Injuries are an unfortunate, yet common part of athletics. Sports teams constantly presented with injuries are forced to adjust without their key players. The High School for Math, Science, and Engineering boys’ baseball team was not excused from the proverbial injury bug this year. Their top pitcher, junior JJ Katzman, went down with a right arm injury; however, with the pitching of veteran seniors and rising freshman, the team rallied to win its first playoff game in school history.
Katzman’s injury was a result of fatigue and arm discomfort that prohibited him from taking the mound for the majority of the season. Coach David Schieman was forced to place him in centerfield for the rest of the season, as he was unable to pitch.
“My arm isn’t fully strained so I can play most games,” Katzman said. “However, I still cannot throw at full strength. It can be frustrating sometimes, but I’m working through it.”
In addition to his fielding, Katzman was also limited in the batter’s box. Prior to the injury, he had the one of the highest batting averages on the team. Due to the injury, his bat speed became much slower than normal.
“My swing is a bit weaker than usual because I'm not able to use all of my muscles as some tendons are stressed,” Katzman admitted. “But, I'm still able to make solid contact and get on base, so I tend not to worry about it.”
In Katzman’s absence on the mound, the rest of the team’s pitchers have carried the load. Coach Schieman is very impressed at how the team has performed without Katzman pitching. He credits the team for not missing a beat and playing hard throughout every game.
“I think the team has performed very well considering the circumstances,” Schieman said. "The injury to JJ was a tough blow. He’s got a great arm and great understanding of the game. Adam [Greenberg] and Maxwell [Hines] picked up the pitching load along with Tej [Telymonde]. It was great to see us still win games.”
Coach’s decision to spread out the pitching rotation paid imminent dividends. Four-year veteran Hines has a 1.16 ERA in over 12 innings pitched this season. Greenberg, another four-year veteran, has a perfect 7-0 record with an ERA below 1.00.
The freshman Telymonde has not given up a run in his nine innings on the mound, and his play has given the team optimism about next year. Katzman will also be able to return to the mound next season, as a rising senior. He is focused on getting his arm back to full strength and dedicating his free time to making a full recovery.
“I plan to strengthen my arm's injured area as well as my shoulder and tricep over the summer so I can make up for my current weakness,” Katzman said. “Currently I continue to ice after every game and rest my arm as much as possible when I'm not playing in a game.”
While Katzman will be ready to pitch next spring, he still has high expectations for the team this year. Along with Coach Schieman, he is confident in his teammates’ ability to produce on the field and on the scoreboard.
“Baseball is a team sport so if one man goes down everyone else will fill the void.” Katzman said. “I am extremely satisfied in how the team has played with and without me. It shows how deep we are as a ballclub.”
The team finished with a 10-6 record, four of those wins coming with Katzman on the mound. With the 12th seed, they defeated Ice High School 3-1 at Randall’s Island, with Greenberg pitching another great game. Nevertheless, Katzman is certain that a second round berth is not the ceiling for this team.
“I think this team is capable of winning it all,” Katzman declared. “We just need to be intense from the first pitch to the last pitch of the playoffs, My injury shouldn't be an reason for our great team to lose. We are a championship team, regardless of whether or not I’m pitching.”
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Boys' volleyball: Dragons reach a historic height
The HSMSE boys' varsity volleyball team battled to an eight and two record to make the playoffs this year. Their success was attributed to their growth as team, especially by their seniors.
Four-year players Yussef Elbagory, Will Esseks, and Isaac Draper have been leaders and “go to” players on the court this season. Their experience helped the team focus on higher level tactics and add more variety to their gameplay because they were able to lead and coordinate the team on the court.
“Isaac, Will, and Yussef all improved in terms of consistency and confidence in games,” coach Nick Diunte said.
This improvement in confidence allowed Esseks, Elbagory, and Draper to be leaders on the court and in practice. Draper's setting led the league in assists. His ability to set up plays is critical to the team’s success and without him their road to the playoffs likely would have been much more troublesome than it was.
Many players also made significant improvements in individual skills such as passing and attacking over the offseason. Both his teammates and his coach applauded Damar Mercado-Hastings for improving his swing and approach to hitting since last year.
“Damar improved his swing and got more kills," senior Samson Lin said. "[He] improved in [his] blocks and digging.”
Developing game-like situations during practice helped the team create a positive attitude going into games and reading their opponents. Practice was an essential factor for not only their improvement on the court, but also for their mentality as a team.
“Always just creating competitive situations in practice helps with games and having a group of guys that always want to be on the floor and compete towards playing time," Diunte said. "I think having that atmosphere in practice turned over into the games.”
Their efforts during practice shined on the court as they worked together to read and adjust to their opponents more efficiently than ever before. The team was able to communicate on both offense and defense to implement new plays and control the pace of the game. Their competitive atmosphere during practice also helped the team create stronger relationships with one another and bond during tough games and losses.
“[We] grew a lot as a team in terms of the ability to handle adversity and go forward from it together and come out ahead,” Diunte said.
The Dragons only lost two games, both to Stuyvesant, but they still came together after games, practice, and even during their free time to work on their flaws.
“Coming together after a tough loss and seeing what we need to work on after each game was a team building experience this year,” Lin said.
By: Charles Dicus and Armani Damiron
Four-year players Yussef Elbagory, Will Esseks, and Isaac Draper have been leaders and “go to” players on the court this season. Their experience helped the team focus on higher level tactics and add more variety to their gameplay because they were able to lead and coordinate the team on the court.
“Isaac, Will, and Yussef all improved in terms of consistency and confidence in games,” coach Nick Diunte said.
This improvement in confidence allowed Esseks, Elbagory, and Draper to be leaders on the court and in practice. Draper's setting led the league in assists. His ability to set up plays is critical to the team’s success and without him their road to the playoffs likely would have been much more troublesome than it was.
Many players also made significant improvements in individual skills such as passing and attacking over the offseason. Both his teammates and his coach applauded Damar Mercado-Hastings for improving his swing and approach to hitting since last year.
“Damar improved his swing and got more kills," senior Samson Lin said. "[He] improved in [his] blocks and digging.”
Developing game-like situations during practice helped the team create a positive attitude going into games and reading their opponents. Practice was an essential factor for not only their improvement on the court, but also for their mentality as a team.
“Always just creating competitive situations in practice helps with games and having a group of guys that always want to be on the floor and compete towards playing time," Diunte said. "I think having that atmosphere in practice turned over into the games.”
Their efforts during practice shined on the court as they worked together to read and adjust to their opponents more efficiently than ever before. The team was able to communicate on both offense and defense to implement new plays and control the pace of the game. Their competitive atmosphere during practice also helped the team create stronger relationships with one another and bond during tough games and losses.
“[We] grew a lot as a team in terms of the ability to handle adversity and go forward from it together and come out ahead,” Diunte said.
The Dragons only lost two games, both to Stuyvesant, but they still came together after games, practice, and even during their free time to work on their flaws.
“Coming together after a tough loss and seeing what we need to work on after each game was a team building experience this year,” Lin said.
By: Charles Dicus and Armani Damiron
HSMSE sends most qualifiers for city track championships in school history
HSMSE’s Boys Outdoor Track team had six qualifiers for the first time in school history for the City Championships that took place on May 28th. These six qualifiers have shown the diversity of the strengths of the track team.
There were three qualifiers in the pole vault event. Juniors Bryan Medina, Brandon Fajardo, and sophomore Owen Gao all made the cut for the championships. Coach Henning’s rigorous training and athletic development of these qualifiers has allowed for such a feat to be possible this spring season. The past seniors mentoring allowed city qualifiers such as Medina to improve tremendously.
“I continually and consistently go to practice and [give] my all during each practice, research, and ask more experienced sprinters for advice,” Medina said in a 2017 interview. “My fellow pole vaulters including Michael Proudnikov, a now graduated pole vaulter, were a big help in improving my skills and helping me persevere during long practices.”
The help the teammates provided each other was pivotal to the success of these different qualifiers. This support was evident to coach Henning as he watched the athletes mature.
“I think the natural progression in any athletic program, you will have people who were successful one year, who help inspire, teach and encourage the younger athletes,” Henning said. “Those younger athletes become older, they inspire others. So each year, we have had more and more experienced people and therefore more qualifiers.”
Henning also referred to Proudnikov as good example of mature athletes assisting their teammates in practice. Henning attributed him as one of the major factors in improving for the pole vaulters improvement.
“For example, Michael Proudnikov was the one pole vaulter we had last year,” Henning said. “He taught four other guys, and now we have more three qualifiers in the pole vaulting event.”
The two other events the track team qualified for was the high jump event and the 110 meter hurdles event. Both Miles Greenblatt and Danny Gong qualified for the high jump, and senior Bin Zhang qualified for the 110 meter hurdles.
Zhang has been running the 110 meter hurdles for three years. He is a perfect example of hard work culminating in a rewarding fashion, as he qualified for the City Championships in his final season. He attributes his accomplishment to the assistance he has received from fellow runners throughout the four years.
“The major factor was friends,” he said, “they pushed me to push myself at every given chance. One specific friend was Anand [Karmaker] who always stayed by my side; he pushed me to go to gym and that allowed me to push my limits.”
Fajardo was the only qualifier that won a medal. Fajardo came in 5th for the pole vault event, vaulting at a height of 11 feet. Henning described the field as very harsh due to the disadvantages of being in a small school without as many resources as other schools.
“We are competing different schools who have track in their back, with bigger teams, and more coaches, so it’s a tough competition,” Henning said.
Authored by Erick Romero and Anamul Hoque
There were three qualifiers in the pole vault event. Juniors Bryan Medina, Brandon Fajardo, and sophomore Owen Gao all made the cut for the championships. Coach Henning’s rigorous training and athletic development of these qualifiers has allowed for such a feat to be possible this spring season. The past seniors mentoring allowed city qualifiers such as Medina to improve tremendously.
“I continually and consistently go to practice and [give] my all during each practice, research, and ask more experienced sprinters for advice,” Medina said in a 2017 interview. “My fellow pole vaulters including Michael Proudnikov, a now graduated pole vaulter, were a big help in improving my skills and helping me persevere during long practices.”
The help the teammates provided each other was pivotal to the success of these different qualifiers. This support was evident to coach Henning as he watched the athletes mature.
“I think the natural progression in any athletic program, you will have people who were successful one year, who help inspire, teach and encourage the younger athletes,” Henning said. “Those younger athletes become older, they inspire others. So each year, we have had more and more experienced people and therefore more qualifiers.”
Henning also referred to Proudnikov as good example of mature athletes assisting their teammates in practice. Henning attributed him as one of the major factors in improving for the pole vaulters improvement.
“For example, Michael Proudnikov was the one pole vaulter we had last year,” Henning said. “He taught four other guys, and now we have more three qualifiers in the pole vaulting event.”
The two other events the track team qualified for was the high jump event and the 110 meter hurdles event. Both Miles Greenblatt and Danny Gong qualified for the high jump, and senior Bin Zhang qualified for the 110 meter hurdles.
Zhang has been running the 110 meter hurdles for three years. He is a perfect example of hard work culminating in a rewarding fashion, as he qualified for the City Championships in his final season. He attributes his accomplishment to the assistance he has received from fellow runners throughout the four years.
“The major factor was friends,” he said, “they pushed me to push myself at every given chance. One specific friend was Anand [Karmaker] who always stayed by my side; he pushed me to go to gym and that allowed me to push my limits.”
Fajardo was the only qualifier that won a medal. Fajardo came in 5th for the pole vault event, vaulting at a height of 11 feet. Henning described the field as very harsh due to the disadvantages of being in a small school without as many resources as other schools.
“We are competing different schools who have track in their back, with bigger teams, and more coaches, so it’s a tough competition,” Henning said.
Authored by Erick Romero and Anamul Hoque
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Sports networks develop apps to allow mobile streaming
Over the past few years, cable companies and sports networks have agreed to contracts that allow people to stream their channels from their smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. The streaming service benefits the user, the cable company, and the sports network.
Since the smartphone has become popular over the last decade, people all over the world have become more demanding of instant access to news. Social media has become a part of daily life for many, with websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram drawing millions of users per day. As the amount of information that users can retrieve from their phone increased, so has the desire for people to watch television on their devices.
The business of video streaming has become an immensely rich industry over the past few years. Since the beginning of 2012, the revenue has more than doubled, as people are eager to watch their favorite television shows right from their phones. Sports fans desired the same ability to watch their teams from their mobile devices.
To accommodate its fans’ wishes, ESPN launched WatchESPN in April 2011, an app that allows viewers to watch ESPN networks on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, as long as they have a subscription to a cable company that carries ESPN. Executive vice president of sales and marketing for ESPN Sean Bratches attributed the service to the demands of the consumer.
“We strive to serve the sports fan wherever they consume sports,” Bratches said in a 2011 ESPN press statement. “I can’t think of a better way to do that than making our networks available to fans whenever and wherever they might be.”
With ESPN launching a service that allowed users to stream their channels on their mobile devices, they gained an advantage over other sports networks because people could now instantly access ESPN’s content. To regain an edge other networks developed their own mobile apps that allowed on-the-go streaming. FOX Sports invented their own app allowing users to watch sporting events that are on FOX, FS1, and the FOX sports network that is in the region of the viewer. While FOX Sports saw a decline in the viewership in Super Bowl LI than in years past, many more people streamed the game from the app than in previous Super Bowls.
“[FOX Sports Go] averaged 1.72 million viewers per minute for New England’s 34-28 win,” said Taylor Soper in a 2017 article for Geekwire. “Last year, an average of 1.4 million viewers per minute streamed the Super Bowl.”
Broadcasting sporting events from mobile devices has benefits for all parties involved: the streamer, the sports network, and the cable company. Streamers do not need to rely on a TV to watch a sporting event. Sports networks now have another outlet for viewership, which makes its advertisements more valuable, as more people are able to see them. These sports networks still require a potential streamer to have a cable subscription that carries their channels. Cable companies may even gain subscribers from people who wish to watch sporting events on the go. As the demand for instant media access increases, streaming services will continue to grow and benefit all parties involved.
By Bruce Mayfield and Michael Stern
Since the smartphone has become popular over the last decade, people all over the world have become more demanding of instant access to news. Social media has become a part of daily life for many, with websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram drawing millions of users per day. As the amount of information that users can retrieve from their phone increased, so has the desire for people to watch television on their devices.
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| Growth of video streaming / Business Insider |
To accommodate its fans’ wishes, ESPN launched WatchESPN in April 2011, an app that allows viewers to watch ESPN networks on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, as long as they have a subscription to a cable company that carries ESPN. Executive vice president of sales and marketing for ESPN Sean Bratches attributed the service to the demands of the consumer.
“We strive to serve the sports fan wherever they consume sports,” Bratches said in a 2011 ESPN press statement. “I can’t think of a better way to do that than making our networks available to fans whenever and wherever they might be.”
With ESPN launching a service that allowed users to stream their channels on their mobile devices, they gained an advantage over other sports networks because people could now instantly access ESPN’s content. To regain an edge other networks developed their own mobile apps that allowed on-the-go streaming. FOX Sports invented their own app allowing users to watch sporting events that are on FOX, FS1, and the FOX sports network that is in the region of the viewer. While FOX Sports saw a decline in the viewership in Super Bowl LI than in years past, many more people streamed the game from the app than in previous Super Bowls.
“[FOX Sports Go] averaged 1.72 million viewers per minute for New England’s 34-28 win,” said Taylor Soper in a 2017 article for Geekwire. “Last year, an average of 1.4 million viewers per minute streamed the Super Bowl.”
Broadcasting sporting events from mobile devices has benefits for all parties involved: the streamer, the sports network, and the cable company. Streamers do not need to rely on a TV to watch a sporting event. Sports networks now have another outlet for viewership, which makes its advertisements more valuable, as more people are able to see them. These sports networks still require a potential streamer to have a cable subscription that carries their channels. Cable companies may even gain subscribers from people who wish to watch sporting events on the go. As the demand for instant media access increases, streaming services will continue to grow and benefit all parties involved.
By Bruce Mayfield and Michael Stern
Illegal streaming detracts from WWE revenue
The WWE network is home to over 5000 hours of wrestling content, both past and present. However, numerous claims of illegal streaming of their content has hindered their growth over the past three years.
“During the past year, we continued to successfully execute our content strategy, which resulted in significant operational achievements and generated record revenue” McMahon said. “The increased engagement with our brands across multiple platforms provides a foundation for achieving our 2017 and long-term financial objectives.”
While these reports portray the successful year that the WWE had, doesn’t explain the steady decline in television ratings. In 2016, the average ratings for RAW and Smackdown were 2.26 million and 1.72 million viewers respectively. This is a direct correlation of fans turning their back on the product that could be perceived as lackluster of late. TWM news referred to this perception of the poor product as a cause of more illegal streaming.
“Since the introduction of the WWE Network, the rise of illegal streaming particularly for WWE events has increased,” the author stated. “Some fans are choosing to find an illegal stream ... for free. This same theory applies to weekly episodes of Raw & SmackDown.”
Fans have the unfair misconception that poor ratings are equivalent to poor show quality. However, the argument can be made that the low ratings is due to more accessibility. We live in the golden age of the internet, where everything and everyone is connected online. Furthermore, with the growing amount of opportunities for different devices that allow streaming, the television viewership will be affected by the illegal streaming. Instead of watching three hours of Raw every week, fans can save time and energy by downloading the stream and watching it at a different time.
WWE has been a global phenomenon for over 60 years. It continues to be successful through the creation of the network. The continued usage of illegal streaming has hurt the ratings for Raw and Smackdown, which diminishes the display of growth for their product. The solution for this is unclear, but until then, fans should just watch the product themselves to successfully create an opinion, instead of reading the ratings results.
Authored by Arik Armstead and Mohammed Kabir
The network currently has over 1.9 million subscribers, good enough for fifth on the global network scale. Therefore, it would be reasonable to say that since its inception in 2014, WWE viewer growth has increased exponentially. The quarterly reports of 2016 support those assertions, as WWE announced a strong fourth quarter with record revenue and internet engagements. In a 2016 interview with WWE CEO Vince McMahon by businesswire.com, he elaborated on the great year his corporation had.Tonight's #SDLive emanates from @savemartcenter in Fresno, where @DaveBautista won his FIRST #RoyalRumble in 2005! https://t.co/i6hoHIqxyK— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) May 2, 2017
“During the past year, we continued to successfully execute our content strategy, which resulted in significant operational achievements and generated record revenue” McMahon said. “The increased engagement with our brands across multiple platforms provides a foundation for achieving our 2017 and long-term financial objectives.”
While these reports portray the successful year that the WWE had, doesn’t explain the steady decline in television ratings. In 2016, the average ratings for RAW and Smackdown were 2.26 million and 1.72 million viewers respectively. This is a direct correlation of fans turning their back on the product that could be perceived as lackluster of late. TWM news referred to this perception of the poor product as a cause of more illegal streaming.
“Since the introduction of the WWE Network, the rise of illegal streaming particularly for WWE events has increased,” the author stated. “Some fans are choosing to find an illegal stream ... for free. This same theory applies to weekly episodes of Raw & SmackDown.”
Fans have the unfair misconception that poor ratings are equivalent to poor show quality. However, the argument can be made that the low ratings is due to more accessibility. We live in the golden age of the internet, where everything and everyone is connected online. Furthermore, with the growing amount of opportunities for different devices that allow streaming, the television viewership will be affected by the illegal streaming. Instead of watching three hours of Raw every week, fans can save time and energy by downloading the stream and watching it at a different time.
WWE has been a global phenomenon for over 60 years. It continues to be successful through the creation of the network. The continued usage of illegal streaming has hurt the ratings for Raw and Smackdown, which diminishes the display of growth for their product. The solution for this is unclear, but until then, fans should just watch the product themselves to successfully create an opinion, instead of reading the ratings results.
Authored by Arik Armstead and Mohammed Kabir
English Premier League ignites debate among soccer fans and pundits over their blackout policy
The English Premier League has been blacking out soccer games that kick off between 2:45 and 5:15 GMT in Great Britain. The blackout policy has existed since the 1960s when Burnley chairmen Bob Lord feared that fans would rather stay home and watch the “big” games such as Manchester United vs Liverpool than support their local club. As a result, only 154 games out of 380 games can be watched live in a EPL season.
In recent years, the debate about whether or not the EPL should uphold their blackout policy has been raging. In a poll held by British newspaper The Telegraph, 92% of fans were found to be for the cancellation of the current blackout policy.
Telegraph editor Luke Edwards argues that British fans should have the ability to watch live football matches at places other than pubs on Saturdays. Edwards claims that the EPL has already violated many of the old traditions held by fans, and that the tradition of being able to go to the pubs to watch live matches should be protected.
“If there is one final tradition worth protecting in English football,” Edwards wrote in an article in 2015. “It is the fact you can only watch a live game of football at 3pm on a Saturday if you take the trouble to get off your backside and leave the house for somewhere other than the pub.”
Edwards also argues that fans should have the option to watch the big match ups live at will. He believes that fans especially should have the option since they already pay television subscription.
“Why bother taking the family to watch your local team play when you can stay at home and watch Chelsea vs West Ham all for the price of the television subscription you already pay,” he said.
Telegraph editor Chris Bascombe has other opinions in mind, as he contends that the EPL blackout policy barely affects the fan’s ability to watch the games. Bascombe argues that even though the blackout policy stands, fans will always find a way to view the big matchups.
“It doesn’t matter how much it is forbidden, supporters are still finding a way to indulge. Instead of making it illegal it would make more sense to regulate it,” Bascombe said.
Bascombe claims that most English fans will usually go to pubs on the big matchup days and in that manner, watch the Saturday matchups.
“Walk around most cities on a matchday and numerous pubs will quite openly advertise live football at 3pm, much to the Premier League’s irritation,” he said.
Previously mentioned, the blackout policy was previously put in place in order to improve attendance for local teams. BostiInno writer Hayden Bird from says otherwise. Bird claims that the blackout policy has had absolutely no effect on attendance for local teams.
“Of course, whether or not the blackout rule actually does prop up attendance for local teams is debatable," Bird wrote in a 2015 BostiInno article. “Looking across at the German Bundesliga, attendance has actually climbed in the last 15 years, even though games are broadcast at all times.”
Football is considered to be the biggest national pastime in Great Britain. The debate of whether or not this blackout policy should be upheld is still a contentious issue. There seems to be no resolution for the fans in a near future. However as Bascombe said, there will always be a way for fans to indulge in “The Beautiful Game.”
Authored by Erick Romero, Andre Alexander
In recent years, the debate about whether or not the EPL should uphold their blackout policy has been raging. In a poll held by British newspaper The Telegraph, 92% of fans were found to be for the cancellation of the current blackout policy.
Telegraph editor Luke Edwards argues that British fans should have the ability to watch live football matches at places other than pubs on Saturdays. Edwards claims that the EPL has already violated many of the old traditions held by fans, and that the tradition of being able to go to the pubs to watch live matches should be protected.
“If there is one final tradition worth protecting in English football,” Edwards wrote in an article in 2015. “It is the fact you can only watch a live game of football at 3pm on a Saturday if you take the trouble to get off your backside and leave the house for somewhere other than the pub.”
Edwards also argues that fans should have the option to watch the big match ups live at will. He believes that fans especially should have the option since they already pay television subscription.
“Why bother taking the family to watch your local team play when you can stay at home and watch Chelsea vs West Ham all for the price of the television subscription you already pay,” he said.
Telegraph editor Chris Bascombe has other opinions in mind, as he contends that the EPL blackout policy barely affects the fan’s ability to watch the games. Bascombe argues that even though the blackout policy stands, fans will always find a way to view the big matchups.
“It doesn’t matter how much it is forbidden, supporters are still finding a way to indulge. Instead of making it illegal it would make more sense to regulate it,” Bascombe said.
Bascombe claims that most English fans will usually go to pubs on the big matchup days and in that manner, watch the Saturday matchups.
“Walk around most cities on a matchday and numerous pubs will quite openly advertise live football at 3pm, much to the Premier League’s irritation,” he said.
Previously mentioned, the blackout policy was previously put in place in order to improve attendance for local teams. BostiInno writer Hayden Bird from says otherwise. Bird claims that the blackout policy has had absolutely no effect on attendance for local teams.
“Of course, whether or not the blackout rule actually does prop up attendance for local teams is debatable," Bird wrote in a 2015 BostiInno article. “Looking across at the German Bundesliga, attendance has actually climbed in the last 15 years, even though games are broadcast at all times.”
Football is considered to be the biggest national pastime in Great Britain. The debate of whether or not this blackout policy should be upheld is still a contentious issue. There seems to be no resolution for the fans in a near future. However as Bascombe said, there will always be a way for fans to indulge in “The Beautiful Game.”
Authored by Erick Romero, Andre Alexander
NBA League Pass: Average service for a premium price
The NBA League Pass has created a new medium for fans to view NBA games, but this subscription is plagued with blackouts and high prices. It comes at a price of $199.99 a year to have access to all NBA games and $119.99 to access all the games of one team, which is far too much to pay for a service where you wont be able to watch many of the games.
The major problem with these subscriptions is the games that will be missed as a consequence of blackouts. Anyone with a video subscription will not be able to view games in their market, nationally broadcasted, or ones that are part of the playoffs.
The problem is that the rights to broadcast these games were sold to TV networks and those networks don’t want to have a convenient streaming service competing with them on their games. Because of this restriction, the NBA League pass really has no choice but to watch us suffer through these blackouts.
Many streaming services such as NBA League pass, Netflix, etc. have slowly taken away from the wide audience of cable. People who have a television service are slowly becoming more and more uncommon throughout the years even if only at a glacial pace. Due to the freedom many different streaming services and alternate cable services offer, traditional cable is declining in appeal.
“At the same time, overall viewing of traditional TV is continuing its slow decline.” Victor Luckerson said in a 2014 TIME magazine article. “The average person watched about 141 hours of live television per month in the third quarter of 2014, compared to 147 hours in the third quarter of 2013,”
Not only are less people buying cable services, but these very people are constantly watching less TV. Due to the availability to watch anything whenever they want, streaming services such as Hulu and Netflix have skyrocketed in their viewership. Whereas the NBA League pass does not feel the same effects because it unintentionally negates this effect with it’s blackouts.
Some people are finding ways to avoid these blackouts. They use VPN applications to make it look like their location is outside the country or in an area where the game they’re trying to watch is not blacked out.
“This is leading to a lot of people trying to set up a VPN to trick the service into thinking you're living outside the Houston area.” Chris Brantner said in a 2016 Houston Chronicle article. “Unfortunately, it's likely breaking the terms of service on NBA League Pass,”
NBA League Pass is an overpriced service that doesn’t offer the full NBA experience due to the plague of blackouts. It is the highest priced streaming service offered by a major sports league, and a huge revenue source for the NBA. Consumers that purchase the NBA League Pass should not have to pay for this subscription and be affected by blackouts; however, if you’re willing to bypass the terms of use then you may want to consider subscribing.
Authored By: Anamul Hoque and Charles Dicus
The major problem with these subscriptions is the games that will be missed as a consequence of blackouts. Anyone with a video subscription will not be able to view games in their market, nationally broadcasted, or ones that are part of the playoffs.
The problem is that the rights to broadcast these games were sold to TV networks and those networks don’t want to have a convenient streaming service competing with them on their games. Because of this restriction, the NBA League pass really has no choice but to watch us suffer through these blackouts.
Many streaming services such as NBA League pass, Netflix, etc. have slowly taken away from the wide audience of cable. People who have a television service are slowly becoming more and more uncommon throughout the years even if only at a glacial pace. Due to the freedom many different streaming services and alternate cable services offer, traditional cable is declining in appeal.
“At the same time, overall viewing of traditional TV is continuing its slow decline.” Victor Luckerson said in a 2014 TIME magazine article. “The average person watched about 141 hours of live television per month in the third quarter of 2014, compared to 147 hours in the third quarter of 2013,”
Not only are less people buying cable services, but these very people are constantly watching less TV. Due to the availability to watch anything whenever they want, streaming services such as Hulu and Netflix have skyrocketed in their viewership. Whereas the NBA League pass does not feel the same effects because it unintentionally negates this effect with it’s blackouts.
Some people are finding ways to avoid these blackouts. They use VPN applications to make it look like their location is outside the country or in an area where the game they’re trying to watch is not blacked out.
“This is leading to a lot of people trying to set up a VPN to trick the service into thinking you're living outside the Houston area.” Chris Brantner said in a 2016 Houston Chronicle article. “Unfortunately, it's likely breaking the terms of service on NBA League Pass,”
NBA League Pass is an overpriced service that doesn’t offer the full NBA experience due to the plague of blackouts. It is the highest priced streaming service offered by a major sports league, and a huge revenue source for the NBA. Consumers that purchase the NBA League Pass should not have to pay for this subscription and be affected by blackouts; however, if you’re willing to bypass the terms of use then you may want to consider subscribing.
Authored By: Anamul Hoque and Charles Dicus
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