Stuart Scott

This week, we as a nation said goodbye to one of the most influential people of this era due to cancer. Stuart Scott died from cancer at the age of 49 and looking back, his life was filled with inspiration and he taught people to never give up. He fought cancer for over 7 years and when he died, he wanted everyone to know that he didn't lose to cancer, he simply beat it by living his life the way he wanted to live it. Stuart Scott was an analyst for ESPN, but he did more for people than his job required. He would spend his time talking to people, cheer them up, and let them know about his journey and how he managed to cope with cancer.
      As a analyst and reporter on sportscenter, Stuart Scott made many remarkable feats including interviewing the San Antonio Spurs when they won the NBA Finals last season. Of course that is not all of his accomplishments. He has made an impact on the entire community with his motivational speeches and words of encouragement to those in need of support and those struggling with cancer.
This is one quote from one of the many people who shared his love and his moments with him:

"I will miss Stuart Scott. Twenty years ago, Stu helped usher in a new way to talk about our favorite teams and the day's best plays. For much of those twenty years, public service and campaigns have kept me from my family -- but wherever I went, I could flip on the TV and Stu and his colleagues on SportsCenter were there. Over the years, he entertained us, and in the end, he inspired us -- with courage and love. Michelle and I offer our thoughts and prayers to his family, friends, and colleagues," President Barack Obama.

He was given the perseverance award at the ESPY's last year, and his speech brought many people to tears. He spread his words of motivation through his ESPY's speech and used Jimmy V's iconic theme of "Don't Give Up and Don't Give Up." Moments of silence was held in many NFL, NBA and college basketball games including his alma mater North Carolina.

NFL Investigating Patriots

Following the 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday evening, the NFL has decided to investigate the Patriots role in the Colts' struggles. The claim that was made was that the Patriots intentionally deflated the footballs to below regulation size. The deflated footballs provide an unfair advantage to the opposing team and directly affects the passing game. It is said that a deflated football is easier to catch and provides a better grip, however, deflated footballs lead to below average throws and lobbed passes. The NFL states in their rulebook that:

"Once the balls have left the locker room, no one, including players, equipment managers, ball boys, and coaches, is allowed to alter the footballs in any way. If any individual alters the footballs, or if a non-approved ball is used in the game, the person responsible and, if appropriate, the head coach or other club personnel will be subject to discipline, including but not limited to, a fine of $25,000."

The penalty associated with this type of crime could be a loss of draft picks in the upcoming draft, as well as a suspension for anyone involved with deflating the footballs, including head coaches and any other coaches who had any connections to the footballs. The rules also state that the head referee checks each game ball before it enters the field of play, which means if there was any question, the investigation should be focused on the referees for not doing their jobs. The scandal is thought to occur in the 3rd quarter. The real question is, how would they have time to deflate the footballs? If every player, coach and personnel was in the locker room for halftime, how could the footballs be deflated? 

      If the Patriots are found guilty following the investigation, it wouldn't be the first time the Patriots were caught for cheating. Back in 2007, Bill Belichick was accused of taping teams practices and using the footage to create play schemes that would help them beat the opponent. Of course, later that season, the Patriots made it to the Super Bowl. So it raises the question regarding the deflate-gate and how it is connected to the Super Bowl. People immediately connect the 2 scandals together and automatically assume that a team who cheats like the Patriots don't deserve to make the big stage because they want to see a different team in it. In response to the allegation, star quarterback for the Patriots Tom Brady replied with this:

I think I've heard it all at this point ... it's ridiculous. I don't even respond to stuff like this.

The game conditions in Gilette Stadium the whole game was heavy downpours along with over 10mph winds which could have impacted the size of the football.  The New England Patriots will play the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl in 2 weeks, and it will be the Patriots first trip back to the Super Bowl since 2007.

Referee Pete Morelli Had Four Penalties In Key Play

Following the Lions 24-20 loss against the Dallas Cowboys, the whole country turns its eye on the controversial no call following the possible defensive interference. It was originally called on the field as Defensive Interference and was deserving of an automatic first down but the flag was picked up by other members of the referee crew. Many factors played into the ruling but the persuasion by the Cowboys personnel seemed to contribute mightily on the decision. The star wide receiver stormed onto the field and argued the call right before the flag was picked up, but the actions by Dez Bryant was deserving of a misconduct penalty, which would give the Detroit Lions a first down anyway. But instead the jurisdiction was not given and no penalties were enforced, and the Lions had to stay on the field with 4th and 1 and needed to convert in order to keep momentum. An A gap blitz by the middle linebacker was too much for Detroit's O line, and Stafford was sacked and they turned it over on downs.
      In college rules, the play between Pettigrew and Hitchens is considered illegal because face guarding was not allowed, however, in the NFL the concept is completely legal and no penalty could be handed down if it were ever to happen again. In the NFL rule books, it states in terms of positioning to the ball, that contact by a defender who is not playing the ball and such contact restricts the receiver's opportunity to make the catch. In the play, Hitchens did not turn his head completely around when the ball arrive, and he was playing the man and not the ball. He grabbed the bottom of Pettigrew's jersey to catch up after he was beat at the line of scrimmage and prevented him from catching the ball cleanly.
     The views of the referee who made the call blows this story out of proportion because his views distort the actuality of the play itself when it happened live. He stated that the contact was far less than he expected, however, from his vantage point there was a lot of contact against the man that prevented the receiver from making the catch.

"The back judge threw his flag for defensive pass interference," Morelli said in a pool report. "We got other information from another official from a different angle that thought the contact was minimal and didn't warrant pass interference. He thought it was face guarding."

The result of the referee's inadvertent decision cost the Lions the chance to end their postseason slump as they were tied for the longest drought in NFL history. Their last win came in 1992, which is one of the longest stretches ever to not win a postseason game. Dallas will move on to play Green Bay Packers next week, while the Panthers take on the Seahawks.

Villanova Loses First Game of Season

After starting of the season 13-0, which is tied for best career start for the program, Villanova went down with the defeat in over time against Seton Hall. It took more than regulation to defeat Villanova, but Seton Hall was able to win 66-61. Many factors played into this game. One factor that contributed to this game is Villanova played away from home in a jam packed arena in Newark, NJ. Throughout the game, it was visible that the crowd played a role in Seton Hall's success, as this was the first time a Seton Hall game was sold out in over 20 years.
        The biggest worry all day for the Wildcats was covering the Seton Hall Pirates best player Sterling Gibbs. He wrecked the Wildcats defense and scored 20 points on 8-20 shooting. (40%). He also contributed to the offense and dished out 4 assists. He was contained pretty well in the second half, as he was doubled nearly every time he touched the ball.
       For the Wildcats, the leading scorers was junior forward Daniel Ochefu with 19 points and senior guard Darrun Hilliard II with 14. The most notable player that struggled in the game was JayVaughn Pinkston and Ryan Arcidiacono, who contribute significantly on the offensive side of the game. But the major weakness Villanova had all season continued today, as they lacked points off the bench, and continuously turning the ball over. Nova turned it over 16 times, but they had about 4-5 in the overtime period which proved to be very costly. In just of series of 30 seconds, Seton Hall was able to capitalize off Nova's turnovers and convert it into points down the other end. The 3 guys coming off of Nova's bench scored a total of 15 points, which is below average in many close games. Seton Hall had Khadeen Carrington, who was a great compliment to Sterling Gibbs, and expose the Villanova defense. He had a total of 17 points, and torched the defense in the final minutes of the game. Seton Hall also kept the number of turnovers in the game. They only had 11, with many coming in the first half. Looking ahead following the win, they play Xavier, Creighton, and Butler in Big East play and look to extend their 12-2 record on the season. Following the loss, Jay Wright will have to have his team bounce back against #15 St. John's, DePaul and Xavier. They have to avenge their loss in order to stay near the top of the AP Rankings.

Torture Report

After reading the article posted by cnn.com, I believe the torture report will affect the CIA's image going forward because the type of acts referenced in the report is simply not tolerated at all in modern day society. This report was just released nearly 13 years after the 9/11 attacks. So why does it take this long to expose the CIA? Just the fact that the CIA used these techniques are simply shocking.
     If you look within the report some of the techniques stated include waterboarding, mock executions, rectal feeding, sleep deprivation, and threats of rape. These techniques go against the constitution of the United States, as well as the Declaration of the United States. Not only did it go against people's basic rights, but it was also a violation of freedom, as expressed in the Declaration. The CIA had no right to forcefully interrogate people, especially to the point of death. It was completely illegal, and I believe the government has the right to send any people  involved in this to trial, to eliminate the possibility of future corruption. This type of corruption occurs in other countries as well, but as a country that prides itself on being free.
     This is not the first time U.S. Congress wanted to reform the CIA. Back in the 1970's, it was discovered that Sen. Frank Church's representatives had been involved in assassination attempts and spied on U.S. citizens. This led to reform Congress was able to pass Foreign Intelligence Act. This type of reform could be used in conjunction with the 8th amendment of the constitution. Although the amendment specifically addresses cases in Supreme court, it should be extended into the Intelligence Organization as well. The amendment prevents cruel and unfair punishment, and should be applied to this case as well. Reform is needed for a better CIA, and it all starts at the hands of the U.S. government, and once they do this, the country will be more united.

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.