There’s nothing more symbolic in sports than a team’s name and mascot. Team spirit and fanaticism revolve around names and mascots in every league and association. Players are proud to be a Celtic or a Jaguar. So what sense is there in a team playing under a name and banner that encapsulates racism and disrespect? […]
Category: On the Bench
On the Bench: Too many advanced statistics are ruining professional sports
There’s something inherently magical about watching sports. Whether it’s a collective groan of players as the puck bounces off the pipes of the net or the roar of the audience at the completion of a perfect touchdown pass, sports never fail to excite the audience and evoke a multitude of emotions. For fans, watching sports […]
On the Bench: To gamble or not to gamble
Third and goal from the six-yard line. The Broncos are going to score. But wait, I don’t want Emmanuel Sanders to score because I have Demaryius Thomas on my fantasy team. I, like the 33 million other people who watch football religiously, don’t root 100 percent for the home team because of fantasy football. There […]
On the Bench: It’s Not about Brady
Now that the dust has settled over Brady and “Deflategate,” let’s look at the real issues: integrity and intent. We, as fans, believe a sport is a contest of great athletes that play the game fairly. What Tom Brady did or did not do shook this belief. I am not a particular fan of NFL […]
On the Bench: Student athletes are not walking dollar signs
As we go to our new classes, we’re sure to see students in athletic uniforms. Most of us can’t help but envy them for their “advantageous college lives,” but we tend to overlook their doubled commitment and halved time. Perhaps the biggest misconception about student-athletes is that they’re walking dollar signs—that is, they’re all living […]
On the Bench: Good job, at least you tried
In one Instagram post, Steelers linebacker James Harrison managed to spark outrage in some and gain praise from others regarding the “everybody-is-a-winner” mentality that accompanies participation trophies. Harrison said in the post, “I came home to find out that my boys received two trophies for nothing, participation trophies! While I am very proud of my […]
On the Bench: If male athletes can’t play for a female coach, that’s their problem
The NBA’s Sacramento Kings and NFL’s Arizona Cardinals have added to the recent surge of female coaches in men’s pro leagues. Some people are not happy about having a feminine presence in an otherwise masculine environment. Nancy Lieberman was hired as the assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings, making her the second full-time female coach […]
On the Bench: Should college athletes get paid?
College athletes who already receive scholarship money should not be paid by their school to play sports. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, student-athletes already get plenty of gratuities. They get gear, meal plans, facilities, travel, room and board and even textbooks in some cases. Although some receive partial scholarships, they still receive exceedingly […]
On the Bench: Video games are not a sport
Anyone who has ever participated in a Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament, spent countless hours fighting a bunch of strangers online in Call of Duty or even challenged a friend to a game of Trivia Crack while waiting in traffic cannot deny the fact that video games are incredibly competitive. We yell at our screens, […]
On the Bench: Joey Casselberry
When Joey Casselberry should’ve thrown like a girl but struck out How can you hate on Mo’ne Davis? Especially when you are a college baseball player. Last week, the Disney Channel announced that it would be making a movie called “Throw Like Mo,” based on Davis’ remarkable story. This is awesome because Davis is awesome. However, […]