Rose Bowl

The college football bowls have been set in place. Auburn and Oregon are set to play in the BCS Championship, which is without a doubt the biggest bowl of all. The second greatest bowl, as most know, is the famous Rose Bowl. The two teams? Wisconsin University and Texas Christian University, also known as TCU. Did anybody see these teams coming? Absolutely not.

Ohio State was seen as the clear favorite to win the Big Ten this year, giving them either the Championship game or a back-to-back trip to the Rose Bowl. Instead, Wisconsin beat Ohio State in a head-to-head game, thus giving them the automatic bid to the Rose Bowl. TCU was seen to be a strong team this year, but no one ever thought they would actually make it to the Rose Bowl.

The stage has been set for one of the most interesting Bowl games of the season. My prediction, as my mother got her undergrad at Wisconsin, is somewhat bias. I think Wisconsin is stronger as they have a much more difficult schedule and conference. The Badgers will go on to win the Rose Bowl, 27-20, with the upset over the TCU Horn Frogs(and yes that is their actual mascot).

Last Week of the Quarter

School is normally bearable. Studying for for two tests in a week can be done, homework in most classes per night, and normal school work is easy. But the last week of every quarter, especially the second and fourth, is absolutely horrible. Teachers, maybe not because its their fault, tend to put one or two tests on the last week of the quarter, forcing the students to have almost ten tests in one week.

On top of the fact that we are forced to study, which is very stressful, the idea of getting a "B" or taking an exam puts just an extra amount of stress on us. This week, I personal have had nine tests and also have three classes that are on the boarder of a "B" and "A", pushing up the stress levels. I know that I am not the only person in the school that is in this position.

I know that the teachers sometimes cant help this situation, but it would be nice if they could work on it. Putting this amount of pressure on teenagers cant be good. The bad thing is also, I know this same thing is going to happen next semester.

Derek Jeter

The Yankees have had their own fair share of Hall-of-Famers, and they always will. Another man that will join this famous list, is Derek Jeter. Jeter has played with the Yankees his entire career. He has the record for numerous batting statistics and has always been a fan favorite. In his prime, he was one of the best short-stops in the league. He is no longer in his prime and he is not at all the same force. He is at best an average player now, but because he wears the pin-stripes, he is still considered great.

Jeter and the Yankees were just recently able to agree on a three year contract worth 15-17 million dollars per year(which he was somewhat mad with). He will continue to be a "great" Yankee player, for at least the next three years and it will be interesting to see how things play out. He will more than likely end his career with most of the Yankees all-time best awards and with a good extra sum of money in his pocket. Derek has always been a great player and I believe he will continue this all the way up to his retirement.

Snow

Every kid loves to see and play in the snow. I am no exception. When snow fall comes, I am the first one to rush to the windows and stare at the magical flakes fall down from the cloudy skies. I sit and watch as they get bigger and bigger and bigger as I hope for some imaginable amount of precipitation. I honestly could just sit and stare at the snow all day I love it so much, but playing in it is just as awesome.

When my families African exchange student was here, we had our seven inch snow fall. Needless to say, I now had another boy in the house who loved the snow. We made a three mile walk to one of my friends houses as we played for hours in the new fallen snow. We played football, made snow men, went sledding, and had the snowball fight that everyone always wishes for.

I cannot wait to see if this year is going to bring us lots of snow this year. I hope that we are able to have a White Christmas, another far off fantasy. If we were to have a White Christmas in North Carolina, my life would be complete.

Driving

Every kid wants to be able to drive themselves and some friends to the coolest places or the funnest hang outs, without their parents looking over their shoulders every minute. Finally, I am at that point of my life. I've got the license and my car picked out. The downside, the car has been in the shop since I got my license and is still there.

I cannot wait for my 1990 Ford Bronco to finally get out of the shop and for me to be able to go wherever I want, when I want. Also, I'll finally be able to drive to and from school. It is so awkward to be sixteen and still waiting for my mom to come and pick me up every single day while some of my friends are getting in their own cars and taking themselves home. Hopefully, my car will be out of the shop by Monday, the last day of the semester. I can only hope that this tenuous misery will come to a screeching halt before I begin my glorious three week break.

College

Lots of people my age say that they know exactly what they want to do with their life and they know exactly which college they want to go to. When someone asks me, I reply with a simple shoulder shrug and a, "I dont know". I have absolutely no idea which college or even what major I am going to do.

Some people tell me that I'm too young to know, but yet I should be starting to send out my applications next year, so shouldn't I have at least an idea? I can't think of what I want to do. My dad is a doctor and one of my brothers is in med school, maybe I should also go to med school. I've got no idea.

Hopefully sometime soon I'll know what I want to do. Until that moment, Ill still be that kid who's got no plan for my life. Honestly though, I think I can live with that title for just a little longer.

Decorating

Every year, just as other families, my family decorates our Christmas tree. We all set aside one entire night to put ornaments on the tree. We get the boxes of ornaments out of the attic the night before and taking out each individual ornament is a great memory.

As a child, yes I enjoyed the decorating, but I think that I enjoy it even more these days. With both of my bothers and sister out of the house now, I rarely get to see all of them at one time. Even this Thanksgiving we couldn't all be together. Being able to get together with all of them for one special night is such very special to me and I would have to say the same for them. Christmas will always be a bonding holiday and not just about the gifts. It is without a doubt my favorite holiday.

North Carolina

People say that they would just love to get out of North Carolina. Things are just too boring for them. They say they want to go to California. Here's what I have to say to those people. What does NC not have? We've got mountains, fantastic beaches and the outer banks, we've got big cities, we've got urban and rural areas, we've got good colleges, and we've got professional sports. What else do you want?

Yes, California's got the famous and rich people, apparently all the good looking people(false), and great sites for shopping, but some people don't realize why all these things are there: it's because they've got crazy high taxes. Thats why rich people can live there, no they aren't filled with the hottest people in the world, and the shopping is all really expensive.

North Carolina is a fantastic place to live. On top of what has already been said, the weather here is also pretty pleasant. Never crazy hot or crazy cold and not always the same. So once again, for those of you who want to get out of the NC, I ask why.

Peyton Manning

In years past, the Indianapolis Colts have been one of the most elite teams in the NFL. They have had twelve game winning seasons for the past seven years and have been to the Super Bowl twice in the same span. This dynamic teams best player is Peyton Manning, whom is without a doubt one of the top three quarterbacks in the league. His passing power, accuracy, and before the play action are all unmatched in this league of pros, but this year is different.

The Colts are sitting at 6-6 and second in their division. The streak of twelve win seasons is has been broken. Why is everything so different this season? Some like to turn to the one reason the Colts are even successful, Peyton Manning. He has thrown fifteen interceptions, the most since his rookie year. His quarterback rating is down from years past as well. Upon first glance, it would be easy to blame it on Manning, but those who blame him are absolutely ridiculous and must pay no attention to the NFL.

Peyton has been forced to single-handedly lead his team's offense. Joseph Addai, the Colts elite running back, has been sidelined most of the season due to injury and Donald Brown and Mike Hart, the back ups, have also been injured, thus forcing the Colts to put their entire offense on Manning.

The amount of other injuries is also a key factor. Addai, Bracket, Brown, Austin Collie, back up tight end Brody Eldridge, Mike Hart, Charlie Johnson, Bob Sanders, Reggie Wayne, and star tight end Dallas Clark. All of these players have been key to the Colts success in the past and all of them have been missing.

Yes it would be easy to blame everything on Manning. It is true, he hasn't been up to par with his stats this season, but when you are forced to throw the ball almost every play, these things will happen, especially when you are missing so many good players. The Colts will make the playoffs and will be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come. Peyton Manning has not lost his touch either. The Colts will be back.

Why Sports?

Some ask me,"Why do you like sports so much? It means absolutely nothing." This question has come to me and many different occasions. It's not so much that I am looking towards it to help this nation to become something new and amazing. That would be a stupid thing to say. Honestly, when it comes down to it, sports is pointless. Yes at the amateur level, it can be an excellent form of exercise and help build social connections, but at the pro level, it is completely useless. I love pro sports, but it really does not matter.

I would have to say that I love it for some other reason. I have personally played almost every sport, wether its just with friends on a regular basis or in a league, I've tried them all. I've experienced how difficult they can be and how strenuous they can be. I understand how difficult they are. I think that's where the love and appreciation comes in. When I watch sports, I am able to watch the athletes and understand how skilled they are and how they are able to make everything seem so easy. It never ceases to amaze me. A man of ESPN once said that people are able to enjoy sports by vicariously experiencing things through the players, and I would have to say that is right.

People all around the globe love and enjoy sports. It is something interesting, without a doubt. Even in the poorest and darkest corners of the earth have their favorite form of competing athletically. It leaves lots of people wondering, but honestly, its simple to understand. The idea of becoming that guy that people look up to, the idea of being able to pull of that play or move, the idea of becoming something great and new keeps the minds of people captivated. That is why we "love to play the game".

Christmas

Christmas, the beloved celebration of our Savior Christ Jesus, is a cherished and much enjoyed holiday. The famous use of Christmas Trees and boxed presents is a ritual that comes every year as well. As young children, nothing beats tearing off the wrapping paper and seeing what Santa got for them this year. The receiving of gifts was most certainly the best part of this holiday season, but as I grow older, this is not so much true anymore. Of course, I will always cherish the fact that it marks Christ's birth, but I now look forward to giving gifts rather than receiving them.

The fact that my parents and my family are well off is obviously not avoidable. Shortage of money does not come often. Needless to say, I have been able to buy things and receive them throughout the years. This year, Im having the hardest time thinking of what I actually want for Christmas. The list is up to two things and I don't see it increasing any time soon. Honestly, I find this to be an amazingly good thing that I'm proud to speak of. This whole thing has certainly helped me in changing my thought to giving rather than receiving, but I would not say is the main reason.

The main reason, in my opinion, is that with my growing of age, I begin to have closer and closer ties with those I care about the most and I honestly love to see them sincerely happy to receive something from me. The idea of actually getting the perfect gift, the one that means something to them, makes me smile to even think about. I honestly cannot wait for this Christmas season to finally kick-off for me (which will come as soon school is over), because then the excitement of getting the perfect gift will finally begin.

Getting a Job

The youth of this age, which most certainly includes myself, is lazy. Plain and simple. The majority of us can easily sit back, do our school work, occasionally help around the house, and rarely ever going out to help our community. We talk big on politics, yet most of us cannot honestly understand it and fully comprehend the different consequences that come with it. A great way to be able to contribute to both of these major problems, we can go out and get a job.

Some may say that the economy is too bad to be able to find a job. That statement is ridiculous. Yes, a man or woman who is trying to support their family may not be able to get a sufficient job, but a teenager can most certainly find a job. That is a lame excuse that some use so that they can continue their lazy and pathetic ways. Fast food places, car washes, restaurants, appliance and grocery stores, and many more options. The choices are virtually endless, you just have to go out and look.

Through this job, an individual can learn about his own community and even more about his country. They can see the conditions of other and stride to help them. It is an excellent way for them to be active in the community and not some lazy couch potato. Also, through the money they earn, they can learn to be much more involved with their politics because it will directly affect them. They will be able to form their own views and opinions, rather than just what Rush Limbaugh says.

Getting a job is an excellent thing for the young people of our age. The advantages and experience that come with it will immensely help them in years to come. Besides, one of the biggest advantages to a job is the fact that they can now have some extra cash of their own, rather than just their parents.

My Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving for me, as most other people, is a time of family and good food. Every year, my family goes to our lake house in Virginia and enjoys an excellent trash can turkey and grandmas excellent cassaroles and mashed potatoes. Needless to say, my Thanksgiving rocks.

This year however, my family went to the mountains. It was freezing cold, the house was small, and there was no tv for football! Even my brother couldnt come! I thought it was going to be a crummy Thanksgiving.

As it turned out, this Thanksgiving was not so horrible. In fact, it was one of my personal favorites. The food seemed even better, the openess of the mountains was great for my large family, and the river in the backyard made for an excellent venue. It will be without a doubt always remember in my family.

RYC

Raleigh Youth Council(RYC) is a group of high school students who get together and do things throughout the community. Every other Monday, these students and their City Adviser, Daniel Price, get together and discuss what potential community services they could try to attend and accomplish. These particular meetings are run by the students themselves as they have their own elected leaders.

Not only does RYC offer excellent opportunities for students to get community service hours, it also allows one to meet new people and try new experiences. Students come from all different backgrounds and from all different schools, thus making RYC very diverse. During certain community events, one would also be able to work with different professionals and test different fields.

RYC is an excellent program and is highly advised for students who want to be a part of their community. The experiences are memorable and the students are affable human beings. RYC's doors are always open and hope to see you soon.

Panthers Breakdown 2.0

The Panthers came into this season as the biggest question mark in the NFL. They had a new QB, a very young wide receiving core, and no more Julius Peppers on defensive end. Everyone was giving their input and their predictions on this unusual team. Now, as we are more than half way through the season, those questions have been answered: the Panthers are the worst team in the NFL.

Matt Moore, the expected starter at the quarterback position, has been the biggest disappointment. He played brilliantly in his four appearances last season, something that fans were hoping would continue for years to come. Unfortunately, he has twice as many interceptions(10) as he does touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 55.6. Needless to say, his career as a starter with the Panthers is more than likely over. The era of Jimmy Clausen, the Panthers second round QB pick, has gotten an early start.

The wide receivers have been horrible. Steve Smith, arguably the Panthers best player on the offensive side, has not had any success with the two new QBs. "Double Trouble"-Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart-have also played poorly. This running tandem posted record highs in yards last season, but once again this also has not carried through. Williams is out for the season with a foot injury and Stewart has also struggled with injuries. All of these issues will have to be fixed in the future as the Panthers are the worst rated offense in yards per game.

The defense has been better then expected, which is somewhat shocking, but still not as good as it was with Julius Peppers. The D-line has been continuously pushed around by offenses from around the league and the secondary has not lived up to expectations. They too have had injury problems, but they still need to work on things. They are twenty-fifth in running yards allowed per game and tied for seventh fewest yards allowed in passing. Although the passing defense statistic is impressive, it is large in part that most teams run against the Panthers throughout the game. The defense will also have to improve if they want to have a chance in the playoffs in the seasons to come.

The Panthers season can easily be said as inefficient and undaunting. Both sides of the ball must look towards the future for any success. Hopefully, the coaching staff will be let go after this season and the much anticipated arrival of former Super Bowl coach Bill Cowher will take place immediately. I hate to say, but even a new coach of Bill Cowher's capabilities will not be able to change the Panthers immediately. A team as bad as Carolina will take years to improve and lots of changes, which I do not see happening under the current general manager and coaching staff. Sorry Panther fans, but we will just have to wait.

Hurricanes Breakdown 2.0

The Carolina Hurricanes are sitting at ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a place that not many teams would like to be in. They have lost three of their last five games in a shootout, one against the much hated Washington Capitals. They are no longer sitting at .500 and it will require lots of work to get back to it, but amid all of these problems, the Hurricanes are having a surprisingly good season.

The Canes came into this season with very little expectations as they are having a rebuilding season. The amount of aging players on the roster last year was staggering and forced the Canes to finally go with youth. Being one of the worst teams in the NHL did not seam like an unlikely future for them coming into the season, but as things have turned out, they are sitting right on the edge of the playoffs.

Eric Staal has continued his dominance in the offensive zone with the patched "C" on his jersey. For some reason, this title of captain has been a driving force for the Hurricanes star and has made him one of the better players in the NHL. Jeff Skinner, the Canes first round draft pick, has been a rookie sensation as he leads all first year players in points and in assists and is second in goals. If he continues to grow and mature at such a fast rate, we may be looking at a future scoring leader in the NHL. Cam Ward, the Canes goalie, has indeed had some let downs, but has also seemingly won several games with almost no defensive help. All though statistics don't show it, Cam has been one of the best goalies in the league this season.

No the Hurricanes have not stolen the show in the NHL and no they have not won every game with glamor. They have not been a top-notched team at every single point of the year, but they have the potential to be there, if not now then in years to come. The Canes will most likely not make it into the playoffs, but their future is looking bright. The youth will continue to grow and learn with one another. In all honesty, this could be the next big team in years to come.

Packers Breakdown 3.0

The Green Bay Packers came into this season expecting nothing less than a trip to the NFC Title game, but as it turned out, these ideas may turn out to be nothing but a fantasy. The Packers are sitting at 7-4 after losing to the NFC South leading Falcons. Losing to the Falcons, on the road, on a last second field goal is nothing to be disappointed with, but the fact that the Bears, the Packers divisional rival, won this week gives a horrible tint to the loss.

In this season, the Bears and Packers have been the only two teams that have been competing for the NFC North. The Vikings, who also had huge expectations, have been one of the most disappointing teams this year as they sit at 4-7 and have absolutely no hope of getting into the playoffs. The Bears have the tiebreaker with the Packers, as they beat them earlier this season, and have a one game lead in the standings. The Bears and Packers have one more meeting this season that comes on the very last game of the season. If things stay this tight through the games leading up to this final match, we may be able to see one of the most significant games in the past decade.

The Packers have had a disappointing year. There's no getting around it. They have had key players go down to injury and their insane amount of penalties has cost them dearly, but not all is lost. They are still sitting in a good spot in the NFC and could easily make it into the playoffs as the NFC North winner. They can still salvage this season, but hard work and a little bit of luck will have to push them along the way.

College Football

This season has been one of the most interesting college football seasons that we've seen in the past decade. Last years champions, the Alabama Crimson Tide, have lost three games this season and Ohio State, who was ranked number two at the beginning of this, may not even win their conference. Oregon, Auburn, and TCU are the only teams that are undefeated, with Auburn and Oregon as the front-runners for the chance to play in the BCS Title Game.

One of the biggest surprises this season is Auburn quarterback, Cam Newton. Newton is leading his team to a BCS Championship in his first season with them, something that rarely occurs. He is currently the front-runner for the Heisman trophy with the other three candidates being Andrew Luck of Stanford, LaMichael James of Oregon, and Kellen Moore of Boise State. All of these players have been fantastic thus far, but for sure Cam Newton has been the most outstanding.

Boise State, who also had a fantastic opportunity to get to the Championship, lost in overtime against conference rival Nevada. They were hoping for either Oregon or Auburn to lose, which is looking like it wont happen now. Their hopes for Championship is absolutely destroyed. Maybe in years to come, they will have a chance but will more than likely never happen.

Yes, college football has been very different this season. The expected match up of Auburn and Oregon will be one to remember, as the two teams have never played one another. Only time will tell if things will stay the same in the standings and we as the football fans are going to be able to witness such an amazing game.

NHL All-Star Game

The NHL has been known as the joke of all professional sports leagues in the US, other than soccer. Americans have been unable to connect with the sport as our northern friends in Canada have, but fortunately, this trend of being a joke is changing. In order to bring some attention and change, the NHL announced that it would be changing the format of its All-Star Game, which is to be held in Raleigh this year.

In years past, the All-Star Game has had two sides, Western verses Eastern. Fans voted on the players that they wanted from each conference and the players with the most votes made the roster. This year, in an attempt to bring in more viewers, the NHL is drastically changing this traditional format. In this edition of the All-Star Game, fans will vote for all the different players, regardless of conference, and thus make a pool of players that are set to be participating. Then, the two players with the most votes will be declared captains and these two players will draft their teams from the pool of players. No more Eastern verses Western. Now, it will be just a head-on-head with all the greatest hockey players in the world.

In its own way, this idea is somewhat of a throwback. Brandon Shanahan, the man who is responsible for this change, says that the All-Star Game is just taking hockey players back to their beginning. It will be just like the days back when kids gathered together in the neighborhood and picked teams. The idea is to allow the players to have fun and enjoy the process and that this will translate to fun and thrilling moments for the fans.

This new Fantasy Draft idea is brilliant and will hopefully show to be successful come January 28 of next year, the official beginning of the All-Star Weekend. This format should bring in lots of new fans and peak the interest for people who have always been somewhat skeptical of the NHL. It makes for lots of hype, which the NHL can always use. It will be interesting to see if other leagues take on this draft style as well in years to come and hopefully bring forth success for this very under appreciated sport.

Packers Breakdown 2.0

This season has had many surprising story lines thus far. The Super Bowl hopeful Dallas Cowboys have fallen to a 1-7 record and have fired their coach, Wade Philips. The Kansas City Chiefs were the last undefeated team in the league, something nobody saw coming. Another surprising story is that the Green Bay Packers, who were hoping to be the best team in the league, have not reached their preseason expectations.

The Packers have a 6-3 record, which is good enough to make them a part of the elite teams, but this is in now way what they had hoped for. In their defense, they have been plagued with numerous injuries. They lost their sack leading player in Clay Matthews for two weeks, in which they lost both of those games. They also lost Nick Barnett, a key linebacker, for the entire season. The list goes on, but the most impacting injury without a doubt came when Ryan Grant, the Packers 1,200 yard rusher from a season before, went out for a run and injured his leg, ending his season only after it had just begun.

The Packers have been buried by a last second field goal in regulation and by two over time field goals. Needless to say, those games could have gone either way and we could honestly be looking at an undefeated Packers squad. Hopefully, they can still recapture some glory and make a run in the playoffs. Unless they get to the Super Bowl, this season will be somewhat of a let down for this growing team despite having a depleted roster. It is still possible to have a good season, but in Lambeau, expectations will be getting higher and it will be interesting to see if this young team can meet them.

Cooking

Without a doubt, cooking is one of my passions. From cooking omelets in the morning to fettuccini alfredo for dinner, virtually all kind of cooking is exciting and interesting to me. My specialties are fried rice, grilling, fettuccini alfredo, and virtually all breakfast foods. My favorite part about cooking is that I get to customized it to my liking. I am able to spice my food how I want to and I am able to cook it as long as I want to.

My father, a very good cook as well, is the one who probably has helped me developed in my cooking the most. My dad likes to add lots of ingredients to his food items, which has allowed me to see how to prepare each ingredient, such as garlic. Preparing fresh garlic is very important and it is valuable for a good cook to know how. My father has taught me how to use fresh garlic and it is a skill that I am very happy that I know, although it is not at all difficult.

Also cooking has allowed me to have a larger appreciation for fresh food. In today’s world, virtually all food is prepared for us. Although most people love this, I detest it. I think it is a tribute to how lazy our society has become, but that is a totally different topic. Knowing how to cook allows me to be able to understand how much different things are when they are prepared in your own kitchen as opposed to just heating it up in your own kitchen. It also has allowed me to understand the value of healthy foods and how to prepare easy yet tasty meal that are good for our bodies.

Knowing how to cook is something that I take great pride in and something that I intended to practice throughout my life time. I will always be glad to cook for myself and for others and I hope that I am able to help others know how to cook in the future. To me, there is nothing like being able to run around the kitchen frantically while preparing the meal, and then being able to sit down and enjoy the food with others.

Creeper Trail

The autumn in North Carolina and Virginia is truly more beautiful and greater than any other location in the United States. The pleasant coolness of the weather and the dashing colors of the leaves changing is a wonder to behold. The Creeper Trail, although it sounds strange, is a wonderful site to observe and enjoy this glorious autumn.

The Creeper Trail is located on White Top Mountain, VA. It was formally used as a rail road track, but was transfomed into a beautiful path for bikers to enjoy. The entire path is aproximately twelve miles long and an average three percent downgrade. It is optional whether one would like to ride up the mountain or down, but it is obviously much easier when going downhill.

There are many beautiful bridges that lead bikers over rivers treetops throughout this trail and there are plenty of spots for photographers to stop and capture the natural beauty. Obviously the most spectacular aspect of the ride is the wonderous colors of the many leaves on the branches of the trees that one passes. The beautiful red, yellow, and bright orange make for excellent viewing and truly make the ride enjoyable for all. If one is to ever have this oppurtunity, it would be a drastic mistake to miss it. Regardless of colder or warmer weather, this is truly one of the greatest sites one will ever witness.

Illegal Money

This season, UNC football has had many problems. They were supposed to have good team this year, but due to the suspensoins that have been handed out to many of the starters, they have struggled greatly. These suspensions have been due to money given to certain players, which directly violates NCAA policies. These suspensoins have brought great misfortune to the overall success of the team and will more than likely continue to plague them if they continue.

These suspensoin have been handed to thirteen different players, eight of which are starters. Obviously, these have dramatic effects on the overall success of the once highly ranked team. The major problem with this is that the agents of these highly recruited players have absolutely no reprimmands. These agents are the ones who strongly push for the extra money to be paid to the players because they gain a large percentage of this profit. Although yes the player and team are commiting illegal acts, they should not be the only ones punished. In all fairness, the agent should be recieving punishments that are equal, if not more than that of the players.

Although UNC is the only major team to be caught for doing this as of late, they are in no way the only team doing it. Players and agents are becoming more and more greedy and college football programs have plenty of money to offer to these semi-pro athletes. If this problem is not addressed by the NCAA, it will only become worse. The same thing that is happening in the MLB with performance enhancing drugs will occer in the NCAA. Major League Baseball has had many problems as of late with numerous players, some even being all-stars, coming out and admitting to taking these drugs. The MLB is now having to find these players and dealing with them as needed, but it could have been avoided if they had taken care of it when the problem became apperent.

If the NCAA doesn’t take care if this illegal giving of money, the problem will most definitely come back against them. They must root out those teams that are providing this money for the players and issue the appropriate punishments. The game itself is changing drastically, especially at the college level, but if this problem is not dealt with, the game will take a dramatic step in an undesired direction.

Lake Forest

Sometimes one’s life becomes overwhelming and the many difficulties seem to bring one down. The best way for one to escape these trials is no doubt to have a place of comfort. For me and my family, our place of comfort is the place known to us as Lake Forest. Lake Forest is located on Kerr Lake in Clarksville, Virginia. Going to our lake home is always an escape from life and an excellent get away from the problems of society.

Our lovely lake house is located on the top of a kudzu field that overlooks the tress and lake below. The activities of this home are virtually endless. They vary from lake activities to the many woodland games that can be played. In our basement are many games such as pool and ping-pong. Regardless of the crowd, there is never a moment for boredom.

The very entertaining activities are what make the get away home. Along with the fun they bring, the also bring the people together. Going to our lake home is always its own vacation and enjoyable to have others come with us. Our family is always jumping at the oppurtunity to escape society and cannot wait to return to our favorite vacation spot.

Panthers Breakdown

The Panthers seem to be going in the direction that most people expected: downhill. They are 0-3 after three somewhat poor efforts. With the change made in quarterback, it is obvious that things are not going as planned or as hoped. Truth be told, Matt Moore never seemed to be the guy who was going to lead this team to bigger and greater things. With Clausen now at starter, Moore has probably seen his last snap as the starting quarterback in the National Football League.

The offense for the Panthers was never expected to be amazing, but I don’t believe that they were supposed to play this poorly. The running game has had only mere glimpses of last year’s glories. Although the offensive line has been missing at least one key player per game, this can no way explain all of the problems they have had. If this offense is to go anywhere this season under a rookie quarterback, the men up front are going to have to step up their game. Jimmy Clausen did not look fantastic in his NFL debut, but this was expected. I look to see him only get better with time and experience. Towards the end of Sunday’s game, he seemed to be more comfortable and we were able to see why he was such a good quarterback coming into the draft.

The deffense for Carolina has been somewhat better than expected, but in no way have been good enough to get this team into the playoffs. Up front, the deffense has looked very good, but in the secondary, they have struggled. This is the opposite of what was expected. With the departure of Julius Peppers, the defensive line was expected to struggle immensly, but this has not always been the case. Of course they are not as good without him, they have impressed spectators. The secondary is probably one of the biggest let downs thus far in the season. They have been pushed around all season, even though they have quite the amount of interceptions. Hopefully they can fix whatever seems to be holding them back and potentially be able to help turn around this team.

Although the Panthers have looked poor, not all hope has been lost. The season is only three weaks in, thus leaving plenty of time for improvement. As said earlier, Jimmy Clausen will only get better as he becomes more familiar with the offense and gets more in game experience. If things don’t turn around soon, look to either see Fox make big moves or just give up as this is the last year in his contract. In all honesty, the change in coaching may be needed now more than ever, and Bill Cowher is waiting to get the phone call to come and take over. The Panthers are a very young team and although they look very poor now, they will get better and will at some point be able to make an effort to the playoffs.

US Soccer

Soccer is the most popular sport in all of Europe, South America, and Africa. The United States, somewhat known as the sports capital of the world, is oddly different from all of these other parts of the world. Soccer has never blossomed here, but instead is almost looked down upon from a proffessional level.Instead, football, basketball, hockey, and baseball are the leading sports in the US, but this summer, the soccer World Cup brought a suprising amount of attention to this globaly respected sport.

This years World Cup was in no way the best effort ever put forth by a US team, but for some reason, our nation rallied around them and supported them like never before. This year was the most viewed World Cup for the US in the history of this prestigous championship. The US lost in the second round of elimination, which is not something amazing. Landin Donovan and Tim Howard of the US led their team through the first grouping stage, which involved a tie with England and a glorious last second goal in their last game to propel them forward to the next round.

Possibly, this emotional rollercoaster of a trip made it so special this year. After all, isn’t that what makes a championship game so memorable? The most watched and special Super Bowl games are not the blow out games, but the ones that have the people standing on their feet and yelling at the top of their lungs at the end of the game. The same goes for NCAA basketball championship. The games that are remembered are the ones that go to the last minute. The ones that make the fan feel as if they experience the same ups and downs that the players and coaches feel.

More than likely, this is the reason why this year was such a great year for US World Cup. Fans or just casual observers love to feel the dramatic horrors and glories with a certain team, which is exactly what happened during this magical summer. Some believe that this could be the start of a soccer revolution in the States. This could be true, but in order for it to happen, US soccer will have to take advantage if this oppurtunity and bring more supporters. Maybe someday soccer will be held up with those other sports in this sport centered country of ours, but until soccer makes another dramatic step forward, they will always be the sport that only lights up every four years during the special time known as the World Cup.

Bald Head Island

Some people consider all beaches to be the same. For a number of people, it’s just as long as it has sand and an ocean. For me, this decision is easily made. There is absolutely no better beach vacation spot then the great Bald Head Island. Bald Head is a small island in the outer banks of North Carolina. It is without doubt the best and most enjoyable vacation spot on the east coast.

Bald Head Island consists of both beach and marsh. Having both of these allows for different activities throughout one’s week. The biggest upside of the beaches at Bald Head is the fact that they are virtually empty. The crowding that exists in places such as Myrtle is unheard of on Bald Head. The marsh is somewhat an unknown to most people. Marshes are not only beautiful and excellent for sunsets, but are also excellent for crabbing. Of course, there is no King Crab in the small marshes of Bald Head, but just the experience of crabbing is exhilarating.

Another fabulous part of Bald Head is the houses. The homes on Bald Head Island vary from garage sized huts to multi-million dollar mansions. Obviously, the large houses are more exciting to stay in, but even driving by the houses is fun and enjoyable because each house has its own special theme. Some do follow the modern beach house style, but many have very unique and stylish fashions. The best strip of homes is the one that sits in the loop around the harbor that brings in all the ferries. Former NFL head coach, Bill Cowher, owns one of the houses on this loop. Also on this loop, are the multi-million dollar yachts that are owned by the wealthiest of islanders.

Possibly the best part of Bald Head Island is the fact that the only vehicles allowed on the island are golf carts. Driving around on an uncrowded island in golf carts truly makes one feel as if they have escaped their normal reality and are in a place of enjoyment. When very little traffic is on the roads, my family loves to race down the path ways, making dramatic turns and always leaning over the shoulder of the driver while yelling, “Go faster!”

Bald Head Island is a place for people to get away from their problems back in society and enjoy being with the ones that make them happiest. The seclusion of the island is what makes it so special. Once someone has gone to Bald Head Island, all other beaches become inferior. Bald Head Island will always be the greatest vacation spot and honestly, will always be more than just another beach.

Trip Out West

If you’ve ever wondered how to become closer with family or with friends, you obviously have never been in the western United States in a RV with them. Never shall I be able to forget the memorable times that came with that trip. Of course, the canyons will be a part of what is remembered, but the experiences and interactions with one another are essential when describing my trip out west.

Our RV was averaged sized, nothing crazy small or outrageously large. It was able to hold me, my sister, my two older brothers, and my parents. If there had been just one more person that had attended our voyage, they certainly would have had to sleep outside. It fit us just barely. Our three major destinations were Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and The Grand Canyon. Of course, we had lots of down time while driving from one location to another. These countless hours often consisted of sleeping, listening to ipods, watching old western movies, or just getting on one another’s nerves.

When we actually made it to the Canyons, of course we hiked and did all the touristy things that they had to offer, but the times I remember are the ones that almost had nothing to do with these activities. For example, I will never forget how my brothers were hiking Zion Canyon’s most difficult yet most beautiful trail and that one crazy interaction they had with the nature while resting on the trail. They had just finished ascending one of the hardest climbs of that entire hike and so they rested at the top. While catching their breath and looking at the scenery, they decided to pull out their hiking snack, honey nut cheerios. So they were simply enjoying these tasty treats until all of the sudden a large bird of prey swoops down from behind them, snatches the bag of cheerios, and flies off the side of the cliff. This event, yet somewhat annoying at the time, is one of the many events that will always be remembered from that trip.

Another part of the trip that made it so memorable was the triumphs that we had as a group. Whether it was conquering a canyon or clearing the RV toilet tank successfully, those difficult, and sometimes disgusting victories, made our trip unique. One triumph in particular was going up and down the Grand Canyon. Although we only did a part of it, it was just as trying and difficult for me and my father. The glorious four, my two brothers, my father, and I were the ones who took up the challenge of hiking in the one-hundred plus weather. My brothers were both high school students and were in shape, whereas my father and I were not. My dad was forty-six and in no way in his “prime” and I was an overweight eight year old. Reaching the bottom of our trail was one of the happiest moments of the trip. I quickly gobbled down my sandwich and enjoyed the coolness under a tree for what seemed like only a few minutes until I finally realized the horror of climbing back up the path. Once this came to my attention, anxiety and my heart rate shot up. Only to make matters worse, the patrol women notified us that now was the hottest part of the day. My father and I fought to get up that oversized dirt mound, and little by little, we made our way to the top. That glorious triumph of conquering the Grand Canyon no doubt will stick with me the rest of my life.

As in all trips, my family also had our sentimental moments. The greatest of all of them was standing at the top of the Grand Canyon as we watched the sun set with streaks of pink and orange filling the sky. My family bonded during those moments as we peacefully enjoyed the beautiful painting that God had created and set before us. The trip out west will always be one of my favorites and I know that because of the close living quarters and the unplanned occurrences and the fabulous triumphs and the sentimental moments we shared. Of course you can bond and have fun with your family in other vacation spots, but until you’ve visited the Wild West, you will never know nor understand the connections you can have with the ones that you love.

My Third Brother

Misganaw Tesfaye, an Ethiopian exchange student, will always be my third brother. He lived with our Smith family for an entire year. We bonded and struggled for an entire year. At first, of course, I was apprehensive. A new boy living in my house who may not be able to speak very much if any English? This didn’t seem to be the ideal way to finish my middle school years, but of course I wasn’t about to be the kid who wouldn’t help a poor African boy and just say no. So I falsely told my parents that I had no problem with this plan and it seemed like it might even be fun.

I woke up the day he was supposed to land in Raleigh and thought to myself that today was the last day for an entire year that I could actually have fun and be myself. I would have to take on a fake personality and be as kind as I possibly could be for a full year. He arrived while I was at school so I did not meet him until my sister and I had driven home after school. He was dressed very nicely in a sweater vest and he had a distinct smell. He made eye contact with me and quickly jumped from his seat in order to greet me. He told me in very broken English, “My name is Misganaw.” I of course knew not what he said but assumed he had just told me his name. I then in return told him my name and then stepped back as he introduced himself to my sister. I was somewhat dazed and once again I thought to myself, “I have to live with this guy for a year?”

The weeks passed and I began to learn how to decipher his so called English. I also learned about how much he loved soccer, especially Arsenal, an English Premier Soccer club. He could only watch his team on occasion though due to the fact that he had six AP classes. As I still grow older, the fact that he was able to get A’s in all of his classes astonishes me even more. Inevitably, my relationship with him grew greatly in the first couple months of his stay. After all, both of my brothers were out of the house by now and the only other man in the house other than my father was Misganaw. We played soccer and basketball together and I even taught him how to throw and catch a football. But as in all relationships, we had our downs as well.


As we became more familiar with one another, we knew what bothered one another. He quickly learned the art of sarcasm, as my family almost speaks nothing but sarcasm. At first it was funny. He would hurl insults at me, I would throw some right back. It was all in good fun, but eventually, it ceased to be fun. I would become irritable or he would be in a bad mood and one of us would say something that the other didn’t want to hear. Because in reality he was still a guest and I was his host, we never went too far past the line, but far enough to cause some conflict. It was now a typical brother relationship.

As time passed and we learned to not always pick on one another, we began to cement our relationship. The weeks flew by and summer was right around the corner. Misganaw was scheduled to go to Camp Seagull for about six weeks as soon as school finished. This was in no way our final farewell, but more so a practice run. Although I almost feel bad to say I didn’t miss him very much during that time period, I was not the only male at home. One of my brothers moved back into the house for the summer and I was able to play with him instead of Misganaw. In a way, this was a good thing. It helped ease the pain when he finally left for good.

It was a pleasant summer afternoon when he returned from camp. One of the other exchange students that had also attended the camp needed a place to stay so that he could catch the plane ride early the next morning, so we brought him in too. We had a very nice cook out that night and everything was very nice, but it all almost seems like a blur now. All I can remember is when I put my head down to sleep that night, I had promised myself that I wasn’t going to cry when he departed. I did in fact keep myself from releasing my tears, but this in no way meant that they were not there. I hugged him and said goodbye for the last time, wondering if he felt the same way that I did at that moment.

To this day I keep in contact with Misganaw, through occasional emails or through facebook. I once posted a comment on his wall to notify him that it was snowing at our house. He was fortunate enough to be able to play in the snow while he was here in the states and I thought that he would enjoy hearing that it was once again pouring down the fluffy precipitation. I do not know if I will ever see him again, but there is one thing that I do know. He will always be a part of our family, and more importantly, he will always be the third brother that I never had.

Canes Breakdown

The Carolina Hurricanes are beginning a new era. Eric Staal has taken over as captain in place of the now retired Rod Brindamour, and Canes vet Ray Whitney is now playing in Pheonix. The team has added new and younger players as they hope to become a soon leading force in the NHL.

The Canes have added younger players to the team in hope of developing them and turning them into big time players. With the seventh overall pick in the draft, the Canes were able to pick up aruguably the best scoring forward in Jeff Skinner. Also added to the young group of players are Riley Nash and Jared Staal, the youngest of the Staal boys. Riley Nash is looking to play in the NHL this season, whereas Jared is most likely going to be playing in the AHL where he can develop.

In net is returing starter Cam Ward, who was out most of last season with several major injuries. The job is most certainly his, as young Justin Peters is backing him up, but the major question mark for him is if he can stay healthy. Cam Ward is an All-Star goaltender and is hoping to return to the explosive save making ability that he had early on last season. If he can stay healthy and still play well, the Canes may be able to make a shot for the playoffs.

One returning forward who appears to be drastically improving for the Canes is Chad LaRose. LaRose ended last season on the first line for the Canes and appeared to connect splendidly with Staal. I look to see LaRose become the standout return player for the Canes this season and possibly even be one of their leading scorers. Joe Corvo and Anton Babchuck are making their returns to the Canes deffense and hope to bring some offense with them. In ’08, Corvo and Babchuck lead the Canes deffense in scoring and will hopefully be able to return to those roles.

The Canes have very little expectations this season, and this is somewhat exciting. It appears that the Canes are best when they are not supposed to be and with this new young core of players, they will only get better. In just a few years, look for the Canes to be making strong pushes into the playoffs and maybe even contending in the East for a top spot. If all the players they picked up and have groomed are as good as they are expected, this is exactly what will happen. It’s a bright future in Carolina, and we just can’t wait for the season to begin.

Green Bay Breakdown

On the past Monday night, the Green Bay Packers had one of the worst self destructions seen thus far in the NFL season. The Packers had outgained the Bears in all offensive statistics and had by far the better defensive play. One may wonder if this is true, then how did they lose the game? Well, simply put, a total of eighteen penalties and two excellent punt returns by Bear’s star, Devin Hester.

Aaron Rodgers, quarterback of the Packers, had an excellent night. He virtually silenced all critics while putting on an MVP like performance. It appears that his play discernment and overall passing ability is only impoving with time. The only blemish seen on the Packers side of the offense was the poor performance of the offensive line. Only time will tell if they will be the Achilleas Heel in the Packers offensive and if in fact Green Bay may have to go out and trade in order to improve that aspect of their game.

The other side of the ball for the Packers was also very good. The defense looked strong and held in check a Bears offense that looks to be very promising. Jay Cutler truly seems to be thriving under this new offensive scheme that they have going in Chicago. Clay Matthews of the Packers had another good night while he continuously had pressure on Cutler.

It is know that the Packers are one of the youngest teams in the NFL, and this fact is seen through the amount of penalties taken. The eighteen penalties taken amounted to over 150 yards. Mike McCarthy of the Packers is going to have to fix this issue if they are going to have any hope of getting to the Super Bowl, as many have predicted. The two returns by Devin Hester can easily be said to be more so due to his own ability rather than poor coverage by the Packers special teams. His speed and ability to make tacklers miss in the open fieled is something truly amazing. He is undoubtly the best return man in NFL history.

Looking forward, I don’t believe that Packer fans have much to worry about. Timely turnovers and penalties are something that can be fixed. Also, the offensive line experienced these same woes last season and as soon as they were able to get into a groove, they seemed fine. I expect the same thing to happen this year. If not, I have no doubt they will go out and improve their line through some kind of trade. I looked to see this team to only get stronger due to this loss and expect them to thrive as projected
early on in the preseason.

Into School

As my car makes its way into the familiar parking lot, I look upon that same building that I see every morning at an hour in the morning when no one should have to think for themself, let alone take an honors class. I slowly trudge my way from the car to the path way that leads to the entrance of this building. As I make my journey through the hallways, I see other students and teachers, all of whom have the exact same facial expression. It’s the same as mine as well.

I approach my assigned locker that is all the way down the virtually vacant hallway and I think to myself how amazing that in only an hour, these hallways that I can hear footsteps from the other side of the building in, will soon be filled with loud children and teens. There will be no more dead silence. After pondering this, I hurl my oversized bag off of my shoulders and down to the hard floors so that I can begin to enter the locker combination. I am late to my class and therefore decide to somewhat speed up my actions in order to make up for time lost. Of course, my locker somehow knows this and refuses to open. I bang the frame of the locker with my knee repeatedly, hoping somehow the door will open. But no. I must re-enter the digits and hurry towards the stairs, another inconvenience. The “brilliant people” that are behind this decision no doubt put absolutely no thought into this idiotic plan. The staircase that is the most out of the way for every student is the only available method of getting to the 2nd floor. Brilliant.

I am now at this point at the fastest pace I can go without making a fool out of myself. I quickly shoot a glance at the television to see the time. The bell should be ringing any second now. I approach the hallway to my class and grab the handle to the door. As I pull open the door, the bell rings. I got lucky this time. As I sit in my chair, I think to myself that I won’t cut it that close again, but of course, this idea has disappeared by tomorrow morning when I smack the snooze button on the alarm and go back to sleep. Maybe next time.

If Only Life were Like That

I often wonder what life would be like if I were the creature that I call my best friend. I could wake to the sound of feet bustling around me, but never be in a hurry to get anywhere myself. The only injustice in life would be that the food bowl wasn’t full at the same time it was the day prior. I could come and go as I pleased and sleep all day, never once worrying about other’s schedules or rules except for the ones that excited me. If only life were like that.

Every doorbell ringing or shadow moving in the depths of the room would be just another game and not a threat or annoyance to everyday life. I would never worry about my duties because I had none to be concerned about. Shelter, food, and clothing would be a guarantee, not an uncertainty. My facial expressions would not be misinterpreted and if someone ever yelled my name it would be because they loved me and cared for me and I knew no better. If only life were like that.

Every toy would be mine because I would be the king of my own world without even a fight. Pleasing God or any other higher deity would be no major difficulty because my mere existence is but a praise in itself. Everything would be brought to me and provided for me, and I wouldn’t even know this was a luxury. It’s my right. It would just be another part of my world. My kingdom. If only life were like that.

Peer pressure would not be a problem to me because it would not exist. Drugs, alcohol, sex, and other worldly desires that occur around me constantly would never tempt me nor come after me. I could roam the hallways and not be self conscious about the way I dress or act. I would have no recollection of my disastrous deeds because I knew not of the past. I would live in the present, the moment that is. Oh if only life were like that.

My future education, spouse, occupation, and family would never cross my mind because every day would be the same, which was a born right and not a gift. The meaning of my life, my destiny, would never haunt me because I would have no way of understanding the concept. The death of a beloved one, someone I cared about and cherished every moment with. Someone I looked up to and admired with all my being. Their passing would not have to be a heart aching goodbye that I could never forget. They say it’s a dog’s life, and it is. It’s the dog I care about, and sometimes I wish my life were like that.

For the Fourth Hour

For the fourth hour in a row, she stared at the blank screen, trying to think of what to write. Her professor had assigned a five page essay on the matter of evolution. The girl's dilemma was not that she knew nothing about evolution, but rather that she did not believe in the theory herself. She was uncertain about whether she should give in and write an essay supporting a theory she strongly disagreed with or stand strong in her belief. Many more hours passed and only a few words ever made it onto the document, but they were always erased shortly thereafter.

Finally, the girl decided to write the essay, but instead through a theistic view of creation. She knew she was taking a big leap and it possibly could ruin her reputation, but she was set on what had to be done. From this point forward, the words flowed from her finger tips and the essay was completed in several hours.

There was no turning back now and at 3 a.m., the girl finally removed herself from the desk and placed herself in the bed that had never seemed so wonderful before. The girl knew what she had done, but it didn't matter. She knew that it was what had to be said. Inevitably, this decision would cost her a good grade, but it was worth the cost.

Duke Raleigh

Some people enjoy giving their time to volunteering and helping others. During this summer, I worked at Duke Raleigh Hospital and helped work with patients. While there, I helped in same-day surgery and in pre-testing. Both of these areas of work were life changing and truly have given me a different perspective of how a hospital works and functions as a whole.

In same-day surgery, I took care of patients by helping them find certain places in the hospital and keeping the main lobby of the hospital in order. When I was there, I was able to bond with the staff and the certain patients that I came in contact with. This helped me to be able to appreciate how much these people loved having me work with them. Many of the people were amazed that I, being a teenager, was giving my time to help the people, expecting nothing in return.

In pre-testing, I helped escort people from the lobby to the testing rooms on the third floor. Although I was able to meet new people by helping patients, the nurses were what made my experience so enjoyable. They were extremely organized and good at getting the patients through the tests, yet they were also very fun and enjoyable to work with. They without a doubt showed how a good hospital should function.

Working at Duke Raleigh was one of the greatest parts of my summer, without a doubt. The staff there was able to show me how a patient should be treated and how a hospital should function. They were able to show that hard work does not mean that fun cannot be involved and that patients, regardless of how difficult they were, should be treated with the utmost respect. I will never forget working at Duke and I honestly hope that I am able to work there again some time soon.

The Game

Arriving at the rink an hour before the game was to get underway. An hour for me to get acclimated to my surroundings. Just one hour for me to get into the mind set of a champion. It was to be the final game of the season. It had been a long, grueling season. Our team was exhausted mentally and physically from the tolls of this demanding sport. Everyone had their own individual rituals in order to get into that zone. We all knew this time was coming. Now, we just had to take action.

                The rink was more bone chilling than normal, or so it seemed. Although we all looked forward to this one game, we were also uneasy. Uneasy about the fact that this was the last game for us as a team. Uneasy about whether the outcome of the game came out in our favor. None of us wanted to look back at what could have been. All we wanted was to win.

                Fifteen minutes until the games beginning. All of us were putting on the final touches to our equipment, awaiting the speech from our coach and his words of encouragement. Coach always delivered well, but this time, no one could listen. All we could think about was getting onto the ice and beginning our final assent to becoming champions. We could only focus on the time at hand.

                The time was near. We all made our way out of the locker room, down the hallway, and onto the newly cleaned ice. The crisp sound of blades cutting fresh ice filled the rink. The warm-ups seemed like forever long, while the feeling of butterflies drove everyone mad. Our opponents, the only people that stood in our way, entered the rink. I knew very little about each individual on the other team, yet I despised nobody else in the world more than those boys.

Only three minutes until the game started. Coach was calling for us to assemble around him. This was one last effort to unify our team and get our heads in the right place. I watched as the clock ticked down to zero. Coach quickly threw out the starting lineup, me being one of them. My sense of anxiety had reached its apex. The ref made his way to center ice, the puck was to drop any second now. At this moment, I and my team realized that this was the final task to becoming champions. Thus began the game.

The Decision

This past offseason had one of the most interesting free agencies in NBA history. Many of the players, many being all-stars, had come together in some way and made it so that they would become free agents all in the same offseason. Thus making for an interesting story line. LeBron James, born and raised in the outskirts of Cleveland, left his Cleveland Cavaliers to join up with his friends in Miami in order to bring one of the greatest trios ever seen in sports. This decision brought great displeasure to the people of Cleveland like no other. Many other players had left their teams in order to improve their chances of winning a championship, but none have been hated as much as James. No longer is LeBron adored in his home town, but now is hated with passion that is just as strong.

LeBron James has been compared to Michael Jordan for most of his life. He has always had explosive individual talent and has had quite the superb highlight real. He was born in a little town right outside of Cleveland, who has been sport woeful for decades. The city had been waiting for their star to come in and take their basketball team in a new direction, and that is exactly what he did. He came in and turned the leagues worst team into one of the best organizations in all of sports. He was “the chosen one”, or so they thought.

LeBron led the Cavaliers to the playoffs year after year and single handedly got them to one NBA Championship, but never actually won the title for his team. After leading his team to the best record in the NBA regular season, his team lost to the somewhat aged Celtics in the playoffs. His team and critics were astonished. After being so hopeful going into the playoffs, the Cavaliers season was over. Little did the organization and fans know that this was the last time they would see James play in a Cavaliers jersey.

Very early on in the NBA free agency, James decided to have his own tv coverage of his decision on where he would go to play. In hind sight, this was a very poor choice, but did bring in many viewers and peaked people’s interest. After a very booring interview that lasted way too long, James announced his decision. He told the interviewer that he would be taking his talents to South Beach in Miami to join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, both NBA elites. These words sent shock waves through the basketball world. Cleveland fans were in near tears at first, but that lasted only seconds. Soon, this despondancy turned into shear hatred. Chaos broke out in Cleveland. Number 23 jerseys were being burned and thrown off of buildings shortly after their hero had decided to “take his talents” elsewhere.

The hype around the Miami Heat has been building up ever since this decision by “The King”. The new tiro is expected to do amazing things together and haters are just waiting for the team to take a bad step. If they don’t live up to expectations, they will no doubt be scrutinized and looked poorly upon by critics all over the league. Only time will tell if these three will be able to bring in several championships, but one thing is for sure, if the King does not perform well under his new spot light, the people of Cleveland will be celebrating and enjoying every minute of his misery.

Panthers Wide Recievers

The wide out position for the Carolina Panthers has been somewhat of a problem over the past years. Athough yes Steve Smith, long time Panther, is without a doubt one of the best wide recievers in the league, his back ups have been very weak. Ever since Mushin Muhhamed has fallen out of his prime, the Panthers have been attempting to find the viable second option. This search has yet to produce anything and if it continues to fail, the Panthers could be in serious trouble.

Steve Smith has been with the Panthers for many years and has made his presence known. Although he is very small for a wide reciever, he plays as if he is the biggest man on the field. He breaks tackle after tackle and is an aggresive runner. He is without a doubt one of the greatest wide outs in the game today, yet he continues to stay in the small market that is Carolina. In the new NFL, players are less loyal to their organizations. For the most part, players look out souly for their own interest.

It appears that Steve Smith is not one of those “new kind of players”, but only time will tell. If things continue to go poorly in Carolina, he may have every intention to move on. He claims that he wants to stay with the Panthers until retirement, but if a rebuild in Carolina is to go through, he may want to go to a team that has major playoff potential. If Steve Smith chooses to depart from his long time team, the offense will greatly suffer. As a Carolina fan, it is very concerning to look upon this situation. One can only hope that the Panthers will turn around their season sooner rather than later and be able to keep their super-star wide out happy.

College Football

This college football season has been very interesting thus far. The infamous Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy have moved on from their college careers, thus starting a new era in Texas and in Florida. Alabama is showing that they are just as good if not better than they were last year in their BCS Championship run. Oregon and Stanford are showing that their offenses are as explosive as any in all of the country. And Denard Robinson of Michigan is putting up numbers that have never been seen before as he leads the Wolverines into the top group of teams. All these sub-plots make for a very intruiging season and will be even more enjoyable to watch as these teams clash with one another for the BCS title.

Florida and Texas have always been football power houses, regardless of who has been under center. The question now is whether the two new quarterbacks will be able to live up to their record-breaking predessors. So far, Texas has struggled with a new man at the helm and Florida appears to be improving, but in no way is up to their previous standards. Only time will tell if these team will be able to successfully move on without Tebow and McCoy.

Alabama has been a dominating force as Nick Saban has been able to lead his Crimson Tide to a 5-0 starts. They were able to survive without their Heisman Trophy winner early on this season, but now the true test for the Tide will come against their SEC opponents, who has won three championship in a row (Alabama last year and Florida the two years before that). The two headed running monster that is Mark Ingram and Richardson have stole the show early on. Both of these running backs have proven to be potential NFL starters, and together they have lead their team to great success. If the Tide keep up this dominating play of theirs, there is no doubt that they will retain their title as champions.

Oregon and Stanford have both have sparked much attention this season for their explosive offenses. Both of these teams are part of the PAC-10, which is somewhat changing. The University of Southern California has been the leading force in that confrence for many years, with a good balance between offense and defense. But now, USC has slowly fallen away and the explosive offenses are taking over. It will be interesting to see if Oregon and Stanford will be able to remain strong power houses as they are both currently ranked in the top ten.

Possibly the most fascinating part of this new college football season is the play of Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson. Robinson has broken many records this season already and is at this point is the player most likely to be awarded the Heisman Trophy. He has nearly single handedly led his team into the AP top 25 and only looks to improve their rankings.

Although the season is only 4 weeks in, it is already become one to be remembered. With all these different stories coming together and developing, the season will only become more interesting. It will be interesting to watch the teams Florida, Texas, Alabama, Oregon, and Stanford go throughout this season as they will have several oppurtunities to play one another. This season could turn out to be one to be remembered and it will be interesting to watch it pan out.

The Insignificant Teenager

This was the most important weekend of my brother’s life. On the next evening, he would be pronounced the proud husband of his bride. Although this weekend was theirs, for that one night, all I can think about is how I presented myself. That night, I had to deliver a speech to the bridal party.

Of course, I had drilled this speech into my head. I could more than likely recite it to this day. My fear was that I may become more realized then I intended. That I may remembered as the boy who completely missed the intended message. All I wanted was to recite my words of kindness, and then to disappear to my chair.
I entered the dining room that was to be full in due time, only thinking about the task at hand. I could not enjoy this time of fake happiness, as I knew that everyone else felt sick about giving their own speech. I could see right through their smiles and tell that they felt just like I did inside.

The best man kicked off the speeches with a very well composed slide show and a very touching theme. After his conclusion, we proceeded to go onto the next anxiety filled speaker. I cannot recall who the speaker was because I knew my time was short. In fact, all the rest of the speeches seem to be a blur, as I can only remember reciting those words over and over in my head.

A group of three stood up as one to congratulate the soon to be weds, as I could see clearly that none of them felt capable of delivering a speech alone. This seemed like quite the unfair advantage. My time was indeed very short at this point, as the trio proceeded to retire from the podium. I quickly made one last effort to stall, as I ran for the bathroom. I thought that maybe I could drill the thoughts into my head just a little more during this very brief time period.

Much to my chagrin, I returned to the dining room with all eyes on me. Everyone knew I was the last one to speak. I am sure that they all expected me, the youngest of all the speakers, to have the extreme cliché speech that they had all heard before. I knew this and specifically strayed away from the typical speech. I just hoped that I could deliver it as I had planned. No one had heard my speech to this point. I had not practiced in front of a single soul. This meant that I had no idea whether these jokes would be as funny to the audience as they were to me and my brain.

I walked to the front of the room, catching everyone’s attention. On cue, my sister stood up and gave me a beat as I threw out a rap for my confused and maybe concerned listeners. I had decided this was the best method of getting their attention and hopefully convincing them that I was not going to be scared out of my wits as others my age would be, even though I truly was. As I finished this very quick rap, I gazed upon the many puzzled faces that were looking right back at me. I informed them that this rap had absolutely nothing to do with my speech, but instead, was in my opinion, a good way to introduce the youngest of the children.

My speech flowed as I had wanted from this point forward. The laughter was a good sign to me that I was in fact catching their interest and that I was not the only one who thought I was humorous. I closed my speech and my heart began to return to its normal rate. As I took my seat, I realized that I may not have accomplished what I had wanted. That I may not have been able to go unnoticed, but instead, I had been able to seize the small moment in this weekend that I had and that I had in fact not gone disregarded as the insignificant teenager.