“When we ended half time we were up by a lot and we were all really excited about it,” team member Kristen DeStefano (‘14) said. “We kind of thought, ‘If we keep up the intensity, we got this. There’s no way we aren’t going to win.’”

Unfortunately for the Vikings, St. Francis, whom Paly had defeated twice in the regular season, completed their comeback with the overtime win to become league champions.

The Vikings struck first in the game with a goal from Julia Farino (‘13) in the first minute of play. St. Francis responded to tie the game at 1-1, but Paly dominated the field for the remainder of the period. Five Vikings contributed to Paly’s lopsided 9-3 lead over the Lancers going into the half.

St. Francis came out with a vengeance after halftime, scoring first 2:32 into the period. Nina Kelty (‘13) struck less than 30 seconds later for the Vikings to maintain Paly’s 6-goal lead, and more back-and-forth scoring put Paly up 13-7 with 8:39 to play.

Momentum then swung to St. Francis as they went on to net 6 unanswered goals, typing up the game in the final seconds of regulation. With the score at 13-13, the Vikings and Lancers headed into overtime.

Neither team was able to secure the win in the first 3:00 overtime period, as both St. Francis and Paly scored to keep the game tied and force a second overtime period. In double overtime the Lancers again struck first to go up 15-14, but a penalty drawn by Anna Dairaghi (‘13) forced the St. Francis goalie out of the net, leading to a Paly goal and tying the game as time expired.

The Vikings and the Lancers entered sudden-death triple overtime period with the score at 15-15. St. Francis was able to score before the Vikings, securing the league champion title.

Though the loss was heartbreaking, the Paly team was able to hold their heads high and celebrate the positives.

“The thing that was brought up a lot [after the game] was that all of us knew we should have won,” DeStefano said. “But we actually did kind of win. Our team is like family and we have the strongest bond and throughout the season we’ve become a family and that is the whole thing. It’s better than winning.”

Despite multiple shots on goal in the first half, the Vikings could not get the ball past SHP’s goalie and into the net. In the last minute of the second quarter, Walker Mees (’13) scored the team’s first goal of the game. They went into halftime 1-8.

During the second half, the boys proved more successful in scoring. Jordan Gans (’14) secured two goals of his own, Jonny Glazier (’13) snagged one goal and two assists, and Mees (’13) scored once more.Yet, regardless of netting 5 additional goals, the team could not keep off the persistent SHP offense.

The boys finished third in the SCVAL league and completed their regular season with a record of 8-4.

“We kept fighting,“ head coach Jamie Nesbitt said. “Even when we were off and were dropping passes, we kept fighting back.”

The Lady Vikes started out strongly in the first half as Kelty, Biffar and attack Simone Buteau (’13) each scored, giving Paly a 3-0 lead. Biffar would then come back minutes later to record her second goal of the night.

The Falcons scored immediately after the ensuing faceoff as they managed to get their team on the scoreboard, 4-1.

As they maintained possession of the ball, the Lady Vikes’ attack Ami Drez (’14) and Genevieve Lucas-Conwell (’13) each scored, widening their lead to 6-1.

Saratoga, however, bounced back to tally two consecutive goals, once again closing the game to a three goal margin of 6-3.

As time wound down in the first half, Anna Dairaghi (’13), assisted by Kelty, and Allie Peery (’15) cut the Falcon’s offensive campaign by each scoring, allowing the Vikes to walk off the field with a score of 8-3, at halftime.

Coming into the second half, Paly struggled with passing and turnovers, giving up 2 quick goals. Kelty settled the score by finding the back of the net twice more.

The rest of the second half would exhibit a scoring stalemate between the two teams as they both continued to breakdown each other’s defenses. The Lady Vikes managed to hold off the Falcons however, and will advance to the SCVAL Championship game.

Although her team captured the win, midfielder Kristen DeStefano (’14) felt her team struggled throughout the game but is optimistic for their championship game against St. Francis.

“I’m a little bit disappointed because we didn’t connect as a team,” DeStefano said. “We dropped a lot of passes and had unsuccessful plays. Overall, we got our business done and we’re going to the championship so we’ll have our chance to play better.”

Like DeStefano, Nesbitt thinks her team is up to the challenge of taking on the talented Lancers, a team that they have managed to stay undefeated against this season.

“It’s really hard to beat a team three times but I think we have the skill,” Nesbitt said. “We just have to work hard, be smart, and be ready to take care of business.”

The Lady Vikes will take on the St. Francis Lancers on Saturday, May 11^th at Burlingame High School.

The team started the game off quickly by scoring three unresponded goals within the first few minutes of the half. After a few more goals scored by Charlotte Biffar (‘13) and Nina Kelty (‘13), the Chargers were eager to put numbers on the board and did so with two quick goals.

The Lady Vikes entered halftime leading the game 11-2.

The game took place after the Senior Night ceremony where seniors received flowers and a personal speech from the younger players on the team. Coach Jamie Nesbitt reflected upon this year’s successful season after tonight’s performance.

“I think its definitely been tough to keep the level of intensity up,” Nesbitt said. “But I think what really came up tonight is their teamwork and getting everybody the ball and trying to get different people to score which is always a fun part about senior night.”

The team’s tradition is continued as all twelve seniors scored to defeat the Leland Chargers. In the second half, even goalie Emma Beckstrom (‘13) grabbed an attack lacrosse stick and did everything she could to score. Later on, she proceeded to sling the ball into the net on a penalty shot. Beckstrom scored the Vikings’ 16th goal of the game, changing their lead to 16-2.

Attackman Simone Buteau (‘13) was more than excited for her team to win at home on Senior Night.

“I feel like we played incredibly well and put on a good show,” Buteau said. “One of our traditions is to get all the seniors to score a goal, and so we lost a little bit of our focus but overall we played really well with all twelve girls playing.”

The girls’ lacrosse team keeps their undefeated league record of 13-0 and overall record of 17-2. Come see the Lady Vikes play the Amador Valley Dons on May 7 at 7:00 p.m. here at Palo Alto High School.

“It’s really hard as a player to have a new coach every single year,” Avis said. “Also, the way the parents intervened in the decision to fire Donny was, I think was unjustified. In the end, you’re not going to find the perfect coach. The perfect coach doesn’t exist. It was very unfair, to the players and Donny, to fire the coach after one year.”
Upon hearing Avis’ reasons, Hansen thought it was a shame for any athlete at the high school level to be motivated to leave due to a problematic situation brought on by the athletic administration. One of the most sought-after pitchers in the state, Avis would have boosted what became a successful baseball program in Palo Alto.
While the athletic administration predicament was major enough to drive Avis away, Hansen disagrees with his overall motivation.
“I would never have my child leave a school that he was in because of the coaching situation when you have a top academic school in this area,” Hansen said. “I don’t know him but he probably would have been fine at either place because he’s a smart kid.”
Regardless, Avis was not the only athlete from Paly whose decision was partially brought on from difficulty with coaches.
Last year, the Vikings boys’ water polo team lost Nelson Perla-Ward (Sacred Heart ‘15), one of its starters and top scorers with 60 goals, his motivations partially arising from the water polo team’s 2011-2012 head coach, Giovanni Napolitano.
At the end of the season, Napolitano and the team separated as parents and coaches clashed. The players and parents disagreed with Napolitano’s coaching style and on his coaching methods and principles. The disgruntled complaints from the water polo community then resulted in the “departure” of Napolitano from Paly and into the arms of Menlo-Atherton High.
“Prior to me leaving, the entire water polo coaching staff got fired and the water polo program seemed to be going downhill,” Perla-Ward said. “It was like playing on a team that wasn’t as organized because the coaching and the players seemed like they needed a more structured practice.”
With a nebulous near future, the coachless water polo team brought in Matt and Brandon Johnson, two Gunn alumni who went on to play for the UC Irvine team. Under the brothers, the Vikings improved to a 19-8-0 record, advancing to the semifinals of the CCS playoffs. The team lost to Bellarmine Preparatory, a highly prestigious team. Had impact players such as Perla-Ward stayed, it is easy to imagine that the game may have had a different outcome.
Avis and Perla-Ward’s experiences were unlike many other potential Vikings, as they looked for a program that had more stability. Other athletes, including Perla-Ward, looked for programs that shine in their particular sport and who attract more recruiting attention than Paly.
This year, past Paly water polo starter Will Conner (Sacred Heart ‘15) accompanied Perla-Ward to Sacred Heart, looking for a better opportunity to get recruited for college. He and Perla-Ward, both impact players for the team, left for the competitive Sacred Heart program where they hoped to be trained and to grow into collegiate level players.
One of the most successful teams in CCS, Sacred Heart’s water polo team has stood out in its already successful athletic department and has helped shape the careers of a number of water polo players. In 2012 alone, four of the nine players on the Mercury News’ first team CCS water polo team were from Sacred Heart.
Perla-Ward switched schools in the winter, while Conner waited until he completed the school year. At Sacred Heart, Conner chose to repeat his sophomore year, giving him an extra year at the school. His choice to switch schools was mostly based off of the success of the team and the advantages that Sacred Heart offered “recruiting-wise.”
In an attempt to get recruited by some of the top Division I schools in the country, players such as Perla-Ward and Conner looked for tougher practice environments. Looking back and comparing both teams, both Conner and Perla-Ward felt that their move to Sacred Heart was in fact vastly different from Paly.
“At Sacred Heart, it’s a lot more serious while at Paly it’s a lot more fun and more enjoyable,” Conner said. “At Sacred Heart, we have a lot more conditioning and weights, while at Paly it was just more laid back.”
Perla-Ward agrees and attests that some of the hardest practices at Paly do not compare to an ordinary day with the Sacred Heart team.
“The team is a pretty big commitment,” Perla-Ward agreed. “The first practice I went to at Sacred Heart was harder than any of the hell week practices I had at Paly, putting that into perspective.”
With Conner and Perla-Wards’ departures, some of the members of the team felt their team had been greatly affected. Two of their biggest impact players had not only left Paly, but had gone to a school that had dominated boys’ water polo for several years. Both leading scorers at Paly in the last few years and some of the most veteran players on the team, Perla-Ward and Conner faced a choice that took a toll on the offensive scheme of the water polo team.
Although the team faced various hardships, both players had been students in the PAUSD throughout their childhood, and their friendships and life in Palo Alto made the decision extremely difficult. Both looking to the future, Conner and Perla-Ward felt that colleges would have an easier time seeing them if they played for a prestigious team such as Sacred Heart.
“It was an overall decision with my parents but it seemed like a better decision looking at the [ability to grow as a player]” Perla-Ward said. “It just seemed like the better option concerning the college factor and that going to Sacred Heart would just probably develop my skills and work habits. I guess I would say that if Sacred Heart didn’t have a water polo team, I probably would not have transferred.”
Paly teammates, like Kian McHugh (‘14), felt as if the team had been stripped of some of its best players, as their departure mixed with four graduating seniors from the team as well.
“[What was hardest about seeing them go was] just knowing that we could have been the best team in the league and could have easily won CCS, possibly even further had we had Will and Nelson on their team,” McHugh said.

“That was probably the hardest part and just how much they took away from our season; we could have been back to back CCS champions for sure. It kind of killed our chances because they were two of our starters and best players. I respect their decision but it was definitely hard on us.”
Putting the athletic department’s difficulties and the recruiting process aside, motivations to leave for other schools for many of the athletes are solely based on academics.
As a public school, Paly felt overwhelming for some. Smaller private schools with smaller classes that surround the Silicon Valley such as the Menlo School, St. Francis and Sacred Heart attracted student athletes with their smaller student bodies.
One of only two freshmen from the 2010-2011 varsity girls’ water polo team, Camille Zelinger (Sacred Heart ‘14) left Paly for Sacred Heart, attributing her leave entirely to academic purposes.
“I came from Castilleja which is very small academically, and so I was used to a more intimate setting in classes,” Zelinger said. “I kind of got lost in a lot of the bigger classes [at Paly]. I didn’t have as good of a grasp on the subjects like I did at Castilleja because I wasn’t as connected. It was harder because there were a lot of students in each class.”
Eager to find a fitting environment that matched her middle school, Zelinger looked to Sacred Heart. The small Atherton institution with six consecutive CCS championship titles in girls’ water polo most attracted Zelinger.
“Sacred Heart offered that smaller community setting in my classes,” Zelinger said. “Water polo became a bonus because when they heard I wanted to transfer, the team became interested and I think that helped me a little bit.”
Upon her visit to shadow at Sacred Heart, Zelinger looked more into the program and met with the head water polo coach.
“Once I showed interest in the school, I was introduced by a friend at Sacred Heart to the water polo coach and had a meeting with him,” Zelinger said. “He said he was interested in having me on his team.”
Like Zelinger, St. Francis basketball player Khalid Johnson (St. Francis ‘13), who was enrolled in the PAUSD until high school, chose his high school due to his family’s belief that it was a better fit and would benefit his overall future. Although he regarded education as his main motivation to switch schools, the Lancers’ team also happened to be a good fit for Johnson and his twin brother Khalil.
“[In basketball,] I developed a great relationship with the coaches,” said Khalid. “The education [between Paly and St. Francis] is probably different. Basketball-wise I dont know if I would have liked or had the same relationship with the coaches at Paly like I do at St. Francis. I just don’t know if they’d be the same.”
Choosing to leave Paly for Junipero Serra High School, a Catholic private school, Eric Redwood (Serra ‘13), who helped lead his team to a 52-35 blowout over Paly this season in CCS, would have been instrumental in Hansen’s run heavy west coast offense.
“I had a feeling that Serra would be better off for me, not only is it a Catholic school but the resources there were going to be all around better for me,” Redwood said. “I just felt like it was a better fit.”
A Palo Alto native, Redwood played with many of the current members of the Viking football team as a youth member of the Palo Alto Knights. Redwood’s close personal friend and Paly linebacker Erik Anderson thought that Paly could have used Redwood very successfully had he chosen to be a Viking.
“If Redwood would have gone to Paly he would have helped tremendously,” Anderson said. “He could have helped add depth to our team which lacked depth this year. Eric and Tolbert would be an awesome pair of running backs to watch.”
Redwood’s motivations for leaving Paly were more personal than those of other athletes, as he had family ties to Serra. He and his family thought that the move would be best for his academic and athletic career.
“I knew people that went to Serra too,” Redwood said. “My dad went there for a couple years as well, so he knew a few people that worked there from his class. The sense of brotherhood at Serra is really good.”
However, the program that would benefit Redwood at Serra actually affected the Vikings’ playoff drive back in Palo Alto. Serra’s capture of impact players such as Redwood assisted the Padres in important wins over the Vikings.
Take the CCS Open Division football playoffs this year. After a successful 8-3 season, the Vikings went into the postseason to face Serra, a team they had never played before.. After an even battle throughout the first half, one of the major problems Paly had was containing the Padres’ run game, led by none other than Eric Redwood.
A Palo Alto native like many of the others who left Paly, Redwood and old friends such as Anderson’s experiences playing against each other was more intense than against other teams.
“It was tough playing him in CCS; we talked beforehand and mentioned that it was a bad situation because neither of us wanted to put each other out of their senior football season,” Anderson said. “But also neither of us wanted to lose. It was weird that it was the first time ever playing him and it was my last game of football in Palo Alto.”
Now, it’s impossible to say how the game would have gone had Redwood been wearing green and white that night. It’s certainly acceptable to admit however, that Redwood’s 288 yards on 31 carries and four total touchdowns contributed to the big win against the Vikings, knocking them out of the playoffs and ending their hopes at recording another championship. It’s also probable that Redwood could have helped Paly’s run game over the past few years, as he drew up over 3,000 rushing yards in his last two years at Serra, recording 37 touchdowns according to MaxPreps.com.
This can be applicable to many of the star players that chose to forgo attending Palo Alto High School. For example, if Floreal had stayed at Paly, the boys’ basketball team’s postseason trouble could have been diminished.
If the Paly baseball team had Avis on the mound last year, the Vikes might have enjoyed even more success and quite possibly have beaten Valley Christian in the CCS semifinals, where Paly’s season ended. Maybe if Redwood had been on the other side of the line of scrimmage, the Paly football team could have captured another CCS championship.
Yet just as other schools have received noteworthy talent from the Palo Alto area, Paly itself has obtained a number of talented new athletes from other schools. One such athlete is Paly’s starting quarterback Keller Chryst (‘14), who moved to Palo Alto from North Carolina last year.
Just one year after winning a State Championship in 2010, the Viking football team gained Chryst and Tolbert from out of state after losing numerous starters from the championship team. Making their treks from Weddington, North Carolina and Saline, Mich., the Vikings obtained two major contributors that would help lead them to CCS twice in the subsequent two years.
In the end, there will always be those who will wonder what could have been had players like Redwood attended Paly. Yet it seems likely that the additions of players like Chryst and Tolbert balance out the losses. Either way, all the Vikings can do is pick themselves up, adjusting accordingly.

Threats of bombings throughout the city were soon reported, sporting events were postponed and normal life in Boston as we knew it came to a screeching halt. Streets that I’d walked through a mere few months ago were bloodsoaked and flooded with paramedics. The city, where cousins, aunts, uncles and brothers of mine lived, was in utter chaos. The marathon quickly took a backseat to the events that were unfolding in the city of Boston, as all concerns turned to the safety and well being of loved ones, rather than who could run 26.2 miles faster.

At that point in time, sports and athletic competition were meaningless. Who could possibly care about the outcome of a silly race when a loved one’s safety was at risk? Whether or not one could shoot a ball into a hoop or hit one out of a park became the most influential thing in the world. As I sat speechless on my California couch, my heart and prayers were with my numerous friends and family members in the Boston area. If the Bruins, Celtics, Red Sox, or whatever Boston team I harbor affiliations for would have ceased to exist on April 15, I wouldn’t have batted an eyelash.

But time rolls forward. The clock ticked on and 48 hours later, sports returned to Boston. On a Wednesday night at the TD Ameritrade Garden, the Bruins took the ice in what would be one of the most memorable moments in Boston sports history. First responders, paramedics and firefighters were in attendance as the Bruins took on the Buffalo Sabres.

As a Boston Strong logo was displayed on the ice, the national anthem played and players and fans alike came together in a show of unity and strength in the wake of the horrible events that had come to pass a mere two days prior. In awe, I again watched from my couch, absorbing the palpable sense of patriotism and unity that was being sent all the way from Beantown to my television set.

In these shining moments, Boston showed how truly meaningful sports can be. While there are undoubtedly times when sports take a backseat to life, Wednesday night’s display was a testament to how unifying and uplifting athletic competition is, not only to a community, but to an entire nation. Seeing firefighters hand in hand with Boston sports fans revitalized my faith not only in Boston as a community, but in America as a nation of resilient people.

As I sat and watched smoke billow from Marathon’s finish line, I felt fear and hopelessness and wondered how people in Boston could carry out their lives normally after such a traumatizing ordeal.

However, as I saw Bostonians embrace each other as the national anthem rang out through the Garden, I couldn’t help but feel immense faith in the Bostonian spirit and that the very raw wounds that were left from days earlier were beginning to heal.

Many said the game against the Sabres helped Boston forget, but I personally would never hope to forget that moment. Although it may have been just a game, and one that the Bruins lost too, it was a powerful experience.

The community with which I have such close ties with was shaken to the core, and while the healing process has just begun in Boston, that shining moment of unity in the Garden is one that I’ll never forget.  <<<

Once she entered the park, Drez flashed back to her childhood. However, she was no longer in fourth grade and found herself among a much younger crowd.

To Drez’s surprise, the area was bigger than expected and included a food stand with typical American junk food, as well as some tables and chairs. As it was quite crowded downstairs, Drez discovered a lounge area upstairs. The lounge featured a large couch with three TVs, one of which was monitoring the jumping areas.

Upon entering the jumping area, Drez discovered that there were in fact four large jumping areas, each offering a different activity. Tapping into her inner child, Drez was excited and overwhelmed, not knowing where to begin.

Starting at the regular trampoline area, Drez was surprised by the large 50 yards of trampoline provided. However, on a Saturday afternoon it was very crowded and Drez was much larger than her eight and nine year-old counterparts. Thus, she entered the “advanced jumpers” area where there were others more her size. After jumping around for a bit, Drez noticed some kids doing flips and round-offs. They made it look easy, so Drez thought it would be a piece of cake and attempted a flip. Looking like a pathetic high schooler and landing on her back, Drez was clearly not an “advanced jumper” next to kids who were obviouly more experienced.

Deciding she didn’t quite make the cut, she moved on to the next activity. However, a Rockin’ Jump staffer told her that she was not allowed to wear her own socks while jumping. Despite finding it a little bit weird that they would not allow her to wear socks, Drez did as she was told and took hers off.

Moving onto the next area, Drezdecided to try out the trampoline basketball court. It was not much of a court, offering only two hoops with enough trampoline under for one person.

After waiting in line, it was Drez’s turn to shoot, so once she received the ball, she took a couple of large jumps and reached for the rim to throw down a dunk. However, after a few shots it became too repetitive, as the hoop was not high at all, despite the fact that there was a trampoline under it. It could have been a lot more fun if they actually offered a full court, but as it was, the hoop was just average, and not up to The Viking’s expectations.

The next activity was the foam pit, with three lanes where people could run and jump into a large pit full of foam (see picture above). Readying to jump into the foam, Drez took three large jumps, landing far and deep in the foam. However, being so far from initial jump point, it was a struggle for Drez to get out of the pit and she became claustrophobic. Surrounded by foam, Drez took five minutes to actually get herself out of the pit. And so,  after one jump into the foam, Drez was far from done and ready to move on.

The last area of Rockin’ Jump consisted of an arena with a continuous game of dodgeball. Jumping into the game, once again she found herself among a much younger crowd. However, there were some children who far more experienced in the game of dodgeball than Drez. After being hit with the ball multiple times, Drez found it was hard to not only dodge the ball coming at her, as the space was limited, but also to get her hands on a ball, as there were not enough to go around.

After trying out all sections of the center, an hour had almost passed, which was more than enough to satisfy a nostalgic childhood urge. However, if you do find yourself wanting to jump around, do some flips, shoot some hoops, get balls thrown at yourself and jump into a claustrophobic mess, then Rockin’ Jump is surely the place to go.

All in all, Rockin’ Jump definitely did not live up to The Viking’s expectations. Rockin’ Jump is very similar to a more well-known establishment, “Sky High,” but it is not the same.  Despite offering new aspects like the basketball hoop, it is meant to attract a younger crowd for a reason. Although spending a Saturday afternoon at Rockin’ Jump does not sound too appealing to some people, it is what you make of it. If you have fun and just go with it, and get a group of friends to all go, it will surely be fun.

Posey signed a nine-year, $167 million deal, the longest contract in Giants history, while Verlander’s new contract, which makes him baseball’s most expensive pitcher, is good for seven years and $180 million.

These deals are evidence of a trend that’s becoming more and more common in the MLB. Baseball clubs are increasingly going the way of the National Hockey League (NHL) and signing star players to lucrative long-term contracts that secure star players through (and often past) their primes. The question for general managers has become whether the benefit of locking up these superstars now will be worth the salary the players will command years down the road.

Despite their increasing popularity, I generally oppose these extreme long-term contracts. The future is unpredictable, and agreeing to pay tens of millions of dollars to athletes eight to 10 years down the road based on current production seems crazy (I’m looking at you, A-Rod). Even so, not all of these contracts are created equal, with some being even crazier than others.

The Posey signing seems reasonable, if only for one simple factor: age. Posey is only 26 years old, so his new contract with the Giants lasts only until he turns 35. While a drop in production in his mid-30s is certainly likely, especially since Posey plays catcher, a position that has already threatened his durability (Posey missed the majority of the 2011 season after a collision at home plate resulted in a broken ankle), the contract ensures that the Giants will benefit from all of Posey’s production in the prime of his career without forcing them to pay a massive salary as Posey ages into the twilight of his career.

Verlander’s contract is riskier, given that Detroit’s horse is already 30 years old. His contract will run through age 37. However, I still believe the Verlander signing will turn out well for the Tigers despite the fact that his production may decline as he gets older. Verlander, arguably the most dominant pitcher in baseball over the last few years, has proven himself quite durable, and the Tigers have shown that they have the talent to win a World Series with their current personnel. Though the length of the deal may mean a couple lesser years from Verlander on the back-end of his contract, it seems a small price to pay for the services of the dominant ace in the near future, and a legitimate shot at a World Series title.

Posey and Verlander’s new contracts resemble a similar free-agent signing from the previous year, Albert Pujols’ 10-year, $240 million agreement with the Angels, which to me seems like borderline insanity. Sure, Pujols is a great hitter. However, he was also 32 years old in the first year of the contract, and will be 42 by the time it expires. It’s likely that Pujols’ best years are already behind him, and while he will certainly remain productive for several more years, it is unlikely that he will be able to perform up to the level of his contract for the full 10 years. In fact, I think the Angels will be lucky to get five “elite” years out of Pujols at this point, and will be kicking themselves eight, nine and 10 years down the road when they are still paying him millions.

Based on the precedents set by these and other recent “mega deals,” it appears that increasingly fat, guaranteed salaries are becoming the norm for superstar free agents. I’m not saying teams should avoid them entirely, because despite the risks, the value of securing a homegrown prospect like Posey can validate some increased spending. Rather, teams should do themselves a favor and save the huge contracts for younger players like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Posey who should be able to produce for years to come. Just ask the Yankees about Alex Rodriguez’s contract and see whether they recommend 10 year agreements with 30-something year old sluggers. Spoiler alert: they probably don’t. <<<

“North Korea-Colombia” used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. The women’s national team of North Korea now faces eligibility problems. North Korea faced Colombia in the 2011 World Cup.

On July 25, 2012, days before the opening ceremony for the London Olympics, the North Korean women’s soccer team was scheduled to play Colombia. Even before the game started, problems began to arise.

A North Korean player’s name was announced when all of a sudden, a loud uproar rang out through the stadium as a South Korean digital flag flew behind the head of the player on the jumbotron.

When the South Korean flag was displayed on the screen, the North Koreans walked off the field and, after several apologies from FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), returned an hour later to beat Colombia 2-0.

In an interview with the Huffington Post, the day after the incident, Colombia soccer coach Ricardo Rozo shared his strong feelings about the incident. “I’ve never had anything happen like this before, where a country can delay a match for an hour” Rozo said.

Being a soccer player, Paly goalkeeper Tony Maharaj (‘14) of Indian descent, expressed his empathy towards the players of North Korea.

“I think it was an insult to the North Koreans to have their enemy’s flag portrayed by their pictures.” Maharaj said. “They had a right, as soccer players, to walk out. Even though it might have been an accident, it still greatly upset those soccer players and coaches from North Korea.”

Politically, the world has seen the North Korean government overreact to certain controversial events and situations. Currently the North Koreans have been overreacting to American military movements by moving their missiles closer to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and threatening to attack South Korea and the United States.

Prior to the Olympics incident, in 2011 The North Korean women’s team faced another controversial issue after being banned from the 2015 Women’s World Cup because five players tested positive for performance enhancing drug.

The North Korean press’ reaction to this story was to talk about a lightning strike that injured many of the players during a practice. According to an article written by Brent Jones in USA Today, North Korean officials reported that five players had been treated with a traditional therapy called musk deer gland therapy, which according to FIFA regulations is a performance enhancing drug that has been banned.

Adrien Chen posted an article called Why The Women of North Korea Are The Most Interesting Olympians on Gawker on July 27th, 2012 criticizing the media for false reporting and saying that the facts presented by North Korean media do not add up. This is similar to the time when Kim-Jong Il supposedly had an astonishing 11-holes-in-one and 38-under-par golf round, which allegedly occurred on his first time out on the course.

More recently, Dennis Rodman, the retired American Hall of Fame basketball star, and three Harlem Globetrotters joined Kim-Jong Un in North Korea for a dinner and basketball game.

After what seems to have been a successful dinner with the leader, Rodman has boasted that he and Kim-Jong Un have summer plans and will continue to have a friendship. There are multiple explanations offered for why the Supreme Leader of North Korea chose Rodman instead of Obama. After Rodman came back and began to brag about their friendship, it became clear to many that this was not a secret diplomatic mission.

On a TV interview with “CBS This Morning” retired NBA star Shaquille O’Neal commented on Rodman’s trip to Pyongyang. “We as people should understand our roles in life” O’Neal said. “And I think certain people should leave the diplomacy to diplomats. It was a very risky move what he did.”

Sports journalists are saying that Kim-Jong Un has a newfound love for sports, which his father had to cheat to be good at.

The situation between North Korean sports and politics is not unique.

In the 1968 Olympics Tommie Smith and John Carlos, gold and bronze medalists in the 200m, wore black clothing and raised their fists demonstrating against racial discrimination of black people In the United States. They were booed, and two days later, the two athletes were sent home for violating Olympic protocol by bringing politics into the sports, according to a BBC news report.

The 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow was boycotted by the United States to protest the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. Later, in 1984 the Soviet Union would respond by boycotting the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

To this day, politics and sports continue to intertwine making situations all the more complicated and disastrous.

Image above story: “Sculpture:Entrance to the Kim Il Sung Stadium, Pyongyang, DPRK (North Korea)” John Pavelka. Used under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.