The Viking: Volume 6 Issue 1

The Big Three: Water polo’s trio of quirky captains leads the team with humor and determination

RIPPED and

LEGAL

Doing it right, the Paly way:

Without PEDs

BY PAUL BIENAIMÉ and ROHIT RAMKUMAR

GAME FACE Pinsker, the team’s leading scorer this season, prepares to shoot a goal in a game against Valley Christian High School.

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THANKS TO PIE DONORS, PALY STUDENTS HAVE More Guidance Counseling

• One dedicated counselor per grade • More Teacher Advisors • Link Crew for freshmen and student mentors

More Electives

• Interesting exploratory classes like Biotech and Sports Nutrition • Community Service Options

More College & Career Support

• Two College and Career Counselors • College Essay Workshops • Extended hours in the CCC

PLEASE GIVE TO PiE TODAY TO SUPPORT THESE IMPORTANT PROGRAMS! www.papie.org/donate

LINE UP Volume 6 Issue 1 October 2012 4

ZOOMS

12

KICKOFF From the editors Where are they now?

First and 10 Patriot games

BY AUSTIN POORE

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INTRODUCTION By the numbers Hot or not?

10 questions

with Shelby Knowles

Inside the mind of Scott Powell

Pop culture grid

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COLUMNS Does $$$ really talk?

BY CHRIS SMITH

Fresh out of Luck

BY JOSH STERN

Summer cut short

BY AMI DREZ

Last word

photo by Grant Shorin

#FantasyProblems

BY JONNY GLAZIER

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FEATURES TRUST IN RESULTS

THE BIG THREE

Unique Bay Area workout facility provides state of the art technology used to support athletic training.

The Paly boys’ water polo captains lead their team to success, while having fun along the way.

by JAMES HARRISON

High schoolers nationwide face the temptation to use illegal steroids and supplements. Is Paly any different?

Cover photo by Scotty Bara

by AUDREY DeBRUINE

by PAUL BIENAIMÉ and ROHIT RAMKUMAR OCTOBER 2012

RIPPED AND LEGAL

ZOOM SOMETHING IN THE AIR The Paly football team warms up under a majestic sky before pounding the Gunn Titans 48-0. photo by Grant Shorin

ZOOM STAYING ALIVE Keller Chryst (‘14) scrambles during the Vikings’ 28-27 loss to Archbishop Mitty on Sept. 14.

Chryst threw for 338 yards and two touchdowns. photo by Grant Shorin

ZOOM NO LOVE Caroline Nore (‘14) smacks a backhand in a match against Homestead during the second round of the Paly Invitational Tournament, in which the team placed second. photo by Grant Shorin

ZOOM FAMILIAR FACE Kevin Anderson (‘11) fends off a flexible Trojan as the Cardinal attempt a field goal during their colossal upset over No. 2 USC on Sept. 15. This marked the fourth straight year Stanford has toppled USC. photo by Grant Shorin/

Stanfordphoto.com

Editors-in-Chief Kevin Dukovic Alan Lamarque Nora Rosati Managing Editors Charlotte Biffar Spencer Drazovich Austin Poore Sammy Solomon Design Editor Nina Kelty Photo Editors Scotty Bara Grant Shorin Columnist Jonny Glazier Video Editor Annie Susco Business Managers Hilda Huang Michael Strong Senior Staff Michelle Friedlander Colin Patterson Rohit Ramkumar Staff Writers Paul Bienaimé Audrey DeBruine Ami Drez Jordan Gans James Harrison Niall Patrick Pippa Raffel Zach Rizk Julia Saul Chris Smith Josh Stern Contributions by Anna McGarrigle William Yang Staff Adviser Ellen Austin, MJE The Viking Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-329-3837 Email contact: vikingeds@gmail.com

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Staff View: Professional athletes must think before they juice

P

ro athletes have always had significant influence over Americans. From Muhammad Ali to Lance Armstrong, athletes have proven to be able to rally Americans to a cause by promoting their own beliefs.

This is made possible because of the respect that Americans have for their athletes and the support that we are willing to provide them.

Becoming a professional athlete is nothing short of a miracle. It takes hard work and determination that only a fraction of the population can even begin to understand. Not many people are physically built to be pro athletes, and of those physically gifted, many fall short mentally. Due to this high attrition rate, Americans have come to value and respect those that make it to the top.

other steroids.

The word “steroid” is a nasty word in modern American society. We hear it in the news and on “Sportscenter” all the time. Most of us have never seen them, and don’t know much about them.

However, the one thing we do know is that they are bad.

Whenever a player is found to be using steroids it sparks a swift reaction. Nothing provides a better example than baseball and its dealings with the “steroid era.” The minimum suspension for an MLB player found using PEDs is 50 games. No one learned that better this past season than Bay Area baseball fans, as both Bartolo Colon of the A’s and Melky Cabrera of the Giants were subject to suspensions.

Americans place athletes on a pedestal, because sports are America’s pastime. Our favorite players inspire us to work harder.

As Americans, we place our athletes on a pedestal, because sports are America’s pastime. Our favorite players inspire us to work harder and in return we rally behind them and provide them with support at countless sporting events. Fans buy jerseys, tickets and athlete-endorsed gear as a way to show support for these elite and gifted few.

However, the general public may have a tainted view of what the normal athletic success story is.

The media uses lines like, “came up from nothing” all too often to describe a plethora of professionals.

The naïve public wants to believe that these athletes came from bad situations but turned their lives around by working hard, and everything turned out fine and dandy.

While in most cases this may be true, we as Americans have to realize that there is more to the story. As we said before, becoming a professional athlete is nothing short of miraculous. The number of hours of hard work and extra practice that these athletes put in is astronomical. For a gifted few, this may be enough, but there are some who feel that the pressure mounting is too much for them to handle. This can lead athletes to turn to PEDs and

In addition, baseball’s Hall of Fame voters have been very careful when screening athletes in the past two decades. Anyone thought to be involved with steroid use has been harshly denied admittance to Cooperstown. Baseball greats such as Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa will likely never be inducted due to their mishaps with PEDs. We on The Viking believe that this steroid-driven culture in American sports needs to change. Athletes become role models through their hard work and determination, not by finding the chemist who can concoct the best steroid cocktail for their bodies.

No one is affected more by this than America’s young athletes. Kids often grow up with dreams of playing in the NFL or MLB and look up to their favorite players as if they are gods. Pro athletes need to realize this and make a change. They must understand that the reason they are at the top is that they are good players, and stick to the basics of working hard and striving to get better. They did not become professionals by cutting corners, and that should not change when they make it to the big leagues. <<<

Letters to the editor The Viking, a sports magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Advanced Magazine Journalism class, is an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its readership. The Viking is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost. The staff welcomes letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity.

Advertising in The Viking The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with The Viking, please contact the The Viking by email at vikingeds@gmail.com Printing Services 2,000 copies of The Viking are printed, six times a year by FrickeParks Press in Fremont, Calif.

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From the editors Dear Readers, We would to thank all of you for continuing to follow The Viking in its sixth year of existence. In this issue we address the commitment of the group of athletes who spend hours in the Paly weight room, working to get strong and stay in shape without the use of performance enhancers (p. 40).

This is the first issue for our incoming juniors, so we want to praise them and our returning writers for their hard work thus far. Improvement upon every aspect of the publication is important to us, from our online news base to this magazine. Your feedback is crucial to this process; please send your questions, comments or concerns at any point

throughout the year to vikingeds@gmail.com.

We would also like to commend and thank our adviser, Ellen Austin, for her dedication to our staff. Recently awarded the Dow Jones News Fund 2012 High School Journalism Teacher of the Year award, Austin has been an invaluable asset to The Viking’s success.

Finally, we would like to wish you all the best of luck with this school year. GO VIKINGS! Sincerely, Kevin, Alan and Nora

News Brief: Viking adviser receives the Dow Jones News Fund 2012 High School Journalism Teacher of the Year award

E

llen Austin, the adviser for The Viking, Palo Alto High School’s sports magazine, received the Dow Jones News Fund 2012 High School Journalism Teacher of the Year Award on Sept. 7.

Paul Kandell, a fellow Palo Alto High School journalism teacher and the winner of the award in 2009, informed The Viking staff in class on Monday, Sept. 10 in a small ceremony in front of several other teachers and administrators. Kandell made sure to emphasize all of the work it takes behind the scenes for a teacher to receive the award.

“You know part of what she does,” he said.

“And you don’t know all of what she does.”

In addition to advising The Viking, Austin also teaches beginning journalism and AP Literature, as well as holds several national journalism positions, including serving as a Regional Director for the Journalism Education Center and working on the Student Press Law Center’s Steering Committee.

Other teachers were also quick to add their praise, including Esther Wojcicki, the journalism adviser for The Campanile, Palo Alto High School’s newspaper.

“It’s a real honor to have Ellen here at our school,” Wojcicki said.

She also recalled how when Austin arrived

at Paly, she was immediately put in charge of the brand new sports magazine. No one was sure what to make of the newly established Viking, as it was the first high school publication of its kind in the country. However, Austin’s impact was immediately visible with the first issue of the magazine.

“At the very beginning, she took that magazine and ran with it,” Wojcicki said.

Austin, on the other hand, chose to deflect much of the credit for the award to the photo by Scotty Bara many staff members that have been a part of Paly’s journalism program over the years. PASSING THE TORCH Paul Kandell congratulates “[The staff members] are Austin on her honor. Kandell, another Paly the reason for any recognition journalism teacher, won the award in 2009. that our school gets in journalism,” Austin said as part of a

brief speech in front of the assembled group. As part of the award, Austin will receive a Kandell echoed a similar sentiment, not- new laptop, paid travel to various journalism ing that Austin’s award reflects well on conventions and gatherings and the chance to the legacy of Paly’s scholastic journalism. write a quarterly column for Adviser Update, “[Paly journalism] sparkles a lit- the Dow Jones News Fund’s newspaper. <<< tle bit more today,” Kandell said.

-Austin Poore

OCTOBER 2012

Where are they now?

Davante Adams

Fresno State > Football Davante Adams (‘11) is now in his second year of football as a redshirt freshman at Fresno State. Adams set a school record against Weber State for the most receiving yards in a freshman debut by catching seven passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Adams currently leads the Bulldogs in receiving with 335 yards and three touchdowns through the first four games of the season.

Basketball and track standout Floreal moves to Kentucky

Allison Whitson UC Davis > Volleyball Allison Whitson (‘09), a volleyball standout at UC Davis, is off to another record-breaking start in her senior season. Last year, Whitson led her team in kills with 421 (3.66 per set) and was named to the All-Big West Conference First Team. Entering the 2012 season, Whitson was ranked fifth all-time in school history in kills (1,168) and attacks (3,196). Currently, as of Sept. 28, Whitson has a team-high 200 kills (3.51 per set), including 10 in the her team’s victory over her sister Kimmy’s (‘12) University of the Pacific Tigers.

The Aggies are currently 8-7 on the season.

E.J. Floreal

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School > Basketball and Track E.J. Floreal (‘13), a vital component of both the basketball and track programs at Paly last year, will complete his senior year of high school at Paul Laurence Dunbar in Lexington, Kentucky.

Floreal has begun practicing at his new school for the upcoming basketball season and plans to run track in the spring as well. For more information, see the sidebar on the right.

Kevin Anderson

Stanford University > Football Kevin Anderson (‘11), a second-string outside linebacker and special teams starter for the Stanford football team, contributed to the Cardinal’s massive upset over USC on Sept. 15. On the game’s first play, Anderson’s pancake block of a Trojan gunner helped spring Ty Montgomery’s 63-yard opening kickoff return. Last year, as a redshirt freshman, Anderson received the Greg Piers Team Award (most valuable scout team player). As the season wears on, the 6’4”, 250-pound Anderson may be expected to contribute even more, in this, his first year of eligibility. See photo on page 10.

B.J. Boyd

Oakland A’s > Baseball B.J. Boyd (‘12), a member of both the varsity football and baseball teams at Paly, was selected by the Oakland A’s in the fourth round of the 2012 MLB draft last spring. In his first season with the Rookie League Short-Season A’s affiliate in Arizona, Boyd hit for a .301 average (second highest on team), an OPS of .835 and one home run in the abridged 39 game season.

Boyd, a center fielder, was also named to the A’s Farm’s 2012 Post-Season Organizational All-Star Team.

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E

.J. Floreal (‘13), a former Paly basketball player and track star, recently moved from Palo Alto, Calif. to Lexington, Ky. for his senior year of high school.

Floreal’s dad Edrick Floreal, the former head coach of the Stanford University mens’ track and field team, accepted the same position at the University of Kentucky because the school offered the family “better benefits.”

Though E.J.’s father offered him the choice to stay in Palo Alto for his final year of high school, E.J. chose to move with his whole family and finish school at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.

During his last basketball season at Paly, E.J. led the Vikings in points and rebounds, averaging 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. In track E.J. ran the 100-meter dash in 10.52 seconds, and finished fourth in the State Championship meet.

-Michelle Friedlander

FIRST AND 10:

PATRIOT GAMES

by Austin Poore

original artwork by William Yang

Modern professional athletes have a visible platform from which to make meaningful political statements and endorsements. What role should they play in the upcoming presidential election?

BACK TO THE FLAG Bruins’ goalkeeper Tim Thomas metaphorically turned his back on the United States after the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs by refusing to visit the White House with his teammates.

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hen the Boston Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks to win the Stanley Cup in 2011, the team received the traditional honor of an invitation to the White House to meet with President Barack Obama.

While the majority of the players on the team, of which only two are American, took advan-

tage of the potentially once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hang out with the leader of the free world, one key playoff performer was notably absent.

Tim Thomas, the Bruins’ goalie and one of the two Americans, declined his White House invitation, citing his “right as a Free Citizen” on his Facebook page. Although Thomas

claimed that the move was not political, and that he blames both parties for allowing the government to grow “out of control,” the goalie has advertised his conservative views on his uniform in the past. One mask that Thomas has used featured the phrase “Don’t tread on me,” which has been adopted by the Tea Party.

In light of the upcoming presidential elec-

OCTOBER 2012

tion, it is vital to examine the role that sports can play in American politics. Modern professional athletes are celebrities and carry significant influence, especially among their fans.

With all of the sports coverage in the media, as well as the growing popularity of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, athletes are offered a visible platform from which they can champion their political views. But does that mean that they should?

In this era of bitter partisanship, politics already cause enough divisions in this country. Sports should bring people together, from friends gathering to watch the Super Bowl to millions of angry New Yorkers collectively cursing the Red Sox. Although sports can produce intense competition between rival teams and fans, at the end of the day the team you root for seems almost trivial compared to more serious political disagreements.

Fans watch sports because they are enjoyable and fun. If anything, following your favorite team should be an escape from the real world, not a reminder of troubling divisions over political issues among Americans. Bruins fans should be more worried about Thomas’s netminding than about whether or not they agree with his political views, but with such an inflammatory political statement, this can

Kim Rhode, who has won five consecutive gold medals in skeet shooting. According to his website, Romney also enjoys the support of several NFL and NBA owners, such as Stephen Ross, Robert Kraft and Woody Johnson, who own the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets, respectively. President Obama has the support of a handful of current and former NBA and NFL players, including LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love and Michael Jordan.

Endorsements of this type are acceptable. It is fine for athletes to make a public statement regarding which candidate they support, especially with an issue as large as the American presidential election. After all, as American citizens they have every right to support whichever candidate they’d like to, and try to convince others of the validity of their opinions. However, they should keep it positive.

Instead of attacking opposing candidates, as folks debating politics too often do, the athletes should discuss why they choose to support the candidates they do.

In contrast to Thomas, the 2012 U.S. Olympic team visited the White House on Sept. 14 to meet President Obama. Nearly 400 (out of about 600) chose to attend the event, including big names like Michael Phelps and Paly’s own

Bruins fans should be more worried about Thomas’s netminding than about whether or not they agree with his political views. become nearly impossible.

Of course athletes have a right to their own personal viewpoints. They can and should form their own opinions and support the candidates they believe in. However, they should not use their athletic fame or success as a political platform in the negative way that Thomas did. When the majority of a team’s players are Canadian and European, and every single one of them is willing to visit the President of the United States, but an American teammate is not, something is wrong. It does not matter how vehemently you may disagree with his or her political beliefs. When the President invites you to the White House, as an American, you go.

There are other ways for athletes to express their political views. They can easily make donations to campaigns they support, or endorse their preferred candidates.

Not surprisingly, many athletes and others affiliated with sports do choose to go this route. Both President Obama and Mitt Romney each have several athletes and sports figures who have publicly endorsed them. Several Olympians spoke at the Republican National Convention in support of Romney, including

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Lily Zhang (‘14). While almost 200 did not attend, many, such as the “Fierce Five” women’s gymnastics team, were on tour elsewhere or had prior engagements. While it would seem that meeting the President would take precedent over other commitments, these conflicts are understandable and bound to happen with such a large group. And even if one misguided athlete attempted to create a political spectacle out of the whole thing, it would hardly be noticeable behind the 400 or so athletes who did choose to attend.

If Thomas is truly as patriotic as he implies with the decorations on his mask, he should visit the President next time, regardless of who is in office, or at least make up a plausible excuse about another commitment. After all, the country that Thomas supports will have elected the President, and he should respect that choice. If Thomas and other athletes really hope to help their country, they should work on promoting unity rather than partisan divisions, which would include visiting the President of the United States, even if he or she may have done something they disagree with. After all, an interest in what is best for the country as a whole shows true patriotism. <<<

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BY THE

NUMBERS

142

Number of kills by outside hitter Becca Raffel (‘14) this season for the varsity volleyball team.

10.39 Average number of yards per carry for running back Matt Tolbert (‘13) this year. Tolbert has gained 478 yards on 46 carries over Paly’s first three games.

$259,603 Money spent by Paly’s sports boosters in the 2011-2012 school year.

5-12 Percent of high school males who use anabolic steroids by senior year, according to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. (p. 40)

Column: Oakland A’s

Does $$$ really talk?

It’s October and the A’s, despite having the lowest player salary in the MLB, are still playing meaningful ball. Sound familiar?

BY CHRIS SMITH photo taken from Creative Commons

MONEYBALL 2.0 The A’s play under the lights at O.co Coliseum. The A’s are the last team in the MLB to share a field with a current NFL team.

T

he Oakland A’s have been a joke to many baseball fans in recent years. Some struggle to identify even one player on the team, which is part of the reason why the A’s are currently second to last in MLB attendance. However, this season the A’s have been playing the Cinderella role, with young, up and coming talent carrying the team to a division title.

This year, the A’s are dead last in the MLB in player salary.

Compare that to the New York Yankees, whose total team salary is almost $200 million. In other words, they spend four times as much as the A’s, who have a team

salary of about $50 million. Yet as of Oct. 3, the A’s and Yanks have nearly identical records, thanks to young players like A.J. Griffin, Josh Reddick and Cuban rookie sensation Yoenis Cespedes.

Last fall, my brother and I had pitching lessons with Griffin. He was an exemplary pitching instructor, teaching us new skills and working on the basics. I knew Griffin was in the A’s minor league system, but little did I know that midway through the season he would get called up to start for the major league squad. Griffin was the first A’s pitcher since 1918 to record seven “quality starts” (six innings or more with three runs or fewer allowed) in his first seven

career starts. Although Griffin suffered a minor right shoulder injury midway through the year, he is now back in the rotation and helping lead the A’s to success.

Along the same lines, Josh Reddick, acquired last year from the Boston Red Sox, rarely played with his old team and put up poor offensive numbers. But now, as of Oct. 3, Reddick leads the A’s in runs (84), RBIs (84) and home runs (32) while receiving a salary of just $485,000 for the 2012 season. To put that in perspective, Yankees third baseman, the highest paid player in the league at $30 million, Alex Rodriguez has 57 RBIs and 18 homers.

Big name players like Rodriguez,

who makes more money in two games than Reddick does all year, are the types of players that draw fans to the ballpark. However, these big name players are often under tremendous pressure and prone to struggles and numerous injuries. (A-Rod has missed over 40 games this season due to injury.) The A’s do not have the benefits of star players to draw spectators, but instead get the incidental benefit of lower pressure and expectations, which might help explain how well they’re doing.

Contributing to the underdog atmosphere, the A’s are also the only team in the MLB to still share a field with an NFL team (the Oakland Raiders), now that the

OCTOBER 2012

Miami Marlins have a new stadium. Although the A’s and the Raiders are working on a new field, it does not seem likely for several years to come. Yet despite the shared stadium and minimal fan support, the A’s are still winning games.

The A’s are not the only Cinderella story of 2012.

The Baltimore Orioles are in the same boat, with low attendance and low player salary, but a higher winning percentage than expected. As of Oct. 3, the Orioles are only a game back of the Yankees in the American League East, which is arguably the strongest division in all of baseball.

This old school, “Moneyball” strategy is positive for the MLB, where more and more lowincome teams are beginning to have better seasons than the top spenders. Baseball is a team sport, not an individual one, and any player

can be the hero in any game. The big-name players might bring in the fans and money, but at the end of the day the better baseball team will be victorious.

fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants. And, the Giants and 49ers both have legitimate chances to win championships again this year. The A’s and Raiders have been on different paths in recent years, but this season the A’s are hoping to rejoin the list of winning Bay Area sports teams with large, loyal fan bases.

After this season, the real question will be whether building a new stadium and acquiring big name players would really improve the Athletics’ record.

While the answer is probably yes, since fan support and an attractive field are huge motivators to players, the A’s are playing so well right now that it seems like nothing is going to stop them from capturing their fifth World Series title in franchise history. <<<

“Josh Reddick leads the A’s in runs, RBIs and home runs, and is receiving a salary of just $485,000 for the 2012 season.”

On the other side of the Bay, San Francisco sports teams have not struggled with low attendance the same way the A’s have. The San Francisco Giants set the tone for Bay Area sports after winning the 2010 World Series.

This year they have a streak of over 150 consecutive sellouts. In 2011, the San Francisco 49ers sold out all of their games and made it to the NFC Championship game, where they

HOT FEAR THE TREE Despite Stanford football’s disappointing loss to the Washington Huskies on Sept. 27, the Cardinal are for real. Don’t believe us? Just ask Matt Barkley and his formerly No. 2 ranked Trojans.

OCTOBER BALL PAT PROBLEMS The Paly football season got off to a heartbreaking start when the Vikes failed to convert a game tying extra point at the end of their 28-27 loss to Mitty. Paly missed six PATs in its first three games.

Images taken from

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NOT OCTOBER BALL Playoff baseball is back in the Bay. Not only did the Giants capture their second division title in three years, but the A’s also won their division, marking the first time since 2003 this has happened.

OCTOBER HOLY SIT!BALL At first the arrival of the blue lawn chairs on the quad provided a great way to relax. Sadly, now many of the chairs are missing legs or pieces of the backing, rendering them useless!

Got Melk? The Giants don’t. photo taken from Creative Commons

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BUSTED Cabrera homers against the Atlanta Braves. The left fielder received a 50 game suspension for elevated testosterone levels.

he San Francisco Giants announced on Sept. 27 that they would not be bringing back outfielder Melky Cabrera for the postseason.

Cabrera, who was suspended for 50 games in August following a violation of Major League Baseball’s substance abuse policy, would have been eligible to return for the Giants’ sixth game of the postseason. So what are they thinking turning down the services of a .346 hitter heading into the postseason?

With 45 games left in the 2012 regular season, the Giants received what appeared to be a devastating blow to their playoff hopes when the news broke regarding Cabrera’s 50 game suspension. Cabrera, the All-Star Game MVP, had been leading the Giants with a .346 batting average, and seemed to be the main catalyst for the Giants’ offense.

I resigned myself to the inevitable.

The club’s feeble offense would once again let down its dominant pitching, leaving San Francisco fans once again cursing general manager Brian Sabean for not putting together a potent

enough lineup.

This year, however, the Giants proved me wrong. If anything, their offense has actually gotten stronger in Cabrera’s absence. Thanks to key acquisitions like Hunter Pence and Marco Scutaro, whose clutch hitting has buoyed the club, as well as Buster Posey turning into the second coming of Mike Piazza in his prime, the Giants are title contenders again. Before Cabrera’s suspension, the Giants offense averaged just over four runs per game and the team went 64-53.

Since Cabrera’s suspension began, the Giants have averaged over five runs per game and gone 30-13 as of Oct. 3.

So as the news broke that the Giants would not be bringing Cabrera back for the postseason, I surprisingly agreed with the decision. Normally, the Giants turning down an All-Star hitter would cause me to scream at my television and wonder why other teams got to have all the offense, but with the way the Giants are playing right now, I don’t want them to change a thing. Somehow, the offense is stronger without Cabrera, and who am I to argue with that? <<<

- Austin Poore

Do you agree with Austin?

Do you disagree?

VOTE on our website: www.vikingsportsmag.com

OCTOBER 2012

Q uestions 10 with

Shelby Knowles

as told to Zach Rizk

The Viking asked varsity volleyball captain Shelby Knowles (‘13) 10 questions about herself.

Viking then asked friend and teammate Keri Gee (‘14), coach Dave Winn and friend Aldis Petriceks (‘13) the same 10 questions to see who knows Shelby best.

Shelby Knowles

Varsity volleyball co-captain

Favorite Christmas present?

Kitten

Questions

Keri Gee

Dave Winn

New french horn

Video on how to be an outside hitter

Kitten

Friend, teammate

Coach

Aldis Petriceks Friend

Ice cream

Favorite food?

Ice cream

Pizza

Steak

Julian Hornik

Best friend?

Julian

Jackie Koenig

Julian

The volleyball

What will you miss most about Paly?

Volleyball season

Running liners in practice

Friends

Dancing to Shots

Pregame ritual?

Raging to Shots by LMFAO

Dance party

Nothing really

Getting hit in the face

Most embarrassing volleyball moment?

Getting spiked in the face by a volleyball

None!

Mr. Yonkers

Favorite teacher?

Some place in Africa

Favorite place to be?

University of Capetown

Dream college?

Colgate University

Being trapped underwater

Biggest fear?

Having messy hair

Forgetting her jersey

Drowning

60%

10%

60%

Images taken from

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w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

Mr. (Josh) Bloom Africa

Getting hit in the face

Mr. Foug

Mr. Yonkers

The gym

Africa

Wheaton, Illinois

Davidson

Inside the mind of wopo player

Scott Powell as told to Julia Saul

Image taken from Creative Commons

A

nyone who watched the 2012 Olympics in London this summer might have noticed the strips of tape lining the bodies of many of the competitors, such as beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh and decathlete Trey Hardee.

With so many athletes wearing these colorful bands of tape, including some at Palo Alto High School, it is easy to imagine that it must have some remarkable features and advantages.

Kinesio Tape, or KT tape, possesses elastic behavior that is similar to human skin and muscle. Used primarily on joints, it relieves pain by helping the athlete’s body move the way it is meant to.

“KT tape is more flexible and is used to remind the joint to not go into the ranges that hurt,” Paly sports medicine teacher Stacey Kofman said.

Its water-resistant and breathable material makes the tape comfortable to wear and popular among athletes. At Paly, Kofman has been taping up athletes with KT tape instead of the more rigid, white tape traditionally used for support. KT tape provides professional and Paly athletes with the support and additional boost they need to perform better. <<<

-Colin Patterson

On East Coast Lingo “Apparently I spit some pretty weird words out here. Well some examples, I guess the main one that’s caught people off guard is the whip.

That’s what we call cars out on the East Coast. Like: ‘yo dude, you got a whip man?’ Which means: ‘do you have a car?’ you know. You have to use it in conversation. It’s more casual.”

On West Coast Lingo “People have been dropping the word ‘hella’ a lot, and I didn’t really know what that meant at first, because it doesn’t really make sense. Like, is it ‘hell-of ’? Like what does that mean?

Like ‘hell of a lot?’ I don’t really know.

I’m lost completely.”

On Trying Wopo

On Relationships

“So basically, I played a little bit of pick up games on the East Coast, so it’s really casual there. And then I came out here and I knew it was a big water polo community, so I wanted to get immersed in this, you know.

So I plan on playing next year, because the team is very nice and they kind of introduced me to the whole school.”

“Yeah you know, just playing the field a little bit, experimenting. I’ll probably settle down eventually, you know. I’ve got to find myself a nice California girl. You know how they say that out here with Katy Perry, so you know it’s true.”

“

Scopo Translations Salty: Upset, unhappy Hip: In the loop Whip: Car

I’m about to marinate: I’m about to hang out, chill OCTOBER 2012

Secret to Success Nate Cook is the newest suprise for the varsity cross-country team.

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by Jordan Gans

22 | T H E V I K I N G |

photo by Pippa Raffel

nlike most athletes, crosscountry runner Nate Cook (‘15) does not partake in his sport for the thrill of victory.

In fact, Cook does not even care about winning, and he started his sophomore year with little motivation to continue with cross-country. Yet, as a sophomore on varsity, he has become one of the fastest runners for the Vikings.

Cook did not start with instant enjoyment for cross-country. In fact it was quite the opposite.

“At first I didn’t really enjoy it that much, but as I kept running I started to enjoy it more and more,” Cook said.

At the start of his freshman year, Cook doubted that he would continue with the sport as a sophomore. However, by the end of the year, through hard work and determination, he had dramatically improved.

“Nate is this surprising new cross-country runner,” older brother Ben Cook (‘13) said.

“His performance this year is a bit surprising considering that last year he was just another face in the crowd.”

Now he has started his sophomore season, and his newfound interest in the sport and hard workouts have given him an edge over other athletes.

Like every other cross-country runner, N. Cook goes directly to the track every day after school, and from there he starts his practice.

However, unlike some of the other athletes, Cook does an extensive workout. After running from Palo Alto High School to Lake Lagunita on the Stanford campus, he runs all the way over to the Dish, where he then proceeds to run the upper trail. On the way back to Paly, he runs around Lake Lagunita. After all that, he finally calls it a day.

He does this same routine every day and enjoys the challenge of the strenuous run. At cross-country practices, the athletes choose to run at their own pace and decide the distance that they cover, but Cook has an ability to push himself hard.

“You have to really want to get good at it,” N. Cook said. “Once you have more of a passion for it, then you are motivated to run.”

SPEED DEMON Nate Cook (‘15) pushes to the finish in the Lowell Invitational, finishing second for Paly with a time of 16:29 minutes.

Cook has an ability that many athletes lack. In the words of his brother, he “is stubbornly disciplined” and “forces himself to seek improvement whenever he has the chance.” This internal drive has led to a fast improvement.

“I just feel really good while I am running,” he said. “It is just addicting.”

Although he does not run for the competition, prosperity in the sport has followed the fun. Cook recently won the JV race at the annual Gunn High School alumni meet with a time that made him Paly’s fastest runner. Cook’s fast improvement and standout performances have not gone unnoticed. After his performance at Gunn, teammates like Benjamin May (‘13) took notice.

“We all knew that [Cook] had a lot in him, but I think everyone was slightly surprised by how well he did today,” May said.

Cook was brought up in an athletic family,

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

and is encouraged by his family members to exercise and stay in peak physical condition.

In particular, his older brother encourages him to work out, and also tries to guide him in certain areas where he is more experienced and wise.

Cook is now constantly looking to improve his running. As a sophomore, he hopes to gain varsity race experience this year that will help him in the future.

“I don’t have that much racing experience like some of the older seniors,” Cook said.

This lack of experience has motivated him to strive to improve on his times and to push himself every day in practice. This year Cook has a mile time of 4:48 and a two mile time of 10:51, which make him one of the main competitors on the Paly team.

As the season continues, Cook enjoys running to keep in shape. If top finishes in races come along with that, all the better. <<<

P Culture Grid

The op

Andrew Cho (‘16) Water Polo

Molly Fogarty (‘15) Volleyball

Hannah Bundy (‘14) Water Polo

Drew Rider (‘13) Football

Place to be over the summer?

My house

Pool

Country concerts

Disneyland

Nike or Adidas?

Adidas

Nike

Nike

a sandwich

Power jelly beans

Power jelly beans

W H AT D O P A LY AT H L E T E S S A Y ?

I eat____before my games Movie of the summer?

Melky Cabrera is...

Sherlock Holmes 2 A backstabber

Spiderman

Avengers

Don’t know who he is

An idiot

Nike

Mac ‘N Cheese

Dark Knight Rises

Juiced

Images taken from

Paly Pulse: Based on 37 Paly football players who responded to The Viking’s poll

Which football player hits the hardest?

Erik Anderson .....

Justin Gates-Mouton .....

Drew Rider .....

Matt Tolbert .....

Spencer Drazovich ......

60.7% 21.4% 7.1% 3.8% 3.8%

photo by Annie Susco

OCTOBER 2012

Tries Archery

by Austin Poore and Spencer Drazovich photo by Colin Patterson illustration by Austin Poore

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hat happens when Robin Hood faces off with Katniss Everdeen and Legolas’s illegitimate child?

Pure bow and arrow epicness.

The Viking Tries crew took to the range to learn the age old skill of archery. The bows were big, the arrows were sharp and the targets... well they just kept getting smaller and smaller. With determination in our eyes, we channeled our inner medieval warriors and adopted one of the most influential weapons in world history.

Colin Patterson (a.k.a. Squid) led our excursion to Palomo Archery due to his experience this summer, which he claimed made him a clear candidate for future U.S. Olympic teams. However, he also admitted that over the summer he had shot himself in the finger with an arrow, which did cause us to have our doubts. Due to his “semipro” status, the real competition was to take place between the two of us, Spencer (a.k.a.

Robin Hood) and Austin (a.k.a. Katolas).

Our combined experience can be traced back to 30 minutes of practice at scout camp (Austin) and 20 minutes of hunting a little brother in the back yard (Spencer). It’s safe to say that neither of us knew what we were doing.

Unlike shooting a firearm, shooting an arrow takes much more feel and estimation. Arrows drop much more than bullets in flight, which the shooter must account for when taking a shot. In addition, if the string does not release smoothly off the shooter’s finger, a shot can go terribly awry, so learning to shoot a bow takes more concentration and precision than many other weapons. Of course, we didn’t really care about that. We just wanted to shoot stuff.

We arrived at Palomo Archery, and were a bit surprised at the exterior. It was basically a warehouse with a tiny sign in the window in the middle of an industrial neighborhood.

Yet beneath the unassuming exterior, we found a well-equipped archery facility with an endless array of bows and several targets.

After signing our waivers, in order to let the proprietor know where to “send our bodies” in case we got a little bit carried away,

24 | T H E V I K I N G |

we received a quick demonstration and were handed bows, wrist guards and arrows.

We began shooting at targets five meters away. While this might seem trivial, it was crucial for us to get the feel of our newly acquired weaponry. As we got a little bit more comfortable with our shooting and started consistently hitting the inner regions of the targets, we decided to move it back to 10 meters.

Now, 10 meters was difficult (for the little kids shooting next to us). Not for us, of course. We continued to consistently shoot decent shots, with a few miscues here and there. Most notably, Austin missed the target alogether on his first shot after failing to account for the wicked sink on his arrows, which were dancing like R.A. Dickey knuckleballs on their way to the target. We took a few rounds of shooting at this distance before moving it back to 15 meters.

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

Once at 15 meters, we let the games begin. Let’s just say, Austin will not be joining any old-fashioned hunting expeditions any time soon. From 15 meters on he struggled hard, while Spencer and Colin dueled neck-and-neck for the title of “Viking Tries” Top Shot: Archery. The rules of the game were simple. We each had four arrows to shoot at our respective targets. Each arrow could net the shooter between zero and 10 points, with 10 being a bull’s-eye (an area of the target that Austin did not encounter very often).

The three of us duked it out over five grueling rounds of shooting. Although Austin fell back early, he kept fighting until the end, despite an ever-growing deficit, though his efforts proved futile. Having been born in another era, he may or may not have

been what is referred to as a “gatherer” rather than a hunter. Spencer took home the victory at 15 meters, defeating Colin by 10 points.

Following the conclusion of our game, we decided to take it all the way back to the back wall, which meant shots of 20 meters.

While we remained well short of the Olympic distance of 70 meters, it might as well have been a mile for Colin on his first shot.

We stepped up to the line, unsure of the new distance, and let fly. Colin must have eaten his Wheaties in the morning, because his arrow sailed about four feet over his target and buried itself in the back wall, prompting jeers even from Austin, who, despite his struggles, never managed to miss by such a spectacularly wide margin.

Colin would bounce back, though. The constant jokes from his competitors must have given him some much-needed focus as he zeroed in on his target. With one swift motion, he yanked back his bow and released a shot down range. Much to everyone’s amazement, the shot ended up dead center on the target. This would have been dubbed the shot of the day until his second shot in the next round landed in the exact same place. It is unclear whether it’s better to be lucky or skilled, but in Colin’s case it sure helped to be a little bit of both.

After a short, three-round matchup, Colin walked away with the victory. His two perfect shots proved to be too much for even a skilled marksman like Spencer to overcome. Austin again brought up the rear.

With that, we returned our equipment and called it a day. Spencer and Colin each walked away satisfied with a victory apiece, while Austin departed with nothing but sore, calloused fingers and a heavy heart, vowing revenge in the next edition of Viking Tries.

That’s all for this issue. Be sure to check out next issue, where we will try out something even more dangerous and exciting!

And visit http://vikingsportsmag.com to check out video footage of the crew at the archery range, courtesy of Niall Patrick. <<<

Visit online at:

vikingsportsmag.com

Check out The Viking’s interview with Paly’s new boys’ cross-country coach: Marcus Stone.

Volleyball v. football eating contest: Shelby Knowles (‘13) competes against Jayshawn Gates-Mouton (‘13). Watch the whole contest online!

OCTOBER 2012

The new Snack Shack design by Nina Kelty

CHIPS $1.00

CHICKEN KABOB $2.50

SODA $1.00

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ext to the tall arches leading to the turf is the Snack Shack. A new tower can be seen on campus this year now that the construction near the football field has come to a conclusion. The new and improved building is located at the new entrance instead of the old location next to the bleachers. The Snack Shack made its debut this Sept. at the first Paly football game against Archbishop Mitty.

The Snack Shack contains the same old snacks as well as a few new additions. One of the new and more noteworthy items is the chicken kabob. For only $2.50 it is a great savory snack.

Cup Noodles is another popular item that returns to the menu this fall for just a dollar.

Throughout the football games long lines of people can be seen outside the building waiting to purchase one of these items. <<<

-Colin Patterson

POPCORN $1.50

CUP NOODLES $1.00

COOKIE 2/$1.00

CANDY $1.00 HOT DOG $4.00

PRETZEL $2.00

DOUBLE CHEESE BURGER $5.00

Fresh out of Luck Despite the departure of Andrew Luck, Stanford football has re-emerged as a national title contender.

by Josh Stern photography by Grant Shorin/Stanfordphoto.com

B

BIG STEPS

Running back Stepfan Taylor breaks away for a 59-yard touchdown during the Cardinal’s upset over the No. 2 Trojans.

efore Stanford played USC, I was ready to write a long column on all the ways the Cardinal needed to step up in order to repeat the success of previous seasons. After its first two games, Stanford seemed like it wouldn’t be able to win against a decent team.

But as I stormed the field with the rest of the fans after the huge upset over the number two team in the country, I knew I’d have to change it. The Stanford Cardinal had beaten USC for the fourth year in a row, and this time they did it without Andrew Luck.

The two-time Heisman trophy runner-up broke numerous records while at Stanford, leading his team to two consecutive BCS bowl games. In fact, his three years and 9,430 yards marked one of the most successful eras Stanford has ever had.

After finally declaring for the 2012 NFL Draft, Luck left the Cardinal with a 31-8 record and a perennial college football powerhouse image. He also left the Cardinal without an elite quarterback, something that they had relied on for three years.

It is true that the Cardinal, like any other football team, need a quarterback in order to pull off another winning season. After all, Stanford seemed like it could only win games with Luck. But in order for the Cardinal to succeed, they are

OCTOBER 2012

going to have to forget about Luck or statistics and focus on their team as a whole.

This year, Stanford started out the preseason ranked No. 21 in the country, dropping from its No. 7 ranking at the start of the 2011 season. Even after such drastic losses from the Cardinal roster including Luck, Jonathan Martin, David DeCastro and Coby Fleener, they were still ranked within the top 25. I was one of the many who believed that Stanford wouldn’t stay there for long.

In short, the Cardinal were up to the challenge. Yes, expectations were low, as many fans figured that there was no way the new quarterback, Josh Nunes, could give Stanford another winning season.

Other Pac-12 teams, such as Oregon State and Arizona State, were stepping up and beating teams from bigger and more prestigious conferences. Oregon and USC were ranked in the top 10. To me, Stanford looked like a team without a leader who wouldn’t stand a chance against other decent NCAA teams. But against USC at Stanford Stadium, the Cardinal proved that they were still the same powerful, high octane offensive front by gaining 417 overall yards and scoring 21 points.

Not only did they put up points against the Trojans, but more impressively, the Cardinal stopped receiver Marqise Lee, a Heisman contender, and Heisman favorite Matt Barkley.

More importantly, where was Trojan receiver Robert Woods?

The Cardinal silenced one of Barkley’s main targets and one of the best receivers in the nation, holding Woods to only four catches for 38 yards. The Cardinal defense showed off its strength in the secondary, picking Barkley off twice, as well as its strong defensive pass rush, which recorded four sacks.

For some reason this year, Stanford players such as running back Stepfan Taylor or

ON THE RUN Quarterback Josh Nunes scrambles for a first down in the fourth quarter to secure the 21-14 win for the Cardinal. Nunes threw for 215 yards on 15 for 32 passing. even All-American linebacker Chase Thomas seemed to be forgotten, overshadowed by the darkness of the missing quarterback dilemma.

After so many critics claimed that Nunes couldn’t lead the Cardinal, the USC game showed he doesn’t have to. Taylor proved that he was still the same game changing impact player and leader by pounding the ball in for two touchdowns against the second ranked

team in the country.

As USC changed its defense to try to stop Taylor, Nunes showed that he could step up to the plate and help the Cardinal by delivering a game-changing first down run late in the fourth quarter, as well as the go-ahead 37-yard touchdown pass to veteran tight end Zach Ertz.

It was a great surprise to learn that Stanford has the talent to stay where it has been for the past few years. To be able to beat a team like USC shows that Stanford is still a dynamic football team that once again will have an opportunity to be one of the best in the Pac-12.

As one sign in Stanford Stadium put it, “Luck had nothing to do with it.” <<<

POCKET PRESURE

Outside linebacker Trent Murphy sacks Trojan quarterback Matt Barkley for a big loss. Barkley has never beaten Stanford in his college football career.

30 | T H E V I K I N G |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

Summer cut short The shortened 2012 summer has profound repercussions on and off the field.

by Annemarie Drez

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ould anyone rather spend seven hours in a classroom than enjoy the late summer weather? Probably not. A shortened 2012 summer meant less time for students to relax, hang out with friends or get their tans on. However, there is another side to the abridged summer. Aside from the loss of time to recover from the 2011-2012 school year, many students are now confronted with larger ramifications, both academically and athletically.

After much discussion and controversy, the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) finally agreed to move first semester finals to an earlier date, causing the 2012-2013 school year to begin one week earlier. The goal is to relieve student stress by having finals before winter break.

When the initiative for this idea first came out, it seemed like a logical and beneficial proposal, as students could enter winter break without the burden of finals.

However, after taking an in-depth look at all aspects, it made me wonder: Did the PAUSD school board make the right decision in the long run?

It may seem as if fall season teams have had the advantage of more time to prepare and get in shape before their upcoming games due to the school year’s earlier start. However, the Central Coast Section (CCS) bylaws were also adjusted, and thus the amount of practice time for Paly’s fall sports did not change.

The adjusted schedule does present some benefits for fall-season athletes. Due to summer ending in mid-August, fall athletes feel they have had more of an opportunity to bond with their teams, as they have had more time together before their first matches.

“We’ve been able to go on some team bonding trips, such as zip lining,” volleyball player Keri Gee (‘14) said.

However, these advantages of increased time

photo by Scotty Bara

BALANCING ACT-IVITIES Due to the shortened summer, the challenge of balancing an immense academic workload and athletic activities has become even more overwhelming for Paly student athletes. together as a team in the fall are outweighed by the disadvantages affecting players participating in winter sports, on club teams or those athletes looking to play at the collegiate level.

With college standardized testing and applications upcoming for upperclassmen, in addition to finals for all students, the workload for winter sport athletes and players participating on club teams will become increasingly burdensome in December.

Many Paly athletes may also be at a disadvantage in the recruiting process, as they have a shorter window to attend summer recruiting events.

“You can’t play in as many showcases or tournaments because school has started,” baseball player Isaac Feldstein (‘13) said.

Lacrosse player Walker Mees (‘13) echoes

Feldstein’s sentiments.

“Definitely for kids who are trying to get recruited, it makes it harder because we have to be in school so early,” Mees said. “There are showcases and stuff that they would miss that other players [at different schools] have the opportunity to go to.”

A great deal of the Paly student body is made up of athletes, and with demanding club teams and in-season sports, the new schedule could cause even more stress for players.

The schedule change will not help the majority of Paly students in the long run, as it will cause more stress academically and increased conflicts among athletes. It seems like the board may not have fully understood, or even cared about the schedule change’s immense impact on student athletes. <<<

OCTOBER 2012

Trust in Results

Unique Bay Area workout facility provides state of the art technology to enhance athletic training.

by James Harrison photography by Grant Shorin

A

SPORT SCIENCE

SCIENCE ASPORTS local training A localin training facility Menlofacility located in Menlo Park, Sparta offers Park, Sparta offers athletes all ages ages athletes of of all aahigh tech environcutting-edge enment in which to vironment in which train. to train.

t first glance, Teresa Noyola and Jeremy Lin might appear to have little in common besides their high school. However, another similarity remains. Both of them take part in workouts at Menlo Park’s Sparta Performance Science, the only sports science lab in the Bay Area where professional and amateur athletes can train.

Sports science labs are facilities that integrate the science behind all sports with specific workouts to push athletes to the best of their abilities.

Sparta was founded three years ago by Dr. Phil Wagner, who thought of the idea while working as a strength coach at the University of California, Berkeley. He was surprised by how it seemed that college athletic programs had so little evidence to back up that their training was improving players, and felt motivated to change this.

“I wanted to try to find something that would allow us to start getting people stronger through more objective reasons,” Wagner said. “As a result, I went to medical school and learned what they call evidence-based medicine. When you treat a patient, it is based off of lab values and the ability to diagnose and subsequently treat disease. [We] took that model into performance and injury reduction.”

Sparta is unique in the fact that it uses force plate technology to help athletes determine their strengths and weaknesses before they start a workout program. This device measures how much force you exert against the ground.

“The idea behind this [force plate technology] was initially just to train athletes and use it based off objective measurements,” Wagner said. “The centerpiece of our measurements was a force plate.”

Aside from being one of the few labs in the nation to have this type of technology, Sparta is also an innovator in other ways, such as using video for analysis and feedback. Through the use of software, the trainers diagnose and prescribe the athletes’ needs. Dr. Wagner feels that a crucial part of the “Sparta effect” is helping athletes with what he refers to as “regeneration.” The regeneration process Wagner has created combines nutrition, sleep and flexibility programs.

“We work quite a bit with the Stanford sleep lab to find the proper prescrip-

October 2012

tions for sleep,” Wagner said. “We counsel [our athletes] on proper sleep hygiene, teaching them the best times to go to bed and some ways to fall asleep quickly or stay asleep.”

In addition to sleep consulting, Sparta athletes receive individual counseling on nutrition and flexibility, including expectations regarding how much protein and vegetables they should be taking in. The trainers teach the athletes correct stretching techniques and use foam rollers to target key areas that each individual uses differently.

The makeup of the program is about half professionals and half high school or college athletes. The major sports represented by Sparta athletes are baseball for men and volleyball for women, although trainers have played and studied enough to accommodate most sports.

Some of the professionals who have trained at Sparta include Nnamdi Asomugha of the Philadelphia Eagles, Tyson Ross of the Oakland Athletics and hometown hero Lin of the Houston Rockets. Noyola, who also works out there, just finished her soccer career at Stanford University.

Sparta has many Paly athletes participating in workouts as well. Pitcher Brian Kannappan (‘14) likes that it is not only specific to the sport the athlete plays, but also the athlete’s position. He has worked out at Sparta since the middle of last summer.

“They analyze how balanced of an athlete

you are, then adjust your workout to accommodate that balancing rate, force and timing,” Kannappan said. “They helped me as a pitcher by making the most use out of my body. They helped my rotational power, leg strength and shoulder flexibility, which increase throwing speed.”

Sparta’s individualized attention separates it from other gyms. There are different workouts for each sport and individual, depending on what his or her strengths and weaknesses are.

“The force plate really addresses the individ-

leges and professional programs that are free to athletes. Since Sparta is a privately owned business, the programs start at about $130 per workout. However, Sparta differs from those other programs because of its focus on the individual rather than on the general position or sport the individual plays. “[We are] able to objectively assess somebody and say, ‘this is what you specifically need,’” Wagner said. “There are other assessments out there for athletes, but they are subjective and not certain.”

Basketball player Hope Crockett (‘14), who has worked out at Sparta since February, enjoys the individualized attention and instruction that the trainers give to each athlete.

“It is all-around better athlete training,” Crockett said. “It is tied into science a lot, so they have lots of facts to back up what you do. They have really good instructors and they focus on mechanics so you feel like you are getting the most out of all your workouts.”

Most gyms around Palo Alto help athletes get faster and stronger, but without any scientific evidence to support the exercises they do. Sparta is the only place in the area to help individuals find their weaknesses and improve them using scientific technology to make workouts more efficient. It has shown great success in its three years of operation, by producing professional athletes in the Bay Area, including Noyola and Lin. <<<

“They helped my rotational power, leg strength and shoulder flexibility, which increase throwing speed,” Kannappan said. ual and then we use what we call skills to address the sport,” Wagner said. “With a pitcher, we work a lot on lateral drive like they do off of the mound. We will bench with football guys and work on approach jump with volleyball players.”

Sparta also mixes different types of music into the workouts to help the athletes with the rhythm of their movements. During the running and jumping exercises, hip-hop and other music full of beats and rhythm are played, whereas during the weightlifting, more heavy electronic music is utilized to help pump up the athletes.

Sparta faces competition from the col-

SPARTAN WORKOUT Athletes training at Sparta’s high-tech indoor facility. Many current and former Paly athletes train at Sparta to boost their performance in the hope of making it to the next level.

34 | T H E V I K I N G |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

Numbers don’t lie How does the Paly Sports Boosters distribute its funding? Contrary to common misconceptions, it is equally distributed among all Paly sports.

BY PIPPA RAFFEL ADMIN 4% 2% AWARDS TRANSPORTATION 23%

TOURNAMENT FEES 9% STAFF 8%

17% OFFICIALS

EQUIPMENT & UNIFORMS 34%

1% FACILITIES

2% MEDICAL SUPPLIES

MONEY WELL SPENT? Boosters spent approximately $260,000 on funding Paly’s sports teams during the 201112 school year. Of the money spent, over half was spent on transportation, equipment and uniforms.

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niversity of Alabama table tennis. USC bowling. Ohio State badminton. Heard of any of these teams? Probably not. Heard of their football teams?

Probably a different story.

Since football’s popularity took off in the first half of the 20th century, schools in the United States have often seemed to favor their football programs over the programs of less mainstream sports.

The USC Trojans have just opened their brand new John McKay Center, complete with lockers with individual screens, a team lounge and an indoor, air-conditioned football field. And no, the bowling team doesn’t have one as well.

This perception of injustice exists at Paly as well. Over the past couple of years, many athletes from underrepresented sports at Paly have been vocalizing their complaints, saying that football receives an unfair advantage in funding, uniforms and school amenities.

“I feel like it is unfair,” runner Sasha Robinson (‘13) said. “Football always

gets new uniforms but track and crosscountry still use the disgusting, crappy, unattractive, outdated ones,” she said.

Runner and former volleyball player Vivian Laurence (‘14) echoes Robinson’s ideas.

“I think they intend it to be equal, but in reality it’s not,” she said. “For example, in the Christmas tree lot, people choose donation, and those people normally support bigger sports and are biased based on volunteers.”

Although student-athletes do believe that football is more likely to succeed because of its advantages in the bank and around school, in reality, it helps funds other sports.

“The fact is that the smaller teams would not be able to survive without help from the larger teams,” Paly Sports Boosters treasurer Karan Barich said.

The majority of the Sport Boosters’ money comes from the $175 fee to participate in a sport.

“Each athlete is asked to make a tax-deductible donation to support the athletic program when they participate on a team,” Barich said. “This year we raised the suggested donation amount from $150 to $175

because the costs of everything have gone up.”

Because of this, teams with more people end up supporting those with fewer. Barich, however, thinks that this brings the Paly athletic community closer, rather than making it unfair.

“This is a good way for the members of our athletic community to support each other,” she said.

All of this money is then placed into one large pot and equally distributed to cover each sports’ necessities. For equipment, clothing and other non-necessities, teams must raise their own money, which they often do by working the Christmas tree lot and in the Snack Shack.

Water polo coach Matt Johnson finds the fundraising very simple.

“Whatever your program fundraises yourself goes straight to your program,” Johnson said.

Entrance fees to football and basketball games, however, are donated directly back to the one big pot that supports all of the sports.

While smaller programs may struggle to raise the same amount of money that football does, thanks to the communal pot of entrance fees, no sport will become as forgotten as the USC bowling team. <<<

OCTOBER 2012

THE BIG THREE Diving deeper into the quirky trio of Paly boys’ water polo captains.

I

by Audrey DeBruine

TAKING THE REINS

Nolan Perla-Ward (‘13), Bret Pinsker (‘13) and Quinn Rockwell (‘13) are ready to get down to business and lead the boys’ varsity water polo team to success this season. photo by Grant Shorin

t is not a difficult task to determine when it is game day for the boys’ varsity water polo team.

Matching sun hats can be seen dispersed around the quad with sun-bleached hair peeking out under the brims and green polos donned by all the players. The unified front the team exhibits can be attributed to the leadership of the team’s three captains, Bret Pinsker (‘13), Nolan Perla-Ward (‘13) and Quinn Rockwell (‘13).

With the water polo season in full swing, the team’s captains are responsible for boosting morale, serving as role models and encouraging hard work. Teammates cite their skills as players, motivation and senses of humor as major factors contributing to their ability to carry out these responsibilities. “[The captains are] a lot of fun in and out of the water,” teammate Omri Newman (‘14) said. “They’re really dedicated to the sport and school and they’re just all-around great guys.

They’re really determined to do well this year, and they really push the team to its limits.”

Each captain has an undeniably unique personality, but these differences are what help the three get along so well with each other and the members of their team.

“I would definitely say Quinn’s the biggest jokester,” coach Matt Johnson said. “Nolan and Bret are definitely the more serious of the three, but they all get the job done.”

Perla-Ward asserts that Rockwell and Pinsker are on two ends of the serious spectrum, with himself constituting the middle ground.

“Quinn is a knight in golden armor,” Perla-Ward said. “He comes down from the heavens to rescue everyone from Bret’s evil reigns. I have to straddle the line so it’s not too good or too evil. I try to keep it balanced.”

Pinsker acknowledges that he may be

the most serious of the three, but he maintains that now that the season has progressed, the roles are more balanced.

“For a while it was like that, but now pretty much everyone is serious,” Pinsker said.

The captains have individualized nicknames that reflect the fun environment they have created. Pinsker’s teammates refer to him as “Garth,” a nickname he came up with himself.

“Bret was trying to come up with a really intimidating name to say to the other [team], and he thought that ‘Garth’ was an intimidating name and we made fun of him for it,” teammate Brent Schroder (‘13) said.

Rockwell was christened “Magnus,” which in Old Norse means “house of might or power.” The nickname refers to Rockwell’s mythical aura in the eyes of his peers.

“Quinn was born on the plains of Olympus,” Schroder said. “That’s his actual real name given to him by Zeus.”

While each shares a strong commitment to the game, their reasons for playing differ.

Pinsker settled on water polo after finding that he had the necessary skills to excel at it.

He was one of the team’s leading scorers last season, scoring 63 goals and assisting 12 more on the season, according to Maxpreps.com.

“I started playing in fifth grade,” Pinsker said. “I didn’t like all the other sports. I wasn’t very coordinated on land.”

Perla-Ward and Rockwell, who started playing in middle school, also see water polo as an opportunity to don very little clothing, show off their bodies and get physical.

“I honestly like wearing a speedo and it’s fun to hurt people in the water,” Perla-Ward said.

Rockwell shares the enjoyment that comes from suiting up in a very small amount of fabric, and also finds there are many perks that come with playing the sport.

“You get a sweet tan, a rocking bod, all the babes, the list goes on,” Rockwell said.

OCTOBER 2012

The camaraderie between the three is one of the key reasons coach Matt Johnson cited for choosing Pinsker, Rockwell and Perla-Ward as captains.

“I think the good thing about the three of them is they work well with a lot of people on the team,” Johnson said.

“You can plug them into any lineup and not only will they lead by example, they can mesh with other players, not just the top five guys.”

Their differing personas allow Pinsker, Rockwell, and Perla-Ward to form connections with each player, assuring that there is a personalized approach for each of their teammates. This aspect of their captaincy is vital to assuring that the team stays united.

“Different people get handled in differ-

ent ways,” coach Brandon Johnson said.

“You’ve got Bret getting on guys for staying on the bottom or hanging on the wall, so you’ve got that perspective. Then you’ve got Quinn, who’s going to say the

“I’ve been friends with [Perla-Ward and Rockwell] since middle school,” Pinsker said. “I know them really well.”

The three can be found hanging out on the weekends, either partying or just kicking it. For example, Rockwell and Perla-Ward can often be found eating pancakes in the early morning hours.

“We go to iHop at one in the morning,” Rockwell said.

“That’s a normal thing.”

The quirkiness of their personalities and the way they combine to create a one-of-a-kind captaincy are fun to observe for both teammates and spectators alike.

“They are pretty awesome,” teammate Ethan Look (‘14) said. “I don’t think I’d ask for any different captains.” <<<

“You can plug them into any lineup and not only will they lead by example, they can mesh with other players,” coach Matt Johnson said. same thing but attack it a little differently.”

Pinsker, Rockwell and Perla-Ward have known each other for longer than their Paly water polo careers, which helps them work well together. Their friendship does not stop when they leave the pool.

photo by Sammy Solomon

WIDE OPEN Rockwell passes the ball to Perla-Ward.

photo by Grant Shorin

NO HANDS Pinsker fends off an opponent’s drive. photo by Grant Shorin

GAME FACE Pinsker, the team’s leading scorer this season, prepares to shoot a goal in a game against Valley Christian High School.

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The Viking would like to thank the following sponsors for their generosity in supporting the Bay Areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only student sports magazine:

The Palo Alto Medical Foundation Palo Alto Weekly Laura Kenney and Bill Sundstrom OCTOBER 2012

Ripped and Legal

by Rohit Ramkumar and Paul BienaimĂŠ photography by Scotty Bara design by Scotty Bara and Nina Kelty

L

ast month, the sports world watched in awe as cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong discontinued his fight against steroid allegations made by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

After an almost year-long struggle, Armstrong quit, effectively admitting his guilt in the view of the USADA. However, on his website, Armstrong maintains that his reason for stopping the fight was that he did not want it to drag on any longer. He was subsequently banned from all cycling events for life by the USADA. Many fans of Armstrong were hurt by his punishment, but still showed support. Others shunned Armstrong solely due to what they perceived as an admission of guilt. As a universal figure, Armstrong was, in the minds of many, an inspiration. However, in light of the controversy surrounding Armstrong, the consequences of his actions have been felt and the hotly debated topic of performance-

ABOVE THE INFLUENCE? Due to the recent media attention regarding performance enhancing drugs, high schoolers nationwide face the temptation to use illegal steroids and supplements. Is Paly any diffferent?

enhancing drugs (PEDs) has been renewed.

Athletes all over the world dream to make an impact in their sports the way Lance Armstrong did. However, the competition to become the cream of the crop or most highly sought-after player is intensifying. As the years go by, kids have started playing sports at younger and younger ages, and are pressured by trainers, parents, coaches and teammates to perform at increasingly higher levels. Therefore, those who struggle to become better, stronger or faster than their peers may face the

cent of females in the United States, will use anabolic steroids by the time they are seniors.

The situation involving Lance Armstrong brings up questions as to whether the impact of professional athletes using steroids has spread to places like Palo Alto High School. However, The Viking’s investigation uncovered no evidence of steroid use in Paly’s athletic community; instead The Viking discovered the complete opposite. The real question then became clear: Why not?

According to Paly track coach and for-

“I would take [steroids],” he said. “They’re an all around benefit to your game and your strength.”

However, despite the appeal that exists for some, Paly athletes that were interviewed for the story emphatically condemned the use of steroids.

Ben Cook (‘13), who is a wrestler on the varsity team in the winter and lifts in the weight room daily, has a simple explanation as to why he does not use steroids.

“In the long run, it’s cheating yourself,” Cook said.

temptation to begin experimenting with PEDs. The use of steroids has been well-documented in cycling, as well as in other professional sports, but the use of these drugs has trickled down to the college level and, most alarmingly, the high school level. Numerous cases in states like Texas and Louisiana have been reported and high school usage is spreading. According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, five to 12 percent of high school males and one per-

mer bodybuilder Jason Fung, the temptation to take steroids in high school does exist.

“There’s a lot of advertising that caters to looking better, getting stronger and being above everybody else in the sport,” Fung said.

“I think kids are very adventurous and they want to see what it does.”

Dave, a Paly athlete speaking anonymously, agreed that the decision to use steroids would be easy if he had no risk of getting caught.

Not all high school athletes nationwide agree with Cook, however, and upon experimentation, those who want to play in college and at the highest levels may go above and beyond what is safe and legal to reach their goals.

“If it means a full ride scholarship to a Division I school, kids will say ‘sure, why not?’

They’ve got nothing to lose,” Fung said.

Some athletes, regardless of whether they use steroids or not, do not consider failure an op-

42 | T H E V I K I N G |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

tion. Some who do not initially use these drugs eventually experiment with them because they are afraid to fail, and some who are already using take higher doses to ensure that they have a better chance of succeeding. The pressures to succeed can be amplified by the peer pressure that often takes place within teams.

Lance Williams is the co-writer of the critically acclaimed book Game of Shadows, which investigates the steroid scandal involving Barry Bonds, who played for the San Francisco Giants and owns the Major League Baseball

would do the same, because I wouldn’t want to get passed up by the other guys,” Dave said. “I’d feel inclined to keep up and keep my starting spot.”

In 2004, President George W. Bush put the issue on the map by calling for additional funding to test for illegal PEDs in high school students. However, only the states of Texas, Illinois and New Jersey still have drug testing programs in high schools. Even in these states, funding for the expensive tests has fallen through, resulting in a decrease in testing.

Williams believes that this lack

erning body in the United States to embrace policies regarding the use of steroids. The CIF handbook generally states that schools must adopt policies regarding the use and abuse of steroids and require an agreement from athletes stating that they will not use steroids without a prescription from a licensed physician.

The Paly handbook does not outline any guidelines for the use of steroids on campus or in the athletic program, but a sign in the weight room outlines the hazards of steroid use. It reads: “Warning: Use of steroids to in-

home run record. He believes that this pressure to compete with peers can be the tipping point for an athlete to experiment with steroids.

“Young people exposed, especially young athletes, they are very competitive, they want to make the team or be the star,” Williams said. “Kids think [steroids will] help and they discount the consequences.”

Dave echoed a similar sentiment. “[If my teammates were using steroids] I

of efficient testing results in stronger incentives for athletes to juice.

“A kid dedicated to using steroids could use his steroids and play sports in Texas and not get caught,” Williams said.

As a result of the lack of testing and growth in popularity, steroids have become more available for athletes across the country.

In 2005, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) became the first high school gov-

crease strength or growth can cause serious health problems.

Steroids can keep teenagers from growing to their full height; they can also cause heart disease, stroke, and damaged liver function.

Men and women using steroids may develop fertility problems, personality changes, and acne. Men can also experience premature balding and development

OCTOBER 2012

of breast tissue. These health hazards are in addition to the civil and criminal penalties for unauthorized sale, use, or exchange of anabolic steroids.”

According to Assistant Principal Kathy Laurence, Paly coaches must also be knowledgeable on the topic of PEDs. “They do a training to be coaches in the state of California, and part of their education covers steroid use,” Laurence said.

The Paly weight room houses a group of individuals who believe that hard work and perseverance are the only ways to achieve goals. Rather than resort to steroids or illegal supplements to take a shortcut to success, these individuals can be found every single day doing it the fair way. Cook is firm in his belief that steroids are the wrong way to go.

“I don’t think thats the right kind of road to go down,” Cook said. “Being dependent on one of those things is so short term that

the only outcome that it could be is something superficial and maybe for some sort of image or to somewhat boost your ego.”

Cook cites character as a leading force as to why he has not even considered using PEDs. “I guess it’s just about your character in general,” Cook said. “I think that’s a

whole different thing. I’ve never considered that because it’s kind of strange.”

Cook believes that the Paly community as a whole has been influential in curbing the use of these drugs among athletes.

“I think Paly does a really good job of influencing hard work and showing kids that there is really this higher benchmark level that they can achieve,” he said.

Rather than fall prey to shortcuts and illegal activities, the Paly athletic community as a whole has brought respect and success to the school and justified its athletic achievements not through shortcuts, but through hard work and determination. Despite the widespread steroid use in professional sports, athletes at Paly have remained free from the influence of these harmful drugs. Varsity water polo player Scott Powell (‘14), who recently moved from Washington D.C. to Palo Alto, believes that the Paly athletes are clean.

“At Paly I get a different vibe,” Powell said. “I feel my team and overall the athletes here have more integrity than that.” <<<

Paly does a really good job of influencing hard work and showing kids that there is really this higher benchmark level that they can achieve,” Cook said.

Russell, whose name has been changed due to a request for anonymity, steps into his high school gym and looks upon the challenges that await. The sound of weights clinking and deep forceful breaths being taken fill his ears as he gets ready to bench press. The pressure to become stronger from coaches and teammates is getting increasingly intimidating, so much so that he turns to a performance-enhancing substance.

“The supplement I took is called Jack3d, but it’s now modified and under a different name because of

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Jack3d!

some legal issues it had,” Russell said.

Drugs such as Jack3d are some of the closest performance-enhancing substances to steroids. The physical effects are quick to appear.

“I didn’t see any visual improvements, but I definitely felt stronger,” Russell added. “I was benching 160 at the time, and then about three days later I was able to bench around 190 about five times.”

As with most of these PEDs, the short term health effects were quickly noticeable.

“I took it for about three months,” Russell said. “I stopped because it tasted re-

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

ally bad, and I felt bad every time I took it. It’s definitely not that good for teenagers. It made me really tired in the morning and when I didn’t take it, it was really hard for me to go through workouts so I stopped and just pushed through them.”

From Russell’s point of view, “people should not rely on these powders to make them stronger. They should just not take them, or take them in smaller doses to help them recover. It is not something I believe will get anybody that much stronger, and if it does, then that person did not truly push himself.”

VIKING ATHLETICS

14

8

15

22

Raiders v.

Jacksonville Jaguars 1:25 SF 49ers v.

WA Seahawks 1:25

28

3 @ Lynbrook 6:45 @Monta Vista 3:30 Gunn v. Paly 6:45 Gunn v. Paly 6:45

9

10

16

@ Monta Vista 6:45 @ Los Altos 3:30 @ Monta Vista 6:45 @ Lynbrook 3:30 SCVAL @ Sunnyvale Baylands 3:15

23

29

30

Raiders v.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1:05

5

6 Girls’ Tennis CCS

5

11

@ Carlmont 3:30

17

1

7

8 Volleyball CCS

@ Wilcox 7:30 Tournament in Burlingame

20

Los Gatos v. Paly 7:30 Monterey Invitational @ Salinas 3:00

26

@ Los Altos 6:45 Monta Vista v. Paly 3:30 @ Gunn 3:30 @ Gunn 3:30

27

Saratoga v. Paly 7:30

2 @ Gunn 6:45 SCVAL Prelims @ Gunn

Stanford vs Arizona 12:00 Half Moon Bay Invitational 12:30

13

19

25

31

@ Homestead 7:30

Homestead v. Paly 6:45 Mountain View v. Paly 3:30 Wilcox v. Paly 6:45

Mountain View v. Paly 6:45 Milpitas v. Paly 3:30

saturday 6

12

18

24

FRIDAY

Los Altos v. Paly 6:45 @ Saratoga 3:30 @ Homestead 3:30 @ Homestead 6:45

Lynbrook v. Paly 6:45 @ Lynbrook 3:30 Los Altos v. Paly 6:45 Los Altos v. Paly 3:30 City Championships @ Gunn 3:25

Los Gatos v. Paly 6:45 SCVAL Prelims SCVAL Prelims SCVAL Championships @ Crystal Springs 3:00

4

THURSDAY

4

Castilleja v. Paly 3:30

@ Los Gatos 6:45 Mountain View v. Paly 3:30 @ Los Gatos 6:45 @ Los Gatos 3:30

SF 49ers v. NY Giants 1:25

21

2

WEDNESDAY

NOVEMBER

Football Volleyball Girls’ Tennis Boys’ Water polo Girls’ Water polo X-Country

1

TUESDAY

Halloween

KEY:

MONDAY

OCTOBER

sunday

CALENDAR

Watch PALY’s exceptional athletes take on league and state rivals as they aim for SCVAL, CCS and State Championships.

Varsity SpikeFest @ Milpitas

3

@ Mountain View 7:30

9

10 @ Santa Clara 7:30

XC CCS Championships @ Salinas

photos used with permission from Creative Commons; from left: 49ers Helmet, Raiders Helmet, Seahawks Helmet, Buccaneers Helmet, “Halloween in Europe,” Paly Helmet, Cardinal Helmet, Junior Volleyball Association; photo by Grant Shorin: Brian Berry (‘13); photo by Scotty Bara: Kesean Johnson (‘14)

OCTOBER 2012

Columns: The Last Word

#FantasyProblems

I

t is an unwritten rule of fantasy football that one may have a little something-something on the side with players who aren’t from his or her favorite team. While this lechery may be slightly more frowned upon in the realm of matrimony, it’s perfectly Kosher when we’re talking about fantasy brass tacks. That being said, many proud fans and fantasy owners choose to stay tried and true to their favorite teams and draft their favorite players.

This is where many of us come into problems. I am one of the few and proud Buffalo Bills fans. Now if you happen to be a Packers or Pats fan, Lady Luck has graced you and I envy you for that. These fans have the luxury of choosing between Brady, Welker, Jennings, Rodgers, the Gronk and many of the other fantasy studs that highlight their teams.

On the flip side, I have the likes of

Scott Chandler and David Nelson to choose from. Now you may be saying, “hold on a minute partner, you have fantasy stars like Fred Jackson on your team.”

Well let’s analyze that statement. Being the “billiever” that I am, I started two of the most sure-fire Bills fantasy options during week one in Jackson and the Bills’ muchhyped defensive unit. As I set my lineup I thought I was in for a week one drubbing of my opponent, “The Bonafide Scrubs.”

In typical Buffalo fashion, these players proved only to be a letdown. After being stifled in the first quarter, Jackson suffered a high ankle sprain and ended the game with 1.6 points and a projected absence of four weeks. Sweet. Mario Williams and

gang showed similar prowess as they were routed by the Jets, giving up a miserable 48 points against a team that only scored one touchdown in the preseason. This performance resulted in me tallying -2 points from their defense, making a Buffalo net score of -.4 points.

Now again you may be thinking, “the solution is simple, drop your precious Bills players and get a good team bruh.”

This brings up the concept of Pyrrhic victory. Simply put, Pyrrhic victory is the notion that despite seizing victory, one has done so at such an incalculable cost that victory is nearly meaningless. This, in its simplest terms, is my dilemma.

While I’m no Matthew Berry, I can put together a solid fantasy squad. But

When fantasy busts are as brutally common as ESPN’s coverage of Tim Tebow, it seems like the only sane choice is to stay true to your team.

THE WALKING WOUNDED Jonny gestures to his bench, which is currently filled to the brim with injured studs like Fred Jackson and Matt Forte.

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by Jonny Glazier photo by Scotty Bara

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

what is a victory when you turn your back on the players you root for every Sunday? Sure, you may win your league and depending on the buy-in, a substantial amount of money, but at what cost?

I mean, Charles Barkley wouldn’t take Dwayne Wade out of his fave five even if Ernie or Kenny wanted to be in it. He’d be a knucklehead if he did.

The way I see it, you’re a fan for life.

Loyalty outweighs fantasy production (just ask any cuckolded man about the importance of loyalty). And when fantasy busts are as brutally common as ESPN’s coverage of Tim Tebow, it seems like the only sane choice is to stay true to your team. If you go down, at least you go down together.

Now Paly, as you gear up to win your leagues and embarrass your friends with your fantasy prowess, make sure you have at least one player from your favorite team in your starting lineup. After all, it is fantasy. Keep it real Paly. <<<

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