Tag Archives: Sports and sports journalism

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.

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?

Lochte’s career takes a dive

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By MADISON BROWN

While Michael Phelps left the Rio Olympics as the most decorated Olympian of all time, the spotlight has been on another U.S. swimmer.

Ryan Lochte got into some trouble when he fabricated a story about being robbed at gunpoint while in Rio.

The news media blasted Lochte after he “over-exaggerated that story,” as Lochte told Matt Lauer in an NBC interview.

However, the news media are not the only place Lochte is facing backlash for the lie.

Rio police charged Lochte with falsely reporting a crime, and some of his sponsors dropped him. Speedo, Polo Ralph Lauren, Gentle Hair Removal and Airweave are among the companies that will no longer be working with Lochte.

According to CNN.com, Lochte is suspended from swimming competitively for 10 months, and will not be eligible for the 2017 world championship.

Meanwhile, “Dancing with the Stars” added Lochte as a cast member in their upcoming 23rd season. Apparently, there is no such thing as bad publicity.

“I think it’s time to hang up my Speedos and put on my dancing shoes,” Lochte said on Good Morning America when the cast was revealed.

That’s one way of looking at it, since he will not be allowed to wear his Speedos competitively anytime soon.

Kaepernick effect felt in hockey

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By ALEX GOLDMAN

The name Colin Kaepernick has probably permeated some portion of your brain tissue by now.

Kaepernick plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Surprise. It’s not his play that’s getting him headlines. The 49ers haven’t played a regular season game.

Not to mention the fact he isn’t even starting.

Yet he’s found himself in the news cycle in all the major — and minor — news outlets for purposely sitting, or most recently kneeling, during The National Anthem of preseason games.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said.

The news media have reported on his choice of expression daily.

During a question and answer session with local journalists Marc Caputo (Politico), Patricia Mazzei (Miami Herald), and Dan Sweeney (Sun Sentinel), a student asked about the ongoing reporting of Kaepernick’s expression, including the reactions to the message. He wanted to know why news outlets continued to report on the same issue.

Caputo thought the relatively uncommon nature of Kapernick’s act was just cause, and fodder, for continued coverage.

Other athletes have joined in Kaepernick’s message. Soccer star Megan Rapinoe and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane both took a knee during the anthem before games this past week.

While the protest has reached the soccer pitch, don’t expect any dissent in a hockey rink anytime soon. At least if John Tortorella is your coach.

On his radio show The Right Time with Bomani Jones, Jones brought up the remarks made by Tortorella, the United States National Team and Columbus Blue Jackets head coach.

“If any of my players sit on the bench for the national anthem, they will sit there the rest of the game,” Tortorella said.

I liked Jones’ take on the coach’s new rule.

“Who are you?,” Jones asked. “I’m a grown man. I get to make some of these decisions for myself. So I got to stand up for what you believe is the proper form of indoctrination.”

Well put.

A coach is there to set rules, sure. He’s not there to set the moral compass of the players he coaches, however.

It isn’t the first time Tortorella made news with his comments.

NFL debuts with Super Bowl rematch

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By NICHOLAS BRUENS

The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers faced off at the NFL Kick Off in a rematch of Super Bowl 50.

This game was much anticipated as these teams played a gritty, grind-it-out game in the Super Bowl.  Many were expecting a similar game in the rematch.  But despite these anticipations, quarterback Cam Newton did not share these feelings.

“It’s not a rematch,” Newton told the Associated Press, “It’s just our next opponent.”

Despite Newton’s feelings, he played the Broncos, the same team that beat him for the Lombardi trophy, on NBC in Primetime.

The high amount news media attention drawn to this event was expected due to the importance of this game.  It marks the beginning of the 2016 season of the NFL which is the highest grossing professional sports league in the United States.

Also, the game features Newton, who is arguably the most marketable player in the league and reigning MVP.  A player of his charisma is bound to draw attention and therefore media.

Finally, media was tuned in to see if any players would partake in the Colin Kaepernick’s demonstration of not standing for the American flag. Linebacker Brandon Marshall was the only player to do so.

The Broncos released a statement acknowledging there stance on the matter.

“While we encourage members of our organization to stand during the national anthem, we understand and respect it being a personal decision,” said the Broncos in their statement to NBC.

The multiple personalities and story lines heading into his game have created a perfect melting pot for media follow.

Cam and the Panthers were unable to change the outcome as the Broncos repeated their success with a 21-20 victory.

Perfect ending for NBA regular season

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By WYATT GELLER

On the final day of the NBA regular season, the race for the playoffs had already concluded.  What needed to be settled was the all time regular reason win mark but more importantly, a farewell to one of the league’s greatest players ever.

Both of these games occurred in California on national TV as The Golden State Warriors hosted the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers welcomed in the Utah Jazz.

We have been talking all season about the Warriors breaking the 72-10 record set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, especially after the Warriors began the season 24-0.  At 72-9, it came down to the final day for this to happen, and the Warriors were in full control throughout the game.

NBA MVP Stephen Curry needed eight three-pointers to reach 400 on the season to add on to his single season record that may ever only be broken by him again.  He finished the year with 402 three-pointers and 46 points on the night, as the Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 125-104.

The media attention the Warriors got throughout the season made this record extra special. Users onESPN.com comment sections had posts comparing the 95-96 Bulls team to the Warriors team and who would win if both teams were in their prime. Since I was too young to see that Bulls team play, I do not have much of an opinion about it.

Now if you thought that was the highlight of the night, think again.

Kobe Bryant aka the Black Mamba had a major curtain call that was well deserved.  A five time NBA champion and third leading scorer in NBA history, Bryant received a video tribute where several well known players such as Lebron James and Kevin Durant thanked Bryant for his efforts over his 20 year career with the Lakers. Even Lakers legend Magic Johnson spoke in front of a sell-out crowd at the Staples Center on Bryant’s behalf.

Much like the farewell hype that New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter got at the end of the 2014 baseball season, appreciation for Bryant was well deserved. Just as Jeter delivered a walk off single for the Yankees to win their last home game of the season, Bryant did something that surpassed a bet Shaq made with Kobe.

This game had only one purpose and that was the Kobe Bryant show.  It was a mix of an all-star game and a playoff game put into one as Bryant scored an incredible 60 points. Even though he attempted 50 shots, Bryant was able to put on a show for the ages that wowed the crowd and everyone who was watching. The Lakers came from behind and defeated the Jazz 101-96.

It was a perfect ending to the season as you saw a significant record being broken along with a future hall of famer go out in style.

Now on to the playoffs.

California sports both loses and wins

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By JEAN-PAUL AGUIRRE

If you follow professional sports, chances are you heard about two major events in the NBA, which unfolded Wednesday night: Kobe Bryant’s last game before he retires and the Golden State Warrior’s pursuit to 73 wins within an NBA regular season.

The major sports channels, such as ESPN, spent more than a fair amount of time on Kobe and the Warriors. It was the highlight of the week, holding greater importance than practically every other sporting event.

Kobe Bryant has spent 20 years in the NBA and has won five championships with the same team—the LA Lakers— two Olympic-gold medals and an MVP award; these are feats few have accomplished.

He is considered by many as an icon, an NBA Hall-of-Famer, and the best player in the league since Michael Jordan retired.

On the other hand, the Warriors made history by breaking one of Jordan’s records. They won 73 games in a regular season, setting an NBA record; the last team to hold that record was the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls when they won 72 games with Jordan.

These two stories hold extreme weight in the sports world as the league has just lost one of its best players, while at the same time celebrating a historic accomplishment by one of its best teams. Thus, both are being covered non-stop by the news media in today’s news cycle.

I felt that the attention placed on the two stories was appropriate for their own reasons.

Kobe Bryant retiring can be made equivalent to when Jordan retired from the NBA in the 1990s. Generations have grown up watching him play and set standards for players just entering the league.

The Warriors are on pace to win the championship and become one of, if not the greatest team to have played the game.

We may never see two completely different stories occurring at the same time, carrying equal amounts of importance as these, ever again. That is why the media covered it so heavily and I feel they were justified in doing so.

Villanova was a surprise winner

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By WYATT GELLER

The most talented college basketball team will always seem to have an advantage over its opponents. That is what North Carolina had where it would outplay its opponents in the post led by senior Brice Johnson and play ferocious perimeter defense led by senior Marcus Paige.

However, on any given night, even the best team can be beaten by an underdog if it is in top form.

Villanova accomplished that Monday night on the biggest stage to capture its second national championship over UNC, 77-74, thanks to buzzer beater three-pointer by Kris Jenkins that will go down as one of the greatest shots in NCAA tournament history.

Many fans underestimated this team despite being ranked No. 1 in the country for part of the season.

Many teams such as Pitt, Syracuse, Norte Dame and Louisville left the Big East Conference over the past few years for the ACC that appeared to make the Big East only a mid-major conference with somewhat competitive teams. The games against Xavier, Seton Hall, Georgetown and Providence tested the Wildcats throughout the regular season and Big East Tournament play.

Senior guard Ryan Arcidiacono along with other underrated stars played together and cruised through their first three tournament games. They did shooting a high field goal percentage.

After a narrow victory over Kansas in the Elite Eight, the Wildcats dismantled superstar Buddy Hield and the Oklahoma Sooners using large scoring runs in the 2nd half to blow them out 95-51.

Despite being out rebounded 33-23 to UNC in the final, Villanova shot 58.3 percent from the field compared to Carolina’s 42.9 percent, according to NCAA.com.

Villanova came to play and it did not look back.

MLB’s Chief Wahoo logo under fire

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By VICTORIA DE CARDENAS

The Cleveland Indians are undergoing some changes this season. After 100 years of sporting Chief Wahoo, the red-faced Indian logo is going to be removed.

Native Americans have been protesting the caricature since the 1970s and every opening day for 20 years there has been a protest, but only now their voices are being heard.

Native American activist Sundance told Cleveland’s Newsradio WTAM 1100, that the character is a biased and harmful stereotype which is very humiliating to their culture. He said no one would consider calling the team the Jews, even though it’s owned by Paul Dolan.

For obvious reasons, this logo is offensive. But the news media seem to shrug it off. Very few news outlets have barely covered the fact that this is still happening. These protests are happening and need to be reported.

This country is facing racial turmoil again and every news outlets seem to cover protests when African Americans are fighting for equality. How about the Native Americans who were kicked out of there country and murdered all those years ago?

It’s not fair to selectively cover racism in the country, whether this protest happens every year or every week. News coverage does not and should not have a hidden agenda and ignore the problems that are happening in the country. Especially when a major league baseball team is profiting from the stereotyping of a race.

News outlets need to report things fairly, especially racial tensions.

Lakers upset at Russell for video

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By WYATT GELLER

The Los Angeles Lakers season faced more issues after rookie D’Angelo Russell filmed teammate Nick Young who admitted to cheating on his fiancée rapper Iggy Azalea.

The Lakers, who are in last place in the Western Conference with a 16-59 record, now face trust issues with Young.

“It’s bad,” one team source told ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne.

“It’s about as bad as it can get. There were trust issues already. Now there’s no trust,” a team member said, according to Deadspin.com.

According to sources mentioned by ESPN, Young’s teammates have isolated themselves from him and when Young tried to sit down at a team breakfast, players got up and sat elsewhere.

This season, which is primarily a farewell tour for five time NBA champion and future hall of famer Kobe Bryant, continues to be a struggle for the Lakers both on and off the court.

Russell, who is just 20 years old, has played extremely well this season after being drafted 3rd overall by the Lakers.  It appears he has some maturity to improve on and trust to regain as the season concludes.

“It’s just unfortunate, man. It’s tough,” Bryant said in the Los Angeles Times. “I’m sure he’ll evolve. I’m sure he will grow and I’m sure he’ll be better from it.”

Custom bike goes against UCI standards

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By WYATT GELLER

Rules are rules when it comes to athletic competition and sometimes creativity does not help you win a race.

Bike maker Robert Egger had a vision to invent a new model, even though it would not be permitted in races such as the Tour de France because of Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) rules.

According to CNN, this bike is referred to as “Fuci,” which, if you sound it out, it does not ring a good bell.  The back wheel is larger than the front wheel, which is illegal for racing.

What also makes it a crazy creation is that Its headlights are inside the seat, so they beam out from the holes leading towards the back of the bike.

The bike also has a lithium battery that is also banned from competition, which reminded me that I can no longer store my hover board in my dorm.

I would love to buy one of these bikes, although I do not know the price of it.  Great work by Robert.