TikTok is back, and so are the best sports edits created // Camille de Jesus, Staff Writer
There are a lot of different ways that sports fans can consume different forms of media of their favorite players. YouTube offers clips of interviews and highlights, while Instagram and Twitter accounts post graphics and funny player-fan interactions. In my opinion, though, the very best content about athletes is found on TikTok. It is produced not by big-name team media departments but by fans across the globe.
This past week, TikTok was banned by the U.S. government, but after a period of less than 24 hours, the app was back — a miracle, because that meant all the saved edits of athletes on my account had been restored.
The thing I love most about fan-made TikTok edits of athletes is their originality. They often bring together songs and clips of teams or players you would never expect to see together. Where else could you find videos of the Detroit Lions making big plays to “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from Disney’s “Mulan” soundtrack or Austin Reaves shooting threes to a Morgan Wallen song?
Last year, I was brought to tears by the combo of Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” and touchdown dances from players across the NFL — an exciting teaser trailer for the season to come. They’re the perfect melding together of great songs and even better athletic performances.
Luckily, it seems as if TikTok will stick around for a little longer, giving the app’s users more time to watch and create the best sports edits found on any social media platform out there today.
The NFL schedule is perfect the way it is // Alex Kiger, Staff Writer
There’s a chance we could see another change to the NFL’s regular season, and it doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Last week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called it a “logical step” to increase the regular season from 17 games to 18. Goodell’s persistence to maneuver the sliding scale of 20 total games is well documented, and 18 games have always stood as the final goal for the commissioner.
In 2021, the league cut one of its four preseason games and added a 17th regular season game to its schedule. It was the first time the NFL had increased the schedule since 1978 when they went from 14 regular season games to 16. The change received a ton of pushback at the time, but now that the dust has settled and the NFL is wrapping up its fourth season in the new format, it’s time we realize that this is the perfect way to do the NFL regular season.
Though the new odd-numbered records took some getting used to, it’s the best way to evaluate NFL teams. Unlike in the past, it’s not possible for a team to sit on the fence — you either had a winning season or you didn’t.
Having 17 regular-season and three preseason games allows plenty of time for teams to evaluate their rosters, draft picks and talent during the preseason while also giving the regular season an ideal amount of time.
The biggest knock to the 17-game schedule is that the final week of the regular season feels like a preseason game, with many teams already having their seeding locked up and resting their starters. That issue, while admittedly prevalent at times, surely won’t get any better with an 18th regular-season game. I think that the NFL should keep the schedule the way it is.
Mike Tomlin isn’t the problem — his coordinators are // Thomas Simione, Staff Writer
After another disappointing first-round exit and another season of “the standard” falling flat, Steelers fans have begun to question whether Mike Tomlin is the guy to lead this team in the future.
Many point fingers at Tomlin for the team’s disappointing performance, but in reality, Pittsburgh’s greatest problems lie with the team’s coordinators. Arthur Smith, Matt Canada and Randy Fichtner have led the Steelers offense since 2019. None of these coordinators have led a top-10 offense in points per game, and the Steelers have had a bottom-10 offense in terms of points in four out of the last six years. Plain and simple, Tomlin’s offensive coordinators have proven inept in building high-scoring offenses.
Additionally, good coaches, especially those employed as long as Tomlin, develop coaching trees made up of former coordinators over time. As of today, 10 active head coaches have worked under Mike Shanahan. Another nine coaches are connected to Andy Reid. The only coach to come out of the Tomlin tree? Bruce Arians.
This upcoming season is year 19 of the Tomlin era in Pittsburgh. The Steelers preach consistency and a slow-changing culture, but situations in the modern NFL can change overnight. The Commanders went 4-13 last season to make the NFC Conference Championship this year. A lot of the Commanders’ success is attributed to offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who was able to maximize rookie talents in Jayden Daniels for an explosive offense. Consistency is the standard in the Steel City, but I believe it’s time for a change in Tomlin’s hiring process.
MLB legends knock on Cooperstown’s door // Sean McQuillan, Staff Writer
The pinnacle of leadoff hitters, the ace of the pinstripes and a flamethrowing closer now begin the walk from their former dugouts to immortality as they enter the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
Ichiro Suzuki is undoubtedly one of the most decorated players in baseball history. He was the first position player of Japanese descent to get signed to an MLB team. His accomplishments allowed other Japanese players, such as Shohei Ohtani, to advance to the league. In 2001, Suzuki earned American League Rookie of the Year and MVP honors with the Seattle Mariners.
He still holds the record for most hits in modern history with 4,367. His play in right field earned him 10 consecutive Gold Gloves and 10 All-Star selections, along with a spot in the 3,000 hits club.
CC Sabathia was a fan favorite in the Bronx, largely due to his size on the mound. Spending most of his years with the New York Yankees as one of the best in the franchises’ history, the “big dub” earned a World Series title in 2009 and a Cy Young Award back in 2007. Sabathia was a six-time All-Star and became the third left-handed pitcher in MLB history to join the 3,000 strikeouts club in 2019.
After spending his 10th year on the ballot, “Billy the Kid” Wagner finally accumulated 82.5% of the votes needed for the Hall of Fame, cementing his plaque in Cooperstown. The Village of Museums will welcome one of the most feared closers the game has ever seen. Ranking eighth in MLB history with 422 career saves over 16 seasons with seven All-Star Game appearances under his belt, the flamethrowing lefty will fire his way into the Hall of Fame.