R2

When I am writing, it is very important for me to find something that I am passionate about. I have noticed over the years, that that quality of my work significantly increases when I find something that I am passionate about, and the words just seem to flow out of my mind and onto the paper. For me, one of these subjects is without a doubt sports. With sports you can branch off into so many different directions. One aspect that I enjoy the most is reading/writing about the internal thought processes of an athlete. I find this so intriguing because it is something that I can relate to, and makes me want to keep learning more. I also enjoy writing about the accomplishments of different athletes. Being the official athlete of the week writer for the Bulldog, I’ve written about my fair share of athletes, and have really made great strides in that particular area of writing. Another type of sports that I like to write about is professional sports. Instead of reading what all of the so called “exprets” have to say about my favorite teams like the bills and sabres, this is a chance for me to finally voice my opinions and beliefs on the teams that I love.  Some of my inspirations to write on sports are Jerry Sullivan and Mark Gaughn. Although their pessimistic outlooks on the bills and sabres always frustrate me every time I read their articles, I do think that their writing style is commendable, and I try to model my writing style around.  So as you can see, when I write it is very important that I am passionate about the subject, for my results to be the best that they can be. Because without passion, I have no desire to write.

Q2

                As the school year starts to wind down, it’s time for me to start thinking about my plans for the upcoming summer. As for the first week or so, I don’t plan on doing much of anything. I like to take a good week or so every year to just be lazy and not have a worry in the world. For this week I plan on getting up at whatever time, and doing whatever I want until I feel like going to bed. The only thing that I have to worry about getting done during this time is going to training for football, which isn’t bad because it’s in the middle of the day so I don’t have to worry about waking up at the crack of dawn. After a week or so of this routine, I’ll probably get sick of it, at which point I think that It would be appropriate to look for a job, something that I have put off for far too long. If I get a job, I only plan on working weekends so that it doesn’t consume my last “post high school” Summer in Alden. This way I will still have the freedom to do what I want all week and more, because I will now have money to go places and do things whenever I want, without having to mooch off of my parents for money anymore.  I also can’t wait for graduation parties this summer. They are always a fun time, and a fitting way to say goodbye to some of the people you’ve known your entire life, however we all know it’s really all about the food.  I am also very excited to attend the 3^rd annual home run derby at the Snyder residence this August. I’ll probably win as usual. NBD

Q1

The NFL draft was held this past Thursday at its annual location of Radio City Music Hall in New York City. And although my draft board didn’t make it past the fourth pick, there is much to be recapped and analyzed from a Bills fans perspective on this particular draft. This was the third draft of the Gailey Nix era, and in my opinion was their most effective, however only time will validate this opinion. Here I will break down rounds 1, and explain why I think that the Bills future just got a whole lot brighter.

                Stephon Gilmore was drafted by the team with the 10^th overall pick, and I love it. Although I was hoping for Boston College LB Luke Kuechly to fall to them, he didn’t and that may prove to be a blessing in disguise over time, as I think the team got a future stud in Gilmore. First and foremost the Bills addressed the teams glaring need for depth in the defensive backfield. You can never have enough good defensive backs in the NFL, especially when you have to play the New England Patriots twice a year. The thing that is unique about Gilmore is that he is unusually taller than the average NFL defensive back, measuring in at 6 foot one. This will go a long way in the Bills efforts to slow down the two headed monster of Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski in New England.  Another aspect of his game that myself and Bills fans alike can appreciate is that he’s a banger. He plays the run exceptionally well and loves to hit people, which will make him an immediate fan favorite. Some areas of his game that need improvement are his man to man coverage and his recovery speed.  He is most effective when playing a zone defense and has a knack for positioning himself in that zone, but is known for getting beat off that ball and not being able to recover, as he does not have the blazing speed that most corners have.  At the end of the day I see Gilmore as a shoe in for a spot on the opening day starting roster.  The kid will come into camp eager to earn his teammates and coaches respect, and will flourish

Q5

The NFL draft was held this past Thursday at its annual location of Radio City Music Hall in New York City. And although my draft board didn’t make it past the fourth pick, there is much to be recapped and analyzed from a Bills fans perspective on this particular draft. This was the third draft of the Gailey Nix era, and in my opinion was their most effective, however only time will validate this opinion. Here I will break down rounds 1, and explain why I think that the Bills future just got a whole lot brighter.

                Stephon Gilmore was drafted by the team with the 10^th overall pick, and I love it. Although I was hoping for Boston College LB Luke Kuechly to fall to them, he didn’t and that may prove to be a blessing in disguise over time, as I think the team got a future stud in Gilmore. First and foremost the Bills addressed the teams glaring need for depth in the defensive backfield. You can never have enough good defensive backs in the NFL, especially when you have to play the New England Patriots twice a year. The thing that is unique about Gilmore is that he is unusually taller than the average NFL defensive back, measuring in at 6 foot one. This will go a long way in the Bills efforts to slow down the two headed monster of Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski in New England.  Another aspect of his game that myself and Bills fans alike can appreciate is that he’s a banger. He plays the run exceptionally well and loves to hit people, which will make him an immediate fan favorite. Some areas of his game that need improvement are his man to man coverage and his recovery speed.  He is most effective when playing a zone defense and has a knack for positioning himself in that zone, but is known for getting beat off that ball and not being able to recover, as he does not have the blazing speed that most corners have.  At the end of the day I see Gilmore as a shoe in for a spot on the opening day starting roster.  The kid will come into camp eager to earn his teammates and coaches respect, and will flourish

P3

In my opinion, there are a majority of factors that should be taken into consideration when determining the effectiveness of a teacher. I think one of the best indicators of a good teacher is her student’s participation in class. Regardless of the subject, I think that a truly effective teacher can make any subject interesting and engaging with a little enthusiasm and effort.  Coming from personal experience, I think that when teachers apply the curriculum to real life is when I get the most out of it. Otherwise it is all just a bunch of useless information that I am forced to memorize and not actually understand. Which leads me to my next point. As long as the teacher is doing their part, the rest of the work is up to each individual student. For example, you could have a great teacher who makes every effort to get you to pass your exam, but at the end of the day, it is up to you as the student to get it done. And without an effort from the student, nothing will be accomplished.  And although I do realize that this can be detrimental to teacher’s ratings if their students don’t put forth the effort, I think that this is a problem that every teacher has to deal with, regardless of who they are teaching.  No matter what, every teacher is going to get their share of kids who don’t make an effort academically; therefore teachers cannot use this as a valid argument when defending their low ratings at the end of the school year.  I do believe that the situation regarding Nicole Weingard was completely unjust, and that that is not the correct way of determining a teachers rating. The way that I think it should go is each year the average from the past 5 years in any given subject should be calculated, and then the scores should be compared to that number, rather than looking at yearly increases.

P1

                I usually watch most of my television on the weekends or in the evenings on weeknights. Although I should probably try and get outside or do something more productive, the television is always there and available at all times, which makes it hard to not use.  The majority of television that I watch is somehow sports related. Whether it is a live competition, a documentary, or the sports segment on the evening news, the majority of television that I watch is about sports. HBO is also big in the Steffan household, with shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm and Game of Thrones a common sight in our living room.  Although I am a bit ashamed to admit it, I am a frequent viewer of programming on the morbidly obese on channels like TLC and Discovery.  Why I enjoy these shows so much, I have no idea, but for whatever reason I just do.  There are currently 4 televisions in my home. One for the living room, one in my parent’s room, one in my sister’s room, and one in mine.  The only time I use my TV is before I go to bed at night for about twenty minutes or so.  I think that there is clearly a longer list of negatives associated with television than there are positives, simply because of what people view on it. In general, most of what we watch is senseless programming, which does us no good. And although we don’t want to admit it; most of us do fall into this category. What people view on television can also strongly influence how they choose to dress, act, and appear. And with people like Snooki, and the Kardashian sisters ruling television sets all across America, that is a true shame.  I think that people should make an honest effort not to let these sort of figures influence them outside of the half hour that they view them on television each night.

P4

For this choice blog, I am going to break down what direction I think that the Bills will go with their 10^th overall pick in this year’s draft. With picks 1-2 already solidified with Stanford quarterback going to the Colts, and RG3 to the Redskins, much is still up in the air from 3 to 10 where the bills pick. Coming into this offseason the Bills had one major hole that they needed to fill if they were looking to be a competitive team in the cutthroat division that is the AFC east. The addition of Mario Williams and Mark Anderson instantly upgrades defensive line to one of the team’s strong points. However, although many fans think that simply adding two pieces to the puzzle will completely solve it, they are sadly mistaken.  Holes in the secondary, at wide receiver, left tackle, and linebacker will need to be filled by the start of the season, most of which will be done through the draft.  Although I don’t think the Bills will get this year’s top wide receiver Justin Blackmon at 10^th overall, I think they’ll have a shot at a close second in Malcom Floyd if they want him. Personally, I would like, and expect, the Bills to look at linebacker and secondary with their tenth pick, and focus more on wide receiver in the second and third rounds, as this year’s wide receiver class has immense depth. So without any further ado,  here is my mock draft for 1-10 in this years NFL draft.

1.       Colts-  Andrew Luck QB

2.       Redskins-  Robert Griffin 3 QB

3.       Vikings- Matt Kalil OT

4.       Browns- Justin Blackmon WR

5.       Buccaneers-  Trent Richardson RB

6.       Rams- Fletcher Cox  DT

7.       Jaguars-  Morris Claiborne CB

8.       Dolphins- Ryan Tannehill QB

9.       Panthers-   Luke Kuechly ILB

10.   Bills-  Michael Floyd WR

Although I want Kuechly from Boston College, I don’t think he will fall to tenth. However if he is available, the bills should snag him. Otherwise, Malcom Floyd is their best option. I’ll take anyone but Mark Barron from Alabama. You can say whatever you want, but as a long time Bills fan, I’m just a bit leery of taking a safety this high in the draft, “cough cough, DONTE WHITNER”