FRO DTI Group 4's NYTimes Front Page Project

Baruch College is obviously the most fun, exciting place in all of Manhattan…especially during the summer time. I mean, what other college do you know of that hosts summer basketball games featuring actual NBA player? The Nike Pro City League is a tournament that was staged at Baruch during the time of the NBA lockout. More then 2,000 students filled the gymnasium to watch the likes of Danny Green, from the San Antonio Spurs, and other professionals compete. At one point, former New York Knicks player Stephon Marbury joined the league and it was so crowded that 400 fans had to stand outside the gymnasium. This league quickly sparked popularity among NBA players that are fighting for spots to join the league. If you love basketball and want a chance to see amazing performances, then this is definitely the event to attend over the summer. Former NBA referee Zach Zarba even said, “Some of the best basketball talent in the world is in this gym”.

Baruch Basketball Athletes

There is no doubt that it is a great honor to be selected to host the World Cup. Every 4 years, countries across the world compete for this opportunity that does not come around very often. The United States has been outbid as the location of the 2022 World Cup by a small country named Qatar in the middle east. This raises much controversy because Qatar does not have the the amount of professional fields necessary to host an event at the world stage. FIFA has stated that they choose Qatar in an attempt to spread the game even further across the world. This discourages big countries, like the United States, from bidding for a spot because if the sole purpose of hosting is to spread the game, then these countries do not stand a chance. Ultimately, the process of selecting a host nation needs to be clear and precise. How does a public vote sound to you guys?

To Read More Go To: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/10/sports/soccer/loss-of-22-world-cup-bid-still-rankles-gulati.html?_r=0 

Fifa World Cup

Tokyo 2020 Olympics

As the Rio De Janerro prepares for the 2016 Olympics, it has recently been announced that the 2020 Olympics will be Held in Tokyo, Japan. Although many were hoping to see Madrid or Istanbul to host the games, Tokyo seemed to be the safest choice considering the political and economic uncertainty around the world.

Like the rest of Japan, Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, was grateful and ecstatic for the decision. It may seem like a bad time after the disastrous March 11th Tsunami/Earthquake that caused leakage at a Fukushima nuclear plant, but to the International Olympic Committee, it seemed less dangerous and more likely to disappear in time by 2020, compared to the Syrian war on the border of Turkey. It was even voted 60 – 36 in favor of Tokyo to host the games compared to Istanbul.

The Olympic games are a sports events that shows how sports are globally connected countries are. To read more about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/08/sports/olympics/tokyo-wins-bid-for-2020-olympics.html

Niki Lauda’s Biographical Sports Drama Film

Now a days if you have left your mark in a sport, you can assume a movie deal to be not so far in your future. Following such footsteps as Michael Jordan, Jackie Robinson, Serena and Vanessa Williams, Niki Lauda, 64, former Austrian driver, and three time Formula One World champion, watched his driving career retold through the eye of director, Peter Morgan, and through the actor playing his character, Daniel Brühl.

Niki Lauda states through an interview with NY Time Reporter, he was overall pleased by the film and that he was shocked how accurate ever actor was too their characters. He believes Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl do an amazing job accurately portraying the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

Most people can say that racing is not the most interesting or watched sports in America, but during the time Niki Lauda was racing it could have possibly been the most dangerous sport out there. When looking back from how the sport has changed, Lauda states 36 years ago it was not as safe as it is today. Lauda was severely injured during a race during a rainy day when a majority of his face was burned off, which is reenacted in the film. He states that the chance of death was ever present and why the crowds are probably ten times bigger than they are today. With less danger in a sport it is evidence that the crowd would decrease, but now Lauda states you can go 300 kilometers an hour and you will be safe with today’s new drivers, cars, and rules.

To say the least Lauda is a legend in the racing world and to learn more about racing, his film, or to read more about the interview please go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/12/sports/autoracing/niki-lauda-the-man-and-his-racing-legend.html

In Bhutan, only royals had been allowed to take part in the rapidly globalizing sport until now. This shows in the fact that the custom that ordinary people cannot touch royals applies to the basketball court as well, which is probably why Queen Wangchuck put up 34 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists in a pick-up game. Other than wacky traditions, the problem that has prevented Bhutan from making an international team is height.

Students at a school in Bhutan play basketball.

Let’s face it: being good at basketball requires more than just skill, it also requires height. Keyong Kim, the newly hired South Korean coach for the Bhutan national team, believes that height cannot be taught in basketball, and he does not intend to try. Mr. Kim’s task is not all that different from the plot of Hoosiers, a movie about an underdog team in a small Indiana town. His focus is on defense, vigorous defense. It’s not surprising because when you have an undersized team, you have to rely on a strong defense; a five-foot tall guy is not going to shoot over a 7’6″ freak of nature. Now that the country is slowly moving in to the 21st century, their traditions are changing. For now, let’s hope Bhutan can get that defense worked out and get their name out there. If you want more information on the Bhutan team and their aspirations, see this:

Image from: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/10/15/sports/basketball/BHUTAN/BHUTAN-articleLarge.jpg

It’s been a tale of two halves for the New York Giants, who are off to their worst start (0-6) in decades. Although they are yet to win a game, one thing is certain: the Giants are finding ways to lose with the game on the line in the second half. Their first-half performances haven’t been eye-popping or praiseworthy, but their second-half performances have been eye-poppingly horrendous enough to make Jim Mora say “Don’t talk about — playoffs?! You kidding me?

Eli Manning bows his head in shame as the Giants suffer a tough loss on opening night against the hated Cowboys.

Playoffs?!”. Whatever is dogging New York’s darling Giants, this is for sure: The Giants will keep putting up 0s in the win column until they stop turning the ball over. Take a look at their game against hated rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. Entering the 4th quarter, it was a 1-point game. Then the Giants played what has become “Giants football”. Eli Manning threw interceptions on three consecutive drives. 3 INTs = a 14-pt turnaround win for the Eagles, 36-21. There’s enough blame for everybody in the Giants locker rooms, but most of it seems to be landing on Manning, Coach Coughlin, the potentially dynamic duo of Cruz-Nicks, and the D-less defense. Not surprisingly, the Giants were booed off the field; a perfect description for the disappointment that has been New York athletics this year. 2013 has proved to be a disheartening year for New York fans so far: The Yankees and Mets both missed the playoffs, the Rangers and Islanders were poor, the Knicks (let’s face it: the REAL NY basketball team) were knocked out by the Pacers in the most hopeful playoff run they’ve seen in years, and the Giants are…well, the Giants, although the Jets are showing some promise with rookie QB Geno Smith under Center. All in all, with the Giants staring 0-7 in the face, it’s time for them to make a change. Whatever that change may be, the Giants and Jets are the only hope for NY fans this year, and it’s time the teams realize it. To learn more about the Giants’ losing ways, see this:

Image from: http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1449543.1378698933!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/nfl.jpg