New blood: The best young quarterbacks today

It takes a special kind of player to do what living legend and future Hall-Of-Famer Tom Brady is doing. At 40 years old, he is still the National Football League’s premier quarterback. His contemporaries, who used to battle him for the claim as the best passer in the league, have already shown a decline for years now. 

Image source: diehardleague.com

The likes of Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, and Eli Manning are already at the tail end of their career.

Fortunately, the sport is still in good hands as there is a handful of 25-and-under quarterbacks who are poised to take over the league in a few years’ time. Two of the best are the following: 

Carson Wentz

Philadelphia Eagles’ Carson Wentz has all the tool to be the best quarterback in the league. At 25 years old, he already has a solid passing game. He can also rush when needed because of his toughness, agility, and strength. In just his second year in the league, he had already become a top MVP candidate after steering the Eagles to a 10-1 win-loss record. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending injury with just a few games left in the regular season.

Jared Goff 

Jared Goff will always be linked to Wentz because the two quarterbacks were the first two picks in the 2016 NFL Draft, with Los Angeles Rams selecting Goff first. Goff’s passing accuracy and strength were never in question, since his college career in California. But his lackluster performance in his rookie season had some pundits questioning whether Goff was drafted way too high. This year, however, he has shown flashes of his potential, exhibiting vast improvement not only in his passing but also in his footwork and football IQ.

Image source: si.com

Shaun Benderson here, a University of Florida student and a newbie sports blogger. Be updated on what’s happening in the sports world by following me on Twitter.

Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, And Duran: The Four Kings

In every era of boxing, there have been choice individuals who’ve ruled their divisions. Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis led the heavyweights early in the 20th century. Sugar Ray Robinson and Rocky Marciano were big names in their respective divisions in the ‘50s. Muhammad Ali took over in the ‘60s and ‘70s. While Mike Tyson made quite a name for himself in the ‘80s, four men took the competition to a whole new level.

Image source: deepredcreative.com

The Four Kings of Boxing as they were known started their careers in the ‘70s, amassing impressive records in the lightweight and welterweight divisions. Maybe they knew it, or maybe they didn’t, but these four men were on a collision course that would set the stage for one of the most, if not, THE most exciting era the boxing world has ever known.

Sugar Ray Leonard lost his first battle against Roberto Duran but avenged his loss with the “No Mas” fight. He would go on to beat both Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagler.

Robert “The Hands of Stone” Duran would get beaten by both Tommy Hearns and Hagler but would win the respect of millions by being the smallest of these four fighters.

Tommy “The Hitman” Hearns and “Marvelous Marvin Hagler” would have that one unforgettable three-round fight that many boxing experts and historians refer to simply as the War. Many sportswriters believe it to be the greatest boxing match in history.

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I’m Shaun Benderson, a budding sports blogger and University of Florida student. For more interesting sports stories, follow me on Twitter.

Top reasons Luka Doncic should land the top pick in next year’s NBA draft

18-year-old Slovenian player Luka Doncic is already turning heads this early, and many basketball aficionados are picking him to be the shoo-in top pick in next year’s NBA draft. Let’s take a closer look at why this argument is becoming more and more agreeable. 

Image source: sportsillustrated.com

Firstly, Doncic is young and already very skilled. He just turned 18 recently, yet has already gotten significant awards in the European League, including MVP for three rounds during his team Real Madrid’s semifinal run. Alongside countryman and NBA star Goran Dragic, the 6-foot-8 star likewise just led Slovenia to its first FIBA EuroBasket championship, beating Spain, France, and Serbia in the process for the historic 2017 win. 

While Donkic is not as athletic as most top draft prospects from the US, he has a very high basketball I.Q. and a generally complete skill set for his age. During Slovenia’s recent run in EuroBasket, he outplayed the likes of Lauri Markkanen, Bogan Bogdanovic, the Gasol brothers, and even Latvia’s best player and New York star Kristaps Porzingis. 

Donkic sees the floor really well, and his passing skills is complemented by a high three-point shooting clip and impressive inside drives. It’s becoming the norm stylistically for big guys in the NBA to shoot from the outside and bring the ball down, and Donkic fits well with this trend.

Ultimately, the conversation boils down to drafting Donkic over Michael Porter Jr. and Marvin Bagley III. But rapid improvements in this still-teenager’s game spiced up by international recognition and awards are surely making him the most solid top-pick contender. 

Image source: theringer.com

Hello, my name’s Shaun Benderson and I’m currently studying at the University of Florida. As a sports fan, I’ve always wanted to start my own sports blog. For similar reads, drop by this blog.

From Zero To Hero: 5 Athletes That Proved The Doubters Wrong

With every NBA draft comes a lot of scout reports, analysis, and calculated risks, especially with the high draft picks. In the past drafts, some picks did great, and some were busts. But there were those who were drafted with low expectations, who even got booed at draft day, but somehow proved their doubters wrong.

Kahwi Leonard

The two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and the Spurs’ next franchise player didn’t immediately feel the love in San Antonio. He was the 15th pick. When Richard Jefferson got traded mid-season, he found himself starting at small forward. And from there he continued working hard until he was awarded the Finals MVP in 2014.

Image source : cdn.com

Steve Nash

At the 1996 draft, Phoenix Suns fans could never have dreamed that the 6’3, 187 lbs skinny white Canadian would go onto to be a two-time MVP. Which is why they booed him when he was selected 15th overall. Nash won back-to-back regular season MVPs in 2005 and 2006 and led his team to three Western Conference Finals.

Isaiah Thomas

Perhaps the only person who had faith in Isaiah Thomas was Isaiah Thomas himself. At just 5-feet-9, and as the 60th draft pick (the last pick of the draft), nobody expected anything from him. He could literally retire out of the game and no one would notice.

Image source : performgroup.com

Now, six years, two trades, and lots of short jokes later, he’s one of the elite NBA players today. His greatest playoff performance was a few days after his sister died when he scored 53 points. The most points for a Celtic in a playoff game.

Hi, I’m Shaun Benderson, a sports writer and a college student from Florida. Follow me on Twitter to get regular updates in sports.

Prized Pugilists: The Best Boxers In History

The debate on who the best boxers are is often a heated one. Just like any other sport, determining the greatest often has a lot of factors and is very seldom, if at all, unanimous. Whether it’s their record, their stats, their overall impact on the sport (or the world in general), or the size of their following – the claim of being the best is never final. But here are a few boxers I believe have a legitimate claim to the throne.

Muhammad Ali

Ali was the first of his kind. He was cocky, loud-mouthed, and disrespectful, but he backed everything he said up. It helped that he was the only heavyweight who moved like he was several weight classes lower. He’s also at the top of many greatest boxer’s lists, as he should be.

Image source: nytimes.com

Mike Tyson

Another heavyweight who moved like a lightweight, no other boxer dominated the sport like Iron Mike did when he was at his peak. He was strong, and he had flawless technique, which made his punches explode like no other puncher could. But it was his defense that made all of it possible.

Sugar Ray Robinson

Often hailed as the greatest prize fighter in history, Sugar Ray Robinson was a machine who owned an entire era. What younger fans don’t get is that Robinson didn’t just defend his title at the time, he did on a weekly basis. That’s something you’ll never see again.

Image source: Twitter.com

Other honorable mentions include Roy Jones Jr., Floyd Mayweather Jr., Rocky Marciano, and Joe Lewis.

Hi! I’m Shaun Benderson. I’m a college student right now, but I’m also entering the world of sports blogging. Check out my Twitter page to know more about me and the stuff I love.

Some Thoughts On the Upcoming Mayweather – McGregor Match

The Mayweather – McGregor match is just around the corner, and even this early, the battle has already begun. Floyd Mayweather and Connor McGregor started off the war on social media where it brewed in the first place. Eventually, they found themselves in one venue in front of the camera, and the antics came in from all directions, as expected.

Image source: thesun.co.uk

Here are some thoughts on this fight that seems to divide a nation of sports lovers.

1. There’s a lot more flair in the trash talking that happened in the pre-fight than what is actually going to happen in the ring.
2. Mayweather is not ensured of glory, even if he wins. This is because McGregor is not a career boxer. People will always see this as an excuse, in the event that McGregor loses.
3. The match is obviously a money-making scheme. That said, it seems to be working perfectly.
4. Clearly, McGregor is winning the media battle. He’s the one who is marketing the event almost effortlessly with his gift for spontaneous piercing words.
5. Mayweather doesn’t know how to respond with class. Most people don’t love him that much anyway.
6. The only way that this fight is going to be a success is if McGregor wins over Mayweather because such a victory will be a triumph against odds.
7. Mayweather will likely win the bout.

Image source: mmafighting.com

Shaun Benderson here. I’m passionate about sports. I always talk about sports with my friends and during my free time, I update my social media accounts to share my sports insights to my fellow netizens. For more updates, please follow me on Twitter.

NBA free agency 2017: top prospects at each position

Now that the 2016-17 season is over, the focus shifts to the NBA free agency, especially at how the teams will counter the inevitable Warriors dynasty. There are a lot of players becoming free agents this year but here’s a list of the top prospects for each position to help you keep track of people in this wild NBA free agency 2017. 

Image source: performgroup.com

Point Guards 

Stephen Curry - 25.3 ppg, 6.6 apg, 4.5 rpg Chris Paul - 18.1 ppg, 9.2 apg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 spg Kyle Lowry - 22.4 ppg, 7. 0 apg, 4.8 rpg George Hill - 16.9 ppg, 4.2 apg, 3.4 rpg Jeff Teague - 15. 3 ppg, 7.8 apg, 4.0 rpg 

Shooting Guards 

J.J. Redick - 15 ppg, 1.4 apg, 2.2 rpg Dion Waiters - 15.8 ppg, 4.3 apg, 3.3 rpg Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (restricted) - 13.8 ppg, 2.5 apg, 3.3 rpg Tim Hardaway Jr. (restricted) - 14.5 ppg, 2.3 apg, 2.8 rpg Andre Roberson (restricted) - 6.6 ppg, 1.0 apg, 5. rpg, 1.2 spg 

Small Forwards 

Kevin Durant - 25.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 4.8 apg, 1,6 bpg Gordon Hayward - 21.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.5 apg Otto Porter (restricted) -13.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.5 apg Danilo Gallinari - 18.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.1 apg Andre Iguodala - 7.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.4 apg 

Power Forwards 

Blake Griffin - 21.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 4.9 apg Paul Millsap - 18.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.7 apg Serge Ibaka - 14.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.6 bpg Pau Gasol - 12.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.1 bpg Dirk Nowitzki - 14.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.5 apg 

Centers 

Nerlens Noel (restricted) - 8.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.0 bpg Mason Plumlee (restricted) - 10.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.1 bpg Kelly Olynk (restricted) - 9.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.0 apg Dewayne Dedmon - 5.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 0.8 bpg Nene - 9.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1,0 apg 

Image source : bleacherreport.net

Hi there, Shaun Benderson here from the University of Florida. I’ve been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. Add me on Facebook and let’s talk about sports.