The Chargers left—and San Diego got better by Oscar Alcon
On January 12, 2017, Chargers owner Dean Spanos shocked the city of San Diego and the NFL world with his announcement that the Chargers would relocate to Los Angeles for the 2017 season, ending a 55-year stint in the city. Thousands of fans headed to the practice facility to burn and destroy all of their jerseys, shirts, and memorabilia. I personally believe it was one of the greatest days this city has ever seen.
When the Chargers left, it seemed to help the city in the long run. City officials no longer worry about funding a new stadium for a team that really didn’t deserve it. I mean, yes, Qualcomm Stadium was super old and one of the worst stadiums in the NFL at the time, but at the same time, if they wanted a new stadium, the Bolts should have delivered a Super Bowl title to the city.
San Diego isn’t like Green Bay, Pittsburgh, or Minneapolis, where the NFL is the city’s number one sport. I also think one of the cons of the Chargers is seeing all the away fans, like the Raiders, come to San Diego and be even louder than the home fans.
This isn’t the 90s: LeBron James is the GOAT by Elijah Weaver
Throughout NBA history, there has been a plethora of otherworldly talent to step onto the court. But there are only two players who have been crowned the title’s “greatest of all time”: Michael Jordan and LeBron James. The influence Jordan has had and continues to have on the sport, on and off-court, is unmatched and cannot go uncredited. But with that aside, here’s why James is the GOAT.
Rings shouldn’t hold as much weight in this conversation as they do. Don’t get me wrong, winning six championships is monumental, but you’re only as good as your team. If an individual could make as much of a difference in a championship as the online discourse makes it seem. Paul George would’ve gotten a ring with the Indiana Pacers, James Harden would’ve gotten a ring with the Houston Rockets and even LeBron would’ve gotten another ring with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018.
What it comes down to is individualism and longevity, which to me is James all day. While LeBron has all the records, he’s played longer. So, without stat watching, the only thing separating them is the eye test. To me, James brings a lot more to the table in that category. James is raw athleticism, utter dominance, true leadership, and just overall has it all. Not saying Jordan didn’t, but whatever he did in the playing days, James can do better… other than having a super-team of Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. Did I mention he’s 41?
Sipping sparkling water doesn’t make you better than a diet soda drinker by Logan Murphy
Many people seem to think that drinking diet soda is just as bad as regular, and weaning yourself off diet soda with sweetened sparkling water is a healthy alternative to either, but I disagree.
If you look at the ingredients in a bottle of Clear American sparkling water from Walmart and compare them to a can of Sprite Zero, they’re almost identical, both using aspartame as an artificial sweetener. Of course, there are differences within other sodas, like Coke Zero, which contains caffeine and artificial coloring, but is that where we draw the line between one being bad and the other good for you?
Sparkling Ice’s sparkling water contains dyes in most of its flavors; it uses sucralose as a sweetener in its main line of products. Some believe that aspartame causes more cancer than sucralose, but the risk for both is astronomical unless you drink crazy amounts daily. What I’m getting at is that I don’t think that one is either better or worse for you if you want to have some from time to time. With that in mind, I do know that brands like Bubly and LaCroix use no sweeteners and could be considered healthier, but those drinks are hardly a contender for my beverage of choice. No hate to anyone who prefers one or the other, but when I hike to the top of the mountain and crack open a diet Baja blast, don’t think any differently of me than you would if I were drinking some sparkling water.
