From uniform breakdowns to hot-off-the-press profiles, my 15 favorite articles as a Daily Northwestern reporter

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My time writing at the Daily Northwestern was like the animals on Noah’s Ark — a whole bunch of pairs of two.  Two seasons covering volleyball, my first beat. Two seasons covering men’s basketball, my first multiple-times-a-week and travel beat. Two seasons covering baseball. Two seasons covering my favorite sport, football. And two editorial positions … Continue reading From uniform breakdowns to hot-off-the-press profiles, my 15 favorite articles as a Daily Northwestern reporter

2022 NFL Season Preview: Mahomes, Herbert star in electric football fall

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You asked for it, you get it. A 2022 NFL season preview, complete with tiered team rankings and analysis, an awards ballot and playoff predictions. Below, I've predicted each of the 272 regular season games and 13 playoff games and crowned a prospective Super Bowl winner. Whether you agree or disagree with my projections, this … Continue reading 2022 NFL Season Preview: Mahomes, Herbert star in electric football fall

Yankee shortstops, Alabama running backs among most high-profile positions in sports

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I’ve been watching ESPN’s eight-part documentary on famed Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter. It’s an interesting watch for me, because I certainly remember Jeter’s Yankees in the back-half of his career and, as a fan of the Red Sox, how much I detested those teams.  So far, the documentary is well-paced, has interviews with just about … Continue reading Yankee shortstops, Alabama running backs among most high-profile positions in sports

In Obi-Wan Kenobi show, Star Wars finds the perfect fulcrum to its prequel and original trilogies

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Note: This will be a spoiler-filled review (watch it if you haven’t!) There’s no feeling like seeing a Star Wars movie in the theater. The months of anticipation, theorizing and deconstructing trailers leading into an immersive and otherworldly experience. The lightsabers clashing, the John Williams score playing, the plot twists and sweeping planetscapes. For a … Continue reading In Obi-Wan Kenobi show, Star Wars finds the perfect fulcrum to its prequel and original trilogies

Welcome to Atlanta: How my journalism residency at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports desk compared to expectations

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ATLANTA — This spring, school looked a lot different.  I can’t remember any other year when my day started at 2 p.m., when my homework was circulated to thousands of people I had never met or when watching sports was a welcome obligation, rather than a midday distraction. So I don’t think it’s hyperbole to … Continue reading Welcome to Atlanta: How my journalism residency at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports desk compared to expectations

2022 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 – Edge rushers dominate top five picks

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The NFL Draft is the Super Bowl of the offseason calendar, and there's no better way to get in the mood than with mock drafts. Obviously there's never going to be a perfect mock draft, but for the third consecutive year, our crew of NFL Draft experts went at it, splitting up selection duties for … Continue reading 2022 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 – Edge rushers dominate top five picks

Slam Dunk Sesame: Why rooting for the Magic, the East’s worst team, was a ton of fun in 2021-22

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Rooting for the Orlando Magic has its downsides. The irrelevance. The lack of household names and All-Stars. The losing. But as an impassioned Magic fan for the past 15 years or so, there’s a lot I’ve come to love about this team, even when they aren’t the best. And they certainly weren’t the best in … Continue reading Slam Dunk Sesame: Why rooting for the Magic, the East’s worst team, was a ton of fun in 2021-22

Review: The box office gives us a pair of must-watch murder mysteries in Death on the Nile and The Batman

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Note: This is a spoiler-free review. It’s hard to beat a great mystery movie. With a special emphasis on intrigue and surprise and limitless permutations of structure — and plenty of room for stylistic flourishes — mysteries are well-built for the medium of the cinema and ensure the intellect is up to par with a … Continue reading Review: The box office gives us a pair of must-watch murder mysteries in Death on the Nile and The Batman

Review: Book of Boba Fett is a seismic blast of a good time

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NOTE: This review contains spoilers for Book of Boba Fett “Cool” is the first word that comes to mind when the name of the infamous bounty hunter Boba Fett is mentioned. Fett was the Darth Maul before Darth Maul, a silent killer whose mere presence spoke volumes. His vertically flying spacecraft, Slave II, is one … Continue reading Review: Book of Boba Fett is a seismic blast of a good time