Tag Archives: Sports and sports journalism

Taggart becomes known name in Florida

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By LUIS GONZALEZ

The ink has dried for the class of 2017, but the full court press for juniors and seniors in high school is already in full swing.

Mark Richt (Miami), Jimbo Fisher (Florida State), Jim McElwain (Florida), Lane Kiffin (Florida Atlantic), Butch Davis (Florida International), and Charlie Strong (South Florida) headline the coaches from Florida that are pushing for kids to sign to their schools, but they need to keep an eye out on a school in the opposite end of the country.

Willie Taggart left USF to take the head coaching job at the University of Oregon. But, just because he decided to go does not mean he’s giving up his turf.

South Florida is heralded as one of the most fertile grounds in the country for high school football talent, grounds that Taggart took advantage of as a Bull.

Already in his first recruiting class as a Duck, Taggart has begun to poach out a pipeline to Eugene. He got some help from his new co-offensive coordinator Mario Cristobal, the former FIU head coach and Alabama offensive line coach specialized in helping the Crimson Tide pull All-Americans from Florida to play in Tuscaloosa.

Seven out of their 24 signees were from Florida, three coming from South Florida, and four coming from the Central Florida. Their current roster only has three players from Florida, none south of Lake Okeechobee.

Before and on signing day, local coverage in Miami was focused on coaches from Florida schools battling it out for local talent, but gave a simple brush to Taggart’s staff and the seeds he has planted.

On National Signing Day, The Miami Herald had three stories on its website that mentioned Taggart’s name. All three bylines were from Associated Press writers.

When next recruiting cycle comes around, Taggart’s staff will look to get more athletes and mentions when he tries to get more Ducks flying north to play football in Eugene.

St. Thomas Aquinas masters signing day

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By ANDREA HUETE

The nationally renowned and state title holding St. Thomas Aquinas High School impressed the community once again with their incredibly versatile group of 2017 signees.

There is no wonder why the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders are the most represented high school among current NFL players.

St. Thomas Aquinas always brings a news media storm surrounding athletics. So naturally, on the most important day of the year for high school senior athletes, their National Signing Day ceremony was live streamed. They are known for top recruits and making national headlines, such as going into triple overtime earlier in the year against the nation’s No.1 ranked high school, Bishop Gorman.

Their gymnasium was jam-packed with people on every level of the bleachers reaching over each other to take photos. Families of the signees were seated in floor seats all dressed in their son or daughters school colors, or clothes containing their signing school’s logo.

In total, St. Thomas had 63 student athletes sign to their respective colleges on Wednesday, 21 of those being football players.

This year, there was little left to the imagination in the 2017 signee class. Almost all of the 21 football players that signed from St. Thomas had been committed to their respective college or university for quite some time.

Linebacker Tyler Dunning de-committed from Miami in 2016 and pledged his commitment to his future school, Mississippi State. Quarterback Jake Allen announced earlier in the 2016 season that he would become a Florida Gator. Defensive tackle Kivon Bennet shocked Alabama fans everywhere earlier in the season by not committing to his father’s national championship winning alma mater, he signed with Tennessee.

Both Notre Dame and Miami got day-of commitments from members of the Raiders football team. Notre Dame received three-star inside linebacker Andrew White. Miami received four-star wide receiver and Army All American Michael Harley. With the Notre Dame-Miami rivalry heating up again this 2017 season, it will be interesting to watch these two former teammates on the field again.

The Raiders wish their senior athletes the best of luck in their future endeavors. The focus will now shift to getting their next batch of top-notch recruits ready for spring football and hopefully, another state championship.

Heat are the hottest team in the NBA

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By JIHAD SHATARA

Just three seasons ago, Miami was in its fourth consecutive NBA Finals against soon to be champions San Antonio Spurs with the “Big 3” still fully in tact.

Fast forward to 2017 and Lebron James is playing in Cleveland, Chris Bosh is nearly forced to retire with blood clots and the impossible happened when Dwyane Wade left Miami this past summer to play in Chicago. In all honesty, this season has been miserable for Heat fans. This season was drawing many parallels to 2008 when Miami started to “tank” by trading key pieces and trying their best to lose in order to gain a top pick in the draft.

This season was not far off from that awful 2008 season. There were rumors sputtering about Miami trading starters Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside. Miami was just 1-10 in one 11-game stretch and things were going south. But one staple that Coach Erik Spoelstra and team President Pat Riley really hammer into their players is the “Heat Culture.” No matter how bad a Miami Heat roster may be, the team always seem to compete.

Miami is on a nine-game win streak at the moment. Noted draft bust Dion Waiters is playing like a super star right now averaging 20 points a game during his last 10 games. He has hit clutch shot after clutch shot, including the game-winning buzzer beater against the best team in the league, the Golden State Warriors. Other role players like Willie Reed, Wayne Ellington and James Johnson have stepped up as well. Miami is doing this all without young starters Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow.

Miami is now three games out of a playoff spot in the East. This might not be the best thing for Miami considering the team would more than likely be a first round exit if it did, in fact, make the postseason, but Miami Heat fans should definitely enjoy this ride while they can.

U.S. Soccer’s Klinsmann on the hot seat

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By MICHAEL FRANCA

U.S. Soccer men’s national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann has come under intense scrutiny over the course of the past week. Following two dismal displays — a 2-1 loss to Mexico and a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Costa Rica — the calls for his job have gotten louder.

When U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati was asked following the Costa Rica match whether or not they were mulling a change, he remained noncommittal.

“We’ll think about what happened today and talk with Jurgen and look at the situation,” he said.

According to ESPN FC, the U.S. Soccer Federation has been in contact with potential replacements for almost a year. Still, three days removed from the last game, Klinsmann’s status remains in limbo.

Interestingly, the opinion across American media is almost unanimous that he should be fired. For example, Grant Wahl, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, recently wrote an article titled “It’s time for USA to move on from Jurgen Klinsmann.”

In addition to Wahl’s SI piece, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, FOX Sports, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation have all published columns calling for Klinsmann to lose his job. On top of that, many of the same major sports publications have already moved on to reporting a list of potential replacements.

This, of course, is not a promising sign for Klinsmann. While Gulati and the USSF are ultimately in charge of the decision, the mounting pressure could force their hand.

This is an example of the power of media and its ability to create change, at least in the world of sports.

Packers look for help at running back

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By ALEX GOLDMAN

The 2016 Green Bay Packers have had a tough time running the football. Before Wednesday, their leading rusher was Eddie Lacy who had tallied 360 yards on 71 carries. It’s already more than halfway through the season. And he hasn’t played in over a month because of injury.

Yikes. I’m not sure what aspect of that is worse, that the Packers highest rusher has only 360 yards midway into November, or that there hasn’t been anyone to pick up the slack in Lacy’s absence.

By comparison, Cowboys rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott has surpassed that total just within the past three games.

The Packers rushing attack has been anemic this season, to say the least. Oh, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers has more rushing touchdowns than do the rest of the Packers combined. Packers running backs, amazingly, have no rushing touchdowns this year. The Packers are the only team without a rushing touchdown by a running back.

It’s like that year where the Kansas City Chiefs went through a season with recording a receiving touchdown by a…receiver.

On Wednesday, the Packers looked for help and signed free agent back Christine Michael after he was cut by the Seattle Seahawks the previous day.

Sports media covered the acquisition thoroughly throughout the middle of the week, especially on ESPN.

ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky had three articles up on espn.com since news of the signing broke Wednesday.

His first article chronicled Michael’s transition from Seattle to Green Bay. According to Demovsky, Michael’s long flight was the easiest part of the transition. The Packers surely hope the more difficult part – learning the terminology of a new team – comes quickly to Michael. They need all the help they can get out of the backfield.

Demovsky’s second article covered comments made by Packers head coach Mike McCarthy concerning Michael’s checkered past. As for Michael’s prior issues, McCarthy had this to say:

“Those are all part of his past experiences,” McCarthy said. “He’ll come here, we have a way we do things, and he’ll be given an opportunity to do it.”

McCarthy added that he wasn’t going to rely on information from old scouting reports from college or his other NFL stops.

Finally, Demovsky asked the question every wants to know who’s interested in the Packers situation. “Can Christine Michael halt the Packers’ running back carousel?” was the title of the aptly named article.

That, of course, will be the question. Demovsky didn’t offer his own take, but continued to provide stats that underscore how putrid the Packers have been at running the football this season.

The answer probably won’t be known until the Packers play the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football over a week from now. Michael is  unlikely to play this week against the Washington football team as his first day of practice was yesterday. It’s highly unlikely he’ll be comfortable enough with the offense, or that the coaches will be comfortable enough with him in the offense, by Sunday night.

One thing is for sure; the Packers hope he is the answer.

Update: ESPN Wisconsin reporter Jason Wilde expects RB Christine Michael to play Sunday in Washington. 

Five-star Walker commits to Canes

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By NICHOLAS BRUENS

For years, the University of Miami has been known as a football-centered university.  It hasn’t been until recently that basketball has found it’s way into prominence onto the Coral Gables campus.

Under head coach Jim Larrañaga, Miami has won the ACC regular season championship,  the ACC tournament championship and made two appearances in the Sweet 16.  But Coach L’s greatest accomplishment may have occurred on Wednesday morning.

Five-start guard and the 19th-ranked recruit by ESPN, Lonnie Walker, committed to The U and signed a national letter of intent.  He is the highest rated recruit to commit to Miami in the history of the school’s basketball program.  The ground-breaking acquisition has cause a lot of reactions in the news media.

Many were quite surprised by Walker’s choice. It was believed that the Arizona Wildcats were the favorites for Walker to choose.  This was represented Ben Roberts’ article on kentucky.com.

“[Kentucky] weren’t necessarily considered favorites to land his commitment,” Roberts wrote. “but Miami wasn’t the frontrunner, according to any recruiting analysts, entering the early signing period last week.”

Matt Norlander of cbssports.com also wrote how Walker’s commitment is “the most surprising commitment by any five-star player in the 2017 class.”

But that is not the only angle being taken by media.  This has also provided the media with opportunity to give coach Larrañaga credit for the amazing job he has done with the program.  Jerry Steinberg of stateoftheu.com called Larrañaga a “master chef”  which is fitting with the magic he is cooking up in Coral Gables.

It’s clear that the news media are wanting to approach Walker’s commitment with an angle relatively new to the university.  The angle of a university that is new to the idea of a top tier basketball team and their rise to prominence.  It is also noted that more is expected to come from the Hurricanes.

Wade met with thunderous applause

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By NICHOLAS BRUENS

At the end of the 2015-16 NBA basketball season, Miami Heat fans were nervous.  Dwyane Wade, the greatest player in franchise history was a free agent.  Fans new Wade was older now but still a “Heat Lifer” in many fans minds.  As nervous as the finds were, they were also just as confident that basketball mastermind, Pat Riley would keep him in South Beach for a few more years and maybe the res of his career.

But on July 16, their worst fear was realized.  The former NBA Finals MVP, Scoring Champ and 12-time All Star signed a contract with the Chicago Bulls. And since that day in July, every heat fan was waiting for Nov. 10.  The day Dwyane returns to the American Airlines Arena to take on the Heat as a Bull.

I was lucky enough to attend this game and I was excited.  There was so much anticipation from the crowd getting to see there former idol again.  But with all storylines going into the game, the news media was unsure of how the crowd would react.  After all, he did leave the city for another team that one could argue is not much better than the situation in Miami.  Also, there was the Riley vs. Wade storyline pitting the two figures against one another.

But despite all the speculation and reason to boo D-Wade, what I witnessed was an act of genuine love by the Miami Heat community toward a man who have 14 years of his life to a franchise and never wavered for those 14 years.  There was not a single person seated in the AAA and all were applauding, cheering, and chanting his name. Even though he left, it is still “Miami-Wade County.”

This great moment was exactly what the media was hoping for and they had a field day.  Multiple tweets, articles and TV spots were put out on the return.  And in every single one he was the local hero coming home to a warm welcome.

Wade ended the night by reminding the fans he still has it when he hit the two free throws that secured the win for Chicago.

For Wade, Miami does it right

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By ZACH STUBBLEFIELD

Dwyane Wade was the face of the Miami Heat for 13 years before he signed with his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls, this summer.

He brought Miami its first NBA championship by having one of the greatest finals performances of all time in 2006. He averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per game in route to a championship and a finals most valuable player award.

He was also the catalyst that created the big three of Lebron James, Chris Bosh and himself possible in Miami. This was unprecedented at the time when it first happened. Superstars were supposed to stay with the team that drafted them.

Wade convinced James and Bosh to come join him in Miami instead. This move brought another two championships to Miami.

Despite all of these accomplishments for the franchise, Pat Riley, the Miami Heat owner, let Wade walk in free agency this summer. Much to the chagrin of many fans and sports reporters.

Wade played his first game back in Miami last night and he was met with great fanfare. Fans cheered while he was on the court, and his jersey littered the crowd.

This is how a star’s return is supposed to be handled. Instead of boos and jeers. It should be filled with odes and cheers.

Obama welcomes … the Cavaliers

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By AMY TAINTOR

As Donald Trump made his way to the White House this afternoon, so did the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 2016 NBA Champions met with President Obama and the first family in Washington, D.C., today.

The Cavaliers brought back the first professional sports championship to Ohio City since 1964, which is definitely something to celebrate.

President Obama was especially excited to meet Lebron James.

“When you see LeBron James, it is not just his power and his speed and his vertical, it is his unselfishness it is his work ethic, it is his insistence on always making the right play,” said Obama.

In the midst of political history that was made on Tuesday when Trump was elected president, Richard Jefferson, former Cleveland Cavalier, said that no NBA champion team will want to make the trip to the White House while Trump is in office.

That sparks the question of whether or not this will be the last visit to the White House for any sports team for at least the next four years.

I guess we will have to wait and see.

Sports figures avoid election drama

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By DANIEL LLOVERAS

After Donald Trump’s shocking victory over Hillary Clinton in Tuesday’s presidential election, several major sports figures expressed apathy toward the result.

Nick Saban, head football coach of the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, said that he was unaware of the election.

“It was so important to me that I didn’t even know it was happening,” Saban said. “We’re focused on other things here.”

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, a long-time friend of Donald Trump, sent a letter of congratulations to the president-elect, but asserted that the letter was not politically motivated.

“I have multiple friendships that are important to me and that’s what that was about.” Belichick said. “So, it’s not about politics. It’s about football.”

Even San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, an outspoken supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, said that the result of the election was irrelevant to him.

“I’ve been very disconnected from the systematic oppression as a whole,” Kaepernick said. “So, for me, it’s another face that’s going to be the face of that system of oppression.”

Kaepernick, who has received death threats for kneeling during the national anthem, has not shied away from the political spotlight in the past. Kaepernick’s apathy is surprising considering Clinton’s support of Black Lives Matter and Trump’s support of police.

However, athletes and coaches are constantly under intense scrutiny by fans and the sports media, so it makes sense that they would avoid increased criticism for their political opinions.

As the nation recovers from a divisive election season, the sports world will act as both as a distraction and as a unifying tool.

Meet baseball’s bounce back boys

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By AMY TAINTOR

The Cubs seemed destined to lose the World Series going into game five. They were trailing three games to one to the Cleveland Indians. However, they pulled off a miracle.

You may be wondering why you should care about any baseball team other than the Red Sox or Yankees, so let me answer that for you.

It has been a considerable amount of years since the Cubs have won a World Series, 108 to be exact, and, to show you how long ago that was, here are a few things that weren’t around when they last won a World Series. Radio or television, super glue, hula-hoops, bar codes, the state of Alaska, credit cards and diet soda, to name a few.

The Cubs came back in this series winning game five, six, and eventually, seven.

History was made last night as the Cubs and Indians were in a tie game going into the 9th inning. The game was still tied 6-6 as the 9th inning ended, requiring extra innings. However, it wasn’t too long after that the Cubs claimed Victory. The Cubs scored two runs in the top of the 10th and left the Indians just one run short.

The final score of the game was 8-7.

History was made, tears were shed, and Chicago fans everywhere were happy. Unfortunately, the Indians have another year to wait before making history, again.

Chicago Cubs end 108-year drought

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By FRANCESCA CIUFFO

The Chicago Cubs have not won a World Series in 108 years, so winning on Wednesday night was definitely a night to remember for them and their fans.

The Cubs had an exciting win, bringing the World Series all the way to the final seventh game. Not only was it the last game of the series, but they also won the game 8-7 in extra innings.

The Cubs were winning 6-3 going into the eighth inning, but the Cleveland Indians rallied to tie the game by scoring three runs, one being a two-out, two-strike, two-run home run by Rajai Davis off closer Aroldis Chapman.

In the 10th inning, the Cubs scored two runs. Big hits this inning included Ben Zobrist’s double, who was MVP of the Series, and Miguel Montero’s single.

The Cubs had to stay in “game-mode” for the bottom of the 10th. Davis hit a run-scoring single to bring the Indians to only one run behind. Carl Edwards was taken out of the game, and Cubs reliever Mike Montgomery was put in. Montgomery got Michael Martinez to hit a slow roller to third base, which third baseman Kris Bryant scooped up and threw to the first baseman, Anthony Rizzo.

Once the ball finally hit the glove of Rizzo, the stadium shook with excited Chicago fans erupting into screams and cries.

“We’re world champions,” Rizzo said in the Champagne-soaked visitors’ clubhouse. “The Chicago Cubs are world champions. Let that sink in.”

The Cubs can now happily celebrate after extreme let-downs in 1969, 1984 and 2003, and talk of curses of black cats, billy goats and Steve Bartman, the fan who infamously interfered with a foul ball in the playoffs. The “on-the-edge of your seat,” nerve-wracking series along with the 108-year wait, carried with it an additional historical perk. The Cubs became the first team to rally from a three-games-to-one Series deficit since Kansas City did so in 1985 and the first to do it on the road since Pittsburgh in 1979.

The media will cover an event like this because sports are a huge form of entertainment today, especially something as big as a World Series seventh game win, where a championship is on the line. The World Series brings so much revenue to Major League Baseball. Teams play about seven months of games just to get to the World Series, so something this big, especially with a crazy and exhilarating win like this one, is bound to be brought up in the media after the Cubs had have 108 years of upset.

Miami Heat begin new season

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By MICHAEL FRANCA

The 2016-17 NBA season began this week and with it comes a whole new set of narratives. Perhaps most relevant to the city of Miami, is the expectation for the Heat.

This season symbolizes the first year of life without any of the “Big Three.” With LeBron James winning a title in Cleveland, Dwyane Wade choosing to represent his hometown Chicago Bulls, and Chris Bosh’s career being in doubt due to blood clots, the core of one of the most dominant NBA teams in recent memory has disassembled.

As a result, the Heat is expected to enter a transition period in which they struggle. According to NBA experts in Las Vegas, Miami is expected to win about 36 games — 12 less than last year.

Many pundits and prominent news media members have picked the Heat to miss out on the playoffs entirely. ESPN’s Amin Elhassan, for example, bluntly stated that he believes the team “isn’t very good.” This is in stark contrast with what Elhassan thought of last year’s roster — one he picked to reach the NBA finals.

These are just a few examples of the overwhelming negativity surrounding the team’s prospects for this season. There is, however, one rather distinguished voice backing the Heat to surprise some people.

Notorious Boston Celtics fan and self-proclaimed Miami sports hater Bill Simmons has picked the Heat to not only make the playoffs, but be a six-seed in the East.

Simmons’ endorsement, while surprising, is credible. He points to the team’s core of  Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside and Justise Winslow as an exciting one with incredible potential – especially on the defensive end.

Though there is no way to know which side of the prediction spectrum will be more accurate, Miami natives will be hoping it falls closer to Simmons’ end.

NFL’s television ratings decline

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By ZACH STUBBLEFIELD

The NFL’s ratings have been on the decline for the 2016-17 season. People have blamed this on the ugly on-field product that it has produced this far, the outspokenness of its players and how the league has been handling celebrations.

The Seahawks versus Cardinals game is a perfect example of how the NFL’s on-field product is deteriorating. This game was billed as the game of the week and had a prime-time spot on television to show for it. And what did we get? A sloppy, turnover-filled affair that ended in a 6-6 tie. No touchdowns were even scored. Disappointments like that lead to people not watching NFL games.

The public has also been turned off by the fact that so many of NFL players have decided to protest the national anthem.

People see this and decide not to watch because they do not believe the NFL deserves their money if its players don’t support our country. Broadcasts have stopped focusing on players protesting the anthem and, I am sure, a big reason why is because it is starting to lose money.

The last major thing contributing to the NFL’s ratings plunge is how the league is dealing with touchdown celebrations. The league hands down punishments like it is candy when players are celebrating in the end zone. These are often some of the best parts of the game and replayed on highlight reels all week yet the NFL seeks to discourage them. That is bad for business.

To make matters worse for the NFL, the NBA, the NFL’s cooler, tech savvy cousin, has just started its new season and that will make ratings drop even further as they have to compete with another sport for the rest of the year.

Warriors go from 24-0 start to 0-1

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By ALEX GOLDMAN

In a stark departure from last year, the Golden State Warriors are winless so far this season. A far cry from their record 24-0 start to the 2015-16 NBA season, the Warriors are a dismal 0-…well they’re only 0-1.

As many people know, the Warriors added superstar Kevin Durant to their lineup during the off-season. An off-season that followed Golden State’s record setting 73 regular season wins.

The 2016-17 season started Tuesday night, which saw the Warriors get trounced at home to the San Antonio Spurs, 129-100. It wasn’t exactly the coming out party many expected.

So, how did the news media react to the Warriors blowout loss?

The San Francisco Chronicle‘s new Warriors beat writer, Connor Letourneau, brought up how the Warriors were relatively dreadful offensively outside of Durant, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green. The entire team combined for only 29 points outside of the main trio.

The Bay Area News Group’s Tim Kawakami, one of my favorite sports writers, offered his own unique take on the fizzled-out spectacle that was opening night.

“The lights went on, the curtain raised, and … the new super-team flopped,” Kawakami writes. “Fire everybody! Shut down the show! Let’s all overreact and sound the alarms!”

Already?

“Well, that’s not quite right, of course,” Kawakami reasoned, before going on to remind all of those who were disappointed that the Warriors have only played one game out of 82.

Marcus Thompson II, also of the Bay Area News Group, wrote about the lesson that the Spurs taught to the Warriors. The lesson was twofold, that Durant “isn’t the answer for a suspect front line,” and “not everybody is scared of him or the Warriors,” Thompson wrote.

After collapsing in the NBA Finals when the championship was only one game away, the makeup covering the Warriors mortality began to wash away.

To round up the coverage, ESPN Warriors beat writer Ethan Sherwood Strauss made an appearance on “The Right Time with Bomani Jones” on ESPN radio Wednesday. Strauss also spoke about the Warriors lack of defense. He criticized the play of new center Zaza Pachulia,citing his low rebounding totals, while speaking with host Bomani Jones.

“Andrew Bogut’s MVP campaign is jumping off the page right now,” Strauss said.

Bogut, cut by the Warriors in the offseason to create salary cap space for the signing of Durant, is one of the premier rim-protectors in the association.

The Warriors might struggle to replace his presence in the paint.

At least they have 81 more games to figure it out.

Wentz, Prescott face each other Sunday

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By NICHOLAS BRUENS

One was considered a top prospect in the draft while the most teams slept on the other. One was forced into action by injury while the other’s team traded away a veteran so he could start.  As different as these two quarterbacks are, Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott find themselves in the same place, facing each other in Week 8 of he NFL regular season on Sunday Night Football.

Both rookies led their respective teams to successful seasons as of now.  As a result, these players received much praise from the news media and NFL analysts alike.  Wentz and Prescott have both been hailed as Rookie of the Year candidates and viewed as the future of the quarterback position in the NFL.

These praises have only drawn the news media to do two things, compare the two quarterbacks and discuss who is better and push the prospective rivalry to the public.  Prescott does not like these comparisons and just like to be compared to himself.

“I really don’t measure myself to anybody,” he told reporters at the Cowboys headquarters. “Not any other rookie, not Peyton Manning, not Tony (Romo), not any of those. It’s all about how I can become better each and every day.”

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson says it is the players’ intangibles that draw their comparisons.

“They know how to lead their teams,” Pederson told the media, “Nothing seems to be too big for either one of them. They take it in stride, the ability to protect the football through these first six, seven games like this has been crucial.”

The game’s being on Sunday Night Football only aids the media in their quest to balloon this rivalry before it begins.  Reporters are already saying Wentz and Prescott could produce a rivalry that could equal the rivalry of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

It is clear the media is looking for a new QB rivalry following the recent retirement of Super Bowl 50 champion Peyton Manning.

No politics, ESPN warns Le Batard

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By MICHAEL FRANCA

Miami-based ESPN personality — and University of Miami graduate — Dan Le Batard is no stranger to controversy. He has a history of testing the limits of his employers… and getting suspended for doing so.

For example, he’s been suspended for paying for billboards mocking LeBron James and calling an ESPN film about Bob Knight a “mountain of elephant crap.” He even lost his MLB Hall of Fame vote for allowing Deadspin to cast his ballot one year.

Le Batard, though, has had good reason for each of these actions; whether it be in the name of fun or in protest.

He’s also notorious for hosting a national radio show on ESPN that isn’t necessarily about sports. He focuses on the pop culture and social elements of the sports world and often ventures entirely out of this environment.

So when the footage of Donald Trump’s conversation with Billy Bush leaked and was defended as “locker room talk,” Le Batard suggested that the controversy was right in his show’s wheelhouse.

When he asked the rules surrounding his ability to talk about the subject, his producer told him that he “probably said too much already.” While he said he understood the hesitancy by ESPN to approach anything regarding politics, he was upset that they didn’t trust him enough to cover the subject without taking a political stance.

Le Batard later admitted that he would be suspended if he did end up talking about the Trump tape on air.

While it may be sensible that ESPN try and avoid anything that could result in political stances being taken, Le Batard has a proven track record of handling tricky subjects without displaying any bias.

It’s also interesting that the Colin Kaepernick protest sparked conversations on ESPN airwaves that contained political opinions and no objections were raised. Clearly the issue is taking a stance on an issue involving a candidate running for office.

Johnson’s league suspension upheld

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By NICHOLAS BRUENS

The National Football League has outlawed the performance enhancing drug (PED) use among players for many years. The league also, however, provides an approved list of supplements that players can take.  To our surprise, it seems that players aren’t even safe when it comes to these approved supplements.

Lane Johnson is the starting right tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles and is now serving a 10-game suspension.  Prior to the season start Johnson tested positive for a banned substance.  The interesting part is that Johnson claims it was something in an approved NFL supplement which caused the positive test.

Johnson told Jay Glaser of Fox Sports that he took an amino acid approved by the NFL which caused the positive test.

This provided an difficult decision for the NFL. They do state players should take the substance at their own risk and they still may contain substances that are banned. But they also should consider how misleading that is. They ultimately decided to carry out their initial decision of a 10-game suspension as this has been Johnson’s second run with he PED code.

The news media have covered this story for weeks due to its long timeline. Johnson tested positive prior to the season and has only been officially suspended in the sixth week. During that time it has been a constant stream of stories making if he finally be suspend this week.

The NFL’s drug policy has also come into question by the news media.  Questions have been raised as to whether an approved list should exist if the players may not be allowed to take  the drugs on the list.

Overall, the news media has found that Johnson’s case and suspension will serve as a precedent and scare players from taking any supplement that may or may not cause them to potentially fail drug tests.

Lane Johnson’s attorney has expressed dissatisfaction regarding the NFL’s decision.

“We are disappointed with Arbitrator James Carter’s summary ruling,” Steve Zashin, Johnson’s attorney, wrote in the statement obtained by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. “We will wait for his formal written opinion. After we review that decision, we will consider all available legal options.”

Tebow prays to help ill fan

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By AMY TAINTOR

Tim Tebow, former quarterback for the Denver Broncos, prayed over a seizing fan during an autograph session, as they awaited paramedics.

However, the autograph session wasn’t after a football game, it was after a minor league baseball game.

That’s right, Tebow has changed his career path in hopes to play Major League Baseball.

Now, that’s not the point. You may be asking why I care that Tim Tebow was praying over a fan. Lots of athletes are religious and believe in something of a higher power. But Tebow is different.

He has devoted his whole life to the Christian faith. His parents are both Baptists and have spent their life doing missionary work. In fact, Tebow was born in the Philippines while his parents were doing missionary work.

He was home schooled up until college because his parents were worried that the public school system would corrupt his faith.

And now, he’s not only made a name for himself as a star quarterback/ hopeful Major League Baseball player, but also as a devout Christian.

His athletic career has been focused on playing for God and that was no different while he prayed over the fan, while he was having a seizure.

Unreasonable expectations for Leicester

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By MICHAEL FRANCA

Leicester City has enjoyed an unbelievable run of success dating back to their relegation escape two seasons ago and culminating in the hoisting of the Premier League trophy last May. This year, however, their results have been more believable than that reality.

That’s not to say that it’s all bad either. While they may not be flying as high as they did on their way to the title, they’re still clear of the relegation zone and top of their Champions League group.

News media coverage, though, appears to indicate that this season has been a disappointment so far.

While this would seem like fair coverage of a team that went from winning the league to toiling in 12th place, Leicester is no ordinary story.

The team famously overcame 5000/1 odds to win the English Premier League last season. They were even a popular pick to finish last at the start of the season.

With all of this in mind, many supporters of the club will likely be content with their current standing. As a team that isn’t a traditional powerhouse, a repeat of last year shouldn’t have been expected.

Still, pundits across the world have considered their performance thus far to be underwhelming.

Another factor that has largely gone unmentioned is how much time they have to make a push. Just 7 games into a 38-game season, their fate is far from sealed.

A story as special and unprecedented as Leicester’s shouldn’t be tarnished by unreasonable expectations. Hopefully the pressure many have placed on their shoulders will not be too much to bear.