‘The 04s’: a Basketball Lesson In Unselfishness

The University of Florida’s basketball team had to wait for more than 80 years before finally winning an NCAA championship. After starting the 2005-06 season unranked, the Gators surprised the world right out of the gate by stringing 17 straight wins, which is the best start in school history. A few months after, Florida claimed the national title after defeating the UCLA Bruins.

Image source: floridagators.com

The next season, the Gators proved they were not a one-trick pony as they won the title again. They also became the first team since 1992 to earn a back-to-back championship.

Several factors came into play during Florida’s success, and one – or five – of them were the team’s starters: Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, Lee Humphrey, and Taurean Green. Collectively, this group was called “The 04s” because they were all recruited by Florida in 2004.

Individually, these hoopsters displayed plenty of skills on the court. As a matter of fact, three of them, Horford, Noah, and Brewer, are currently playing in the NBA. The former two have received many All-Star selections and season awards between them, and Brewer is an in-demand role wing player. While Humphrey and Green never found success in the NBA, they were feared shooters during their collegiate career.

Image source: alligatorarmy.com

Talented as they were, “The 04s” showed that the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts. It was their unselfishness and team chemistry that propelled them to the top of the sport. After winning their first title, all of them could have left college and entered the NBA Draft, but they opted not to. They all agreed to return and rewarded themselves with a legacy that only a few basketball players could ever boast of.

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Kings of the Ring series: Evander Holyfield

When talking about the greatest heavyweight fighters in boxing history, you can never count “The Real Deal” out. Evander Holyfield ruled the boxing world in a time when the competition was at its fiercest since the days of Muhammad Ali. And the craziest part about it was that Holyfield wasn’t a natural heavyweight. He was a cruiserweight. Let that sink in for a moment.

Source: thefightcity.com

Yes, Holyfield was smaller than most of his heavyweight rivals, and yet, he managed to defeat most of them. He became the undisputed champion in two weight classes, and holds the distinction of being the only four-time heavyweight champion of the world.

Holyfield began his championship run at heavyweight when he defeated Buster Douglas, the first man to beat the legendary Iron Mike Tyson. From there he would go on to do battle with the likes of George Foreman, Michael Moorer, Lennox Lewis, and Riddick Bowe. He would also destroy Mike Tyson, twice.

The strength of Holyfield was his toughness and his will. He would enter a boxing match with a plan, but would end up going toe-to-toe and winning against bigger opponents. Very few fighters, such as Bowe and Lewis, had success against Holyfield’s fan-friendly style, but they never had it easy.

Holyfield had the will of a champion and the strength of a warrior, and that’s why he forever will be The Real Deal.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Michael Volitich is a Creative Writing student from the University of Florida. He loves writing about sports and the greatest athletes of all-time. Check out this blog for more sports-related stuff.

No Talk, All Scare: How ‘A Quiet Place’ Is Making Noises

You may know John Krasinski from “License to Wed” and “The Office,” or other films and TV shows that made you laugh. “A Quiet Place” isn’t exactly the cup of tea Krasinski fans would expect to take from the actor. He co-wrote the script, directed the film, and co-starred in it with his wife, Emily Blunt.

Image source: mashable.com

Fans are raving about this film, non-horror filmgoers are seeing it, as it proves to be a high-concept horror film. In this film, a family is seen going about their lives in a post-apocalyptic world, where the slightest noise can attract blood-thirsty aliens. Silence in this film is golden. Its lack of backstory gives way to the kind of cinema where it’s more of a show than a tell; something modern cinema has abused in many ways.

To cause no noise, the characters are barefoot and communicate only through sign language. True to its core, Millicent Simmonds, a deaf American actress, was cast as one of the children of John and Emily’s characters. In this film, mundane noises are deafening. It’s so horrifying that dialogues would begin to seem very wrong after watching this film.

“A Quiet Place” is well-received by critics and fans for its brilliance. It’s a horror film, yet it centers on a family trying their best to silently survive. Most thrillers depend on noise to give the scare, this one, in particular, leans on silence. Instead of screaming, people who watch the film bite their tongues—it’s that real and terrifying.

Image source: gizmodo.com

Hi there! My name is Michael Volitich, and I’m a Creative Writing student, sports writer and fanatic, film buff, and occasional traveler. For more updates on the film industry, follow my blog.