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The Bird is the Word: Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans

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The financial future of collegiate sports.

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By Roman Rickwood, Collegiate Sports Enthusiast

The NCAA and universities have been able to use the names, images, and likenesses of college athletes since the dawn of television and endorsement deals, but the college athletes have not been able to profit off their own names, images, and likenesses. This all changed in July that completely shook up the collegiate sports world. The Supreme Court ruled that college athletes would be able to profit off their Name, Image, and Likeness (otherwise known as the NIL rule). Up until this rule was enacted, the tyrannical and poorly run NCAA was very strict about players making or accepting any money. There have been multiple cases of players accepting money to buy necessities and then being punished by the NCAA through suspension or sometimes stripping them of their achievements. The most famous case of this is what happened to Reggie Bush and his Heisman. This story was one of the most controversial involving the NCAA to date and is an example of what The Atlantic calls a “theft of college athletes’ labor” (“Give Reggie Bush His Heisman Back”). 

usctrojans.com

In 2005, Reggie Bush was the running back for the University of Southern California, Bush broke tons of records and was looking forward to owning the record books and forever being a collegiate legend. In 2005, USC won 12 games and the National Championship with the tremendous effort of running-back Reggie Bush. That year deservedly so the Heisman Trophy was awarded to Reggie Bush. Soon after both USC and Bush were under investigation by the NCAA for accepting money. The NCAA investigation found that Bush and his family accepted money and perks throughout his time at USC from multiple sports marketers hoping to sign him when he eventually went to the NFL. The NCAA made USC forfeit all wins in which Bush played, including the 2005 National Championship. He also famously was the only player in college football history to return his Heisman Trophy. Not even OJ Simpson had to return his 1967 Heisman after being found guilty of double homicide in civil court. The return of the trophy angered many people who felt that Bush was robbed, and many believe that this was the start of the conversation about college athletes’ right to earn money.

For many years most people believed that college athletes were already getting paid in the form of scholarship as well as food, room, and board. However, because less than 1% of all college athletes make it to their sports’ respective professional leagues, people thought it unfair that the majority of these college athletes would graduate and go into the real world with nothing monetary to show for it. Another common thing that would happen to these elite athletes is injury. Too often they would have to stop playing the sport. Although there is an incredible amount of money that is generated through collegiate sports, the college players do not see this money. I have always struggled with the argument that collegiate athletes should be paid because to me it would have to be a flat rate to each player, which does not make sense as different players hypothetically generate different hype. If you take a football team, for example, people may tune in to watch the quarterback, so it does not make a whole lot of sense that the starting quarterback and the 3rd-string right tackle are making the same money. Because of this, the Name, Image, and Likeness ruling makes the most sense. It allows for an equal playing field for all athletes to profit off of their name and use their platform as athletes on social media. This opens the door for all athletes to profit and not just athletes that play televised and monetized sport. However, as much as I like this ruling and as much as I think that it is long overdue, I do see a few things that could lead to issues down the road in these young athletes’ careers. Right now with the tremendous influence of social media, there is potential for big brand deals and marketing opportunities.

Currently, the highest reported earner (and you could say the face of collegiate NIL deals) is Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. It was reported a month ago that he was closing in on almost a million-dollars worth of deals in just two short months (fortune.com). While this sounds great and in theory is great for these young people’s families and futures, you do have to bring up the elephant in the room. Young people coming into a significant amount of money, very quickly, can have negative consequences. You can make the comparison to child actors or really anybody who came into a lot of money at a young age and lost perspective, resulting in the derailing of life. While the rule is new, I can expect that these big universities with students making huge amounts of money will begin to offer some form of financial planning or financial literacy courses among their athletes making money from NIL. I am excited to see the NCAA finally be told off, and I am even more excited for the opportunities that these young people will now have. This ruling was a long time coming, and I am extremely confident that it is not going anywhere.

*The opinions expressed by blogger Roman Rickwood are his own and may not represent those of the entire thebirdonfire.org editorial team.

(N)Ice Post.

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(N)Ice Post

By Luke Langlois

Did you know that officially declaring something makes it true? I am officially declaring war on Holden. The goal? I will prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that my sports predictions were far worse than his. Now, if you have read Holden’s post on the NBA rankings, you would know that a victory for me seems unlikely. Yes, Holden was quite wrong. But I broke rule #1 of playoff hockey; it’s unpredictable. Today, I would like to revisit the post that I wrote “predicting” the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

As a reminder: this is the bracket that I created. This does not reflect the current round of the playoffs (which you should watch). Let’s start with what I got right.

  1. The Dallas Stars did indeed eliminate the Nashville Predators in six games.
  2. I correctly predicted that the St. Louis Blues would eliminate the Winnipeg Jets in six games.
  3. San Jose eliminated the Vegas Golden Knights in seven games. The hockey genius over here called it.
  4. On that note, I did correctly predict the Western Conference Finals matchup!
  5. The New York Islanders eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins in FOUR games, a perfect sweep. I predicted that this would happen in six games, but I’ll give myself credit for this.
  6. The Boston Bruins eliminated the Maple Leafs in seven games, which matches up with my bracket.

I did get quite a few matchups correct, even down to the game count. Statistically, I got more correct than most people. But I got a couple of matchups glaringly wrong, which devalues just about everything I got right. Here’s what I got wrong:

  1. The Calgary Flames did NOT eliminate the Colorado Avalanche in six games. The Avalanche eliminated the Flames in five games. This was one of the many upsets by a Wild Card team.
  2. The Washington Capitals did take the Carolina Hurricanes to seven games, which matches my bracket. Unfortunately, I figured that the Capitals would be able to take the game seven on home ice. They did not. The Hurricanes won game seven in overtime, 4-3. So, that was not all that bad. I only got it wrong by one goal, right?
  3. If this were not a written post, I would let out an audible sigh here. Remember when I was saying Tampa Bay was just too good to not win it all? As a naive child once said, “. . . it is my FIRM belief that Tampa Bay is just TOO GOOD!” Yeah, that was me. Tampa Bay had one of the best regular seasons in the history of the NHL. Tampa Bay had a goal differential of +103. As a refresher, that means they cumulatively outscored their opponents by 103 goals. But suddenly, hockey started meaning something for them again. They could no longer cruise to win their games. The Tampa Bay Lightning were not receptive to this message. They got swept by the Wild Card Columbus Blue Jackets in what could be seen as the largest upset in the history of the NHL.

If you did not notice a common theme among the teams that got upset in the first round, they were ALL #1 seeded teams. This year marks the first year in NHL history that each division winner was eliminated in the first round. Anyhow, that’s enough of what I got wrong. Allow me now to update you on the current matchups going on.

  1. In a shock to many, the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New York Islanders in four games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. If you went back a bit, you would know that New York just swept Pittsburgh in the first round. Apparently, it was a fluke. This Islanders team was the first since the 1993 Buffalo Sabres to get swept after completing a sweep.
  2. The St. Louis Blues beat the Dallas Stars in double overtime in a seven game series. A win is a win, but it easily could have gone either way. As a reminder, St. Louis was dead last in the NHL in December. Good job, Blues.
  3. Many people expected a LOT from the Columbus Blue Jackets after their bulldozing of the Tampa Bay Lightning, but the Boston Bruins made relatively quick work of Columbus, defeating them in six games. Boston is currently leading Carolina three games to none. The winner of this series will advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Perhaps the city of Boston will be able to end their long-running championship drought.
  4. The San Jose Sharks, pleasing the home crowd, took down the Colorado Avalanche in seven games. They are currently facing the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference Finals.

How many upsets have occurred in the NBA playoffs so far? One. How many upsets occurred in the first round of the NHL playoffs? MANY! Tune in to the NHL playoffs before it’s too late. Trust me. Watch these games.

Editor: AJ Patencio

Looking Back on My NBA Power Rankings

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By Holden Hartle, Sports Enthusiast and Blogger

Back in October, I made a post detailing where I thought every NBA team would end up in terms of standings. And, with the season just wrapping up, I feel like it would be humbling to look back and see how accurate I was. The number on the left is my initial ranking, and the number on the right in parenthesis is where they finished the season.

Western Conference

Image result for golden state warriors

1.  Golden State Warriors (1)

  • There were some doubts at the beginning of the season in terms of how good the Warriors would actually be with the addition of Demarcus Cousins. But, Steph Curry had an MVP-type year, which paved the path to the 1st seed for the Warriors.

2. Houston Rockets (4)

  • The Rockets placed lower than most people predicted. Chris Paul was injured for an extended amount of time, which turned into a blessing and a curse. Though they lost games in that stretch, James Harden had a phenomenal year as the offense ran solely through him

3. Los Angeles Lakers (10)

  • Yikes. Things were looking good at the beginning of the season, but LeBron went down with an injury in which he missed 17 games, and in that time his supporting cast couldn’t win enough games to be a real competitor in the west. Also, the loss of their President of Basketball Operations, Magic Johnson, is indicative of how well their season actually went.

4. Utah Jazz (5)

  • The Jazz were the 2nd best defensive team in the league, but it wasn’t enough to stop James Harden in the first round of the playoffs. They might need one more player this offseason to be a legit competitor next year, or their lack of offense will plague them once again

5. New Orleans Pelicans (13)

  • Another yikes. I predicted that a young core of Jrue Holiday, Julius Randle, and Anthony Davis would go far, but chemistry issues in the front office caused problems.

6. Oklahoma City Thunder (6)

  • Westbrook-fan or not, you have to respect the amazing numbers he has put up next to Paul George. Speaking of PG-13, someone argued that he should be a candidate for MVP, Defensive Player of the year, and Most Improved Player, which may be a stretch, but is a testament to the amazing year that he had.

7. Portland Trail Blazers (3)

  • I thought that the Trail Blazers needed one more person to go far in this league, but they shut me up. The Blazers made it work, and the acquisition of Enes Kanter will be a big key to their success in the playoffs.

8. Denver Nuggets (2)

  • The Nuggets are the surprise team in the west, as they fought for the second seed off of a team-style of play, which is becoming increasingly rare in the NBA.

9. San Antonio Spurs (7)

  • My initial concern for the Spurs was that the lack of outside shooting would hurt them later on, but I should have known that Coach Gregg Popovich will always make the playoffs.

10. Minnesota Timberwolves (11)

  • With Jimmy Butler off the team, the T-wolves are headed in a new direction and are hoping to score on their lottery pick in June.
Image result for devin booker

11. Phoenix Suns (15)

  • I had hoped that the Suns would show some progress, but to no avail. They didn’t utilize their star rookie nearly enough, and their record shows.

12. Dallas Mavericks (14)

  • Midway through the season, the Mavs realized that they weren’t going to be a playoff team, so they traded their rookie point guard and the newly signed DeAndre Jordan for the former Knick, Kristaps Porzingis. Hopefully they can score on a draft pick and Porzingis will bounce back from his injury.

13. Memphis Grizzlies (12)

  • The Grizzlies are officially in rebuild mode. They traded Gasol at the deadline, and Conley is planning on leaving. Like many other teams, the Grizzlies need to score on this year’s draft pick.

14. Los Angeles Clippers (8)

  • Yet another yikes. I thought the Clippers would want to rebuild, but they proved me wrong as they fought their way to the 8th seed and faced the Warriors in the 1st round. To everyone’s surprise, the Clippers took them to six games.

15. Sacramento Kings (9)

  • I’ll own up to it, I doubted the Kings and their dysfunctional front office. But De’aaron Fox and co. really pulled together a passionate effort, and they look like a promising young team.

Eastern Conference

1. Boston Celtics (4)

  • Gordon Hayward couldn’t pull it together until the last few months of the season, and no one except Kyrie Irving seemed to improve. Something needs to change on this roster if they want to win the east. Nevertheless, they had a somewhat successful season, landing in the 4th seed.

2. Toronto Raptors (2)

  • In November, I said that their success depended on if Kawhi Leonard could bounce back to being a top 5 player. Though he wasn’t a top 5 player, he produced enough to lead the Raptors to success.

3. Philadelphia 76ers (3)

  • Though I personally dislike the 76ers, their young core brought them success in the east and a relatively easy path to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Image result for milwaukee bucks

4. Milwaukee Bucks (1)

  • In November, I said that Giannis has the potential to have an MVP-caliber season, and then he had an MVP-caliber season. The east should be scared.

5. Indiana Pacers (5)

  • Victor Oladipo got injured in the first half of the season, and everyone thought the Pacers would tank–then they grabbed the 5th seed. Their defense kept them in games, at least until they met the Celtics in the first round.

6. Washington Wizards (11)

  • John Wall didn’t stay healthy and Dwight Howard had personal issues, and this led to the team’s demise. Bradley Beal had a great statistical year though, and Thomas Bryant showed flashes of potential to be their center of the future.

7. Detroit Pistons (8)

  • Blake Griffin had arguably the best season of his career, and it helped with the team’s success. The duo of Griffin and Drummond was unable to carry the team against the Bucks, and they were swept in the first round.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers (14)

  • I thought that an aging Kevin Love and a rookie Collin Sexton could somewhat get it done. Needless to say, they are in rebuilding mode.

9. Charlotte Hornets (9)

  • Kemba Walker tried so hard to get his team to the playoffs, but to no avail. Something needs to change in that organization, or Kemba will be hitting the road.

10. Chicago Bulls (13)

  • The Bulls were really hell-bent on rebuilding, so much so that they traded away proven veterans for young pieces, and that resulted in less wins. Will it pay off?

11. Miami Heat (10)

  • Dwayne Wade had a great farewell tour, and the Heat were fighting for the 8th spot in the playoffs, but the cookie didn’t crumble their way.

12. New York Knicks (15)

  • Hopefully, Dennis Smith, Jr., can become a star for them, and the rumors of them signing Kevin Durant will come true. But one can only dream.
Image result for brooklyn nets

13. Brooklyn Nets (6)

  • The Nets are one of my biggest yikes teams in the east. D’Angelo Russell proved that he can be a focal point of an offense, and the Nets still have enough money to sign a player to a max contract to pair with him. The future looks bright for the Nets.

14. Orlando Magic (7)

  • I thought the Magic would tank, but they pulled a Clippers and fought their way to the playoffs. If they can find a solid point guard in the offseason, they could be a competitor come 2020.

15. Atlanta Hawks (12)

  • Trae Young had a Rookie-Of-the-Year season, and John Collins developed nicely. If they can draft a third piece in this year’s draft, they could make it to the playoffs in a few years.

Editor: Luke Langlois

HOCKEY!

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By Luke Langlois, prominent hockey fan, can’t ice skate

This week’s theme is “Making Daily Life More Interesting.” Life can be full of the same repetitive actions over and over again, so I asked my fellow bloggers to bring some spice to everyday life. Hockey playoffs definitely add spice to everyday life. — Editor Holden Hartle

Do you know what makes daily life more interesting? Playoffs. If you have been missing out on all of the various types of playoffs recently, fear not, for there is another sixteen-team conquest on the horizon– the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs. Nobody enjoys being left out of the loop, so today I would like to present some information about this year’s playoffs and present my predictions. I can assure you with 100% certainty that my predictions will be wrong. But, that’s half the fun. Without further ado, here are the participants in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs:

Western Conference Matchups from Top to Bottom

  1. Calgary Flames (CGY) vs. Colorado Avalanche (COL)
  2. San Jose Sharks (SJS) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (VGK)
  3. Nashville Predators (NSH) vs. Dallas Stars (DAL)
  4. Winnipeg Jets (WPG) vs. St. Louis Blues (STL)

Eastern Conference Matchups from Top to Bottom

  1. Tampa Bay Lightning (TBL) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ)
  2. Boston Bruins (BOS) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (TOR)
  3. Washington Capitals (WSH) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (CAR)
  4. New York Islanders (NYI) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (PIT)

Now that we’ve established the matchups, here’s some information regarding the playoffs in general and this year’s matchups.

  1. The Tampa Bay Lightning won the 2018-2019 President’s Trophy, meaning they had the best regular season record at 62-20-16 (wins, losses, overtime losses). This record ties the regular season record of wins set by the 1995-1996 Detroit Red Wings. In short, Tampa Bay is STACKED! But, history has shown that the best regular season team fails to win the championship. In fact, the ’95-’96 Red Wings team, the most dominant team in history, lost in the playoffs. Will history repeat itself?
  2. The Pittsburgh Penguins are making a playoff appearance for their 13th straight season, the longest active streak in the NHL.
  3. On the other side of the coin, the Carolina Hurricanes have ended their playoff drought, making their first appearance since the 2008-2009 season.
  4. The Washington (D.C) Capitals are the defending champions.
  5. The New York Islanders will have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time since 1988.
  6. The Vegas Golden Knights are only in their second season ever but have landed at third place in their division.
  7. The Columbus Blue Jackets have been around since 2000 but are seeking their first ever series win (each series is best of seven).
  8. The St. Louis Blues may not be a #1 seed, but they have the best record in the NHL since the All-Star Break (about 2/3rds through the season), even eclipsing Tampa Bay’s win-loss record.

I could go on, but that should provide a bit of context for the reader. Now, for my grand predictions. 2019’s Stanley Cup Champion will be the Tampa Bay Lightning. Don’t get me wrong, nine times out of ten the President’s Trophy winner will get upset. Hockey is a sport that is PRIME for upsets, but it is my FIRM belief that Tampa Bay is just TOO GOOD! Here is a number; Tampa Bay’s goal differential is +103. This means that they outscored their opponents in the regular season by a total of 103 goals. To put this into perspective, the 2nd place team, Calgary, had a goal differential of +62, a far cry from 103.

NHL games are quite difficult to pull your eyes from. Unlike football, baseball, or basketball, breaks in the play are infrequent. In fact, players move in and out from the bench during play, no timeout or stoppage in play required. Even if you have never watched a game before, it’s worth it to stop and watch if you have the time. Besides the pure visual candy, NHL playoff matchups can go either way (unlike the NBA). You usually cannot slap the higher ranked team as the winner and call it a day. In 2012, the Los Angeles Kings team that stumbled and crashed into the playoffs ended up being one of the most dominant playoff teams ever seen, and they won it all (go Kings). Last year, the Vegas Golden Knights made it to the finals in their very first season of play, besting teams who have been around for half a century. But Luke, why are you telling us all this even though you say Tampa will win it all? Well, it makes sense considering the fact that Tampa has a statistical advantage on every team in just about every category. But, again, the regular season is wiped from the slate come the playoffs. Don’t be surprised if my bracket is an incoherent mess a week from now. Hockey is hockey. The playoffs start on Wednesday April 10th (TODAY). There will be a game on every night until the semifinal games where there may be breaks in days. This gives you plenty of time to check a game out. Catch the games nationally televised on either NBCSN or USA.

Making Daily Life More Interesting Editor: Holden Hartle

The Rise of Modern Esports

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By Esports Specialist James Zheng

Esports is the abbreviation of electronic sports. “Electronic sports” generally refers to the mode in which the competitor utilizes electronic devices to play against other competitors based on experience. And, the common manifestation of electronic sports is in gaming sports, where players play against others with a team or individually. Esports was nevertheless really unknown and thought to be meaningless back in the day. But, is it a waste of time?

The reason that I decided to write this post is due to the things I found out a few days ago that made me realize how the realm of esports is actually pretty fascinating. I was browsing on a live-stream website, and then I saw these different game league matches. There were games held on two platforms: mobile and computer. And, when I observed those matches, they were conducted decently and scrupulously. It made me feel like a game was not just a “game.” With millions of fans watching games’ live streams and watching conversations about the players, it gave me a sense that esports are cooler than I thought. These games included League of Legends (a multiplayer game released by Riot Games), Warcraft III, Overwatch, and Dota 2 (all released by Blizzard Entertainment), etc. It shocked me that the development of esports could be this successful and popular. Esports is an industry.

The abundance of esports is definite. Earlier in 2000, a South Korean company directed the first worldwide event in esport history–the World Cyber Game, which included more than twenty games in the competition. It was held worldwide until 2013 (it revived in 2019 again); it was given the title “Esports Olympics.” Around America and Europe, the Overwatch League is taking place. Cities can compete against other cities–just like the NBA. In like manner, The League of Legends World Championship annual tournament is probably the biggest event in the realm of esports. Once The League playoffs start, there will be more than thirty countries playing live stream matches. After seeing these examples of esport play, I completely changed my view towards gaming, professional game players, and esports!

However, is playing esports professionally a realistic dream for everyone? The first thing we know is that we normally just play video games for entertainment, and before I had that amazing discovery on live stream, I never thought that playing a game could ever be a goal. Sometimes I just thought it too impractical. In contrast, the occurring of esports had begun a few years ago. I have seen cases in which a teenager live streams and plays video games every day instead of accepting education in school to pursue their goal. There are circumstances that some of them succeed in the end, but very few. The vast majority of players eventually abandon the idea of earning money at esports. If you are a pro player, you do not know when there will be a new, better player to take your position. Likewise, you also need to worry about the future of your team. There are still so many experienced teams who have already played for several years. When your team encounters them, it will be extremely hard to survive. And the result is only going to be the dissolution of your team.

The undeniable fact is that esports has sustainable support from billions of fans. And, as far as I can see, there is indeed a tremendous potential possibility within esports and the love dedicated by fans and players to play, to develop, to earn, to win.

Editor: Holden Hartle

My Journey Through Basketball

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By Holden Hartle

My basketball journey began in the fourth grade. In the years leading up to this, some may characterize me as having my “nose glued to the pages of a book.” I wasn’t out to find friends. I was perfectly happy staying in the fantasy world of whatever book I was reading. This all changed in fourth grade.

The basketball season was ready to begin, and that’s all any of the cool kids were talking about. I wanted to sit at their lunch table. I wanted to be their friend. So, I went on to NBA.com and looked at the list of teams. After very minimal amounts of research, I decided that everyone liked the Los Angeles teams, so that would be too obvious. I then stumbled across the Utah Jazz and thought, ‘Hm. I have family in Utah. No one else likes the Utah Jazz. I will start liking the Utah Jazz.” I walked over to the cool kids’ table and took a seat, ready to share my limited knowledge of this completely new sport.

Fast forward to the middle school years. In the winter of sixth grade, I, along with the cool kids, joined the basketball team. This was my first time ever playing organized basketball. No longer was I just chucking the basketball somewhere towards the basket with no regards for the rules. Now, it was time to actually learn the sport. Needless to say, I was awful. To the best of my knowledge, I didn’t score a single point until eighth grade. I was slowly getting better, but I often panicked on the court, and it resulted in some questionable shot selections.

Despite my inability to score, we won plenty of games. Through sixth and seventh grade, we went undefeated, largely due to the contributions of Jensen Jabara. In seventh grade, we won the championship, and in eighth grade, we took third.  

In all of this, I was slowly learning more about the NBA. My favorite player, legend Carlos Boozer, who I blindly chose in fifth grade, was traded to the Chicago Bulls. Sorry Jazz, but the Bulls became my favorite team–even though I had no connections with Chicago whatsoever.

And that brings us to high school. I joined the team freshman year, and now, thanks to MaxPreps, there is documentation of how bad I was. The team for the 2015-2016 season was led by senior Colin Wessman, our center who was leading a team that was 80% underclassmen. He was our captain, but our scoring was led by junior Michael Ma, who averaged thirteen points per game. Yours truly averaged a staggering two points and three rebounds for the year. As a side note, Ben Snyder, during his freshman year, is listed as only 5’2”. Keep this in mind as the story continues.

My freshman season could not have gone any worse. We lost every single game, and with the exception of one game, we lost every game by ten points or more. During the MaxPreps tournament, in which we played teams that were way better than us, I had the highlight of my career. We were losing by more than 40, so the game clock didn’t stop on a dead ball. The opposing team knocked the ball out of bounds, and with just a few seconds left in the fourth quarter, I yelled at Ben Snyder to inbound the ball. He passed the ball to me and I put up a buzzer beater from the corner and sunk it. Though we still lost that game by 44, this was the first three-pointer I had made in my career.

Sophomore year came, and it could only go up from the previous year. And it did. We won five games in total, three of which were in league. In fact, we won our first two games of the season. Towards the end of the season, we won a double overtime game against Bloomington Christian.

During the MaxPreps tournament, we once again played a team that had no business playing a team as bad as us. During warm-ups, I made every shot (not to brag or anything). The opposing coach noticed this, and every time I got the ball during that game, the opposing coach yelled “Shooter!” And, as you’ll see later, I was no shooter. This became sort of an inside joke among the teammates until my final game as a Firebird.

Our wins were won thanks to the efforts of senior Michael Ma. He averaged sixteen points and almost nine rebounds per game. Ben quickly emerged as the team’s second option, as his points per game jumped from three points per game to nine. It’s also worth noting that not only did Ben’s per game numbers spike, so did his height, as he was now 5’8”. My numbers stayed the same, but I was content with this, considering the success our team experienced.

As junior year came, the team realized that we would lose the scoring of Michael, so we were left looking for someone to take over our team. We found two: Ben Snyder and Daniel Romo. Ben was averaging an unreal eighteen points per game, along with leading the team in rebounds. Daniel was quietly becoming more of an offensive threat on the team as well, which became apparent during the 2017-2018 season.

Our coach during my underclassmen years had said that “We live by the three. We die by the three.” This was especially true in my junior year. When we shot well, our team found success. But when we didn’t, the odds didn’t go in our favor. We won only two games, both of which were hard fought wins against West Shores.

Also during this year, I had my first “big game.” As we were getting blown out by Mesa Grande, late in the fourth quarter, I made a few three-pointers in a row. People were yelling “Shooter!” from the stands. I had this cheesy smile on my face, even though we lost by almost forty.

And that brings us to this year. Originally, I wasn’t going to play basketball for the school. It was too much stress, and I wanted to focus on my academics rather than sports. My senior friends disagreed with my decisions and attempted to persuade me time after time. I was adamant on this up until the first practice. A few days before then, our coach had a meeting with me. He too, attempted to persuade me to join the team. He said that I could be a legitimate third option for the team. I said I would think about it. A few days later, I went to the first practice. Surrounded by my teammates–I knew I couldn’t quit the team, so I didn’t.

This year was my big year of improvement. I averaged seven points, seven rebounds, and two assists per game–the best stat line of my career. There was a stretch of four games where I averaged over twelve points per game, one of which was my career high sixteen points against Desert Chapel. Though these numbers aren’t impressive from most basketball player’s standpoints, they were to me. This was a big accomplishment for me.

Ben was now 6’1,” and the tallest person on the team. If you don’t count the games he didn’t play, he averaged nineteen points per game, had five twenty-point games and one thirty-point game, which allowed him to lead the league in scoring. Daniel led the league in assists. But, there is someone else I want to highlight: Asher Mai. Though Asher struggled with confidence, his senior year was his best year by far. He had his first game in which he scored more than ten points, and three games where he grabbed more than ten rebounds.

I’m so thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to play with these players. I started out just wanting to be like the cool kids to becoming an average high-school basketball player. And, throughout this process, I saw the development of my classmates, who have exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Editor: Luke Langlois

Should Sports Players be Paid Less?

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By Sports Enthusiast and Blogger Holden Hartle

In short, no. People like to say, “How can athletes get paid millions of dollars just to play a game? It’s unfair to the rest of the working class who actually has to work for their next paycheck.” I understand this hypothetical person’s argument. In its simplest, these athletes are getting paid ridiculous amounts of money to play a child’s game. But, I do have some problems with this hypothetical person’s argument.

Consider this. The NBA earns a total of $7.37 billion per year. How the NBA determines the salary cap (it’s actually very complicated so this is the “For Dummies” version) is they take the total NBA revenue, halve it, then divide it by thirty because there are thirty teams in the NBA. After the other math that goes into it, you get just over $100 million per team. The salary cap is how much money a team is allowed to spend on players’ contracts. So, as the NBA earns more revenue, the teams can spend more money on contracts. But imagine if teams were given less of a percentage of the NBA’s revenue. That means that players would get paid less but that money has to go somewhere. Instead, it would go to people like Adam Silver, who is currently commissioner of the NBA. It seems fairer that the players are getting 50% of the NBA’s revenue, rather than Adam Silver have all of it to himself.

Furthermore, consider the fact that each NBA player has some amount of influence. Sure someone like Antonio Blakeney will have less influence than LeBron James, but there are still people that will look to Blakeney as a role model. And though maybe this influence isn’t worth millions of dollars, it is at least worth something.

Personally, I don’t think that NBA players should be paid less. I think that they are paid a fair percentage of the NBA’s revenue and that it would be unfair if they were paid a lesser percentage. Though, yes, in its simplest, they are playing a child’s game, but consider the fact that they are playing it at the highest level in the entire world, and the fact that each NBA player has some influence over some group of people.

This has been Part 2 of Holden Rants About a Topic That Isn’t Really Relevant But is Still Kind of Interesting.

Editor: A.J. Patencio

Holden Hartle’s NBA Power Rankings

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By Holden Hartle, Blog Sports Correspondent

The NBA is starting again, and most major news sources, such as ESPN and Bleacher Report, have released their power rankings (or their opinions on how teams are ranked). I feel that most rankings are just trying to get a response out of people for publicity, so I have gone in and made my own.

*Disclaimer: these are my opinions. I am always prepared to argue, but don’t attack me.

 

Western Conference

  1. Golden State Warriors
    • They were already the best team in the league, and then they added Demarcus Cousins, arguably the best center in the league before his ACL injury.
  1. Houston Rockets
    • The duo of Chris Paul and James Harden proved that they could work together, as they took the best win-loss record in the league last year.
  1. Los Angeles Lakers
    • Any team can be a top 3 team with LeBron James on it, especially when they have such a good, young core, or key players on the team, to fill out the roster.
  1. Utah Jazz
    • Last year, the Jazz ended the year as the 5th seed in the west. With Rudy Gobert on the court, the Jazz were the best defensive team in the league. If the team can stay injury-free, they will for sure find success.  
  1. New Orleans Pelicans
    • Some may believe that the Pelicans are too high on this list, but they have MVP candidate Anthony Davis along with a young, promising Julius Randle. I think this team will surprise the league this year.
  1. Oklahoma City Thunder
    • Russell Westbrook will continue to be Russell Westbrook, and if Paul George can have a solid year, then one can be sure they will find some success in this stacked Western Conference.
  1. Portland Trail Blazers
    • The Trail Blazers are still looking for one more star player to be a genuine contender, but until they find that player, I predict that they will be fighting for a playoff spot.
  1. Denver Nuggets
    • They just barely missed the playoffs last year (by one game), and with Jimmy Butler potentially leaving the Timberwolves, this opens up a spot in the playoffs for the Nuggets.
  1. San Antonio Spurs
    • My concern with the Spurs is their lack of three-point shooting. Looking at their roster, no one stands out as a knockdown three-point shooter. DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge will definitely be amazing in the mid-range game, but to compete in the NBA, you need shooters.
  1. Minnesota Timberwolves
    • With Jimmy Butler potentially off the team, the Timberwolves have no one to play defense. Without Jimmy Butler on the court last season, they dropped to dead last in defensive rating. Without him, they will miss the playoffs.
  1. Phoenix Suns
    • The Suns made some moves to beef up their roster over the summer, drafting Deandre Ayton and picking up some veterans in trades/free agency. I hope they continue to do this next summer and become a playoff team.
  1. Dallas Mavericks
    • The only real moves that the Mavericks made was signing Deandre Jordan and drafting Luka Dončić, and I don’t think this will benefit them as much as other people are thinking. I feel as if they need a few more young players and solid veterans to become a playoff team.
  1. Memphis Grizzlies
    • Although Mike Conley is back from injury, with an aging Marc Gasol I predict that this team will be in no man’s land until they rebuild.
  1. Los Angeles Clippers
    • I predict that this team will tank and try to get a high lottery pick to rebuild around. They also need to hope that Tobias Harris and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will turn out to be valuable pieces of their offense if they want to have a playoff spot.
  1. Sacramento Kings
    • They’re the Kings; they’re bound to be the last team in the west.

 

Eastern Conference

  1. Boston Celtics
    • If Gordon Hayward wasn’t injured last season, they could have been the first seed in the east. A potential rival to the Warriors, I’m sure they will dominate the east.
  1. Toronto Raptors
    • The Raptors’ success depends entirely on Kawhi Leonard and whether he will bounce back to the top 5 player he once was.
  1. Philadelphia 76ers
    • The 76ers’ young core has developed beautifully, and now with a healthy Markelle Fultz, they are bound to be a contender in the east.
  1. Milwaukee Bucks
    • Giannis Antetokounmpo has the potential to have an MVP season this year. His numbers have improved each season, and if this growth continues, he could very well average 30 points per game this season.
  1. Indiana Pacers
    • I really hope that Victor Oladipo can have the same success he did last year on the Pacers. If he can keep that momentum, the Pacers should end up as the same seed as they did last year.
  1. Washington Wizards
    • If John Wall can stay healthy and prove that he is worth the money he was paid, the Wizards will definitely be a playoff team. Hopefully, Dwight Howard will be the missing piece they need in their starting 5.
  1. Detroit Pistons
    • Blake Griffin joined their team midway through last season and the team had to go through some adjustments. I think that with these adjustments in place, they could fight for a playoff spot.
  1. Cleveland Cavaliers
    • Now LeBron-less, they have to hope that an aging Kevin Love will revert back to his 24-year-old self, and that Collin Sexton will be the rookie-of-the-year candidate that people think he will become. Don’t be surprised if the Cavaliers don’t make the playoffs this season.
  1. Charlotte Hornets
    • The Hornets deserve a playoff spot. More specifically, Kemba Walker deserves a playoff spot. He has been absolutely ballin’ for the past several years, and I hope that the addition of Miles Bridges and veteran Tony Parker will get them that playoff spot.
  1. Chicago Bulls
    • Though I am partial to the Bulls, I am hopeful that they can compete for a playoff spot as well. They are the second-youngest team in the NBA, so even if they don’t make the playoffs this year, they can get a lottery pick and draft for next season.
  1. Miami Heat
    • I’m going to be completely honest; I don’t know how the Heat were so successful last season. I think that because the east is slowly getting more competitive, and because of the Heat’s overall dysfunctionality, they will miss the playoffs and hope for a high lottery pick to pair with their young core.
  1. New York Knicks
    • The Knicks are currently in no man’s land. They have way too many point guards and no star to pair with Kristaps Porzingis. They either need to draft well in the upcoming drafts or trade some of their core for a star to pair with Porzingis.
  1. Brooklyn Nets
    • The Nets gave away all of their assets a few years ago in what might go down as the worst trade in NBA history, but Sean Marks is doing the best he can with nothing. They have traded well and signed a few good pieces in the offseason. Also, they have enough cap room to sign a max contract this coming off-season.
  1. Orlando Magic
    • Oh, the Magic. They should probably tank, or lose games in hopes for a high draft pick, and aim for a top 5 pick in the draft. They don’t have the cap to sign a star, nor a point guard to lead their team. It will take a miracle to get this team to the playoffs for the next several years.
  1. Atlanta Hawks
    • The Hawks have no intentions of being good this year. They will put all of their chips in with Trey Young and John Collins, who will run the offense. Hopefully, Trey Young can find his stride in the NBA and become a player that the Hawks can build around.

Editor: Leo Milmet

The Different Waves of Basketball

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By Holden Hartle

Basketball, even outside of the NBA, goes through different waves of how people play the game. Normally spearheaded by a small group of players, a new style of play will burst onto the scene, and it will actually cause teams to modify their roster. That is long and convoluted, so let me give you some examples.

Through the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, the NBA was led by several different stars that all had their unique styles of play. Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell dominated the league in the 60’s, while the revolutionary scoring of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took the league by storm in the 70’s.

During the 80’s, the faces of the league were Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. But, during this era, the idea of grit and grind is introduced. This is the idea of playing tough defense, fouling hard, and showing the rest of the league that you are the toughest guy on that court.

The 90’s popularized the ideas of the pick and roll and isolation basketball, or ISO for short. The pick and roll was executed to perfection by John Stockton and his counterpart Karl Malone. The way Stockton and Malone pulled this off is something that NBA teams are still trying to perfect today. And, then, there’s the idea of ISO-ball, popularized by none other than Michael Jordan. His coach, Phil Jackson, created an offense in which Jordan would get the ball at the top of the three-point line, everyone would give him space to let him work, and Jordan would score easy buckets. It’s basically like a 1v1 between Jordan and the defender. ISO-ball, as well as the pick and roll, are both present in the league today, but the grit-and-grind mindset of the 80’s players are for the most part gone, with a few exceptions of course.

The reason that defense in the 80’s and 90’s was so prolific is because of hand checking. Before the 2000’s, you could place your hand on the offensive player’s hip to help dictate where they are going. In the 2000’s, the league ruled against it, which allowed people like Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, and Kobe Bryant to play the same kind of ISO-ball that Jordan did, except with much more ease, as their defender is basically helpless without hand checking.

For the 2010’s, the revolutionary style of basketball has to do with the three-pointer, popularized by the Splash Brothers, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry. Though the three pointer had been in the league since the 80’s, no superstar made the three pointer a sole part of their game. Yes, Larry Bird could shoot the ball, but he was also an amazing defender and playmaker. Though Ray Allen could shoot the ball, I wouldn’t necessarily call him a superstar. And, though superstar Kobe could shoot 3’s, he could basically shoot from anywhere, and his main attack was the mid-range shot. But, Steph Curry took the three pointer and made it his primary way of scoring the ball. While playing in college, many scouts saw him as a risky prospect. He was small; he was thin; his defense was subpar, and many didn’t think that he could be a playmaker. Nonetheless, he proved all of them wrong by winning back-to-back MVP’s and becoming a three-time NBA champion. But, as for the three pointer, it is normally seen as a weakness if you can’t shoot 3’s. Even centers, who have historically stayed in the paint are forced to come outside of the paint and their comfort zone to help their team stretch the floor.

For the 2020’s, who knows what the NBA could become? A rule change could drastically change the way the game is played, like with the hand-checking rule. In any case, I’m sure the NBA will stay relevant and exciting for decades to come.

Editor: Makena Behnke

WNBA Info Guide

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By Holden Hartle, Sports-Blogger

If any of you are like me, a diehard NBA fan, you know that the WNBA has been in sports talks recently. Within the last year, many of WNBA players have felt as if they have been deserving of more respect as they are playing at the same level as NBA players. There is also the controversy that they are paid a small fraction of the percentage that NBA players are paid. In my attempt to give more recognition to these talented ladies, I have been watching the WNBA playoffs (which are really exciting), and in an attempt to get more people to watch this amazing sport, this is an intro guide.

General Knowledge and How the WNBA is Different From the NBA

The WNBA, or Women’s National Basketball Association, has 12 teams (a small amount compared to the NBA’s 30 teams). This makes the WNBA a more competitive league, and it means that only the best out of the best women will get drafted as this decrease in teams means fewer draft spots.

Skylar Diggins-Smith

The other big difference that I spotted was how the playoffs work. The NBA takes the top eight teams from each conference, and the playoffs commence. The WNBA is very different. The WNBA takes the top eight teams out of the entire league and reseeds them based on record and puts them into the playoffs. I, personally, wish the NBA was like this. Currently in the NBA, the Western Conference is stacked, with the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets leading that charge. If the WNBA playoffs worked how the NBA playoffs do, we wouldn’t get to see Skylar Diggins-Smith, who has become a leader of WNBA activism, or Liz Cambage, who broke the WNBA single-game scoring record. In the NBA playoff system, these players would just have to try their luck next season. Furthermore, the first round is single elimination, while the semifinals and finals are a best of 5 series.

This brings me to a point that I mentioned earlier, the WNBA draft. Recently the WNBA draft lottery was announced, and the Las Vegas Aces got the first pick. With fewer teams, but an equal amount of talent coming out of college, only the best players in the entire country are competing in the WNBA.

A Brief Description of The Top or Most Promising Teams

If you want to join the WNBA following, but you don’t know which team to support. Well, here is a brief description of each team going into the 2019 season.

Atlanta Dream

The Dream ended the regular season at the top of the Eastern Conference and as the second best team in the league. They barely topped the Washington Mystics after Atlanta’s Alex Bentley torched them with her shooting.

Chicago Sky

Though the Sky were fourth in their conference, they were in the bottom half in the league in terms of their record. They are led by the dynamic duo of Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley. Quigley is a back-to-back three-point competition champion, while Vandersloot is an amazing passer. With their lottery pick, the future in Chicago is bright.

Connecticut Sun

The Sun were third in the Eastern Conference and made the playoffs but were outmatched by the veteran team from Arizona, the Phoenix Mercury. The thing that is amazing about the Sun is that they don’t have one player that leads their team. Their top six players all averaged double digits, making a very well rounded team.

Washington Mystics

Elena Delle Donne

The Mystics are the third best team by record and have former MVP Elena Delle Donne on their team. Though she went down with a scary injury in game two of the semifinals on the 28th, she is currently playing in the championship series. They are legitimate contenders to win the championship this year if Delle Donne’s injury isn’t serious.

Dallas Wings

The Wings are arguably the most exciting team this year. With Skylar Diggins-Smith and Liz Cambage taking the WNBA world by storm, many had high hopes for them this postseason. Although they were eliminated in the first round, they could very well be contenders next season.

Las Vegas Aces

The Aces have one of the brightest futures. They have A’ja Wilson, a rookie who was also an all-star this season. Not only that, but they have the first pick in the upcoming draft. They have the chance at building a strong young core to lead them to a championship.

Los Angeles Sparks

The Sparks were the highlight of the league a few years ago, and are still relevant in the WNBA. Candace Parker, though she has fallen short in this year’s playoffs, is a bonafide star. The Sparks have been a consistently good team for a very long time.

Minnesota Lynx

Liz Cambage guarding Maya Moore

The Lynx have been led by Maya Moore for what seems like forever. An arguable GOAT of the WNBA, Moore and Sylvia Fowles have done well this season, but were eliminated early in the playoffs.

Phoenix Mercury

The Mercury are my favorite team in the playoffs currently. Led by the dominant post player Brittney Griner and the Magic Johnson-esque Diana Taurasi. The last game I watched, the Mercury almost made a spectacular comeback against the stacked Storm. A definite underdog within the league.

Seattle Storm

A powerhouse in the league, the Storm have the 2018 MVP Breanna Stewart on their team. Not only that, but they have veteran Sue Bird who might as well be related to Larry Bird. And beyond that they have an amazing young bench. All of this is enough for the best team in the league, and maybe the best for the next few years.

 

Brittney Griner, from the Phoenix Mercury

In Conclusion

Yes, not everyone in the WNBA can dunk, which may be the cause of why it is not as popular as the NBA, but this is an exciting sport. Another way to look at it is, Look at all the things these women can do without being able to dunk.  Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird are more exciting passers than most point guards in the NBA, and Alex Bentley and Allie Quigley are arguably better shooters than their NBA counterparts. All in all, I am excited to see how the WNBA Finals turn out and even more excited to see what the next season has to offer. Catch the Finals on ESPN2 tonight, Wednesday, September 12.

Editor: Bella Bier