Nielson Wows the World- Beer Mile WR

I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in joy, and grew louder and louder. I expect something incredible has happened.

It's hard to pick favorites in sports, especially ones that have not yet reached a very wide range of spectators. Who should you root for in the races?

Two days ago, James Nielsen immediately became a fan favorite runner for thousands around the world. Not only did the online running community erupt when they heard the news, but countless sports and entertainment blogs sung praises of the 2-time NCAA DIII Champion turned Beer Mile World Record Holder.

Not only does Nielson hold a new (unofficial) world record time, he's the first to break the 5:00 Beer Mile mark, previously thought to be impossible to run. Nielson's feat is incredibly impressive- the beer mile involves drinking 4 beers over 4 laps on a standard 400 meter track. He states exactly what he's going to do in the video below and actually does it. The video in question has already accumulated a quarter of a million views over two days. For full rules and other drinking/running records, check out www.beermile.com.

How Strong is Boston Strong?

A year after the Boston bombings, much is being done to commemorate the resiliency of the public in the sports media and beyond.

Sports Illustrated 1 year ago

Recently, 3000 citizens of Boston posed for the current cover of Sports Illustrated. The issue served as a commemoration of the tragic events that happened last year.

One issue with this year's event is safety. A lot of people are afraid because of the terrorist attacks last year, but that is exactly the point of terrorism. A lot of precautions have been taken this year to keep the entire 26.2 mile course safe. No backpacks will be allowed at the race next week for participants, and spectators are strongly being recommended to leaving such objects at home. Unregistered runners and bikers are also being strongly discouraged from entering the course at all. The number of police at this year's event is being doubled from last years.

As Tsarnaev awaits his trial, the marathon and related events will be costing the city $175.8 million to put on, a greater amount than it has in any preceding years.

Have the terrorists won? They've certainly succeeded in scaring the citizens and government. Regardless, I think the outpouring of support and the actions of the Boston community show how strong they actually are. It may be a bit of a media spectacle, which I slightly disagree with, but overall the positive message is good for morale and the city. Putting on the marathon is a must, and this year's looks to be extremely memorable and especially important in the city's history.

Can Doping be Dope?

Should performance enhancing drugs be allowed in professional sports? An immediate response to this question may be a resounding "no!" in most social circles, however, doping can bring a lucrative new level of competition to the business.

Thousands of athletes are doing it, are going to do it, or have done it in the past. Some are exposed, others aren't. Some of the "all-time greats" have taken drugs as a mean to step up their game, such as Barry Bonds. Sometimes it seems like there isn't a star in the game of baseball who at least haven't been under scrutiny and allegations, from Arod to Big Papi.

Current MLB rules forbid performance enhancers in pretty much every form. But is this business tossing a sure cash cow? Steroids equate to more homers, more extra base hits, faster runners, more powerful throws, all things fans want to see. It seems like fans are only okay when the curtains have been pulled back, however- Bond's statistical standings were a huge point of controversy for years, asterisk (*) signs seen everywhere he played.

Steroid use is rampant and apparent in the entertainment industry, in everything from Hollywood to the WWE. Essentially what is happening there is you're being sold an image, an idealized version of real life. In ways, such as the 2004 Red Sox post season, sports can seem like a Hollywood fantasy instead of a competition. Drugs could be compared to advanced in technology that help athletes get lower times and generate more exciting plays.

While performance enhancers can create more exciting games abd maybe even the playing field of everyone is using them, they're still dangerous to use and have many side effects. They detract from the original purpose of sports, and fans would be irate if their use was formally incorporated. For these reasons, it's likely you'll never see all your favorite players shooting up, regardless of what it could bring to the game. Tradition dictates another way, and this way it'll stay.

Sizemore Strikes Back or Strikes Out?

Everybody loves a comeback story. Centerfielder Grady Sizemore, plagued with injuries, has been out of baseball since 2011. Jackie Bradley Jr may be starting opening day, but the excitement surrounding Sizemore makes it hard to leave him out of contention for the spot. While he may not be returning at leadoff this season, it is not unreasonable to expect to see Sizemore opening day.

One play of Sizemore’s that has had fans and the press excited is his 430-foot homer against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday. It’s like fans have been on the edge of their seats waiting for the spark signaling Sizemore’s return. Bradley’s performance this pre-season seems a bit more lacking, batting .173 over 17 games. Sizemore seems a much stronger player, with his .303 average over 10 games.

But is Sizemore healthy enough after sitting out 2 seasons? Just by making the opening day roster, Sizemore’s pay will increase $250,000 from his guaranteed $750,000, putting his salary for the year at a meager $1,000,000. At 60, 90, 120, and 150 days on the active roster, Sizemore will earn an additional $250,000. Sizemore’s definitely got a lot to prove, and a lot to earn- additional performance and accolade based performances could get him a total $6 million this season.

Everybody loves a comeback story. Will 2014 be the year of Grady’s?

How Can a Loss Be a Win?- The Tale of Millis Track and Field

Sometimes, a return trip can take years longer than the initial journey from point A to point B and back again. For some, the drive back to your hometown after a crushing defeat in a sporting competition can be the same way. The bus, you’d expect to be somber, reflective, and quiet, devoid of cheer, laughter, and music. It’s easier to forget the loss this way, for some. However, some don’t need to forget. Some don’t want to.

It’s peculiar, leaving a staggering loss, a competition, in extraordinarily good spirits. However, this is exactly how the Millis High School Track and Field team returns every time. A triumph for them always doesn’t have to be an undefeated season, or hanging a banner for a state championship. A victory may not come in the form of a win of a dual or tri-meet, but remaining positive, running hard, and trying their best, no matter what.

Millis is one of the smallest teams in the Trivalley League (TVL) across all three seasons of running: Cross Country, Indoor Track and Field, and Outdoor Track and Field. Their program doesn’t have many tallies in the wins column, for either the boy’s or girl’s teams. This doesn’t stop them from training hard and keeping their spirits high, however. Kendall Hyyti is the team’s manager, a former softball and basketball athlete, sidelined due to medical difficulties. Because of the size of the teams, Millis employs only a single coach for the girl's team, and one for the boy's. This leaves responsibilities such as leading warm-ups, ordering apparel, taking times, and even leading practices to Hyyti. One of her motivating catch-phrases is, “You're not going to get better if you sit there and complain”.

“We don't go to meets expecting to lose. We go to meets expecting everyone to do their best and do their hardest”.

The attitude of this extraordinary team, simply put, just isn’t something seen at other schools. In a world obsessed with winning, Millis stays grounded in reality, and instead focuses on the greater picture. Hyyti says, “I really love the team, it's like one big family. As cliché as that sounds, everyone is always there for each other… no one ever has a negative attitude”.

The future can always look bright, no matter how dark the past can be. Hyyti is looking forward to the spring track season, which has it’s first meet in early April. When asked about the team’s success, she responded, “This year we have an exceptionally big team. I'm expecting [and] hoping them to do really well this season”. The team will be training hard every day. Expect to see a great many personal, and even school records this season from athletes John Frasca, along with others. After all, you're not going to get better if you stand there and complain.

Insight on E-sports

Although e-sports have come a long way, they still have yet to be accepted in western society, a place that holds athletic competition in deep reverie. Professional gaming has been striving to achieve the level of legitimacy professional athletics hold in the United States, gaining immense traction over the last decade, yet still the subject of ridicule and motley seemingly no matter where you go. Despite the sporting and video game industries being remarkably similar, the competitive side of both are incredibly distanced. Thus far, the professional gaming scene has proven itself to be quite modest while athletics are excessive in every regard. While top competitors in physical sports make tens of millions of dollars a year through paychecks and sponsorships, the highest earning cyber-athletes have earned -over their entire careers- what constitutes a mere fraction of a top athlete's yearly income.

It's easy to see why professional cyber athletes are few and far between. If someone absolutely has their mind set on a career in the video game industry, a job in marketing, managing, or coding is easier to get, make a living off of, and are generally always higher paying. Like professional baseball players in the late 19th century or semi-pro teams of today, many e-sports athletes must subsidize their income by any means necessary, such as a part, or full-time job, completely separate from their game playing.

Professional gaming can learn to be accepted, though some sort of stigma will presumably always be associated with the sport for the foreseeable future. Gaming superstar Lim Yo-Hwan (known as 'The Emperor' in South Korea)'s parents were, at first, disappointed by their son's decision to constantly play video games. His father, when asked about the subject, said, “Of course I was disappointed. He was my only son” Later on, his father would have a change of heart, and show pride in his son. He approvingly watches him play in matches and tournaments, and even utters small exclamations of joy when another opponent falls victim to Yo-Hwan's cunning strategy. South Korea is a land so different from ours that there are 2 cable television channels for games played 24/7. Starcraft, in South Korea, has been played by more than 10 million people. The population of South Korea is only 49 million. Compare this to America's most popular sport, football. In a nation of about 314,000,000, only around 3.5 million play football.

Competitive and professional gaming generally has not been a great success as a business thus far, and is widely unknown in most of the world, excluding a few areas. Despite this, when compared to the early days of professional sports playing, professional gaming is doing quite well. Being a sport dominated by a constantly changing wave of elite players, it continues to remain true to its roots of high-velocity competition, full of surprise and excitement. Competitive gaming has persisted as a sport dedicated to the pure essence of fun, because what fans and players both love the most is to enjoy themselves in-game. Professional gaming continues to bring players new opportunities and ways to express themselves. Cyber-sports are as genuine and austere as can be, and are everything an authentic sport should be considered.

Catching up on NHS Track

The 2013-2014 winter season was very eventful for the Indoor Track & Field program at Norton High School. A strong varsity squad, led by Mike Tierney, Bill Sullivan, and Max Marcotte, coming off an undefeated Cross Country season, was thirsty for more and was joined by track superstars Justin Ireland, Kevin O'Leary, and Brandon Durocher. These varsity athletes were the top 6 point scorers for Norton this season, leading the team to another impressive 9 wins, closing yet another historic season for the Lancers.

On the boys team, a total of 9 records were broken this season, by Marcotte, Sullivan, Wrenn, Tierney, O'Leary, Ireland, Durocher, and hurdler Cam Stalters. Tri-Valley League All-Stars representing Norton on the first team were Mike Tierney (600m) and Kevin O'Leary (shotput, high-jump). Max Marcotte, Billy Sullivan, Justin Ireland, Cam Stalters, and Brandon Durocher were given the honor of election to the 2nd Team All-Stars. After 2 additional weeks of training and a strong showing at the Division IV State Meet, five athletes became the recipients of medals.

The Lancers defeated Hopkinton for the very first time in TVL history this season, bringing home the close to the team's first undefeated season in the Tri-Valley League. No one was able to best the team this regular season, continuing the streak already existent from the XC season. The boys team have lost 6 total meets in the past 6 seasons of cross country, winter, and indoor track, a strong testament to the immense development the running programs, spearheaded by coach Kent Taylor, have gone through at the high school. This year, Norton is looking to nab the elusive "triple-crown", that is to say, 3 straight undefeated seasons and Tri-Valley League Championships in a single school year. Athletes on the team feel optimistic the crown is in their reach.

"I really feel at the rate we've been going, no one can stop us," senior captain Billy Sullivan says. "What's even better than a single undefeated is three- back to back to back, and we've done the matchups- it's looking like we just might can pull this crazy thing off".

To learn more about NHS Track and Field, please visit nhstrackandfield.blogspot.com.

Will McDonough Writing Contest/ Be The Commissioner

Youth sports in America have evolved into a highly competitive beast, a far cry from the idealized version outlined in rulebook and handbooks distributed across the nation. Much like the win-crazy father played by Will Ferrell in the film Kicking and Screaming, the attitudes of many coaches today nearly create a parody of the very behaviors and morals they're supposed to abide by.

I've played 9 years of recreational sports in my town, and many years of competitive sports as well, even at a varsity high school level. In addition to this, I have several years of refereeing, captaining, and coaching experience. Winning or losing, having an undefeated season or not winning a single game, winning a championship or not even qualifying for the playoffs- across baseball, soccer, and basketball. Every year, season, I saw terrible coaches, before even I was able to fully comprehend and recognize their actions. Later on, as I got older, it became clear the coaching became less and less about fun and more about winning and winning, and I was able to find myself beginning to discern the few great coaches from the unrighteous majority with greater clarity with every season that passed.

It is said “Great men do not seek power. They have power thrust upon them”. The very same principles described in Star Trek have a real-world parallel in youth sports. Rare is the coach who coaches simply to have fun. Instead, coaches work to develop their own child's skills and create more playing time for their kid. Unfair treatment of other children, those whose skills are lacking, is more common than finding a scuffed up penny on the ground outside of your local supermarket. It's obvious from the behavior of coaches the fun of the children definitely isn't their number 1 priority. In fact, the fun of the children isn't even on their list of concerns- but that's what recreational sports at a young age are supposed to be all about.

Had I become the commissioner of youth sports in my town, several drastic actions would be put into immediate effect regarding the practice of coaching immediately. No longer would there be “volunteers” who so “graciously” dedicate their time coaching be put in charge. Instead, the least likely candidates would be put on the job. It may be someone with no prior leadership, coaching, or even sports experience, but that may as well be all the better. I know for a fact some of the very most fun games or matches I've played I had no idea what the score was at all. Especially when you're playing a strictly recreational sport, winning is the least important thing. Thus, I would impose rules working to tone down the importance of score keeping, especially in the games of those less than ten years old. Increasing the interaction and importance of referees in the game is something else I would focus on. I would give referees more power in the youth sports leagues in order to keep coaches in check and make sure every player receives an equal amount of playing time. More training would be necessary to make sure referees could hold up under the pressure, but it would be worth it.

In addition to the training referees would receive across all sports, coaches would be subject to a strict regiment as well. Breaking any of the rules set in place for coaches would result in harsh discipline. After all, coaches are looked up to by the children. Seeing an adult upset by the outcome of a kid's sport, frankly, is embarrassing for all parties involved.

Under my commission, youth sports would achieve their goal of being fun again. No more broken baseball bats, soccer balls kicked across the complex, or clipboards thrown to the ground. No more cussing out the sidelines or prolonged glances of disappointment towards under-performing athletes. By altering the way games are played and taught, a revolution would be sparked, resulting in superior sportsmanlike behavior in later life, even in those who do not continue in the sporting world.

Too Little, Too Late: Simpson's Run Comes Up Short in Boston

This past weekend when many of you were glued to your televisions watching the events in Sochi, runners and throwers at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix were creating new records- and also making mistakes.

Some of the impressive performances on the day included Mary Cain bettering the junior's 1000m mark, closing in on both the American record and world record in the process. Meanwhile, the men's 4x800m team of Richard Jones, David Torrence, Duane Solomon, and Erik Sowinski set a new indoor world record in their event with a time of 7:13.22. Another record was anticipated to be made in the final event of this meet as Jenny Simpson stepped onto the line in the 2 mile.

Simpson was well on pace to set a new American record, surpassing the 3rd place runner with 3 laps to go. She flew into second place and started to kick just before the bell, taking first place and leading the race. Naturally, Simpson slowly decelerated after crossing the finish line. One problem- the ringing of the bell traditionally signals the last lap of the race. Of course, this race was no exception to the norm, and too late Simpson noticed her competitors starting their final lap. After almost coming to a complete stop, Simpson wasn't able to get back in the race in time to take first. In lieu of setting a new record, Simpson had to settle with second place. Overall, she finished 3 seconds off the American record.

Professional athletes make mistakes, the same as any human. However, unlike "ordinary" people who will make minor mistakes at work or in school, athlete's blunders are often watched by thousands, if not millions- live. Oftentimes, they will be remembered by their errors instead of by their achievements.

Simpson can only look now to the future with optimism, and the past with perhaps a dash of regret. "It stings so bad. I was running really well and I was running so comfortable. That would have been a cool story if I had made that mistake and still gotten the AR. It’s a little bit of dash to my ego but a good confidence booster for the next thing.”

See the full results of the meet here.
The USA Indoor Track & Field Championships are scheduled to take place in Albuquerque, NM February 22-23.