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.