By Braden Simmons | ReporterAs the NFL draft approaches Thursday, many Bears will hear their name called on Thursday or the coming weekend as they eagerly await to join the National Football League. Here are my projections on where the top five prospects for the Bears will end up and what team would be a great fit for them if drafted to that organization.Denzel Mims: The projections for Mims have only escalated since the season ended. The wide receiver will be a lock to be a late first-rounder or a top 10 pick in the second round due. Ideally, I…
Author: Braden Simmons
By Braden Simmons | ReporterAs you continue to mourn the temporary loss of sports during the pandemic, fill your sports needs with a list of the top five sports movies to watch during the quarantine. These movies are diverse crossing multiple genres to fill all of your different sport needs.5. “Coach Carter” A head coach takes over at his alma mater to try and turn the program around. This movie reminds me of :Remember the Titans” except on the basketball court. Samuel L. Jackson masters his role as a dictator head coach who won’t allow any of the court drama…
By Braden Simmons | ReporterIf you’re graduating from college soon and in need of a car, but don’t want to stretch your budget for an expensive used car, there may be an easy solution! Buying cars that are classified as rebuilt or salvage titles can be beneficial to a consumer looking to save money on their next automobile. I recommend rebuilt as the car has been looked at and its title has been shifted from salvage to rebuilt. These cars, since they are not clean titles, will be marked down 30 to 50 percent down from the average price of…
By Braden Simmons | ReporterThe 2020 N.F.L. draft will not be pushed back amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Rumors were circulating around the league moving its draft and other league events back with the virus delaying or canceling the sporting world at the time.The original plan for the draft was to be hosted in Las Vegas, the future home of the Raiders next season. The draft will go from April 25 to April 27 but shifts to an online format that will still be televised for fans nationwide.The decision by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to keep the draft on schedule will…
By Braden Simmons | ReporterThe NCAA has one of the most important decisions to make, and their decision will show how they value college sports for years to come. The question for seniors of winter sports athletes has resonated in college communities for months already as tournaments have been canceled: can I get a fifth year of eligibility?The NCAA came to the decision to cancel the both the women’s and men’s tournaments instead of suspending them amid the beginning of the pandemic in the United States. Without a change in their policies, this ends the career of many amazing athletes.The…
By Braden Simmons | ReporterAs the XFL wrapped up week two, much of the early hype with the newness of the league has died down. The question is raised: can the XFL survive? The answer seems to vary by region and is contingent on the team’s play. As the Houston Roughnecks finished off their new cross-state rivals, the Dallas Renegades, in a sloppy 27-20 victory, there was one blaring sign that the XFL may be in trouble: quarterback play. In a game where Houston forced five total turnovers, bad quarterback play has been a trend that has created some mediocrity…
By Braden Simmons | ReporterThe Baylor baseball team was defeated 12-2 by Texas State University on Tuesday at Baylor Ballpark. Even with the defeat, head coach Steve Rodriguez was positive about being able to give the newcomers some time on the field. “It was a great opportunity to get new faces out there and a bunch of arms in,” Rodriguez said. “It is good to see in games like today where guys fit in our lineup or if someone gets hurt. I told the guys to take advantage of these opportunities because you don’t know how many times they will…
By Braden Simmons | ReporterThe 26th-ranked Baylor men’s tennis team defeated Omaha and Grand Canyon Saturday at Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center. These two matches give Baylor their 25th straight victory at home, and are 40-1 in Waco since the start of the 2017 season. In doubles action against Omaha, Baylor decisively earned the first point of the match. On court one, junior Sven Lah and senior Constantin Frantzen stayed unbeaten by winning 6-4. The duo is now ranked ninth nationally in doubles. Junior Matias Soto and freshman Sebastian Nothhaft clinched the Bears’ first point with a 6-2 victory on court…
By Braden Simmons | ReporterBaylor softball [8-2] will host the Baylor Invitational starting against Tulsa at 3:45 p.m. Friday in Getterman Stadium. The team will play Illinois shortly after in a doubleheader at 6 p.m. Baylor is coming off an undefeated weekend of play in the Getterman Classic, but sophomore outfielder Josie Bower is excited about the upcoming challenge of a new tournament. “It’s a very impressive set of teams,” Bower said. “It’s really exciting to see that type of competition. We started well in Clearwater against Auburn and Louisville. It’s kind of exciting to have them here at home.”…
By Braden Simmons | Reporter Baylor Baseball defeated Arkansas Pine Bluff 10-0 Tuesday at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears improve to a 3-1 record early in the season. The Bears got on the board early and often in the first inning. After a walk, error and a hit by pitch loaded the bases, senior outfielder Hunter Seay hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score the first run. Sophomore second baseman Ricky Martinez then singled in the Bears’ second run. The Bears weren’t done scoring in the inning as junior third baseman Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo rocketed a two-run double. Head coach…
By Braden Simmons | Reporter In the final game at the ITA Indoor Championships, the 12th-ranked Baylor men’s tennis team was defeated by the ninth-ranked Columbia University Saturday 4-2 in the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wisc. The Bears have lost two straight to the Lions in the tournament and fall to 8-3 on the season. The Bears dropped the doubles point for the first time in the spring season two sets to one. The 17th ranked duo of senior Constantin Frantzen and junior Sven Lah remained undefeated with a 6-2 victory over the Lions. Junior Matias Soto and graduate…
By Braden Simmons | Reporter Baylor men’s tennis team bounced back in the consolation round of the ITA indoor championships with a sweep against Wisconsin 4-0 in the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wis. Baylor continued to extend their undefeated team record in doubles play Saturday. The No.17 ranked pair of junior Sven Lah and senior Constantin Frantzen remained undefeated with a decisive win on court one 6-3. To clinch the doubles point, sophomore’s Finn Bass and Adrian Boitan defeated the Badgers 6-3 on court three. The Bears took a 2-0 lead on court six as No. 82 Frantzen defeated…
By Braden Simmons | Braden Simmons The 12th-ranked and No. 8-seeded Baylor men’s tennis team was defeated by Wake Forest 4-1 in round one of the ITA indoor championships Friday at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wisc. This was the second match against Wake Forest this season. In doubles play, Baylor started off strong. On court one, junior Sven Lah and senior Constantin Frantzen remained undefeated on the spring season with a 6-4 victory over their opponents. The Demon Deacons fought back and took the victory on court three over sophomore Finn Bass and freshman Sebastian Nothhaft 6-2. On court…
By Braden Simmons | ReporterBaylor men’s tennis heads to Madison, Wis., today to compete in the indoor tournament championship. The Bears open up the tournament as the eighth seed with a rematch against ninth-seeded Wake Forest today at 6:30 p.m. Coming off a dominating opening weekend in the tournament in late January, Baylor punched its ticket to the indoor championship with wins over Gonzaga by a score of 4-0 and Louisville 4-1. The Bears are also coming off a strong performances last week, going 2-0 with wins against sixth-ranked Wake Forest and Penn State. Head coach Brian Boland said he…
By Braden Simmons | ReporterIf you are finding yourself in an argument with someone who believes they are Baylor University’s No. 1 fan, you should advise them they are fighting for second place. Travis Carver, or better known to Baylor Nation as “T-Rex,” is an indisputable super fan of the university. On an average Saturday in Waco, you will undoubtedly see him decked out in green and gold creating a home-field advantage to one or multiple Baylor teams in the day. Carver said his love for Baylor started young as he grew up in Waco around the university. Carver said…
By Braden Simmons | reporterNo. 12 Baylor men’s tennis team defeated the sixth-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons Thursday 5-2 at Hawkins Indoor Center. This was the first matchup between the two ranked teams as last season’s match was canceled. Following a close loss to Arkansas, head coach Brian Boland said they learned a lot from the defeat to help them in Thursday’s victory. “We spent some time making sure we assessed each individual on what was needed for this week,” Boland said. The Bears took the first point with two commanding victories in doubles play. On court one, junior Sven…
By Braden Simmons | ReporterIn a sport dominated by countries abroad, Baylor men’s tennis gains recruits from all over the world. The game of tennis is progressing, and players are taking advantage of the improvement of Division I to prepare for the professional stage.Players competing in tennis before coming to college are ranked in a similar way to football and basketball. The top 800 players are rated by stars from one to five. The top 25, also known as blue chips, are the best of the best and are highly recruited.Graduate transfer Ryan Dickerson said before Baylor, his recruitment with…
By Braden Simmons | ReporterThe game of baseball is changing and Baylor’s baseball program has shifted its focus toward developing a way to provide information to gain an extra step in competition. Director of baseball operations Justin Grassi and student manager Ryan Hebdon are passionate about the data side of the sport. They work behind the scenes to help analyze information that would benefit both the coaches and players. Data analysis is used by almost every baseball team today and implements tools such as data visualization for a team to see the game from a whole new perspective. Hebdon, a…
By Braden Simmons | ReporterSome call him the Michael Jordan of football. Some say he is Houdini or just DW4. Deshaun Watson, the quarterback for the Houston Texans, has already established himself as an elite member of the NFL in three quick seasons and deserves to be the highest-paid player in the National Football League. Watson is about to enter contract negotiations for a well-deserved extension this offseason. The extension could make Watson the highest-paid quarterback in the league, and I believe, it is well deserved. When Watson walked across the stage in a brand-new Houston Texans hat on draft…
By Braden Simmons | ReporterNo. 5 Baylor men’s tennis swept Gonzaga 4-0 to begin their play at the ITA Kickoff tournament Saturday in the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center. The Bears continued their strong doubles play starting with a 6-0 victory from junior Sven Lah and senior Constantin Frantzen. Sophomore Finn Bass and freshman Sebastian Nothhaft clinched the Bear’s first point, winning 6-2 over the Bulldogs. Singles play was a battle between the Bears and Bulldogs. Head coach Brian Boland credited Gonzaga with coming out of the gate with strong energy. “They were a really strong team top to bottom,” Boland…
By Braden Simmons | Reporter The sky is falling. People are actually discussing baseball in the middle of January while the NFL playoffs are heating up, and the NBA is in full swing. At the center of it all: the Houston Astros.As Major League Baseball’s commissioner brings down a multitude of punishments for the Houston Astros, their owner went one step further and fired his top front-office employees. His decision to fire them after the team was suspended for illegally stealing signs was too late to save the Astros’ reputation. Jim Crane, owner of the Houston Astros, announced that the…