Nicholas Licata

Golden 1 Center, home of the Sacramento Kings, as photographed in 2017 by JC Gellidon PITTSBURGH –  The National Basketball Association is dead.  Well, not yet. But a sport that once prided itself on rivalry, personality and culture is on the brink of losing all three of the  major  facets that made it special.   According to Yahoo Sports, the NBA’s ratings on ESPN were down 28% as of Nov. 21. According to the New York Times, the ratings from the start of this season through the NBA Cup semifinals, which were played this week, were down 19% overall compared to the same time period last season.  A falloff as drastic as this doesn’t just happen overnight. It is not just because of  one small  reason, either. To lose millions of fans takes time and ineptitude. There are a multitude of reasons why the NBA is in decline.  Oversaturated Marketing of Large-Market Teams Unfortunately, if you are a fan of any of the 29 teams that are not the Los ...

PITTSBURGH -- As the javelin left Megan Penrod’s hand, she didn’t expect it to be her best throw.   She was competing at George Mason University in the Duquesne University track and field team’s third meet of the 2024 season. She set her block leg, rotated her shoulders and followed through, throwing 42.71 meters.    The distance marked a new personal best, the second-farthest women’s javelin throw in Duquesne history and the meet-winning throw.   Not only was it her best throw; it was one of her last.     Within the week, it was determined via Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) that Penrod had partially torn her Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL), ending her 2023 campaign and turning her life upside down.   However, Penrod’s self-motivating attitude and mindset have never waned.     “I have so much more to prove than I have already, said Penrod. “I know that inside. I’m not done.  I know it .”    The junior’s rise throug...