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

June 28, 2022June 28, 2022 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

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

State of the Orlando Magic: Why Jalen Suggs could be Orlando’s next superstar

August 7, 2021 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

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

Rooting Guide for the 2020-21 NBA Playoffs

May 17, 2021May 17, 2021 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

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

10 Burning Questions for the sports New Year

January 1, 2021 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

March 11, 2020 will go down as one of the most important days in the history of America. And of all aspects of American life to serve as an announcement of the arrival of the coronavirus to American shores, it was sports that took center stage. In the early evening hours, news broke that Utah … Continue reading 10 Burning Questions for the sports New Year

Remote Drop Guide to the 2020-21 NBA Season

December 22, 2020December 22, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ 1 Comment

When I was in middle and high school, I’d typically go to one NBA regular season and watch another on TV. I’d follow the league for sure, but I didn’t set aside time to watch NBA basketball. College has been an entirely different experience, whether because of my friends’ devotion to the league, my fantasy … Continue reading Remote Drop Guide to the 2020-21 NBA Season

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

The 10 Greatest, Most Hollywood-Worthy Sports Stories of the 21st Century

August 9, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

Confetti. Newspapers. Tears, kisses and raised fists. The sight of a sports championship victory is one of the sweetest sights that sports have to offer (one sadly robbed from us by COVID-19 the past couple of months). Year after year, the crowning of a champion also marks the culmination of a season-long narrative. These teams … Continue reading The 10 Greatest, Most Hollywood-Worthy Sports Stories of the 21st Century

All Eyes on the Bubble: Talking NBA with Daniel Olinger

July 27, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

When the NBA suspended its 2019-20 season in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, the prospects of finishing a season looked slim. Fast-forward to present day, and we’re a couple days away from the return of the NBA and its playoff bracket thanks to the NBA turning the Disney World complex in Orlando, Florida into … Continue reading All Eyes on the Bubble: Talking NBA with Daniel Olinger

Fantasy Godfather: The Ascension of The Morey The Merrier

March 22, 2020December 4, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

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 … Continue reading Fantasy Godfather: The Ascension of The Morey The Merrier

Missing the Mark: Realism and the Modern Sports Video Game

March 12, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

The following is my final paper for my 398 Video Game Studies class, which explores the extent that mainstream sports-themed video games such as NBA 2K employ realism. “If it’s in the game, it’s in the game!” For years this phrase was the slogan of EA Sports’ video game franchises, an assurance that everything that … Continue reading Missing the Mark: Realism and the Modern Sports Video Game