Intro…

While the MLB continues to update its fans and players on their recent changes to the 2020 season, the players are looking to be a bit stir-crazy to get back out on the field again.

For the Chicago Cubs, their team was under the radar this upcoming season with a drastic change to their management that came as a shock to many, with their former manager Maddon, stepping down and a recent teammate stepping up to be one of the youngest coaches in the MLB.

While there were trade rumors with former MVP and World Series champ, Kris Bryant, it is looking promising that he is here to stay in Chicago this season with his fellow teammates as long as he keeps himself healthier than last year. Bryant missed a number of games last season due to shoulder and arm injuries in the beginning of their season. So don’t worry ladies, Kris Bryant will most likely be staying another season with the Cubs!!

With a late start to this season, the Chicago Cubs can really focus on preparing themselves for a new season under new direction in order to keep themselves strong and ready to win their games. This also gives many of the players time to rest and take care of some much overdo injuries that they may have suffered in the last season.

For David Ross, this gives him time to really focus on his team and how he can lead them to (hopefully) another World Series in the near future!

While we are all anxious to see how the Cubs will do with new coaching and some new players, it seems that May of 2020 we will finally get an opening to our season and the teams will get some much needed time to shine this season!

For me, the greatest moments of high school and college have been sports related. I was devastated my senior year of high school when a shoulder reconstruction surgery meant I was done. And now during my senior year of college, it doesn’t look promising that I will walk for graduation in May.

For the college seniors who were expected to play in March Madness, I couldn’t imagine the pain and sadness they are going through.

Seniors like Adrian Chapman, a guard for the Indiana University Hoosiers, and Devonte Green, another guard for IU will not be able to finish their senior year playing the one sport they have risked it all for.

For some, sports don’t even cross their minds daily, but for those of us so involved and “too far gone” when it comes to the love of sports, it’s our life. It’s emotional for those of us who look forward to turning on the tv at night and watching our favorite teams put in work. For us select few, there’s nothing else we would rather do.

I know for myself personally, not having sports has been a struggle, especially during this time of the year that I have always looked forward to. As a former athlete myself with my senior year ripped from under me, I could not imagine being in the Big Ten and not being able to get that last chance to walk on the court and play that game you love. All the blood, sweat, and tears put in seem almost pointless now.

Will the NCAA give these seniors another chance? Or will it be too late?

In the words of country music star Scotty McCreery, “Can’t you give us, five more minutes?”

Nebraska added some new players to their roster for the Big Ten Tournament opening versus No. 11 Indiana in their match on Wednesday night. Seeded No. 14 in their division, Nebraska lost two of their guards last week indefinitely, leaving them with only seven of their basketball team left.

Noah Vedral, a quarterback for the Nebraska Cornhusks, was a four-year basketball player at his high school,  Bishop Neumann in Nebraska. Leading their team to three C-1 state titles during his running and averaging 13.6 points a game his senior year, Vedral was a great backup for Nebraska in their game against Indiana.

Brant Banks, an offensive tackle for Nebraska, also played some high school basketball at Westbury Christian in Houston but quit his senior year after enrolling into Nebraska early on. His junior year he averaged about 11.6 points per game and almost 8 rebounds a game.

Both Vedral and Banks made great additions to Nebraska’s roster on Wednesday night and it was truly fun to see two former basketball players gone football, go back into the sport to support their school and their team. Although IU came out on top, Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg still let the boys have playing time towards the end of the game.

An awesome moment for sports lovers everywhere and a cool opportunity to have two college football players travel back to their high school days again.

I think we can all agree that the Indiana Pacers are a tough team to beat since their organization has seen some top drafts come in to start. Just Friday night one of their all-stars Domantas Sabonis was seen dominating the court to help the Pacers’ victory over the Bulls 108-102.

With a final 24 points and 12 rebounds, Sabonis saw his 49th double-double of the season and tied with Troy Murphy’s club record. Although the Pacers were missing two key starters on Friday, Sabonis came ready to play. T.J. Warren (sore left leg) and Malcolm Brogdon (sore left hip) were both sidelined for the Friday game, which led Pacers fans to be a bit anxious when it came to play time.

Oladipo is still on a strict game time play but was able to come out for about 26 minutes of the game and score 12 points. “We’re a very talented group, and our depth is one of our strengths,” Victor Oladipo said in a post-game interview. “It’s no surprise to me that guys stepped up and played well tonight. We’ve just got to continue to build on it.”

Many Pacers fans have been anxious to see just how well their team would perform with a couple of their major players out with injuries. After Friday’s victory they are now tied for fifth place next to Philadelphia for the Eastern Conference, and are sitting ready for playoffs.

And although Oladipo thinks there is still room for improvement, it’s safe to say it will be awesome as a Pacers fan to watch this team continue to grow and only do better as the season continues!

The city of Evansville sure seems to think so after the Thunderbolts crazy victory over the Quad City Storms last night! In an epic and very physical game the Thunderbolts were able to break away in the third period and win the game at 5-3.

With Evansville’s Corson scoring the opening goal just late into the first period, they were able to keep hold of that lead until Quad City came back early in the second and got two goals to take the lead away from the Thunderbolts.

Just 30 seconds after the second goal for Quad City, Hannoun scored to tie the game and give the Thunderbolts a chance to turn this game around. Tied at the beginning of the third the Thunderbolts came back in to score twice in the opening couple of minutes of the third period! As the Quad City guys came even closer to tying the game once again in the middle of the third period, Hellems came out to save the day and score another goal for the Thunderbolts to end the game at 5-3.

Butler, Corson and Ferraro were both able to come away from the game with a goal and an assist each while Hellems and Hannoun getting a goal each as well. It was easy to see that both the teams came out to play last night but Evansville’s offense is a tough one to push past. I would definitely say they have a good chance come playoffs to keep their winning streak going, as long as they keep their offense fired up!

The NBA has suffered trememdously this season with the tragic and sudden loss of one of their own, Kobe Bryant. To say this man was an inspiration to basketball is an understatement. This man was an inspiration to EVERYONE, and the athletes and fans could all feel his presence at the 2020 NBA All-Star games.

LeBron and his team may have won the game for the finals, but everyone felt a sense of pride and connection when it came to feeling Bryant in that tournament. LeBron was caught after the game saying, “You could definitely feel [Bryant’s] presence. So he was definitely here.” (ESPN). Kawhi Leonard, pictured below, was the first to win the Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP award, that was announced after the game final.

There was memorabilia everywhere for Bryant and his daughter Gianna but the true message and unforgettable moments, came from the court. Bryant’s sportsmanship and true competitiveness came out in every player that game, more so in the MVP winner, Kawhi Leonard.

For all of us, the loss of Bryant came at a shock, but the NBA is slowly bouncing back and instead of pushing away entirely, the NBA organization and its players are embodying the “MambaMentality” that Kobe Bryant stood for and would be proud to see. For everyone it is still so surreal and a sting that will stay with us and the basketball world for the rest of time, but the NBA came out and honored Kobe and Gianna in the best way possible, and that is through playing the game itself.

USI Eagles advance to a 19-5 after this weekend’s homecoming defeat over ranked UMSL after a last-second free-throw by Rivera. Crowds stormed the court after the winning 67-66 shot.

We also go to see Emmanuel Little once again dominate the court with 21 overall points and 16 rebounds at the end of the game! Only a Junior, we still have a whole year left of watching this kid shine as a starting forward for USI basketball. It’s safe to say the Eagle’s shot percentage and ratio made the victory for them, holding UMSL at 7-for-29 at the field and also staying at a 27-12 rebounding edge in the first half.

Coach Rodney Watson was caught after the game in an interview stating, “Those kinds of shots, what happened at the end of the first half, they always seem to come back and have a big meaning in the game,” USI head coach Rodney Watson said in a postgame radio interview. “It did today. That was a huge shot to stretch the lead back to 11.” (Courier Press).

It is safe to say the Eagles once again have an edge in Divison II league and are looking promising towards another great season and National Finals title. Of course, all of it isn’t possible without the great Screaming Eagle fans!!

Let’s be real here, no matter what team you are rooting for in the NFL, I think we all in some form or another wanted to see the Chiefs finally have their Super Bowl rings. Patrick Mahomes, at only 24 years old, has shocked the football world with his unbelievable stats and is only going to continue to improve as his time with the Chiefs goes on. Here are some great highlights from Super Bowl LIV:

Chiefs Comeback

The Kansas City Chiefs had an incredible comeback just 10 minutes left into the Super Bowl, with a 10-point jump ahead in the 4th quarter alone. They are the second team to make this large comeback in Super Bowl history, next to the New England Patriots. Their first Super Bowl win in 50 seasons, I’d say this comeback is one we will not soon forget.

Mahomes vs Garoppolo

With the Chiefs having the third best offense, and the 49ers having the second best defense this past season, it was hard to determine who would come out on top. When it came down to the quarterbacks however, Mahomes got the job done and Garoppolo could not deliver. For Mahomes, it was just about not giving up and keeping their hopes alive. When Garoppolo started his throwing passes in the fourth quarter, Chiefs defense turned it on and Mahomes was able to come back out with a clear head, and win the Super Bowl.

Andy Reid Finally Got His Ring

Andy Reid finally got his first Super Bowl win, as well as his 222nd winning game that night. Since his start in the NFL 21 years ago, Reid has been one of the winningest coaches out there, however he lacked the Super Bowl title. Now with that in his hand too, it’s safe to say Reid and Mahomes won’t be going anywhere anytime soon, and this could be trouble for teams next season. Mahomes was even caught after the game in an interview saying Reid was the one who deserved the title and the hardest working player/person on their team. Even the Philadelphia Eagles took to Twitter to congratulate their former coach with saying, “Time’s yours, Andy.”

All in all, I think the biggest part of the Super Bowl LIV that we can take away is the Chiefs are back to play and will only come back even better and stronger in the next season. I’m excited to see how far they go and what all Mahomes and Reid have in store for the NFL.