Finesse? The Shift in Sports by AJ Loco

By: Aryan Javan

If you think about it we are at the doorstep of evolution in sports. Guys we all used to look up to are slowly leaving into the sunset. The Kobe Bryant's, the Peyton Manning's, the Derek Jeter's (already gone), and the new wave arrived,  the Steph Curry's, the Andrew Luck's, the Yaisel Pugh's. Their generation is upon us and the changing of the guard is happening. Even guys like LeBron James and Aaron Rodgers are now in their thirties too. The 1990's generation is here and ready to make an impact.

The games have evolved more than ever now; from strength and physicality to finesse and agility. Sports have become way faster then their old school predecessors. People like Michael Jordan and that whole era, I mean, it almost looked like a pick-up game at your local gym. No rules, physical, straight moves, and clutch jumpers. Now-a-days the game has evolved into a fast-tempo-dunk fest and dribbling showcase. The handles have gotten incredible and the dunks more creative and powerful.

The game has changed to a free agent blood bath. No loyalty really remains with one team. I believe the reason for that is the new generation likes to move around. They are more cultural and more open to seeing new places. The new wave likes the concept of teaming up and playing with friends. As to the old days, you were drafted somewhere and you stuck it out for the most part.Thus there were more rivalries because you were seeing the same guys on the same team, over and over and over. The dynasties were formed from chemistry and continuity. For some reason, the young guys now can just team-up play for a couple years, win a couple titles and then leave to start somewhere new.

In football, the games are less physical than before. This is a direct effect of rule changes and regards to player safety, which is good. Yet, football is naturally a violent sport so this of course changes the dynamic of the game. The speed and agileness has taken over as well. Most quarterbacks have the ability to run and throw (Michael Vick in my opinion changed the QB position forever with his running ability). Receivers are all down field threats for the most part. And running backs are used till spent and the next man up. It is all about putting on the moves and going off to the races. Granted there are outliers, like Marshawn Lynch, who still stick with a punishing brand of football. But those type of guys are far and few between. The physicality takes a toll on their bodies.

The NFL and college football for the most part has become pass happy. In the NFL, teams do not waste high draft picks on running backs anymore. They are prone to injuries and teams can find value at that position later in the draft. It is all about finding a "franchise" QB. In some regards this is the same as NBA. In the NBA it is all based on potential and finding the next superstar.  If a player does not produce early and efficiently they are considered a bust. There are guys in the NBA now ages 23-26 who are considered busts. They just maybe have not had the best draw or found the best system yet. Same in the NFL. It is all about the stars now and what team can snag them.

I believe as a result to becoming more of a finesse game compared to a physical game, this is why we are seeing more injuries. People contort and move their bodies in ways thought not humanly possible. A prime example, Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls. It was almost like his injuries were a result of him being too athletic for his own body. I am not saying that the older generation did not have injuries, but for the most part they were able to gut it out or were not as severe. The athletes these days are so tightly wound up, athletic and lean that there is no bulk or meat to stop major injuries from happening. ACL tears are spreading rampant across the sport's world. This injury is usually career altering and very hard to come back from again. It most be from being so finely tuned physically. The body needs substance besides just straight muscle to properly function.

I truly have noticed this trend the past couple years. I grew up watching football and basketball from 1998 to the present, and you can see how the games have evolved. You can see the difference in how games were played back in the day as to the present. The Seahawks remind me of the old NFL, and that is why they are successful in my opinion. They are not flashy (they make awesome plays though), but just stick to X's and O's and play a physical brand of football. The San Antonio Spurs showed how team basketball and continuity prevails over superstar lineups and the dunk-fest-dribbling showcase. The game maybe changing, but to be a champion teams always go back to the old school roots.

KEEP THIS IN MIND

By: Aryan Javan

1. Do not worry how others act, unless it truly actually affects the well-being of yourself or others.

2. If people talk behind your back, just leave them. Addressing it is useless, they will just deny it and do it again. They do it because of their own insecurities.

3. You truly can be anything you want to be. The challenge may be great, but why want anything easy? The success you attain after accomplishing such a feat is satisfying and gratifying to the soul.

4. Your dreams are here for you to leave your reality. You do not need substances to escape reality. The human mind is fantastic, thus already having a built-in mechanism to escape the "pains" of reality.

5. To bounce off that one, dreams are there to teach you about yourself. Listen to them. It is a look into how we really feel and act.

6. Only YOU can get to where you want to be. Sure you may find help on the way, but it is you who found the help. YOU are the key to success for your success.

7. You innately know what is good and what is bad. Your conscious will eat at you if you have done something wrong. No matter how "remorseless" or "ruthless" you may be. True evil is a scary thing and only found in some.

8. Everyone has their own agenda. That is not a bad thing, people need to take care of themselves before taking care of others. People pleasing your whole life takes a toll on your own mind.

9. Fearing death is not going to help your cause. Your time will come when it comes, that is why you should truly live life to the fullest. Do not let money, materials, etc. consume your life, appreciate the small things.

10. We are the god and the devil. In whatever religious denomination you believe in there is always a struggle between good and evil. They both exist inside us. It is whatever path you chose to follow. This also ties in with the concept of your conscious innately knowing what is right and wrong. 

Hawks Get Blown Out in Best vs. Best Showdown

By: Aryan Javan


The Hawks were humbled Wednesday night in Oracle Arena as they fell to the Warriors 114-95. Golden State looked unstoppable. They controlled the game from start to finish. The Hawks were able to stay in the ball game due to Golden State turnovers in the first half and second chance opportunities (Hawks rank dead last in this category via ESPN). But the Warriors pulled away big in the second half.

Golden State controlled the pace with their fast break game and excellent passing (39 assists). They shot a red-hot 46.7 percent from the three point line! Golden State's bench also chipped in with 50 points, led by Andre Iguodala with 21 points. It was a dunk fest for the Warriors as they just bullied the Hawks in the paint. The Warriors were without their second-leading scorer, Klay Thompson (sprained ankle). It did not seem to affect them. Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green both stepped up scoring 25 and 18, respectively.

"What I take away from it is the number players who made an impact," said Golden State Head Coach, Steve Kerr.

Atlanta had won the previous meaning between the two in Atlanta, but just were simply outplayed in this one. They had one of the worst shooting nights of the season, shooting 35.6 percent. It was just one of those nights. They had good looks but could not buy a bucket. The Hawks looked out of their game the whole night and were not able to settle in. Kyle Korver's absence (broken nose) was definitely noticeable. The spacing and normal passing was just not there. This is their fifth game out of the six-game-road trip. They wrap up the Western road trip at Oklahoma City.

"Any time you're playing teams with better records in the league, you're going to be tested, you're going to be challenged," commented Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, "and you kind of want to rise to that. You want to meet that test. Tonight wasn't our best showing."

Social Media Threats

By: Aryan Javan

Social media gives people the freedom to post and say whatever they please. People can make profiles to act their alter-egos, troll others on the web, say what they truly feel, etc. In a sense they can be someone they are not. They could even say things they would not say in person to others. So when someone makes a threat on social media it has to be taken seriously, right? For example, if someone says, "I have a bomb" in person that is taken seriously. So why should it be different on social media?

Just recently, Princeton High School in North Texas, beefed up security in response to a social media threat made by a juvenile. The student used the application, Burnbook, to relay that they we're going to 'shoot up the school.' Police were tipped off about the threat from an organization that monitors the application. As a precaution kids had to walk through metal detectors and have their bags checked. Extra officers were also on staff.

(Photo: WFAA)

This brings to light the issue of what and what not to take seriously on social media. Personally, I think it is hard to monitor all threats made on the web and social media. There are so many ways to make different accounts and post whatever you wish. For example, John Smith makes a different account on Twitter called "The Man 14," and on that account he posts vile and horrible things. But it will never be traced to him because he has the ability to make more multiple accounts. People post horrible things on social media, but it is not practical to monitor them all. And the fact is some people just post horrible stuff to do it or to get a reaction. Like we talked about in class "feeding the troll."

My point with this article is to show that social media can be helpful in monitoring security. For example, Princeton High School was able to safely avert their threat. Yet, it can also hinder the process because there is just so much content from all corners of the Earth. It is hard to see what should be taken seriously and what should not. I do not believe this is an isolated incident, but this school did do a good job of nipping it in the butt. I still wonder though, all the extra time and resources wasted because a kid said something stupid. Of course better to be safe than sorry, but think if every kind of threat was looked into? We would need more policemen and women!

P.S.: The culprit was caught by police and is being charged with making terroristic threats.

Hawks vs. Golden State Pt. 2

By: Aryan Javan

The Atlanta Hawks continue their six-game Western Conference road trip in Golden State, Wednesday night on ESPN. The Hawks are currently 3-1 on the current road trip and most recently snagged a victory in Sleep Train Arena against the Kings. They have beat the Kings 13 straight times, two times in the past week. The Hawks have rested various starters throughout the road trip and shooting guard Kyle Korver will miss the next two games with a broken nose. Atlanta currently has won 8 of their last 10 games.

The Warriors barely scraped by the lowly-LA Lakers Monday night, maybe looking ahead to the highly anticipated matchup with the Atlanta Hawks. The Warriors have also won their last 8 of 10 and look to get revenge against the Hawks. The Hawks beat the Warriors in Atlanta in early February. Both teams come in hot, an immovable object meets an unstoppable force. It will definitely be an exciting one to watch in the Oracle.

Bad Road Losses of ATL

By: Aryan Javan

After knocking off the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers last Friday night, the Hawks have dropped two of three against to teams with an under .500 record.

They lost to the lowly-Philadelphia 76ers Saturday, 84-92. Granted the Hawks rested starters Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver and DeMare Carroll. Still there is no excuse to lose to one of the worst teams in the league. The Hawks depth is what has carried us all season so they should have stepped up and played better. Al Horford stated how it was just one of those off-nights in basketball.

"I couldn't get a basket. A lot of our guys had good looks as well. Is just happens."

The Hawks shot a putrid 39 percent from the field. This also snapped the Hawks 6-game-winning streak.

To their credit, the Hawks rebounded Monday night at home against the Sacramento Kings. They shot an amazing 55.6 percent from three-point land and hit 20 three-pointers! They shot an overall 60.2 percent from the field. Let's just say, they may have been angry from the loss against the 76ers. All the starters played in that game. This would be the last home game for the Hawks until March 22nd when they host the San Antonio Spurs.



The Hawks started their 6-game-road trip last night in Denver. And it was another poor effort against a mediocre team. The Nuggets came out and shot lights out. Denver finished the game shooting a respectable 50 percent from the field. The Hawks have not won in Denver since December of 2006! Danilo Gallinari led all scorers with 23 points in about 24 minutes of action. The Nuggets also put together a great 54-point performance off their bench. the Hawks staged a furious comeback rally in the end but had dug themselves too big of a hole to come out of.

"We had fun. We enjoyed tonight, " stated Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets, "Atlanta is still a top team, one of the top teams in the league. We were able to show, 'Hey maybe the Nuggets can really play and maybe the Nuggets are worth watching."'

DeMare Carroll gave the perspective from the Hawks side, "We're a good team, but no team in the league is good enough to look at another person's jersey, look at another person's record and come out and play like that. We got down big. Thought we could come back, like we normally do. They kept their foot on the pedal."

The Hawks continue their road trip Friday night in Phoenix, who is still very much alive in the Western Conference Playoff race. They then travel to Los Angeles to play the Lakers, Sacramento to play the Kings, the huge showdown in Golden State on March 18th, and end their road trip in Oklahoma City against the Thunder.

One of a Kind: ATL Hawks

By: Aryan Javan

The Atlanta Hawks are off to their best 60-game start in franchise history. The Hawks are in the midst of a five-game-winning streak. They are the first team in the NBA, this season, to clinch a playoff berth, after their comeback win over the Houston Rockets Tuesday.

The Hawks are 17-4 against the "superior" Western Conference, the best record by anyone against the West. Coach Budenholzer has the team playing at an elite level every night. The "no-superstar" status is the best thing that ever happened to the Hawks. They do not have any players with big egos and play for one another night-in-night-out.

Their next opponent is the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers who will roll into Atlanta Friday. The Hawks are 2-1 against the Cavaliers this season.