How ‘Bout Them Falcons?!

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By Kaleb Page

January 22, 2015

College hockey is something that has a select few college towns captivated every season and as this very season starts to hit the home stretch there is a team that should have its town at full attention.

The Bowling Green Falcons hockey team started this season with potential of being a great one. With leadership from seniors Dan DeSalvo, Adam Berkle, Rusty Hafner, Mike Sullivan, Connor Kucera and Ted Pletsch this team had a solid core that could keep the team together and fulfill that potential. Potential to be a great team is something nice to have in mind, but does it really settle any match out on the ice? (<<

Having a great group of senior leaders is needed for a majority of teams no matter what the sport. However, there needs to be younger guys that come in to infuse the team with new energy along with providing an exciting look to the future for falcon hockey.  Like freshman goaltender Chris Snell who averages only 1.74 goals allowed per game (save percentage of .937) and an impressive 6-1-1 record when starting in the net (wins-losses-ties). It can be seen elsewhere with sophomore forward Kevin Dufour who has 10 goals and five assists on the season including three power-play goals and a game winner. There are many more cases with this team where freshman, sophomores and even juniors are making huge strides to improve this team.

This season has seen this team soar to new heights with a record of 14-4-4 (10-2-2 in conference play). To this point in the season there has not been a losing streak longer than a game and with such a hard-working team there has been recognition nationally.

This falcons hockey team as of this moment sits at #6 in the nation and third in the WCHA conference only behind the number one team in the country Minnesota State and the 11th ranked Michigan Tech Huskies (BGSU has played fewer games to this point than those two schools). This team has made a drastic climb from when this season started.

The team began the year un-ranked, then as things moved along and the team proved its worth; the move up the charts was unstoppable. From week to week the falcons were on the move from 25 to 17 to 13 to 11 to 7 and now to 6.

The town of Bowling Green and its campus should really get behind this team, and watch what could be a team that has a real legitimate chance to bring home a national title. I was there for the tough 3-2 loss to Ohio State that had a packed “Madhouse on Mercer,” the largest crowd ever at a game with 5,031 people in attendance and I think it should be like that almost every night this team is home.

It’s time to recognize what is going on here and to give this team more praise/coverage they deserve. It will be interesting to see when the season ends what this team will do in tournament play. Either way, this team has proven it belongs in the conversation with elite clubs in the college circuit this season.

Roll Along BG Hockey!

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Honoring the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Sport

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Editor’s Note: This post is part of a series of pieces written by those in academia. In this piece, Dr. Nancy Spencer of Bowling Green State University looks at the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. in the world of sport. 

By Dr. Nancy Spencer

January 20, 2015

Each year the sports world honors the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. in his relationship to sport. This year, several noteworthy commemorations were aired in honor of the civil rights leader. Several days ago, the NBA released “Barrier Breakers,” a 1-minute clip featuring individuals who have broken barriers in the world of professional basketball: from Charley Cooper (the “first Negro” to play in the NBA for the Boston Celtics, in 1950); to Bill Russell, the “First Black Coach” in the NBA; to Violet Palmer, the first woman to become an NBA referee; to Michael Jordan who proclaimed, “Owning Team Dream Come True;” to Jason Collins, who became the first professional athlete in a North American team sport to publicly say, “I am gay.”

On Sunday, ESPN aired a special ‘Outside the Lines’ program focusing on the “Content of Character,” that featured three Union Leaders of major professional sports’ leagues. The title of the program was taken from Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” speech, when he spoke of a day when his children would not be judged on the color of their skin but on the ‘content of their character.’ Jay Harris moderated the panel of three Black Union leaders: Tony Clark (former professional baseball player and recently elected Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Association); Michele Roberts (the first woman selected as Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association); and DeMaurice Smith (Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association).

While the successes of individual barrier breakers in the NBA clip are noteworthy and can be linked to messages of Dr. King, the work of Union leaders in the major sports leagues seems even more relevant as reflected by this quote by MLK, Jr: “The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress.” I was in High School during the civil rights movement and I remember Dr. King not only as a powerful orator, but also as someone who was willing to take a stand – even if it was not popular. This was borne out in the recently released movie, Selma, which documents the efforts of King, along with members of the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) and SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) to register Black voters in the south. As seen in the movie, the coalition of these groups culminated with a march from Selma to Montgomery.

More recently, professional athletes in the NFL and NBA protested what are believed to be unjust deaths of young Black men. Members of the panel on OTL were asked how they felt when NFL and NBA players demonstrated in the aftermath of events in Ferguson, MO and New York City, NY.

“Hands up don’t shoot:” After a Ferguson, MO court failed to indict the policeman who shot and killed Michael Brown, five St. Louis Rams’ players entered the stadium for their next game holding their hands up in the pose that was used to protest the failure of the Grand Jury to indict. Although the St. Louis Police Union asked the Rams players to apologize, the NFL announced that they would not.

When asked how he felt about the players’ actions, DeMaurice Smith replied that the NFLPA wants players to be socially aware. He pointed out that when players flew to help those who had suffered loss from a tornado that had torn apart a community it was because they were socially aware. Similarly, he suggested that they should be allowed to make statements in response to the events that occurred in Ferguson.

“I can’t breathe:” T-shirts that were worn in protest of the choking death of Eric Garner in New York City reflected the words of Garner before he died. When Michele Roberts was asked how she felt about players wearing the t-shirts after the police officer who had choked Garner was not indicted, she acknowledged that she was very proud of the players for taking a stand.

Perhaps the best way to honor Dr. King on this day is to remember his words: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

BGSU’s Double Threat: Erica Fullenkamp

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By Ellen Chlumecky

The Bowling Green State University women’s basketball game has hit quite a few speed bumps this 2014-2015 basketball season. Their team will lose three of some of their best players to season-ending injuries, including their leading scorer. Abby Siefker and Jasmine Matthews, who are not out completely, are currently sidelined by an injury. The BGSU Falcons will be losing red shirt junior Erica Donovan, freshman Lauren Webb, red shirt freshman Leah Bolton and Abby Siefker.

Erica Donovan has averaged 15.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. She suffered an ACL injury in a game at Illinois State. This injury ended her season completely. Lauren Webb has averaged 0.1 points and 1.6 rebounds per game in eight games off the bench for BGSU. She also endured a serious torn ACL in the Illinois State contest. She will also not be returning this season. Leah Bolton had applied for a “medical retirement” with the NCAA because of her reoccurring leg injuries. These injuries have conclusively ended her college career for Bowling Green. Abby Siefker is averaging 5.4 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding. She is currently suffering from a shoulder injury. Jasmine Matthews is averaging 3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. She is currently suffering from a lower body injury. These injuries leave the Falcons with just nine players on their active roster.

Thankfully for BGSU, they had a disguised basketball player in their midst the past four years. Senior volleyball star Erica Fullenkamp not only has a background in volleyball, but basketball as well. As a senior in high school, she helped her alma mater Minster high school make it to the 2011 state final. While she hasn’t played basketball in more than four years, Fullenkamp is a highly talented athlete. She is tough, has the drive, and loves BGSU and wants to win for them.

At this point in the BGSU women’s basketball season they are in desperate need of players. Whether or not their first sport is basketball seems to be unimportant as long as the new players they take on it are incredible athletes, such as Fullenkamp. It doesn’t hurt that Fullenkamp holds a 4.0 GPA and is a role model both on and off the court. She is a great addition to the women’s basketball team with a great physical and mental athletic ability. Even though she has ended her college volleyball career, she seems excited to begin a new chapter of athletics before she graduates from BGSU.

http://www.bgsufalcons.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5324&path=wbball

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Redefining the “Time” in Our Nation’s Pastime

By Savannah Malnar

Baseball has a reputation as a relatively relaxing sport, the kind of sport that one enjoys on a summer day with a cold drink. Unfortunately, many people now feel that relaxed pace is boring. Games stretch to three hours long, compared to the classic days when games were roughly two and a half hours long. To counter this growing trend of long games, the owners of MLB teams have one bright idea: make the pitches come faster.

Pitch clocks were first introduced in the Arizona Fall League (an offseason league owned by the MLB where high level prospects play) in 2014 and the average game time dropped almost a full half an hour. These clocks gave the pitcher 20 seconds to get set to get the pitch off after they receive the ball from the catcher, and if they don’t, a ball is added to the batter’s count. With fast-paced culture we live in now, even that reduced game length is a good amount of time for escapism. In fact, a poll of 1,500 people conducted by a blogger for SB Nation showed that more than half of them thought the perfect length of a baseball game would be between 2:30 and 2:45 which aligns perfectly to the average produced by these pitch clocks.

So, perfect, right? Not quite. Unfortunately, MLB pitchers are not used to being rushed at the mound. While this is the case, many sport media outlets highlighted the fact that the MLB actually already has a rule in place for how quickly a pitch should be thrown. Rule 8.04 gives the umpire the right to add a ball to the batter’s count if the pitcher doesn’t pitch within 12 seconds. That’s not even accomplished by even the fastest pitcher (according to Baseball Prospectus), Mark Buehrle of Toronto, who on average gets his pitches flying within 15-16 seconds. Even farther from this official rule are many closers (which makes the end of games drag even longer) and pitchers like Cy Young winner David Price who’s pace is an average 24 seconds, longer than the proposed pitch clock allows.

A concern among the media is that this pitch clock will throw off pitchers like Price. Baseball is an extremely mental game, and these highly trained athletes all have their own routines; some just take longer than others. But it may be time to phase out the waiting game some pitchers play.

The pitch clock will be implemented in Double-A and Single-A minor league games this coming season as a trial run. If the MLB observes a reduce in game time without much sacrifice in game quality, I think we can expect to see the 20 second rule implemented in the Major leagues as soon as 2016.

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Larry Sanders Preps for Comeback

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By Kia Tyus

Marijuana use has increased a lot not only in sports, but also in everyday life of the average citizen. A popular trend has started with many professional athletes testing positive for marijuana use.

Larry Sanders plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks. Currently, Sanders is serving a 10-game suspension without pay for testing positive for marijuana. This is not the first time Sanders has tested positive for marijuana. In fact, Sanders uses marijuana on a regular basis.

Recently, Sanders has been having a revelation about his life. He is now realizing that he needs to find a different way to handle his personal issues without the use of marijuana.

The Bucks have been holding up just fine without Sanders, who by the way is known for his defensive efforts. Sander’s is starting to realize that he may not even get the opportunity to return to the Bucks.

In 2013, Sanders signed a four-year $44 million contract extension. The article states, because of the recent success of the Bucks, the new ownership and new coaches may consider a buyout of Sanders contract. That would give Sanders some money but would leave him without a job.

Personally, I feel like a 10-game suspension is not enough punishment for Saunders. Every professional athlete is well aware of what they can and can’t consume in their bodies. To me, professional athletes feel entitled that the laws don’t apply to them. I feel in part, that this is the authorities fault because they continue to give celebrities a slap on the wrist.

As stated above, a 10-game suspension is not enough. In the NBA that is a little over two weeks. I feel a punishment should be given out to make professional athletes never want to break drug laws ever again.

Many readers who are reading this article may think that, a harsher punishment is not valid. Some of those reasons may be because it is a player’s first offence or even that is could affect the winning percentage of their favorite team. But, in all honesty, rules are rules.

I feel if players start receiving harsher punishments it would reduce the amount of professional athletes testing positive for marijuana.

In the case of Saunders, he has dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career. For any athlete that can affect your mental state. I would suggest counseling for Saunders and if he gets another chance in the NBA, I would suggest he also gets a road therapist to help keep his mind off of smoking marijuana.

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MLS MVP Award Name Change

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By Kaleb Page

The game of soccer in the United States is still on the upswing and still has vast improvements to be made not only in international play, but also here in the states as part of Major League Soccer.

A major factor in the growth of soccer here would be a player that not only was an exceptional athlete on the field but an even better person off of it. This player would be none other than Landon Donovan. A player that is easily the most recognized faces in the soccer community (and by casual fans) as not only an ambassador for the sport but as someone who was there for the tough times in U.S. soccer that have led to a bigger and better following today.

This Thursday at the MLS Superdraft, the MLS made sure to pay tribute to the player who lead countless U.S. men’s national soccer teams and finished his career being the all-time leading scorer in the league. This tribute made by the MLS was to re-name the MVP trophy the “Landon Donovan MVP award.”

Donovan was on hand to be presented with the honor and went on to say:

“I am incredibly honored. I will try to live my life in a way that is worthy of having a MVP award named after you.” – Landon Donovan

Fox Sports talked with MLS commissioner Don Gerber on what made the league do this and the answer was simple. He said that the league wanted to enshrine Donovan’s achievements permanently after his influential role in the growth of the league over the past decade.

I think it is cool for this league to make it a point to honor and remember someone who put in the effort and work to make the league better than it once was. Donovan had all the talent to go play in other more top flight leagues at the time, and instead looked to stay home in hopes of one day making the MLS a league worthwhile.

In his 14 seasons as a player in the MLS Donovan has a resume to be proud of, amassing over 144 goals, 136 assists and a record six MLS Cup titles. It is safe to say the MLS made the right decision in making this living American soccer icon the title bearer on its highest trophy to an individual player. An appropriate way to commemorate the man who carried the torch for U.S. soccer for so long, and now can sit back and watch how this sport will grow for years to come. This being in large part to the foundation he laid and passion he brought to the game.

Thank you for all you did #10.

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Why Does Mark May hate Ohio State.

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By Paul Duncan

ESPN personality, Mark May has a bitter relationship with Ohio State and it has spiraled out of control. No school’s fans have a bigger rivalry with an analyst than Ohio State and Mark May. First let’s start with why Ohio State fans hate Mark May.

Throughout his tenure as an ESPN personality he has bashed Ohio State at every turn saying they’re not fast, saying they’re overrated, criticizing the NCAA for not punishing Ohio State more, and even saying he’d want to “whack” members of Buckeye fans. Yes he said on his Facebook that he wanted to physically harm “haters from Buckeye Nation.”

These comments have led Ohio State to retaliate by making funny signs, or reminding him on Twitter that he has 2 DUI’s, or that he got arrested for starting a riot, but more often they point to the 72-0 thrashing Ohio State gave May’s Alma Mater Pittsburgh in 1996.

But why does Mark May hate Ohio State? This is a question to which no one has a definitive answer. Some believe it has to do with the aforementioned drubbing Pitt received by Ohio State in 1996. Some people think it might have to do with him not being recruited by Ohio State out of high school, but for whatever reason Mark May can’t stand Ohio State and it’s starting to get out of hand.

Throughout the year Mark May never had the Buckeyes in the playoffs and even couldn’t get himself to say that the Buckeyes deserved to be the playoffs. This kind of analysis borders on trolling which should not be acceptable in this high up in television journalism. Sports show hosts have all kind of prejudices toward their favorite teams like Skip Bayless and his Cowboys, Lou Holtz and Notre Dame, and Dick Vitale and Duke but no personality has a personal vendetta against a team like May and OSU. Each time Ohio State wins new Mark May memes flood Twitter. Mark May trends in Ohio and people continue to make fun of him and frankly he deserves it. Now that Ohio State has won May is nowhere to be seen. May has shown that hating another team to the point where it interferes with his analysis is very harmful even if it gets a reaction.

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The Fox and the Bears: John Fox Potential New Coach?

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By Ellen Chlumecky

The Bears fired Marc Trestman was fired on December 29, 2014 along with general manager Phil Emery. Opening the dreaded head coach position for the Chicago Bears. A very heavy task filled with frustration, a rocky history, and aggressive fans. A dream come true, right?

Ryan Pace has only been the new general manager for a couple of weeks now and he made it his first mission to be on a serious “fox” hunt for a new coach. Now on Friday, January 16th, ESPN sources confirm that he’s already almost near to closing a deal with a new coach. Specifically they are looking at, former head coach of Denver Broncos, John Fox.  The Chicago Tribune have commented that Pace is just in the “getting to know you” phase with Fox. However, whatever the case may be there is a serious possibility that Fox may be the new head coach of the Bears.

If Fox were to get the job, he would be the third head coach since 2012, following the termination of Marc Trestman. Trestman’s two seasons went 13-19, which explains a great deal about his termination. The Bears have missed the postseason four consecutive years in a row due to the coaching of Marc Trestman and Lovie Smith. Not exactly an ideal situation for any new head coach to walk into, however Fox might be the man to rectify the somewhat permanent losing streak they seem to be stuck in.

Fox has been in the business for a long time and has a long list of accomplishments. Fox coached the Broncos to 49 overall wins from 2011 to 2014. In addition, he assisted them in winning four consecutive AFC West titles. He also led the Broncos to a Superbowl game, even though they ended up losing to the Seattle Seahawks, which is more than Trestman can attest. Fox also is a seasoned defensive coach and has been the defensive coordinator for teams such as: the Los Angeles Raiders and the New York Giants.

The Bears could use someone who has won multiple conference titles and a vast amount of experience being a defensive coach. John Fox holds a mentality of acquiring plays with mental and physical toughness, which could be a helpful attitude to hold. While Bears fans are upset, which is not at all unusual, about the deal, there seems to be no snags in the deal as of now. He may not be Ditka, but let’s be honest, who is?

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Would you take 75 to 1 odds?

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By Kaleb Page

Let’s hop back in time for just a moment.

Let me take you back to a marquee game under the lights in Columbus, OH on September 6, 2014.

The game was between The Ohio State Buckeyes and Virginia Tech Hokies. A night game in the Horseshoe is a tall task for any team let alone Virginia Tech. However when the Hokies came to town they went all out on an Ohio State team that was still in the infancy stage in their season development.

The buckeyes just prior to the start of the season lost their center piece, the one everyone thought the entire season hinged on: Braxton Miller. When Miller went down, in stepped someone who everyone was scrambling to figure where he even came from. J.T. Barett took the reins and in only his second start faced off with the talented defensive mind of Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster. Foster also took advantage of an offensive line that was replacing four starters, three of which went on to be starters in the NFL.

All night Ohio State could just never seem to get it going. Whether it was dropped passes, poor blocking or even missed assignments on defense; there was a multitude of deficiencies to point out.

Upon losing the game 35-21 in a stunning home defeat, many looked to this team as a lost cause. A team that had no chance to even get anywhere near the college football playoff. The teams’ odds after the first game were 12 to 1. After the defeat, ESPN’s Darren Rovell found a ticket in Las Vegas that had the buckeyes at 75 to 1 odds to win the national championship.

Now I am no betting man but whoever had that ticket has to be doing a happy dance at this very moment.

Even though there were countless naysayers, tough road games, a loss of another quarterback and even the death of a teammate; this team became the ultimate definition of a team. Each and every week players on both sides of the ball stepped up to make plays and show how the team was growing. Even if I was not a fan of Ohio State I would have to be blown away with the resiliency and manner with which this team handled itself after so much adversity.

The college football playoff berth by the Buckeyes was set up after a 59-0 demolition with a third string quarterback (Cardale Jones) making his first ever start. It didn’t get any easier when the seeding gave the Buckeyes a match-up with the king of the SEC: Alabama. A game essential in Alabama’s back-yard, was just the second start for Jones but at the same time a coming out party for the talent, speed and physicality that this team developed from that loss early in September.

This past Monday night saw the improbable tale culminate the way it was meant to with Ohio State beating another stout team in Oregon. The first ever undisputed champion in college football history. Most teams that would have experienced the things this team did would have crumbled and maybe would have even struggled to go .500.

This team took that notion that they should feel sorry for themselves and threw it out the window. From “the slobs” (nickname of Ohio State’s offensive line) upfront developing into an unmatched force, Ezekiel Elliot fulfilling his potential to be a potent threat, a defense that found its mojo (the silver bullet defense is brewing up) and arguably the best coach in college football Urban Meyer; this team is complete. Their mantra of “The Power of The Unit” grew and grew as they needed everyone to make this dream a reality.

So do you want to take those 75-1 odds now…I sure wish I had way back when.

The Buckeyes mission is complete.

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It’s Ryan Pace’s Time to Shine

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By Ellen Chlumecky

Ryan Pace is the new Chicago Bears general manager. He is now the youngest general manager in the NFL at 37 years old. While he may not be a native of Illinois, he seems to have orange and blue coursing through his veins. His main task is returning the Bears back to greatness. The first crucial step in this long process is to hiring the best head coach for the team.

Before Pace was chosen for the coveted position of general manager for the Chicago Bears, he had quite a track record. Pace was a four-year letterman as a defensive end at Eastern Illinois University. Pace was selected by the Saints to attend the Stanford Business School’s Executive Education NFL-Stanford Program for Managers. Pace spent the last two seasons with the Saints as the director of player personnel. He clearly has the qualifications and experience to take on this position.

George McCaskey, team chairman for the Bears, said that Pace won the job over very qualified candidates. The three other considerations were: Tennessee Titans vice president of player personnel Lake Dawson, Houston Texans director of pro personnel Brian Gaine, and Chris Ballard who was the former director of player personnel for Chicago and current director of player personnel for Kansas City Chiefs. McCaskey expressed that Pace just stood out. He said he was thorough, charismatic, and showed himself as a leader.

Immediately after signing the contract, Pace started conducting interviews with potential head coaches starting with Todd Bowles. Dan Quinn and Adam Gase have also been interviewed for the position prior to Pace’s contract being signed. While Pace wants the position filled as soon as possible, there is no indication that a hire will be found in the next coming weeks.

Pace’s next item of business is to evaluate the roster and the staff before making any serious decisions about trading or rehiring. An excessive amount of attention has been put on what Pace will be doing with the somewhat tumultuous career of Jay Cutler. He wants to get to know Cutler before making a final decision on his career.

This isn’t Pace’s first problem team that he’s had to deal with in his career. He had to deal with the New Orleans Saints during the height of Hurricane Katrina.  He clearly knows how to handle a tough situation but the Bears have been in a rocky spot for more than just a couple of years now. It is quite noble of him to take on such a mighty task as his first GM job. He’s clearly up to the challenge, but we’ll have to see if he can succeed.

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