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Sports

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Columns

Lay of the Leagues: The search for quality, long-term player development in the NFL

By Brian Becker | February 14

The NFL has entered a phase of expansion, where its leadership is determined to spread the market to destinations deemed unreachable just 10 years ago. The highest-grossing revenue league has cemented its gritty and purely American presence in settings across the globe. Becoming more worldwide than ever before and with the 2025 Super Bowl in the books, the league trails in building an effective player development model. Many teams feel burdened to fast-track their own rebuilding process, leaving a scarcity of “complete” teams league-wide.

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Columns

Full Court Press: What’s wrong with Mahomes?

By Noah Goldstein | February 14

Around 7:30 p.m. Sunday night, a collective cacophony of gasps, screams and sighs could be heard from the couches of most American households. Seconds before the rapture, the Kansas City Chiefs lined up for a third-and-16. The ball was snapped. Mahomes rolled right, looked back over the middle and fired it … right into the hands of Philadelphia Eagles rookie nickel cornerback Cooper DeJean.

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Sports

BU wins Beanpot in star-studded matchup

By Henry Blickenstaff and Ethan Dunn | February 13

Although the NHL has expanded across the country, hockey remains a regional sport in the United States, with its popularity concentrated in several pockets. Massachusetts is one of those pockets, having produced more NHL players than any state except Minnesota, and the Beanpot tournament is perhaps the greatest showcase of the state’s love for hockey.

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Columns

QB Q&A: The legend of Johnny Unitas

By Max Sharf | February 13

At a certain point in every legendary athlete’s career, something shifts in their perception. At this point, a very small number of living people can say that they have seen Jesse Owens at the Olympics, Babe Ruth at bat or Dolph Schayes on the court. These athletes have become folklore. Their epics are discounted in the modern era. Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game seems just as much of a tall tale as Paul Bunyan’s legendary tall tales, yet these legendary feats are legitimate.

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Columns

The 90-Minute Breakdown: Big transfers, big matches

By Antonia Toro | February 12

Welcome to The 90-Minute Breakdown! I’ll be providing a weekly recap of all the biggest news, matches and storylines in world soccer. For the latest in the beautiful game, follow along! Players The winter transfer market didn’t disappoint, delivering last-minute drama and masterful chess moves. ...

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Football

The big game isn’t football

By Jonah Cowan | February 12

The spectacle is great, yes, but exhausting. Only the NFL can justify their dependence on commercials by making them a part of the product. Why are we accepting the overreach of advertising into places that should resist it, like sports? The Olympics understands this better –– its lack of any advertisements deeply changes the way we engage with sports for two brief weeks every two years.

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Hockey

Ice hockey climbs up conference rankings after weekend split with Conn. College

By Keriann Slayton | February 12

Loud offensive performances in a pair of games against Connecticut College last weekend propelled Tufts men’s ice hockey to fifth place in the NESCAC and the privilege of a playoff game on home ice. The Jumbos opened the weekend on the road, traveling to New London, Conn., where they slammed into a brick wall in Camels’ junior goalie Will McEvoy. Despite notching 41 shots on goal to the Camels’s 24, the Jumbos couldn’t manage to sneak one into the back of the net, and a singular power play goal by Connecticut College in the first period held up as the game-winner. The second and third periods ticked down without a score from either squad, and the 1–0 Camels win marked the first career shutout for McEvoy.

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Sports

Women's basketball 5-game win streak put to an end

By Leanna DeSousa | February 11

Coming off of an incredible week of competitive conference play and a successful Senior Day, Tufts was looking strong going into this past weekend’s games against Amherst College and Hamilton College. However, the Jumbos seemed to fall short, resulting in them going down to fourth in the NESCAC rankings with a 5–4 conference record and 14–8 overall.

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Gymnastics

The Round-off Roundup: Life after sports

By Sarah Firth | February 11

When sports come to an end, athletes stand at a crossroads and must decide what comes next. Leaving sports can feel like the end of an era, but for many athletes, it can also be the beginning of a new chapter. Let’s explore the career paths of top gymnasts after their retirement.

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Sports

Ice hockey splits weekend NESCAC series

By Tara Wirtschoreck | February 6

In an exciting weekend of NESCAC play, Tufts men’s ice hockey had two games that were both decided by a solitary goal. Their 3–2 win against Middlebury on Friday and 3–2 overtime loss to Williams on Saturday made for a stressful weekend for those watching.

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Track And Field

30th New Balance Grand Prix: Olympic champions and rising stars heat up Boston

By Sarah Firth | February 5

The New Balance Grand Prix came to Boston for the 20th edition of the meet. The event was sold out with fans hoping to see Olympians and other top-level professional track and field athletes. The sprints for both men and women were packed with star power. The 100m Olympic champions from Paris were both in action: Julien Alfred of St. Lucia raced in the women’s 300m, while Noah Lyles of the United States took on the men’s 60m.

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Basketball

Men’s basketball stumbles in NESCAC showdowns

By Luke Fredericks | February 5

The Tufts men’s basketball team faced its toughest weekend of the season, dropping two hard-fought road matchups against top-ranked Wesleyan University and No. 16 Trinity College. A heartbreaking 69–66 loss at Wesleyan on Friday was followed by an 81–45 defeat at Trinity on Saturday. The Jumbos now sit at 17–4 overall and 5–2 in NESCAC play as they look to rebound from their first back-to-back losses of the season.

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Columns

Lay of the Leagues: NBA edition

By Brian Becker | February 3

It is such a shame to see a league that was so focused on ball movement and masterful isolation in an effort to drive to the rim become diluted into a no-defense 5-out three-point contest. The NBA has reached a ratings cliff, where chic association edition jerseys and haute-culture-inspired parquets have become the focal point rather than the avant-garde ball mastery that many children around the world would spend countless hours mastering. Nowadays, you’ll be lucky to even turn on the TV and see a player even seriously attempt a one-legged fadeaway (Cam Thomas vs. Orlando Magic circa 2024).

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Columns

The Intangibles: The NBA trade of the century

By Jonah Cowan | February 3

Late last night, ESPN reporter Shams Charania broke the news that the Dallas Mavericks had traded Luka Dončić (along with two other players) to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick.

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Sports

Squash teams topple Middlebury but come up short against Williams

By Josh Solomon | January 30

Coming off of a three-game winning streak, the women’s squash team went into their away match against Middlebury onSaturday with confidence. The Jumbos, ranked No. 11 by the College Squash Association, had dominated the Panthers the previous four times they played, winning 8–1 consistently with a 9–0 sweep in 2022.

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