One of my favorite inventions of the modern magazine has been the heat index. On the top, the hottest item in the category, while the bottom is reserved for the coolest of the cold. And it works with just about anything, sports or otherwise. With one month of college in the books, I'm going to gauge the … Continue reading First Month of College Heat Index
Hey guys! I’ve written a lot of series over the years, and their names have ranged the spectrum from cringy (Professor Sports) to clever (Varsity Letter) to fitting (Nostalgia Blast). Today, as I kick of the college era of Johnriker.com, I’m resurrecting one of my favorite formats/names, the Read Option. Quick history lesson -- my … Continue reading Read Option: On the ‘Cats, Cubs, Ravens and Cowboys
With all of the free time I expected to have this summer, I was determined to make the most of it and rekindle (no pun intended) a longtime interest- reading. I fondly remember working through all the summer reading programs as a kid, but with the hustle and bustle of school and sports taking over, … Continue reading Summer Reading Roundup
Before I head off to the next chapter of my life at Northwestern University, I want to take a trip back down memory lane with the Nostalgia Blast series. Each column will focus on a certain part of my childhood and explain how it made my last 17 years so unique and fun. Today I’ll … Continue reading Nostalgia Blast: The Tech Wiz
Before I head off to the next chapter of my life at Northwestern University, I want to take a trip back down memory lane with the Nostalgia Blast series. Each column will focus on a certain part of my childhood and explain how it made my last 17 years so unique and fun. Kicking things … Continue reading Nostalgia Blast: Number One Fan
Picking a Super Bowl champ at the start of each season is a very inexact science. Over the past 10 predictions I have done, only one time did I pick the correct champion, and that was my own 2012 Baltimore Ravens. There are chalk ones, like correctly predicting the Seahawks-Patriots in 2014, and outside-the-box ones … Continue reading Why the Los Angeles Rams Will Win Super Bowl LIV
One of my annual traditions is to pick every game of the NFL schedule and make predictions from Week 1 all the way to the Super Bowl. I did that last Saturday for two hours, and then the news of Colts quarterback Andrew Luck's retirement sent shock waves through the sports universe (and destroyed my … Continue reading 2019 NFL Preview: Best- and Worst- Case Scenarios for All 32 Teams
Back in elementary school, I frequently read a book about the Baltimore Ravens and one line always stood out. In discussing Baltimore’s tradition of stifling defenses, it described the Ravens’ unit as something to the effect of “tougher a brick wall” and “stingier than cobwebs.” I saw those imposing Ravens defenses for four glorious years … Continue reading Ed Reed: Pick-six king enshrined in Canton
Set the Browns aside, and the NFL team that has captured the most media attention this offseason has been, as usual, my Dallas Cowboys. 2019 figures to be a pivotal season for the Boys, with arguably the most talented team since the dynasty of the 1990s, but success is far from guaranteed. Already, star running … Continue reading State of the Franchise: Dallas Cowboys
Nicky G. Bum Squad. Oh We Rollin. The following article is an oral history of the Braintrust Productions (a.k.a. Wootton XC videos) and their impact on all those involved over the memorable span of three years and six films. Each section (with the exception of the conclusion) contains a YouTube link to the corresponding video. … Continue reading Oral History: Behind the Scenes of Braintrust Productions
