Mayo to Retire

Here is Patrick Higgins, discussing a surprising retirement announcement from the NFL this week. 

Article by Patrick Higgins

Hello everyone, some surprising news came out of the New England Patriots camp this week. Linebacker Jerod Mayo has decided to retire from football at twenty-nine years old. "After a lot of thought Chantel and I take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude for what we consider a life changing event.....that of becoming a New England Patriot for the past 8 years," Mayo wrote on an Instagram post. "We are extremely grateful to 'Thundercat'. Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Jonathan. the Kraft family, Coach Belichick, the Pats organization, and the most amazing fans in contributing to these pages of our lives.

The Patriots weren’t expected to retain Mayo for next season. Mayo would’ve had a 11.4-million-dollar cap number, the second highest on the team next to quarterback Tom Brady. Mayo finished each of the past three seasons on injured reserve, although he played in 16 games this past season before leaving the Patriots' divisional playoff win over the Kansas City Chiefs with a shoulder injury. He was limited to six games in 2013 because of a pectoral injury and six games in 2014 because of a knee injury. Mayo was the 10^th overall pick in the 2008 draft, and and was NFL's defensive rookie of the year and was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2010 and 2012. His teammates also selected him as a captain from 2009 to 2015.

In my opinion everyone, this is a hit for the New England Patriots. Mayo was a pro bowl type talent, and when you take that off of any defense, there are going to be growing pains at that position. He was also a leader for the locker room, and now the Patriots are going to have to find a new voice of leadership to replace him. Someone doesn’t need to have the most tackles or the most sacks to be effective for a team. Mayo was that person for the Patriots. We have also seen many players now retiring at a young age, because of all the injuries and after effects of playing professional football. Mayo will be missed by the team and Patriots nation.

We will have new articles up on the blog tomorrow night!!!!

The Kids Are Alright

Here is Art Benedict discussing the end of the season for the UCONN Huskies men's basketball team. If you need info on the Huskies, Art is your man!!!!

Article by Art Benedict

So now that we are close to the end of the regular season for both the UConn men’s and women’s 2015-2016 basketball season, I felt it was time to start plunking the keyboard and start writing some articles. I know, a lame excuse, right?  Well, it’s the best I could come up with.

So I am not going to bore you with articles about the “new kids on the block.” I’m sure you are all familiar with Sterling Gibbs, Shonn Miller, Jalen Adams, and Steven Enoch. And I’m sure I don’t have to mention the fact that the 7’0” 232-pound center Amida Brimah was out of commission for several weeks when he broke a finger during practice and how everyone stepped up to keep their head above water until his return two games ago. And I’ll not mention the fact that the game against Cincinnati which the Huskies lost by one point put a few more gray hairs on this aging head of mine…

So now that I have caught you all up, its time to look at the rest of the regular season be it only a few weeks.  So I was trying to pick out the perfect song that would match the UConn men’s basketball season to date. After careful consideration I came up with the classic “Who “song “The Kids are Alright”. (for you younger generation, Google it).

The Huskies opened up the season with some lopsided wins against the University of Tampa, New Haven, Maine, New Hampshire and Furman and Husky fans were thinking National Championship at this point. They then traveled to Paradise Island in the Bahamas on November 25^th and opened up with a 74-60 victory over Michigan. Not bad!  Then on the 26^th they faced off against a very familiar opponent in Syracuse. It was like the Big East days all over again. But they came up short losing 79-75 and then followed that up with a 73-70 loss to Gonzaga. Don’t panic Husky fans! These were three big powerhouses and UConn came up respectable. Back to the states and the Jimmy V Classic where they dropped a 76-66 count to ranked and very talented Maryland. Whoa! Stop the presses. That’s 4 losses in a row. Still don’t panic Husky fans!

Some home cooking at the XL Center and Gampel Pavilion produced wins against Ohio St, UMass-Lowell, and Howie Dickeman’s Central Connecticut Blue Devils. Are you feeling it? Then they went to Texas and Tulane for two more wins. Looking good! A bump in the road with a close 55-53 loss to Temple and it was back on the winning train with a win at Memphis. They went 5-2 from there until their last win, an 18-point victory against East Carolina. And that’s where the UConn men stand at this point. They are 17-6 overall, and 7-3 in AAC play. So what lies ahead for the rest of the regular season? They have 8 games left to the regular season. Four games at home against Tulsa, SMU, Houston and a home finale against UCF in Storrs. They also have 4 important road games beginning tonight at Temple along with Cincinnati, (revenge time) USF and SMU.

 The Huskies are peaking exactly when they should. They have won back to back to back road games and 6 of 7 true road games since Dec. 29^th. They have won 12 of 15 since that loss to Maryland at MSG.

Sophomore guard Daniel Hamilton has been coming around as of late as evidenced in his 16 point 13 rebound game against Memphis. He followed that up with 12 point 16 rebound double-double against ECU. The roster which includes holdovers from the 2014 championship team like seniors Omar Calhoun and Phillip Nolan as well as juniors Kentan Facey and Brimah plus transfers Rodney Purvis, Sterling Gibbs and Miller have come together as one cohesive unit all contributing either together or a different times. And let’s not forget the contribution of freshman guard Jalen Adams. His last game against ECU he logged 33 minutes and had 14 points.

 And one more thing that sums it all up for this team. The Huskies are doing a lot more on defense. They have held their opponents under 40 percent shooting for the past nine games. At Memphis, they were able to get 10 steals and 20 turnovers.

So their fate is in their hands for the rest of the season.  With SMU failing as of late, the Huskies need to keep their eyes on the prize. A possible regular season or AAC tournament championship and a shot at the NCAA tournament in March.

 Yes indeed! The kids are alright.

Next week: The UConn woman’s basketball team. And yes, I will come up with a song for them as well.

Cam’s ‘SUPER’ Growing Pains

Here is Chris Saunders reviewing Cam Newton's response to losing the Super Bowl. 

Article by Chris Saunders

When Cam Newton arrived in the Bay Area last Sunday, his Versace pants made him the talk of the nation. When Newton leaves, he’ll still be the talk, but for all the wrong reasons.

What Cam Newton showed everyone in his post game conference was his immaturity and willingness to representative of his team!  Furthermore; immature is the only word to describe his behavior in the post game press conference. I didn’t expect to see him dabbing or wearing flashy clothes, or even having his classic million dollar smile; but I didn’t expect to see him acting like a baby. He wore an Under Armor hoodie over his head and he moped while answering questions. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

It’s the same Cam Newton with the towel over his head, sitting on the bench as the Panthers lost yet another game a couple of years ago. It was the Cam Newton that he himself called immature. “I was very immature,” Newton told Yahoo Sports back in 2012. “I’ll be the first one to tell you, the pouting and the moping, I kind of overdid it; I was a bad teammate.” Newton made these comments after Sunday’s Super Bowl loss to the Broncos. What’s truly sad and it’s bewildering to know if Newton realizes this, he wasn’t just a bad teammate, he was an embarrassment to the team and the city. He was an embarrassment to everyone who stood for him. He was an embarrassment for everyone who defended his dabbing and sign snatching. Correspondingly, his own father; whom was on “First Take” said days from the biggest game of his son’s career that, “I pull him in my laboratory and polish him off at the end of every season, tell him what works, what doesn't work.”    

In the press conference, Newton gave mostly one-word answers, kept his head down and barely looked at the reporters. “They just played better than us,” he said. “What you want me to say?” After scratching out a few more barely audible comments about how the Broncos outplayed them, Newton abruptly walked away, saying “I’m done.” My reaction after I saw that was one word. WOW!

Given these points, while I do understand Newton and the Panthers just lost the Super Bowl; but common Cam! Why is it that your teammates can sit there and answer questions?  Cornerback Josh Norman cried on the sideline as shown by CBS, but even he in the press conference did respond to the medias questions and he gave thoughtful answers. As did Tight End Greg Olsen,  Line Backer Thomas Davis, and linebacker Luke Kuechly. Kuechly held his head high and praised the Panthers’ fantastic season. He talked about the great play of the defense in the Super Bowl. “It stings,” he said regarding the loss. “We accomplished a lot of what we wanted to do this year. We won the division. We checked a couple of boxes, but we just weren’t able to get this last one checked off”

There is no doubt that Cam Newton had a fantastic season leading his team to a NFC Title, and even the Super Bowl. What Cam has yet to learn is how to be a true leader and role model accepting defeat with as much grace as the enthusiastic joy he displays when he wins. This is when we can say he is not only a leader but a true role model for many young athletes who watch and admire him as a player. My advice to Cam is this..“If you don’t win, lose with class”

Comment-  Twitter- @C_Broadcaster, Facebook- Chris Saunders, Email Chrisweather16@yahoo.com

Marshawn Lynch Most Likely to Retire

Here is our own Patrick Higgins, talking about one of best running backs since 2011, deciding to retire. 

Article by Patrick Higgins

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a great Super Bowl weekend, and a great week. For this week’s article, I wanted to touch on another great player most likely hanging up their cleats. Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch made the announcement Sunday night that he most likely will retire, by posting a picture of his cleats hanging from a power line. The caption under the picture was a peace sign, showing everyone the he was probably saying by the the sport he loved to play.

The Seahawks did not respond to a message seeking comment, but Lynch's agent, Doug Hendrickson, confirmed to The Associated Press that the running back indeed plans to retire. This past season was tough for Lynch after suffering a sports hernia injury, which cost him nine games in the regular season, and one game in the playoffs. Lynch who is now thirty years old, considered retirement last season because of back issues. Lynch has been among the most productive running backs in the league since 2011, which was his first full season with the Seahawks being acquired from the Buffalo Bills. During this five seasons with the Seahawks, Lynch finished third in rushing yards with 5,774, second in first downs with 294, and first in rushing touchdowns. His 51 touchdowns surpassed Adrian Peterson's second-place total by six. Lynch also elevated his game in the postseason. His six 100-yard playoff games are only surpassed by Terrell Davis and Emmitt Smith in NFL history. In his nine-year career, Lynch has started 114 games and carried 2,144 times for 9,112 yards and 74 touchdowns.

I am very sad to see this, because he has been one of the best running backs we have seen in the NFL in years. The man should’ve won two Super Bowls, if SOMEONE decided to give him the ball at the 3-yard line. Just think about this everyone, Adrian Peterson is thought as the best running back in the league. Though Lynch beat Peterson in touchdowns since 2011, and still wasn’t considered the best running back in the league, that’s how good he was. He also finished third in rushing yards, and second in first downs. When you needed him to win a game for you, he would put the team on his back and carry you to a win. We also will never forget his hilarious press conferences, where he would only say one line for the entire required time he had to be there. Everyone, we have seen one of the greatest careers for a running back in our time, come to an end.

New articles will be uploaded tomorrow night!!!! Stay tuned for some great pieces from our sports department!!!!