Tag: Football

Is South Carolina a good football team?

By Milling Galloway

Does South Carolina have a good football atmosphere? Yes. Does South Carolina have the resources to be a national ranked team? Yes. Once again the answers to all these questions are yes. Sure enough we are a mediocre team once again. I’m tired of this. Year after year it’s the same thing over and over again. Why can’t we ever be good? Only once in the program’s history has South Carolina ever been good.

The problem, in my opinion, is that our offense is terrible. Our defense could easily stand with the best offenses in the nation; Bama, Georgia, any of them to be honest. Our offense once again is holding us back. Sellers is a decent quarterback that can run: He is not the problem. Our receivers are trash and our offensive line is atrocious. Lets step away from the negatives and look at the positives. Rocket Sanders is one of the most talented running backs we have ever seen. He has turned what should be no yard gains into explosive plays for the offense. Our tight end core has some good true freshmen talent that I would like to see more of.

Shane in my opinion isn’t the coach for us. It’s time to go looking for new staff. He has been given too much leniency. The play calling has to change as well. That means it is time to get rid of Dowell Loggins as soon as possible. The only reason we played a good game against Alabama is because of the Defense led by Kyle Kenard. It certainly helps the team when you have the best defense of end in the country. I honestly can not take the embarrassment of being a fan of South Carolina. You just get to a point where you know we are gonna lose and just accept our fate. All I know is if Shane doesn’t get his act together, we are gonna have a lot of problems.

A Glimpse Of Hope

By: Henry Jones

There have been a lot of great moments in this 2024 to 2025 NFL season, but if I had to pick one so far, it would undoubtedly be when my Arizona Cardinals took on the San Francisco 49ers, a division enemy, and beat them 24 – 23. Going into this game the Cardinals were predicted to lose by over a touchdown. We were even down 13 points at one time in the game. One thing about the Cardinals though is that they don’t give up when they are down. I would make a bet that the Cardinals have the most grit out of any team in the league. If I had the choice between a million dollars or being able to watch Kyler Murray masterclass every week then I would undoubtedly choose the second option. Watching Murry reignite his love for the game after all the grueling injuries he’s had throughout his career brings a tear to my eye. Kyler Murray even gained the respect of the greatest player of all time, Tom Brady. Since Brady’s retirement, he has been employed at FOX Sports as an analyzer. He has a section called “LFG PLayer of the Game”, and you could make some guesses on who they gave it to. They of course gave it to Kyler Murray. This is a huge honor in the sports world. To me, this just proves that he is one step closer to that MVP award. 

Besides that, I think we need to look ahead at the upcoming games. Up next we are taking on the Green Bay Packers. Some of my friends pull for this team so I am praying for an upset. Their best defender could possibly be injured for this game so more than likely this means that our saving grace, Marvin Harrison Jr., could have a massive game.

Why is Football the Best Sport

By: Andrew Howle

Millions of people worldwide participate in sports and are considered somewhat athletic. However, what sport should be considered a priority of all these athletes? American football is the best sport an athlete can play due to its significant benefits. The benefits reaped from participating in this sport are the exorbitant friendships formed, learning the true value of teamwork, the ability to become a leader, and the long-sought-after trait of being hardworking.

One of the most significant aspects of football is the sense of belonging it fosters among the team members. Football creates a brotherhood among the players, a bond that is unbreakable even in the face of triumphs and heartbreaks. The sport is not about individual prowess; it’s about the team’s unity and collective effort. This sense of belonging and the memories created on the field are lifelong.

Football is a sport that nurtures leaders, not followers. It’s a game of strong, courageous individuals who can make or break a team. Without these leaders, how could a team ever win? Football pushes young men into leadership roles, teaching them to take charge in challenging times. This experience can be a powerful inspiration for their future endeavors. 

Football, as the best sport, instills the value of hard work and resilience. Players often face tough and gritty situations during the season, from defeats on the field to injuries that require recovery. Yet, they bounce back, proving their determination and commitment. This resilience developed in football can empower players to overcome life’s challenges.

In conclusion, football is definitely the most well-rounded sport an athlete could play to gain benefits that will serve them well later in life. 

What is the best division in the NFL?

By: Stirling Tindal

 In the NFL, there are 8 divisions, 4 in both conferences. The obvious better conference is easily the NFC with the most teams at or above .500 so far. 

The competition for the best division would have to be between the NFC East and the NFC North. The East consists of the Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles, and Giants. The Commanders lead the division with a 4-1 record. The giants are the only team that are under .500 however their team has been looking up. In the North the Vikings with a perfect record of 5-0. The Packers are at the bottom of the North with a 3-2 record but just because they are at the bottom does not mean that they are a bad team.

Points wise, it’s a pretty tight race. The North takes the crown for most points with 484 points. The East lost this one with only 447 points. The North also sweeps the points allowed race with only 351 total points allowed compared to the East’s 436 total points allowed. 

The overall talent that these divisions have is pretty extraordinary. The East is filled with some extremely talented veteran players like AJ Brown for the eagles and Dak Prescott for the cowboys.

The East will certainly be very strong with the players it has. There are even some young stars shining bright early in this season like Malik Nabers for the Giants and Jayden Daniel’s for the Commanders. The talent in the North is led by young players in their third or fourth seasons. Players like Justin Jefferson for the Vikings and Jordan Love for the Packers, it’s only his second season starting even though it’s his sixth year. There are still quite a few veteran players leading their teams in the North. Jarod Goff for the Lions and DJ Moore for the Bears showcase extreme talent in their later years in the NFL. 

 Through this it is easy to see who the best division in the NFL is. It is clear on paper and on the field that the NFC North is the best division in the NFL right now and they will most likely hold that title for a while going into the season.

Cardinals Are Looking Scary Heading Into Week 4

By: Henry Jones

In all honesty, the last three weeks of NFL football have been the most enjoyable in a while. Though my Arizona Cardinals have a losing record being 1-2, we are surely shocking the sports world. Both of our losses have been by a single touchdown, and our win was by a significant amount of points. Not to mention all the teams we have played are significantly dominant teams. To give you better perspective on how our team is playing, Kyler Murray is a top 15 ranked QB and threw a perfect passer rating in the week 2 game versus the Rams. While this is very promising, there is also our rookie wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr., who has been producing as well. Despite the scary week one performance only producing one catch for four yards, he took a big leap forward going for 130 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter alone. Not only is this impressive for a rookie, Harrison Jr. is just the 13th receiver since 1991 to achieve this goal.

Another thing to notice is that our rushing game has also taken a jump. James Connor, our running back, has been a demon on the ground, amassing 189 rush yards and two touchdowns. Pairing him with the mobility of Kyler Murray is surely something for teams to watch out for. Now to talk rankings. The Cardinals are currently second in their division with the most points scored out of all their competitors. You would think since we have a more points scored than allowed in our games we would be positive, but no, our defense always seems to find a way to sell. It’s times like these when I am looking forward to the draft when we can pick up a 6’5 250 lb defensive stud to reinforce our line. To wrap up, it is hard to predict whether we will end up losing the rest of our games, or sneaking into a playoff spot, but I can for sure say that we will kill the Panthers when that game rolls around.

College football 25 is the best game 

By: Bryce Hanson

    College football is the highlight of many peoples lives. Every Saturday 18 to 24 year old men put their lives on the line to play an entertaining game for us fans to watch. And if you want to admit it or not everyone of those fans wish they could be part of the game. Well  luckily for those fans it’s now possible. With one of the most entertaining games named College Football 25. 

     This game has everything a person would want: The complete college experience. From keeping your grades up to have an eligible GPA, to practicing your butt off to maybe becoming a starter, it has it all. But this game doesn’t just stop at being a college athlete, you can also be a head coach for a struggling team and you have to rebuild them, or be the coach of a dominant power house and keep their legacy alive. One thing that puts this game ahead of the rest is the amount of teams you can pick from. It doesn’t matter what conference your favorite team is in, if their D1 they’re in the game. Another thing that just makes this game so special is the complexity of it, like I said you can be a coach or a player but there is also just quick play were you can play as any team against any team for fun. Then you have ultimate team where you try to get the best college players ever and put them all on one team. Another thing I love about this game is that it’s not easy. Most games have an easy mode that just makes the game too easy so you can’t lose but in this game anything can happen. 

Does Green Bay Need to Worry WIthout Jordan Love

By: Stirling Tindal

On the second to last play of Green Bay’s week one loss, Jordan Love went down with what looked like a pretty gruesome injury. Many fans were scared that he would be out for the rest of the season, however Love is now reported to make a recovery in 3-6 weeks. Matt Lafuer assures fans that Love will be back on the sooner side of that expectation. 

Taking Love’s place will be Malik Willis who is now preparing for his first NFL start for the Packers. Willis should be a solid quarterback since he started some for the Titans his rookie season. If he has to start the entire 6 weeks or more, I believe Green Bay can win most of those games with a couple of losses. In their first game with the Colts at home, they should be able to come out with a win. The Colts run defense was very weak in week one with the Texans, allowing 213 rushing yards. If the Packers rely on Josh Jacobs it will be a good first game for Willis to get ready for the rest of his time as starter.

The next week on the road at the Titans, I see a close game. It’s Willis’s old team and this is his time to make a statement for the league but I don’t see the Packers pulling it away. Because it’s a road game and I don’t think Green Bay’s defense will be able to contain Tony Pollard, I have them losing this one and falling to 1-2.

In week 4 the Packers will stay home for their first divisional game and host the Vikings. This is Willis’s first divisional game as a Packer and I have Green Bay walking away with a win. I believe Green Bay’s secondary will be able to stop Justin Jefferson. I think the Packers offense will also have a decent game with some sloppy turnovers but the team will end up with the win.

Week 5 the Packers will go to the rams. Because of Green Vays great secondary and good offense, even with Malik Willis, I have them coming back home with a win and being 3-2

Green Bay hosts the Cardinals in week 6. The Packers are now getting into their stride and I am taking Green Bay again in this one. Matt Lafuer will have figured out how to work with WIllis at this point and the offense will look good enough to get another win

However in week 7 the Packers stay home once again and host the Texans. Because of the Texans hot offense I have Green Bay losing this one and falling to 4-3. I don’t see the Green Bay defense being able to control CJ Stroud. 

Green Bay still needs to be careful in all of these games because without Love, all of these games could go to anyone. I believe Malik Willis can keep the Packers satisfied and give Love a good record to work with once he returns.

Can the Arizona Cardinals Compete in the the NFC West?

by: Henry Jones

Since the beginning of the National Football League, the Arizona Cardinals have existed, and ever since then, they have been disappointing to their fans. Though many others are willing to give up on the team, I am not. This looks as if it is finally our year. We have our dual threat QB back and healthy, we have a capable head coach, and our first draft pick, Marvin Harrison Jr. is looking to be the next coming of Jerry Rice and Randy Moss put together. This being said, our defense is probably, if not the worst thing I have ever laid my eyes on. It just isn’t physical enough to compete with the rest of the NFC West (the Cardinal’s division). 

Another thing, people love to go on and on complaining about how difficult they have it in their division, but nobody wants to talk about how hard the Cardinals opponents are. They have the 2022 superbowl champions, the 2024 superbowl runner-ups, and the Seahawks who have one of the best young rosters in the league. This being said, it will definitely be a challenge this year for the Cardinals. 

Last but not least, I would like to speak about the quarterback. I have been a Kyler Murray fan since he was playing Oklahoma football in college, and whenever the Cardinals drafted him with the first overall pick of the 2019 NFL draft, then I knew we were about to go on a run. Kyler started his career winning Rookie of the Year and putting up great numbers for it being his first year in the league. However, I got my hopes up too soon. Ever since his early run for MVP in 2022, Kyler has been plagued with injuries. I thing due to this, people forget about what an amazing quarterback he is. 

To wrap it up, I think I need to answer the original question: can the Arzona Cardinals compete in such a tough division? While it is a hard question to answer I will go with my own biased opinion (which is usually right) and say that we are good enough to compete this year and will go on a sneaky playoff run.

Is Basketball or Golf a more enjoyable sport?

By: Clark Kinney

Golf and basketball are both sports I like to participate in, but I do not play on the teams for either of them at Wilson Hall. I played basketball growing up and all the way up until high school where I made the decision to put an end to my basketball career. My brothers and parents all played basketball and my dad actually was the head basketball coach at Sumter High School and won a State Championship there in 1985. Basketball definitely runs in the family; however, Golf also runs in the family. My grandma won the South Carolina Women’s Ametuer Championship and my older brother, William plays very often and is quite good. I also really enjoy golf to the point that if golf season wasn’t the same season of baseball, I would be on the team. 

Overall, watching basketball is entertaining for me, but I think you can definitely tell that the players aren’t always giving 100% effort which makes it more boring as a fan in my opinion. The NBA regular season is pretty much garbage to me because no defense is played and the players do not seem to care all that much. NBA playoffs, college basketball, and high school basketball are all fun to watch and entertaining. I find golf entertaining to watch at times. The 4 majors and very exciting and I could watch those for hours. There are also some regular PGA Tour events that are exciting like but most of them are only entertaining during the final round on Sunday.

Playing pickup basketball with your friends is very, very fun and a very good workout. One of my favorite parts of the year is on Christmas break heading up to the Sumter YMCA to play pickup basketball almost everyday. The atmosphere in high school basketball games is crazy with fans that feel like they are on top of you and student-sections chanting for their team. Despite this, I still think pickup games are more fun in my opinion, sorry Coach Rip :). Although the atmospheres aren’t the same, Golf is very entertaining to play also. The thing about golf is that people can love it and play it with their best friends for their entire life which is unique. Golf is also very addicting. You finish a round and think about what if the ball would have bounced this way or what if I would have hit this club and it just makes you want to go play again. 

Due to the more consistent entertainment and longevity of the entertainment I think Golf is a more entertaining sport overall. I do think basketball has its very entertaining moments though.

NFL Hidden Gems

By: Sam Tristan

One of the most remarkable aspects of the National Football League is its ability to uncover hidden gems in the later rounds of the draft. While Tom Brady, a sixth-round pick himself, stands as the pinnacle of draft steals, there is another player who has carved out an illustrious career and left an indelible mark on the league: Terrell Davis.

Terrell Davis, selected in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, defied all odds to become one of the greatest running backs in NFL history. Hailing from Long Beach, California, Davis was not heavily recruited out of high school and initially played college football at Long Beach State University before transferring to the University of Georgia. Despite a stellar college career, Davis faced skepticism due to injury concerns, which ultimately led to his slide to the sixth round.

Upon joining the Denver Broncos, Davis wasted no time in proving his worth. In his rookie season, he rushed for 1,117 yards and became the first rookie running back in franchise history to start all 16 games. However, it was in the following seasons that Davis truly ascended to greatness. In 1996, he rushed for 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl selection and cementing himself as one of the premier running backs in the league.

Davis’s crowning achievement came in the 1997 season when he led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history. He rushed for 1,750 yards and astonishing 15 touchdowns in the regular season, earning both the NFL Most Valuable Player award and the Super Bowl MVP award. Davis’s performance in Super Bowl XXXII, where he rushed for 157 yards and three touchdowns despite battling through excruciating migraine headaches, solidified his place in NFL lore.

Davis was not done yet. In the 1998 season, he reached even greater heights, becoming just the fourth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season. His 2,008 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns not only earned him his second NFL MVP award but also propelled the Broncos to their second consecutive Super Bowl victory. Davis’s impact on the field was undeniable, as he possessed a rare combination of speed, power, and vision that made him a nightmare for opposing defenses.

Unfortunately, injuries derailed Davis’s career prematurely, as knee injuries limited his effectiveness in subsequent seasons. Despite playing only seven seasons in the NFL, Davis left an indelible mark on the league and the Broncos franchise. He finished his career with 7,607 rushing yards, 60 rushing touchdowns, and a reputation as one of the most dominant running backs of his era.

Beyond his individual accolades, Davis’s impact on the Broncos organization and the NFL as a whole cannot be overstated. His perseverance in the face of adversity, coupled with his remarkable on-field achievements, serve as a testament to the enduring spirit of the human will. While Tom Brady may stand alone as the greatest sixth-round draft pick of all time, Terrell Davis undoubtedly deserves recognition as one of the NFL’s most iconic and beloved figures.