Life and the Game of Adjustments

Chima Okoli was a senior captain when the news broke. He recalls being summoned to an emergency “squad meeting” and told the shocking and horrifying details. He remembers with distaste the media horde that followed every movement of anyone involved with Penn State football. He thinks back on the student protests and the riots. And while he acknowledges the severity of the crimes committed and the lack of responsibility and accountability surrounding the situation, Okoli’s sadness involves his entire motivation for attending Penn State in the first place. “It broke me down. It broke my heart. That’s not what that school’s about. And the whole reason I went there is because it was a different model of doing things. And now it’s the smudge that will never come off.”

Most know the story of the Penn State football scandal by now. Assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was found guilty of numerous counts of child molestation over a 15-year period during his time at Penn State, and several members of the administration and staff, including legendary head coach Joe Paterno, were involved as part of the investigation. Although Paterno didn’t receive legal punishment, he was fired due to the belief that he didn’t do enough to prevent the crimes from occurring. Paterno, the man who promised integrity and leadership when recruiting Okoli out of high school, had been removed as coach with four games left in Okoli's Penn State career.

“He definitely had a hard time [getting through the scandal],” says former teammate, co-captain and friend Quinn Barham, now a strength and conditioning coach for North Carolina State’s football team. “There was a point in time where he hated Penn State. People judged us when we would walk around in public wearing Penn State gear. It made us really doubt ourselves.”

It’s been four years since the scandal, and Chima Okoli is describing the play-by-play approach of an offensive lineman, but he might as well be teaching life lessons. “You see the center pointing everywhere; it’s like an orchestra, or directing traffic. Every offensive line play is three plays in one, because you never know what the defense will do. If the defense does this, we do this; if they shift to this we’ll do that. At any given time, any of those situations can occur. And you have to be ready for it.”

Vision Test Could Help Diagnose Concussions on the Sidelines of Games

COLLEGE PARK – A vision test administered on the sidelines of sporting events could help identity athletes who’ve suffered a concussion, according to a study discussed last month at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting.

Researchers, supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, determined that the King-Devick test detected 79 percent of concussions suffered by athletes of the University of Florida men’s football, women’s soccer and women’s lacrosse teams. The study followed 217 athletes, 30 of whom had a first concussion during the season the testing was taking place.

When combined with the test results of two other comprehensive concussion tests – the Standardized Assessment of Concussion and the Balance Error Scoring System – 100 percent of concussions were identified.

“I don’t think we’re ever going to have one comprehensive sideline test,” said study co-author Dr. James Clugston, team physician for the University of Florida Athletic Department, Gainesville. “But the King-Devick casts a wider net in diagnosing concussions.”

Researcher Warns: Soccer Headbands, Mouthguards Don’t Prevent Concussions

COLLEGE PARK – Parents of young athletes need to be warned that some sports equipment manufacturers are trying to capitalize on concussion fears with claims that their gear can prevent head injuries, the director of the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said during a recent interview.

Despite what some manufacturers claim, “there is no reviewed, known literature that says mouthguards or headbands prevent against concussions,” said Dr. Dennis Molfese, director of that center and scientific director of the Big 10/CIC-Ivy League Traumatic Brain Injury Research Collaboration.

The Federal Trade Commission has been cracking down on false claims made in mouthguard ads for the past few years. The FTC reached a settlement in August 2012 with Brain-Pad Inc., and its president Joseph Manzo, prohibiting the company from claiming that its mouthguards can reduce risk of concussions. At the time, Brain-Pad’s website stated that they could.

Brain-Pad’s website now makes no such claim.

Deadspin’s Dedication to Their Truth

“For that story to turn out to be fiction, that is what Deadspin was put on this Earth to figure out.”

For Deadspin Editor-in-Chief Tommy Craggs, breaking the story of Manti Te’o, a highly touted Notre Dame football player who was involved in a fake online girlfriend hoax, was the embodiment of what his sports website strives to cover.

“Sports Illustrated was just slotting in the characters of a football player whose girlfriend had died but was still playing well. Deadspin’s mission statement is to tell the unauthorized version of things, and the Manti Te’o story was an example of that.”

The growing online mega-blog launched in 2005 as a small sports site, and when Craggs was hired in 2009, still consisted of only three members. Today, Deadspin has about 20 staff members, posts around 30 stories a day and covers topics ranging from a post-game commentary to an in-depth sea scallops recipe. To date, the site has attracted over 700 million visitors.

The Respected Legacy of Nelson Mandela

History has a habit of smoothing the rough edges and bringing out the positives when it comes to looking back on favorably viewed leaders. The passing of time tends to wipe away some of the negatives and bring out the best decisions and aspects of a leader’s character. They say time heals all wounds.

With Nelson Mandela, however, it seems every accolade he has acquired over the years has been earned through steadfast dedication to his beliefs, even in the face of the greatest opposition. For Mandela, the time has healed his wounds.

Mandela passed away last week at the age of 95, bringing an end to the storied life of one the world’s true great liberators. Once a militant anti-apartheid activist, he rose up as a unifying voice for freedom for a democratic South Africa.

Mandela was born in 1918 in Mvezo, South Africa, and as his education increased, so did his passion for justice for his countrymen. In his autobiography, Mandela wrote that his struggle for civil rights involved, “a steady accumulation of one thousand slights, one thousand indignities, one thousand unremembered moments, [that] produced in me an anger, a rebelliousness, a desire to fight the system that impoverished my people.”

The Modern Drone Program and Its Impact

The development of drones has been a vital advancement for U.S. military purposes. It allows an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to attack a specific terrorist location quietly, effectively, and is minimally violent to surrounding areas.

Drone strikes have come under criticism, however, due to the documented loss of civilian lives as a result of errant attacks or collateral damage. In our view, UAVs are the most effective weapon to date at killing specific threats to the U.S. without causing overreaching harm that other methods would inevitably lead to.

The argument that drone strikes can kill innocent people and thus should be eliminated as a military tactic entirely simply doesn’t hold water when analyzed reasonably.

Times of conflict lead to military engagement between two or more sides. When this happens, violence and death are inevitable. With any form of military involvement, there is a significant threat of the loss of civilian lives in the fray of battle. Opponents of drone strikes have cried that the loss of innocent lives, famously that of a pregnant woman and three children in a bus strike in September of 2012, is proof enough that UAVs are not safe enough for use.

Immigration and the U.S.

The United States was founded by a group of foreign citizens who entered a new land to establish a great nation, free of government entanglement and open to respecting rights granted to the people.

In the decades that followed, millions of immigrants, from England, Ireland, Italy, Germany and many other countries entered U.S. borders to establish a better life for themselves. The country coined the phrase, “the American dream” and we became a multi-cultured nation thriving on our old customs and a new collaborated identity. Over 98 percent of our current population is immigrant based, according the 2010 Census.

Today, immigration reform is a heated topic of debate, with 11 million undocumented immigrants living illegally within our borders. However, it is clear that the U.S. needs to reform its immigration policy to help these people gain legal standing and eventual citizenship. Doing so is not only a basic tenet of our cultural fabric, but it will provide significant improvements to our nation’s economy.

One significant boost benefits Social Security. As 75 million baby boomers prepare to retire, the 75-year shortfall of benefits beyond the taxes expected to be collected is $8.6 trillion. The influx of legal immigrants greatly narrows the funding gap that looms over the program. Over 75 years, immigrants will add $4 trillion to the Social Security trust fund, the biggest potential benefactor to solving the program’s financial crisis.

Much Ado about Fracking

Once again, there is debate over a revolutionary change facing the United States, and once again, cooperation is the best way to reach a compromise-however challenging that may be.

The debate this time is about hydraulic fracturing, also called fracking, a process of fracturing rock deep below the earth’s surface with pressurized liquid to extract natural gas and oil. Many supporters of fracking believe its expansion in the U.S. will boost the economy, add domestic jobs and lessen our dependence on Middle Eastern oil. Opponents, meanwhile, find that fracking will destroy our environment, decimate our fresh water and only create tension in the Middle East.

So who is right? As with most debates, both sides have valid arguments. But with cooperation, there is a way to produce incredible amounts of natural gas and domestic oil while not ignoring the environmental aspect.

The U.S. runs on energy. While this statement is not revolutionary, it is important to remember in the fracking debate. Before opponents eliminate fracking completely because it has potential negative effects, we need to remember that, as of today, natural gas is still a vital part of our infrastructure. As such, until there is a 100 percent efficient, sustainable energy source, the U.S. still depends on drilling and extracting gas.

Bezos takes the Reigns of a New Challenge

Adapt or die. It is a simple business phrase, yet so effective in encapsulating the shift of ownership of The Washington Post to Amazon.com founder Jeffrey P. Bezos. After a lucrative career starting and expanding the well-known online shopping community, Bezos has decided to take on the challenge of jump-starting the renowned, but struggling newspaper.

Critics of the ownership change are wary of Bezos’ lack of experience in the news industry, and worry he will change the political watchdog direction of the Post simply by moving to a more online format.

It is difficult to believe Bezos would have such interest in a $250 million purchase if he had no preplanned vision or fresh ideas for a currently stale news format. While it has been noted this purchase is not a great financial risk for the billionaire, is it foolhardy to believe this is a uncommitted decision, especially considering the faith in the sale by the Graham family, previous owners of the Post and noted for their belief of the importance of a newspaper with a strong backbone.

Meanwhile, the concern over moving the Post more wholeheartedly online and losing political clout is a popular one, but this should be addressed regardless of new ownership. The future of news is online, and this is no longer a topic of debate. In a survey conducted by Pew Research, 39 percent of responders stated they got their news online in 2012, a significant increase from 24 percent in 2004. The issues with news agencies, and specifically newspapers, today are how to distribute content online, and how to profit from it. Print advertising revenue decreased from $44.9 billion in 2003 to $18.9 billion in 2012, but online advertising revenue in 2012 was only $3.4 billion, according to Pew. With such a need for increased revenue, it is difficult to come up with a stronger candidate to lead this charge than a businessman with such an impressive track record in barrier-breaking online vending and formatting.

Amsterdam, Netherlands
Taken by Antonio Barbera

Chair inside Rundetårn Tower, Copenhagen, Denmark
Taken by Antonio Barbera

Copenhagen, Denmark
Taken by Antonio Barbera

Beach in Asilah, Morocco
Taken by Antonio Barbera

Snake charmer, Tangier, Morocco

Taken by Antonio Barbera

La Alhambra, Granada, Spain
Taken by Antonio Barbera

Alex Len: current Terp, future draftee?

Just when Maryland really started getting excited about a potential star to lead their front court for years to come, speculation has already blown up about whether 7-foot-1 center Alex Len will declare for the NBA draft after this, his sophomore, season.

Entering the year, there was buzz around College Park that Len had bulked up over the off-season, learned English and drastically improved his game. Coach Mark Turgeon praised his rapid development, and then Len turned in his most impressive college performance against Kentucky in the Terps’ opening game. Len’s 23 points and 12 rebounds turned heads on national television, not to mention how Len outplayed his opposing center in stud freshman Nerlens Noel. Noel finished with only four points, and Len was officially on the NBA radar.

Since the 72-69 loss to the Wildcats, Maryland has rattled off six straight victories due in large part to Len’s play. The Ukrainian big man has averaged 14.7 points, 9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks, while shooting an impressive 54 percent from the field and 77 percent from the foul line. However, what has been most impressive to scouts is Len’s ball handling, ability to shoot from the outside and his obvious athleticism. The NBA loves drafting potential, and Len oozes it.

Just when Maryland fans thought Len’s potential would manifest itself in a Terps uniform, a growing probability is that the NBA will come calling after Len’s second season in college. NBADraft.net has Len projected as seventh overall, and ESPN.com’s Chad Ford said that Len has an “outside shot” of being the top overall pick. For those keeping score at home, that’s a rapid leap for someone who just a year ago didn’t understand what plays his point guard was calling out because, you know, he couldn’t comprehend English.

The hope for the Terps is that just because the NBA thinks you’re good isn’t enough to pull you out of college, and that Len will have to make that decision himself. Some believe Len’s love for the program, Turgeon and his mentality that he still has a lot to accomplish as well as improve upon before leaving for the NBA will keep him around for at least a third season. It’s difficult to read into that too much, considering Len was already playing professionally in Ukraine before Turgeon came calling. That predisposition tells this writer that Len was always looking at college hoops as an opportunity to prepare for the NBA, rather than for the glory of the ACC.

Also worth considering is that Len has only played seven games this season so far, and that a much more competitive ACC schedule awaits him come January. Len averaged 14 points in his three non-conference games last year, before scoring in double figures in only three out of 18 ACC games after that. In the end, look for conference play to dictate where Len will find himself next year more than any other factor.

Non-conference performances should not be ignored

Even for die hard Maryland basketball fans, Saturday’s game against Georgia Southern may have been too much of a snoozer to watch, with much more significant college football games happening simultaneously. However, while these non-conference games may not provide much in terms of excitement for fans, so far they have demonstrated one thing: comfort.

Comfort in knowing the Terps can utilize ten players without worry and still beat an inferior opponent by 17 points. Comfort in playing Alex Len only 17 minutes, yet still out-rebounding the Eagles by 22. Most of all, comfort Maryland has one of the most balanced teams in the ACC, leading to four straight victories by an average of more than 16 points.

The non-conference part of an ACC basketball schedule is usually filled with weak opponents, giving teams some time to work out various kinks before vigorous conference schedules later in the season. However, taking a look back at last year’s schedule, Maryland still struggled against “weaker” opponents. A six-point win against Florida Gulf Coast, a three-point win against Mount St. Mary’s, a four-point win against Florida International and a five-point win against Radford were all games played at home a typical Maryland team would have likely won by 15 points. We know last year’s squad wasn’t typical, and thus weren’t surprised a team with seven scholarship players couldn’t put opponents away.

This year, it seems to be the exact opposite. Replacing the one-man offense of Terrell Stoglin is an unselfish attack of a core of ten guys that have all played in every game so far this season. Most fans would be pleasantly surprised to know Maryland is fourth in the nation in assists per game. Yes, you read that right. In the nation.

Last year’s team struggled not because they lacked significant talent, but because they lacked depth. This season, coach Mark Turgeon has been able to mix up his five on-court players until he gets a combination he likes for a particular stretch. With seven scholarship players, when one or two are having an off game, there are no alternatives. With ten dependable players, foul trouble is avoided, poor shooting streaks mitigated and fatigue monitored, all while maintaining a high level of play.

Meanwhile, many of the core are freshmen, visibly improving on a game-to-game basis. With Dez Wells and Len having quiet nights on Saturday, freshman Charles Mitchell earned his first career double-double with 11 rebounds and 13 points on 50 percent shooting. Against Long Island-Brooklyn, freshman Seth Allen scored 19 points on 70 percent shooting. Those performances from a backup forward and point guard leave fans salivating over what this team can develop by March. And by the manner Maryland has handled its non-conference opponents thus far, those eager fans may not be far off.

Old School vs. New School in a battle with no clear winner

Is going to the Big 10 the right decision? It really depends on your definition of the word “right”. With Maryland’s announcement to leave the ACC and move to the Big 10, fans of all ages have come out of the wood work to give their opinion of whether or not the move is good, correct, positive or insert-judging-word-here.

But the problem with answering such a question lies in your beliefs as a sports fan in the year 2012. If you value the “old school” way of athletics, leaving a conference you were a founding member of, and one you have shared many historic events, rivalries and traditions with other teams, then moving out of the ACC is unquestionably horrific. Any chance of rekindling a Maryland-Duke rivalry is most likely out the window, and adjusting to a conference with teams more than halfway across the country is simply not what college athletics should be about.

If you are a proponent of the ever-present “sports is a business” then you most likely see the move as savvy financial positioning for the long-term. The Maryland athletic department is clearly in a mountain of debt, having cut seven sports teams, and is struggling to fill Byrd Stadium and Comcast Center on a given day. The guaranteed revenue of the Big 10 is too attractive for Maryland to turn down, and optimistically will help the program gain financial stability and eventually lead to improvements on the field.

Instead of luring prospects to the team, the team is moving to the prospects, in a way. Aside from direct monetary gain, Maryland is also moving to the Big 10 as a means to draw high school football players to a maligned team that will face legendary foes such as Ohio State, Michigan and Nebraska (and Wisconsin and Penn State and…). Often times playing on a bigger stage is enough to draw athletes to your program, and there are few football conferences with more allure than the Big 10. Basketball, meanwhile, will try to compete for conference titles in a much different landscape from the Atlantic Coast. Recently, however, teams such as Michigan State, Wisconsin and Indiana have put Big 10 basketball on the map as prominently as the football teams.

Whatever your opinion, what is easy to recognize is the widespread change the Maryland athletic department has undergone in the past three or four years. The Terps sport relatively new football and basketball coaches, a recently hired athletic director, a new apparel sponsorship with more influence than anyone anticipated and now a new conference. While no one should expect immediate results from any of these entities, it is at the very least exciting just to be in the midst of such watershed times at the University.

Heading down South to the land of the pines; A Maryland fan travels to Clemson, S.C.

For the first time in this Terp’s Maryland sports career, he took a trip down to South Carolina to watch his beleaguered football team face one of the best in the country in No. 13 Clemson. And what a culture shock it was.

Aside from the actual game (we’ll get to that later) the football culture in the South is something every fan should experience at least once. The entire town of Clemson was pretty much shut down for the day aside from eateries, which were filled all afternoon. Major roads were closed, and a sea of orange enveloped entire stretches of roads, sidewalks and plazas.

I tailgated and walked around the area for about three hours before the game, and aside from my Maryland compatriot saw exactly two other people wearing Terrapin gear. We were such an anomaly, at some point my friend and I were asked to pose for a photograph because we “weren’t wearing orange”.

While I don’t want to disrespect a College Park that throws formidable tailgates of their own, the difference here was that the Terrapins were arguably one of the least hyped games of the season for the BCS contender, yet I was still stunned at the transformation of the town from the night before.

Another aspect of the scene I was pleasantly surprised by was the lack of heckling I received as a visiting fan. Again, perhaps this was because Maryland isn’t exactly a football rival, but I was not once yelled at the entire day while I proudly wore my Terps T-shirt. There were no negative chants in my direction while I sat in the Clemson student section, although I stuck out like a sore red thumb. I doubt Maryland fans would give a Clemson fan the same treatment, and while some may say heckling visiting fans is a just enterprise, cursing them out is a slightly different story.

Once the game started, the pleasant taste in my mouth of the trip soon soured as Maryland fell behind early and for all intents and purposes was out of the game by the end of the first quarter. Even at this juncture, however, the commentary I had with Clemson fans was their genuine sympathy at Maryland’s injury situation, and not simply “Maryland sucks”.

While I don’t tend to agree with everything that goes on in the South, this trip was an eye-opening experience in the most positive way. As a Terps fan, I hope we can one day develop a similar deep passion for our football team, but as long as March Madness becomes a staple in College Park once again, I guess I can leave football to Death Valley.

Edsall needs to reassess his team

Last Saturday, the Maryland football team underwent a physical and mental test of mettle against Georgia Tech. In what coach Randy Edsall said was something he had never experienced, the injury-riddled Terps played reserve linebacker Shawn Petty at quarterback.

It took four injuries to get to it, but a Lisfranc fracture and three torn ACL’s later, Petty found himself under center for the first time since high school. And it showed.

Looking back, it was an almost ridiculous situation to put the freshman in, given his lack of practice, experience or general knowledge of how to be a quarterback at the college level. Forget basic quarterback staples, such as how to properly throw a ball, how to hand it off, and how to set your feet on a three-step drop as opposed to a five-step drop. Petty had seven practices to learn how to run a complex college offense. Audibling at the line, making checks with offensive linemen and calling out blitzes are some of the more sophisticated aspects of being a quarterback, and many full-time starters struggle with those calls. Now imagine a guy who’s barely played in his natural position on defense at the college level, much less at quarterback. Now imagine him being a freshman. Except this wasn’t imaginary, it was real life.

Petty looked lost most of the afternoon Saturday, missing open receivers running simple routes, struggling to keep his eyes downfield when the rush came and even having difficulty running up-tempo running plays. His footwork and tossing skills on pitches and sweeps seemed to slow Terp running backs down and offset the rhythm of the play at times.

Looking back at the box score, one stat jumped off the page. Maryland, whose quarterback situation is well-documented above, threw the ball 14 more times than Georgia Tech. Petty shouldn’t have thrown 14 passes all day, much less 14 more than a healthy opposing offense. Edsall needs to acknowledge the situation he is in, and not try to turn a linebacker into a pocket passer in two weeks.

The one thing Edsall still has on offense is athletic playmakers such as receiver Stefon Diggs, running back Wes Brown and running back Brandon Ross. The ball needs to be put in their hands and out of Petty’s as soon as possible and as often as possible. Georgia Tech embarrassed Maryland by playing the style Edsall should have implemented the moment quarterback Caleb Rowe went down. Instead he took a difficult team situation and placed it into the hands of a freshman playing out of position.

If Maryland wants to win another game this season, last week’s offensive approach is not the answer. An option running attack, using Diggs and other backs, is the only way to have any semblance of an offense that can move the ball down the field, while keeping their own defense off the field against offensive juggernauts in Clemson and Florida State, Maryland’s next two opponents.

It’s easier said than done, but it’s still easier than asking for 300 yards passing from a reserve linebacker.