Category: Sports

Chess: Growing popularity in the digital world

by Ryan Schork –

Like most things, chess was drastically impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chess.com entered the scene, allowing players to compete, learn and be coached, all from the comfort of their homes.

Popular media like Twitch, YouTube and even Netflix have been promoting the game of chess, putting it in the eyes of a younger generation. All in all, the centuries-old game is adapting and thriving in the digital world.

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How chess has evolved and surged in popularity in the digital world. #chess chess.com

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SPORTS: “March Madness” branding to include women

by Camden Osborne and Kalley Sullivan–

Image from Pexel.com

After social media exposed the disparities between the men’s and women’s post-season college basketball tournaments, the NCAA responded to these gender inequities recently announcing that the “March Madness” logo, terminology, and branding historically used for the men’s tournament will now be used for the women’s tournament as well.

In this edition of The News Feed’s Sports Podcast, we take a look at this step In this edition of The News Feed’s Sports Podcast, we take a look at this step towards a more gender-equal playing field in the world of sports and what this could mean for the future of female athletes. We will discuss the effectiveness of this NCAA decision in regard to the public’s perception of women’s basketball and, more broadly, sports, as well as what further changes this could ignite moving forward.

SPORTS: Deshaun Watson allegations

Photo: Pexels.com

by Rory Ailor and McKenzie Roberts–

On this edition of the Sports podcast for The News Feed, Rory Ailor and McKenzie Roberts discuss the aftermath of allegations made toward Deshaun Watson. Watson is a 26-year-old Houston Texans football player, who has been accused of being a sexual assailant for many women. According to The Clemson Insider Watson has lost a lot of his sponsorships due to these accusations, not to mention the support lost by fans. Watson’s Nike sponsorship became suspended, Reliant Energy removed him as a brand ambassador, and Beats by Dr. Dre terminated his contract. 

The sport that brought him much success has been put to a halt. According to Larry Brown Sports, he is still a member of the Houston Texans team but has not played for the past few games. Throughout this podcast Rory Ailor and Mckenzie Roberts discuss what Deshaun Watson’s future might entail. 

SPORTS: NCAA athlete compensation crisis

Photo on Pexels.com.

by Jett Hooker, Maddison Dempsey —

The National College Athletic Association (NCAA) officials have been considering proposals that would make it possible for top collegiate athletes to receive compensation for their name, image and likeness. However, the money that some athletes would receive as compensation would come from the revenue that is meant to fund a variety of different sports, including women’s teams.

As a result, the NCAA has received criticism for considering the compensation proposals, especially after the 2021 March Madness Tournament in which the men’s basketball teams received better facilities and rewards than the women’s basketball teams due to the differences in revenue that the teams bring in. Many coaches, players and even athletic directors are concerned that the state of play for women’s sports teams will only grow worse by compensating athletes that bring in the most money, since it will be taking away the little bit of revenue that women’s teams have to work with. Additionally, if the proposals are passed, it will be hard for schools to adhere to the Title IX gender equality rules that are currently in place, which could ultimately cause further problems for women collegiate athletes.

SPORTS: Hokies Basketball welcomes a Storm

Photo via pexels.com

by Ian Hatcher, Ryan Cruze –

Storm Murphy recently announced his intentions to transfer from Wofford and use his one season of graduate eligibility for the Virginia Tech Hokies basketball team. He is reunited with Mike Young who coached the Wofford Terriers for 17 seasons. Murphy was a sophomore when Young left to become the Virginia Tech coach in 2019, but has blossomed since his departure. This last season he was First Team All-Southern Conference and averaged 17.8 points per game.

The Hokies have yet to take the court for the tournament, but with Murphy’s commitment it’s hard not to look into the future. Wabissa Bede and Cartier Diara and the only two graduating players for the Hokies. With their departures will Murphy be able to fill the void? In this podcast we’ll explore what the Hokies can expect in the upcoming season with Murphy in the fold.