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Oliver’s Totally Accurate Predictions for the NBA Season

January 31, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By 10th-Grader Oliver Martinez

We’re still somewhat early into the NBA season, and, now, with 2024 starting up, we have gotten a glimpse of what each team and individual players have to offer. So, here is my list of totally accurate predictions for the 23-24 NBA season.

Most Improved Player

I don’t think there’s a better answer for this section than Tyrese Maxey. Last season, I don’t remember hearing about him much. But, this season, he has been one of the spotlights for the 76ers. He has been averaging 26.2 points per game compared to last season’s 20.3 ppg; he has basically doubled his assists per game, now averaging 6.7 assists per game compared to last year’s 3.5, and this while playing 7.5 minutes less than last season (espn). There just isn’t anybody else who has improved as much as Maxey. I think the reason he has been improving so much is thanks to James Harden’s departure. He has gotten more chances, and since he is the point guard, he gets the ball more often.

Rookie of the Year (ROTY)

I firmly believe that Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs center, is going to win this award. The only other guy competing with Wemby for this award is Chet Holmgren, who isn’t actually a rookie as he was drafted last year. I find it ridiculous that the NBA is allowing Chet Holmgren to be in this contest since this is his second year in the League. I don’t think that’s fair since he has more experience than everyone else competing for this award. Even with Chet in the competition, I think Wemby will pull through and win Rookie of the Year; he’s been averaging a double-double with 19.2 pts, and 10.1 rebounds. This is subject to change, though, and I think Wemby is going to improve even more in the coming games (espn). He’s been the main man for the Spurs, and, for his first year, he looks really good.

Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY)

So this one is between Rudy Gobert (of the Minnesota Timberwolves) and Anthony Davis (of the Lakers) and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs). I really don’t want Rudy Gobert to win it because he would be setting the record for most DPOY (he’s won 3 times already), and I don’t think he is a better defender than Dwight Howard (who also has 3 DPOY). I kind of want Victor to win it, but I think it’s unlikely he’d win both ROTY and DPOY. So, my prediction is that Anthony Davis will win the DPOY. He’s been averaging 12.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 1.2 steals (espn), and thanks to his height (6 ’10’’), he’s able to defend the rim properly and not let shots in easily.

Most Valuable Player (MVP)

This is a hard one. Last year Joel Embiid (playing for the 76ers) won it, and everyone hated that. However, this season, so far, Embiid’s been averaging Wilt Chamberlain level stuff. The fact he averages more points than minutes per game is absolutely insane; he also is averaging a double-double (espn). He also scored like 70 points in 35 minutes just days ago. This, while playing for a team that was greatly weakened support-wise thanks to James Harden’s departure. I think this will be a close, hard-fought MVP battle between Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but I don’t see a way that the other two could take away the MVP with the way Embiid has been playing. I predict Embiid will be the MVP again.

Western Conference Regular Season Champion

This one is not that easy because there are some teams competing–the Timberwolves, Nuggets and Thunder–that are neck to neck currently. But, I think that the Nuggets will win their conference; they’re just so competitive, and their team is a perfect balance of talent and experience. I just can’t imagine the Thunder or the Timberwolves taking a conference win away from the Nuggets.

Eastern Conference Regular Season Champion

This is a quick one–it’s between the Celtics and Bucks. As good as the Bucks are, I think the Celtics will remain at first place in the regular season thanks to their plethora of talent and depth around their team. They also are very consistent. They have improved massively since last season, and they are definitely contenders for the NBA Championship.

NBA Champion

It’s really hard to decide who will win the championship because there are some teams that turn up during the regular season, but their presence is little to none during the playoffs. A perfect example are the Clippers, who always do well during the regular season but continuously fumble during the playoffs. Considering this, I’m going to predict the NBA finals will be the Bucks (from the East) vs the Nuggets (from the West). And, I think that the Bucks will come out victorious. I think this because they have an elite duo with power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and point guard Damian Lillard.

The truth is, there just isn’t anyone that threatening during the playoffs in the West apart from the Nuggets and maybe the Lakers. I’m almost sure the Timberwolves, Thunder, and Clippers will just be invisible during the playoffs.

That’s it, that’s my list of My totally accurate predictions for the end of the NBA season; obviously, I didn’t cover all of the sections, but I did the most important ones. If you think I forgot any important sections or you disagree with any of my takes, let me know in the comments!

These are the Best Sports Jerseys Ever, Without a Doubt

January 5, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Sophomore Blogger Oliver Martinez

Oliver is a big sports fan. And, he has the sports jerseys to prove it. When we asked him to discuss “His favorite things . . . ,” he turned to his revered pile of jerseys.

With the NBA at the beginning of its season, the MLB over its season, and Soccer/Football midseason, jerseys in all three sports have been trending. For that reason, I have decided to make a list of my favorite basketball, baseball, and soccer jerseys. I will be showcasing six NBA jerseys–three older, and three newer, six soccer jerseys, and two baseball jerseys.

Basketball

My first older jersey is this Pistons jersey.

Pistons legend Joe Dumars #4 looking menacing wearing this awesome jersey. Photo Source: theathletic.com

This jersey is very nice. The horse in the middle of the jersey actually looks threatening, and the fire on top of the horse makes it even better. The letters are very clean. The white of the letters makes great contrast with the rest of the jersey. This is infinitely better than their rebrand:

Boring new pistons jersey. Photo Source: nike.com

Although simplicity is good, the complexity of the classic Piston jersey works perfectly.

My second favorite jersey is this Utah Jazz mountain jersey:

Karl Malone and John Stockton of the Utah Jazz confer in style. Photo Source: legendsofsport.blog

This jersey is absolutely amazing. It has good colors that make good contrast, and it has some meaning behind it. These are the mountains that encircle Utah. These jerseys debuted in 1996 and were discontinued in 2004.

For my third vintage jersey I choose this Phoenix Suns jersey.

Legendary Power Forward Charles Barkley rocking this jersey. Photo Source: boardroom.tv

I think that you just can’t go wrong with purple, orange, and white. This jersey is great because it includes everything a jersey should have: the name of the team, the number, and the symbol of the team. The symbol here is the sun, and it’s even better because the basketball represents the sun. Orange just contrasts so well with purple, and the white letters work well with the rest of the jersey.

My first newer jersey is this Warriors Oakland Jersey.

Golden State Warriors Oakland Jersey. Source: bluemanhoop.com

It’s a special jersey because it remembers the Golden State Warrior’s days when they were a team based in Oakland; now the Warriors are based in San Francisco. The colors match so well, and it’s a clean, slick jersey.

The fifth jersey I picked was this black vice city Miami Heat jersey:

Jimmy Butler’s black vice city jersey. Photo Source: cbs12.com

According to cbssports , this jersey is “A tribute, honoring its past through the prism of our future. A uniform, coded as a composite of those that came before it.” Honestly, the meaning for this jersey makes me like it even more; I like the black base with the blue and pink. They make good contrast, and the jersey is overall very clean. You could argue that the white version of these jerseys is better, but personally, I prefer the black one.

Lastly, the “Black Mamba” Lakers Jersey is a favorite of mine.

GOAT of basketball LeBron James and teammate Anthony Davis wearing the “Black Mamba” jersey in the 2020 NBA Finals. Photo Source: mb.com.ph

This jersey is in my opinion one of the best modern jerseys. Black and yellow go so well together it’s impossible to go wrong with it. Plus, it is a jersey made to honor the legendary Kobe Bryant (nicknamed the Black Mamba, who played with the Los Angeles Lakers for twenty years and became an icon of the sport. Sadly after retiring, he passed away in a helicopter crash.) The Lakers wore this jersey throughout the 2020 playoffs. The Lakers won that championship.

Soccer/Football

So, for my first soccer jersey, I choose this Corinthians Paulista 2022/23 third jersey:

Its inspiration comes from Corinthians’ 2012 Club World Cup victory in Japan; this is clearly shown in the beautiful design which has many characters in Japanese and a nice base color. These quickly sold out, and even after a year, they are still not back in stock. Authentic ones have been reselling for over $110, which is crazy considering they retailed for $95.

My second favorite football jersey is this Arsenal 2022-23 away kit:

Winger Gabriel Martinelli and midfielder Thomas Partey posing for the picture. Photo Credit: arsenal.com

This jersey perfectly demonstrates why you can’t go wrong with a black jersey. It goes with everything. The golden badge, Adidas logo, and letters are such a great contrast with the black. According to arsenal.com, the meaning of the jersey is that “Gooners everywhere connect with the club through their own Little Islington community, no matter where they are in the world. Chinatown, Koreatown, Little Italy – in cities across the United States these cultural outposts are everywhere.” I actually own this jersey, and if you look very closely, it has the letters “AFC” all over the jersey in different patterns. This is the abbreviated version of their name, Arsenal Football Club. This, on top of the two great colors, make for a great jersey that deserves to be in my list of favorite soccer jerseys.

My third favorite soccer jersey is this 2022 England World Cup away.

Top England players, Jude Bellingham on the left, Declan Rice in the middle, and Jack Grealish on the right wearing this jersey. Photo Source: Footballfashion.org

Usually blue and red wouldn’t work too well, but this time the English FA have made it work. England has proven they have a plethora of talent in their team as they have made the final for the Euro Cup in 2020 and have been very dominant against most teams, especially in the World Cup where the team barely lost to France. The soft blue color makes a good contrast with the red, and the simplistic design is perfect. The collar having dark blue and light blue is a nice detail, too.

For my fourth football jersey favorite is this unreleased China 2018 jersey:

This jersey was actually only released for a very short time. Nike went all out for China in 2018, releasing this amazing jersey that had a great dragon design with perfect contrast as it had yellow as its secondary color. But, the China FA rejected this design. And the reason is absolutely insane. Their reason for rejecting this jersey was that its “aesthetic is too similar to tattoo-style art. Tattoos have been historically associated with organized crime groups in China” (footyheadlines). This rejection is a shame considering how great this jersey was. I predict it would’ve sold extremely well.

Don’t overlook the 1992-1994 Manchester United home jersey:

Manchester United won back-to-back Premier League titles with this jersey, and it’s honestly stunning. The vibrant red is such a great color; it reminds me of the days when Manchester United was actually good. This season has been atrocious as they struggle to win in the European Champions League and can’t maintain a top 5 spot in the Premier League. This jersey is just iconic, as one of their biggest legends, Eric Cantona, who scored 82 goals in five seasons and aided the red devils in winning four Premier League Cups, six English Super Cups, and two English FA Cups, wore this jersey.

My last soccer jersey is the 18/19 Paris Saint-Germain third jersey:

What can I say, I’m a sucker for black jerseys. PSG is always coming out with amazing jerseys, but I think this may be their best. The white Paris logo looks so good, and it’s nice seeing them collaborate with Jordan–which not many teams do. They initialized their collaboration with Jordan in 2018 for three years, then extended it for one more year. After 2022, their collaboration ended. The line in the middle is a nice detail so that it’s not too simple but also not complicated.

Baseball

I just want to let it be known that I am not too familiar with baseball, but I have seen some jerseys I do like.

Check out this Space City Houston jersey:

I’ve seen this one trending recently, and I can see why. This jersey is stunning. The contrast being made with dark blue and orange with yellow is a nice detail, and it makes a reference to Houston always being called Space City. According to the MLB website, “There is no better way to represent the city that continues to believe that human potential is limitless.”

I also like this Padres jersey:

I think the brown and yellow make good contrast with the white, and the pinstripes all over the jersey are a nice detail to keep it interesting. It isn’t their traditional jersey; their traditional one is gold and brown. Here the Padres keep the color scheme, but add a contemporary touch with the lines.

The new jersey looks better in my opinion. I just don’t really like the buttons on MLB jerseys, but sometimes wearing button-up jerseys can be comfortable.

Do you think you could improve on my list? If so, let me know if I missed any potential jerseys in the comments!

The History of the NBA

December 13, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

This semester, thebirdonfire.org bloggers examine History: the PVS history teachers, the complicated history of the speakership, the history of science. Oliver picks one of his favorite topics. He tells us how it all began in the NBA.

By 10th grader Oliver Martinez

The NBA has been around for over 70 years, and it has been filled with memorable moments, changes, and talents. So, I decided to write about that precisely, the history of the NBA. This will be composed of three sections: early NBA days (1940s-early 1970s), middle NBA days (latter 1970s-2000s), and the modern NBA days. There will be three subsections in each: one detailing the most important and interesting moments of this era; another mentioning key changes to the game; and a last one naming the top players of that era and their accomplishments–note, all of these players are either in the Hall of Fame or are in the 75-year Anniversary NBA List.

Early-NBA Days (1940s – 1970s)

The NBA is the National Basketball Association which was founded in 1949 when two leagues, the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America fused together, which technically makes the NBA 74 years old as of 2023. However, the Basketball Association of America was the bigger league, and the NBA itself considers the founding of that league in 1946 the actual original founding of the NBA. The NBA considers itself to be 77 years old.

Back in 1946, there were 11 teams: the Boston Celtics, the Chicago Stags, Cleveland Rebels, Detroit Falcons, New York Knickerbockers, Philadelphia Warriors, Pittsburgh Ironmen, the St. Louis Bombers, Toronto Huskies, Providence Steamrollers, and the Washington Capitols (NBA.com). From these 11 teams, only three are still here today: the Celtics, the Philadelphia Warriors (now the Golden State Warriors), and the New York Knickerbockers (now the New York Knicks). All the other teams folded due to financial problems.

By 1970, there were 17 established teams which still stand today: the Bucks, Knicks, Bulls, Lakers, Suns, 76ers, Pistons, Celtics, Wizards, Warriors, Rockets, Sonics (now the OKC Thunder), Hawks, Kings, Blazers, Clippers, and Cavaliers.

The major changes over time were the teams, but also the rules changed: the most notable changes being the introduction of the shot clock in 1954 (nytimes), and then, ”in 1951, the free throw lane was widened from six feet to twelve feet” (limaohio). In 1969, the current NBA logo was designed; it was the iconic Jerry West in the logo.

From the 40s to the 70s, the most notable players were Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry West.

Some of their accomplishments were noteworthy. Bob Cousy was the leader in assists in the NBA for eight years; he played in 13 All-Star games in a row, and, to top it off, he won six rings (championships) with the Celtics, including a five-peat (five in a row) from 1959-1964. Bill Russell won a staggering ELEVEN rings, making him the player with the most championship rings ever. To put that into perspective, he, as one player, has more rings than all franchises in the NBA except for the Lakers (17) and the Celtics (17). Lastly, Wilt Chamberlain won two rings with the 76ers and the Lakers. He also holds the record for most points ever scored in one single game, dropping an astonishing amount of 100 points in a game against the New York Knicks while playing for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1962; also, he’s the only player to ever drop a quintuple double–over ten steals, ten blocks, assists, rebounds, and points (sportskeeda.com). He’s also widely considered one of the greatest players to play the game of basketball. Oscar Robertson teamed up with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to get the Bucks their first chip ever, and he is considered one of the top centers of all time. And, Jerry West is the face of the NBA (literally) as he has been the logo for over 50 years now. He won a ring later in 1972 and made the All-Star roster fourteen times and all-NBA ten times.

Middle-NBA days (1970 – 2000s)

The NBA in the late 70s had a somewhat bad image as some games weren’t even televised, and there was evidence of drug abuse. Actually, according to apnews-NBA drug abuse, “up to 75% of NBA players used cocaine and one in ten smoked, or freebased, the drug.” Thankfully, NBA Commissioner David Stern helped get rid of this problem; according to basketballnetwork-David Stern, “He put up free counseling, rehab, and treatment centers for players dealing with addiction. The programs didn’t click at first, so Stern resorted to implementing a strict policy that would ban players if they were caught under the influence of illegal substances.” This all led to the use of drugs being eradicated in the NBA.

Someone worth mentioning was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem was basically LeBron James and Kobe Bryant before there was LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Kareem went on to play until 1989; in these years, he became the top scorer of the NBA, won six rings with the Bucks and the Lakers, won multiple MVPs, Finals MVPs, nineteen-time NBA All Star, fifteen time All-NBA, eleven-time all defensive. Kareem was a brutal point scorer and created the famous “skyhook.”

According to the NBA, some of the best moments of the 70s include The Lakers going undefeated for 33 games in a row, Jerry West hitting a three pointer from 60 feet away to win the game, Suns and Celtics going into a triple overtime in the finals.

The best moments of the 80s were Kareem becoming the top scorer in the NBA–a record that lasted from 1984 to 2023 (nba.com). Michael Jordan dropped 63 points on the Celtics, causing Larry Bird to call him, “God disguised as Michael Jordan” (nba.com).

The best moments of the 90s include the first “dream team” winning gold for the USA in the Barcelona Olympics, Michael Jordan three-peating… twice, and John Stockton becoming the top assister in NBA history.

Remarkable rule changes in the 70s to the 2000s include increase of referees from two to three then back to two some years later then permanently back to three. Timeouts increased from six to seven. And the 3-point line was changed from 23 feet, 9 inches to 22 feet around the basket (marca).

The most notable players of this era are Karl Malone, Dr. J, John Stockton, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan and his team of superstars, which included Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, three-peated on two different occasions and went 72-10 in a regular season. Karl Malone was very consistent and became one of the top power forwards ever; he was nick-named “the mailman” for his constant delivery. John Stockton, a teammate of Karl Malone, became the player with the most assists and surpassed Magic Johnson. Larry Bird is one of the most iconic shooters of all time, having a funny, unorthodox, jumpshot; he won three rings and is the meaning of what it is to be a Celtic. Magic Johnson is widely considered the best point guard ever, only rivaled by Stephen Curry. Johnson won five rings in his career and won three MVPs, made many All-Star appearances and all-NBA, too. He was an amazing passer, as he averaged 11.2 assists per game and 24 points per game (Quora- Magic Johnson). Julius Erving, better known as Dr. J, won one ring in his career, entered the Hall of Fame, revolutionized the game of basketball as he introduced new fancy ways of dunking the ball; on top of that, he was an 11-time All Star, won an MVP, and, as a bonus, LeBron James said he would put Dr J on his all-time starting five.

Modern NBA days (2000 – today)

The best moments of this generation include the iconic duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, a duo which led the Lakers to a three-peat: something that hadn’t happened since Michael Jordan’s Bulls. After a long career, Michael Jordan finally retired in 2003 from the Washington Wizards. One of the best NBA drafts happened in 2003; that included LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, etc. In modern days, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points, which is the closest someone has gotten to beating Wilt’s 100. Derrick Rose became the youngest MVP ever at 22. LeBron finally won a championship in 2012. In 2016, LeBron returned to the Cavaliers and got them their first championship. The Warriors won 73 games in one season, which remains as the unbeaten record to this day.

The important rule changes included the following: 1) Instant replay was created to help referees; 2) Teams were given nine timeouts, but then it was dropped back down to seven per team.

The most notable players of the era were Ray Allen, Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Dirk Nowitzki, Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Paul, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant.

Since there are a lot of notable players in the last 23 years, I will go over them briefly.

Ray Allen was the number one three-point shooter for a long time until being passed by Steph Curry. Tim Duncan or “The Big Fundamental” won five rings and earned himself that title as his style of play was considered “boring” but fundamental. Kevin Durant with the Warriors was one of the most lethal scorers ever. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in the NBA currently, has won a ring, and is very consistent. James Harden is a top three-point shooter and created the infamous step back travel where he takes up to four stepbacks before shooting the ball; although he never won a ring, he came very close on many occasions. Dirk Nowitzki is a giant scoring menace; he won one ring and is a Hall of Famer; standing at 7 ‘0”, it was really hard to stop him. Allen Iverson was a great player; he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He came very close to winning a ring though he never did. Kobe Bryant even said he was one of the hardest players to guard. Dwyane Wade had a fulfilling career, winning three rings with the Miami Heat and teaming up with some of the best of all time like Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James. He was also inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2019. Shaquille O’Neal is considered by many to be the most dominant player ever, only rivaled by Wilt Chamberlain. He was huge standing at 7 ‘1 and weighing 330 pounds. Nobody could stop him; he broke an insane amount of 12 backboards in 19 seasons in the NBA. He also won four rings. Chris Paul is one of the best point guards of all time. He has never won a ring, but he is a brilliant player with a great scoring ability and has been able to dominate even though he is one of the smallest players on the court. LeBron James is the best player in NBA history. He has four championships, is the top scorer of all time, and is in the top 10 of a lot of the top categories. He has played with and against some of the best players of all time and has been dominating the league for over 20 years and has remained consistent even though he’s aging. And, Kobe Bryant is probably the most influential player ever as he has had much success as an individual and with the Lakers, too. He has generations of fans all the way from the 90s to even today and from all over the world.

The NBA has had a lengthy history. Since its founding in 1946 it has encountered ups and downs and hundreds of changes. It has seen amazing talent come and go as the years pass.

Did I miss anything? If you think so, leave it in the comments.

A Volleyball Game from the Perspective of Someone Who Knows Nothing About Volleyball

November 29, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Freshman Louisa Richardson, Special Volleyball Correspondent

Our 2023 PVS Varsity Volleyball Team went undefeated in league. They were the league champions. I know nothing about volleyball. So, volleyball and I make the perfect match for a good article. At the last league home game, I decided that I just had to know what all the fuss was about. I knew our team was good, but I have never had an interest in volleyball. I had never been to a full game before. The last league home game started with a brief Senior Volleyball Ceremony and then plunged right into the game. I was pleasantly surprised by the players’ skill, Coach’s coaching ability, and the crowd’s support. I made sure to take very detailed notes, and here is what I got.

First of all, the players. The girls were great with teamwork; they seemed able to work off of each other very easily as though it was second nature. If Bianca Torres was serving and got it over the net, it reflected on the whole team. I think that this teamwork was what made the girls so good at their craft. Rachel De la O was incredible! She always got the ball over the net with the strength of a god, and made it look easy. Kristina Panagiotaros communicated well with her teammates and was always watching her fellow players. Together they fed off each others’ energy. Christina Lam made everyone get in line. She was always very focused. And, she encouraged everyone. Keira Nash, Team Captain, whether she was doing well or not, always kept a smile on her face, and the look alone was enough to keep everyone in good spirits. Kayliee Augustine-Sails moved with ease and confidence, whether it was a ball she was catching or a ball she was serving, she was capable. Leah Ferreira was the only freshman playing in this game. She did an amazing job watching that ball like a hawk. All of the girls seemed to have a blast playing and, while taking winning seriously, had tons of fun.

Second of all, the crowd. Our student body and faculty were what made these games so fun to go to. The players and sport were, of course, incredible, but the positivity radiating from the crowd was remarkable. If we did badly, you heard, “It’s okay; you can recover,” and if they were doing great, it was “We knew you could do it!” The game was competitive and suspenseful, but the crowd was what made it so fun. The audience also might have been so happy because of the delicious food being eaten from the Firebird Cafe (formerly known as the Snack Shack). A few of the sixth-grade girls also held up red and yellow flags in order to signal whether the ball was in or out. The girls took their jobs very seriously and clearly had fun. In the crowd, there was one little girl in particular who made it her absolute mission to get the whole crowd chanting, “Let’s go, Firebirds, let’s go.” This girl got the crowd going.

Thirdly, Coach Erenberg. He is the perfect balance of fun-loving and strict. He gives the players–individual as well as group–criticism that seems to help rather than put down. Coach also yelled out encouragement: “It’s okay!” emanated from him a few times during the game if players seemed particularly discouraged after getting out. He started off the game with the very nice Senior Ceremony surrounding seniors Ally Bankers and Christina Lam. The seniors seemed to love it; Coach seemed to love it, and Matteo Lam seemed to love it (who was also inexplicably there on the court).

Finally, my overall reaction. My favorite part of the game was watching Christina Lam lie down on the floor waiting for the buzzer to ring in the middle of a team meeting. I also really enjoyed the food. I recommend the mini pizzas. At one point of time, the ball flew into the bleachers about two feet in front of me, and Ally Bankers retrieved the ball like a champion. We won the first two sets by a landslide but the third one was troublesome. A quick side note, Coach Erenberg was rocking that blonde hair and truly becoming “Kenough.” We did end up winning, and the players congratulated each other with a heartfelt high five. I highly recommend you go to any volleyball game you can–whether on the beach, in college, or during next Firebird season. The games are tons of fun, and, this year, a very good reason to be proud of the school you come from.

Controversial Sports Opinions Likely to Get Me Into a Fight

October 19, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Blog staffers are exploring “Controversial/Unpopular Opinions.” They ask “What’s Your Hill to Die On?” They argue for Joe Biden grabbing that second term. They admit to liking Dr. Pepper. Oliver has some hard-and-fast opinions on sports. Oliver loves sports. Oliver knows sports. And, here, he’s not afraid to share his (unpopular?) opinion on some famous sports figures and sports events.

By Sophomore Oliver Martinez

I’ve watched sports since I was a little kid. I generally enjoy watching; however, there are certain ideas or opinions that I just don’t agree with. So, here, I’ve compiled a brief list of my opinions on sports most likely to get me into a fight. For now, I’m talking about basketball and football/soccer.

LeBron is better than MJ

Okay, so there are many reasons as to why I believe LeBron James is better than Michael Jordan.

First reason, LeBron led an awful, losing Cavaliers team to the finals in his first years at the Cavaliers. Michael Jordan did none of that until he got his Bulls super team in 1991 with the likes of Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant. When LeBron made his first finals, who was the best player next to him? Drew Gooden? Not to mention LeBron was playing one of the best San Antonio teams ever assembled with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. Also, let’s not forget that Michael Jordan got even more amazing players added to his team. In 1996, he came back to the best team ever assembled with the likes of Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Ron Harper-–the list goes on. No kidding: he was going to win a championship. With a team like that, not winning a championship would be embarrassing. The point is, LeBron made more finals playing for a bad team while playing against amazing teams. MJ needed a super team to succeed.

Reason 2: On top of the championship’s success, LeBron has surpassed MJ in just about every category. He has 6,000 more points than MJ (NBA.com). LeBron has double the amount of assists. LeBron has more rebounds and more blocks as well. Point is, he’s better at almost everything.

Reason 3: One more interesting thing I want to mention is that when LeBron was drafted by the Cavaliers, the Cavs hadn’t made the playoffs for four years. LeBron sent them to the finals in just four years. A couple years later he proceeded to make it all the way to the NBA Finals eight times in a row, from 2011-2018. LeBron joined the Lakers in 2019. At the time, the Lakers hadn’t even made the playoffs for six years and were last place in their conference. However, after just two years of LeBron being with the Lakers, they won a championship. LeBron is simply the better player. I’m not taking any credit away from MJ; he was a fantastic player and is easily in the top three of all time, but he required a super team to gain success, and LeBron proved he didn’t. Championship success isn’t everything there is to basketball, and flashy scoring doesn’t make you a better overall player.

LeBron and Curry could’ve been the best NBA rivalry IF it hadn’t been for Durant

I was just thinking about this the other day, and it makes so much sense. From 2015 and on, Curry and LeBron were at their peak, and watching them play was magical. They made the finals and the games so exciting. These were close, hard-fought games. LeBron had just returned to the Cavs and was giving it his all to get the Cavs their first chip. Curry and LeBron met in the finals in 2015. It ended with Golden State and Steph Curry winning the series 4-2, but it was close and an exciting matchup. In 2016, it was even better, the Warriors held a 3-1 lead over LeBron’s Cavs, making it almost impossible for the Cavs to come back, but they miraculously did. In fact, they came back to win their first-ever championship. These years were some of the best in the NBA. But, in 2017, everything was ruined. The Warriors went on a huge signing spree. Their most remarkable signings were Andre Iguodala, JaVale McGee, Shaun Livingston, and, the worst of all, Kevin Durant. This automatically not only made them the absolute best team in the NBA but possibly the best team ever. After that, there was virtually no hope for the LeBron-Curry rivalry to continue. Both their teams made the finals again twice, but the Cavs were literally shredded. Hence, ended the legendary rivalry between LeBron and Curry. Thankfully, Draymond Green had a fight with KD and this marked the date that KD left the Warriors – ending the Warriors’ absolute dominance of the league.

Oliver has a *few* basketball jerseys at home. Pictured are just his favorites.

. . . moving now to Soccer/Football . . .

The 2022 FIFA World Cup was rigged

Yup, you read that right. The 2022 FIFA World Cup was rigged! Here is my reasoning:

Reason 1: I will start off simple. Argentina won with five penalties to their favor. Argentina scored off most of these penalty kicks (fourfourtwo.com). Five penalties doesn’t sound like that much, until you realize that teams that make it to the finals play a total of seven games. There were more games where Argentina’s opponents were penalized than games that were penalty free. We haven’t seen this many penalties in finals since 1966 and 1978.

Second reason why the FIFA 2022 World Cup was Rigged: Who was the referee in the final? According to FIFA, the referee for the final is picked at random from all eligible referees in the World Cup. But, FIFA picked Polish referee Szymon Marciniak to referee the final…. This was a potential conflict of interest. Why? Because who eliminated Poland? France. And it was France who was playing Argentina in the Final. Think about it? Who was hating on France . . . ?

Reason three: FIFA needs money. As much as I hate to admit it, I believe FIFA is corrupt. This was evident from the moment FIFA picked Qatar to be World Cup hosts. Countries put bids in to be hosts. Wrote The New York Times of Qatar as host: “The United States Department of Justice on Monday said for the first time that representatives working for Russia and Qatar had bribed FIFA officials to secure hosting rights for the World Cup in men’s soccer” (nytimes.com). My theory? FIFA rigged the World Cup final to be Argentina vs any other team because FIFA knew that Argentina was the team that would generate tons of money. Just imagine, if the final had been Croatia vs Netherlands – virtually no one would have watched it, but since the Final included Argentina and Lionel Messi, it was the best way FIFA could get millions, maybe even billions of people to watch it.

My fourth and last reason as to why the 2022 World Cup was rigged is that FIFA needed to complete and pad the world-famous Messi trophy cabinet–which leads me to my next controversial opinion.

Messi is not the best player of all time

Sure, Messi is a good player. However, he is not the best. Here are some reasons as to why there are better players.

Reason 1: Messi joined Barcelona in 2004. There is proof of Barcelona paying the refs from 2001 all the way until 2018. According to Fox Sports, FC Barcelona paid a total of 7.3 million euros in the span of 18 years to José María Enríquez Negreira, who was vice president of the refereeing committee in Spain at the time. I would conclude that most of the trophies won in those years are rubber trophies (foxsports.com).

Reason 2: I think that another reason people really say that Messi is the best of all time is because they hear others say that, and also because the 2022 FIFA World Cup is the most watched ever as it has been the most televised. I believe that since this was the most accessible World Cup, most people who haven’t watched before just naturally assume that the winners are the best and that their best player is the best, which seems natural to think but isn’t necessarily true.

Reason 3: With the popularization of Soccer/Football in the U.S., Americans (for the most part), are just going with the flow (which is fine and understandable), but had they done a little digging, they would realize there are players who have done so much more for the game – like Pelé, or Maradona or even Zidane. Pelé won three World Cups, the only player to ever do so. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Pelé has the most goals ever with 1,279. Pelé scored hundreds more than even Ronaldo or Messi. He never had to play in Europe to prove he was the best. He played in friendlies against the top teams in the world back then and won. He was an elite goalscorer from anywhere in the field. And he did this back in the 50s, the 60s, and the 70s. Just imagine what he could have done if he had the technology of today.

Truth be told, I know no one will change their opinions because I wrote an article about my controversial takes on sports. But, if you want to contribute your controversial takes on sports, feel free to do so in the comments.

A Classic Dinner Table Argument

August 29, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Since the PVS Blog staff is busy polishing its first assigned posts for 2023-24, we dug into our archives for this one. Last spring, blogger Louisa Richardson valiantly pursued an answer to the question, “Which is the most difficult sport?” I’ve heard the stories of our winning volleyball players sacrificing life, limb, and bruise-free complexions as they dive across the gym floor. Is that the most demanding sport? The Palm Valley community talked to Louisa and had some surprising responses.
Blog Instructor Zachik

A Survey, Conducted by Louisa Richardson

One of the more controversial subjects at my dinner table is the debate over “What is the most difficult sport?” My father thinks it’s tennis. I think it’s hockey. My mom and sister think it’s swimming. There is no consensus. I’m here to change that. I talked to Coach Erenberg, and I DID find out what The Most Difficult Sport is.

Coach says that the hardest mental and physical sport is hockey because it is like any other sport, but on skates. My aunt has a different hypothesis; she thinks that dance is the hardest. As a dancer myself I have always thought that ballet was the hardest mental sport simply because of the mental abuse it puts you through. It seems like everyone has a different opinion, so maybe the best way to decide is a vote.

Dr. Sherman and Mr. Satterfield agree the hardest sport is ultramarathon running because it goes on for so long that you have the constant opportunity to fail.

Ms. Schapiro states, “Rock climbing [is most difficult] because it requires mental and physical acuity (also I’m scared of heights).”

Upper Schooler Cindy Wang says the most challenging sport is “Horseback riding because you have no control over the horse, and often at competitions they have you ride a different horse than you are used to.”

Ms. Bartosik says the most difficult sport is “Boxing because it can have a lot of bad injuries that can result in a lot of recovery time, so you have to be in good shape.” She adds, “I have a lot of respect for boxers.”

Ms. Greer, Lead Administrative Assistant, presumes that horse polo is the hardest sport because of the trust you need to put in your horse.

Mr. Killeen thinks that water polo is the hardest sport because it “gets really physical and is also underappreciated.”

Students Lorelei Behr and Scarlett Barrett believe that the hardest sport is football because of the brain trauma and general aggressiveness the sport contains.

Finally, Middle Schooler Hunter Harrington says of sports, “All of them [are difficult] ‘cause no one ever lets me play…”

Not including myself, we have two votes for football, several for boxing, two votes for ultramarathon running, and a bunch of other sports. You’re probably thinking that it would be a three-way tie, but a special guest states that The Most Difficult Sport . . . is boxing. Who’s that special guest, you ask? It is Google. When you ask Google: What is the most difficult sport? It answers . . . boxing (ESPN). Boxing is the hardest sport. You will be happy to know that most of the other sports mentioned are also up there on the difficulty scale, but boxing has won overall.

Although I might have not agreed with this opinion before, Ms. Bartosik offered a pretty convincing argument with the threat of serious injury. Thus, the consensus is . . . Boxing is the hardest sport.

The Art of Fencing

October 12, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Junior Levi Kassinove

Levi wins with his épée at Desert Fencing Academy.

In our pursuit of unearthing the hidden skills of our PVS students, we find Levi is a fencer. In fact, he is so enthusiastic about fencing, he’s spear-heading bringing a Fencing Club to campus. See if he entices you with his parrys, attacks, and counterattacks.

A little over a year ago, I didn’t even know that a fencing place existed in the desert. Now, I fence twice a week. Fencing is actually divided into three different weapons, each requiring a different style of sparring. There is the épée, the sabre, and the foil. I fence épée. I will break down each of them, along with the style associated with them and my own personal style.

Foil

While it is the most commonly used weapon in competitions, it is the least popular weapon at the fencing studio I go to. I should stress that both fencers in sparring must use the same weapon. To score a point in foil fencing (and épée), one must stab their opponent’s torso such that the pressure plate at the tip of the blade is fully depressed. Fencers wear gear complete with a wire that connects to the blade in hand. The wire is retractable in order to allow the fencers free movement. With foil, the torso is the only legal target. Also, to score a point, the fencer must have priority, or right of way, which basically means that they’ve attacked first. If one counterattacks (meaning both fencers attack at the same time), the fencer who first started to attack wins the point. So, the only way for the defender to win a point is to parry and then riposte, or attack.

Sabre

This is the weapon that my brother, Caleb, and my classmate Gil use. Instead of thrusting and stabbing your opponent, sabre fencers must hit their opponent to score a point. They slash instead of poke. They sword fight instead of joust. In sabre fencing, the entire upper body is the target, including the head. What aren’t parts of the target are the hands, legs, and feet. Instead of a pressure plate attached to the tip of the blade that signifies a scored point, sabre fencers use the entire weapon. They cut across (not literally) their opponents with the long side of the blade, which means that sabre fencers must wear an additional piece of gear called the lamé which goes off if someone gets hit (the lamé is electrified, and when the sabre hits the lamé, the circuit is complete–signifying a point earned). The right of way rule also applies to sabre, so it is the referee’s call as to who gets the point if they have a double touch.

Épée

This is my personal favorite weapon, and the one I use. Contrary to all the restrictions of foil and sabre, there are barely any rules in épée. The whole body is the target with NO EXCEPTIONS, and there is no right of way. An opponent can counterattack, thus allowing both fencers to score a point if they hit at the same time. As a result, épée fencers are much more cautious in terms of attacking. In a given épée bout, fencers spend most of the time facing each other off and frantically analyzing their opponent. For the other weapons, fencers usually charge at each other as fast as possible because of right of way, but that’s a lot more dangerous in épée because the defender can counter attack and win the point. Parrys, because of the loose rules, are very important in épée fencing to guarantee that you don’t get touched. Disengages are almost as important, which are basically just maneuvers that free your épée from an incoming parry. Usually, a disengage maneuver is in the shape of a circle or semicircle.

Fencing is a great way to relieve stress, at least for me. It forces you to focus solely on the battle, not leaving any room for thinking about an upcoming test or project. It grounds me in the moment, and it can get pretty hectic. Sometimes someone runs at their opponent with their sword extended, called the flèche attack, which usually results in someone getting hit. Sometimes people cross paths, getting behind each other’s back, which results in people flinging their swords behind their backs to try and win the point. Sometimes swords just snap as well. Overall, fencing is a great sport for people of all ages. My fencing coach’s oldest student is in his 90s! And, we are looking into starting a fencing club at the school. Show your support in the comments!

Luke’s Top 5 MLB Fantasy Picks

May 19, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Luke Sonderman

Although sports like football may capture a lot of the attention in the United States, baseball, in my mind, is the best sport by a long shot as each player plays such a unique role in a game that is very strategic. Every year I research the league leaders for my fantasy baseball team, and this year I have created a list of my favorite baseball players.

Number One

Nolan Arenado

redbirdrants.com

Nolan Arenado, of the St. Louis Cardinals, has been a star third baseman since his time on the Rockies. So far this year, Nolan has kept up a 0.330 batting average and is one of the league leaders in batting (mlb.com).

Number Two

Manny Machado

Manny Machado, also a third baseman, is the star for the San Diego Padres who is stuck in the shadow of Fernando Tatis, Jr., I think that he is incredibly underrated with a batting average of 0.385 so far this season (mlb.com). As Tatis is on the 90-day injured list for a broken wrist, Machado is finally getting the attention that he has deserved.

Number Three

Shohei Ohtani

I know, I know. Everyone won’t stop talking about Ohtani; I promise you I’m not a bandwagon. But Shohei Ohtani deserves the praise he is receiving as he is not only one of the best pitchers in the MLB, but also one of the best batters as well. It is very rare for pitchers to be strong offensively, but Ohtani is the most well-rounded baseball player in the whole league. With a batting average of .285 this season and an ERA (earned runs average per 9 innings) of 3.08, I believe that Shohei Ohtani is the #1 Fantasy Draft Pick because he is solid in all areas.

Number Four

Jazz Chisholm, Jr.

One of my first fantasy picks this year would have to be Jazz Chisholm, Jr., second baseman of the Miami Marlins. I have always loved 2nd basemen because of their crazy agility, and, usually, they are very good baserunners. Jazz Chisholm, Jr., has a batting average so far of .300 (baseball-reference.com) which has been a major boost to the Marlins’ lineup.

Number Five

Paul Goldschmidt

I didn’t want to put more than one person from a single team onto this list, but I have a special love for the St. Louis Cardinals. I have been surrounded by Cardinals fans my whole life, and I have lots of family in St. Louis. Cardinals fans are just so passionate about the sport which makes them very easy to like. Paul Goldschmidt, the Cardinals first baseman, has been one of the Cardinals’ stars this year, picking up a batting average of .283 (espn.com). Goldschmidt always comes in clutch when the team needs him to and is always scoring points in Fantasy. There are other first basemen ranked higher than him, like Freddie Freeman, but I personally like Goldschmidt as a player more than the others (maybe just because he’s a Cardinal).

So if you still want to put together a fantasy baseball team, there is plenty of time left in the season. I would definitely recommend you try to snatch these 5 players as they were on my top 5 for the Fantasy draft.

Inside View of Basketball at PVS

April 5, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Sienna Price, Palm Valley Middle-School News Reporter

For Palm Valley, the season of basketball is over. The middle-school basketball teams both A and B placed very well. The middle-school basketball B team won the championship 42-29 over Sacred Heart. The team consisted of Shayan Habibipour, Walker Craven, Tal Maruvada, Dante Vega, Sherwin Hemmati, and Matteo Lam.

The A team came second in the championship after a close game against Sacred Heart. The team included Donavan Knott, Deshawn Tunmore, Nicholas Chavez, Evan Wang, Benjamin Langlois, Desmond Milner, and Timothy Reed. I interviewed the players to get their inside views about the team, the season, and their basketball experience.

What is your position on the court?

“Point guard, Shooting guard, Center.” -Sherwin Hemmati

“I would usually play Shooting Guard.” -Shayan Habibipour

“I play both forwards.” -Walker Craven

“My position on the court is mainly power forward, but I can play center or point guard if needed. I also direct our defensive strategies by telling everyone where to go on defense.” -Deshawn Tunmore

“pg/sg.” -Matteo lam

“Guard.” -Donovan Knott

“Small Forward.” -Timothy Reed

“ I play perimeter defense, usually on the other team’s shooter. On offense I switch from the point guard to the forward depending on who is on the court.” -Tal Maruvada

“The positions I play are center, and power forward.” -Evan Wang

“Center.” -Ben Langlois

Middle-School Basketball Players Ben Langlois, Desmond Milner, and Donavan Knott

What was your favorite game?

“My favorite game . . . was against the Sacred Heart Second team. I loved this game because it was one of my highest scoring games, and we all played well as a team.” -Deshawn Tunmore

“My favorite game . . . was our first game against DCA at home where in just four minutes I scored four points for the A team. “ -Evan Wang

Who in the team has improved the most in your eyes?

“Tal. I have seen Tal gaining confidence and improving a lot of skills in attacking the basket and on defense.” -Matteo Lam

“The player that has improved the most is Shayan.” -Walker Craven

“Someone on the team that has improved the most is Sherwin. His shot is more consistent and his defense has gotten a lot better.” -Deshawn Tunmore

“I feel like I have.” -Donovan Knott

How do you think you have improved this season?

“I’ve gotten better at dribbling and making more shots.” -Ben Langlois

“My shooting is a lot better. . . . [I]n the first game we had, I missed six free throws out of six; now I can make some free throws. I also feel like I can run a lot longer.” -Evan Wang

“I have improved in shot selection and shooting.” -Tal Maruvada

Nicholas Chavez took time out from his baseball aspirations to play for PVS MS Basketball A-Team.

What was the hardest game you played?

“The hardest game we played was probably the game against DCA the second time we played them because they studied how we played and played up to it and eventually beat us. . . . they played amazingly.” -Shayan Habibipour

“The hardest game we . . . played this season was against the Sacred Heart first team. I fouled out of that game and we lost by six points.” -Deshawn Tunmore

“Championship.” -Ben Langlois

Meet the 2022 Varsity Golf Team

March 31, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Luke Sonderman, Golfer Blogger

This year Palm Valley attempts to defend its championship status that they have held for the past three years!

Golf Season to Date:

The Palm Valley Golf Team won their first triple match against Desert Chapel and Mesa Grande. We also won our second match against Joshua Springs. In our third match, we won again against Desert Chapel, but lost to Redlands. At yesterday’s match, we were down a player because Sophie is traveling back to her home in China, but we still won against Joshua Springs once again.

The Palm Valley Varsity Golf Team, led by Coach Harvey, has six golfers: Jesse Denyer (co-captain), Sophie Zhong (co-captain), Jerry Wang, Jane White, Hambik Mandanyan, and myself (Luke Sonderman).

Co-Captain Jesse Denyer is a strong leader for the team. Aside from her shared love for Mission Hills’ boujee water with Jane White, Jesse always hits bombs with her irons during practice and sets an amazing example for the rest of the team.

Sophie Zhong is also one of the 2022 co-captains of the Palm Valley Golf Team for a good reason. Sophie never fails to hit the target when it comes to her shots. Sophie puts the ball where she wants it and leaves everything she has on the course.

Jerry Wang is one of the stars on the Palm Valley team as he pulls power behind his driver. Jerry never golfs without style as he is always wearing flashy Ray-Bans or designer sunglasses. If you ever go out to one of Palm Valley’s golf games and see a Robert Downey Jr. look alike, don’t be alarmed. It is just Jerry.

Jane may be a pro fencer, but she is also one of the key members of the Palm Valley Golf Team. Although she sometimes forgets she is playing golf and ends up fencing Hambik with golf clubs, Jane always comes in clutch and hits the ball right where she needs to.

Hambik Mandanyan is a Palm Valley Golf veteran and moral booster on the team. Hambik never fails to make everyone on the golf team have a good laugh on and off the course. Sometimes if you’re lucky, you may see Hambik doing a cartwheel after making par!

Although I may not look or play like a golfer, at all, I would consider myself a fair golfer. At Palm Valley golf practices, you may find me hitting rockets and duds with my clubs, or sitting on the driving range grass eating Panda Express with Co-Captain Jesse Denyer.

Although many of last year’s team members graduated, Palm Valley’s Varsity Golf Team is still in it to win it and defend their championship for the fourth year in a row!