Nazim Trammell-Wells | Staff Writer

The Super Bowl is almost upon us. If your team is watching on a couch like you are, it can be a bummer; but it’s still a fun time of the year. Fans are set up for quite a show with the super-loaded Chiefs offense vs. the shutdown defense from the 49ers. 

This past Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Cinderella squad Tennessee Titans 35-24. Later on in the evening, the San Francisco 49ers beat the GreenBay Packers 37-20. 

Super Bowl 54 has a lot of marquee matchups. The most prominent will be the duel of two young quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Jimmy Garoppolo. Both QBs will be making their Super Bowl debuts. There’ll also be a battle between two of the league’s best tight ends, KC’s Travis Kelce and SF’s George Kittle. Where Kelce has proven that he is an elite pass-catcher, George Kittle has been more physical and dominant in both blocking and run after the catch. 

 Kansas City coach Andy Reid hasn’t been to the Super Bowl in 15 years, back when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles and lost to the Patriots. Reid has been known to be an offensive genius, and historically he loves to throw the football with a mobile quarterback, which makes having Mahomes almost a match made in heaven. 

On the other sideline will be Kyle Shanahan, a young coach who is known to be offensive-minded also, but his team’s personnel take on another identity which is their defense. Many believe the game is ultimately going to come down to the defense. 

“I want the Chiefs to win, but I really don’t see that happening,” Hampton University senior Tony Wright said. “San Francisco’s defense has had an answer for almost everyone in the league.” 

The 49ers defense, who is led by future Hall of Fame cornerback Richard Sherman and former top draft pick defensive end Nick Bosa, have taken down many big offensive talents this year. They include top-tier quarterbacks Drew Brees, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers (twice). 

The 49ers having someone like Sherman is a huge bonus. He’s been to two Super Bowls with the Seattle Seahawks and knows what it takes to win. The Chiefs, on the other hand, are young, and they often struggle defensively, allowing opponents more than 20 points per game. Ultimately, Kansas City wins games by simply scoring at a ridiculous rate, averaging close to 30 points per game. 

“If you had to ask me, I’m taking the 49ers,” Hampton Senior Justin Whitner said. They’ve been the more consistent team on both ends. The Chiefs defense just doesn’t have enough for me.”

The game appears as if it will be a matter of which defense can slow down the opposing team’s high-powered offense. 

    

  

Justin Whitner | Staff Writer

As the NBA season approaches the All-Star break, we are just past the midway point in the 82-game marathon. Let’s take a look at the three most dominant teams and the three most disappointing squads in the league.

Dominant

The Los Angeles Lakers 

Rob Pelinka’s overhaul in the NBA offseason has proven to be a good move for the Lakers. LeBron James has returned healthy and in his dominant form again. Alongside him now is a healthy Anthony Davis. The two have led the Lakers to the top spot in the Western Conference.

The Los Angeles Clippers

The other team in Los Angeles has proven to be just as formidable as the Lakers. While the Clippers often rest players and use “load management,” they’re still a team that beats the best. In their two meetings with the Lakers, they’ve won both matchups. Although the Clippers lose more games than they should, come playoff time, NBA analysts expect them to be contending for an NBA title.

  Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks are once again dominating the East and the NBA. Giannis Antetokounmpo refined his skills in the offseason and once again has Bucks competing for a title. Even with Milwaukee losing what were thought to be key components to their team, new players have stepped up and taken on new roles. With Giannis’ leadership and the Bucks’ role players playing well, the Bucks are looking to go farther in the playoffs this season.

Disappointing

 Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers appear to have fallen flat on their backs after making an appearance to the Western Conference Finals last season. The Trail Blazers do not currently occupy a playoff spot, even after adding longtime NBA veteran Carmelo Anthony. With less than 40 games left in the season, Portland will have to make serious changes schematically or through personnel, if they’d like to clinch a playoff spot.

 Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets had the biggest summer of any team, adding Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan. Still, with Durant and Irving both dealing with injuries, the Nets have fallen below .500. Durant will be out for the remainder of the season, and Irving has missed significant time with a shoulder injury. The Nets were not expected to be title contenders this year, but being a bottom seed was also not a part of the plan either.

San Antonio Spurs

Ever since the departure of Kawhi Leonard, the San Antonio Spurs have seemed to have an identity crisis. DeMar DeRozan has been good but not quite good enough to take the Spurs to the next level. They currently do not occupy a playoff spot and are on the outside looking in. San Antonio is known for building teams quietly but not during the season. During the offseason, the team did not make many moves, and with that, analysts don’t expect the Spurs to make many moves.

Amber Anderson | Staff Writer

Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers defeated the Clemson Tigers during the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship, finishing with a final score of 42-25. LSU finished with an undefeated record of 15-0. 

The Tigers dominated Clemson throughout the game, Dabo Swinney, Clemson’s head coach gave them their props for playing like champions throughout the game. 

“There offense this year was special and they did an amazing job. Again, they made some plays tonight that you just have to tip your hat to them, cause the ball was in the only place that their guy could catch it,” Swinney said during a press conference after the game. 

LSU’s quarterback Joe Burrow ended his season perfectly, making six touchdowns during the national championship. This was such a historic season for Burrow, winning a national championship, winning the Heisman trophy and ending his final year with an undefeated season. Burrow is projected as the number one overall draft pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in April’s NFL Draft. 

It was a disappointing loss for the Clemson Tigers, especially for their quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence even admitted to not being on his a-game during the national championship match-up, saying that some of his throws did not hit their mark. 

“I think the worst thing is that you don’t get to go back and play with this group…but, were going to be fine, we’re going to be back,” Lawrence said during a press conference after the game. 

Along with Lawrence, Clemson’s fans were also disappointed to see the team lose in the championship match-up, even a few Hampton students. 

“I was upset to see them lose due to Trevor Lawrence’s win streak. It would’ve been cool to see him add a national title to his streak,” said Ian Oakley. 

Stephen A. Smith was confident that Clemson was going to remain National Champions again. Many blame Lawrence for the loss but Smith doesn’t agree.

“I’m not saying he had a good game by any stretch because clearly, he didn’t, but I’m gon’ put some responsibility on the people around him and I’m gone put some responsibility on Coach Dabo…yes there were thirteen overthrows but, there were also a whole bunch of folks that were not getting open,” Smith said during ESPN’s First Take. 

Even though this season didn’t end for Trevor Lawrence as expected, with him making a return next season Clemson will have a good chance for a comeback. This’ll be Lawrence’s junior year and he’ll be a prime candidate for the Heisman trophy.

 

Staff Writer: Justin Whitner

An athlete can have an effect on the character, development or behavior of someone
else or something. In the 2010s, there were hundreds of events, statements and moments that
impacted people all over the world. In football, basketball, track and gymnastics, black athletes
have inspired people worldwide. Let’s take a look at 10 athletes and what they did this decade
to influence many generations moving forward.
Russell Wilson: In the Super Bowl era, there have only been two black quarterbacks to win a
Super Bowl. Doug Williams won in the 1987 season, and Russell Wilson won in 2013. A family
man who is one of the most positive players in the sport, Wilson is living nearly a perfect
lifestyle.
Cam Newton: The NFL MVP of the 2015 season who won the national championship for the
Auburn Tigers, Newton hosted his 8th Annual Cam’s Thanksgiving Jam in 2019, where he
treated more than 1,300 underprivileged children and their families to an all-out feast.
Odell Beckham Jr: OBJ is one of the NFL’s most popular players. It began with “the catch”
against the Dallas Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football,” and continued to the dance moves in
online videos and in the end zone.
Russell Westbrook: To accomplish something that hasn’t been done since 1962 is remarkable,
but to do it more than once is something special. Furthermore, he honored Nipsey Hussle in a
game where he accumulated a 20/20/20 game that hadn’t been done since Wilt Chamberlain.
“Twenty plus 20 plus 20,” Westbrook told TNT’s Jason Terry during an on-court postgame
interview. “They know what that means, man, and that’s for my bro,” he said, according to The
Ringer.
Tiger Woods: Tiger Woods is this generation’s icon in golfing, and his comeback story in the
2019 Masters was the tip of the iceberg.
Usain Bolt: “The Fastest Man Alive” is said to have saved athletics. He brought the love back to
track for many people, but his legacy lived on further in Jamaica. Don Quarrie was one of
Jamaica's best-known track and field athletes after he won gold in the 200 meters at the 1976
Olympics, and he knew about the impact of Bolt. "Everybody from every part of the world knows
where Jamaica is right now, and everyone knows who Usain Bolt is, and it's not just because of
his speed but because they're captivated by whom he is," Quarrie told CBC.
Simone Biles: The most decorated Olympic gymnast ever, Biles can be in the discussion for
the greatest athletes ever. At 22 years of age, Biles surpassed Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo's
record for the 23 world medals he won in the 1990s.
Serena Williams: Pure dominance in the sport of tennis, Williams has won an Open Era-record
23 Grand Slam singles titles. One of her biggest stories is her 14-month maternity leave
comeback, where she returned just as dominant.
Colin Kaepernick: Kneeling during the national anthem led to many things that were not
always pretty for Kaepernick. His impact did not stop when he was no longer in the NFL. What
Kaepernick did began a whole revolution, and he will forever be a legend for the way he spoke
about how he felt.

LeBron James: From his I Promise School to the “I Am More than an Athlete,” there isn’t
another athlete who is as impactful off the court in his community as he is on it. “I will not shut
up and dribble,” James told ESPN’s Undefeated. “I mean too much to my family and all these
other kids that look up to me for inspiration and try to find a way out.”

Justin Whitner | Staff Writer

The NFL season has passed its halfway point, and no team is undefeated.

What will happen the rest of the way? Who will be the MVP?

It’s prediction time again.

The 49ers suffered their first defeat in a 27-24 overtime thriller against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday. That game was just the first tough matchup in the Niners’ schedule in the next 30 days. They play the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 24, the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 1 and the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 8. All three of those teams are potential Super Bowl contenders for the rest of the season.

“I see the 49ers losing four games the rest of the season,’’ Hampton University senior Kiatre Kately said. “Just look at their schedule and understand that these aren’t easy matchups anymore.”

In an Instagram survey asking 81 Hampton students to answer who would win the Super Bowl this season, 27 said the New England Patriots, 20 the 49ers and 19 the Saints.

The Patriots have the advantage in voting even after the 37-20 loss to MVP candidate Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Although the Patriots have the most votes, the most well-rounded team in the league right now is the New Orleans Saints. They have one of the most efficient quarterbacks of all time back in Brees and the team will only improve with time.

In another Instagram poll asking Hampton students who they think would be their favorite to win the MVP, the votes were split between Jackson, the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson and the Carolina Panthers’ Christian McCaffery.

“I think Christian McCaffery has to get the MVP if he keeps this level of play going,’’ Carolina native Hunter Miles Davis said. “His numbers are the best by a running back I have seen since LaDainian Tomlinson. That speaks volumes.”

The other two candidates faced off Oct. 20. Jackson got the best of Wilson in Seattle, 30-16. Russell has the better numbers than Jackson throwing the ball, but Jackson’s running game is what can send him over the top. Jackson’s win against the Patriots while scoring three touchdowns put the world on notice that he is ready to take the next step with the Ravens.

Nazim Trammell-Wells | Staff Writer

Golden Age, 73-9, Rings, Goats and a dynasty. These are all words commonly associated with the Golden State Warriors.

For years, the Warriors ran the NBA, with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green securing a championship in 2015. Then, by adding superstar Kevin Durant, Golden State claimed two more titles in 2017 and 2018.

Critics knew the 2018-2019 season was going to be difficult for Golden State for a plethora of reasons. There are obvious signs that the team was growing apart, and also there was no possible way to pay everyone for their services.

Adding on to the misfortune in the latter part of last year, the Warriors caught the injury bug, with Durant and Thompson going down with a torn Achilles and an ACL tear, respectively — injuries that ultimately lost them a chance to three-peat as champions. After the departure of Durant to the Nets and Thompson sitting out for the majority of the season, this year’s team is very different from last year’s.

Which leaves critics wondering: Will there be a new Golden Age in San Francisco?

Curry and Green are the only real returners coming back and will have to lead a young squad. Curry recently broke his hand, so he’s going to miss significant time as well. The Warriors are not left with just scrubs. Newly acquired All-Star D’Angelo Russell brings a lot of optimism to the organization, but many still think that D-Lo isn’t enough to help the Warriors be successful.

“We don’t have Klay, KD left and Steph is hurt,” said Hampton University student Harrington Gardiner, a Warriors fan. “Sure we got D-Lo, but he isn’t Klay Thompson, and I don’t think we have enough to compete in the Western Conference.

“I’m not optimistic for this season. We suck.”

These are hard words coming from a fan who’s used to seeing his team win 60-plus games each season.

The Warriors started 2-6 and have rolled out a lineup full of second-round and undrafted talent.

“Being faced with plenty of adversity due to injuries as well as moving pieces, I thoroughly believe the Warriors realize their current state and are making decisions for the future,” HU student Jonathan Mack said.

“I genuinely feel that we have not seen the last of the Warriors dynasty, and similar to the Spurs when they drafted Tim Duncan, after this season, I expect Golden State to add a key young lottery pick to fit into their franchise, and once they return to full health, they will be a strong contender again.”