Simply Amazing

Simply amazing. That is all I can say after watching Kobe Bryant knock down the game winner once again tonight against the Toronto Raptors. This was the 7th time this season that Kobe Bryant has hit the game winning shot for the Los Angeles Lakers. Most don't make that many in a career let alone a single season. I know some people believe that LeBron James is the best basketball player in the world right night, but I would have to respectfuly disagree. Yes, LeBron James is extremely talented but he just doesn't have the smoothness, the calmness, and the savvy that Kobe Bryant has. You give me one player that I can have shoot the ball for my team with everything on the line, without question I would chose Kobe Bryant. It's even to the point where now I expect him to make the shot. I'm more surprised when he misses than when he connects. Even though Kobe Bryant probably won't win the MVP award, he deserves it. You can take LeBron if you want, but I'll take Kobe and his 4 NBA championship rings, going on 5...

Ben Higgins
Kin 332i Sec 2

Super Bowl

While sitting around my friends place I wonder how much people watch the game compared to just hanging out and partying. With all the commercial, people drnking and eating party food, who really pay attendsion to the game. I myself was going for for the Colts, what a shame that they lost. People who do not really watch football but each year the Super Bowl has become almost like a holiday. People all over the nation it around the television set or go to a bar to watch the game. People have huge partys for this day. People ask you "ifyou have plans for the Super Bowl," its amazing how football is as big as Thanksgiving day. Oh by the way football is always watch during Thanksgiving as well, is an American tradition to eat ad watch football. I love football so, its not something i really thought about untill i heard how this year was the most viewed and one of the best underdogg game in awhile
Bay Tran
KIN 3321 TTH

In The Public Eye

I recently read an article on ESPN (Niagara's Lewis still the All-American kid) that made me think about the effect publicity has on college level athletes. The story of Niagara's Tyrone Lewis really caught my attention. Since Tyrone was in high school he was considered the "All American Kid". He had great academic success, had exceptional talent in basketball, and was one of the most friendly, popular young men in his high school. He basically had it all, and planned to continue on to college. But before he graduated, his sister got involved in some gang issues. Recently after, there was an incident (small accident and shooting) involving Tyrone and a friend (who later died because of this accident) which was automatically said to believe that was related to Tyrone's sister's involvement with gangs.
Immediatly, almost everyone that had supported and was so proud of Tyrone turned their backs. They were so quick to judge and say what a bad guy he was, or make remarks as to the kind of parenting his mother did. He even became known already at the college he was supposed to attend. Most people crticized the coach for bringing him over. In the end, it turned out the the shooting and the accident was just bad timing, it had nothing to do with gang violence.
After reading this, I felt horrible to think of what Tyrone had to go through. He was just a kid when this happened trying to play ball in college. But the emphasis and fame society puts on young student athletes unfortunatly comes with the negative effect too. Once put on a pedastool for his accoplishments, it was all so quickly turned around. I think we should really think about who we glorify and why. And realize that they're just kids trying to have a good time with their talent.
~Elisa Rodriguez
KIN 332I section 2

Olympic Sports

I am a huge baseball and softball fan, so I was sad when they announced theses sports would no longer be apart of the summer Olympics. I understand the United States woman dominated softball and that can make in unappealing to have it in the Olympics. Although there are many sports which have had this problem and it only seams to be an issue when females are involved. So if there are too man sports or they are losing some popularity I can somewhat understand removing it. I get so upset when I hear of the sports they want to add. Golf and squash were attempting to be added and they did not make it thankfully. This is a process I would love to do research on because I would like to the standards and thought process that go into this. I would think popularity would be a big issue, but then how does white water rafting or speed walking survive? I know everyone has different taste, but shouldn't majority have the final say?

Vanessa Humic
KIN 332I

L.A. Kings, The real deal this year?

The Los Angeles Kings have been started to gain some attention at the end of last season, that they were going to be a force to be reckoned with. This season they are proving they are that force, and only gaining more strength as the season keeps going. The Kings have proven themseleves as serious contenders night in and night out and are in each and every game with an opportunity to win. They are currently tied for 7th in the NHL in points and only 2 points behind 4th place defending Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins. The Kings have won the only contests against two of the best teams in the NHL, the Penguins and the Captials. Many Kings fans are wondering not if the team will make it into the postseason for the first time in 8 years, but how deep into the postseason can this team go. The Kings do have some veteran players with playoff experience and Stanley cup rings on their fingers, but they also have some young guns who have little to no playoff experience. This team has proven themseleves as not only a defensive power, but also an offensive power. The Kings constantly have secondary scoring by their second and third lines and everyone is contributing as a team. They have constantly stood up for eachother on the ice in times of need, as shown in their physicality and their play. The Kings are without a doubt a very good team that will make it into the post season, and when it comes to the question of how far they will go, well that is something we will have to wait to see. But as a Kings fan for 20 years whom has seen many different Kings teams, I have to say that this team has the potential to make a deep playoff run, and contend for the conference championship and the Stanley Cup.

Marc Reichling
Kin 332I section 2

Will the Mavericks be trouble for the Lakers?

There's been a lot of speculation lately on how the new-found strength of the Dallas Mavericks will effect the defending champion Lakers post-season efforts. After making huge last minute trades to acquire the Washington Wizard's Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood, the Mavericks have been virtually unstoppable. Since the trade, the Mavericks have won 12 straight with 11 of the 12 being won by more that five points.
Meanwhile the Lakers have been struggling, to some extent. The team has lost their last three games (something which hasn't happened since acquiring Pau Gasol) and appears to be suffering some late season fatigue. In addition, the Lakers were one of the teams to fall to the Mavericks during their current winning streak.
All this being said, I still believe the Lakers have the edge on the Mavericks and are still the "team to beat" in the West. Either way, I'm happy to see another west coast team step up their competitive level and make things more interesting as thefinal stretch of regular season expires.

Donald Crandall
KIN 332I Sec.

Iverson Facing Alcohol, Gambling Issues

Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76er said that he will miss the rest of the season as he will be taking care of his undisclosed illness to his 4 year old daughter. This year has not been a great year for Iverson, his wife, Tawanna, has filed for divorce and is seeking alimony and child support for their five children. According to reports, Iverson has an alcohol and gambling issues. Take in consideration, Iverson is 34 and he about to lose his high school sweet heart and his 5 kids. As for his career in basketball, all the partying and drinking has taken its toll on his body; back issues and knee pains. 76er’s has dropped Iverson off the team because they don’t want him bringing the extra baggage that he is carrying around with him. Iverson needs help and the only person that can help Iverson correct his problems is former Georgetown coach John Thompson. Thompson is a father figure, and when he talks everyone listens. Thompson is the only guy that will be able to talk to Iverson about his problems.

RKIENG
kin 332I.S2

UConn Women's basketball breaking records but still not receiving media attention.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/03/uconn_womens_basketball_team_a.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/08/AR2010030804682.html

Having an undefeated season is one thing, being undefeated since 2008 is another. The women of Connecticut Huskies have done this and thus far this season done so scoring double digits in each game. Their record is fantastic beating that of many mens teams across the nation and yet their media coverage in the sport is still not as largely televised as mens. Their game on Monday wasn't televised probably due to some other male team playing and the demand for that being greater, which leads the question at what does a women's athletic team have to do gain more mainstream attention? Sure they're being mentioned now in their own segment on ESPN due to the fact the only team to have a longer winning streak was the mens UCLA team from 1971-1974 with a grand total of 88 wins, but the question still stands in my mind that if women are outperforming in their sport compared to men why not give them more coverage? It seems to go back to a male dominated media where women need to fight for their own place in the media since performance doesn't seem to be enough to gather high ratings and that a restructuring is in order.
Ryan Stapleton
Kin388I
5306 TTH 2-315

Dr. Galaea & A.Rod

Last year Dr. Galaea, a Canadian doctor, had treated Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez for simple inflammation after receiving hip surgery in which he prescribed Alex anti-inflammatories but not HGH or steroids. Since Galaea first received attention from authorities last year when his assitant was caught at the Canadian-American border with vials of HGH, an amount Galaea says authorities grossly exaggerated, several athletes that he has treated have been under questioning with regard to his practice and prescribed treatments including Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes. None have admitted to receiving any steroids or other banned treatments, but Galaea is still being pressed with several counts of attempting to import and sell illegal ergogenic aids in the U.S. Galaea claims the drugs found on his assitant were for personal use, as he is a 51 year old male and can improve the quality of his life substantially with HGH supplementation but prosecutors seem intent on destroying Galaea's reputation. It seems likely that the highly politicized and elitist medical system of the U.S. may have a hand in Galaea's fierce prosecution, as Galaea claims his practice has been heavily targeted since it would look bad on American sports medicine practitioners to have such elite American athletes crossing borders for better doctors. Galaea is known to have practiced on Tiger Woods, Alex Rodriguez, and Dara Torres among other elites. Some of the charges pressed against Galaea are for drugs that are not illegal Canada, and if the evidence from the U.S. Border Patrol is not fabricated the amount of HGH found on his assistant would still not be nearly enough to promote any performance enhancing changes in an elite athlete for any amount of time. I find how the media blows drug issues in athletics entirely out of proportion completely damaging to the intelligence of the sporting community, as it also blows the effects of these potentially therapeutic substances completely out of proportion making it extremely difficult to bring them in for debate based on logic and facts. Rather they choose to dumb down the public with fear mongering creating a collective mob mentality that holds negative views on things which they know nothing about. Even if Galaea is lying, what he did does not deserve the prosecution and slander that is being dished out. And if athletes want to go to a country to receive special treatments that aren't allowed in their home territory, it should be their right to do so.

Andrew Serrano KIN332I S.2

When is a sport good enough for the olympics?

If you win the Olympics in track, or swimming, or ice-skating, then mostly likely you have reached the pinnacle of your sport. To win takes a combination of years of hard work, dedication, and focus. To win an Olympic gold in soccer, tennis, or boxing is nice, but in no way shape or form have you reached the pinnacle of your sport. Few of the top players enter the tennis competition, only three 23+ players can play in the soccer team, and for boxing, well, you are still an amateur. The criteria for Olympic sports is complicated and subjective. For some it's the be all and end all, for others it's just another competition. Sports massive in their respective countries (baseball in the U.S and Japan and netball in the U.K) are not deemed suitable for the games. There are also certain races within sports that have been dropped to meet with scheduling. Now to me, no-matter the popularity of the sport worldwide, if a sports pinnacle isnt the Olympics, then it can make way for a sport where it would be. The amount of people who can name the 2006 soccer world cup winners would be far higher than the number that could name the Olympic champions. I myself am a huge soccer fan, am not sure who won the Olympic title. Same with tennis. I think the Olympic commitee should value more what the Olympics means to the sport, and not would the sport would mean to the Olympics.

Paul Fawcett Kin.332i

Griner's Punch: The rise of bad behavior in women's sport?

This article (there's a video too) was about a pretty hard punch that a 6 foot 8 woman's basketball player named Brittney Griner planted on opponent Jordan Barncastle. As I was reading the article, some descriptive words jumped out at me. Words such as "unsavory" and "outburts" were used to show how distasteful it is to see a "lady" conduct herself on the court. I am not disputing the fact that what she did was a reflection of poor sportmanship, lack of respect for another player and innapropriate, but these incidents occur much more frequently in male sports without making the evening news or getting a million hits on youtube. Kim Mulkey, Griner's coach, announced that she would be benching her player for another game in addition to the National Collegiate Athletic Association's standard one-game suspension for a physical altercation. The coach's decision in punishment is between her and her player, but I am curious if this additional punishment would have been applied against a male athlete? Mark Krug, an NJCAA spokesman noted that during the 2008-9 academic year, there were 101 total ejections in all of NJCAA women's sports and that only 37 of those were considered "violent ejections" ;during the same academic year, there were 648 total ejections in men's games, 177 of which were "violent." I really like the way Carrie L. Lukas, vice president for policy and economics for the Independent Women's Forum, put it into words when she said, "This is part of a larger girls-gone-wild appreciation society has for girls doing bad things. Girls are either a goody-two-shoes or a total bad-ass. We need to give them space to just be girls."

KIN 332I - Ali Fernandez

Lakers vs. Injury

This season as been full of injuries for the Los Angeles Lakers. Sasha Vujacic has an injury in his right shoulder that he received on Feb. 18th against Boston. This injury has caused him to miss the last 8 games. Luke Walton has only played 24 games this season because of a pinched nerve in his back. Kobe Bryant had an ankle injury that caused him to miss 5 games. Andrew Bynum with his hip injury, a bruised right hip with a ruptured bursa sac caused him to have a slow game Feb 24th.
Although they may face a lot of injuries they’re still a strong team with 46 wins and 18 losses and number one team in the Western Conference and number two team in the league. Following behind Cleveland who has 50 wins and 15 losses. Hopefully the Lakers’ injuries will come to an end or at least to a minimum so they can continue being a force to reckon with.

Jasmine Harper
Kin 332I sec. 2

Gatorade drops Tiger

Boom goes the dynamite, with in the blink of an eye it seemed that Tiger Woods has lost what has took him many years of hard work to build. Tiger did what thousands of average people unfortunately do on a semi-regular basis, cheat, not to say that because its common makes it okay but that its not uncommon to hear about this happening in current times. Last week Gatorade ended their long relationship with tiger, saying they no longer saw a place for him with their company. Gatorade was the third major sponsor to drop tiger since his extramarital affairs. Gatorade also recently pulled the drink Tiger focus claiming to have ended the line due to its low sales. The company, a subsidiary of PepsiCo Inc., has however agreed to continue donating money to the Tiger Foundation. this does not come as a shock to me because the whole purpose of sponsoring an athlete is to make money marketing the athlete and selling the companies products. A company cannot sell their product when the athlete that is promoting their product has had their negative personal affairs spread all over the media and many people have lost respect for. This also raises another question for me. I question the loyalty of these companies that have made millions of dollars from consumers that buy their products partly because of the athletes that are working for them. Do they have no compassion for human mistake and are they really willing to drop a loyal employee at the drop of a hat. This whole situation boils down to the companies wanting to continue to make money and have athletes that are not viewed negatively by the public representing them because people will not buy their stuff. It is unfortunate for Tiger and his family that his personal life has become smeared all over the tabloids and become a media frenzy. The fact is he is still an incredible golfer, ridiculously wealthy and in a year or two, when the affairs have blown over and he starts to win again, he will be redeemed in the eyes of the public and companies will pick him back up to sponsor them. It is not the end of the road for Tiger.

Meghan Romero
KIN 332i

Winter Olympics - Tainted Snow

It seems that the Winter Olympics ended on a very flat note. Wherever we turned, there seemed to be a dark shadow that was plaguing the games. A lot of controversy and heartache was present at the games. Weather conditions were shaky, many athletes were injured and the Georgian death seemed to bring everyone down. Rather than bringing people together, everyone was torn apart by the tragedies. Not to mention the Chilean's representative not being able to go home after the disastrous earthquake.

It was an unlucky year for Canada. Rather than being the highlight of their 2010, Canada had to face the music and see that the Olympics didn't really hit it. In recent Olympics, there has never been so much controversy and concern over the Winter Olympic Games. There is even a Wikipedia page highlighting all the negative aspects of the Olympics. Seeing as they are a distant memory, forever will the 2010 Winter Olympics be seen as the unluckiest in history.

Kathleen Rodil
KIN 332I Sec. 2

Notre Dame Can't Do It This Time!

Notre Dame has been known for breaking records in sports for both men and women. They were known for beating Oklahoma's winning streak in football during the 50s, UCLA's winning streak in men's basketball during the70s and one more against the North Carolina Tar Heels women’s soccer team during the 90s. As current as today, the women's basketball team was expected to break another record. UConn's women’s basketball team was trying to keep up their miraculous record of 70 consecutive wins which was something for the records books. Nevertheless UConn had beaten the Fighting Irish twice in regular season but that didn’t stop their determination to diminish another record. At first it was merely a game of keep away and both teams were shooting back and forth as if it were a simple pick up game. Finally the game began to pick up with the UConn huskies taking the lead, and after that Notre Dame just couldn’t come back. This just was one record that could not be tampered with.

Leah Gonzales
Kin 332I sec 2

Lakers' Andrew Bynum is fined $25,000

Recently Andrew Bynum of the LA Lakers was fined $25,000 in a game against Dallas. He was fined for saying, "It's hard to win when it's five against eight," referring to the officiating. Although he had a frustrating performance in the second half, his comment was not without reason. The Lakers and the Mavericks had the same amount of fouls, but the Mavericks shot 26 freethrows while the Lakers only shot 16. Bynum was upset with the missed calls and miscalls. The central issue is not Bynum's comment itself, but whether or not such actions should be taken after the comment. The NBA has become less and less lenient in regard to sportsmanship. Players are being fined and suspended for a variety of infractions and referees are much stricter in calling flagrant fouls. But Bynum's comment is not necessarily deserving of a fine. It seems that players can no longer speak their minds and must act in accordance to NBA standards. Players should be allowed to play and say what they want as long as it is within reason.

Kin 332I Section 2
Michael M

Performance Drugs in Baseball

Over the past years, the performance enhancing drugs in baseball has grown in seemingly uncontrollable levels. With A-Rod being constantly questioned about his previous drug use and Mark McGuire admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs, baseball seems to have some big problems. However, these problems in baseball are not only concerns in the professional level. There have been more and more stories of high school students using steroids. With expectations so high and pressure on kids to become "superstar athletes", it seems that kids will do so at any cost, even if it is harmful and possibly fatal. I believe that some serious steps need to be taken in order to "save" the image of baseball. Don't get me wrong, baseball has taken step in order to try and rid itself of performance enhancing drugs, I just believe that bigger steps need to be taken. Also, these preventive actions need to be taken at the lower levels (high school, college, etc.).


Bryant Wang
kin 332I.S2

Lakers rare losing streak

Through the first 61 games, the Lakers looked like the defending champions that they are, but that hasn't been the case in their last three games. This is there first 3 game losing streak, since acquiring Gasol way back in February of 2008. As a Laker fan it kills me to watch them go into what I like to call "cruise control" and lose games one after another. Although, today's lose wasn't a big shocker seeing how the Lakers shot a horrible 37.5 percent from the field. This is the eighth time they have shot under 40 percent this season and they've lost all eight games. Coming in today's game, the Lakers emphasis was on active defense. And with a bold fashion statement Ron Artest dyed his hair blonde with purple letters from 3 different languages that all spelled out "defense". Ironically, their emphasis on defense lead to a season high 39 foul shots allowed(17 in the first quarter alone). Artest's hairstyle did nothing to slow down Vince Carter, who ended with 25 points. With 18 games left and 11 of those on the road, I feel that the Lakers need get out of cruise control and start playing Lakers basketball. They need to focus on actual defense(not hairstyles) and start playing like the defending champs, if they hope to reclaim the championship this year.


K.Platzer
Kin 332i Sec#2

Jason Ferguson of Miami Dolphins, suspended

Free agent Jason Ferguson of the Miami Dolphins was recently suspended for the first 8 games of the 2010 season for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances. Ferguson, who tested positive for marijuana in his scouting combine in 1997 followed by a suspension just two years after in 1999 for anabolic steroid use, defended himself by saying, "People are thinking I'm a drug addict or something like that, and that's ridiculous... I read bottles and I know steroids. I didn't take no damn steroids." Because no further details were released regarding which specific NFL policies were violated and to what degree, it is difficult to assess Ferguson's fault and liability. Still, I trust that the NFL is and will continue to appropriately administer its penalties and/or fines. However, I don't believe the NFL is doing all that it can to prohibit steroid or other illegal performance-enhancing substances from the league. Perhaps more frequent and thorough testing combined with more severe penalties, the NFL can help rid of illegal substances from the game for good.

Joseph Park
KIN332i Sec. 2

Is it Realy Safe?

Before the 2010 Olympic Winter Games started, tragedy struck at the Luge track. Athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili of the Republic of Georgia lost control of his sled near the end of the training run while traveling near 90 miles per hour. Kumaritashvili was thrown off his sled over the short ice-covered concrete wall and slammed into a vertical support beam that holds a canopy. Medics arrived instantly and Kumaritashvili was pronounced dead at a hospital nearby. The accident raised many questions about the safety of the track. Officials have said the track was perfectly safe and that Kumaritashvili is to blame for the accident, not the track. If the track was safe then why did official move the starting line closer to the finish line? The gaps, between the beams where Kumaritashvili was thrown through, where covered up with plywood. By moving the starting line closer and closing the gaps contradicts the statement that the track was safe. It seems like the Olympic officials are passing the blame to Kumaritasvili. The Olympic officials should admit the track wasn’t safe and face the music.

Magdaleno Ponce
KIN 3221 Sec. 2

Noche Latina returns to the NBA

The NBA is bringing back Noche Latina for its fourth season throughout March. The Hispanic marketing campaign will feature nine U.S. Hispanic markets in Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago, Houston, New York, and Orlando. The NBA hopes to highlight the impact the leagues Hispanic players and to connect with the Latino fan base. Players such as Paul Gasol love this idea because the arenas are filled with Latin themed activities such as music, performances, and giveaways. The NBA uses this special month to reconnect and thank the Hispanic fans for their support, which makes up 15 percent of the NBA’s fan base. Eduardo Najera believes it’s a great idea for more Latinos to watch us and to open doors to more Latino players in the NBA. Other NBA players such as Robin Lopez of the Los Suns likes the idea because it will bring more international attention to the NBA and bring more international players from South America to try and participate in the NBA. Personally I believe this is a good move on the NBA because it allows more diversity into the NBA and allows it to grow even more internationally.

-Cardinal Sanker
Kin 3391 Section 02

Sticking By Tiger

Tiger Woods has lost many sponsors due to his recent public infidelities with Rachel Uchitel along with other girls. Some of the recent sponsors that decided to drop Tiger Woods are Gatorade, AT&T, Buick, and Accenture. At the time of Wood’s scandal hit the public and he announced that he would be quitting golf indefinitely, his sponsors collectively showed a $12 Billion decrease in their returns. Tiger Wood’s image and honor has been completely obliterated, but he has been laying low and with the help of his remaining sponsors; Tiger will gradually regain his popular and trust-worthy reputation. Nike, EA Sports, and Gillette are the big sponsors that stayed by golfer in the hopes that he can swing his clubs with pristine accuracy. Despite his promise to quit golf and focus on repairing and maintaining his relationship with his wife, Tiger Woods has been getting back into shape to enter some major tournaments in the future. Regardless of the recent scandal, Tiger Woods is one of the greatest golfers with one of the best work-ethics and drive for success; and he will repair his reputation with his family, fans, sponsors, and colleagues.

Casey Chung
KIN 332I sec 02

Deaf player's teammates see inspiration.

Cal State Northridge has NCAA’s only D1 basketball player that is deaf. I do not know about anyone else but when I thought about this, not being able to hear in sports especially basketball, I couldn’t imagine it. Michael Lizarraga had a choice of going to Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., the nation's only liberal arts university for the deaf, but he always wanted to play basketball so he chose to attend Northridge to play D1 basketball. He had a dream and he did what he had to and didn’t let the fact that he can’t hear get in the way. Another amazing part of this story is how his teammates and coach reacted towards him. His teammate and best friend Willie Galick began asking Lizarraga’s interpreter how to say certain words just to goof off at practice, but then began picking up on a lot more and was able to take the place of Lizarraga’s interpreter. Other teammates have also began picking up on certain words and join in conversations, none of them make him feel as if he doesn’t fit in, they all respect him and look to him for inspiration. It’s amazing to see how far a person can go as long as they follow their goals and never give up.
ABeaston
KIN332I Section 2

College Basketball: Best Postseason in Sports

With conference tournaments starting for mid-majors this week, we are two weeks away from the best-postseason in sports. My two favorite aspects of the tournament are the inclusion of mid-majors schools; these schools get the chance of a lifetime by getting to play the big-time programs that overlooked them as players and would never schedule these small schools in the regular season. Other sports only include about 16 teams at most, and division 1 college basketball includes 65 (with talks of expansion to 96 teams). Historically, these schools fair poorly in the tournament, but just the opportunity and the rare upset (George Mason in 2006 was probably the best example of this) makes it fun to watch. Then there is the format, 1-game elimination. This creates incredible pressure on all teams; teams that go 32-1 in the regular season can be out in one game if they have an off game. In professional baseball, basketball, and hockey they play 5 to 7 game series. The 1-game format favors the underdog, especially since the NCAA tournament is played on neutral court (although top seeds get to play close to home). This makes the NCAA tournament the most exciting in all of sports.

Zach Stiffel
Kin 332I Sec. 2

Shaun White's Gold Medal Win

At the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, Shaun White amazed me when you competed in the half pipe event. His first run he score 46.8 beating all his competitors by at least a few point. By the time it was his turn to do the half pipe the second time, he had already got the Gold Medal no matter what his score was. As I watched his second run, or as he called it his victory run, he blew my mind. He had a new trick up his sleeve that he was saving for the olympics. As he was about to do his new trick he calls the Double McTwist 1260, I was on the edge of my seat feeling as if he was going to be able to pull it off because Shaun did not have a lot of speed. Shaun does the Double McTwist 1260 and lands it perfectly, proving he earned that Gold Medal for the second olympics in a row. He scored a 48.4 (out a possible 50) and is the best half pipe competitor in the world.
Heather Funk
Kin 332i Section 2