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
The last time that March Madness crowned a Big Ten team as champion, I had not even been born. Now, I’m covering the league. Sure, they’ve been close — Michigan as runner-up in 2018, Wisconsin in 2015 and Michigan State in 2009 — but no Big Ten squad has taken it all the way since … Continue reading 2020-21 College Basketball Preview: Big Ten has its share of contenders, but they’ll have to survive the sport’s deepest conference first
A year ago, I wrote a “Day in the Life” feature about a random fall Wednesday. Though I am back at school now, a day in my life looks very different now than it did 12 months ago, and I figured it was time for an update. This year’s edition, recorded on Wednesday, September 23rd, … Continue reading Northwestern Day in the Life: Sophomore Edition
A month ago, my good friend Harrison introduced me to a “mod” for my Madden NFL football video game that would allow me to play a fan-created version of NCAA Football 20. Thankfully, it worked. Seeing and playing with the full rosters and team likenesses of around 30 college football teams was breathtaking. Sadly, the … Continue reading Big Ten, Pac-12 Postpone Fall Sports
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 … Continue reading The Best from Year 1 at the Daily
The first college basketball game I attended was a pretty epic one. The battle between the George Washington Colonels and the Charlotte 49ers on March 4, 2006, had tournament implications, culminated in a GW buzzer beater, and was celebrated by a court storm of rabid fans. Then a five-year-old preschooler, I recall a couple things: … Continue reading A Season Inside: A Winter with Northwestern Basketball
Earlier this fall I gave a sneak peak into various aspects of my initial weeks in college. Today comes the immersive “Day in the Life” feature, which more closely resembles a “Choose Your Own Adventure” novel than your typical itinerary. I’ll give insights into what happened on the day of October 30, but also the … Continue reading A Day in the Northwestern Life
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
In most stories, there is a pit so deep that the protagonist of the story sees all hope as being lost. My college process was no different. And on one February evening, I had reached the exact point that I made it my goal to avoid. Yet there I was, late at night, on the … Continue reading Organized Chaos: My Wild College Application Experience in 12 Stages
