Author Archives: ellenchlumecky

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About ellenchlumecky

Currently a junior at Bowling Green State University pursuing a degree in Sport Management. Goal is to work for a public relations team in the NHL.

Stuart Scott Dies at Age 49

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By Ellen Chlumecky

On Sunday, January 4th, the sports world lost another talented man: Stuart Scott. Scott died at the age of 49, losing his battle to cancer. Scott went into remission in early 2012, but he was again diagnosed with cancer on January 14, 2013. He was also suffering from liver complications and kidney failure. His death was a huge loss to the sports community. His contributions to the sports world were nothing short of exceptional and dynamic. Scott had such a passion for sports and inspired so many others with his talent, work ethic, and devotion.

One of the reasons Stuart Scott was such an inspiration to so many is because of his overall presentation. While Scott was certainly not the first black sportscasters, he presented himself with the confidence as if he was. He talked about his personal experiences that a white sportscaster might not have had. His fellow colleagues expressed how he brought “soul” to the show and how he brought a different beat to every thing he did. He brought his own stories to the table and it started to cover a bigger demographic that wasn’t always being covered. He related well with many black athletes and a majority of them felt more comfortable because he related to them on many different levels.

Bringing his own personality to the show was just one minor break through Scott made on ESPN. With his clever catchphrases, Scott showed ESPN that he was in it for the long haul. Especially with his catchphrase, “Boo-yah” people were hooked on Scott wondering what he was going to come up with next. His charm beamed from him and all of his colleagues knew he was someone special.

Obviously his colleagues were not the only ones who saw something special in him. As a combination of his long-lasting battle with cancer and his perseverance, he received the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYS in July. Scott humbly accepted and made it known to the audience that he was not a hero, he just chose not to live around his cancer.

Twitter this morning was blown up with the mass amount of condolences for Scott and his family. Athletes like Johnny Manziel, Patrick Peterson, Mike Adams, Daniel Meadows, Nick Moody, and many others took to Twitter to express their heartfelt condolences and love of Scott. Even some celebrities such as Carson Daly, Rob Riggle, and Josh Gad talked about his legacy. Even President Obama talked about the tremendous impact Scott had on the sports world and what a loss his death is to so many people. ESPN dedicated their shows tonight to him and his family.

In the words of Stuart Scott: “When you die, it does not mean you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live.” While he may be gone, he will continue to be an inspiration for so many anchors and aspiring sportscasters. So many people my age looked up to him and aspire to be as dynamic as him. He presented himself professionally but was so charismatic and enjoyable to watch. In our hearts, he will always be “as cool as the other side of the pillow.”

While I am not the biggest fan of ESPN, Scott was a reporter I truly respected and genuinely enjoyed watching. He spoke with such eloquence that made me see him as more than just someone relaying statistics. The world lost not only an amazing sportscaster, but a powerful writer, which in this day and age is something we need more than ever.

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Dany Heatley Takes One Step Back

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By Ellen Chlumecky

On December 29th, a rumor surfaced that Dany Heatley was currently being placed on waivers. On December 30th, the Anaheim Ducks announced the decision to move veteran Dany Heatley to their AHL affiliate team in Norfolk.  That same day, the Anaheim Ducks had Heatley clear the waivers and the move to the Norfolk Admirals became official. While this was not the only moving they had been done, it was definitely the one that caused a few heads to turn in the NHL world.

Heatley has made his way around the NHL playing for not only the Anaheim Ducks but the Atlanta Thrashers, Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, and the Minnesota Wild. Winning his fair share of awards notably the Calder Memorial Trophy as the top NHL rookie in 2002. Also was one of the Ottawa Senators’ leading scorers during his time with the Senators. With the Senators, Heatley set franchise records for 50 season-single goals which he achieved in not only one, but two back to back seasons. He also scored 105 points during the 2006-2007 season. In 2008, he was Canada’s all-time leader in goals and the all-time leader in points for the World Championships. Heatley has also represented Team Canada in six World Championships, two Olympics, one World Cup of Hockey, and two World Junior Championships. Doesn’t exactly have the criteria of a hockey player who should be sent back down to the AHL, does it?

While some time has passed, Heatley’s reputation has always preceded him for being a tough, go all in player. However, since joining the Anaheim Ducks, Heatley has been scoreless in six games with a minus-3 rating. Heatley has been struggling with a groin problem that required surgery. It’s not like Heatley hasn’t been trying his best though. It’s clear that Heatley has been busting his butt on and off the ice to return to 100%.

Some may wonder why a veteran of his caliber is being sent down to the AHL for a few bad games. Some speculate that the Ducks made the executive decision to send him down so he can work on his rehabilitation. Others suggest that he really hasn’t been clicking with the Ducks as a team. Some people still think that the car accident might have a psychological effect on him and his playing.

Whatever the case may be, this is Heatley’s fifth NHL team. As a veteran, I’m sure he will be able to bounce back from this obstacle in his career.

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Acy Gets Antsy: Suspended 1 Game

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By Ellen Chlumecky

Nothing says the holidays quite like fighting, right? However this fight was not over who got the last iPad or the last turkey leg. On Christmas Day, New York Knicks forward Quincy Acy and Washington Wizards guard John Wall participated in a shoving match with one another. Quincy Acy is the one who initiated the shove while John Wall had the ball when the Wizards were winning. While Wall retaliated with a shove of his own and a fight erupted from the shoving. There was talk about Acy throwing a punch but rumors have not been confirmed on whether or not that is true. Both players were separated by their respective teams.

Quincy Acy has been suspended one game while his sparing partner was fined $15,000 by the NBA for their roles in the fight. Both seem to be fitting punishments for the two athletes, correct? It didn’t seem like that big of a fight in comparison to certain fights over the past couple years that happened in the NBA or even in the NHL or NFL. However, any fighting in the NBA is frowned upon and needs to be handled with severity no matter how big or small the fight may be.

When so many more impressionable children are watching professional sports nowadays, the NBA needs to have a firmer grasp on keeping the violence to a minimum. While there is more and more attention being drawn to athletes participating in violent acts off the field, court, or ice, people seem to forget that players can be doing the exact same thing on the field, court, or ice. While this may seem to be a simple, almost juvenile, act of violence it is unacceptable none the less.

Acy not only claimed that he did not throw a punch but also expressed shock when he received word about being suspended. He claimed that he was just trying to foul John Wall saying that he was just trying to stop a fast break and was trying to stop the play. Even his coach, Derek Fisher chimed in saying that he shouldn’t be suspended for shoving because there was in fact no punch thrown. He also stated that he was not upset with Acy’s action because there was no intent behind them.

What these athletes and coaches still don’t seem to understand is that there is always consequences to your actions. Whether it is just a shove or a punch thrown, you are being shown on television for everyone to see. You have to take into account what these people will think about you and wonder what kind of organization lets athletes play like childish boys. Whether or not he had intent to hurt him is beyond the point. Quincy Acy wants to play as a professional then he needs to act like one as well.

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Under Armour Slides into 2nd Place

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By Ellen Chlumecky

Kevin Plank, Under Armour founder and CEO, started his company 18 years ago in his grandmother’s basement. Starting out with a stretchy undershirt that football players wore under their equipment to suck the sweat away from their bodies. Today, Under Armour is expected to see sales past $3 billion for 2014. This accomplishment has placed Under Armor at the second largest domestic sportswear company, behind powerhouse rival Nike.

A couple years ago, Under Armour was well known but was nowhere near the success rate it is today. It is now not only hip but has become a trend in the sports world to wear Under Armour. To the every day runner or the gym rat, Under Armour seems to be surging to the top of the charts. After passing Adidas, it’s true competition this year is Nike, while still far behind Plank’s goal this year is surpass them.

Everyone knows that long-lasting success does not come in one fell swoop. One must earn it with passion, honesty, quick thinking, and hard work. Kevin Plank did all that and more. Plank is all about pushing the envelope to as far as it can go.

One of the many reasons he has been able to make a name for himself is his desire to not just be a sporting goods brand. He thinks that he could go into bottled water to sports drinks to protein bars. Plank doesn’t want to contain his brand to one category.

Another reason he’s been so successful is because of the media attention Under Armor has been receiving. This summer they released a new women’s line featuring American Ballet Theatre star Misty Copeland. While she may just seem like an ordinary athlete, she has an amazing back story. She was rejected from ballet school at the age of 13 because she did not have “the body of a ballerina.” She ignored the criticism and worked day in and day out to achieve her dream. Under Armour continues this thought process by endorsing athletes who refuse to bend from criticism. Athletes like Gisele Bundchen, Lindsey Vonn, Tom Brady, and Georges St-Pierre are just a few of the superb athletes endorsed by Under Armour.

Under Armour does a great job of endorsing female athletes. Especially women who have overcome hardship to be successful today. Under Armour is providing a positive example to female athletes and even aspiring female athletes. Which might have to do with women’s sports apparel sales going up and women’s sports apparel being 30% of their overall sales.

Kevin Plank is truly never satisfied. They have 18 consecutive of 20% revenue growth, 4 consecutive quarters up to 30%, and international sales are up almost 86% this year. Yet Plank still believes it isn’t enough. Plank’s love of winning and his fear of losing drive him to compete with Nike, or as he likes to call them, “those guys in Oregon.”

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Snowboarding Prodigy at Age 14

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By Ellen Chlumecky

In the sports world, snowboarding is almost synonymous with Shaun White, the two time- Olympic gold medalist for snowboarding. He currently holds the X-Games records for gold medals and highest overall medal count. He holds a long rap sheet of accomplishments in the snowboarding world. However, he might have some competition at the top of that 1st place podium. That person is a 14-year old girl named Chloe Kim.

To begin Chloe’s rap sheet: she threw her first back flip off a natural feature at age six. Five years later she was able to land a one and a half spins upside down, launched while riding backward. This led the elite Burton Snowboards to sponsor her. Last winter, she became the youngest World Snowboard Tour overall champion in the world. It was then people really started to notice her talent, showmanship, and her ability to go big or go home. Most recently, Chloe received a silver at this month’s X Games Aspen. She was not completely satisfied with this placement and is looking to improve.

So where has this girl been? She’s been snowboarding at a competitive level at the age of six. She has placed in the top three in the majority of her junior competitions in the last two years and has wins and podiums at Burton’s prestigious events and grass-roots USASA Nationals, but she has seemingly flew under the radar.

Her counterparts, Kelly Clark and Kaitlyn Farrington, also very rarely receive any media attention. All three of these ladies are phenomenal athletes. Where is their air time and their news stories? Most sports are heavily dominated by men. That is something that is no surprise. However, these young women are amazing athletes. They are also so young as well. The fact that they are doing tricks at the same level that men who are twice as old as them is pretty crazy.

Yet, these men are always receiving more media attention, more sponsorship offers, and more opportunities to grow in the sport. I hate to sound like a broken record, but where is the love for the women? Chloe Kim in particular is an athlete that has broken through so many different barriers as a young woman and should not be restricted from the same opportunities as Shaun White because she’s a girl.

I am not saying that anyone in particular is hindering her from snowboarding or signing a sponsorship with her but being a girl is a double-edged sword in the world of sports. Chloe Kim has a world of opportunities in front of her. I hope that she will receive the media attention she deserves because if she continues the way she’s going, she’s going to show Shaun White and the rest of the snowboarding world that girls can do anything.

Stats taken from: http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/snow-sports/skiing-and-snowboarding/snowboarding/Chloe-Kim-Snowboarding-Wunderkind.html

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Cubs and Sox: Busy, Busy Bees

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By Ellen Chlumecky

Chicago baseball fans have been buzzing this week because of the amount of trading going around with the North Side Cubs and the South Side White Sox. With trading some beloved Chicago players to acquiring some big names in the baseball world, fans’ heads are spinning with the amount of tumultuous deals going on. However, not everything is running smoothly right off the bat and not everyone is enthusiastic about the players that have been acquired by each team. As the age-old story goes with fans, you don’t get to pick who’s on your team but it doesn’t mean they won’t get complain about it.

On the South Side, the Chicago White Sox have snatched up several new players for next season. The lineup of new players includes: Jeff Samardzija, David Robertson, Melky Cabrera, Zach Duke, Dan Jennings, and Adam LaRoche. Micah Johnson and Rob Brantly are currently under debate right now. While the lineup is clearly stacked, the adjustment to so many players at once currently stands to be a problem. Namely a problem with Melky Cabrera. Cabrera had been suspended for 50 games and missed the end of the 2012 season because of elevated levels of testosterone. There has been quite a bit of controversy because of his mistake. While the biggest draw for the White Sox was Cabrera’s .351 on-base percentage in 2014 and his .339 OPB over his 10-year career. General Manager stated that “he respected the fact that Cabrera accepted and served his penalty and lived with the consequences, and he’s done his best to put it behind him.” They have a great amount of opportunity, if they can use these opportunities correctly.

While on the North Side, the Chicago Cubs have not been slouching on the trades either. In addition to the hiring of new coach, Joe Maddon, the Chicago Cubs have also acquired minor league pitcher Matt Brazis. The Cubs traded Justin Ruggiano to the Seattle Mariners for Brazis. In addition to acquiring pitcher Jason Motte. Their biggest catch though is the deal of snagging all-stars Jon Lester and Miguel Montero. However fans are not too happy about the Ruggiano trade, the Cubs management are looking into acquiring impact players who will provide leadership for the team, such as: Justin Upton and Jonny Gomes. While gaining Upton is unlikely, Gomes has connections with Maddon and might be a likely option for another trade. The Cubs management is very excited about the new steps for the next season.

While the buzz among Chicago baseball fans is growing louder and louder, there is nothing they can but just watch the trades come through the door. No matter what happens at the end of the day Cubs fans will continue to say, “this is our year.”

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All-American Diver Celebrates Being Gay

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By Ellen Chlumecky

In a world where professional and collegiate athletes’ lives are put on display for the rest of the world to see, it becomes harder and harder for these people to keep a secret about themselves private. Secrets especially are hard to keep when one is in the spotlight often. Conor Murphy is one of the few athletes that found it easier to reveal the secret to the rest of his team and the rest of the university, that he was gay.

Conor Murphy is an All-American diver at Indiana University. Conor owns two Big Ten titles and two top-five finishes at the NCAA Championships in platform diving. He finished his sophomore year fifth at NCAAs in platform diving. In 2012, he competed at the Olympic Trials that summer. As a junior, he captured the Big Ten title in platform diving and took third at NCAAs in platform diving. He is also the first Indiana University athlete to say publicly he is gay.

Conor Murphy speaks only positive things about how his teammates and university have been behind him in his coming out. While he has always been comfortable with his identity, his classmates, teammates, and university made him feel even more at ease. Conor expresses how Bloomington is an accepting place, where many different people come from many different places. While he knows not everyone holds these liberal views, he states that everyone is very tolerant and welcoming.

Conor is just one of many gay collegiate athletes in our sports world today. The difference between him and quite a few of them though, is that not all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender student athletes don’t always feel welcome or comfortable with telling others their secret. Playing on any collegiate team requires trust between teammates. When a teammate does not feel comfortable expressing their secret to other teammates in fear of being judged, it affects the individual and the team.

While Conor Murphy’s story is a positive one, not every collegiate or even professional athlete has received open arms when they decided to come out. Conor Murphy and several of his fellow athletes recently stated that they want to be able to teach more confidence to fellow athletes or anyone in general having difficulty coming out. While the world has slowly become more accepting, there are still people out there who are road blocks to people’s happiness. Everyone in the sports world, especially athletes, need to do their best to be welcoming and accepting to their fellow teammates, coaches, or anyone else working in sports when one decides to come out. No one should ever be discouraged to play or work in sports because of their sexual orientation.

All information in this story came from the story “All-American diver and Big Ten champion Conor Murphy celebrates being gay at Indiana.”

http://www.outsports.com/2014/12/9/7354125/conor-murphy-gay-diver-indiana

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Johnny Manziel Makes His Grand Entrance to the Stage

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By Ellen Chlumecky

As soon as the decision to keep Brian Hoyer on as quarterback for the Cleveland Browns’ playoff run, things quickly changed. The argument that coach Mike Pettine had made for Hoyer seemed so sound, however, he clearly changed his mind quickly after their last game with Hoyer as quarterback. Mike Pettine announced Tuesday afternoon that Johnny Manziel will make his first career start this weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals.

While Pettine made an argument for Hoyer before last weekend’s game, he has turned around and said his decision was not based on Johnny Manziel or Brian Hoyer. Pettine said his decisions and the decisions of his staff are always made me in the best interest of the team. While Pettine expressed that Hoyer did everything he was asked of and followed through on all of these duties professionally, he clearly stated that they are trying to get their offense to perform at a higher level.

Pettine said that Johnny Manziel has been working very hard to earn this opportunity and said it will be very important for every member of the offense to elevate their play for us to obtain their desired result.

While I understand that coaches change their mind about players all the time, it is puzzling to me why Pettine seemed so dead set on Hoyer last weekend but now wants to put Manziel in. I’m well aware that Hoyer did not play his best on Sunday, Pettine built him up to have been a key aspect in their success this year thus far. He made it clear that he wanted Hoyer as quarterback during their playoff run because Manziel was still maturing as a player and did not seem ready for this type of game. However on Monday, Pettine made a statement saying that he was leaning toward a quarterback change during his news conference after Hoyer struggled in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

While I understand changing out the inconsistent Hoyer for Manziel, I don’t understand why Pettine would build Hoyer up then pulling the rug out from under him. Manziel will be facing the same pressure that Hoyer had to go through. In addition, this will be Manziel’s first career start, making the pressure even higher. While it was no surprise to fans that the switch was made, I don’t think the way Pettine approached the situation was in his best interest.

I don’t know if Manziel is ready for this type of pressure but I certainly know he has the talent to play well against the Bengals. We will see on Sunday if Pettine’s decision to put the hands of their season of Manziel was the right one.

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Reggie Bush Stands in Protest

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By Ellen Chlumecky

On Sunday Reggie Bush, took a stand during pregame warm ups before the Detroit Lions’ game against Tampa Bay. During pregame warm ups, Reggie Bush showed up in a blue Detroit Lions shirt with “I Can’t Breathe” written in black marker. This statement was signifying the last words of Eric Garner, the New York man who died while being placed in a choke hold while the police attempted to arrest him.

Bush had a great deal to say about the statement during the pregame warm ups. Bush stated that the situation is a terrible and unfortunate one and he is disgusted that these types of events are still happening in our society today. He continues by saying that it does not just affect a few people, it affects everybody. He explains that we are all in this situation together and it’s not just one person’s problem.

While Bush did not run the decision by coach Jim Caldwell, but Caldwell did support his statement. Caldwell said that he would be a hypocrite if he didn’t believe in the cause. He stated that some of the Dr. King non-violent protests that occurred are part of the reason he is standing there today. He supported Bush in his decision to wear the t-shirt.

Reggie Bush is not the only one makes a statement. The day before fellow athlete, Derrick Rose wrote an “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirt in pregame warm ups  before the Bulls’ game on Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors. Bush admitted to seeing it and being impressed with the action. Bush believes that because as professional athletes, they have a voice and can use it to act as role models and lead by example. Cleveland Browns cornerback Johnson Bademosi warmed up in a shirt with the message. St. Louis Rams offensive lineman Davin Joseph wore the same message on his cleats.

This is not Reggie Bush’s first statement on the topic. It has been a continuous trend of protest for Bush. He took to Twitter last month after Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson was not indicted by a grand injury in the killing of Michael Brown. Bush was not shy about expressing his opinion on the subject. Bush believes that the system seemed flawed and the situation was not handled well. Bush expressed his disdain and how the whole situation made him sick to his stomach. However, even though he was upset with the situation, he explained that people rioting was not the answer and was embarrassed because of the way people were handling the situation.

While most people don’t tend to mix sports and serious events going on in the world, these athletes want to take a stand. As Bush said, they are people who fans respect and listen to, if they make it clear that violence and riots are not the answer, maybe they will have an impact. The death of Eric Garner is a huge loss and tragedy. Violent protests are not the way to solve problems. However, these athletes want to stand up for those who can’t, by protesting peacefully.

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The Old vs. the New: Hoyer or Manziel?

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By Ellen Chlumecky

After a two-day debate on which quarterback for the Browns would be playing on Sunday, coach Mike Pettine finally made his decision today. Pettine announced that Brian Hoyer will continue his 13th straight game as the quarterback against the Indianapolis Colts. While the decision was tough, it seems like the majority of Browns’ fans still aren’t pleased. Who would think that there would be so much controversy over who the starting quarterback would be for the Cleveland Browns?

Cleveland Browns fans, that’s who. As soon as Manziel was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the 2014 NFL Draft. So many fans thought Manziel was going to be used immediately when he joined the team. The majority of Browns’ fans worshiped the ground Manziel walked on and were highly upset when Pettine picked Hoyer over Manziel for this Sunday.

Everyone seemed to have their own opinion. Some people agree and some people think that Pettine made a huge mistake. Sports writer Pat McManamon said that the Browns are making the logical move by choosing Hoyer over Manziel. He believes that this is just a chance for Hoyer to show Pettine he made the right decision. While write Field Yates, another ESPN writer, believes that the Browns would have been better off picking Manziel to start over Hoyer.

While Pettine has explained his reasoning, he is receiving the heat for this decision from all the Manziel fans out there. However at the end of the day, Pettine has expressed on several occasions that as a rookie, Manziel still is quite unpredictable. While they are still monitoring his progress, he is still a question mark in whether or not he’ll start. Throwing a rookie in a playoff push would give any intelligent coach hesitance. However, still contrary to the coach’s opinion, Manziel fans are pushing for him relentlessly.

Since the Browns are finally in a playoff push, fans are freaking out. While Manziel may seem like the all star, Hoyer is a veteran who has been part of their success and shown their ability to bounce back. Pettine was not swayed by the fans’ complaints. Pettine knows that Manziel has the talent but it is not where it needs to be right now. While the Browns’ fans are going to complain till the cows come home about every move not involving Manziel, Pettine is going to stand firm with his decision on Hoyer. It shouldn’t make or break the team because they do not have a quarterback-centric offense. But at the end of the day when it comes to a decision about Manziel, everything has to be a big production.

 

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