Sports betting is a type of gambling that focuses in all things sports.

I wanted to know more about sports betting, so I typed “sports betting” in google to see my first results.

Immediately, thousands of websites appeared before my eyes, advertising online sports-betting communities.

The people comprising the sports gambling community can go from one extreme to the other; where there are people who will bet on games for pure fun, others participate in an effort to make some real money.

In my opinion, I could see sports gambling becoming an issue very quickly.

It is very easy to fall into a addictive hole at the casino, let alone bets involving teams fans would die for.

This hobby is extremely popular. I’m all for a playful, fun bet, but not when gambling problems are created.

Newman High School located in New Orleans, Louisiana is currently home to a sports legacy that could easily surpass his family before him.

Arch Manning is a 15-year-old quarter back for his high school football team, adding to the legacy being the fourth Manning to attend.

This aspiring football player stands at 6’2, 170. His family constantly declines football scholarships offered to Manning considering he’s only a sophomore.

I knew the Manning family lived around southeast Louisiana, but I had no idea they were in New Orleans!

As Arch Manning continues playing with the Friday night lights, he’s already having to escape the lifestyle of a successful athlete.

Random people approach Manning before games to get pictures; two other posted as photographers to get a closer look at Arch.

Even though these occurrences seem crazy, it is almost to be expected when Manning has thrown 34 touchdowns during the regular season, more than any other quarterback in the New Orleans metro area.

I’m curious to see where Arch Manning’s football career goes. With four NFL legacies in front of him, the bar is raised high for Arch.

When October rolls around, the American people seem to go berserk.

To pumpkin spice cold brews to the beginning of football season, excitement for the upcoming holidays seems hard to escape.

Additionally, October represents a month of breast cancer awareness.

People annually sport the color pink in of support of breast cancer survivors, including beloved professional athletes during gameplay.

The NFL hosts a campaign every October with their “Crucial Catch” campaign, supporting breast cancer victims by embellishing their uniforms and other features with pink symbols visible to viewers.

In the midst of the recent pandemic, breast cancer awareness month has taken a backseat in the media. Despite the trials the NFL has endured this season, the breast cancer campaign remains alive and well.

According to the NFL communications team, the fundraising campaign has raised over 8 million dollars for the American Cancer Society:

“…the majority of the donation coming from the sale of pink merchandise at retail and the NFL Auction website. 100% of proceeds from pink products auctioned on NFL Auction go directly to the American Cancer Society (ACS). The NFL does not profit from the sale or auction of pink merchandise.”

All in all, I’m glad the NFL continues to use their platform for the greater good, especially for something as tragic as cancer.

The millions of dollars raised helps save lives to those who need it most!

My earliest memories as a child root in the innocent competitiveness of recreational sports.

While each sport a played holds a special place in my heart, playing softball most reminds me of my fondest memories with my teammates.

As I recounted the joys of my athletic childhood, I began to wonder about the history of softball. Did it originate from baseball? Did women traditionally participate in softball’s gameplay?

I’d played this sport for years and had no answers. I did what I always do and researched to put an end to my shoulder-shrugging.

A group of football fans accidentally invented softball during the 1887 Yale vs. Harvard Thanksgiving Day football game.

When Yale won the game, a fan playfully threw a boxing glove at his opposing friend. Athleticscholarships.net explained how the group of alumni made history:

“The Harvard fan swung at the balled-up glove with a stick, and the rest of the group looked on with interest. George Hancock, a reporter for the Chicago Board of Trade, jokingly called out, “Play ball!” and the first softball game commenced with the football fans using the boxing glove as a ball and a broom handle in place of a bat.”

Since then, the game has evolved and transformed into one of the most popular and beloved American sports to date.

Softball wins the award for the most-spirited sport I’ve participated in. My voice quickly went horse from hollering my team’s clever, shady cheers that playfully mocked the other team.

Additionally, softball taught me how to play nice- especially with other girls! Extracurriculars like dancing, cheerleading and pageantry tend to have a competitive edge that puts young girls against each other.

Softball requires teamwork and thoughtful understanding.

Lastly, the game surely toughens you up!

The NFL’s football season continues in full-swing this fall!

Rather than flooding stadiums with thousands of people, football fans rave over their favorite teams from the comfort of their own homes to prevent additional spread of COVID-19.

Since the get-go, I have had my suspicions about physical contact sports resuming, especially professional football.

Two Tennessee Titans players have tested positive for COVID-19, according to an article published by the NFL.

A new training facility for the Titans has been the silver-lining throughout COVID-19 troubles, but with two new cases, this will have to stay on hold.

The recently tested players are among the 20 others who have tested positive for the virus.

The article also mentions additional precautions taking place to subside any additional spread of illness across the Titans.

Once again, situations like this one make me think, is it really worth playing football?

In the midst of a pandemic, I’m doing everything in my ability to keep myself and others safe.

I’m just not sure how football outweighs staying safe so we can truly get back to normal.

Nonetheless, since it is happening, I’m still rooting for my New Orleans Saints! I’ll be sad to see iconic Drew Brees leave the beloved Saints family.

Creating my own version of a sports blog has proven to be a bit of a challenege.

Every so often I consult my sports-enthusiast dad for some inspiration.

This week, he recommended I dissect the age-old debate: who is the GOAT (greatest of all time), Lebron James or Michael Jordan?

To put it bluntly, the novelty of “Mr. 23” sparks my interest more than Lebron James’s career does. That being said, I’m a bit more bias toward Micheal Jordan and his unique and memorable NBA career.

I read a few articles and gathered some statistics to better understand the controversy surrounding Jordan and James.

Sportingnews.com describes it like this:

“Jordan is superior in the scoring department, but James grabs rebounds and dishes out assists at a higher rate. While both players are known for tenacious defense on the wing, Jordan finished first in the league in steals three times in his career. James has not yet claimed a steals title.”

Additionally, Jordan announced his retirement three times (1993, 1999 and 2003) before stepping off the court forever. His teasing exits had never been done before, making NBA history.

Living in a time after Jordan’s professional basketball career,it is easy to feel like he’s an overall more likable player than James.

Michael Jordan’s overall image is more friendly to that of an American family. He would frequently appear in light-hearted commercials for good causes, including one featuring his own mother.

Where both players have outstanding skills , Jordan takes the cake for being the “GOAT” over James for me.

There is one thing James doesn’t have that Jordan does: range.

MJ is palatable as an athlete, a personality and one of the greatest in history. Where James is a great player, he does not have the charm that Jordan does.

As I sat down to write this week’s blog post, I quickly became frustrated with the same sports news about COVID-19 and continuing controversial struggles.

So, this week I decided to write about the future!

The next FIFA World Cup will happen in the small country of Qatar. This is the first world cup held in west Asia.

Starting November 21 and finishing December 18 of 2022, there seems to be nothing to worry about as far as COVID-19 goes. By then, the virus will be gone and all is good, right?

Where this is likely true, we can only hope until then.

I might be kicking myself in the future for questioning the virus’s demise…

Ultimately, I’m looking forward to the next world cup. In previous years, I’d always watched once or twice, but never stayed invested like I wanted.

Catch me in 2022 cheering on the best teams play in beautiful Qatar!

High school football games evoke a feeling unlike any other. “Friday Night Lights” has become a staple for people as they reflect on the good ol’ days of youth.

Where I see high school football as a light-hearted, spirited event where students and parents gather for fun, others see it as the NFL.

Similar to overly competitive parents in youth sports, football fans take their local football teams to a whole other level.

High school athletes undergo an immense amount of pressure in their young careers. Getting accepted into college is stressful enough, let alone competing to play football for the college of your choice.

Additionally, high school football players have to roll with the punches. If a college across the country wants to sign them, who are they to say no?

A major life decision has to be made at the age of 18, making or breaking a person’s career.

Successful student athletes have to learn to effectively prioritize and endure significant pressure in order to thrive.

Earning the spot as a professional athlete is a major achievement that, I think, is worth the struggle!

Back in my middle/high school days of running, my coach preached about “the race against yourself” to improve your athletic abilities.

The purpose of this mentality was to avoid excessively comparing yourself to competitors, but thinking about beating my personal record (PR) stressed me out more than motivated me.

The competitive aspect of running was not for me, although, Roger Bannister’s PR created a seminal moment in sports history.

On May 6, 1954, Bannister broke the mystical barrier of what was thought to be the fastest mile humanly possible at an astonishing 3:59.4.

Before Bannister broke the record, many athletes came close to running a mile under 4 minutes. Because no one broke this before him, experts convinced themselves humans unable to run this fast.

Roger Bannister’s name became synonymous with his singular athletic achievement. As I continued reading, I learned he was also a neurosurgeon.

Although many runners have beat Bannister’s time by now, considering running circumstances 76 years ago, his achievement is famously impressive, even in today’s standards.

Roger Bannister’s story inspired me. I tend to have excuses for why I can’t and not reasons for why I can.

I’m going manifest breaking accepted standards, starting today!

The United States relies on sports. After some research, I discovered that the sports industry yielded $71.6 billion in 2018, and is estimated to increase to $83.1 billion in 2023.

Living in a Capitalist nation, making money is at the forefront of importance. Ensuring that the economy does not slip, little can stop the big industries from losing their bucks.

At the start of COVID-19, millions of citizens lost their jobs, including myself. I prepared myself for the second recession of my lifetime, guessing where the next few months would take me.

American artists are among the many that remain out of work. Americans for the Arts gave statistics reporting the overall national loss to nonprofit arts organizations since the beginning of COVID-19:

Financial loses are “estimated to be $4.98 billion, to date. They have also lost 208 million admissions due to cancelled events, resulting in a $6.6 billion loss in event-related spending by audiences”.

Contrarily, professional athletes seem to be the exception.

As the NBA is wrapping up their season, and football season is in full swing. Professional athletes continue to thrive throughout the pandemic. Special exceptions are made for players to participate; losing that kind of money is not an option.

Places like Broadway remain closed and don’t have intentions of opening for a while.

Coincidences like this one make me think: why can’t the same exceptions be made for artists on stage and their audiences?

Frequently, I can’t help but think people are playing favorites…