Hawks on Fire

If you live in Atlanta like myself, you've probably heard about our Hawks dominating in the NBA this season (and if you haven't, you live under a rock and should probably get out more). Now, I'm not exactly a diehard fan of basketball but I can definitely jump on this bandwagon and root on my beloved city of Atlanta.

The players for 2015 NBA All-Star Game have been announced and ATLiens were thrilled to find out that out of the seven Eastern Conference reserves, three of them are Atlanta Hawks.
Paul Millsap, Al Horford, and Jeff Teague are the first trio of Hawks going to the All-Stars since 1980. Teague will be going for the first time in his career.

The Hawks are currently 38-8 and are on a 17 game win-streak, making them number one in the league.
They are set to play the Trail Blazers (32-14) tonight to make it 18.

Also just really wanted to exhibit Mike Scott's love for emojis.

SOURCES: ESPN

Super Bowl XLIX

Well its almost that time of year again. The bittersweetness of watching the two best teams in the NFL, all the while coming to the sad realization that this means the end of football season. As the big day approaches, I wanted to briefly recap the games this past weekend that led the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots to their bombshell victories.

First came the much anticipated Packers versus Seahawks game at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, that had most of us believing Aaron Rodgers would lead Green Bay to the Super Bowl. Well, not so fast. After an overwhelming series of turnovers and down by twelve points with four minutes left in the game, we witnessed history in the making when the Seahawks managed to come back and win it.

Russell Wilson, with the help of Marshawn Lynch's 24-yard touchdown run, and Luke Wilson's incredible catch on the 2-point conversion, Seattle fans roared as they took the lead. But it wasn't over yet. The Packers 48-yard field goal forced the game into overtime.

Seattle won the coin toss and went 87 yards in merely six plays when Russell Wilson's touchdown pass to Kearse won the game. What a comeback!
An emotional Russell Wilson talked about believing in his team and that's what led to their astonishing victory and ticket to the Super Bowl.

Immediately after, we saw Andrew Luck and his Colts face off Tom Brady and the Patriots on a chilly/rainy evening at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. Brady became the NFL's all-time leading passer in the post-season after the Colts lost 45-7.
I expected a NE victory but I honestly thought Indianapolis would put up a better fight. This was the most askew AFC victory I've ever seen. Nevertheless it was an incredibly gratifying win for
Patriots fans as this will be Belichick and Brady's 6th time going to the Super Bowl.

And lets not forget to mention Vince Wilfork's admirable act of compassion on his way home from the game. Apparently he saw an overturned SUV on the interstate and pulled over to assist! The driver couldn't get out so Vince stayed with her until police arrived and then pulled her out while the cops held the side door open. How sweet!

Now there are allegations of the Patriots deflating their balls during the game. Today we were told that 11 of the 12 game balls were deflated, very unsettling news, as Belichick tends to be the target of much distrust when it comes to cheating (aka: 2007's filming scandal). The NFL's investigation is ongoing and we should know more about the nature of this discrepancy over the course of the next few days.

Regardless, I congratulate all the four teams that played in the AFC and NFC championships and am excited/anxious for Super Bowl XLIX Sunday, February 1st.


SOURCES: ESPN, NBC

Rob Gronkowski: 2014 Comeback Player of the Year

There's been so much Gronk talk and speculation this season surrounding Rob Gronkowski's outstanding performance on (and off) the field, so let's just take a moment to recap his incredible journey that led to him to being voted 2014's Comeback Player of the Year.

As most football fans know, Gronkowski has had a huge impact on the New England Patriots as he and Tom Brady have quite the impressive QB-TE chemistry. 

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect about Gronk is his ability to come back even stronger from his list of injuries. All Patriots fans cringe a little bit when watching him play and come in contact with defensive opponents, because as strong and tall as he may be, Rob is definitely known now as injury (and infection) prone. In 2011 he injured his ankle right before Super Bowl XLVI in which the Patriots lost to the New York Giants, however, that didn't stop him from getting 5 receptions for 87 yards.

An infection in his forearm and back surgery prevented Gronk from 2013 training camp and he was out for the first six games of the season. When he finally was able to play, he infamously tore his ACL during the 15th week Cleveland Browns game that ended his season, a major heart breaker for Pats fans. Nonetheless, throughout the seven games he played, he went for 592 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

With a full recovery, Gronkowski played the much anticipated 2014 season completely unfazed. So far he's had 82 receptions for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns.

On the brink of Super Bowl XLIX, he now has the bright chance of going for the 2nd time in his career thus far.

Aside from his valiancy on the field, Rob has proven to be dedicated to giving back and being charitable, making New England's favorite tight end even more admirable. He and his brothers started their own charity, the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation, which supports and inspires youth to be  positively involved in sports. He also made headlines in 2012 when he shaved his head for charity at the Kid's Cancer Buzz-Off to raise money for children with cancer.

So cheers to you Gronk, you're a real class act.

By: Gabriella Freitas

Sources: ESPN