Sports editor’s choice

This archived article was written by: David Osborne Jr.

Boring couple of weeks in the great wide world of sports these last couple of weeks. Major League Baseball’s post-season is heating up, college and professional football are living up to the history of the sport with upsets, big hits and injuries; even basketball is starting to get moving. Here are five sports stories that we as a newspaper staff were not able to cover in our week off, but will now get you up to speed.
5-Lakers’ lose a little Magic
After being a share owner of the Los Angeles Lakers for 10 years, Earvin “Magic” Johnson has officially sold his share to a doctor that has had Lakers season tickets for the last 25 years. Johnson has been talking about buying a large share in another team. In a statement Johnson assured the Laker faithful that his decision would not change his dedication or affection to the Lakers. Johnson went on to say, “I am and will always be a Laker for life.” This will be the first time since 1979 that Magic Johnson will not be directly tied to the Lakers’ team.
4-MLB Post-season update
The post-season started with eight teams looking for a way to make it to the World Series. Those eight have now been cut down to four, trying to move on to the World Series.
In the American League Championship Series, the Texas Rangers are playing the New York Yankees. In the National League Championship Series, the San Francisco Giants are playing the Philadelphia Phillies. The two teams that win the championship series will face off in the World Series, and then we will have our new reigning Major League Baseball champion.
3- NFL thinking of suspension for “big hits”
This football season has to be one of the hardest hitting, most bone-crushing seasons that I can remember. You can not even watch a game without one major injury caused by a “big hit.” There is really nothing wrong with big hits but when players are blatantly trying to hurt each other and admit it, there is definitely a problem. To try and solve this problem, the NFL is thinking about suspending players, or fining them for big hits that are unnecessary and vicious in nature. The big question is “will this change the game of football?” The simple answer is no, football will still be fun to watch, injuries will be avoided and football will move more towards a game of finesse instead of brute strength and power.
2-Rutgers’ Def. Tackle paralyzed
Perhaps one of the saddest stories from the last couple of weeks is that of Eric LeGrand, the defensive tackle for Rutgers that was paralyzed from the neck down on the field during a game against Army on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010. Making a tackle on a kick-off return, LeGrand lowered his head to make a bigger hit and ended up lying motionless on the field. Both teams took a knee as a medical crew took care of LeGrand and moved him onto a stretcher and off the field to a nearby hospital. LeGrand is expected to walk again eventually, but it will be a long drawn-out process, which adds fuel to the fire for penalties for big hits.
1-BCS standings come out
The Bowl Championship Series has released their first standings for the 2010 football season. Sitting in the top spot is the University of Oklahoma.
These last couple of weeks though have proved fatal for the team holding the number-one spot. Rounding out the top ten we have; number two, University of Oregon; number three, Boise State; number four, Auburn; number five, Texas Christian University; number six, Louisiana State University; number seven, Michigan State; number eight, the University of Alabama; number nine, University of Utah; and number ten, Ohio State. Remember, these are just the first BCS standings and are subject to change throughout the season.