SPORTS WRAP
BY WILLIAM HATHAWAY, JR.
PHOTO BY FELICIA LAGUERRE OWENS
The 2023 NFL Season is officially open for business, and the first weekend, was a mix of downhill, victorious, and shattered for the local teams.
First, the Giants opened at home on Sunday night against the hated division rival Dallas Cowboys. They drove down the field and got themselves a field goal attempt early. From there, everything went downhill. The kick was blocked and returned for a Dallas touchdown. Then, Daniel Jones tossed a ball to Saquon Barkley, only for the star running back to bobble the ball in the air for an interception. Later, Jones threw a interception that was totally his fault. Also, when Graham Gano wasn’t getting a kick blocked, he was missing one.
All in all, the only mistake the Cowboys made was a missed extra point on their way to a 40-0 beatdown of Big Blue. With wins by the Eagles and Dan Snyder-free Commanders, the Giants are already in last place.
After the game, the grounds crew got the field ready for the Jets home opening on Monday night against the Buffalo Bills. In a defensive battle, the good news is that Gang Green got a decent enough performance from backup QB Zach Wilson to stay in it throughout. After Buffalo got a luck field goal to force OT, they were forced to punt. From these Jets rookie Xavier Gipson ran it back for a walkoff TD, leaving his team victorious in a 22-16 win.
Now comes the “shattered” part. The reason why Wilson was even mentioned is because new Jets starter and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers went down on the fourth snap of the season. The diagnosis? A torn Achilles tendon, meaning his season, and maybe even career, is over. Ouch.
In FIBA Cup news, not only did the U.S. men’s team not win the Cup (that honor went to Germany), but they also didn’t even get a medal. This led to more seasoned veterans like LeBron James and Stephen Curry to volunteer their services for the 2024 Olympics.
Finally, here is a recap of what happened a couple of weeks ago at the Orange Central Playground. The field hosted the first annual Larry Allen Gaunt basketball tournament, which was attended by community leaders, residents, and former Orange basketball players.
The event was sponsored by Orange resident Reggie Miller and the Orange Recreation Department. Larry Gaunt was a volunteer coach for the Orange High School basketball team. Members of the Orange Democratic Committee came out to also show their support along with some Orange city council members. In the end, the Orange OGs beat the Orange Youngbloods 63-53. The MVP of the winning team was Richie Guillaume from the OGs while Greg Burton was the MVP of the Youngbloods.
