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By Garrett Athey
The Heisman Trophy will be presented this year on December 9th to the best college football player. The award is given out every year since 1935 and can be given to an offensive or defensive player. Those who have won the award in the past typically go on to have great professional careers. Notable alumni of the trophy include O. J. Simpson, Bo Jackson, Barry Sanders, Charles Woodson, and Cam Newton. Last year, Sophomore Lamar Jackson from the University of Louisville won the trophy for his outstanding play. This year’s candidates include running back Saquon Barkley from Penn State, quarterback Baker Mayfield from Oklahoma, and running back Bryce Love from Stanford. Saquon Barkley is an explosive player who has speed and is very strong for his position. He has helped Penn State become one of the best teams in the country with his play this year, leading to NFL teams taking a huge interest in him. As a running back, Barkley is arguably one of the best in the entire country. However, he is also a very talented receiving back, often making catches in the backfield for big plays. Additionally, Barkley is a good special teams returner who always is a threat to return kickoffs and punts for touchdowns. It is easy to see why Barkley is a favorite to win the Heisman after considering his play this season. Another outstanding candidate, Baker Mayfield, is a dual threat quarterback that is always making big plays. Due to his play, Oklahoma is the number five team in the nation as they have only lost one game. Not only is Mayfield talented at throwing the ball, he is also a skilled runner with the ball and is not afraid to use his legs to make a play. This season he is second in the country in passing yards as well as total offense. This has led many professional teams to recruit Mayfield as he has become one of the top quarterbacks in the upcoming drafts. Mayfield has made a good case as to why he should win the Heisman this year. Bryce Love is another fantastic running back who is well deserving of the Heisman honor. He currently leads all of college football in rushing yards this season. However, Love is an underrated candidate who is not being looked at seriously. Most of the reason for this lack of attention could be due to the fact that Stanford is not highly ranked. They currently have three losses but are still in second place in their conference. Love is just as deserving as both Barkley and Mayfield because of his play this season. He is a game changer in every game he has played in this season. As for predictions of who the winner will be, Senior Brenden Rose said, “Saquon Barkley is [going to] win because of his ability to play multiple positions.” Barkley is big enough and skilled enough to play more than just a running back. He has proven to scouts that he is worthy of a first round pick in the draft. Barkley has also shown why he is deserving of the Heisman as he continues to dominate every opponent that faces him. However, others believe another candidate is more deserving of the award. Senior Aidan Sedlack said, “Baker Mayfield is [going to] win because he is putting up stats that no one can compete with.” Mayfield is putting up insane numbers this season, including a game against Oklahoma State in which he had 598 yards and five touchdowns. Any player with these statistics are worthy of winning the Heisman with ease. And as for Bryce Love, Senior Jordan Taylor said, “He has had the most consistent Heisman caliber season and is deserving of winning.” Leading the country in rushing will certainly help Love’s chances of winning it all. The world will have to wait to see which candidate will come out victorious with the Heisman. This could possibly be one of the closest races in Heisman history. Whoever does win will have a great accomplishment to add to their resume and hopefully get the chance to play in the NFL. With each game, the players keep proving why the trophy should be theirs. By Liam Day
Less than five minutes into the NBA season, it was a terrible time to be a Celtics fan. In fact, most NBA fans in general would have thought to erase the Celtics from their radar of teams that could stand in the way of Lebron in the Eastern Conference. An eventful offseason for Boston quickly lead to the signing of All-Star small forward Gordon Hayward. The entire Quicken Loans Arena was stunned after Hayward hit the floor awkwardly, immediately pointing to his ankle. As the replays begun showing on the jumbo-tron, fans placed their hands over their eyes, witnessing one of the most gruesome injuries in NBA history occur right at the peak of Hayward’s career. Despite the horrific loss, Boston has refused to let their season go. Hayward immediately opened up to the fans about how he is feeling, "The Celtics organization has been just over the top in every aspect. They know I will not be back on the court at all this season, but they have been making sure I have every resource I need and are making me feel like I am a part of the team." (ESPN) Gordon Hayward made his first career All-Star game last year representing the Utah Jazz after he averaged a career-high 22 points per game. The Celtics signed him to a four-year 130 million dollar contract, and this wasn't even the highest offer he received. The Celtics believed with this addition, they had finally matched up with the Cavaliers, having traded former starter, and All Star guard Isaiah Thomas, for their superstar point guard, Kyrie Irving. Sophomore and NBA fan at Glenelg, Nathan Swales said, “Even without Hayward, the Cavs are too old to keep up with the Celtics young squad.” The starting five consisted of Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, and Aron Baynes and average just 24 years old. Two games into the season, Boston was 0-2 with losses to the one team they hoped to stop (the Cavaliers) and the Milwaukee Bucks. Only two games into the season and it seemed like the whole city of Boston had given up on the 2017 season. Sophomore and Boston Celtics fan Tristan Stepniak stated, “Now the Celtics are missing the one thing that is most important to stopping the Cavs, someone to slow down Lebron James.” However, Kyrie Irving took the initiative to lead his own team as he always wanted by leaving Cleveland. Averaging over 20 points per game he has sparked a 12-game winning streak with what seems like a team run by one big name. Boston looks to show the NBA that they better prepare themselves for a team to be the face of the NBA when Hayward returns healthy. By Torin Alexander and Philip Johnson
Redundant. Jaded. Drawn out. Boring. The era of superteams has wholeheartedly taken over the NBA and because of it the NBA has become so predictable that even the most die-hard fans have a hard time watching the games. Dominance around the NBA is not a new topic. It's been dating back to the the late 70s, but in recent years it has affected the NBA so much that every team has to have at least three stars to contend. Whether its by trade or by a free agent signing, it seems inevitable to see a possible end to the madness. Especially after this offseason that included multiple huge names, like Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade, being traded or signing to a different team to possibly compete for a championship. Now a superteam is where there are multiple All-Stars or superstars on one team. The most obvious example of this is the Golden State Warriors. They are the latest team in NBA history to have two MVPs on the same roster with both in their prime. Now the Warriors were already great, having won a championship in the 2014-2015 season and lost in game seven of the 2016 finals with the big three of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. However, when they got 2014 MVP Kevin Durant to sign with them in the 2015 offseason the whole dynamic of the NBA changed. The team people thought would destroy… did. Washington Wizards fan and Glenelg senior Eddie Leimbach confidently states, “They are killing the fun of watching basketball. I can tell you right now the Cavs and Warriors will be in the finals again. Some have compared this recent trend to another historic race for supremacy The Warriors had the best playoff record of any team ever when they only lost once en route to their second title in three years. They seemed unbeatable and were for most of the season. Well, it looks like everyone is following the same path because this season there’s been even more stacked rosters. Whether it’s through trades or players signing on their own, the Warriors decimated the league many teams are taking the superteam route in hopes to compete with them. Although they made the playoffs last season and have the returning MVP, Russell Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder knew they needed more firepower coming into this season. In the offseason the Thunder were able to acquire the amazing talent of Paul George. Adding the prolific scorer and solid defender was a great move in the right direction. But the even better move was trading for Carmelo Anthony later that summer. He brings veteran experience and the scoring needed that can take some of the load off Russell Westbrook's shoulders. Around the NBA similar moves have been made. The Cleveland Cavaliers who felt the might of the super Warriors in the finals went out and picked up veterans Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade, Jeff Green, and Derrick Rose in the offseason to try and match the weapons Golden State has. The Boston Celtics traded for Kyrie Irving and signed Gordon Hayward but lost Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder and Isaiah Thomas in the process. Thus proving the price to compete could cost you the core of your team. Many idolized athletes also have seen this new trend in forming superteams. In an interview, Michael Jordan states, “I think it’s going to hurt the overall aspect of the league from a competitive standpoint. You’re going to have one or two teams that are going to be great, and another 28 teams that are going to be garbage. Or they’re going to have a tough time surviving in the business environment.” Even though this superteam movement has put people's favorite players together, there are cons to every situation. Though getting that report on your phone of some team acquiring another NBA talent is very enticing and entertaining, the NBA is going down a path that many fans are tired of. Many fans believe the suspense of the regular and postseason has completely vanished with so many great players all playing together, so much so it's easy to predict who will be in the NBA finals before the season even starts. . Glenelg senior and basketball player Mitchell Boswell shared a unique view on the situation when he said “the way teams are bringing superstars together it’s like the arms race in the cold war. Each team is trying to get bigger and better weapons to defeat the enemy”. Although it’s fresh and new to see multiple All-Stars playing on the same team, it’s fading fast and so is the people's interest. Because both conferences are top heavy, meaning that there are about four powerhouse teams and the rest are adequate, it's really predictable of what is to happen once playoffs start. It’s even more predictable of what to see in the finals. Because of this never-ending saga of Cavs vs. Warriors in the finals, it's understandable why fans and critics alike feel like this new era of the superteam is just going to get worse and worse. By Liam Day
The Chicago Cubs have once again found their way back to the National League Championship series in a rematch of from 2016 but is nowhere close to being identical. The Dodgers have established themselves as one of the most dominant teams to be assembled in a while, having won three more games than the defending champion Chicago Cubs won in 2016. However, with a lineup full of all the talent necessary to repeat, is it the Cubs fearing the Dodgers? Or the Dodgers fearing the Cubs? The Cubs started off the season very slow with what was explained as a World Series hangover. Going into the All-Star game with a losing record and only one player on the All-Star roster. Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo were a no-show in comparison to last season. A Born Chicago Cubs fan, Tanner Malinowski said, “As long as Kris can find his stroke before playoff time, the Cubs will be fine.” However following the break, the Cubs went on a 7 game winning streak that set them right back on track. The second half of the season chicago went 49-25 to win the NL Central division by a longshot. Kris Bryant increased his average to batting nearly .300 along with 28 homers to lead the Cubs to the third seed in the National league. Entering the playoffs, the Washington Nationals stood in the way of the defending champs with a better record of five games and home field advantage. The Cubs slowed up but relied on their pitchers to give them a 3-0 victory. Game 2 ended in a disappointing eighth inning after Carl Edwards gave up two homers that resulted in 5 runs giving up the lead. Game 3 was once again, an uneventful 2-1 win for the cubs that lead to a lack in bullpen depth in game 4 giving up 5 runs in a shutout loss to force game 5. Finally, the Cubs put together well rounded game in scoring 9 runs after going down 4-1 early in the second inning. After four games of the NLCS, the Dodgers are up 3-1. Despite this deficit, the Dodgers have had their hands full. In each of the four games, the Cubs were leading going into the fifth inning. Chicago tribune reporter, David Haugh emphasized that “The Cubs will keep telling us that they were down 2-1 to the Dodgers in the NLCS last year and trailed the Indians 3-1 in the World Series and still rode in a championship parade down Michigan Avenue. It wouldn't be the first time the Cubs dug deep to come back from this deficit and its no doubt that they're thinking about repeating history against all odds. By Garrett Athey
As the winter season approaches, the fall sports come to an end and the winter sports start up again. These sports include basketball, wrestling, hockey, indoor track, allied bowling, and winter cheer. The athletes who participate in these activities often have not played the sport since last winter season. Therefore, the question remains of how these athletes stay in shape throughout the long offseason. It is easy for the athletes who participate in sports in the previous fall season to be ready as they have just come from a competitive sport. However, many of these athletes are not prepared for their upcoming sports, and they need to stay in shape to remain in the best condition to continue to be a contributing player to the team. Senior Varsity basketball player Jordan Taylor said, “Hydration is key. I drink lots of water and run a lot during the offseason to stay in shape.” The basketball team hopes to make a deep run into the playoffs and win the state championship this upcoming season. Not only that, players are expected to be in the best shape possible since the sport requires a high endurance and strength to beat the opponent. Coaches expect players to be in top shape and bring their all during the season so the team is the best it can be. Workouts held by coaches for winter sports also begin within the first couple weeks of school to help players prepare for the upcoming season. The workouts involve running for endurance and speed, as well as lifting in the weight room for strength. Along with offseason workouts, many sports have summer leagues so that athletes can continue to compete in games during the offseason. Senior Varsity hockey player Dillon Skovron said, “There is a summer hockey league that a lot of players compete in. It keeps the players in shape while also keeping the team together through the offseason.” Summer is a good opportunity for athletes to stay in shape since school is no longer in session and they have more opportunity to work out. Some athletes even try to get bigger during the long offseason in order to better themselves for the upcoming season. Senior Varsity hockey player Calvin Geisbert said, “During the offseason I like to lift so I can get bigger for the hockey season.” Through lifting, athletes get stronger and put themselves in a better spot to be a better player next season. The hockey team hopes to win the Howard Cup again after being champions in 2015. Physicality in not the only thing that matters when it comes to preparing for a sport, a lot for sports require a certain mentality to compete. Players must mentally prepare for the season, especially before games so they are in the right mindset. Geisbert said, “Before games I listen to a playlist I made of songs that will put me into the right state of mind. Then the team has stretches and warm ups to prepare for games.” Stretching, warm ups, and listening to music are all common practices among athletes when preparing mentally for games. With the right physical body and a right state of mind, all athletes will be ready to compete at a high level. By using these methods, winter athletes stay in shape and continue to perform at a high level during their seasons. Coaches expect their athletes to be in the best shape possible for the season so the team can be ready to beat the competition. However, coaches also want to make sure that athletes do not get hurt during the offseason and discourage any players from participating in dangerous activities. Everyone is hoping for the Glenelg teams to do well, but only time will tell if their hard work paid off. By Mason Steinberg
The 2017 World Series has featured some of the highest scoring games in World Series History. The two teams, the LA Dodgers and Houston Astros, are also hitting an unusual amount of home runs. The 24 home runs in six games has led to increased speculation about whether or not the World Series Baseballs have been altered so that more home runs would occur. Baseball has struggled tapping into the same audience that faster paced sports such as the NBA and the NFL have. The main complaints about the sport are that the games are too long and there is not enough scoring. This would give the MLB incentive to try to increase scoring and home runs. Baseball had its largest audience in the 1990s which is called the Steroid Era because many players were using steroids to get stronger so they could hit more homeruns. After the MLB cracked down and increased testing for the drugs the home run numbers dropped, as did viewership. The MLB is aware that more Home Runs mean more fans, which caused speculation about the baseballs being altered during the World Series. Players from both teams in the World Series have added fuel to the fire by revealing in interviews that when doing a blindfold test where a blindfold is worn and a World Series Ball and a Regular Ball are placed in the player' hands. The purpose is to see if the player can actually feel a difference. “Lance McCullers took the blindfold test in the bullpen,” said Charlie Morton, Houston’s Game 4 starter, referring to another Astros pitcher. “He could tell which ball was which with his eyes closed. It’s that different.” The difference is the new baseballs are slicker and harder to grab on to. This makes it difficult for pitchers to throw the ball effectively and is especially affected pitchers who throw sliders. Pitchers such as Dodgers Ace Yu Darvish and Astros pitcher Lance McCullers have been extremely vocal in the criticism of the balls.The change in the balls has sparked debate over whether MLB intentionally changed them to increase offense. No matter which side of the debate you are on, everyone can agree this World Series has been a thriller. |
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