Archive | December 2011

Happy New Year!

2011 will be a year to remember. They were many positive things that happen in the year. For example, the Texas A&M women’s basketball team winning the NCAA national championship and of course, the entire sports teams of A&M accepting the invitation to join the Southeastern Conference (SEC) effective July 1, 2012. Of course, let’s not forget the Sam Houston State University Football Team going undefeated in the regular season and swept through the NCAA Division 1 playoffs to reach the national championship game that will be held in Frisco, Texas on January 7, 2012 for the first time in school history under head football coach Willie Fritz. The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) causing another controversy when they selected Alabama, who didn’t even play in the SEC title game, to face Louisiana State University (LSU) for the national championship on January 9, 2012. It shows how the BCS stinks and they need to have a playoff. I will talk more about that on my next post. And in the National Football League (NFL), it was Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow proving the doubters wrong by putting the team in a position to make the playoffs with come from behind wins since taking over as the starter in the sixth week of the NFL. Many important people in the sports world passed away in 2011 and it is for this reason that we should cherish every moment that we have on this earth, because we don’t know when it will be our last. Hopefully, 2012 will be as memorable as 2011. I want to thank all of the readers who follow this blog. I want to wish everyone out there a very happy new year.

The link above the post is taken from ESPN’s SportsCenter. I do not own any of it.

RG3 Should Go To The NFL

by Cheval John

Normally, I would be for college athletes, especially football and basketball players, stay their entire four years of their eligibility in order to get their college degrees because it will allow them to fall back on something if their dreams of playing in the National Football League (NFL) or the National Basketball Association (NBA) doesn’t work out. With junior quarterback Robert Griffith III, also known as RG3, I take an exception.

Griffith had a phenomenal year, passing for 3,998 yards, 36 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He became the first player from Baylor University to win the Heisman Trophy and is one of the top prospects that could be drafted in the NFL next year. He also has a chance to return for his senior year in order to help the Baylor Bears improve to an even better record and possibly play for the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship and forgo the draft.

I honestly think that he should go to the NFL Draft. Now you might be saying, “I thought that you want to see college athletes go for four years in order to get their degrees?” I do, but here is the reason why I take an exception with RG3: He has already attained his Bachelor’s Degree and is about to graduate with his Masters Degree next year, so why should he come back and play his “senior year, when he has the opportunity to make millions of dollars in the NFL? It just doesn’t make any sense and if he does decide to come back and play, then all the power to him and I hope that the team succeeds next year because even though they get another quarterback, they probably will not be like RG3 and that is o.k.

Bearkats defeats Bulldogs 74-58

The Sam Houston State Bearkat men’s basketball team defeated Samford Bulldogs by the score of 74-58. They are now 5-8 for the season and are undefeated at the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.

“It’s a huge win for us,” head basketball coach Jason Hooten said. “Adversity is what makes us play strong and playing one of the toughest schedules in the United States is going to make us better.”

Sophomore transfer guard DeMarcus Gatlin led the Kats with 20 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block and a steal. Junior transfer guard Darius Gatson contributed with 17 points, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 rebounds.

The Bearkats came out of the gate and went on a 14-6 run and ended the first half by the score of 39-22.

In the second half, the Bulldogs came out strong as they went on a 14-3 run in the first 8 minutes of the half to cut the Bearkat lead to 47-43. The Bearkats answered with an 8-0 run to increase the lead to 55-43 and would go on to win the game by the score of 74-58.

Freshman guard Brandon Hayman led the Bulldogs with 10 points, 1 rebound and an assist while freshman guard Devin McNeil contributed with 9 points and a rebound.

The Bearkats shot 40.8% from the field while they shot 75.7% from the free throw line. They converted 30 points off the Bulldogs turnovers that was the difference in the game.

The Bearkats last non-conference game will be against Jarvis Christian on January 2, 2012 at 7 p.m. at Johnson Coliseum right before they open up Southland Conference play against the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners on January 8 at 1 p.m. For more information on the team, visit gobearkats.com.

College Newspapers Are More Relevant Than You Think

Before I started working for the Houstonian, the independent newspaper of Sam Houston State University, my perception of college newspapers was that they were not as relevant as major newspapers. I thought that they were in the same category as high school newspapers. Now that I have been there for almost a year, I have seen the importance of college newspapers and the impact that they bring to university students.

With the supervision of a faculty advisor, students are in charge of operations of a college newspapers. It is one of the few places on a university campus that a person can gain professional experience before they graduate. Also, they will know the “ins and outs” of their university.

The best part about working for a college newspaper is that you have a chance to cover areas that you are passionate about. For example, I am a sports reporter for the Houstonian and I have the privilege of covering sports teams  sponsored by the athletic department of Sam Houston. I love it because it allows me to share their stories and report on the teams’ success and failures. Also, you have the opportunity to meet a reporter from any of the major newspapers in the United States and work side by side with them.

Even if you decide not to work for a major newspaper after you graduate, you will have the maturity in your future career because of the experience gained while you worked for your college newspaper.

Merry Christmas!

To all my readers, I want to say a Merry Christmas to everyone. This year has been amazing and it can only get better. Though they have been times of pain and suffering, everything happens for a reason. What is most important is the fact that every one of you have persevered and things should only get better. And to the families who is celebrating without their love ones, all I can say is that God is with you and that the best thing that you can do is to celebrate that person’s live and that time will heal all wounds. So again to everyone, Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.