Author: adrianblair99

Commentary: College Football Playoff Expansion

By Adrian Blair

The College Football Playoff debuted shortly following the 2014 regular season, and has only grown since. From Larry Culpepper, the Dr. Pepper guy, to the weekly release of the new College Football Playoff rankings, college football owns November and December.

However, there is one area where improvement is needed. We, as college football fans, want an expanded playoff bracket, preferably to eight teams.

With eight teams, it is likely that no Power Five conference champion is left out, like in years past (sorry 2014 Baylor and TCU). Eight teams also gives an opportunity for two teams in the same conference to be in the playoff, via Michigan and Ohio State from the Big Ten.

Sports and money go hand in hand, and it honestly confuses me why they haven’t expanded already. Behind its “big brother” in the National Football league, college football is the No. 2 viewed sport in the American television market. TV equals money, so why not? Giving the fans what they want and making even more money doing it sounds pretty great to me.

Another area worth looking at is the media exposure. Last season, the final College Football Playoff rankings were released on Dec. 6, 2015, with the National Championship on Jan. 11, 2016.

During that 37-day span, media outlets across the country absolutely devour the College Football Playoff. Media coverage equals money. If it wasn’t already brought to your attention, money is the main root of why the College Football Playoff is even in existence.

Having great players in great games is really what fans watch for. Players such as Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett, and  Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers all have their respective teams in the Playoff mix. The two most recent Heisman trophy winners have participated in the College Football Playoff, and have failed to disappoint.

With more teams, there is more dynamic and electric players on the field, making for a more exciting viewing experience.

While the newly created College Football Playoff doesn’t show any signs of expanding following this year, it is a strong possibility in the years to come.


by adrianblair99

Preeminent Presidents

Story by: Adrian Blair

Top 5 Presidents

While the 2016 Presidential Election pits two of the most questionable presidential candidates in American history against each other, The Hyphen takes a look back at five of the most impactful presidents in our nation’s history.

  1. Franklin D. Roosevelt    (1932-1945)  Democrat

A lot of historians undervalue Roosevelt, and don’t give him credit where he’s due. FDR was the most battle-tested president in our history, and it’s not even close. Roosevelt was elected in 1932 during the height of The Great Depression, which was the worst economic crisis in American history. Slowly but surely, by the end of the 1930’s, Roosevelt helped the U.S. economy get back onto its feet…just in time to stop Adolph Hitler and enter in the second World War. And to think, Roosevelt did all of this in a wheelchair. Franklin D. Roosevelt is an American hero and arguably the best president in our history.

    2.) Abraham Lincoln   (1860-1865)  National Union Party

“Honest Abe”, as Lincoln was dubbed, was just that: a real class act. Lincoln led the Union to victory that ended the Civil War and banned slavery, all in his four and a half short years as president. Had Lincoln served two full, complete terms, who knows what he could’ve accomplished. And on top of that, what other president rocked the beard?

3.)  Thomas Jefferson   (1800-1808) Democratic-Republican

Jefferson was a terrific scholar and a main contributor to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. In 1803, Jefferson engineered the Louisiana Purchase from France, expanding the United States from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Northwest. I really think if Thomas Jefferson wasn’t a slave owner, he’s the best to ever roam the White House halls. It’s an honor to live in a town and go to a school that dons his name.

4.)  Theodore Roosevelt   (1901-1908) Progressive Party

Franklin D.’s fifth cousin, “Teddy” was a very kind and observant president. He started developing wildlife refuges and created National Parks all over the country. Teddy also fixed a lot of social problems caused by the Industrial Revolution by cleaning up streets of big cities, and creating immigrant safety programs that Americans still use today. Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, you can agree Teddy Roosevelt earned his place on Mount Rushmore.

5.)   Ronald Reagan   (1980-1988) Republican

If Donald Trump were to take notes on any former Republican president, it would have to be Reagan. “Ronnie” wasn’t a career politician, and really used it to his advantage. Reagan was able to keep his sanity when dealing with the Soviet Union in the latter stages of the Cold War. Unlike his predecessors (Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter), Reagan was aggressive and very determined to stop all nuclear threats toward the United States. And on top of all that, how many presidents survived an attempted assassination? Reagan did at the age of 70 in 1981, which just goes against the laws of nature. 

by adrianblair99

Jeff Football looking to improve, again

 

“We have a history of not doing great in the first few games of the season, and we really want to change that trend,” Browning said.

While Browning is excited for the season, he expects to see large improvements from last season.


Junior Cameron McClure, Jeff’s starting center, agrees, and thinks the offseason workouts will benefit the Red Devils.

“We have worked really hard all summer for this season,” McClure said. “Our guys are really excited to do some thumping.”

While last season was filled with ups and downs, starting nose guard Brandon “Beef”

Wellington image1believes that a fast start to a season is key to winning.

“The first few games of any season are always a big test. It can show if you’ve made any improvements during the offseason or if there’s still anything you need to practice on more,” Wellington said. “As a player on the team, I can say that we are putting in hard work and dedication into the season and we have a lot of amazing talent on the team. I have faith in this team that we can do incredible things this season as a team.”

In the first game of the season, the Red Devils faced off against Southwestern in the Don Marshall Bowl. The Red Devils fell to the Warriors, 56-26. Senior running back Jordan Barnett ran for 159 yards and three touchdowns.

Junior Kameron Fuller also ran for 139 yards and a touchdown. Senior Cameron Northern threw for a total of 91 yards on  10-21 passing.

Photo by Carlos Molina

by adrianblair99