Are male professional athletes overpaid?

Are male professional athletes overpaid?

By Katie Dewberry

Do you schedule your Sunday around a women’s soccer game? No, you schedule it around the Cowboys vs. Redskins game. Let’s be honest. Sports media has recently become so male-dominated that the audience for woman sports has continuously shrinking. According to feminist sociologist Michael Messner at USC, “women’s professional teams have nearly evaporated and a deepening silence has enveloped women’s professional soccer, basketball, golf, field hockey, and softball.” Unfortunately this is a problem that will probably never change

Professional athletes are like performers and entertainers.  People love to watch them play their sport so much that they pay to do so. Unfortunately, not enough people are watching women’s sports and the industries’ status is lowering. “Is there little coverage of women’s professional sports because they’re unpopular or are they unpopular because there is little coverage?” asked an anonymous poster on the MPR News website. This question has two equal sides, however; I am going to have to go with the first one: there is little coverage of women’s professional sports because they’re unpopular.

Unfortunately I discovered that it is not about gender when it comes to professional sports, it’s business and money. Currently there are too many greedy business partners that won’t give the women’s sports industry time to grow and want their money growth now and not in ten years.  If the sports world was more patient, over time women’s sports would be capable of gaining a larger audience and the industry would expand significantly. It is sad to see women that are working so hard not feel appreciated, but that is just how it is. Accusations towards women have been made such as “female athletes are slower, weaker, by and large less skilled, and therefore less interesting and exciting to watch,” and “given the option to watch the best or second best, people will watch the best regardless of the sport… I’m not saying men are better per se. Women are as good or better at many things, but sports is not one of them,” stated a commenter on the MPR website.

Not only are women’s sports less popular, female atheletes are also making significantly less money than male athletes. Arguably the biggest concern in sports right now however, is on the salaries of male professional athletes. My interest was sparked while listening to a radio discuss the highest paid celebrity couples.  I was surprised when I found out that Tom Brady and his supermodel wife were coming in as #1 this year.  With a combined annual salary of $76 million, apparently Brady’s supermodel wife is on the way to becoming the world’s first billionaire supermodel. In my opinion, they are definitely overpaid. As a person who doesn’t swear by Sunday football games, I was very surprised that a star football quarterback is making $31 million a year. The highest paid female professional athlete, Maria Sharapova, has been in this position for the past seven years and at the peak of her career is making $21 million a year. The female tennis stars dominate as the highest-paid professional athletes by securing seven out of the top ten spots. In total, the ten highest paid female athletes made $113 million this past year, where the top ten men combined to $449 million. This huge salary difference is not subject to change anytime soon because America has become accustomed to supporting men’s sports more than women’s. This issue has been drawn to my attention because more and more professional athletes that are men are being put in the spotlight and social media has been solely portraying their achievements.  Eventually, women are going to need to be recognized or who knows what will happen to women’s sports.

Appreciating Captain’s

Appreciating Captain’s

By Katie Dewberry

Now that the fall sports season has ended, athletes are beginning to reminisce on the season that is now over and thank the senior captains and players that will not be returning to the team next fall. In order to become a captain of a sports team, you not only have to be a dedicated and hardworking member of the team, but team members have to elect you to the position. The responsibilities that come along with being a team captain are often overlooked; however, I believe that captains should receive more recognition from the entire Potomac community rather than just appreciation from their teammates.

Because the varsity football team is the team that generally receives the most recognition in all high schools, the Potomac football team has received an unbelievable amount of appreciation now that the season is over. Most of the applause for the team is being shown on social media networks like Twitter and facebook. After the state championship loss this weekend, tweets and facebook statuses about the team were blowing up everyone’s news feeds. Jamie Lovegrove said great things about the team such as, “thank you boys for everything,” and “once a panther, always a panther.” After a really emotional loss, according to Matt Carney, “this one is gonna hurt for a lil while.” The team and the coaches both truly appreciated the fans that came out to support all season. Coach Rendell Williams stated, “thanks to the entire student body for your support,” which I know meant a lot to the hundreds of people that gave up hours of their time to support the players and especially the senior players and captains. Appreciative underclassman on the team Kevin Havernman wrote on the facebook, “Thank you seniors. It’s been a hell of a ride. It was your passion, determination, and perseverance that allowed us to go so far. Shouldn’t look behind us. “no regrets”.” That is kind of “thank you,” that goes a long way and other team’s will hopefully follow the football teams brotherhood (or sisterhood) aspect once the season is over.

The memorable captains are the team members that pull the team together as a unit like Andres Rodlauer did on the boys varsity soccer team. When the team was down by a few goals in the fourth quarter, he never yelled or blamed anyone. Andres encouraged his teammates and reminded them of their capability of winning. As an incredible captain, Andres would automatically boost the confidence of the rest of team and it would make all the difference. Junior captain Max Ausbrook also played a role in the teams success this fall. His “passionate belief in team spirit,” as well as his determination to never give up, was exposed mostly towards the end of the season when Max began to realize that next year, the seniors will be gone, and he will ultimately be responsible for helping his teammates fill the shoes of the lost players.

A difficult part of being a captain is behaving “professionally and responsibly despite personal feelings of frustration and anger” during a game. Caroline Meisel, junior captain of the varsity tennis team did exactly that. Caroline was able to enthusiastically raise the teams moral through inspiration and motivation. Her passion for the sport is shown without words. As one of the few players on the team that competes in the USTA league (outside of school), she has the slight advantage of having more match experience which is one of the reasons why she is such a good captain. Caroline’s teammates love her and her impressive leadership skills were evident throughout the entire season despite being injured for most of the season.

The cross-country team went above and beyond the norm and gave all of the seniors on the team personally engraved bracelets. I believe that this appreciation for the captains should be the standard for all other teams. It can sometimes be easy to let captains hard work go unnoticed but despite whether you are being personally affected by a captains leadership, I think a special “thank you” from the team at the end of the season should be the norm.

Lauren Wackerle is another example of a good team leader. As a field hockey captain, the younger teammates look up to Lauren as an athlete who gives her all, no matter the circumstances. Laurens general presence can sometimes be enough to boost the egos of her teammates: which is often not the case for most captains. For field hockey’s senior appreciation day, the younger teammates made posters with quotes such as “thank you,” and “we couldn’t of done it without you.” I think that the juniors, sophomores and freshman are always excited for senior day because it is something for them to look forward to for them when they are seniors. It is nice to feel remembered and valued as a team member who put forth all of themselves to the team and they know that if they make senior day special for the current seniors, one day when they are seniors, they will get the chance to feel special for a day too.

Something’s Got to Give

Something’s Got to Give

By Kevin Green

Last Wednesday, According to ESPN.com, four gunmen kidnapped Washington nationals’ catcher Wilson Ramos. That’s right, you heard correctly… kidnapped. The four armed men entered Ramos’ house in native Venezuela and took him away in an SUV. This is one of the stranger stories in sports in the last couple of years.

Usually, when I think of kidnapped, the image of a young child lured by an adult pops up in my mind; however, I never think of professional athletes when I think of the words kidnapped or abducted. The reason kidnappers abduct professional athletes and their families are for ransom money. Even though these are highly trained millionaires who seem untouchable, this abduction illustrates that anyone can be kidnapped. The problem these days with athletes is that they do not have enough protection for themselves and their families. Too many athletes are abducted and murdered without an increase in protection following each tragedy.

Although this is the first case where the professional athlete has been abducted, athletes and their families native to Venezuela are very susceptible to kidnapping. In 2009, eight armed men kidnapped Former professional baseball player Victor Zambrano’s mother on his farm in Villa de Cura Venezuela. She was released three days after the kidnapping. However, nine days before his mother’s kidnapping, Zambrano’s cousin, Richard Mendez Zambrano, was kidnapped and later killed. Despite his brothers death, Zambranodid not make sure his family was protected, illustrated by his mothers kidnapping the next week.

Earlier in 2009, Colorado Rockies Venezuelan catcher Yorvit Torrealba’s 11-year-old son and his two uncles were kidnapped. The abductors wanted $500,000, however, they let them go unharmed without any ransom money.

Lastly, in 2005, former Venezuelan pitcher Ugueth Urbina’s mother was kidnapped and held captive for five months before being rescued. Over the past few years, especially in Venezuela, kidnapping professional players or family members for ransom has increased tremendously without any increased safety.

However, in the US, although an athlete has never been kidnapped, they are often targets for robberies and homicides. Just four years ago in 2007, which still feels like yesterday, beloved Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor was shot and killed during in his home during a botched robbery. During the robbery, Taylor attempted to protect himself, his girlfriend, and his daughter, who were both asleep during the scuffle, with a machete he kept by his bed. This weapon was obviously not enough to protect himself. Ironically, eight days earlier, while Taylor was with the team at an away game, someone broke into his house looking to steal his belongings. Despite this forewarning, like Zambrano, Taylor did not get more protection for himself and his family.

In 2005, similarly to Taylor, Eagles defensive End Jerome McDougal was shot after three armed robbers attempted to steal his Mercedes. Unlike Taylor, however, McDougal survived the shooting and returned to the Eagles in 2006.

These robberies, murders, and kidnappings are becoming much more prevalent in professional sports. It is plain and simple: athletes need more protection. Whether it be more bodyguards, more intensive security systems, or help from the local police force, professional athletes need better safety. Now that athletes are signing contracts worth more than 100 million dollars, it is imperative for them to hire more bodyguards or better protection for themselves and loved ones.

For example, on episodes of MTV cribs, some professional athletes own houses over 10 million dollars, more than four cars, and have jewelry and expensive items throughout the house. These accessories make the houses and athletes prime targets for robberies, as seen in the incidents with Sean Taylor, Jerome McDougal, and the kidnappings in Venezuela.

With all of the past kidnappings, you would think that the players would have more protection for themselves and their families, however, these kidnappings keep occurring without a change. It was reported that the three, armed men walked into Ramos’ house and took him away. Also, Sean Taylor, his girlfriend and daughter were the only people in the house during the robbery. Neither Ramos nor Taylor had any bodyguards or outside security to prevent a kidnapping and a murder.

Unless players begin to hire more bodyguards or security systems, these kidnappings, robberies and murders will continue to happen and many more athletes and their families will be at risk of harm or even death.

Your Average Scandal

Your Average Scandal

By Cullen Hamilton

Ruined programs and defamed coaches seem to have become the norm in college football. Over the past few college football seasons, notable schools such as USC and Ohio State have witnessed their storied football programs and high-profiled coaches go down in the flames of NCAA scrutiny. This past week, one of the country’s top football programs and arguably one of the best college football coaches of all-time, experienced their own fall from grace.

The Penn State Nittany Lions and their (former) hall of fame coach Joe Paterno are in shambles after information leaked about an ongoing child sex scandal involving former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Sandusky, a longtime friend and a coach for Paterno for 32 years, was recently arrested for 40 counts of molesting underage boys over a 15-year period.

The most notable of these sexual encounters occurred in 2002, three years after Sandusky’s retirement. Mike McQueary, a then graduate assistant for the Nittany Lions told a grand jury this month that he witnessed a boy, “whose age he estimated to be ten years old, with his hands up against the wall, being subjected to anal intercourse by a naked Sandusky.” Once he saw the young boy being raped, McQueary immediately left the facility “distraught”. The decision he made after that would later cause the downfall of Penn State football.

After rushing out of the Penn State locker room in horror, McQueary did what any confused young man would do: turn to his father for advice. McQueary consulted with his father and they decided he would report what he saw to coach Paterno the next day. From there, Paterno informed his superiors: Athletic Director Tim Curley and Senior Vice President for Finance and Business Gary Schultz. Paterno also scheduled a meeting between the two men and McQueary, so McQueary could specifically explain what he witnessed.

Curley and Schultz’s response to Sandusky’s actions were sickening and shameful. They did nothing! They didn’t report the allegations to any law enforcement, not even campus security. All they did was take Sandusky’s locker room keys. He’s a pedophile! Taking his locker room keys is not going to deter him from preying on little boys. Not only that, they didn’t prohibit Sandusky from visiting campus until November 6th of this year, one day after he was charged with sexual abuse, and an astonishing nine years after school officials were formally notified.

The question now is who rightfully deserves the blame. Obviously, Sandusky should be severely punished for his despicable actions. But who’s next to point the finger at? At the time, young Mike McQueary did what he thought was best. Then, Joe Paterno (technically) did the right thing and told his superiors. From there, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz failed to do their job, basically enabling Jerry Sandusky’s actions.

But in social media, the notable name in this scandal is getting the bulk of the blame: Joe Paterno. Quite frankly, I don’t disagree with where the blame is targeted. When McQueary told Paterno what he witnessed Sandusky doing, Paterno fulfilled his requirement as coach and reported the incident to higher-ranking officials at Penn State.
But, at the same time, Paterno failed his moral requirement, to his team, to Penn State, and ultimately to the victims. Paterno took the easy way out of this scandal by doing the bear minimum. He did exactly what his job required him to do and that was it. Anything more, he obviously wanted to be handled by Penn State officials, to keep his legendary name and program free from scrutiny.

You have to believe that if one of the victims was Paterno’s son or grandson that he would have acted more aggressively. He would not have simply notified officials and then walk away like nothing happened. Nobody is blaming Paterno for Jerry Sandusky’s horrific actions. But Paterno is and should be blamed for his poor handling and judgment in the situation. Sandusky was his good friend, his long time assistant coach, so therefore Paterno should take some responsibility his actions. Even though Sandusky was retired at the time of the incident in 2002, it occurred in the Penn State football facilities, so Paterno should have taken the necessary steps to prevent Sandusky from continuing his behavior.

But I don’t believe Paterno enough, and honestly I think he tried to brush this situation under the rug. He himself never notified the police or made sure the officials he informed notified police. He obviously did not confront or disallow Sandusky from being around the program because Sandusky was not banned from campus until November of this year. In reality, Paterno didn’t do anything to wrong in this situation, but he definitely didn’t do anything right either. Now Joe Paterno’s hall of fame career of 60 plus years will forever be tainted by his inability to tell the truth.

Time To Panic

Time To Panic

By Davon Hil

I guess the rush of adrenaline is gone. Just like the several previous years, the Redskins are discouraging their many fans to even bother watching them. Now that the redskins have to actually play football and execute as the season progresses, they have struggled terribly to string together any wins. After stating off the season with an impressive 3-1 record, the Redskins named John Beck the starting quarterback after the awful performance by Rex Grossman. The Redskins now stand at 3-5, after losing 4 consecutive games; their most recent loss being to the San Francisco 49ers (6-1). I wonder if the Redskins are regretting their “beneficial,” as Shanahan called it, change at quarterback.
The Redskins offensive woes are to blame for this past week’s lost. Scoring only 11 points, Mike Shanahan, the Redskins head coach, tried to reassure the fans that the offense is a working progress and is going to take time. Following the game, Shanahan said “Right now you take a look at the offense and it’s tough to take. It’s tough to take for me, but I understand how this thing works. We’ve got a lot of young guys with talent, and we’re not all collective on the same page right now. . . . Everybody wants wins. . . . Everybody wants the answer. I wish I had the answer, but that’s as close as I can get. “Trailing 19-3 in the fourth quarter, with about 8 minutes remaining, herds of fans began to exit the stadium, once again disappointed.
If the ordinary fan looked at John Beck’s, the starting quarterback for the redskins, statistics, he would think that Beck played an exceptional game. Completing 30 out of 47 attempts, Beck threw for 255 yards and a touchdown. For some reason however, the Redskins fail miserably to put points on the board. Watching the Redskins play is similar to watching paint dry. There is no fun and excitement. There aren’t those plays that make you spill your drink because you got up to fast too cheer for a big play. When I watch teams like the New England Patriots, or the Green Bay Packers play, I can only sit back in admiration, and wish that one day my Washington Redskins would play at that level. When I watch Tom Brady(quarterback for the Patriots) and Aaron Rodgers (quarterback for the Packers) play, although I am not a fan of their respective teams, I love the way they score the ball. They constantly take chances, by throwing long passes down field, and they make plays. They will never have to worry about loosing their fan base because even if they lose, because the games are exhilarating to watch.
If the Redskins are going to lose week in and week out, I would much rather see a shootout (when teams score on each other over and over again) than a boring 19-11 loss. It seems as if the Redskins are playing not to lose rather than to win. Last week the Redskin’s offense did not get into the end zone at all, and this week they were only allowed to score once. How can you consider yourself an NFL team, if in a league now that is predicated on offense, you only average seven points in two games? That’s not much production if you ask me.
The struggle offensively started when Shanahan made John Beck the starting quarterback. Although Rex Grossman, the former starting quarterback, turned the ball over at a much higher rate, he threw at least one touchdown per game, and had several games when he passed over 250 yards. Beck on the other hand, is down in turnovers, but has only thrown two touchdowns in three games. Grossman’s record is also much better than Beck’s. While the starting quarterback, Rex Grossman obtained a record of 3-2, versus John Beck’s 0-3 record as a starting quarterback. I thought it was a mistake to bench Rex Grossman after his loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. I am well aware that he had a terrible game, but after all, it was just one game. His future with the Redskins organization should not have been based off of just one game.
Shanahan thought he was making a decision that benefitted the future of the team, but as a Redskin fan myself, I think I can speak for everyone when I say, I want to win NOW! It’s time to make decisions that are going to benefit the organization now. The Redskins have been planning for the future for the last five years, and the last five years, the Redskins have lost. Hopefully Shanahan will recognize the fans desire for production and success, and get the Redskins back on track.

Enough Is Enough

Enough Is Enough

By Davon Hill

Based on their pitiful records, the Sunday game featuring the Washington Redskins (3-6) and the Miami Dolphins (2-7) would obviously not be one that many people desired to see. The Dolphins managed to escape with a 19-10 victory over the struggling Redskins. However, things did not get interesting until after the game when Karlos Dansby, the middle linebacker for the Dolphins, was interviewed. During the interview, Dansby let the world know what he thought about his abilities and how he compared to the rest of the linebackers in the NFL.

Dansby’s dominating performance led the strong defensive play of the Dolphins. Dansby finished the game with 10 tackles and an interception that clinched the win for the Dolphins. He followed his performance by telling the media “I feel like I’m the best, and now I just have to prove it. I’ve been saying it for the last couple of years, and I’m just now getting my opportunity to be on the stage to show it.” In order to be a good player in the NFL, you must have confidence in your abilities and you have to actually believe you can play at this elite level. So, this quote wasn’t that bad, however Dansby kept on telling the reporter how good he thought he was. He went on to say ““That’s why I chose the Miami Dolphins. That’s why I came down here. That’s why I chose the AFC East, because everyone said it was the best [division]. I want to play against the best guys. I want to see how I measure.” I guess Dansby forgot that his former team, the Arizona Cardinals, went to the Superbowl. Was that enough competition for him? If it wasn’t enough competition for him, I’m not sure who he wants to play against.

There is no doubt that Dansby is a good player, but when you start comparing yourself to future NFL Hall of famers, Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis, you are taking it a step to far. When asked how he thought he compared to Ray Lewis, he said “I’m better than everybody. Everybody. Period. Point blank. I just haven’t had the recognition, man.” How can he say that he is better than Ray Lewis, when so far this year Ray Lewis has 68 tackles, and Dansby has 66. Although Lewis doesn’t have many more tackles, its safe to conclude that Dansby is not better than him. Dansby even took his praise of himself a step further when he compared himself to Brian Urlacher. Dansby said ““Aging,” Dansby said. “He’s aging fast, man. He’s a great linebacker, but he’s aging fast. I respect all the linebackers. But I’m better. That’s just how I feel.” Comparing Urlacher’s and Dansby’s stats, although Dansby has 2 more tackles, Urlacher has two more interceptions. Once again, it’s safe to conclude that Dansby isn’t better than Urlacher.
At this point it just got tiresome to hear Dansby keep going on and on about how good he thought he was. Dansby later said “I’m more versatile than everybody, Period. Pont blank. I’m more versatile than everybody. Hands down. I can do it all.” Dansby wasn’t quite done yet. The interview seemingly lasted longer than the game. Next Dansby said “I can take the tight end,” he said. “I can check the running backs. You don’t have to put me in one hole, I ain’t no hole guy. You can play man-to-man all over the field, man. I can do it all. I can do it all. I can hit guys. I can drop in coverage. I can blitz the quarterback. I got, what, 28 sacks, almost 30 sacks.” Dansby would make one more comment and say “I can do it all. Nobody else can say they’ve done that and played at a high level. Nobody else. Everybody plays weak-side or play under at the Mike. I’ve done it all. I can press the guard. I watch film. I know how good I am.” This is where he stopped with his self-adulation.

It’s shocking that Dansby believes he is so good, when in fact; he has only led his team to two wins. Being a great player involves more than just your personal accomplishments. Ray Lewis said “A leader puts himself last and then he sticks out.” This is not at all what Dansby is doing. Dansby is clearly looking for personal recognition and notoriety. Dansby will never be considered in the elite category of linebackers if he can’t help his team attain more than two or three wins. So in all, it is time for Dansby to stop all the talking, and start producing some wins. Enough is enough.

“We wanted it more”

“We wanted it more”

By Katie Dewberry

The Potomac School’s Varsity football team won the MAC championship on Saturday afternoon against rivals Flint Hill because the young players as well as the defensive players played to their full potential.

Sophomore Kevin Haverman (18) shocked everyone with his QB skills during the game. Starting QB Russell Schmidt (91) was injured during the Panthers last win of 14-6 against Bishop Ireton High School on October 29th. In the game this past Saturday against the Flint Hill Huskies, the Panthers once again pulled through with an outstanding win due to the players willingness to work as a unit. The motto “there is no ‘I’ in team,” describes the teams win quite accurately. The 19-14 win would most likely not have been possible without sophomore Haverman’s (18) focus and concentration during the game despite Flint Hill’s not-so-first-class cheering. Since the Huskies were under the impression that the ywould be plauing against our first string QB Russell Schmidt (91), Haverman’s under the radar work this season was to our advantage during this game. The Huskies were not prepared for Haverman’s 17-yard run during the first half, nor his long passes to star basketball player Cullen Hamilton (1).

More players that have been flying under the radar during the season that have lately stepped up as more than stereotypically inexperienced underclassman players. This includes Andrew Lent (2), Jalen Broome (6), Ben Rietano (22), Chris Martin (27), and Forrest Crane (36). With so many outstanding sophomores on the team, the Panthers are already looking ahead to a great season next year.

When brainstorming what their legacy would be for their senior year on junior retreat, the seniors decided that they wanted to set the example for the juniors, sophomores, and freshman, that everyone can be friends. Everyone can work together to make the year enjoyable. From holding the door open for someone,to helping someone pick up the scattered batteries after dropping their calculator, to asking someone if they are Ok when they trip down the stairs instead of laughing, the seniors wanted to make the 2011-2012 school year all about unity. Seniors should not be intimidating! Everyone should feel comfortable walking on the carpet in the crossroads! Normally you would think that girls would be the ones to socially get the upper school to function as a unit but surprisingly the boys have also gone out of their way to do the same. On the football team, the senior boys, Cullen Hamilton (1), Davon Hill (3), Kevin Green (5), Devin Hill (8), Jacob Lichtenabum (9), Ryan Eckert (10), Matt Carney (11), Tommy Duffy (42), Cameron Kahl (73), Russell Schmidt (91), and class president Brandon Arvanaghi (7), have gone above and beyond the expected to make there teammates feel like brothers. The idea of a team acting like a family seems cliché but the teams motto, “next man up,” shows the trust the senior boys have for the younger team members.

Professional athlete Michael Jordan once said, “talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” This quote sums up why the panthers were able to come back and win the game against Flint Hill. In the second half, there was a time when the Huskies were up 14-13. Given that both teams have an equal amount of talent on their team, the only way the Panthers were able to come back was because of teamwork. Senior offensive lineman, Willie Crittenberger (55), summed the game up as, “a tale of two halves.” The first half was a struggle until the Panthers scored a touch down right before half time, leaving a 7-14 score. Cameron Kahl (73), a key defensive player, also felt strongly about the Panthers’ playing to their full potential in the second half. “We wanted it more,” Cameron explained. The Huskies’ egos took a hold of them in the second half, and the fans seemed to want the win more than the players did themselves. I believe that the unsportsmanlike demeanor of the Huskies, went straight to the players’ heads and caused them to forget how to play football in the second half. The Panthers, on the other hand, kept things First Class and pumped each other up throughout the game.

Suck for Luck?

Suck for Luck?

By Kevin Green

The Washington Capitals have started the 2011-2012 year on a high note, going undefeated through their first seven games, and currently posting an 8-2 record, and sitting atop the southeast conference. Even though it is early in the season, many people are questioning whether they keep their winning ways throughout the playoffs due to their pervious seasons.

Since the dismal 2006-2007 season, when the Capitals finished dead last in the Southeast conference, the Caps have been one of the top teams in the NHL, winning four straight Southeastern Division Championships. In 2009, the Capitals won the Presidents’ Trophy, for scoring the most points of any team in the regular season, and they are only getting better. The Capitals have some of the best young players in the league, with most of their starters younger than 30. What makes this fact even more promising is that the Capitals drafted and developed all of these young players, illustrating the strength of their minor league team, the Hershey Bears, and developmental front office. This shows that the bright future will keep on getting brighter and more successful.

This season is no different than the past five seasons. The Capitals are tied for the most wins with eight, and first In the NHL in losses with a mere two. The Verizon center, home of the Capitals, has been a lucky Venue for the home team early in the season. The Caps post an astonishing 6-0 record at home; however, hold an average record of 2-2 outside of Washington. Not only have the Capitals won to start the season, they have won in style. The Caps rank 1st I goals per game at an unbelievable four goals per match, and it has been a complete team effort. Ovechkin, who has been in the top 10 in regular season points in the past four years, is currently tied for 32nd in the league with a mere 10 points. It is very promising that the Capitals are as successful as they are with their captain struggling. When Ovechkin starts to play like the old Ovechkin, the Capitals are going to be very scary for the rest of the NHL.

However, with all of the Capitals’ regular season success, they just cannot seem to win during the playoffs. In the past four successful seasons, the Capitals have not advanced through the Conference Semifinals. Despite the success during the regular season, finishing at the top of the league every year, they cannot get over the hump and finally win a championship. Before last season, critics said that the reason the Capitals could not win in the playoffs was because of the finesse, and high power offense mentality of the team. Thus, the team focused more on scoring goals rather than winning games, an attitude not susceptible to winning in the playoffs.

Furthermore, last season resulted in the same way as previous years. Despite finishing the season with the best record in the Eastern Conference and number 1 seed, The Capitals wereembarrassingly swept by the 5th seed Tampa Bay Lighting, ending their promising season. The Capitals lost four straight games to an inferior opponent, while the Lighting exploited every weakness and sent the Capitals home.

However, this year, with the season starting off right, the Capitals have relentlessly worked hard all offseason creating a new game plan and acquiring veterans, trying not to repeat their performance in last year’s playoffs. This offseason, the Capitals added the experienced veteran goaltender Tomas Vokoun to act as the centerpiece for their experienced defense. Also the Capitals added other veteran players to serve as role players for the rising starts such as Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom
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Also, the Capitals have changed their style of play to a “hybrid” type of team. Before last season, the Capitals possessed a “High Octane Offense,” and did not focus on defense. Last season, however, the Capitals focused too much on defense, which caused them to not score many goals in last years playoffs. This year, the Capitals have taken the best of both worlds and created and game plan with just enough offense and defense. In the early stages of the season, it has shown to work beautifully.

Early in the 2012, the Capitals have pushed all the right button to win games, however, it will be interesting to see if they are able to finally able to shake their old losing ways and finally bring the Stanley Cup to Washington for the first time.

Best Game of the Year

Best Game of the Year

By Cullen Hamilton

Saturday night is officially the clash of the titans in college football. The LSU Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide square off in the matchup of the number one and number two teams in the country. The winner of this showdown can almost guarantee themselves a spot in the SEC and National Championship. Both teams definitely want to be at full strength coming into the contest, and LSU took the necessary steps to make sure that several key players are ready to go.

October 19th, just days before LSU’s home game against rival Auburn Tigers (no. 23), head football coach Les Miles suspended Spencer Ware, Tyrann Mathieu, and Tharold Simon, because of alleged positive tests for marijuana. Spencer Ware was the team’s leading rusher through seven games, with 128 carries for 512 yards and 7 touchdowns. Tyrann Mathieu is arguably the Tiger’s most exciting and dynamic player. From his cornerback position, he has forced six turnovers and scored two touchdowns this season. Tharold Simon is another key contributor in the secondary for an already stacked LSU defense, recording 29 tackles and one interception this season. All three players were forced to sit out this week’s game before they are allowed to return to action next week against Alabama.

But, as expected, LSU didn’t need all their weapons to win this game, as they routed Auburn 45-10. The LSU running attack still managed 174 yards, gaining nearly five yards a carry, and their defense forced two turnovers and held Auburn under 250 yards of total offense. LSU dominated in all facets of the game in route to their game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama next week. The suspensions obviously did not hamper the team’s ability to perform, making the suspensions look like a fraud in itself.

LSU dismantled Auburn in their teammates’ absence, and the suspended players will be eligible to play in the next game, the biggest game of the season: Alabama. So what was the lesson learned here? These three players basically got a two-week vacation before the most monumental game of their careers.

They committed a crime. They had unlawful possession and unlawfully used marijuana. If the police instead of the LSU coaching staff had caught this offense this might be a different story. We might hear about three LSU players facing jail time or probation, not simply a one game suspension. So, again, what really is the lesson learned? These players committed a crime and are still allowed to play in the most highly anticipated game of the season. Peoples’ lives are changed for the worse because of unfortunate decisions about marijuana, but these athletes were only suspended for one game.

Now, do not be mistaken, this is indeed a commendable move by head coach Les Miles. In today’s society, the pressure to win in college athletics is paramount. At many other institutions, this situation would have merely swept under the rug, so give Les Miles his due praise for doing the right thing. But could he have done more? His players messed up and committed a crime. To really make a statement and use this as teaching tool for his team, why couldn’t Miles suspend his players for the next game against Alabama or maybe more? Why couldn’t he instill in his players that character is more important than athletic performance and victories?

Miles certainly showed that he wants more for his team than just football accolades, by suspending these players. But, he should have taken a further step. To truly solidify the point that ethics is more important than football these players should have been suspended more than one game. He should have shown his team he was willing to head into Alabama without several prominent guys because they violated team rules. He should have expressed his desire to have responsible young men on his football team, and suspended his players for more than one game, because they did not meet the requirements of being a student-athlete.

But instead, Les Miles opted only to his suspend his players for one game. His move to instill discipline in his football team died when he reinstated the three suspended players Saturday’s game with Alabama. Therefore, Tyrann Mathieu, Spencer Ware, and Tharold Simon come out of this as winners because they know they are needed. Miles’ decision proved that these players could afford to bench against Auburn, but they services are definitely going to be needed in the battle against Alabama. If these players believe that they are irreplaceable and their presence is necessary win, who’s to say they won’t step out of line again? And if they do misbehave again, we all know what the result will be; they’ll be brought back right before they are needed. So much for proving a point.

Fans Gone Wild

Fans Gone Wild

By Amanda Corwin

Imagine playing the final minutes of a championship game on your home field to the sound of opposing fans singing their alma mater and chanting “this is are house.” For the Flint Hill husky’s football team, this scenario was no imagination. On Saturday afternoon, the Potomac Panthers claimed the MAC football championship when they beat Flint Hill 19-14. Unfortunately, although the celebrations may have been a bit harsh, I have little sympathy for the huskies. In fact, if anything, we let them off easy. However, this mentality prompts me to think that cheering in general has gone to far, and that sporting events are becoming more about the fans than the actual players.

Flint Hill is known for their particularly severe, and sometimes-inappropriate cheers. Given that they consider The Potomac School to be a top rival in all sports, we often take the most blows. For example, at Saturday’s game, the Flint Hill fans proudly displayed a poster-sized photo of the Potomac football team’s seniors making funny faces at the beach. The sign read; “This is Potomac Football,” and had clearly been professionally made. Flint Hill students also showcased a picture of a group of juniors from Potomac’s football team, wearing their comical Pokémon Halloween costumes from last year. Every time the huskies made a good play, their fans waved these signs toward our side of the field. Yes, Flint Hill paid money to get these posters made for the game.

Along with the posters came, as always, the individual taunting and obnoxious cheers. Now, the comments made this Saturday by their fans were not nearly as crude as they have been in the past, most likely because of the huskies humbling defeat at last year’s football game when the panthers won 36-0. The Flint Hill fans still called out certain players such as Ryan Eckert, but overall, once we started winning, they kept their mouths shut. Nevertheless, they proved just how nasty they could be during last year’s male basketball games. Two of the standout cheers were “Whoopi Goldberg,” directed at one of our players, and “ugly chicks” referring to our student body in general.

The heckling, however, is not limited to just the games themselves. In fact, the worst of it is done online via Facebook or other networking sites. The most recent example of this is a rap that Flint Hill students made to “diss” Potomac football. The track, like the posters, is fairly high quality, requiring some serious effort to complete. This just goes to show how dedicated Flint Hill fans are to publically harassing the Potomac School students.

We Potomac fans are not innocent in all this. The Potomac School athletic department does their best to instill a “first class” mentality in athletes and students when it comes to opponents such as Flint Hill. However, the Flint Hill rap does reference one of our harsher go-to cheers, “Safety school” and “SAT scores.” These phrases refer to the fact that The Potomac School is typically considered more academically rigorous than Flint Hill. We also are not shy about heckling the players nearest to our sideline, and even engaging with Flint Hill fans from across the field or court. I have to admit, it is hard to resist after all the particularly insulting comments thrown our way.

In the midst of our banter, both on and off the field, one must begin question how much attention is actually being paid to the game. Furthermore, what kind of environment does it create for the players themselves? Teams are already under a lot of pressure to perform, especially in rivalry games. Yes, heckling individuals from the sideline could potentially serve as a distraction, but it could also prompt anger that is redirected at our own players. These personal attacks also motivate the other team’s fans to do the same, creating a disadvantage for our own players.

Ultimately, it seems as though Flint Hill expends more effort on insulting our team than supporting their own players. Compared to the posters, rap, and personal insults, the effort they put into cheering on their own players is next to nothing. In contrast, the panthers do a fairly good job of focusing on our players and the game, rather than the opposing team. We pride ourselves on the fact that we do not trash talk over the Internet, and remain, for the most part, first class at all our sporting events. Although we may sometimes get carried away, the athletic department, seniors, and our players do a good job of keeping us in check, creating a favorable atmosphere for both players and spectators.