Last spring, I penned a reported personal essay about my experience training for the Chicago Marathon, from the moment I got the fateful acceptance email to the end of my training in June. Plenty has happened since then — not least of which, the marathon itself — and it’s about time for an update. My … Continue reading Fight Till The Finish: My Experience Running the 2021 Chicago Marathon
I’ve had a good time at the movie theater this fall, having thoroughly enjoyed Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings in September and No Time to Die on its opening weekend on October 10. Two more flicks captured my attention and promised to do the same, science-fiction adaptation Dune and drama House of Gucci. As of … Continue reading Reviews: Dune and House of Gucci make for a memorable November in the box office, and for different reasons
The 2021 NFL season kicks off tomorrow night with one of the most electric matchups I can recall from my time as a fan — Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers against Dak Prescott and my Dallas Cowboys (I just want the Boys to escape Florida without any major injuries, though a miracle would be … Continue reading 2021 NFL Preview: Another valiant attempt at predicting the NFL season, and my picks for Super Bowl LVI
I say this every year, but I can legitimately say that I am more excited for this NFL season than I’ve ever been for a football kickoff. Both of my teams, the Ravens and Cowboys, have reason for optimism after uneven 2020 seasons. Beyond those two, though, there’s plenty of intrigue and must-watch action to … Continue reading 2021 NFL Preview: 11 storylines to track, and the 11 games that will test them
I first conceptualized this post in early June, back when the Orlando Magic were coming off an absolutely abysmal 2020-21 season. Back then, the tenor was unabating gloom, and for good reason: a midseason trade deadline that saw the playoff core jettisoned across the NBA, injuries to the top two long-term prospects and a lowly … Continue reading State of the Orlando Magic: Why Jalen Suggs could be Orlando’s next superstar
The following article is a reported personal essay I developed through my Journalism class this spring. Enjoy! The opportunity to run the 2021 Bank of America Chicago Marathon was just too enticing to pass up. Never mind that I hadn’t run seriously for two years and hadn’t completed even a half marathon. The race’s Oct. … Continue reading Essay: I’m Taking on the Chicago Marathon in a Pandemic Year and Don’t Regret It (Yet)
The following is an essay I wrote as my final paper for my Film Technology class at Northwestern. Enjoy! Directors George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg transformed the cinema industry in the 1970s, sharing both a friendship and status as leaders in the New Hollywood movement. The 70s saw the pair release blockbusters, Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) … Continue reading A Million More on the Way: Exploring the Economic Exploitation of Technology in Jurassic Park and Attack of the Clones
The Orlando Magic’s 2020-21 season could not have gone much worse. The two franchise building blocks, Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac, missed pretty much all of the season, while starting lineup linchpins Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon were dealt to Chicago and Denver, respectively. The Magic sank to the bottom of the NBA and sent … Continue reading Rooting Guide for the 2020-21 NBA Playoffs
The Riker Block mock draft has officially become a tradition. Last year's mock draft had no shortage of bold picks, with some (Justin Herbert at 3, Justin Jefferson at 16) making their drafters look like geniuses and a handful of correctly predicted picks. Most of last year's cast of characters returned for the 2021 iteration, … Continue reading 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Northwestern duo comes off the board early, Jones tumbles
As with most pro sports leagues nowadays, the term “offseason” has become a misnomer in the NFL. The months following the Super Bowl, the most-watched sports event in America, are packed with contract decisions, free agent signings, pro days and combine performances for prospects, and, the highlight of the offseason, the NFL Draft from April … Continue reading NFL Offseason: 49ers, Bucs Among Early Winners
Riker's Block 