Lakers Trying To Tank

Over the past few days, hall of fame PG Earvin Magic Johnson weighed in on the Los Angeles Lakers and their 6th worst NBA record. He didn't hold back when he stated that the Lakers need to lose if they expect to be a top contender for the 3 top college basketball players coming out of the 2014 college class.

Last years draft there were no superstars. This year there are about 3-4 superstars in college basketball and we need one of them!

Of course, the NBA has no right to tell the Lakers they are allowed to lose games on purpose, but for teams to slump it will damage the NBA's image and reputation. It would hurt the fanbase, and the franchise, who historically has been one of the best ever. For the Lakers to lose would create absolute chaos because of the competitive nature out in Los Angeles in every sport. The same goes for the Philadelphia 76ers, who have been tanking for the past 2 and a half years by acquiring D league players to help propel their team to the top pick of the NBA draft. This was not possible however, because they were unsuccessful both years, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers who used their pick to draft Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins. Both are no longer on the team and are currently residing in Minnesota.

Of course, the major difference in Los Angeles compared to Philadelphia is the Lakers still have Kobe Bryant, Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer. However, all 3 guys have underperformed this season. Nick Young seems to be their only hope in the young season, but the injury prone guard can not carry a team on his own. Kobe Bryant is still chasing every possible statistical category he is close to, but he slowly sees his potential last season ever in the NBA wither away. It seems that Kobe's numbers are down, but he averages nearly 25.5 points per game, which is higher than last season but still nearly 1.7 points off his average. Kobe Bryant is still trying to get used to a new offense, that was implemented nearly a year and half ago, when Phil Jackson resigned due to poor performance. Kobe thrives in a triangle offense, and by taking away the offense, he struggles to find areas for open shots and is forced to give up the ball more.

Looking forward, LA must move forward and start to rebuild the team around strong young talent and not dwell on aging players they have now with Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer. Both are washed up and need to be traded in order to free up cap space and sign big name free agents. One name that has been floating around last off season was Blake Griffin. No doubt, he can be a cornerstone to any franchise, and can improve a team instantly. Then, if LA Lakers tank, they could potentially land top college players like Karl Towns, Stanley Johnson, and Jahlil Okafor. Each are freshman that could consider leaving college early, and enter the NBA draft. The next draft class is also intriquing, with top high school players making an impact already and some are being considered to be stars in the next few years. Antonio Blakeney, Ivan Rabb, Harry Giles III, and Kwe Parker are all currently ranked one of the top 10 high schoolers in the country.

Criming While White

With the latest shootings occurring within months, protesters took to Twitter to get a widely debated trending on the social media site. It is just one hashtag that has opened up different angles people in other countries may have regarding racial bias. #Crimingwhilewhite was one hashtag that critiqued the actions of the police officers in Ferguson, Missouri, Cleveland, Ohio, and New York City, where the police officers were not indicted for their criminal actions that would put any other person in a jail. They were bailed out by their status in authority, which simply can't happen in this new time in history of the United States of America.
     People are trying to change how they treat other people, especially of a different race and ethnicity, but the way they treat people and how they socialize typically goes back to their childhood. An officer like officer Wilson or the NYPD officer who chocked out the innocent man, wouldn't just act like that on a regular day. Chances are, violence has played a major role in their development as police officers and could have been used as punishment when they were younger. Whatever the reason may be, the supreme court system did not bring justice to the victims and their families, and the whole community at large, and has left the entire community left putting the pieces back together.
    Part of the responsibility of the supreme court was to make sure laws are constitutional. Throughout the constitution, I don't remember ever seeing where excessive force was permitted. Let alone violence. The lack of authority regarding laws being enforced is unbelievable, and seems to be a recurring event in the United States. As soon as the Supreme Court failed to indict officer Wilson, a whole snowball effect occurred around the country. Every day, an innocent live is ridiculed by unnecessary police brutality, and is usually left unpunished. However, that must change.
     In support of the victim in NYC, many NBA players took to the court pregame wearing specialized t-shirts that read, "I Can't Breath," which were the exact words of the man who passed away from a heart attack, after being clutched in a chokehold for more than 30 seconds. Derrick Rose was the poster boy for this protest, as he was the first NBA player to wear it in warm-ups last weekend. In the wake of this, other NBA players started to follow suit. Finally, Lebron James, a major icon around the world, wore the t-shirt, to raise awareness for change. Change is needed for everyone to feel accepted, but due to the destroyed past, I'm sure the bond in society much severed.

New College Football Playoff

This week, the college football committee has released the 4 teams that are going to play in the new playoff format for the 2014 season. The system will most likely extend beyond the 2014 season, because it simplifies what teams can go to larger bowl games at the end of the season. The four teams that made the playoffs are Oregon, Florida St., Alabama and Ohio State. Alabama is currently ranked 1st in the AP top 25 rankings and will face off against number 4 ranked Ohio State team that is relying heavily on their 3rd string QB. Alabama no doubt has the advantage with Heisman contender JT Barrett, who is hoping to lead the Crimson Tide to a Sugar Bowl win. Oregon is ranked 2nd and plays against number 3 Florida St. The arsenal of tools  will be on display as Marcus Marriota and Jameis Winston, two of the best QB's in the nation, one was last year's Heisman winner and the other a possible Heisman winner this year, and could find themselves in the first round of the NFL Draft. Oregon and Florida St. will face off in the Rose Bowl this year.
    One flaw in the system is TCU. They were projected to be ranked 4th, but managed to drop 3 spots in the rankings after destroying an unranked team. Even with 1 loss on the season, they are left out of the big picture and are now forced to play a Mississippi State team that is ranked 7th in the country. Their defense only allows 19.4 points per game, which currently ranks 10th in college football.
     Each of the 6 bowls added will be played on New Years Day.

Fox News

After watching the documentary, I was very surprised at what Fox News did differently compared to other news networks that aired on primetime television. I learned that Fox News often broke "fake" news stories that got the public frantic. An example of one of the news streams was President Bush getting elected to presidency. It was not confirmed by the polls and Fox News heavily on the projected vote of the Eastern half of the United States, instead of using hard vote to break the story. In other words, President Bush never had half the votes Fox News said he did, and he ended up losing but it was reported that he won. Likewise, Fox was charged for reporting false news, and the drama unfolded from there.
     I also learned that Fox News often used shows as a "propaganda technique," and I never realized how networks had the ability to do that. To manipulate the audience to believing something is true, even though in reality it isn't the case. If you grew up your whole life watching primarily Fox News, chances are, some of the information that was reported could turn out to be false. They lacked accountability, and shame on them for having their viewers brainwashed and not apprehend from what is true and what is false.
    One thing I did not know before is about Fox's personal attacks on then 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry. The candidate was attacked by Fox after his heritage revealed mostly French descent, and the station went after him because if he was not from the United States, he shouldn't be able to run for president. It turns out, as revealed in the documentary, Outfoxed, most of the reporters and families at the Fox News station, were supporters in the Bush/Cheney campaign. Bush basically gained on the Kerry negative publicity, and eventually take a short lead.

St. Louis Rams Protest Ferguson Shooting

On Sunday, just 3 days after Thanksgiving, the Rams took to the field to honor the death of Michael Brown. The protest was started pregame and the 5 black players on the team, Jared Cook, Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Stedman Bailey, and Chris Given. They each physically showed the gesture of the motto "Hands Up, Don't Shoot." The protests undoubtedly spread to major sports outside of Ferguson, and the Rams were the first to recognize the problems that plague their community.  

    “I just think there has be to a change,” said tight end Cook. “There has to be change that starts with the people that are most influential around the world.”

The police force for the Ferguson police department wants an apology from the Rams and wants the players suspended from the team. They felt that on-field protests were too extreme, and deserved to be punished for their actions. The debate expands to even farther boundaries. If you think about it, athletes are the most highly viewed people in the world. They even control a lot of power, which come from their large contracts and play on the field. Their message could be sent even faster through technology compared to word of mouth displayed through the riots. This incident also brings more pressure on commissioner Roger Goodell, who now has to deal with Ferguson protests along with what to do with domestic abuse.      

Ferguson

After the judgement came down from the Judicial Branch regarding the Ferguson case, the white police officer was not indicted on charges after killing Michael Brown. I was surprised by the final result because I did think the officer was guilty, however, there wasn't enough sufficient evidence, that would make him guilty for the charges relating to the case. The two charges that came up before the final judgement was given was 1st degree murder, 2nd degree murder, and manslaughter. As for the riots, I believe the riots would happen either way no matter if the officer Wilson was guilty or not. The main goal is to find justice between both races of people, and violent protests seemed like the only option for weeks leading up to the trial.
    The riots are not only reckless to the entire community, but is also bringing a bad reputation to the town and surrounding areas such as St. Louis. They are losing visitors and tourists, because many fear for their safety and well being. According to a report, 90% of the people who took part in the protests were not from the Ferguson area. It was if they were instigators, and elevated the situation to extreme hype when it didn't have to be. After listening to interviews on the news outlets on TV, I can conclude that citizens of Ferguson wanted peaceful protests, and many within the town didn't support violent protests because it would affect their businesses and homes in the city. It was the outsiders who burned down houses and looted businesses.
    This case can be dated back Treyvon Martin. He was shot and killed by a police officer at night, after he was carrying skittles and ice tea. Martin turned out to be innocent, after it was concluded by the Grand Jury that Zimmerman had a long rap sheet related to misuse of firearms, and now can no longer possess them. After Zimmerman was freed on bail, he attempted to shoot another person, and found himself back in a jail cell. Protests erupted as a result for justice for Treyvon Martin, although, the protesters took a different approach to get their voices heard. They followed civil disobedience, and protested peacefully by picketing and holding small assemblies to voice the peace.

Editorial Josh Gordon Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver

Week 12 is a bright spot for a resurgent Cleveland Browns, who are trying to make a playoff push for the first time in over a decade. With the return of speedster Josh Gordon, who is undoubtedly one of the best  wide receivers in the league, and now leaves the Browns offense at 100% with Brian Hoyer under helm. Gordon hasn't been allowed to participate under the collective bargaining agreement regarding the suspension for his failed drug test, but he was allowed to attend team meetings. I believe the league has overplayed the situation the whole year, and Gordon should've had his suspension reduced to only 4 games, instead of 10 games. Originally, he was handed down an indefinite suspension for the whole 2014 season, although an appeal helped the suspension get reduced. If you reflect on all suspensions handed down this season, this one should have been a minor one, compared to the assault cases of Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice and Ray McDonald.
       If you look into the NFL guidelines regarding possession of drugs, it states under the new rules, that a repeated offense of 4 times, immediately results in a 10 game suspension, rather than the entire season. The rules were proposed in September, after many players argued that the suspension handed down for first time offenders were simply too much. This goes for all types of drugs, which should be reviewed again. Back in 2012, the NFL  pursued the Richard Sherman case claiming he was taking performance enhancing drugs, and the punishment would have been to equivalent to a regular possession case. In my opinion, the consequences should be more severe than Gordon's standard marijuana case in the offseason, and the NFL needs to reconsider their policies regarding drugs and alcohol charges. With more severe drug penalties before they were updated, the NFL was sending the wrong message and jeopardizing many athlete's careers.
     The NFL could use the other major sports as a model when punishing players with possession of drugs and alcohol. The MLB has stricter rules when it comes to drug usage, and monitor players very closely, by drug testing players numerously in a short period of time. For a while, MLB has evolved from a steroid era, in which heavy hitters tacked on a ton of home runs, and accumulated exuberant amounts of money. Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire were the poster children during this era, and are ranked within the all time top 10 in home runs. They cheated, and were punished for it, and Major League Baseball sent a message stating that cheating would not be permitted. The NHL is completely different and only require players to take 2 drug tests per year, including one before the playoffs.The punishment that comes after one failed drug test is an immediate suspension without pay, and two failed drug tests results in a 60 game suspension without pay.
   With the return of Josh Gordon, the Browns put themselves as a major contender in the AFC playoff push, that features many strong contenders that have struggled the past few weeks. This puts the Browns as a potential favorite to claim a playoff spot, because they offense can now spread out teams defenses and open up running lanes for Isaiah Crowell and Terrence West. Gordon is coming off a season in which he led the league in receiving yards with 1,646 yards and 9 touchdowns. He averaged nearly 118  receiving yards per game.

Stanton Signs Largest Contract For Any Major U.S. Athlete

This week, Giancarlo Stanton signed the biggest contract ever for any major athlete, with a 13 year $325 contract extension, that locks up the young phenom for the unforeseeable future. He is guaranteed at least 6 years, and has an option to leave the team if for some reason, he decides to. Stanton is coming off a season where he came in 2nd place in the MVP voting, after hitting 37 home runs last season.  He also had a .555 slugging percentage, and displayed power that has not been seen from a younger generation player since Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera. What stands out about this deal is the fact that the total payroll for the Miami Marlins was $47.6 million dollars, which ranked 2nd worst in the majors, and then pay Stanton nearly half of their total payroll. That leaves half of the money to fill the roster, adjust lineup weaknesses, and resign other young free agents your team needs to win games.
Giancarlo no doubt displayed stardom in his first few seasons in the MLB, but to be given the highest paid American contract ever, that's hard to believe. He makes more money than other stars who played way better last season, and won more significant awards compared to Stanton. Clayton Kershaw has won back to back NL CY Young Awards and made it to the playoffs many times, has yet to see a contract even close to Stanton's because he allowed the franchise to have more flexibility to sign other above quality guys that can help the team win the World Series. Mike Trout, known for his all around play, is currently playing on a rookie contract. He has yet to see any big time money, even though he is now the face of the MLB, and has led players in nearly every statistical category.

Class of 2015 College Basketball Recruits

This week, Kentucky established themselves as clear cut favorites to be awarded top recruiting class for the second straight year. In a span of 1 hour, the Wildcats received commitments from star guard Isaiah Briscoe and Skal Labbissiere. Both are 5 star recruits, and two of the best players in the country. Labissiere is a 6'10 power forward, who is described as a skinnier Anthony Davis, going into his freshman year of college.  Briscoe is a New Jersey native, coming out of Roselle High School, and was on the NJ Playaz AAU team that won the Peach Jam Championship last summer. Both are within the top 15 players in the country, and join Charles Matthews in the list of recruits for Kentucky this season.  It is also possible that Kentucky gets another elite player as several names are still considering going to their school. These names include Jaylon Brown who is ranked 2nd in the country, Malik Newman, Ivan Rabb, Cheick Diablo, Caleb Swanigan, Stephen Zimmerman, Brandon Ingram, Antonio Blakenay and Carlton Bragg.  

UMass' Gordon Becomes First Openly Gay D1 Athlete

Last night, Derrick Gordon, student athlete from the University of Massachusetts, became the first openly gay athlete to play in a collegiate game. He scored 17 points in his first game against Siena, as he got to start the game. The Plainfield, New Jersey native talked about how his relationship with his teammates improved, despite openly admitting that he was gay.

"I'm just so happy and excited to finally put this out there," Gordon said at the time. "I've lived my life hiding behind somebody who I wasn't. I wasn't really that close to anybody on this team because there was something I had to hide."

The tolerance level compared to what it was before is significantly different. Based on what took place with Michael Sam a few months ago, when he was not picked until the 8th round of the NFL Draft. Many based his placement in the draft as an anti-gay protest by the NFL teams, but it turns out that it was based on his skill set on the field and nothing to do with anything off the field. Sam has yet to play a snap in the NFL, as he has bounced around numerous practice squads before being cut by the Dallas Cowboys several weeks ago.

Gordon contributed to the team significantly in the season opener. He nearly had a double-double in his first game, as he finished the game with 17 points and pulled down 9 rebounds. He also made 11/12 free throws in the game, that helped end the game against Siena. The tolerance is so much better for gay athletes, and the NCAA is setting an example to other leagues that being gay is okay. They don't ridicule athletes like other leagues, but embrace them. What Massachusetts did last night sent a message to other colleges that no matter what you believe in, you are still given a chance to do big things.

Peterson/Rice

Pending a ruling by the NFL and Rodger Goodell, Ray Rice may be able to return to the NFL at the very least, next season. Although that is very unlikely, because no team would want to sign him, especially how brutally he hit his wife in the Atlantic City casino in February. He appealed to the NFL saying that the NFL punishment was "too harsh." The solution by the court could be to sign Rice to a team, and let him sit out the rest of the season, including playoffs. However, I believe the signing of Rice would bring chaos to the whole fan base not just in Baltimore but around the country. Human rights activists would be against Ray Rice signing back with the team after abusing his wife, however, it was mentioned that it was not as severe as other cases that played out throughout the season with Adrian Peterson and Ray McDonald, who brutalized their victims for more time than Rice had done in the few moments he was in the elevator, and when he dragged his wife out. The possibility of Ray Rice returning to the NFL is also highly unlikely because he was cut shortly after the TMZ video was released, and has well below average numbers compared to Adrian Peterson. Adrian Peterson would be eligible to return to the Minnesota Vikings because he was not released by the team, and is the teams best player, so they almost had to keep him under salary. His punishment for his crime was far less significant compared to Rice, and he was ruled guilty for 4 counts of a misdemeanor. Even if you look at both cases together, both players deserve to be given a second chance, because if you look at what Ben Roethlisberger did back in 2010, when he was accused of sexually assaulted a 20 year old girl and was only suspended for 6 games. It was reduced however, because the evidence was insufficient. His crime was much worse than Rice's and Peterson's, but he was only suspended for 4 games, while both Peterson and Rice have been out for 10+ weeks, and probably for the rest of the 2014 season. As for the NFL, every day, their standards are always evolving, and are never consistent. They rely too heavily on past cases, and fail to recognize what punishments are appropriate.

Feature Story Kyle Lowry

The 2014 NBA season has brought nothing but success for star point guard Kyle Lowry. He  proved he is capable of making an NBA all star team, but was cut from the team as a finalist  the past 2 years. So this year, Lowry is making an early case as to why he deserves the honor, because he has elevated his game to ground breaking numbers. He emerged last year into a star point guard, and the Toronto Raptors were able to make the playoffs behind Lowry's breakout season. Not only has Kyle Lowry made an impact on the court but he has also made an impact off the court as well. Starting last season, Lowry created his own non profitable organization named Lowry Love Foundation, that is targeted to help underprivileged  kids in the Philadelphia area by giving back to the community. His foundation also helps Toronto children as well,not just the area he grew up in.
     Growing up, Lowry had to battle through hardships and doubt to even get a chance in the NBA. After being raised in North Philadelphia, Lowry jump started his journey at Cardinal Dougherty high school. As a freshman, Lowry came into high school under 6ft tall, but provided scrappiness and provided points for his high school team. The highlight of his high school career came in 2004, when he averaged 19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals as a senior, and was named Pennsylvania High School Player of the Year.
     Coming out of high school however, Lowry was tagged with a "hot head" reputation, because many coaches thought Kyle lacked the maturity to lead a team.

      "He was a handful, boy," Wright said. "Everything he did on the court was about being small and not backing down to anybody and being tougher than everybody. You loved that about him. But off the court, he did the same thing with authority. He never wanted people around him to see that someone was going to tell him what to do. And in his mind, it was kind of cowering if you gave in to that."

He lacked command off the court as well. Many times, his personality got him into trouble, but Villanova wanted to take a chance on Lowry, and had no idea what path Kyle Lowry was going to follow. The path for any athlete is either pass into the NBA or fail. He approached the game differently, but his consistent work ethic helped his chances of getting drafted into the NBA. In just 2 short years, Lowry was drafted by the Memphis Grizzles in the first round, after leaving the Villanova Wildcats with 543 career points, 219 rebounds and 171 total assists. He was also named to the Big East Second Team All Conference, Big East Honor Roll, First Team All Big 5, Big All-Rookie Team and Philadelphia Big 5 Rookie of the Year. 
     Lowry was traded from Memphis to the Houston Rockets, where he played off the bench, with occasional minutes in the starting lineup. In his last season with the rockets, Lowry averaged 14 points per game, 6.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. It wasn't until Lowry was traded to Toronto that his career took off. Lowry last season improved his averages, and developed himself into a leader, and lead a young Toronto team to the playoffs. He managed to put up career numbers, which led to a major contract extension in the off season.  Last season, he averaged 17.9 points per game, 7.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. Between him and Demar Derozan, both combined to average over 30 points per game. They are one of the most underated duo back court in the NBA, but this season, they used it as motivation. Both players led the Raptors to a franchise record start, and are poised to return to the playoffs once again.
     As for Lowry he learned from his past teammates to guide his potential and shape out his NBA future. He valued his coaches and former teammates, and now sees all the advice payoff. The one person Lowry looked upon for advice was from former NBA stud, Chauncey Billups.

     “Chauncey pushed me,” Lowry said. “He pushed me mentally to challenge myself. He just has this aura about him like you don’t want to upset him. You want to make sure he’s like, ‘Good job.’ There are some people in this world that you just be like, ‘Man, just give me some praise.’ And the little bit of praise, the sky’s the limit for that. There’s not many people I say I look up to. I don’t look up to people like that. [But] I look up to him.”

     

Oscar Taveras

Following the death of MLB player and former outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, an investigation was conducted to determine if Oscar Taveras was intoxicated prior to be killed in the car accident. The results were released today, and show that Taveras was in fact intoxicated and had a blood alcohol content 5 times greater the legal state limit. He was killed along with his girlfriend on the highway of Puerta Plata on Oct. 26 after he lost control of the car after exceeding the speed limit.
     Taveras left behind a bright future because of one bad mistake. According to MLB.com, he was ranked a top 3 MLB recruit at an age of only 22 years old. He was signed by the Cardinals back in 2008, in the first year player draft. However, he was brought up this past season to play right field for the Cardinals, and made his first career playoff start in the National League Division series. This season, Tavares hit .239 with 3 homeruns and 22 runs batted in which was accumulated in 80 games. He is best known for his  heroics in game 2 of the NL Championship series, when he hit a homerun in the 7th inning against the Giants.
   

Week 10 Storylines

Week 10 has brought many shorelines to an already historic 2014 NFL season. It is the make or break for many teams trying to make it into the playoffs, and is also a week when teams when negligent records can make a run in the NFL draft to get big name college athletes.
     The most significant headline this week came in a rout against the rival Chicago Bears. It was pass-fest for Aaron Rodgers, who threw 6 touchdown passes in the first half against a torrid Bears offense, who has given up more than 30.1 points per game and over 380 yards to opponents this season. Jordy Nelson was the benefactor from this game, as he caught for over 150 yards and 2 TD's this week. Through 9 games, Nelson has 889 yards receiving and 8 touchdowns. Rodgers' historic performance comes just one week after Big Ben did the same feat 2 weeks in a row.
      For the Seahawks, their whole season was criticized following a super bowl win last season. Many believed they could repeat their performance, but lockerroom turmoil and sub par performances on the field has prevent the team from winning key games. The Seahawks already traded Percy Harvin to the Jets earlier in the year, and there are currently talks of trading or even cutting Marshawn Lynch. However, Lynch solidified his case by rushing for 140 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns. The Giants defense was no match for the powerful Seahawk ground attack, and were no match.
    Following a historic performance last week, Big Ben was completely dominated by the Jets defense, turning the ball over, and was limited to just 1 touchdown pass to Martavis Bryant. With the touchdown catch, Bryant is the first rookie since 1960 to have 66 fantasy points in a 4 week span.  As for the Jets defense coming into the game, opposing QB's had 24 passing touchdowns and only 1 pick this season.
     The Arizona Cardinals came into sunday atop the AFC West division with a 7-1 record, and were victorious again, but at a high cost. 2 days after signing Carson Palmer to a $50 million extension, the Cardinals watch as their QB went down with a torn ACL. This is Carson Palmer's second torn ACL in his career and both were on the same knee. Now the Cardinals will have to play with a backup quarterback in Drew Stanton, who already made an appearance this season after Palmer was down with a shoulder injury.




   

Spotify

Shortly after releasing her hit album 1989, Taylor Swift decided to pull her album off Spotify. I am not surprised by the move, because Taylor is trying to accumulate the most amount of money possible and she can't do that if her music can stream freely on music providers that don't charge listeners for service. What's surprising is the amount of revenue she has made off of her albums, which is well into the millions after winning a platinum award.
      Her album 1989, had 1.3 million copies sold in one week, which is more than Eminem had back in 2002, which featured songs like curtain call and not so slim shady that changed the whole rap industry for music.
    The real debate is if streaming should be free to listeners of big name radio providers, and other streaming sites such as YouTube because it allows new musicians the opportunity to gain new followers, and promote songs through fans. In other words, they benefit from viewers because they have the ability to try their own music and hopefully get discovered by big name music labels. It happens all the time in the music industry, people called Youtubers, have their songs heard in videos, inspire the world and then get signed by a big name record label. I believe it's the easiest way to help develop new performers, and if there is a charge to stream, than new musicians would never be found.
    However, I can also make the case for monthly memberships. If I were to purchase a membership to spotify, I'd have the ability to access millions of songs at my fingertips. It be the perfect solution, although the musicians would disagree.

Kentucky Wildcats College Basketball Outlook

This week, the AP Top 25 preseason rankings were released prior to the upcoming season starting in the near future. The season looks bright for the Wildcats, who last season, saw their chances of winning an NCAA championship slip away from their finger tips. Their defeat against the University of Connecticut, raised many questions regarding the future of the program and how good they would be without key players that left the team to join the NBA. Key players that departed include Julius Randle and James Young. Both contributed significantly to the Wildcat offense last season. This season however, Kentucky is ranked number 1 in the preseason rankings after retaining 9 McDonald's All Americans. The return of the Harrison twins and the size that returned allows Kentucky the ability to dominate in the upcoming season.

Incoming freshman Karl Towns Jr. is one of the top Centers in the country, coming out of South Jersey from St. Joe's Metuchen, provides a strong inside presence that can block out other opposing big men. He can score inside from the paint, but can also spread the floor and shoot the three point shot. He will help the Harrison twins and Dakari Johnson a ton, and could thrive in a Kentucky offense that focuses primary in the paint. Other notable big men that played in John Calipari's offense include all star center, Anthony Davis, who led the Wildcats to an NCAA championship before he left for the NBA. Other notable recruits include Trey Lyles, the number 8th top ranked PF in the country, but could be coming off of the bench in a platoon offense in an effort to get top players equal minutes. Tyler Ulis provides ball handling as well as a defensive presence at the point guard position, and a supplementary backup off the bench for the Wildcats this season.

The biggest difficulty for the WIldcats this season would be based upon how John Calipari utilizes his team. He is attempting to become the first coach in Division 1 to incorporate a platoon system, and the other known coaches to do this is in Division 3. The Wildcats are geared for another March Madness run, and with returning stars and a top recruitment class, they proved they have the potential to do so again.

What's your party?

With election day taking place tomorrow, it is important time to support a stance on gun control, as well as immigration. First off, I support stricter gun laws, because history shows that guns must be taken off the streets. They are abused by citizens who use them, although, this is due to mental illness or past traumatizing experiences.  Illegal immigration is also a highly talked about situation, as every day many people attempt to cross the border of the United States, and get punished for getting in illegally. I believe immigration should take place, even though they wouldn't be punished for claiming citizenship. On a political standpoint, I would be more of a Republican, because I support these situations compared to a Democrat that goes against it. 
       I believe that immigration should be allowed because I look at the positive that could come out of it. If many are granted citizenship, more job opportunities could be filled at a lower wage in certain jobs, and many companies wouldn't have to look very far to fill a job position. Not only will jobs get filled, but you also have to look at the humane act that follows. If you reject an immigrant trying to enter illegally, and either kill or place in prison, they are rejected an opportunity to live life and forced to sit in a prison their whole life. If they are sent back however, they run the risk of being killed due to violence and other actions that occur in their home country.
      Gun laws should be stricter in the United States, because innocent bystanders are killed every single day after being gun down. Their shooters typically have one form of mental illness and have a need to kill. But the government won't act upon guns. They say that keep guns on the street is okay for many citizens because their main purpose is for hunting or protection, but in many ways they are used to kill. Now, we are in an age where children shoot other children. Just use last week as an example. At the shooting in Seattle, the boy, who was a freshman in high school,  stole his parents gun after finding it laying around the house, and not locked up somewhere safe. So why doesn't the government act and just say no to guns? By removing guns with more back ground checks and other checks in place as well, it would reduce the amount of crimes and save innocent lives.

Feature Story Steph Curry

   
 The road to the NBA was not an easy one for the 6'3, 185 lb. Carolina native, who had to battle many significant difficulties along the way. It all started the second he took his first ever breath in the brave new world. To many, he was a prodigy in the making to star 3 point shooter Dell Curry, who happened to be the all time leading scorer for the Charlotte Bobcats, now the Charlotte Hornets. His silky smooth jump shot was his signature mark for his prestigious Hall of Fame career, and even had his number retired as a result of his success. Every time he stepped onto the court, he was sure to entertain. He was by definition of an old school player, who scored hard nose basketball each and every night, and spread the floor a few inches further with every single shot he made.
       Throughout his life, Steph Curry faced a difficulty that denied him the opportunity to prove himself after high school. As a sophomore at Charlotte Christian School, he stood at an extremely small height of 6'0. Another striking attribute was his emaciated body, made other colleges refrain from offering a scholarship. "He's too small," stated Roy Williams, head coach of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, "At the time, there were many things I did not like about Stephen's game. He lacked the size to cover bigger defenders, thought about his lack of body structure and how large the difficulty would be to absorb contact and finish baskets." Similar responses were mentioned about Steph, who was never given a chance to show out for many larger Division 1 schools. Although, the schools that were made available were smaller division 1 schools, who were willing to take a chance on the fiery high schooler from Charlotte. These teams included  Davidson, VCU and Winthrop. All schools expressed interest, but Curry ultimately decided to commit to Davidson, to start his own career, and prove those who doubted him, wrong.
    After verbally committing to Davidson, Steph found himself every single night, from morning to dusk, working on all aspects of his game to help him against better competition in the future. He developed a strong bond with his brother Seth, who continually worked with Steph to fix his jump shot so he wasn't shooting from the side of his body, which is what many young athletes start to do at a very young age. Lack of weight attributes to the bad mechanics, but to see a high school athlete still shooting from virtually his side hip was a major problem and would take a lot of time to perfect. "You could tell he was distraught," exclaimed Seth Curry, Steph's brother. "I thought he was gonna give up and realize that he was everything the college coaches said he was. But he was different. He used it as motivation."
      His first game with Davidson was a rough one. He only managed to score 2 points but turned the ball over 9 times in the first half. He was doubted again netherless, but in the next few games he got over the freshman struggle and picked up his scoring average and also reduced the number of turnovers he committed. The highlight of Curry's career however came in the NCAA tournament during his sophomore season. As a sophomore, he led the nation in scoring with 32.7 PPG and helped Davidson make it to the sweet 16. In his first game of  the tournament, Curry scored 40 points against Gonzaga, and hit 5/7 from behind the arc. In his next game, Curry came back with 30 points against Georgetown. "After 10 days, it went from Steph being Dell's son, to Dell being Steph's father." (Seth Curry). He later declared that he would  enter the NBA draft following his remarkable run. He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the 7th overall pick in the first round.
      Injuries got the best of Steph when he entered the league. Following his rookie season, Steph was out for 2 years after it was discovering a problem in his right ankle. Although he returned to form in a big way in 2012, and set the all time record for most 3 pointers made in a season, which ultimately led to the unanimous decision of being named to his first career all star game. He was poised for greatness, and made a case to be considered the best shooter in NBA History, behind the great Larry Bird.

NBA is Back

The NBA season begins with the San Antonio Spurs vs the Dallas Mavericks. The Spurs are coming off an unbelievable run against the Miami Heat last season, and won the NBA Championship. As the new season begins, many story lines arise around the league. Starting with the Spurs, their keys to success for another run is for the "Big 3" to remain healthy under coach Greg Popovich. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili are no doubt near the end of their careers, but still have some gas left in the tank. This is partially due to the system set in place in San Antonio, that other teams are starting to implement, which undoubtedly plays a role in the playoffs. By subbing out older players, especially if they are a franchise player, and make them sit for longer periods of time. The Lakers could use this method this season on Kobe Bryant, since they aren't in any position to contend, and hopefully try to preserve him for one more year.
     Another story line is the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Lebron leaving South Beach in the off season, the Cavs put themselves in a great position to contend for an NBA Championship. Not to mention an arsenal of weapons that were not available to him in Miami. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love will also contribute mightily around Lebron, but both are injury prone and could go down at any time. Lebron also has 2 teammates that he played with once before. James Jones and Mike Miller signed 1 year contracts and provide outside range, that could no doubt determine games. New coach David Blatt, former overseas coach for Maccabi Tel Aviv, will have a tough season building a connection with Lebron James, which could determine his future in the NBA. 
       The Cavs are not the only team to make major offseason acquisitions. The Chicago Bulls have developed into one of the most intriguing up and coming teams in the NBA. With the addition of Pau Gasol, the culture of the Chicago Bulls play-style will most likely change from a defensive team to one of the most lethal offenses in the league. The triangle offense could be effective with 2 of the best big men in the league, and the shooting of Doug McDermott could easily pull defenders away from the paint. The Bulls could easily make a major post season playoff run, but they can only do this if the team stays healthy and develops strong chemistry. Each player must respect the roles on the court and if all players understand, than the Bulls can win games against tougher opponents.

Recent Seattle Shooting Raises Major Questions

After reading this article, the case is solidified that gun violence still remains a major problem in the United States. It is not acts of terrorism, not acts of hate, just average every day Americans suffering from mental illnesses. Some are born with it, some get it due to post dramatic stress, or other traumatic events that have impacted their lives negatively. But in the end, they are able to kill because they are given a weapon of mass destruction. Just a few days ago, a high schooler, ended his life and 2 others, after he decided to open fire in the middle of a cafeteria full of hundreds of people. Many questions arise following the event, although one that significantly stands out to me is how was he able to go to school with a gun? Typically, guns are easily misused, but since the gun was owned by the parents, how did they not know their gun was missing, before their child left for school?  Guns alone have contributed to over 30,000 deaths per year. Whats even more shocking that this number has increased since just a decade ago, and is one of the leading causes of death in humans.   
     One ongoing problem that presides with owning guns are the increase of shootings in colleges and other public schools. Each time, America seems to be prepared, although school shootings are happening more frequently. The preparation that takes place to prevent school shootings still have little or no effect, and doesn't complete stop shootings from happening. One factor that leads to school shootings could be linked to physiological stress and bullying that takes place within school boundaries or on social media. Before, this was not a problem, because people didn't have to rely on social media to perform daily tasks, when back then people mostly relied on work to get them through the day.  
       The rise of shootings lately makes me question the second amendment. Although it is lawfully stated, "The right to bear arms," I was under the impression that guns can only be used for protection, not for the un-civil slaughtering of normal Americans. Many people now a days bend that right, but it definitely should be an amendment that should be revised by the government.

How Facebook Revolutionizes the Future of Writing

With the world now in a technology age, many experts agree that the age of journalism will never be the same because of the way many people interact with the internet compared to regular books. The only problem is, what will happen to those who provide the manual labor that goes in to create news stories that fulfills customers needs and demands. The idea created by the author is computers will soon be programmed to have a mind of its owned. Although, change is likely, but it would be too soon to get rid of people capable of creating thoughtful news stories. By creating advanced computers, humans would lose the ability to contribute to the work force. In other words, something as little as newspapers online, is hurting the economy because it is eliminating job opportunities for many companies that create newspapers by just using a simple printing press.
      Although an argument can be made that Facebook and other online social media outlets can make a positive impact. By generating news through numerous "feeds," social media makes the connection between users that helps understand news a little bit better. A comment section provides insight, as well as views on both sides of a topic. That is one difference that sets social media apart from newspapers. With newspapers, you are forced to read one editor or author's point of view, without being able to take away from the article. Plus social media doesn't cost any money. As a reader, you can get the same amount of information on social media compared to newspapers that cost money.

Charles Barkley Sounds Off On Russell Wilson

Following the Seattle Seahawks defeat over the Carolina Panthers, Charles Barkley weighed in on the turmoil in Seattle. One year off of a super bowl win, Seattle has had numerous trust issues that has led to the trade of Percy Harvin last week to the New York Jets, and the rumors within the locker room indicate a possible trade of Marshawn Lynch, prove that Seattle has no confidence in their struggling offense. On top of this, many are now considering Russell Wilson a mediocre quarterback because of his race and ethnicity.
      It was rumored that Russell Wilson was not favored enough in the locker room because he is not black enough. Although many teammates forget that he did lead them to a super bowl victory over the Broncos last season. "There are a lot of black people who are unintelligent, who don't have success," Barkley said. "It's best to knock a successful black person down 'cause they're intelligent, they speak well, they do well in school, and they're successful. It's crabs in a barrel. ... We're the only ethnic group that says, 'hey, if you go to jail, it gives you street cred.' " Barkley's statement is very true considering that society has evolved in a complete 180 degrees from where athletics first started. The prejudice regarding race plays a major role in athletes to the point where fans base one athletes career on race, and not on athletic skill. 
     The point is, Russell Wilson's teammates need to understand his potential on the field and not what he does off of it. Russell Wilson puts himself on the line many times, and even when he gets hurt, especially last season, toughens up, and continue to play the game. It's not because he is too black or too white. He shows heart on and off the field every single day, and just because the season isn't going well right now doesn't mean you put down your teammates.    

Steelers Defeat Colts Behind Roethlisberger's Historic Performance

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon, with a score of 51-34. The game was historic in many ways, and both teams seemed to be firing on all cylinders, every quarter of the game. Offense played a major role in the game as both teams had combined over 1000 yards of total offense. In perspective, the lack of defense allowed the large number of yardage, although, key injuries on both sides allowed many offensive production throughout the game. For the Colts the lose of Arthur Jones at defensive tackle prevented the Colts from blitzing when they wanted to, and put more than enough strain on the Colts' defensive backs. Going into the game, the Colts were ranked 15th in the league, and gave up only 352.2 total yards per game.

The Steelers gained control and never looked back the whole game. Big Ben connected with multiple targets in Heath Miller, Martavis Bryant, Markus Wheaton, and Antonio Brown. He threw 2 TD's to Martavis Bryant, who started his first NFL game last week. He now provides the offense with another liable target to an already resurgent and deadly one. The receiving core has lit a flame under the Steelers, who are now 5-3, and atop of a very difficult AFC race. As for Big Ben, his 522 yards is tied for 5th all time for most passing yards in a single game, and fell short of getting the record by 35 yards. His 6 passing TD's is another feat. He is now the only QB in Steelers history to throw 5 or more touchdowns in a single game.

UNC Academics Scandal

Earlier this week, it was discovered that the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill committed a severe offense after lying about academics. Apparently, this scandal has been going on for 18 years, and the University covered it up to make money off of substantial athletic events that occurred. The investigation was started after a report was released by educators who discovered fake paper grades and higher grades to keep student athletes eligible for their respective sports. Implications from the investigation resulted in firings of 4 employees and 5 others were disciplined for their roles.
        As a result of the academic fraud, UNC's reputation goes down the drain. They are no longer the ideal place to play sports and no longer have the appeal over other schools. The sports that could be most affected by the UNC scandal will most likely be Football, Men's Baseball and Men's Basketball programs because it was discovered that most players enrolled in fake "paper classes" belonged to these programs. In order to win championships, UNC declared athletes struggling in school eligible, so their highly rated sports programs can remain successful. This was a poor decision on UNC's part, because one possible penalty that could be handed down from the NCAA could be less scholarships, hefty fines, and playoff ineligibility. Not only this, but any previous NCAA championship won by the school in the past 18 years could be taken away also. This penalty is strictly directed towards Men's basketball, who has won 3 NCAA Championships in 1993, 2005, and 2009. 
        The report has also created much hypocrisy in the scandal, and many coaches find themselves blaming that the teachers of the student athletes were being "too hard." The paper classes were created by assistant Debbie Crowder, of the African American study program, out of pity for students who were not the most "brightest students." Classes were set up as GPA boosters, but were not classes recognized by the NCAA. In other words, North Carolina cheated the Academics aspect of college, and decided to cover it up to help storied programs remain successful.
        Another problem UNC will encounter after the initial investigation is completed is getting higher ranked athletes to commit to their school. They will lose the appeal as a result of the investigation and a reduced number of scholarships means less money that can be given to athletes to go to school. UNC will also lose out on current players, who may decide to leave the college because they see no need to stay. This scandal may be the worst academic scandal ever, and a strict penalty is ensured by the NCAA, to prevent other schools from committing the same offense. No doubt the NCAA is sending a message to other colleges that cheating academics will no be tolerated and not treated lightly.

World Series

The 110th MLB Fall Classic begins as two foes look to chase history by winning the coveted World Series trophy. For the Giants, they are seeking to become the 1st team to win 3 World Series in 5 years. This would be the most successful run by any team in MLB history. Not only is winning the series important for San Francisco, but also for manager Bruce Bochy. Another World Series trophy would secure his spot in the Major Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. For the Royals, they are looking to win their first World Series trophy in over 27 years, which is one of the longest droughts by any team in Major League Baseball.

KEYS TO THE SERIES

The Giants face the inevitable task of playing against a team filled with speed. The key for the Giants is controlling the base paths by allowing little base runners to advance. The emergence of Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas has allowed Kansas City to test the opposition’s mentality on the mound, and ensures that the pitcher must be perfect to get through each inning. Moustakas is batting .241 with 4 homeruns and 5 RBIs this postseason. His placement in the lineup is very pivotal to the Royals success, and provides another quality left handed batter in the lineup. Hosmer has 2 home runs and 8 RBIs this postseason. Both provide a 1-2 punch, and are always dangerous to the opposition. Another key for the Giants is winning on the road. The Royals have home field advantage, and are forced to play big on the road. True teams win big games on the road, not just at home.

The Royals have to face the Buster Posey and the big bad Giants. Their key is making Buster Posey chase bad pitches, and get him uncomfortable at the plate. He is the gateway to the heart of the Giants order, and have the ability to make you pay if you leave guys on base. Royals need to have quality innings from their starters so they can get to their dominate bull pen and the three headed monster, aka Greg Holland. Sticking to Royals baseball will win the series and not by playing with the crowd. The fans are inevitably the Achilles heel to most home teams, and if the Royals lose, it will be a major disappointment to an already struggling franchise.

Predictions

Winner- Kansas City Royals in 6 games

MVP- Eric Hosmer with 2 homeruns in the World Series

Hard To Sleep

Many people wonder, can too little sleep play a role in the development in younger children? Of course, the hours of sleep in many teenagers have gone down primarily in teenagers, although, this is partially due to technology. Technology plays a role because often social media attracts the attention of many kids, and have the ability to manipulate their minds. In a new age of technology more and more kids are becoming too dependent on social media, that they lack in other areas and missing out on numerous activities.
      With this being said, sleep remains a problem in children and young adults around the country. Lack of sleep affects health and academic potential as well. According to a survey taken by the National Sleep Foundation in 2006, states that less than 20 percent of adolescents get the optimum 8 hours of sleep on school nights. But with phones and other devices playing a significant role in this age of society, the percent of those who gets sleep is significantly less.
       After reading this article, I am not surprised by the survey results. Society has let technology take over their lives and ruin the development needed for a successful life. I feel that sleep will lead to higher grades in school because sleep helps rest neurons in the brain. Neurons stimulates the senses and help the body develop. One change that could lead to more sleep is possibility extending the school day. Although school would get out at a later time, a longer morning would allow students to get their full rest and do better in everyday life.
“Sleep is not optional. It’s a health imperative, like eating, breathing and physical activity,” (Dr. Judith A. Owens 1). Her statement is very true because lack of  sleep could ruin someone's life. Lack of sleep can impair judgement, which could lead to uncontrollable outbursts and actions, mood swings and irrational decisions. 
     Some changes that are suggested to increase sleep was a technology curfew. Although reducing usage is a bit extreme in some cases, but will definitely show improvements.

Oscar Pistorius Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

This morning in a South African courtroom, Oscar Pistorius was found guilty by the judge for killing his girlfriend last year on Valentine's day. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison, but may only have to serve 10 months in federal prison and serve the rest of the sentence on house arrest. He may also have to serve community sentence as well.
Based on the jurisdiction given down, I believe that Pistorius got off too easy for his crime. He was basically charge for a misdemeanor, although in reality he committed murder. The charge that he was given for his crime was copable homicide, which is equivalent to manslaughter in the United States. I feel like this punishment didn't give this case any justice because while the case was going on, Pistorious had the ability to still live in a luxurious lifestyle, instead of rotting in a prison cell. His crime was intentional, and I feel that the punishment should be more extensive for covering it up. Like Howard Baker once said, "It is almost always the cover-up rather than the event that causes trouble."
Pistorious presented himself as a miracle in the 2012Olympics, for winning several medals for his leg blades. He inspired others to live the dream, and to strive hard to make your dreams come true. Although his off the track actions, has ultimately ruined his career forever. His career started when he was very little. He was born without shin bones, which ultimately helped his success in the paraolympics as well as the regular olympics. He was called the blade runner because of his carbon fiber blades that propelled him down the track and across the finish line. With success brought Pistorious fame, and a time he owned several ferraris, a stable of thoroughbred horses, two African white tigers, and exuberant amounts of money, that eventually was taken away from him after one stupid mistake. 

Peyton Manning Breaks TD Record

This week, Peyton Manning surpassed Brett Favre career touchdown mark with his 509th. The legendary touchdown went to Demaryius Thomas in the first half of the game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Broncos were dominate each game and never looked back once they scored in the first quarter on a 3 yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders. 
      With the record breaking touchdown pass, Manning is now 135 touchdown passes ahead of the next active quarterback in Drew Brees. It has now been 3 years since Manning came off a devasting neck surgery, and many people thought his career was over. He was cut by the Colts, but was signed by the Broncos as a second chance. He had plenty of options that wanted his service, but felt he had to revive Denver's organization and possibly bring home a trophy. 
      Manning's touchdown mark is simply historic because he is now #1 on the all time list in most touchdowns in a career. He is on a list of hall of famers, and soon to be hall of famers, and this was one record that Manning wanted to get under his belt. 
     "I certainly think about how grateful I am for all the teammates and coaches that I've played with and played for throughout my career, not only here in Denver -- in Indianapolis and all the people who have helped me along the way.'' In his career, Peyton Manning has been known for his numerous audibles before the play, and his famous "Omaha" that draws defenders over the line. He has always been around an arsenal of wide receivers and tight ends, who have benefited behind a leader. When he was with the Colts, Manning created a bond with wide receiver Marvin Harrison, connecting with 112 career touchdowns. He also helped Reggie Wayne catch 67 career touchdown passes, and Dallas Clark with 44. When he joined the Broncos, in just 3 short years, he established a large target with Demaryious Thomas and connected with 29 touchdown passes. 

Winston Under Fire

This week, the NCAA announced that they will look into the accusation made against quarter back Jameis Winston relating to illegal profit off of autographs. Winston is accused of the same crime as Todd Gurley. Gurley profited after selling autographed memorabilia earlier this week and was suspended indefinitely. The similar fate arises for Winston, although this penalty could be significantly worse. In just 7 weeks into the 2014 college football season, Winston had a target on his back since he wont the Heisman trophy last season. The first case Winston was investigated for was his misconduct in a grocery store. He stole several crab legs without paying and this led to numerous questions regarding his maturity. It seems to be a growing theme the past two years. Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston both found themselves in trouble with the law. 2 straight Heisman trophy winners.

Jameis Winston ran into police a couple more times after the crab leg incident. A few weeks after, Winston was being interrogated for a possible sexual abuse case that dated back last season. It turned out that insufficient evidence protected Winston from a severe suspension. However, it bent his reputation. Another case occurred in the classroom where Winston screamed sexual explicit expletives that led to a full game suspension against Clemson in early September. The list goes on and on for Winston, who’s rap sheet increased after winning the most coveted Heisman trophy.

As Florida St. prepares for a matchup against #5 Notre Dame this week, many seminoles fans are expecting another suspension to be handed down from the NCAA. Through just a handful of games played this season, Winston has a passer rating of 159.5 and has thrown for 1605 yards, 11 passing touchdowns and 5 picks. Not to mention a 70% completion rate. Although Winston’s numbers are down, his play has him on the outside looking in on the Heisman watch thus far. For Florida  St., losing Winston would be a huge blow to the Seminoles offense that mostly relies on Winston at the helm. A lack of leadership hasn’t deterred Florida St.’s record as of yet, as they are riding a six game winning streak and remain 6-0.

Sayreville Hazing Scandal http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2014/10/sayreville_hazing_scandal_time_passes_but_wounds_for_bullying_victims_remain_politi.html

Domestic abuse has been an issue for the America in recent weeks, and is now a time to reflect on the past for many people in Sayreville. The school is under fire for covering up their football program from accusations and claims that older students harmed younger students in the locker room after practice. What bothers me is the fact that the coach wasn't doing his job. He was so dis-coherent to the rumors that was going on throughout the school about the bullying that was taking place, and was the last person who seemingly found out what was going on.  It is believed by many experts that the bullying has went on for 10 days in September, without getting caught by a coach or higher official.
     Now athletes involved in the hazing are now punished for their mistakes. They deny wrong doing and feel like based on personal experience, that it was "ok to bully other students because they went through it when they were a freshman." In a way, Sayreville reached out to many readers who read the NJ.com article. It isn't right to bully younger players just because they are defenseless and alone. Seniors and Juniors feel as though bully is acceptable in society and on the field, even though the main idea taught in schools is not to bully and to accept others. Apparently, Sayreville didn't get the message.
     According to NJ.com, about 1.5 million high school students are still being hazed each year. There is a point to be made about that the consequences are higher for many kids that bully because of the widespread awareness that bullying brought around the country. The chilling thing to know is in the 50's and 60's punishments associated with hazing was much worse than it is today. Many factors played in to bullying with the main thing back then was racial divide which led to unreasonable punishments.

Mississippi St. and Auburn

Not only are Mississippi St. and Auburn rivals, but  they both had a large amount of success this season. Going in week 7 of the 2014 NCAA football season, both teams are 5-0. This is the best start ever for Mississippi St. and are currently 3rd in the AP standings. Auburn is currently ranked 2nd, after a loss for Alabama and 4 other teams in the top 7 AP ranks, allowed the Tigers to move up.

Mississippi St.’s success can be attributed to their new offensive scheme established by head coach Dan Mullen. Their QB has emerged as a star this season, in an offense geared towards the spread. Their offensive scheme consists of a double RB set, and at times a three wide that extends to the side lines. The theory is to create openings so Zak Prescott can make his own decisions, as well as utilized strengths within the offense. He is comparable to Peyton Manning because he has the ability to make the right throws in the pocket and has made very few mistakes this season.

As for Auburn, they are coming off an Iron Bowl win after defeating Alabama in comeback fashion. The Tigers defied the inevitable by returning a field kick attempt the length of the field. One play determined the fate for both teams, but for Auburn it was a victory, and for Alabama it was a trip to the showers.

Auburn high flying offense is tough against Mississppi St.’s defense because they utilize the height advantage of their wide receivers against the corners. Their agility allows them to burst through the seams and their height allows them to catch the higher thrown balls in the air. But what really makes a name for the Auburn Tigers is their defense. They have only allowed an average of 14.4 points per game compared to a Mississippi defense that have allowed much more.

Some keys to the game are the Auburn Defense against the run, Mississippi St. holding onto leads, and for both teams, the amount of total turnovers. Turnovers are the deciding factors in games, and is very well the topic of concern for both teams going into this game. In this early season, Auburn has been impressive against the run, but a double duo of runners could be a problem to the Tigers.

To start the game, Dak Prescott completed a 34 yard bomb to De’Runnya Wilson for a TD, which gave Miss. St. an early 7-0 lead. The next scoring drive was led by the Bulldogs defense who recovered a fumble for  a touchdown making the score 14-0. The next drive led to yet another Bulldogs score with Prescott being a recipient this time. He over powered the defensive line of the Tigers, and powered in for the score. 21-0 Bulldogs over the Tigers. Tigers get on the board after a 21 yd field goal for 3 points. Another field goal and touchdown by Auburn made the score 21-13. With the Tigers with momentum with 5:00 left until halftime, Prescott was able to capitalize on his second rushing touchdown today, was able to extend the lead to 28-13, going into the half. Out of the half, the Tigers were able to score a TD on a pass by Nick Marshall, and pull Auburn within 8 points of Mississippi St. Miss. St. countered with another score, with a FG. 31-20 Mississippi St. with a large amount of time left in the game. One final touchdown sealed the deal in Davis Wade Stadium and is another statement victory for Mississippi St. who now improves their record to 6-0. This win was very pivotal to their season, and now has the chance of becoming undefeated, and remains in contention of a playoff birth in the new playoff system created this season.

Major Trouble For Heisman Hopeful Todd Gurley

Georgia this week has suspended Todd Gurley for an indefinite amount of time after he was caught for illegally selling merchandise. He had a dealer that distributed apparel and autograph memorabilia for personal profit. The investigation dates back to last spring, after he signed 80 pieces of memorbilia for a total of $400.  He now faces criminal charges and loses his early Heisman vote as well. Losing Gurley is a huge blow to the Georgia offense, who is averaging just 170.2 yards per game through the air. Gurley was a huge force in the running game, which is 13th in the FBS.

Gurley was a large contributer in the offense with 772 yards and 8 TDs through 6 games. He was the type of physical back needed to get extra yardage, with a mix of speed and agility to get down the field.Georgia now has to rely on Nick Chubb and Sony Michael to pick up the bulk of the work with the absence of Gurley. In order for Georgia to be a contender, they must focus on the defense to step up. Each game, the points against Georgia builds up and eventually become too much to overcome.

This was supposed to be Gurley’s final year before entering the NFL Draft. He is 3rd in school history in rushing yards and Rushing TD’s and seventh in total carries. He was projected to go Mid First round in the 2015 NFL draft, and could’ve been a suitable fit for many teams in need of a strong running back. Now, one mistake cost him his chance of going pro.

“He’s been my Heisman choice since the season started,” Georgia cornerback Damian Swann said after the Tennessee game. “I’m pretty sure he’s about to put one heck of a campaign together.”

This is not the first time this type of allegations was focused on Georgia. WR AJ Green, now a star WR for the Cincinnati Bengals, was suspended for 4 games after admitting to selling his Independence Bowl Jersey in 2010. The question now focuses on the NCAA. The possibility arises of a change in policy from the NCAA regarded the sale of memorabilia for profit. Many people argue that college athletes deserve to get paid like the pros, even though receiving a scholarship is very similar to an average paycheck. The only difference is scholarships can’t be turned into personal profit, just the ability to get an education for free or very little. If athletes got paid, all NCAA policies on illegal selling of equipment for profit can be erased, because players wouldn’t have to go to desperate measures to make ends meet. For many players, college is their final chance of finding work, and many struggle to find jobs after college.

The Not So Super Dodgers Fall Behind Kershaw's Strong Pitching Performance http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/gametracker/boxscore/MLB_20141007_LAD@STL

The Los Angeles Dodgers season came to an end Tuesday night after losing Game 4 of the NLDS to the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2. Los Angeles tried to ride on momentum, and bank off a strong performance but Clayton Kershaw, but St. Louis proved to be too much for the Dodgers. The game starting even for both teams, as no offense occurred the first 6 innings. It was a pitching battle, and Kershaw was able to strike out 8 batters in that stretch. Carl Crawford led off the scoring with a 2 run shot to deep left field, which held off pressure from Kershaw’s shoulders. He was virtually un-hittable, that is until the 7th inning. The heart of the Cardinals lineup was Kershaw’s Achilles heel last time he pitched, (Game 1), and this game seemed to repeat Kershaw’s previous start. Matt Holliday and Jhonny Peralta reached on singles, before Matt Adams connected with a home run of his own. His home run was a punch in the gut for the Dodgers, which has seen many disappointing losses over the last few years. They had a CY Young pitcher in Clayton Kershaw but consequently let the game go through their fingertips. The loss now opens the door for the San Francisco Giants, their biggest rival, the chance to win 3 World Series Championships in the past 5 years. Dodgers had a chance to make a remarkable run, but too many distractions left them short of contention. With the season coming to an end, Yasiel Puig has one last thing to say,”I want to thank the fans for coming out and supporting the Dodgers.”

The Possibility of Colleges Migrating to A "Division IV" http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11008001/sec-ponders-potential-move-division-iv-ncaa-provide-autonomy

For many years, the NCAA and leagues within the NCAA debated whether or not to allow power conferences to break away from Division 1 to form a Division 4 conference. The importance of a Division 4 is to allow teams to better care for a player, by being allowed to use attendance revenue to treat athletes health and well being.  The only way the SEC would consider to move, is if the NCAA won’t allow the power conferences to follow their own “bylaws.” This division change would apply to all sports, not just football. The protection of the student athletes should be the first priority by universities, but they can’t be protected if money is not available to smaller schools.

The SEC is the first division to consider the possibility of switching divisions because TV and attendance sales would be used to compensate athletes if they were to get injured in a game or practice.

“It’s not something we want to do,” Slive said on the final day of the SEC meetings. “We want to the ability to have autonomy in areas that has a nexus to the well-being of student athletes. I am somewhat optimistic it will pass, but if it doesn’t, our league would certainly want to move to a Division IV. My colleagues, I can’t speak for anybody else, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t feel the same way.” (Slive 1)

Many officials have stated, that a possible move wouldn’t change championship formats, although, some adjustments must take place to make sure playoff systems aren’t lob sided. Take a minute and look at the BCS system that was recently changed in NCAA football. Teams switched divisions, teams got better, and many teams that didn’t deserve opportunities to get into a BCS Bowl game got in.  Teams with over .500 records got left out of the conversation and under .500 teams made it in. Although this scenario doesn’t quite compare to Division IV, but if a change would occur, there should be an equal balance of teams that switch so each team has an equal chance of getting into the playoffs.