by Tia Calvin | Feb 4, 2020 | News Slider, Opinion, Sports
The Kansas City Chiefs stormed back in the last seven minutes to beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 during Super Bowl LIV Sunday, but those two teams weren’t the only ones battling for a spot on top. Because of the game’s massive annual viewership, the commercials aired before, during, and after the game can earn brands millions or set them millions behind. According to Fox Sports, some advertisers paid a record-breaking $5.6 million for their spots. But did any of that cash pay off by making connections … or selling products… to viewers? This year, companies used obscure humor and all-star celebrity cameos to make their products pop. In this list, we counted down the best and the worst of 2020’s Super Bowl Commercials. Best of the Best Google: “Remember” Google has an affinity year after year to pull at our heartstrings with age-old themes like love and sacrifice. This year’s ad is no different. Loretta tells the story of an elderly man, who calls on the app’s “Hey Google” feature to recall the moments and memories of his late wife that he never wants to forget. It’s original, creative, and heartfelt with just enough whimsy to make you smile through your tears. In short, it’s a truly well-done love story told with beautiful imagery that will leave you sobbing. Amazon: “Before Alexa” It’s a simple truth that everyone loves Ellen. So when the talk show mogul and her wife, Portia De Rossi, question what life was like before Amazon’s Alexa, hilarity is sure to ensue. The commercial gives us some memorable, historical iterations of Alexa from a medieval...
by Abigail Davis | Feb 2, 2020 | News Slider, Sports, Uncategorized
The Bison-filled cafeteria was particularly steaming with debate on Friday, in anticipation of the big game, Super Bowl LIV. Super Bowl Sunday is an unofficial national holiday, and even those who don’t normally watch NFL games will be watching. Elena Newton, a sophomore social work major, had a personal reason for predicting “The 49ers.” With a laugh, she explained her reasoning: “Because I don’t like the Chiefs, since they knocked out the Titans. Also, they seem like the better team.” Junior criminal justice major Cooper Blanchard was confident in his pick: “Even though he shredded the Titans…I think that (Kansas City second-year pro) Patrick Mahomes is going to go down as the greatest quarterback of all time with the most touchdown passes…maybe not yards…probably yards. But most touchdown passes of all time. And I think that they are going to beat the 49ers by more than 20 points.” “Are you serious?” responded Newton, incredulously, at Blanchard’s pick: “No.” The Chiefs, or at least Mahomes, seemed to have won over most of the students. “I think the Kansas City Chiefs will win the Super Bowl because Tyreek Hill is the fastest player in the NFL,” said Tyler Irvin. “I am rooting for the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl.” said sophomore Carly Mitchell “I think the Chiefs are going to win,” said Tucker Hamar. “Patrick Mahomes…he’s just too good. You can’t stop him.” “I’m rooting for the 49ers,” said Alex Newsome. “But really what it comes down to is whoever gets the lead first. “Both teams are fast and like to get out of the gate early, and they love...
by Grant Ledgister | Feb 2, 2020 | News Slider, Sports
Poor shooting in the second half doomed the Lady Bisons in the first game of Saturday’s basketball doubleheader against the Stetson Hatters, as Lipscomb fell 48-34. The game got off to an interesting start with a jump ball on the tip-off that caused a re-tip. From there until the end of the half, things were slow going for both teams. Stetson’s junior forward Day’neshia Banks scored first to give the Hatters a two-point lead within the first minute but scoring dried up from there. It would be nearly three minutes before either team would score another basket. Stetson scored all of the early baskets, jumping out to a 6-0 lead. Lipscomb’s senior guard Carleigh Short responded with a three-pointer to open the scoring for the Lady Bisons and started a 9-1 run that gave them a 9-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Neither team scored a basket for the first five minutes of the second quarter. The drought ended when freshman guard Kimia Carter scored a two-pointer for the Hatters to tie the game at nine. A heartwarming moment happened for Lipscomb near the end of the quarter. Sophomore forward Kailey Rosenbaum checked in to a game for the first time all season. Neither team shot very well in the half. The Lady Bisons went 7-27 from the field, and the Hatters went a slightly better 8-23. Lipscomb had a 19-17 lead with three seconds to go in a quarter where neither team led by more than four points. Stetson got the ball up the court and junior guard Tonysha Curry scored a layup as time expired...
by Grant Ledgister | Jan 28, 2020 | News Slider, Sports
Mistakes and overwhelming defensive pressure saw Lipscomb drop its second conference game in a row to the Jacksonville University Dolphins 73-64. Lipscomb was competitive early, tying the game at seven with six minutes to go in the quarter. Two minutes later, with Lipscomb only down one, a 9-0 run began for Jacksonville, putting the team up 20-10. The run, fueled by missed shots and good rebounding play off those missed shots, came to an end with a pair of free throws stemming from a technical foul called on Jacksonville’s freshman guard Da’nasia Shaw. Lipscomb went on a 6-0 scoring run early in the second quarter before having it wiped out by an identical run from the Dolphins who went on to extend their lead to 30-17. Junior forward Taylor Clark and sophomore guard Jane Deason helped close the gap slightly to 36-25 at the end of the half. Jacksonville’s defense was stifling in the first half. The Dolphins played a full-court trap defense that looked to be beatable initially by the Lady Bisons offense. The team would throw a series of quick passes to find the open player for a score. This was not the case as the game went on. The pressure proved difficult to overcome and forced Lipscomb into bad shots and other costly mistakes. One such mistake was turnovers. Lipscomb committed 14 of them in the half, which led to 12 points for the Dolphins. Also costly for the Lady Bisons was fouling. The Dolphins shot 10 free throws in the first half, making nine of them. Despite the deficit, Lipscomb did have some bright spots...
by Erika Plunkett | Jan 28, 2020 | News Slider, Sports
Disbelief and shock gripped the country Sunday afternoon when a helicopter, carrying Kobe Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, known affectionately as Gigi, crashed on the way to an AAU basketball practice, killing all nine people on board, according to ABC News. Kobe Bryant was already in the news on Sunday morning as Lebron James had passed him on the all-time scoring list Saturday, but the records and the points became irrelevant when the news broke. As tributes to his legacy, not only as a player but as a father, husband, mentor, and man of integrity poured in, everyone was reminded of what an incredible light was lost. Players across the NBA each found their ways to pay homage to the future hall of fame member. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks’ All-Star point guard, wore a No. 8 jersey — one of the two numbers Bryant wore for the Lakers — instead of his customary No. 11. He also held the ball and purposely got an 8-second violation, one of the common quiet salutes around National Basketball Association during Sunday’s game. For example, the Washington Wizards were one of many teams holding the ball for the full 24-second shot clock, an intentional rules violation to honor Bryant’s other jersey number. The self-dubbed “Black Mamba” inspired a generation of rising stars, including players and coaches for Lipscomb’s basketball teams. Senior guard Michael Buckland chimed in on Twitter, “I’m shook. Love always. You never know when you won’t be able to love someone again. RIP Mamba” I’m shook. Love always. You never know when you won’t be able to love...
by Taylor McKnight | Jan 26, 2020 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb Bisons, eighth in the ASUN conference, beat conference co-leader North Florida on Saturday night 85-73. After the tip-off, UNF missed their first 3 three-point attempts, but quickly after that, they gained a lead, keeping Lipscomb on their toes. UNF got in some foul trouble, leaving room for Lipscomb to go to the line. The Bisons went into half-time leading the Ospreys by two, 45-43. “We really shared the ball and played well,” said Head Coach Lennie Acuff. “They (UNF) are tremendously talented, really well-coached and a good basketball team. It’s just a long game with them and they can score.” The Ospreys came out of half-time and tied up the game with off their first possession. Senior guard, Ivan Gandia-Rosa was the lead scorer for the Ospreys giving 30 of their 73 points. The Bisons had a slow start as they were down 48-52 early in the second half. With just 12 minutes left in the second half, the Bisons score was leading UNF by two. They used this momentum and left UNF in a scoring drought leaving the Bisons with a 15-0 run. Ahsan Asadullah, who scored 23 points, had a career-high 18 rebounds and 8 assists. UNF got into some foul trouble late in the second half allowing the Bisons to broaden their lead. The Bisons were able to maintain their lead but got in some foul trouble which took UNF to the line. The Ospreys could not put a stop to Lipscomb’s offense. The Bisons will host Stetson Feb. 1 at 4 pm. Photo courtesy of Mckenzi...
