Cory's blog

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwest

Darren McFadden has arrived according to this article and the many people that commented on it.  The number 4 pick of the NFL draft in 2008 for the Oakland Raiders has had an up and down career so far.  He missed much of his rookie year due to numerous injuries but did have several good games when he was given the opportunity.  His second year was the same story.  This year however, he’s only missed two games but is second in the league in rushing yards.  A huge step up from the previous two years obviously.  McFadden at one point was being labeled as a “bust”, and he was at the time, but now I think you can throw away that tag.  Yes there is still a lot of football to be played and its still a possibility that he could get knocked out of a few games, but with the yards that he’s putting up and the way he’s getting these yards is what’s so impressive.  Coming out of college, he was known as a speed back but not able to run between the guards nor take the brunt of the damage from linebackers.  This year he has flourished between the guards and he has done amazing things after the first hit.  This is the player I had been hoping he would turn into 3 years ago.  I hope that he can continue this great play.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/picks

Nothing to read on this story quite simply.  Only thing I’m taking away from this is that every single expert at ESPN, except for Eric Allen, is picking the San Francisco 49ers to pick up their first win of the season against the Oakland Raiders this Sunday.  Am I surprised by this?  A little bit, the Raiders seem to always find a way to win a huge game then have a massive let down game the following week.  Take last year for example, Raiders had just beat division rival Denver Bronco’s and were set to play the dismal Cleveland Browns.  Everyone figured the Raiders would roll to a 2 game winning streak.  Instead the Raiders managed to lose 23-9!  What I’m trying to get at is that it is in the Raider’s history to fold after a huge game.  But I’m here to tell you that this year is a different team.  This year the Raider’s are benefiting from  a consistent coaching group, better quarterback play and running game.  The defense has struggled sure, but it hasn’t given up when it gets down.  Every time this team has answered right back and kept up in all its ball games.  I’m predicting that the Raiders prove everybody wrong and prove that they are not the same team from last year. Raiders win 23-10.

Former Governor Terry Branstad visited Morningside College to discuss his run for the governorship in Iowa.  Many may wonder why Branstad is running for governor after already holding the office for 4 terms nearly two decades ago.  Branstad cleared that one up pretty easily, “I wanted to run for Governor because I love Iowa, and I couldn’t stand to watch the mess that it’s in.”  The “mess” that he’s primarily referring to is the unemployment rate which has skyrocketed to nearly 8.6%.  Branstad was firm on the belief that he could turn this economy around like he did last time he was in office. Nick Buth, a student at Morningside College, thinks that it might be possible, “I think that he won’t be able to do it in only one term of office, I don’t think anybody in their right mind would be able to.”  In other words, maybe Branstad isn’t necessarily the right answer.  Maybe the economy just needs a few years to right itself out and things can possibly return to normal.  Who is the right answer in this years election? Terry Branstad or Chet Culver?  Maybe neither is the right answer.  Soon enough we’ll find out.

Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity is hosting its 3^rd annual Sigs Stand Against Breast Cancer throughout all of Homecoming week at Morningside College.  From Monday night at 7:30 until Saturday at 6:00 P.M. somebody of the Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity will be standing on a box in front of the Olson Student Center 24 hours a day, all day and all throughout the night.  All donations and proceeds will be donated to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  The first year of the event, the Sigs raised over $4,500, second year of the event they raised $2,800, the goal this year, however, is to raise at least $3,500.  A lofty goal many may think to accomplish but one that the members of the fraternity believe is possible.  Vice-President of the Sigs, Tim Smith, a senior at Morningside believes that this year will be a better year for a number of reasons, “We’re down in numbers this year in terms of the number of people that can help out at the box, but I firmly believe that even with these low numbers we can still accomplish much.”  Smith added, “We’re going to try and focus more on the professors and students directly, whether it be walking around the buildings here on campus and going to professors offices asking for donations or going to the dorms and knocking on students doors.  We want to make this as successful as possible because this is a great cause and we strongly believe in it.”

Many people may be wondering how this event got started in the first place.  It all started back in 2008 when then President of Delta Sigma Phi, Ryan Lickteig, got the idea that his group needed to do something to help better the community and to improve their standing with Morningside College President John Rynders.  “We really weren’t on President Rynders most loved list at the time, but I was trying to think of a way to help improve our standing at the college and with the community,” Lickteig went on, “I was surprised at how quick I found a cause to help donate our time to, I got into contact with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure here in Sioux City and I told them that our Fraternity would help raise funds for Breast Cancer Research and we would make it a weeklong event throughout homecoming and hopefully it would be a huge success.”  And so it was born, on a cold Sunday night, starting at midnight just after a chapter meeting had concluded, the box was laid out in front of Olson Student Center and a legacy was started.  “We had people walking by the next day looking at us wondering, you know, what the heck is going on here?  Professors were walking by and going, well it’s about time guys, and giving us huge smiles and reaching for their wallets and donating day in and day out.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this would be such a huge success to us a fraternity and to the community as well.” Lickteig said.

How big was that first year then?  To make it more fun for the guys standing at the box, the guys decided to dance to the hit dance song “Cupid Shuffle” at least three times a day, even dancing in the middle of street holding up traffic and getting people to step out of their cars just to donate.  There was a buzz going on around the city, soon enough, the Sioux City Journal and several local TV stations came by and started putting stories together about the event and asking why they were doing this. $4,500 was raised that first year and Ryan says he could not be more proud of what has become of the event, “We now have Sig Alumni coming back for homecoming just for the box alone, just to see the looks on their faces and to have them compliment us on a job well done, it feels so rewarding and we hope that the community has embraced us for it because we’ve embraced them.” Lickteig beamed.  Hopefully it will become a long standing tradition with the fraternity and the community.  If the Sigs manage to raise at least $2,800, they will eclipse the $10,000 mark in only three years.

I’m sent out from my journalism class with the task of finding someone who I hardly know and ask them for a piece of good advice.  I walk the short distance to the library and find Nancy Boyle and decide to ask her for advice since she is a great person to get advice from or just to talk to I’m told.  Nancy works at the Spoonholder in the library and helps make the delicious smoothies and cappuccinos for students looking for a little lift in their studies.  So what advice did Nancy give me?  When asked about it she said, “Look out the windows in any building at Morningside,” Nancy continued, “looking out the windows you get to see the beautiful weather or you might see something outside that is just out of the ordinary, you’ll never miss anything if you look out the windows from time to time.”  Simple advice to get, but it makes sense.  You never appreciate the sights outside until you realize just how wonderful the Morningside campus is from the inside of a building.  You seem to appreciate it a little more I think.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/LeBron-James-says-race-was-a-factor-in-backlash-;_ylt=AmCRIumiOQWoSV5RrN7tixS8vLYF?urn=nba-273678

Why is this newsworthy? It involves Lebron James who is always worth some sort of news story.  But after reading what James had to say in this story, I have lost what little respect I had left for the man.  He seriously thinks that race is a factor in his loss of popularity because of “The Decision”?  What an idiot, plain and simple.  This is just another excuse for James who has suddenly turned into the worlds biggest liar.  Lebron James has become the most arrogant diva in all of sports in my opinion now.  This is what happens when someone is drafted straight out of high school and not out of college.  James was clearly lacking some maturity when he first came to the NBA and that was to be expected.  By now we all expect James to act in a professional manner and not childish and completely arrogant.  I hope Dwayne Wade is happy with the results of this offseason, because this is no longer his team.  Its Lebron’s Diva led team and Dwayne has to live with the consequences.  Good luck Dwayne, I won’t be praying for you for you brought this all on yoruself.