Article by: Harrison Weaver

The year is 2009, and the Orlando Magic are matched up against the LA Lakers in the NBA Finals with Dwight Howard, an unstoppable force in the paint as the face of the franchise. With an assertive offensive post game and a dominant defensive presence down low, Dwight was a monster. Nicknamed ‘Superman’ for his super entertaining appearance in the 2008 Dunk Contest when he came out onto the court wearing a Superman shirt and a red cape for a high-flying, superhero slam. He was one of the elite players in the league to idolize. Growing up, I’ve always loved playing NBA 2K, and I remember in NBA 2K12, the game that was released for the year leading up into Dwight’s free agency, I would clear out my team’s roster on association mode so I could have cap space to sign Dwight Howard. My point to all of this is that just earlier for this decade, Dwight Howard was one of the best players in the NBA.

It’s so bizarre, because after 2011, Dwight Howard, without any serious injuries, without any kind of resistance, slowly drifted into basketball irrelevance. He began to develop shoulder and back issues near the end of his stint with Orlando, which got a little worse with LA, but then even after he recovered, he was never the same again. He went from being an NBA superstar to a journeyman, spending time in Orlando, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, and Memphis (who acquired him this offseason in exchange for CJ Miles in order to save cap space). The aggression, the post dominance, it hasn’t been anywhere to be seen ever since he left Houston. On top of that, he’s become known for being a distraction on majority of the teams he’s been a part of. He’s clashed with management, he clashes with coaches, and he’s clashed with fellow players. The legendary Kobe Bryant has accused him of being too soft. He’s even had some off-court drama within the past season regarding his sexuality. Combine declining on-court performance with constant issues off the court, D12 has become and unwanted commodity. However, despite all of these issues, Howard, now 33 years old in his 16th season, will get himself another chance for redemption in LA.

On Monday, Dwight Howard signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with LA after being bought out by Memphis and then clearing the league’s waiver wire. According to league sources, the non-guaranteed part means that if Dwight Howard causes any substantial distractions to the team, he will be released. After only playing in nine games last season as a result of spinal surgery in his lower back, sources close to Howard have said that he is back to 100%. The Lakers had an opening at the center position after newly signed DeMarcus Cousins tore his ACL during a workout in Las Vegas two weeks ago. Since then, the Lakers have had their eye on Howard as well as Joakim Noah. Word is that through improved conditioning and winning over the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers decided to go with Howard for the reunion, just six years after he left LA for Houston, all while taking less money to do so.

Will Lakers fans welcome him with open arms? Will they boo him? I’m not sure. Ever since he departed LA, he has been relatively unwelcome in the Staples Center. However, he now bears the purple and gold again which could reset all of the animosity between him and the fan base. While D12 is no longer at his 22 points, 14.5 rebounds mark that he was at during his peak, he still averaged 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game during his last full season, which was 2 years ago in Charlotte. He’s not somebody who can spread the floor, make flashy passes, or match up with modern perimeter players, but he still crashes the glass and can still get those assertive buckets in the paint. He might not be anywhere near the perfect stereotype of the modern NBA center, but he still does things that make him valuable. In my opinion, if he can stay healthy and refrain from being a distraction, Dwight Howard still has the strength and skill to be a valuable piece of this Lakers team. If not, this could be the beginning of the end for Superman.

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Article by: Justin Imler

Andrew Luck’s shocking retirement announcement wasn’t the only major news in the NFL on Saturday night. Even though it took center stage, and rightfully so, a key offensive player for a top tier AFC threat is officially out for the 2019-2020 season. That player is Lamar Miller, the starting RB for the Houston Texans.
 
Miller went down hard with a leg injury in their third preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys Saturday night, in which Miller instantly fumbled the ball upon impact, going right to his leg to hold it in pain. That right there was a clear indicator the injury wasn’t something he was going to walk off. The injury became official on Sunday that Miller’s injury was indeed a torn ACL, sidelining the RB for the upcoming season.
 
Now even though no one is considering Lamar Miller to be a top tier RB in the league, he’s still the best the Texans had at the position. The Texans are coming off of an AFC South title in 2018, however they got upset by their division rival, the Indianapolis Colts, in the Wild Card round. The Texans are still a very talented team looking for a bounce back season this time around behind their star QB/WR duo in Desean Watson and Deandre Hopkins.
 
The loss of Lamar Miller is a big hit, but all hope is not lost. The Texans did trade for Cleveland RB Duke Johnson II earlier this month. Johnson has never been the sole workhorse since entering the league, but he’s proven to be a talented back, especially with his pass catching abilities. Other RBs on the roster right now include Buddy Howell and Josh Ferguson, among others, which I don’t think anyone outside of Houston has ever heard of.
 
Now for the obvious question, will Duke Johnson II be the guy the Texans lean on come week 1, or will they make a move to beef up the position? The big name that’s coming up after this injury is Chargers’ RB Melvin Gordon, who is currently in a hold out for a new contract. Personally, I don’t think this trade would actually happen, but the Texans do have the cap space to potentially sign Gordon to a deal he’s requesting if they’d be interested.
 
This is a major topic that Kevin and I will be going into on our next podcast episode that’s dropping tomorrow night (Wednesday, August 28th). Be sure to check that out to see our opinions on the future of the Houston Texans!


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Article by: Zach Henley

College football is coming back once again and so is respected Coach Les Miles. After a 2-year hiatus, the 2007 National Champion coach is back with a different kind of team this time around. In November 2018, The Kansas Jayhawks signed Miles to a 5-year, $13.8 million contract. Over the last 10 seasons, Kansas is 18-90 and went 0-12 in 2015. Along with their poor record, they also went through 3 different coaches and have yet to find stability. The hiring of Les Miles is a good sign for Kansas fans, as they finally think they have found stability and potential success with their new star head coach. From 2010-2016, Miles went 67-19 and was ranked in every year but one in 2014.

​The return of Les Miles is not only good for Kansas and himself, but its also good for college football in general. Miles was very popular and has hall of fame potential and could potentially boost the return of a very storied college football team. Miles is known for his very surprising and controversial calls, which gets fans excited and helps make the team more exciting to watch. Although these plays do not always work in Miles’ favor, the risk is worth taking considering Kansas hasn’t achieved a winning record since 2008, along with a 1-46 road record.

Overall the end outcome of this hiring is to bring success and happier fans back to Lawrence. Miles has the skills, ability and resume to help that goal. Now it’ll be tough road, considering they are in one of the powerhouse conferences, the Big 12. To achieve success, Miles is going to have to beat some tough rivals. This list includes Missouri, Kansas State, and Nebraska. In my opinion, in about 2 years, Miles will achieve these goals and bring success back to Kansas. Not necessarily the championship, but some big bowl games could be in the future for the Jayhawks. 


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Article by: Pete Caceci

Per Adam Schefter at ESPN, the Indianapolis Colts franchise QB Andrew Luck has announced his retirement from the NFL.  After making his decision, Luck sent out a message that ended speculation, “It’s been four years of this injury-rehab cycle… I can’t live the life I want to live moving forward… I feel quite exhausted and quite tired.”  Since then, fans from all over have been divided over the sudden dismissal and are wondering what his next move will be.
           
Andrew Luck was the first-round pick in the 2012 Draft as a replacement to Peyton Manning, who at that point was being released by the team after suffering injuries that severely limited his playing.  After taking the starting position, Luck would lead his team to 11 victories, the record for rookie quarterbacks drafted first overall.  He would also break the record for most passing yards in a season by a rookie, throwing 205 to bring his season total to 4,183.  The organization then gave complete trust to the young QB, as he led his team from a 2-14 record from the season before, to reaching the playoffs.
           
Following his phenomenal start in the league, Luck would repeat his winning records as a starter for the next two seasons.  In the 2014 season, he led the league in touchdowns with 40, and had a career high of 4,761 passing yards.  Unfortunately, his “luck” (no pun intended) would soon run out.  In the 2015 season, Luck would miss the first two games of the season with an injured shoulder.  After returning to the team he would be injured again during a game and would miss the rest of the season.  This stopped the Colts from making the playoffs that season with an 8-8 record.  Fortunes did not shine on Luck in 2016, as he would go 8-7 as a starter, despite throwing 4,240 yards and 31 touchdowns.  He would then have another surgery on his shoulder that had been lingering around for quite some time.
           
The healing process for the injured shoulder would halt Andrew Luck’s return for the 2017 season, forcing the Colts to use newly acquired QB Jacoby Brissett as the starter.  On November 2, the Colts ruled Luck out entirely for that season.  This would severely impact the player’s confidence in both himself and the organization, as many in the sports media had begun to call him an injury-prone player.  Despite the odds facing against him, Andrew Luck would return at the beginning of the 2018 season and would lead the team to a winning record of 10-6.  He would throw for 4,593 yards and 39 touchdowns, something that he had not accomplished for some time.  The league would recognize this triumphant return by giving Luck the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award. 
           
Upon entering the 2019 season, Luck would find himself in a great spot for being a deep playoff contender.  With great offensive weapons like Marlon Mack, Eric Ebron, and T.Y. Hilton, along with having coach Frank Reich at the helm, the organization was ranked among the top five teams in the league.  Now, it seems that may be a pipedream.  Luck has been hampered by many injuries over the course of his career, but the franchise QB was on the rise and was sure to take his team back to the Super Bowl. 

I was never a big fan of the Colts, but Andrew Luck always seemed like he was the one player who never got a shot at the top.  I was hoping now with this great supporting cast that he would tear up the AFC, especially the Patriots.  Personally, I believe his wounds over the years and having the leading position for a great team have greatly intimidated him.  Everyone knows that football is a grueling sport, and those who last longer in the league typically end up with more injuries that follow for years to come.  For only being in the league for seven years, his injuries are nothing to look away from.  From what I also know, the man has just married and is expecting a child soon, so it seems he wants to be able to also spend more time with his new family.  On the other hand though, I can understand the animosity that he is getting from the fanbase, as a great starting QB just ditched them right before the season began.  He honestly could have made the decision a little bit earlier to allow the Colts the ability to move on smoothly.

All in all, I wish Andrew Luck and his family the best of luck.  This decision was not an easy one to make, and was undoubtedly one of the most controversial in NFL history.

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