Riker’s Block

  • Should the Cowboys Pony Up for Dak Prescott?

    When I traveled to Soldier Field to see my Dallas Cowboys take on the Chicago Bears last December, I braced myself for a lot of taunts and aggressive fan behavior. Bears fans did not disappoint, and as the Bears’ lead grew each demoralizing drive, so did those fans’ voices. The taunts were pretty unimaginative (but…

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  • The Best from Year 1 at the Daily

    Today marked the last day of classes for my freshman year. It was definitely an interesting one, and a lot happened: in the world, in my classes, and in the dorm game room. Today, I just wanted to compile some of my best clips from my first year with the Daily Northwestern. I most closely…

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  • Back to the Track: A Retrospective on High School Running

    One year ago today, I crossed the line at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland after the 1600m state championships, officially completing my high school distance running career. A lot has happened since then: I’ve moved to Illinois, transitioned from high school and college, and taken the longest break from running I’ve had since starting…

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  • Riker Film: Screen Time

    Be careful what you wish for…

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  • Sports Pantheon: My Favorite Sports Books

    A quick scan of my Goodreads profile will reveal a clear trend — I read a lot of sports books. That should come as no surprise, as I hope to be a sports journalist and have goals of writing books in the future. Reading about sports was as formative to my fan experience as watching…

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  • In turbulent Disney era, Clone Wars triumphs

    How big is a galaxy? That’s the question Star Wars fans have tackled for decades. Are the original three Star Wars movies “the real Star Wars”, as generations that grew up with Luke and Leia often attest? Or are just the first six, the originals and the prequels, the legitimate ones, like many Star Wars…

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  • Where’d the Love Go? The Ultimate Quarantine NFL Mock Draft

    10 NFL megafans. 32 first round selections. 10 trades. 60 minutes. Zero Jordan Love. Unlimited fun. In the barren landscape of professional sports, the NFL Draft, which starts this Thursday on ESPN, is a tantalizing oasis. But even though the draft goes on, it will be a draft like no other.  To prepare for the…

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  • Nostalgia Blast: Growing Up Riker

    Northwestern’s spring quarter officially kicks off this Monday, and while NU has yet to officially decide about whether classes will be online for the entirety of the quarter until mid-June, all signs point toward a full quarter of remote work. To boil that down — my physical freshman year, my year of living in Evanston,…

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  • The Pantheon

    The Pantheon

    The Riker Scale is one of my favorite features of Riker’s Block. I love debating, ranking, and exploring movies every year, and it’s awesome to point friends to the list whenever they are in need of recommendations. I also love reading, and I figured that there is no better time than a quarantine to develop…

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  • Fantasy Godfather: The Ascension of The Morey The Merrier

    In his 2007 book Fantasyland, Wall Street Journal sportswriter Sam Walker sets out to join and win the most prestigious fantasy baseball league in the world. While he is up against the foremost fantasy baseball experts, Walker believes he has an edge — his access to players and managers as a journalist. Though his quest…

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