Oliver Martinez Archives - the bird on fire

Oliver’s Ranking for Every Season of the Year

April 19, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

By Sophomore Oliver Martinez

Spring is officially here; now we can see some plant growth; snow is melting and going away, and we are entering warmer times. However, there are some downsides to warmer spring weather–like awful allergies. I’ve personally started to feel these allergies, and that makes me like spring less. Still, to celebrate spring’s arrival, I’ve made my rankings from worst to best of the seasons of the year.

4. Autumn/Fall

Autumn is in my opinion very boring and the least eventful time of the year. Plants start to lose their leaves, which not only is really sad to see, it just makes it worse that it’s so windy so the leaves go all over the place. It makes it a pain to clean them up. On top of that, this is that sad time of year when school starts. Another thing I dislike about Autumn, weirdly, is the name. Autumn is such a weird name. I don’t know how to explain it, but it sounds so… artificial. Also, I hear people say they like the colors. I think there is nothing to like about them. Orange and yellow are lame colors. There are many that are far better than that.

3. Spring

Spring was close to going into last place, but I think it’s slightly better than Autumn. My main reason for disliking the season is that during Spring, allergies come around. I swear I haven’t gone a year of my life without getting allergies during Spring. They’re the most annoying thing ever. I hate them so much. I hate going to sleep knowing that I’m going to have to breathe through my mouth. It’s also really annoying to have a stuffy nose and, worst of all, a sore throat. I think that after COVID-19 came around, allergies automatically became three times worse. Now, whenever I wake up with a sore throat, I immediately assume I have COVID-19, and it’s really annoying. One reason why spring isn’t the worst season is because of the rebirth of plants and trees. It’s nice to see bright colors for once. And, it’s nice to see the different flowers that sprout during this season.

The palo verde trees here on campus shower us with yellow petals in the Spring. If you hurry, you may still catch the super bloom happening now in Anza Borrego.

2. Winter

I think Winter is a really good season. I like the cold weather, and I like the overall vibe of this season. I’m not entirely sure why, but people are generally much nicer and happier during Winter. It may be because of holidays, vacations, discounts in shopping, etc. It’s always nice to see people happy. On top of that, winter gives me an excuse to buy more hoodies. Then, since it’s the end of the year, there are a lot of things getting announced for the upcoming year: like movies, games, music, etc. I also like the plans that sports associations have during these times. Like the NBA games during the end of the year are way more fun to watch. They’re a lot more exciting, and teams are releasing limited edition merchandise along with stadium giveaways. And, to top it all off, we get two weeks of break during Christmas and New Year’s which is awesome. Overall, winter is so great because of all the awesome things that are going on at once – the ambience, how people behave, and because of the time we get off from school.

Winters surround us with snow on the mountains encircling the Coachella Valley. We’re lucky. We get to look at pretty snow, and we don’t have to scrape it off our windshields. Photo Credit: coachellavalley.com

1. Summer

My absolute favorite season of the year is Summer. Although I prefer the colder weather, Summer is just so fun. First of all, we get two months off of school, which is a big plus. I actually don’t mind the heat too much; I know it gets pretty hot, but waking up late and knowing there’s no school for some time is really nice. I have so much free time during summer, I start exploring different things that I thought I would never do. Last summer I read three books, which surprised me because I hadn’t seriously read a book in so long. I like playing basketball at night, and the best part is that all my friends are available to play because there’s no school or homework. I like that I don’t have to go to sleep early because I won’t have to go to school the next day. Allergies are generally not as common during Summer, and (at least for me) getting sick is rare. We also sometimes go on a trip somewhere which is really fun, even if it’s not too far. And, lastly, the NBA playoffs come during summer around mid-late June. It’s so fun watching the games live, and it’s very exciting because all the teams just play so much better during the playoffs. On top of that, it’s fun to find out what team will win the championship. One thing overrated about Summer is going to the beach. I think that going to the beach is overrated and more of an inconvenience because of how dirty you get and how absurdly crowded it is. Overall, Summer is the best season because of vacation off school, the warm weather, the free time, spending time with friends and because of the sports.

I think my list is pretty accurate; maybe it would change once I graduate because there won’t be vacation off school anymore, but for now this is my definitive list of the worst to best seasons of the year. Would you change anything on this list? Let me know in the comments.

*Apparently, the opinions expressed by Oliver Martinez do not express the overall opinions of thebirdonfire.org (especially not Louisa’s).

The Past and Present of the NBA: Which is Better?

March 26, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Sophomore Oliver Martinez

Recently, the NBA hosted the All-Star game. Although this is supposed to be one of the most hyped events in the NBA, as it unites the best from each division, it really doesn’t live up to the hype. People are seriously disappointed with it and prefer the way it used to be in the past, when players did make an effort to win and actually played defense. This led many to believe the past NBA is better. But could this be true? To answer, I will compare the past and present of the NBA in three major categories, and then give my opinion on which I think is better. The categories are as follows: Players (two players on each position from each era compared), Jerseys, and Overall Game (Defense, Offense, Strategy). For the old NBA, I’ll be looking at the years 1960-1998 and for the present 1999-today.

The Players

The players are what makes the game so special. The majority of players have their own individual set of abilities that distinguish them. It’s always satisfying seeing a great player display their abilities, like sometimes a player is really good at scoring a three-pointer but not so good at guarding his man. That’s why I’ll be comparing the two best players at every position from the past and the present.

The best point guards from the mid 60s to the end of the 90s were Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson, compared to today’s Stephen Curry and Chris Paul. Though it’s close, I think that the older players are better. It is difficult to justify the modern players being better when Chris Paul hasn’t won a single ring in 19 years of being in the League. On the other hand, Magic Johnson (who has five rings) is considered the best at his position, only competing with Stephen Curry (who has four rings) and Oscar Robertson who has one ring which is more than CP3’s zero. Since the point guard position’s role has changed so much from an opportunity creator and making many passes to more of finding the open three and heavy reliance on handles, it is more difficult to compare these players, but I would still consider the older era better.

At the shooting guard position, the best from the past are Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler compared to today’s best, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. Personally, I would take today’s best all day over the past. The older combine for seven rings (MJ has six, Drexler one), while the players of the present combine for eight, (Kobe has five, and Wade has three). This is also somewhat based on personal preference; I just prefer Kobe over everyone in the NBA. That’s why I think the present is far better in this position.

Legends of the sport, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan deep in discussion during the 2003 NBA All-Star game. Photo Credit: Los Angeles Times

The best of the small forwards of the past are Larry Bird and Julius Erving. It’s tough to decide between Dr. J (Julius Erving), and Scottie Pippen, but out of respect I think Dr. J deserves it. And, for the present, LeBron James and Kevin Durant win. This is a no-brainer. The present wins by a mile and a half. LeBron James is arguably the best of all time, and Kevin Durant is a top player of all time as well. Larry Bird and Dr. J just can’t compare to the legacy these two players are building.

The best power forwards of the past are Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. The best of the present are Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki; once again, the players of the present are just better. In a way, Tim Duncan is like Kobe except they played different positions; they both have five rings and won all with one team. Dirk also went on a crazy playoffs run, even beating the Miami Heat super team in 2011. Neither Charles Barkley nor Karl Malone won a ring, but they’re both very dominant players who knew their game really well and scored loads of points.

Finally, the best centers of the past are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell. For the present, the best are Shaquille O’Neal and Nikola Jokic. The past takes this win; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was extremely dominant and managed to score tens of thousands of points without the three-point line and also winning six rings. Bill Russel’s record is unbeatable; he has 11 rings. Shaq and Jokic are great but are nothing compared to what Kareem and Bill Russel did for the game.

Overall, the present has better talent in most positions. But what about the apparel?

The Jerseys

In the past, jerseys were made by Sand-Knit (AKA Champion); there are some really nice jerseys like the showtime Lakers jersey:

Icons of basketball Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and Magic Johnson rocked this iconic Lakers jersey. Photo Credit: silverscreen

These are extremely clean and look great. I personally prefer when the jersey has the logo of the brand that made the jersey printed onto it, but these are great regardless. I like the way the “R” stretches below the “S.” Even the modern Lakers jerseys take inspiration from these.

Another great older jersey is this Super Sonics Classic jersey:

This jersey is great; the basketball going around the “SONICS” in a circle looks good, and I like that the letters go kind of on an upward slope.

I love that these jerseys were simple and showed what the team was about rather than trying to get some secret meaning behind an insanely overcomplicated designed jersey. One complaint I would have is the quality of the numbers and logos because they were kind of like stickers, and when you use the jersey a lot, the numbers would kind of start to peel off, and it would ruin the jersey. Overall, older jerseys look great.

Now, the newer jerseys. This is when Adidas and Nike, and a little bit of Reebok, come in. Although I would argue that Adidas didn’t make the highest quality jerseys, they have some classics–like the special edition Christmas jerseys which were some of the most amazing jerseys ever released.

I love the way the lettering works; they look so smooth. They’re not simple enough to be boring but not complicated enough to be mind-boggling.

Another example of some great Adidas jerseys were the 2014 jerseys that had the players’ first name rather than the last name.

These are really cool, maybe not the most creative design. But, it is refreshing to see something different being done with the jerseys. They made the logo smaller, and emphasized the player’s first name rather than last name. I think it looks really cool. I kind of wish we could still buy these.

I won’t even put a picture of Reebok jerseys; in my opinion, they are extremely lazily designed and are very low quality.

Lastly, there are the Nike jerseys, which are the ones we have now. I’ve already talked about my favorite Nike NBA jerseys, so I’ll only mention one. Here is the Black Mamba Lakers jersey:

Photo Credit: helmut=lakers-to-don-black-mamba-jerseys-for-game

The jersey holds a huge meaning, representing the Black Mamba himself, Kobe Bryant. It looks great, the black makes great contrast with yellow. Even though it’s just the basic design with yellow and black, it looks super clean, and it looks even better in-game.

I struggle to decide which era has better jerseys; it’s really hard to come up with an answer because in the past the NBA almost never made a horrible jersey, but instead made simpler ones with solid designs but generally more boring. Today’s NBA can make incredibly bold designs that work 65% of the time and are very interesting, while the other 35% are just terrible jerseys that are quickly forgotten or are never really popular. I’d say the deciding factor is that since my collection is based primarily on apparel of this era, I’ll give the win to today’s jerseys.

Overall Game

Today’s game is way more offensive than before. The reason why is that in 2004-2005 the NBA got more serious about hand-checking. “Hand checking is when a defender illegally uses their hand or arm to touch or control an offensive player’s movement. It’s a personal foul” (homeschoolhoop). Now, the defenders can BARELY touch the defender without the refs immediately calling a personal foul on them. Thanks to this, every game goes to around 110-120 points scored by each team (basketballreference). In the mid 1990s to 2000s, teams scored 95 ppg each; that is a crazy difference and is all thanks to the hand-check enforcement. On top of that, refereeing has gotten so annoying recently, with refs calling fouls on basically everything, from hanging on the rim to literally just passing the ball to the ref–anything can get you a technical foul. In a way, refs are just too soft nowadays, soft meaning they get annoyed easily and call almost anything a foul. “As of January 14, players have been ejected 29 times so far in the 2023-24 season. Moreover, the sheer number of these rulings has led to many fans calling the NBA and its refs ‘soft.’ Some players have received techs for the smallest and most ridiculous infractions” (LWOS). I can see why the NBA would implement these changes though. More points equals more viewership and more intense games which attracts more people. However, I also argue that it is more satisfying to watch a team score because they created a brilliant play that allowed them to score rather than the other team just playing lackluster defense or the referee calling a foul on non-existent contact. So, for this category, I have to give it to the older NBA.

To conclude, both the past and present of the NBA have amazing talents, apparels and overall game. But, it should be noted that the NBA has improved over the years, and that’s why the newer NBA performs better in most of these categories. My personal opinion is that this modern era is better than the older. But, then again, I didn’t grow up watching Michael Jordan, or collecting the Sand-Knit jerseys, so due to that, I may have to admit a bit of bias towards this newer generation.

What do you think? Do you prefer the newer or older NBA? Let me know in the comments.

The Mere Concept of the Sports City Edition Jersey

March 7, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Sophomore Oliver Martinez

In one of my most recent posts, I talked about the best sports jerseys. And, in doing so, I mentioned City Edition jerseys and had them in my list. But what do “City Jerseys” even mean? And, what’s so special about them?

What is a sports City Edition jersey?

In the NBA, a City Edition jersey is a jersey made to express a feeling or remember something memorable about the city in which they are located. In other words, their purpose is “to represent the stories, history and heritage that make each franchise unique” (NBA) .

When were they introduced?

City Edition jerseys have been in production since 2017 when Nike took control of the NBA jerseys. So for the past seven years, every team has had its own City Edition jersey–updated yearly.

Examples of City Edition jerseys—

So, for example, look at this 2022 Atlanta Hawks City Edition jersey:

The meaning for this one is easy to figure out; the letters stand for Martin Luther King, Jr., and since Atlanta is the city where he was born, it makes sense this City Edition jersey commemorates him. It perfectly represents what a City Edition jersey should be. By having a jersey like this, the Hawks make tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and also to Atlanta.

However, there are other jerseys that make it hard to understand what the meaning is.

For example, look at this season’s Grizzlies City Edition jersey:

Can you guess what it’s supposed to represent?

Me neither. I had to look it up. According to NBA.com, “The Memphis Grizzlies 2023-24 City Edition uniform represents the joy growing up playing basketball.” I have no idea how nine lines that look like strips of bacon represent joy and basketball, but apparently that’s what it means.

What’s next for City Edition jerseys?

Typically, people enjoy the City Edition jerseys; however, this season people are really having mixed feelings about them.

2023-24’s City Edition jerseys. Photo Credit: NBA

I’d say a little over half of this season’s jerseys are terrible.

As an example of a bad jersey, look at this season’s Miami Heat City Edition jersey:

The problem I have with this is that “CULTURE” is bigger than “HEAT.” It doesn’t make any sense, the team is called Miami “Heat” not Miami “Culture.” It’s a shame because there is potential with the whole Heat/Culture thing. It’s also super plain and boring; it has the same color as their base jersey. It’s just generally a bad jersey.

One more example of a bad jersey this season is the Washington Wizards City Edition; just look at it:

This is single-handedly ruining NBA basketball for me. It’s an extremely ugly jersey. The gradient on the shoulder part is super ugly. Is that supposed to be rust color with turquoise? This jersey has managed to become one of the worst jerseys of all time. It does nothing right. The colors don’t go well at all, and the font is ugly as can be. I don’t even want to know what the meaning of it is.

Due to jerseys like this, I’ve heard some people say we should take a break from City Edition jerseys for a year so that Nike can reflect on the monstrosities they have created. But, one bad year of jerseys doesn’t mean they are terrible. I would say that to have a good City Edition jersey it has to first of all look good (obviously) but also have a deep meaning behind it that isn’t impossible to figure out.

A good example of a meaningful City Edition jersey came out in 2018-19. We had this Chinese New Year Warriors jersey:

This is a stunning jersey with great meaning, representing San Francisco and its Bay while also paying tribute to the Chinese New Year and the local population that celebrates it.

Major League Baseball City Connect Jerseys

The MLB also has these City Connect jerseys. Baseball isn’t really my thing, but I still appreciate their meaning and looks. According to MLB, “The MLB launched the Nike City Connect program during the 2021 season to celebrate the bond between teams and their home city. This year’s City Connect uniforms explore ‘the personality, values and customs that make each community and their residents unique.’”

A quick example of a City Connect jersey is this Washington Nationals jersey:

According to CBS, “Nationals managing principal owner Mark D. Lerner explained the meaning behind the uniforms, saying: ‘Washington, D.C.’s cherry blossoms represent hope and new beginnings, making them the perfect symbol of this Nationals team.’”

In conclusion, I think City Edition jerseys are a great staple of sports. They’re very memorable and help us celebrate and cherish different cultures from different areas in the US. They are something I look forward to every year.

Now do you understand the concept of City Edition and City Connect jerseys? Did I miss a sport that also does City Edition jerseys? If I did, let me know in the comments.

The Best Advice in the World on How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

February 29, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Sophomore Oliver Martinez

We’re approaching Quarter 4 and nearing the end of the school year. Classes are getting more difficult. There are more tests, and extracurricular activities are becoming more demanding–all of which can result in a struggle to get a good night’s sleep. So, here I have compiled some ways of getting a good night’s sleep in order to be rested and ready for school the next day. First, I’ve compiled some scientifically proven facts by reliable sources about restful sleep. Second, you get my own anecdotal advice on how I manage to get a good night’s sleep.

Scientifically Proven Facts

Don’t drink coffee at night.

As we all know, coffee is used to stay awake. So, it makes sense that if you’re going to sleep, do not drink coffee as it will keep you awake. According to sleepfoundation, “Caffeine promotes wakefulness by blocking adenosine, a sleep-inducing chemical.” Staff Writer Danielle Pacheco and Dr. Dustin Cotliar, Sleep Medicine Physician, also advise you to “avoid caffeine at least 8 hours before bedtime to ensure better sleep quality” (sleepfoundation).

No electronic devices at night.

So, according to cdc.gov, it is recommended that you “Remove electronic devices, such as TVs, computers, and smart phones, from the bedroom.” I don’t know if I really agree with this, it sounds kind of lame. But the reason why is because “Tempting as it might be to use your computer or phone before bed, studies have shown these devices can interfere with sleep by suppressing the production of melatonin, a natural hormone released in the evening to help you feel tired. . . . This leads to neurophysiologic arousals that increase feelings of alertness when you should be winding down instead” (sleepfoundation). Honestly, the use of technology helps me wind down faster, but I can’t go against the science, I guess.

Exercise.

Exercise naturally makes us tired. And, according to cdc.gov, getting “some exercise [. . . and] being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night.” This suggestion makes a lot of sense. Sometimes I go play basketball with my friends, and when I come back, I’m so tired the first thing I do is go straight to bed and get a great night’s sleep. Getting exercise to help with sleep I 1000% agree with, and I would recommend.

My Own “Totally” Accurate Advice

Choose the perfect position to sleep.

The position in which you sleep is very important and most definitely affects how you wake up the next day. Here is a picture, for your reference, of the different sleeping positions:

There are endless possibilities for how you can sleep. I personally prefer #2. However, #1, 6, 15, and 16 are kind of lame but aren’t the worst. #3, 4, 5, 8, 12, and 14 will make you wake up with horrible back or neck pain. #13 just looks ridiculous. I wouldn’t want to sleep like #18 because I feel like I would die due to lack of oxygen. Anyway, the point is that you need to pick a good sleeping position to ensure a good night’s sleep.

DON’T go to sleep early….

I know this sounds like it doesn’t make sense, but whenever I go to sleep at like 8:30 p.m. and wake up the next morning at 7 a.m., I genuinely feel more tired than when I went to sleep the night before. I recommend going to sleep at 10:30 p.m. and waking up at 6:30-7:00 a.m. the next morning. It’s the perfect eight hours of sleep. I think the only occasion when it’s fine to sleep 10+ hours is when you’re sick.

Chug Water.

For my last piece of advice, I recommend you drink tons of water before going to bed. It may be a little dangerous in case you need to use the restroom, but honestly chugging water just makes me fall asleep faster. The reason why is that it refreshes you, and it also makes my throat not be dry which helps me breathe better, and that’s why it helps me fall asleep faster. Also, if you wake up in the middle of the night, drink more water. And, drink again when you wake up the next morning, too. Chugging water is risky but most definitely worth the healthy hydration in my opinion.

There it is, a compilation of advice from proven facts that you should most definitely use and my awesome advice that obviously works and definitely will help you have a better night’s sleep. Finals and APs are coming. You’ll need good nights of rest. Do you have any advice of your own? Let me know in the comments!

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!

Why are the French Called Frogs?

January 4, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Sophomore Oliver Martinez

Here at thebirdonfire.org, we thought we’d pursue “Chaos” for a while, as it’s so unlike our day-to-day lives–or so I thought. At the mention of “Chaos,” Oliver immediately went to English class.

While in English Class we were reading Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel Maus II, and on page 93, Vladek (Spiegelman’s father) is in a concentration camp when he encounters a French frog character who then proceeds to socialize with him and become his friend. You see, Vladek is the only character with whom the French frog can communicate, as they both speak English. In Spiegelman’s book, character groups are represented as different anthropomorphized animals. We were used to seeing human-like cats and mice and dogs. But, a frog? We started wondering why a frog is used to represent a French person. To be frank, my interest piqued, and after some research, I’ve compiled a list of circulated reasons as to why the French are called frogs.

Frog Legs

Well, there are many theories about why the French may be called frogs. For example, according to stackexchange, “Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable traces the use of the word ‘frogs’ for the French to eating frogs’ legs.” Apparently, the French have been eating frogs since the twelfth century. Since it technically wasn’t meat, the Catholic monks could eat it during Lent–when Catholics abstain from meat. So, yes, one of the reasons for the French being called frogs is their tendency to eat frog legs (tastefrance).

Revolution and England

A more reliable source, England’s The Guardian – its “Notes and Queries” section, includes a reason the French are referred to as Frogs: during the French Revolution, “the Aristocracy fled and made their way to England, where they disparagingly called the revolutionaries ‘les grenouilles’ – the Frogs.” This spread very quickly all around England. Everyone started calling the French “Frogs.” Still, other explanations pop up.

Fleur-De-Lys

The French adopted the Fleur-De-Lys as their national flag during the 14th century (study.com). The French are called Frogs because according to thingsiloveaboutfrance, “The English, unfamiliar with the fleur-de-lys (Lily Flower), mistook the flower for a frog, and had a right old laugh about a country that would put a gold frog on their flag, and thus began sarcastically calling their nemesis ‘frogs.’” This reason, I find one of the most hilarious; I mean, how could you confuse this shape with a Frog?

To me, it looks more like a skinny turtle. Either way, if I had to choose a reason as to why the French are called frogs, this would be my reason.

How they sound…?

I found one more reason as to why the French might be called Frogs, but I have a hard time believing it, and it sounds mostly satirical. According to a Fodor’s Travel user named Bob The Scholar, “The French were called Frogs a very long time ago because, as the story goes, they sounded like frogs to the people who encountered them (fodors). The French men were said to speak with very deep voices that reminded the strangers of frogs ribbiting!” This is probably the funniest reason I read while researching this topic. It made me chuckle when I first read it. I’ve been taking French since 7th grade, and I don’t really see the resemblance to ribbiting frogs. I know the French speak very fast, and they kind of gag or make a noise like gagging when pronouncing the R’s, but I personally don’t believe they sound like Frogs.

What Ms. Brady (the French teacher) thinks about this–

To end it, I asked Ms. Brady to tell us what she thinks of this term. “I think it’s meant to be derogatory, . . . and we need to stop doing stuff like that.”

Although this may be a new term to some, it’s still a derogatory, potentially harmful or offensive term that we shouldn’t use. Instead, we can hold a friendly conversation with our French peers.

That’s it; those are the best reasons as to why the French may be called Frogs, whether Spiegelman (author of Maus II) represented the French as frogs was motivated by the common nickname or not, I kind of am thankful he did because I got to learn an interesting, but chaotic origin of a common idea about the French.

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.

Things I just can’t stand. And people do too much.

November 2, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Sophomore Oliver Martinez

Is there something that just gets under your skin? Something that sets your teeth on edge? Oliver opens up our theme on Things That Bug Us. If you’re victimized by irritating behavior, join in on the rant. If you commit irritating behavior, just STOP.

Has someone ever said, or done something that makes you feel mad or indignant? I certainly have. Here is my list of the seven most annoying things that I just can’t stand!

When someone says “No offense”

Is it just me, or does this just make it all that more offensive? Like if someone says, “No offense, but your shirt looks really ugly today,” it would be more annoying than if they just told you. “Hey, your shirt looks really ugly today.” Why? Because saying “no offense” doesn’t cancel out what you’re about to say. If you’re going to say something offensive, just say it. Don’t try to act all innocent and like you’re not being mean because you said “No offense.” (You are being mean.)

People still doing the cringy Fortnite dances

This one’s probably one of the least annoying because it doesn’t really affect me. Truth is, we’re past 2017. Those times are long gone. Yet I still see people in the streets doing those goofy dances. Like the Floss or the Orange Justice. I honestly feel kind of bad for these people because that trend is so outdated and cringy.

People who use their phone during the movie in a theater

This is just annoying. What’s the point in paying 13 dollars for a movie ticket to just go do something you could do at home? Seriously, like that is just a waste of time and money. If you’re going to use your phone during a movie and not let others enjoy it, then don’t go. It’s that simple. Just use your phone at home or elsewhere.

Bikers who take up the whole road

Okay, I have absolutely no problem with biking, I think it’s very fun and a good form of exercise and travel. However, it’s just so annoying when we’re going somewhere and there is some guy in the middle of the street doing wheelies and tricks and driving in the middle of the road. Honestly, nobody cares if you can do a wheelie with a bike. Go to the sidewalk or to the side of the road where people can drive without having to worry about possibly hitting you.

People who party all night and blast their music until 2 a.m.

I absolutely understand that sometimes people want to have a party for whatever reason. Once in a while is okay. But there are some neighbors who party from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. and blast their music every other week. To make it worse, they scream vulgarities, throw beer bottles, and reek of the awful smell of smoke. I used to have neighbors like this. And they literally partied EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK. We had to call the cops on them so many times because they blasted their music loud until 2 a.m. It was basically impossible to get a good night’s sleep. Even neighbors that lived a couple houses away heard it and called the cops. Eventually these partying neighbors moved out, and we were saved.

Bandwagons on sports

These people I probably dislike the least from the rest of this list. Still, it should be noted; they are very annoying. So, basically, a bandwagon is a person who just hops onto the trend because everyone else is doing so. A bandwagon on sports is when someone roots for a team just because they are the best, or they just won a championship. This pet-peeve came from a friend who didn’t really like American football. But a couple days after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl he was idolizing the team and saying he has always been a Chiefs fan. The thing is, when a different team becomes the best and wins the Super Bowl, he’ll change teams and claim he’s always been a fan of that other team.

People who burp intentionally

This is just disgusting in my opinion. It’s so common, too. I don’t know if people think it’s funny or cool, but I think it’s absolutely disgusting–especially when you’re at a restaurant eating and someone else chugs two bottles of Mountain Dew just to burp super loudly. It kind of makes me lose my appetite.

Those are my seven biggest pet peeves and annoying things people do. I have many more, but they’re less irritating. Do you have any pet peeves? Let us know in the comments.

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.