The Viking: Volume 8, Issue 1

Minor Struggle, Major Payoff

Joc Pederson’s (‘10) journey has landed him on the world stage as he steps up to the plate as a Los Angeles Dodger.

by ZOE BHARGAVA and BRYN CARLSON

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Cover photo by Mark Rebilas

Volume 8 Issue 1 October 2014

KILLER INSTINCTS Winston Rosati (‘16) looks for a pass to a teammate in a home game against Mountain View.

17 PRICE OF ADMISSIONS

The Viking takes a look at Sports Boosters funding.

by KYLIE CALLAN and MEGAN VALENCIA

23

THINK PINK?

A column on the new policies on Paly athletes’ ability to wear pink during October games.

LINE UP ZOOM

Under pressure Game face Run Lucas run Bring it on

by MADDY ATWATER

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VIKING TRIES

The Viking takes a trip to Sky High and learns about the do’s and don’ts of jumpin’ around.

by ZACH LEVITAN

37

EXCESSIVE...

PENALIZATION? A column on the outrageous new penalties in today’s NFL.

by ISAAC KASEVICH

KICKOFF Staff view Pop culture grid 10 questions with Kabria Dame (‘15)

Inside the mind of Thomas Wilcox (‘15)

COLUMNS Think pink?

Excessive... penalization?

Last word

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SHORTS

20 Where are they now? 22 Common injuries 26 Uniform swap 32 Guide to recruiting 34 Viking tries

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GREAT EXPECTATIONS

A look into the relationship of the new coach and new quarterback.

by MEREDITH KINNAMAN and ALYS OLMSTEAD

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MINOR STRUGGLE, MAJOR PAYOFF FEATURES Price of admission Great expectations

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Minor struggle, major 38 payoff For the HILL of it

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Joc Pederson’s (‘10) journey through the minor leagues has led him to the MLB.

by ZOE BHARGAVA and BRYN CARLSON

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RUN FOR THE HILL OF IT

Lucas Matison (‘15) travles to Italy to represent his country.

by PRISCILLA BELL and DANIEL DOUTY

OCTOBER 2014

ZOOM UNDER PRESSURE Oliver Svirsky (‘16) scrambles away from pressure to pick up ten yards.

The Vikings lost the game 55-14. photo by Olivia Scola

ZOOM GAME FACE Olivia Scola (‘15) prepares to shoot againt the Los Gatos goalie. The Vikings lost 10-5. photo by Katie Foug

ZOOM RUN LUCAS RUN Lucas Matison (‘15) overtakes his competitor with a halfmile left in the race.

He finished fourth overall at the Lowell Invitational. photo by Katie Foug

ZOOM BRING IT ON Lydia Barry (‘15) jumps in the Viking’s Dance half time show. photo by Olivia Scola

Editors-in-Chief Zoe Bhargava Rowan McEvoy Alex Murray Managing Editors Priscilla Bell Anna Dukovic Maddie Kinnaman Hayley Poore Sheila Subramanian Design Editor Paige Bara Photo Editors Katie Foug Olivia Scola Copy Editor Clara Harrington

From the editors Dear readers,

We would like to welcome you to the 2014-2015 school year, and the 8th year of the Viking, Palo Alto High School’s own sports magazine! We, the staff of The Viking, are extremely excited to bring you this year’s coverage of everything in the Paly sports world.

In addition to the wonderful returning staff from last year, 11 new members have joined the Viking family.

We are looking forward to getting to know and working with them throughout the year, as the world of journalism at Paly increasingly expands. Through the staff ’s hard work we have produce our first issue, one that we are sure you will love.

This issue’s cover story will examine what it takes to become a professional athlete and the intense minor league process, as we trace Joc Pederson’s (‘10) journey from Paly to the MLB. Furthermore, we will look at the shoes that Oliver Svirsky (‘16) and Coach Jake Halas have to fill as they look to build back up the football

Columnist Garret Reynolds

program; follow Lucas Matison (‘15) as he retraces his steps as a representative of the U.S. in an Italian mountain race; and talk to former Paly and current collegiate athletes on the recruiting process.

We also encourage you to read our staff view that examines the current plague of domestic violence that has swept across the NFL. The editorial addresses the punishments of these athletes and what the NFL can do to wipe out the spread of such acts.

Finally, we would like to welcome Viking’s new adviser, Paul Hoeprich. With previous Viking adviser Michael McNulty retiring, it is our privilege to have Mr. Hoeprich teach, guide and advise us as a magazine throughout the school year and we hope that it is one of many to come!

We wish you all of the best of luck with the school year, and we look forward to providing you with another excellent year of The Viking.

Go Vikings!

Sincerely, Zoe, Rowan and Alex

Multimedia Editor Gillian Chryst Business Manager Megan Valencia Staff Writers Paige Anderson Maddy Atwater Kylie Callan Bryn Carlson Daniel Douty Issac Kasevich Meredith Kinnaman Reuben Kramer Zach Levitan Alys Olmstead Michael Pappas Staff Adviser Paul Hoeprich

The Viking 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

The 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.

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Advertising in The 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.

Staff view

About the controversy of how domestic violence cases are handled in the world of professional sports and how effective the new NFL domestic violence policy is.

With big stories breaking out in Sept. concerning domestic violence in the National Football League (NFL), the new domestic violence policy and its punishments are being put to the test. The new policy written

by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell states that anyone who violates the league’s policy on domestic violence will receive a six game unpaid suspension for a first incident and a lifetime ban from the league for a second incident. However, players who are punished with a lifetime ban from the NFL can petition for an appeal after just one year. Goodell also specified that the policy will extend to NFL executives and owners. Furthermore, he addressed his poorly handled punishment with Ray Rice by writing that he “didn’t get it right” when dealing him his consequence of a two-game suspension earlier in the summer.

For this reason and for various other reasons, Goodell decided to change the policy.

Rice, one of the many athletes in hot water, was recently kicked off the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL on Sept. 8 because footage of Rice knocking out his then-fiancée (now his wife) surfaced in the media. However, his suspension was appealed by the NFL Players Association, also known as the player’s union, on Sept. 16.

The players believe that Rice should not have been punished twice by Goodell and that no player should ever be indefinitely suspended.

So, despite all that Rice did wrong, he might be able to return to the game because the players don’t think his punishment is fair. But how is his punishment unfair? Rice physically assaulted his fiancée and therefore The

Viking believes that he should not be allowed to return to the NFL. For anyone who is not a professional athlete, committing an act of domestic violence would put them in jail and the public would not be as forgiving. Additionally, these non-professional athletes would be unable to post bail because they would not have the money to erase their punishment.

As a staff we believe that although the policy has been altered to increase punishments, it does not evaluate domestic violence cases well enough. In our opinion, a six game unpaid suspension is not a well suited punishment for a player who has committed such a distressing crime. Instead, we believe that players should be punished according to their specific offense. In Rice’s case a six game suspension would be insufficient. Instead, he should be suspended indefinitely, like Goodell has now stated. We believe athletes and other NFL staff members should not get two chances before being indefinitely suspended, but instead be suspended after the first incident if it is an extreme case, like Rice’s.

Another case of domestic violence surrounds Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who was indicted on Sept.

13 for “disciplining” his 4-year-old son with a tree branch. This information surfaced 48 hours prior to the kickoff of the Vikings vs. Patriots game Sept. 14th. Peterson was booked and released on Sept. 13 and, according to Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) Houston news, the process took less than 30 minutes.

Over and over again the public sits by and watches these athletes shake off their

punishments by posting bail, accepting their suspensions, and then returning to the game. Even if rules have changed, they have not been adjusted well enough. NFL players should not get special treatment just because they are professional athletes. They should receive equal punishments to that of any person who is convicted with a domestic violence charge. As a society, we are not supposed to just forget about what they have done and go back to watching them on TV six games later.

This doesn’t seem right, and for these reasons the policy should be adjusted once again to justly judge these players’ actions.

Despite the focus on football players, domestic violence isn’t only an issue in the NFL; it is also a significant issue in other sports as well. Professional soccer player Hope Solo was arrested in late June for allegedly striking her half-sister and her 17-year-old nephew at her house during a party. Despite all that she has done wrong and her history of violence, the U.S. Soccer Federation is still letting Solo play while she awaits trial. She recently played and captained the U.S. national team on Sept.

19 in a game against Mexico. Additionally, Nike has decided to keep endorsing her.

Although all of these incidents are recent, domestic violence has been an issue for years.

We can’t sit by and watch athletes get away with domestic violence anymore. As a society we have to react to what is going on and raise awareness in order to influence our own actions. We can’t be bystanders to domestic violence. Instead, we need to change our ways and act now.<<<

By the numbers: 2 83 40%

cases of domestic violence in the NFL since 2000.

million

injuries caused by domestic violence each year.

of domestic violence victims are male.

P Culture Grid

The op W H A T D O P A LY AT H L E T E S S AY ?

Courtney Hull (‘15) Cross country

Mikey Grandy (‘16) Football

Sabrina Hall (‘18) Water polo

Lucy Fox (‘15) Tennis

Troy Henderson (‘17) Football

Best fall drink?

Tea

Cold Gatorade

Peppermint tea

Lattes

Orange juice

Rain or shine?

Rain

Rain

Rain

Rain

Rain

Favorite athlete?

LeBron James

JJ Watt

Brenda Villa

Venus Williams

Justin Smith

Beyoncé is...

fierce

bae

cooler than everyone

queen

life

Favorite fruit?

Strawberries

Kiwis

Mangoes

Green grapes

Apples

HOT Quad volleyball:

US Men’s basketball: Starting in late August, stars from around the NBA got together for the FIBA World Cup. The team cruised into the semi-finals and beat Lithuania to advance to the final, where it crushed Serbia to earn its gold medals.

As the weather is cooling down, the quad is heating up. This fall, ASB has set up a volleyball tournament that allows for Paly students to create teams and play against each other at lunch. With 19 teams competing, compiled of both Paly volleyball players and regular students from all of the grades, the tournament is sure to be a blast for both players and spectators.

Images taken from

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Ray Rice: The Baltimore Ravens star running back has been banned indefinitely from the NFL and cut from the team after physically assaulting his wife. She is not pressing charges, however, and Rice will not be prosecuted.

Haybalers shut-out: For the first time since 2004, the Paly football team did not score at all in a game. Playing against the San Benito Haybalers, the Vikings lost the game 33-0. The last shut-out against the team was by the Los Gatos Wildcats, with a final score of 31-0.

N OT

10Questions with

Kabria Dame (‘15) as told to Clara Harrington

The Viking asked Paly volleyball player Kabria Dame (‘15) 10 questions about herself and then compared her responses to that of her coach Daniele, teammate Molly Fogarty (‘15) and friend Adrianna Rositas (‘15). Read on to discover who knows Kabria best!

Kabria Dame (‘15)

Questions

Daniele Desiderio

Molly Fogarty (‘15)

Adrianna Rositas (‘15)

College Drop - Sage the Gemini

Favorite pump-up song?

Something by Beyoncé

Shots - LMFAO & Lil Jon

College Drop - Sage the Gemini

Football games

Favorite fall activity?

Playing volleyball

Football games

Football games

Playing with the team

Squad/trifecta

Pre-game

Varsity volleyball player

Turn up in the team room Best part of volleyball?

Coach

Teammate

Friend

Goldfish

Pre-game snack?

Energy bar

Goldfish

Goldfish

Gabby, Adrianna, Tanayah, Autumn and more

Best friend?

Gabby and Jade

Gabby and Tanayah

Me, Gabby and Tanayah

Dylan O’Brien

Dream date?

Justin Timberlake

Dylan O’Brien

Dylan O’Brien

Getting poked

Biggest pet peeve?

People that lie

Getting poked

Loud girls

Teen Wolf

Favorite TV show?

Keeping Up with the Kardashians

Teen Wolf

Teen Wolf

Prep

Favorite class?

English

Prep

Prep

Beach

Beach or mountains?

Beach

Beach

Beach

20%

80%

90%

Images taken from

OCTOBER 2014

Inside the mind of Thomas Wilcox (‘15) as told to Reuben Kramer

photo by Katie Foug

On football

“I really like the sport. I’ve been playing for six years now. This is my senior season and I’m pretty excited for it. I think I’m going to do pretty well. We have a good team this year and I think we can do some major damage.”

On brother Ty Wilcox (‘17)

“He’s pretty cool, I guess.

Sometimes he can be really annoying but I guess that’s just how little brothers are, ‘ya know?”

On Coach Halas

“He’s a cool guy; I like him as a coach. He’s done pretty well for his first year as our coach after Earl Hansen left. I think were doing pretty well with him, he’s been great so far.”

On rugby

“Like football, I’ve been playing rugby a really long time. I can’t really decide which one I like more. During rugby season, I’ll like rugby, and during football season I’ll like football. But both sports are really fun and I love them both.”

On senior year

“Senior year is kind of sick.

I have two preps, and that hasn’t happened in all my four years at Paly. It’s not too intense and it’s nice to be able to relax as well as get excited for college.”

On being Native American

“I think it’s pretty awesome. I don’t know too many people that are Native Amican around here except me and my brother. Whenever I tell people that I’m Native American, they never believe me.”

No such thing as a free ticket

The Viking takes a look at Palo Alto High School’s Sports Boosters program and where it gets the resources to fund Paly’s athletic programs.

HOME OPENER Palo Alto High School fans cheer on the Vikings at the 2014 football season opener against the Archbishop Mitty Monarchs. The Vikings went on to lose the game to the Monarchs 48-14.

by KYLIE CALLAN and MEGAN VALENCIA After parking their cars in the packed Churchill parking lot, Palo Alto parents, students and community members walk towards the stadium gates. The lights shine brightly on Hod Ray field as Paly players and fans anticipate the start of the Friday night football game. Some Paly spectators can simply show their Sports Boosters passes and enter the stadium. The rest of the fans must wait in long lines to purchase a ticket.

The start of the fall athletic season has

prompted The Viking to explore where Palo Alto High School Sports Boosters money goes and what Paly athletes and fans think of the prices of admission to certain athletic events. In recent years, state budget cuts have compelled the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) to restrict athletic funding to the salaries of coaches. Paly’s Sports Boosters program raises all other funds that are needed to run sports teams.

The money that fans pay to attend football,

basketball, volleyball and wrestling events helps compensate for the lack of district funding. In an email to The Viking, Paly Sports Boosters Co-Presidents Melissa Anderson and Christy Weinstein stated that the prices of admission to each sport are not determined by Paly.

“The decision to collect admission and the amount charged is determined by CCS [California Coastal Section] and is out of our hands,” Anderson and Weinstein wrote. “Ticket sales are usually controlled by Palo Alto High

OCTOBER 2014

LINES Football fans stand in line to purchase tickets for the game from the regular admissions desk at the entrance to the football stadium.

School staff and amounts collected are reported by Paly to CCS. In order to cover the expenses of hosting the events, the home school is allowed to keep the ‘gate’ [admission funds].”

The money raised from ticket sales is deposited into the athletics account to pay for all of Paly’s sports expenses. The money from athlete donations, Paly gear, the snack shack and the holiday tree lot also add to the general athletic funds.

These proceeds pay for team essentials, but each team must individually raise money to cover extra costs.

“With the funds we raise, Sports Boosters is able to provide the basics required to field a competitive team,” Anderson and Weinstein wrote. “Our funds go to pay for equipment, uniforms, officials, transportation, tournament fees, medical supplies, a portion of the trainers’ salaries and SCVAL [Santa Clara

Valley Athletic League] and CIF [California Interscholastic Federation] league fees and dues. While we provide the necessities, the individual teams must do their own fundraising to pay for their ‘extras,’ such as end of the year parties, team sweatshirts and jackets, special events like out-of-town tournaments,

full price at the gate or reduced price for a pass, no admission is completely free.

“While it would be terrific to not have to pay admission to any of these events, the ones that do charge are usually attended by large numbers of people, and there are additional costs involved in running [these events],” Anderson and Weinstein wrote. “As noted, these events often require security personnel [such as police, parking lot attendants and] janitors to clean the gym or clean up the stadium.”

Boys’ water polo player Kevin Bowers (`16) supports the CCS admission policy and feels that it is beneficial to the entire athletic department.

“I think [paying is] reasonable,” Bowers said. “Football and basketball are our most popular sports and I feel like charging people for the less popular sports would just decrease attendance. I guess it comes down to wanting either more attendance or revenue.”

However, students such as football captain Oliver Svirsky (`16) bring up the issue of gender equality for admissions to athletic events.

“I think that it could be kind of degrading for the girl athletes at Paly, because we all work the same amount and put in just as much effort,” Svirsky said. “I think we need to charge the same for each and every event or not charge at all. The way it is now sends a negative message.”

Girls’ water polo player Tess Van Hulsen (`15) agreed with Svirsky’s statement and also proposed a possible compromise for the admission situation.

“I don’t think it’s fair to pay for [only the boys’ games in] sports that have both boys’ and girls’ teams,” Van Hulsen said. “I [also] don’t think students should have to pay for games other than football because [free games] encourage students to come out and cheer their peers on. As an athlete you [definitely] notice if you have a thriving student section.”

The unfairness Van Hulsen described may be an issue for the girls’ basketball team.

Fans do not have to pay for girls’ games while they do have to pay for the boys’ games, unless it is a “Quad Night” where both teams are playing.

Boys’ basketball player Kevin Mullin (`15) emphasized the admission price impact on fan attendance.

“I think it’s kind of dumb that we have people willing to donate millions of dollars to build a new gym, yet we feel the need to charge people money to come to the games,” Mullin said. “Es-

“[Football games have] become more of a Friday night event for a lot of [people in] our town now. It’s not just the high school kids that come, it’s a lot of the surrounding elementary school [kids] and their families [that] come and they don’t even have kids that play here.”

- Jason Fung as well as extra equipment that is team specific that Sports Boosters is not able to provide.”

While the visiting fans must pay full price, Paly students can get into home games by purchasing a Sports Boosters Pass at a reduced price. However, whether paying

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pecially for basketball, where we already don’t get very many fans, it just seems like charging people deters potential fans even more.”

Athletic Director Jason Fung does not believe that the admission prices affect fan attendance.

“I don’t think [that the ticket prices are] a reason why [fans] don’t come, especially when they get a discounted price,” Fung said. “I think [attendance] falls a lot on the student body [and] on what they want to do from a support standpoint.”

Fung also stated that the Paly football games are more than just a student event. Many families with younger children in the community or friends from outside of Palo Alto attend the games. “[Football games have] become more of a Friday night event for a lot of [people in] our town now,” Fung said. “It’s not just the high school kids that come, it’s a lot of the surrounding elementary school [kids] and their families [that] come and they don’t even have kids that play here. So I think it’s that atmosphere, that ‘what do people want to go see’ [element].

If you have an elite team, people are going to come watch. That’s how you sell tickets.”

Sports Boosters Passes allow for free admission to home football games, among other athletic events. They are a cheaper alternative to standard tickets which also offer fans a convenient way to bypass lines at the admissions desk. They also have the option for entire families to purchase a pass that will get them all into athletic events, which parent Margaret Seligson takes advantage of. “[Paying] to get into the games is not a factor [for my attendance] because it is not that much money,” Seligson said. “We buy a family pass for the whole year.”

Larkin McDermott (`16) also mentioned the benefits of a Sports Boosters Pass.

“The Sports Boosters Pass is a good option if your parents want to get it, but then

BOOSTERS Paly fans who own Sports Boosters Passes stand in line at the alternate entrance to the stadium for the football home opener. you have to go to enough sports games to actually make use of it,” McDermott said.

Although paying for tickets might not seem optimal to Palo Alto students, parents and community members, the proceeds support athletics, which is one of the most central aspects of Paly. CCS’s policy helps keep high school sports programs throughout the section going, including Paly’s. Without ticket sales, schools would be financially responsible for all of the athletic costs.

If CCS were to change their policy, many

Paly students would advocate for charging equally for admission to every event, no admission prices or free admission for students. If students decided to attend more athletic events and make other sports’ games as social as the ones people pay for, this might encourage CCS to extend the ticket policy to all sports. For now, whether people agree with the policy or not, it is here to stay at Paly and throughout the rest of CCS. <<<

Student Opinions “I don’t really mind...because the money goes to the teams and that’s important. At the same time it kind of sucks because you want to go, but if you don’t have money, [then] you don’t have money. It’s kind of expensive.” - Larkin McDermott (`16)

“I go to the [sports games] that are more social. I guess paying [for those games] is a good thing because then[the money] goes to the sports teams, but it would also be nice if it was free.” - Uma Choudhury (`17)

“I think it is kind of reasonable [to have to pay to get into games] because we have to raise revenue [for] expensive stuff. But it is also kind of ridiculous because students want to go to [games] and we are poor because we are high school students. I would totally [go to more games if they were free] because you could stroll in or stroll out.” - Daryl Dillahunty (`15) OCTOBER 2014

photos by Zoe Tierney

FLIPPIN’ The Viking’s “Social Commissioner” Zach Levitan does a backflip off the wall in the free jump area at Sky High.

Sky High

tries

Follow The Viking’s own Zach Levitan and Alex Murray on a journey through the trials and tribulations of the Sky High experience

D

by ZACH LEVITAN o you remember the good old days? I mean back before you had homework every night. Before you were worrying about grades and your next social event.

The days when it was still acceptable to have play dates after school. No, we don’t either, which is why The Viking’s Alex Murray (‘15) and I decided to take a trip down memory lane and jump on over to Sky High Sports.

Whether it was for a birthday party or just to play some dodgeball, if you’ve grown up in Palo Alto you have inevitably taken the 15-minute drive down to Sky High. Sky High is one of the premier destinations in the area

for children of all ages, but if you ask Paly students, most can’t remember the last time they visited. It costs a mere 13 dollars for an hour of exhilarating fun and we encourage everyone to try it out. Fair warning; repeated bouncing and flipping may cause nausea.

Upon entry the first thing you may notice is you are the oldest person there excluding parents. This may be true but who says fun has an age limit. In your excitement to get out onto the trampolines don’t forget to take in your environment. In addition to the bounce area, Sky High has a mini-arcade and a snack bar (this will come in handy later).

Once you move past these distractions you’ll have a very serious decision to make; you must choose where you are going to begin your jumping experience. You can choose

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from the foam pit, the dodgeball court or the free jump area. This is an important decision, because it will impact the rest of your experience at Sky High. I recommend starting at the free jump area because this will give you a chance to loosen up and remember how to jump. It seems simple, but trust me, you’ll need the warm up.

Next, once you feel prepared, we suggest hitting the foam pit. The foam pit is a great place to try out something new. You can attempt a flip if you’re feeling adventurous, or just dive for it. Whatever you choose, the foam pit extremely fun because it’s almost impossible to injure yourself. Factor into your decision that when you emerge you will be covered in pieces of foam and it is very easy to get foam in your eyes.

photos by Zoe Tierney

THE CANNON Levitan hurls a dodgeball toward unsuspecting young children on the dodgeball courts at Sky High. Dodgeball games are just one activity available at the facility.

Last but definitely not least: dodgeball. Normal dodgeball in a stinky sweaty gym with deflated foam balls is still one of the greatest games ever. Add in the trampolines and it’s a dangerous combo.

As you walk up to the dodgeball arena, you’ll notice what seems to be a line. In between the wall and the fence is where the line should be, but you might not see anyone at first. Upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that the line is actually full. The problem is that very few participant’s heads will clear the fence, making them almost invisible from a distance. As you get closer to the front of the line anticipation will start to mount. You’ll be split up into teams and it begins.

“DODGEBALL!” the staff member will yell. It may take a second to acclimate to your surroundings. Every little child will rush forward to grab a ball; all the while, you are just bouncing up and down unprepared and overconfident. At first you will think they’re just little kids and that this’ll be easy, but soon reality will come smack you in the face. While they might not throw hard, every kid in the arena will be gunning for the “big guy”. Balls will fly in from every different direction and you may even find yourself the first one out.

Don’t be deterred. With every game you will improve and no matter what it will be fun.

There are few better feelings than throwing a ball as hard as you can directly at an eight year-old’s face. But seriously remember you are the oldest so be responsible and nice.

Share the balls with your teammates, keep the swearing to a minimum, and remember it’s just a game (even though it can get intense).

Being one of the older people at Sky High can be rather entertaining. Small children are rarely shy. While waiting in line for dodgeball I had a long talk with a nine year-old about the institution of marriage and my future wife, who was according to him, my photographer Zoe Tierney (‘15).

After all of this activity you will most likely be exhausted, whether you’re in shape or not. And if you’re not in shape, you will be after you visit. Bouncing for only an hour is some of the best cardio you can get, especially because it stays a nice toasty billion degrees inside. The best part of our journey was

sitting down just before our hour was up and having some Dippin’ Dots from the snack bar.

There is no better way to wrap up a great time at Sky High.

Phil Lewis (‘15) who hadn’t been to Sky High in several years, visited recently.

“It was a blast,” Lewis said. “In my youth I used to go over to Santa Clara and hit Sky High with all my boys. Going back there just took me back. It was a very enjoyable experience. I would recommend it to anyone.”

I recommend everyone take a visit to Sky High. It was fun when we were seven, and it’s even more fun now. <<<

1. Prepare your body.

3. Enjoy the thrill.

Hydrate and wear workout clothes.

Have a good time, revel in the adrenaline rush and try not to die.

2. Be aware of your surroundings.

4. Be adventurous, but cautious.

You are bigger than most kids there. Try not to injure any of them.

I encourage you to attempt a flip, but only if you feel comfortable and confident.

Safety Tips

OCTOBER 2014

Where are they now?

Palo Alto student-athletes have graduated and gone on to continue their success in the college sports world. Read on to find out what they have been up to.

by SHEILA SUBRAMANIAN

CHRISTOPH BONO A name familiar to many, former Paly quarterback Christoph Bono (‘11) led the football team to a state championships victory back in 2010. Following his high school years, Bono chose to follow the footsteps of his father, Steve Bono, and commit to playing Division-1 level football at UCLA. He also considered playing baseball in addition to football, as he excelled in both while at Paly.

Bono spent his freshman season as a redshirt on the football team. Bono felt as though he was not getting as much out of football as he wanted and felt that he was never able to show his potential.

After much thought, he made the tough decision to switch and become a full-time baseball player for the Bruins instead of devoting his time to practicing with the football team.

Bono saw himself getting much better in baseball than he ever would have in football, despite his strong background in the latter.

“It wasn’t an easy decision...At some point, you’re going to have to commit to one,” Bono said. “[My decision] came a year earlier than I was originally expecting, but I have had a decent amount of playing time and have had some great success on the baseball team.”

Despite the rigorous academic nature of UCLA and his focus on finishing up his economics degree, Bono has put in an immense amount of time into training and preparing for his third season with the Bruins baseball team.

“Once team practice starts, we’re practicing five to six times a week from about 2 p.m. to 6 p.m, and then once the actual season starts, we practice less and spend more time with games and traveling,” Bono said.

Though Bono understands playing baseball must end at some point, he would like to play as long as possible and hopefully head in the direction of professional baseball.

“The 2015 draft...that’s my goal,” Bono said.

photo courtesy of Christoph Bono

JASMINE TOSKY Former Paly athlete Jasmine Tosky (‘12) excels in the sport of swimming. In her high school years, Tosky trained with the Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics team under coach Tony Batis, yet still raced for Paly under head coach Danny Dye. In high school, Tosky won a gold medal at the 2011 World Championships in the 800m freestyle relay and even finished as a semi-finalist and finalist in multiple events at the U.S. Olympic Trials her senior year. Tosky qualified in 12 events for Trials, more than swimmer Michael Phelps. She was also a five-time finalist at the 2010 U.S. Nationals.

After turning down Stanford, Tosky chose to commit to the the USC Trojans and swim under head coach Dave Salo.

According to Jasmine, her experience with swimming in college has been far different from her experience in high school.

“They are totally two different worlds,” Tosky said. “The largest differences I’d say would be the intensity of training and focus, and the

dedication that the athletic department expects you to put in.”

Tosky has spent numerous hours training and swimming millions of yards with the Trojans and has grown at USC not only in the pool, but out of the pool as well.

“I think my biggest accomplishment [is] that I’ve learned, very quickly, how to take care of myself [and] manage my time efficiently,” Tosky said.

She understands that practice, school and sleep don’t always mesh well together, especially with having early morning practice most days.

“You just have to go with the flow and the punches,” Tosky said. “Some weeks can be tough when all you want to do is sleep, but you have to study for that 8 a.m. midterm tomorrow after morning swim practice.”

As for the future, Tosky does not know

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photo by Tim Binning what’s in store. Instead of focusing on goal times for the next big meet like World Champs, Pan Pacs, or Olympic Trials, she focuses solely on improving her stroke and working hard everyday in practice.

“I’m not sure how long I see myself swimming for. I take each year as it comes,” Tosky said. “If I work on the process goals, the rest will come.”

Think Pink?

Halas says No! Staff writer Maddy Atwater takes an inside look at two Paly sports teams that have changed Pink October and how a recent decision has caused chaos and confusion among the teams and community.

Photo courtesy of Jim Anderson

Photo courtesy of Molly Fogarty

by MADDY ATWATER

SHOWING SUPPORT Malcolm Davis (‘14) runs down the field sporting pink gear. Paly football players have traditionally worn pink during October.

MAKE SOME NOISE The volleyball team cheers during their Dig Pink match. The Dig Pink match helps raise awareness for breast cancer.

Y

ou take a deep breath to calm your nerves, block out the rally screams and take in the Friday night lights. You’re nervous. It’s the home opener and you can’t quite seem to get those butterflies out of your stomach. You look left and right at your teammates and see a field of green, white and pink ahead of you.

Every player on the field is wearing pink: pink socks, pink arm sleeves, or pink leggings. You look down and breath in one final deep breath before game time. You feel confident, you feel good and you feel pink.

Pink October is a month dedicated to breast

cancer awareness, fundraising and support. In the sports world, Pink October takes over professional, high school and even middle school teams.

The National Football League (NFL) has a campaign, “A Crucial Catch”, that shares a partnership with the American Cancer Society (ACS). Throughout the month of October, the official games played will be filled with pink both on and off the field. Players, coaches and referees will be wearing different pink attire during the games; the NFL has also used pink balls, ribbons and a pink coin for the toss. While raising awareness as well as using, the league will also auction off all appar-

el worn, game balls and pink coins from the game. The proceeds will go to the ACS Community Health Advocates National Grants for Empowerment (CHANGE) program., which provides outreach and screenings for women in underprivileged communities.

Over the past few years, Paly’s athletic involvement in Pink October and breast cancer awareness has had high participation and solid outcomes. Generally, teams participate by wearing pink for a game or two, and some individuals wear it on a regular basis, however two fall sports at Paly have taken Pink October to a whole other level.

In the past, one of those teams has been the

OCTOBER 2014

Paly football team, but this year things will be a little different. Normally, for every game in October the boys wear pink socks, leggings, towels, arm sleeves and other accessories to show their support for Breast Cancer awareness and research. It is more important to some boys than it is to others, but as a team there has been widespread participation.

“My grandma was a breast cancer survivor and I support it a lot,” Eli Givens (‘16) said. “It lets us express how we feel about it.”

This year, new head coach Jake Halas made the shocking and disappointing announcement that the football team will not be allowed to wear pink this season. Aside from the team, different fans and Paly students are upset and confused over the new rules.

“I’m against the decision, but he’s the coach and what he says goes,” Jayshawn Puckett (‘15) said.

Like the players, I was a little shocked at first, too. I did not understand how a coach could not allow his team to support such an amazing cause, but also why he would limit his players freedom of expression.

Along with other student athletes, Molly Fogarty (‘15) a volleyball player and an active participant in Pink October, did not quite agree with the football coaches decision.

“I think it’s really weird that the football coach is not allowing the team to wear pink,” Fogarty said. “It’s to raise awareness for a cause, I don’t know why he would restrict his

team from it.”

A decision like this did not make sense, and it seemed to have the same disappointing impact on the football players. The most frustrated boys on the football team are the returning varsity athletes. In previous years, coach Earl Hansen supported the boys in wearing pink.

It’s an expressive right and a fun thing to do as a team and as an individual. Some may argue that players do it because it is “cool” and “instyle”, but even so, it should be their choice.

“I feel like it’s unfair to kids who want to show support for loved ones that have battled or are battling breast cancer,” Shaun Pike (‘16)

some of our boys because they like the ‘swag’.”

The football lineup has had some bad attendance rates at practice and coach Halas wants the boys to get back to being a cohesive team.

Halas is not against breast cancer support, but he wants the players to be uniform and consistent. With this being said, he would still like to participate in breast cancer awareness and research.

“For breast cancer awareness month, we will take private donations and give them to the charities,” Halas said. “I’ll have an envelope stuffed with money, all the money they would spend on pink socks, shoes, wristbands, whatever and we can put it [aside] and give it to [the charities].”

He also stated that if there happens to be a certain situation, say a close family member battling breast cancer, and his player feels the only way he can express himself is through wearing pink, then Halas would be willing to make an exception.

Even though the actual team is not allowed to wear pink, Paly’s Associated Student Body (ASB) designated the football game on Friday, October 10 as a “pink out” game against the Wilcox Chargers. The students on ASB have created three t-shirts, one short sleeve and two long sleeves, ranging from $10-$20. These shirts were made to not only raise awareness and encourage the student body to wear pink to this particular football game, but also to raise money for ASB and paly. Seeming odd

“While the players were battling on the court, these brave women were fighting their own battles off the court.”

-Liz Raffel

Photo Courtesy of Jim Anderson

said. “It should be allowed for kids in that situation to show their support.”

I, and I’d assume most of the student body, was quick to judge this decision without knowing the reasons behind it. After talking to Halas, I still did not agree with him, but I was able to understand why he made it. Whether it would help the team understand why they could not wear pink, his decision was final.

Halas made a decision that he believed to be the most beneficial for the team.

“We need to look like a team; we are having a hard time looking like a team, playing like a team, being a team,” Halas said. “It’s hard for

NFL GOES PINK A Tampa Bay Buccaneer prepares him- JUKED! Davis avoids defenders while carrying the self for a game. Many NFL players wear pink during ball down the field. In previous years, the Vikings their October games for breast cancer awareness. could wear their pink gear in October.

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Photo courtesy of Molly Fogarty

PRETTY IN PINK The 2013 Paly volleyball team poses in its Dig Pink shirts. The proceeds from the event go to the Side-Out Foundation. given the fact that the actual football team is not permitted to wear pink during games, the goal behind this was, in a sense, to make up for the team’s new rule.

“I knew that [the team can’t wear pink in games], which is one of the reasons we’re pushing this because we are hoping the student section will make up for that,” senior class president Maya Ben-Efraim (‘15) said.

To encourage fans and students to wear pink to this game, ASB will be selling the breast cancer apparel on the quad and the webstore.

Unfortunately, there are a limited amount of shirts, so sales will be on a first-come firstserve basis. Besides the support at the game, ASB also plans on hosting an event before the game to raise money and awareness.

Although I do not agree with Halas, I do respect his decision. In a sense, he is being a good coach. After all, Halas is the head coach and knows what will be best for the boys in the long run.

If the whole idea behind this decision is cohesiveness, uniformity and preciseness, it feels like Halas could reach a consensus with the boys to satisfy both his demands and the wants of the team. Maybe all the players could wear the same pink accessory so that it becomes a team activity, and they can keep the unity while still supporting their personal causes and breast cancer awareness as a whole.

I still remain very dismayed with Halas’ decision. It was always nice and uplifting to see so many of the players wearing pink on the field. But, even so, he made a respectable de-

cision that must be stuck with. In the end, he has the best interest of the team in mind and as a head coach, that is exactly what a team needs.

The Paly volleyball team is the second team that significantly supports breast cancer awareness and research. Going into its third year of participation, the Paly volleyball team along with the Los Altos team, has either hosted or played in The DIG PINK Match. DIG PINK is a national breast cancer awareness and fundraising rally that school teams all over the country either host or participate in. All of the proceeds go to the Side-Out Foundation, which gives grants to research and patient care.

Parents of the volleyball team put in a lot of work to make the DIG PINK match run smoothly and work effectively. In the past, Sharon Poore and Liz Raffel have been in charge of the event and are also very passionate about the overall cause.

“We always have great fan support for the DIG PINK Match,” L. Raffel said. “The players decorate the gym with pink streamers and posters, all the fans wear pink, and the JV coach’s mom parks her very cool pink sports car outside the gym.”

Aside from showing support, the Paly volleyball team raises money for the Side-Out Foundation. First, they set up a web page for participating fans to make direct donations online. Instead of having fans pay to get into the game, they are asked to make a contribution to the donation box by the front door.

Digs are counted during the match and donors can make either a pledge-per-dig donation or a fixed amount donation if a certain number of digs are achieved. All the girls wear special DIG PINK t-shirts to school and during warmups.

“It brings together two opposing teams by both wearing pink and coming together for a common cause,” Becca Raffel (‘14) said. “More importantly, it raises awareness and money for breast cancer research, which is a very important cause.”

The team’s first Dig Pink match was in 2012.

During the two state championship seasons of 2010 and 2011, three Paly volleyball moms were diagnosed with breast cancer.

“While the players were battling on the court, these brave women were fighting their own battles off the court,” L. Raffel said. “To honor them, and so many others in the Paly community, Paly Volleyball decided to join the annual DIG PINK Rally.”

The players on the volleyball team also feel very strongly about breast cancer and love playing in the Dig Pink match. From graduated players, current players, coaches and fans, there is a ton of support from all spectrums of the Paly Volleyball Community.

“It’s nice to be able to give back and help a cause by playing the game I love,” Jade Schoenberger (‘15) said. “When people come out and cheer that night it’s exciting because it’s not just about us, but for all those who we’re helping.”

When it comes down to it, wearing pink in sports is a great way to show support, raise awareness and even express yourself as a player. What the volleyball team has done with Pink October exceeds expectations of a high school team, and I think what they do is absolutely amazing. Breast Cancer Awareness Month should be appreciated and supported like this among all high school teams. <<<

Images taken from

OCTOBER 2014

COMMON FALL SPORTS INJURIES

by MADDIE KINNAMAN

WATER POLO: Shoulder injuries like strains and tears are commonly associated with throwing and shooting. Symptoms include pain and swelling. Treatments can include rest and physical therapy.

FOOTBALL: A torn ACL, caused by sudden starts or changes in direction, is a prevalent ailment. Syptoms include a popping sound, followed by sudden and severe pain in the knee area.

Treatments may include surgery or bracing.

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TENNIS/GOLF: Elbow tendonitis is a common overuse injury. Symptoms include pain and swelling. Treatment generally involves a period of rest.

VOLLEYBALL: Sprained ankles are a common ailment among volleyball players, caused by landing on the ankle wrong. Symptoms include pain and swelling. Treatments range from rest to bracing the ankle.

CROSS COUNTRY: Shin splints are an overuse injury caused by increased amounts of running. Symptoms include pain and swelling in the lower leg. Treatment includes rest.

Great Expectations A young team

A new head coach

A new quarterback

A new era

by MEREDITH KINNAMAN and ALYS OLMSTEAD

OLIVER’S CALL The team is all set and ready to execute another drive. They wait for Svirsky to call for the ball. Whether the play starts with the word, “Hike”, “Blue”, or “Go”, the players are ready to move.

N

ovember 23, 2013; the Vikings are minutes away from half time against the Leland Chargers in its first game of the Central Coast Sections (CCS) playoffs and are winning 35-17. Keller Chryst (‘14) runs to the sideline to get the play call from head coach Earl Hansen. Before jogging back out onto the field. After the ball is snapped Chryst hands it off to Malcolm Davis (‘14) who runs

Photo by Olivia Scola the ball in for a touchdown, and secures a 25-point lead and an eventual victory. A win is a team effort, but is truly orchestrated by a coach and his quarterback. The win against Leland, along with many others, was led by Hansen and Chryst, but that era has ended.

Standing at six feet and 175 pounds, Oliver Svirsky (‘16) is four inches and 55 pounds smaller than Chryst, the figure fans are used to seeing in the quarterback position. However, make no mistake that his size does not

deter the level of play expected from Palo Alto High Schools new starting quarterback.

With the loss of several star Paly athletes in the class of 2014, Svirsky, his teammates and the new head coach Jake Halas are looking to build chemistry over the next few years.

“That is probably the number one goal of our season: to improve the camaraderie of our squad,” Halas said. “We don’t know each other yet. We will find out when things go bad, when the chips are down, that’s how we

PHOTO READY (Left) Svirsky poses with teammates Eli Givens (‘16) and Justin Hull (‘16) after a varsity game in the 2013 season. (Right) Svirsky posses with Earl Hansen on team photo day last year.

Courtesy of Oliver Svirsky

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Courtesy of Oliver Svirsky

Quarterback Timeline Oliver Svirsky Class of 2016 Won: TBD Now: Starting Quarterback for Paly.

Keller Chryst

find out about each other.”

The team is not looking to replicate past years, but instead is trying to start a new era with this young team. Halas has great hopes for Svirsky and where he will lead the team over the next two years.

“He’s his own guy, he’s fallen into the starting position now and we’ll see where it goes,” Halas said. “He’s got two years. Svirsky understands that that is a rare situation. I think he has done a good job of not really thinking about it.”

Nearly 5.8% of high school football players get recruited to play in college; Chryst is one of them. Even though Svirsky may not be on his way to becoming a Stanford Cardinal, he still possesses key attributes to being a successful quarterback.

“First of all, [Svirsky is] a natural athlete, and him being a basketball player as well as

a football player shows a lot about what kind of an athlete he is,” Chryst said. “He has an underrated arm and he’s throwing it at the same velocity as I am and he’s making all the big time throws you need to make.”

Chryst comments on the relationship Svirsky and him have had over the years and the future that Svirsky has in football.

“He acted like my brother and I kind of mentored him,” Chryst said. “He will be one hell of a football player once he cleans up a few things.”

The guidance of Chryst has carried over to this season in the way that Svirsky leads the team with his work ethic and intense mentality.

Halas has also seen the determination that Svirsky displays at practice and in games.

He notes that these attributes coincide with what made Chryst such a force to be reck-

QUARTERBACK QUADRANT Here are all four of the quarterbacks mentioned in the Timeline playing for Paly. Brandin (top left), Bono (top right), Chryst (bottom left), Svirsky (bottom right).

Class of 2014 Won: 28 games Now: Playing football at Stanford

Christoph Bono Class of 2011 Won: 21 games Now: Playing baseball at UCLA.

Courtesy of Will Brandin

Courtesy of Christoph Bono

Courtesy of Keller Chryst

Courtesy of Oliver Svirsky

Will Brandin Class of 2009 Won: 20 games Now: Graduated from University of Boulder in 2013

OCTOBER 2014

Oliver’s Game Day Take a look in to Oliver’s Do’s and Don’ts for Game Day. As Svirsky says, “ If you aren’t in the game with your head, then you can’t perform physically.”

Game Day Do’s:

Game Day DON’TS:

Beats: A killer playlist is crucial to

School: “Still have to go to school, but it’s

Hydration: Started by Chryst, the

Junk Food: Candy and soda do not

Sleepover: “Thursday nights I

All Nighter: Pulling an all nighter the

get in to an intense mindset.

quarterbacks signature gallon sized waterbottle is essential on gameday. always spend the night at Eli Givens dad’s house and that’s how we get ready.” oned with. “[Svirsky] is here in film every day,” Halas said. “I am a defensive coach by trait, and I show film at lunch the quarterback is here watching defensive film trying to see what the defense does, how they think. That’s admirable. That’s a similarity to Chryst. As far as his work ethic, you don’t argue one bit with what he does. He does everything we ask, he’s the first guy in the weight room, and stays late after practice.”

Svirsky inspires the team with his hard-working attitude and is a leader on the field. Justin Hull (‘16) has been playing sports with Svirsky since elementary school and recognizes Svirsky’s work ethic. “[Svirsky] is a good teammate; he helps us out a lot,” Hull said. “He works hard in practice. He’s definitely a vocal leader and talks a lot during practice. He’ll stay after practice with us and help us with our routes.”

Along with being a vocal leader, he brings the game day mentality to practice and is constantly playing with a high level of intensity. Teammate and close friend Eli Givens (‘16) notes how Svirsky’s focus on success is his key to improvement.

“During practice, he’s very competitive

tough to focus on that.” Too bad teachers don’t take football as a reason to miss class. provide the nurtients needed to perform at top level.

night before a game is not the best idea, because it could leave you half asleep come game time.

and that’s good,” Givens said. “When he focuses a lot he tends to do really well. He gets stuff done and once he knows how to do it, he’ll tend to be really good.”

The intensity Svirsky shows on the field could be a result of the high expectations Halas puts on his players as head coach.

Halas was announced as the program’s new head coach last year, despite not having been in the program in the 2013-2014 season.

During the 2008-2012 seasons, Halas worked as the team’s defensive coordinator.

In these seasons, the team was league champions three times and had its undefeated season that led it to win state. Through these years, Halas coached some of Paly’s most accomplished football players including Kevin Anderson (‘11) and B.J. Boyd (‘12).

Many of the players that he coached during the 2010-2011 season, in which the team beat Centennial High of Corona, Calif.

15-13 to bring home the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Championship, note Halas as being a key reason why the team performed so well.

“He is the genius behind the defense,” Anderson said. “To come in and stop the best

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offense in the history of California is all on him. He gave us a game plan and we were able to go out there and execute it. Without him, I guarantee they would have been able to score more points.”

By experience he is a defense oriented, but has offensive knowledge from his training under Hansen. Stepping into the role as head coach for such an elite program can be difficult, and Halas could benefit from having Hansen around to help.

“I’m in the mold of Hansen as far as his belief system; what he did was great,” Halas said. “I want Hansen around. He wants to make sure that they know who the leader is and all of that, but me, personally, I want him around.”

However, Halas’s players think that he has stepped in to the role as their leader gracefully and understands what must be asked of the team in order to succeed.

“He has done a great job taking over the role of head coach,” Hull said. “He’s a very hard working coach who wants to win as badly as we do.”

Halas has designed his philosophy around the idea that he is here to help his players succeed, but they have to want to improve

first. A team is built on the foundation of a respect for each others time and actions.

“I am really on our guys; they have to be held accountable for their actions,” Halas said. “They have to abide by the rules or they will not play. If they are not at practice they will get the opportunity to make up what they missed the next day. If they are late they get the opportunity to make it up after practice.”

As the weeks go by and more Friday nights approach the team, Svirsky and his teammates continue to build their chemistry.

Halas and the young team he is coaching hope to establish themselves and grow over these next few years.

“The team’s belief in Svirsky and Svirsky’s confidence in the system is just going to grow,” Halas said. “We’re all new; this is like a new relationship for everybody. So these guys don’t know me and I don’t know them, but we’re working on it.” <<<

GAMEDAY (Top) the team shakes the hands of their opponents. Good sportsmanship is key.

LOOK (Bottom) Svirsky looks to throw the ball to one of his receivers.

Photo by Maddy Atwater

Courtesy of Oliver Svirsky

PLAYMAKER Svirsky and Halas discuss possible plays for the next Viking offensive possession. Once the play is determined, it will be up to Svirsky to execute.

Photo by Olivia Scola

OCTOBER 2014

swap Uniform

Recently, The Viking has noticed discrepancies between the boys’ and girls’ uniforms at Paly. We found fall athletes of different fall sports, and asked them to model each other’s equipment.

by CLARA HARRINGTON and MICHAEL PAPPAS

Water polo Modeled by Halle Biorn (‘16) and Sarah Tayeri (‘15)

Tennis photos by Clara Harrington

What did the athletes think?

“Tennis uniforms are better.”

-Halle Biorn (‘16)

“The fabric is actually very nice and comfortable.”

-August Ramberg-Gomez (‘16)

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Modeled by August Ramberg-Gomez (‘16) and Winston Rosati (‘16)

On swapping...

“If I wanted to play in a dress, that’s what it would be like.”

-Jade Schoenberger (‘15)

“ I felt swagged out. ”

-Jayshawn Puckett (‘15)

Volleyball Modeled by Riley Schoeben (‘16) and Jayshawn Puckett (‘15)

Football Modeled by Katie passarello (‘17) and Jade Schoenberger (‘15)

OCTOBER 2014

The Viking guide to football recruiting

by PAIGE ANDERSON and GILLIAN CHRYST

The Viking’s very own Paige Anderson and Gillian Chryst sat down with some of Paly’s football alumni who are all playing at Division 1 schools and asked them a few questions about their recruitment process.

photo courtesy of Shelley Chryst

SIGNING DAY Johnson (‘14), Chryst (‘14) and Davis (‘14) pose on National Signing Day after each signing their National Letter of Intent.

Keller Chryst (‘14)

James Foug (‘13)

Michael Cullen (‘11)

Justin Rittman (‘14)

Malcolm Davis (‘14)

Keesean Johnson (‘14)

is currently a redshirt freshman quarterback at Stanford University.

is a redshirt junior linebacker for the UC Davis Aggies.

is currently a redshirt freshman wide receiver at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

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is currently in his first season playing at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. is currently a redshirt freshman at University of Los Angeles.

is currently a redshirt freshman at Fresno State.

James Foug

Justin Rittman

HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR SCHOOL?

photo courtesy of Keesean Johnson

photo courtesy of Justin Rittman

KC: After my sophomore season, I started on varsity which helped a lot. Then the summer going into my junior year, I attended the Elite 11 camp which also helped my recruitment. I also went to college camps. The first one was USC camp, and they offered me a position. More colleges picked up from there because when a college like USC offers, it puts pressure on rival schools, like Stanford, to offer.

MD: I got recruited through social media, phone calls and texts. It was also through this recruiting service that helps you get in contact with coaches.

JR: I made a highlight tape and sent it to coaches. If they showed interest back, I went to their camps if I had plans of going to their school.

MC: I got recruited by schools on my own, but the way I got to my school specifically was by sending my own film out and contacting specific coaches.

JF: Senior year was when I started to talk to some college coaches and it wasn’t until the spring when I decided which school I wanted to go to.

photo courtesy of James Foug

yst

HOW DID YOU GET RECRUITED?

Keesean Johnson

KC: I picked Stanford based on the fact that it has had great football the last few years, won 4 BCS Bowl games and is a great academic school.

KJ: I picked my school by talking with my family and hearing what they had to individually say about every school.

MD: I chose Cal Poly based on the program, location, education and the type of people who attended the school. I also chose it based on how I felt I fit in there.

JR: I chose UCLA based on academics and making sure I saw myself at the school as a student, as well as an athlete.

JF: I picked Cal Poly SLO because the school is great and is in a great area. Athletically, I was never guaranteed to play, but I knew I was good enough to play Division-1 instead of going to a Division-2 or Division-3 school and getting a chance to play my freshman year.

OCTOBER 2014

WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART ABOUT THE PROCESS?

KC: It was probably just the fact that a bunch of great schools are saying that they want you and there is a lot of pressure on you to pick what you feel is the best fit. Everyone would tell me what school they thought I should choose.

KJ: The hardest part was taking official visits every weekend.

MD: It was not hearing back from places you are interested in and having them not be interested in you.

MC: The hardest part was trying to gauge a school’s genuine level of interest in you.

You can’t believe everything they say or get your hopes up for everyone.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNGER ATHLETES?

photo courtesy of Jim Shorin

KC: Email coaches, go to the camps and do well in school because it shows that you are dedicated in other areas other than just athletics. It also shows that you’re a well-rounded person.

MD: Just have fun with it and enjoy your high school football seasons while you can because once you leave, everything changes a lot. Also, don’t get discouraged when you aren’t getting recruited to where you want.

JR: Just find a place that you know you will be happy.

MC: My advice would be to get film out early and often to market yourself.

Don’t become complacent because a school you may like has an interest in you early on in the process. Never stop putting yourself out there until you sign your National Letter of Intent or confirm you have a roster spot. Also, don’t lose track of what’s taking place in the now; don’t get distracted from the importance of the current season.

JF: Go to college camps to showcase yourself. The best way to figure out where you want to play is to balance READY, SET... Keller Chryst (‘14) warms up his arm before a game. Chryst was ranked the number one pocket out the sport and the school itself. passer for the 2014 class.

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The NFL’s new excessive celebration penalties, in addition to being unnecessary, take away from the fun of the game.

by ISAAC KASEVICH

DUNK (Left) New Orleans Saints’ tight end Jimmy Graham will be penalized for dunking post-touchdown.

LAMBEAU LEAP (Top right) A Green Bay Packers’ player jumps into the stands following a score, performing the classic “Lambeau Leap”.

ROPED (Bottom right) Jared Allen, former Minnesota defensive end, will be penalized for pretending to rope cattle after he sacks the quarterback.

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ational Football League (NFL) players better watch what they do and say on the field this year, with the NFL enforcing much stricter penalties for excessive celebration and foul language.

Starting this year, in addition to the already existing 15-yard penalties for taunting and unnecessary roughness, the NFL will be imposing 15-yard penalties for swearing, using goal posts, pylons or the football as a prop to celebrate touchdowns and engaging in a celebration with another teammate. There comes a point where, for NFL fans and players, enough is enough. With so many restrictions on tackling and celebration, is it even football anymore? Commissioner Roger Goodell needs to cut back on these rules that take away from the integrity – and fun – of the game.

Most high profile players in the NFL have their own individual celebrations after touch-

downs, first downs or defensive plays. From Jared Allen pretending to rope cattle after he sacks the quarterback to Victor Cruz’s salsa dance touchdown celebration, fans are used to the entertainment of world-class athletes acting like kids in a backyard football game.

Goodell’s new restrictions do nothing to enhance the fairness or viewer enjoyment of the game.

Some celebrations, like the classic “Lambeau Leap” used by Green Bay Packers’ players at home games will be allowed. However, in general it seems like the NFL is attempting to shut down anything that could be considered players having a good time. The purpose behind these rules is to stop the taunting that would “endanger ill will between teams,” according to the NFL rulebook. This stems from the well known Terrell Owens incident, when Owens, a San Francisco 49er at the time, took the ball after a touchdown and celebrated on the Dallas Cowboys’ midfield star. Later in the

game, Emmitt Smith, the Cowboys’ star running back, scored a touchdown and spiked the ball on the star, all the while staring down Owens. When he scored for the second time that game, Owens ran to the star and started to celebrate, but before he could, he was body slammed by a Cowboys player. A brawl ensued. Understandably, the NFL and Goodell wanted to curb this kind of behavior with negative incentives such as player fines and penalty yards.

I recognize the concern that Goodell has for player safety when it comes to taunting, but at some point, it goes too far. No one was being hurt by Jimmy Graham dunking over the goalpost to celebrate another touchdown or by Rob Gronkowski spiking the ball after scoring, but the NFL has banned them anyway. It is time for Goodell to take a step back and realize the true purpose of the rules – to keep players safe, not to stop them from having a good time.<<< All images taken from

OCTOBER 2014

Minor Struggle, Major Payoff

by ZOE BHARGAVA and BRYN CARLSON

photo by John Soohoo

Joc Pederson (‘10) has spent the past four years since graduating from Paly playing Minor League Baseball. After working his way through the minor leagues, he has now been called up to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

photo courtesy of Shelly Pederson

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ith a tradition of athletic excellence and success, it is not a surprise that dozens of Paly graduates continue with their sport at the collegiate level every year. However, few athletes manage to surpass the collegiate level and continue to the professional level. Joc Pederson (‘10) is one of the few exceptions.

On Sept. 1, 2014, former Viking J. Pederson was called up by the Los Angeles Dodgers and on Sept. 2, 2014 he made his first career start.

As early as Little League, many young baseball players dream of making it to play Major League Baseball (MLB), a dream which J. Pederson is now living out. Getting to this point, however, has not been an easy process.

Four years earlier, in his senior year at Paly, J. Pederson decided to sign with the Dodgers as an 11th round pick in the 2010 MLB draft, giving up his spot to play ball at the University of Southern California (USC). With that decision, he entered himself into four years of playing Minor League Baseball (MiLB).

While his classmates were deciding between which colleges they would be attending, Pederson was deciding between two options that would lead to two very distinct paths.

“I had to choose if I wanted to play football and baseball in college or go play pro [baseball],” J. Pederson said. “It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve made.”

However, the choice to sign with the Dodg-

GET DIRTY Joc Pederson slides into second base. He played for the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes before being called up to the Dodgers. ers has not completely ruled out the opportunity for an education, in the future.

“He was scheduled to go to USC, and the nice thing about getting drafted out of high school now is that they will give you the equiv-

Photo by Doug Timmermann

SWING Tyger Pederson stands at the plate in a game as a Rockford Aviator. He played with the Aviators, an independent team, in 2014.

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alent of your scholarship for education,” his mother Shelly Pederson said. “That is set aside, separate. He doesn’t get to touch that money until he goes to school. If the baseball doesn’t work out, he has the opportunity to use those funds and pursue his education.”

J. Pederson’s decision to pursue a professional baseball career path was not a first in his family. His father, Stu Pederson, was a part of the Dodgers’ organization and played MiLB from 1988-1992 and played in the MLB in 1985. His older brother, Tyger Pederson (‘08), just completed a season playing for an independent team, the Rockford Aviators in the Frontier League in the Midwest, after playing at the University of the Pacific as well as in the MiLB affiliates of the Dodgers.

The opportunity to play professional baseball was earned by J. Pederson because of the immense talent that he showcased and built throughout his years playing baseball. In his senior year at Paly, he led off for the team and had a 0.466 batting average, a 0.577 on-base percentage and a 0.852 slugging percentage.

He also stole 20 out of an attempted 22 bases throughout that season.

“He was a tremendous athlete,” Paly baseball coach Eric Raich said. “Joc was a good guy to have there when [I came] to take over [the] program – ability wise he was pretty special.”

In addition to J. Pederson’s natural ability, he spent countless hours training to enhance his performance. Besides the regular practices and workouts for both Paly and club teams, J. Ped-

erson would often spend his lunchtimes in the batting cages hitting with his dad before going to his afternoon classes.

His athletic talent came not only from years of being a committed baseball player, but also from years of being a multi-sport athlete.

During his years at Paly, he played football and basketball in addition to playing center field for the Vikings. At wide receiver, he had 30 receptions for 650 yards in his senior year at Paly.

“In high school I played all three [sports], but my summers I always spent playing baseball,” J. Pederson said.

However, it was only late in his high school career when it became clear that baseball was what he wanted to focus on.

“Baseball has just been a love,” S. Pederson said. “Joc finally figured out that he really wanted to pursue baseball [his junior year], and he also really excelled at it.”

As he pursued his passion for baseball, J. Pederson sacrificed a lot to make it to the dug-

outs he stands in now. By choosing to play in the MiLB instead of at USC, he gave up the standard college experience that his peers were embarking on.

“It is a long process,” S. Pederson said. “It is not like he’s going out and partying, he has bypassed a lot of that. He has missed out on a lot of opportunities that you get when you’re in college and all those social interactions. That’s

mentally straining profession.

“A lot of people don’t understand the grind of the minor leagues,” T. Pederson said. “It’s not very glamorous like some people think.

[Pro ball] is basically just [run] as a business, and you kind of have to understand that it’s a profession and some people don’t really look at it as a game anymore.”

Having over 100 games a season, MiLB players get very little time off amongst their long days spent at the fields practicing or playing.

“It is very long and it’s baseball every day,” S. Pederson said. “They have maybe a day off every month.”

With over 170 teams in the minor leagues, there is a large number of athletes that are working towards the goal of making it on to one of the 30 MLB teams in North America.

“In the minor leagues there are so many people, we had probably 120 guys in spring training, so it’s just a lot of numbers and you’re just one of a number.” T. Pederson said.

With the large number of athletes in the mi-

photo courtesy of Shelly Pederson

his path and I’m happy for him because that’s what he’s chosen, and it’s sometimes hard to know that he’s grown up so fast and missed some of [those] opportunities.”

With the decision to play baseball in the minor leagues, J. Pederson took on an arduous, full time job. With little pay, long hours and none of the glitz and glam of the major leagues, it is both a physically demanding and

photo courtesy of Shelly Pederson

“It’s not very glamorous like some people think. [Pro ball] is basically just ran as a business...”

-Tyger Pederson (‘08)

FAMILY FIRST Tyger Pederson, Jacey Pederson, and Joc REPPIN’ Tyger Pederson and Joc Pederson sport Paly Pederson pose at a little league field. Baseball has baseball gear during their shared time as Vikings. been a passion in the family since their childhood. The two also played football at Paly together.

OCTOBER 2014

also have to worry about maintaining a spot on their minor league team roster.

“It’s not like in college where you are part of a team for four years, there is a lot of change,” T. Pederson said. “You have new guys coming in and out every week—there are guys getting released, guys getting signed and you have guys from independent ball who are coming, you have young guys, you have old guys. You could have a teammate for a week and then never see him again.”

In order for J. Pederson to continue a linear progression through the minor leagues and beat the odds of making it the major leagues, he has undergone strenuous conditions in his four-year journey of playing professional baseball. Apart from playing baseball during the minor league season from February to September, J. Pederson also participated in addi-

EYES UP Joc Pederson makes a catch while playing center field during one of his first games in the Major Leagues playing for the Dodgers. He also played this position while at Paly.

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tional ball leagues in the traditional off-season making the sport a year-round event.

“To get to the level that he’s at, he has sacrificed a lot,” S. Pederson said. “With a lot of minor leaguers you will play fall or winter ball, so your season continues [past the standard MiLB season]. He’s done all of that. Maybe he’s home for Thanksgiving and the holidays and then he starts up again.”

In comparison to other players, J. Pederson had a fairly rapid advancement through the minor league levels. Older brother T. Pederson, on the other hand, has experienced progress at a more typical rate as he entered the minor leagues in 2013 after playing Division I baseball at the University of the Pacific.

“Tyger has had a more standard [progression through the minor leagues],” S. Pederson said.

“Joc has had a pretty rapid ascent, which is fortunate for him.”

Advancing to a higher level roughly every season, J. Pederson quickly made his way from Rookie Ball to MLB, earning honors at each step along the way. In 2012 at only 20-yearsold he was named the Dodgers’ “Minor League Player of the Year” while playing A ball. In 2013, J. Pederson was ranked the Dodgers’ #1 prospect by Baseball America. And in his 2014 season in AAA ball, he was named the 18thbest prospect in baseball by Baseball America, and he hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases in one season.

With his quick progression through the minor leagues, J. Pederson is now playing for the Dodgers at the age of 22. With teammates photo by John Soohoo

photo by John Soohoo nor leagues, it is imperative that athletes play to their best ability to make it to the next level, and players often have to play through pain and even injury.

“You play over 140 games so I’ve played through fatigue and soreness… it’s a grind,” J. Pederson said, “The travel is tough, but at the end of the day no one cares how you feel. It’s all about how you perform.”

Due to the harsh truth that only a minute number of MiLB players make it to a MLB team, playing professional baseball at the minor league level most definitely does not lead to a debut on the TV screens at home.

“Just because you play professional baseball and you are in the minor leagues, there is never a guarantee that you will make it that far,” S. Pederson said. “Every year the percentage gets lower and lower to make it to the next level.”

It takes only the most dedicated athletes to persevere through the extensive and unpredictable journey towards playing on a MLB team. Besides the taxing stipulations of the minor leagues, there is also an element of uncertainty for each player in the MiLB. “There are a lot of people who lose focus just because there is such a small percentage of people who do make it [to the major leagues],” T. Pederson said. “It is a very difficult path.”

Not only are players uncertain of ever setting foot on the big league fields, but players

BIG LEAGUES Joc Pederson made his MLB debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 1st, 2014.

His first career start was on Sept.

2, 2014.

ranging up in to their late thirties he has had to adjust to a level of maturity in the sport above the standard for a player his age. J. Pederson has acquired this maturity over years of playing up in leagues.

“He has always been the youngest player [on his teams],” S. Pederson said. “He has to carry himself in a manner that shows that he belongs and that he has the ability to be there. He takes it pretty seriously.”

While his Paly classmates are commencing their first jobs after college, J. Pederson is one step ahead as he has already been at work for the last four years.

However, like his classmates, he has recently made an advance this past September when he stepped on to the plate against the Washington Nationals for the world to watch.

Despite J. Pederson’s now nationwide viewership, a part of J. Pederson’s audience remains the same: his family. They have supported him since he was a young player and are proud to see him make this new step in his career.

“It’s pretty amazing seeing him out there with superstars like Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig and Carl Crawford, and guys like that who are well established baseball icons,” T. Pederson said. “You look up to those guys growing up and all of a sudden my brother is on the same field as they are, so that’s a pretty cool feeling to know that all of his hard work has paid off and

where I am without them. I am blessed to have come up in a baseball family, it has helped me tremendously.”

Despite standing under the bright lights and new levels of pressure and distractions, J. Pederson has kept his focus on the job at hand.

“It’s been a learning experience; it’s a whole different life style up here,” J. Pederson said.

“But at the end of the day, it’s how you perform on the field.”

Just as baseball is America’s pastime, the journey of baseball players through the minor leagues mirrors the American dream.

While many young athletes aspire to make it big one day, only the lucky and dedicated few like J. Pederson realize this dream. Only four years ago, however, he was a Viking just like us. While we may not all be able to reach the level of skill needed to play at a professional level, we can be inspired the diligence and work ethic of J. Pederson that led to his great success. <<<

“It’s been a learning experience; it’s a whole different lifestyle up here.

But at the end of the day, it’s how you perform on the field.”

-Joc Pederson (‘10) he is actually getting an opportunity to live out his dream.”

The support of his family has played a huge role in J. Pederson’s journey to the major leagues.

“My family had been by my side through good and bad,” J. Pederson said. “I wouldn’t be

Rookie on the [coffee] Run On Friday, Sept. 19 2014, Joc Pederson made a coffee run before a day game in Chicago. Pederson, accompanied by a clubhouse attendant, had to buy coffee for his team at the Starbucks across the street from Wrigley Field. Dressed in his full uniform, his outing caught a lot of media attention.

Run for the

by PRISCILLA BELL and DANIEL DOUTY

HILL of it

photo courtesy of Lucas Matison

ON TOP OF THE WORLD Lucas Matison (‘15) (far right) with teammates Jeff Theis and Erik Armes take a photo in Cassette di Massa, Italy. Matison was one of four boys from the US ages 16-19 to run in the event.

L

ooking up at the prodigious hill at the Dish, many Paly cross country runners dread the daunting slope they will be treading up. Legs gradually grow heavier as the team pushes each other to run as hard as they can up the steep incline. However, one runner looks forward to the challenge that lies ahead: Lucas Matison (‘15), who was one of only four boys from the United States ages 16-19 invited to run in the World Mountain Running Championships (WMRC) in September.

Matison started running before high school, when he wasn’t a Viking.

“I used to live in San Carlos on top of this huge hill, so I was pretty much forced to run on hills all the time,” Matison said. “When I did cross country in middle school, my best races were always on the hilly courses.”

Matison transferred to Paly halfway through his sophomore year and joined the cross country team, but he was still able to continue finding hills to run up.

“In the last couple years, I’ve done cross country for high school, but during the off season, a couple days a week I would go out to the trails and literally run up a mountain as fast as I [could],” Matison said. “As painful as it sounds, it is one of the most accomplishing

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feelings in the world, and I got hooked on it.”

As he continued to run up hills and mountains, he caught the eye of David Roche, an accomplished mountain runner who has competed in many nationwide and worldwide competitions.

“When I run, I use this app called Strava, which records the statistics of my run and allows my followers to see my runs,” Matison said. “One of my followers is [Roche], who competed in the US Mountain Running Championships and qualified for the World [Mountain Running Championships]. After his race, he mentioned me to the junior team coach.”

The junior team coach, Paul Kirsch, then emailed Matison and asked for a running resumé. Matison was formally invited a couple days later, in early July this past summer.

“I was so surprised and honored when I found out I made it,” Matison said.

Once he knew he was going, Matison generally stuck to his same running routine of finding hills to run up to prepare for the race.

“Last summer, I did a lot of hard runs in the mountains, but I haven’t really changed up too many things regarding my training,” Matison said.

The race consisted of three different trails for the three different divisions: 11.7 kilometers for the Senior Men, 8.4 kilometers for the Senior Women and Junior Men and 3.8 kilometers for the Junior Women. The Senior Women and Junior Men trail that Matison ran on had its lowest point at 335 meters and its highest point at 800 meters. The race proved to be very difficult, even for an experienced runner like Matison. Matison left for Italy on Sept. 10 and the race took place on Sept. 14.

“Leading up to the race, I was really excited to represent my country and run alongside people from across the globe,” Matison said.

However, once he saw the course his outlook quickly changed. Before the race, Matison was very nervous, and worried that he would finish close to last.

Thanks to a strong start, Matison was able to hold a spot towards the front of the pack, running with all of his teammates.

“I actually got a really good start,” Matison said. “It felt really cool because we could work together to help push each other and block other guys behind us.”

Matison continued to push and maintained a strong position, closer to the front than he ever expected he would be. He gave it his all for the final stretch of the race, and finished close to the front of the pack. Matison ended up finishing 18 out of the 70 competitors.

“I am incredibly happy with my race result,” Matison said. “This race was by far the hardest race I’ve ever done, but also by far the most fun.”

The race was also a great cultural experience for Matison, as he had the opportunity to travel to a new country and meet people from countries in all corners of the globe.

“It was so cool to meet people from countries all over the world,” Matison said. “It has definitely widened my perspective.”

Matison will continue to run cross country at Paly for the remainder of the year, and hopefully he will continue to add more great achievements to his running career. He has also been recruited by Western State Colorado University, and is considering continuing running cross country while he attends school there. <<<

BIRD’S EYE VIEW An overhead view of the Junior Men’s course.

The course is 8.4 km long and runs through marble quarries and the town of Cassette.

photo courtesy of Lucas Matison

SELFIE TIME! (Abo ve) Matison poses with teammates Theis, Armes and the US Junior Women’s team: Tabor Scholl (left), Mandy Ortiz (middle) and Marisa Ruskan (right).

photo courtesy of Lucas Matison

STRAIGHT DIPPIN’ (Left) Matison runs up a steep slope during the race, closely followed by other runners.

He finished eighteenth of 70 runners.

OCTOBER 2014

The Last Word

A changing game

The days of traditional smash mouth football are coming to an end. As defense fades into the background in the NFL, a purely offensive league is on the horizon.

O

by GARRETT REYNOLDS

ver the past 40 years, we have seen drastic changes in the style of play in the National Football League (NFL). For decades, hard nose football dominated the NFL. If a player went over the middle to catch a pass, he would pay the price. Teams didn’t use to throw the football 50 times a game, instead their game plan was to run it 40-50 times. However, now the game has more emphasis on throwing the football.

The game initially transformed in 1978 with the introduction of the Mel Blount Rule, a rule named after Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame cornerback, Mel Blount. The rule prevented cornerbacks from making contact five yards past the line of scrimmage. This allowed offenses to be able to even out their playbook and throw the football just as often as they would run it. Of all the rule changes, this is one that I understand; it allows teams to open the game up a little bit, which is beneficial to football. The Mel Blount rule has made football more popular and has brought more flare into the league.

In the 1970s, defensive football dominated the game. Teams like the Steelers and its defense, nicknamed the “Steel Curtain”, held opposing teams in check with their ferocious play.

The Steelers allowed 9.8 points per game (ppg) and gave up 237.4 yards per game (ypg). The ‘76 Steelers are, from a statistical standpoint, one of the best defenses of all time. Last year, the Seattle Seahawks led the NFL in defense.

The Seahawks allowed 14.4 ppg and 273.6 ypg.

Although the Seahawks were just as talented as the Steelers, they didn’t have the opportunity to look as good on paper because of the host of new rule changes that have come since 1978. More games than ever are being decided by penalties and the average score has risen almost nine ppg in the last 30 years. I enjoy the excitement of offensive football and watching teams score a lot of points, but when you watch bad defense, it becomes boring. Defense is a major part of the game, and in this new era of football there is less of an emphasis on this feature of the game. To me, this is disappointing.

The bulk of the rule changes in the last 30

All images taken from

EVOLVING A game that once revolved around the run and stout defense has changed directions over the last 40 years. Defense is becoming obsolete as NFL teams focus more upon offensive strength. years have been a result of increased information being released about the long-lasting effects of concussions and brain injuries. In 2010, the NFL made a rule to protect “defenseless receivers.” When a receiver goes up in the air for a ball a defensive player cannot lead with their helmet when they are trying to make a hit. Any helmet to helmet contact is automatically a 15-yard penalty and a first down. Do NFL players not know the risks of football? Of course they do. If the referees could make perfect calls, the defenseless receiver rule would be feasible. However, the referees are human and make mistakes. Often times when there is a big hit on a receiver it is a penalty. As a huge fan of defensive football, this really bothers me because the defender can make a perfect play within the rules and gets penalized because the referee made the wrong call. More importantly, the rule changes are affecting the outcome of the games. Games are being decided by illegal contact penalties that were installed in 2014. The penalty is an automatic first down and a five-yard penalty. Even if the defense

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does its job and stops the offense three plays in a row, the offense can still get a first down if a defender so much as bumps the receiver past five yards from the line of scrimmage.

With all of the rules to protect quarterbacks and receivers, being a defensive player is becoming harder and harder. Only a small window, from shoulder to waist, exists in which a defender can make a tackle. Now add to that that they can’t lead with their helmet and the fact that opposing receivers are some of the fastest players running full speed. It’s easy to see how hard it is to be a defender in today’s offensive, pass-first football. I understand the need to protect players and prevent head injuries, but no matter what the NFL does, football is still a physical game. No rules they put in place will completely prevent players from getting injured. As commissioner, Goodell has to ask himself a question. Is it worth it to completely change a game that the nation has fallen in love with just for the safety of the players? I do not think so. <<<

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