Surprises, Reaches and Steals From the 2021 NFL Draft

The 2021 National Football League (NFL) Draft took place over the weekend with 259 college players finding new homes with one of 32 professional teams. From first overall pick Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars to the final selection and “Mr. Irrelevant,” Grant Stuard of the reigning champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland, Ohio proved to be a wonderful host for one of the most-watched drafts ever [https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/2021-nfl-draft-first-round-ratings.html]. It’s never ea

Who Will Go Third Overall at the NFL Draft?

After months of scouting, smokescreens and speculation, the 2021 National Football League (NFL) Draft has finally arrived. From April 29 to May 1, 259 collegiate athletes will watch their dreams come true in the beautiful city of Cleveland as they are selected by one of 32 NFL teams. Typically, there is plenty of intrigue surrounding who will be the number one overall pick, but that has been more or less set in stone since Trevor Lawrence led the Clemson Tigers to a national championship victor

There’s No “I” in Team, but Could There be a Union in Professional Tennis?

Over the past few months, unions have been a hot topic of discussion [https://amherststudent.com/article/seeing-double-you-need-a-union] throughout the United States. After news broke of Amazon workers in Alabama attempting to unionize, President Joe Biden affirmed his support for them. “There should be no intimidation, no coercion, no threats, no anti-union propaganda. No supervisor should confront employees about their union preferences. You know, every worker should have a free and fair choic

Fans in the Stands

Among the numerous sports leagues that had to halt play last year because of Covid-19, Major League Baseball (MLB) was arguably the most affected. While the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) [https://www.amherststudent.com/article/the-temporary-nhl-realignment-is-great-and-it-wont-ever-happen-again] were able to finish their seasons in a bubble, and the National Football League (NFL) completed its season with relative ease, the MLB had to drastically shi

The Temporary NHL Realignment is Great — and It Won’t Ever Happen Again

One year has passed since the Covid-19 pandemic halted athletic competition around the world. In the time since, the majority of leagues have found a way to return, albeit with little to no fans in attendance. For the NBA and the NHL, the decision was made to sequester a certain number of teams in a “bubble” format in order to have their playoffs and complete their seasons. Both leagues were praised for their resounding success, as they each crowned a new champion without a single positive test.

The Sparrow’s Nest’s 1st Annual NBA Midseason Awards

The NBA is nearing the end of the unofficial midway point of the season, also known as the All-Star break, which started March 5 and closes out today, March 10. Ironically, in a typical year, most teams would have already completed around 50 of the 82 games by the time the All-Star Game rolled around so calling it the halfway mark would be a bit of a stretch. However, in just the latest example that the past year has been anything but typical, the majority of teams have played exactly 36 of the

The Rapid Rise of Immanuel Quickley

For the greater part of the past decade, the New York Knicks have been the laughingstock of the NBA. From the disastrous Phil Jackson era to fan-favorite Charles Oakley being forcibly removed [https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/philadelphia-76ers/ex-knicks-big-man-charles-oakley-arrested-after-altercation-msg] from Madison Square Garden to the widely panned Kristaps Porzingis trade [https://www.si.com/nba/2019/01/31/kristaps-porzingis-mavericks-knicks-trade-nba-twitter-jokes-memes-james-do

The Curious Case of Jared Goff and Carson Wentz

It seems like much longer, but it was actually less than five years ago that Jared Goff and Carson Wentz were selected as the top two picks of the 2016 NFL Draft. By the beginning of his fourth full season as the Los Angeles Rams’ starting quarterback, Goff had already made the Pro Bowl twice, led his team to Super Bowl LIII (an ugly loss to the New England Patriots) and received a four-year contract extension that included the most guaranteed money in NFL history (an honor that was eventually s

Views From the Sparrow's Nest: Are Line Judges Going Extinct?

First, there was the bridge toll collector. Then, there was the check-out cashier. Now, you can add tennis line judge to the growing list of jobs that are being replaced by technology. The ongoing Australian Open, in an effort to reduce the number of people on court at a time due to the pandemic, is the first Grand Slam where there are no linespeople calling whether balls are in or out. Instead, a complex system of powerful cameras that carefully track the path of the ball, named Hawk-Eye Live,

A Voice for Change: Why the NBA is the Most Important League in Professional Sports

Baseball is America’s pastime. Football is the most-watched sport in the country. Soccer is ‘the beautiful game’ and the most popular sport in the world. However, basketball is the sport of the future, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) — and its players — is leading the way as a model example of how a professional league should operate. When the pandemic first started to make waves in the United States, the NBA was very much in the headlines, but not exactly for the right reasons. O

Amherst Names Four New Head Coaches As College Prepares for Canceled Fall Sports Season

In a changing of the guard for the Amherst athletics department, Director of Athletics Don Faulstick, has announced the appointment of four new head coaches over the course of the past month or so. The hires all have extensive resumes with previous stops at some of the top schools from across the nation. Valerie Jones will lead the women’s volleyball team; Marlon Sears will head men’s basketball; Busani Xaba will take charge of both the men’s and women’s squash programs; and Rashad Devoe will ma

Chimaway Lopez: Bridging Home Wherever He Goes

If there’s one word that comes to mind when talking to Chimaway Lopez ’20, it’s welcoming. Sure, thoughtful, passionate and kind will all be at the tip of the tongue, but they don’t paint a full picture “welcoming” does. Hailing from California, Lopez found a home through intellectual and extracurricular communities at Amherst. Photo Courtesy of Chimaway Lopez ’20. Whether he’s with his Chumash family in Santa Barbara, his friends on campus at Amherst or the Urban Thunder drum group in Western

Sparrow's Nest: Sports in the Time of Coronavirus

It’s been about five months since I last did this column, and boy, what a wild five months it has been. There was the tragic death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant in a helicopter accident, the franchise-altering trade of Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts and the departure of Tom Brady from his 20-year employer, the New England Patriots. Nevertheless, none of these can come close to the magnitude of the coronavirus pandemic and its effect on the entire sports world and beyond. Studying in Barcelona for h

An American in Barcelona: What We Can Learn about Spain’s Reaction to the Coronavirus

It’s pretty hard for me to think about the fact that just 10 days ago, I was in Spain, studying abroad in Barcelona. It’s even more difficult for me to comprehend that two weeks prior to that, I was in Italy (Rome, to be exact). I’m still processing that I have to self-quarantine for five more days alone in my grandma’s house in Queens, New York (don’t worry, she’s in Florida right now) before I can return home to my family in Manhattan. But it’s a small sacrifice that we all must be willing to

Views from Sparrow's Nest: Racism and the National Hockey League

Four days after a former NHL player came forward with allegations of racial epithets directed at him, Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters announced his resignation, effective immediately. The free agent winger, Akim Aliu, tweeted on Nov. 25 that Peters “dropped the N bomb several times towards me in the dressing room in my rookie year because he didn’t like my choice of music.” Aliu, whose father is Nigerian and mother is Ukranian, played for Peters in the 2009–2010 season as a member of the A

Views from Sparrow’s Nest: Colin Kaepernick

The latest twist of the never-ending saga between the NFL and former San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick occurred this past Saturday as Kaepernick worked out — a skills audition that falls short of a formal tryout — at a local Atlanta high school in front of scouts from eight NFL teams. While 25 teams originally planned to send personnel to watch Kaepernick perform at the Atlanta Falcons’ practice facility, Kaepernick switched the location at the last minute because of a di

Views from Sparrow's Nest: College Football Playoff

The College Football Playoff season is upon us. In what marked the most exciting Saturday of the college season to date, this past weekend’s major upsets and a classic rivalry game have shaken up the entire landscape. While the next set of rankings may reflect these changes, I have my own opinions on the best teams in the nation. These are my thoughts on the top four college football teams and two additional schools that have the best chance to make the College Football Playoff. 1. Louisiana St

Views from Sparrow’s Nest: Team Doctors

Contract holdouts are commonplace in today’s NFL. Just this past offseason, six different Pro Bowlers decided not to report to practice until they secured a new contract from their team. While not all of them were successful and one of them was downright disastrous (looking at you, Melvin Gordon), the only player of that group who still has not participated in a game this season is Washington Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams. It seemed that the decision was financially motivated at f

Views from Sparrow’s Nest: Astros and Taubman

In the midst of a busy sports week, from the beginning of basketball season to the NFL trade deadline to most notably the World Series, one piece of news that flew under the radar was the Houston Astros firing their assistant general manager. What should’ve been a time for celebration— the team stands just one win away from their second title in three years— is now an opportunity to reflect on how the organization handled the situation and what MLB needs to do to change the culture. In a story

Basketball as a Passion, Sport and Career

When children first start playing sports, many dream of one day throwing a football like Aaron Rodgers, serving like Serena Williams or shooting a three-pointer like Steph Curry. Megan Robertson ’15 was no different — she fantasized about hitting home runs over the Green Monster for the Red Sox. When those plans didn’t work out, however, she decided to pick up a basketball. After a storied four-year career at Amherst on the women’s basketball team, during which she was named the NESCAC Rookie o

Views from Sparrow's Nest: American League Predictions

The first week of the MLB postseason is in the books with only two Wild Card teams, one from each league, packing their bags and heading home for the fall. The club from the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers, met their match at the hands of the Washington Nationals. I had noted that the lack of Christian Yelich would ultimately lead to their demise, and it seems more prescient now, given the result. Backup rookie right fielder Trent Grisham muffed a single by All-Star Juan Soto that allowed

Views from Sparrow’s Nest: National League Preview

With the MLB regular season coming to a close on Sunday, it’s finally time for October baseball. It’s been a wild year, with home runs leaving the yard at a staggering rate, the defending champion Boston Red Sox failing to make the playoffs and multiple standout rookies breaking out onto the scene. It’s hard not to notice the clear disparity between the top and bottom of the league. Four teams finished with at least 100 wins for the first time in MLB history, while four teams finished with 100 l

Views from Sparrow’s Nest: The Madden Curse

Over the past six months or so, one name has dominated NFL headlines unlike any other: Antonio Brown. Even the most unengaged sports fan can attest to the fact that they are sick of seeing the ex-Steeler/Raider/Patriot on the front page of the news on a seemingly daily basis. All of that came to a head on Sunday when, two days after being released by the New England Patriots, Brown announced on his Twitter account that he would no longer play in the NFL. That concluded a stunning fall from grace

Views from Sparrow’s Nest: Serena Williams, the Icon

No, the U.S. Open Final did not go as planned for Serena Williams. In a shocking upset, 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu became the first Canadian ever to win a Grand Slam. This was supposed to be Serena’s coronating moment, her chance to finally make it over the hump, win her 24th Grand Slam and tie Margaret Court for the most in tennis history. Considering that Andreescu had never before made it past the second round in a major tournament, it seemed like a pretty safe bet. But the young Onta

Men’s Soccer Starts Season with Perfect Record

Following three successive campaigns ending in the NCAA DIII Tournament Sweet 16, men’s soccer kicked off the 2019 season with dominant wins over Nichols and NESCAC foe Bowdoin. Ranked 13th in the nation heading into the year, the Mammoths blended stellar offensive play with a stalwart defensive performance to knock off Nichols 2-0 on Wednesday. Amherst was held scoreless in the first half, but with shots favoring the Mammoths 15-2, it was only a matter of time before they broke through. G

Views From Sparrow's Nest: Andrew Luck's Retirement

In one of the most stunning announcements in recent football memory, Indianapolis Colts starting quarterback Andrew Luck announced his retirement from the NFL. Calling it “the hardest decision of my life” and citing both the physical and mental toll that the game had taken on him, Luck decided that “the only way forward for me is to remove myself from football.” At just 29 years old, the reigning Comeback Player of the Year joins a list of other NFL greats including Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, C

Views from Sparrow's Nest: Cale Makar

Sunny evenings, rising temperatures and blooming flowers can only mean one thing around Amherst: it’s almost finals season. As students gear up for the home stretch before summer vacation, one former University of Massachusetts Amherst student just a few months older than me is preparing for a different kind of grind. Cale Makar is trying to help lead the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche to their first Stanley Cup in 18 years. Upon first glance, it would be easy to mistake Makar for any other sophomore

Views From Sparrow's Nest: Tiger's Back!

He did it. It was a long and winding road to recovery, with many personal and physical challenges, but Eldrick “Tiger” Woods has finally won another major championship, his first in nearly 11 years. It happened at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, the host of the Masters, and one of Tiger’s favorite courses. This victory marked his fifth at the illustrious course, long considered the spiritual home of golf. Tiger had many doubters, myself included, but he showed why there should be

Views From Sparrow’s Nest: Giannis for MVP

He’s faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap over tall humans in a single bound. No, I’m not talking about Superman, although Shaquille O’Neal did recently pass on his former nickname to a sixth-year forward from Greece. I’m talking about Milwaukee Bucks superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo. The “Greek Freak,” as he is known, is having one of the most dominant seasons by a big man since Shaq’s MVP season in 2000. With the Bucks having clinched the best record

Views From Sparrow's Nest: Five Tips For Your Bracket

As the first weekend of March Madness comes to a close, many people escaped with their brackets still intact. 7-foot-6-inch Tacko Fall and the University of Central Florida Knights provided the biggest scare by almost breaking millions of hearts nationwide, but NCAA poster child Zion Williamson poured in 32 points to help Duke avoid a massive upset. With all No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 seeds still alive, the tournament hasn’t provided as much “madness” as usual, but there’s still plenty of basketball

Views From Sparrow’s Nest: NFL Controversies

The period after the Super Bowl and before training camp begins in July typically means a lull in the NFL’s news cycle. Yes, there is some buzz over free agency and the annual draft (something that even the NFL has managed to make into a spectacle as it’s set to debut on ABC this April), but the headlines through the spring are usually about March Madness, the beginning of baseball season and the NBA playoffs. That hasn’t been the case recently, however. Within the past few weeks, there have b

Men’s Basketball Triumphs in First Round of NCAA Tournament

It was an excellent basketball weekend for Amherst as the Mammoths won both of their matchups to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2016. Amherst had to travel more than five hours to get to the Palestra at the University of Rochester, the host for the first two rounds of the tournament. While the Mammoths’ rank would usually be high enough to earn them home-court advantage, the women’s team was granted hosting duties, so the men had to hit the road. Amherst

Men’s Basketball Bests Hamilton, Claims Eighth NESCAC Title

In an interview two weeks ago, head coach of men’s basketball David Hixon ’75 said that while he thought getting into the NCAA tournament would be difficult, “If you let us in, watch out.” Hixon and his team have seemingly cleared the first obstacle by winning the NESCAC tournament over the weekend and booking a spot in the bracket with a top seed. After beating the 16th-ranked Williams Ephs in the semifinals and the eighth-ranked host Hamilton Continentals in the championship, Amherst has compl

Views From Sparrow’s Nest: Tennis Love

My love for tennis is a classic case of nature versus nurture. I was first exposed to the sport because of my father, a former editor for both Tennis Magazine and World Tennis Magazine, U.S. Open ball boy for legends like John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors and 1982 Public Schools Athletic League finalist for Martin van Buren High School in Queens. His passion for tennis speaks for itself. He bought me my first tennis racket (an Andre Agassi model) at age three, and I went to my first professiona

Amherst Men’s Basketball Head Coach David Hixon ’75: 'We Can Beat Anybody.'

As head coach of men’s basketball for 42 consecutive seasons, David Hixon ’75 is used to taking calls from opposing head coaches and haggling over where they deserve to be in the regional rankings. “Well, you guys beat a very good Nicholls team, so that should go a long way towards your tournament hopes,” Hixon tells the Gordon College head coach before putting the phone down and taking a seat at his desk. Across from Hixon, assistant coach and Amherst’s all-time leading scorer Aaron Toomey

Men’s Basketball Defeats Tufts, Bates and Wesleyan

The men’s basketball team, ranked 23rd in DIII, won both of its matchups last weekend in LeFrak Gymnasium. They easily cruised to a 30-point victory over Tufts on Friday night before winning a competitive match-up the next day against Bates on Senior Day. Amherst kicked off the homestand on Friday against NESCAC opponent Tufts by scoring the first nine points of the game. The Jumbos never brought the deficit to within four. Amherst carried a 44-26 lead into the half by shooting 50 percent from

Men’s Basketball Continues Perfect Streak with Pair of Road Victories

Amherst men’s basketball continued its hot start to the season last week, winning both of its games by an average of 31.5 points. The victories improved the Mammoths’ record to 5-0, the ninth year in a row that they’ve hit that mark to start the season. The team traveled to Paxton, Massachusetts on Wednesday to play Anna Maria College. Amherst set the tone early, nailing six three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes to race out to a 50-21 lead at the intermission. The second half was more of

Men’s Basketball Starts Season With Three Dominant Home Wins

Following an up-and-down 2017-18 season that ended with the Mammoths falling to Wesleyan in the semifinals of the NESCAC tournament, the Amherst men’s basketball team was determined to come out of the gates quickly this campaign. The Mammoths certainly met these expectations, winning their first three games of the year by an average of more than 44 points, while clinching an 18th-consecutive Ken Wright ’52 Invitational Championship. The Mammoths kicked off the season against Framingham State

Football Loses Perfect Record And Puts Title Hopes in Jeopardy

Last weekend’s matchup between Amherst and Trinity, winners of the last seven NESCAC conference crowns proved to be every bit as good as advertised. The undefeated Amherst Mammoths faced off against reigning NESCAC champions Trinity on Saturday in Hartford, Connecticut before a raucous crowd of 3,000. While the Mammoths battled the entire game, their usually stingy run defense cracked when it was needed most, allowing Trinity to walk away with a 27-16 win and a clear path to the NESCAC title

Football Continues Perfect Record By Weathering The Storm Against Tufts

It wasn’t fun and it certainly wasn’t pretty, but Amherst braved the cold and rainy conditions over Family Weekend to secure a 19-13 win over Tufts on Senior Day. Despite temperatures in the 30s and wind gusts of up to 20 miles per hour, the Mammoths’ defense stepped up when needed and the offense did just enough to escape with the win. Tufts received the opening kickoff and made no progress, quickly going three-and-out. Amherst took over at its own 40-yard line and the offense went to work, wi

Football’s Defense Proves Dominant in Win Over Little Three Rival Wesleyan

Going into the season, Amherst was well aware that the team’s success would be decided by the last four games on the schedule. On Saturday, the Mammoths took their first major step towards a NESCAC title by knocking off Wesleyan in Middletown, Connecticut to remain undefeated and stay atop the standings. The Amherst offense started off slowly, only recording one first down on its first possession and punting the ball away after only four plays. However, Henry Atkeson ’20 launched a 49-yard p

Undefeated Football Downs Colby With Balanced Offensive Attack

On paper, Saturday’s matchup between the 0-5 Colby Mules and the 5-0 Amherst Mammoths was a huge mismatch, and from the first whistle the gap in class between the programs was visible. The Mammoths utilized their NESCAC-leading defense and an impressive outing from junior running back Biafra Okoronkwo to overpower the Mules, leading to a resounding 35-9 victory. Amherst’s defense was tested early, as Colby drove into Mammoth territory with ease on the opening drive. However, the Mules came up

Football Uses Dominant Running Game to Trample Bowdoin, 24-14

For a moment, it seemed as if nothing could stop the Bowdoin offense. For the opening five minutes of the first quarter, the Mammoth defense didn’t have any answers as quarterback Austin McCrum and running back Nate Richam methodically drove the Polar Bears all the way down to the Amherst 1-yard line. Everything changed following an impressive goal-line stand by the Mammoths that saw the visitors force a Bowdoin fumble on fourth-and-goal, which was recovered by Matt Durborow ’21 to keep Bowdoi

Mammoths Utilize Strength on Both Sides of the Ball To Demolish Continentals

After being held scoreless in the first half of its season opener against Bates, the Amherst football team didn’t waste any time putting points on the board in Saturday’s 37-14 victory over the Hamilton Continentals. On the first drive of the game, Amherst converted all four of its third-down attempts, marching 79 yards into the end zone to put the Mammoths up 7-0 just six minutes into the game. The opening drive featured a balanced offensive attack with nine rushing plays and five passing play

Football Bests Bates in Gridiron Grind Despite Offensive Slump

For the first half, the Mammoths looked average at best on offense. While its defense was excellent as expected, shutting out Bates in the first half, Amherst’s best offensive weapon was likely punter Henry Atkeson ’20, who pinned the Bobcats inside the 20 on two of four attempts. Aside from the four punts, Amherst’s two other possessions ended in lost fumbles, with one turnover coming inside the red zone. It was an ugly — and scoreless — start to a season filled with so much promise. Fortu

Football Returns, Aims for NESCAC Title After Near Miss

After a heartbreaking loss to Williams in the final game of the 2017 season resulted in Amherst finishing one game back of Trinity for the NESCAC crown, the Mammoths will look to bounce back and add another conference championship to the mantle. Last season started out well for Amherst, as the team erased any memories of its disastrous 2016 campaign, during which the team went 4-4 and saw its streak of three straight NESCAC titles come crashing to a halt. In 2017, Mammoths won seven of their fi

Men’s Tennis Goes 2-1 on Weekend With Wins over NESCAC Foes

It was an action-packed weekend for the men’s tennis team, as it played three matches in a span of 48 hours. In arguably their most important stretch of tennis all season, the Mammoths took on the No. 1 team in the nation, Emory, and highly-ranked Little III rivals Wesleyan and Hamilton. When all was said and done, Amherst had finished strong, winning the last two matches to wind up 2-1 on the weekend. The Mammoths first match of the weekend was their toughest task of the season, as they were m

Men’s Tennis Wins First Two Home Matches of the Season

It took until the 10th match of the season, but the No. 7 Amherst men’s tennis team finally hosted its home-opener this past Wednesday against Conn. College. The Mammoths capitalized on the home court advantage, as they didn’t lose a match, beating the Camels 9-0. Amherst then had its second home match of the season on Friday against Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and although the hosts faced a stiffer challenge, they still emerged with a 6-3 win. Wednesday’s contest was a rude welcomin