The Seawanhaka Sports Rundown is a weekly roundup of five stories that examine developments in sports news at the local, state, national, and international levels.
By: ZACK JONES / DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR
Messi Wins 8th Ballon d’Or Award
Lionel Messi, who many presume to be the greatest player of all time, won his eighth Ballon d’Or Award over the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. The Argentinian boasts the most Ballon d’Or Awards ever — a French award given to the best footballer in the world — furthering the gap between the second most of five by Cristiano Ronaldo.
The ceremony did not come without controversy, though, as many claim the award has become a popularity contest that lacks integrity. Many argue Erling Haaland of Manchester City was deserving of the award because of his brilliant play in the Premier League, breaking the single-season goalscoring record (36) that was formerly held by Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole (34).
Tyson Fury Defeats Francis Ngannou
Remaining on the topic of controversial decisions, Tyson Fury found himself on the right side of the judges' scorecards in his split-decision victory over Francis Ngannou.
Many claim that Fury, an undefeated boxer who is arguably the best in the sport, lost to Ngannou, an MMA fighter, in the Saudi Arabia-based fight. Ngannou looked sharp in his boxing debut, even knocking down the champ in the third round.
The questionable decision led to questions surrounding the integrity of boxing. Many claim the only reason Ngannou didn’t win was simply because of Fury’s undefeated status.
Will Levis Rookie Debut
The Tennessee Titans may have found a gem in the second round of last year's draft.
Rookie quarterback Will Levis put up an astonishing debut performance against the Atlanta Falcons, accumulating four passing touchdowns, 238 passing yards and a win to kick off his NFL career.
This performance came to the surprise of many NFL fans and brought up questions of who the starter will be moving forward. Ryan Tannehill, the Titans starter for the past several seasons, is due to return from an ankle injury but may no longer return to his starting role. Tannehill failed to produce early in the season. throwing only two touchdowns with six interceptions.
LIU’s Emil Jaaskelainen Top Active Goalscorer in D1 Soccer
Emil Jaaskelainen, a striker for the LIU Men’s Soccer team, scored four goals in the first half of their game against Le Moyne. The offensive tirade put Jaaslelainen at 41 goals through his Division 1 career, tied for first amongst active D1 goalscorers. With 10 goals over the first 15 games, Jaaskelainen’s hot start to the season may see him take full control of the list in no time.
LIU Men's Hockey Defeats Stonehill 4-2
Forward Remy Parker came up big this week for LIU Men’s Hockey as they overcame conference rival Stonehill 4-2. Parker scored two goals on seven shots throughout the match. However, Parker was not the only major offensive performance of the match. Forward Josh Zary also posted two goals, including a go-ahead shot to put the Sharks ahead. This performance gives the Sharks a two-game edge over Stonehill, who they will meet six more times this season.