Nick Sadowy is from Toledo OH, and is a Bowling Green State University student majoring in Sport Management with a minor in Journalism. Nick has a passion for sports including Football, basketball, and UFC, but he is also interested in baseball and golf.
March 10, 2024
OVERVIEW
March Madness is once again just around the corner. The tournament is where any of the 64 teams involved can achieve greatness and immortality in college basketball. The most exciting sports tournament in the world is almost here and this is the preview of a few basketball teams in the tournament.
PURDUE
Purdue has been one of the country’s most dominant teams all season long. They have been led by 7’4 star center Zach Edey. Purdue has shown they can shoot the three-ball with any team, while also factoring in Edey’s dominance in the paint. The Boilermakers are looking to finally have that successful run toward the national championship.
TENNESSEE
The Vols have been led by star senior Dalton Knecht all season. Knecht has been a national player of the year contender, but that is not all Tennessee offers. They also have forward Jonas Aidoo, who is averaging 12.1 pts and 7.6 rebounds with an impressive 1.9 blocks per game. With the duo of Knecht on offense and Aidoo on defense, the Vols have a real chance at making a run for the National championship.
KANSAS
Kansas has had a somewhat disappointing season for their usual high standards as a basketball program. That however does not change the fact that come tournament time, this team is a dangerous one. They are led by the trio of Hunter Dickinson, K.J. Adams Jr., and Kevin McCullar Jr. When these three are all on the same page both offensively and defensively, it is really hard to stop this team. Come tournament time Kansas is a team to watch.
NORTH CAROLINA
The Tar Heels have been led by star point guard RJ Davis all season long. UNC has many other weapons on the offensive end including Armando Bacot, Harrison Ingram, and Cormac Ryan. North Carolina hit a rough patch toward the middle of the season but they pulled things together toward the end of the regular season with a win against rival Duke which secured the regular season ACC championship for North Carolina. If Davis, Bacot, Ingram, and Ryan are all locked in on offense, this Tar Heel team will be very difficult to beat.
Other Contenders
Many teams still have an opportunity to get a good seeding in the NCAA tournament and it will be interesting to see how things shake out. Two heavy favorites not mentioned above include defending champs UCONN and the Houston Cougars. Some other teams to keep an eye out for are Marquette, Kentucky, Creighton, Duke, Iowa State, Baylor, and Arizona
At the end of the day, March Madness is exactly what it is advertised as, and that is complete basketball madness. Any of the teams listed above could be eliminated in the first round of the tournament by an underdog no one would expect to win. This tournament is always spectacular year after year, and this year is shaping up to be no different.
Ryan Harless is a fourth-year undergraduate at BGSU from Hillsboro, Ohio. He is majoring in Sport Management with a Journalism Minor. Baseball and Professional Wrestling are his primary interests but he is also interested in golf, hockey, and football
March 9, 2024
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has kicked off a new era in the company with the 2024 Revolution Pay Per View. A truly perfect show that was nonstop fast-paced action from the first bell till the end.
TNT Championship – Christian Cage (C) v. Daniel Garcia
The first match on the card was a championship match pitting Cage, a 29-year veteran in the business, against the 25-year-old rising star Garcia.
The fans have been behind Garcia for months now and were eager to see him win his first ever gold in AEW. Unfortunately for Garcia and his fans, Revolution was not their night.
A great back and forth battle ensued between the two with Garcia proving that he is just as capable in the ring as Cage and showing that he can be a top guy. Just as Garcia seemed to be getting momentum on his side, Cage’s stable (known as the Patriarchy) interfered allowing Christian to swing things back his way.
Just before the match looked to be over, Garcia’s friends in 2.0 (“Daddy Magic” Matt Menard, and “Cool Hand Ang” Angelo Parker) came to the ring to take out the Patriarchy and even the odds. However, this wasn’t enough to stop Cage from hitting his signature move ‘Unprettier’ and pinning Garcia to retain.
This was a great opening match and I think this is the point many wrestling fans will look back on as the start of Daniel Garcia’s first big push.
Continental Crown Championship – Eddie Kingston (C) v. Bryan Danielson
These are two of the BEST in-ring storytellers possibly ever, and the chemistry they have with one another is completely unmatched.
This was the third match these two have had over the Continental Crown in AEW. In the first, Danielson got beat because he didn’t respect Kingston and didn’t believe he could be beat. He got into Kingston’s head and Eddie lost the match.
In their second meeting, Danielson had even less respect for Kingston. He didn’t shake his hand before or after the match and spent most of the encounter smiling and laughing. Eddie stood his ground and fought like he knew he could and beat Danielson, winning the Continental Crown in the process.
Now in their third singles contest for these belts, the score was 1-1. In the weeks prior to the match, Eddie said that all he wanted if he won, was respect in the form of a handshake from Danielson. Bryan said that he would never EVER respect Kingston and spent weeks calling him a bum.
This was an insanely hard-hitting match with Danielson being the best technical wrestler on the planet, and Kingston’s never-say-die mentality making him get up over and over again despite the punishment he took.
Danielson worked heavily on Kingston’s right hand throughout the match trying to take away his ability to land his finishing move ‘Backfist to the Future.’ This was shown to be smart as Kingston was unable to get the same power behind the backfist as he traditionally has.
Danielson outclassed Eddie on the mat through most of the match but was never able to pin or tap-out Kingston. Even after landing his ‘Busaiku Knee,’ Kingston managed to kick out and fight back.
The match culminated with Kingston landing his backfist hard to Bryan’s face but this time with his left-hand showing Kingston’s brains before hitting a powerbomb and pinning Danielson to retain his Continental Crown Championship.
All-Star Scramble – Wardlow v. Chris Jericho v. Powerhouse Hobbs v. Lance Archer v. HOOK v. Brian Cage v. Magnus v. Dante Martin
This match was originally promoted as the “Meat Madness Match” and featured Hobbs, Archer, and Wardlow which I was super excited to see. I wasn’t opposed to adding the other five competitors, but I still would have preferred the original three-way.
The four smaller competitors (Jericho, HOOK, Magnus, and Martin) started out by squaring off with each other before exiting the ring one at a time at the hands of the larger wrestlers to give them their time to shine.
The AEW fanbase (me included) love to see big meaty dudes beat the breaks off of each other, so when it became clear we were getting just that in this match, the crowd popped incredibly loud.
Hobbs, Wardlow, Archer, and Cage dazzled with huge clothes lines and punches that echoed throughout the arena for quite some time before the smaller wrestlers made their way back to the ring.
The rest of this match was centered around Wardlow continuing to be a monster as he pinned Brian Cage after a powerbomb, setting himself up for an AEW Heavyweight Championship match in the future.
AEW International Championship – Orange Cassidy (C) v. Roderick Strong
This was a match that a mere 4 years ago would never have been on the table. Strong was still hopelessly floating around the WWE at the time and Cassidy was still majorly a comedy gimmick.
In the years since, Strong has reinvigorated his love for the sport, and Cassidy has proven himself as one of the best in-ring competitors in AEW and one of their best champions.
Cassidy’s story is similar to his first reign as International Champion. He defends the title frequently and has shown that he is starting to break down after weeks of constantly defending his belt.
Strong’s goal going into this match was to help bring as much gold to the Undisputed Kingdom (the stable he is a part of) as possible. This was also his very first match on PPV since joining AEW in late 2023.
This in a way was Strong’s coming out party and yet again showed that he is one of the absolute best wrestlers in the world. He fought off all of Cassidy’s offense in the final stretch and was able to pin Orange and take his International Championship.
I think this will be a great thing as Cassidy can finally take some well-deserved time away from the ring and Strong can continue to build up the Undisputed Kingdome while they wait for Adam Cole to recover from his injury.
Tag Team Match – FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) v. The Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli)
These two teams have fought each other countless times in AEW, and they seem to be destined to be forever intertwined. That being said, I feel as if these two have hit a ceiling.
FTR focus on old-school tag team psychology as well as old-school in ring action actually melds well with the Blackpool Combat Club’s (BCC) brawling style. However, this match just didn’t do it for me.
Don’t get me wrong, this was a great match. But it just didn’t bring anything new into the fray between these two teams.
The BCC ended up taking the victory by referees’ decision after both members of FTR were rendered unconscious after receiving vicious elbows from Claudio and Moxley. Hopefully if these teams continue to feud, they can find another element of the story to make it a little more interesting to me.
AEW Women’s Championship – Toni Storn (C) v. Deonna Purrazzo
This was one of the matches I was most excited to see on the card. I have absolutely been loving Toni’s “Timeless” gimmick as of late. When she makes her entrance there is a black and white filter making everything look old, she has mastered her over-the-top facial expressions and has more charisma than most people do in their pinky finger.
Purrazzo was one of Toni’s best friends when they were cutting their teeth in the Japanese promotion ‘Stardom’. Her addition to the AEW roster as well as this storyline is a welcome one.
I hope that this was only the first of a series of matches these two have with one another in the coming months as this match had me hooked. Toni was able to fight off Purrazzo with the help of her butler LUTHER and prodigy Mariah May as she retained her belt yet again.
Like I said, I think this match is only scraping the surface of the masterpiece match these two can have. I cannot wait to see where they take this.
Singles Match – Will Ospreay v. Konosuke Takeshita
Wow. I’m really going to try and do this match justice but no matter how hard I try; you need to seek this match out for yourself and watch utter brilliance.
As someone who has been following wrestling for over a decade and has spent countless hours watching matches from all around the globe. From VFW halls to Wembley Stadium, this is easily one of the top three matches I have seen.
Ospreay has spent the greater part of the last decade carving his path as the best wrestler alive today (possibly of all time but that’s a discussion for another 2,000-word essay). Takeshita has spent the past two years in America proving that he doesn’t care who you are and will hit you so hard in the mouth that you’ll need braces.
Nearly 22 straight minutes of the best professional wrestling the world has to offer. This was Ospreay’s first match as a full-time member of the AEW roster and served as a welcome home show for him.
So as not to run the risk of doing this match an injustice, I’m only going to talk about my favorite stretch of the match.
Ospreay goes for a butterfly suplex on Takeshita, Takeshita rolls out of it, ducks a kick and spikes Ospreay with a ‘Tiger Driver 97’ and parlays that into a HUGE German suplex on Ospreay, who eats the suplex, powers up and hits his signature ‘Hidden Blade’ on Takeshita, and goes for a pin. And then Takeshita KICKED OUT AT ONE!!
Ospreay would go on to defeat Takeshita, but neither man lost this match. AEW continues to be better than any other major wrestling company at building their stars through their losses. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for both of these wrestlers.
Takeshita may be my favorite wrestler going at the moment, but AEW gives such a large crop of amazing wrestlers it’s hard to choose.
AEW World Championship – Samoa Joe (C) v. Swerve Strickland v. “Hangman” Adam Page
One of AEW’s best done stories ever in my opinion has been taking place between these three men.
It started with just Page and Swerve feuding over their spots in the company. Swerve felt that Page had been given too many opportunities and had never capitalized, and had HE been given those chances, Swerve would’ve been champion by now.
Swerve played mind games by breaking into Hangman’s house while he wasn’t there and leaving a shirt in his baby’s crib. Since that moment, Hangman (understandably) has made his sole objective to ruin Swerve’s life and will stop at nothing to make that happen.
Samoa Joe won the belt from MJF in December at AEW World’s End and has proven that he is still at the height of his abilities in the ring and on the mic. Despite that, Joe has almost taken a backseat in his own world title feud as he has constantly had to interrupt Hangman and Swerve to remind them, they have to beat HIM.
The three competitors in this match took turns teaming up and destroying the odd man out at different points. Brilliantly paced hard-hitting sequences helped show that Swerve and Joe were willing to put their bodies on the line to become and stay champion.
Hangman, however, seemed mainly set on inflicting punishment on Swerve throughout the match.
The end of the match saw a super cool twist that I hope AEW builds on. Joe caught Hangman in his ‘Coquina Clutch’ and before Swerve was able to do anything to break it up, Hangman tapped out.
Hangman willingly tapped out in order to ensure there was no way Swerve could win the belt. Hangman has become the ultimate final boss of hating and I love every second of it.
After the match Swerve was nearly in tears as he kept asking Hangman “Why?” over and over again. Yet another great AEW Championship match.
AEW Tag Team Championship / Sting’s Last Match – Sting & Darby Allen v. The Young Bucks (Nicholas & Matthew Jackson)
Sting began his in-ring career on the 25th of November 1985. 13,979 days later he wrestled his last match ever. Before I talk about the match, I want to put that into some more perspective.
Sting wrestled 2,157 matches in his career. He main evented a show in the WWE, AEW, TNA, NJPW, and Pro Wrestling NOAH among others. In 1988 alone, he wrestled 235 matches. In July of that year, he wrestled 30 different matches.
Sting wrestled professionally for 38 years.
Many people expected his career to be over after he was injured by WWE’s Seth Rollins in 2015. This injury took Sting out of action for all of 2016-2020.
When he made his return to action for AEW in 2021, no one knew what to expect. Could Sting still go? Would he even be able to wrestle?
In the three years Sting spent with the company, he proved that not only could he go, but he could also be the highlight of any card he was on. Sting spent the final three years of his career jumping off ladders, scaffolding, and really anything he could find a way to climb. He is truly a legend the likes of which we will likely never see again.
Before Sting made his final entrance, the lights went out and out stepped someone dressed just like Sting did in the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s when he was “Surfer Sting”. Then from the other side of the ramp, out stepped late ‘90’s “Wolfpac Sting” wearing long black hair and red face paint and gear. And then out stepped the Icon Sting.
The two men who accompanied Sting to the ring were his actual sons who just happen to be carbon copies of their father.
In this contest, Sting’s tag partner throughout all of his AEW tenure took one of the gnarliest bumps I’ve ever seen when he leapt off a 20-foot ladder that was in the ring, through two plates of glass that were propped up on chairs on the OUTSIDE of the ring.
Darby was attempting to land on the Young Bucks, but they moved just after he jumped. Darby’s back and arms instantly were covered in blood, and he actually spent over half of the match recovering from that and being looked at by the medical team on hand.
Sting battled the Bucks by himself for most of the remainder of the match, eating their flurry of superkicks only to beat his chest and land a double clothesline like no other before locking in his ‘Scorpion Death Lock’ and forcing a tap out victory.
Confetti rained down from the rafters and there wasn’t a dry eye in the building. Sting finished his career exactly how he should’ve. On the top of the mountain as the Icon and holding championship gold.
In Conclusion
I’m going to keep this short. This was my favorite PPV of all time. I truly believe if you aren’t a fan of pro wrestling, you need to seek this out and try again. We are entering a new era of AEW, and I can’t wait to see where owner Tony Khan takes us next.
Ryan Harless is a fourth-year undergraduate at BGSU from Hillsboro, Ohio. He is majoring in Sport Management with a Journalism Minor. Baseball and Professional Wrestling are his primary interests but he is also interested in golf, hockey, and football
Reposted: March 10, 2024
The 2024 Major League Baseball season is underway which means it is time for me to run through all of the moves my Cincinnati Reds made and decide whether or not I think they had a productive offseason.
First and foremost, the Reds did indeed make moves this offseason which is more than can be said about a lot of the recent off-season’s. Reds fans like myself had grown accustomed to quiet winter months with the only noise coming when Cincinnati lost a young star in free agency because they were afraid to spend money.
The elephant in the room for me is the fact that my favorite baseball player of all time, Joey Votto, is no longer a Cincinnati Red. That makes me want to puke. I still cannot wrap my head around the fact that Votto gave his entire Hall of Fame caliber career to this team, and they never got him to a single World Series and rarely even looked like they cared to.
I still am holding out hope that Votto will sign back with the Reds in a coaching capacity because I can’t fathom seeing him play baseball in any other jersey.
Now onto the baseball.
Nick Senzel elected for free agency and found a home with the Washington Nationals. I think this was needed for both sides. Senzel never was able to live up to his potential in Cincinnati due in part to his proclivity to injury. I hope he can find his footing with the Nationals and carve out a path for himself.
On the first of December, Cincinnati picked up a pair of good relief arms in Emilio Pagan and Nick Martinez. Pagan has made a name for himself as a reliable bullpen arm who averages more than one punchout per inning pitched. Martinez started his career as a starter but has found more success recently coming out in relief. Although he has stated that he would prefer to start, I don’t see that as a realistic possibility on this Reds team.
I like the thought of bringing in better bullpen guys as in 2023, once the starter was out of the game it felt like a grab bag of what happens next. I do think Cincinnati is overpaying for Martinez who is slated to make $14 million this year. For a guy with a career ERA over 4.00 and a team who has been adamant about not spending money, this is an odd deal.
Just 10 days after the signing of Pagan and Martinez, the Reds were in the news again. This time it was the signing of 30-year-old third baseman Jeimer Candelario. Candelario got a pretty penny inking a three-year contract worth $45 million.
I’m going to be entirely honest. I don’t like this deal whatsoever. The Reds have a PLETHORA of young homegrown infielders. This entire offseason we were wondering if Jonathan India would get traded as they didn’t look to have room for him. The Reds drafted India AS A THIRD BASEMAN!! I don’t know why we needed to drop $15 million a year on someone who has such similar stats and projections to India when we already have him on the team.
The Reds also re-signed free agent pitcher Buck Farmer for $2.25 million. Yet another arm who can reliably come out of the pen in most situations.
Nick Sadowy is from Toledo OH, and is a Bowling Green State University student majoring in Sport Management with a minor in Journalism. Nick has a passion for sports and writing about sports.
February 16, 2024
OVERVIEW
UFC 298 is the second pay per view for the UFC in 2024. This is one of the most anticipated cards of the year headlining with UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski defending his championship against undefeated Ilia Topuria.
MAIN CARD
Roman Kopylov vs Anthony Hernandez – This fight is kicking off the main card with a middleweight bout. Anthony Hernandez is ranked at #15 in the middleweight division, while Roman is unranked and looking to change that. Whoever wins this fight will no doubt move up the rankings. Hernandez is well known for his grappling while Roman is known for his kickboxing ability. This will hopefully kick off UFC 298 with an entertaining fight.
Merab Dvalishvili vs Henry Cejudo – This bantamweight bout seems to have some high stakes for Henry Cejudo, who claims he will retire if he does not win this fight. Merab claims “he knows he has to beat me, otherwise he’s done.” Cejudo is a former champion and if he wins this fight he most likely will receive a title shot in the future. If he does not win, it will be a difficult road back and a road he seems unlikely to go through.
Ian Machado Garry vs Geoff Neal – This next fight features one of the younger undefeated fighters in the UFC, Ian Machado Garry. Ian Garry is 13-0 and is ranked #10, while Geoff Neal is ranked #8 in the Welterweight division. Garry tends to talk trash within the octagon to get into his opponents’ heads, this will no doubt be a factor in his fight against Neal.
Robert Whittaker vs Paulo Costa - This is one of the more anticipated fights of the year as it marks the return of Paulo Costa. In Costa’s eyes, he is one fight away from a title shot. There is no better way to earn a title shot than beating the legendary Robert Whittaker, who should not be taken lightly though. If he wins, he will probably be put in the title picture as well.
Alexander Volkanovski vs Ilia Topuria – The main event of the evening features Volkanovski vs Topuria. Volkanovski has been champion for a long time, dominating the featherweight division. He has only 3 losses and 2 of his lightweight losses came from Islam Makhachev, who challenged him for the lightweight title twice and lost both times. Clearly, he has been dominant and has been a monster that no one can compete against in the featherweight division. For the first time in a long time, that has changed. Topuria is undefeated and looking to take the title away from Volkanovski. It will be interesting to see how their styles clash at UFC 298.
CONCLUSION
This card has a lot of entertainment value and intriguing high-stakes storylines at hand. Can Volkanovski stay dominant at featherweight? Will Cejudo retire if he loses? Who will challenge for the middleweight title between Costa and Whittaker? In any case, this card should be a really great watch and should bring compelling fights.
Caitlin Clark puts up a shot, hoping to break the Division I all-time scoring record.
By Lily Smith
Lily Smith is a first-year undergraduate at BGSU from Oregon, Ohio. She is majoring in Sport Management with a Marketing minor.
February 14, 2023
Caitlin Clark was just in sixth grade when Iowa head coach, Jan Jensen first recognized her. Clark grew up in West Des Moines, playing on boys’ basketball teams. She was said to have a “sassy 3 pointer” in middle school, and that skill positioned her where she is today.
Growing up playing girls basketball is a different animal. I personally played, and I can say that there is a different kind of emotion attached to it. The highs are up in the clouds, and the lows, well I’m not even sure where I’d place those. Clark has mentioned that during her early years of play, she would cry after every loss. Undoubtedly, Clark has been criticized for showing these big emotions, even in her college years.
This emotional tie can be negative in some respects, but it further proves her attachment to her sport and her willingness to work hard. With these attributes, it’s no surprise she is in position to break records. Currently, she sits with 3,520 points, and averages 32.1 points per game. Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces, holds the record with 3,527 points from her days at Washington. To break the NCAA Division I scoring record, she needs just eight points. On February 15th, the Hawkeyes are set to play Michigan at home, and this is the game predicted to break that record.
Most recently, Clark snagged the spot of the all-time leading scorer in the Big Ten on January 31st. Clark is also on track to overcome the NCAA’s all-time scorer. This achievement belongs to “Pistol” Pete Maravich who played for Louisiana State University from 1967-1970. Maravich sits with 3,667 points in his Division I career. This 55 year old record is about to be impressively beaten by a female athlete in the near future.
“Pistol” Pete Maravich in a game during his time at LSU.
Most records between women’s and men’s sports are at different levels. There is just a different level of physicality and ability between the sexes, which proves in athletic records like this. However, Clark is proving that women and women’s sports are just as impressive and high-achieving as men’s sports. There are several sources who are critical of Clark passing Maravich’s record, due to the immense amount of change in the actual sport of basketball, as well as eligibility concerns, claiming that her breaking the men’s record is not quite the same as breaking the women’s.
Either way you view it, that number of points and dedication are not something to look past or discredit. Clark brings a new sense of skill, ability, and motivation to all women, and all sports. Not only has NCAA Women’s Basketball seen an uptick of interest in the past few years, but young girls and women everywhere are opening their eyes to new opportunities. These female athletes are bringing about a new interest and leveling the playing field of women’s and men’s sports as well as their coverage in the media.
Nick Sadowy is from Toledo OH, and is a Bowling Green State University student majoring in Sport Management with a minor in Journalism. Nick has a passion for sports and writing about sports.
February 14, 2024
OVERVIEW
The 2023-2024 NFL season comes to an end with the Kansas City Chiefs edging out a victory over the San Francisco 49ers with a final score of 25-22. This game had a very slow start with a 0-0 score at the end of the 1st quarter but had an exciting finish with the final play happening in the final seconds of overtime.
Chiefs
Travis Kelce (R) vents to Coach Andy Reid (L)
Kansas City wins back-to-back Super Bowls and their 3rd Super Bowl in 5 years. This win cements them as a dynasty led by their superstar Quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Early on in the game, the Chiefs struggled heavily, barely able to get a first down. Star tight end Travis Kelce had one catch for only one yard, basically getting shut down the whole first half. He took out his frustrations on head coach Andy Reid yelling at him in frustration to get himself more involved in the big game. Coach Reid seemed to game plan more around Kelce in the second half leading to Travis’ to finish with 9 catches and 93 yards, which were a big factor in the Chief’s victory.
49ers
Dre Greenlaw’s injury came with 9:26 left in the 2nd quarter
The San Francisco 49ers once again lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl for the 2nd time in 5 years. The 49ers seemed to have the worst luck with injuries in prior seasons just trying to get to the Super Bowl, and that same luck followed them into this game. Star linebacker Dre Greenlaw tore Achilles just from running onto the field to play defense. Greenlaw was one of the 49er’s best defenders this season and was a key member of the 49er’s defense.
The Niner’s offense seemed to struggle for the most part all game, only scoring 2 touchdowns in the entire game. The main playmakers for the 49ers got shut down for most of the game, with Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk essentially being nonfactors for a combined total yards of 94. The only weapons that the 49ers utilized were the NFL’s offensive player of the year Christian McCaffrey and the unlikely use of Jauan Jennings. These two had the only 49ers’ touchdowns and had a total of 202 all-purpose yards.
2nd Half and Overtime
The 2nd half and Overtime of the Super Bowl is really where the game picked up from the entertainment factor. Most of the scoring occurred in both the second half and overtime. This was only the 2nd time in NFL history that the Super Bowl has gone to overtime and the first time ever that it implemented the new overtime rules where both teams have an opportunity to score a touchdown.
Mecole Hardman scores winning TD pass in OT victory for Chiefs
The 2nd half ended with a score of 19-19 which allowed the game to continue into overtime. The 49ers only ended with a field goal which made the score 22-19. This gave Kansas City an opportunity to score a touchdown and win the game. This is exactly what happened, Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs down the field to score a touchdown to Meccole Hardman to make the final score 25-22, making Kansas City 3-time champions in the Mahomes era.
Conclusion
Super Bowl LVIII started off as a game that could have been forgettable but turned out to be quite the opposite. This Super Bowl had one of the most exciting finishes in NFL history. Most likely we will be seeing Kansas City in the future as they try to go for a three peat. However, we may see the San Francisco 49ers sooner rather than later because of the talent on their roster.
Sam Morris is from Madison Heights, Michigan, and is an undergraduate student at BGSU majoring in Sports Management. He has a passion for sports writing and journalism. In his free time, he also performs, writes, and produces his own raps for the music industry club at BGSU.
February 6, 2024
Overview
The 2023-2024 NFL season has been one filled with many intriguing storylines and surprises. Many teams that were predicted to be good this season have fallen short with season-ending quarterback injuries (Jets, Vikings, Bengals). Other teams had surprise playoff success with emerging stars, such as the Rams with rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua and the Texans with rookie quarterback C.J Stroud. Heading into the playoffs this season it felt like many teams had a realistic shot to make a deep run or possibly win it all.
AFC Playoff Storyline
In the AFC, two contenders with promising regular seasons, the Dolphins and Browns, collapsed in their losses in the AFC playoffs. Both games were similar, the Browns and Dolphins kept it close in the first halves, but then couldn’t stop the opposing offenses from scoring in the second half. With the Bills convincingly beating the 7-seeded Steelers, and the Ravens having a bye for being the top seed, the divisional round was set with the 4 AFC divisional winners.
In the NFC, two teams that had a chance in the playoffs but had disappointing ends to their seasons were the NFC East playoff representatives, the Eagles, and the Cowboys. The Eagles started the season with a hot 10-1 record before losing to the eventual NFC champion 49’ers. After that 42-19 loss, the Eagles ended the season losing 6 of their last 7, including a 32-9 upset blowout loss to Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers in the first round. Meanwhile, the Cowboys won 7 of their last 9 games before losing to the 7-seeded Packers in the first round, 48-32.
With these two contenders eliminated, the Detroit Lions continued their improbable season with victories over the Rams and Buccaneers to reach the NFC Championship game. However, the 1-seeded 49’ers ended up rising to the occasion with two huge second halves in their come-from-behind wins against both young teams that overachieved expectations this season, the Packers and Lions.
The 49’ers winning the NFC means a 2020 Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs. Two of the biggest storylines of the season (Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship and Brock Purdy’s continued underdog story) will be going head-to-head in the media world. On the field, the matchup should be even more intriguing with each team having many strengths and weaknesses that I discuss next.
AFC Champion: Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City quarterback, Patrick Mahomes
Strengths
The Chiefs are going into this Super Bowl with a newfound confidence that they haven’t had all season. Their offense has been rolling in these playoffs, scoring an improved 23.3 PPG, but it’s their defense that has been their biggest strength in the playoffs and throughout the year. In the playoffs, the defense has given up just 13.3 PPG and only 4 touchdowns in three games. The front seven of Kansas City’s defense has been specifically good at pass rushes, which is what they must continue to be good at in the Super Bowl if they want to have success against Brock Purdy and his plethora of skill players.
Patrick Mahomes is obviously another strength for the Chiefs; not only because of his accuracy and ability to make clutch plays, but also because of the Super Bowl experience that he has under his belt. Mahomes’ connection to Travis Kelce will also be a strength for the Chiefs. Kelce and Mahomes have tremendous chemistry and have now connected for more playoff touchdowns than any other duo in NFL history, including 49’ers’ greats Joe Montana and Jerry Rice.
Weaknesses
On the other hand, Kansas City dropped to the third seed this season for a few reasons, which will be the same weaknesses that they need to address and overcome in this Super Bowl matchup: dropped passes from wide receivers and penalties. The dropped passes by the wide receivers have been an enormous problem this season for the Chiefs. It hasn’t been just one receiver either that has been responsible for this problem but almost the entire depth chart besides rookie Rashee Rice. Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore, and even Travis Kelce have had problems hanging on to the football this year. This problem has resulted in a league- high 44 dropped passes compared to their opponent, the 49’ers, who coincidentally have the league’s fewest dropped passes with 9.
The penalties are also a big problem that the Chiefs need to control in the Super Bowl. Usually a very disciplined team under head coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs rank 2nd, only behind Dallas, in offensive holding calls, and 8th in pass interference penalties. These are two big areas that they need to clean up before going up against an already potent defensive line and wide receiving core.
The rushing attack of San Francisco will also be a challenge for Kansas City as McCaffrey was the league’s leading rusher this season, and as mentioned earlier, is also a lethal weapon to catch the ball out of the backfield. Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s run-pass-option style of offense has also benefitted the run game behind blockers, all-pro Left tackle Trent Williams, and receivers Jauan Jennings and George Kittle.
Lastly, the pass rush of the 49’ers’ front seven has been one of the best in the league all season. Bosa and Young have teamed up to make a dynamic duo setting the edge, while Hargrave and Armstead have returned from injury good as new and have stepped up in the playoffs by stuffing the run game. This is going to be a key component in the Super Bowl matchup as the Chief’s ability to balance the offense with running back Isiah Pacheco has been one of the reasons their offense has sprung back to life over the last month and a half. Along with this pro-bowl caliber D-Line, linebackers Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner have had fantastic seasons both in pass coverage and rushing the quarterback, and both will be needed in this matchup to spy on Patrick Mahomes’ running ability.
Weaknesses
Despite the abundance of weapons San Francisco has, they have two main weaknesses that could prove to be their downfall if they don’t fix them before the Super Bowl. Their first weakness is their reduced production in the secondary, particularly from the safety position. With second-year pro-bowl Strong Safety Talanoa Hufanga out for the season, the 49’ers have had to come up with mix-match solutions all year. Rookie Ji-Ayir Brown, Isiah Oliver, Ambry Thomas, and even formerly retired Logan Ryan have stepped in to fill the role. What has resulted from this has been inconsistent play over the middle of the field and plenty of big yardage catches in zone coverage. This was particularly the case in the last two wins against the Lions and Packers where Jared Goff and Jordan Love exposed the 49’ers secondary for easy touchdowns in the first halves. If the 49’ers don’t fix this problem it will be difficult to beat the Chiefs who have been exposing defenses over the middle of the field with Kelce and Rice.
The second major weakness of the 49’ers is their kicking game. Rookie kicker Jake Moody has had an up-and-down season with an 84% regular season field goal percentage, which ranks 24th in the NFL. He also has a missed field goal in each postseason game. Overall, the inconsistency and inexperience compared to their past kicker, veteran Robbie Gould, and Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker, is an issue if they have to rely on kicking down the stretch of the Super Bowl.
Conclusion
In my opinion, because the 49’ers and Chiefs both have balanced and deep rosters on both sides of the ball, this Super Bowl will come down to which team makes the fewest mistakes with their biggest weaknesses. If Mahomes and the Chiefs can expose the 49’ers secondary and limit their dropped passes then I believe they can definitely win this game. However, the 49’ers could just as easily win if they tighten up their zone coverage over the middle of the field and take advantage of Chiefs’ penalties which have been a problem for them all season.
Ryan Harless is a fourth-year undergraduate at BGSU from Hillsboro, Ohio. He is majoring in Sport Management with a Journalism Minor. Baseball and Professional Wrestling are his primary interests but he is also interested in golf, hockey, and football
February 2, 2024
It is WrestleMania season yet again, the most exciting time of the year for the majority of wrestling fans. Of course, that means it is also ‘Rumble season!’
They 2024 Royal Rumble took place Saturday, January 27, 2024 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, so I’m here to give you the rundown on what you missed.
The show kicked off with the seventh annual Women’s Royal Rumble match. To the surprise of no one, this match ruled and in my opinion was the best match of the evening.
The #2 entrant into the match was the returning Naomi who had been released by the WWE in 2022 and spent her 2023 making her name in Impact (now Total Nonstop Action) Wrestling. She received an amazing ovation from the crowd and looks to start anew following her rumble performance.
Entrant #5 was the current TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace. Grace splits her time between professional wrestling and the world of bodybuilding and showed off her raw power throughout the match.
Fun Jordynne Grace fact: she won the TNA Knockouts World Championship from Naomi on the 13th of January this year!
The next big entrant was Biancia Belair at #10. Belair is always in title contention which made her a very viable pick to win.
Following Belair’s entry into the match, there was a decent section of the match dedicated to filling up the ring. While there were some stars such as Becky Lynch and Shayna Baszler, most of the other entries were mid-carders like Xia Li and Michin.
At #28 was the long-awaited arrival of AEW’s (All Elite Wrestling) homegrown star, Jade Cargill. Months ago, we saw Cargill introduced to a WWE audience but since then hadn’t gotten to see her in a ring outside of the AEW bubble.
Cargill looked much like her AEW self which was a relief to All Elite fans like me. Cargill looks like a star and carries herself like one so I’m looking forward to her WrestleMania debut.
The returning Liv Morgan was the final entrant at #30 and she garnered a huge reaction from the Florida crowd. Morgan’s return was cut short by the eventual winner Bayley.
This rumble victory has been a long time in the making for Bayley as one of the company’s top stars for well over five years. She is finally going to get her WrestleMania main event, but who she will be facing is still up in the air.
Following the Women’s Royal Rumble was the WWE Universal Championship four-way match between the champion Roman Reigns and challengers LA Knight, AJ Styles and Randy Orton.
If you’ve been following WWE for any period of time, you know how this match went. It wasn’t a bad match, but it certainly wasn’t a good match.
It was another standard Reigns’ championship match. Let the challengers fight, Roman comes in to hit some moves and ends up in a bad spot, and then Roman’s cousin Solo Sikoa comes in for the save and Roman keeps his title.
Nothing special but it wasn’t offensively bad either. I cannot wait for Roman to (hopefully) lose the belt at WrestleMania.
After this we got a fun contest over the United States Championship between champion Logan Paul and challenger Kevin Owens.
This was a super good match. It really irritates me that Logan Paul is such a good professional wrestler in his very limited experience with the business.
This was a great back and forth contest and was probably Paul’s most violent matchup to date. Towards the end of the match, Paul went to hit Owens with brass knuckles, but Owens caught the punch and put the knucks’ on and dropped Logan with a punch of his own.
After the punch Kevin Owens went for the pin on Logan but just before the referee counted the three, he saw Owens still had the brass knuckles on and called for a disqualification and allowed Logan to escape with his belt.
This, although it was meant to be a cooldown match before the Men’s Royal Rumble, was my favorite of the night.
Now for the main event, the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble match. I think this continued their trend over the past few years of having very predictable rumbles.
Sure, the matches are always a fun live watch, but the hour plus long contest is usually only there to fill time before the two wrestlers expected to win are the last two in the ring. They just haven’t done much for me in a while.
The #4 entrant was yet another AEW star making their return to WWE in Andrade, who had a decent showing despite not making a lot of commotion.
The purpose of this match was so that we could get the showdown between CM Punk and Cody Rhodes in the final two. Once it got down to the final two, Punk and Rhodes had a little match to build suspense for the finish.
It is clear that CM Punk can’t go at a high level anymore in the ring. Rhodes had to completely carry Punk through the final stretch in the match before finally dumping him over the top rope.
With Cody Rhodes’ win again this year, he joins eight other wrestlers as the only ones to ever win multiple rumbles. It only makes sense for him to again challenge Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 40 and FINALLY finish his story of winning the Universal Championship.
All in all, this was an ok event. Two good matches and two matches that made me go ‘meh’. But nonetheless, we are on the road to WrestleMania and have a fun month ahead of us!
Caption: CJ Stroud drops pack to pass in a game against the Saints
By Carsen Hageman
Carsen Hageman is from Liberty Center, Ohio and is a Senior at BGSU majoring in Sports Management. Professional & collegiate football are his main interests. Upon graduation in the spring, he hopes to pursue a career in professional and college football.
November 25, 2023
Surprises
Caption: Jared Goff throws a pass during a recent game against the Ravens
Lions
The Detroit Lions have surprised everyone this season. It all started with upsetting the defending champion KC Chiefs on the opening weekend of the season. Now, they have an 8-3 record and are currently the 2nd seed in the NFC playoffs. Armed with a top 10 statistical defense, a top 5 offensive line, and offensive weapons like Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs, the Lions look poised to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Caption: Christian McCaffrey celebrates after scoring a touchdown.
2. Christian McCaffrey
While his record-setting touchdown streak just ended, McCaffrey’s performance this year garnered early MVP attention. That talk has since subsided, but he is still arguably the top running back in the league and has been the workhorse behind the 49ers’ success this season. With a lack of a true deep threat at wide receiver, McCaffrey is the guy defenses key in on when playing the 49ers. Despite this focus, he leads the NFL in rushing yards.
Caption: Chiefs’ defenders celebrate.
3. Kansas City Chiefs’ Defense
It is no surprise that any team with Patrick Mahomes is doing well. But unlike previous seasons, the Chiefs’ Defense has been a large part of their success this season. Statistically, they are currently the 4th best defense in the league. With a 7-3 record, the reigning champs look primed for another long postseason run.
With outstanding performance after outstanding performance recently, Stroud has officially entered the MVP conversation. It is almost unthinkable that he is a rookie and putting up consecutive great performances. As a rookie, he is 2nd in the NFL in passing yards. For a team that held the second pick in last year’s draft, the Texans look like a sneaky good team as the AFC playoff picture heats up. They look to earn a wild card and make a Super Bowl run with Stroud at the center of their playoff push.
Disappointments
Caption: Head Coach Matt Eberflus and players react to a play.
Chicago Bears
The Bears, a team with all the hype heading into the season, have disappointed in almost every respect this year. Preseason expectations had them challenging for a division title and making a postseason run. Now, their QB Justin Fields has been hurt most of the year, their defense has struggled all year by giving up 20+ points in all but 2 games, and they have not had consistent production from their weapons. With the likelihood that they will be in contention for a top draft pick, some are questioning if they should pick a quarterback.
Caption: Patriots’ QBs Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe talk with Offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien.
2. New England Patriots
With recent disappointing draft classes and poor coaching, the Patriots have been a mess this season. Perhaps the biggest story has been the lack of development of Mac Jones, their first-round pick from the 2021 draft. He has looked average at best over the past three seasons and has not looked good in general this season. It is because of draft misses like these that rumors of Bill Belichick’s departure have been swirling during their tumultuous season.
Caption: Giants’ QB Tommy DeVito gets sacked.
3. New York Giants
About everything that could have gone wrong for the Giants this season has gone wrong. As a Giants’ fan myself, I personally have watched as this season has unfolded. Starting with a 40-0 Sunday Night Football route by the Cowboys, it has all gone downhill for a team that won a playoff game last season. With injuries to about every key offensive player, their offense has looked inept most of the season. Now with a 3-8 record, they are in contention for a top draft pick. With a top 5 pick all but locked in, it looks likely the Giants will draft a quarterback after not even a full season has passed since they guaranteed Daniel Jones an $82 million contract this spring.
Caption: Raiders’ running back Josh Jacobs stiff-arms a Patriots’ defender.
4. Las Vegas Raiders
This season might not be a total wash since an in season coaching change appears to be the spark this team needed. Interim coach Antonio Pierce has guided the Raiders to a 2-1 record since Josh McDaniels’ departure and has this team playing harder than they ever did with McDaniels as their head coach. It is unfortunate that it took such a drastic move to get this team playing better. In the offseason, they looked like a team that could steal a playoff spot with newly acquired Quarterback Jimmy Garappolo, Davante Adams, and an improving defense.
Caption: Panthers’ QB Bryce Young prepares to pass.
5. Carolina Panthers
While preseason expectations did not have the Panthers making the playoffs, I don’t think anyone had the Panthers looking this bad. The biggest storyline for this team has been Bryce Young. With the Panthers trading for the first pick in the 2023 draft, they could choose from the cream of the crop of available quarterbacks. With the first pick, they choose Bryce Young out of Alabama. Young has looked like one of the worst in this class. The Alabama product has recorded 8 passing touchdowns with 7 interceptions and 29 sacks. By comparison, the No. 2 draft pick CJ Stroud has 15 passing touchdowns with 2 interceptions and 19 sacks. Without a first round selection in this year’s draft things are looking bleak for the Panthers. They could also head into next season with a new coach with rumors of Frank Reich’s job status in question.
Ryan Harless is a fourth-year undergraduate at BGSU from Hillsboro, Ohio. He is majoring in Sport Management with a Journalism Minor. Baseball and golf at all levels are his primary interests but he is also interested in combat sports, hockey, basketball, and football.
November 19, 2023
Baseball season has come to an end yet again and now is time to look forward to what may be at the start of next season with some free agents! This is one of the most star-studded free agent classes of recent memory, so I am expecting some fireworks and some interesting looking teams come next April.
Criteria: I am only selecting the free agents I wanted to talk about so unfortunately, I won’t be doing deep dives on Drew Rucinski.
Catcher:Gary Sanchez – After having a few weird years with the Yankees and Twins, Sanchez made a huge impact this year with the Padres. He helped ace Blake Snell to have one of the best seasons of his career from behind the plate and helped bring a little more fight to the already pretty stacked Padres. He didn’t provide a lot of help in the batter’s box BUT as an elite defensive catcher and with the ace of the staff asking to be caught by him, I imagine Sanchez will stay in San Diego.
First Base: Rhys Hoskins – Following a disappointing NLCS loss to the Diamondbacks, Hoskins is in an odd spot. The rumors around MLB are that Bryce Harper is planning on being full time at first base from 2024 onward which makes it look like Hoskins will be finding a new home this offseason. I think a great spot for him would be San Francisco. He could take over for Wilmer Flores and free him up to become a utility player yet again and help be a piece to the puzzle the Giants are trying to put together.
Honorable Mention: Joey Votto – The Reds announced that they wouldn’t be renewing Votto’s deal (largest in team history) after a cool 19 years in the organization. I’m still very hopeful that the Reds sign him to a one-year deal so that he can retire as a Red. But if he has to leave, I wouldn’t mind him signing with his hometown Toronto Blue Jays or even possibly a playoff contender so that he can finally play meaningful October baseball again.
Second Base: Looking through the list of free agent second basemen was pretty disappointing. The biggest names were Elvis Andrus and Whit Merrifield (both 35). Don’t get me wrong, great players but I don’t see either of them making a huge impact when they find new teams.
Shortstop:Amed Rosario – One of the best and youngest names on the free agent list Rosario is a career .272 batter with a glove that is next to a sure thing. He had spent multiple seasons with both the Mets and Guardians before he was shipped to the Dodgers late last season before the playoffs. I think that he will end up resigning with the Dodgers as they can probably get him for just over $10 million a year.
Third Base: Matt Chapman – Coming off of an offensively disappointing year where he was still able to secure his fourth Rawlings Gold Glove, Chapman will probably be commanding a relatively high yearly salary. While his offense is much more hit or miss than Nolan Arenado, his defense in the hot corner is undeniable. Under the right circumstances, Chapman could easily be an MVP contender. He has turned down a sizable deal from Toronto already so I don’t anticipate him to be back next year, but I think he would be a great fit with the Giants much like Hoskins. With the Giants looking to be big spenders this offseason, I think two new stars to anchor their infield is more than believable.
Outfield:Lourdes Gurriel Jr. – After a World Series run with Arizona, I would be very very shocked to see the youngest Gurriel brother anywhere but with the snakes in 2024. He has been a beacon of consistency and clutch as he proved this postseason. This will more than likely cost Arizona a decent bit of change but I think it would be well worth it for their future.
Cody Bellinger – After winning National League comeback player of the year, Bellinger looks to be back to his 2019 MVP winning ways. One of the least surprising free agents of the entire class, Bellinger excelled in Wrigley and if it weren’t for possibly the biggest free agent of all time (spoiler) also being available, I would say he’s a shoo in to come back. But I still find it hard to believe he will go anywhere else after finding this success. However, for the sake of predicting something other than him resigning, I could see him ending up in pinstripes as a Yankee in 2024.
Teoscar Hernández – Two seasons removed from his last All-Star appearance, Teoscar looks to have regressed a little over the past couple years. This is not to say he is no longer a good player, but he simply isn’t hitting almost .300 and doesn’t seem to have as much pop as he formerly did. Now, I really like Teoscar, he has all the tools and seems to be universally liked by his teammates! He absolutely should get picked up by someone, and I predict that he will go to Colorado. Plenty of room to roam in the outfield, and the elevation ought to help bring some of the ever-valuable pop back to his game.
Pitchers:Aaron Nola – The ace of the almost National League champs surely set himself up well to finally get paid this season. He had his fifth consecutive full (162 game) season of 200+ strikeouts and was able to contain offenses in the postseason that were very dangerous. As much as I wanted to see him stay in Philly, I thought they missed their chance to ink a long-term deal with him last offseason. I thought Nola would be walking and likely to another contender as a great fit in Seattle. He and Luis Castillo would be a terrifying 1-2 punch. It turns out, he just inked a 7-year deal with the Phillies.
Blake Snell – After possibly his best season to date, Snell will likely be commanding a lot of money with his second career Cy Young. This will certainly limit the teams that are available to go after him, I could easily see Snell getting the eye of a New York team like the Mets. My only concern with him is that the majority of his success this season came after the acquisition of Gary Sanchez. I would almost be willing to bet that if the Padres are open to re-signing both of them, they will stay together.
Sonny Gray – Following his first All-Star appearance since 2019, Gray showed some dominance; despite his 8-8 record he allowed a league leading 0.4 home runs per 9 innings. I think his direction will be super dependent on the direction the Twins are wanting to take. If they feel that they can compete for a championship next year and looking forward, I imagine he would come back. But if Minnesota is looking to dismantle and rebuild, I think Gray would make a lot of sense for St. Louis as a veteran pitcher as the Cardinals have lost a lot of veteran presence over the past few seasons.
Who we all came to hear about:Shohei Ohtani – I mean, its Ohtani. Coming off his second unanimous MVP season in the last three years, the only thing we are able to have a conversation about is how long and where he will go. I think he will be first, looking for a long-term deal, but that will cost substantially more money. I anticipate Shohei getting more than $40 million a year as he is both an elite pitcher and hitter AND is coming off arguably the best baseball season ever played. From everything I have seen and heard, I expect him to (unfortunately for the Reds fan in me) land with the Chicago Cubs. They were finalists in the Shohei sweepstakes the first time around, and now that he has some MLB service under his belt and is more comfortable in the states, I think his only limitation is himself.
