Volume XI Issue 3

Viking

Volume XI, Issue 6 December 2017

Winter Sports Previews p.26

Max Dorward (‘18) Photo by David Hickey

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

Viking Magazine would like to thank our sponsors

Interested in joining our sponsor list?

Email vikingads@gmail.com

2 | V I K I N G M AG A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

Line Up Zooms

10

Staff List

Intro Package

10 Questions with Will Schmutz (‘18) and Inside the Mind of Cooper Kim (‘18)

Jump, Shoot, Block

Don’t miss the Letter from the Editors

Time to Take out the Trash

Pyeongchang At a Glance

04

Viking analyzes the modern culture of trash talk

16

Paly in the Movies Viking explores how Paly athletics are portrayed in media

What to know about the 2018 Winter Olympics

Viking celebrates Wii Sports’ 10 year anniversary

20

Winter Sports Preview As the winter season approaches, the staff examines the prospects of each team

34

Viking Tries: Laser Tag Staff engages in friendly competition at Laser Quest in San Carlos

40

42

32

DON’T FINISH LAST

36

Helping Hand

Viking looks at how professional athletes have supported cities affected by disasters

Showboating Slumps Columnists explain why showboating should be allowed across sports

The Talent We’ve Lost Over the past year, the sports world has lost many talented athletes.

22

Viking looks into the rise of athletes investing in Silicon Valley startups

25 26

10 Years of Wii Sports

12

Viking dicusses various punishments players receive as a consequence of losing in fantasy football.

38

Final Word

Athletes are getting far too soft. Viking argues for the desperate need of bad sportsmanship.

48

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

Bryant Jefferson (‘18) hurdles a fallen defender on his way to a big gain. Paly lost to Wilcox 27-10.

Photo by Jenna Hickey

4 | V I K I N G M AG A Z I N E |

Jump

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

6 | V I K I N G M AG A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

Shoot

Dexter Gormley (‘20) fakes and shoots past the shot blocker. Paly lost the game to Gunn 8-4.

Photo by Alex Daw

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

Isabella Marcus (‘18) and DeeDee Ringwalt (‘18) reach to block a hit vs. Los Altos. Paly won 3-1.

Photo by David Hickey

8 | V I K I N G M AG A Z I N E |

Block

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

Viking Editors-in-Chief Bryan Look Sabrina Hall Executive Senior Staff Writer Will Strauch Multimedia Editors Wes Walters Matan Ziv Features Editors Lauren Daniel Sabrina Hall

Volume XI, Issue 3 December 2017

Staff Writers Eric Aboytes Zach Baumgarten Nathan Ellisen Maria Fletcher Ellie Jeffries Josh Kasevich Mallory Kuppe Zach Phillips Nathan Seto Jason Shorin Cole Sotnick Ryan Strathearn Staff Adviser Brian Wilson

Design Editor Yue Shi

Photo Editor David Hickey Copy Editor Stan de Martel News Editors Max Jung-Goldberg Hayley Levine Head Columnists Wes Walters Matan Ziv Business Manager Lauren Daniel

Viking Magazine Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-329-3837 Email contact: vikingeds@gmail.com Advertising and Sponsorship Contact: vikingads@gmail.com Viking, a sports magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Advanced Magazine Journalism class, is an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its readership. The Viking is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost. The staff welcomes letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity.

Advertising in Viking The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with The Viking, please contact the The Viking by email at vikingeds@gmail.com Printing Services 2,500 copies of The Viking are printed, six times a year by Fricke-Parks Press in Fremont, Calif.

Logo Font Courtesy of Måns Grebäck All photos taken from Creative Commons unless noted

10 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

From the editors Dear readers,

ARE. YOU. READY. FOR. The third issue of Viking?

As fall sports wind down, winter sports approach and temperatures start to drop, we here at Viking are gearing up for winter.

Viking would like to wish good luck to all you seniors who are just about to find out from all of your early action/early decision colleges. Additionally, good luck to those of you still applying at regular decision deadlines in January and, for the rest of you Paly students, best of luck with your finals and hopefully your first smester weny well. Regardless of what you have going on, make sure to take advantage of the cold, rainy days and curl

up with a cup of cocoa and the latest issue of Viking.

Lucky for you, the Viking stories this issue will be worth curling up for. Our cover story, “Winter Sports Previews” is written

by Eric Aboytes (‘19), Zach Baumgarten (‘19) and Josh Kasevich (‘19). It previews the seasons of all the winter sports. The cover features Max Dorward (‘18), a returning star from the varsity boys’ basketball team. After losing in the NorCal finals last year and losing just one starter, there a lot expectations for the Vikes this year.

Viking’s staff is very excited for their season, particularly attending games in the new gym and witnessing Will Schmutz’s (‘18) adorable smile.

Our second feature this issue, “Helping Hand,” by Hayley Levine (‘18), Wes Walters (‘19) and Cole Sotnick (‘19), dives into how athletes have been supporting and leading relief efforts for the communities they are a part of when natural disasters strike.

Another stand-out piece this issue is “10 years of Wii Sports” by Zach Phillips (‘19), Nathan Ellisen (‘19) and Stan de Martel (‘19), which commemorates the ten year anniversary of the release of Wii Sports and examines its effect on Americans.

Keep going Vikes, second semester is just around the corner! We hope you enjoy our newest issue of Viking.

Sko Vikes!

Bryan Look Sabrina Hall

Staff view

On boys’ soccer team haircuts

The Paly varsity boys’ soccer team has a longstanding tradition of giving its new team members unique haircuts at the start of the each season. This haircut is not fashion forward, it is not flattering, and it is most definitely not done by a professional. These cuts take inspiration from everything under the sun, from classic television cartoons like “Avatar: the Last Airbender” to avant garde interpretations of the classic buzz cut. The day that the boys walk on to campus with their fresh cuts is the day that their status on the team is cemented and their dues have been paid.

The Paly athletics department has made their zero tolerance policy for hazing extremely clear throughout the last few years, but there are some instances in which a confusing gray area appears, the soccer haircuts being one of them.

The word “hazing” usually connotes scenes of college freshmen being made to look like fools while being repeatedly degraded by fraternity pranks, or new members of a sports team being forced to run extra laps, act as servants to their

captains for a short period of time. Both of these are examples of unfair treatment being forced upon unassuming participants, something that is rightly frowned upon by athletic departments and schools across the nation. That being said, the soccer haircuts do not fall under that same horrible umbrella.

To the adults on campus, it looks like a unnecessarily ridiculous display of power by the captains of the team, and they believe it to be humiliating for the boys that are forced to go through it. To the students, it is a moment that marks the beginning of the winter sports season, and acts as a rite of passage for those who undergo the transformation. It is clear that the athletic department wants each athlete to have a positiveand rewarding experience on each team, but taking away the soccer team’s right to give their signature haircuts is not the way to make sure of that. The haircuts are all in good fun, with one’s ability to abstain from the process made clear at the start of season. No team members are hurt, bullied, or made to feel so horri-

bly that it conflicts with their academic or athletic achievement; it is merely a tradition that the boys happily participate in.

Every team has their “thing”. That “thing” is what makes them special around campus, what distinguishes them from the other groups, and what makes each athlete want to join that group and be a part of that specific community. Lacrosse has special jackets, water polo has rugbys and soccer has haircuts. For the new members, getting the haircut solidifies their status as a varsity athlete, and for the returners, the haircuts offer incentive to play all four years and eventually, as a senior, have the privilege to choose the abstract styles.

The beauty of hair is that it will grow back, the slight embarrassment is just temporary, and each boy that receives a cut can be reassured that his predecessors on the team had to go through an identical experience. Taking away this experience would be ridding Paly of a tradition enjoyed by students throughout campus, as well as limiting the team’s ability to express their more creative side.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

Pop Culture Grid Favorite Winter Olympic sport?

Claire Chen (‘19) Soccer

Downhill Skiing

Figure Skating

Carly Leong (‘18) Basketball

Curling

Snowboard Half Pipe

Elliot Clark (‘18) Wrestling

Bobsledding

Best Present Ever?

Super Bowl Winner?

Hawaii or Tahoe

A Car

I Don’t Watch Football

Australia

Rolls Phantom

Saints

Hawaii

Go Pro

Patriots

Oregon

Cuteapplejuice

Jaguars

Tahoe!

A Dog

Eagles

Winter Vacation Spot?

Sun or Snow?

Snow

Sun

Spencer Rojahn (‘18) Basketball

Sun

Snow

Matt Knowles (‘18) Soccer

Snow

Moment of the month

Paly Football team beats Saratoga on homecoming night 44-21

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

12 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

10 Questions With

Viking Magazine had the chance to ask Paly Baketball’s Will Schmutz (‘18) 10 Questions. We then asked his coach, teammate and friend what they thought Schmutz would say. Here are their guesses...

Will Schmutz as told to Stan de Martel and Max Jung-Goldberg

Will Schmutz (‘18) Basketball

Peter Diepenbrock Coach

Will Schlemmer (‘18) Teammate

Benner Mullin (‘18) Friend

Question: Spencer Rojahn

Funniest Teammate?

Schlemdog

Me

Brey Johnson

Jennifer Anniston

Celebrity Crush?

Ariana Grande

Emma Watson

Jennifer Aniston

Clif Bar

Pre-game Meal?

Cheese House

Carrots

Pasta

Always Sunny in Philly

Favorite TV Show?

Pardon the Interruption

Modern Family

Seinfeld

9 minute shooting

Favorite Drill?

Reverse lay-ups

9 Minute Shooting

Scrimmages

Basketball team

Best Thing About Paly?

New Gym

Basketball Szn

His Friends

Mariokart

Secret Talent?

2 handed ping pong

Golf

Elite Mariokart Player

Doing Nothing

Best Part of Senior Year?

Going to Maui

Second Semester

Basketball

Instagram

Favorite App?

ESPN

Snapchat

Bike Race

Fight above it

Favorite Song?

Issues

Relationships

Stitches

0%

30%

20%

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

Cooper Kim INSIDE THE MIND OF

Senior Year “Senior year is pretty rough with all the college apps and such #grdszn but besides that my classes aren’t too bad and it’s cool to be so close to graduating. “

Pre-Game Rituals “Some pre-game rituals would be bouncing light on the feet to stay warm and just zoning out on what’s going on in front of me and thinking about what I want to do in the match. Usually the goal is surive, and I’d say that’s going aight.”

Free T

ime “Wre stling + ho chun me k my fr of my tim work is a ee tim e p week e is p at the mo retty big e m re hang nds. In m tty limite ent so y fr ou dt in be t with my ee time I o the lik d in a f n atte riends an e to d sta mpt with y to my m attres morph s.”

Future Plans “Sleep at 10:30 tonight. I’m trying to fix my sleep schedule. Speaking of, have you heard of naps? It’s like sleeping but in a condensed package. I’ve been experimenting with those. One word: Lifechanging.”

14 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

What He'd

Do If

H

e Did Wrest “Prob n't a le to d bly theat o so re. I’v me v e alw movin oc ay on a g of sort al perfo s wanted rmin s. Th pile o g at f Leg os is ’s why sin and also up th ging ere.”

410 S California Ave Palo Alto, CA 94306

20% discount on any burrito Monday-Friday from 3-5pm! students must have student ID, 1 item per student, 1 coupon per student

Want to advertise here? contact us at vikingads@gmail.com @ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

TIME TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH

R YA N S T R AT H E A R N A N D Z A C H P H I L L I P S

Viking Magazine takes an indepth look at the culture and future of trash talking.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has established himself as one of the best trash-talkers in the NBA.

During his 13-year NBA career with the Boston Celtics, Larry Bird trashed fellow NBA players Dominique Wilkins and Kenny Smith. Bird is convinced that these feuds lead to his success.

16 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

T

rash talking is nothing new.

However, in the past few months, trash talking has been brought to the forefront of the national sports scene as well as here at Palo Alto High School. Sports have a long, storied history of verbal intimidation. Year after year, athletes have shown that trash talk can be funny and effective, but history has shown that when things escalate between players, trash talking can have far-reaching consequences.

The culture around trash talking has changed over the past few decades: from innocent chatter to threatening and sometimes even violent actions being taken. Bryan Stow, a 45-year-old paramedic from Santa Cruz, attended the 2011 MLB opener in Los Angeles between the Dodgers and Giants. After a Dodger victory, Stow was mercilessly beaten in the parking lot by two avid Dodger fans, who later claimed that the group began talking trash as they left Dodger Stadium. What began as innocent banter, left a father-of-two permanently disabled.

While trash talking has become more malicious, a few traditional, colorful characters propagate the world of sports.

Few sports have such an affinity for trash talking as boxing. Throughout the years, Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather, and other superstars have used boxing as a platform to intimidate, draw laughs, and gain recognition. After knocking out Lou Savarese in only 38 seconds, Mike Tyson told reporters that he was “the most brutal and vicious, the most ruthless champion there has ever been. [...] There is no one who can match me. My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I’m just ferocious. I want your heart! I want to eat his children! Praise be to Allah!” Tyson uses this form of trash talk to improve his

Football cornerback Josh Norman (currently plays for the Washington Redskins) and wide reciever Odell Beckham Jr. are known for their mid-game trash-talking. Their relationship has spawned advertisements and large fines.

intensity and rattle his opponent. Most professional players similarly trash talk to boast about their achievements and belittle their opponents.

However, trash talking is not mutually exclusive to fans or players. Indiana Pacers star Reggie Miller and filmmaker Spike Lee proved that professionals and fans can clash. During games against the New York Knicks, Lee would sit on the sideline and continually hurl insults at Miller. After scoring, Miller would often respond with a quick slur or dirty glance. Both Lee and Miller remember these quips fondly. Athletes and fans have shown that well-natured trash talk can be funny and effective if done well.

While most see trash talking as funny and witty in professional leagues, some worry whether it has irreparably tainted college and high school athletics.

“I can definitely see an upward trend in the number of athletes getting warnings from referees during games,” Nathan Ramrakhiani (‘19) said. “I think that the culture of trash talking has become normalized in the past decade. I think there is an obvious threshold that has been crossed between playful and harmful trash talking.”

Jamir Shepard (‘20), a Paly student who recently experienced harsh trash talk that escalated and eventually led

to his ejection, had much to say about trash talk.

“I have a lot of experience with trash talk, I am usually on the receiving end,” Shepard said. “Personally I think it helps my game cause it inspires me to go harder and prove them wrong. Sadly, things got out of had recently and I let the other player get to me.”

Due to this increase in trash talk between young student athletes, the Central Coast Section (CCS) league has decided to enact stricter sportsmanship policies in recent years. The league specifically cites “berating opposing players, negative signs, berating your opponent’s school or mascot, obscene cheers or gestures and complaining about officials’ calls (verbally or in gestures)” as unacceptable behavior at all CIF/CCS High School contests. Violating any of these provisions can result in a red card, forfeit, or suspension for the team or player .

Whether or not these stricter policies have worked is hard to tell. What has become vehemently clear is the profound difference between how consumers view athletic events today versus twenty years ago. Many viewers today look for trash-talking players, while others detest those who take away from traditional competition.

“Personally I think it helps my game cause it inspires me to go harder and prove them wrong”

One of the first famously trash talking players Larry Bird, was notorious for talking a big game and more often than not backing it up with his play. There are many stories where Bird would call his shots before the play, ask for a new opponent because his defender is lacking, and even trash talking coaches.

“I don’t know why they got you guarding me homes, you can’t guard me,” said Bird to a rookie Dominique Wilkins.

Bird grew in the league as a great player and a great trash talker, he often called his shots to intimidate his opponents.

In the same game against a rookie Wilkins, Bird got confident and started calling his shots. Nearing 60 points he called a memorably difficult shot saying “Rainbow, trainers lap” meaning that’s where he was gonna shoot it from, he proceeded to hit a deep three next to the Hawks bench then fall into the trainer’s lap.

Kyrie Irving and Draymond Green exchange insults during a timeout.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

Bird was one of the original players notorious for talking trash, nowadays trash talking is so common on all levels of sports that a player like him with such skill can be forgotten as a trash talker.

The relatively recent rise of social media has not helped the issue of rapidly expanding and intensifying smack talk.

The prevalence and ease of social media platforms has allowed anyone to share their opinion about anything at any point in time. These platforms - such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - have allowed anyone, even the President of the United States, to easily criticize anybody.

On a professional level, trash talk is often blown up, but many high school athletes deal with it within their respective sports.

“I have had a little bit of experience with trash talk, personally I don’t do it because my dad always told me to ‘let your game talk’ but I get targeted a lot from kids trying to get in my head” Jackson Chryst (‘19) said.

While sports should be fun, trash talking can escalate and lead to major consequences for athletes. In order to build a successful and healthy competitive culture, one must establish that true competitors - those who love rivalry - will talk through their actions on the field.

There is not true need to smack talk a competitor, as greatness is about character. Winning is about respect.

18 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

We went around and asked some PALY students about whether or not they think trash talk is beneficial for the players both at the Professional and High School level.

“I am quite impartial about trash talk, but I feel it could be harmful to both professionals and high school athletes esecially if things are escalated.”

“I find the trash talk on the professional level entertaining but at the high school level I feel like it can be harmful and end up hurting team and players performance.”

-Gigi Tierney (‘19)

-Tyler Foug (‘19)

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

July 30 - August 3

Register today! goo.gl/uUTtkv

Simplest way to make things

Want to advertise here? contact us at vikingads@gmail.com @ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

Photo from Hailey Langland’s Instagram @haileylangland

Olympic veteran Lindsey Vonn awaits her first Winter Olympics since severely fracturing the humerus bone in her right arm in the 2016-2017 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. Since surgery, she has been recovering and training hard to prepare herself for her fifth Winter Olympics. Vonn has competed in multiple World Cups, Olympics, and World Championships. Despite coming off of an injury, the 33 year-old is a favorite for the US Ski Team due to her experience and successes in past competitions.

Chloe Kim, a high school senior from SoCal, looks forward to competing in PyeongChang. Chloe started snowboard competitions when she was six years old and went on to dominate competitions throughout the country and across the world. Last season (winter of 2016) Kim placed first in the World Snowboard Tour, the X Games in Oslo, the Grand Prix in Park City, and the Youth Olympic Games in Norway. She has broken numerous records as a young female medaler in the Youth Olympics and the X Games.

Mikaela Shiffrin, the reigning Overall World Cup champion and reigning Olympic winner in slalom, seeks her second gold medal for the second Olympics in a row. The 22 yearold is competing in just her second Olympics, although she has been active in other skiing competitions as well, such as the FIS Alpine World Cup. The rising star looks for another impressive outcome for Team USA.

Shaun White, the two-time Olympic gold medalist, record-holder for most X-Games gold medals, and 10-time ESPY Award winner looks forward to his fourth Winter Olympics. The “Flying Tomato” is best known for his snowboarding tricks in one of the most popular winter sports. Despite a minor face injury, White claims he is recovering and is ready to take on the halfpipe competition in PyeongChang.

Pyeong

At a G

By Maria Fletch An overview of the nota ditions, and the top stor pics this

Hailing from San Clemente, 17-year old Hailey Langland is competing in snowboarding for Team USA in the Big Air, Halfpipe, and Slopestyle events this Olympics. Last year she won a bronze medal at Winter X Games XX and took gold in the Big Air event in the 2017 Winter X Games after becoming the first woman in X Games history to land a gravity-defying “cab 1080 double cork” (three full rotations while inverting twice).

TOP U.S. PROSPECTS 20 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

NEW EVENTS

Freestyle Skiing

Consisting of aerials, moguls, half-pipe and slopestyle, freestyle skiing is getting a new addition this Olympics: ski cross. Mogul skiing was added in 1992, the aerials event in 1994, and in 2011, the International Olympic Committee approved halfpipe and slopestyle freeskiing events for Sochi. This year, ski cross athletes will be taking on natural and artificial terrain like rollers and high banks.

Mixed Doubles Curling

Mixed Doubles Curling is a faster, “more dynamic” form of curling according to the World Curling Federation, requiring only two participants (one female and one male) rather than the traditional four. “It is all about stone positioning, a lot of play to the four foot circle and a lot about angles.” It was officially added in 2015 but makes its Olympic debut this year. Many athletes look to showcase the new event.

ngChang Glance

etcher and Nathan Seto notable athletes, important adstory of the 2018 Winter Olyms this February.

Mass start speed skating

Big Air Snowboard

In this modern skating event, up to 20 skaters race at the same time for 15 laps (women) or 20 laps (men). It has been on the World Cup program for the last three seasons and was added to the Winter Olympics on June 8, 2015. The competitors make it extremely difficult to move up positions during the race. This is the most dangerous skating event in terms of the start due to the amount of people.

“The progression of difficulty is pushed by the innovation — and bravery — of athletes,” the Olympic website said of the event.

Snowboarders start atop a big snow ramp, and then perform one big trick off the end. The ramp in PyeongChang is the biggest in the world at 49 meters tall; it declines 40 degrees at its steepest point. Form and tricks are scored throughout the jump and landing.

STUDENTS SPEAK Favorite Winter Olympic Sport?

Russian Scandal

In 2014, Russia avoided being banned from the 2016 Rio Olympics after the World Anti-Doping Agency uncovered a state-run doping scheme, implicating 28 different sports total. Nearly five years later, they are still skating on thin ice. The International Olympic Committee has less than a month now to decide whether Russia will be banned from PyeongChang’s events. A Russian restriction would have a massive impact on the Games, leaving many podium spots vacant. Russia is a top competitor in many events, most prominantly figure skating. Without the Russian presence, other countries have a greater chance of earning a spot on the podium.

9%

10%

12% 67%

18% 15%

22%

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

McF arlan US d, A

V V V

V

V

design by Sabrina Hall and Bryan Look

V

V

V

Paly in the Movies

Palo aga Alto i and nst ra M villi acts as cFarl ces and The ans in the por athlete the st t ory . and rayed s are as s ove rco nfid poiled ent .

V

V V V

V

V

V

V

V

V

r e h c t a Foxc 22 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

the tells tz r e tch hul Foxca f the Sc ho o w story rs (‘77), e le in t broth to wres ics p d traine 84 Olym nd 19 s a the ngele ning A s in Lo d a stun re endu . dy trage

Investing Athletes

by LAUREN DANIEL and ELLIE JEFFRIES Viking explores the recent rise in professional athletes interest and involvement in the prominent Silicon Valley startup scene. @ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

L

ocated in the basement of is today came the CVS on University Ave from converlies a vast layout of chain link, sations that sectioned off, offices. Slyce’s we’ve had toheadquarters could be that of gether,” Barr any other Silicon Valley start said. up in the area. Post-its and sloppy writ“[Steph] ing seemed to cover every board and really underwall, and the computers glowed with stands this code. Only the number 30 jersey draped e c o s y s t e m on a chair, paired with the old Davidson between taljersey framed on the wall indicated that ents, brands this startup was a little different, it was and agents co-founded by Golden State Warriors so apart from star Stephen Curry. him being a The average NFL player lasts 3.3 years subject maton the field, and the average NBA player ter expert in barely last any longer, with their career this space and stretching over a span of just less than really under5 years. While the salaries during their standing what careers can be enormous, many athletes his experitake precautions for the many years they ence was like,” will live off the court. Some find that solu- Barr said. tion to be investing, most notably in SiliBarr becon Valley startups. lieves that many of the Warriors have Millions of people have invested in been some of the most involved in intech startups born in this region, and vesting in Silicon Valley because of their athletes are no exception. Recently more exposure to it. He believes that athletes athletes have taken an interest in the op- are now starting to become involved in portunities investing provides, and some companies earlier and therefore having have gone as far to cremore say. ate their own startups “They’re “They’re starting to learn that they starting and projects. to Many of the athletes learn that can have bigger impacts on deciding to invest in Silcan companies at earlier stages that they icon Valley businesses have bigger are a part of teams in potentially give them more say in impacts on the area. Some of the companies the matter,” Barr said. “It’s a very first athletes to venat earlier ture into this world were learning experience for them by stages that members of the Golden having equity in the company” p o t e n t i a l l y State Warriors. Accordgive them -Bryant Barr ing to CNBC, owner Joe more say in Lacob is a veteran venthe matter,” ture capitalist and when he bought the Barr said. “It’s a learning experience for team in 2010, he formed an ownership them by having equity in the company. group with many giants in the tech indus- They can grow with it instead of the comtry including the co-founder of YouTube pany just using their name and likeness and many venture investors. Because of and getting a check in return.”

Lacob’s close ties with Silicon Valley’s Curry is also an ambassador for Coatech industry, the Warriors have access chUp, an app that connects coaches to many tech leaders. Athletes inside of and trainers with athletes, and is helping the Warriors’ franchise have taken full ad- launch Bubble, a group chat and texting vantage of this opportunity. app.

For example, Stephen Curry cofound“This company is aimed at trying to ed the app, Slyce, with his former col- solve a need relating to athletes and how lege teammate and roommate Bryant they get their information out via twitter Barr. Barr is also the CEO of the compa- and other platforms” Slyce’s head counny. Slyce links athletes to their fans and sel Damien Weiss said. helps athletes expand their brand.

True Capital Management is a San “It was a conversation I had with [Steph] Francisco based consulting firm seek and a lot of the ideas about what Slyce funded by Isaac Vaughn and former forty

24 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

niner player Ronnie Lott that specifically helps athletes make investments and build their brand. True Capital Management have grown tremendously over the last 10 years as athletes have become more prominent in the world of investing, growing from a $40 million company representing about two dozen athletes, to one with upwards of $500 million representing over 175 professional athletes spanning across the NBA, NFL, MLB, and WNBA. “There has definitely been a recent surge in the level of investment that you’re seeing from professional athletes,” True Capital Management board member Isaac Vaughn said.

Along with being on the board of True Capital Management Vaughn co-founded his own investment firm with Lott called SC Investments.

“We came up with this idea to start a consulting firm where we were fiscally going to invest our own money in startup companies focused on the convergence of sports, media and technology,” Vaughn said. “We look for better opportunities for athletes to leverage their plans more so than their wallets.”

For many athletes, investing can be about more than securing their future or lining their pockets, but also about building themselves as a brand. Athletes have a unique platform that allows them to be a real asset to companies looking to get their product out to a specific audience.

This allows well known athletes to be in a position where they are able to invest in

a company, but also have that company ley live in the area however. Serena Wilwant their representation and commit- liams is backing Daily Harvest, a startup ment. that delivers fresh, frozens meals to your “These athletes realize that because of home. For Williams, this move is not only who they are and that they’re well known, financially motivated, but also coincides there is a genuine interest in having with her personal philosophies. some athletes involved in this business,” “I invest in businesses that operate with Vaughn said. “What the athletes appreci- sincerity and integrity and deliver a pure ate is because of their platform, they can and uncompromised product,” Williams get access to deals the average person said in a press release. “I’m excited about won’t get access too.”

Daily Harvest’s future as a female-led The Warriors’ player who has taken the business and I look forward to helping most advantage of the team’s more proximity to Silicon Valley is “More and more athletes have p e o Andre Iguodala. In an interview p l e focused on the technology around the time Iguodala first gain came to the Warriors he ex- industry in particular, there is a a c plained that the investment opcess portunities in the region made recognition that a lot of value can t o Golden State have a certain be created in a relatively short nutriappeal. According to Forbes, tious period of time” he has invested in many Sili-Issac Vaughn con Valley startups including Casper, SuperPhone, Thrive Global, Twice and Walker & Company. By meals.” choosing to sign with the Warriors again One very recent example of an athlete after his contract expired, Iguodala is investing in Silicon Valley tech startups is able to continue his business pursuits off Michael Phelps. Phelps recently retired the court. New addition to Golden State, from swimming after the 2016 Rio OlymKevin Durant, has also taken advantage pics and currently holds the record for of living in the Bay Area by investing in the most medals of any Olympic athlete. many startups as well.

Phelps has acquired many endorsements “More and more athletes have focused over the years, but investing opens up a on the technology industry in particular, new source of revenue. there is a recognition that a lot of value Another recent retiree, Kobe Bryant, can be created in a relatively short peri- has created an $100 million venture capiod of time,” Vaughn said. tal fund that will invest in technology and Not all athletes investing in Silicon Val- media companies, and NBA player Car-

melo Anthony has created his own tech fund called Melo 7 Tech Partners.

Lebron James is also looking into planning for his future off the court.

“I know there will more time of my life spent off the floor than on the floor,” said Lebron James, he is just one of the athletes who understands how abruptly his career could come to a close. He, like others, plans on securing his future life off the court, by investing today.

James invested in Beat headphones early and ended up making $30 million off the company’s sale to Apple in 2014, according to USA Today.

“Instead of putting money into a restaurant or bar or other investment brought to them, increasingly more [athletes] are focused on putting money into tech and getting a greater understanding of the tech industry,” Vaughn added.

Although many athletes end up making a profit on their investments, some are not as fortunate. For example, in 2012 former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling lost $50 million in a failed video game venture.

Still, in comparison to the overall amount of money being invested in projects stemming from Silicon Valley, athletes contributions only amount for a very small percent. However, the percent of professional athletes compared to total that are investing has gone up and as companies continue to encourage athletes to invest and represent them, athletes will inevitably leave their lasting mark on this market and area.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

v

Winter Sports Previews

by Eric Aboytes, Zach Baumgarten and Josh Kasevich

As the Winter Season approaches, Viking Staff takes a look at what to expect for this upcoming season.

We preview each team's key players and provide an analytical perspective on team's characteristics.

26 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

v

On the Mat

Paly wrestling looks to continue their success in the De Anza Division this upcoming winter season.

How was last season?

"Last season was a great experience. I learned a lot from last season, both from wins and losses, and what areas to improve for myself. It was different from past seasons because our team was moved to the lower division due to a short number of people the year before. Our team did very well against the other schools and earned our way back to the upper division,” Andrew Wang (‘19) said.

"Last season was pretty good overall, the team was developing last year and we moved up divisions in our league. We had a decent showing at CCS that is bound to improve this year," Elliot Clark (‘18) said.

What are some team goals for this season?

Who To Look Out For:

"Our team goals for this year are to be successful in our league, ideally with a 1st place finish, and to send as many people as we can to the CCS and State tournament," Clark said.

"The team looks to improve through hard work and dedication and pushing one another," Cooper Kim (‘18) said.

"There’s a lot of pressure on these [wrestlers] and I believe we should battle for the league championship and top 10 CCS too," Coach Tony Brewer (‘75) said.

Individual Goals?

"I’m not a good wrestler but I’m looking to improve my mentality and toughness," Kim said.

“My goal for this season is to place Top 3 at CCS then head off to States. I want to improve my offensive wrestling...and learn to be faster, more aggressive, and explosive,” Masa Perez (‘19) said.

Winter

Favorite Way To Pin An Opponent?

“My favorite way to pin an opponent is using an Arm Bar. Basically, I bring [my opponent’s] arm behind them and punch my arm through behind.

Then I bring their shoulder up to their ear, walk around them and pin them,” Perez said.

“My favorite way to pin an opponent is through a stack, which is where [my opponent’s] feet are over their head,” Dara Heydarpour (‘20) said.

“My favorite way to pin an opponent is through the cradle, which is basically when you wrap one arm around their head and the other around their leg and then you pin them, ” Calvin Grewal (‘18) said.

Photo by David Hickey

Former Paly Viking Seth Goyal (‘17) attempts to pin a Santa Clara wrestler.

Andrew Wang ('19) "I recommend joining wrestling...you will never experience anything like it" -Andrew Wang ('19) Meet Andrew Wang (‘19), one of the most talented wrestlers at Paly. He first joined wrestling in 7th grade because of the sport’s open and inclusive environment. This ended up being one of the best decisions of his life, as he became stronger, felt healthier, and gained self-confidence.

Last season, he placed 2nd at the SCVAL tournament and his aggressive, fast-paced wrestling style helped him reach CCS. He placed 6th at CCS, and is bound to improve this upcoming season. He will wrestle at 128 pounds, and is hoping to place higher at CCS and hopefully reach the state tournament.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

By The Numbers Lost Seniors

3 Returning players

9 New players

3 CCS Championships in the last 5 years

1

On the Court

The very experienced Paly boys’ basketball team looks to rebound from last season’s loss in the semifinals of the NorCal Championship, and is shooting for a State Championship. Led by Coach Diepenbrock, the team is carrying a lot of confidence heading into the upcoming season.

Paving the way for this year?

“We have a lot of different seniors who have a lot of different experiences in high school basketball, so we are going to rely on their maturity to lead the way,” Diepenbrock said.

Coach Diepenbrock knows what it takes to win, so in the offseason he understands what the team has to do. One of their seniors is Spencer Rojahn (‘18).

“Whether it’s conditioning or working on defensive fundamentals, he knows exactly what we need to do in order to be prepared for the season,” Rojahn said.

How can they get the ball in the hoop?

“I would say our team chemistry is strong,” Jared Wulbrun (‘18) said. “We are all friends off the court and that helps. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses really well at this point, so we know how we can set each other up for easy points,and success in games.”

The team offers a very strong offense with a lot of different weapons. The offense will be lead this year by Rojahn, Wulbrun, Max Dorward (‘18), and Will Schlemmer (‘18). Wulburn was one to acknowledge the team’s talent in shooting.

“We run of a lot of 3 point shooting plays with our offense. We have all been getting into the gym [to work on] our range so we can all hit from deep. We are able to spread the defense and have room to penetrate and kick for open shots. All of us have the ability to knock down threes, so we have a lot of versatility,” said Wulbrun.

What are the teams weaknesses?

With all of the strengths the boys have to offer, they still have weaknesses they have to be able to protect.

“We have to be able to protect the ball with everybody on the team. We can not just rely on one person to take care of the ball,” Diepenbrock said. “We have to play a more slowed down style opposed to last year fast and athletic style.”

What are the goals for the year?

Every member of the team all has the same goal for this season.

“We want to win state. Last year we made a big run, but we know that we can go even further this year. We have 9 returning seniors that all know what it takes, so this is our year,” Rojahn said.

Average points per game

69.6 Max Dorward (‘18) Leading Scorer

16

PPG

28 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

Photo by David Hickey Spencer Rojahn (‘18) drills the CCS buzzer beater as the students and the players rush the court. w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

On the Court

The last two years of Paly girls’ basketball have resulted in two CCS championship appearances.

This year the Vikings look to move past that and win a state title.

How can the girls' experience help this year?

Coach Scott Peters has been there for the girls in previous years, and looks to use his years of experience to help move the team forward.

“It can help us with our confidence, we had some girls who played on that team last year. So they have been there before so they know what it takes.”

The team will be led by Carly Leong (‘18), who has been on varsity since she was a freshman.

“It gave me the experience I need to lead this team this year,” Leong said. “My goal is to obviously go as far as we can, but to also have a close group of girls.”

Strengths in the game Their strong chemistry allows the girls to swing the ball around the court and shoot like no other competitive high school team.

“The strongest part of our game is our shooting,” Leong said.

Keys to success Coach Peters understands how to coach teams to victory in a way that allows the girls to excel in their own specific ways.

“I look at each team each team each year. We have some talented players here, some freshman, who can help us win games. It will take them some time to get going, but each team has to find our own identity. We have to find what ours is, and find ways to be successful.”

By The Numbers Lost Seniors

7 Returning players

5 New players

3

Goals for the year The Lady Vikes hope to win another CCS championship this year, and improve to three in a row. They hope to beat their crosstown rivals Gunn this year, and also win another league championship.

CCS Championships in the last 5 years

3 Average points per game

57.0 Carly Leong (‘18) Leading Scorer Photo by David Hickey The girls celebrate their second consecutive CCS championship after a win against Los Gatos.

17

PPG

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

New Team: Same Goals The girls’ soccer team looks to win CCS this year after last season’s disappointing loss to Menlo-Atherton

By the

Numbers

0

Losses going into to last year’s playoff match against Menlo Atherton, where the team was elminated

31

Goals scored by the entire team last year

How was last season?

“Last year we came in second in league and lost to Menlo-Atherton in the first round of CCS. Although disappointing, other returning players and myself see this as something to building from this season,“ Ally Scheve (‘18) said.

Team goals for the season?

"We have a bunch of new players, so I definitely want to be a super cohesive team by the end of the season!”

Scheve said.

Biggest Challenge?

One of our biggest challenges will probably be learning to play as a team. The returning players and the new players will have to work together and learn each other’s strengths and styles of play. So far, the team looks like a really strong group of girls, and I’m more than excited to start playing!” Scheve said.

The Team to Beat There’s a lot of built up tension, emotion, and energy that will go into this game and fuel our entire season.

- Tomz said

11 0

Mountain View

30 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

“We beat mountain view last year and we want to do it again this year. It will be a tough game but I am sure we can do it.” Scheve said

Players to Watch

Returning players from last year’s team

Goals scored against Menlo Atheron in last year’s CCS game

"This season, like other seasons, we have three goals in mind: win league, win CCS, and beat Mountain View," Emily Tomz (‘18) said.

Midfielder Emily Tomz (‘18) w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

Defender Ally Scheve (‘18)

Goalie Clara Luehrs (‘18)

Rebuild or Reload?

After losing seven starters from last year, the boys’ soccer team looks to reload at many positions for a CCS title run.

By the

How was last season?

Numbers

" Last season was great overall. Even though we lost in the first round of CCS, our season had a lot of highs. I will definitely miss the seniors of last season who played such a large role whom taught us so much,” Kenzo Morabia (‘19) said.

Team goals for the season?

"I would say our biggest goal is to win CCS. We have made it into the playoffs each of the past few years, but have not been able to make it past the first round, so it is definitely on everyone’s mind to break that streak,” Matt Knowles (‘18) said.

Individual Goals?

"To keep a clean sheet in every game that I play. I take every goal scored against my team personally, so I always have a mentality that no one is allowed to score on us," Knowles said.

“This season I’m going to continue to play with signature Paly spirit, and show other schools what it means to be a Vike. I’m also going to focus on enjoying my last year playing the beautiful game at the high school level,” Xander Sherer (‘18) said.

Most important games?

Gunn

Returning starters from last year’s team

Goals scored by former player Neil Verwillow last season, the most in the league Menlo Atherton

“I think returning plays are looking forward to taking on MA, who knocked us out of CCS last year and ended our season with a heartbreaking finish in PKs,” Sherer said.

“If we play Gunn in preseason, that will be the biggest game because you can’t lost to Gunn, it just doesn’t happen,” Knowles said.

4 12

Players to Watch

5

One deficit losses from last year, out of a total of seven losses

12

Midfielder Xander Sherer (‘18)

Defender Matt Knowles (‘18)

Foward Kenzo Morabia (‘19)

Goals conceded last year, second least in the league @ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

Showboating Slumps Viking explores the controversy of showboating and comes to the conclusion that it should be allowed across all professional and collegiate athletics.

Columnists

I

NATHAN ELLISEN

MAX JUNG-GOLDBERG

n May of 2017, Roger Goodell and the NFL changed their policy on celebrations, thus allowing players to express themselves and have more fun playing the game they love. However, just this year, after the institution of these new rules, plenty of excessive celebration penalties and fines have been issued to players doing just what was promised to be allowed. In week six of the season, Le’veon Bell of the Pittsburgh Steelers drew an excessive celebration penalty as well as a fine for boxing the goalpost after his incredi-

32 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

ble touchdown run against the Chiefs.

In today’s sports world, showboating is not only frowned upon, but is illegal and can result in penalties, suspensions and fines. The prevention of showboating across all levels of athletics has not only decreased the amount of fun the players have, but has also resulted in less entertainment for viewers from the high school level all the way to the pros.

In the NFL, players have been fined for just expressing themselves too much. In 2016, 18 different players were suspended for excessive celebrations alone. This included Seahawks Michael Bennett, who was fined $9,115 for doing “more than two hip rotations in his sack dance.”

This excessive encroachment into each athlete’s celebration after doing something helpful to their team is unnecessary and should not be continued.

This year, the NFL said they would be more lenient when it came to celebrating, but they have continuously issued fines and thrown penalty flags on excessive celebration or unsportsmanlike conduct calls. The NFL obviously only said this to try and save face, as they have lost

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

a significant amount of viewership and experienced a decline in ratings in the past few years. A big part of the declining ratings of the NFL is because of this mismanagement towards celebrating.

In the NBA, the management hasn’t had to deal with declining ratings, and this is partially due to their position on celebrations. The NBA is considered to be more “fun,” as they have only given a handful of fines and suspensions based on celebrations, and most of those are because the athlete had done something offensive and deserved to be suspended for their actions. The NBA often hands out delay of game penalties to certain excessive celebrations, generally when a player’s celebration creates a hostile environment on the court, or the celebration has truly delayed the game for the other players and fans. For example: Demarcus Cousins of the New Orleans Pelicans has received multiple delay of game fouls in the past few years and is well known for his malicious actions on the court for arguing with referees, pestering other players, among other foul worthy acts. On October 18th, Cousins

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown celebrates after catching a touchdown at Heinz Field.

was awarded his first technical foul of the 2017-18 season against the Grizzlies for verbally abusing a fan in his road game.

This example of a player truly hurting the process of the game is why the NBA has a far better policy towards excessive celebrations, allowing their players and fans to have the fun they want in their favorite sports.

College sports have been dealing with similar issues. Since college athletes are younger, the NCAA believes they should m o r e strictly regulate excessive celebrations than their professional counterparts. This is completely ridiculous. Not only are most college athletes going to join the professional leagues at some point in their careers, but all college athletes are legal adults and should not be coddled like a child by the overbearing NCAA. The NCAA’s take on excessive celebrations is almost worse than the dishonesty the NFL shows their fans, as they can ruin a player’s entire career with these rules, a player who doesn’t even receive any pay. At some point, the NCAA has a right to get involved when the excessive celebration can offend or injure a fan or opposing player. However, this is very rarely the case as most college athletes understand the consequences of their actions even as younger players.

With more teams and players to manage, it is harder for the NCAA to keep control

of celebrations across the entire country, but there should be a place in the middle where they can allow for their players to have the fun they desire while continuing to keep them from harming or offending anyone involved with college athletics.

In high school sports, especially football and basketball, any celebrating in front of the opposing teams can, at times, result in a suspension or some form of a penalty. The high school rules are rightfully more strict against celebrating, as the athletes are still kids who may not respond as well to showboating.

“It is definitely more regulated than it is in college or the NBA because it is not as popular or televised,” Marvin Zou (‘19) said. “I think players are pretty limited in what they can do to celebrate because refs have more liberty to give players technicals in high school.”

In our experience, showboating makes any sport at any level more entertaining and fun for the players and the audience.

Some may argue that too much showboating can result in discouragement for the opponent. This can be true, as especially in youth sports, kids get upset very quickly when they are not winning. Often times, showboating can only hurt this prospect. However, in most cases, showboating is not intended to gloat about a win or defeat, it is generally just a form of expressing joy when an individual does something beneficial to his or her team.

Especially in professional and even col-

“Players are pretty

limited in what they

can do to celebrate.”

Ellisen and JG attempt a celebratory handshake.

lege sports, where the athletes at stake are grown adults, the showboating has neither bad intentions nor should it offend any opponent.

In the end, showboating and celebration are very controversial topics that many people have strong opinions about. Many people, mostly parents and leadership officials in different professional leagues, think showboating can be offensive and should be strictly regulated to ensure no one is hurt. However, if this were the case, the athletes would not be able to have the fun they are entitled to. They would not be able to enjoy themselves while playing their respective sports and this could result in a decline in the participation as well as viewership of all the sports we love.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

10 YEARS OF...

BY STAN DE MARTEL, NATHAN ELLISEN and ZACH PHILLIPS

34 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

2009 Wii Sports Resort is released

2006 Wii Console is released

2006 Wii Sports is created

2013 100 million Wiis sold

2012 First Wii U is sold

T

he beloved Wii console as well as its signature game Wii Sports are celebrating their 10 year anniversary this year after bringing fun and athletics to millions of households worldwide since its release. The game, released in November of 2006, has sold more than 82.7 million copies worldwide, the second most by any video game in history, second to only Tetris. Wii Sports was so successful for a variety of reasons. For one, it brought sports to people across the world which may not have had a chance to participate in any sports, much less some of the more obscure athletics Wii Sports has to offer. The game also brought sports into the comfort of one’s home. Rather than having trouble scheduling sports in real life, Wii Sports was able to bring the sport into the home and allow people to play the sports they love easier and with less effort and exercise. In any case, Wii Sports brought the ideas of tennis, baseball, bowling, golf, and boxing to the lives of millions across the world.

PLEASE PRESS A AND B

101.52 Million Consoles Sold 82.7 Million Copies Sold @ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

Roy Halladay

THE TALENT

WE’VE LOST

by MATAN ZIV, WILL STRAUCH and JASON SHORIN 2016 and 2017 have brought multiple tragic losses to the sports world and we are going to miss the tremendous talent that has left us. These athletes were near the top of their game and their death left the sports community shocked and distraught.

I

n the past year, the world has lost many talented athletes at far too young of an age. The world of soccer lost almost an entire team in Chapecoense and Cheick Tiote, while the sport of baseball lost Jose Fernandez, Roy Halladay, and Yordano Ventura.

The Brazilian side, Chapecoense, was a cinderella story in the Copa Sudamericana, advancing much further than expected. On their way to the tournament final in Medellin, Colombia, their plane ran out of fuel and crashed. The crash killed almost the entire team, as only

36 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

three players survived. The team was a massive underdog in the tournament, as no one expected them to advance as far as they did after winning their semifinal draw against San Lorenzo off of away goals. However, the team was never able to play for their cup title as the tragic accident wrecked their dreams. The team that they were meant to play in the Copa Sudamericana finals, Atletico Nacional, forfeited the match and so Chapecoense were crowned tournament champions. Many teams in Brazil have agreed to loan players to Chapecoense in the coming years in order for the club to get

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

everything organized for their rebuilding process to recover from the devastating crash.

Roy “Doc” Halladay was a baseball pitcher whose Major League career lasted 15 years. He played most of his career for the Toronto Blue Jays between 1998 and 2009. He was famously known for throwing the second no hitter in Major League Baseball postseason history, throwing the no-no for his second career team, the Philadelphia Phillies, against the Cincinnati Reds in the 2010 National League Divisional Series. Over his prestigious career, Halladay was an eight time MLB All-Star, two time Cy Young Award winner. He also threw one of 23 perfect games ever recorded in MLB history, also while he was on the Phillies. His life came to an end on November seventh, 2017 as his plane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico, just less than a mile off the coast of Florida. Halladay was the only one in the plane, as he was the one flying the ICON

A5 amphibious aircraft. Halladay left behind two children, and a wife. His tragic death at just 40 leaves many fans from his lengthy career depressed.

Jose “Niño” Fernandez was also a baseball pitcher. He died at a much younger age than Halladay, passing at the age of 24. He played his entire Major League Baseball career for the Miami Marlins, between 2013 and 2016. He was considered to be one of the most exciting young prospects in baseball at the time of his passing. Fernandez was a two time MLB AllStar and the NL Rookie of the Year in 2013. He was born in Cuba and came to the United States as one of the most promising prospects ever to come out of the island nation. In 2014 he underwent the worst possible procedure for a pitcher, Tommy John surgery, yet he still came back just as strong and never lost the speed on his pitches or his accuracy. Sadly, the boating accident on September 25, 2016 ended his life and kept Fernandez from fulfilling his full potential, and not allowing his fans to witness just how great he could be. Fernandez was killed in a boating accident just off the Miami Beach shore in Florida waters.

The Miami Marlins organization decided to honor Fernandez by retiring his number, 16. Fernandez leaves behind a wife, whom he announced was pregnant with his daughter just five days before his death.

Yordano Ventura played his entire Major League Baseball career as a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals.

He passed away at just

the age of 25. His major league career lasted from 2013 up to his death in 2017.

Ventura was considered to be one of the most talented pitchers in baseball, with a fastball that was known for reaching 100+ miles per hour in his arsenal. Ventura managed to even win a World Series ring with the Kansas City Royals i n his short career.

The talented Ventura was born in the Dominican Republic, moving to the United States to play baseball, just as Jose Fernandez did.

He started his baseball career in the United States in the minor leagues, however, he quickly impressed the Royals’ front office and getting the call up to the majors soon thereafter. Ventura’s incredible life and career came to a sad end in January of 2017 in a horrible car crash in his native country, the Dominican Republic, as his Jeep flipped over. Ventura left behind a wife whom he married before the start of his final season.

Cheick Tiote was a professional soccer player, playing as a defensive midfielder who grew up in the Western-African nation of Ivory Coast. He played his youth career for FC Bibo in his hometown of Yamoussoukro. He went on to play for Belgian side Anderlecht for a year before moving on to Roda JC on loan from Anderlecht. His success for the Belgian side led to a move to Dutch side FC Twente, and later onto British side Newcastle United, where he gained most of his fame.

Tiote made 55 appearances for his home nation, Ivory Coast, netting a single goal even from a defensive position. With Ivory Coast, Tiote won the 2015 African Cup of Nations, as well as participated in a FIFA World Cup. Tiote moved to Chinese side Beijing Enterprises, which wound

up being the final team of his impressive career. He suffered cardiac arrest during practice for his Chinese side and passed away in Beijing. Many of his former coaches and teammates praised the Ivorian player shortly after his death, as he was a fan and coach favorite. Tiote leaves behind two children as well as a wife and fans who will dearly miss him and his abilities on the pitch.

Yordano Ventura

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

DONTFINISH

LAST

by WILL STRAUCH, JASON SHORIN and STAN de MARTEL

Fantasy Football leagues are a common occurrence around the Palo Alto High School campus; students love competing with their friends and bragging about how good their team is. Many students play for the joy of winning but don’t think about the punishments that come with getting last place in their league. The punishments that come with finishing last are creative and hilarious, involving milk miles, haircuts, and other comedic tasks.

“The goal for me every year is to go and win the league. I wholeheartedly believe that there is no greater achievement in this world than the being the champion of our league [fantasy football]. That being said though, it may get to a point in the year where you have to go into survival mode and do everything you can to avoid last place.”

- Ole Erickson (‘18) 38 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

“The thought that went into the punishment was how can we embarrass the last place finisher as much as possible. From there, all it took was a simple brainstorm with the rest of the league members to decide on five punishments. Although the haircut we gave Jeremy was pretty brutal, my personal favorite was the milk mile, which the League of Frittatas used first, because we were able to make Jeremy feel terrible.”

- Matt Knowles (‘18): Fantasy Football competitor

“My first punishment was letting every league member shave my head any way they wanted. I was allowed to wear a hat but if anyone asked what happened I’d have to show them. During a rainy day we were eating lunch in the MAC and I had to yell to get everyone’s attention in the MAC and tell them I had an announcement but then not say anything. My final punishment was the milk mile which was terrible. I had to drink a quart of milk each lap.”

- Jeremy Akioka (‘18): Last place last year

“Watching Jeremy do the punishments this past season was fantastic. Although sadistic, it was quite entertaining watching him publicly make a fool of himself. The main goal of the punishments is to inflict as much humiliation on the person as possible. We strive to come up with new and original ideas that incorporate many different elements of public humiliation.”

- Ole Erickson (‘18): The Greatest Commissioner in the land @ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

Viking TRIES:

LASER TAG

The Viking staff travels to San Carlos to experience all that the new Laser Quest location has to offer.

by MALLORY KUPPE and MARIA FLETCHER

L

Photo by Jevan Yu

aser tag, for unknowing readers, is a unique combination of hide-and-go seek and tag that takes place indoors. It combines the strategy required in combat with the excitement of tag, drawing in participants of all ages.

There was competition in the air as the staff of Viking Magazine entered the building. The session had already been signed up for beforehand, and payment transactions happen at the end, so all we had to do was input our selected nicknames at the front desk.

To enter the next playing round, participants must come up with a nickname to log points under and pick up the plastic activator that registers your laser gun. As soon as the playing room is clear from the last round, the group can be escorted into the briefing room.

The staff, decked out in all black, stepped confidently into the room, lit only by black lights. The presiding marshall, there to monitor the game, briefed us on the rules and had us recite the safety oath before sending us into

40 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

the airlock to activate our guns. We got our sensor packs on and we watched the door slid up, ready to infiltrate the maze and find the best position.

A player’s score is based off of their hit ratio, gaining points for tagging others and losing points when tagged.

Staff members tried various strategies, some more successful than others. The highest scoring strategy was to team up with someone and hold down a specific section of the maze.

The advice of Multimedia Editor Matan Ziv (‘18) to other players was to make a truce with someone and shoot them when they turn around.

“I told Will to cover the corner, and I may or may not have shot at him,” Ziv said. Staff Writer Jason Shorin (‘19) had a more tactical approach.

“I found somewhere that had a good view of people that I could shoot,” said Shorin. Both he and Ryan Strathearn (‘19) used the above-mentioned camp method, teaming up with several others and waiting in corners or

Exertion Skill Required Overall Experience

not have as much exposure with the sport of laser tag,” Jung-Goldberg said. He agreed that it is imperative to keep a close eye on all opponents.

Based on the final results, some staff members concluded that those who decided to follow the rules of walking proved they couldn’t keep up with those who decided to sprint the whole time, like Jung-Goldberg and teammates Strathearn, Stan De Martel (‘19) and Cole Sotnick (‘19).

When the staff reflected on the difficulties we faced during the game, we were all on the same page. The black lights and fog were a welcome challenge, because while it was hard to see the competition, at the same time it added to the thrill of it.

Jung-Goldberg was impressed with the activity overall.

“I absolutely recommend laser tag to all the vicious and tenacious athletes who want to get a little work in on a Saturday night over in San Carlos,” he said.

The Viking staff agrees, laser tag is a great bonding activity and positive way to release pressure after a stressful school week. The facility’s meeting rooms and groupplay structure would make it a good place for corporate events as well as parties. On top of it all, the employees at the facility were remarkably kind and friendly which contributed to the fun-loving environment. at junctions to sabotage passing people. Others had a more freestyle approach.

“I didn’t really have a strategy,” News Editor Hayley Levine (‘18) said. “I just ran around, found empty spaces, and shot. When I was on the ground I noticed people above and shot at them, since they would only look around them and not down.”

An unexpected aspect of the game was the amount of exertion a successful round required. Not a single staff member left the 30-minute round without significant amount of sweat – not to mention blood and tears.

“Laser tag requires really, really elite athleticism,” News Editor Max Jung-Goldberg (‘18) said. “Without sufficient stamina, it’s impossible to go the whole thirty minutes without containing enough competitive nature to dial in a W. Overall, I believe our experience shows that people lacking motivation to finish the game will suffer the mental pain of a defeat that will never leave them.”

“Lauren and Yue provided us with insufficient evidence that they were experts. They destroyed the game and made it an unfair advantage to those of us who did

Photos by Maria Fletcher

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

HELPING HAND

BY COLE SOTNICK, HAYLEY LEVINE and WES WALTERS

After the devastation of recent natural disasters around the United States, the relief efforts by numerous athlete-led organizations have been tremendous.

42 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRITNEY FAN and MARIA FLETCHER

I

n the past few months there has ed to help the cause. Watt used social been a string of horrific disasters media to get more people to donate to which have deteriorated numer- the cause. He also used it to update evous cities across the United States. eryone on his efforts and the motivated From the devastation of Hurricane people to donate even more money toHarvey to the wildfires of North- wards the cause. of help raise even more ern California, the disasters have money for relief efforts. Not only did Watt resulted in the death and raise millions of dollars, he passed displacement of many. out food and supplies to the Fortunately, there people stranded in Houshave been many ton who had lost everyathletes who thing. “The world is a The world is a have gone the better place when we extra mile to all take care of each better place when help with the other,” Watt said in an we all take care of reconstruction instagram post. each other. efforts.

Similar to Harvey, After the dethe fires that de- JJ WATT struction of Hurstroyed the Napa area ricane Harvey, were devastating, but the Houston Texthe reconstruction efforts ans defensive end JJ were tremendous. Sports Watt was one of the first teams in the Bay Area donated people to start fundraisng. a combined total of $1,450,000 toHe created a You Caring Page in which wards the cause with the Oakland he set an initial goal of $200,000 in order Raiders donating $1 million and to help the effort and half of it was donat- other athletes contributing ed by him to get the ball rolling. This goal as well. Many athletes also was surpassed in less than two hours by made public announcethe help of Watt’s fan base and the kind- ments about their contriness of many Americans. After a $50,000 butions to the recovery donation from Rockets point guard Chris of the North Bay. The Paul made the overall total $500,000 most notable was WarWatt made a new goal of $1,000,000. rior’s shooting guard The same day he changed his goal to Klay Thompson stata million dollars, the fund reached $1.5 ing that for each point million. Each time he announced that he scored in the three his new goal was reached on his Twitter home games against account, the goal would be surpassed the Washington Wizto $2 million and then $3 million. By the ards, Toronto Raptors end of the day on August 29th, Watt’s and Detroit Pistons, he fund, which started two days earlier at would donate $1,000. At $200,000 had reached $4.5 million.

Another two days later, August 31st, the fund had reached $12 million.

Over the first five days of September, Watt’s fund had reached $20 million.

The next day on September 6th, the total reached a staggering $27 million in part from a $5 million donation from Mr. Charles Butt from H-E-B. On September 15th, Watt closed his fund with a grand total of $37,063,392. That total came from 209,316 donors not only from the athletic world but also people who just want-

“

”

the end of the three games, he raised $75,000; $69,000 from the combined score of each game as well as an additional $6,000. The $69,000 that Thompson donated from the three games was matched by his shoe company, Anta. On top of his own donations and the various companies matching his donation, Thompson created a “Points for Purpose” page and asked people to pledge either $.10, $.50, $1, $5 or $10 for each point he scored over those three games. The goal was to get $350,000 and the total reached was $362,317 by 1,365 pledgers.

Many athletes are not just donating money towards the cause, but also making an effort to lift the spirits of those affected by the disaster. A young Athletics fan named Loren Jade Smith was one of many people who lost everything in the fire. He wrote a letter to the A’s organization about how he lost his memorabilia in the fire. The A’s responded to the letter and helped Smith get new memorabilia and then some new items as well. A’s manager Bob Melvin and catcher Bruce Maxwell came to Smith’s little league field and signed some jerseys for the young play Houston Texans defensive end JJ Watt raised nearly 40 million dollars for Hurricane Relief efforts

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

er. The A’s weren’t the only team that son. Both water polo teams had to resent memorabilia, 15 other teams donat- schedule their senior night games for ed memorabilia to Smith including the the next week. The surrounding school San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, districts have also been affected as Cleveland Indians and New York Mets.

CCS cancelled all football games that The Napa area fires also filled the bay week and lots more tennis matches and with a thick smoke which caused many water polo games. Not only were pracprofessional sports teams to play in tices and games canceled this poor air quality. The Raiders week but also the Rincohosted the Los Angeles nada pool and adult Rams and the game went softball games. Many on as planned despite of the local soccer the thick smoke over clubs in Palo Alto, What he is doing the Coliseum. The Menlo Park and for the North bay University of CaliRedwood City fornia Golden Bears were forced to is truly remarkable. played the eighth cancel practices - JACKSON ranked Washington and move their CHRYST (‘19) State Cougars with games to a latthese poor condier date. Not only tions and were able to were northern Calpull off the upset over ifornia sports canthe then eighth ranked celed because of the team in the country. Lastly, heavy smoke, southern Stanford played their scheduled California had to cancel their game against the Oregon Ducks even sports events because of local fires and though there was a gray shadow casting the smoke from the north bay fires as over the stadium. well.

Although Professional and colleLots of teams had to find giate teams played, Paly sports alternative ways to practeams were forced to delay tice and improve on their games. The football their craft. The footteam’s game against Wilball team was unable cox was rescheduled to to practice on the a month later and added field and had to iman extra week to the provise. regular “We made the seabest out of it, but a gym can’t replace a field,” Walker Golden State Rosenthal (‘19) said. “Most guys Warriors Guard just needed to be Klay Thompson out on the field rundonated over ning routes and playing full speed but $75,000 to fire it was hard relief efforts to do

“

”

44 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

that inside, so we had to take mental reps, our coaching staff made the best of our situation and kept us moving forward.”

“We had to postpone all of our games so we had six games in a row, which was exhausting and it was evident our level of play went down,” water polo player Ben Rapperport (‘19) said. The fires have had an inadvertent effect on some teams by forcing them to play games in continuous succession.

The natural disasters destroyed the cities but the few athletes who helped donate and give materials to the families in need displayed the good in society.

“JJ Watt is a great role model because he is a true American and always does the right thing,” defensive linemen Lou Passarello (‘20) said.

Klay Thompson has also acted as a role model because of his more local effort.

“He has been a great player for the Warriors, but recently he has been a role model. What he is doing for the North bay is truly remarkable,” Jackson Chryst (‘19) said.

Another devastating storm, Hurricane Maria, hit the Caribbean Islands with just as much devastation as Harvey did for the Houston area. Much of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and outland parts of North Carolina. Former San Antonio Spurs great Tim Duncan saw his home in the U.S. Virgin Islands get destroyed by Irma.

He immediately went to social media and asked people to donate to his page to help the relief efforts. Duncan wrote on The Players’ Tribune and announced that he would be donating $250,000 dollars towards the efforts. He also made an emotional video asking people to donate to the cause by any means necessary. Duncan planned on matching the first million donated to this Virgin Island Relief Fund.

This hit close to home not only because it was his home town but also he had experienced what a hurricane was like. When he was 13 years old, he experienced Hurricane Hugo that destroyed his home and everything that he had known his whole life.

Duncan knew immediately that he needed to help his home. His past experiences during Hugo allowed him to give advice to the locals about how to survive the storm like staying awake during the hours of 11 p.m to 4 a.m. so they could be prepared for anything that comes in the middle of the night.

a total of $168,254 and the overall goal His donation page got a total of is $1 million. The money that was raised $2.5 million worth of donations and he was used to purchase supplies that Molimatched another million on top of that. na personally passed out to locals once Overall he donated $3.5 million toward his season ended. the cause. Not only did he donate monWhen Molina arrived in Puerto Rico, ey, he went down to the Virgin he brought five trucks filled Islands with former New with supplies for the locals.

York City Mayor MiHe went to four towns on chael Bloomberg and the island going doorhelped pass out to-door handing out 20,000 pounds of I was extremely supplies with his older food to the locals. concerned about my brother Jose. Molina St Louis Cardiis hosting a Home nal catcher Yadier family, friends and all Run Derby and CeMolina was also the people in Puerto lebrity Softball game affected by Maria Rico. in December in San in his native Puer-YADIER MOLINA Juan, the capital of to Rico. Once he Puerto Rico. All of heard the news that the proceeds from the the storm hit Puerto event gowing towards Rico, “I was extremehurricane relief. ly concerned about my Watt, Thompson, Duncan and family, friends and all the Molina are just a few of the examples people in Puerto Rico,” Molina of what athletes have been doing years. said.

What is different about what these athHe immediately knew that he had to do letes are doing than what the governsomething to help. Through his foundament already does is where the money tion, Fundacion 4, he and his wife Wanda is going. The money these athletes raise, Torres, raised $150,000 for relief efforts. goes directly to the communities that Molina is continuing to raise funds with

“

”

they are supporting, unlike the government where the money is getting spread out throughout all of the disasters that happen in the United States.

As athletes they are some of the most watched, most followed and most polarizing people in the world. What a select few of them have been able to do by donating money and using their fame as a means of inspiring thousands if not millions of people to help a good cause and help families who would otherwise not have the means to help themselves, Is truly remarkable if athletes continue to help out their surrounding community and inspire the rest of the world to help the country will be in a better state.

Their platforms that they use as athletes are effective because they inspire others to donate who wouldn’t have donated otherwise. These disasters were devastating and heartbreaking to all those affected by the disasters. The amount of displacement and death o has been horrific, however the help from athletes has allowed Americans to slowly repair what was destroyed and bring their respective cities back to the place they were before the devastating attacks.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

Dear Seniors,

Madrono Yearbook would love to have your help!

Got coverage ideas?

Contact your editors!

Chloe

Nooran

Xander Take our buzzfeed quiz! goo.glXEqpx2 46 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

WORD. THE FINAL

Sports have been getting softer and softer every year and in 2017 it went too far.

by WES WALTERS and MATAN ZIV

P

eople are so soft. On the field, you have no friends on the other team, no matter your relations off the field.

On the field, you are trying to kill each other, not worry for each other’s feelings. In soccer, if you foul someone and knock them down, you do not turn right around and reach to help them up. You go right up to them and let them know who their daddy is, or at the very least give them a look that shows them who their daddy is.

We have had enough of the softness in sports. Why do people feel a need to be nice on the field. One of the greatest athletes of all time, Ndamukong Suh, is well known for stomping on opponents. That is exactly the drive that we want to see in sports, not the dumb garbage of helping people up.

As much as we respect Andrew Luck, he is the best sportsman in the world, making him the softest competitor in the world. He is well known for telling the opponents who hit him how solid their

hit on him was. What? What is wrong with you, Andrew? In that situation, a real competitor would look at his offensive lineman to come to defend him. Scuffles are what make sports great. Without big hits leading to big fights, what is the point?

Not just Luck is getting soft, the entire NFL is losing it’s tough beginnings.

Back in the seventies and eighties players used to play through injuries. Jack Youngblood played

through the entire playoffs with a broken leg and then also played in the Pro Bowl with it as well. Nowadays, NFL players just decide they don’t want to play in the Pro Bowl because they are afraid to get hurt. Even 10 years ago players were going hard, Sean Taylor absolutely murdered a player in the Pro Bowl just because he felt like it.

That same Sean Taylor hit would probably be a penalty today with players in college getting targeting penalties.

Targeting is the weakest call. Refs think a player should get ejected for the rest of that game and part of the next game for making a hard hit on a receiver coming across the middle. Games are won and lost when players get ejected. For example, Nick Bosa was thrown out of a game for targeting against Iowa in the first half when it was tied at 17. At the end of that game the score was 55-24. If refs continue to make these B.S. calls there was no point in creating the college football playoff because teams are going to lose because of the refs.

Where would we be if Draymond wasn’t kicking people in the scrotum, starting a big fight? What about if The U wasn’t starting fights with literally anyone. If these athletes were the type to help each other up, we wouldn’t have these incredible moments in sports history.

One athlete that knows how to play is Luis Suarez. The man has bitten opponents multiple times. Yes, he ate another human. You think he would do that off the field? No, he’s a nice guy. But on the field? Absolute competitor. He even took a red card against Ghana in the World Cup by blocking a goal at the goal line with his hand. Savage. That is exactly the type of ‘sportsmanship’ that sports need.

It’s the dying type of athlete that we want to see more of.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | DECEMBER 2017

PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL 50 EMBARCADERO ROAD PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA 94301

48 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

Non-profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PALO ALTO, CA Permit #44