Some things are just too big, and too important not to write about, so for this post, I’m going to take a break from sports and write about the current situation with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and it’s impact, both socially and politically. It’s just too important not to address it and its impact.

When it was announced that America would get to witness the hearing involving Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh regarding Dr. Ford’s sexual assault allegation of Judge Kavanaugh, many thought that we’d come out of it with a clearer idea of whether or not Kavanaugh should indeed be pushed forward as the Supreme Court nominee, and how this country could process forward, both politically, and psychologically. Four days after the historical, unforgettable day, and things are anything but clear. While there isn’t a piece of evidence or even a witness that directly and clearly points to Kavanaugh’s guilt, America’s conscious is at a crossroads. Because while most find Dr. Ford credible, and believe her accordingly, how do we set the precedent of denying someone a seat on the highest court in the land simply because of an uncorroborated allegation? And conversely, how do we let someone who, more likely than not, attempted to do one of the most disgusting things one human being can do to another, onto a court where nuance and empathy and morality and limited bias are all paramount for the job, which is perhaps the last trusted institution in America?

The divisiveness in America was highlighted yet again, and absolutely worsened. This time, the divide and resentment came not just across party lines, but across genders too. This Ford-Kavanaugh case, to some, is as if the Me Too movement has reached its pinnacle, its biggest test yet, and what happens to Kavanaugh in the next week, will, to them, determine how far the movement has come, and whether women are valued appropriately in society. But to others, Kavanaugh is innocent, and is undergoing a massive smear campaign from the left, and is a sham. His nomination being withdrawn would represent injustice and unfairness to the highest degree, and perhaps, may be the first giant domino leading to Trump’s downfall.

America, long so sure of its core values and shared deep commonalities, now seeks to find its footing. The moral bar has lowered before our eyes, and no matter what result occurs in the next week, that moral bar will take another unfortunate hit. What’s most important is how this country moves forward, how we can learn from this ordeal, and how we must keep trying to love thy neighbor to the best of our ability.

On Sunday afternoon, the Hofstra Pride got off to a bad start, and ultimately, they couldn’t recover. They never regained the lead, and wound up losing to the Lock Haven Eagles by a score of 5-2. Right off the bat, not even a minute and a half into the game, the Eagles scored a goal worthy of being on Sportscenter’s top ten plays, with Dana Lee De Gannes deflecting a phenomenal bullet pass from 15 yards away from Niamh Sexton, into the top shelf of the net.

The Pride did respond well, however, and spent the next several minutes in the Lock Haven territory with a flurry of chances on net. But as soon as they lost possession, the Eagles pushed the Pride right back on their heels. They pushed the ball right back down the field, and on a beautiful fast break, Alyscia Smith found Taryn Piano for an easy tap in goal, to make it 2-0. But instead of folding, the Pride responded to get right back into the game. Unlike previous games, where the Pride had double digit corners and couldn’t capitalize on a single one of them, they scored their first of two goals on corners to make it 2-1, both of which were scored by Valerie Vogels. “We got the opportunities, and for having a team being really set in the penalty corners, I thought we did a fantastic job there, great goals… they executed quite well, and they gave Valerie an opportunity to shoot under pressure and she put in two fantastic goals, and I’m really proud of her.”

After the Pride’s superb execution to cut the Eagles lead in half, the Eagles came right back, with Alyscia Smith putting home a rebound to make it 3-1, before converting a penalty stroke to make it 4-1 and effectively put the game out of reach fo the Pride. But, true to form, the Pride showed resilience, something head coach Kathleen Deangelis cited as a mark of improvement for her young squad. “I really think in this game, I thought we, for the team that we were playing, and their attack output, we rebounded very quickly, and that’s something that we’ve been struggling with, that resiliency. I mean, we’ve been cycling through 6 freshmen in there, 1 redshirt freshmen in there, 2 sophomores in there, a freshman in goal, and there’s only one junior and only two seniors who are in that lineup. There’s a lot of weight on those couple of seniors, and our captain Madison Warfel, but I thought they did a great job this time, really helping our players be much more resilient… It is an improvement. We’re still not where we need to be, but it was definitely a mental improvement from where it’s been.”

Indeed, Valerie Vogels scored on another penalty corner to make it 4-2, and the Pride kept fighting, before Dana Lee De Gannes scored her second goal of the game, this one unassisted, to make it 5-2, with 15 seconds left. The Pride’s can take a lot from this game, and their improvement is absolutely noticeable. However, if they want to get to where they want to go, they have a lot or work to continue to do. The Pride play Towson on the road at 3pm this coming Friday.

“Every weekend that we play is a championship game. Every weekend we play is as important as the championship,” said Laura Masciullo, a star Hofstra volleyball player and the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Preseason Player of the Year. as conference play inches closer. For a team that’s been on the cusp, having finished anywhere from third to fifth place in each of the past five years, might this be the year they can finally get over the top?

Having improved from No. 5 to No.1 in the CAA in assists is one of quite a few signals that things are pointing up – that the Hofstra Pride are indeed headed in the right direction, and fast. Not only have the Pride increased their assists to the top of their conference, but they are now, unlike last year, top three in the CAA in both hitting percentage and opponent hitting percentage, as well as blocks and opponent blocks. Here’s what that means: The 2018 Hofstra Pride volleyball team is near the top of their conference and will almost assuredly be competing for a conference title in this upcoming season.

However, despite things looking up, there is a lot of work to be done, something both Masciullo and head coach Emily Mansur acknowledged.

“I think from last year, one of the main things that we learned is how resilient [we] are.” Mansur said. “We were down in the quarterfinals zero to two and we were able to [flip] the switch, and we also learned how inconsistent we are, which is something we really need to work to improve.”

Just like her coach, Masciullo knows a lot can be learned from last year’s third-place finish.

“I think that last year we learned a lot from our mistakes,” Masciullo said. “I think we learned that we need to be a team in order to win and be successful. Everyone is giving something, everyone is working on themselves; but at the same time, they are still working on bringing everything that they can to the team.”

Among Hofstra’s chief competition are Towson University and James Madison University (JMU), both of which finished ahead of Hofstra in the standings in each of the last three years. James Madison in particular has given Hofstra trouble in the past, as the Pride have beaten the Dukes just once in the last three years, a time period which included two tough five-set losses last year. In fact, the Pride have lost five of their last six matches against their rival, and they have won just four of their last twelve against James Madison dating back to 2013. Masciullo even admitted that certain games are spicier than others. “Of course, there are matches that touch us a little more than others … like [JMU and] Charleston,” Masciullo said.

Freshmen Aisha Skinner and Maddie Appleton are two other signs that the Pride are in for an improved season. Thus far, they seem to be filling the void that last year’s seniors left behind. Mansur was especially complimentary of the young talents.

“They stepped in ready to go,” Mansur said. “Maddie has been competing for the libero position and, as of today, she’s the starting libero and she’s really taking charge of the back row. Aisha Skinner’s doing that on the front row. [She and Masciullo] have been the main scorers for us.”

Masciullo echoed her coach’s praise of the young duo.

“They’re great additions to this team,” Masciullo said. “They are working extremely hard, they are already a great part of this program, they really embrace our values and the way that we work in this program.”

Masciullo’s mindset going into conference play is simple:

“We’re ready to go for the W,” she said. “We’re definitely ready to go for the W.”

Only two franchises in modern NBA history have ever won three titles in a row, or three peat, as some like to say. The Bulls, led by who most say is the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan, did it twice in the 90s, from 1991-93, and 1996-98. The Lakers, led by perhaps two of the 10-15 greatest players ever in Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O’Neal, did from 2000-02. When the Golden State Warriors open up their season against the Oklahoma City Thunder at home on October 14th, their goal is to become the third.

So, will they in fact join this elusive club, and make their legend that much more extraordinary? You’d better believe it.

The Golden State Warriors, in their last season at Oracle Arena before moving across the Bay to San Francisco, will win their third consecutive NBA title.

Led by their two MVP award winners, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, as well as All Stars Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and new acquisition Demarcus Cousins when he returns from his Achilles injury, the Warriors will throw lineup onto the floor that no one can match up with.

But, like any perennial champion, the Warriors will have teams vying to knock them off their throne. Teams will be standing in their way, impeding their path to history. First and foremost, the Boston Celtics pose the biggest threat to the Warriors dominance. The Celtics, without perhaps their two best players, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, got within a game of the NBA Finals last season. Now, their go to lineup of Irving, Hayward, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, and standout star rookie Jayson Tatum can match up as well as any lineup in the league can with the Warriors now 5 all stars. Not to mention the Houston Rockets, who were a game away from eliminating the Warriors in last year’s Western Conference Finals, and who would tell you they would have if Chris Paul hadn’t gotten hurt. Their grittiness, defense, shooting, and their CP3-James Harden led playmaking give them a shot in any series against the Warriors. However, neither one of these teams have enough to beat the Warriors in a seven game series.

But this wouldn’t be a Warriors preview without mentioning Lebron James. Or “King James” as some would laughably tell you. But undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time, Lebron, after losing three of the last four Finals to the Warriors, is now in their own division, primed and ready with an up and coming Lakers squad. Anytime Lebron is on the same court as the Warriors, it’s must see TV. Even if we know it’s going to end with Lebron coming out on the losing end, like he usually does.

So my official prediction?

Warriors go 66-16.

They’ll beat the Nuggets in 4, the Jazz in 5, the Rockets in 6, and then Steph Curry, in the last ever game at Oracle, will drop 40 in Game 7 on the Celtics to close out the threepeat for the Warriors.

Talk about a mic drop, a storybook ending. I’m calling it now.

Book it.

Another exciting Sunday brought us fantastic finish, an unbelievable shocker, a potentially devastating injury, and so much else. The good stuff first: The Saints and Falcons seem to always deliver a great game, and this time, they sure didn’t disappoint. Drew Brees completed 39-49 passes for 396 yards, throwing for three touchdowns, and running for two more, including the walk-off QB sneak in overtime. Matt Ryan had 371 yards and 5 TDs himself, and the two teams combined for 941 yards of total offense! Additionally, the game featured a staggering 10 lead changes, before Brees led the game winning drive in OT. Brees go to receiver, Michael Thomas, set the all time record with 38 receptions in the first 3 games of a season, including 10 in this game for 129 yards. Add in Running Back Alvin Kamara’s 16 catches for 66 yards, and 15 catches for 124 yards, and it’s safe to say the Saints offense is firing on all cylinders. But perhaps what was most noteworthy in Week 3 was the game that no one saw coming. The Vikings, a universally thought of Super Bowl contender, were assumed to have an easy game against a Bills team that some thought was the worst team in all of football, and who had lost their first two games by a combined score of 78-23. Indeed, the Vikings were a 16.5 point favorite, the highest September point spread coming out of Vegas since 2013. But alas, that is why they play the game. The Bills were up 17-0 less than 10 minutes into the game, scoring on each of their first three drives. The Vikings didn’t even cross midfield until the second half. It wasn’t just a Bills win, it was a Bills demolition, from start to finish, so much so, that the Vikings got booed off the field by their home fans. But without a doubt, the most consequential thing that happened on Sunday, and what will have the most long term impact, is Jimmy Garrappolo’s knee injury. With him, the 49ers are at best a fringe playoff team. Without him, they’ll almost assuredly finish near the bottom of the league. The optimism that Garrappolo brought the Bay Area by his stunning 5-0 start last year, now suddenly may be gone in a flash. If it is indeed a torn ACL, as the 49ers fear, their franchise QB won’t see the field until the start of next season. In the Niners own division, the Rams continued to dominate, putting a double digit thumping on the Los Angeles Chargers, in the first LA vs. LA NFL game since 1994. The Rams, who started the year off as the 8th most likely team to win the Super Bowl, with 20-1 odds, now are the most likely team to win it all, and deservedly so, with 3-1 odds. Garrapolo’s former team, the Patriots, might be starting to press the panic button. They got dominated in all aspects of ten game against a Detroit Lions team who looked overhyped and overmatched against two somewhat average teams in the Jets and Niners the first two weeks of the season. Not only that, but Lions Running Back Kerryon Johnson became their first 100 yard rusher in 70 games! That’s over 4 years! Coming off their lackluster performance against the Jaguars offense last week, Bill Bellichick surely knows his defense has a lot of work to do to to get back on the right track. And he must get to work, because they risk falling 3 games behind the Dolphins should they lose when Miami visits Foxborough next Sunday. Though they’ve gotten off to slow starts before, the rash of injuries and the inability to protect Tom Brady are both problems that need to be corrected quick, fast, and in a hurry if New Englanders are to avoid ringing the alarm bells. Elsewhere around the league, the Bears, despite the late debut of Cardinals rookie Josh Rosen, came back from 14-0 to win 16-14 in Arizona, and now lead their division, with the Packers and Viking both losing to fall to 1-1-1 following their tie against each other last week. The Cowboys came out fat, losing to the Seahawks, the Raiders again squandered a good start to the 3-0 Dolphins, who just like the Bears, are a team that no one predicted to be in first place 3 weeks into the season. The only thing that’s predictable about the NFL is that is going to be unpredictable. And that’s what makes it so frickin’ awesome. Euphoria, heartbreak, and everything in between defined the third week of this remarkably exciting football season. On to the highly anticipated Steelers-Buccaneers game tomorrow night, before it’s on to Week 4. What plot twist will happen next in this thrilling drama we call the NFL?

For football purists like myself, there’s nothing quite like the madness, the mayhem of Sundays from September through Super Bowl weekend in January. Especially during the regular season, when just about every team is playing, and the action is just nonstop. And on this particular Sunday, chaos was at an extreme. Patrick Mohomes became the first Quarterback since the AFL/NFL merger to throw 10 touchdowns in his first three NFL starts, and through two games this season, he is the early MVP favorite. Add in the fact that he’s a rookie, and what he’s done this far is even more remarkable. And despite his outstanding play, his team barely hung on to win, 42-37, after giving up a 21-0 lead… in the first half alone! And this game was quite possibly not one of the 3 craziest games of the day. The Browns were… well, the Browns. Just when they compete like crazy all day, and cap it off with an impossible touchdown pass by Tyrod Taylor on 4th and 5 to tie the game at 18 all to save the game for themselves, they pull off the most Cleveland Browns thing ever, and miss the friggin extra point. I mean, you have got to be kidding me!  It shouldn’t even be a surprise anymore. The millennium term “SMH” is mighty appropriate in this situation. And despite that chaos, we had our second straight week with a tie, as another gritty division game was highlighted by a whopping three missed field goals in overtime, leaving both the Packers and Vikings frustrated and knowing they missed a golden opportunity to gain an upper hand in the NFC North early on in the season. Add that in to the Raiders gagging yet another early lead, despite quarterback Derek Carr having the best completion percentage ever for a quarterback attempting at least 30 passes, and the 49ers getting bailed out on a defensive holding that saved them from what would have been a disastrous 4th quarter collapse, and this phenomenal Sunday in week 2 had every twist, every turn, every up, every down, and every possible storyline to bring its excitement up as high as ever. And Holy Ram, if Los Angeles wasn’t Super Bowl favorites already heading into the season, they sure are now. They layed the good ol’ smackdown on the Cardinals, from start to finish. There’s so much more to get to in the sports world, from halftime retirements, to rookie inconsistencies, but it’ll have to wait  until next time!

Happy Sunday and can’t wait until the next one:)

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton