Patriots Take Undefeated Season Into NFL Divisional Playoffs Against Jags
As the weekend’s divisional playoffs approach, we attempt to answer a few burning questions. Will the Patriots continue their march to perfection? Will Brett Favre demonstrate why he deserved to be named the 2007 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year? Most importantly, which Manning(s) will cry this week? For your enjoyment, we offer our playoff picks.
Bowl Championship Series Doesn’t Need A ‘Plus-One’ Format
I began writing this column with every intention of supporting a playoff system for college football. Perhaps it was because I really didn’t think two-loss Louisiana State University was the best team in the nation. Or maybe it was because I felt bad for all of those University of Southern California fans, who clearly were not satisfied with just a whopping on Illinois. Having a playoff just feels fair; it’s too sad to turn teams away.
Patriots’ Likeability Should Not Affect Appreciation of Their Skills
If you follow football, you should be quite familiar with the saga of the 2007 New England Patriots. That is, the 16-0 Patriots, directed by Coach of the Year Bill Belichick and star-studded with players such as National Football League Most Valuable Player Tom Brady (all-time NFL record of 50 touchdown passes) and Randy Moss (all-time NFL record of 23 touchdown receptions).
Taekwondo Finishes Second in November Cornell Tournament
The MIT Sport Taekwondo team took second place at a Nov. 11 tournament at Cornell University. The team, coached by Daniel B. Chuang, remains in second place out of 18 schools in the Ivy Northeast Collegiate Taekwondo League, behind only archrival Cornell.
Women’s Hockey Suffers Rough Losses in Two ECAC East Games
The women’s ice hockey team fell to New England College and the University of Southern Maine in its final two games of the semester, held on Friday and Saturday. MIT will return to the ice after the holiday break.
Sports Shorts
In the inaugural meeting between both programs, the MIT women’s basketball team defeated Fisher College, 59-29, on Saturday. With the win, the Engineers improved to 3-4 on the year while the Falcons fell to 1-8.
Men’s Hockey Falls to Vermont 3-1; Winning Streak Snaps at Five
University of Vermont defenseman Adam Roof notched a goal and two assists to help the Catamounts hand the MIT men’s ice hockey team its first loss of the season, 3-1, in NorthEast Collegiate Hockey Association Conference A East Division action on Saturday night in the Johnson Ice Rink. The loss snapped the Engineers’ season-opening five-game winning streak.
Sports Shorts
In light of a spectacular early season run, MIT heavyweight Glenn J. Geesman ’09 has been ranked ninth in Division III among wrestlers in his weight class by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. It is the first time in recent history that an MIT wrestler has been awarded nationwide seeding.
Women’s Hockey Loses Against Holy Cross and Manhattanville
The MIT women’s hockey team lost a pair of games this weekend, including one against nationally-ranked No. 5 Manhattanville College on Saturday.
Tech Defeats WPI 9-3 In NECHA Play, Runs Season Record to 5-0
Forward Ryan W. Ballentine ’09 scored two goals and added three assists to help MIT ease past Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 9-3, in NorthEast Collegiate Hockey Association action on Friday night at the NorthStar Youth Forum. With the victory, the Engineers moved to 5-0-0, marking the second consecutive year in which the Cardinal and Gray has won its first five games of the season.
Men’s Swimming Wins 17 of 18 Events at Weekend Invitational
The MIT men’s 15th-ranked swimming and diving team won 17 of 18 swimming events en route to a first-place finish at this weekend’s MIT Invitational, held over the course of Friday and Saturday in the Zesiger Pool. The Engineers won the event with a final team score of 1,082.5, beating out Tufts University, which finished with 1,046.5.
Jacobi, Women’s Swimming Triumph In Winter InvitationalWomen’s Basketball Loses to Emerson, 54-43, In Non-Conference GameMen’s Basketball Falls to Tufts, Scores Season-Low 67 PointsMen’s Fencing Team Finishes Fourth at First Beanpot Tourname
Amy E. Jacobi ’11 continued her remarkable rookie campaign at the MIT Invitational this weekend, as she contributed to three Tech relay victories and added two individual triumphs to lead No. 19 MIT to a first-place finish. The Cardinal and Gray won the event with a final team score of 910.50, comfortably ahead of second-place finisher Tufts University, which concluded the competition with a tally of 783.
Sports Shorts
Entering Wednesday night’s tri-meet as the top heavyweight in the New England College Conference Wrestling Association, Glenn J. Geesman ’09 continued his starlit prominence with a 4-1 victory over Daniel Dalle-Molle of American International College, though Tech’s top muscleman finally suffered his first defeat, 9-6, to Johnson and Wales University’s Sean DeDyn. Geesman improved to 10-1, though MIT (0-3) lost the team battles, 32-9 and 50-0, to American International and host Johnson and Wales, respectively, at the Harborside Recreation Center.
Disagreements Occur Over Postconcussion Guidelines in College
Last Saturday, Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard was struck in the head by an opponent so violently that his helmet was ripped off, his bare head snapped back and forth and his skull slammed to the ground with a thud.
Sports Shorts
The MIT women’s ice hockey team began its 2007-08 campaign with a pair of Eastern College Athletic Conference games on the road. The Engineers lost to the University of Southern Maine, 4-2, on Nov. 16 and were defeated by New England College, 11-0, the next day.