By Tyler Vanderelst |Staff Writer| Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) have always been an issue in the modern era of sports. The newest conflict involving them surrounds the severity of punishment, or lack thereof, for using these banned substances. Steroids, one of the most well-known PEDs, offer increased strength, muscle mass, improved recovery rate and more. Steroids are common in sports like baseball and football. Both punish players who use them, but some believe the current punishments are not enough. A former University of Redlands football player Steven Best thinks if players use PEDs they should have tougher consequences. “If a player is found cheating and trying … [Read more...] about Punishments for steroid use
2017 NFL Draft recap
By Tyler Vanderelst |Staff Writer| This year's National Football League (NFL) draft was one for the books. Not only was it the first time it happened in Philadelphia, but it was one of the few times a defensive player has gone first overall. Multiple trades for teams occurred, too. Many people have speculated since the end of the collegiate and NFL football seasons where players would land. This year the Cleveland Browns had the first overall pick in an attempt to rebuild their franchise after a dismal record of 1-15 last season. The Browns selected Myles Garrett from Texas A&M who many believed was the top player in the draft. This pick will help their struggling defense … [Read more...] about 2017 NFL Draft recap
Importance of sportsmanship
By Tyler Vanderelst |Staff Writer| Sportsmanship has been driven into athletes from a young age as they are taught how to get along with their teammates and opponents. Most athletes display cordial sportsmanship in games but others let their emotions get the best of them. Being a "good sport" can range from a variety of actions, like a handshake after the game or helping an injured opponent off the field. In a lot of instances, those who show bad sportsmanship are players who leave the court or field after the game without interacting with the other team. It can also be something during a game, like baseball when someone hits a home run and flips their bat afterward. One … [Read more...] about Importance of sportsmanship
The ongoing debate of the designated hitter
By Tyler Vanderelst |Staff Writer| One of the most controversial topics in baseball is whether or not teams should have a designated hitter. Introduced in 1973, a designated hitter (DH) is someone in the starting lineup who hits for the pitcher. This prevents the pitcher from injury or being an easy out. The way that Major League Baseball (MLB) is set up is with two divisions, the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The AL uses designated hitters to keep the pitchers healthy and attempt to receive more runs with a big hitter batting for the pitcher. Whereas the NL feels that every other player has to hit, including the pitcher. Many baseball fans like Bobby … [Read more...] about The ongoing debate of the designated hitter
Live Streaming Games
By Tyler Vanderelst |Staff Writer| In today's society cable is becoming obsolete. With options to stream shows on Netflix to live streaming sporting events, there has almost become little use for standard cable programming. Many people who cannot afford to purchase cable go with the option of streaming through the internet. This is because it is more cost effective and you can watch almost anything you want, whenever and wherever you want. One perk to live streaming your favorite sports team is that on cable they only show certain sporting events whereas, if you stream the game you can watch it even if cable didn't have it. Many college and professional sports teams offer … [Read more...] about Live Streaming Games
Violence in sports on and off the field
By Tyler Vanderelst |Staff Writer| In sports, there are many instances of violence happening on and off the field. Violence happens in every sport, however, some of the most known instances happen in football. Football is known to be one of the most violent sports. Players in this sport are running around and hitting each other to protect their teammates and keep their opponents from scoring. In football, there are plenty of instances where two or more players get into a physical altercation on the field. This normally happens when a player feels an opponent wronged him or one of his teammates. One of the more memorable fights happened in 2010 when Houston Texans wide receiver … [Read more...] about Violence in sports on and off the field
The comeback kids of sports
By Tyler Vanderelst |Staff Writer| Marshawn Lynch is making waves in the National Football League after deciding to come out of retirement to play for the Oakland Raiders. After retiring at the end of the 2015 season with the Seattle Seahawks, Lynch is now among the likes of Brett Favre and Michael Jordan. Both had previously retired but then made multiple comeback attempts. Lynch would be a great boost for a young team on the rise. The Raiders not only gain a talented runner, but they will gain a leader in the locker room who has experience as well. Raiders fan, Josh Summers, would like to see Lynch on his favorite team. "If Marshawn comes to the Raiders there is no way they … [Read more...] about The comeback kids of sports
The madness behind March Madness
By Tyler Vanderelst |Staff Writer| One of the biggest sporting events in the world has finally concluded in the men's college basketball tournament March Madness. This year's champion was the University of North Carolina as they were able to come back from their buzzer-beater defeat in last year's championship game. It was a very sloppy game between the University of North Carolina and the University of Gonzaga that was controlled by the officials who were calling foul after foul giving the players no chance to get into a rhythm. The Tar Heels were able to pull off the win by making the last minute run to put Gonzaga out of reach. According to NCAA.com, 12.4% of all brackets had … [Read more...] about The madness behind March Madness
2017 NBA Playoffs
By Tyler Vanderelst |Staff Writer| The National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs are underway and the 2016 NBA Champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers are set to make a run for their second straight cChampionship title, but it is looking like they will not start as the No. 1 seed like last year's playoffs. This time of year is a crucial time for many NBA teams as they focus on winning games to improve their seedings. Teams that are normally in the playoffs that are projected to make it this year from the West: are Golden State Warriors (No. 1), San Antonio Spurs (No. 2), and Los Angeles Clippers (No. 4). The other teams rounding up the West are: Houston Rockets (No. 3), Utah … [Read more...] about 2017 NBA Playoffs
NFL Combine record broken
By Tyler Vanderelst |Staff Writer| The National Football League (NFL) combine is where the top college prospects gather for physical tests, so that professional teams can scout out some of the best players for the NFL draft. This year's showcase, held at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, featured many talented players; some of which were able to break previous combine records. One of the biggest feats of the event was a runner of the 40-yard dash. The runner allows players to see how fast they can run 40 yards. Before this year, the record for the 40-yard dash was held by Chris Johnson at his combine in 2008, when he ran a lightning fast time of 4.24 … [Read more...] about NFL Combine record broken