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SPORTS: “March Madness” branding to include women

by Camden Osborne and Kalley Sullivan–

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

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.

The News Feed · DeshaunWatsonAllegations_ Sportspodcast

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.

NEWS FEED SPECIAL: Rise, Decline, Future of Virginia Tech Football

In this special Talk Show Edition of The News Feed we explore Virginia Tech’s football program since the 1990s.

SPORTS: NFL’s Sexual Assault Problems

by Reid Campbell, Emily Carter–

Yet again the NFL is finding itself in a controversy surrounding its handling of sexual assault cases. Antonio Brown, a star wide receiver and former New England Patriots players has been allowed back in the league despite numerous allegation of rape and an ongoing civil lawsuit filed against him for sexual assault.

This is not the first time this has happened in the National Football League. Nu merous players in the past have been accused of similar crimes, and have only been given suspensions from a handful of games, not forced out of seasons or outright banned from the league like many have called for.

The NFL has created programs in the past to change how people view the leagues handling of these situations, like a series of PSAs from 2014. In this podcast Reid Campbell and Emily Carter discuss the Brown case, prior issues in the league, and the failures of the NFL

SPORTS: MLB’s plan to start 2020 season

by Dan Demski, Andrew Webb–

Due to Covid-19, the Major League Baseball season has been delayed. Opening day of the 2020 season was set for March 26 but because of health concerns for players, coaches and fans, the season was unable to start then.

In this podcast, we discuss a new plan by Major League Baseball to bring baseball back in the coming weeks. According to a CBS Sports article, The plan includes having three different sites where all games to be played. The sites would be professional and minor league facilities in Arizona, Texas and Florida. This would require all the divisions to be changed for the 2020 season. There are currently no set plans as far as a timetable for return.

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SPORTS: Hokie football working through obstacles

: Photo credit: techsports on Foter.com / CC BY-ND

by Riley Wyant, Danielle Jeffers–

Following the loss to Old Dominion University on Sept. 22, Virginia Tech football has faced many struggles. During the matchup, starting quarterback Josh Jackson broke his left fibula and had to be carted off the field in the fourth quarter. He will be sitting out the rest of the season following an intensive repair surgery.

Post-game internal controversy in the locker room led to the dismissal of Defensive End Trevon Hill. Hill led the team in sacks and was one of the star players on the defense. His dismissal will impact Bud Foster’s defense in future matchups as the Hokies fight for a chance at the playoffs.

Ryan Willis, a transfer from Kansas, is now Virginia Tech’s starting quarterback but the team seems to be unfamiliar with the new dynamic. After the loss to ODU, the Hokies regained their confidence and beat Duke in Durham on Sept. 29. Unfortunately, the winning streak didn’t last as the team lost against Notre Dame last Saturday at home. There is an obvious lack of consistency and chemistry when it comes to the young team.

The Hokies are traveling to Chapel Hill this weekend to take on the UNC Tarheels. Will the team win and regain momentum or disappoint once again?

SPORTS: Recent evolution of Hokie football

By Jacob Thompson, Ashley Vollrath, Rebecca Choate —

In November 2015, Justin Fuente was named head coach of the Virginia Tech football team.

“I am looking forward to a bright future for our football program under the direction of Coach Fuente,” said Virginia Tech President Tim Sands, “He has demonstrated a commitment to excellence, integrity and the values that Hokies espouse.”

Previously the head coach for the University of Memphis, Fuente is regarded as one of the rising stars in college coaching.

Regardless, Fuente had big shoes to fill, as former head coach Frank Beamer was coaching with his alma mater since 1987. Beamer’s 280 wins and 23 straight bowls were something to marvel at.

How do the last two years of Beamer Ball compare to Fuente’s first two seasons with the Hokies? In this week’s sports podcast, we analyze how the football team has changed and how student life has evolved as a result.