With the spring season just around the corner, many of the University of Maine’s teams are ramping up training in preparation for their regular season matchups. The UMaine Softball team has already had a head start to their season by wrapping up the Liberty Classic in Lynchburg, VA. Following a season where this group finished on an 11-22 record, they will be looking to improve on that mark. 

In nine games so far this year, the Black Bears have posted a 1-8 record. 

With a total roster size of 20 and 10 seniors on the gameday lineup, this season will certainly pack a punch on Kessock Field. Fourth-year infielder Kelby Drews looks to lead the team in home runs again. Last season she was able to hit moonshots on seven different occasions to accompany her team-leading .882 OPS and .535 SLG%. 

Third-year first baseman Izzy Nieblas will look to extend her offensive output from the previous season, as her 18 RBIs led the Black Bears overall. In 2021, she was tied for the team lead in doubles (seven), runs (14), and led the team in total bases with 40. Tied with Nieblas last year for runs was fourth-year Keely Clark, also the team leader in hits last season, managing to get on base 27 times over the course of the season. Clark additionally racked up the best batting average on the team, hitting to a .360 clip. Her .853 OPS was good enough to be second on the team as well, only behind Drews. 

Tied with doubles last year was fourth-year Kya Enos, who played and started in 30 games last season, only missing one the entire year. Her 90 at-bats led the team, and she was fourth on the team in on-base percentage. While her ability with the bat may not be the best on the team, her speed is unmatched, successfully stealing on 12 of 14 attempts in 2021, doubling the next highest total on the team.

Third-year pitcher Caitlyn Fallon will likely slide into the picture as the team’s ace following the graduation and departure of last year’s number one starter, Kyleigh O’Donnell. Fallon ended the year with a 5.21 ERA and a WHIP of 1.76 to accompany a 1-7 record in her starts, featuring on four other occasions for relief appearances as well. Additionally, fourth-year pitchers Emily Reid and Gabbie Sicilliano will most likely see more action with the graduation of bullpen arm Lilly Volk, and only one first-year addition to the staff in Alexandra Gruitch.

The first opportunity for Black Bear fans to catch a game in Orono this season comes on Wednesday, April 13. In the meantime, the team will travel to Utah, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and Massachusetts before their lone home stretch of nine games in April.

Lee Petty’s win at the first-ever Daytona 500 in 1959 catapulted NASCAR into one of the most widely watched and attended sports across the country. From 1971 to 2011, and then beginning again in 2018, the 500 is scheduled to fall on the third Sunday in February. 

The race began as the “Daytona Beach and Road Course” at a track that ran off of highway A1A in Ponce Inlet, FL, before intersecting with the beach and running along the coastline. With tracks in 23 different states, fans in almost any corner of the country can easily catch a race. For a majority of us in New England, that track is New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire – though it cannot compare to the cathedral that is Daytona. 

After Petty won the first official race at the track on Feb. 22, 1959, the legend of the Daytona 500 and it’s most successful family had already begun to develop itself. Serving as the first race of the cup series’ season since 1982, a full field of up to nearly 45 drivers take the two-and-a-half mile tri-oval at speeds of over 200 miles per hour, in a 200 lap, 500 mile slugfest. 

The Petty family was beyond dominant on the track, with Lee’s son, Richard, racing his red, white and blue STP Plymouth Superbird to the tune of seven different Daytona 500 victories that cemented him as the greatest to take to the track.

Other notable drivers, including Dale Jarrett, Bobby Allison and Jeff Gordon are integral to the history of NASCAR, with each winning at Daytona on three separate occasions. Dale Earnhardt, arguably the most notable and well-known driver in the sport’s history, won his only Daytona 500 victory in 1998 after racing a nearly perfect race for all 200 laps. 

Daytona soon became a tragic venue for the Earnhardt’s, as on Feb. 18 2001, on the final lap of the race, Ken Schrader’s number 36 M&M Pontiac clipped Earnhardt’s car in turn four, sending him headfirst into the outside wall at over 150 miles per hour. Earnhardt was killed on impact, sending shockwaves throughout the sporting world, and putting in place new safety measures such as the HANS device, which is standard in all cup series cars. The Earnhardt legacy itself was carried on through his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who managed to win the 500 in an emotional 2004 finish, and again in 2014, only a few years before his retirement. 

The 2019 Daytona 500 saw those safety measures in action in real time. As the pack raced down the front stretch, nearing the finish line, Ryan Newman’s Ford led the line. While Newman was only a few hundred feet from winning his second Daytona 500 ever, young talent Ryan Blaney accidentally sent Newman into the outside wall, just like what had happened to the late Earnhardt. 

Following the impact, Newman’s car careened into the middle of the track, before his upside down Mustang’s driver side was struck full speed by Corey LaJoie’s car, who had been racing for a top five finish. The car flew into the air before sliding down the infield and catching on fire. Thankfully, safety gear installed into each of the vehicles was able to keep Newman safe. He was discharged from a local hospital two days later with no injuries. 

Daytona is the Super Bowl for NASCAR fans, and this season the atmosphere will be no different. If you missed the 500, don’t worry, because NASCAR heads back to Daytona for the regular season finale, the Coke 400, on Aug. 27, 2022. 

The world of soccer has recently seen a rise in sexual harassment and assault cases as victims are speaking out in waves against their abusers on a near weekly basis. Most recently, international forward Mason Greenwood, who plays for Manchester United, has been arrested on suspiscion of sexual assault. An audio recording and photographic evidence provided to the media by Harriet Robson via her personal Instagram, who claimed she had been abused by Greenwood, showcased her various bruises, cuts and scars. 

Within a few hours of this news reaching the mainstream channels, conversations around Greenwood exploded, with many calling for the immediate release and termination of his contract. Manchester United released a statement after the evidence was released. 

“Manchester United reiterates its strong condemnation of violence of any kind,” a spokesperson for Manchester United stated. “As previously communicated, Mason Greenwood will not train with, or play for the club until further notice.” 

The footballer was arrested earlier in January on the suspicion he had committed rape and assault, but was released on bail pending a further investigation.

In response to the story breaking, Greenwood’s largest sponsor, Nike, announced they would be cutting ties and refraining from any future endorsements involving him.

Additionally, Manchester United’s partner, Cadbury, who Greenwood had done promotional work for, announced they too would be suspending their relationship with the Englishman. One of the club’s sponsors, DHL, also announced they ended their relationship with him. He was also subsequently removed from all modes of the newest title in the FIFA video game series, FIFA 22. 

Greenwood is only one of the many men who have sexual assault allegations against them. In the Netherlands, Marc Overmars has recently stepped down from his position as the sporting director of Ajax. The former Dutch player played with Ajax, Arsenal and FC Barcelona, which elevated him to his status as one of the greatest Dutch footballers in world history, before accepting his position as the sporting director in 2012.

Reports of Overmars stepping down began to surface just after the allegations against Greenwood were released. Chairman Edwin Van Der Sar revealed that Overmars sent explicit messages to female colleagues around the club, creating an uncomfortable work environment and a very clear conflict of interest. 

Unlike Greenwood, Overmars issued a statement. “Last week I was confronted with reports about my behavior,” Overmars said. “And how this has come across to others. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that I was crossing the line with this, but that was made clear to me in recent days. For someone in my position, this behavior is unacceptable. I now see that too. But it is too late. I see no other option but to leave Ajax.”

Manchester City left back and French international Benjamin Mendy has multiple allegations against him, with reports claiming that he raped or abused five different women on eight separate occasions from October 2020 to August 2021. Mendy spoke out to deny the initial allegations, until more reports came out and individuals stepped forward.

The Frenchman was arrested in August and held in custody until he was released on bail this past January due to multiple postponements within the cycle of the trial. It was reported that Mendy will most likely have to wear an ankle monitor and remain on house arrest until June. 

In the U.S. Timbers midfielder Andy Polo was cited for harassing his wife at their home during an argument that required police intervention in May of last year. While there has not been any confirmation of charges against Polo, his partner, Genesis Alarcon, claimed to have an audio recording of an altercation with him where he issued threats and assaulted her, though that clip has not been released to the public. 

Polo had his contract terminated by the Timbers earlier this year in regards to additional details that had surfaced, including images of a black eye and reports of hair-pulling. 

Another U.S. team faced allegations in 2015. Portland Thorns head coach Paul Riley attempted to coerce some of his own players into various sexual acts. Notably, Riley had tried to get former players Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly to kiss each other in front of him while with the club, a claim that the two made last year. In addition, the two claimed Riley sent them inappropriate photos and greeted one of his players in only his underwear at a private film session. Farrelly said that Riley attempted the very same thing at a previous club where she had been a player. 

Riley was removed from his post with the Thorns following the news, but the inaction on Portland’s part to disclose the reason for his removal led to his hiring by the NC Courage, before he too was fired by the team after news broke in October 2021 of his misconduct in Portland. While the Portland Thorns suspended their general manager Gavin Wilkinson for his failure to protect his players, the call has not been made yet for chairman and owner Merritt Paulson to step down from his post. Social media posts surfaced once The Athletic released their piece on Riley from Paulson praising what Riley had been doing in North Carolina, before they were swiftly deleted from Twitter. Thorns fans responded to the news going public by orchestrating an in-stadium boycott, refusing to purchase concessions or merchandise, and chanting “protect our players” for the duration of an entire match. 

It’s clear that sexual harassment and assault are prevalent issues in the soccer community, as there are countless other stories of abuse and pain committed by players. Holding these men accountable is the only way to change this cycle of abuse, and we must support these victims when allegations surface. 

Coming off of their fifth straight victory, the University of Maine women’s basketball team welcomed the State University of New York at Albany to The Pit. The matchup featured two of America East’s top teams, with UMaine sitting at third seed with a 11-10 record and Albany at the second seed with a 16-6 record. 

Early on in the matchup, Albany looked to have the upper hand. A quick three pointer and a score off of a Black Bear turnover put UMaine down 5-0, but first-year guard Paula Gallego put two easy buckets under the basket to close the gap to one point at 5-4. From there on out, third-year guard Anne Simon and second-year guard Alba Orois were critical in orchestrating the offense for the home side, while Albany’s second-year guard Kayla Cooper caught fire from midrange. 

While UMaine’s defense, led by fifth-year forward Maeve Carroll, was halting a majority of Albany’s shot attempts from falling, their inability to corral rebounds on the defensive glass led to a multitude of second chance opportunities for Albany. Thankfully, Albany gathered only two points off of their ferocity on the offensive boards, a nod to the excellent recovery defense head coach Amy Vachon’s Black Bears put on display.

With the first half coming to a close, Simon started her own battle against Cooper, trading buckets up and down the court. A big two from Simon capped off a 6-0 UMaine run and gave the Black Bears the lead at 21-20. The score also cemented Simon as one of only 22 individuals to have ever scored 1,000 points in a UMaine jersey, an accomplishment that warranted a rousing applause from the Orono faithful.

Cooper was the centerpiece for Albany’s offensive output, slicing her way through the UMaine defense on two consecutive possessions, culminating in an unreal no-look layup thrown behind her head to regain the lead for Albany with less than a minute to go in the first half. The Black Bears did not let Albany have the last laugh though, when Carroll’s steal found Orois at the top of the key, where she calmly drained her only three pointer of the night to beat the buzzer and push UMaine’s lead at halftime to four, 31-27. 

The second half started off like the first with Albany coming out swinging, tying the game at 31. Second-year UMaine forward Caroline Bornemann did not let the game get away that easy though, nailing one of her two threes of the night to give UMaine a three-point advantage. After the sides traded buckets down low, Orois hit a three-pointer from deep to ignite the atmosphere at The Pit. Orois responded by finishing consecutive lay-ups on great dribble moves, before capping the third quarter off with a phenomenal spin-move into space to beat the buzzer with a lay-in to get UMaine’s back in the lead again, 45-43.

Orois put her distribution skills on display in the fourth, finding Gallego on multiple occasions down low and setting up Simon for critical buckets down the stretch. Bornemann put in her fair share as well, hitting a clutch three and a mid range shot to keep Albany at bay. 

Again, Orois delivered the highlight play, driving to the hoop and running through an Albany defender, finishing her lay-up and earning a critical and-one for her squad with a little over a minute to go. With UMaine’s defense continuing to stifle Albany’s shooters, Simon made the most of her opportunity and nailed a corner three with less than a minute on the clock to go, extending their lead to seven, 62-55, as Albany called their final timeout. 

On an ensuing foul, Albany missed both of their free throw attempts, allowing UMaine to run out the clock and put a bow on their sixth straight victory. The result was huge for the team and a great all-around effort, with every member of the Black Bears’ starting five finishing the game in double figures. UMaine’s next home game will be against the University of Hartford on Wednesday Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. 

On Jan. 29, 2011, Boston Bruins defenseman and captain Zdeno Chara set an NHL record for the fastest recorded slapshot in league history at that year’s All-Star Game. Chara’s display of strength and skill resulted in the Slovakian rocketing home a 105.9 miles per hour blast to win the competition and earn two points for Team Staal, led by Carolina Hurricanes forward Eric Staal. Chara’s shot broke the record held by Al Iafrate of 105 miles per hour, which soon became “Big Z’s” calling card, both in the league and in the annual All-Star game skills competition. 

Chara, simply unable to settle with his already record-breaking mark, was again named to the All-Star game and its subsequent skills competition a year later on Jan. 29, 2012. Going toe-to-toe with his finals opponent from the previous season, Shea Weber, Chara was able to put up a scorching mark of 108.8 mph, shattering the number he had posted only a year prior, and far and away solidifying Chara’s spot as the hardest shooter in the history of the league.

In standard games, Chara’s slapshot was lethal, quick enough to get by every defenseman in the way and hard enough to blast by any goalie. Standing at 6 feet 9 inches and weighing 256 pounds, Chara is built like a skyscraper, unmoving in even some of the most severe conditions. At that level, Chara also qualifies to be listed as the tallest player in league history.

Considering Chara’s physicality, his innate ability to drive pucks at the net with absolute reckless abandonment comes as no surprise; Chara wields a stick that measures 67 inches, a figure that reads seven digits higher than the average adult-sized stick used by an everyday NHL player. His extreme reach advantage makes him an elite defenseman and allows for an even more intense bend on Chara’s stick’s shaft, resulting in added torque and an even more powerful slap shot heading directly at an opponent’s. 

After winning the event five times in a row from 2007 to 2012, Chara continued to captain the Bruins until he was signed by the Washington Capitals following the 2019-20 regular season on a one-year contract. With Washington failing to offer the veteran a deal, the New York Islanders, the same team that drafted the giant himself, offered Chara a one-year deal. Today, he continues to play for the Islanders in what may be his final season as a professional. 

Chara’s opponent Weber inevitably claimed the hardest shot crown in 2015, coming within 0.3 mph of Chara’s mark by hitting a 108.5 mph. Weber won the contest in both 2016 and 2017 as well, with slightly lower marks of 108.1 and 102.8 mph before conceding the title to Alexander Ovechkin the very next season. Ovechkin’s shot registered 101.3 mph and was good enough to earn him the crown for the season.                          

Ovechkin relinquished the crown the following year to his teammate, defenseman John Carlson, who managed to hit 102.8 mph on the gun. Weber was not done attempting to take the record away from Chara, with the veteran defenseman giving it one more shot in 2020. Weber was able to set himself apart from the remainder of the crowd and let everybody know that he’s still got it, hitting 106.5 mph on the gun, the highest mark since Weber’s own result in 2017.

In what has been one of the most exciting Premier League seasons in recent memory, the race for the league title is hotter than ever. While the top six teams have remained fairly unchanged, this year’s tight title race has made for some surprisingly exciting and high stakes bouts. Considering the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t even propelled Manchester United into the title race, it’s clear that the Premier League’s level of competition is second to none in domestic competitions across the globe. 

With Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City claiming the top spot in the league this past weekend and stringing together five straight wins, no team is in a better position. Led by Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva, it’s hard to find a team as well-rounded and complete as Guardiola’s squad. While their summer splash signing of Jack Grealish has been less than perfect to start his City career, Guardiola has put his faith in the English youngster, continuing to provide him with minutes. 

In Merseyside, Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp sit in second with 34 points, only trailing Manchester City by one after recovering nicely from a loss with four wins in a row. With their defense finally back at full strength thanks to Virgil Van Dijk’s recovery, and the resurgence of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson at the outside back positions, the Reds have dominated and controlled their games against most, if not every opponent they’ve faced this season. Mohamed Salah has been arguably the best winger in world football this season, earning Premier League Player of the Month in October. 

Chelsea, the defending UEFA Champions League winners, are currently in third with 33 points. They have managed to find themselves in the hunt thanks to head coach Thomas Tuchel’s system meshing perfectly with the players currently on the roster he inherited from last season. While Timo Werner’s inability to find the back of the net has been well documented, new addition Romelu Lukaku has managed to fill that goal-scoring void, while players like Mason Mount and Marcos Alonso have shown major development across all aspects of their game throughout the year. 

While Chelsea held the lead in the title race going into last Saturday, a last second strike from West Ham’s Arthur Masuaku found its way into the short side netting to win the game 3-2 for the Hammers and not only tightened the gap between third and fourth in the table, but also knocked Chelsea from the top spot in the league. 

West Ham has transformed under former Manchester United manager David Moyes. Jamaican International forward Michail Antonio has been pivotal in their success, while Declan Rice and Vladimir Coufal have managed to keep things moving all across the pitch in the meantime. The Hammers sit only eight points from the first spot in the table, and have only looked better and better as the Premier League season carries on. 

Though the four teams mentioned should most likely qualify for next season’s Champions League competition, only one of those fantastic groups will be able to be crowned the Champions of the Premier League next May. While teams like Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United will look to fight their way into the top four as well, the title race looks to be a three horse race between Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool for the time being. 

This Friday, Nov. 19, the University of Maine Black Bears men’s basketball team took on the University of Maine at Fort Kent Bengals at “The Pit” in the Black Bears’ fourth game of the 2021-22 regular season. The Black Bears were looking to turn around their season after two tough losses to Virginia Tech and the University of Colorado.

UMaine’s top performer, third-year forward Steph Ingo sat out of the contest and wore a brace over his right wrist for the evening. First-year forward Kristians Feierbergs stepped into the open role, and fellow first-year Milos Nenadic started at center in place of fifth-year Chris Efretuei.

Fort Kent’s first-year forward Aiden Grady’s gritty play was no match for second-year Adefolarin “Fofo” Adetogun’s athleticism, as the guard rose up and emphatically swatted away the Bengals’ best chance to open the scoring. Fofo turned his defense into offense, driving the ball up the court and finding Nenadic for a slam to open the contest.

While contingents of the Black Bears offense started firing, third-year guard Lechaun DuHart had trouble getting the lid off, starting the game off 0-3 from the field. Black Bear and second-year guard Vukasin Masic, drilled the first three of the contest, putting Maine back in the lead only a few minutes in.

Masic wasn’t done there, driving the length of the court on a fastbreak and maneuvering around multiple Fort Kent defenders before softly laying up an easy two points. Efretuei entered the game after Nenadic left and made an instant impact, scoring and stealing a fastbreak quickly after his entrance.

With momentum, UMaine began their run and capped it off with an incredible and-one basket from UMaine’s second-year forward Peter Filipovity off of some spectacular passing by first-year guard Byron Ireland to put the Black Bears up 18-9 about halfway through the frame.

Efretuei found himself in the middle of things again when he sent a shot from a Fort Kent ball handler off of the backboard, springing a possession culminating in a fading two-point basket off the hands of first-year guard Sam Ihekwoaba to extend the lead.

Just before halftime, DuHart was able to finally break the ice with a three, his only make of the game with the exception of a pair of free throws. Fort Kent was unable to be silenced as guard Troy Williams sank a clutch buzzer-beating three to end the half. Shortly thereafter, a scuffle with UMaine’s Ja’Shonte Wright-Mcleish and Williams unfolded in the corner, leading to both players being issued technical fouls.

Vukasin Masic came out firing to start the second half, finishing a clean up-and-under layup to push UMaine’s lead to 13. Troy Williams continued to be a thorn in UMaine’s side, draining an off-balance, deep three-pointer to beat the shot clock buzzer. In the next offensive possession for Fort Kent, Williams converted on a double clutch layup through traffic.

Taking matters into his own hands, Masic came alive on the defensive side of the ball, intercepting a pass one play, and then burying a tough shot from downtown to push the score to 45-27 in UMaine’s favor. With the lead growing, the Black Bears only ramped up their intensity, with Efretuei and Ihekwoaba throwing down two handed jams on back-to-back plays, igniting both the home bench and the crowd.

Turgut had been crucial in moving the ball on the offensive end of things, snagging multiple offensive rebounds to keep plays alive, and converting a bucket off of a great find by Masic down low with just under five to go.

This time, Ihekwoaba teamed up with Wright-Mcleish for dunks on back to back fastbreak opportunities, extending the Black Bears lead to just shy of 30. The Black Bears won 75-43 behind stellar performances from Masic and Efretuei. Masic had 13 points, four assists, four rebounds and three steals. Efretuei had 9 points, three rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal.

“We just wanted it more. We wanted to prove to the country that we’re a good team. We got embarrassed over there in Colorado and just wanted to come back with a new attitude,” Efretuei said following his side’s performance. “My teammates had the confidence in me and we executed, definitely nothing too complex.”

The Black Bears will play next on Tuesday, Nov. 23, at home against Central Connecticut State University.

Over the past week, the University of Maine men’s basketball program took on Virginia Tech and UMaine Farmington to kick off the 2021-22 regular season. Coming out of the 2020-21 season where the Black Bears ended the year with a 2-7 record, head coach Richard Barron and the players are looking to rewrite the script as the games continue to stack up. 

Travelling to Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia for the opening game of the 2021-22 season, the Black Bears were hoping to make a statement this year. Virginia Tech had other plans though, as the Hokies jumped out to a 12-2 lead only four minutes into the contest, culminating in an emphatic fastbreak alley-oop slam for Virginia Tech. 

Virginia Tech fifth-year guard Storm Murphy scored all of his points in the contest in the first half. He managed to close out the half with an unbelievable three-point heave that clanked off of the backboard and through the twine below to give the Hokies a 46-22 lead. 

Fourth-year forward Justyn Mutts drove the offense for Virginia Tech with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists as the onslaught continued against the Black Bears in the second half. First-year UMaine forward Kristians Feierbergs gave what seemed to be the best performance for UMaine on the night, putting up 9 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists while also playing the third-most minutes out of any player on the floor. 

With Virginia Tech being a frequent competitor for the ACC in the March Madness tournament, UMaine’s defeat is understandable but still a painful one to stomach, with a final score of 87-42. With another game later in the week against UMaine Farmington at home, the Black Bears rallied back to the Greater Bangor Area ready to right their record. 

Very early on in the contest, the Black Bears were clearly playing with added aggression, taking and holding the lead from the beginning of the game. Former Black Bear, fourth-year guard Terion Moss attempted to finish around the double-double machine that is Steph Ingo before the Black Bears’ captain forcefully swatted away the lay-in with both hands about halfway through the first 20 minutes, showcasing the intensity UMaine was playing with. 

Ingo’s athleticism was put on display just a few minutes later when he was able to connect and throw down a mean alley-oop jam to extend the Black Bears’ lead even further. Farmington continued to battle back and make the game interesting, but continued resilience from the Black Bears was instrumental in preserving the advantage the team had worked for. 

Second-year guard Vukasin Masic was able to put together a solid performance as well with 8 points on 50 percent three-point shooting, while second-year guard Adefolarin “Fofo” Adetogun chipped in 11 points of his own. Before the game concluded though, Ingo decided to add one last bit of flair when he rose above the head of a Farmington defender, finishing an acrobatic alley-oop dunk by swinging his legs completely over the head of his opponent to the delight of the home bench. 

The Black Bears left the Cross Arena that night with a 71-52 win. Third-year guard Ja’Shonté Wright-Mcleish and first-year guard Sam Ihekwoaba grabbed three steals each. The entire Black Bears squad finished the game with 16 total steals, a testament to their tenacity.

Ingo put up yet another double-double, bringing his stats on the night to 13 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. Already in this short season, Ingo has proven that his skills are elite, and it’s going to be exciting to see how much more the forward develops as the year goes on. 

Now sitting at 1-1, the Black Bears will look to rise above a .500 record when they travel to Boulder, Colorado to take on the University of Colorado on Monday, Nov. 15.

29 years ago on Nov.11, 1992, a rookie by the name of Shaquille O’Neal sent shockwaves through the league in his debut performance. The 7-foot-1-inch O’Neal was chosen from Louisiana State University with the first pick of the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. 

In his very first career appearance against the Heat, O’Neal took advantage of a porous paint area that Miami couldn’t contain or control. He brought in 18 rebounds, the most among any player in the contest. O’Neal’s stat line becomes even more impressive when you consider the 12 points and three blocks he was able to add. 

The contribution from their soon-to-be star center was more than enough to get the Magic over the hump, and they took down the Heat with a score of 110-100. With the bruising and domineering style of play that the “Big Aristotle” was later known for, O’Neal managed to foul out of the contest after only 32 minutes of in-game action as a starter. 

Unbeknownst to O’Neal at the time, arguably his greatest teammate was just starting his own rise to stardom at Lower Merion High School. A young guard by the name of Kobe “Bean” Bryant had been making waves at his Pennsylvania-based school, breaking countless records while enrolled and was en route to entering the NBA Draft directly from high school, skipping college altogether. 

Ironically, Bryant’s debut was a week before, but four years after, O’Neal’s on Nov. 3, 1996, as Kobe played his first game wearing L.A. Lakers’ purple and gold. The debut for the “Black Mamba” was certainly less flashy than that of his future teammate in L.A., as the Lakers were able to pull off a 91-85 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves and a very young Kevin Garnett. A rookie Bryant came off the bench, only seeing six minutes of action in which he delivered a rebound and a block. 

Bryant’s first points didn’t come until two days after when he was fouled in a game against the New York Knicks. Bryant sunk his free throws and began what was inevitably going to be one of the greatest careers in the history of the NBA. O’Neal joined the Lakers before the start of the 1996-97 NBA season, where he spent the following eight seasons playing in the Staples Center with Bryant. 

It can be maddening to think that one of the greatest centers of all time fouled out of his very first NBA contest and failed to register a point in his first NBA appearance. Bryant went on to lead the league in scoring in consecutive seasons between 2005 and 2007, with a mark of 35.4 points per game in the 2005-06 regular season. 

What is almost just as wild to think about is that both of these players started their careers within a week of each other, but both in completely different situations. Then, somehow they both were able to meet up in Los Angeles and succeed with by far the best one-two punch pairing in NBA history.

20 years ago this Thursday on Nov. 4, 2001, a rookie named Tom Brady clocked in the first truly elite performance of his career in a 24-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. In the week prior, Brady had choked away a fourth-quarter lead after he threw four picks in the final frame against the Broncos that led to a 31-20 loss. He had been able to complete 162 straight passes without an interception, an NFL record at the time before the erroneous throws. 

Heading to the Georgia Dome both stood in somewhat similar positions, sitting at 3-3 and 3-4 respectively. Brady was set to start in place of the injured Drew Bledsoe, who had been knocked out of the lineup as a result of a nasty collision against the New York Jets’ Mo Lewis a few weeks earlier.

Early on in the showing, Brady looked composed and calm until an Antowain Smith fumble set up Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler to find former Patriot Shawn Jefferson in the endzone for an early score. The Patriots responded by driving down the field with minimal flak before Brady lofted an arcing pass to the side of the endzone where Kevin Faulk snatched the ball from over a defender and knotted the game up at seven. 

Chandler and the Falcons trotted the offense back out, but the possession was not long-lived. An errant throw over the middle of the field gave way for an easy Otis Smith interception subsequently setting up an easy field goal for Adam Vinatieri, giving New England a three point lead. 

Brady came back out with just under two minutes to go in the half, and did what he’s come to be known for: a late touchdown drive. He linked up with his favorite targets on consecutive deep passes, Troy Brown and David Patten, before a 15-yard pass to Marc Edwards extended the Patriots’ lead to 10 heading into the halftime break. 

With the second half underway, the defense came alive with Willie McGinest sacking Chandler on a clutch third down stop to force a punt. Recovering from the fumble earlier, Smith returned to his rumbling self and churned out a nearly 30-yard rush to set the Patriots up in great field position as the quarter neared its close. 

Easily the most impressive play of the day came with a little over 40 seconds to go in the third, when a deep pass intended for David Patten glanced off of a member of the Falcons secondary before bounding to Brown. Mirroring the “Immaculate Reception,” where the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Oakland Raiders in the 1972 AFC divisional round, Brown was clean through to the endzone for an easy six points. 

An injury to Chandler forced the Falcons to trot out then-rookie quarterback Michael Vick for one of his first appearances in his NFL career after being drafted out of Virginia Tech. Unfortunately for Vick, his very first snap of the contest saw him flushed out of the pocket before he was swarmed by the Patriots defensive line and sacked. 

Vick started to hit his stride with the fourth underway, finding Brian Finneran on a crossing route, before the wideout was stopped about twenty yards from the endzone. The Patriots defense remained stout and halted any Falcons advance, forcing a field goal. Getting the ball again, Vick showcased the speed that he would come to be known for, dodging New England’s tackles en route to a near 40-yard rush. 

Again the rushing ability of Vick was on display, earning another first down after stiff-arming a Patriot defender. Bill Belichick and his side made sure the Falcons were not able to get out of the backfield as easily this time, blitzing the line and putting Vick on his back emphatically. The following fourth down, the Patriots blitzed again and forced an inaccurate heave from Vick. 

With control of the ball, and four minutes to go, Brady burned the clock, driving down the field to ensure a 24-10 victory for the Patriots. With the win, Tom Brady’s 250 yards and three touchdowns were paramount in securing a positive result for a team still trying to adjust to losing their starting quarterback. 

The performance from “The GOAT” as we now know him genuinely stirred quarterback controversy in New England for the first time in his young career. With news that Drew Bledsoe’s injuries were serious enough to have him taken to the hospital immediately after the hit that knocked him from the game, Brady’s tenure had been mentally extended for the near future by a majority of Patriots nation.