Study: sex ed works - Teens in Print

SportsT.i.P.BNBL commentaryBy: Marquie Cooper // T.i.P. Staff WriterPatriots previewBy: Dwight Lawrence // T.i.P. Staff WriterThe Boston Neighborhood BasketballLeague (BNBL) is the oldest municipalbasketball league in the country.Sponsored by Reebok, it has 3,100 youngmen and women playing in three divisions:13 and under, 15 and under, and 18and under. I was looking for something todo over the summer so I joined BNBL.Looking back, I’m disappointed.The season started out well. We wonour first game, 65 to 25. The coach wasso happy he took some of the players outto eat. During our fifth game, we stoppedplaying in the second half because wewere blowing the team out 60 to 25.When the game ended, my coach wasso happy he gave us each a new pairof black and red sneakers for the nextgame. But this is when things startedto change.One problem was a lot of fights brokeout in the BNBL. One fight startedbecause a coach was talking trash toanother coach. The teams that werefighting at Peters Park, for example, hadto stop playing there for one week. Therewas also a fight at Washington Parkbetween two coaches; one of them actuallypulled out a gun. The cops camewith their guns out telling the coach toput his gun down. Everybody ranbecause they didn’t want to get shot.Another tragedy visited the BNBL. thissummer when a young coach named WillGaines was shot and killed while workingwith a team .Another problem with the BNBL. iswhen the referees don’t show up forgames. When that happens, they haveto cancel the game. This only happenedonce because the referee got marriedand the other referee was his best man.But it still made us mad.The BNBL is a good league because itkeep kids from getting into trouble, butthere are things that should be changed.The referees are volunteers, and I recommendthey pay them so they will have areason to come to the games. Of course,they also need to stop the fighting andviolence that sometimes happens atgames. We’re there to have fun, andthat, and basketball, is what it shouldbe about.Welcome back to NFL ‘04 - ‘05 season.The New England Patriotshave expanded their roster byadding Corey Dillon. His agility and speedwith the offensive line will be explosive.He has an incredible record of rushing for1000 yards in six out of his seven years. In1997, in a game against the TennesseeTitans, Dillon rushed 246 yards as a rookie.Later in his career, he shattered WalterPayton’s NFL all time single game rushingrecord. In another game against the Titans,he rushed for 278 yards, three more thanWalter Payton in 22 rushing attempts. Hewent on to have another 200 yard rushinggame later that season.All of this is good news for our hometownPats. We predict they will have alot of experience on their hands and timeto think about what plays to run withCorey Dillon. Also, Tom Brady will havea lot of pressure taken off him with thenew running game.The Patriots’ defense was great lastseason, allowing a league low of threepoints per game. The Pats did an outstandingjob winning the Super Bowlwith another kick by Adam Vinatieri. Ifthey can win the first four games of theseason they will have the longest winningstreak in NFL history. They willhave done something even the MiamiDolphins couldn’t accomplish: 19 winsin a row.Team loyalty, 24-7By: Manny Nieves // T.i.P. Staff WriterAtrue sports fan loves his teamwhether or not they have the bestrecord in the league.I can call myself a diehard Red Soxfan because I would never boo them ifthey were losing. If I were to become abaseball player, my dream would be toplay in Fenway Park wearing a Red Soxuniform, not a Yankees jersey. I wouldgive up nearly anything to see them wina World Series. I love everything aboutthem: the players; the park’s history,and, Ted Williams’s historical home runin Fenway, the we’ll never forget threewin series against the Oakland A’s in the2003 ALDS.One of my friends only likes the RedSox if they’re winning. For example,when they started off badly last year, hestarted saying bad stuff about them, like,“They suck; I don’t know why you likethem so much.” But when they made itto the playoffs, he was cheering them onlouder than me. He isn’t the only one.Other Red Sox fans have now abandonedthe team to cheer on the Yankeesbecause they’re in first place. Don’t getme wrong. The Yankees are a great teamwith an outstanding lineup. But justbecause the Yankees are good doesn’tmean I’m going to turn my back on theRed Sox.To be called a true Red Sox fan, youhave to be willing to give up your mostprized possessions, like somethingpassed down through the family for hundredsof years, just to see them win. Youmust be willing to pay a thousand dollarsto see them in a World Series. Andtruly, with all your heart, you mustdespise the Yankees and everything associatedwith that organization. That’s whatI call a true Red Sox fan.14 | BOSTON TEENS IN PRINT FALL 2004Artwork: Roman Murray / Artists for Humanity