2020-21 College Basketball Preview: Big Ten has its share of contenders, but they’ll have to survive the sport’s deepest conference first

November 28, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

The last time that March Madness crowned a Big Ten team as champion, I had not even been born. Now, I’m covering the league. Sure, they’ve been close — Michigan as runner-up in 2018, Wisconsin in 2015 and Michigan State in 2009 — but no Big Ten squad has taken it all the way since … Continue reading 2020-21 College Basketball Preview: Big Ten has its share of contenders, but they’ll have to survive the sport’s deepest conference first

Week 11 Read Option: Taysom Runs (And Passes) Wild

November 23, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

Option 1, Week 10’s Burning Question: Who comes out on top in Tennessee-Baltimore? One of the most significant results of last year’s playoffs was the 1-6 matchup out in the AFC, with the visiting Tennessee Titans upending the 14-2 Baltimore Ravens and MVP Lamar Jackson. Back in Baltimore but in the day time slot and … Continue reading Week 11 Read Option: Taysom Runs (And Passes) Wild

Week 10 Read Option: Alex Smith lights it up

November 16, 2020November 16, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

Option 1, Week 10’s Burning Question: Do the Patriots of old show up in primetime? Cam Newton’s New England Patriots barely escaped the winless Jets with a victory. Going up against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens? Simply put, the game did not look worthy of a primetime slot, but when the New England Patriots … Continue reading Week 10 Read Option: Alex Smith lights it up

Why The Incredibles is the Greatest Movie of All Time

November 10, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

The following essay is part of an upcoming Riker Scale project. Enjoy! The distinction of favorite movie is a subjective one. Each person is entitled to their own taste in film, and the variety in film opinions is part of what makes talking about movies so fun. At the same time, I firmly believe that … Continue reading Why The Incredibles is the Greatest Movie of All Time

Week 9 Read Option: Mack Hollins a Hero as Fins Slide By Kyler Murray

November 9, 2020November 9, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

Option 1, Week 9’s Burning Question: Can the Ravens’ offense get on track? After a 14-2 campaign and the NFL’s top record in 2019, Baltimore has struggled to find its unstoppable rhythm. Even when the Ravens doubled Pittsburgh’s offensive yardage output and tore the Steelers apart on the ground, Lamar Jackson racked up four turnovers … Continue reading Week 9 Read Option: Mack Hollins a Hero as Fins Slide By Kyler Murray

Week 8 Read Option: Steelers Stay Undefeated in Baltimore

November 1, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

Option 1, Week 8’s Burning Question: How will Tua Tagovailoa perform against Los Angeles? A rookie quarterback relegated to the bench the first seven weeks of the season was primed to kick off his career in his debut and launch a Hall of Fame career. No, I’m not talking about Dallas third-stringer Ben DiNucci. It’s … Continue reading Week 8 Read Option: Steelers Stay Undefeated in Baltimore

Week 7 Read Option: The Patriots tumble again!

October 26, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

Option 1, Week 7’s Burning Question: Are the Raiders for real? Las Vegas broke onto the scene with wins over the Saints in their Allegiant Stadium debut and the Chiefs on the road in Kansas City. A game against the Bucs, flexed out of the primetime slot at the last second, offered another chance for … Continue reading Week 7 Read Option: The Patriots tumble again!

Week 6 Read Option: Derrick Henry takes down Texans

October 20, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

Option 1, Week 6’s Burning Question: Will any undefeated teams crumble? Week 5 produced some shocking results and handed losses to a couple of undefeated teams, including the loud and proud Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the resurgent Buffalo Bills. By the closing of Week Six, the fraternity of undefeated squads took another … Continue reading Week 6 Read Option: Derrick Henry takes down Texans

Excerpt: Reviewing the Tenet Experience

October 16, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

The following is a spoiler-free review of the Christopher Nolan film Tenet. The review is part of an upcoming movie-related project. When I was a kid, I had this game called “Mindflex.” The user would strap on a headset with earlobe clamps and it would supposedly measure the intensity of your brainwaves to control the … Continue reading Excerpt: Reviewing the Tenet Experience

Coast 2 Coast Episode IV

October 15, 2020October 15, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

This fall I have been working on a variety of projects, from the Read Option column to film reviews for The Daily Northwestern. Today, I wanted to share the most recent episode of Coast 2 Coast, a weekly sports commentary show that I host with John Volk for 8 in the Box Productions. 8ITB is … Continue reading Coast 2 Coast Episode IV