US Sports Report February 2019

VOLUME 15, ISSUE 2

DECEMBER 17, 2018

THE SPORT REPORT

Rangers in the Middle

What’s Inside NY Giants’ Saquon, Jeremy Goldstein ’20

3

Duke Blue Devils, Isaac Schertz ’20

4

MLB Offseason Moves, Avi Blitzer ’19

5

New York Rangers, Ben Silverman ’20

6

NHL Dynasties, Eddie Catton ’20

7

New York Knicks, Gabby Ostad ’21

8

Ballon D’Or Upset, Ezra Cohen ’20

9

Crossword Answers

9

Atlanta Uniter FC, Aryeh Teller ’20

10

Le’Veon Bell, Ryan Leibowitz ’20

11

Crossword, Ben Silverman ’20

Back cover

Saquon Barkley: The Man to Save the Giants Jeremy Goldstein ’20

Back in April of this year I was one of many New York Giants fans anxiously sitting on their couch to see who the G-MEN would take with the second overall pick in the NFL Draft. In the previous year the Giants went 3-13, which was the worst record in franchise history.

A big question that came up during and after the season was what the future at the quarterback position would be for the Giants. Eli Manning, a time two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback and the best quarterback in Giants’ history, was beginning to show his age and began to decline. Many people in the fanbase wanted the Giants to move on from Manning and rebuild. They wished to find his successor in a draft full of top-notch college quarterbacks.

There was another half of the fanbase who thought the Giants should stick with Manning and instead bolster the team to return to playoff form. They argued that the Giants were decimated by injuries to star players and that they were only one year removed from an 11-5 season in which they made the playoffs. Giants fans argued for months leading up until the draft, and on April 26th, 2018 the decision was made.

Roger Goodell, commissioner of the NFL, walked up to a podium in Dallas and said, “With the second pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Saquon Barkley, running back, Penn State.”

Half of the fanbase cheered and the other half booed. Many thought not taking a quarterback would hurt the Giants’ future and saw Barkley as just another prospect.

USA Today Sports It turns out those people couldn't have been more wrong. Despite starting the year 1-7, Saquon showed everyone why he has Barkley breaks a tackle in the Week 14 the potential to be one of best running backs in NFL history. He broke tackles like it was victory at Washington nothing, he reversed field and cut back with ease, he turned screen passes into chunk plays, and most importantly he gave us fans something to cheer for.

Since that 1-7 start, the Giants are 4-1 and they have to thank Mr. Barkley quite a lot for that. As of December 12th, among RBs, he’s third in rushing yards, fourth in touchdowns, and second only to Ezekiel Elliot in scrimmage yards. The kid is truly special. So, even though he might not be able to solve the Giants’ question at quarterback, there shouldn’t be any doubt in anyone’s mind anymore that Saquon Barkley was the best player the Giants could’ve taken.

With an offense full of weapons, whoever the next quarterback of the Giants is will be just fine. How could he not be? He has number 26 lined up behind him in the backfield.

3

The “Ferocious” Blue Devils With the Help of Zanos Isaac Schertz ’20

Getty Images

There are plenty of talented college basketball teams, but not all of them have pieces that mesh together cleanly. The Duke Blue Devils seem to be the outlier under that quota.

Beginning the season, the Duke Blue Devils acquired the three top prospects in America. R.J. Barrett, Cam Reddish, and Zion Williamson, whom they now call “Zanos” after the Marvel character Thanos, joined the ingenious Mike Krzyzewski. The Blue Devils entered the season ranked as number 4, but they changed that on opening day. With Williamson and Barrett carrying the Blue Devils’ offense, the duo helped Duke break the game open with a dominant 25-11 second-quarter run while scoring 37 of the team’s 40 first-half points. Together they combined for more than 60 points on the night.

After that, the Blue Devils became number 1 in the country.

On November 21st, the Blue Devils faced their first real threat of the season, the Gonzaga Bulldogs. This game awarded Gonzaga with a win and Duke with a loss due to a fast-paced, back-and-forth affair that doubled as the most entertaining game this college basketball season has so far provided. These Bulldogs were not messing around, shooting 64.5 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes and taking a 16-point lead early in the second half. Duke’s top prospect, Williamson, was, believe it or not, out there missing the dunks which are supposed to be his specialty. The Zags were leading the entire way through and had Duke trailing 79-66 with 7:20 remaining in the second.

By then, the game must feel over, but those Blue Devils do not go down without a fight.

Late in the second, Duke’s freshman Tre Jones showed a sign of hope for these Devils and helped spark a comeback. The score went from 79-66 to 87-87 in less than six minutes thanks to a 21-8 run that culminated with a post move from Williamson and served as a reminder that Duke has the top three projections in the US on their roster. Not until a long hard battle had been fought was Duke served their first loss of the season.

After the loss, Duke’s new rating was 3rd the nation, but that didn’t seem to bother them at all, with four straight wins after the loss, each by at least 20 points. All in all, this Blue Devils team is an extremely talented, yet also scary team to face at any time in the season. A message to the league, “Watch out, because they are fierce. Watch them like a hawk.”

4

MLB Offseason Moves Avi Blitzer ’19

With the MLB Offseason getting underway, it is time to look at the winners and losers of the early MLB Offseason.

Winners

Losers

Tampa Bay Rays

Boston Red Sox or Washington Nationals

With the Rays already having the American League Cy Young winner and a new strategy that seemed to work out for them in bullpenning, one did not expect them to go out and spend money on a free agent pitcher this offseason. So, they did just that and got a guy in Charlie Morton who is a great #2 pitcher behind Blake Snell on a team that is going to need a decent number of innings from their starters on certain days. Morton was injury prone before joining the Astros; however, a small market team like the Rays has to make risky investments like these, and it may very well pay off for them.

With teams needing starting pitching, the two best pitchers on the market got big paydays in Nathan Eovaldi and Patrick Corbin. While these signings may pay off for these teams, both teams had to offer more years and more money to pitchers who have had Tommy John surgeries in the past. Ultimately, I can easily see one of these two guys going down with another significant arm injury and therefore making his contract a huge detriment to the team that signed him. However, that being said, I do expect either Corbin or Eovaldi to work out for the Nationals or Red Sox respectively.

Time Will Tell

New York Yankees Yes, the Yankees did give up their #1 prospect in Justus Sheffield. They, in return, got an ace from the Mariners in James Paxton, who can help them compete against the Red Sox right now, as opposed to Sheffield who would only be able to help a year or two down the road. The Yankees have also recently resigned J.A. Happ to a two-year $17 million deal that would include a third year for 2021 if Happ makes 27 starts or pitches 165 innings in 2020. This is a good deal as the Yankees get a good #4 pitcher in Happ for two years (possibly a third) at a moderate rate and get out of the contract before they have to pay their young superstars. Overall good job by the Yankees so far this offseason.

New York Mets The Mets have gone all-in on competing in the coming years, as they have added Robinson Cano and the best closer in all of baseball, Edwin Diaz.

They have also recently signed Jeurys Familia to a three-year $30 million deal. This puts the Mets in a position to win now after trading away many of their top prospects to acquire Diaz and Cano. This gives the Mets the chance not to squander Jacob Degrom or Noah Syndergaard's careers, as they have built a team around them that may have a chance of winning. However, this can easily go south if the Mets don’t play well and have to trade all of their valuable players just to retool the farm system. Knowing the Mets, Diaz will blow out his arm, Cano will hit the decline, Familia will be overused, worn out and no longer good, and they will have to trade away Degrom and Syndergaard for pennies on the dollar. Have a nice day.

5

New York Rangers: Middle of the Pack Ben Silverman ’20

After Friday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes, the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League sunk a little in their record and in the standings. With the loss, the Rangers’ record became 14-13-4 (32 points), and they are now 5th in the Metropolitan Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference. However, they remain a solid team that can hopefully break away from the middle-of-the-pack of teams that they now find themselves in the midst of. There are currently ten teams in the conference who have between 30 and 39 points, all having played 31-34 games. This is an unusual lack of separation at this point in the season, but it will most likely sort its way out as time goes on.

Inevitably, some teams will perform better than others in the long run, and for the Rangers to accomplish that they need to work on several key aspects of their game. For one, they must work on special teams. Not that they have been bad; rather, they have been taking way too many penalties and not accruing enough power plays. This is a result of instinctive hockey (unnecessary slashes and trips) instead of being thoughtful (aggressive fore-check and patience). Another area that needs improvement is puck possession, which leads to shots on goal. Without puck possession, a team cannot expect to score goals. This ties into the fact that through 30 games the Rangers have given up a net 10 goals more than they have scored. To win games, a team must score more goals than they let in. The Rangers must do just that if they want that coveted playoff spot.

The one bright light, the savior, of the Rangers has been Henrik Lundqvist’s level of play.

He is currently performing with the tenacity and quickness he had a decade ago, suggesting that he might very well be ageless. Despite a couple of lackluster seasons, Hank has bounced back to keep his team in many a game by making one incredible save after the next, which does not show up on the scoreboard or the stats sheet, but resonates in the hearts of many fans.

Additionally, he is posting some very solid numbers so far this season, with a 2.62 Goals Against Average and a .922 Save percentage in 20 games.

If the Rangers are to make the playoffs and succeed in them, they need Henrik to keep it up.

All in all, the Rangers’ season has been mediocre, and though are doing the best with what they have, in order to differentiate themselves from USA Today Sports the others, they must be better than their best.

Lundqvist remains the Rangers’ savior 6

*statistics as of 12/6/2018

NHL “Dynasties” Eddie Catton ’20

During the years 2009 to 2017, only four different NHL clubs have hoisted the Stanley Cup at the end of their long, competitive seasons.

Three teams have won the Cup more than once during that span—the Chicago Blackhawks three times (2010, 2013 2015), the Pittsburgh Penguins three times (2009, 2016, 2017), and the LA Kings twice (2012, 2014). The only team to win the Cup once during this time span was the 2011 Boston Bruins. The three that were victorious more than one time often received the title of “dynasty” after maintaining their success, and during those years, the Blackhawks, Penguins, and Kings were the powerhouses of the league. All three teams had deep, starstudded rosters which propelled them to their respective victories.

The Blackhawks were offensively driven by superstar Patrick Kane and captain Jonathan Toews. While Kane (31 points in 28 games as of 12/6/18) and Toews (23 points in 29 games as of 12/6/18) have kept their scoring touches, their once-blueline workhorses, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, have suffered mightily during their veteran years. Through 29 games, the 35year-old Keith has put up a mere 0 goals and 10 assists, and has struggled to find the net as of late. Similarly, the 33-year-old Seabrook has only put up 11 points in 29 games. While their numbers aren’t terrible, they are no longer the quick, puck-moving defenseman that they once were. Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford has also struggled to find his game, with a record of 5-12-0 and a high 3.16 Goals Against Average.

The Blackhawks currently sit at 7th in their division, with a 9-15-5 record.

While the Penguins still have arguably the best one-two punch at center with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, they have also been unable to find their game as of late. Crosby has remained himself, with 29 points in 23 games, and so has Malkin, with 32 points in 26 games. The Penguins still retain a solid record at 12-10-5, but the puck movement, physicality and energy that they had during their ’16 and ’17 Cup runs just don’t seem to be there. Perhaps the biggest problem for Pittsburgh is their goalie, Matt Murray. Murray, the brick wall who stood on his head during the ’16 and ’17 cup wins, has regressed heavily. He is only 24 years old, but he holds a 4-5-1 record this season, with a brutal 4.08 Goals Against Average and a .877 Save Percentage. It also doesn’t make things easier for

Murray when veteran D-men Kris Letang and Jack Johnson haven’t been so reliable on defense. While the Penguins can surely rebound and make another push for the Cup, it will be much more difficult this time around with some of their players slowly heading past their prime years.

Perhaps the worst of all is the Los Angeles Kings, who sit at 10-17-1 and at the bottom of their division. Two-time Cup winning goalie Jonathan Quick has suffered through injuries this season, but when he has been healthy, he hasn’t been able to win games for the Kings, with a record of 1-5-1 through 7 games. His 3.28 Goals Against Average is almost a full goal higher than his career average, and his save percentage has dropped as well. Besides Captain Anze Kopitar and scorer Jeff Carter, the Kings have been having trouble getting secondary scoring, with a very thin bottom two lines. Drew Doughty remains a defensive stud, but what Kings’ GM Rob Blake is really shaking his head about is the three-year, $18.75 contract that he just gave 35year-old free agent Ilya Kovalchuk over the summer. Kovalchuk has failed to live up to the hype, after returning to the NHL for the first time since 2013 with New Jersey after a tenure in the KHL. Kovalchuk has put up 5 goals and 9 assists for 14 points in 25 games, not exactly $6.25 million a season numbers. He boasts a plus/ minus of -13, and hasn’t recorded a single point over his last five games, in which he has ridden the bench for large portions of the game.

While these teams still have the skill on paper, it has been the younger teams that have caused these franchises to take a deep look in the mirror. Teams like the Nashville Predators, Colorado Avalanche, and Winnipeg Jets have younger, faster, and less injury-prone players who are making names for themselves in the NHL. The game of hockey has changed, and now, defensemen are expected to contribute offensively, not just shut down the other team’s offensive stars. The three “dynasties” sit and watch as their Cup windows close. What may come next for these teams is a rebuild where passionate fans might see their favorite players shipped out to other teams in exchange for younger players and draft picks. Without some installation of youth into these organizations, it won’t be so long until these three “dynasties” begin packing their bags for the summer in April instead of June.

7

Has the Time Come for the Knicks?

Gabby Ostad ’21

As New Yorkers, we always try to support our New York sports teams. But when it comes to basketball, especially the Knicks, we find it difficult to call them our favorite team.

Each year, as the season approaches, the Knicks are viewed by all as being a team that has potential due to the trades they make in the offseason and rookies they receive in the draft. However, as the season progresses, people’s hopes for the Knicks begin to fade because of their poor record and lackluster play.

The Knicks tend to start off their games strong and occasionally have a lead going into the half, only to lose the momentum, which usually results in a loss.

Luckly, this typical story is not the case for the current 2018-2019 Knicks team. Although their record at the moment is 9 wins and 21 losses, this number does not properly display the improvement the team has made from previous seasons or paint an accurate picture of their current play and players.

This year the Knicks decided to move away from Coach Jeff Hornacek and go in a different direction with well-respected David Fizdale, who was coaching in Memphis with the Grizzlies. The Knicks also selected two rookies in the 2018 Draft in June: Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson. After the draft the Knicks also picked up Allonzo Trier, Isaiah Hicks and Noah Vonleh to n a m e a f e w, through trades and from the undrafted talent pool.

With Kristaps Porzingis out trying to recover from surgery in order to fix his torn ACL, it is a common thought amongst fans that the Knicks have no chance to make the playoffs without their star player.

Interestingly, we have seen the Knicks take this time to develop their young talent pool and acknowledge the strengths they can bring to the team. Throughout their past few games, the Knicks have demonstrated their capability to compete with the best teams and have given us a glimpse of what to expect for this season.

Drawing everyone’s attention to the Knicks was their three game winning streak a couple of weeks ago.

Although three games may not seem like a lot, it is for the Knicks w h e n these victories came against top clubs in the league.

The W’s began when the Knicks played the Boston Celtics on November 21 in Boston. During a majority of the game, the Knicks maintained possession of the scoreboard. However, during the final 20 seconds the game became close. The Knicks were up by only three, enabling the Celtics to tie it, but with possession of the ball, Trey Burke, pulled up and drained a three. He had 26 points that night and was the top scorer of the night for both teams. That game helped the Knicks end their six-game losing streak with a 117-109 win over the Celtics.

The Knicks then faced off against Anthony Davis and the New Orlean Pelicans on November 23. For most of the game it was neck and neck, with the Pelicans entering the fourth with the lead, but things quickly changed. The Knicks were on a role and took the lead. The Knicks finished the game with a win by a score of 114-109. The Knicks’ Emmanuel Mudiay had a season high 27 points and, rookie Allonzo Trier added with a career high of 25 points.

The final game of their winning streak was when the Knicks played the Memphis Grizzlies. Although the Knicks had poor shooting in the first half, they were able to regroup and pull out the win. Enes Kanter, the Knicks center, was a fundamental piece in this victory with a double double. He had a career high of 26 rebounds and 21 points. The Knicks won 103-98 vs the Grizzlies, helping Fizdale beat his former team.

Many view the Knicks’ new style of play as a direct result of their new coach. He has motivated the young players to step up and has gotten a lot out of the players previously on the team. He almost always has a new lineup for each game as he continues the process of figuring out his players’ strengths and weaknesses. Hopefully the Knicks will continue to build and show more signs that they are playing as a cohesive unit.

Maybe we will be surprised and have a shot at making the playoff this year…

8

Ballon D’Or: Controversy Ezra Cohen ’20

With a Controversial Selection, Luka Modric Ends the Dominance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Ballon d'Or

Luka Modric, a Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder, won the 2018 Ballon d'Or. He became the first player other than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award since the Brazilian Kaka did so in 2007.

This selection sparked plenty of controversy throughout the soccer world. Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba claimed that "the Ballon d'Or is a lie", that "Messi is the best player in the world by far,” and that "if Cristiano Ronaldo was still at Real Madrid, he (would've won it)."

Modric scored 4 goals and assisted on 9 goals in the 2017-2018 season. As a comparison, Cristiano Ronaldo scored 47 goals and had 8 assists, and Lionel Messi had 46 goals and 20 assists.

When Ronaldo was asked about it, he answered "Numbers don't lie."

Crossword Answers:

Across: 3. Clay 8. Kraft 9. Ten feet 13. Ted Williams 15. Skier 16. Roger Federer 17. Yaz 18. Saints 20. CP3

Down: 1. Shaquille 2. Germany 4. You can’t see me 5. Mike Tyson 6. Muggsy Bogues 7. Safety 10. Turkey 11. Duke 12. Ramaz Rams 14. FedEx Cup 19. SEC

9

Atlanta’s Title Drought Is Finally Over Aryeh Teller ’20

Despite a disappointing football season for Falcons fans and an early exit from the Braves in the MLB playoffs, Atlanta finally has something to celebrate. Atlanta United FC hoisted the MLS cup for the first time in franchise history, knocking off the Portland Timbers 2-0.

Josef Martinez scored the first goal in the 39th minute, followed by Franco Escobar in the 54th minute. The win by Atlanta United ended a long 23-year title drought in Atlanta sports. The last team to win a title in Atlanta was the Atlanta Braves who won the World Series in 1995.

Not just was the title drought for Atlanta lifted, but 2018 proved to be a historic year for the relatively new addition to Major League Soccer (MLS). In 2018, Atlanta United set a record for total home attendance, at 901,033 across just 17 home games, and a singleseason average attendance of 53,002 surpassing the records set by Atlanta themselves in their inaugural 2017 season. This amazing home attendance mark clearly shows the growth of soccer in Atlanta and the success of MLS expansion across North America. In comparison to major soccer clubs, Atlanta’s season average of 53,002 is 17th highest in the world for 2017-18, ahead of Serie A powerhouse AC Milan. In addition to the MLS regular season records, Atlanta United also holds the record for highest attendance in an MLS Cup title game, at 73,019.

Not only does Atlanta dominate in attendance, but according to Forbes, Atlanta United is the most valuable team in MLS at $330 million. Atlanta also became the fourth expansion team in league history to reach the MLS Cup playoffs.

But Atlanta would not have been able to achieve its success if it weren’t for Josef Martinez. Martinez, who is from Venezuela, surpassed the MLS regular-season scoring record of 31 goals in 34 games. Martinez was also named the MLS Cup MVP for his outstanding performance in the playoffs after winning the MLS MVP award.

In addition to Martinez, Atlanta had the coaching genius of Tata Martino. Despite the win, the MLS Cup marked the final game for Gerardo "Tata" Martino as coach of Atlanta, who previously announced he was leaving the club after this season.

Not only were Coach Martino and star player Martinez big parts of the Atlanta title run, but the ownership of Arthur Blank cannot be ignored. Building the massive Mercedes-Benz Stadium ended up a huge success for Blank as it pulled in record attendance numbers and revenue for Atlanta United and MLS. Also, despite Blank’s Falcons losing in a heartbreak in the Super Bowl two years back, Blank finally gets a championship trophy.

Some other notable players that contributed in the club’s first title include: Goaltender Brad Guzan, Defender Franco Escobar, Midfielder Miguel Almiron, and Defender Michael Parkhurst. This team clearly has more to prove after their impressive MLS cup win. The loss of coach Martino will certainly be felt next season, but their future head coach has tons of talented players to work with next year to produce another title run. The success of Atlanta United must not go unrecognized as they have the makings to be a dynasty for years to come.

10

Le’Veon Bell Free Agency Ryan Leibowitz ’20

Le’Veon Bell, 6th-year running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. Over the past two seasons, after completing his four-year rookie contract, Bell was an unrestricted free agent and received the franchise tag from the Steelers.

Bell, dissatisfied with getting the tag, sat out the first two games of last season, as well as the entirety of the current season. With the exceptions of guys like Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch, who themselves are very limited in terms of their physical capabilities, running backs in the NFL don’t usually make it past 30 years old.

Knowing this, Bell is trying to gain long-term security in the form of a 4-year contract, one worth more than Todd Gurley’s $15 million a year. However, having a large asking price comes with its fair amount of issues.

Firstly, most teams in the league can’t afford such a high asking price, so right off the bat, Bell limits his options to teams like the Jets, Colts, and Browns, permitting that these teams even want him.

Secondly, many teams might be hesitant to offer a contract to Bell because he’ll be 27 at the start of next season. Due to him being used as a workhorse in Pittsburgh and his multiple drug suspensions, Bell’s longevity seriously comes into question. Also, the Steelers have the ability to place a transition tag on Bell, meaning they can match any contract offered to him.

All in all, Le’Veon Bell’s 2019 free agency will be a show to tune in to.

President:

Isaac Schertz ’20

Writers: Avi Blitzer ’19 Ezra Cohen ’20

Eddie Catton ’20

Jeremy Goldstein ’20

Gabrielle Ostad ’21

Mr. Blumenthal Faculty Advisor

Ryan Leibowitz ’20 Ben Silverman ’20

Special thanks to Mr. Sambolin 11

Sport Report Crossword Ben Silverman ’20