Giantsfan34's tryout, Hope you like it...

[Giantsfan34]

How much experience do you have: I'm on an article team for another site, and have been writing for years.
How many articles a month could you do: Ten to fifteen. If I'm busy, maybe seven or eight, but some days I could write two.
Will you be active on our forums: Not as active as on some others, but yes.
Show an article of your own:

The World of Sports Is Changing

There are so many players in professional sports, thousands of them. Throughout the years the best-known players have stuck out for spectacular careers. In the 1970’s, Franco Harris became immortalized for his immaculate reception, which in some people’s eyes gave birth to the Steelers dynasty. In the 80’s, Larry Bird became a superior force, with his unorthodox shooting style, and ability to make shots from anywhere on the court at any time. In the 90’s we saw Wayne Gretsky play, easily the best hockey player of all time. His scoring prowess was uncanny, as was his leadership skills. The 90’s also brought us possibly the best athlete of all time in Michael Jordan. Whether it was a Bulls fan or a Sonics fan, a Pistons fan or a Celtics fan, everyone tuned in to see Michael Jordan ball. He is simply unmatched in his skills around the rim, as well as outside the arc. He is possibly best known for his multiple buzzer beaters, in regular season and playoff games alike. Although many sports fans today were not alive during these times, we have all seen the best plays time and time again.
But for the past decade, the best known players have been known for things other than famous plays. In baseball, it seems that the theme has changed from total unknowns coming up through the ranks to capture the hearts of thousands to jacked-up men doing anything they can to hit a ball as far as possible. Rafael Palmeiro, Mark McGuire, Barry Bonds, and countless other names have tarnished their images in baseball because of steroid use. Exhibit A is Barry Bonds. It should be the perfect situation for the 42 year-old Bonds, who sits second in career home runs and extra base hits, and first all-time in both career and intentional walks. He is in position to possibly pass Hank Aaron for the most heralded prize to most baseball players (apart from a championship ring)- the #1 home run hitter of all time. However, instead of this being a joyous time for Giants fans, and Barry Bonds himself, this is possibly the worst part of his career. His alleged steroid use, paired with the fact that he has been caught using an illegal substance, has turned his world upside-down. People boo him, taunt him, and want him to leave baseball. The day he passed Babe Ruth for second all-time in home runs was a controversial one, as many people felt that he did not earn it. Many feel that he is a cheater and a liar, and is one of the most hated athletes in sports right now.
In the NFL, steroids also present a problem. Two of the best young talents in the game were suspended for four games last season for using. Chargers outside linebacker Shawne Merriman may have won the Defensive Player of the Year award had he played all 16 games instead of missing four at the end of the season, and Bengals middle linebacker Odell Thurman is a young, tough man who loves to wallop oncoming ballcarriers. However, this is not the main issue in football today. Today, injuries have ended many players’ seasons, and some have ended careers. In the past, injuries weren’t as big a factor, as they were a rare occurrence, and generally didn’t keep players out for too long. Today, however, defensive players are no longer focused on speed, but on demolishing the opposing team’s players. This has resulted in countless broken bones, torn ligaments, and gruesome hits. Take, for example, Bengals second year linebacker David Pollack. Showing a lot of promise, his season was suddenly cut short last year on a collision in a game against the Browns. He broke his vertebrae, and it is still a big question mark as to whether or not he will return to play football. He was a top prospect, and was expected to blossom into a great player. Now, he’ll be lucky to just be a player again!
Other injuries in the past, including Michael Vick’s broken leg, Musa Smith’s broken leg, Donavan McNabb and Tom Brady’s sports hernias, LeCharles Bentley’s torn patellar tendon, have all affected their teams performance, as well as their stability. These injuries were mostly due to overaggressive defense. This may have been the case for David Pollack as well. The players in the NFL have just one mindset, and get the biggest satisfaction when they break bones. This is a cause for concern in upcoming NFL seasons.
Even basketball has begun to turn ugly. It used to be an almost gentleman’s sport, but it has recently turned into a chaotic mess. Brawls have broken out more and more recently, resulting in injuries to fans and reputations. Ron Artest’s outbreak towards a fan landed him the biggest suspension in league history in 2004, a total of 73 games. Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O’Neal, Ben Wallace, Anthony Johnson, Reggie Miller, Chauncey Billups, Elden Campbell, and Derrick Coleman also received suspensions in the same brawl. This year, the Nuggets and Knicks went at it, and Carmelo Anthony threw a punch that resounded throughout the stadium. He was suspended for 15 games for it, and ten other players were also suspended. Who knows what could happen in the future? Many other brawls could be right around the corner, and seeing the way that security handled the situation, these fights will go on for longer, resulting in more violence.
Sports have quickly gone from amazing players and eye-popping goals to players juicing up illegally, injuries that make you cringe, and fights breaking out over nothing. If this continues, we may find sports dying out sooner than we’d like. Baseball needs to check for more users to make sure nobody is using illegal substances. The NFL should put in more precautionary measures, whether it be more pads or more penalties, to prevent more injuries than are necessary. The NBA needs to make sure that brawls don’t break out by taking notice when tempers start to rise, and putting a stop to it quickly. Athletes are people too, and people aren’t perfect. However, many people look up to these athletes for support and inspiration. Which athlete would you prefer your child look up to: Michael Jordan or Ron Artest? Hank Aaron or Barry Bonds? Franco Harris or Odell Thurman? The world of sports is changing, folks, whether we want it to or not.


I'm sorry, but I don't have pictures. I don't know how to add them into a post, and I had someone else do it for me on the other site. I hope you guys still like it, and if anyone can tell me how to add in pictures, I'll do my best to add them in. Thanks!

[Dom™]

Yes. Care to be admin too?