Nov. 5, 2014

Vol. 105 Issue 64

Pittnews.com

@thepittnews

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

THE STATE WHO CRIED WOLF

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Photo courtesy of Wolf Facebook

Presidential candidates debate SGB Abbey Reighard & Emily Ahlin The Pitt News Staff

Tom Wolf wins gubernatorial race,

The presidential candidates told stories about throwing sea stars and building bridges during last night’s presidential debate.

Andrew Stefanick, Graeme Meyer and Wasi Mohamed discussed their plans for the future of Student Government Board in a roughly one-hour debate on Tuesday in Nordy’s Place.

Meyer, a junior majoring in engineering and economic statistics, is running

first to beat sitting governor

Debate Harrison Kaminsky Assistant News Editor Democrat Tom Wolf defeated Republican incumbent Tom Corbett last night to become Pennsylvania’s 47th governor.

Wolf, who will take office in January, has no prior experience as an elected official, but earned a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, volunteered in the Peace Corps in India for two years and acted as CEO of his family’s business, which manufactures specialty building products. In 2006, Governor Ed Rendell appointed Wolf to

serve as the Secretary of Revenue.

This was the first time a candidate unseated an incumbent in the last four decades since the Pennsylvania governor could pursue re-election. Many predictions about the race favored Wolf, as Corbett received low approval ratings throughout his term. “I’ve found that the only way to get things done right is to listen, to treat people fairly and to include everyone in the process,” Wolf said in his official statement on his website. “It’s that kind of collaboration that allowed me to turn my former business around, and it’s the approach we need to

take to bring about the bright future this great commonwealth deserves.”

Pitt students weighed in on the election results and the prospects of Wolf being a successful governor.

Dan Lapidus said the issues most important to him are education, jobs and LGBTQA rights.

“One of the reasons I supported Wolf and worked on his campaign is that I felt like he was going to undo the serious damage that Corbett did to our state’s education,” Lapidus, a freshman history

Governor

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Pitt players honored with awards

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November 5, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

FROM PAGE 1

DEBATE independently, though he is affiliated with the 87’s slate comprised of Allocations Committee Chair Nasreen Harun, current Board member Meghan Murphy and Everett Green, a sophomore majoring in finance.

Mohamed, a senior majoring in history, philosophy of science and neuroscience, is running with the Bridges slate with Matt Sykes, a junior majoring in industrial engineering and Natalie Dall, a sophomore majoring in molecular biology.

Stefanick, a senior accounting and economics major, is running with the Pitt United slate with Jessica Snyder, a junior majoring in resources management and accounting, and Jack Heidecker, a sophomore majoring in German and political science.

Allocations Stefanick said he doesn’t want to expand the allocations process.

“Keep it centralized, and keep it sim-

Andrew Stefanick and Wasi Mohamed are two of the three candidates running for president next term. Heather Tennant | Staff Photographer

ple,” Stefanick said.

Mohamed said he thinks the current Allocations process is “too centralized,” so more on-campus organizations, such as Pitt Serves, should contribute to the allocations process.

“One Board can’t be expected to know about every group on campus,” Mohamed said.

Meyer said he “respectfully disagreed” with Mohamed’s plans to decentralize the allocations process.

Meyer said “decentralizing [the Allocations process] and making it a larger process would just add to that confusion.”

Meyer proposed that SGB members should instead reach out to students with more specific guidelines for the alloca-

tions process, so student groups “know what to expect” when requesting funds.

Structure Stefanick said he thinks part of the problem with the structure of Student Government is the lack of diversity in the Board members.

“We cannot pull from the same handful of students that we have in the past,” Stefanick said. “It feels as if there is a dynasty on Student Government.”

Stefanick said he first wants to create a student assembly or student senate if he is President, adding that his “sense of realism” would help future candidates understand their roles before they run for Board.

“I think people resigning get frustrated,” Stefanick said. “They have great ideas, but when they put them to practice, they realize there’s much more work to it.”

Stefanick said the Board needs to focus on relationship building at the beginning of the term.

Debate

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November 5, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 2

DEBATE “Once we get together, we need to be a team, and that needs to be harped on since day one,” Stefanick said.

Mohamed said he intends to do this by “involving student groups who already exist, using the passions they already have.” For instance, Mohamed said he has already reached out to the Campus Women’s Organization to talk about ways to combat sexual assault on campus.

“You don’t make Student Government bigger by making the committees bigger and adding more students to the committee and making a campus senate,” Mohamed said.

Mohamed said future Board members need to “allow failures to happen,” and not be discouraged when they can’t complete all their initiatives. He said he believes this may have been why there were so many resignations during the last term.

“I don’t really justify quitting for any reason,” Mohamed said. “It’s pretty common that projects don’t get done. Just because you hit a roadblock, you don’t stop.”

Mohamed said he wants the Board to work with student groups on more initiatives to “empower” more student leaders outside of SGB and take on some of the workload of Board members.

Meyer said his term on Board has given him insight on what does and doesn’t work about the structure of Student Government.

When it comes to keeping Board members around for their entire terms, Meyer said he wants to take a “preventative approach.”

Meyer said he wants to establish “realistic expectations” for the Board candidates and “break things down into smaller steps,” so Board member’s proj-

ects are more manageable.

Meyer used a story about sea stars to explain his idea. In the story, a girl is trying to save sea stars that washed up on shore. An old man tells her it’s pointless because there are too many stars.

The girl in the story, Meyer said, replied, “But I made a difference to that one.”

Meyer compared the story to his plans to future Board members.

“Although you come in with lofty ideas, you need to take it slow,” Meyer said.

“Take those small victories day by day.”

Why they think they’re the best candidate Andrew Stefanick said he would bring enthusiasm to the Board, adding that if elected, he would make sure the Board members leave the eighth floor during office hours to communicate with students.

“It needs to be something intrusive,” Stefanick said. “Because people don’t want to reach out to [Student Government].”

Meyer said his experience as a Board member allowed him to form relationships with administrators, city officials and the student body.

“I don’t have to spend the first few weeks of months [of my term] building those relationships,” Meyer said.

Mohamed introduced himself with a recap of the poem, “The Bridge Builder,”

by Allen Dromgoole.

In the poem, an old man comes to a chasm and successfully crosses it. But instead of continuing on his way, he builds a bridge so younger people can cross chasm without difficulty.

“I made relationships without SGB,” Mohamed said. “So why did I need it?”

Mohamed said he decided to run for Student Government President to help the student body and “build bridges” to access SGB.

“I don’t really justify quitting for any reason.”

Wasi Mohamed

November 5, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

SGB ALLOCATIONS American Institute of Chemical Engineers: $1,613.00 Black Action Society: $9,300.00 Pittsburgh Intercollegiate Snowboard Team: $1,230.48 Club Golf Team: $3,064.70 Lady Panther Soccer Club: $3,832.33

The Pitt News Crossword, 11/5/2014

Go online to Pittnews. com to get more details on SGB’s weekly meeting ACROSS 1 Italian scooter 6 Weird 11 “This is so frustrating!”

14 Sharon of Israel 15 Old-timey “Yikes!”

16 Coventry bathroom 17 Like a fajita pan 19 Perrier, to Pierre 20 Casual Friday top 21 FAO Schwarz specialty 22 Turn away 24 __ vivant 25 Tiny bit 27 Daisy-plucking words 33 Farm or home ending 34 Troubles 35 “Now __ me down to sleep ...”

37 James of “The Godfather” 38 Count Chocula wear 39 Turn on a pivot 40 Start of many Internet addresses 41 Actor Thicke 42 “I can take __!”

43 To the point 46 Bonny girl 47 Owned 48 Hangout for some 38-Down 51 Word spoken while pointing 53 Short change?

56 Month after avril 57 Not a likely chance, and, literally, a hidden feature of 17-, 27- and 43Across 61 Pre-holiday time 62 Part of USNA 63 “Keen!”

64 Twin of Bert Bobbsey 65 Picket fence parts 66 Barbershop band?

FROM PAGE 1

GOVERNOR and political science and philosophy major, said.

Lapidus said he trusts Wolf on the economy.

“He not only ran a business, but he ran a business that treated its workers ethically,” he said. “He made sure that his workers were wellpaid.”

In the first six months of Wolf ’s governorship, Lapidus would like to see details for a plan to increase jobs in the state.

“It doesn’t have to get passed [in that time]. I understand that politics work very slowly,” Lapidus said. “I would also like to see some movement on marijuana.

Cameron Linton, president of Pitt College Republicans, said he thinks Corbett may have lost because he did not address issues regarding teachers’ unions and education funding until the final months of the campaign.

College students, Linton said, likely voted for Wolf because they are more likely to be idealistic.

“Liberals are not stupid,” he said, “But young people tend to be more receptive to idealistic platforms.”

It is difficult to speculate about Wolf ’s possible performance since he is new to being an elected official, Linton said, but he said he hopes to see Wolf work on pension reform.

“I want to make my state better,” Wolf said at his acceptance speech.

“I’ve found that the only way to get things done right is to listen, to treat people fairly and to include everyone in the process”

11/18/14

By Marti DuGuay-Carpenter

DOWN 1 Like outer space 2 Weird-sounding lake 3 Clothing label number 4 Candy in a collectible dispenser 5 With everything accounted for 6 Choosing word 7 Omelet base 8 Cheering syllable 9 Binding words 10 Real __ 11 Delight 12 Crowd cacophony 13 Defeat decisively 18 Prefix with sphere 23 Disappeared 24 Skinny sort 25 Hawaii component 26 Siberian city 27 Box score numbers 28 Moor 29 Luxurious homes 30 Online finance company

The results from Colorado in particular are quite good in terms of economics.”

Joseph Streets, a junior actuarial math, ecology and evolution dual major, said he would like to see Wolf revise Pennsylvania’s education budget and that environmental issues are also important to him.

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Monday’s Puzzle Solved

©2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

31 Stan’s partner 32 Gibe 33 UCLA or USC 36 To this point 38 Some strays 42 Rouses from bed 44 Synthetic fibers 45 In pumps, say 48 “So be it!”

49 Volcano output 50 Burden for some debtors 51 Future atty.’s

11/18/14

exam 52 Many Manets 53 Blacken on the grill 54 Four-legged Emerald City visitor 55 Halt 58 “Friendly Skies” co.

59 New Deal energy prog.

60 Put in rollers

Tom Wolf “There’s the whole natural gas market that’s providing a lot of jobs, but I do think [Wolf ] should try to get us to cut back on coal more,” Streets said.

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November 5, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

EDITORIAL

OPINIONS

Swift knew Spotify was trouble when she walked in To the dismay of many open and closeted Taylor Swift fans, the pop sensation removed her music from the popular music streaming service, Spotify.

The sudden break-up came four days after the release of her much-anticipated album, 1989, when Swift and her record label Big Machine requested to leave the music service. Since then, Spotify has been trying to convince Swift to change her mind and return to the service, creating a Twitter campaign about the debacle with the hashtag #justsayyes — which quotes lyrics from her 2008 song, “Love Story.”

It’s unclear why exactly Swift and her label decided to leave Spotify, but there are speculations. Maybe it’s all a publicity stunt to get people to actually buy her new album? Or, maybe she just needs another breakup to write a song about?

Or perhaps Swift’s departure from Spotify encapsulates the perpetual conflict

between the music industry and popular music streaming services?

Swift wrote an op-ed this past July in the Wall Street Journal summarizing her gripes with free music streaming, like that on Spotify.

“Music is art, and art is important and rare,” Swift wrote. “Important, rare things are valuable. Valuable things should be paid for.”

In the op-ed, Swift compared music to other forms of art, like writing or painting.

If creators of these other forms of art get to decide the worth of their products, why is it different for musicians?

Swift has a point — music is an art form, and it seems odd that we should separate it from other forms of art. After all, we don’t place the same value on a Monet that we do for something your little cousin finger-painted — both have inherently different values, which are based on the

tastes of those consuming and producing the art. Same goes for books — a copy of “Superfudge” by Judy Blume just isn’t the same as a leather bound copy of Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities.”

Clearly, value in other forms of art is derived from a connection between the artist and the viewer and/or reader. Why then, does music, a very intimate form of art for most people, not have this?

Thom Yorke, the frontman of the bands Radiohead and Atoms for Peace, told The Guardian the situation arises because streaming music services, like Spotify, act as “gatekeepers” between the artists and the fans. According to Yorke, this severs the artist-to-fan connection that allows value to be derived out of music, like other art forms.

Yorke cited the release of Radiohead’s 2007 album, In Rainbows, as an example of how this connection could be reached

through music — this album was self-released online, and the band allowed fans to set their own price for the download.

“When we did the In Rainbows thing, what was most exciting was the idea you could have a direct connection between you as a musician and your audience. You cut all of it out, it’s just that and that,” he said. “{They] get in a way, like Spotify suddenly trying to become the gatekeepers to the whole process.”

Perhaps Taylor Swift is demonstrating a frustration similar to Yorke’s — maybe she wants a deeper connection with her fans and her art.

If music streaming services, like Spotify, value music as an art form, maybe they should consider what they may be doing to the quality of music by giving it away for free.

After all, T-Swift doesn’t need anymore teardrops on her guitar.

SIMON SAYS

Check your wealth: Economics left out of discourse on privilege Simon Brown Columnist

In the past year or so, the term “privilege” has become common currency in social media outlets and online think pieces. The complex and readily misused term provokes passion from most who encounter it.

The various bloggers and Tumblr users who invoke the term “privilege” do so to underline the differences in daily experience between demographic groups, usually as a result of racial or sexual prejudice.

However, one measurement of privilege is still glaringly absent from the conversation: wealth. The fact that socio-economic difference finds no place in this discussion speaks to just how deeply the gap runs throughout our national institutions, specifically, universities.

The idea of ‘privilege’ itself can be hard to stomach for anyone maintaining a belief in racial and sexual equality of opportunity. To press the importance of difference between black and white, male-identifying and femaleidentifying or straight and queer, may seem to undo the progress in civil rights over the past half century.

Yet the abolition of explicit legal barriers should itself lead to equity. For one to tear down these obstacles, one must bean insistent on the fundamental equality of minority groups, but to press the deep-seated cultural differences between said minority groups, may seem detrimental to the project by others.

Still, it requires a good deal of delusion to think that in progress in the civil rights of women, people of color and the LGBTQA community has reached the groups’ objectives. To try to list here the metrics that illus-

trate lower salaries, diminished graduation rates and higher incidence of sexual violence, would do injustice to their vastness.

The proliferation of discussions of “white privilege,” “male privilege” and “straight privilege,” prove encouraging. The notion gives a language for people in marginalized communities to communicate how their experiences differ from those of their peers outside them.

It helps instill a sense of community.

But the experiences of lower-income and working-class people rarely find expression through the language of “privilege.” Nowhere is that fact more evident than on the college campus, where the discussion of diverse identities is supposed to be most free.

To be sure, those near the bottom of the socio-economic scale draw from a common pool of experiences, just as they are also denied experiences. They have less opportunity to socialize in bars and restaurants, travel

around the world or perform volunteer outreach. They feel more pressure to earn money while in high school and college and to study for a future profession that will help them pay off student loans.

Nevertheless, the kind of open discussions about race and gender, which can take place among students, rarely touches wealth. This may result from an inherited national belief in the “American Dream” — that regardless of familial background, one can attain any level of economic success through personal responsibility. This sentiment remains alive and well among the American populace — 66 percent of whom recognize widening economic inequality, while only 47 percent recognize it as a problem, according to Pew Research Center study from 2013.

Another reason for the discussion of privi-

Brown

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November 5, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 6

BROWN lege to disregard economic differences may be found in the identity of “poor” or “working-class” people itself. This identity isn’t like “black,” “Latino/a,” “queer” or “woman.” For one, wealth seems to be a much more fluid metric than these others.

But that is not to say that race, gender and sexual orientation are clear-cut binaries.

Rather, social perceptions usually force these

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more sophisticated identities into binary oppositions. For example, even though the LGBTQA umbrella covers many identities, the community unites them in common dialogue about shared experiences, but one is still either part of that general community or is not.

The same could be said for people of color.

The same is not true for less wealthy people. The proliferation of polite euphemisms, from “lower-income” to “under-resourced” indicates just how nebulous the concept can be. This, coupled with the faith in social mobility out of their condition, makes the pos-

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sibility of students forming “lower-income support groups” or touting “Poor Pride” largely unthinkable.

These explanations, however, miss a fundamental barrier to open discussions of wealth: the college itself.

If students first find honest conversations about different identities in seminar rooms and freshman lounges, then discussions about wealth will find little place at the table, because there are few seats for poor students to begin with. Among the “most competitive colleges,” 74 percent of students come

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from families with an income in the highest quartile of American households. Only three percent come from the bottom quartile.

Students within the universities can have very productive conversations on the differences and intersections of their identities, but they won’t consider economic differences if there are no low-income students to share their experiences with in the first place.

Therein lies the very privilege of an academic environment in which peers and professors can openly discuss privilege itself.

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SPORTS

FOOTBALL

COLUMN

Conner, Clemmings win ACC weekly honors Tanking right decision for middling NBA teams Alex Fischbein For The Pitt News

Heather Tennant | Staff Photographer

Dan Sostek Assistant Sports Editor Despite a 51-48 loss to the Duke Blue Devils this past weekend at Heinz Field, the Atlantic Coastal Conference recognized two players on the Pitt football team Monday for outstanding performances. Sophomore running back James Conner was named the ACC co-offensive back of the week, while senior offensive tackle T.J. Clemmings was named the conference’s co-offensive lineman of the week.

Conner, who shared the weekly award with Florida State quarterback Jameis

Heather Tennant | Staff Photographer

Winston, was honored for his dominating performance Saturday afternoon, during which he set career highs in carries (38) and rushing yards (263) while scoring three touchdowns and averaging 6.9 yards per carry. This is the third time this season that Conner has won the award.

Conner was also named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, which is given out each season to the top college football player in the nation by a panel of media members, coaches and former players. The sophomore currently leads the nation in rushing yards with 1,342 and ranks third in touchdowns with 17.

Clemmings shared his honor with Florida State offensive tackle Cameron Erving.

Clemmings — who has been cited as a potential first round pick by ESPN’s Todd McShay and CBS’ Dane Brugler — was strong in both run and pass protection against the Blue Devils, opening holes for Conner while giving quarterback Chad Voytik ample time to throw. This is also Clemmings’ third time taking home the accolade.

After this week’s bye, both look to continue their strong performances next Saturday when the team travels to Chapel Hill to play the North Carolina Tar Heels.

The NBA and its fans can try to stop it all they want, but tanking is here to stay.

Many people invested in the NBA are outraged about tanking — the process of intentionally fielding a weaker team in order to lose more games and secure a higher draft pick — but that’s because they fail to see anything more than regular season wins. Fans that understand tanking realize that sometimes, there is no other way for a middling team to escape mediocrity and eventually compete for a championship.

Commissioner Adam Silver and NBA executives even tried to reform the draft lottery to prevent teams from tanking.

It’s a reform that won’t work. Big name free agents normally don’t want to go to a team lacking in young talent or championship prospects. These teams remain mediocre because of players who, after a good season or two, demand more money than they’re worth. On top of that, these teams are often small market teams, which is another turnoff for most superstars entering free agency.

Even the reigning champions, the San Antonio Spurs, have tanked before. They drafted David Robinson with the first pick in the 1987 draft, but they knew he wasn’t going to play for two years because he had to fulfill his service time in the Navy after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy.

The Spurs had two more horrible seasons, got another top three draft pick and then went from last place to first when Robinson returned.

Two more players selected by tanking

Fischbein

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November 5, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

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DAN SOSTEK,ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR RYAN BERTONASCHI, SENIOR STAFF WRITER CHRIS PUZIA, SPORTS EDITOR

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he Panthers face one of their tougher non-conference schedules in recent memory, traveling to Bloomington to take on Indiana, while a potential matchup with either BYU or San Diego State looms as part of the Maui Invitational. So unlike in years’ past, Pitt could enter conference play with two or three losses. While sophomore Mike Young should be able to replace Talib Zanna’s post presence, it’s unclear if there is a player on the roster capable of filling Lamar Patterson’s role as a go-to scorer.

Newcomer forwards Sheldon Jeter, Cameron Johnson and Ryan Luther look to make contributions, while players like guard Josh Newkirk and center Joseph Uchebo appear primed for increased playing time.

Despite their lack of traditional stars, the Panthers boast great depth and a top-notch coach in Jamie Dixon, and they should finish among the upper echelon of ACC teams.

Prediction: 22-10 Breakout player: Mike Young

J

amie Dixon is faced with one of those “good problems” this year, as depth has become his team’s strength. Pitt’s lineup will revolve around sophomore big man Michael Young and his ability to play both the power forward and center, which will provide Dixon with many options for his rotation. It will allow for Jamel Artis and Sheldon Jeter to be on the court at the same time and will provide Dixon with the luxury to give centers Joseph Uchebo and Derrick Randall increased minutes against bulkier teams.

Additionally, 6-foot-6 Chris Jones will slide into the wing when he’s not playing small forward; Cameron Wright and Durand Johnson will play at the two and three; and Josh Newkirk will play the wing when he’s not running the point guard.

Because of the positional versatility, expect this Pitt team to compete more against better teams and to dominate less against cupcakes. The Panthers have the ability to win 30 games and finish in the ACC’s top four, but their fate relies solely on the ways Wright and Johnson respond to their foot and ACL injuries, respectively.

Prediction: 24-8 Breakout player: Mike Young

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itt’s second season in the ACC sees the addition of Louisville to the conference, a team Pitt plays twice. This, in addition to playing Syracuse twice this season, gives Pitt a difficult conference schedule on top of a surprisingly strong non-conference slate. The Panthers could potentially face Arizona in Maui and travel to Indiana in December.

Losing two of its top scorers in Lamar Patterson and Talib Zanna, Pitt is going to need other players to step up. That being said, the team looks like one of Jamie Dixon’s most versatile squads in recent years, with several players who can fit multiple roles — Mike Young and Sheldon Jeter come to mind as two prime examples.

Prediction: 23-9 Breakout player: Josh Newkirk

MIKE YOUNG JEFF AHEARN | ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR

10 FROM PAGE 8

FISCHBEIN teams were LeBron James and Kevin Durant. The Cleveland Cavaliers traded away some of their best players for injured or past-their-prime players at the beginning of the 2002 season. They selected James as the first pick in the 2003 draft and rose to become one of the best teams in the East.

When Oklahoma City — then the Seattle SuperSonics — drafted Kevin Durant, the team had two veteran stars in Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. On draft day, the SuperSonics traded away Allen to the Celtics, and they dealt Lewis to the Magic a few weeks later. They then played their way to Russell Westbrook at the No. 4 pick in the draft. Trading Allen helped the Boston Celtics win a championship and the relocated Thunder haven’t even won one yet, which means the franchise’s little tank job didn’t harm anyone.

This NBA season, fans and writers alike are complaining about the Philadelphia 76ers and their “destructive” tanking strategy. They selected the hurt Kansas

November 5, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com star Joel Embiid with their third pick in the draft and then traded their 10th pick for Dario Saric, who will be playing in Turkey for the next two years. The 76ers’ general manager, Sam Hinkie, has been dealing players for all sorts of picks and stockpiling assets.

A lot of people have nicknamed Philadelphia’s season “Tank 2.0” because of the team’s limited talent and few playoff aspirations. Analysts and experts think that this will make the fans turn against the team, but it really has given fans hope for success for the future, as they can dream of drafting the next LeBron James or Kevin Durant.

Attendance at home games may have declined, but that carries much significance. For example, the Indiana Pacers were one game away from the NBA Finals in the 2012-13 season, and they had an average game attendance of just 15,269 people, which ranked 25th out of 30 teams.

Tanking should be the least of the NBA’s worries. It’s smart, it’s easy to implement, and most importantly, it’s inevitable.

The 76ers are the most blatant example of “tanking” in today’s NBA. | MCT Campus

T P N S U D O K U

Today’s difficulty level: Hard Puzzles by Dailysodoku.com