Historically, Spurs are known for fighting for league titles and Champions League spots. This season, they find themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum, facing relegation to the 2^nd tier of English football.

Note: In soccer, leagues operate with a promotion-relegation system, where the bottom 3-4 teams are relegated, and the top 3-4 are promoted. This is different than a lot of other sports.

The idea of Spurs going down was nothing more than a joke amongst football fans, because despite being bad, everyone figured they would find themselves mid-table by the end of the season, purely based on the talent of their big-money players. But now, we are in April with 6 games left to be played, and Tottenham are actually in the relegation zone; in other words, if the season were to end today, Spurs would be going down.

Photo: Getty Images

A nightmare season for the cockerels

Photo: skysports.com

Heading into the 25-26 season, Tottenham had made some big transitional moves for the future. They began the summer window by firing head coach Ange Postecoglou, which was somewhat controversial, given they had just won a European trophy a week prior. They then appointed ex-Brentford boss Thomas Frank as Postecoglou’s successor. They immediately engaged in talks with some big-name players on the market: Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simmons, and Mathys Tel. In total, Spurs spent 210 million in the summer window. After such a decisive and convincing transfer window, the talk around Spurs was that they had enough quality to compete for a top-8 finish in the league (which earns you a spot in a European competition). At the time, Frank was a hot new commodity who helped Brentford overachieve in the league. They were signing popular players who were either in their prime, or about to hit it, what was not to like?

Tottenham lived up to the hype in August and September. They started by winning 3 of their first 4 games, including a 2-0 win against Man City. After 7 games, they sat at the top of the league – 4 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws. This would be the end of their hot streak, and the nosedive began. Since those first 7 games, the Spurs have won 3 more, and their last win was in December 2025.

Here’s the kicker: They are on their third head coach this season – third.

What’s gone wrong?

Photo: independent.co.uk

It’s hard to trace the falloff we have never seen before to a single cause, but it is likely a combination of several factors. The first one is that Frank never truly got his playstyle and system to resonate with the players. Still, they were able to start hot due to a football phenomenon called a “new manager bounce,” which is when players give everything they have to try and impress the new coach. Another factor that has likely played into this total disaster class is that Tottenham’s scouting department either did a poor job of recognizing or accounting for players’ personalities. Of course, as onlookers, we do not get to see the players’ personalities behind the scenes, but it is plausible to believe that they signed players who play for themselves rather than the team.

Will they survive?

At this point, anything can happen. The fanbase is embarrassed and can’t get behind the team; the players are embarrassed, while some may be downing tools and angling for a move away from the club if they go down. The club is spiraling, and being relegated would have major impacts on its financial outlook, and it would lose many of its players to other clubs. Despite staring down the barrel of a historical downfall, they have a chance to stay up thanks to the sheer technical quality of their players compared to other relegation clubs. They are 2 points from safety, and 7 points from a possible 18 in their remaining fixtures would likely be enough to keep them up. It is not going to be easy, but I believe that talent will be just enough.

Photo by steelerswire.usatoday.com.

The NFL draft is one of the few things NFL fans look forward to during the league’s long off-season; it is arguably the biggest event of the off-season. Fans are either licking their wounds after a heartbreaking playoff loss or excited for their team to bring in some new faces after missing the playoffs entirely.

This year’s draft class was considered a weaker class than usual, which meant that it would be unpredictable – the thought amongst teams was that if you liked a player, you had to find a way to get him, because there wasn’t a ton of talent to pick from. These thoughts were proven right, as we witnessed the second-highest number of trades (41) in a draft since 1990.

Here is a review of this year’s draft surprises and successes.

SURPRISE – Round 1 Pick 13: LA Rams select QB Ty Simpson (Alabama)

Photo: msn.com.

The LA Rams come off a 2025 season where they were top dogs for most of the year, though ultimately bowing out in the NFC championship game. And after a strong off-season in which they completely revamped their secondary (which was the only positional hole on their roster), they went into the first round with the luxury of drafting the best player available. Instead of adding a Tier 1 caliber pass catcher and giving future Hall of Fame QB Matt Stafford another weapon, they opted for his future replacement instead. That was problem #1 with this selection. Problem #2 was that they took a guy whose jury is still out on whether he can succeed in the NFL; in his one season as a starter, Simpson started great but was dreadful for the entire second half of the year. Whether or not Simpson turns out to be a starting-caliber NFL quarterback, this pick was terrible in the eyes of many, including head coach Sean McVay, who was visibly upset with GM Les Snead’s decision.

The bottom line: You don’t draft for the future when you have a roster strong enough to win a Super Bowl now.

Winners – New York’s draft classes (The Giants + the Jets)

Illustration: jchscaldron.com.

In the NFL, New York isn’t a city associated with winning in recent history. Since 2011, the Jets and Giants have 1 playoff win between them. Though the two franchises haven’t been good at much of anything in over a decade, they both deserve credit for their successful draft classes.

The Jets

The Jets took advantage of their plethora of top 100 picks by plugging several holes on their roster. With the second overall pick, they selected pass rush specialist David Bailey, who will provide them with immediate impact at defensive edge. With their remaining two first-round picks, they selected dynamic pass-catching tight end Kenyon Sadiq (pick 16) and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr, who offers flexibility in terms of his role on offense (pick 30). With their last two premium picks, the Jets filled a need at cornerback by selecting a feisty defender in DeAngelo Ponds. If not for his lack of size, Ponds would no doubt have been the second-best Corner in the draft. At pick 103, the Jets plugged another need at Defensive tackle, selecting imposing, run-stuffing lineman Darrell Jackson Jr.

The Giants

The Giants ran to the podium with their first pick of the draft, as Linebacker/Edge Arvell Reese fell into their lap at #5. Reese is seen as a top 3 talent in this year’s draft, while also playing a premium position. At pick #10, the Giants opted to protect their rising-star QB, Jaxson Dart, selecting offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. At the top of the second round, they selected cornerback Colton Hood out of Tennessee, who is good value at that spot, thereby strengthening the weak point of their defense. With their last premium draft pick, head coach John Harbaugh decided to get his quarterback a 50/50 jump-ball specialist, selecting Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields; Fields is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds.

SURPRISE – CB Jermod McCoy falling to the 4^th round

Photo: totalapexsports.com.

Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy’s 2024 tape was exceptional. If he were being evaluated based on his 2024 season, he would have been a top 10 pick in the draft. Unfortunately, a torn ACL in January of 2025, along with new injury concerns, caused him to slide all the way to the 4^th round. We witnessed a similar ordeal last year, when Cornerback Will Johnson – a 1^st round talent – slid to the second round. While the situations were similar, McCoy is undoubtedly much more talented than Johnson. The new injury concerns that came out after the draft sounded pretty serious, and explained the long slide to the 4^th round; McCoy has a “bone plug” in the ACL he tore last year, and though he doesn’t need to have surgery immediately, there is a fear that the surgery to remove the piece of bone would knock McCoy out for at least a year.

A “bone plug” is used to repair ACL injuries. A surgeon takes a piece of bone and cartilage from a non-weight-bearing part of the knee and uses it to create a smooth joint surface.

Winners – Shedeur Sanders (Browns)

Photo: bolavip.com.

Whether by choice or by a lack of draftable quarterbacks, the Cleveland Browns look to be sticking with Shedeur Sanders as their quarterback for the 2027 NFL season. Sanders was not dazzling at all in his rookie year, though he did show progression throughout the season, giving the front office and fanbase something to chew on. As the likely starter for the upcoming season, Sanders is a draft-day winner. With their first 3 picks, the Browns went all offense; drafting offensive tackle Spencer Fano at pick 9, before selecting receivers with back-to-back picks by taking KC Concepion (pick 24) and Denzel Boston (pick 39). These three selections have given Sanders two things: more time to throw, and more reliable players to throw to.

Ski Jumping is one of the 16 original Winter Olympic events. It is often referred to as “the original extreme sport.” Despite its rich history, most people don’t know what ski jumping is, and almost no one understands it. If you fall into either of these categories, then this series is for you. Click here to view other articles in this series.

When people hear Ski Jumping, they envision a skier jumping on snow, which is true in the winter. In the summer, however, ski jumpers can still jump. How?

In the summer, the ice and snow melt off the inrun, revealing the summer plastic tracks below. The summer tracks have round bumps on the bottom that reduce friction between the skis and the track. The bumps, combined with a system of misters that spray down the track, “make it feel almost exactly like snow,” says Jack Kroll ’26.

Ski Jump summer tracks. Photo by Everslide.com

Snow nets are being installed on the 90M at the Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex. Photo by Lake Placid Legacy Sites.

For the landing hill, it is a little more complicated to go from winter to summer jumping. When the snow melts, it reveals large snow nets that cover the entire landing hill. These are massive cargo nets attached to the concrete beneath the landing hill, preventing snow from sliding off the slippery summer landing. The nets must be removed before summer jumping can start. The summer landing hill consists of plastic sheets with nylon bristles that resemble weed-whacker string. The sheets are roughly 2 feet long, and they overlap each other down the landing hill like shingles on a roof. On the side of the hill, there is a sprinkler system that waters down the plastic. These sprinklers are turned off while someone is jumping, as they interfere with the flight. Then, there is a water break when the plastic gets too dry. If the plastic is dry, there is a lot of friction between the skis and the plastic, which can cause the jumper to stick to the landing hill and fall.

Snow nets installed at the Olympic Jumping Complex. Photo provided.

Summer jumping makes Ski Jumping a year-round activity. Northwood Ski Jumpers can train on the hill for all but three and a half months a year. Northwood Ski Jumpers are extremely lucky, as they get to call one of the two American Olympic-sized jumping complexes their home hill in the summer.

Ski Jumping is one of the 16 original Winter Olympic events. It is often referred to as “the original extreme sport.” Despite its rich history, most people don’t know what ski jumping is, and almost no one understands it. If you fall into either of these categories, then this article is for you.

Before every practice or competition, athletes must prepare. They spend substantial time warming up and preparing for a jumping session. Northwood ski jumper Henry Loher ’26 says, “First, I wax my skis, then I go for a short run. Then, I play one bounce,” (the American ski jumper version of a popular Norwegian soccer game). “Once we finish one bounce, I go and stretch for ten to twenty minutes. Then, I do some plyometrics and balance work with my coach. When my coach gives me the ok, I go and suit up.” Once suited up, athletes head up the jump and put their skis and jets on. For more on equipment, click here. Then, they slide out onto the bars. Now for the actual jump.

First is the in-run. When an athlete gets on the bar, a coach will put their hand up. The coach watches the wind and waits for the right, safe conditions. The coach waves their hand, and this is the athletes’ signal to go. They then get off the bar and into an in-run position. This is a low-aerodynamic tuck position that athletes use to gather speed and prepare for takeoff.

USA Ski Jumping National Team and NYSEF Alum Tate Frantz is in an in-run position while warming up. Photo provided.

The second phase, the takeoff, is the most critical. Jumpers need to push straight down through the ball of their foot. If a jumper rolls off their toes, the ski tips go down. Jumping skis are designed to catch a lot of air, and when that air is caught on the top of the skis, the skis fall away, and the jumper flips over and crashes. If a jumper jumps off their heels, the skis pop up, and they catch a lot of air. This acts like a brake, reducing all the jumpers’ speed, so they travel less far. Ski jumpers are trying to find a balance between generating lift (positive ski angle) and maintaining speed without lift (flat ski angle). Notice the shin angle in the image of the inrun. This is extremely important as it allows jumpers to jump not just up but also out, maintaining their speed. The takeoff also has a timing component. Ski jumpers are moving 55+ MPH on the Olympic-sized hills in Lake Placid. This makes perfectly timing a jump very difficult. Many people think there is a lip or jump at takeoff, but it is at a negative angle, which is why timing is essential, since all of a jumper’s power and trajectory are self-created.

The third phase is the flight, which continues the takeoff. Jumpers try to be aggressive and out over their skis. The goal is to be nearly parallel to the ground. The skis are in a V position, increasing effective length by up to 30% compared to traditional parallel skis.

Henry Loher ’26 in flight at the 2024 US Nationals. Photo by Nancie Battaglia.

The fourth and final phase is the landing. Landings are scored by judges on the side of the hill. For more on style points and judges, click here. The ideal landing is the telemark landing, with one foot in front of the other and hands out to the sides. Then, athletes slow down as they go up the counter slope and are ready to go back up and jump again.