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The Final Whistle: A renaissance in Naples

By Bharat Singh | February 9

While most will remember Diego Maradona in the iconic sky blue and white of Argentina, some might recall his time in Italy, where the Argentine magician wore a darker shade of blue. A symbol of hope for a suffering city, Maradona brought life to Naples, taking Napoli from near relegation to its first-ever Scudetto in 1987 and adding another in 1990. In the post-Maradona era, however, Italian football slipped back into its usual three-horse race between Juventus and the two great Milan clubs. Since 2002, only these three sides have shared the glory of Italian football, a period which included eight consecutive titles for Juventus. This season, however, the familiar script of Italian football has taken an unexpected twist with the renaissance of Napoli.

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The Wraparound: Rebrand needed for NHL All-Star Game

By Timothy Valk | February 9

If you didn’t tune into the 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend, hosted Friday and Saturday in Sunrise, Fla., you missed seeing Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner dress up as Miami Vice’s Sonny Crockett on a breakaway challenge, the hard-nosed Tkachuk brothers perform a beach-themed on-ice skit and the “Great 8” Alex Ovechkin’s 4-year-old son, Sergei, offer a glimpse into his hockey future.

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Queeries: presence vs. representation

By Jack Clohisy and Saba S. | February 9

Hello to all our queers, peers, queer peers, etc. Queeries is coming right back at you again for the spring 2023 semester. Similarly to last fall, we’ll be discussing anything and everything queer. We’re here, we’re queer and we’re here to spread all the love and joy. Please enjoy our iterations this semester.

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Personal Praguenosis

By Sacha Waters | February 8

Although I decided to study film in Prague for a semester, I’ve always been nervous abroad — a byproduct of my woefully American fashion sense and drawl. Despite possessing an English mother, I’ve found my accent does me no favors in Europe; my brother and I joke that as soon as we dare to speak within London, the surrounding passersby’s estimation of our IQ drops by 30 points. At times, it’s difficult to not feel judged.

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Winkler’s Weekly Symphony Guide: Mackey’s concerto saves the night

By Matthew Winkler | February 8

On Jan. 28, the Boston Symphony Orchestra finished the month with a familiar formula for programming at this point.Steven Mackey’s “Concerto for Curved Space” opened as the contemporary work, Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Violin Concerto No. 2” followed, continuing the BSO’s Shostakovich cycle and Johannes Brahms’ “Symphony No. 4” closed as the vetted canonical work.

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Extra Innings: Baseball's future is global

By Henry Blickenstaff | February 7

Once the most popular sport in America, there’s no denying that our national pastime is far from its former glory. For a sport seemingly as American as apple pie, baseball is far behind football as the most popular sport in the country, and this is especially true among younger Americans: Only 7% of Americans under 30 say baseball is their favorite sport, well behind football (24%) and basketball (17%). 

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Caffeinated Commentary: Simon’s Coffee Shop

By Natalie Bricker | February 7

If you’re a Tufts student, you may not know about Simon’s Coffee Shop (located at 1736 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge). It’s a bit of a hike from campus (about a 40 minute walk or a 20 minute T ride), but it’s worth venturing to because the cozy vibes are off the charts.

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Sports and Society: Kyrie Irving's job interview

By Oliver Fox | February 6

I heard someone say that Kyrie Irving is an allegory for the modern American worker. Employers want a return to pre-pandemic normalcy — complete with in-person offices and regular working hours—while their employees increasingly expect their work to adapt to how their lives have already changed because of the pandemic. Except Irving is not down-to-earth, flexible or even making logical demands. He is a missile launcher aimed directly at the heart of whatever NBA franchise he happens to be on.

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Sports and Society: Goodbye, Tom Brady

By Oliver Fox | February 3

I am really glad I did not write this column last year.

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Extra Innings: Rafael Devers saves the Red Sox

By Henry Blickenstaff | February 1

On Jan. 11, the Red Sox finalized a massive 11-year, $331 million contract extension with star third baseman Rafael Devers. It’s a big move for Boston, as Devers is one of the game’s best hitters. But the extension is more important than one player. It gives Red Sox fans some confidence in a front office that has made several questionable moves lately, and it probably saved Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom’s career. 

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Caffeinated Commentary: Diesel

By Natalie Bricker | January 30

This week, I stopped by Davis Square’s Diesel to sip some coffee and assess the overall vibes. Confession: this wasn’t my first time at Diesel. In fact, I stop by this coffee shop (located at 257 Elm St. in Somerville) at least twice a week. The coffee is just that incredible. I usually order a latte with oat milk, but sometimes I opt for a chai latte. The coffee is smooth and flavorful, served in a big mug with thick foam.

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Sports and Society: B.I.F.Y. and Basketball

By Oliver Fox | January 26

The Boston Celtics are the best team in the NBA. And I might need a doctor. 

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The Wraparound: Behind the Bruins’ historic season

By Timothy Valk | January 26

Hi! Welcome to The Wraparound, the professional hockey column of The Tufts Daily. Whether you’re a diehard NHL fan or someone who enjoys the occasional diving save you’re in the right place. Every other Thursday I’ll recap what’s going on around the National Hockey League — scores, stats, standings, trades — while adding some of my own thoughts and opinions towards the end. Let’s get right to it!

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The Final Whistle: What will Leandro Trossard bring to Arsenal?

By Bharat Singh | January 24

History beckons for Arsenal. For the first time in over a decade, the North London side look like potential Premier League champions. A convincing derby victory against Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur and a nail-biting 3–2 thriller against bitter rivals Manchester United proved once again the quality of Mikel Arteta’s team. 5 points clear at the top of the rankings, with a game in hand over Manchester City, the Gunners look poised to claim their first title since 2004. But this season is far from over and a string of poor form, injuries and fixture congestion are all factors that could end Arsenal’s title dream. To avoid this, Arsenal has reinforced their squad with Brighton’s Leandro Trossard. 

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The End of the World Has Just Begun: Jalisco New Generation Goes International

By Daniel Chung | January 24

In the frenzy of reporting on Joe Biden’s neglect of classified documents​​, the media seemed to forget about the president’s visit to Mexico. However, as recent news indicates, the backdrop of that event may shape up to be the most pressing threat to U.S. national security. 

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What I Wish I Knew: Study abroad equals freshman fall

By Abby Stern | January 24

Three years ago, as a first-semester freshman, I somehow made friends, found my way around a new city, survived living on my own and experienced new classes, all while watching people I knew on social media seemingly have the time of their lives.

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Keeping up with the 617: The Bo Horvat dilemma

By Matt Goguen | January 20

With the “dog days” of the NHL season in full swing, the Boston Bruins are continuing their incredible start. After their win over the New York Islanders on Wednesday, they became the second fastest team in NHL history to reach 35 wins — an absurd statistic. While their great play continues to puzzle hockey pundits, the foundation was there for years before head coach Jim Montgomery took the helm; since the Bruins have adopted Montgomery’s offensive-minded system, the team has achieved their full potential.

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Extra Innings: Winners and losers of free agency

By Henry Blickenstaff | January 18

With nearly all of this year’s big-name free agents off the board, here are the teams that won (and lost) free agency in 2022. 

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Sports and Society: Believing in Damar Hamlin

By Oliver Fox | January 18

“Faith. Family. Football.” Sincerely, Skylar Thompson’s Twitter bio. 

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Extra Innings: Greatest players of all time

By Henry Blickenstaff | December 12

Since the National League was founded 1876, an incredible 22,534 players have suited up for a professional baseball team. Some of those players only got one at bat, while others changed the game as we knew it. And out of all those 22,534 players, here are my top 10 greatest baseball players of all time.

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