Category: Sports

The New York Yankees 7-6 defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 on Wednesday night ended their hopes of pulling off the most improbable of World Series comebacks. It’s just a matter of record that the series concluded with the loss in Game 5. Nevertheless, the Yankee’s hopes might have been dashed in inning No. 5. As we’ll see shortly, the Yankee’s numerous errors in Game 5 weren’t limited to that inning, but it was that frame that caused the majority of the damage and let the Dodgers avoid having to return to Los Angeles for Game 6 of the series. 

Although Yankee supporters may not want to do so, it is necessary to revisit all of those errors, the most of which occurred in that game and series changing fifth inning.

Photo credit: New York Post

Going into that frame, the Yankees had a commanding 5 – 0 lead, giving them a 94.1% chance of winning Game 5 and extending their comeback from 3 – 0. Ace Gerrit Cole had not yet given up a hit and had been playing like a legend. As the Dodgers leadoff hitter in the top of the fifth inning, Enrique Hernández immediately recorded that elusive first hit, a single to right. The Yankee’s situation really started to go south at that time. The first and only mistake Judge made in 2024 was when he seemed to glance at Hernández on the bases. Hernández managed to get into second place before the throw. “I just didn’t make the play,” Judge said to reporters following the defeat that ended the season. Will Smith then gave Anthony Volpe a quick bounce. Hernández was sprinting toward third place in the play, while Volpe was trying to get a chance at the front-runner. Hernández would likely receive a force-out for a decent or, frankly, even adequate throw, but Volpe’s toss was untrue. Despite being somewhat fresh to third base, Jazz Chisholm Jr. was unable to save him with a nice scoop. The Dodgers had the bases loaded and no outs when Volpe made a throwing error. What could have been one of the most incredible comebacks in World Series history came to an end as the New York Yankees lost Game 5 to the Los Angeles Dodgers 7 – 6.

Although this loss marked the formal conclusion of the series, the real turning point was the fifth inning, which ended their hopes of extending the series. Aaron Judge’s crucial error and Anthony Volpe’s throwing error were the first of several costly errors that caused the Yankees to lose momentum despite having a commanding 5 – 0 lead. The Dodgers were able to capitalize on these mistakes, loading the bases with no outs and starting a series of events from which the Yankees were unable to recover. Even while it is hard to think about, the Yankees’ failure to perform in key situations—especially in the fifth inning—was the final blow to their hopes of winning the World Series. In high-stakes baseball, when even one mistake may alter the outcome of a game—and a season—the loss serves as a reminder of the thin line separating victory and failure.

On Ice Perspectives is a YouTube channel created by Jordan Cowan, a former Team USA Ice Dancer, who is now a cinematographer on the ice. Taking the arts of ice skating and giving us, the audience, a whole new view. Yes, skating has been videoed before, but this is different. Cowan’s work is not just about recording the competitions.

He’s documenting the progress of skaters and their careers. Sharing stories of their art and artistic abilities on the ice, which reveals more than just the skaters’ hard work, but the teams of people pouring into them that we rarely see on camera.

Merging his love for cinematography and skating, he gives us a view of what he sees himself. Skating up close and personal; not just a seated view spectating from a distance.

By video, we get to follow them closely on the ice, detailing their emotions, forms, spirit and more. Getting a closer view of them means we don’t just see their success; we see their failures too. Mistakes are part of the journey and when it happens, you move forward despite the mishap. The show must go on and they do this best by completing their routine, skating through their mistakes.

On Ice Perspectives really is amazing in so many ways. While having free access to this skating content for entertainment purposes, it also serves as a way of supporting skaters, the sport of figure skating and a learning tool for aspiring skaters like me. Aside from being just a spectator, I am learning while I watch.

Without even realizing it, I have used techniques and moves I haven’t been taught by my coach.

All because I’ve grown the habit of studying other skaters; the visual information has gone from my brain to my bones.

This channel is for anyone with a love for the arts of ice skating, whether you’re a skater, or spectator.

For skaters seeking to learn more, and possibly gain exposure on the channel themselves, it’ll be like a treasure. But perhaps you’re someone looking to enjoy some action on ice, no learning involved.

It’s like a free video subscription with ads.

Either way, it’s worthy to be checked out by anyone with an interest in ice skating, even if it’s for recreational purposes.

The year’s final major Tennis tournament begins on Saturday when the sports highest ranked athletes descend on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to compete in the 2024 WTA Finals.

Before the winter break, Olympic medalists and Slam champions will vie to win the Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova trophies, which will be contested by the top eight singles players and top eight doubles couples.

There is also a chance to win a share of the record $15.25 million prize pool, which is more than any Grand Slam award and has increased by about 70% from the 2023 amount. The singles champion will receive $5.155 million, while the top doubles team will receive $1.125 million, if the champions win the event without losing.

Eight days of elite tennis action!

In the WTA finals the singles and doubles categories, competitors are split into two groups of four. During the span of the first six days, each singles player or doubles pair will play every other member of their group three times. Both finals are scheduled for November 9th, with the top two in each group competing in the semifinals on November 8th. In the singles competition, the Orange Group has No. 2 Iga Świątek, No. 3 Coco Gauff, No. 6 Jessica Pegula, and No. 8 Barbora Krejčíková, while the Purple Group has No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 4 Jasmine Paolini, No. 5 Elena Rybakina, and No. 7 Qinwen Zheng.

The United States is represented by 25% of the top eight athletes in both disciplines. The No. 5 US pair Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk, as well as Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Taylor Townsend in the Nos. 6 and 8 pairs, are also in the doubles tournament, in addition to Gauff and Pegula on the singles court.

The 2024 WTA Finals kicks off on Saturday. All of the 2024 WTA Finals will be broadcast -ed live on the Tennis Channel. 

The Vikings Athletics Department recently welcomed Taylor Ringer, who was named assistant athletic trainer. Taylor is a board-certified athletic trainer and is currently a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. She graduated from SUNY Cortland, where she received her master’s degree in athletic training and her bachelor’s degree in exercise science. The Valley is excited to have Taylor as a resource and a key part of athlete experience and performance.

Men’s Basketball played in a game against Orange County Community College on Thursday evening, November 7. The game, played on away courts, served as the team’s season opener, which ended in an unfortunate loss. Viking athletes kept the game close and fought hard to try and turn around the score. Players James Blake and Tijahn Reed led the team through the game, each totaling 12 points. The team is hopeful of future success, playing Herkimer on Wednesday, November 13.

Women’s Basketball started their season with success, winning their season opener against Orange County Community College. Team captain Leah Pergola led the team with a total of 20 points, shortly followed by Stylianna Mantzouris and Gracemary Baumann each with 13 points. The Vikings hope that they maintain their overall success as the season plays out.

The name Fankie Muniz is usually associated with the Fox hit TV show “Malcolm in the Middle”, which ran from 2000 to 2006.  Rightfully so as in 151 episodes the show racked up nearly 100 Emmy nominations, winning 29.  Its streaming availability on Hulu and Disney Plus also keep it relevant as many rewatch or discover it for the first time.  But even as the show’s main star, Malcolm, Muniz hopes that in the near future he will be known as NASCAR driver first, actor second.

At age 38, Muniz is certainly on the older side of full time NASCAR drivers, but he is no beginner to racing.  Despite his early start as an actor, Muniz had always wanted to be a racecar driver.  He got his first chance to experience this during the 2004 Toyota Pro/Celebrity race, then dabbled with American open wheel racing in a variety of series throughout the rest of the 2000s.  In the 2010 he took a step back, only appearing in a few select one-off races.  But as the 2020s came around he had shifted his focus to NASCAR. He dabbled with NASCARs lesser known ARCA Menards series with a few races in 2022, before going fulltime in 2023 with Rette Jones Racing. 

He had a successful season with them, which led him to move up to part time racing in NASCARs third and second tier series, the Craftsman Trucks and Xfinity, for 2024.

He made the most out of these opportunities, as the team he had run part time for this year, Reaume Brothers Racing, has signed him to pilot their number 33 Ford fulltime in the Truck series next year.  Getting a full time ride in one of NASCARs three premier series is a huge part of eventually becoming a Cup series driver.  Muniz hopes to take full advantage of this opportunity in his continued pursuit of a lifelong dream.

In a division that is red hot with competition following the defeats of champions Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, Devin “The Dream” Haney, and Puerto Rican pressure fighter Subriel Matias, 2 men meet in the squared circle each jockeying for title position and with something to prove. On October 26, Jack Catterall (29-1, 13 KOs) and Regis Prograis (29-2, 24 KOs) will share the ring. Coming fresh off of a unanimous decision loss, hard-hitting 35-year-old former WBA champion Regis Prograis looks to recapture boxing gold and establish himself among the big fish in the 140lb division. But can he do so against a hungry, young (31) and dogged Jack Catteral? 

Caterall’s lone controversial loss came at the hands of former undisputed champion Josh Taylor which he avenged in commanding fashion in May of this year leaving no doubt that he should’ve been the top dog in the division. Prograis also shared the ring with Taylor where he lost in a 12-round war of a unification bout that ended in a majority decision for Taylor back in 2019 on his road to undisputed.

In boxing styles make fights. Each man is an elusive south-paw who fights mainly as a counter-puncher. Expect sharp and accurate blows from both men and, if you love a good chess match, this is the fight to watch. Like many fighters of the post-Mayweather era, Catterall has patterned his style after Floyd, utilizing the Philly shell defense and pumping sharp flickering jabs consistently.

Photo Credits: Getty Images

Prograis also has adopted the Philly shell only adjusting it so that he can land his signature straight left cross leading to 24 of his 29 wins coming by way of knockout. 

This is essentially “Money Mayweather” vs “Pretty Boy Floyd”. This is vitality vs experience. For Catterall, this is only his second high-profile opponent; can he continue proving that he is a 5-star boxer? For Prograis, does he still have what it takes to hang with the young fighters of the division? We will find out soon. Ringwalks start at 5pm and will be streamed on DAZN or check in with your local sports bar!

Backflips on ice. The most controversial and difficult move in the history of figure skating. A move done by those most daring. In fact, it was so concerning that it was banned for decades in the 1900s. Skaters could face penalties as severe as disqualification for performing the dangerous move on ice. And though the backflip was illegal until 1976, that did not stop a certain someone from making a daring decision.

That certain someone I am referring to is Surya Bonaly. A retired figure skater from Nice, France. An audacious athlete, breaking barriers and making history in the world of figure skating, a very notable career. She succeeded in doing a backflip, landing on one blade during the 1998 Winter Olympics. She incorporated the move throughout her career countless times.

Surya isn’t the only athlete to succeed at performing the backflip. As the move has become more popular to add to skaters’ routines, people like Ilia Malinin, Nathan Chen, and Siao Him Fa have done so. And if jumping off the ice to do full rotations in the air seemed daunting, backflips could
cause nausea. First off, concerning the mind, there’s like a mental rift you have to cross without a bridge. Second, you have to weigh the risks. Third, you have to be courageous. It’s not something anyone can do.

Watching a backflip being per-
formed on ice was shocking, scary, and stunning. The first time I ever saw the movie performed was by Nathan Chen during the Stars on Ice tour in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2023. I did not expect to see a backflip during the show, much less on ice. This was when I

was ignorant of the backflip existing as a figure skating move. Since then, I am still scared when seeing it done, but praying no person is injured. If there’s something we can all agree on, it’s that we don’t want to watch anybody possibly break any bones. But I believe these athletes know what they’re doing and must be confident in their abilities to take risks that they believe are worth taking. To set new records and challenge themselves by doing what hasn’t been done before. It’s exciting to set a new bar while aiming to reach for the one higher than it.

Photo Credits: Eric Feferberg/AFP via Getty Images