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The NBA season doesn’t officially start for almost a month, but CBS Sports recently ranked NBA players by their “superstar” level. You’ll be surprised to see Kyrie Irving in the category of “not a superstar, but could get there” and Blake Griffin, along with Russell Westbrook in the “players perceived by many as superstars who aren’t actually quite there” category. The list was very humorous at best. Check out the entire list by clicking the button below.   What’s Kevin Durant's new strategy with the Golden State Warriors? Apparently, the coaches want him to do what he does best – take more shots.
During his tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder, sinking shots beyond the arc were a specialty of Durant, which earned him a NBA MVP Award. However, with the varying three-point shot experts already on the Golden State Warriors, will this game plan really add any new aspects to the team? According to Fox News, teammate Draymond Green had other advice for the new Warrior. "Yeah, I shot a lot today, and Draymond told me I wasn't aggressive enough," Durant told reporters recently. Just taking shots is not enough in Green’s eyes. Aggression will be needed to defeat teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers this upcoming NBA season. Durant led Oklahoma City to close victories with Russell Westbrook alongside him for eight years. They produced stunning victories in last year’s playoffs, only to be ousted later. Durant went on to tell reporters, "My thing is, impose my will by scoring when we need it. I could do the other things, but I'm highlighted by my scoring and how efficient I can put the ball in the basket and try to search out good shots for our group." The regular season of the NBA begins October 25.  Many wait anxiously for classic Super Bowl commercials, but they also await the halftime performance. The NFL recently announced who will be gracing the stage this year for the Pepsi Super Bowl LI halftime show.
The person chosen was Lady Gaga. There were various petitions pushing for Chris Brown or Rihanna to perform for the show, but the NFL has reportedly been in talks with Lady Gaga for months to perform for the Super Bowl crowd.  Did Blake Barnett angrily roll away from the Crimson Tide because he’s been given a backseat in the quarterback position at UA? Barnett started the season with high hopes that he would lead the Tide to victory during the 2016-2017. However, Barnett has been playing backup to breakout freshman, Jalen Hurts, since their first game. His performance overshadowed Barnett by a longshot.
Still, Barnett appeared in three games this season with 219 yards and two touchdown passes. He even completed a touchdown in their most recent 48-0 win against Kent State University, but in Barnett’s eyes it was not enough. Since his future with the Tide as a starting quarterback was not promised, he announced today that he would be transferring from the University of Alabama. The redshirted freshman, Cooper Bateman, will now be the second string quarterback.  Pitcher Jose Fernandez died in a boating accident in Miami Beach this past weekend. Fernandez was a standout pitcher with the Miami Marlins baseball team and was only 24-years old.
There were three other victims overcome by water after the boat they were using capsized. Authorities believe boat speed was a factor in the drownings. The team released a statement reflecting on the recent loss. “The Miami Marlins organization is devastated by the tragic loss of Jose Fernandez. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time.”  Social media is in an uproar over the statements made by NBA player, LeBron James, today during an interview with ESPN. James was asked about his stance on the Colin Kaepernick national anthem boycott and took the diplomatic approach. He stated that he believed in what Kaepernick was doing, but that he also believed in the flag, so he would not sit or kneel for the national anthem when the NBA season comes back around. This left many wondering how James can believe in both at the same time. James went on to state, “What I do not like about the situation is the negative attention that has been thrown upon him by some people because it’s not deserved. He was very educated, very smart, very candid and very demanding about what he wanted to do and he didn’t ask anyone else to join him. And he did it in the most peaceful manner I’ve ever seen anyone stand up and do something. So I can respect that. And the things I do personally, when I’m knowledgeable about it and I’m passionate about it, I’ll do that as well and let you guys know when those things ae because I’ll tell you.” What are your thoughts?  Horrifically, a tree at Auburn's Toomer’s Corner was set on fire after someone lit the tissue that is traditionally thrown on the tree following a football win. The crime occurred following Auburn's stunning win over LSU on Saturday.
Auburn Police arrested Jochen Wiest, an Auburn resident that does not attend the university, over the weekend for the arson. The 29-year old was booked and charged with “desecration of a venerable object” according to police. He could face up to a year in jail or strenuous fines for the act. Wiest can be seen on a business’ surveillance camera starting the fire. The fire brings back painful memories of 2011, when a Tuscaloosa man poisoned an oak tree on Toomer’s Corner at Auburn University. The full extent of the damage to the tree set on fire Saturday is not known at this time.  There were quite a few shakeups this weekend in football. The Carolina Panthers don’t seem to be the Cinderella-man team they were last year – losing to the Minnesota Vikings 22-10. The ongoing protests and tension in North Carolina due to the Scott case may have played a role. There were protestors outside of Sunday’s game.
Auburn University pulled a shocking upset over No.18 LSU. One consequence of the 18-13 win – someone is now without a job. Les Miles had his fair share of triumphs and defeats during his tenure at LSU. However, after losing to Auburn in a heartbreaking fashion, the university let him go. Ironically, LSU managed a touchdown at the end of the game that effectively surpassed Auburn’s score, but it was waived off because the snap was completed after the time clock hit zero. The final score was 18-13. The Alabama game could be labeled as a massacre. The team prevented Kent State University from touching field goal ranges or the in-zone for the entire game on Saturday. The Tide racked up early points on Kent State and never let up, scoring 21 in the first quarter alone. Kent State suffered a 0-48 loss. In other college football news, Ole Miss beat Georgia 45-14. Florida State came back strong after last week’s showing with a 55-35 win over the University of South Florida. Tennessee handed the University of Florida a 38-28 loss. Michigan beat Penn State 49-10. Baylor triumphed over Oklahoma State 35-24 and Texas A&M had a 45-24 victory over Arkansas. With all the twists and turns this past weekend in football, we’re anxious to see what this upcoming week has in store! There are some interesting match-ups this weekend in football! You can take your pick of what to watch:   How does Derrick Rose feel about his new transition to the New York Knicks from the Chicago Bulls? If you favor inferences, you can make your own from his statements about the fans in each city. Rose stated that while there was minor excitement from fans in Chicago, it’s nothing like the excitement he’s experienced in New York so far. The elation of NY fans has seemingly boosted Rose’s confidence, and he’s ready to get back on the court. Rose told NBPA, "It's a basketball culture there (in Chicago) that's missing. Our job is to bring that excitement back to the city. And it's different playing there than actually being on the team, like the crowd there oohs and aahs for the little moves that you do when you're on the opposing team. But when you're on their team, they ooh and aah with everything." Rose will need all the exhilaration he can muster heading into a heinous trial with a woman who accused him of rape back in August 2013. The case is ongoing.  Photo Via Lakeshore Foundation Did you know the 2016 Paralympic Games began on September 7 this year? One man finished a race in track faster than the Olympic men’s winner. One woman is slated to win seven medals this year. Each of these are interesting statistics that don’t receive the same media attention that the Olympics experienced in 2016.
The NBC network agreed to increase their time slot allotment for the Paralympic games this year, but how does that make a viable difference if reporters refuse to cover the events? Many U.S. reporters and photographers were noticeably absent during the games. If you compare the daily coverage on CNN and Fox of the Olympic Games, you will see a sharp difference. Apparently, journalists feel that audiences aren’t interested in the Paralympics and the events are too costly to cover even though they occur at the same venues that the Olympics take place and occur only two weeks after. According to “The Conversation” news source, Japan has 122 accredited journalists in Brazil and Germany has 99. The U.S. falls behind in these numbers with 52. Paralympic athletes train just as hard or harder to compete for the honor of their country, but many don’t seem to be interested. We spoke with individuals involved in the Paralympics with roots to Birmingham in August. They include Josh Roberts, a Morris, Ala., native and Jennifer Schuble, a Homewood, Alabama resident. This will be Roberts’ third time competing in the Paralympic Games, specializing in the 100 meter and 1,500 meter sprint events. Schuble is a five-time medalist in the Paralympic games and will compete in five cycling events at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Would you like to see additional coverage of the Paralympic Games? Let us know your thoughts.  It was an exciting weekend for sports. Here’s a brief recap:
The University of Alabama washed Ole Miss out with the tide in a close match-up on Saturday. Defeating the Rebels was not an easy feat for Alabama, with the Tide initially being down by three touchdowns. Newcomer to the quarterback position, Jason Hurts, had 158 passing yards and ran 146. The contribution of defensive touchdowns from Jonathan Allen and Da’Ron Payne really made the difference for Bama. The 43-48 loss for Ole Miss was an undoubtedly, despairing defeat. The Rebels appeared to have their eye one the prize in the second quarter, with their quarterback Chad Kelly completing the most passing yards of his career – 421. However, turnovers in the heat of the game led to their demise. Auburn fans were optimistic after their defense held nationally ranked, Clemson, to only 19 points in their season opener a couple of weeks ago. The optimism continued after Auburn was the first to get points on the board during their bout against Texas A&M last weekend. During the first quarter, the score was 7-0, with Auburn fans looking on excitedly. Then, the tides turned and Trevor Knight of Texas A&M proceeded to put pressure on Auburn, with passing yards of 247. Knight had help from Daniel LaCamera, who kicked five field goals to further their lead. Auburn couldn’t stop the offensive force coming toward them with their defense, but did succeed in running into Texas A&M territory, with quarterback John Franklin leading the charge and Kamryn Pettway offering some running assistance. In the end, Auburn would fall to the Reveilles 16-29. In other college news, Baylor overthrew Rice University 38-10. Tennessee dismantled Ohio 28-19. Clemson showed no mercy to Carolina State, beating them 59-0. Florida State was handed a loss by Louisville, falling 20-63. Nebraska beat Oregon 35-32 in a shocking loss for the No. 22 ranked team. LSU won their battle with Mississippi State in a narrow 23-20 victory. In Sunday NFL news, the Carolina Panthers had a sizable victory over the San Francisco 49ers, beating them 46-27. During the game, Carolina Panthers quarterback, Cameron Newton threw for 353 yards and set a high bar for touchdown passes. He reached 121 career TD passes during the game. Did your team come out victorious? For more scores, make sure you check out the link in the page banner.  Football season is here and you know what that means - more polls!
The Carolina Panthers took a loss last week, with a narrow defeat to the Denver Broncos. Panthers QB, Cameron Newton, contributed one touchdown, but one interception also rocked the Panthers' offensive success of 194 passing yards. Denver was led by Trevor Siemian with one touchdown and 178 passing yards. The game ended with the Panthers losing 20-21. How will they shape up against the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday? Let us know who you think will come out victorious!  First, hackers plunged into the political arena, unearthing thousands of emails about former and current candidates running for office. Now, they’ve turned their attention to the Olympic Games, hacking into the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) database on Tuesday. Intimate details of medical records dating back years were available to the world from athletes like Venus Willems, Simone Biles and Elena Delle Donne.
The excavated records revealed that Venus Williams was diagnosed in 2011 with Sjogren’s syndrome, which impacts human energy. The hack forced Simone Biles to discuss her ongoing battle with ADHD and the medication she has taken to treat the disorder since she was a young child. The WADA looked toward Russia as a possible culprit for the online attacks. However, a spokesman for Vladimir Putin condemned the accusation, stating there was no ground for the suspicion. According to NBC Sports, there was a statement release shedding some light on who the hackers may be affiliated with. The group said they were following the beliefs and ideals of Anonymous, the mysterious Internet entity that has outed several groups and individuals for wrongdoing online. The group posted on their website that they wanted the world to see “how Olympic medals are won”, indirectly accusing U.S. athletes of consuming performance altering drugs for wins. Isn’t technology grand? Make sure to check back for more sports news throughout the week! Have you had your dose of irony today? Well, here it is. Former NBA Champions, Shaquille O'Neal and Metta World Peace, both had family representatives dueling against each other on the basketball court recently. The sons of each player challenged each other's strengths and weaknesses in the Ron Massey Memorial Fall Hoops Classic at Lynwood High School in California this past weekend. The battle between Shareef O'Neal (No. 44) and Ron Artest III (No. 1) was an entertaining phenomenon, with one dominating on defense and the other handing down nothing but net from behind the arc. Check out their moves below and see who delivered a checkmate via Sports Illustrated's Youtube. |
