SPORTS & HEALTH

By GABRIELLA BERMUDEZ and PATRICK MOQUIN Asst. Sports & Health Editor and Sports & Health Editor

The Fordham women’s basketball team ended its regular season with a victory over the Davidson University (DU) Wildcats on Saturday. The Rams head into the Atlantic 10 (A10) Tournament as the sixth seed after compiling an 8-6 record in conference play.

Saturday was also Senior Day for the team, an annual event honoring Fordham women’s basketball’s departing players. Before the game, five graduating student-athletes and their families were brought onto the court for a farewell ceremony. After the game, Head Coach Stephanie Gaitley praised the quintet for their contributions to the program.

“This has been such a great group to coach,” Gaitley said. “It’s a special group of seniors that makes this year’s success mean even more. We are looking forward to building off of this in the Atlantic 10 tournament.”

Though it was the seniors’ final home game, the Rams’ motivations to defeat Davidson extended far beyond sheer sentimentality. Fordham entered the game with a rare four-game losing streak that had sent them tumbling in the A10 standings since Feb. 13. In their last game of the season, the Rams were in danger of earning a non-winning conference record, something which has not occurred since 2016.

The Fordham Rams had one of their best shooting games of the season, as they went on a 10-0 run early in the first quarter. Five points in the opening minutes came off Davidson turnovers.

Kendell Heremaia, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) ’22, made the only 3-pointer of the quarter, which was the shot that completed Fordham’s 10-0 run.

The Rams lost their lead for almost two minutes. Cassidy Gould, DU ’22, made a 3-point shot with less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter, bringing the score to 13-12. But all it took was a jump shot from Asiah Dingle, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’22, for the Rams to retake the lead.

The quarter closed with the Rams at 17 points, culminating in a jump shot and free throw by Anna DeWolfe, FCRH ’23.

Within the first 10 seconds of the second quarter, DeWolfe made a layup, but Issy Morgan, DU ’25, nailed a 3-point opportunity, setting the score at 19-17. After Morgan’s three, the Wildcats suffered a dry spell for the next five minutes as the Rams brought their point total to 23.

There was a lid on the rim for the Wildcats as Fordham continued to make use of its net.

Davidson picked up the pace in the final three minutes and was able to keep up with Fordham, shaving down the Rams’ eight-point lead to four. But Millie Prior, FCRH ’25, found Fordham’s lead too minimal and extended it to six, 32-26.

Davidson’s net was untouched by a basketball for the first six minutes of the third quarter as Fordham stretched its lead to 14 points.

The Rams’ defense was seemingly too much for the Wildcats to handle. Davidson shot 41% from the field, and the team was only able to attempt 12 shots compared to Fordham’s 16.

Eventually, the Wildcats picked themselves up from their shooting slump and scored six more points by the end of the quarter. Dingle made a jump shot and strengthened Fordham’s growing lead with five seconds remaining in the third quarter, 51-38.

The Wildcats threatened Fordham’s inevitable win when they scored eight points in the first four minutes of the final quarter, but the Rams continued to maintain their lead. Davidson’s shooting success only meant that Fordham’s defense was beginning to tire out.

Davidson attempted 17 field goals in the fourth quarter with a 53% success rate. What helped the Rams maintain their lead were the three foul shots gifted to them by the Wildcats.

Fordham’s 16-point lead, the largest thus far in the game, thanks to Dingle, was shortened to 11 in the final 26 seconds of the game. Morgan pushed down the court and finished a layup, ending the game down 68-57.

Fordham’s next game will be in pursuit of the A10 Championship at Chase Fieldhouse on March 3, where the Rams will face the winner of George Mason and Saint Louis.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS The departing seniors received flowers and photos. Gaitley praised the work ethic of the group.

Asst. Sports & Health Editor and Online Editor

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have taken the online world by storm. If you are on the internet, you will likely have seen photographers, cryptocurrency experts and avid entrepreneurs all rallying around weird-looking monkeys in hoodies and gold chains.

Recently, Fordham University has “minted,” or published, their own line of themed NFTs based on Fordham football star Vince Lombardi, Fordham College ’37, and his illustrious college career. Although NFTs are gaining popularity, many people still know little about them.

An NFT is a digital asset stored on a blockchain. It is “non-fungible,” meaning that the token is unique and cannot be replicated by any other item. It belongs to a specific user, and the security features of the blockchain allow someone to prove ownership of the token. The NFT can be bought and sold and functions much like a commodity on a typical supply-and-demand market. Unlike other commodities, NFTs have a twist to them: They are entirely digital. Often, NFTs are images, but they can also be audio or video clips.

Blockchain is a technology that has been typically associated with cryptocurrency. Blockchains are powerful tools for making anonymous, secure transactions.

Because NFTs exist on a blockchain with a public ledger accessible to all, one can prove ownership of a digital item. A certificate is required to prove that the digital collectible you own is authentic. This creates “digital scarcity.” While anyone can screenshot a picture on the internet, being the authentic owner of something means a lot, and this is where the value of NFTs is found.

Most NFTs are on the Ethereum blockchain. Differing from other popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum’s blockchain is multipurpose and is perfectly suited for this emerging market.

One of the most popular NFTs currently is called the Bored Ape series. The series features portraits of apes posing with various items and expressions. Their value as collectibles is often confusing; they don’t fall under any category of traditionally valuable art. Due to their “digital scarcity,” they can often sell for just as much or more than some of the world’s most expensive paintings. Another very popular NFT collection is called CryptoPunks, and its current valuation is $5.4 billion.

Because of the high return on many of these NFTs — in 2017, a CryptoPunk series collectible sold for $171 million — many smaller parties have ventured into the field looking for profit. Some photographers, such as New York Citybased Dave Krugman, have published their work as NFTs.

With all the hype surrounding NFTs, Fordham University recently decided to enter the market. The university “minted” a collection of Lombardi-themed NFTs on Feb. 23. responsible for minting the NFTs Fordham Athletics put up for auction. It also sits on the Council for Inclusive Capitalism with the Vatican. According to their website, the council is a group of business leaders who seek to make a more inclusive world, inspired by the teachings of Pope Francis. The Lombardi NFTs exist on the Ethereum blockchain, despite the Crescite company’s claimed desire on its website to create the “Laudato Si” blockchain with renewable energy sources, a new technology that they claim would reflect the values of the Catholic Church.

Currently, prospective buyers can make offers on 38 separate NFTs in the Lombardi collection. Originally, the NFTs were only available through auction, with a minimum starting bid of 0.4 “wrapped Ethereum,” which is worth about $1,100 as of March 2.

The collection includes images and animated graphical representations of memorabilia related to Lombardi’s career at Fordham, both as a football player and coach. Some of the images include photographs of Lombardi paintings, while others are shots of physical items. These include images of Lombardi’s locker, filled with memorabilia like his original jersey. An image of the jersey itself is also being sold as an NFT. Some of the animated images are plaques and photographs commemorating Lombardi’s time at Fordham.

All of the NFTs include various bonus items and services associated with the NFT being purchased. For example, the description of the locker states that its buyer will receive a “personalized tour” of the locker. Whoever buys the image of Lombardi’s jersey will receive a current Fordham football jersey signed by Ed Kull, director of intercollegiate athletics, and Joe Conlin, football head coach. Each NFT will come with various other benefits, including a Fordham hat, a letter from Kull and a raffle entry for seats behind the end zone at a Fordham football game.

Fordham Athletics’ efforts have yet to bear fruit. As of March 2, the collection’s OpenSea page indicates that no bids have been placed. This is not the first time that Lombardi’s name and legacy have been utilized by Fordham Athletics. The fieldhouse built in 1976 to supplement the Rose Hill Gymnasium was named in his honor. Fordham Athletics also opened a football suite named after the most well known of the “Seven Blocks of Granite,” a nickname given to Lombardi and six of his teammates during his playing career. Donations requested for the suite were substantial, with rewards being handed out starting at $5,000.

As the basketball season approaches its conclusion, the lengthy baseball season begins and the spring semester reaches its halfway point, Fordham Athletics is in full stride. The NFT collection represents another venture that the administration is using to bolster financial engagement, particularly in an emerging market.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ROXANNE CUBERO/THE OBSERVER With all the hype surrounding NFTs, Fordham University recently decided to enter the market.