Tag Archives: Sports and sports journalism

Team USA Hockey wins against Canada

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By AMANDA TORRES

For the first time in 20 years, Team USA Hockey has won gold. Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, a hockey player on Team USA, scored the goal that won the game. It was a 3-2 victory against the Canadian hockey team, who had been undefeated for four years.

If you did not watch the game, reporters from The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Miami Herald described the game and Lamoureux-Davidson’s move that lead to the goal in a way that was easy to picture and understand.

According to The New York Times, there were only seven minutes left to play when, Lamoureux-Davidson sister, Monique Lamoureux-Davidson, scored the goal that they needed to match Canada’s score. The game went into overtime and Team USA knew it had a chance to win.

Since overtime in a hockey game lasts five minutes, a shootout began when the score remained tied. This meant that there would be one member from each team attempting to make penalty shots against their opposing goaltender. Because there continued to be no change in the score, the game went into sudden death. The game would end as soon as a team got ahead of the other.

The Miami Herald described that Lamoureux-Davidson’s teammates were eagerly watching her play on the hockey’s biggest stage. As they watched, Lamoureux-Davidson made the anticipated move that they were hoping she would do: the triple maneuver. And she did, scoring against Canada’s goaltender, Shanon Szabados.

Lamoureux-Davidson practiced the intricate move many times. She admitted that she failed many of those attempts, but remained persistent to get it right. According to The Washington Post, Lamoureux-Davidson’s said that the triple maneuver consisted of, “a forehand fake, a backhand fake and then a quick transition back to the forehand to shoot the puck, all while selling each herky-jerky con with deft skating.”

Maddie Rooney, the U.S. goaltender, then made a save against Meghan Agosta of the Canada team, which gave the Americans the game.

Team USA hockey team members threw their gloves in the air and piled on top of Rooney. After 20 years, gold was finally theirs.

U.S. women earn hockey gold

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By SOPHIA CONSTANTINO

On Feb. 21, the U.S. women’s hockey team won its first Olympic Gold Medal over Canada since its first victory in 1998. The game lasted through regulation playing time, overtime and an extended shootout to finish in a 3-2 win for the United States. The truly inspiring victory has drawn news media attention to one of the most underrated rivalries in recent sporting history.

As the two undisputed most successful women’s hockey teams, the United States and Canadian women’s teams have been battling it out in the Olympics for the past 20 years, since the sport was first included in the Olympics in 1998 in the Nagano games. After its first Olympic victory in 1998, the U.S. women’s team has been silver to the Canadian’s gold in all four of the following Olympic games.

The rivalry deepens considering the IIHF Women’s World Championship outcomes since its introduction in 1990; Canada dominated all but one championship for the first 10 years until the U.S. took the title in 2005. The U.S. has held the championship since 2008, except in 2012.

The U.S. women’s team has been growing in news media relevance since its introduction to the Olympics, but the team earned national attention nearly a year ago after boycotting the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in pursuit of equal pay.

When USA Hockey threatened to bring on replacements, the Women’s national team convinced high school and college level potentials to boycott as well. Fellow athletes, including the Women’s national soccer team and players’ associations for the NHL, NBA, NHL, MLB and WNBA, supported the boycott through social media. The team was successful in negotiations with USA Hockey just three days before the 2017 IIHF games, which it went on to win for the seventh time in eight years.

Last night’s victory, which happened on the 38th anniversary of the historic “Miracle on Ice” upset of the U.S. men’s national team victory over the former Soviet Union in 1980, has brought the women’s national hockey team into the news media spotlight it deserves after years of exceptional competition and a groundbreaking stand for equality.

LeBron will not ‘shut up and dribble’

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By JUSTIN SOBELMAN

LeBron James won NBA All-Star Weekend, in more ways than one. In the first year of the new All-Star game format, in which the top two vote-getters were selected as team captains, LeBron’s squad toppled Stephen Curry’s bunch in one of the most watchable and competitive midseason showcases of the past 15 years. James earned MVP honors for his efforts.

The biggest story involving James came not from the game, but from a Fox News segment aired on Friday morning before the contest. Host Laura Ingraham shredded James and fellow NBA superstar Kevin Durant for voicing their negative opinions of President Trump in a recent ESPN interview. It’s not the first time James has come out against Trump and he has gone as far to make a speech at a Hillary Clinton rally in Ohio during her 2016 election campaign.

Ingraham’s main position was that James needed to “Shut up and dribble.” She also labeled the two stars’ comments as “barely intelligible” and “ungrammatical,” which is ridiculous and inaccurate, considering James and Durant are some of the most-well spoken and intelligent athletes in sports.

James handled Ingraham in the same way he handles opponents on the court: by (metaphorically) dunking all over her.

During All-Star media day, James naturally was asked to comment on the segment and he responded as he tends to do with most things: taking the high road, with a little bit of James’ trademark passive aggressiveness thrown in.

James talked at length about how he felt it was his duty to be a role model for young kids in the same position he was once in.

“We will definitely not shut up and dribble…. I mean too much to society, too much to the youth, too much to so many kids who feel like they don’t have a way out,” said James.

He later posted a picture on Instagram with the words “I am more than an athlete.”

It may sound like cockiness, but he’s absolutely right. Many kids look to professional athletes as role models and there may not be a better one than James. The man came from a poverty-stricken, single-parent household in Akron, Ohio. He was a household name before he turned 17, landing on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school junior. He was anointed as one of the greats before he could even drive. How many people would crumble under that kind of pressure?

Instead, James became one of the three greatest ever to play basketball and transformed into a shrewd businessman with holding in a wide variety of industries, from restaurants to multimedia platforms. He donates millions of dollars to social causes, and is a vocal leader of the fight to end racial injustice. If the man wants to give his opinion on politics, his voice certainly has more weight than some ignorant news anchor.

Of course, James is the clear winner in this, with most of the news media throwing hate on Ingraham and this story blowing up to give Lebron’s fight against racial injustice more awareness. Much of the coverage of this story entailed tearing down Ingraham. For example, NFL player Chris Long tweeted many photos of athletes who were guests on Fox News, and none of them were told to stay out of politics. However, James was able to concede this to Ingraham:

“I had no idea who she was until now, so I guess she won in that case,” James said.

Charles Barkley admits to playing drunk

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By BRENNAN PRUSAK

In a recent interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” former NBA all-star and current TV personality Charles Barkley admitted that he once played a game while drunk when he was the member of the Philadelphia 76ers.

The segment was full of laughs and was brushed off as a laughing matter. So, why are other athletes’ careers ruined due to the same actions, but the news media covers Charles Barkley’s story like it’s a joke?

The most recent instance of an athlete derailing his or her career due to substance abuse would be that of Josh Gordon. Gordon was a very talented receiver for the Cleveland Browns and burst onto the NFL scene in 2013 where he led the league in receiving yards in only his second year.

Unfortunately, Gordon had been struggling with addiction and found himself out of the league by 2015 due to their substance policy. Gordon was crucified by the news media, who dug to uncover all they could about his early life. Gordon decided to beat the press and tell all himself, sharing how his abuse went as far back as getting drunk before games in high school to simply see if he could outperform others even while intoxicated.

Luckily, Gordon has since attended rehab and been reinstated by the NFL, but it’s interesting that he was put under a microscope when he slipped up, but jolly Charles Barkley was able to laugh it off. It wasn’t even as if he simply got a little buzzed before the game, as he directly stated “I was blasted … I’m not gonna lie.”

I understand that Gordon had a serious problem, but it doesn’t mean that the same acts on a less serious scale shouldn’t be ridiculed. Barkley continued to mention that he had been drunk, or at least hungover, for games on numerous instances, so it seems unfair that he was met with laughter and not scrutiny. It seems like the news media start to play favorites when covering athletes and it is starting to come off as unprofessional.

Miami men fall to No. 1 Virginia

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By JABARI WILBON

Miami’s men’s basketball season has had an up and down year, especially in ACC play.

Without sophomore Bruce Brown, things have gotten even harder for them as they have started to use players off the bench in more minutes than they usually play. After coming off a surprising road loss to Boston College, the Canes were set to play Virginia, who had just risen to become the No. 1 ranked team in the country.

Miami has had several home wins against top five teams in the past few years, so the anticipation from the fans for this game was high. However, when the game started, UVA proved why it was No. 1. Virginia led the entire game and held Miami to a season-low 50 points with its well-renowned defense.

The news media on campus did a great job of covering this game. The @CanesHoops account tweeted regularly during the game, keeping the fans who were unable to watch or attend completely updated throughout the game. It tweeted every two to four minutes and kept the score updated as well.

The game took place at 9 p.m. on Feb. 13 and The Miami Hurricane posted an article at 12:15 a.m. on Feb. 14 with analysis of the game, quotes and stats. The campus newspaper did an excellent job putting together a top-notch story in such a short amount of time for people to read the next morning.

Highlights of the game were posted to YouTube the following morning on the ACC Digital Network for a quick recap of how the game turned out. Also, pictures were taken by Hunter Crenian were uploaded with the story on the website of The Miami Hurricane.

The game was nationally televised on ESPN because it was such a big ACC match-up. It was a big game because it was a good platform for the seedings in the March Madness tournament at the end of the year. The game was highly interesting to fans all around the world.

With all of that being said, the news media did a good job covering the game and getting out information and stats to the public as soon as possible, especially The Miami Hurricane, which was able to put up a story within a short period of time.

Shaun White and backlash culture

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By JUSTIN SOBELMAN

One of the most well-known American Winter Olympic athletes, 31-year-old snowboarder Shaun White, accomplished an amazing feat on Wednesday in Pyeongchang, South Korea, producing an electrifying final run in the men’s halfpipe to leapfrog Japan’s 19-year-old phenom Ayumu Hirano to capture his third gold medal in four Olympics.

The feat itself was a story, but the media storm in the aftermath of White’s gold medal victory was just as intriguing, and indicative of the current level of backlash in our society. Nowadays, it’s only a matter of time before the backlash comes, regardless of how beloved a figure may seem at the time.

In this case, it came almost immediately via social media. Many athletes and celebrities took to Twitter to congratulate White on his accomplishment, but some questioned whether we should be celebrating a man who was accused of sexual assault in 2016 in a case that was eventually settled out of court.

In the ongoing #MeToo culture, many prominent faces have come into question, leading to trepidations among people who call themselves fans of the accused. It’s an interesting moral quandary. If your favorite celebrity has been accused of sexual misconduct of some kind, should your feelings toward them change?

Some might say that they won’t give their support to anybody who may have sexually harassed another person. Others might say that accusations aren’t proof, or if a person was convicted,  it’s totally separate from their exploits in their field, and those exploits can still be enjoyed. It’s certainly a point of contention, and one that will be brought up repeatedly as more prominent figures have dirt dug up about their pasts.

Curiously, NBC chose to cut to figure skating in lieu of interviewing possibly the greatest snowboarder ever after one of the greatest feats in his career, so the first comments we heard from White came in the press conference which followed the medal ceremony. The media members there began to question him about the 2016 lawsuit, and if it might tarnish his legacy. He said he preferred not to speak about what he called “gossip,” understandably wanting to focus on his tremendous win. That comment brought a whole new wave of backlash, and he issued an apology for his wording on an appearance on NBC’s Today later Wednesday.

That just illustrates how strong the backlash cycle can be: within a few hours, White won a gold medal, faced an initial onslaught of backlash (and a fair amount of praise, to be fair), responded to it, then faced another onslaught of backlash for his response to the backlash. On one hand, who can blame White for wanting to talk only about the Olympics in the afterglow of his win? On the other, it’s fair for people to call him into question in light of the scandal. It’s a huge gray area, and one that won’t be made black or white anytime soon.

Surprise, chaos at NBA trade deadline

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By JABARI WILBON

Usually the trade deadline in the NBA is filled with moves from teams all over the league, but with 24 hours left before the deadline, no significant moves had been made besides Blake Griffin trade bout a week ago.

The Cavaliers made a lot of moves in the last 12 hours before the deadline, essentially revamping their entire team. They traded Isaiah Thomas to the Lakers for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. Dwyane Wade was also traded back to the Miami Heat for a second round pick. Several other smaller moves were made by the Cavaliers later on in the day.

Emmanuel Mudiay was traded from the Nuggets to the Knicks and Elfrid Payton was traded from the Magic to the Suns. Rodney Hood and George Hill were included in deals to Cleveland and will make their debuts for the Cavs in the next few days.

Throughout the shocking chaos during this year’s NBA trade deadline, SportsCenter and other NBA sportswriter did an excellent job following all the action and getting it out to the public almost immediately when deals were finally made. Writers such as Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc Stein utilized social media very well, especially Twitter.

They both tweeted early in the day on Feb. 8 which teams were in trade talks and how likely it was that the talks would turn into agreements. They then broke the news immediately about all of the Cavaliers moves, starting with Thomas, the most significant trade deadline move.

Within the afternoon, SportsCenter had covered the trades on broadcast, bringing on Stephen A. Smith within an hour of Isaiah Thomas’ deal. Smith talked about how the trade would effect the Cavaliers and what the future is like for Thomas in Los Angeles. SportsCenter also used Twitter to share the news about the trades around the world.

Articles were posted online as early as 12:45 p.m. on Feb. 8 with analysis and coverage of the trades, almost as soon as they were announced. Overall, reporters utilized social media very well during this hectic time and also getting analyst on SportsCenter as soon as possible.

National signing day creates a new buzz

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By BRENNAN PRUSAK

On Wednesday, high school athletes made decisions that would change their lives forever.

On national signing day, the top unsigned football recruits from across the country decide where they are going to attend college and play football for the foreseeable future. While this is a very important and usually personal decision for the athlete, it has evolved to a news media frenzy.

Whereas athletes would once “announce” their commitment by signing in the comfort of their own homes, ESPN and other sport networks have changed the game and created a full day special broadcasting top recruits’ announcements. This has resulted in some fairly humorous displays on live TV from athletes trying to outdo each other with their creative commitments.

To start off the day, four highly recruited members of American Heritage High School took to ESPN to announce their decisions. While it appeared like it would be a fairly normal segment, things took an odd turn when two of the recruits decided to announce their decisions using a “Chucky” doll as a prop. Yes, that “Chucky,” the one that probably gave you nightmares as a kid.

While Nesta Silvera, a four-star defensive tackle that committed to Miami, simply held the doll in his hand while making his announcement, his teammate did him one better.

Four-star linebacker Andrew Chatfield reached for a University of Miami hat sitting on the table, just to drop the hat and pull the “Chucky” doll from under the table, and the doll happened to be wearing a University of Florida hat, which Chatfield proceeded to put on his own head, cementing his commitment. While there have been props used before, none have been quite as odd as this.

Up next was probably one of the most memorable moments in recent memory of national signing day. Four-star outside linebacker Quay Walker picked up and put on a University of Tennessee hat during his announcement Wednesday. While Tennessee fans across the country were surely leaping from their seats with excitement, it was short-lived.

Walker than removed the hat, threw it into the crowd, and removed his jacket and pants to reveal a Georgia polo and khakis with the Bulldogs logo plastered all over them. To top it off, he threw on a Georgia sun hat as his family members behind him revealed Georgia apparel of their own. Tennessee fans certainly weren’t happy, but it proceeded to blow up on social media along with ESPN and other sport platforms.

With the amount of news media coverage this event gets, many are beginning to worry that national signing day is becoming more of a “who can outdo who,” in regards to the most memorable announcement.

Personally, I couldn’t care less. For a lot of these kids, it’s their first time in the national spotlight, so of course they’re going to ham it up. This will be remembered as one of the most important days of their lives, so they have every right to live in the moment, and I certainly don’t mind getting a good laugh out of it either. Sports are supposed to be fun, and the news media surrounding these announcements really lets the athletes enjoy their moments.

UM hockey team looks for big finish

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By GRACE SMITH

When people think Miami, they rarely picture ice arenas or hockey pucks. But the University of Miami is home to a passionate club men’s hockey team who will wrap up their season this weekend at the Southern Collegiate Hockey Conference championship playoff.

The team is a self-motivated club sport with all the drive and hard work of a typical university varsity team. It started out as a roller hockey team but, after winning the national title in the sport in 2011, it transitioned easily to ice hockey, which most of its players started out on.

Between the travel distance to an off-campus rink and the personal costs of participating, those who hit the ice truly love the game.

The players celebrate on ice. -@MiamiHockey on Instagram

The hockey team is young, with only one senior and two juniors, but the coaches and players only see that as an obvious advantage in the future.

Team captain and lone senior Ben Hoar commented, “The average age for the team is about 18 or 19, which makes it intimidating to go against teams where that number is up around 21. But it also means the team will grow together and it is the start of a great program.”

As the team becomes more established within itself, it also welcomes a new home rink: Pines Ice Arena in Pembroke Pines. After only its first season there, the rink is decorated with University of Miami banners and the signature “U” is painted on the ice.

However, the team will be traveling up to Coral Springs to the Florida Panthers’ Ice Den for the SCHS playoff. On Friday at 4:45 p.m., the team faces off against University of South Florida, and the winner of that bracket will play #2 University of Central Florida on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. As the Hurricanes are 6th and last in their conference, they sit outside the championship bracket but can contend for a final third through sixth ranking through the weekend.

Taking in all the Super Bowl has to offer

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By JUSTIN SOBELMAN

The Super Bowl is the single-best sporting event. Period.

Although I prefer basketball to football, there’s just some magic to the Super Bowl that can’t be topped. It’s the culmination of four consecutive win-or-go-home playoff rounds, and the fact that there’s always a reasonable chance that any of half a dozen or so teams can win the championship when the postseason begins makes the NFL Playoffs totally enthralling, and the Super Bowl is the dramatic conclusion.

One of my favorite aspects of the Super Bowl is the hyper-detailed coverage of everything surrounding it. Every year, my favorite podcast duo, Bill Simmons and Cousin Sal (of “Jimmy Kimmel” fame), puts out my favorite podcast episode of the year — the Super Bowl prop bets. While I don’t gamble, hearing the minutiae of the things that can be wagered on — from as normal as the point spread to as insane as how many times Tom Brady’s wife will be shown on the broadcast.

Then comes media day, which is basically a free-for-all. Media members from around the world gather to speak to players and coaches, all of whom are available to talk. My favorite coverage from this event has to be from people like NFL Network’s Dave Dameshek and Guillermo, again from “Kimmel.”

Both personalities have a similar schtick: going around to the players and coaches and asking them ridiculous questions like, “Is this a must-win game?” It’s always entertaining, and it’s great to see all the personalities of the players and coaches shine through as they get more exposure.

Best of all, of course, is the game itself, but I love what comes after almost as much. Even if the team I’m not rooting for wins, reading all the stories that come out of the players’ reactions to the ultimate team accomplishment in pro football makes me love being a sports fan.

Media members who are fortunate enough to be in the winning team’s locker room post-game, like The Ringer’s Robert Mays, always come up with great anecdotes. Mays pointed out one thing that really stuck with me. It was Malcolm Jenkins, a nine-year veteran and the undisputed leader of the Eagles, just sitting at his locker, holding the Lombardi Trophy. Mays said that Jenkins was cradling it like a baby, just staring at the silver football, “as if there was a deeper meaning to be held in the metal.”

It’s these innocent, purely human moments that are unique to football’s biggest stage. The sheer amount of media attention means that as fans we know more about the match-up, the players, and the legacies at stake than any other game. With only one game to cover, there’s hardly an angle that’s missed.

These guys work so hard, and put in so much effort, that no matter who you root for, it’s hard not to smile when you see just how much this accomplishment means to them. There’s something about seeing some of the toughest men in the world break down from winning a game that makes me appreciate the magic of sports. There’s nothing like it, and the detailed coverage means that we can see every tiny, beautiful moment.

Media change focus as Nassar trial ends

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By SOPHIA CONSTANTINO

Serial child molester Larry Nassar entered the courtroom for the third and final hearing on Jan. 31, 2018, to receive his final sentencing.

After a grueling seven-day hearing in Ingham County Circuit Court in which Judge Rosemarie Aquilina allowed nearly 160 women to speak about their respective violations at the hands of Nassar, the former Olympic doctor began another trial in Eaton County Circuit Court this week under Judge Janice K. Cunningham. Nassar will face another 60 women accusing him of more of the same and faces 40 to 175 years in prison.

Though as the doctor’s fate becomes more and more certain, that of the organizations by which he was employed is only raising more questions.

Most pressingly, Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics are being called upon to respond.

According to a recently published BBC report, the directors of USA Gymnastics have all resigned after the US Olympic Committee demanded the board step down. Michigan State president Lou Anna Simon has stepped down and a criminal investigation has been launched into the university.

As the investigations continue, the question remains: what now? Nassar will spend his life in prison and the case will delve into the nitty gritty of who knew what and when they knew it. If justice is thoroughly carried out, those who allowed Nassar’s repulsive manipulation of power to persist will be aptly tried as well. And though the individuals will be persecuted, how do we begin to repair the infrastructure of a so clearly damaged organization?

A bill passed by the senate on Tuesday requiring amateur sporting organizations to report sexual assault now awaits President Trump’s approval. The bill would also necessitate training to prevent such assaults.

And though a bill of this suit certainly seems like a step in the right direction, the irony of whose desk upon which it sits cannot be ignored. Nevertheless, a case of this caliber simply cannot be ignored. We thus will wait with baited breath for our president’s review.

Redskins acquire Alex Smith in trade

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By JABARI WILBON

On Tuesday night, the Washington Redskins made a shocking trade less than a week before the Super Bowl, acquiring quarterback Alex Smith and sending their current quarterback Kirk Cousins into free agency. According to a report from the Kansas City Star‘s Terez A. Paylor, the Chiefs agreed to the deal on Tuesday afternoon.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Smith was traded for Redskins cornerback Kendall Fuller and a third-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft.

At first glance, this deal may not make sense for either sides. But, for the Redskins it was needed more than fans and media expected. Cousins was set to be the highest paid quarterback this upcoming season and the Redskins were going have to pay him that money in order to keep him.

For the Chiefs, this allows them to start Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, their former first round pick last season, who was waiting behind Smith for his moment.

Many reporters took to Twitter to voice their opinions on the trade and to explain what was right and wrong for both teams. Reporters also compared Cousins and Smith as most agreed that they were essentially the same player and the Redskins didn’t get much better.

Adam Schefter, an NFL analyst, reported on Twitter that Cousins and the Redskins haven’t had any contact since the end of the regular season.

If the Redskins were to keep Cousins, they would have had to pay him $34 million. Instead, they’re paying Smith $23 million and for who many think is slightly better than Cousins.

Reporters felt that the Redskins did the right thing, overall, and now understand that Cousins is in the midst of a major pay day for another team.

Biggest pro baseball draft bust ever?

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By BRENNAN PRUSAK

After five years, former Major League Baseball No. 1 pick Mark Appel is stepping away from baseball at the age of 26. While he was “as risk-free a pitcher pick as has ever been made,” according to Ben Reiter of Sports Illustrated, he never played a game in the Major Leagues and will become only the third first overall pick to do so.

Taken first overall in the 2013 draft by the Houston Astros, above National League MVP Kris Bryant and reigning American League Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge, the expectations for Appel were through the roof. While many scouts and evaluators thought that he would rise to the majors quickly, some even stating that it may take less than a season, Appel amassed a 5.06 ERA and a 1.519 WHIP over five seasons in the minors. Hardly the numbers of a No. 1 pick.  

Before the 2014 season, Appel was ranked at the No. 17 overall prospect in baseball but started to fall further and further down after posting a 9.74 ERA in 44.1 innings. These numbers weren’t just bad, they were absolutely awful. In the same year, the average ERA of pitchers in the Major Leagues was 3.74, a whopping six points less than Appel who was pitching against single A hitters. To put this in perspective, only about 10 percent of the hitters Appel was facing were likely to make it to the major leagues.

The next three seasons followed the same trajectory for Appel as finished with ERAs of 4.37, 4.46 and 5.14.

After taking a step back, Appel is excited to move forward with his life. He graduated from Stanford University before going to the pros and is now looking to attend business school at Rice, University of Texas, Texas A&M, Stanford, Harvard, Penn, Northwestern or the University of Chicago.

While some scouts have recommended that Appel attempt a comeback as a reliever, as a litany of failed starters have done successfully, it seems like he’s happy pursuing a life outside of baseball.

It’s easy to ask the question, “What if?” What if the Astros had selected Kris Bryant with the No. 1 pick? What if they took Aaron Judge? What if Appel lived up to the hype?

Luckily for the Astros, Carlos Correa (2012 first overall pick), George Springer (2011 11th overall pick) and Alex Bregman (2015 second overall pick) were able to lead the team to the 2017 World Series title, certainly numbing the pain of their failed number one pick in 2013. While these three picks hit, Mark Appel proves that there are certainly no guarantees in the MLB.

Brady upset over radio host’s remark

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By PATTY SANTANA

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady cut short a telephone interview on a Boston sports radio show Monday morning, citing an incident last week in which a host referred to his daughter as “an annoying little pissant.”

“So I’ll obviously evaluate whether I want to come on this show again,” Brady said to the hosts of the “Kirk & Callahan Show” shortly before ending the call.

Brady has appeared on the “Kirk & Callahan Show” every Monday throughout this football season.

Alex Reimer, the host responsible for the derogatory comment, is a frequent guest on the show, which airs on WEEI 93.7 FM. However, when he commented on Brady’s daughter, it was during his Thursday evening show aired by the same station. The comment was prompted by a discussion on Brady’s Facebook documentary series “Tom vs. Time,” in which his daughter appears. Reimer was suspended indefinitely by WEEI on Friday over the comment.

WEEI released a statement Monday evening apologizing to Brady, his family and the New England Patriots organization. The statement refers to Reimer’s remarks as “utterly indefensible” and asserts that “mean-spirited commentary directed in any way at children is wholly inappropriate.”

During the Super Bowl LII opening night event on Monday, Brady seemed forgiving and told reporters that he hopes Reimer does not lose his job.

“We all have careers and make mistakes,” Brady said. “I’d hate for someone to have to change their life over something like that. That was certainly not what he intended.”

Regardless of whether Reimer is allowed to return to the air, the incident serves as a cautionary tale regarding appropriate journalistic boundaries. While Reimer had every right to express his opinions regarding Brady’s documentary, he displayed an extreme lack of professionalism in disparaging a 5-year-old.

NBA promises mean nothing

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By JUSTIN SOBELMAN

As the Feb. 8 trade deadline nears, we have already seen what is likely to be the biggest mid-season deal in the NBA. On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Los Angeles Clippers sent former All-Star forward Blake Griffin, and two other players, to the Detroit Pistons for a package of young players and draft picks.

If looked at in a vacuum, this deal isn’t too shocking: an aging veteran, often the discussion of trade rumors, with a litany of injuries in his career who is owed a huge amount of future money is dealt for assets. It happens frequently enough.

Of course, the NBA is always more complicated than what appears on the surface. ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported that during the Clippers’ free-agency pitch to Griffin just this past summer, L.A. set up “a makeshift museum of his life” and then retired his number in a mock ceremony in an empty Staples Center.

Lowe also reported that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer wanted Griffin to be a “Clipper for life,” and expressed before this season his belief that this Clippers squad could be the best in franchise history.

Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins confirmed Lowe’s report in a November feature on Griffin, adding the footnote that a choir was singing as the banner was raised, evoking Griffin’s famous dunk over a Kia in the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest.

Days later, Griffin inked a five-year, $171 million pact, seemingly a boon for a franchise that hoped to remain competitive in the wake of dealing superstar point guard Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets.

In Jenkins’ feature, Griffin spoke about his love for Los Angeles, and the Clippers. Griffin is very into comedy, and he even performs his own stand-up in the comic haven that is L.A.

A museum, a choir, a banner with Griffin’s No. 32 up in the rafters, verbal commitment from the owner, and the “I love being here” Lee Jenkins article. You’d forgive any NBA fan for thinking that Griffin’s L.A. tenure was far from over.

Then, poof, just six months later, Griffin is sent packing, trading out sunny 75 degree weather and a city whose biggest attractions match perfectly with his interests for temperatures in the teens and a totally new culture.

Let this be a reminder to everyone: promises mean nothing in the NBA, so let’s not take them too seriously.

Russian Olympians have ban overturned

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By GRACE SMITH

On Feb. 1, the International Olympic Committee’s lifetime ban on 28 of the 39 Russian Olympic athletes as a result of anti-doping violations was overturned by the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport due to insufficient evidence.

The court upheld the appeals of athletes who had been given a lifetime ban following discovery of “systematic manipulation of anti-doping rules” after the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The court ruled that, while doping violations had taken place, the lifetime bans were not justified. Instead, the court ruled to shortened the ban to just the 2018 Olympic Games and the athlete’s scores and medals in Sochi will be reinstated in the record books.

Other Olympic athletes disagree with the decision. Canadian luger, Sam Edney, whose team risks losing a bronze medal as a result of this ruling, called this “a dark day for Clean Sports.”

Edney’s response on Twitter

However, it is still unclear whether these athletes will attempt to participate in the the 2018 games.

The IOC stated that the decision brought “satisfaction on the one hand and disappointment on the other.”

It also warned that the upholding of their appeals did not mean an invitation to 2018 games.

To do so, they would have to pass the Olympic Committee’s Invitation Review Panel and then be selected to join one of the Russian teams competing under a neutral banner.

The Olympic Committee still has the opportunity to appeal the Swiss court’s decision and bring forth significant evidence that these doping attempts greatly impacted the outcome of the game and that their severity warrants a lifetime ban from participation.

Several affected athletes, including Olga Zaytseva, Russia’s most accomplished bi-athlete who retired in 2015, claim they are victims of an overarching, collective punishment against their nation. She claims that not only is she clean but the entirety of the evidence brought against her fellow athletes is “fabricated.”

As a result of this decision, the Olympic Committee’s action on doping violators was brought into question. There is no doubt that doping and use of forbidden performance enhancers deeply violates not only the Olympic rules but also the spirit of the games.

But the question stands on the severity of the punishment and whether the International Olympic Committee struck too broadly, rather than deeply.

Major League Soccer comes to Miami

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By AMANDA TORRES

After a “painful” four-year pursuit, David Beckham announced on Jan. 29 that he received approval to create a Miami Major League Soccer team. Beckham and his co-owners, Marcelo Claure, Simon Fuller and Jorge and Jose Mas, are now arranging a site in Overtown to build a $200 million soccer stadium.

The Miami Herald, which has followed the progression of starting an MLS team in Miami, said that the stadium will be ready by 2021. The team will begin playing in 2020 at sites like Hard Rock Stadium, FIU Stadium or Marlins Park until the stadium is ready.

Beckham admitted that he and his business partners are not thinking about who will take up the coveted spots on the new team just yet. Even though there are many people who are interested in joining, Beckham said that he and his business partners have “a lot of work to do” before they decide on who the team’s players will be.

In the months coming up, Beckham and his partners do want to take input from fans to decide on a name for the team, as well as possible options for its official colors and logo. According to The Herald, Beckham said “black” and “white” are a few options they are considering.

Beckham first announced the possibility of having a Major League Soccer team in Miami in February 2014, almost four years ago. Beckham and his team have been persistent throughout the process, even in the moments when it seemed like it would not end up happening.

“Luckily, these four years of pain, at times, has taught me that sometimes you go through certain moments where it’s difficult,” Beckham told The Herald before the ceremony. “I look at the past four years and see the positive. There’s a reason why it’s taken this long. If I hadn’t gone through those times, I wouldn’t have met these guys [pointing to Miami co-owners Jorge and Jose Mas], guys who are passionate about this city and this sport. It’s like the weather.

“You walk out the door and it’s raining, then you walk out another door and its sun. That’s kind of like the journey it’s been the last four years. There have been moments I got off a phone call and I’m excited and it’s happening, and I wake up the next morning and it’s all gone.”

Basketball players detained in China

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By VERONICA SPAGNA

A lot of attention has been brought upon an international incident occurred this week in China. Three freshman UCLA basketball players were accused of shoplifting items from three different stores, including a pair of sunglasses from a Louis Vuitton store, ranging from $435-$1,990.

The basketball players LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley, returned to Los Angeles Tuesday, where they were Initially ignoring all questions asked by reporters.

Donald Trump was involved in resolving the issue, by bringing up the case with China’s President Xi Jinping, allowing the players to get out of China’s detention and back in the United States.

We seem to be more than familiar with Donald Trump’s tweeting habits. He uses Twitter as a way praising himself, demanding praise and judging others for not giving him approval. On Tuesday, when the basketball players returned from China after being detained for 10 days and did not express any gratitude towards Donald Trump, he decided to tweet:

First of all this tweet demonstrates the president’s lack of modesty and talking about himself in the third person, like the CNN reporter said, “that deserves a post all its own. This tweet was given a lot of attention by the news media as it is put the UCLA players in an awkward position, after already being in one.

Some reporters, such as CNN’s Chris Cillizza, suggested that people were interpreting this tweet as racially provocative, he wrote in his article “What Donald Trump’s UCLA tweet reveals about him.”

“That the three players are all young black men should also not be lost here. Trump’s history on racial issues — both as president and as a private citizen — shows some level of intentionality when it comes to using racially coded language and taking advantage of racial animus and stereotypes for his own political gain,” Cillizza wrote.
“The image of an older white man in a position of power demanding thanks from three young black men for saving them will set off a lot of alarm bells for people,” he added.

The players apologized for their actions in a press conference, in addition to thanking Donald Trump and the U.S. government for helping them out of the situation.   The three players have been suspended indefinitely from the UCLA, meaning that they won’t be able to practice or travel with the university’s team.

Donald Trump acknowledged the thanks shared by the basketball players and answered by tweeting

Most articles covering this story linked the video of the conference where the players apologized for their actions, giving the reader a clearer understanding of the events.

The story was covered in detail by the reporters, but there were no real comments made by UCLA students. It would be interesting to know how students at UCLA feel about the story and its effects on the name and reputation of the school and its basketball program.

When covering the story, Reporters were very harsh on Donald Trump’s tweets because they attacked some freshman students who did not even have the time to settle back in their home country after being detained in a foreign country.

Media need to give Jaylen Brown space

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By JUSTIN STEVENS

Boston Celtics small forward Jaylen Brown helped his team win its 14th straight game last night, just hours after finding out his best friend had died.

Brown scored a team high 22 points Thursday night during a 92-88 win over the Golden State Warriors in TD Garden in Boston.

Coaches and players weren’t sure if he’d play Thursday. He had gone to Celtics coach Brad Stevens that he didn’t think he could play so soon after the death of childhood friend Trevin Steede.

Brown said a phone call from his friend’s mother eventually swayed him to play in his friend’s honor.

The call came just in time as the Celtics played in their biggest game of the season against the reigning NBA champions. The Celtics rallied twice from double-digit deficits in the game and proved the many doubters wrong. Both rallies were inspired by Brown and teammate Kyrie Irving.

But after the game, the news media stormed the Celtics’ locker room and wanted to interview the leading scorer from the game. Little did they know his best friend died, but the news media onslaught of microphones, videos and recorders flooded Brown. In a sense the news media should have backed off at least a bit.

Hurricanes rank No. 3 in football

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By IZABELLA FELPETO

The Miami Hurricanes prove that “you can’t spell undefeated without the U,” after destroying their long-time rival, Notre Dame, 41-8 this past Saturday, in one of the most exciting home games of the season.

The Canes started the game strong, earning two touchdowns in the first quarter and putting the Fighting Irish (who finally scored in the 3rd quarter) to shame.

A year ago, the Hurricanes and the Fighting Irish met in South Bend, Ind., with Notre Dame escaping with a 30-27 victory. The iconic teams: No. 7 Miami Hurricanes and the No.3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish continued their rivalry, with the Canes dominating the Fighting Irish in a game that set fans wild over a hard-earned victory.

The Canes (9-0, 6-0 ACC) are now ranked No. 3 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.

“We’re just trying to get better every week,” linebacker Michael Pinckney said. “We just come out every week, we can’t take anyone lightly. We got great things ahead. I just feel like we have to come out this weekend and take Virginia no lighter than we took Notre Dame.”

The team is one step closer to the ACC championship and Miami fans are loving it.

“My goodness. Malik Rosier’s performance last Saturday becomes even more impressive. Best to him and his family,” tweeted ESPN’s sports commentator Stephania Bell.

The Hurricanes will continue their battle to the ACC title with Virginia, tomorrow at noon.