Jane Agler, Staff Writer
May 11, 2018
Filed under SPORTS, Sports Column
The biggest sporting event in the world is finally here. People from all around the globe will be tuning in on June 14 for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where 32 national teams will compete for international glory. Germany — the team that clinched the Cup back in 2014 — is still a favorite, but if the qualifying tournament showed us anything, the World Cup is still going to be full of surprises.
Right now, there are only a handful of nations that seem to pose a strong threat. Germany, who will compete with much of the same roster as they did in 2014 — with noteworthy exceptions like Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm — is likely the most intimidating team to arrive in Russia. Following in their wake...
Alex McNicoll, Sports Editor
May 11, 2018
Filed under SPORTS, Sports Column
The New York Mets traded their once-star pitcher Matt Harvey to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday, signaling the end of one of the most frustrating eras in a franchise that is not averse to failure. Whether it was the injuries — he had Tommy John surgery in 2013 and was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome in 2016 — his terrible attitude, or the unrelenting storm that is the New York media to blame, what all fans can agree on is that as amazing as he was, he was twice as maddening.
When Harvey debuted in July 2012, he turned heads from the get-go, striking out 11 batters in his first appearance. The Mets had not been relevant since losing to the Cardinals in the National League Championship Series in 2006, and their fan b...
Jason Hewitt, Staff Writer
May 4, 2018
Filed under SPORTS, Sports Column
The 2018 NFL Draft was critical for the Cleveland Browns after a season in which they didn’t win a single game, compiling a record of 0–16. There has only been one other team in National Football League history that has gone winless: the 2008 Detroit Lions. The Browns, whose performance has been notoriously bad over the past couple decades, need to make significant changes if they want to overcome their current laughing-stock standing as a laughingstock in the league.
One of the best opportunities for a franchise to improve is through the NFL Draft, which occurs every April. Quick changes were absolutely necessary for Browns executives looking to keep their jobs, and they responded by making a number of big — a...
Jane Agler, Staff Writer
April 27, 2018
Filed under SPORTS, Sports Column
After 22 years of managing Arsenal Football Club and providing the club with some of its most successful and memorable years to date, the sun is finally setting on Arsène Wenger’s career. Last week, Wenger announced to the public that he was leaving the club after the season finishes, marking the end of one of the most well-known managerial careers of all time. Regardless of the discourse revolving around his departure — much of which centered on whether his leave was overdue — it is necessary to sing the praises of a man who did so much for English and international soccer during one of the last tenured managerial careers seen today.
When crunching the numbers, Wenger’s success is obvious. He managed 1,229 ga...
Alex McNicoll, Sports Editor
April 20, 2018
Filed under SPORTS, Sports Column
Tanking is no secret in the NBA. Teams like the Chicago Bulls or the Sacramento Kings openly sit their top veterans in an attempt to “develop young talent,” but in reality, they are intentionally losing to get a better pick. It’s not a new phenomenon. The Philadelphia 76ers did it for three or four years to get Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Markelle Fultz. Even the San Antonio Spurs did it so they could draft Tim Duncan first overall in 1997, and he helped them win five NBA Championships. But tanking is a serious problem that kills the competitive nature of basketball, and commissioner Adam Silver must find a solution, no matter how drastic it may be.
At the end of the 82-game regular season, the top 16 teams compet...
Jason Hewitt, Staff Writer
April 13, 2018
Filed under SPORTS, Sports Column
Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson should easily be one of the top three quarterbacks in this year’s NFL Draft. He won the 2016 Heisman Trophy and arguably had a better season this year. So it’s quite confusing why Jackson has received widespread criticism by NFL scouts and draft analysts and is projected as a late draft in the first round.
Jackson is a Black athlete, and the unfortunate root of the criticism he receives is racism.
The premier quarterbacks in this year’s draft include Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen, and Josh Rosen. The common denominator between these four men is that they are all white with big arms. However, if you watch Lamar Jackson’s film and Pro Day tape, his arm ...
Jane Agler, Staff Writer
April 6, 2018
Filed under SPORTS, Sports Column
Major League Baseball’s opening day is not only a signifier that spring weather is fast approaching; it is also a celebration of clean slates and the purest of hopes for the oncoming season. Baseball franchises and fans alike approached the day with full hearts and the mentality that anything could happen this season. But while there are 30 teams in the MLB with 25-player active rosters that all competed on this day, there seemed to be a massive spotlight shining on a single member of the league: the Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani. Not only is he an instant star in the MLB, but he is also just as important to the Asian athletic community in the U.S. and an inspiration to me as an Asian-American sports fan.
Standin...
Aiden Day, Contributing Writer
March 30, 2018
Filed under SPORTS, Sports Column
I’ve played sports all my life. This is mostly thanks to my dad, who saw sports as a great way for me to stay healthy, as well as one way to make myself stand out during the college process. For me though, above all else, participating in sports has been about having fun. From recess in elementary school to my high school varsity games, I’ve had the privilege to win and lose many exhilarating games of capture the flag, dodgeball, football, soccer, and — of course — lacrosse. Now that I’m finally here at the college level, I play lacrosse for Oberlin not out of some obligation or necessity, but because it’s something that I love doing.
But who I am is much more than the sport I play. Just like every Oberlin...
Jackie McDermott, Staff Writer
March 9, 2018
Filed under SPORTS, Sports Column
A tennis court is 78 feet long. A block of blue space striped with white lines stretches between each player as we wage an intense, individual war. Pumping adrenaline and high stakes combined with a questionable line call can make things personal, causing us to label an opponent as “cheater,” or worse, “bitch.” Sometimes, in the heat of battle, we think only of our differences from the person on the other side of the net.
My differences with my opponent from Centre College revealed themselves off-court, after our singles match, when she pulled on a light blue t-shirt that read “TRUMP: MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” in block letters colored with the American flag.
“Wow, look.” I tapped my dad’s arm and tried to sub...
Justin Godfrey
March 2, 2018
Filed under SPORTS, Sports Column
My first few classes at Oberlin were some of the most uncomfortable times of my life. I remember sitting in Econ 101, sweat covering my forehead because I desperately didn’t want to say or do anything that would draw attention from the other 100 people sitting in King 106.
Things were different in high school. I would thrive off the attention I received from fellow classmates and did anything I could to make sure all eyes were on me. At Westlake High School, a little over 30 minutes away from Oberlin, I participated in football, track and field, musicals, plays, choirs, and pep rallies — anything that would make people notice me.
Still, in that lecture hall on my first day of college classes, all I could think w...
Jane Agler, Staff Writer
March 2, 2018
Filed under SPORTS, Sports Column
The the depth of malpractice in NCAA Division I college basketball recruiting became apparent Feb. 23. when the FBI revealed that powerhouse basketball schools committed a myriad of violations. As multiple charges are leveled, it seems that changes are coming to the college basketball landscape.
Some men’s basketball prospects and current players received payments — politely worded as “loans” — to sway their collegiate commitment decisions, among other things. This preferential treatment has been exercised by big-name schools like the University of Alabama, Duke University, Louisiana State University, the University of Kansas, the University of Louisville, and Clemson University. While these are only a handful ...
Jason Hewitt, Columnist
March 2, 2018
Filed under SPORTS, Sports Column
English Professor Yago Colás hosted a discussion Wednesday in Dye Lecture Hall between the ESPN Around the Horn co-host and University of Maryland professor Kevin Blackistone, Grand Valley State University professor Louis Moore, Northeastern University professor Sarah Jackson, and University of Michigan’s prominent Fab Five member Jimmy King. The four panelists are all influential Black individuals who are deeply connected to the overlapping realms of sports and activism.
The talk opened with Colás’ introduction of the speakers. He then gave each speaker 10 minutes to share their thoughts on the overall topic. The first to speak was Blackistone, who came to Oberlin for the second time to discuss his ideas after...
