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The Bench

VSU football is ready to compete at the FCS level

Valdosta State has only had a football team since 1982, but the fact that the program isn’t that old does not mean that it isn’t ready for tougher competition. Since 1982, the Blazers have won four national championships (2004, 2007, 2012, 2018) and eight Gulf South Conference championships (1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2018, 2019). That is a lot ...

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Pull a Kell(e)y and just go for it

Kevin Kelley, head coach of the Presbyterian College football team, is a man who goes for it—literally. For eighteen years, Kelley was the head coach at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Ark. During that time, Pulaski won nine state championships. His team made it to the quarterfinals every year of his 18-year career, the semifinals 15 times and they appeared ...

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Cheerleading isn’t a sport, it’s an Olympic sport

Well, a lot of people aren’t going to like this, but those people aren’t paying close enough attention to what this new ruling is saying. In July 2021, the International Olympic Committee voted to recognize competitive cheerleading as an official sport in the Olympics. They also voted to recognize rock climbing, skateboarding and break dancing as official Olympic sports. Before ...

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Amari Jones is one of a few redeeming qualities of Titletown High

*Spoiler Alert* Thanks to “Titletown High,” Netflix reality TV has made its way to Valdosta to document the Valdosta High School football program, a couple of key players and a couple of not-so-key players. It was filled with all story, drama, faux “off-camera” moments and cringe that we have come to expect from reality TV. There were a couple of ...

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The NFL is doing more harm than good with this decision

In an effort to promote social justice, the NFL has announced that the Black National Anthem, or “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” will be played before every game during the 2021-2022 season. Why? How will equality be achieved by implementing something that is specific to a certain race? The National Anthem is an anthem that represents every man, woman and ...

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It’s a bit overdue, but college athletes can be paid now

As of July 1, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has ruled that athletes are now able to make money off of their name, image and likeness. It’s about time. Every American has the right to make money when their NIL is used. With this in mind, it seems clear that college athletes would be entitled to some of the ...

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College football should expand the playoffs to 12 teams

The College Football Playoff management committee presented a proposal on June 10 to expand the current four-team playoff format to one that would include 12 teams, and many people think it will pass. I think this is absolutely the right move, and most other college football fans would agree with me. A four-team playoff was a good start simply because ...

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Fleeting sensationalism is plaguing the boxing world

Logan Paul challenged Floyd Mayweather to a boxing match in 2019, Mayweather accepted and signed the contract in 2020, and the [joke of a] fight took place last Sunday. To anyone who paid $50 to see the fight, I apologize for the decision you made. I, like many others, was hoping for a fight that would end in a humbling ...

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College football is better, but the NFL’s new rule makes it cooler

Everyone knows that college football is better than professional football. Okay. That may not be true, but I am prepared to die on that hill. Many of the college players are just kids who love the game of football. You don’t have to watch grown men cry and refuse to practice because they don’t believe their multi-million-dollar contracts are good ...

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