On Wednesday, January 1, 2020, the Dallas Stars will play against the Nashville Predators in one of the most iconic games in the NHL season – the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. The Winter Classic first took place in 2008 with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres facing off in what would be the start to a now long-standing tradition. Every year since then, two teams are selected to play on New Year’s Day in what is called the Winter Classic. This season, the Stars and the Predators are at the center of it all with the game being held in the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, the furthest south the Winter Classic has ever traveled.
One of the reasons this highly-anticipated matchup has drawn so much attention is that the two participating teams released new retro-themed jerseys for the game. This year, the Stars revealed their Winter Classic jerseys (pictured below) and had them up for pre-order on November 6. The jerseys sold out in less than a day.
Photo from dallasstars.com
This season the Winter Classic jerseys were in such high demand that the Dallas Stars franchise had to re-release a limited supply of the jerseys a week later in-store only, explaining that they were not expecting such a high quantity of orders. There has also been an unexpected demand for young players such as Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen that simply could not be met during the pre-order release. More jerseys will become available in mid-December according to the Stars’ website but fans are encouraged to follow the Stars’ social media pages for updates on jersey availability.
Watching hockey can be confusing for people who are new fans; with rules, regulations, and terminology that are intimidating to learn, it can seem like it is in a whole new language. Hockey is continually growing with a new National Hockey League (NHL) team joining the league in Seattle in the 2020-2021 season and more recently the Vegas Golden Knights playing their first season in 2017-2018. With continual growth, it’s better to go ahead and get a head start on learning the rules now.
Let’s start with some terms that may be confusing to new viewers.
Icing
If you’re a beginner, icing is one of the more confusing hockey terms, but it’s easy to understand once you’ve got some general knowledge.
You can’t shoot the puck from your end of the ice to the other end in hockey. This is called “icing.” You’re in the clear when your player first touches the puck when it reaches the other end but if it is touched by the other team, it returns to your end for a face off.
Offside
In hockey, you cannot stay in the area of the opponent waiting for the puck. If you do this, you’ll get called offsides by the referee. You are also offsides when you cross the opponent’s blue line before the puck crosses the same line.
Pulling The Goalie
Sometimes, teams decide to pull their goalie if they are losing at the end of a game. You’ll also see teams pulling their goalie when the penalty is delayed.
Only six players can be on the ice at one time from each team, but there is no rule dictating what position they must be filling.
Once the goalie leaves, they will be replaced by an offensive player. At this time, the team is actually playing 6 on 5.
Now that you have a basic understanding of some of the rules, let’s look at who the players on the ice are.
The Goaltender
Firstly and arguably most importantly, we have the goaltender, also known as the “goalie”. The goalie in hockey plays the same role a goalie plays in any other sport; keep the other team from scoring.
It sounds simple enough but a lot of the time, the only thing goalies can rely on are their hand-eye coordination or their instinct.
Two Defensemen
The role of the defensemen can be a bit more diverse than that of the other positions. There are essentially three different roles the defensemen can play: classic, offensive (it sounds contradictory, I know), and a hybrid version.
The classic defensemen’s role is to stop players from the opposing team from scoring and to create some aggression and intimidation on the ice; they rarely take any shots to the net and their first priority is to defend.
The offensive defensemen is someone who will act as an extra forward. They will handle the puck from their end of the ice and create scoring opportunities and even take shots on goal themselves.
The hybrid version is just that, a mix of the traditional style of play with the style of the offensive defensemen. They don’t shy away from big hits but are also there to help put points on the board.
The Right and Left Wings
The right and left wings are both considered skill positions and they are the positions that cover the right and left sides of the ice, respectively. They are usually fast and are responsible for generating most of the goals.
The Center
The center is the player who is responsible for creating scoring opportunities for their team. They are usually players who can read the game well and are able to steer the game in the direction they wish to take it; much like a quarterback of sorts.
Although these are just some of the basics involving hockey, you now have a general understanding of what is going on and that means you’re one step closer to enjoying this great sport without having to ask too many questions.
For a more in-depth look at hockey rules click here.
After a devastating double overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues in game six of the 2019 playoffs, the Dallas Stars look to redeem themselves and make their fans proud this year. October 3, 2019 marked the official return of the National Hockey League (NHL) to Dallas, Texas.
Left to Right; Miro Heiskanen, Jamie Benn, Alexander Radulov, and Tyler Seguin Photo from dallasstars.com
During the preseason, the Stars acquired Joe Pavelski (San Jose Sharks), Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks), and Andrej Sekera (Buffalo Sabres). Sekera brings maturity and experience to an already impressive line of young defensmen that includes Miro Heiskanen who participated in the 2019 NHL All-Star Game and had an astonishing season last year, leaving many under the impression that he is going to keep improving as his second season begins.
With the addition of players like Pavelski, the Stars have given themselves the ability to create stronger, more diverse line combinations. Pavelski was placed in a line with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn which proved to be a successful group. In their final preseason game, all three players scored a goal, leading the team into overtime where they sealed their 4-3 win in a shootout against the Colorado Avalanche.
The preseason has not gone without its fair share of injuries, with Corey Perry out for two weeks due to a broken foot and Jason Dickinson placed on a day-to-day status after an accidental in-game injury from teammate, Seguin. Martin Hanzal and Stephen Johns are on injury reserve due to Hanzal’s back injury and Johns’ head injury. Julius Honka is now out of the lineup with no specifics or updates on his situation.
The Stars started off the regular season against the Boston Bruins, with their matchup ending in a 2-1 and two more injuries added to the Dallas Stars’ roster with Roman Polak fracturing his sternum and Blake Comeau recieving a lower-body injury putting him out for 2-4 weeks.
The Stars played against the reigning Stanley Cup champions and their division rivals, the St. Louis Blues, on Saturday, October 5, which proved to be a very physical and aggressive game. The Stars gained a 3-1 lead over the Blues with a power play goal but after a controversial call, the goal was disallowed since officials declared that Justin Dowling was offside. The Blues then tied the game two minutes and eleven seconds later and eventually gained a lead, ending the game with a score of 3-2.
Dallas played against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, October 6 and was led in goals by Roope Hintz. Hintz scored two goals and Seguin scored one goal to give the Stars a total of three goals. The Stars could not seem to pull through with a win, falling to the Red Wings with Anthony Mantha scoring all 4 goals for Detroit.
The Stars coaching staff and the players both know what changes need to be made in order to generate more scoring opportunities and hopefully improve their record as the season continues.
Football season is here and every team is fighting for one thing, to be the best. Battling heat through constant practices everyday can be tough, but that is what makes players perform on the highest levels. At first, the Dallas Cowboys were running over teams like nothing I have ever seen.
The Cowboys have been a big name in football not only in the United States but also worldwide. Top name players such as Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin turned the franchise into something special by winning three Super Bowls together. That winning mentality has seemingly carried all the way to the current season. The team is focusing and working together, which definitely is paying off.
Their perfect form started slowing against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday the 22nd. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was on fire in the first two games but was trying to find his feet in this one. The Dolphins definitely came to play. As the team itself reported, Dak said that greed led to a slow first half. “One of those heat checks or whatever you call it, just trying to do too much in the first half.” The team finally kicked it in after halftime and ended up winning the game thirty-one to six.
On Sunday, September 29th, the Cowboys headed to New Orleans to face a very good Saints team. As I watched the game, I was very stressed out, but excited because of the constant battle on the field. The game kept going back and forth all night, but it ended up being the Saints that came out with the win. After the game, the quarterback Dak Prescott said that the outcome will help them come back better.
The Cowboys have gotten a lot of attention lately with the new contract made with Ezekiel Elliott. Troy Aikman, the former Cowboys quarterback, recently weighed in on the deal made with Elliott and what he thinks about the current team. Aikman said he thought the deal the Cowboys made with Zeke Elliott shows how much trust they have in him as a player to get the job done. Anyone that knows Jerry Jones knows that he is aiming for another Super Bowl title. “There is a great deal of pressure, there always is, but the expectation right now for this team is as high as I’ve seen in quite some time,” Aikman told the Dallas Morning News. “Can they meet those expectations and make it all the way to the Super Bowl? Time will tell.”
ESPN has ranked the Cowboys as one of the best in the league this year. According to Bill Barnwell of ESPN, the Cowboys should make an incredible shift to the top in the rankings by his examination of skill position groups.
The NBA playoffs are in full effect as we head into the second round this upcoming week. The series set are the Milwaukee Bucks vs. The Boston Celtics and The Toronto Raptors vs. The Philadelphia 76’ers in the east. In the west we have the Golden State Warriors vs. The Houston Rockets and The Denver Nuggets vs. The Portland Trail Blazers.
The Milwaukee Bucks finished the first seed in the east and had the best record in the NBA. They have been led by Giannis Antetokounmpo who has been nicknamed the ‘Greek Freak’ after this MVP caliber season. The Celtics finished in the fourth seed and has had a shaky season but has been led by all-star point guard Kyrie Irving. This will definitely be a series that will determine the rest of the playoffs.
The Toronto Raptors finished in the second seed and have had an impressive season by the new dynamic duo of Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam. Halfway through the season The Philadelphia 76’ers added three key players to their team and have become a super team of themselves finishing in the third seed. After years of anticipation could this be the season that big man Joel Embiid’s ‘ Process’ gets fulfilled? This will definitely be a good series that will most likely go to seventh game to determine the winner.
The defending Golden State Warriors to no one’s surprise finished the first seed in the west. Nothing much to say here considering they have been the best team in the NBA for a couple of seasons now. The Houston Rockets finished in the fourth seed getting carried by Shooting Guard James Harden’s MVP historic season. This series happened every year with the GSW beating the rockets in Game 7, but this year with Harden playing the way he is the GSW might have a run for their money.
The Denver Nuggets finished the second seed on only what I can say is a season full of luck. I say this considering they have not been a playoff contending team since 2012. They do have a good cast of players but the true test of game will come in crunch time of this series. The Portland Trailblazers finished the third seed and are coming off an amazing series win to the Oklahoma Thunder. With this momentum around them and the new found hype with this team it feels they might be unstoppable. This series will also determine the rest of playoffs to come.
The war in Syria has been an ongoing issue for six years complicated by the third party involvement of the terrorist group IS; better known as the Islamic State. Syrian civilians are struggling to continue their everyday lives between the fighting of three different armed forces, each with a goal of its own. Although I believe the country would be better off without Bashar Al-Assad as president and my morality is tested by hearing of the unfair impact the Syrian Civil War has left on its citizens, I do not think we should get involved in such an entangling war.
This ongoing conflict was started by the controversy of a thirteen year old boy spray painting a slanderous message about the government regime under Bashar Al-Assad. The young boy was apprehended, tortured, and killed by Al-Assad’s forces, actions greatly displeasing the citizens in Syria. Civil protests soon followed but were countered by government and military interventions. Many factions formed to fight against the “corrupt” Syrian government as a result of forceful oppression from Al-Assad. Today many of these have converged into the Syrian Opposition, Ahrar al-sham, Tahrir al-sham, CJTF-OIR, and the Rojava, the latter two supported by the United States and other participating countries in the United Nations.
Photo Credits The National
The more complicated aspect of the fighting between the government and the rebel forces is a third force also trying to gain control of the region; the Islamic State. The Islamic State is a terrorist group well known throughout the Middle East for radical ideology and brute force. Because of the already weakened state of Syria the IS were able to gain land and power and become a strong belligerent. The United States already has a long history with this radical terrorist group.
Our ongoing involvement in other Middle Eastern affairs, such as the constant battle against radical Islamist terrorism of groups like IS, has cost the United States in money and American troops. It is hard to imagine all of that sacrifice to protect and preserve innocent people involved must be for “nothing” if we do not follow through, but it just might be an answer to the never-ending economic stress that comes with being a global morality monitor.
Photo Credits to The Daily News Hungary
If a “one-or-the-other” approach must be taken then it is more economically feasible for the United States to set aside its steadfast promise to uphold a certain global morality, and focus on self-defense and self-preservation. However, if a healthy middle were needed to be obtained then my suggestion is that we carry out our agenda with the radical Islamic State that has begun to overrun Syrian lands, and then to respectfully allow the Syrian citizens and its government to reach an agreement with the facilitation of members of the United nations that are closer to the conflict and more heavily involved.
Dallas Cowboys team and owner lock arms in moment of silent protest on Monday September 25. Photo from ESPN.
In 2016, Colin Kaepernick drew nationwide attention for not standing during the national anthem before games. His silent protest was against the oppression of people of color in light of events of police brutality. This form of protest has gained more attention since Sunday, when more players were shown with arms linked, kneeling on the field, sparking a debate over what the players are protesting and whether they should be able to protest at all.
On Monday September 25, the Dallas Cowboys team and its owner, Jerry Jones, linked arms and knelt on the field before the national anthem was played amidst jeers from the crowded arena. Jason Garret, Dallas Cowboys head coach, said in an interview with NFL Total Access they chose that moment to demonstrate for a reason.
“The biggest thing for us was to show support and to demonstrate, but do it in a way that didn’t involve the American flag and the national anthem, and everybody was behind that,” said Garret.
“The reason that I’m particularly proud of this team and the coaches that coached them, is because we all agreed that our players wanted to make a statement about unity and we wanted to make a statement about equality,” said Jerry Jones.
Jones is not the only owner to kneel with his team. Arthur Blank of the Atlanta Falcons and Dan Snyder of the Washington Redskins also kneeled with their teams. Donald Trump has spoken out against the NFL, urging for a rule that forces the players to stand for the anthem and sees kneeling as a sign of disrespect on the United States rather than a silent protest for social equality. He shared his opinion through a series of tweets.
Many Americans agreed with his statements. Taya Kyle, widow of ‘American Sniper’, Chris Kyle, shared her thoughts about the issue in a letter to the NFL on Facebook. In the letter, she claims the NFL’s job was to “bring people together and heal the world” and feels that their recent protests go against that.
“You are asking us to abandon what we loved about togetherness and make choices of division,” Kyle said.
While many Americans believe the protests are disrespectful to the country, others do not. There are many Americans that understand there is a meaning behind the protests, but feel the field is not the right platform.
Zane Watson, freshman, was on the fence about the issue.
“It’s their right as human beings to represent their opinions, but those opinions can reflect badly on the organization,” he said.
Cameron Frieden, University of Iowa student, does not believe the protests are disrespectful to veterans or the flag.
“These players make millions of dollars a year to play one game on Sunday, Monday, or Thursday. It’s a distraction to the sport of football. I think they should do it on their own time and not involve the game.”
“I personally don’t see why they shouldn’t be allowed to kneel. I also feel like if there are etiquette rules about the national anthem, they should consider that, too,” said Kayla Biegler.
Other Americans support the protests and feel the players are within their constitutional right to protest an injustice on the field.
Olivia Okoye, freshman, supports the players kneeling. “It’s their right to kneel. If they feel that they should do it, it’s their right.”
“I think they are standing as a team no matter what race they are because it affects all races. There are all races in the NFL,” said Arlena Lightsey, freshman.
Cassie Underwood, United States Army service member, believes the players have the right to kneel because they are using their right to a nonviolent protest.
“There are many people who don’t take off a hat or stand during the national anthem, but since the football players are televised, they are scrutinized for every movement they make.”
United States Navy service member, Kevin Marshall, agrees that the players should be allowed to kneel. However, he thinks the reason for it has changed.
“The protest is no longer about social injustice. Now it’s a protest against the President,” he said. “It started with protesting the social injustices that we as people of color face every day. Now, it’s more superficial with some protesting the cause mixed in with some showing unity after disrespect.”
United States Navy veteran, Willie Black, said, “Colin Kaepernick wanted to bring attention to racial inequality and police brutality toward African Americans. After Trump’s tweets this past weekend targeting the NFL, players, coaches, and managers and owners responded peacefully.”
Wow… After the smoke clears following another exciting first weekend of the greatest sports event of the entire year, all I can say is WOW. Trying to recap a weekend packed with great college basketball in one post isn’t easy but I am going to give it a go.
Well, I feel like natural place to start is good ole Sparty. Mr. Final Four, Tom Izzo, and his Michigan State Spartans got bounced in the first round to the 15 seed Middle Tennessee State. This one surprised the heck out of me and most likely took me out of the running since I had MSU as a lock to get into the Final Four and the championship.
Now to some of the other awesome games, UALR, or University of Arkansas Little Rock, played in one of the most exciting games I watched this weekend. They had a little guard, number 3, who seemed to be shooting into the ocean. The kid could not miss.
Then the boys from Yale, who have never been to the Big Dance in school history, pulled off the big upset against Baylor (the Baylor kids’ post-game interview after the game was priceless if you haven’t seen it: Taurean Prince Press Conference). Keep in mind however these were both 12 / 5 games, and if you do this often then you know this happens almost every year.
Then you have one of my favorite teams to watch, Steven F. Austin. This team was my biggest concern with the seedings. Somehow SFA with Senior guard Thomas Walkup, who has not lost a conference game in 2 years and made a run in the tournament just a year or two ago was a 14 seed! Now let me remind you, as I am writing this I still didn’t pick them (banging my head in to a wall) because I really liked Press Virginia and Bob Huggins to wear them out. I was wrong and big time! SFA looked like the better team all game long. They were unable to hang on in the next game against Notre Dame, however. And, why? Because they did what has killed many a team; they played not to lose at the end. Looking in control most of the game, they got out of their game plan and started running clock. As time expired and on the THIRD offensive rebound, a Notre Dame player tips it in at the buzzer to send the Lumber Jacks from SFA home.
Among the other upsets a few that don’t seem quite as noteworthy because we have seen these teams make noise in the tournament in the past: VCU, Wichita State, Gonzaga, Syracuse.
But then you have the last two big ones. Hawaii beating Cal, which wasn’t a huge surprise if you caught the news of their leading scorer being injured during a practice right before the tourney and being unable to play.
The big one however, which leads us into the second round, is University of Northern Iowa. (Flashback: I instantly thought of one of their players the year they made the run to the Sweet Sixteen, who had my favorite name I think I have ever seen, Ali Farokhmanesh – and, yes, I did look up the spelling on that). Northern Iowa was able to take out the Longhorns thanks to an amazing one-handed half-court shot by their leader Paul Jesperson at the buzzer.
As UNI was going for the elimination of not one but two Texas teams they gave up the largest lead anyone has EVER given up in the last minute in ANY college basketball game EVER!!! Sorry for being repetitive and redundant. Texas A&M went on a 14-2 run with under 44 seconds to play and forced overtime where they would eventually pull the game out in the 2OT. Just to give you an idea of how crazy this was, ESPN has a “Win Percentage Calculator”, and with 44 seconds to go, up by 12, Texas A&M had 0.0% chance to win… Obviously, the reliability of said WPC is in question as A&M was able to pull off the win. What a crushing loss for the Northern Iowa kids and fans.
Much as in that game, most of the “Cinderellas” lost their slippers for good in the round of 32 except for Syracuse (who could hardly be called a Cinderella, especially considering they were playing lower seeded Middle Tennessee State), Gonzaga who has made a name for themselves in this Tournament in the past, and Wisconsin. The Badgers win over Xavier was just about as crushing as the Northern Iowa loss. Up by 3 with 11 seconds left Xavier gave up two threes to Wisconsin sharpshooter Brandon Koenig. One to tie and then the winner with 2 seconds left (here’s the video if you didn’t see it Watch Bill Murray’s face). This led Koenig to say that he “went into his inner Steph Curry” after the game.
Ladies and gentlemen start your engines! The crowd is loud and the race is about to begin. Grab a seat and watch the show because we have 200 laps to go!
November 13th on our way home from Georgia our women’s Eagles soccer team bus took a detour in Lincoln, Alabama. “What could possibly be in the small city of Lincoln, AL?” was my exact thought. The bus pulled up to the Talladega Superspeedway. The view from the bus was jaw dropping. The speedway was huge and made me feel like I was an ant next to a human.
At the Talladega Superspeedway they charge an eight dollar tour on the track, a twelve dollar museum/hall of fame tour or sixteen dollars for both. I was fortunate enough to do the tour on the track.
We got on the tour van and we began going through the north tunnel of the race track. The same tunnel the motor homes and race cars come through. As we were going around the track the tour guide was presenting fun facts about the Talladega Superspeedway. The maximum speed is 200 mph on the race track. As we go around the track we pass four of the turns that are 4 stories tall. The average speed to stay on the turn is 90 mph if not then gravity will kick in. In the middle of the race tracks is a grass field and that is where the overnight campers can stay for the race. As we cross the finish line to the left was Gatorade Victory Lane, which is the area where the winner of the race stands.
Spending eight dollars for the tour around the Talladega Superspeedway was a once in a lifetime experience for me. Being a girl from California I have been blessed to explore many states since I have been in Texas. If you are ever in Alabama I would suggest making a pit stop at the Talladega Superspeedway.
When I was younger, basketball was life for me, and despite playing in high school and college, the NBA season was, and still is my favorite time of year as far as sports are concerned; that’s when I get to watch my lifelong favorites; The Chicago Bulls as they begin their quest for the championship against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
I have also been a big fan of sports bars since my active duty Navy days, when we had the Super 8 Sports Bars on many of our bases. Opening Night was always a major draw for them. This time, my opening night would be spent at Buffalo Wild Wings, with an old friend from Rayville, Louisiana, who happened to be in town doing some contract work at the Texas Walmart Super center.
I was surprised that there weren’t more people at Buffalo Wild Wings on opening night, but for me, the lure of watching the game on the huge televisions while working on a plate of wings and fries was, as the old saying goes, an offer I couldn’t refuse.
The major story lines pregame were that LeBron James had missed a major portion of the preseason to rest a back injury, and hometown hero Derrick Rose, was also injured, having suffered a fractured eye socket in the Bulls’ first practice, courtesy of an accidental elbow from a teammate, however, both vowed to be ready, and both played. There was also a very distinguished visitor at courtside, as President Obama returned to Chicago to watch the game.
The game was a normal opening night game. The teams are usually not sharp, and in the Bulls case, a new head-coach and coaching staff, and a new philosophy of playing the game is a recipe for sloppy play. For those of us who follow the Bulls, it was very evident that they are still learning the new offense. They weren’t very good offensively at all.
The game did end up being very competitive, and in the end, the trademark defense saved the day as Pau Gasol blocked a layup attempt by James to preserve a 97-95 win over the defending Eastern Conference Champions. It’s only one game, but there is a sense of excitement about the forthcoming season. Here’s to hoping that the tradition of good, entertaining basketball continues this season.
