Blog Post #9: Deflategate

Deflate-Gate in the NFL

      Ever since the 2014 AFC Championship Game, the deflategate has been a colossal issue in the NFL. After the patriots had defeated the Indianapolis Colts with an outstanding victory of 45-7, a huge controversy/accusation had arisen on the Patriots using deflated footballs as a strategy to win. After this accusation, the NFL began to undergo an investigation on the New England Patriots in order to determine if they were guilty. Many believed that this accusation was true, many didn't. Each side had a good argument, however. For the ones who believed he was guilty, argued that the deflated footballs were much easier to catch and throw than the regular inflated balls. This would then provide a huge advantage to the team using those balls. On the other hand, people who are denying this accusation are saying that weather may have been a factor and that even if the balls were slightly deflated it wouldn't effect their skill as a team. Ultimately, it was the NFL that had to make the decision. After a long investigation of around 5 months, the NFL decided that the Patriots were guilty, and punished them in many ways. As a team, the New England Patriots lost two draft picks; one for the upcoming 2016 season and one for the 2017 season. They were also given a 1 million dollar fine. Tom Brady, the New England Patriots quarterback was suspended for 4 games of the 2015-16 football season. 

      Tom Brady was a main suspect in the deflategate and due to the suspicions of the NFL, he was given a 4 game suspension. Considering the Wells report that was issued after the investigation on the deflategate, Brady was supposedly lying to the media by saying he was not at all involved in this scandal. He refused to give his cell phone to investigators because it had all of his personal information on it: texts, calls, emails, etc. I am personally conflicted on whether or not Tom Brady is guilty of this scandal. Like any quarterback in the NFL (Aaron Rodgers for example), Brady has a personal preference on his footballs. He likes them a little less inflated then normal. However that does not mean that he was necessarily involved in the situation or that he would deflate the balls to cheat or gain an advantage over his opponent. Not handing over his cell phone was a little risky/mysterious but anyone can understand where he is coming from. Overall, I am leaning towards Brady not being guilty. He is one of, if not the best quarterback in the league who is respected and looked up to by so many people. If he was smart he would never do something like this that could threaten or hurt his career and image. Another reason, is that during the AFC Championship game the bad weather conditions may have been a reason for the deflation of the balls. Lastly, the patriots success as a team over the years and in this year's Super Bowl (without deflated footballs) for that matter has proven their immense skill as an entire team. 
      Tom Brady should have been punished for such an accusation, but not this harshly or severely. Hands down, he is the best quarterback in the NFL. Brady is respected and loved by all of his fans, and up until now, he has had a clean slate. Not to mention, Tom Brady is innocent and there has been no legitimate proof of him being involved. The deflategate can be compared to the Ray Rice case in many ways. In the case of Ray Rice, he knocked out his fiancee in an elevator and was only suspended for two games. For someone like Brady who did nothing wrong and was suspended for 4 games, and then someone who committed an act of domestic violence to only be suspended for two games is just out of hand. Even if Brady was involved, he shouldn't be the only person on the team/in the organization being punished to such a high degree. The referees and equipment managers should also be at fault for this scandal. 
      Ultimately, there are many ways this scandal could be resolved and just blow over. The entire NFL organization along with players, coaches, and staff could do something about it. The NFL has many options as to how this problem could be resolved without provoking their image or the media/fans. Reducing the amount of punishments against the Patriots and or the amount of games Brady is suspended for is one option. A 4 game suspension, 1 million dollar fine, and 2 draft picks is way over the top for a deflated football. Understandable if it was for an actual crime, but for a slightly less inflated football, it is out of hand. The NFL could just fine the Patriots 1 million dollars considering Brady has not been proven guilty and taking away draft picks is unjust. Although his privacy would be invaded, Tom Brady could hand over his phone to prove that he is innocent. It would demonstrate Brady's character and he would be respected by many people. Lastly, the NFL should create a future rule to make sure nothing like this will ever happen again. 

Blog Post #8

The Short Game

Summary:     
       In Josh Greenbaum's hilarious, intense, and informative sports documentary, "The Short Game" he argues that little kids are sometimes being pressured more than they should be, while also learning essential life lessons along the way. In this film, there are child sensations from all around the world competing in an intense match to become the all time golf world champion. Even between the young ages of 6 and 8, this tournament is crazy competitive and requires a huge amount of patience and skill. Throughout the film, we see many examples of how the kids are being pressured to the point where it becomes too much. For someone that is that young, all of the competitiveness and pressure can really be a lot to deal with. Some may even argue that it is taking away from their fun-filled and enjoyable childhood. However, enduring this struggle and dealing with the stress ultimately teaches the kids to persevere and stay determined even through rough patches that they may face. It also teaches them to be responsible and to never give up on something they truly believe in. Furthermore, the kids are learning to overcome adversity/cultural barriers which is an essential asset for them as they move forward. All things considered, Greenbaum's main goal of this documentary was to expose the idea that youth athletics are becoming wildly competitive and pressuring to the point where young kids are losing site of their entire childhood.

Analysis:
     Personally, I believe these kids are in fact losing sight of certain areas in their childhood due to the competitiveness and pressure of golf. On the contrary, I strongly believe that they play golf solely for the love and devotion to the game. Each and every one of them learn several important life lessons that may continue to aid them in their long journey through life. They all work extremely hard to achieve their goals while having a blast as they do so. For instance, one sees that hard work and devotion that both Alexa Pano and Allan Kournikova put into becoming the next world champions. Along the way, we also see that Alexa and Allan are best friends and love to have fun/goof around with each other whenever they possibly can.  Therefore, I conclude that these 6-8 year old prodigies play golf at such a high level because they want to prove to themselves and others that anything is possible if you work hard to achieve it and truly love the game. 

Rhetorical Precis:
       Forthcoming, stressful,  and comical all at the same time, Josh Greenbaum's documentary, "The Short Game" (2012) demonstrates the pressures of being a youth athlete in a competitive sport. Greenbaum also displays the idea that sometimes the pressure from parents and just the game itself is causing them to lose sight of their childhood. Although it is ambitious and at times nerve-racking, the kids still manage to play and enjoy the sport they love. Throughout the movie, Greenbaum uses many montages of the kids having fun together, upbeat/uplifting music, and a lot of funny anecdotes from the kids. He does this to exhibit the kids enjoying themselves while also being serious and focused on becoming the best in the world. On top of that, he shows how kids from all different backgrounds from all around the world are overcoming adversity and breaking those cultural barriers. In order to expose how pressuring the sport/event can be, Greenbaum shows clips of the kids getting frustrated at themselves, giving their parents attitude, and at times giving up. Along the way, the kids learn from their mistakes and realize that you always have to keep trying and stay determined to be the best. 
     One sees many examples of unethical actions against these young kids from both parents and officials. The parents sometimes convince the kids that golf has to be over everything because it is the most important thing, ultimately steering them away from their childhood. At the very young age of 8, Jed Dy, experienced a huge penalty that ruined his chances in the tournament for juste being a few minutes late. For someone who is that young, many argue that it is unjust and not right. Greenbaum seems to direct his audience to anyone who may be concerned with the lives of childhood athletes and how it could potentially ruin their childhood. He seems to maintain a very happy and exciting, but also informative and realistic tone about the situation at hand. By and large, the main purpose of this documentary was to expose the idea that youth sports are becoming very competitive and filled with pressure that's causing children to lose sight of their childhood. 

Blog Post #7: Rhetorical Precis & Summary for "Schooled- The Price of College Sports"

Rhetorical Precis & Summary: "Schooled- The Price of College Sports"

Rhetorical Precis:
     

      In Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin, and Jonathan Pailey's documentary, "Schooled- The Price of College Sports" the directors convince the viewers that college athletes are being unfairly treated by the NCAA and are just generally exploited in several ways. A main topic that is being conveyed throughout the documentary is that college athletes should be receiving at least some compensation for everything they do to earn their colleges the billions of dollars they are making. In addition, the directors are also trying to persuade viewers that athletes are not getting the college education that they need for later purposes in life. The directors use many strategies throughout the film that influence viewers to feel the same way. To begin with, the directors use actual stories of people that have been wronged by mostly the NCAA but also other organizations as well. Another thing they do to add on to that is use both primary and secondary sources to show that it has been a developing issue over time.There was one student athlete that played basketball in the NCAA, was extremely talented, and probably one of the best players in the league at the time. Without his consent or knowledge of even being in the video game, he was put into one and the organizations that did this made huge amounts of money off of it. So, this specific athlete was basically gypped from a huge opportunity to make large amounts of money off of this game. A football player got seriously and almost fatally injured during one of his games and the college gave him no compensation for his medical bills or anything like that and said it was his responsibility not theirs.  Directors of this film also displayed many interviews from people that opposed the NCAA or previous employees of the NCAA that disagree with their actions. This strategy added on to the fact that the directors were trying to advise viewers to sway their opinions towards those who think the NCAA is doing unjust things. A huge topic that the documentary enforced was that athletes weren't getting the right education. To do so, they had to bring up some of the opposing views to in turn prove their point. In an attempt to defend themselves the NCAA would use the "student-athlete" argument. Basically colleges say that athletes should be mainly focusing on school before sports. Enforcing their point, the creators argue that it is so unbelievably difficult to put school before sports when those sports are interfering with these athletes' education. 

Adrian Foster (athlete unsatisfied 
by NCAA's actions)

      In all, the creators of this documentary are trying to persuade viewers that student-athletes are being unfairly treated by the NCAA on top of other organizations as well, and that the NCAA is advocating for the money and themselves over the athletes. Another main thing the directors are trying to convince viewers is that institutions have way too much power. Throughout the documentary, the directors seem to have a specific audience they are trying to convey their message to. Mainly the targeted audience is people who may be considering participating in a college sport, victims of the mistreatment of the NCAA, and also NCAA officials or previous employees. Furthermore, they are directing it to all of society because it not just the NCAA or the college athlete's problem, it is everyone's. This is because it is a problem that effects all people/all of society. From my point of view, I mostly agree with the argument/main idea of this documentary. I do think that many athletes are being mistreated and that it is really not fair to them. I think it is very unjust and that it is a huge problem that our society as a whole needs to work together on fixing. 

Summary:

      As stated before, the general argument that is being made throughout the course of the documentary is that college athletes are being greatly mistreated by the NCAA. A person interviewed by the directors during the film states, "They all knew, and they all know what they did wrong, it is the adults that are failing the students. A mass murderer has more rights than a football player in the NCAA system." In all, this quote accurately describes the main argument of the film. To sum it up, officials knew what they were doing was unjust and that they should have been the ones punished instead of the athletes as they still continued to do nothing about it. The NCAA wins every trial and they have all the power to shame and accuse athletes of terrible things. "Student-athletes" have no rights at all and are basically controlled by the NCAA and other organizations and it is very unfair to them. Essentially, everyone has a right except for the player. Throughout the documentary, "Schooled- The Price of College Sports", the directors are advocating for the athletes over the organizations in a persuasive, but fair manner to the opposing side. By and large, the main argument made by the directors is that college athletes are very unfairly treated by the NCAA and should receive the treatment that they deserve.

Blog-post #6 : Summary and Analysis of an Article

NFL Prospect JJ Nelson never 

offered a deal by Adidas

     In the article, "JJ Nelson: Adidas never offered deal", written by Darren Rovell, the main argument is that NFL prospect, JJ Nelson, is being treated very unfairly. At this year's NFL combine, Adidas basically promised they would pay the top three fastest players who ran the 40-yard dash in their shoes and signed a contract before running $100,000 as a prize for endorsing their company. The speaker of this article (the author) is advocating athletes over organizations. In this case, it would be JJ Nelson over Adidas. Rovell writes, "An Adidas news release said that the offer was 'open to athletes who sign with Adidas prior to running their official 40 yard dashes later this month,' but Nelson said he was never given the chance to sign with the brand," The author is mainly suggesting that Nelson was treated unreasonably because Adidas was not persistent in giving him a chance to sign the endorsement deal. In addition to that, he is also hinting in to the readers of this article that if Nelson was given the opportunity to sign the contract, he probably would have. By and large, Rovell's belief is that JJ Nelson is receiving very unjust treatment by Adidas. 

     

     Personally, I believe Rovell is correct for several reasons. In my opinion, nobody was at fault for this except for Adidas. To begin with, Adidas never communicated with Nelson that in order to receive the $100.000 he had to sign an endorsement deal. On top of that he was never even given a contract to sign in the first place. To make it seem like Adidas was wrong, Rovell incorporated multiple quotes from JJ Nelson. Nelson said, "I signed some waiver at some point, but I was never given a chance to sign an endorsement deal," Another strategy Rovell used was reiterating the idea that Nelson did in fact get the best time in the 40- yard dash. Rovell writes, "Former UAB receiver JJ Nelson, who ran the fastest overall time at the NFL combine, is confused why he doesn't have $100,000 in his pocket." In a way, he makes you feel sympathetic toward Nelson considering he was gypped of $100,000. Considering the evidence shown, I strongly believe that JJ Nelson truly deserved  to receive the cash prize and that what happened to him was very unjust. 

    

Blog-post #5: News Writing

The Boy's Varsity Basketball Team at Norton High clinches their first win in the TVL tournament

    NORTON-  Last Thursday night at the Larry Larcoque Gymnasium, the Norton boy's varsity basketball team came together to defeat the Rockland Bulldogs in their first match of the MIAA Division 3 South Sectional Tournament, sending their opponents home with nearly a 20 point deficit.

     

    Fans of the Norton Lancers came rushing in to support their team at an intense and thrilling match. The crowds were insane and the whited-out fan section was so packed that the fans were literally shoulder to shoulder. The Lancers put on a great display of offense proving their talent from start to finish. As a team, they carved out a final score of 65-44 over the Bulldogs.

    All throughout the game, the lancers seemed to dominate and take control over their opponent. With the hot hands of Keenan Coffey and several other players, the Lancers scored a total of ten 3-point shots, five of these taken by Coffey. Coffey states, "It was time for us. My teammates helped me out with screens and passing, I felt good when the ball left my hand."

    Being a team that has the patience and poise like the Lancers do is something that is hard to find and is a great assett that many teams in the league hope and srtive for. Coffey was not the only contributor to the Lancer's success, however. Senior guards Bret Murphy and Jason O'Neil played huge roles as well.
 
    Murphy made three 3's, four rebounds, and five assists aiding the lancers in their triumphant victory. Jason O'Neil, point-guard of the Norton Lancers, scored a total of 18 points. On top of that, he had three blocks and 5 rebounds.

    Overall, the Norton Lancers put up a huge fight from beginning to end and never gave up.They made everyone proud that night, except for the losing team of course. The Lancers proved to their coaches, fans, and most importantly themselves that anything is possible and if you strive to accomplish your goal, you will achieve it.

      Marc Liberatore, head coach of the Norton Lancers  proudly states, "I can't say enough about the seniors, nobody expected to do what they have done- we want to keep it going. They enjoy being around each other and they're so unselfish- that's why they don't shoot, they're looking for their teammates for a better shot."

Blog-Post #4: Hoop Dreams

Hoop Dreams

     The documentary, "Hoop Dreams" was a very inspiring and touching movie back in the day and is continuing to inspire its viewers as we speak. Throughout this film, we witness the complicated lives of two male teenagers, Arthur Agee and William Gates who are both very talented basketball players. Each player lives in the inner-city of Chicago, Illinois. All throughout their lives they have had to deal with many harships/struggles and doing this as young children was not easy. They had to deal with financial problems, family issues, etc. As stated before, both of theses boys were phenomenal at basketball. They were both recruited and given the opportunity to attend St. Joseph's where they would play on their outstanding basketball team. William was exceptionally good at basketball and considering he made varsity as a freshman explains how good he really was. Arthur was an amazing player as well, but he only made the junior varsity team. Although they were both successful in making a team at St. Joseph's, they each endured a great amount of set backs.
        Due to financial problems Arthur was not able to afford to go to school there, and he was forced to go back to his local high school (Marshall). At the time, it seemed to be the beginning of the end for Arthur because he felt that his dreams were being crushed. He lost all of his credits and was forced to start over. Nothing really mattered to him after that experience, and he just didn't really care about anything too much. In time, Arthur realized that even though he could not fulfill his dreams of going to St. Joseph's and becoming famous there, he could prove his talent at his current school. He ended up becoming one of Marshall High's biggest stars/players and improved his grades. After receiving a scholarship, Arthur first went to a junior college and then onto Arkansas State. William on the other hand, had an amazing freshman year at St. Joseph's. When he severely injured his knee during his junior year things seemed to go downhill from there. He was forced to sit out in several games, and lost the opportunity to showcase his talent to scouts. When William was just 17, he had a baby girl with his girlfriend Catherine. In my opinion William dealt with these hardships very responsibly and maturely. He did not let them hold him back however, and he was offered a scholarship to play at Marquette University. Like Arthur, William didn't get the best grades, so in order for him to go there he needed to get an 18 on his ACT test. He ended up overcoming his troubles and attending Marquette.
         "Hoop Dreams" has a very distinct and powerful theme that is shown all throughout the documentary. One of the main things it teaches it's viewers is to follow your dreams no matter what may get in your way. Determination and perseverance are two huge things that this movie encouraged it viewers to have. In order to succeed in life, you have to earn it and you most importantly have to want it. It taught us that you have to work hard to fulfill your dreams even through the struggles that you may face.  In the documentary we see many example of how both William and Arthur overcame their hardships and followed their dreams. Not having his dad in his life, missing out on a huge opportunity to remain attending St. Joseph's, and being in the presence of drugs and alcohol were all unfortunate things that Arthur had to cope with. Even though Arthur was going through rough times, he strove to make his dreams come true. William also had to deal with an absence of his father, severe knee injuries, and having at baby at a very young age. At first. he truly did struggle to find his way back to being the player he used to be after his injury. However, William knew what he had to do for himself and now for his family so he surmounted to his hardships and began persevering toward becoming a better player and student.  By and large, "Hoop Dreams" was a very inspiring and touching documentary that taught its viewers to always follow their dreams no matter what got in the way of that. 

The Impact of Sports on Life

The Impact of Sports on Life

     Professional sports, and sports in general, have changed the world in so many ways.  The article, "How Sports Transcends Culture" written by Angel Navado describes some of the various ways that sports have impacted and transformed our culture today. To begin with, sports encourage and allow fans to support the individuals/ players for their skill and ability, not for their culture or nationality. Sports have taken away some of the bias and stereotypes that our society uses to judge people without really knowing them or knowing what they can do. Additionally, sports have increased religious tolerance, which was and sometimes still is one of the biggest things our society struggles with. They have ultimately blurred the color lines/racial intolerance, teaching us to respect athletes and people of other races no matter what skin color they are. Lastly, sports influenced culture because they allowed athletes to learn and speak in many languages. If a team has one player that can speak the same language as the other team, it makes his/her dedication to the team and the game more important than a cultural barrier that can be as simple as a foreign language. By and large, when sports unite athletes, racial issues, cultural upbringings, and foreign languages do not matter. A new mold is ultimately created for society to pursue. 

     As we speak, sports are continuing to transform and impact our society/culture. Initially, athletic competitions help to build up the ethics and character of modern athletes. Playing sports can change who you are in so many ways. Your coaches and peers can teach you many lessons that help to build up your character and ultimately make you a better person. Those who have the opportunity of being a leader, have the power to uplift their players and potentially become their role models as well. Sports always bring people together no matter what cultural barrier may hold them back. They always have a positive influence on their patricipants and inspire them to be the best that they can be. For someone who has a low self esteem/low confidence, sports influence them to try things that they never would have imagined.

     In today's culture, sports have many positive and negative impacts. Many people love sports because they are a good way for them to have fun and enjoy themselves. Some people see it as a way to get away from everything and just focus on the game and having fun. People also enjoy sports because they aid them in remaining physically fit. For most people, being in shape makes them feel very good about themselves and is a sense of accomplishment and hard work. Along with a sense of accomplishment and hard work comes the positive impact of winning. Everyone who is competetive understands how it feels to win. Nobody likes losing especially after all of the hard work they have put in. Winning is such an incredible feeling. It proves to yourself and to your teammates that it was a well and hard-earned victory. As mentioned before, there are many ways in which sports impact our culture negatively. To start off, when playing sports participants can get seriously injured. When you are someone who is so passionate about that sport and can't play because of an injury it kills you. Not being able to what you love is so upsetting to the players that suffer from these unfortunate injuries. Another negative impact of sports is that they are very costly and expensive. But why is it that you need to pay money in order to do what you love? As you grow older, you improve immensely and sports become more and more competitive. The more you improve and earn your spot on a good team, the more it costs. There needs to financing for fields/complexes, uniforms, coaches, tournaments etc. In order for someone to be on a good team, all of those things come to mind and make it very expensive to play. On-field cheating is a very large problem with sports. The use of performance enhancing drugs, tampering of equipment, and recruitment violations are all huge issues that sports can cause. Lastly, unsportsmanlike conduct is another negative impact of sports. The competitive atmosphere can encourage athletes to fight, taunt, and be disrespectful toward one another. Sports can teach athletes to be disrespectful and sometimes even cocky. Athletes that are unsportsmanlike tend to be disliked by a lot of people. 

      Sports have impacted my life in so many ways. Ever since I was little all I would look forward to was going to my soccer games, kicking the ball around, and having the time of my life. Once you fall in love with a sport it becomes something you always want to do. I guess you could say that was what happened to me with soccer. To me, playing a sport is not just a hobby it is a lifestlye. Whenever I play, all of my worries or cares disappear and nothing else matters. Sports have taught me to always strive to be the best that I can be and never give up. If you really want something you have to work hard to earn it. Soccer has kept me in great shape over the years, and to me, doing what you love and having fun while getting excercise is unbelievable. Soccer has whole-heartedly changed my life and made me who I am today. It has taught me so many life lessons that I will never forget and will always be thankful for.