“No Wusses Play Hockey”

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By Ellen Chlumecky

April 6, 2015

Football, rugby, lacrosse, wrestling, boxing, field hockey, and of course hockey are all very rough, high contact sports. There is always debate on what the roughest sport is and most importantly what sport has the toughest athletes. I’m sure there’s cases for all the above but most recently hockey has proven it’s worthiness for the toughest sport overall. This recent prestigious honor is due to Drew Miller of the Detroit Red Wings.

Drew Miller is the most recent example of the toughness that is demonstrated daily by hockey players. This incident was so fatal that Miller and his teammates feared he’d lose his right eye. On Tuesday, March 31st, the Red Wings played against Ottawa. Miller was standing behind Mark Stone and took a skate to the face, because Miller wears a visor it cut up the majority of his face pretty bad. Miller needed 50 to 60 stitches to close up the gash on his face. While Miller initially thought that he had lost his eye, the doctors cleared him and mentioned that his vision is fine. Miller wanted to go back in for the third period against the Senators but the doctors and his wife advised against the decision because of the fear of ripping the stitches.

Miller is now sporting a deep scar from his right eyebrow across his cheekbone. The whole cut was very deep especially in the cheek area. The eye itself is fine. Doctors have enforced him to wear a protective cage for a while, but he is convinced that he can still perform his duties on the ice.

If that wasn’t enough, Drew Miller suited up to play for the Red Wings in Thursday’s 3-2 loss to Boston at Joe Louis Arena. The day he decided to suit up for the game was only just two days after a skate to his face. While this may seem absurd to most, it would be more painful for most hockey players not to play than to sit out with an injury. That’s how badly they want to play and help their teammates.

Hockey players push the boundaries beyond belief. Their passion to their craft is unmatched by any other sport. While I’m sure other athletes have shown just as much dedication, there is a unique aspect to hockey players’ dedication. Coach of the Red Wings, Mike Babcock, called the incident the definition of team building. While fellow teammate of Miller, Brendan Smith, stated, “I’m not sure how to say this, but no wusses play. It’s a tough sport and I think that’s why it’s ingrained at a young age. If you don’t want to play a tough game, you go play tennis or golf.”

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NBA MVP Race During the Final Stretch

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By Matt Stevenson

April 6, 2015

The NBA MVP race is coming down to the wire with a 5-star cast. LeBron James, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Steph Curry are all playing at a phenomenal rate as the season winds down.

Harden and Westbrook both have led their teams despite losing valuable teammates such as Dwight Howard for Harden, and Kevin Durant for Westbrook. LeBron James showed his worth during his 2 week break as the Cavs went 1-7 during that stretch and have looked damn near flawless since. Then, of course, there is Steph Curry who seems as if he’s making memes out of everyone he faces up against. All 4 are having incredible seasons and it is difficult to pick and choose only one player in such a competitive season.

For Steph Curry, his Golden State Warriors currently possess the 1st seed in the Western Conference and also hold the NBA’s best record at 62-13, 6 games ahead of the next best record held by the Atlanta Hawks. Shooting nearly 44% from 3 point range and 59% from the field, Curry is in the top 5 for each respective category.

The super splash brothers have been a force to be reckoned with, but that’s what many are holding against Steph Curry.

Curry has an unbelievable amount of talent around him, arguably the best surrounding crew in the whole NBA. Kay Thompson and Draymond Green are both deserving of max contracts while David Lee, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut are no scrubs either. This team has big time players with experience and is a dangerous team to face down the stretch.

So Curry might have easily had the best season with team success as well as individual success, but the talent around him may end up hurting him in the end.

Next lets talk about the king himself, LeBron James. As mentioned earlier we noticed how awful the Cavaliers played when LeBron was out for his two-week break and how good they were when he returned. Arguably the most dangerous team in the league, the Cleveland Cavaliers have successfully defied the laws of throwing together a new team and staff while actually winning.

It doesn’t happen often. Steve Kerr of the Warriors is a rookie coach as well, however he went into a system under previous Golden State Coach Mark Jackson that had the same players with great team chemistry. This Cavs team has a rookie Head Coach in David Blatt, except he doesn’t know the NBA like Kerr does. Oh, and only 3 players from last years team are even on the current roster.

However, there are some scratches on the surface to LeBron’s MVP case. Similar to Curry, LeBron has a gifted roster full of talent and potential. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love obviously are two of the top players in the league, despite the disappointing season of Love. JR Smith, Iman Shumpert, Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson are also worthy of mentioning as the great talent this Cavs team holds. Finally buying into David Blatt’s system, this Cavs team truly is a Championship contender and may even be the favorite.

In Houston all I hear is “Fear the Beard” from the Rockets fans. This man has really put the pressure on Oklahoma City to win soon as they traded possibly the best scorer in the league. His versatility is hard to compare as he is not afraid to take a shot on any part of the court. It seems like he has a 40-point game each week and his team currently holds the 2 seed in the brutal Western Conference.

Oh yeah, by the way this is without All-Star Center Dwight Howard and starting Point Guard Patrick Beverly. An injury plagued roster and losing the 3rd counterpart in Chandler Parsons from last season would assembly doom this Houston Rockets team, similar to how the Thunder currently hurt. Except Hardens Rockets are winning. Consistently winning despite the injuries are something all other MVP candidates can’t compete with.

But wait, Russell Westbrook is on a more injury prone team with last years NBA MVP, Kevin Durant, out for the season along with injuries to pretty much half of the roster. Although true, there is one big difference between Harden and Westbrook… Harden is sitting in the 2 spot in the West while Westbrook and the Thunder and fighting for their playoff lives. 11 triple-doubles by Westbrook is as incredible as it gets on an individual standpoint, however they aren’t always getting his team wins.

There have been point guards, recently and in past-time that have put up similar numbers yet still won. Jason Kidd did it in New Jersey in the early 2000’s while the big “O” Oscar Robinson did it as well back in the old days. If Westbrook and his Thunder don’t make the playoffs, it’s hard to even mention him in the discussion.

After this long post, I think it’s safe for me now to make a decision on my MVP for this season and I’m going to have to go with James Harden. As a biased Cavaliers fan, it hurts to give it to someone else aside LeBron, but Harden hasn’t had the talent LeBron and Curry have all year while still putting up incredible numbers as well as winning. This is no landslide this year and as a matter of fact, this is the tightest MVP race the league has seen in recent time.

This exhilarating MVP race is just the beginning of a post-season in which has me extremely excited due to the amount of legitimate contenders. Of course, the MVP is announced during the playoffs so as this exciting season winds down we look forward to the NBA playoffs. James Harden gets my vote, but it will definitely be a close one.

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I Got 99 Problems but a Fight Ain’t One

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By Kaleb Page

April 3, 2015

For years and years the talk of Mayweather-Pacquiao seemed like a far-fetched idea that would never materialize into what we all want to see.

Then the gift was given via social media on February 20, 2015. It was time, time to see what so many still debate over. Mayweather or Pacquiao, Pacquiao or Mayweather?

Set for May 2, 2015 the fight of the century will take place in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand. For Mayweather the fight holds a lot at stake. Not only does his unbeaten record of 47-0 hang in the balance, but also does the thought that Mayweather is the best fighter in the world and nearly untouchable.

As for the ‘Pac Man’ an equal amount hangs in the balance as well. There were the grumblings in the past that Mayweather was running from Pacquiao, and if Pacquiao defeats Mayweather the legend of Manny Pacquiao will grow substantially since he will be the first person to defeat Floyd.

As the hype continues to build and the days dwindle until May 2, a new release may cause some to take a second opinion on how bad they actually want to see the fight.

Reports from Deadspin.com have this fight as on of the most expensive pay-per-view buys in the history of boxing. The negotiations are on going but a standard definition Mayweather-Pacquiao pay-per-view will be sold for the modest price of $89. Now if you are feeling the urge to splurge, the fight will also be offered at the high-definition price of $99.

Is that price too much? The article poised the same question and did say it was a hefty price but when the fight of the century comes along doesn’t it warrant a big price?

It is harder to do like you could if say a UFC event was taking place and you wanted to watch it without shelling out a lot of money. With UFC events you can watch pay-per-views, Fox Sports One fights, etc. at your local Buffalo Wild Wings.

Unless this pay-per-view does it that way as well, which I haven’t seen any boxing fights that way in recent memory, it looks like the only way to watch is paying the price.

The price is reasonable given the demand. It’s smart business on the part of not only the promoters but the fighters as well; since they will see a cut (primarily Mayweather) of the buys along with the gate towards their purse.

The price is also reasonable if you have a group of friends over and split the cost, and if you are going to spend the money you might as well get the high-definition (smart move to just make it $10 more). So get some friends, some food, and enjoy boxing at its highest level.

I got 99 problem but the price ain’t one. (well, sorta)

As for my analysis and prediction on the fight you can read below. It will be interesting to watch this fight unfold and as always in a fight; anything can happen.

  • If Pacquiao can find a way to cut off Mayweather almost like Miguel Cotto did when he fought Mayweather, he can naturalize the speed with which Floyd moves around the ring. From there Manny needs to find a way to open up Floyd, since ‘Pac Man’ is a southpaw he can look to use his own movement to get Mayweather out of position setting up a straight left or a solid hook. Ultimately, Pacquiao has to find a way to touch a man with great defense and with the power Manny possess he can find a shot to drop Floyd. That is a big if as it is hard to touch Floyd as the last person to really give Floyd was Cotto. If Manny wants is to win it will be by KO.
  • For Mayweather its simple use the speed, length and defense to your advantage. Take the counters that you can from the southpaw and exit, stuff that Floyd is exceptional at doing. Not sure if with this fight Floyd will go for that KO in later rounds, but it is unlikely as the amount of power is not as high as Manny’s. Floyd has to put on a show with his feet and not walk his way into a powerful Pacquiao hook or uppercut. However, Mayweather has more ways of taking the fight and just has too much speed.

Final Decision: Mayweather wins by decision. 

Hard to not pick a guy who is that good and undefeated.

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A Rod Trying to Fly Under the Radar

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By Ellen Chlumecky

April 3, 2015

The day has come back where Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees returns to the grand stage during spring training to debut what he’s been doing during his suspension. Many Yankees fans and baseball fans recall the trial regarding Alex Rodriguez. For almost two whole years, Alex Rodriguez denied he ever used banned substances from a Coral Gables anti-aging clinic. In 2013, he finally admitted getting testosterone creams, lozenges laced with testosterone and human growth hormone injections from the fake doctor Anthony Bosch. Anthony Bosch not only lied to him about what the drugs would do, but he also gave him tips on how to beat the MLB’s drug testing.

In 2013, Alex Rodriguez was reduced from a 211 game suspension to a 162 game suspension. He received the longest suspension of all the MLB players. Rodriguez’s statement fortified the criminal steroid case against Bosch and indicated his cousin as the middleman. He also admitted that he had used performance-enhancing substances as a member of the Texas Rangers in 2001-03. Recently he wrote a handwritten apology letter to his fans. He’s trying to cover all his basics before coming back this season. I am not sure that he has everyone convinced though.

Media constantly question Yankee manager Joe Girardi about Rodriguez’s return to spring training. Their main question is if Alex Rodriguez has been a distraction during spring training. Girardi is of the opinion that no one is bothered by the media. He said none of the players are bothered or distracted either. Girardi thinks things will be fine and will return back to normal quickly. Sounds plausible, right?

As far as we know, Girardi’s intuition was correct. Rodriguez has settled comfortably back onto the Yankees. While the media has been hounding them, it’s nothing that they’re not accustomed to already. Girardi believes that the media doesn’t believe Rodriguez is high up on their radar right now.

However, it almost seems scripted on how Rodriguez has been responding to the media. He has recited general thankfulness and obedience to the Yankee staff every day he’s been interviewed. He expressed a want to just play baseball and to perform well for the team. He said, “I’ll tell you that I’m a lot more happy, fortunate, and grateful than I was twelve months ago.” He is acting in a professional manner as I’m sure his superiors told him to act.

It’s odd to see his transition. He went from suing the league to sticking the “mistakes were made” defense now to the loyal, devoted player. So far so good for A Rod, but we have the whole season to see what unfolds.

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OHSAA Title Game Brews the Controversy

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By Kaleb Page

April 1, 2015

In the Division II state basketball championship in Ohio there was an ending that you might not see again (at least for a long time). An ending involving a dunk…how is that anything newsworthy?

What happened at the end of that dunk is what really caught the attention of not only people in the state, but people nationally as well.

The game was between Cleveland Central Catholic and Defiance High School. The game was closely contested coming down the stretch. With under a minute in the fourth quarter the score line was 37-35 in favor of Central Catholic. At roughly 45 seconds on the clock, Central Catholic star player Antwon Lillard drove the lane and took off.

Moving fast down the lane Lillard’s momentum springs him to the hole for a big slam. The slam gives his team a huge four point lead to essentially cement the championship. If you remember from earlier I said it wasn’t the dunk that got the reaction it was the after that initiated the debate.

As Lillard dunked he hung on the rim and swung his legs up until he finally landed on the floor. After that action one of the referees gave Lillard a technical foul for hanging on the rim. If you watch the video below you can draw your conclusion on if it should have been called or not (starts at 34 seconds).

This call resulted in two free throws for Defiance and the ball. The bulldogs made both free throws and went on to score on that possession; forcing overtime. Once in overtime the tough nature of the game picked back up, but Defiance walked away the DII Ohio state champion with the final score of 49-45.

“A player can hang from the rim if he is protecting himself from injury if a player or players are underneath him. There were not any players underneath him, and he pulled himself up and swung excessively.” – Denny Morris, OHSAA excutive explaining the ruling (via Cleveland.com)

The national media from USA Today Sports, ESPN, Sporting News, etc. took the story and looked to spread this interesting ending to a big game. Controversy on whether or not the call was right has raged on in any of the comment section you find within an article on this topic.

With that said, I think it is important the national media shows this big ending to a state championship but, it’s important to be fair and not make the referee this huge villain.

Even with the call Defiance had to go to the line and knock down two high pressure free throws. Then when they got that possession they had to work for that basket to tie it and take it into overtime. Yes the call was huge, and yes the call set up for the end result but it still takes capitalizing on. If Defiance misses those free throws are we even sitting here today debating this call as much as we are?

I doubt it.

It is rough to lose that way and you have to feel for those Central Catholic players. At the same time, credit is due for Defiance finishing the job. Circumstances out of your control come up in any sport but it is key to really get past it and focus on what you can control.

Maybe that is the true story line here to realize.

Worry about the things you can control because things will happen you can’t control and when the things you can’t control do happen it is important to keep carrying on.

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The King is Back in his Throne: Henrik Lundqvist

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By Ellen Chlumecky

April 1, 2015

You may remember that the king of goalies, Henrik Lundqvist, has been out since February 2. Lundqvist missed 25 games due to a serious vascular injury. A great loss for the entire New York Rangers organizations and their fans. Not that they are without their star players: Martin St. Louis, Rick Nash, Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, and Derek Stephan. However without a solid goaltender, we know that you’re as good as gone in the NHL. Thankfully for the Rangers, Lundqvist is back in action. On March 28th, Lundqvist was able to make his return back to his kingdom in the net. They played the Bruins at TD Garden and even though the energy was thrilling, the results weren’t exactly what the Rangers were looking for in return.

http://www.blueshirtsunited.com/video/rangers-fall-beantown-highlights-analysis

Lundqvist and the New York Rangers fell to 25-12-3 with a 4-2 loss to the Bruins. Lundqvist finished with 26 saves against the Bruins. He faced 14 shots in the first period and allowed three goals. The first came only 1:41 into the game when Milan Lucic of the Bruins was credited with a goal after the pick was redirected in with his skate to give Boston a 1-0 lead. The play was reviewed but it was confirmed that the goal was allowed because it was determined not to be a distinct kicking motion.

The second goal of the game was at 9:26 of the first. It was also scored by Lucic. The Bruins took a clean breakout and a series of quick and crisp passes through the neutral zone before Lucic finished with his second goal of the night and 17th goal of the season. The third goal of the game by the Bruins was also scored in the first period and was scored by Carl Soderberg. The fourth goal of the game by the Bruins was scored by Reilly Smith early in the second period.

Lundqvist was obviously not happy with his performance but looks at this game as a chance for improvement. It didn’t help that the first period was clearly dominated by the Bruins and was a tough place for the Rangers. Lundqvist thought he did well in the second and third but will obviously learn from what went wrong in the first. First game back in 25 games would be hard for anyone in the game.

The Rangers have eight games left in their regular season. Lundqvist should be receiving a few more starts to try to regain his strength to the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. We wish Henrik Lundqvist in his return back to Madison Square Garden. If anyone deserves a win, it’s him, with hard work and a massive amount of will power he will be as good as new.

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Mo’ne Davis Teaches People How to Rise Above the Haters

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By Ellen Chlumecky

March 30, 2015

As my father once said, “Any idiot can have a Twitter account.” Unfortunately in this day and age, this is all too true. Twitter is at people’s fingertips at any moment during the day. They can tweet any thought, any picture or video, any comment, any idea whenever they feel like it. It’s a great tool, in theory. Unless you put that tool in the hands of someone who feels comfortable bullying, sharing inappropriate comments, or someone who genuinely wants to do some permanent damage. This is the case with Bloomsburg University baseball player, Joey Casselberry.

Joey Casselberry took to Twitter when he found out that Disney was going to be making a movie about Mo’ne Davis’ life. He said, “WHAT A JOKE. That slut got rocked by Nevada.” His tweet without fail went viral. On Saturday, Casselberry tweeted an apology for what he said. He tweeted, “An example that one stupid tweet can ruin someone’s life and I couldn’t be more sorry about my actions last night. I please ask you to forgive me and truly understand that I am in no way shape or form a sexist and I am a huge fan of Mo’ne. She was quite an inspiration.”

While he desperately tried to take back what he said, it seemed to no avail. Casselberry is no longer on the baseball team’s roster. Bloomsburg University has also issued a statement regarding the matter. They stated, “Bloomsburg University is deeply saddened by what was written about Mo’ne Davis by one of our student-athletes. His words do not represent us. We take matter very seriously; addressed the issue with the student-athlete (who has been dismissed from team), coach, and the team.” This seems to be well-deserved justice in most people’s minds. However, Mo’ne Davis did not feel the same way.

Mo’ne Davis wants Joey Casselberry to be reinstated by his school. Davis believes that Casselberry deserves a second chance. She stated, “Everyone makes mistakes and everyone deserves a second chance. I know he didn’t mean it that type of way. I know people get tired of seeing me on TV, but you just gotta think about what you’re doing before you actually do it. I know right now he’s really hurt and I know how hard he worked just to get to where is right now. I was hurt on my part, but he’s hurt even more.”

The team said Casselberry violated the athletic department’s social media policy and the school’s code of conduct. While Bloomsburg says they respect Davis’ opinion and praise her for being incredibly mature about the situation, the school will not reinstate the baseball player. They are standing firm. Cyber bullying has become a major issues over the past few years and I believe that standing firm makes it clear that no matter who it is, a derogatory statement is unacceptable.

While it is very noble and mature of Mo’ne to issue such a statement, Casselberry should be punished regardless. Twitter is no longer a consequence-free world. People think that just because it’s a faceless forum on social media, they have no rules and they can’t get in trouble. There should be consequences for what people say.

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Dean Smith: His Final Gesture to his Players

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By Kaleb Page

March 30, 2015

In February, basketball lost a legend. A legend, who revolutionized the game in many ways, would never be able to grace the game with his knowledge and class again.

The legend I speak of is Dean Smith. The North Carolina Tar Heels basketball coach died at age 83 and left behind a tremendous legacy and coaching tree.

One of the things that was mentioned extensively following coach Smith’s passing was how his class and caring nature for his players was unmatched. The respect he got from everyone in the game can be shown as everyone he came in contact with refers to him simply as coach Smith.

For all that the players that came through and touched coach Smith along the way, he had one last way to show he thought of all of them.

Today (Thursday, March 26) a picture was posted by one of Smith’s former players showing a letter with a check attached to it. The letter was received by 180 former players and the check was for $200 ($36,000 total).

The letter explained that in Smith’s will once he made his will he made a trust that would give all of his past letter winners $200 to, as he put it, ‘enjoy dinner out.’

Since this story is still fresh it will probably be a bit before a lot is said further on this topic. I think the media did a great job with chronicling what a great person Smith was outside of basketball when he died in February. I think that a lot of times we forget that these prolific coaches are people just like you and I, and can do great things aside from winning games.

Dean Smith proves once again why good coaching is much more than just what you do in your time between the lines. It is about investing time in making those you are leading better people. I think coach Smith accomplished that many times over with the many players and coaches he came around. Whether it was MJ, James Worthy or even UNC coach Roy Williams, Smith made them better people.

Not many people in the coaching profession can say that.

Even though he is gone, I am sure coach smith is looking down on all those he affected and will continue to be affecting them in some way. A good coach never forgets his players.

Today further illustrated that point and further show the type of person Smith was to leave that behind for his players.

So to those 180 players there’s one final order from Coach Smith: ‘enjoy your dinner out.’

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Ohio State’s Logan Stieber Earns 4th National Title and Indents Name in Wrestling History

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By Matt Stevenson

March 30, 2015

National Championships for wrestling began in 1929 and each year 330 wrestlers compete in March in hopes of winning the title. Ohio State University’s red-shirt senior, Logan Stieber, established himself as one of the greatest wrestlers in NCAA history becoming only the 4th of all time to win 4 National Championships. Not only did Stieber imprint his name in history, Ohio State University also won their first National Championship.

Also becoming the first Ohio State wrestler to win 4 consecutive Big Ten titles, Stieber’s accomplishments on the mat are far from over. He has his mind already set on the U.S. Open and hopes to make the World team so he can compete in the Olympics.

Stieber netted his second undefeated season this year with a final record of 29-0, while his career record sits at 119-3. Individual awards for this season included the NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler award as well as the NWCA Most Outstanding Wrestler award.

Stieber overlooks his individual awards as winning the first team title in OSU history was the way he wanted to finish his impeccable career. Stieber would go on to state, “It means so much, it’s just hard to put into words. It’s something we’ve wanted so bad. Our coaches, they’ve been sick. They’re so anxious, so nervous, they want to win so bad. Everyone wants to win so bad. I’m happy to be a part of this team.”

Tom Ryan, Logan Stieber’s coach, added that Stieber steered the team in the right direction in order for the Buckeye’s to win their first National Title. Ryan would go onto add, “To think that this little kid from a small farm town in Monroeville, Ohio, did what he did, is pretty awesome, pretty amazing. I’m so happy for him and his family, and they believed early on in the process of us getting to the point we are. And now he can pass the torch to the other guys.”

Logan Stieber is a wonderful, young man and gave a little insight on a big factor on why he was a 4-time National Champion. He never experienced nervousness and pressure was never a worry to him. “I haven’t been nervous at all” Stieber admitted. “If I have an inch of nervousness, I push it out right away. And this is fun. It’s like wrestling in the practice room. I really, really enjoy it. And it’s a little bit of relief to be done and be able to, I guess, celebrate with my family and friends.”

Logan’s cordial attitude is surely a factor of his incredible career as a wrestler for the Scarlet and Grey, and goes down as one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time in Division 1. Congratulations to Logan and good luck as he works towards the ultimate goal of becoming an Olympic Champion and adding towards his unimaginable career.

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Brock Lesnar and the WWE get publicity off ESPN

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By Paul Duncan

March 29, 2015

WWE superstar Brock Lesnar’s contract was going to end this Monday and rumors were swirling around that Lesnar would make his long awaited return to UFC. On Tuesday Lesnar appeared on SportsCenter to make his surprise announcement.

In an interview with noted WWE fan Michelle Beadle, Brock Lesnar declared that “my legacy, this Sunday at WrestleMania, (the Super Bowl of the WWE world) will not be my last.” He then went on to to explain the decision and even cut a brief promo about his title match with Roman Reigns. He then does an interview with ESPN anchor and former WWE commentator Jonathan Coachman and says that he loves wrestling for WWE.

What was even more interesting that they put this live segment over coverage of the Sweet 16 or of baseball starting soon. It is just really strange that they would put a “fake” sport over some of the other doings in sport.

Surprisingly this wasn’t the last interaction between WWE and ESPN during WrestleMania week. On the episode of RAW before WrestleMania, Grantland founder and ESPN personality Bill Simmons joined the commentary team during a match previewing the Andre the Giant Battle Royal and displayed impressive wrestling knowledge.

He even asked where the rabbit was referring to the long gone fan favorite “The Bunny.” (Yes WWE had an on screen character in a bunny costume, in fact he was pretty darn good.) On SportsNation Roman Reigns appeared to do some promoting when Brock Lesnar’s manager Paul Heyman interrupted rather rudely, and continued to hype up his client and his match against Reigns.

In addition Jon Gruden filmed a funny video of him breaking down wrestling footage for the upcoming Andre the Giant Battle Royal. He did mention that wrestler Titus O’Neil once played for the Florida Gators and got a sack on Peyton Manning to get some sports cred. These promotions make me wonder whether ESPN and the WWE have some type of agreement. This makes sense considering the close proximity of there headquarters and similar demographics that watch both products. It also doesn’t hurt that many of the WWE’s talents are former athletes themselves. Perhaps in the future we will see more interaction between the two entertainment giants even after WrestleMania.

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