8 Conversation Topics for the USA’s World Cup Game

The USA's World Cup match is only hours away, and many Americans are gathering together in homes across the country to watch and cheer together. Are you one of the millions of American’s who love soccer for one month every four years? Do you believe in bald eagles, apple pie, and good ol’ fashioned freedom, but struggle to understand what constitutes a 4-2-3-1 formation? Are you secretly nervous about making yourself seem fútbol illiterate in front of your friends? Well then have no fear, because below are the 8 perfect conversation topics for American soccer fans who don’t really know that much about soccer. #IBelieve

Father’s Day Card I Should Have Mailed Earlier

I found this picture of you, and you looked hot, so I used it. Sorry...

Hey Pops,

So I know what you’re thinking… “Wow, I’m so proud I have a son who writes a blog post instead of sending me a Father’s Day card. I feel so touched, it’s like he knew exactly what I wanted.”

I know big guy, it’s emotional for me too.

Real Talk: Racial Reconciliation and the NBA

According to a report by espn.com today, Donald Sterling has decided to change his mind and go through with his plan to sue the NBA. The federal lawsuit is for $1 billion, and blocks the sale of the Clippers to Microsoft CEO and gazillionaire Steve Ballmer for a record $2 billion. Donald will also take his wife to court for her actions in the sale of the team.

But really, are any of us that surprised?

NBA Finals According to Napoleon Dynamite

The rematch of one of the most tightly contested NBA Finals ever begins tonight, and there are too many storylines to count. Can Duncan and the Spurs win their 5^th title and officially be dubbed the Greatest Franchise Post-Jordan? Will LeBron and the Heat three-peat and cement their legacy? Will the Spurs be able to overcome last year’s agonizing Finals defeat, or could this be their last run at the title during the Duncan era?

Coincidentally, Napoleon Dynamite will be celebrating his 10-year anniversary next week. The great philosopher that he is, Napoleon was able to procure some terrific quotes that can help us understand the players that could swing this year’s NBA Finals. Here are the 5 players who will determine the 2014 NBA Finals, according to Napoleon. Gosh!

Bachelor or Benchwarmer

With the NBA Finals matchup finally set, it’s important to get to know some of the players. Most people will know the stars—Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan—but what about the unsung heroes riding the bench. These players spend their time selflessly riding the pine in order to help their team win a championship.

In order to test our knowledge of these benchwarmers, here are 8 men and their personal bios below. Four are in the NBA Finals this year; the other four are contestants on this season’s The Bachelorette. All the information was collected via Internet Searches, so they are 100% true and verifiable. Answers are below, and enjoy Bachelors versus Benchwarmers!

Let’s Get Wheel

How to Fix the NBA’s Tanking Problem

The tiresome ranting about tanking has gone round and round in circles, but now it’s time to get wheel about this issue. This upcoming draft class, projected to be one of the deepest in years, has prompted many teams to lose games at an incredible pace. Some do it through structural means, like the Philadelphia 76ers building their team to look like the local YMCA. Others do it through more…crafty ways, like Pau Gasol not playing the final month of the season because of self-induced vertigo.

A Retroactive Look Back at a Delicious Playoff Preview

(Editor's Note: This article was written for Westmont College's newspaper a week before the playoffs began, and before the playoff seedings were complete.)

The playoffs are here, and it only took the league 82 games to whittle the field down from 30 to 16. These sixteen teams are at various stages in the basketball world, as some as of the teams are just happy to be here, while others are in championship-or-bust mode. We are going to run a quick ranking of the final teams, as organized by Westmont College’s favorite (and only) dining service. Here are the Sodexo Sixteen, ordered by their chances of actually winning the 2014 NBA Finals.