NFL Playoff Predictions: Part 2
By Jasper L.
(Written Jan. 24th)
These are my new predictions for the 2021/2022 NFL playoffs. There were multiple upsets in the playoffs so far. For example, when the 49ers beat both the Cowboys and the Packers. Another upset was the Bengals beating the Titans in Tennessee. My new prediction is that the Chiefs will beat the Bengals in the AFC Championship and the Rams will beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship. I think it will be an entertaining game if the Chiefs and the Rams play each other in the Super Bowl. It will come down to the Rams defense sacking Patrick Mahomes, but if they can’t I still think the Chiefs will win the Super Bowl. Another factor is that Matthew Stafford has to play well and not throw picks under pressure because when he is under pressure he is likely to throw an interception. I think both teams have a good shot at winning. On offense, the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon, Byron Pringle, and Mecole Hardman. The Chiefs defense is led by Tyrann Mathieu and Chris Jones. They also have Frank Clark, Melvin Ingram, Williey Gay Jr, L’Jarius Sneed, and Charvarius Ward. On the Rams offense, they have Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, OBJ, Tyler Higbee, Sony Michel, and Cam Akers. On defense, the Rams have outstanding players such as Aaron Donald, Von Miller, and Jalen Ramsey. I think the score will be 42-35 Chiefs, which means that Patrick Mahomes will have his second Super Bowl win and get his revenge on the league for last season.
NFL Playoff Predictions: Part 1
By Jasper L.
(Written Jan. 10th)
This year in the NFL a lot of teams are really outstanding, but these are my predictions for who will win the Super Bowl. In the NFC, I think that Aaron Rogers and the Packers will be the champions because they have been playing great football and they also have the best record. The runner up will probably be the Arizona Cardinals since they are only impressive because of Kyler Murray and Deandre Hopkins. In the AFC, I think the Chiefs will be the champions because they have a really efficient offense and if they don’t score, their defense can usually hold their opponents. The runner up for the AFC will most likely be the Titans, and the only way they can win is if they get Derrick Henry back healthy and throw the ball to AJ Brown. If the Packers and the Chiefs play each other in the Super Bowl it would be a very entertaining game to watch. Personally. I think the Chiefs will win, mostly because they are my favorite team. The best way for them to win would be by doubling Davante Adams and sacking Aaron Rodgers. This is my prediction for this this year’s playoff. I hope I'm right!
Investing
The Best and the Worst Stocks to Invest in Right Now.
By Jasper L.
Automotive sector. I would not invest in Nikola because their stock has been dipping and dipping for a whole year. It had a high of 65 dollars but it’s currently at 7 dollars. On the other hand, Tesla is a little pricey but it keeps going up. In the last year Tesla has gone up 30% from 811 dollars to 1,200 dollars at one point. Tesla has a current price of $930 and a market cap of 930 billion dollars. Nikola's market cap is only three billion dollars. One strong thing about Tesla is that their stock is consistent. The biggest red flag with Nikola is that the CEO got sued for securities fraud for 125 million dollars.
Entertainment. I think Netflix is a good stock to buy into. The company has a strong net income because in 2021 they made about 1 billion dollars each quarter. Netflix also makes interesting and entertaining shows like Cobra Kai. Over the last five years, Netflix’s stock has grown 171% percent. It went from 130 dollars to 387 dollars. The stock price went down recently, so it could be a good time to buy. Snapchat is a bad stock to buy into right now. Snapchat is worth 51 billion dollars compared to Nexflix’s 171 billion. Also Snapchat is not making any money, in fact they are losing money. In the past year Snapchat has gone down over 20% percent. Since September it is down 61% percent.
Sports Betting. DraftKings has become one of the worst stocks over the course of 2021. They are only valued at 16 billion dollars (they were once valued at 50 billion dollars). Over the last three earnings reports of 2021, Draftkings lost over a billion dollars. Draftkings stock also went down 60% percent in 2021.
History Blog
By Jasper L.
Roman Legion vs Greek Phalanx
What was the Roman Legion?
According to the Encyclopedia Romana, “The Roman legion was a highly disciplined, well-trained, and heavily armed body of infantry, which, in the first century AD, comprised between five and six thousand men (the exact number is not stated in the classical literature), all of whom were Roman citizens.” A legion had five thousand infantrymen or (a legionnaire) which were divided into ten cohorts which had roughly five hundred men. The first cohort was the most prestigious and experienced; it consisted of about eight hundred men. Most legions also had cavalry and archers/slingers. The top soldier was the centurion.
What Was the Greek Phalanx?
The phalanx consisted of about 256 men packed tightly together. All of the soldiers in the Phalanx had spears, shields, and short swords. It was a bunch of soldiers right next to each other with the first three rows spers pointing at the enemy and the rest sticking their spears in the air to protect the Phalanx from any missile unit. They were great at splitting and cracking units formation by shoving into the other unit. On the other hand they were big and clunking so they could easily be flanked and routed by the enemy. They could steamroll through most opponents pretty easily. It was a successful formation for hundreds of years.
Who Would Win on a Random Terrain? (5,000 vs 5,000)
It would depend on where the battle was fought. If it was an open field then the Romans would win because they can maneuver faster and they would flank the backs of the Greek phalanx. Also they could split the Greeks in half because the phalanx will break if that happens.
Another advantage the Romans would have is that they use shorter weapons than the Greeks and that's better on an open battlefield.
That would all change if they were fighting in a settlement then the Greeks would have the advantage. First, they have pikes so they only have to stack a few men in one place so they can spread their army throughout the city. Also, the Romans have to put a lot of effort into killing the pikemen. While that is happening the Greeks could set up better defense and add traps against the army they are fighting. Overall the phalanx is a better defensive unit which is optimal for a city landscape. Both armies were great but the winner would be determined by the terrain.
Sources:
https://www.greecehighdefinition.com/blog/greek-phalanx-vs-roman-legion
https://minds.wisconsin.edu/bitstream/handle/1793/47077/KochomSpr10.pdf
https://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/britannia/wales/legio.html