Tag Archives: Sports and sports journalism

All about hurricanes this week

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By ALEX GOLDMAN

The South Florida region saw the passing of two hurricanes this past week.

Matthew was the name of one, letdown was the name of the other.

Hurricane Matthew did most of its damage in the Caribbean and along Florida’s eastern coast. The Miami Hurricanes football team lost in a much anticipated match-up to the Florida State Seminoles, 20-19. Now that the storms have passed, let’s take a look at how the Miami Herald covered the events.

First up, Mr. Matthew.

The real-life hurricanes claimed the lives of six people in the state of Florida, as described in this informative article. I thought that this was a good post because it included information that probably wasn’t reported on heavily in our area, such as the storm-related deaths (which occurred outside of South Florida); the effects of the storm up the coast in Brevard, Flagler, and Volusia counties; the water levels of Lake Ockeechobee; and why state law enforcement didn’t provide security around Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday.

This article reported on the progress of FPL restoring power in South Florida. As of Sunday evening, all but 10 customers had their power restored.

Think that because you haven’t heard about Zika recently the problem has gone away? As this article indicates, you may be hearing more about it in the coming weeks.

On to the Hurricanes. Oh, the ‘Canes…

Herald columnist Greg Cote penned a gem in his post-game story. Great coverage coming from Cote.

Florida State running back Dalvin Cook was cooking in his return home. The Miami native caught fire in the second half, finishing with 209 total yards. Elliot Lapin chronicled the hometown feast.

Not only did he throw a game-changing interception, but Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya came out of the game with a banged up shoulder. And lost a tooth. Susan Miller Degnan provided the coverage in her article.

The best part of the game was seeing the ‘Canes in those new (old) unis

All in all, the Herald continues with its reliable and interesting reporting.

Matthew shakes up college football

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By DANIEL LLOVERAS

As Hurricane Matthew, the longest-lived Atlantic major hurricane since Ivan in 2004, moves through the Bahamas and approaches the southeastern United States, evacuations have been ordered and preparations have been made for the possibly devastating impacts of the storm.

Several major college football programs, including the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida Gators, are scheduled to host games this Saturday which may be impacted by the storm. Hurricane Matthew is forecast to move north along Florida’s east coast on Thursday and Friday.

Depending on Matthew’s track and the associated damage, Miami, Florida and South Carolina may be forced to reschedule or even cancel their respective games against Florida State, Louisiana State and Georgia.

screen-shot-2016-10-06-at-1-00-55-pmAs of Thursday afternoon, no scheduling changes have been made for college football games this Saturday.

However, the impact on preparations for the game cannot be understated.

While most sports media organizations are focusing on the hurricane’s impacts on game scheduling, the most significant effects of Matthew will likely be on transportation and preparation.

The University of Miami has closed its campus on Thursday and Friday, meaning the Hurricanes will be unable to practice before the game. Florida State has delayed its travel plans and will take a bus to Miami on Friday instead of Thursday.

Hurricanes are dangerous and cannot be taken lightly. However, college football games and television deals are valuable and will not be cancelled or postponed unless the safety of fans, players and coaches is threatened.

In this case, the storm will likely be clear of most college football stadiums come Saturday afternoon. With the games almost certain to be played, teams must ensure that the transportation and preparation issues do not negatively impact performance.

October’s chaotic kickoff

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By NYAH TENNELL

This week has been an exciting, yet chaotic week for Miami Hurricane students and staff.

With the game against rival, FSU, this coming Saturday, Hurricane Matthew’s touchdown beginning Wednesday and in the midst of midterms, October is getting off to an interesting, and jam-packed start.

Hurricane Matthew, which has already devastated many areas of the Caribbean, has been declared as a powerful category four, with maximum sustained winds of 130 m.p.h., said the National Hurricane Center.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency on Monday and, according to USA today, he has warned residents to prepare for potential power outages and possible evacuations.

“We are preparing for the worst, hoping for the best and not taking any chances,” Scott said.

According to Fox News, South Carolina also declared a state of emergency on Thursday, which allows federal aid to be dispersed in addition to state and local emergency response teams.

Furthermore, The Pentagon reported that Florida, Georgia and South Carolina state governors mobilized 4,500 National Guardsmen to assist with southern communities’ efforts to weather the storm.

I just hope that Hurricane Matthew brings our Hurricane football team some hurricane-force winds that wipe out Florida State at this Saturday’s game.

 

Chris Bosh’s NBA career likely over

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By MICHAEL FRANCA

Miami Heat superstar forward Chris Bosh failed a physical in an attempt to return to NBA action, meaning that he won’t be cleared to participate in training camp for the new season. He has suffered from blood clots that have put an end to each of his last two seasons.

Since he failed the physical, Bosh has fired his agent and Heat president Pat Riley has conceded that his career with the franchise is likely over. Riley also stated that the team is not actively working towards a return.

Bosh is featuring in a documentary-style series on Uninterrupted.com that details his struggle and aspirations to play again. In the series, he said that he felt Heat doctors were quick to write him off.

This situation has the makings of a dramatic end to a great relationship between player and franchise.

While Bosh understandably is pushing to be able to return to what he says he was “made to do,” there is simply too much risk involved for him to be cleared.

The majority of news media coverage has centered on this brewing controversy. What has been largely overlooked, however, is just how dangerous Bosh’s situation is to his health.

When he was first diagnosed with blood clots one of the most prevalent public narratives was that if he tried to play, it would be plausible that he could die on the court.

In general, athletes are told that playing contact sports while on blood thinners can be risky, as there is the potential for internal bleeding or other complications.

This time around, the news media seem more concerned with what Bosh may do to try and play and what that will mean for the Heat. Although it’s been covered before, it seems as if the gravity of his condition is no longer being emphasized as it should be.

There will only be one Fernandez

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By ALEX GOLDMAN

I’m not the first to write about him. And I won’t be the last.

It seemed like too obvious a choice to write about for this week, yet in the end I couldn’t help myself.

I had to write about Jose Fernandez. Just like many others this week.

The Miami Marlins pitcher was killed in a boating incident early Sunday morning in Miami Beach. The boat hit a rock jetty. Fernandez and two other men were killed. Instantly, I hope.

Coverage of his death on Sunday, tributes made out to him Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, and live coverage of his public and family funeral processions Wednesday and Thursday were hot topics.

The uniform blog Uni-Watch covered all sports-related tributes to Fernandez. Among them were the Marlins wearing “Fernandez” jersey’s with his No. 16 for the duration of their Monday game against the New York Mets. Uni-Watch believes this to be the first occasion of a team memorializing a player through uniformly (get it?) dressing the team in that player’s jersey (excluding the league-wide wearing of Jackie Robinson’s “42” for one day of each season).

Local TV stations WPLG 10, WTVJ 6, WSVN 7, and WFOR-TV 4 all aired the funeral procession live, with commentary.

The Miami Herald covered the events of the week extensively. 

The coverage is warranted. Fernandez was an incredibly bright light. He had an infectious smile. He was able to penetrate through to Barry Bonds’ soft side. The courage he displayed through 4 overall attempts to defect from Cuba is immeasurable.

And he was only 24.

We’ll all be left to wonder what more he could have given us.

LeBron to stand for anthem

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By NICHOLAS BRUENS

Colin Kaepernick sparked a major discussion this year when he chose to kneel during the national anthem.  It was done to protest the mistreatment African Americans are facing in the nation.

Kaepernick’s protest has caused many athletes to join his protest. LeBron James, however, will not be one of these athletes. LeBron has stated during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ media day that he will in fact be standing for the national anthem.

“Me standing for the national anthem is something I will do,” James told the news media. “That’s who I am. That’s what I believe in.”

James also made sure to mention that he also does not disagree with Kaepernick’s actions.  The former MVP actually stated that he supports Kaepernick and his right to protest.

“You have the right to voice your opinion, stand for your opinion, and he’s doing it in the most peaceful way I’ve ever seen someone do something,” said James.

LeBron James is arguably the best player in the National Basketball Association. He is probably the most famous athlete in the world and is idolized by millions of people.  When LeBron speaks, people listen.

These words carry a lot of weight because of the one who is saying them.  As a result the media has been all over the statements. Multiple internet articles have been written and his statements have the topic of conversation on TV channels such as ESPN and Fox Sports.

This is very important because LeBron’s message is one that should be heard throughout the country.  Even though he doesn’t share the belief that he should protest, he respects the other athletes enough to recognize that these players have rights and it should be respected.

The news media have recognized this message and are spreading James’ word for the nation to hear.

The loss of a pitching ace

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By FRANCESCA CIUFFO

Miami Marlins star pitcher Jose Fernandez died in a fatal boating accident Sunday morning.

The 24-year-old and his friends Emilio Jesus Macias, 27, and Eduardo Rivero, 25, were killed when Fernandez’s 32-foot SeaVee boat that was going at high speed smashed into a jetty near Miami Beach. Authorities do not believe alcohol or drugs were involved, but are still investigating.

It was later determined that Fernandez was upset after getting in a fight with his girlfriend who is pregnant with his child. He then called some Marlins teammates to go on his boat with him to help calm him down, but they all declined, so he called other friends who accepted his offer.

Authorities are still investigating who was driving the boat and what exactly caused the crash.

Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna, a good friend of Fernandez, told The Miami Herald that he spoke to Fernandez, urging him not to go out that night.

“Everybody knew he was crazy about that boat and loved being out on the water. I told him I couldn’t go out that night because I had the kids and my wife waiting for me,” Ozuna said.

Ozuna continued, “He told me if I didn’t hear from him by 10 a.m. (Sunday) to call him and wake him up so he could get back to the ballpark on time for the game. I told him, ‘yeah no problem, I’ll call you.’”

Ozuna then woke up to some of the worst news of his life on Sunday, Fernandez’s death. He cried endlessly all day.

The loss of Fernandez was severe to not only the Miami Marlins franchise, but Major League Baseball. The news media reports on stories like this, because it is not only impactful due to the tragic death of an ace baseball player, has great significance because it affected the whole baseball world. The Marlins canceled their home game on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves to honor the loss of one of their iconic teammates. Major League Baseball also mandated a league-wide moment of silence before each of Sunday’s games.

The coverage about this death is newsworthy because it appeals to the emotions of the audience. Since baseball is in its final few days before the postseason starts, it is very relevant in coverage this week.

A tragic story about an accident that killed a very good baseball player would be considered very important for the news media to cover. It impacts not only the families of the deceased, but also baseball players around the country, and even fans of Major League Baseball.

The tragic death of a rising star

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By AMY TAINTOR

Rising star Jose Fernandez, pitcher for Miami Marlins, died suddenly in a boating accident early Sunday morning.

The 32-foot fishing boat was found around 3 a.m. flipped onto a jetty off the coast near Miami Beach. The boat was going at a high speed at the time of the accident.

It has not been determined if drugs or alcohol were involved in the incident, but there has been no evidence found on the boat. A toxicology exam will be performed.

Reportedly, Fernandez went to blow off steam after having an argument with his pregnant girlfriend. He had asked multiple teammates to join him on the water, but many declined. The two friends that went with him, however, died as well. They have been identified as Eddy Rivero and Emilio Macias.

Fernandez came from Cuba when he was 15-years-old and arrived with his mother. He had many challenges in his life, but he’s the perfect example of living the “American Dream.” He was a first-round pick in 2012, signing a $2 million contract with the Marlins. He was undoubtedly one of the best pitchers in MLB, on his way to great things.

Many fans have mourned the loss of Fernandez and have created a memorial in his name outside of Marlins Park. The team also memorialized him beautifully Monday night in a game against the New York Mets. The whole team wore number 16 jerseys with “Fernandez” written on the back, and huddled around the mound before the game.

This is a huge loss for the Marlins, the city of Miami and all of Major League Baseball. Jose Fernandez will be missed.

Kaepernick’s critics go quiet

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By ZACH STUBBLEFIELD

Last week it seemed as if every reporter had something to say about San Francisco 49er’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem. A lot of people praised his protest, but a lot of people tried to make it look as if he was being immature about the whole thing.

Fox News writer Larry Taunton asked if Kaepernick was, “a civil rights leader or just another obnoxious athlete with a bad attitude?”

Naysayers tried to skirt around Kaepernick taking a knee by making him seem as if he was just being dramatic. They tried to paint it as if it was just a ploy for attention.

But this past weekend it became abundantly clear why Kaepernick was taking a knee during the anthem.

The video of Terrence Crutcher getting shot in Tulsa with his hands up by police validates everything he has been kneeling for. This man was complying with both hands up and still was fatally shot by a trigger-happy officer.

Now all the news media people who wrote off his movement as childish seem to have disappeared.

Weird right? Instead of addressing the shooting and why Kaepernick is taking a knee they’ve gone silent. I mean they were here defending the national anthem just last week so they couldn’t have gone far.

It is almost like they are avoiding the issue. But I know that’s not true. These are proud Americans. They’re just probably busy standing for the anthem and saluting posters of Uncle Sam.

Maybe if these Americans could take off their star-spangled glasses every once and awhile we could finally start to see some meaningful change in how law enforcement treats minorities in this country.

Hurricanes, Adidas reveal new uniforms

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By DANIEL LLOVERAS

The University of Miami and Adidas revealed Monday the new “Legend of the U” football uniforms, which will make their debut on Oct. 8 when the Hurricanes take on rival Florida State at Hard Rock Stadium.

The new uniforms resemble those of the Miami teams which dominated college football in the 1980s and 1990s.

The design was inspired in part by the hiring of new coach Mark Richt, who played quarterback for the Hurricanes in the early 1980s. The uniforms represent the program’s recognition of past success and optimistic outlook for the future.

While college football uniform unveilings generally receive minimal news media coverage, sports journalists went into a frenzy after seeing the “Legend of the U” uniforms.

Many national sports news organizations, including ESPN and Fox Sports, published articles raving about the new look for the Miami Hurricanes football team.screen-shot-2016-09-22-at-10-36-00-pm

The Hurricanes football program was not only a dominant force on the field in the 1980s, but also a polarizing figure in popular culture.

The Hurricanes popularized the term “swag” with their aggressive play and showy celebrations, but have been mostly irrelevant in college football for the past decade.

The positive response from sports news media to the uniform reveal is reflective of the excitement and optimism surrounding the Miami football program.

Along with Miami fans, sports journalists hope to see Miami echo the success of the glory days in the 1980s, when the teams were exciting both to watch on the field and cover off it.

Wentz, Prescott are not average rookies

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By NICHOLAS BRUENS

Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott are starting NFL quarterbacks.  They are entrusted with knowing the team inside and out and their restive teams season rest on their shoulders … and they’re also rookies.

This is their first season in a strange city away from their families with a city’s worth of pressure sitting on their shoulders. The similarities continue to stack up. Both were expected to sit on the bench the whole season. Both had questions when they were drafted by there respective teams and both are doing a great job.

Carson Wentz, the second overall pick from North Dakota State, has led his Philadelphia Eagles to a 2-0 start becoming to first rookie QB to win his first two starts without a team turnover.  He is a contender for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and looks have a bright future in Philly.

Prescott, a fourth round pick from Mississippi Sate, hasn’t won both of his first to games but has yet to commit a turnover.  he is also a contender for the OROY Award and could be the permanent successor to Tony Romo for Dallas.

With two young figure like this at their disposal, it is no surprise that the news media have constantly talking about these two. On the Fox Sports show, “Skip and Shannon Undisputed,” Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe and a lengthy debate over who is better. One of may discussions comparing the two young stars.

The media also ha the added benefit of these young men playing in the same division.  Went and Prescott will play each other twice a year.  This scenario provides the means for a rivalry to be cooked up among these two and as a result a story that has legs to be covered for 10 to 15 years.

“Wentz vs. Prescott” is a headline you may want to get used to.

NBA’s Steve Kerr speaks out

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By MICHAEL FRANCA

Colin Kaepernick, however you may feel about him, undeniably started a movement across the sporting landscape that shows no signs of slowing down.

His public protest sparked responses (both in support of and against him) from people involved in every major North American sport. From Megan Rapinoe in soccer, to Adam Jones and Tony La Russa in baseball, John Tortorella in hockey, and now Golden State Coach Steve Kerr (among others) in basketball.

The reaction to each of these people, however, has varied. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Steve Kerr and Colin Kapernick — who are sharing similar messages — have received very different public feedback.

While Kerr may not have made the same grandiose gesture Kaepernick did, he still expressed many of the same sentiments.

“No matter what side of the spectrum you are on, I would hope that every American is disgusted with what is going on around the country, with what happened in Tulsa two days ago, Terrence Cutcher … Unarmed black people are being killed indiscriminately around the country. And that’s what happened two days ago. That’s the message. That’s what matters. The other stuff you can talk about all day. Nobody is right. Nobody is wrong,” Kerr stated.

He even goes on to mention Kaepernick by name and cosign his movement. He says that the statement is “what our country is about” and praises the merits of the nonviolent protest.

The feedback Kerr, a white male, has gotten has been overwhelmingly positive. A simple search of his name on Twitter will yield nearly nothing but positive comments.

Do the same with Kaepernick, however, and the story is much different. The result will be endless streams of hate and death threats – something he publicly acknowledged – sprinkled with little rational commentary.

This discrepancy is both predictable and disturbing. Both men shared honest, eloquent, and important statements to shed light on a troubling situation.

The backlash that only one of them received serves as a fitting juxtaposition. It only adds more evidence of the discrimination that these men are commenting on.

UM’s Richt receives warm welcome

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By NYAH TENNELL

University of Miami Football Coach Mark Richt continues to set a positive example for the UM football players.

Richt was recently named Honorary Head Coach for the 2016 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, an organization that recognizes student-athletes and their efforts in service as well as enriching the lives of individuals in need.

Since becoming the 24th football coach at the university in December 2015, Richt has received nothing but praise for his performance both on and off the field.

Besides his football acumen, Richt is known for his strong faith, emphasis on academics, integrity and community service. According to an article appearing in USAToday, Richt’s greatest virtue is his willingness to do the right thing for the program, even if it was against his self-interest as a coach trying to keep his job. Georgia players, whether star player or backup, were going to face discipline for off-season infractions — usually to a greater degree than their counterparts at other SEC schools.

However, Richt has left a favorable impression wherever he has treaded. The Miami Herald reported that fans attending an Atlanta Falcons game at the Georgia Dome were quite upset when the announcement of Richt’s departure came over the public-address system.  Despite a somewhat tumultuous end to his career at the University of Georgia, DawgNation’s Seth Emerson and Chip Towers quoted Georgia Athletics Director Greg McGarity who said, “Mark has touched thousands of lives over the past 15 years – he has a huge heart and his positive influence has affected many people, young and old.”

While bestowing the Honorary Coaching Award to Richt, Todd Berry, AFCA Executive Director, lavished him with praise. “We get to honor one of our own members, Coach Mark Richt from the University of Miami. His dedication to community service goes hand in hand for why this award was established in 1992”.

The UM fans and alumni are anxiously hoping that Richt will return the football program to its illustrious position in the college football universe. According to The Miami Herald, season ticket renewal rates are at an astonishing 87 percent.

In the midst of football season, this is a hectic, yet lively time for the first year coach of the Hurricanes, and in an interview conducted by the Sun-Sentinel, Richt indicated that he believes his players are adjusting well to changes, and added, “It’s been busy, but it’s been good.”

While I have not had the honor of speaking with Richt, I am looking forward to witnessing this season with the man many believe is currently one of the University of Miami’s best assets.

The pressure on Rodgers increases

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By ALEX GOLDMAN

Aaron Rodgers is the NFL’s all-time leader in passer rating, a statistic that measures the effectiveness of a quarterback through the course of a game. He leads that category with a rating of 103.8.

No other quarterback with a minimum four years in the league has a rating more than 100.

However, Rodgers has gone almost a complete NFL season without eclipsing 100 mark in the category. For the last 14 games, dating back to last season, Rodgers has underperformed according to his own high standard.

Just don’t bring it up to him.

In a weekly conference with reporters, Rodgers was asked about his recent (and not so recent) struggles. It wasn’t just one question but a platoon of questions. As ESPN’s Rob Demovsky noted, Rodgers knew the questions would be coming his way.

Rodgers responded “abrasively” to the questions, according to an ESPN description.

I can’t blame him. Rodgers, that is. Search “Aaron Rodgers” on Google and practically all of the news articles revolve around his recent performance. Oh, and by “practically” all of the articles, I mean all of the articles. It’s understandable that he would get tired of answering perpetually negative questions. Especially because he is, after all, the all-time leader in passer rating.

I also can’t blame the news media for their persistent questions on his struggles. Especially because he is, after all, the all-time leader in passer rating.

The sword cuts both ways.

NCAA to relocate North Carolina events

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By MADISON BROWN

The NCAA announced Monday that it will relocate all of the seven scheduled championship events from North Carolina due to the state’s controversial transgender bathroom law that prohibits citizens from using bathrooms that match a gender other than what is listed on their birth certificates.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory passed the law, known as House Bill 2, in March.

The NCAA’s relocation announcement will affect the Division I men’s basketball tournament, commonly referred to as March Madness, in which six games were scheduled to occur in Greensboro, N.C., this coming March.

“We believe in providing a safe and respectful environment at our events and are committed to providing the best experience possible for college athletes, fans and everyone taking part in our championships,” Mark Emmert, NCAA president, said regarding the decision.

The NCAA has not yet announced where the relocated games will be played.

According to The New York Times, an NCAA spokesman said that North Carolina is the state which has hosted the most men’s basketball tournament games. This makes the relocation decision even more significant.

McCrory has faced harsh backlash from the media and the public since signing House Bill 2, and the NCAA’s recent decision is only making it worse.

screen-shot-2016-09-16-at-9-31-10-amChris Sgro, Equality North Carolina executive director and a Democrat in the North Carolina House of Representatives, has been an outspoken adversary of House Bill 2 and Governor McCrory.

Sgro took to Twitter to express his frustration after the NCAA’s announcement.

Sgro is not the only one upset by the governor’s stance on LGBTQ rights and the NCAA’s feelings on the issue are not helping his popularity.

NBA’s Iverson changed the norm

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By ZACH STUBBLEFIELD

Alen Iverson, former superstar NBA point guard, was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame last week. He was one of the most feisty players the league has ever seen, both on and off the court.

He was brash and unapologetic. He said whatever was on his mind during his career. He oozed style and swagger.

Iverson did not fit the cookie cutter mold that the media had created for pro basketball players. He dressed like a “thug,” he did not care about being politically correct and he was quite the trash talker on the court.

The media crucified him for these traits while he was playing, but now they turn around and applaud him for these very traits while he gets inducted into the Hall of Fame.

This change in perspective from the press is due in large part to social media. The way news media cover athletes has come a long way since Iverson first started playing. When Iverson was playing, there were not many ways for a player to show his personality outside of the court. And it was not accepted either. But things like Twitter and Instagram have allowed athletes to express themselves and be individuals.

Now it is almost an expectation from the press for athletes to express themselves on social media and show themselves to people on these platforms. Showing a personality is almost as important to their brand as being good players in their perspective sports.

Iverson was a vital piece in normalizing the idea that athletes have opinions and lives too outside of their perspective sport. He accelerated the process of the press seeing an athlete as an individual and for that alone he deserves to be a Hall of Famer.

Bosh ‘ready’ to begin new NBA season

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By NICHOLAS BRUENS

Chris Bosh is one of the NBA’s best big men and was on his way to another amazing season.  He was averaging 19.1 points per game and 46.7 percent shooting. Sadly, his season was cut short when he was diagnosed with blood clots and forced to end his 2015-16 season.

That was eight months ago.  Since his diagnosis. Bosh has been doing everything in his power to rejoin his teammates for training camp. He believes he has done so.

“I’m ready,” Bosh told the Bleacher Report podcast, “Uninterrupted.” “I’ve done all my work. I’ve done what I need to do working with the doctors.”

Bosh, who had the previous two seasons cut short by blood clots, plans to attend the Miami Heat’s training camp in Nassau, Bahamas, when it opens on Sept. 27.

The story presents an interesting choice for the news media and how they will follow it.  They can continue to portray it as a mystery or they could make this an uplifting comeback tale of an athlete overcoming odds.

Until this point, sports journalists have presented Bosh’s story as a “will he or won’t he” story about whether or not he could return or forced to retire. This angle is warranted considering the severity of the condition and that he has had multiple occurrences.

But now that he has stated he is back and “ready to play,” the news media have a chance to change their angle to a more positive view. Bosh could be represented as a hero type character or role model as some who represents the notion that people shouldn’t let the issues be handicaps. Or, we could see the other, more pessimistic, view, asking if he will be forced to end his season again.

That’s what makes this story interesting, it allows for the news media to look at how they wish to present it and make a decision based on how they want to portray Bosh as central figure of the story.

Hurricanes to take on App State

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By MICHAEL FRANCA

The Miami Hurricanes football team will head to Boone, N.C., on Saturday, Sept. 17, to face notorious underdogs, the Appalachian State Mountaineers.

Appalachian State is famous for its stunning upset of then fifth-ranked Michigan on the opening weekend of the 2007 season. At the time, the Mountaineers were still part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

Now, though, they are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team who play in the Sun Belt Conference.

While they have moved up in the college football hierarchy, they are still not on par with the likes of Miami, which is in a Power Five conference, the ACC.

You wouldn’t know it from the pregame coverage, however.

The national narrative surrounding this game seems to suggest that the Canes should be on upset alert. They are only slight favorites in Vegas (-3.5), and have been singled out by writers and pundits as candidates to be dethroned.

USA Today, for example, published an article calling the game a “huge test” for 25th-ranked Miami. The piece highlights all the potential pitfalls in the match-up for the favorites.

It mentions how App State started this season by taking No. 9 Tennessee to overtime in Knoxville. The article also points out that it will be a home game for the Mountaineers; offering fans of the team a rare opportunity to see a major team come into town — something that will surely rile them up.

While these are indisputable observations, many key factors are being ignored. For one, the Hurricanes are the major team for a reason: talent.

The growing narrative sweeping people up is a result of the love of a good underdog story, nostalgia for 2007, and the national distaste for the Miami football program.

Unfortunately for everybody else, the Hurricanes are the superior team — something they will set out to prove on Saturday.

Hackers reveal drug use information

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By FRANCESCA CIUFFO

Simone Biles was involved in a recent hacking scandal that released private medical information about Olympic athletes.

Russian computer hackers released the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Athlete Database, which reported that Biles, Serena Williams and Venus Williams, were given medical exemptions to use banned drugs, though there was no misuse of these drugs.

These documents demonstrate that Biles tested positive for a drug that was banned on the WADA’s list, but she did not misuse this drug.

The International Gymnastics Federation refused to comment on this so far, but Biles spoke out about these leaks on Twitter.

screen-shot-2016-09-14-at-10-59-45-am“I have ADHD and I have taken medicine for it since I was a kid,” she wrote. “Please know, I believe in clean sport, have always followed the rules, and will continue to do so as fair play is critical to sport and is very important to me.”

“The WADA deeply regrets this situation and is very conscious of the threat that it represents to athletes whose confidential information has been divulged through this criminal act,” the World Anti-Doping Agency’s director general said.

Fancy Bear, the hackers of the WADA’s Athlete Database, warned that they will release more medical information about other athletes to show that today’s sport is contaminated and the world is ignorant of this.

The media reports on a story like this because the 2016 Olympics has just finished, and doping athletes are a highly talked about subject when it comes to the Olympics.

This private medical information that was leaked is important to report on because sport is supposed to be equally fair for every athlete, but these leaks prove that sport is somewhat skewed or rigged.

The media reports on stories like this to prove that society is unaware of many of the underlying truths of the large numbers of athletes that use banned drugs.

Cam Newton battered in opener

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By MICHAEL FRANCA

The NFL season began with a match-up between last season’s Super Bowl finalists – the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers.

The game was a close affair that came down to a last-second field goal attempt by the Panthers. After a strategic icing of the kicker by Broncos Coach Gary Kubiak, Graham Gano pulled his 50-yard attempt wide left.

This game provided more story lines than just the final score, however.

Following the defeat, reporters asked reigning MVP Cam Newton about concussion testing he seemed to be receiving on the sideline.

“I don’t remember,” he said, “Too much going through my head right now.”

While it may be possible Newton was just too busy to recall the kind of questions he was asked, many news media outlets appear to be questioning it. The concern is that his foggy memory is a result of the repeated blows to the head he took during the game.

Newton was knocked around throughout the affair and looked shaken-up on more than one occasion.

Traditionally, cases similar to this one would go unnoticed and unreported, but things are different this time.

While Newton’s stardom certainly played a part in the coverage, it was likely not the only factor. A growing public awareness of concussions and the effects of repeated head trauma in the NFL has led to a much-needed sensitivity on the topic.

What once was considered, “just a part of football,” is now being recognized for the major issue it truly is.

Thanks to some shoddy refereeing, most of the helmet-to-helmet hits were not penalized. This has opened the referees up to warranted public criticism.

If they can’t protect the NFL’s brightest star, who can they protect?