SFU makes Western Washington see red

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September 19, 2016

more_volley_web — Emma Jennings (#8) led the team with 19 kills.

Wednesday night was the first home game for SFU volleyball this season, and coming into the contest it was going to be a tough one. The Western Washington Vikings were the consensus pick to finish first in the GNAC, and were in the final four of last year’s NCAA Division II tournament. In perhaps the biggest test of the season thus far, the Clan prevailed with a 3–2 win over its rival.

“I think we did an amazing job playing as a team,” said outside hitter Emma Jennings after the game. “We’ve been working all spring and all preseason training, to work as a unit and if someone’s down, we all pick up the player. It’s been really working well for us.”

In the first set, SFU roared out to a 8–4 lead, bolstered by the huge red night crowd, where everyone was encouraged to wear red and the first 100 people got a free T-shirt. An official crowd of 823 turned out to see the game, and a large section of that was SFU student athletes, who took up half the gym. SFU thoroughly outplayed the Vikings in the set, winning 25–13 in convincing fashion. The next two sets SFU and Western Washington would trade back and forth by exact 25–21 scores.

It was in the fourth set that it looked like SFU was in trouble. The final score was 25–18, but it was an instance where the score made it look a lot closer than it was. SFU was at one point down 21–13, and it seemed like nothing was going right for them. They weren’t able to get any blocks, serves were hitting the net, and at one point, an SFU player whiffed on a kill attempt.

“I said to them, if it was easy, it won’t be amazing,” said head coach Gina Schmidt on what she told the team prior to the fifth set. “We knew it wouldn’t be easy, and that’s what’s going to make it fun when we pull out the fifth.”

The fifth set was a tense affair that had the crowd on the edge of their seats. After Western Washington tied it up at two, SFU never looked back, taking the lead for the rest of the game and winning it 15–8. Emma Jennings got the winning kill that sent the West Gym crowd into a frenzy.

“It was amazing, and I’m so glad we played them for our home opener, just because they were our main rivals last year,” said Jennings on the crowd and the opponent. “We always wanted to beat them, and this year we just put all of our heart on the court and just gave it our all. It feels great to beat them.”

The win was not only huge in the context of the 2016 season, but can be seen as a signature win for Schmidt and the volleyball program. Schmidt inherited a team in 2013 that was coming off a 1–18 record in conference play. Since then, it’s been a remarkable turnaround.

“It’s a great win for our team and our program,” commented Schmidt. “Before this season I was hoping for us to have a lot of firsts, and this is just one of those firsts. Hopefully there’s more to come.”

Now with an 8–1 record, the Clan will be looking to build off its huge win in the next home game, which is against University of Alaska Fairbanks this September 23 at 7 p.m.

Harambe controversially awarded visual arts grant

By

EIC

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September 19, 2016

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In a controversial move, SFU’s School of the Contemporary Arts (SCA) has awarded a $5,000-grant for visual arts to the deceased gorilla Harambe. SFU’s resident visual artists have truly gone apeshit with the news that the dead-gorilla-turned-deified-meme is now being awarded scholarships.

“I mean, first it’s the goddamn ‘dicks out for Harambe’ statuses everywhere, and now this shit,” said visual arts major Eric Chang. “Where will it end?”

Chang, along with many of his fellow visual arts majors, feels cheated by the SCA. “He’s a gorilla, and a dead one at that, he couldn’t be enrolled in the school even if he were alive. Do gorillas even really appreciate art?”

While many students are angered about the decision, a small minority have come out on the side of Harambe. Laura Schultz, an environmental science major and animal rights advocate, spoke favourably of the decision: “I think all of these complaints just show the hidden undercurrent of speciesist tendencies that many students have,” she argued. “No one ever complains when a human wins an award, but when it suddenly goes to a gorilla, everyone has to make a giant fuss. Human supremacist scum!”

Interested in why the SCA made the decision, The Peak reached out to department representative David McLean. Despite the outrage from students, McLean firmly defended his department’s decision as justified.

“We felt that Harambe really represented a change in major artistic trends. The memes, portraits, and photographic collages he has inspired represent the first real muse-status achieved by a non-human,” said McLean. Faculty feelings aside, none of this has credibly convinced any students that Harambe was deserving of the scholarship.

Satellite Signals

By

EIC

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September 19, 2016

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Woodward’s

Find the balance between video games, art, and dance in this exciting collaboration between lighting designers, dancers, and visual artists. This art installation and performance, Digital Folk, showcases the intersection between communities and technology. Its interdisciplinary nature allows the audience to be immersed in various forms of theatre, dance, and visual art. Students can join this team of artists and the Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre on September 21 at 7 p.m.

SFU Surrey

The Surrey community is preparing for the annual Terry Fox Run. Terry’s Cause on Campus will begin at 12:30 p.m. on September 30. You can help raise money for cancer research and support SFU’s goal to raise $35,000. To participate, you can register your team, volunteer to help with the event, or donate to a team online.

SFU Vancouver

SFU is screening a series of short films, featuring concepts that Andreas Bunte covers in his work. This collection of films showcases Eva Kolcze, Caspar Stracke, and Ana Vaz. Bunte’s piece, Erosion, is also featured in the current exhibition at SFU Burnaby. The films explore themes of geology and architecture, as presented by Bunte’s work at the Burnaby gallery. The screening will take place on September 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the the Cinematheque on Howe Street.

These are the apps you need to make it through the semester

By

EIC

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September 19, 2016

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With the craziness of back to school starting to die down, students may start to find themselves in a boring — and unproductive — rut.

But having the right tools to combat the inevitable decline of your motivation can drastically change the way your semester will go. Below is a list of apps that will help you keep organized, maintain your social life, and hopefully stay on budget.

Organization

SFU snap
- The official SFU app has a new name! SFU snap is the best way for new students to navigate through their first year. The app features up-to-date weather and transit information, including the ability for users to save their favourite bus stops to easily view when the next bus comes. It also shows students their daily class schedule and has the capability to find rooms on all three campuses. The app also has pages with information on important SFU phone numbers, food locations, parking services, and more.
Asana
- This is an organizational nerd’s best friend. The app allows you to create tasks which, admittedly, is not new — but this app allows you to create sub-tasks. This lets the user to break up big projects and give more detailed descriptions about what these assignments involve. This feature is especially great because you can share tasks with other users. You can find ones that have been shared with you in the inbox, favourite certain ones, and view the archive of the completed projects. There’s also a messaging feature for users to message those they have shared tasks with. Basically, you need this app for your next group project.

Financial

Stocard
- This app changed my life. If you’re like me, you love rewards cards. They can save you money, collect points, and lead to awesome benefits. However, they can take up a lot of space in your wallet. This is where Stocard comes in. Stocard allows you to save various cards, and presents them as barcodes when you go to use them. There are pre-set cards (Hudson’s Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart), but you can also add cards that are not featured on the app.
SPC
- If you don’t already own a Student Price Card (SPC), go buy one right now. They are $10 and will give you discounts at dozens of locations. This card literally pays for itself. The SPC app is synced to your SPC, and can display the barcode if you don’t have the physical card on you. It will also search for deals near you. By using your location, the SPC app finds stores with deals and displays the full discounts or upgrades users are entitled to.

Social

Picolo
- There’s an app drinking game — the future is now. Picolo has at least three players enter their names, then has a section where you can choose which game you play (it comes with one free game, but there are others available for purchase). One of the games is called “Getting Started,” and features different commands for the players to obey. Some are relative (whoever has the strongest drink has to drink five times) or directly target a player (do three dance moves or drink three times). There are mini-games too, like rhyming words until someone runs out and has to drink. Based on some of the games and commands I’ve seen, it’s no wonder when starting the game, you hit a button saying “Let’s get drunk.”
Whisper
- Back when I was a kid, I remember a website called PostSecret where people shared their deepest secrets anonymously. Fast forward however many years, and now there’s an app for that too! Whisper is a place for secrets in a very visual format. People in your area post confidential notes on top of pictures. You can also make videos for your secrets. See a story you like? You can message the person who posted it. This might be a fun way to make friends in your classes — or to silently judge them.
Chwazi
- Do you play board games? Do often have trouble deciding who will go first? If you answered yes to both these questions, you should get Chwazi. Chwazi will help you select who will be the first for any task. It’s simple: all participants place their finger on the user’s screen, and the app zeroes in on one player. This ends pulling straws once and for all.

Health

Stop, Breathe & Think
- This app was recommended to me by a counsellor as a way to help my anxiety. To begin, you take 10 seconds to check in with yourself. The app then asks you how you’re feeling, both mentally and physically. To further identify your feelings, the app allows you to add up to five emotions from their extensive list. Based on these answers, the program will suggest different mediations. You can pick whichever one you think would be most beneficial, or which one you have time for. It’s a great way to stay calm even during your busiest days.

SFU satellite team shoots for the stars

By

EIC

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September 19, 2016

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Photo-courtesy-of-Diana-Perez — The SFU satellite club at the pre-launch of their weather balloon.

A group of SFU students are preparing to launch their aspirations and dreams into outer space for an ongoing competition.

The challenge in question is the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge, a nationwide competition for building a cube satellite. “The SFU Satellite Design Club was formed in January 2016 with the main goal of competing [. . .] and building a cube satellite,” Jordan Lui, the club’s president, told The Peak.

“The club is a 50-member club of SFU undergraduate, graduate, and alumni who are passionate for space technologies,” added Lui. “Many of our team members have passions to go into the space industry after graduation, so they realize that this challenge is a great stepping-stone to their future career aspirations.”

“Many of our team members have passions to go into the space industry after graduation.”

Cube satellites as extremely little satellites that are favoured by small companies, countries, and student teams, said Liu “Because a cube satellite has all of the systems that a regular satellite will have [communication, power, structure, propulsion, computing, sensing], it’s a great way to test new cutting-edge technologies on a significantly cheaper spacecraft that can also be built much more quickly than conventional satellites.”

On August 23 in Clinton, BC, the club launched a weather balloon to test systems for their planned final satellite. While the launch was successful, the team began to run into issues retrieving location data, only receiving irregular updates from the balloon.

“After a couple promising hints to the craft’s latest location, the team went on two hikes in the Nicola Valley area to attempt recovery of the craft,” said Lui. The group could not locate the craft, but gained valuable experience for future projects.

The club remains excited for the upcoming challenge. It will provide them with the chance to experience working within an aerospace organization, as well as opportunities to work with space industry experts, Lui said.

Lui emphasized that club isn’t just about science. “As a spacecraft design organization, we have people working on all aspects of running a mini space company,” he noted. “While there is obviously a large science and engineering component to our operations, the business, finance, and media aspect of our work is just as important to our success in this challenge.”

Lui noted the club is always looking for new members of all skill levels and “from all backgrounds.” Interested individuals can contact the club via email or visit their Facebook group.

SFU jumps headfirst into the world of social media

By

EIC

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September 19, 2016

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SFU-Website-Illustration-by-Jasmeen-Virk — SFU University Communications update the SFU homepage with new features.

It’s been a little over a year since SFU’s 50th anniversary, marking an important milestone for the university and its students. Since the festivities came to an end, there have been some exciting ventures to improve the university’s digital presence. The Peak spoke to a few members of the University Communications department about SFU’s 50th anniversary and digital strategy.

“We certainly saw a lot of students sharing their SFU and SFU50 experience[s] online during the year,” said Adam Brayford, assistant director of digital strategy. “The campaign generated approximately 700 conversations related to SFU50,” he said, referring to the campaign’s official hashtag.

Students and various SFU clubs have also been asked to take over the Snapchat account

Brayford also mentioned that the goal of the anniversary was “communication around the student’s experience and to help build campus pride during the year.” His team has worked with student ambassadors on an initiative to inspire online conversations around SFU, and this has continued through social media after the campaign was over.

The outcome of the anniversary was a series of collaborations between SFU and current students. Brayford noted that the stories shared as a result of the campaign were “really authentic,” adding that these stories could be a positive introduction to the university for prospective students.

Another step in SFU’s new digital strategy is an update of their official website. Many of the new elements are designed to be “user-centred,” according Denise Leech, director of digital engagement for the school’s University Communications. The updates are meant to increase ease of navigation, including interactive videos and bold infographics.

SFU also launched its own Snapchat account, to record many more student stories and events throughout the year. Leech noted how “social media communities have grown” at SFU, and that the university has seen a steady growth in traffic on many social media platforms since the launch. She added, “it’s a great opportunity for us to hand the keys over to students to let them tell their own stories.”

Students and various SFU clubs have also been asked to take over the Snapchat account where students may curate “a day in the life of a co-op student,” or places to look out for on campus.

Brayford explaining that his team plans to work with different faculties to feature various programs through SFU’s Snapchat in the near future.

Brandon Watson’s perseverance paying off for SFU men’s soccer

By

EIC

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September 19, 2016

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brandon_web — The backbone of the Clan defence has battled through injuries to become co-captain of the team.

A few years ago, a series of injuries forced Brandon Watson to take a step out of the pitch and put his gloves back in the closet. Having gone from nearly saying goodbye to university athletics to being the co-captain of one of the most promising teams in NCAA Division II, Watson tells us his journey.

Watson’s passion for soccer started at a young age. “My parents put me in soccer when I was five and I started playing goalie when I was 11. Growing up, one of my favourites was Iker Casillas,” he said.

But what is so attractive about being a goalkeeper? “Goalkeeper is more of a position where intelligence is key. You see the whole field, you are constantly communicating with your team, and something about that drove me to do it. [. . .] I enjoy the pressure of being a goalkeeper. When you make a big save, I think it’s all worth it.”

Starting his student athlete career at NCAA Division I Coastal Carolina, Watson went a long way before returning to his home province. But he never wavered in his choice to join the Clan. “I always had a goal of being in the NCAA. I think it gets a little bit more exposure to MLS [Major League Soccer] drafts.”

SFU provided Watson the opportunity to pursue his dream of playing his favourite childhood sport, despite the injuries that kept him off for nearly two seasons.

“I came off with injuries where other schools did not really know me anymore. The assistant coach [at the time] contacted me and asked me if I wanted to play. In terms of academics, I have also heard of the kinesiology program before, so academics was definitely a big part of my choice.”

While his history with injuries restrained Watson in his athletic career for a while, he claimed that they pushed him to understand the science of the body.

“I’ve always been interested in how the human body works; it is kind of a marvel. I also suffered a couple big injuries early on in my career, and that motivated me to go into physiotherapy.”

This time off gave Watson the maturity to establish a certain balance between academics and athletics. “I came in as a bit of an older freshman. I was 21 when I started at SFU, so it was a bit of a smoother transition compared to coming straight from high school, but it has been an awesome experience for me.

“The only thing that’s missing is the national championship. That is what we are going for this year.”

Being the captain of SFU’s men’s soccer team can add a great level of pressure. How does Watson deal with it? “I have been the captain of the team since I was a sophomore, so I am used to the role of being a leader of the team, being more accountable, and leading an example for the younger guys. I believe there is a little more pressure because it is my last chance to win the championship — but I’m a goalkeeper, so I am used to the pressure.”

“I am used to the role of being a leader of the team, being more accountable, and leading an example for the younger guys”

Intelligence alone is not enough to excel in a classroom, and commitment and hard work go beyond the soccer field for Watson. One of his most notable distinctions as a student athlete is achieving an average GPA of 4.11 in kinesiology. “I keep a schedule of what is due and when it is due,” he said. “It is a matter of balance and work ethic. When you’re tired and trained for two hours, it takes a lot to sit down and focus on a book. It’s all about putting in the effort. I just put the time in required to do well in the course. ”

As Watson’s journey as a student athlete comes to an end, he’s reflecting on his future career paths and a potential chase after a professional career. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play professionally. Obviously I have backup plans. Hopefully I can put together the best season I’ve ever had and maybe turn some heads. Playing the sport I’ve loved my whole life and getting paid to do it would be a dream come true.”

The expectations for the men’s soccer team are set to be high this season. Watson shared his perspective as a senior who witnessed the Clan’s successful switch to the NCAA over the past three years.

“It is probably the best start to a season we have had in my four years here which is very encouraging. We all know collectively as a team it is just the beginning [. . .] and playing at home is a motivational factor.

“If you start with not conceding, you’re going to win more games and so far this season, we haven’t conceded.”

COMIC: Mystic Man 17- VS Nick Speed

By

EIC

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September 18, 2016

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NEW MUSIC FRIDAY

By

Peak Web

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September 16, 2016

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By: Sarah Finley, Courtney Miller, Jessica Whitesel

Follow The Peak on Spotify to stay up to date on New Music Friday.

“My Way” – Calvin Harris

Jessica Whitesel: Bye girl, bye. I might be reading too much into the drama of the Calvin Harris Taylor Swift breakup, but like a new master of the break-up track has been born from the ashes of that relationship. Harris crafted a break-up track that works for all relationship ends, not just romantic ones.

Courtney Miller: It’s light, which contrasts with Harris’ deep and raspy vocals. You can tell it’s from the same guy who made “Summer.” It’s not amazing, and the repetitive ending lasts a touch too long, but it’s easy enough to have on and not mind.

Sarah Finley: I’m not really a Calvin Harris fan, but this track sounds like it could be on a playlist for a beach party. Not to mention, with the chorus being “You were the one thing in my way,” this is most definitely a hilarious diss track aimed at Taylor Swift.

“Hurts” – Emeli Sandé

JW: I love her voice, but the horns and handclaps have the opposite effect on building the emotion of the song. I would have loved an uptempo strings section pared with maybe, like, a bassoon for the bass line. Because as of right now, the backing track is annoying as hell and I just want it to go the fuck away.

CM: It fakes you out by starting in a ballad kind of mood, but then that snappy percussion comes in, lifting the song into more of a kickass number. The vocals match the music very well and overall it comes out into a pretty good song. Would listen again.

SF: A strange conglomeration of quick clapping, slow and powerful vocals, and a dramatic horns section, I’m not sure how to feel about this track. It’s like Emeli Sandé couldn’t decide what she wanted the mood to be, so this is an attempt to combine all possible emotions.

“Under the Grave” – ROZES

JW: WHO HURT YOU??? That sentiment is not just specific to this song — it’s the theme to this whole playlist so far — but, like, I still want to know. In the ranking of these three break-up songs, it is by far the worst. It just fell into the background until the weird scream singing in the background makes you push skip.

CM: The vocal range is pretty great, and the track does just enough to keep from being monotonous. It’s a chill pop song that has clear distinctions between the chorus and verses, which is something I don’t find too often. It’s still comfortably within its genre, but it does a good job of not sounding exactly like everything else.

SF: The repetitive lyrics are your typical, heart-hurt, angsty teen pop lyrics. If I want sad music, I can listen to much sadder, and if I want happy music, there’s much happier. This is just a weird in-between stage.

“True Colors” – Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake

JW: I know that this is a Cyndi Lauper song, but I wasn’t expecting a cover. I honestly put this song on the playlist because I was like, “Haha, we can make fun of this disaster.” I WAS WRONG. It is a really good cover and their voices work really well together and I feel like I should apologize to the song for being mean to it.

CM: First off, I freaking love Anna Kendrick so I’m already heading into this song with high hopes. They took a more mellow approach to this song, less done up than Lauper’s version. If you like acoustic versions of pop songs, you’ll love this. Timberlake and Kendrick sound really good together.

SF: Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick combine their angelic voices for this DreamWorks rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors.” Need I say more? It’s Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick — you either like them or you don’t.

“Root Beer Float” – Olivia O’Brien feat. Blackbear

JW: TIL root beer float is something probably more than likely sexual or financial or maybe the actual drink, so TIL that I learned nothing about the youths. I am old and out of touch, I guess. It’s not “Milkshake” that’s for sure. The beat is great but the vocals just need to go away.

CM: Is “root beer float” some kind of recently coined sexual activity? Trying to figure that out took up most of my attention during this song. It’s pretty run-of-the-mill, and although it starts off catchy and infectious, it quickly loses its charm.

SF: Is root beer float a euphemism that I’m too innocent to understand? Or is this literally about A&W’s classic beverage? Either way, it’s exactly as terrible as you’d think. Admittedly, it would be better if it didn’t have weird laughter interspersed throughout, but yikes.

“Cinderella” – Mac Miller feat. Ty Dolla $ign

JW: Mac Miller should just love college and not really do anything else. I know that he has been having some issues with figuring out his sound coming off of that and it does come through in this song. But he is overshadowed by Ty Dolla $ign, and if it had just been Miller or Miller and a female singer, it could have been stronger. Oh and it is eight motherfucking minutes long and NEVER FUCKING STOPS 😡

CM: The starting vocals are nothing short of awful, so I’m automatically turned off this song. He’s doing some weird vocal effects shit that’s just annoying af. The next guy that comes in sounds like he’s trying to rap with a southern drawl, and just no. Much dislike.

SF: Oh, Mac Miller and Ty Dolla $ign. What a combo, delivering exactly what you’d expect from the pair. “Daddy told you’d better bring yo ass home.” That’s not how the fairytale goes, silly. My question is: how is this song eight minutes long?

“This Pleasure Needs Pain” – ådå

JW: This is a club track. Turn the bass up to drown out the repetitive vocals and just get fucking wrecked to it. Like, I guess it’s OK, but I’m in an office not the club so I’m just a sad panda.

CM: You are left with no doubt as to the title of the song. I like the low bass filled backing track — I don’t think the vocals contribute much to the song, as it’s basically just the title over and over again. Give me an instrumental version and I’ll spin it, but not this.

SF: Echoey vocals with lil bass drops and an eerie bassline would make this track dance club material if it were just a bit more upbeat.

“Lemonade” – Skylar Grey

JW: It takes a massive set of lady balls to release a song with the same title as a Beyoncé album. Those lady balls need to be comparable in size to the bush cricket’s — largest testicles relative to body size in the animal kingdom — since it is a best sub-par, and at worst one of the most skippable songs of the year.

CM: I’m just bored. There’s nothing new to this, it’s just some sultry lemonade. The bridge is the best part, where it starts to sound like something worth listening to, but it’s too short to justify listening to this equivalent of overcooked plain oatmeal.

SF: Skylar Grey was a staple on my early high school angst playlist. This track is more of the same, with slightly robotic sounding vocals, sad lyrics, and impressively diverse percussion.

“Reignite” – Knox Brown x Gallant

JW: Imagine if off-brand Chris Brown and off-brand The Weeknd had a baby, and then that baby had a baby with all of the non-singles from Usher’s Confessions. That is this song. And it sounds as bad as you would imagine.

CM: I like that about halfway through it changes up its instrumentals for a few moments and you can catch a glimpse of guitar. It’s a little bit seductive, but not enough to make it a go-to. The high vocals were impressive, but less so the more they just went on and on.

SF: Head voice vocals, a jazzy drum part, and cheesy romantic lyrics make this tacky track sound like something the high school DJs at my senior prom would’ve chosen for the iconic slow song to end the night.

“September Song” – JP Cooper

JW: This is how hand claps should be done in a backing track. It works with the overall feel of the song and keeps the uptempo poppy feeling. Lyrically, it is kind of repetitive, but it does want to make you dance — even when you are in an office.

CM: Okay, this is absolutely nothing new, but I still kind of like it? Like, it’s got a good beat, relatable lyrics, and bonus, it’s also in a pretty chill key for sing alongs? So while it’s not a fave, it’s still enjoyable.

SF: Despite its title, this track reminds me of summer drives on the highway with my best friends. Catchy and reminiscent of high school loves, definitely listen to this track if you want to over-romanticize your teen days.

“Cancer” – Twenty One Pilots

JW: I want to like Twenty One Pilots, but I’m past my emo phase. I would have loved this song 10 years ago when I was 15 — like, when the original came out. But on an unrelated note, don’t listen to the lyrics unless you really, really, feeling like crying over the subject of the song.

CM: The lyrics are beautiful, and it’s a really emotional, thoughtful, evocative song. The vocals aren’t the greatest — just not my style — they’re a little too borderline on the whining.

SF: I’m not really a TOP girl, but their cover of the MCR track could potentially be a contender for a spot on my cry playlist. The slow, heartbreaking lyrics almost made me feel like I was dying and leaving my loved ones behind, too.

“Runaway (Patrick Stump Remix)” – MSTRKRFT

JW: So Patrick Stump is remixing songs. Post-Fall Out Boy life has not been good to him. As far as remixes go, I feel like I am just being assaulted by random noises that don’t go together at all. It makes me sad and also kind of gives me a headache.

CM: It was definitely dynamic enough to be a remix, and I love Patrick Stump, but remixes are not my style. I guess there was technically nothing wrong with it, but remixes always have an overdone quality to it, like you tried too hard to make it a remix, so now it’s just kinda crappy.

SF: If you need to snap out of the funk that “Cancer” put you into, this may be the track to suit your needs. With rambunctious percussion and instrumentals that leave you feeling all over the place, this track will get rid of any sad mood vibes.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: NFL Blitz with Jason Romisher

By

EIC

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September 15, 2016

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6560912647_aca92d5e95_b — Matt Stafford will have a big game against the Colts this weekend.

Last Week: 9–7

This Season: 9–7

Hello, football fans. The highlight of my picks last week was easily correctly predicting that Victor Cruz would score the game winning touchdown in the Giants vs. Cowboys game. The play of the week was when Raiders’ coach Jack Del Rio elected to go for a successful two-point conversion down one with under a minute to play to secure a huge road win for his up-and-coming squad. The biggest surprise was New England winning on the road with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. The biggest disappointment was San Diego blowing a 24–3 lead to hand Kansas City their largest come from behind win in franchise history. Now to this week’s action.

New York Jets at Buffalo Thursday, 5:25 p.m.

Last year the Bills knocked the Jets out of the playoffs with a win on the last game of the season. Bills coach Rex Ryan improves to 3–0 against his former team.

Prediction: Buffalo 20 Jets 19

New Orleans at New York Giants, Sunday 10 a.m.

This game is going to be an absolute beauty for anyone who likes offensive football. Look for the Giants to start the season 2–0 and send the Saints marching back home 0–2 and looking for answers on defence.

Prediction: Giants 42 Saints 41

Kansas City at Houston, Sunday 10 a.m.

A playoff matchup from a year ago will result in Houston prevailing this time with a big fourth down sack by the forgotten former number one overall pick Jadeveon Clowney.

Prediction: Houston 23 Kansas City 19

Dallas at Washington, Sunday 10 a.m.

Washington takes care of business and sends Dallas into level 10 freakout mode with an 0–2 start.

Prediction: Washington 27 Dallas 21

Miami at New England Sunday 10 a.m.

Miami has the misfortune of starting the season at Seattle and then at New England. Unfair and a recipe for an 0–2 start.

Prediction: New England 28 Miami 20

Tennessee at Detroit, Sunday 10 a.m.

The Lions offence roared last week with a road win at Indianapolis. Matt Stafford has another big game as the surprising Lions start the season 2–0.

Prediction: Detroit 40 Tennessee 26

Baltimore at Cleveland Sunday, 10 a.m.

I cannot believe I picked Cleveland last week. I’m not going to make that mistake twice, especially the way Joe Flacco, the pride of Audubon New Jersey, looked last week.

Prediction: Baltimore 34 Cleveland 10

San Francisco at Carolina, Sunday 10 a.m.

Beating the Rams at home is one thing. Travelling across the country to take on a Panthers team smarting from a hard-fought loss to Denver is another. Panthers shred Chip Kelly’s squad with authority.

Prediction: Carolina 51 San Francisco 10

Tampa Bay at Arizona, Sunday 1:05 p.m.

Upset special! Last year Tampa Bay missed the playoffs and Arizona went 13–3 and advanced to the NFC Championship game. This game will be highly competitive and demonstrate that Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston is a force to be reckoned with the NFL.

Prediction: Tampa Bay 36 Arizona 34

Seattle at LA Rams Sunday, 1:05 p.m.

The Rams are 3–1 the last two years against the Seahawks and will be looking for a win in their first home game after returning to Los Angeles. After their putrid offensive performance last week I just cannot pick them despite Russell Wilson’s bad ankle.

Prediction: Seattle 19 Rams 12

Indianapolis at Denver Sunday, 1:25 p.m.

Denver took care of Carolina and will easily handle a Colts team with a very poor defence. Look for a huge game from CJ Anderson and a Broncos’ defensive touchdown.

Prediction: Denver 27 Indianapolis 6

Jacksonville at San Diego Sunday, 1:25 p.m.

Which mediocre team will go 0–2? Jacksonville is ready to win on the road despite the veteran savvy of Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.

Prediction: Jacksonville 30 San Diego 27

Atlanta at Oakland, Sunday 1:25 p.m.

I really hate to pick against Atlanta since their GM is a Canadian product of the University of Guelph. However, Oakland will be riding high after their emotional win last week and it appears the Falcons defence will not be able to respond.

Prediction: Oakland 42 Atlanta 24

Green Bay at Minnesota Sunday, 5:30 p.m.

Minnesota wins the first game in their new stadium against the archrival Packers on a last-second Blair Walsh field goal.

Prediction: Minnesota 17 Green Bay 16

Philadelphia at Chicago Monday, 5:30 p.m.

Monday night football has really gone downhill in their matchup selections. The most interesting part of this game is private wagers you should make whether the telecast will feature footage of the 1988 Fog Bowl played between these two teams on this field.

Prediction: Bears 20 Eagles 13

Game of the Week:

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, Sunday 10 a.m.

Oh baby! Another playoff rematch but this is a divisional matchup and a double revenge game for both teams. In last year’s playoff tilt, Pittsburgh star receiver Antonio Brown was concussed on a cheap shop. Cincinnati had the game won and was basically killing the clock when they absolutely self-destructed in the worst last-minute collapse in NFL history. Steelers win a bruising contest with several penalties and ejections.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 13 Cincinnati 10