Editorials by Chris has be renamed to Chris' Columns, welcome to the first ever column under the new name...
Chris DaileyFounder, The Sports Court Not every club has former world-class players as owners? True Not every club has a billionaire buy into the club? True Not every club renovates their stadium and makes a better place for the community to be at? Also true. I guess Salford City are not like everybody else. The club from just outside of Manchester is owned by former Premier League stars in Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham (all labeled as simply, The Class of 92), and a Singaporean billionaire in Peter Lim. Salford has received a lot of hate from lower league supporters for ruining the game and spending big to get results. Even when the Class of 92 took over many Salford City supporters weren’t happy. Fans thought they would come in and ruin the integrity of the club. Instead, the Class of 92 alongside Peter Lim have built a new ground, taken the club from the 8th division to the football league, and made the club a fully professional operation. As many English soccer fans make fun of Salford City, commonly referred to as $alford City, I give the owners and their club credit. These owners took over their local teams rather than go after an already large team and they led the club to an unprecedented amount of success. Although they may have the highest wages in all of League 2, they also have some of the most hands-on owners who care about the club. The Class of 92 were the feature of a Netflix documentary that documented their rise to the football league. This documentary was amazing for many American-based English soccer fans as it gave the fans a behind-the-scenes look at the lower leagues of English soccer and it helped spread the game of soccer, specifically lower league soccer, to those who have never see it. Salford City have done more to grow the ‘non-league’ game than any other team they’ve ever played. Despite their rival fans saying they brought their way to the top, which is true, they also helped tens if not hundreds of thousands of people who have never seen non-league soccer finally see non-league soccer. A locally based club with locally-based legends, Salford City is truly a fantastic club and is perhaps the most misunderstood club not just in all of England, but the world. pictures via https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/30/01/2DECC59200000578-0-image-a-25_1446168320376.jpg and https://i2-prod.devonlive.com/sport/article2870324.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200c/0_SalfordCity.jpg
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Chris DaileyFounder, The Sports Court  Kyren Williams is a legitimate Heisman candidate. Notre Dame’s speedy, pass-catching running back is one of the nation's best and most productive returning running backs. However, the 5’9 21-year-old from Missouri also has a lot going against him this upcoming season. For instance, the junior back has unfamiliar faces protecting him up front. Four of the five Irish starters are now pursuing their NFL dreams, with three of them being drafted. Jarrett Patterson will be returning from injury and moving positions as the guard will move over to center as per Brian Kelly. One of Williams’ keys to success last year was his amazing offensive line that would make holes for Williams to exploit, and Williams sure did. The kid from Missouri ran for 1,125 yards and 13 touchdowns on 211 attempts. The turnover in the offensive line will be a tough task for Brian Kelly and his team to handle, as experience at the OL position is vital. However, Notre Dame is known for producing offensive linemen and Jeff Quinn, Notre Dame’s offensive Line Coach, will be sure to have the new boys ready. Another reason Kyren Williams might not be a legitimate Heisman candidate is because of just how good Chris Tyree is. Tyree, a sophomore, rushed for a steady 496 yards, getting limited reps because of Williams’ ability. This season, Tommy Rees will want to give more touches to Tyree - who as a senior in high school won the award for the fastest football player in the nation. On the flip side, there are many more reasons pointing to why Williams puts up a legitimate case for the Heisman Trophy. For starters, Notre Dame lost a lot of talent this past offseason and their new QB, Jack Coan, isn’t the running-around, playmaking QB that Ian Book was. This will make Tommy Rees rely much heavier on the run game, something that Wisconsin did when Coan started there, with their running back (now Colts star) Jonathan Taylor putting up record-setting numbers as the Badgers relied on him heavily. Rees will have to adjust to the way his new QB plays and a run-oriented offense will likely be the way he does so. Secondly, Kyren Williams is a dual-threat running back. The St. Louis native is also very effective in the air, catching for 313 yards last season. His ability to catch the ball will be very important for this Irish offense who lost two of their biggest targets last year in Ben Skowronek and Javon McKinley. Lastly, Kyren Williams has experience on a very inexperienced team. As a junior, he was named captain of the team, showing just how much his teammates and coaches trust in him and his abilities. Williams is one of the nation's best returning backs and one of Notre Dame’s most experienced returning offensive players. The Irish have a tough schedule, facing the likes of Kedon Slovis and USC, and a very good Cincinnati Bearats team, but if Williams performs well he has the ability to change a game and in Notre Dame’s case, a season. Image via https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EmRq60-XUAEmdj2.jpg THIS ARTICLE CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON OUR TEAM OUTLOOK NOTRE DAME SECTION
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Chris DaileyA writer who loves to learn and share. Archives
September 2023
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