Odell Beckam Jr’s fight

by Jeremy Martinez

On December 20th, 2015, the Carolina Panthers played the New York Giants. In the second half, Panthers corner back Josh Norman began to attack the Giants’ star wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr. He attacked him numerous times, by grabbing him and pushing his face and hitting him in the head. Odell Beckham got mad and started to attack him in return, and he did it numerous times. The most frightening example of Odell’s retaliation was when he attacked Norman by targeting his head after the play was over. Odell Beckham had taken three penalties by the end of the game, and he was suspended for a game by the NFL because of his childish acts.

Beckham appealed the suspension and lost, and he missed the Giants’ next game. This game was against the Vikings, and the Giants lost that day in part because they didn’t have their best receiver. It was also an important game, because the Giants needed to win in order to make the playoffs. Since they lost, the Giants were eliminated.

At the end of the Giants-Vikings game, people started to argue about who should have gotten suspended. Some people said Norman should have gotten suspended because he started the fight, but some other people thought Odell should have gotten suspended because he targeted Norman’s head and could have paralyzed him.

I think that Odell should have gotten suspended, but also that Josh Norman should have gotten suspended. Norman was the one who started the incident that Beckham got in trouble for.  I think Beckham should have gotten one game and Norman should have gotten two. I also think that Odell should control his anger and temper, so that next time he doesn’t get suspended again.

 

My experience on the Carmelo Anthony trip

by Matthew Barcus

I was interviewed by Melo’s website!

Yesterday, on December 15, 2015, I was one of the lucky kids that went to meet Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks. Before meeting Melo, we watched the new Alvin & the Chipmunks movie. At first I thought the movie would be wack, but then I started to like it. At the end I called Carmelo’s name and he looked and me, so I said “I want to play.” Then he laughed. After that, we took pictures next to Melo. But then I started to like it. At the end I called Carmelo and he looked at me so I said ” want to play you.” Then he started to laugh. After that the group I was in went up and we took pictures. But before the pictures, he said to me, ” I heard you said something to me.” When we were done with the pictures, I told him ”Come to Eagle Academy and look for Matthew Barcus, I’ll be waiting!”‘

In the end, I had a really good time.

I am going to meet Carmelo Anthony! Wait, what?

by Justin Mendoza

Me with my friends Melvin and Miguel outside the theater (I’m in the middle)

Yes, it’s true: I did meet Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks. But to get a reward such as that, well it’s going to come from something I call effort. To meet the famous Carmelo Anthony, it had come with only one requirement: an essay, which no one wants to do. But just doing a simple essay to meet a basketball player, and not one who sits on the bench but a good one too? Well that is just shocking to myself!

Even though the essay was a pain, I managed to complete it. Mr. West (our Journalism teacher) had to check it and approve it so I could  go on the trip. After a week of worrying, finally the permission slip came in. I was invited.

Finally, there I was on 42nd street with the rest of our group. It took a lot of standing at first, and for a lazy person such as myself it was a challenge. Eventually we got into the theater, still filled with excitement. After a long process, we got to meet Alvin from Alvin and the Chipmunks (but I did not care, personally, about that), and then we got seated. Carmelo gave a speech and then we got to see the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie before it even came out.

When we saw Carmelo Anthony, of course we reacted–I mean, what do you expect us to do? I mean, Carmelo Anthony. After the movie and getting food about three times, we got to take group pictures with Melo. We also got some gifts.

If I had to take one thing from this, it’s that Carmelo Anthony’s son s the future of the NBA. Nah, just kidding, though he was there at the event. He’s still a little kid. Really, I learned that it is possible to accomplish a lot of things that might seem unbelievable.

Lionel Andres Messi, the best soccer player in the world

by Latifur Rahman Lionel Messi was born on June 24,1987 in Rosario, Argentina. When he was 13, a Spanish team named Barcelona saw his amazing skills and helped his parents to pay for a surgery he really needed. After they paid …

Younger Bro…

Stephen Curry, Dell Curry, and Seth Curry

by Kesean Cooper

Seth Curry is the new point guard for the Sacramento Kings, with point guard Rajon Rondo and power forward DeMarcus Cousins as his teammates. Seth Curry is the son of former NBA player Dell Curry and the brother of Stephen Curry, who plays on Golden State Warriors.

Seth Curry once played on the Golden State Warriors with his brother, but unfortunately he wasn’t good enough yet so they sent him back to the D-league. Stephen Curry and the Warriors won the NBA Championship in 2015, and now it’s time for Seth to be just like his older brother. Some people wonder if Seth will come back strong during the 2015-16 season and show who is the better Curry brother.

Seth Curry was born on August 23, 1990 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended University Duke before going to the D-league and playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors. Seth has been in the NBA several times; he has been on the Memphis Grizzles, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Phoenix Suns. After he had been on all these teams, he was not good enough to play pro so they sent him back to the D-league. When he returned to the Santa Cruz Warriors, he along with his wingman Mychel Thompson (who is the brother of Steph Curry’s Splash Brother, Klay Thompson) won a D-League championship. Seth’s father Dell Curry played for many different NBA teams, and supported Seth & Steph while he was in the D-league. During college and his D-league career he averaged 11 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists per game.

As I watched highlights of Seth Curry in the 2015-16 summer league with the New Orleans Pelicans, I noticed that he has a good reverse layup and floater. He can beat players off the dribble and go in for the score. Seth also has a good pull-up jumper, he is able to break down the defender and knock down the jumper. While I was watching his Duke highlights from 2012-13, he shot way more from downtown then he did in the summer league. If Seth Curry shows this talent in the NBA with the Kings, he could bring them far in the playoffs–maybe even an NBA title.

 

Fifa 16

by Latifur Rahman

FIFA 16 is the newest installment of  the FIFA video game franchise. It has a lot of new features like no-touch dribbling, new skill moves like the Bolasie Flick, and women are now added to the game. It is the best soccer video game out, in my opinion.

No-touch dribbling is like a feint that confuses the opponent and catches them off guard, so you can get past them. It lets you go in another direction without touching the ball (it sounds complicated, but it isn’t).

There are also new skill moves like the Bolasie Flick, based on the famous move of a soccer player named Yannick Boalsie.  The control for the Bolasie Flick on PS4 is to press the R1 and the right stick up and to the direction you are going; for XB1 it’s RB and the right stick up and to the direction you are going to.

Now in FIFA 16, female players are added so you can play as them, too. There are only 12 female national teams in the game, including the U.S.A and Germany.

There are also new celebrations in the game, like the chest thump, glamour slide, camera interactions and substitution interactions. My personal favorite is the chest thump.

In FIFA or any EA sports game, there is a mode called Ultimate Team. In FIFA 16, there is a new mode called FUT Draft. In FUT Draft you can make the best team with any 5 random players and 5 random formations. You also have to try to get 100% chemistry among your players, especially the goalkeepers and strikers.

I hope you are inspired to play FIFA 16 now. You can get it at most stores that sell video games.

Fear the Brow

By Stefan Allen

Anthony Davis is one of the best big men in the NBA. He has improved since his rookie year, and last year he came in 5th place for the MVP award. He is the talk of the NBA.

Anthony Davis is one of the best big men in the NBA

Anthony Davis was the #1 pick in the 2010 draft. He came from the University of Kentucky, and was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets before they changed their name to the New Orleans Pelicans. Anthony Davis is the star player of his team. He played with team USA in his rookie year. He used to just be a big man who wasn’t that strong, but he upgraded his mid-range game and jump shot. He has good chemistry with his New Orleans teammates. Anthony Davis has been in the All-Star game twice. He is a major shot blocker, and nobody can stop him when he drives to the paint. Fans have welcomed him to New Orleans, and he is loyal to his teammates and fans. Anthony Davis has a chance to win the MVP and lead his team to a championship. NBA GMs were recently and polled, and a majority of them would rather build a team around Anthony Davis than Lebron James. I think when Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki retire,  Davis will be the best big man in the NBA. Anthony Davis will not give up on his dream. He will win the MVP, he will get a ring, and he will be the best.

Eagle Academy Middle School Basketball (7th Grade)

by Stefan Allen

The EAB (Eagle Academy Basketball) middle school has one of the top ranked middle school basketball teams in the league. During the 2014-2015 season, we were in 6th place in the overall Junior Varsity standings and 2nd in our division and we made the playoffs.

The first team we played in the playoffs was MS 72, and we beat them by a lot. The second team we faced was MS 455, one of the best teams in the league. They were undefeated, but we beat them on their home court. The third team we faced was MS 166. We won, and after that game, the 8th grade team had a game. They lost, but they kept their heads up and they never gave up.

We went all the way to the championship, but came up short. We lost the championship game to MS 355, but we had a good season and a good team. The 7th grade had a better record than the 8th grade team but both teams had good seasons.

Our 2014-15 team had good chemistry. We had chemistry on the court, before the game and in school. If we lost, then after the game we sometimes started arguing with each other. But we are brothers . EAB doesn’t only mean Eagle Academy Basketball!! It also means Eagle Academy Brotherhood!! We love each other as brothers. We are going to go all the way and win the 8th grade championship this year.

The Festivities of Parkour

by Mitchell Barcus

Have you ever heard of parkour? Parkour is a training discipline using movement that developed from military training. Parkour can also be called free running or street running. Parkour can be dangerous but fun. I will tell you about who created parkour, why parkour is dangerous, why it is fun and about some of the people who do it.

WHO CREATED PARKOUR ????

Parkour was developed in France, and it was originally created by David Belle.  David Belle was in the movie Brick Mansions. Parkour became famous in the late 1980s and 2000s through films, documentaries, and advertisements. David Belle was born and raised in Fe”camp France. In 1984, at age 11, Belle moved to Lisses, France.

WHY IS PARKOUR FUN????

Parkour can be fun because you’re learning how to do something extraordinary.

 

WHY IS PARKOUR DANGEROUS????

Park is a dangerous sport. One time, I tried to jump down a flight of stairs and I messed up my leg. Another time, I did a front-flip off of a dresser and hit my head on the floor. Parkour is used for bad things like robbing banks or hurting people. If you don’t have the proper training, you might kill yourself. For example, in a parking lot that is elevated, if you jump off the highest part you might be able to land on a different floor of the parking but you also might (splat!) die. Parkour can also be called free running, as I said in my intro.

WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN TRYING PARKOUR????

If you think parkour is dangerous but fun, don’t try it outside but try it first at home. Do it on a couch at first, so you don’t get hurt. You will get better and better. Then when you try it in other places, you will be safer.

 

 

Cardboard to Rubber: Serge Ibaka makes it to the NBA

The prideful, competitive and hardworking Serge Ibaka.

by Tyler Joseph

Have you ever paid any close attention to the hard working power forward and center for the Oklahoma City Thunder? Well, he’s a tough humble guy, considering the obstacles he had to overcome during his journey to the NBA.

Serge Ibaka (known around the NBA as “Iblaka” because of his ability to block shots) was born on September 18, 1989 in Brazzaville, in the Republic of the Congo. His nationality is both Spanish and Congolese, and he speaks four languages: Lingala, French, English, and Spanish.  He is 6 ft 10 in. and weighs 245 pounds. In 2008, Ibaka was drafted by OKC as the 24th overall pick in the first round. Three seasons in a row (2012-2014) he  was named the NBA All-defensive first team player of the year. He also was the blocks leader twice (2012-2013 seasons). During this past season (2014-2015), he averaged 14.3 ppg (points per game), 2.4 apg (assist per game), and most importantly 7.8 rpg (rebounds per game).

Before achieving all of these things or even making it to the NBA, Serge Ibaka faced a lot of long-term obstacles. Serge had 18 siblings (he was the 3rd youngest), so all of the attention from his parents had to be divided equally amongst them. During the war in Congo, his dad was jailed. Prior to that, he had to face his mother’s untimely death. To escape these heartbreaking tragedies, he started to pursue his dream as a basketball player, to follow in his mom’s and dad’s footsteps. While training to fulfill his dreams, Ibaka’s shoes had to be lined with cardboard to cover the holes and rips in the soles. He also lived most of his life without running hot water or electricity.

in a press conference

At age 17, Serge moved to France and joined a Division 2 team. He then moved to Spain, where he had a successful basketball carer and taught himself  his 4th language, Spanish.  While playing in tournaments, he was successful and got the attention of NBA scouts. He wasn’t focused on money, he just told himself, ‘keep working hard. Try to do the best that you can to get better, and everything will come.’ Eventually, he was drafted in 2008 by the Thunder.

In a 2012 interview after signing a long-term contract with the Thunder, Ibaka said, “it feels like two days ago, and now I have $50 million.” He also once said, “so life is like really…I don’t know how to say it in English, but…unbelievable!”

Serge Ibaka may not be the best player the NBA has seen, but considering all of the things that were in his way, he is more impressive than most players nowadays.