oregon, but with longtime All-Star quality power forward Lamarcus Aldridge coming back for another year with talented young players waiting in the wings, Portland looked like a playoff contender at the beginning of the year. The Blazers have not necessarily been a bad organization in recent years, and most of the playoff-less years have been a result of tough luck and injuries. With a healthy roster — especially Aldridge, Damian Lillard and Robin Lopez — Portland should continue this success for many years. The Phoenix Suns are more surprising, though, as they were never considered playoff contenders by anyone entering the season — ESPN’s pre-season power rankings put the Suns at 29th out of 30 teams, after the team had its worst-ever year — thanks to the Suns’ complete lack of known talent, which was not helped by Phoenix trading Marcin Gortat to indicate the team was tanking this year. Not only has Phoenix not tanked, it has played through a rash of injuries and someone solidified itself as a top-8 team in the hyper-competitive West.
Pete wins for distinguishing between the surprise factor and sustainability, Chris gets 2 points for his analysis of Damian Lillard, and Tom gets 1 because Phoenix is indeed hot.
2. The Winter Olympics are right around the corner. Which event should sports fans be looking forward to the most in the Games?
Chris: There are plenty of sports that we only get to see in the Winter Olympics, but the majority of them are individual sports. That’s why people should be watching hockey during these Olympics. First off, the Winter Olympics is basically as close to a World Cup that hockey is going to get. All nations are fighting against each other for the gold, making it an exciting tournament, the likes of which we see only once every four years. Secondly, it enables us to see different combinations of players playing with each other. For Canada, we get to see the likes of Rick Nash, Sidney Crosby, John Tavares and Steven Stamkos on the same squad. Finally, it’s all about national pride. It gives us Americans a chance to root for our team to be superior than all other countries. USA! USA! USA!
Tom: Figure skating is great. Be on the lookout for Vladimir Putin skating around the issue of his flagrant homophobia. He’s scheduled to compete in the single men’s mens’ singles. Regarding his tight and glittery double-stretch lycra costume and open-axel technique, Putin was quoted as saying, “It’s not what it looks like.” Four out of 10 in form, 10 out of 10 in bigotry.
Peter: While there is something to be said for watching Winter Olympics-specific sports like curling and the Luge, nothing is as exciting this time of year as watching international hockey on one of sports’ biggest stages. The bitter rivalries between hockey-obsessed countries like Canada and Russia are a gripping storyline every four years, and the history between the great countries of the sport — which includes the U.S., although the roster is a distant third in on-paper talent — means it will be easy to care about what transpires on the ice, even for non-hockey fans. After the Gold medal game in 2010, for example, a potential U.S.-Canada rematch would be thrilling, and the trend of North American teams failing on foreign soil in the Winter Olympics would make a victory for one of those two teams all the sweeter. There a couple of curve balls this time around that make the tournament even more interesting, though, including the large 200 x 98.5 foot rinks that will favor European teams and Russia’s home field advantage. Olympic hockey is always highly entertaining, and back in a hockey country for a tournament that promises to live up to the high standards set four years ago in Vancouver.
Chris wins for mentioning chants of USA!, Pete gets 2 for giving a similar analysis of hockey’s appeal during the Olympics, and Tom gets 1 because in Russia, Putin skates on you.
3. In both the NBA and NHL, the Western Conference seems dominant. Similarly, in the NFL and MLB, the AFC and AL typically have better teams overall. Is there a reason for this, or is it just happenstance that the West/American conferences are better than the East/National ones?
Chris: First off, this question isn’t entirely true. The NFC is better than the AFC. Past the obvious contenders of the Broncos, Patriots and Colts, there are several good-but-not-great teams. Cincinnati was awful in the playoffs. Kansas City still has a bit of a ceiling on their team. And Miami, Baltimore, San Diego, New York and Pittsburgh are all still up-and-down teams. Meanwhile, the NFC has New Orleans, Carolina, San Francisco, Green Bay and Seattle as contenders, while the Eagles, Cowboys, Bears, Lions and Cardinals are all respectable teams. There’s no rhyme or reason for this, however, because strength of conference changes from generation to generation. For example (on a smaller scale), the NFC East used to be a dominant conference. Now, they’re the laughing stock of the NFL, with the Eagles being the only good team. The West has been very good for quite a while in the NBA, and but the conferences are a little more even in the NHL and MLB. This shows that a changing of the guard could be happening. Sports leagues’ success will shift with the trading and signing of marquee players, which happens every year.
Tom: The last time a team in the AL West took the World Series was Oakland in 1989. The last time a team in the AFC West won the Super Bowl was Denver in 1999. Just because America won the West in the 1800s doesn’t mean the West will win today. Just ask Arizona senator and ex-presidential candidate John McCain, who was traded by the Republican Party to play tight end for the 4-12 Oakland Raiders. He’s since been put on injured reserve for a broken dream.
Peter: Some Western teams do have a (small) advantage in where they play. Teams located in Colorado, for example, practice and play at a higher altitude, which helps prepare them for games and creates a better home-field advantage. In general, though, I think any discrepencies between conferences is arbitrary and temporary. From 1969-1981, 11 of 13 NFL champions came out of the AFC, but from 1982-1997 the Super Bowl winners were from the NFC 15 of 16 times. Eventually, the tides will turn in the NBA and NHL as well — it’s virtually random.
Tom wins for focusing on more than football, Peter gets 2 for pointing out geographical advantages, and Chris gets 1 for debating the respectability of the NFC.
(12/02/13 8:00pm)
In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Gabe Allen, asks our panel three questions: Are the Los Angeles Lakers making a good decision in making Kobe Bryant the highest-paid player in NBA history, who will win the up-for-grabs NFC East, and will the struggling New York Knicks or Brooklyn Nets turn their acts around before the end of the regular season?
1. The Lakers signed Kobe Bryant to a two-year extension, which makes him the highest-paid player in league history. Good move or bad move? And is Bryant more likely to end up as the leading scorer in NBA regular season history (trails Kareem by 6,770) or NBA playoff history (trails MJ by 347 points)?
Brandon: If you take Kobe Bryant’s name off the contract, look at the facts and focus in on the terms of the deal, this is an awful move. Kobe was already making way too much money, and that problem has now been extended for another two years. It’s not easy to ignore that name, though, and the Lakers were right in not doing so because every penny will be worth it if Kobe helps return the Lakers to prominence. Now, I’m not talking in terms of his play alone. I’m making more of a point that Kobe is the only chance L.A. has of landing another superstar. The Lakers are in the dumps right now. They’re basically lacking sex appeal. The only hot commodity is Kobe, who probably won’t break the all-time regular season record for points, but may surpass Jordan’s playoff record. If Bryant wants to make it that far, though, it’ll take a few more playoff runs, which will take off if he recruits someone along the lines of LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony. Kobe can’t do it by himself, but making an investment in him could make all the difference in the world in the process of adding talent.
Mike: The simple answer is that this is a bad move for the Lakers. Kobe in his prime was worth the $48.5 million over two years that this extension gives him, and he was paid that much and more. But Kobe is already on the decline and coming back from a ruptured Achilles. He just isn’t the same player, and he shouldn’t come with that price tag. According to the American Journal of Sports Medicine, 39 percent of all NBA players who suffer this kind of injury never come back, and those who do see significant decreases in playing time and ability, even missing an average of 55 games after returning. Signing Kobe to a monster extension like this all but closes any hopes of a title for the Lakers the next three years. And with the likelihood of missed playing time, Kobe overtaking Kareem has got to be a huge long shot. But if the Lakers can at least make the playoffs for the next three seasons (which is possible), you can bet that he’ll make it a point to pass MJ even if it means taking 30+ shots a night.
Peter: From a pure basketball standpoint, this move is atrocious. Any player not named LeBron James raking in that kind of money is not worth the price tag, and Kobe cannot hold a candle to the King these days. Given his injury situation — many players never fully recover from a ruptured Achilles — I’m not sure Kobe is on my list of 50 players to give a two-year contract right now, let alone one worth so much. His gargantuan cap hit will prevent premium players from joining the Lakers, since no one is willing to accept less money to play with Kobe the way they will for LeBron, and will keep L.A. in playoff irrelevance. I doubt he will break either record, but since the second requires a short burst of hot shooting rather than sustained excellence, he has a better chance at it.
Brandon wins for saying Kobe is all the Lakers have, Peter gets 2 points for pointing out Kobe doesn’t attract talent, and Mike gets 1 point for giving an overview of Achilles injuries.
2. Who will win the NFC East and why?
Brandon: Right now, the division is between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. When these two teams met in October, the Cowboys walked away with a 17-3 victory. Add in the fact that “America’s team” has a seasoned coach and one of the league’s best quarterbacks, and it looks like you have all the pieces for a compelling case. But considering recent history, I’m hardly convinced. Over the past five years, the Cowboys have gone 9-12 in December contests. Their best season over that stretch came last year when they went 3-2, but those loses came in the final two games, including a win-or-go-home contest with the Washington Redskins and rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III. Yes, the Eagles may have a rookie head coach and yes, they’re led by a second-year quarterback who hasn’t seen much action, but if you’re telling me that the fate of division comes down to a Dec. 29 Dallas-Philly matchup, then give me the Eagles.
Mike: The Dallas Cowboys, for one reason and one reason only: They control the tiebreaker with the Philadelphia Eagles. Looking at the remaining schedules for both teams, the Cowboys seem likely to beat the Packers — who may be without Aaron Rodgers — and the Redskins, while losing to Chicago and Philadelphia. The Eagles, meanwhile, will beat Minnesota and Dallas while losing to Chicago and Detroit. That puts both teams at 9-7 at the end of the season with a 1-1 record against each other. The tiebreaker in that scenario will be divisional record, and if everything plays out the way I just outlined it, the Cowboys will be 5-1 and the Eagles will be 4-2. That means we’ll be getting a home game in Dallas to watch the winners of the NFL’s weakest division likely get stomped by either Carolina or San Francisco.
Peter: The Cowboys’ spectacular history of late-season self-destruction will continue into 2013-14, and not necessarily because of the Week 17 game against Philadelphia, which has to have Dallas fans feeling a little sick. While the Cowboys have changed in many ways over the years, they always have the ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory — just ask the Lions — and I would not be surprised if they played their way out of the NFC East race even before playing Philadelphia. Tony Romo exemplifies his team’s lack of clutchness: In his time with Dallas, Tony Romo is 25-4 in November and just 11-15 in December. If they are still in contention, though, count on Nick Foles tearing apart Dallas’ zone defense, which made undrafted Raiders QB Matt McGloin look serviceable and is giving up 25.3 points per game. Foles does not turn the ball over — with 19 TDs to zero INTs — and pretty consistently exploits holes in coverage. He should give the Eagles a big win in a shootout to clinch the NFC East.
Peter wins for mentioning Romo’s late-season struggles, Mike gets 2 points for stressing the tiebreaker, and Brandon gets 1 point for mentioning Dallas’ December record.
3. The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are off to terrible starts. Is either team likely to turn their season around, and why?
Brandon: The Brooklyn Nets have been a mess on the court this season. They can’t string wins together and even extra time brought on by a “spill” by their head coach hasn’t helped. The collection of players the Nets brought in this offseason looked like it was a king’s ransom, a dream team, if only it were assembled in “NBA Jam.” But no matter how good this group might be, it was always going to take some time for this to pan out. Just last year, Jason Kidd was running the point for the New York Knicks. Were we really supposed to believe that Kidd wouldn’t skip a beat in his transition to coach? Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Kidd’s old team is playing just as bad, if not worse. Melo is Melo, J.R. Smith is J.R. Smith and Andrea Bargnani is, well, he actually hasn’t been as useless as expected. They are what they are and what they are has them in the midst of a nine-game losing streak, and unlike the Nets, there is no light at the end of the tunnel for them.
Mike: I’m going to say the Knicks have a better shot at turning this around, and possibly even making the playoffs, but not because the Knicks are a good team. Both the Knicks and Nets currently play in perhaps the worst division in all of sports, illustrated by how division leader Toronto is 6-10. The Knicks are only three games back, but the reason they’ll overtake the Nets specifically is injuries. While the Nets are reliant on aging and past-their-prime stars and the oft-damaged Brook Lopez, the Knicks rely mainly on Carmelo Anthony — who is not very injury prone — and Tyson Chandler — who has missed most of this season with a small fracture in his right leg. Once Chandler — the team’s defensive anchor — comes back, the Knicks will probably go back to what they were in the three-and-a-quarter games they had him for at the beginning of this season: a decent team that can get hot with Melo and J.R. Smith and compete with just about anyone. The Nets, meanwhile, will still be an aging team of frequently injured prior stars without a bench.
Peter: In the ultra-pathetic Eastern Conference, anyone can go from rags to riches — outside the playoffs to the No. 4 seed — with a three-game win streak or two, so neither team is incapable of turning their seasons around. That said, I do not expect the Nets or Knicks to be any good this year. The Nets rely on aging, injury-prone mercenaries who cannot play well together without the direction of a savvy coach, which rookie Jason Kidd is not. Even when the Nets’ ideal starting five is playing together, they can lose to any team on a given day because of their total lack of athleticism. They have a few promising parts, and I love Brook Lopez, but this is not a complete roster by any means. Meanwhile, the Knicks are usually a safe bet to crumble below expectations, and since this team was not supposed to be very good in the first place, I think New York will be left outside the playoff picture. They will be lucky to go the season without a few major controversies and an uncalled for Mike Woodson firing by the ever-meddling James Dolan — or business as usual in Knicks land.
Mike wins for saying Chandler can make a difference, Peter gets 2 points for highlighting the East’s woes, and Brandon gets 1 point for saying Brooklyn needs a chance to gel.
Peter wins the Around the Dorm Championship, 7-6-5
(11/19/13 10:25pm)
*Editor's note: On Nov. 20, Greco posted a status to Facebook stating he is alive and well.
Kyle Greco, 22, was reported missing to Campus Police, according to an email sent to the College earlier this afternoon.
Greco was last seen in the area of the Brower Student Center wearing a dark T-shirt and leather jacket. He is a Caucasian male, is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 144 pounds.
The email stated he may have been in distress.
Anyone with information should contact Campus Police: 609-771-2345
(11/19/13 6:00am)
In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Andrew Grossman, asks our panel three questions: What are the NBA’s biggest surprises a dozen games into the season, who are the Super Bowl favorites at this point in the NFL, and what will the impact be of the 35-year-old Ed Reed signing with the New York Jets?
1) What are the biggest surprises in the NBA season so far?
Brandon: If the season ended today, the Philadelphia 76ers would be the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Just let that sink in for a second. This is a team that was given an over-under of 16.5 wins by Vegas — the lowest mark in the league — and one that some expected to challenge the 1973 Sixers (9-73) for the worst record in league history. The thought process after the franchise shipped its best player, Jrue Holiday, to New Orleans for a rookie center who likely won’t play a game this season was that Philly had its sights set on the 2014 draft for Andrew Wiggins. Yet here we are, albeit 11 games in, and the Sixers are relevant, having earned victories over Miami, Chicago and Houston. Evan Turner is averaging almost two points more than Stephen Curry. Rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams has been a pleasant surprise, putting up 17.4 points a game as well as 7.6 assists — just a shade better than what Holiday has done with the Pelicans. Heck, even center Spencer Hawes has been useful, pulling down 10.1 rebounds — 10th in the league — while also adding 15.6 points. I’m not saying it means much, and I’m not saying it lasts, but you have to admit that at this point, they don’t look like a team that is “Riggin’ for Wiggins” and that’s surprising.
Greg: With teams playing eight to 11 games this NBA season, there have been plenty of surprises in terms of entire teams and individuals. In terms of teams, it is surprising to see the young 76ers, Suns and Magic playing well. Even though their records aren’t superb, each team has shown they can hang in there against quality opponents, which was not to be expected on day one of the regular season. I do not feel that any of these teams will make the playoffs, but their success shows that the NBA is much more balanced than expected. Individually, there are several players putting up fantastic numbers, including CP3, Kevin Love and Durant, who are currently one through three on the MVP ladder. But Anthony Davis has taken the league by storm this season. Averaging nearly 21 points, 11 boards, 3.6 blocks, two steals and shooting 85 percent from the line, Davis has shown why he was the No. 1 overall pick last year. He has exceeded everyone’s expectations for a young guy and will be a key contributor, along with Jrue Holiday, for a Pelicans playoff push.
Gabe: The Pacers are as likely as anyone to win it all. After elevating his performance in the playoffs last season, Lance Stephenson has been brilliant in the early going, Paul George has entered the early MVP discussion, and Roy Hibbert has become a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate. But there have been surprises across the board this year: The Knicks and Nets are at the bottom of the Atlantic Division behind supposed tank-mode teams in Philadelphia and Boston, and may be for a while given some injuries to key players. Portland and Minnesota are off to fantastic starts in the West. Kevin Love is putting up remarkable numbers and making his teammates better, especially Kevin Martin, who is scoring 24 ppg so far and playing his best ball in years. Anthony Davis is stuffing stat sheets and is in all likelihood on his way to his first All-Star game. First-year coaches Jeff Hornacek (Phoenix), Brett Brown (Philadelphia) and Brad Stevens (Boston) have enjoyed some early season success despite being projected to be league cellar-dwellers by just about everyone. And Aaron Afflalo is playing out of his mind right now for Orlando.
and looks much improved. He’s averaging almost 22 ppg and shooting 50% from three.
Brandon gets 3 points for mentioning 76ers success, Gabe gets 2 points for saying Nets and Knicks are struggling, and Greg gets 1 point for using statistics.
2) After 10 games in, who are your Super Bowl favorites from each conference?
Brandon: The NFL season is 10 games in, and while we don’t know where any of the 32 teams will end up, there’s enough evidence to develop a half-decent hypothesis. In the NFC, the favorite pick right now would have to be the Seattle Seahawks (9-1), who — along with the New Orleans Saints — have one of the best home-field advantages in the league. Although Seattle has limped its way to a few wins against lesser opponents, the Seahawks have taken on some of the conference’s better teams — Carolina, San Francisco — and come out on top. If they end up as the NFC’s top seed, I’m not sure there’s a team that can knock them off at home, especially with Percy Harvin back in the mix. On the other side of the league, it will be hard to bet against the Denver Broncos. They have one of the best offenses ever and show no signs of slowing down as long as Peyton Manning stays on the field. There are playmakers at every position on this team, and the defense will only improve with the return of Von Miller. Remember, this is a team that would have beaten the eventual Super Bowl champions last year if not for the Mile High Miracle, and the scary part is that team wasn’t anywhere near as talented as this year’s squad.
Greg: In my opinion, there are two teams from each conference who may be the representatives of their respective conference in the Super Bowl, because all four teams are spectacular at home. In the AFC, it comes between the Broncos and Chiefs. Both teams have proved that they are legitimate contenders and home field will be decided during the two matchups between the teams. Whichever team comes up on top during these two meetings will get the No. 1 seed in the conference and subsequently make the Super Bowl. In the NFC, either Seattle or New Orleans will be in the Super Bowl, as they have combined for a 9-0 home record. Like my two AFC picks, the Seahawks play New Orleans in NOLA week 12. Do not be surprised if the winner of this game wins the No. 1 seed in the NFC and home field throughout the playoffs.
Gabe: Ten games into the season I will pick the New Orleans Saints to beat the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. With Sean Payton back on the sidelines, the Saints offense, led by QB Drew Brees, is arguably the most dynamic in the league. And they have one of the better defenses in the league. You could definitely make the case that the Broncos actually have the best offense in the league. But despite the fact that Peyton Manning, 37, is having a great season, he is older than Brees, more susceptible to injury and has a history struggling in cold weather. Manning and Brees both have one Super Bowl ring, but Manning has a more storied history of performing poorly in big games. Plus, Manning started out the season on fire, but Brees has continued to improve and is in my opinion equally as deserving of winning MVP. I have to pick the Saints to come out on top.
Greg gets 3 points for mentioning home-field advantage, Brandon gets 2 points for bring up Percy Harvin’s return, and Gabe gets 1 point for pointing out Manning’s playoff struggles.
3. How will the Ed Reed signing affect a New York Jets defense with a lot of holes?
Brandon: I first have to say that I disagree that the Jets’ defense has “a lot of holes.” They’re ranked as one of the league’s best run defenses, and they have a front seven that has produced 28 sacks, tied for 12th in the league. It’s a top-10 defense, if not great because the Jets have not been able to defend the pass well. It’s a unit that is tied for 27th in terms of interceptions and dead last when it comes to passes defended. Part of the problem is that Gang Green has to rely on Antonio Cromartie as its No. 1 corner and give meaningful snaps to struggling rookie Dee Miliner — a piece they acquired in the draft after electing not to ride out Revis Island for one more year, an egregious error unless the Alabama product becomes a shutdown corner. And while the interior of the secondary hasn’t been awful, Dawan Landry and Antonio Allen have two of the Jets’ five picks in 2013, and they haven’t been superb. This is why Ed Reed comes into town as a valuable commodity for the Jets. He may not be the same player who struck fear into the league’s signal-callers a few years ago, but if the 35-year-old can produce leadership and even a couple of picks, his addition will be well worth it.
Greg: There is no doubt that the Ed Reed signing will improve the Jets both on the field and off. First, Ed Reed has played under Rex Ryan and with Jets starting safety Dawan Landry. Therefore, there is a very short learning curve for Reed as he acclimates to a new team. Next, the Jets plan to use Reed in passing situations, so he will not be subject to the wear and tear that a safety is put through during running situations. This will keep Reed fresh and allow him to do what he does best: make a big influence during passing situations. This will make the Jets better on the field due to his presence during passing situations, which has been one of the major weaknesses of the team as a whole. Off the field, his experience will help the team while preparation and his leadership abilities will improve the morale of the team during down times. For example, in the loss to the Bills this weekend, Reed was seen talking to Geno Smith after one of his several turnovers on the day, keeping his head up in arguably his worst game of the season. These small things can pay great dividends and may help the Jets sneak into the playoffs.
Gabe: Ed Reed, 35, is getting old and has certainly lost a step, but the future first ballot Hall of Famer will bring leadership and toughness to a New York Jets team that already has a great defensive coach in Rex Ryan (whom Reed already played for in Baltimore). There’s a reason Tom Brady reportedly courted Reed in hopes that he would join his New England Patriots. That said, the Jets are at best a fringe playoff team, and adding Reed isn’t going to change that.
Brandon gets 3 points for using defensive statistics, Greg gets 2 points for saying Reed played under Rex Ryan, and Gabe gets 1 point for mentioning Jets-Patriots rivalry.
Brandon wins Around the Dorm, 8-6-4
(11/12/13 6:00am)
In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Amy Reynolds, asks our panel three questions: Will the Packers re-claim the NFC North despite the temporary loss of QB Aaron Rodgers, can Roger Federer be considered the greatest men’s tennis player of all time with middling records against his contemporaries, and which NFL coach is most deserving of being fired?
1. Aaron Rodgers will be out of action for at least the next three or four games with a collarbone injury. Are the Packers still likely to make the playoffs?
Andrew: The Packers are definitely in trouble, but not necessarily out. Although the loss to the Eagles hurt, they have two easy matchups against teams with a combined record of 5-13 to help them get back on track. If they win those games — which the Packers are heavily favored in — then they will be sitting at 7-4 before facing a tough Lions team. Following that difficult conference game, Green Bay plays the 2-6 Falcons at home — just in case Rodgers isn’t back in time. Although the Packers will certainly end the season with a winning record, it will come down to the division standings. Currently, they are in close competition with the Bears and the Lions for first place. Their season will ultimately come down to how those teams do. While the Packers will remain competitive, it wouldn’t be surprising for the Packers to end the season 9-7 and not make the playoffs.
Joe: With Aaron Rodgers out and the Packers offense looking abysmal, I think it is safe to say at this point that the Packers will not make the playoffs. To start in the NFC North, the Packers already have a one-game deficit to make up and a game against the Lions coming up in a few weeks. Presumably, that game will be played without Rodgers, meaning if they lose that game they will be behind two games to Detroit, and Detroit will hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. As for the Wild Card, Carolina and San Francisco both hold a game lead over Green Bay, and with San Fransisco already beating them head-to-head this year, the Packers are in deep trouble if they want to return to the playoffs this season.
Peter: The Packers have no chance at winning without Aaron Rodgers, who has been able to mask an injury-depleted roster already limited by a mediocre run game and defense. That means they will have a three- or- four game deficit by Rodgers’s return, and will have already lost the tiebreaker with the Lions, who Green Bay plays in Detroit without Rodgers. In the hyper-competitive NFC North that leaves them on the outside looking in. The Chicago Bears are good, and Detroit is one of the most complete teams in the NFC. Nobody can stop deep threat Calvin Johnson: He has 904 yards and keeps Detroit in every game, as we saw with his miracle fourth quarter against Dallas. Just as important is how absurdly easy Detroit’s schedule is — other than a home game against the Rodgers-less Packers, the Lions’ final six opponents have a combined 17-37 record, or a 31 percent win percentage. That leaves the Packers needing to out-win some combination of San Fransisco — who has won the tiebreaker against Green Bay — Carolina and Chicago for a Wild Card spot. It’s too tall an order for Green Bay, who will miss the playoffs.
Peter gets 3 points for his analysis of Detroit’s schedule, Andrew gets 2 points for not being a negative Nancy, and Joe gets 1 point for being the least specific.
2. Roger Federer has a losing lifetime record against two of his main three rivals — Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray — and is barely over .500 against the third, Novak Djokovic. Does this lack of success against the top players of his time mean he can still be considered the greatest of all time?
Andrew: The main goal of any tennis player is to be number one in the world and win a Grand Slam title. Not only has Federer done this, but he has also spent the most weeks atop the rankings and won the most Grand Slam titles in tennis history. In addition to championships, his consistency has been incredible and at one point reached 20 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals, shattering the previous record of 10. The problem with this question is that people are now seeing Federer on the decline when he is losing a lot of matches to the likes of Djokovic and Murray, making the head-to-head record skewed. During Federer’s prime from 2004-2006, the Swiss Maestro went 247-15 and won eight majors. At that time, both Djokovic and Murray had a combined record of 0-3 against him. As for Nadal, he is without a doubt the greatest clay-court player of all time. His 60-1 French Open record and 293-21 record on clay will probably never be matched. That said, Federer is better on the other surfaces. Although Nadal holds a 22-10 overall record against Federer, a majority of the matches were on clay. After considering everything, Federer is still the greatest of all time because at his prime no one came close. Even with Federer on the decline, he is still currently ranked top-10 in the world and a constant major threat.
Joe: Roger Federer can certainly be considered to be the greatest of all time. He has won numerous Grand Slam titles, and it is important to remember that these three players — Djokovic, Nadal and Murray — all emerged toward the ladder stage of his career. It would be fair to argue that in his prime, Federer would have been better than all three of these guys, as he was better than everyone else at the best point.
Peter: Nadal recently said he is “the first one who says (Federer) is the greatest player in history,” and with good reason. On most surfaces, Federer is dominant by all standards, including against the contemporary greats. The gray area only exists if you exclusively compare Nadal and Federer on clay, on which Nadal is the master. But even though clay is Federer’s weakest surface, he has still won 10 finals on clay and reached 11 more, an incredible accomplishment that shows his diverse skill set. And the fact that he has had to go up against players like Nadal, Murray and Djokovic so often, yet still has the most majors in history, further establishes Federer as the best. No one else in tennis history from Rod Laver to Pete Sampras, has ever had to contend with a generation as talented as this one, especially in his mid-30s.
Andrew wins for discussing Federer’s Grand Slam titles, Peter gets 2 for saying Federer excels on most surfaces, and Joe gets 1 for saying Federer played his rivals late in his career.
3. There have been a lot of disappointing teams in the NFL this year, from the Tom Coughlin-led Giants to Greg Schiano’s Buccaneers. If you could fire any coach right now, who would it be and why?
Andrew: Although Coughlin and Schiano are both having terrible seasons, they each should have the opportunity to finish out the year. Despite the Giants’ dreadful record, they are currently on a three-game win streak and in the weak NFC East, a playoff berth is still not impossible. As for the young Tampa team, they lack experience that has cost them, losing four of their eight games by three points or less. Give Schiano time, and the Buccaneers will fare better in the close games. This is why the coach who should be fired is Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin. After being 7-4 and a near lock for the playoffs last year, the Steelers have completely lost it, losing nine of their last 12 games. There is no reason a team with Ben Roethlisberger, Brett Keisel and Troy Polamalu along with several quality support players should be struggling. The problem with the Steelers starts from the leader, and a lack of leadership. Pittsburgh needs change, and the firing of Tomlin might be the best thing.
Joe: I’m firing the Atlanta Falcons’ Mike Smith. The guy has never shown he has what it takes to compete with big-time coaches come playoff time, and this year is just spiraling out of control for him and his 2-7 Falcons. Although they have experienced numerous injuries to big offensive players this year, what has Mike Smith really done in his tenure with Atlanta? Yes, he’s posted great regular season records, but one win in the postseason (and a lucky won at that)? All the blame for Atlanta’s postseason struggles over the past few seasons has fallen at the feet of quarterback Matt Ryan, but maybe it’s time to start looking elsewhere to explain the Falcons’ struggles.
Peter: The most obvious coach to be fired right now is also the most deserving by far of losing his job: Schiano, whose Bucs are the last winless team in the NFL. There is only a little bit of shame in being the leader of a terrible team, though, which the Jaguars, Falcons and Giants also are. Some of the blame for that can also be put on the personnel, general manager and ownership. But Schiano’s Bucs have not only been bad, they have also been an embarrassment to the NFL thanks to off-the-field antics and a culture of fear that should no longer exist in pro sports. Schiano’s players hate him: One player said playing in Tampa Bay is “like being in Cuba.” They accused him of rigging the captaincy election in pre-season, are unhappy about how the Bucs coaching staff yells at players for showing sportsmanship, believe he fired an assistant coach because of anger issues and have a myriad of other issues with his drill seargaent-like mentality, which angers and drains pro athletes rather than motivating them. If it was up to me, Schiano would be out today.
Peter wins for discussing Schiano’s off-the-field antics, Joe gets 2 points for discussing Smith’s history with the Falcons, and Andrew gets 1 point for choosing Mike Tomlin.
Peter wins Around the Dorm, 8-6-4
(11/06/13 10:18pm)
In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Greg Oriolo, asks our panel three questions: Who can challenge the Miami Heat in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, what NFL team has been the most surprising through the first half of the season, and what NHL player should be the frontrunner for MVP after the early part of the season.
1. With the NBA season officially underway, what team in the East do you feel is the biggest threat to the two-time defending champion, Miami Heat?
Chris: The NBA playoffs are so much different than the regular season, so when trying to decide who the biggest threat is to Miami, I think it’s best looking at past playoffs. The last time the Bulls played the Heat in the playoffs with a healthy Derek Rose, they could only beat them once in a seven game series. The Indiana Pacers, however, took the Heat to Game 7. The Pacers have a star in Paul George who can defend LeBron, a rim enforcer/brick wall in Roy Hibbert who gave Miami fits last year, and the strategy to beat the Heat, making them my pick. Their strategy was to clog the lane and force Dwyane Wade and LeBron to shoot outside jumpers, which is not what they want to do. Nothing against Rose and Joakim Noah, but they’re simply not the same defensively as Hibbert and George. Add in a revamped bench and a young, blossoming coach in Frank Vogel, and Indiana’s got a shot to reject the Heat from a threepeat.
Amy: Despite a head coach with a lack of experience, Brook Lopez’s foot ailments, and the old ages of Paul Pierce, Jason Terry and Kevin Garnett, I think the Brooklyn Nets are a big threat to the two-time defending champion, Miami Heat. In fact, there are many reasons why they are a serious threat to the East. Even though Garnett and Pierce are 37 and 36, respectively, they’re still some pretty tough players. There have also been 35 All-Star appearances by the starting five. But the coaching is what’s going to really pull it all together. Although Jason Kidd’s head coaching has been somewhat questionable, he displayed great leadership characteristics throughout his playing years, and he’s surrounded by a strong staff.
Mike: The Indiana Pacers. Almost by default — the Knicks and Nets are too long in the tooth to keep up with the pace Miami brings to the table in the playoffs, and the Bulls can’t be considered serious threats until Derrick Rose proves that he can stay healthy and return to his old form. Even if the other contenders were big threats, however, the Pacers would still likely be the biggest. They have everything needed to take on Miami: a stingy defense that ranked second in the league last season in points allowed at just 90.7 per game and first in defensive rating at a pretty stellar 99.8, solid big men capable of exploiting Miami’s less-than-spectacular front line in Roy Hibbert and David West, and the ever-improving Paul George, who matched LeBron James as well as anyone can during last year’s Eastern Finals. The Pacers’ biggest flaw of last season, a lack of real depth, was addressed fairly well during the off season, as the additions of Luis Scola and C.J. Watson helped shore up their bench. Add to the bench either the return of Danny Granger or whoever they get for his expiring contract, and you have the team with the best shot at taking down the champs.
Mike wins for bringing up the Pacers defense as well as improved bench, Chris gets 2 points for the Pacers prior success, and Amy gets 1 point for talking about the All-Star lineup.
2. Which NFL team is your biggest surprise of the season and which team do you feel is the biggest disappointment?
Chris: The trendy surprise pick is the Chiefs, but in reality, they haven’t really beaten anyone. The combined record of the teams they’ve beaten is 27-48, and they’ve yet to beat a team with a record above .500. Instead, The biggest surprise for me is the Detroit Lions. They’re second in the league in passing yards with the Matthew Stafford-Calvin Johnson combination, but in reality, Stafford doesn’t have a legit second option to throw to. The defense has also be stout, led by Ndamukong Suh, and a team that looked undisciplined last year and repeatedly shot themselves in the foot is keeping pace with the Packers in the NFC North. The biggest disappointment has to be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This team has been nothing but toxic. Josh Freeman was awful, Greg Schiano clearly can’t coach in the NFL, and Doug Martin wasn’t doing anything before he got hurt. The most puzzling thing is how bad the defense has been. Despite acquiring Darelle Revis and Dashon Goldson to bolster a secondary that was supposed to help Gerald McCoy and Adrian Clayborn up front has been pretty terrible and gashed constantly by opposing offenses.
Amy: The Kansas City Chiefs have been the biggest surprise of the NFL season so far. Yes, they had some talent last year, but they also only won two games. One big reason for their turnaround this year is they now actually have a competent head coach in Andy Reid. In addition, their defense, after eight games, only let up 98 points, which is an average of less than 13 points per game. The most disappointing team this season has been the Atlanta Falcons. Yes, they have had injuries to key offensive players, such as Julio Jones, Roddy White and Steven Jackson, but this is a team that almost made the Super Bowl last year, so a lot more was expected of them. The outlook for the remainder of the season is not promising, as they still have games against tough opponents, including Seattle, New Orleans, Green Bay and San Francisco, all of whom are potential playoff teams.
Mike: Most people might put the Chiefs as the biggest surprise of the season so far, but with the upgrades at quarterback and to the coaching staff, combined with their already impressive defense, running game and easy schedule so far, they haven’t been all that surprising. So instead I’ll say the Carolina Panthers. Without significant changes to the roster or a change in head coach, Carolina has crawled from being one of the weaker defensive teams in the NFL to the second best in points allowed at just 13.7 a game. They also have the fourth best point differential at 10.6, which showcases their offensive improvement as well. Cam Newton has come on much stronger this season, and while his QBR hasn’t climbed much, his other statistics are all up, with the most notable rises being in completion percentage and interception rates. As for a disappointment, how can you not pick the Atlanta Falcons? From the NFC title game last season and many predicting that they’d make the Super Bowl, the Falcons have fallen to a 2-5 record and little indication that they can turn things around. If that isn’t a disappointing season, I don’t know what is.
Mike wins for talking about how Carolina has won with the same team, Chris gets 2 points for his analysis of Detriot and Tampa, and Amy gets 1 point for highlighting the Chiefs.
3. Several star NHL players have been off to hot starts early in the season. Which player do you feel has been most impressive and is the early frontrunner for MVP this season?
Chris: With one month already under the belt for the NHL season, my early-season MVP is former number 1 overall pick Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Well known for his goal scoring ability, there were other facets of his game that needed to grow, such as his passing, defense and leadership. He has finally emerged at age 23 as a legitimate two-way center, ranking second in the NHL in points (20) with 11 goals and 9 assists. Putting up points comes naturally to Stamkos, as he will most likely go on to rack up over 50 goals and 40 assists. Fans might be surprised to see his +/- rating at +9 which ranks him tied for third among forwards. Being responsible in the defensive end has translated to a hot start for the Lightning, as they are first in the Atlantic Division with a record of 10-4. After finishing with the third worst record last season, the new-found success all stems from MC Stammer. With one shorthanded goal, three power play goals and two clutch game-winning goals already, this first liner and special teams threat will make the Lightning a serious Stanley Cup contender in a rather weak Eastern Conference.
Amy: Even though I can’t stand the Penguins, Sidney Crosby is the obvious choice. He is currently leading the league in points with 23 points, including 15 assists. The latter number shows that he is helping his teammates to become better, as he is setting them up to score goals. However, Crosby will have to keep up his current pace as Pittsburgh is clearly defensively challenged and very reliant on a high-powered offense for its success. In order to be a contender for MVP this season, though, Crosby has to stay healthy because he’s been plagued by injuries, including serious concussions, during the past few seasons.
Mike: Alexander Steen. His 1.6 points per game stand as best in the league right now, and with only 10 games played so far he’s already netted 11 goals, which also leads the league. He comes in at fifth overall in points scored, despite having played in fewer games than just about everyone else, and his shooting percentage of 35.5 percent is absolutely absurd given how often he shoots. In fact, none of the players who have a better shooting percentage than Steen so far (Steen is eighth) have shot more than seven times, and you have to go pretty far down the list to find anyone else who has taken more than 10 shots, while Steen sits at 31. Add onto all the stats that the St. Louis Blues are actually winning, with a 7-1-2 record through ten games, putting them in the top ten in hockey in total points and tied for first in losses, and you get an even better argument to be made for Steen. While there are several worthy candidates so far, Steen has been the most impressive, and should be the early frontrunner for MVP.
Chris wins for highlighting Stamkos’s improvement, Mike gets 2 points for discussing dark horse Steen, and Amy gets 1 point for saying Crosby could be MVP if healthy.
Mike wins Around the Dorm, 8-7-3
(10/15/13 5:00am)
In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Chris Molicki, asks our panel three questions: if Jason Collins being without a contract in the NBA is because of his sexuality, which NFL team has been the most surprising six games into the season, and who would win in a Super Bowl between the undefeated Denver Broncos and 5-1 New Orleans Saints.
1. Jason Collin, the first actively gay athlete in major U.S. sports, has had trouble finding work in the NBA after coming out. Why?
Chrissy: For as big a deal as the media made about Jason Collins last April when he publicly announced that he was gay, it seems surprising that he has had such a hard time being picked up by a team this season. I definitely do not believe that his sexual orientation is the reason for this, however. Many movie stars and artists have come out recently (or have been out) and people accept this. It seems hard to believe that a team would turn him down based on this fact alone. It is probably more because of his age and his play on the court. Any 34-year-old free agent is going to have some trouble finding a spot on a team just because of his age. Collins is past his prime years. He averages 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for his career and there are other players with much more impressive statistics.
Mike: The media circus. Look, Collins is a decent NBA backup center — he’s going to give you 10-12 minutes of tough defense, rebounding and fouling whoever needs to be fouled. He hasn’t averaged more than two points a game in five years and is 34 years old, which would be the standard argument against signing him (for the veterans’ minimum, which is just over $1.3 million this season). And while Collins would bring a steady veteran presence to any locker room, which would offset the price tag and lacking offensive stats, he would also bring many more cameras than the dozen or so other players who fit his mold. Any team that signs Collins would get kudos at first, followed by dozens of angry questions about why he isn’t playing more often or getting the ball on offense much. The teams who typically want the media swarm and could answer those questions well are either struggling right now (Mavericks, Lakers) or already have an abundance of older big men (Knicks, possibly Nets). So Collins hasn’t been signed yet not because he’s openly gay, but because of how the coverage of his team might turn out. I think he signs for the minimum for a decent team halfway through the season when there will be more news to cover it up a bit.
Peter: Apart from Collins’s status as a replaceable role player, I believe his potentially distracting sexual orientation is keeping him out of contract, which — if true — is unfortunate but hardly surprising. The sports world has never been particularly fond of political pioneers, and for recent evidence, look no further than (former?) NFL safety Kerry Rhodes. Rhodes had a pretty good eight-year career with the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals from 2005-2013, but he was photographed with his arms over another man in the offseason, popularizing the idea he is gay. Rhodes is now without a contract at just 31, which is pretty astonishing for a player who has proven himself in the NFL for so long — I’d think without the gay rumors, at least one of the NFL’s 32 teams would have been willing to give him a chance to make a 53-man roster. Unfortunately, nonessential players like Collins and Rhodes have significantly reduced chances at getting pro contracts again, if not because of continued homophobia then because there is a certain level of pragmatism in avoiding players whose sexuality would (inadvertently) create distractions for the team.
Chrissy wins for saying Collins’s stats are less than desirable, Peter gets 2 points for giving the example of Kerry Rhodes, and Mike gets 1 point for mentioning the short-lived media circus.
2. Which NFL team has surprised you the most this far into the season?
Chrissy: While there are a lot of teams that have impressed me this season, I have to say the Dallas Cowboys have actually far exceeded my expectations (my loyalty biases aside). Going into this season, I thought the NL East would end up with the Giants in first and the Eagles in second. However, the Cowboys are currently tied for first with the Eagles while the Giants remain winless at the bottom. Tony Romo just had the game of his life two weeks ago against Denver. Dez Bryant has been killing it with touchdowns and looks to be one of our best assets this year. Even though they lost against the Broncos, their offense was up to par with that of Denver. Even though its defense needs work, this team will be a playoff contender.
Mike: I have two — one good, one bad. I’m surprised most by the Colts, since I was one of many people who thought that Andrew Luck might have a sophomore slump and drag his team down with him a bit. But he’s been surging, Indianapolis has been playing great, and the team is looking even better than they did last season. On the negative side, I’m surprised that the Pittsburgh Steelers are so awful. It was pretty easy to predict that they wouldn’t be great this year, but this bad? An 0-4 start against two decent and two lousy teams, giving up 27.5 points a game with their once-great defense and being outscored by 41 so far? That’s quite a bit worse than I thought they’d be. So I’d say the Colts have been the biggest surprise, but the Steelers are a close second.
Peter: It’s been a pretty unbelievable start for the division-contending Cleveland Browns, who have not been in first place after five games since 1995 and have almost stumbled into respectability despite trading away Trent Richardson. Everything about the Browns’ 3-3 start has defied conventional wisdom’s prerequisites to winning in the NFL: that you need a dependable run game (Cleveland is averaging just 79 yards on the ground), a quarterback not named Brian Hoyer (or Brandon Weeden) and more than a couple of viable targets for the quarterback who can raise the team’s passing completion rate above 53 percent. To sum it up, the offense is a talentless mess that should not have any expectations of winning games in the NFL. And the usual reason a mediocre team racks up a few early-season wins in the NFL, an easy last-place schedule, is not why the Browns are 3-3 — wins in Minessotta and against Cincinatti are pretty impressive. Given that it looked like Cleveland might not win three games all year after their 0-2 start, I have no hesitation in making the Browns my surprise team of the season so far.
Peter wins since no one saw Cleveland’s 3-0 streak, Mike gets 2 points for saying the Colts have avoided a letdown, and Chrissy gets 1 point because Dallas’s inconsistency is unsurprising.
3. Hypothetical situation: The Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints play each other on a neutral field in the Super Bowl. Who wins and why?
Chrissy: If the Super Bowl came down to the Saints and the Broncos, I would definitely have to pick the Broncos, because Peyton Manning is unstoppable this season and the team has some of the best stats in the league. When it comes to overall points scored, the Broncos are solidly at the top with 46 points averaged per game. No other team comes close. They are also leading in total offensive yards per game with 489 and it’s hard to argue with numbers. The Saints are putting up extremely good numbers as well, but definitely not as good as the Broncos’. As long as Manning is able to stay healthy, I believe these are the guys to beat if it came to them against the Saints in the Super Bowl.
Mike: Denver. Not really because they are the better team (although I do think they are marginally better), but because of the “neutral field” part of the question. If we assume neutral field conditions, like MetLife stadium in New Jersey where the Super Bowl is actually scheduled this season, then Peyton Manning and the Broncos have a distinct advantage: They aren’t playing in a dome. Brees is an effective quarterback no matter where he plays, but this season his outdoor numbers in two games (92.1 QBR, 3 TDs, 2 Int) pale in comparison to his indoor numbers in 3 games (117.8 QBR, 9 TDs, 2 Int). By comparison, Manning has only played in one game indoors so far this season, and it was arguably his worst game (129.6 QBR, 4 TDs, 1 Int), especially when compared to his dominance outdoors (four games, 138 QBR, 16 TDs, 0 Int). Add in the cold weather in Jersey in February, and it only adds to the increased difficulty for Brees and the Saints. I think the game is a shootout, but the weather and slightly better overall team favor the Broncos.
Peter: In what would be a pretty epic matchup, I think New Orleans would come out on top in a neutral venue thanks to the Saints’ suddenly scary defense. Neither the Broncos nor Saints have significant flaws, and with Peyton Manning and Drew Brees quarterbacking the teams, there would be a lot of indefensible scoring going on. But the Broncos have not shown they can win games in anything but a shootout so far, having given up at least 20 points in all of their games (whereas the Saints have yet to concede 20 points in a game). Denver’s defense has had opportunities against bad teams but has yet to shut down anyone, from Eli Manning’s winless Giants (23 points) to a a pretty-good-but-not-great Cowboys offense (48 points against Denver, 26 points against first four teams). On the other hand, the Saints have been a much more well-rounded team thus far. Thanks to Rob Ryan, they have not had to rely on Brees and co. for their 5-0 start, and with the fourth-best defense in the NFL, I think they will be able to stop Manning a few times in a Saints victory.
Mike wins for highlighting Manning’s dome advantage, Peter gets 2 points for pointing out Ryan’s exotic blitzing D, and Chrissy gets 1 point for talking about Denver’s offense.
(10/08/13 5:00am)
In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Andrew Grossman, asks our panel three questions: will Peyton Manning break Tom Brady’s 2007 record for throwing 50 touchdowns in a season, which teams will come out of the American and National Leagues in the MLB playoffs, and who will end the year in men’s tennis as the top-ranked player.
1. Will Peyton Manning break Tom Brady’s record of 50 TD’s in a season?
Nick: Peyton Manning has a very good shot of eclipsing Tom Brady’s 50-touchdown record: With 12 games left in the regular season, Manning needs 35 more touchdowns to reach the 51 mark. So, on average, he only needs about three touchdowns per game. Now let’s look at the defensive quality of the opponents he has left on the schedule: He still has a game versus Jacksonville, Oakland and Washington and two games against San Diego, who are all struggling defensively. Plus, out of all of the quality defensive opponents left, the only proven defense at this point in the season they will be facing is the Chiefs. I do not see how Manning will put up less than three touchdowns per game going down the stretch, and even if he only puts up two touchdowns per game against the Chiefs, you can’t tell me dropping four touchdowns on the favorable match-ups listed above is out of the question.
Joe: There is a great possibility that Peyton Manning will indeed break Brady’s 50-touchdown record. Let’s review a few things about the chase. First, in the first quarter of Brady’s 50-touchdown season, he had 13 touchdowns. Manning, through the first quarter, has 16. Secondly, Peyton Manning has one of the best receiving corps in recent memory. And let’s not forget the Broncos’ schedule, which still has them playing four games against bottom-seven defenses. And that’s not even including the Raiders and Jaguars. If I had to bet on it right now, I would say yes, Peyton Manning will indeed break Tom Brady’s 50-TD record.
Chris: It’s very difficult to sustain the pace that Peyton Manning is on right now, so in order to truly determine whether the guy in orange can top Tom Brady’s mark, I had to watch his game against Dallas. It didn’t really matter that Dallas was the best defense he’s played yet, Manning was on fire and reached 20 TD’s less than a third of the way through the season. There are three huge factors that will lead to Manning breaking the record. First, Manning’s passes have been incredibly crisp. This is a quarterback who, despite having already won a Super Bowl and enjoyed so much statistical success, is always looking for ways to improve. Heading into this season, Manning knew that at 37, he had to get even sharper to keep up with the league, and he sure did. Second, despite losing Ryan Clady to injury, there has been great protection for Manning, and it showed against DeMarcus Ware and a fierce Cowboys’ pass rush. Finally, Manning has such a deadly corps of receivers that someone is always open. Whether it be Wes Welker, Julius Thomas, Eric Decker or Demaryius Thomas, it’s nearly impossible to account for everyone. The only thing that could derail Manning’s chase at the record are blowouts and the coaching staff sitting him near the end of the season, but Denver passes so much that matter what there will be more close games like against the Cowboys than you think.
Chris wins for saying Manning could sit out, Joe gets 2 points for saying Denver has four games against NFL-worst defenses, and Nick gets 1 point for showing statistics.
2. Which MLB teams will come out of the AL and NL to make the World Series?
Nick: The Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers are going to end up fighting it out in the World Series. Let’s look at the Red Sox. These players, after being embarrassed last year professionally and publicly, have come into this season with a clear chip on their shoulders. Home-field advantage is going to be monumental to their success as they climb through the AL. John Lackey this season has held opponents to a .232 batting average throughout his starts at home this season, and if anything is needed to win your way through the playoffs, it’s wins at home. On the opposite end, the Dodgers pitching core is one of the deepest in the playoffs, and although their series against Braves, and most likely the Cardinals in the NLCS finals, may be close, their pitching core will carry them through.
Joe: The Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers seem like the two teams to beat to me. The Red Sox, to start, ranked first in baseball in runs, slugging percentage and on-base percentage this year while rankings second in average. Their lineup is nearly impossible to shut down for an extended period of time, and their pitching is not too bad either. The back end of their bullpen, which always is a vital part of a postseason roster, is rock solid with arguably the best closer in baseball in Koji Uehara, and their starters ranked third in pitcher’s WAR (Wins Above Replacement) this season. As for the Dodgers, pitching, pitching, pitching. Kershaw/Greinke is easily the best 1-2 punch you can find among the playoff teams, and that lineup is unstoppable. Look for Yasiel Puig to shine on the big stage and, of course, at the back end of their bullpen you can find Kenley Jansen and his 13.03 K/9 ratio.
Chris: The two races in the American and National League will likely come down to two teams each: the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers for the AL, and the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals for the NL. While the Tigers are loaded with studs Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, who are complemented by the likes of Austin Jackson, Victor Martinez and Tori Hunter, they are not as good, top to bottom, as Boston. Sure, the top of the lineup is among the best in baseball, starting off with Jacoby Ellsbury who, if he gets on base, is a good bet to steal. Then, if you can somehow manage to get past Shane Victorino, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Mike Napoli, underrated Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Stephen Drew are waiting for you, along with Will Middlebrooks, who has been on a tear since returning to the majors. Bench guys like Xander Boegarts and Mike Carp only make this team more formidable. The pitching is there too, as the quad of Clay Bucholz, Jake Peavy, Jon Lester and John Lackey can match Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Annibal Sanchez and Doug Fister. In the NL, I like the Cardinals. Sure, the Dodgers are led by the scary 1-2 punch of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, but keep in mind, these are the Cardinals we’re talking about. For the majority of the season, many thought this team had no flaws, and we’ve seen what they can do in the postseason. The absence of Allen Craig hurts, but veterans Matt Holliday, Carlos Beltrain and Yadier Molina should take this team to the promised land. But you say playoffs is all about pitching? Well the Cards have a fellow named Adam Wainwright, who has a 2.94 ERA with 219 strikeouts. He’s complimented by potential Rookie of the Year Shelby Miller and Lance Lynn (four earned runs over his last four starts). Expect more postseason magic in St. Louis.
Chris wins for giving two picks in each league, Nick gets two points for saying Boston has a chip on its shoulder, and Joe gets 1 point for mentioning Boston’s high-powered offense.
3. Who will end the year at No. 1 in men’s tennis, Nadal or Djokovic?
Nick: As we near another classic Djokovic and Nadal match-up in the China Open, this question becomes a difficult one to predict, but my gut is telling me Nadal. Let’s face the facts here: Nadal has just been on fire lately, winning Grand Slams as if he were ordering them from Denny’s. By reaching the China Open finals we see him slide into the No. 1 spot, and I do not think his end-of-the-year status will fall squarely on the match-up against Djokovic in the finals. Sure, beating Djokovic again will only help solidify his world rank. But as long as he doesn’t get decimated, I believe he will still end the year atop the charts. Nadal has put forth a dominating performance this year that cannot be overlooked, and that is why I believe he will remain No. 1 as the season closes out.
Joe: Rafael Nadal has not lost a match on a hard-court surface all year, and all of his matches for the remainder of the year are on hard courts. He has definitely returned to form in 2013, winning the French and US Open, while Djokovic has seemingly taken a step back. By year’s end, the No. 1 spot looks like Rafa’s for the taking.
Chris: Djokovic has been No. 1 for so long, that it’s hard to not see him regain that ranking, despite losing it to Nadal recently. The fact is, as soon as Nadal gained the top ranking in the world, Djokovic came out with a vengeance and beat Nadal in the China Open in two sets. Djokovic had previously been No. 1 for nearly a year, and after just narrowly losing that ranking, he beat Nadal and should get it back soon. The other issue for Nadal is time. With the year having just a little over two and a half months left, it will be very hard for him to gain the ranking back from Djokovic. This, of course, is all assuming that Djokovic is renamed No. 1. But after his strong showing in China against Nadal, I expect that to happen sooner than later.
Joe wins for mentioning Nadal’s hard court performance, Chris gets 2 points for saying Nadal is getting old, and Nick gets 1 point for mentioning Nadal has been on fire lately.
Chris wins Around the Dorm, 8-6-4
(10/08/13 5:00am)
By Ryan Molicki
Correspondent
Once again proving they are not going anywhere anytime soon, the men’s soccer team ran with the Scarlet Raptors of No. 2 Rutgers-Camden in NJAC play for 1-1 draw on Wednesday, Oct. 2, though they fell to No. 7 Rutgers-Newark on Saturday, Oct. 5, in a heartbreaking 2-1 loss that went to double overtime before being settled.
In the draw with Rutgers-Camden, the Lions (7-3-2, 2-2-1) were awarded a penalty kick in the 31st minute when senior midfielder Kevin Shaw was taken down by a Rutgers-Camden defender right inside the box.
Being the leading scorer for the Lions, Shaw took the penalty kick and blasted it past Rutgers-Camden goalkeeper Mike Randall to put the Lions up a goal with his 13th goal of the season, en route to the Lions’ third result against ranked teams this year.
“We have shown that we can play with anyone in the country,” Shaw said. “We are confident going into these types of games knowing that if we come out and play well that we have a good chance of winning.”
The Lions went into halftime up one goal against a very physically and mentally tough team. Coming into Wednesday night’s game, the Scarlet Raptors were undefeated with an 11-0 record. After the break, the Scarlet Raptors came out firing and had three shots, two on goal, within the first 10 minutes of the second half. Senior goalkeeper Aaron Utman played an extremely tough game, recording four saves.
The score was evened by the Scarlet-Raptors in the 76th minute, when senior midfielder Stevan Austino ripped a shot from 20 yards out past Utman. Determined to regain the lead, the Lions were able to put two shots on goal in the last two minutes of the game, one being off a corner kick in the last 10 seconds.
The first overtime period was filled with lots of energy from both teams, which were looking to score that winning goal. In the second overtime period, Shaw had two more shots on goal — both saved by Scarlet Raptors’ keeper Mike Randall, who finished with nine saves in the game — but the Lions could not break through from the run of play, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
“I was happy with the way our team played, and we wish we could have won,” Shaw said. “But walking away from that game with a tie was not a bad result.”
After a hard-fought draw against the Scarlet Raptors of Rutgers-Camden, the Lions played the Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers-Newark. Trying to keep momentum going from the draw, the Lions were determined to have a strong showing against the Scarlet Raptors.
Senior midfielder Sean Casey was determined to keep the team’s mindset in the right place and get the win.
“To be honest, the team knows what has to be done, and we do a good job of getting ready come game time,” Casey said. “We really wanted to carry the momentum from the win and tie against ranked opponents into the Rutgers-Newark game.”
Playing from behind for most of the game, the Lions persevered and tied the game late with a goal from Shaw, his 14th of the season. Although the Lions came back from being down 1-0, Rutgers-Newark was able to capitalize in the end of the second overtime period and fell to the Scarlet Raiders 2-1.
“As a captain, it is my job to make sure the team has solid training sessions, the same mindset and is ready to go come game time,” Casey said. “I am extremely lucky to be a part of the team we currently have. The team is extremely talented and everyone has the same goal, to reach the NCAA tournament.”
The Lions will play out of conference on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at Muhlenberg College. They will return to NJAC action on Saturday, Oct. 12, when they host William Paterson University.
(10/01/13 5:00am)
In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Mike Herold, asks our panel three questions: whether some of last year’s top NFL teams are pretenders, if Paul George deserves his new contract extension with the Indiana Pacers, and which two NHL teams enter the season as favorites for the two conferences.
1. Some of the teams people thought would dominate the NFL have had rough starts to their seasons (Atlanta, Green Bay, San Fransisco). Which, if any, of these contenders are actually pretenders?
Amy: Green Bay is a pretender. Their defense has reverted to its 2011 form and the running game is nonexistent. And Greg Jennings hasn’t been replaced at wide receiver. Also, Aaron Rodgers may not be on the same page as head coach Mike McCarthy. As for the other two, I don’t think Atlanta is good enough on the road against decent teams to be a serious threat. I like San Francisco as a wild card team. Their offense is very strong on both sides of the ball, and they have a ferocious defense. Jim Harbaugh’s team was one step away at last year’s Super Bowl, but with a more experienced Colin Kaepernick in place, the Niners definitely appear championship ready.
Andrew: While Green Bay and San Francisco should find their way into the playoff mix shortly, the Atlanta Falcons fans should be concerned, but not disheartened, because the season is still young. Although they are currently 1-3 and in serious trouble, I do expect the Falcons to rebound and squeak into the playoffs. Besides their record, the biggest issue holding them back is injuries. Once pro-bowlers Steven Jackson and Asante Samuels get healthy, they will then be much more of a threat. In the meantime, they will have to play a few more weeks without their key leaders. This will be easier to do as the Falcons’ schedule lightens up the next four weeks as they compete against teams with a combined record of 5-10.
Gabe: The Falcons (1-3), Packers (1-2) and 49ers (2-2) were all penciled in to make the playoffs in the NFC this season and contend for the Super Bowl. It’s still very early and anything can happen, but slow starts combined with some key injuries have severely damaged the likelihood that all three teams will be able to advance to the postseason. The 49ers rebounded well coming off of two ugly losses, and their schedule seems pretty friendly looking forward. Matt Ryan has looked really shaky for Atlanta, but I think their upcoming schedule will help them get their heads back above water quickly. Right now, despite my doubts about Jay Cutler and the Bears and Matt Stafford and the Lions’ ability to maintain their winning ways, I think the Green Bay Packers will have the hardest time making it into the postseason due to their tough schedule, apparent lack of running game and questionable defense.
Amy wins for manning up and picking a pretender, Andrew gets 2 points for noting the injury factor, and Gabe gets 1 point for not detailing any one team’s woes.
2. Paul George of the Indiana Pacers just signed a max contract extension. Did he deserve it, or did Indiana just overreact to his stellar Eastern Finals?
Amy: Paul George deserved a max contract. Who else are the Pacers going to spend their money on? Big-name free agents aren’t interested in joining the Pacers. Plus, there are many reasons why he’s worthy of being paid approximately $18 million for each of the next five seasons. His willingness to play hard, his quick feet and his height make him a great defender. On offense, his 7.6 rebounds per game translates to one rebound per every 4.9 minutes, which is about twice as many as expected from a small forward.
Andrew: Although Paul George is an exceptional player, he did not deserve the max contract extension. The reason why George had such a dominating postseason was because he had to step up in the absence of Danny Granger, who was out with a knee injury. The Pacers are one of the few successful teams in the NBA who doesn’t rely on one key player. The combination of Roy Hibbert, George Hill and David West in addition to Granger and George makes the Pacers such a balanced team with no obvious weaknesses. By giving George the extension, Indiana is straying away from having a cohesive team that has the potential of changing the team’s overall mindset. The Pacers have been this way for some time now, so why change a winning strategy?
Gabe: Paul George absolutely deserved the max contract extension. He grew two inches after being drafted, but the growth in his game is what has been truly remarkable. In his first season, George played only 21 minutes per game and his numbers don’t scream future star by any stretch of the imagination, but his improvement as the season went on led to his selection to the 2011 NBA All-Rookie 2nd team. In his sophomore season he started all 66 games and posted averages of 12.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 44 percent from the field, 39 percent from downtown and 80 percent free throws while helping the Pacers take a 2-1 game lead against the eventual champion Miami Heat in the second round of the playoffs. In George’s third and most recent season, Danny Granger, who was the star of the team in George’s rookie season, appeared in only five games due to injury. Given more responsibility, George flourished, posting averages of 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.8 steals in 38 minutes a game. George was selected to the All-NBA 3rd team and won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. At 6’8” and with his elite athletic ability and sweet stroke, George is fit to play the two or three. His versatility and growth into an All-Star on both ends of the floor and his ability to elevate his game in the playoffs were some of the main reasons the Pacers reached a do-or-die game with the defending champion Miami Heat for a chance to compete in the NBA finals. At 23, there’s no reason to believe George has reached his ceiling as a player, especially given how much he has improved his game every year he’s been in the league thus far. Locking him up makes the Pacers one of the most stable and competitive franchises in the Eastern Conference for the foreseeable future.
Gabe wins for an in-depth answer, Andrew gets 2 points for saying Indiana is team-oriented, and Amy gets 1 point because other big free agents would like to play for Larry Legend.
3. Hockey’s back! Give me your Stanley Cup teams as the season begins.
Amy: Teams rarely repeat, so I don’t think Chicago will win the Stanley Cup. My prediction is that the St. Louis Blues will win the final, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. St. Louis ultimately finished second in the Central Division and third overall in the Western Conference, making them serious contenders. As for the East, one of these years Pittsburgh has to have a playoff run, so I think they’ll make it to the final but will ultimately fall to the Blues.
Andrew: The Bruins are definitely my pick to win the Eastern Conference. Goalie Tuukka Rask really came into form during last year’s playoff run, so this season should be no different. After being third-best in the NHL in goals allowed a season ago, the team of Rask and big-man Zdeno Chara will be difficult to score against, and let’s face it: Defense wins championships. In the Western Conference, it is hard not to choose the defending champions, the Chicago Blackhawks. Yes, I know it is a recap of last year’s Stanley Cup final, but both teams have looked solid in the preseason so far. As for the Blackhawks, Carl Crawford was second in the league last year with an average of 1.94 goals allowed against him per game. On the offensive side, expect last season’s Conn Smythe Trophy winner Patrick Kane to also be dominant as he was fifth in the NHL last year with 23 goals.
Gabe: The L.A. Kings and the Philadelphia Flyers will face off in this year’s Stanley Cup Finals. Both are young teams that will have the energy to push through in the playoffs after the long and grueling regular season. Both of their offensive cores are excellent and have been together for several years now. The Kings’ Jonathan Quick is the best goaltender in the world. Injuries were a large reason they fell short last year against the Chicago Blackhawks, and they won the Stanley Cup two years ago in 2012. They enter the season as the favorites to win Lord Stanley’s Cup. Last year the Flyers dealt with key injuries to their defense, which was a big reason their season was a disappointing one. This year they will begin the season at full strength. Their biggest question will be goaltending.
Andrew wins for saying defense wins championships, Amy gets 2 points for picking the relatively unknown Blues, and Gabe gets 1 point for picking the goaltending-lacking Flyers.
Andrew wins Around the Dorm, 7-6-5
"It's not easy being the best."
—Andrew Grossman
(09/10/13 5:00am)
In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Greg Oriolo, asks our panel three sports questions: who the best NFL teams from each conference are, whether the MLB’s two-team wild card system is beneficial for the league, and if aging tennis star Roger Federer has a better shot at winning a major than Tiger Woods does.
1. Who are the two NFL teams you feel will make it out of their respective conference and into the Super Bowl?
Chrissy: For this upcoming 2013 NFL season, I feel there are a lot of teams who will be in contention for the Super Bowl, many more than last year. For the AFC, the New England Patriots look as promising as ever, with Tom Brady still one of the league’s best quarterbacks. However, for this year, I’m going to have to pick Denver to go the distance in the AFC. Peyton Manning has to be desperate at this point to get this team to the Super Bowl and get them that ring. Despite getting beat by Baltimore in last year’s playoffs, I feel like this year they would be able to overcome Flacco. As for the NFC, I would have to choose Green Bay. I can’t see how a team this good wouldn’t make it to the Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers is in the prime of his career right now and Clay Matthews literally cannot be stopped. I can see the Packers taking it all the way to the end this year.
Amy: My prediction is that the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks will play in Super Bowl XXXXVIII, with the Patriots coming out on top. Although they barely pulled out a win against the Bills on Sunday, overall they are a very talented team. Plus, the Pats will be extremely focused after the loss to the Ravens last season, making them my top pick for the AFC Championship. Many people see the Broncos as a leading team for the AFC. However, Peyton Manning doesn’t play well during cold weather. As many of us know, most playoff games are played during the cold, meaning the Broncos will have a good regular season, but will suffer during the playoffs. As for the NFC, Seattle has an edge over the Niners because of a better running game, although both teams are lacking a solid wide receiver. That lack will be the difference between the Pats and the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.
Gabe: After Peyton Manning threw for seven touchdowns in the Broncos opening night blowout win over the reigning champion Baltimore Ravens, I can’t help but pick them to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this year. With a receiving corps featuring Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Eric Decker and potential surprise breakout tight end Julius Thomas, Manning may be on his way to having one of the most prolific regular seasons in NFL history. If the Broncos can develop a somewhat reliable running game, Mother Nature may be the only thing capable of slowing Manning and the Broncos’ aerial attack. In the NFC, I like the San Francisco 49ers. Unlike Atlanta, New Orleans and Green Bay, there’s nothing they aren’t great at. Their defense is one of the best in the league. Their offensive line is second to none. Their rushing attack, led by Frank Gore, is very powerful. Colin Kaepernick is a complete quarterback with great awareness, a huge arm and the ability to run the ball. When teams try to stop the 49ers rushing attack, Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis will have a lot of room to roam. Furthermore, they are led by one of the best coaches, Jim Harbaugh.
Gabe wins for going over his picks’ depth, Amy gets 2 points for bringing up what can derail Denver, and Chrissy gets 1 point for talking about the Packers’ star power.
2. With several teams contending for a wild card spot in the MLB, do you feel that the two-team wild card system is good for the league?
Chrissy: The question of whether the 2-team wild card system is good for the league is definitely a good one. I feel like the wildcard spots are pretty much the underdog spots — the teams who didn’t think they stood a chance but were able to make it in right before the regular season ends. It’s definitely exciting when a wild card team gets into the World Series and is able to go all the way, but I can see how this is frustrating for the other teams who have gotten in based on the regular standings for the duration of the year. Those other teams played well enough to lead their divisions and were able to make it into the playoffs on good play. However, the wild card teams still have exhibited stellar play throughout the season and are able to keep their hopes up for that revered spot as the wild card. I feel like everyone likes a good redemption story in sports, and the wild card teams are able to provide that.
Amy: I dislike the second wild card. The idea behind it is to put the wild card winner at a disadvantage by forcing both wild card teams to use their best starters in the one-game playoff. However, the wild card winner would still be able to use its best starter as early as game three of the of the divisional series, meaning it’s not as big of a disadvantage as many people believe it is. In addition, a one-game playoff can lead to fluke plays and bad calls having too much influence on the result of the one-game series. A good example of this is the infield fly call in the Cardinals-Braves wild card game last season.
Gabe: The two-team wild card system is great for Major League Baseball. With 10 teams making the postseason, the MLB playoffs are still the most exclusive of the four major sports (NFL-12, NBA & NHL- 16). Given how long the MLB season is, it makes sense that more teams should have the chance to make the playoffs. Furthermore, it makes the regular season competitive for a longer period of time. The sudden death wild card game brings more buzz and excitement to a sport that, after a long regular season, could afford to start the postseason with a bang. Two teams putting their best pitcher forward for a do-or-die ball game will be a must-watch for baseball fans everywhere.
Amy wins for noting one call can have too much influence, Gabe gets 2 points for saying how it is still exclusive, and Chrissy gets 1 point for saying it is exciting to see a wild card win.
3. After struggling in his second straight major, do you feel that Roger Federer will ever win another major — and if so, does he have a better chance than his good friend, Tiger Woods?
Chrissy: I feel that even though Roger Federer has struggled in the previous two majors, he is not out of contention for the next one. Federer is still young and I definitely think he has it in him to get to the top again. One thing I feel like he definitely needs to worry about is the emergence of the younger players. Andy Murray has taken the world of tennis by storm, gathering an enormous fan base and collecting more trophies than anyone could have foreseen. However, I believe this will give Federer even more incentive to play harder and collect another major title. I believe Federer has a better chance at winning another major than his friend, Tiger Woods. I feel that the Tiger Woods era has come to an end. When looking at his stats, he hasn’t won any big events since 2009. However, Federer is still in his prime and I believe we will see much more from him soon.
Amy: Roger Federer just turned 32. In the modern era, very few tennis players over that age win grand slams. In addition, there are two other future hall of famers — Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — who are playing much better than Federer, so I’d say there will be no more grand slams for King Roger. On the other hand, I think Tiger will break through next season. He has played fairly well this year — he just hasn’t done so well in the majors. If he keeps it up, a win in a major within the next year or two is inevitable.
Gabe: With 17 major championships, including an incredible five championships in a row at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, Roger Federer is currently the best tennis player of all time. However, having lost in the 2nd round of Wimbledon and the 4th round of the U.S. Open this year, it appears that at 32, all the mileage may finally have caught up to him. Prior to his recent struggles, Fed hadn’t failed to make the quarterfinals at a major since 2004. To count out a champion half as great as Federer would be precarious for sure. But the likelihood that his body will be able to hold up against the top talent in the world in the two-week marathons that are best of five set major championships is getting slimmer every second. Following the completion of the U.S. Open Men’s Final, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will combine for 19 major championships and are in the prime of their respective careers. Nadal has won 12 majors. He has won the French Open four years in a row and in eight of his nine appearances, beating Fed all five times they’ve faced each other on the clay at Roland Garros. Djokovic has won six majors while reaching the semifinals at 14 straight majors (just nine behind Fed’s 23 semis from 2004-2010), and will look to win his fourth straight Australian Open in January. And Andy Murray has won two majors and the Olympics in the last two years. Federer’s window of opportunity is undoubtedly closing. If he does have one last major championship in him, his best shot will be at Wimbledon — where he has won six times, the grass is less grueling on the body, and anything can happen. Given Tiger Woods’ skills and the fact that he will be able to walk the course longer than Federer will be able to take the court, Woods is more likely to be crowned a major champion again in his career.
Gabe wins for great analysis of the top players, Amy gets 2 points for saying Tiger may keep up good play into next year, and Chrissy gets 1 for saying younger players will fuel Federer.
Gabe wins Around the Dorm, 8-7-3
(09/03/13 5:00am)
In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Peter Fiorilla, asks our panel three questions: what they think of Johnny Manziel’s bizarre one-half game suspension by the NCAA, what this year’s most exciting NFL storyline is, and if the Red Sox are AL favorites after turning 180 degrees since last season’s embarrassing September collapse.
1. What do you think of the NCAA’s one-half game suspension of Johnny Manziel, star Texas A&M quarterback, for reportedly violating league policy by selling autographed memorabilia?
Chris: With all of the penalties that the NCAA gives to athletes, this is a mere slap on the wrist. In fact, a Texas A&M student was quoted saying she used to get timeouts longer than Manziel’s suspension. This was a common case of the NCAA being unsure of what to do, but knowing they had to do something. As of writing this, the Aggies are up seven at the half against Rice with Manziel prepared to enter the game after the intermission. He’ll likely crush the Owls, which is what everyone knew would happen. Therefore, the penalty was essentially nothing. While I do think Manziel shouldn’t be selling memorabilia, I think he gets a bad rep for everything he does. He’s just a college kid trying to have fun. Can’t we all relate? But when he does something, he does have to be reprimanded, and the NCAA let him off the hook big time.
Greg: I personally do not believe “Johnny Football” should have been suspended for any amount of time. The reason for this is because there is no indisputable evidence showing that he clearly was paid for signing memorabilia. This brief suspension, if that’s what you want to call it, was an absolute joke and an impulsive act based on the speculation that Manziel did get paid. Speculation is a dangerous thing, and the NCAA did not handle this situation well, basing their petty suspension all on assumption. If the NCAA wanted to make a point, they would have found the evidence needed to punish Manziel and suspend him for an extended period of time.
Julie: I think the NCAA’s suspension of Johnny Manziel is appropriate. As a collegiate athlete representing not only himself but Texas also A&M, he should be aware of the league policies and abide by them. Violating the policies that athletes agree to upon signing to play a sport for a school is a violation of the game’s integrity, as the quality of play is overshadowed by financial schemes.
Greg wins for his anti-NCAA convictions, Julie gets 2 points for taking the road less traveled & Chris gets 1 point for pointing out Manziel is still just a kid in college.
2. Coming into the first week of play, what do you think is the most compelling NFL story to watch out for?
Chris: Tebow getting cut from the Patriots! No, just kidding. I’d have to say the thing I’m most interested in is the performance of the second-year starting quarterbacks. Last year, Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick all took their teams to the playoffs (with Kaepernick going to the Super Bowl) in their first year starting. These four players have a huge amount of influence on their respective franchises, and that’s four playoff teams and two Super Bowl contenders. It will be interesting to see if the QBs can avoid a sophomore slump and continue their success. Wilson and Kaepernick have a huge help from their defenses, but the fact remains that these players can each drastically affect the NFL landscape for the next 10 years, let alone next season. Will the read option continue to work? Can Griffin III stay healthy? Can Luck cut down his turnovers? These are all pressing questions that I am very interested to find the answers for.
Greg: As with the start of every NFL season, there are several intriguing storylines that are extremely compelling. This year, the one I feel deserves the most attention is the success of read option quarterbacks (Wilson, RG3, Kaepernick) throughout the NFL. This is the first full offseason defensive coordinators have had to plot against fast-paced, dual-threat quarterbacks, and it is interesting to see if these offenses will be as successful as they were in the following year. There is much debate about if this new style of QB play is replacing the prototypical packet passer, which I believe it is not. Even though many polls have the likes of Seattle, San Francisco and even Washington toward the top of power rankings, do not be surprised to see the offensives of these teams decline from a year ago, whereas teams with pocket passing QBs (Denver, Atlanta, New England, New Orleans) will continue to improve and end up with the Lombardi trophy.
Julie: I’m not very compelled by the NFL, but I think it’s pretty interesting that Joe Flacco stated that Manziel is “quickly becoming my favorite player in college football.” Despite the controversy over Manziel’s suspensions and illegal actions against the league, Flacco is looking to turn the college football conversation back into sports-related talks, rather than illegal, financial affairs.
Greg wins for talking about the recent trend of read option QB’s, Chris gets 2 points for saying how many good sophomore QBs there are & Julie gets 1 point for talking about Flacco.
3. How have the Red Sox had so much success this year, and are they favorites to come out of the American League playoffs?
Chris: The Red Sox have had a phenomenal bounce-back season, and they certainly are for real. If Clay Bucholz can get healthy, they would have a stellar playoff rotation with Jon Lester, Jake Peavy and the resurgent John Lackey to go with their potent offense. However, the Detroit Tigers should be considered the AL favorites. Nevermind the fact that they have the largest run differential in the majors with ace Justin Verlander having an average year by his standards, but they’re playing their best baseball right now. Last year, the Tigers were in cruise control during the regular season and made it to the World Series. This year, they’re playing like the best team in the AL, and that’s because they are the best team in the AL. Combine Verlander with assumed Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and the lineup led by Miguel Cabrera, and the talent is all there. I could see a Boston-Detroit ALCS, but when you have arguably the best hitter and pitcher in baseball, you have to be considered the favorite.
Greg: One of the major keys to the Boston Red Sox success this year is their consistent hitting. Besides the Detroit Tigers, there is no team in baseball that manufactures more runs and gets on base more than the Red Sox. With a very balanced lineup, the BoSox can beat a team every way possible, which makes them dangerous against any pitcher in any park. Couple this with an above average overall pitching staff, and the team is one of the top contenders in the American League but does this make them the AL favorite? I think not. Detroit in my mind has to be the favorite as long as Cabrera stays healthy. In almost every facet of the game, hitting, pitching and fielding, the Tigers are just a little bit better than the Boston. They have a higher team average, more runs scored, more homeruns, lower team ERA and commit fewer errors than the BoSox. With more experience, better rotations and an even more consistent lineup, do not be surprised to see Detroit in the World Series this October.
Julie: The Red Sox are the favorites to come out of the American League playoffs after having had so much success this year with the Mike Napoli and Johnny Gomes producing well. Their trade to acquire pitcher Jake Peavy has helped along with Dustin Pedrioa and David Ortiz continuing to hit well.
Chris wins for talking about the potential of Boston’s rotation, Greg gets 2 points for pointing out Detroit’s superior stats & Julie gets 1 point for mentioning the Peavy trade.
Greg wins Around the Dorm, 8-6-4