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5 International Soccer Stars Who Got Big American Paydays

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In late 1993, the United States wanted to restart its professional soccer program about a decade after the fall of the North American Soccer League. The hope was that some of the world’s best players would want to come to the United States and join the new clubs, and thus Major League Soccer was born with the first season being played in 1996.

Though the prestige of the MLS hasn’t matched the major leagues around the world just yet, there have been plenty of international players who have made their way stateside and earned some big salaries. Here are five international stars who cashed in on the MLS. Before we get to the list, some of the names that just missed the cut include David Villa, Jorge Campos, Gareth Bale, and Robbie Keane.

Carlos Valderrama

Colombian footballer Carlos Valderrama was the original MLS superstar, and the midfielder had spent much of the 1980s and early 1990s as one of the best players in the world. Known mostly for his time with Deportivo Cali in the late 1980s, Valderrama joined Major League Soccer during its first season, signing with the Tampa Bay Mutiny while in his mid-30s.

Valderrama spent six years in the MLS, and on top of Tampa Bay also played for the Miami Fusion and Colorado Rapids before retiring after the 2002 season. Valderrama finished his career with 175 matches and 16 goals, winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield in his first season, and was the MVP of the first season. Valderrama was far and away the highest-paid player of the fledgling league.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has had a lot of stops throughout his professional football career, playing for more than half a dozen clubs before joining the MLS. Most notably, Ibrahimovic was with Inter Milan for three years, netting 57 goals in just 70 matches.

Prior to the 2018 MLS season, Ibrahimovic surprised a lot of people by signing a contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy for just $1.5 million. That salary would increase dramatically the following year, with the star earning $7.2 million. While it might not seem like a lot, the MLS does have a low salary cap and Ibrahimovic was earning plenty on the side. After two seasons, he headed back to Europe and joined AC Milan in 2020, finishing with 56 games and 52 goals, making the All-Star Team in both seasons.

Thierry Henry

French football star Thierry Henry found a lot of success at the beginning of his career with Monaco, but truly hit it big when he joined Arsenal and became a tremendous goal scorer. After eight years with the club, Henry spent three more with Barcelona, then made his way to America.

Henry joined the New York Red Bulls on a five-year contract worth $22.4 million. This set a new precedent in the MLS as Henry’s salary alone exceeded the cap that was set by the league. Henry played for all five seasons, with his most impressive being the 2012 campaign in which he had 15 goals and 12 assists in 25 games. Overall, Henry had 51 goals before retiring following the 2014 season.

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney was an absolute legend in England, starting his professional career with Everton for three years before being transferred to Manchester United. Rooney spent 13 years with Man U, scoring 183 goals in nearly 400 appearances, and then made another stop with Everton before heading to the United States. 

The details of Rooney’s contract weren’t explicitly stated for his second season, but he made nearly $2.8 million in his first year. Insiders said that the second season paid him north of $6 million, and those were his only two in Major League Soccer. However, Rooney would retire and become the manager of the team who signed him (D.C. United) and earned a cool $1 million in his first year. In his 48 career MLS games, Rooney scored 23 goals.

David Beckham

Even if he wasn’t the truly greatest player that England has ever seen, David Beckham was certainly one of the most famous. Beckham had come up with Manchester United, spending more than a decade with the club before heading to Real Madrid for a few years during the mid-2000s. 

Beckham was the biggest acquisition in American soccer history, with the player earning $36.5 million over his six seasons with the LA Galaxy from 2007 to 2012. During that time, Beckham scored 18 goals in 98 career games, but the most lucrative part of his contract was the ownership stipulation. Beckham’s contract allowed him to own an MLS team after his playing days, and he started an expansion team (Inter Miami).

5 Biggest Grammy Snubs of All Time

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Each year, the Recording Academy of the United States decides the best of the best from the year in music during the Grammy Awards. Many feel that what the Academy says is gospel and that whoever ends up winning these awards were truly the top picks from the year. However, public opinion from hardcore music fans can differ greatly from the Academy’s opinion.

Whether it’s the Album of the Year, Best Rap Album, or anything else, there’s always going to be at least one person who feels that the actual best choice didn’t win the award. Here are five of the biggest Grammy snubs of all time that had people scratching their heads the most.

1984 Song of the Year

There was a stacked card for the 1984 Song of the Year award, which included two Michael Jackson songs (“Beat It” and “Billie Jean”). There were two other massive hits that were nominated, as well, with Michael Sembello’s “Maniac” and Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long”. None of these songs would end up winning the award, though.

Many felt that one of the two Jackson songs would take home the title, especially since “Beat It” won so many other awards that night. The award instead went to The Police for their hit “Every Breath You Take”. Even Sting, the man who wrote the song, didn’t think it was deserving of the Song of the Year choice.

2014 Best New Artist

The title for Best New Artist is always one that gets a lot of backlash from fans. 2011, for example, saw Esperanza Spalding win over Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence and the Machine, and Mumford & Sons. Just three years later, though, there would be an even bigger blowback from fans when Macklemore & Ryan Lewis shared the title.

James Blake, Kacey Musgraves, and Ed Sheeran were all nominated, but the one who people felt got snubbed the most was Kendrick Lamar. Lamar had just released “good kid, m.A.A.d city” which was up for Album of the Year. Lamar didn’t take home any of the awards in which he was nominated, leaving a lot of rap fans confused.

1993 Best Rock Song

In 1992, Sting won the first-ever Grammy for Best Rock Song when he released “The Soul Cages” which was a big upset in itself. After all, “Silent Lucidity”, “Enter Sandman”, “Learning to Fly” and “Been Caught Stealing” were all nominated that year, too. The second-ever award in the category, though, was much more confusing for music fans.

“Layla” by Eric Clapton would end up winning the award. If that already sounds weird, it’s because “Layla” was a 1970s song, but the acoustic version from “Unplugged” was what earned the title. Both “Jeremy” by Pearl Jam and, of course, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana were the favorites, but the Grammys really didn’t like grunge at the time.

1989 Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance

The Grammy Awards finally began to recognize the world of hard rock in 1989 with the introduction of the Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Award, but it would be the only year in which the award existed. Pretty much everyone felt that Metallica was going to win the award for their album “…And Justice for All”.

The Recording Academy had different ideas, though. Iggy Pop, AC/DC, and Jane’s Addiction were also nominated, but the title went to Jethro Tull for “Crest of a Knave”. Metalheads were instantly furious, and the award was removed from future Grammy ceremonies. Lars Ulrich of Metallica said that Jethro Tull winning was a mockery and opened the curtains to show that the Grammys didn’t really have their finger on the pulse of rock music.

1969 Song of the Year

The Beatles didn’t have a shortage of awards throughout their time together, but one title which they should’ve won came at the 1969 Grammy Awards. “Hey Jude” was up for the Song of the Year category, and many felt that the only real competition was from Simon & Garfunkel for their hit “Mrs. Robinson”. Neither of those songs would win, though.

Neither would two of the other more well-known songs in the category; “Harper Valley PTA” by Jeannie C. Riley and “Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro. Instead, the title went to O.C. Smith for his song “Little Green Apples”. The song was a solid hit for its time, but has largely gone unremembered by music fans, especially compared to “Hey Jude”, which is considered a timeless classic.

5 Countries Whose Climates Have Changed The Most In The 21st Century

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Climate change has affected the entire world as average temperatures continue to rise on a yearly basis, but there are some parts of the world where it has been more obvious. Between natural disasters and rising water levels, the evidence of climate change is felt in some countries to the point where natural disasters are almost expected at this point.

There are dozens of countries that have been heavily impacted by climate change, but a handful really stand out as having some of the more concrete evidence. Here are five countries whose climates have changed the most in the 21st century, the effects of that change, and what to expect in the future.

Haiti

There has been a long list of natural disasters in the island country of Haiti, a lot of which are attributed to earthquakes that can’t really be placed on climate change. However, there have been plenty of tropical storms and hurricanes, which have been more frequent and intense due to changes during the 21st century. The average air temperature in Haiti climbed steadily during the 1980s and 1990s, plummeting briefly in 2011 before skyrocketing back up to an all-time high.

That massive increase in temperature in 2012 was responsible for the severity of Hurricane Sandy, which came while the country was still recovering from a massive 2010 earthquake. Sandy left hundreds of thousands without homes while killing more than 100 people due to massive floods. Other hurricanes in the 21st century include Matthew, laura, Tomas, and Gustav.

Japan

Unlike Haiti, Japan is well-equipped to handle earthquakes, but other natural disasters can cause havoc in the country. Most people know about the earthquake in 2011 that was the largest recorded in Japan’s history, as well as the tsunami that followed and left nearly 20,000 dead and thousands more missing. That disaster was not an indicator of climate change, however.

Japan hasn’t seen as extreme of a temperature increase over the 21st century as many of the other developed nations around the world, but it is still apparent. Japan has received a ‘highly insufficient’ grade for its policies regarding climate change, and even a slightly continued increase in temperature could cause extreme damage. With rising water levels, Japan as a whole is in danger, and experts predict that Japan’s coasts could suffer $1 trillion in damages over the next couple of decades.

Afghanistan

Very few countries have seen the type of temperature increase in the 21st century quite as Afghanistan has. For much of the 20th century, the average temperature was actually below average and had a downward trend, but that all changed in the 2000s due to a wide range of factors. The country has been designated by experts as one of the world’s most vulnerable, especially as they rely on hydropower.

Extended periods of drought and rising temperatures have left Afghanistan in a food crisis. There are even some residents who have said that they fear the lack of food as a result of climate change more than they do the Taliban. This has led to a mass exodus of citizens from Afghanistan who are hoping to find greener pastures, as the country is expected to be devastated in the coming decades.

Canada

Canada doesn’t really seem like the type of country that would be on this list, especially as they’ve taken more action toward climate change than many others. However, Canada is still one of the leading oil-producing countries in the world and, as a result, has had more greenhouse gas emissions than all but six other nations.

The country also has the highest emissions per capita, while deforestation has also played a large role in Canada’s climate. There are more extreme weather events in Canada each passing year, and this includes wildfires, torrential downpours, and drought-laden heat waves that affect the country’s crops. Sea levels have been rising in Canada, especially in the southwestern and southeastern regions.

Germany

Germany is another one of those countries that are leading the fight against climate change after seeing its nation affected heavily. Temperatures in Germany have risen at a faster rate than in many other developed nations, and it has caused the Alpine glaciers to melt at a faster rate, and has led to flooding. While it’s a good thing that the glaciers are melting, it needs to be slower to be sustained.

Eventually, no water from the glaciers will cause rivers to dry up and lead to extended periods of drought for Germany. Experts also say that in a few decades, there won’t be any colder parts of Germany left as the entirety of the country becomes part of a warm climate zone.

5 Longest-Serving Marines Four-Star Generals

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Earning the rank of Four-Star General in the Marines is perhaps the most difficult rank to achieve in any branch of the military. Marine generals have seen a lot of action in the years leading up to the ultimate promotion, and only a few dozen men have been named to the position. Some of them have been influential in political and militaristic strategy, though some have very short terms. Then, there are men who served over six years as a Four-Star General. There are only five of them, but these men were the ones that held the rank the longest before retiring.

James E. Cartwright

James “Hoss” Cartwright joined the Marines in 1971 when he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Over the years, Cartwright moved his way up the ranks and was assigned as Commanding General, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing from 2000 to 2002. In the summer of 2004, Cartwright was the Acting Commander, United States Strategic Command and was sworn in as full-time Commander on September 1 that year.

On the same day, Cartwright became the 40th Four-Star General as part of the USSC. He played a big part in the War on Terror during the Bush administration and served as a Four-Star General for seven years, retiring on August 3, 2011. Cartwright then pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2016 during an investigation on leaked classified info but was pardoned by Barack Obama the following year.

Peter Pace

Born in New York City, Peter Pace grew up in New Jersey and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1967. Pace earned a dozen medals during his career in the Marines, including his time as Commander during the late 1990s. On September 8, 2000, he was promoted to the rank of Four-Star General and maintained the position until retiring on June 8, 2007.

Pace made headlines due to his hearings in Congress where things became contentious, leading to his retirement. Still, he was able to serve for just under seven years and was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Since then, he has been in the business world while also getting into political interests, nearly becoming Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor.

James L. Jones

James L. Jones was born in Kansas City, Missouri 1943 to a father who was a highly-decorated Marine during World War II and decided to follow in his father’s footsteps at the start of the Vietnam War. Jones had attended Georgetown University prior to joining the Marines and was assigned to Camp Pendleton in 1968. Jones remained in the Marines for 40 years, earning several awards along the way.

In 1999, Jones was up for the nomination to become the newest general in the Marines, and on July 1 he assumed the position. Jones maintained the position of Four-Star General until his retirement on February 1, 2007. As General, he was the 14th Supreme Allied Commander Europe and after his retirement became the U.S. National Security Advisor under Barack Obama.

Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr.

After he was born in Norfolk, Virginia on February 10, 1896, Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr. stayed in the state and attended the Virginia Military Institute. Shepherd was an early graduate, joining the Marines during World War I. He fought at the Battle of Belleau Wood, and afterward moved up the ranks of the Marines.

Shepherd also fought in World War II, earning himself another long list of medals, and was part of the Battle of Okinawa. During the Korean War, Harry Truman named Shepherd the Commandant of the Marine Corps, earning him the rank of Four-Star General, and was just the third man to hold that honor. In September 1959, Shepherd retired after nearly eight years as general and spent a quiet retirement in California until passing away in 1990 at 94 years old.

Joseph F. Dunford Jr.

Boston, Massachusetts native Joseph Dunford graduated from several schools and academies, including Georgetown University and the United States Army War College early in his life. Dunford joined the Marine Corps in 1977 in a time without a lot of conflict around the world. Dunford quickly earned promotions and was given the nickname “Fighting Joe” during this time.

Robert Gates nominated Dunford to become the newest Four-Star General in the ranks and was approved in 2010, taking the position on October 23. Dunford became the longest-serving Four-Star General with nine years under his belt before retiring on November 1, 2019. Since then, he has joined the board of directors with Argentina-based satellite company Satellogic.

5 Best Movies for Escape Room Fans

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Escape rooms have become such a common part of mainstream media these days that it should come as no surprise that there have been several television shows and movies that have included them. Then, there are entire films that are based around the premise of an escape room, though the consequences are typically much direr than they are in real life.

Most of the films that pertain to escape rooms are recent, but there are also a few that date back to the 1990s. Let’s take a look at five of the best films that have at least some element of having an escape room, how they fared at the box office, and why they’re worth your time if you’re an escape room fan.

Escape Room

Of course, escape room fans would have to check out a film that’s called “Escape Room”, but you have to be careful about which one you’re getting. There are some that are not-so-great, and that includes the 2018 film that was released exclusively on Redbox. The superior “Escape Room” movie was released the following year and stars Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, and Deborah Ann Woll.

When the film was in development, it was known as “The Maze”, but changed to “Escape Room” before being released and even warranted a sequel called “Tournament of Champions”. In this movie, six participants must get through a series of escape rooms after thinking that they’ve won a competition by solving a puzzle cube. Chaos ensues and it makes for an amazing watching experience. “Escape Room” cost just $9 million to make but ended up grossing over $155 million at the box office.

Saw

You can essentially close your eyes and throw a dart at a board that has all of the “Saw” movies listed if you want a film with an escape room premise. For now, though, we’ll stick with suggesting the original “Saw” movie starring Cary Elwes. Tobin Bell plays Jigsaw, the killer who places his victims into nearly impossible (and deadly) escape rooms to teach them a lesson if they survive.

The film had a lot of twists and turns at the end, which we won’t spoil if you haven’t seen it. “Saw” was one of the biggest surprise hits in cinematic history, grossing well over $100 million despite having just a $1 million budget. Within a year, a second “Saw” was released, launching an all-new horror franchise.

Exam

There aren’t too many big British movies these days, but one of the best psychological thrillers with an escape room element is “Exam”, which was released in 2009. Directed by Stuart Hazeldine, “Exam” stars Adar Beck, Gemma Chan, and Nathalie Cox. The film centers around a group of eight people who think they are taking an employment assessment, but find out that the paper is blank.

It becomes an escape room of sorts as they have to figure out the question asked on the assessment if they want to leave with their lives. There’s a massive twist (that we won’t spoil), and it’s certain to leave you on the edge of your seat. “Exam” wasn’t a hit at the box office, making less than $400,000 on a $600,000 budget. Still, it developed a cult following in the years after.

Cube

Released in 1997, “Cube” came many years before anyone knew what an escape room was. This Canadian film was independently released and only had a budget of $350,000 but ended up making nearly $9 million at the box office. Many also felt that this movie was a precursor to the “Saw” series, especially as it has horror elements.

There are thousands of puzzles within the cube, and the main cast has to try their best to figure each one out to save their lives. Vincenzo Natali directed the original “Cube”, which has been remade in Japan and has had several talks about an American remake. Still, the original holds up just fine for escape room fans.

No Escape (Follow Me)

Also known by its alternate title “Follow Me”, “No Escape was released in 2020 under director Will Wernick. Keegan Allen, Holland Roden, and Denzel Whitaker star in this horror film that takes an internet influencer, his girlfriend, and his friends, and puts them into a deadly escape room in Russia that they thought was harmless.

Things aren’t all that they seem, though, as Allen’s character (Cole Turner) goes for a wild ride in front of a live stream audience of millions. While the film didn’t receive great reviews, it was still considered a cult hit and made a few million worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic on a small budget.

5 Most Popular Songs of the Spotify Era

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Streaming has allowed everyone to listen to the songs they love without having to find a CD player or search for the song on YouTube and have an entire video load. More than any other streaming service, Spotify has been the go-to for those who want no-frills digital audio from their favorite artists and certain songs have been much more popular than others.

Since the Spotify era began, certain songs have appealed to everyone no matter what their preferred genre is. Of course, most of these songs fall into the pop category, but hip-hop does find its way toward the top of the list, too. Here are the five most popular songs of the Spotify era, but before we get into the list, here are some songs that almost made the cut: “Closer” by The Chainsmokers and Halsey, “One Dance” by Drake”, and “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee.

“Rockstar” by Post Malone ft. 21 Savage

Following the success of his debut album “Stoney” in late 2016, Post Malone didn’t disappoint with his sophomore release “Beerbongs & Bentleys” two years later. To get the fans who were waiting for a taste of what to expect from the entire album, Malone released the first single “Rockstar” in September 2017. “Rockstar” was an instant hit, becoming the first number-one song for both Malone and track-mate 21 Savage.

At the time of its release, “Rockstar” broke the record for the most-streamed song in a one-week span, and it stayed at the top of the charts for two months. “Rockstar” also became just the second song to be streamed more than 2 billion songs on Spotify, following another hit that’s on the list. “Rockstar” was nominated for several Grammy and American Music Awards, but surprisingly won none of them.

“Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi

There are certain artists who have seemingly come out of nowhere and delivered one of the biggest hit songs of all time. Lewis Capaldi is one of those artists, and in early 2019 his song “Someone You Loved” became an unstoppable force internationally. The soft-spoken Scot belted out this tune as part of his extended play “Breach” and the album “Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent”.

After it made waves in Europe, “Someone You Loved” started gaining steam around the rest of the world and reached number one in both Canada and the United States. It was quite the climb for the song, which had debuted at number 85 before spending three weeks at number one.

“Dance Monkey” Tones and I

Tones and I had a very similar path to stardom as Lewis Capaldi, coming out of nowhere as an international singer and dominating the charts in pretty much every country. Tones and I is an Australian singer with a very unique voice, and the song “Dance Monkey” was about her time busking in her home country trying to make ends meet.

The beat was incredibly catchy and the vocals were memorable, giving Tones and I her first-ever top 10 hit in most charting countries. Interestingly enough, despite being the third-most-popular song in the Spotify era, “Dance Monkey” was not a number-one single in the United States. In fact, it only reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Shape Of You” by Ed Sheeran

If you were driving around and listening to the radio in 2017, there was a good chance that “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran was playing no matter what radio station it was. Sheeran’s song was an earworm that became his biggest hit, reaching number one in nearly three dozen countries around the world.

That, of course, included the United States where it even debuted as the number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100. “Shape of You” didn’t let up after its strong start, either. The song would end up breaking the record for most weeks spent in the top 10 of the charts with 33, meaning that there were women in the world that spent almost an entire pregnancy with that song as a top 10 hit.

“Blinding Lights” by The Weekend

There aren’t many songs that could still be played on top 40 radio stations years after their release, but “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd is one of them. After going off the grid for months, The Weeknd popped back up in late 2019, releasing what would be the hit that got us all through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Blinding Lights” broke records left and right, even destroying Sheeran’s record as it remained in the top 10 for an entire year. The song helped propel The Weeknd to superstardom, landing him the halftime show of the Super Bowl with a memorable “Blinding Lights” performance.

5 Keys To Accelerate Your Career After College

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There are a lot of us that are patient with our jobs, but we want to know when our next promotion or position will come. It’s perfectly natural to think about advancement in your career, even if you’re fresh out of college. While some can settle into the same position for years, there are plenty that want to make a change within their first few months.

If you find yourself in the latter category, there are some ways in which you can stand out. Here are five keys to accelerate your career after college so that you can land the job that you’ve always wanted.

Network

It’s a known fact at this point that getting ahead in your career is more about who you know compared to what you know. There are countless people who are fantastic at their jobs but don’t like to interact with their coworkers. While this is certainly fine if you want to focus on the life aspect of work-life balance, those who want to get ahead in their careers will need to network as much as they can.

You don’t have to spend all of your post-work hours rubbing elbows with higher-ups at bars, either. You can simply get on social networks like LinkedIn to start networking within your company and making connections that can get you a long way. Shadowing those who are working in jobs that you want someday is also huge for your networking skills.

Continue Education

Employers absolutely love it when you already have a degree, and they love it even more when you’re working on your next one. Some of the biggest and best companies in the world to work for not only encourage you to work toward another degree, but most of them will end up paying for it as long as you’re there. Most of these opportunities are online, too, making things easier.

Depending on your employer, you might even get paid time off to concentrate on school. Some of the highest-rated companies for those looking to advance their education include Ocrulus, DevBridge, and Liberty Mutual Insurance. Some stipulations may require you to maintain employment at the company for a few years after graduation, but you won’t be in debt.

Create a Map

Before you get too deep into the company you’re currently with, try to make a roadmap of where you want to be in the next five to 10 years. There could be certain companies that you’ve wanted to work for, certain roles, or even cities that you want to move to. We mentioned Liberty Mutual, and that would be a good destination for those that want to end up living in the Boston area.

Even if you don’t know exactly where you want to go with your career, at least try to brainstorm some ideas. There aren’t many people who want to stay in the job that they landed straight out of college forever. Write down your dream job and the path it’s going to take to get there, no matter how hard or outlandish it might sound.

Let Higher-Ups Know

In companies of pretty much any size, your direct managers and those above them are going to want to know if you want to pursue other opportunities. They don’t want to know because they think you’re going to mail it in on your current job, but because they want to help you land those new positions. At the end of the day, managers look good when their employees are promoted, so it’s a win-win for everyone.

Managers will get in touch with those in the same position in different fields or perhaps even higher up on the ladder to see where you might be a good fit. Even if it’s a job that you weren’t trained for initially, you could end up feeling more comfortable while making more money in an entirely new role. However, your managers can’t help you if you don’t let them know.

Focus on the Now

It’s great to plan out your future and think about advancement opportunities, but when it comes down to it, you still have a job to do right now. If you’re too focused on other things, you might not even get that new job or raise because your performance isn’t up to speed. 

Focus most of your energy on the tasks you have to complete now and the rest will fall into place. It’s good to show initiative, but managers from all walks of life want to see how you’ve been performing before any movement is made.

5 Blue Chip Football Recruits Who Landed At Small Schools

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Being a professional football scout is a dream job compared to recruiting for college football. In the pros, you make a list of who you think the best players are coming out of college, and when it’s your turn in the draft, you simply select the best player available and he’s on your team. In college, though, there’s a lot of convincing that you have to do as a recruiter to get a player to come to your school.

For the most part, smaller schools are eliminated from getting any highly-rated high school players due to their lack of resources. However, there have been a handful of instances in which a smaller school outside of the power five (and especially the Southeastern Conference) has landed big names. Here are five of those times when the little guy got the big fish.

Ofa Mohetau (BYU)

When he was coming out of high school in 2002-03, ESPN said that Ofa Mohetau could be the best offensive guard in a decade. That’s why it stunned so many people that Mohetau decided to move from Texas to Utah, signing with BYU. However, his playing career seemed to vanish as soon as he stepped on campus.

Mohetau decided to join Texas Tech after nearly three years at BYU but didn’t get any playing time. He was left off of the 2007 roster without much fanfare and never made it to the NFL. In fact, he stayed off the grid for the most part and moved back to Texas.

Ed Oliver (Houston)

The Houston Cougars became a Power 5 conference team when they joined the Big 12 in 2023, but in the years leading up to that move, they were a G5 team that was part of Conference USA then the American Athletic Conference. During their AAC days, Houston landed their biggest recruit yet when they signed defensive tackle Ed Oliver.

Oliver was one of the 20 highest-rated prospects in the 2016 class, and he definitely lived up to that billing. Oliver was named an All-American in all three of his NCAA seasons and won the AAC Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017. Oliver wound up becoming a top 10 selection in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.

DeAndre Brown (Southern Miss)

There were three receivers ranked ahead of DeAndre Brown in the class of 2008 and they all ended up being amazing (Julio Jones, A.J. Green, DeVier Pose). DeAndre Brown was the other big five-star receiver coming out of high school that year, and he surprised everyone when he decided to enroll at Southern Miss instead of Auburn, Florida, and LSU.

Brown played for three seasons at Southern Miss, collecting 2,207 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns in 30 games. Wanting to avoid injury, he declared for the 2011 NFL Draft, but was not selected. He spent time on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad but never suited up for an NFL game.

Michael Bush (Louisville)

It doesn’t sound too wild at the moment to think about Louisville grabbing a five-star recruit every now and then. After all, they are in one of the Power 5 conferences (ACC) and have produced some incredible talent including NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. There was a time, though, when Louisville was just a basketball school in Conference USA.

It was at that time when the Cardinals landed one of the highest-rated running backs in high school history, Michael Bush. Louisville didn’t have to go far on the recruiting trail for Bush since he was raised in the city and wanted to stick around for his college years. Bush collected over 2,500 rushing yards at Lousiville and another 3,250 in the NFL.

Travis Hunter (Jackson State)

When former NFL legend Deion Sanders took over the head coaching duties at FCS school Jackson State, there were a lot of highly-recruited high school players who were interested in joining him. The biggest coup that Sanders pulled off at Jackson State (before leaving for Colorado) was landing Travis Hunter, the top-ranked player in his class.

Hunter had been considered a lock to play for Florida State, but changed his mind at the last moment and went to the small HBCU school. Hunter played just one season with Jackson State, though, as he joined Sanders at Colorado. Still, he was able to put up 141 yards of offense with two touchdowns while also recording 15 tackles at Jackson State, and nobody will forget the recruiting trail that Sander’s blazed at Jackson State in 2022.

5 Politicians Who Changed Their Minds On Fundamental Issues – And Why

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One of the most common terms that you’ll hear in the political realm is “flip-flopper,” which became popular during the 2004 presidential election when it was used against Democratic nominee John Kerry for changing certain political views. Kerry is certainly not alone, though, as almost every politician has reversed course on at least one topic throughout their careers.

Democrats, Republicans, independents, and all other parties have their core beliefs, but some members have strayed away from those over the years. Here are five politicians who changed their minds on fundamental issues, and why they did it.

Joe Biden – Gay Marriage

It might be surprising to a lot of younger people, but even during the 1990s and 2000s, there were many members of the Democratic Party who were against gay marriage. Among them was one of the leading members of the party, Joe Biden. It wasn’t until his time as Vice President under Barack Obama that Biden changed his opinion on gay marriage being recognized by the government.

Michael Lombardo, former head of HBO, said that Biden met with him and his husband in 2012, and it helped the eventual President to change his mind. Since then, Biden has been a huge supporter of gay marriage, saying “Things are changing so rapidly, it’s going to become a political liability in the near term for someone to say, ‘I oppose gay marriage.’”

Bob Inglis – Climate Change

Bob Inglis served two terms as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the state of South Carolina from 1993-1999 and from 2005-2011. When climate change was first touted around the political realm, Inglis said that it was a hoax. After doing some research into the topic, though, Inglis changed his mind and it cost him his seat.

Republicans have held firm on their stance about climate change, and Inglis lost all support within his party. He has remained conservative but has spent his years since serving in Washington trying to get his fellow Republicans to accept that climate change is real. He added that because of tribalism, it has been hard to get many to agree with him.

Donald Trump – Abortion

Long before he became the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump was a businessman who identified as a Democrat and was a firm pro-choice believer. In fact, he said so in multiple interviews, including saying “I’m very pro-choice…I hate the concept of abortion, but still, I just believe in choice.”

When he began campaigning for the White House as a Republican, though, Trump changed his tune and became pro-life. When he selected pro-life justices to fill Supreme Court vacancies, Trump said “This brings everything back to the states where it has always belonged,” adding that “God made the decision” to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. “This brings everything back to the states where it has always belonged,” he said.

Mitch McConnell – Gun Control

There are times when a politician may not really change how they personally feel about a certain topic but want to make sure that they’re appealing to enough voters to keep their jobs. Many feel that that’s the way Republican Congress leader Mitch McConnell was when he changed his stance on gun control in the United States. For many years, McConnell said that he would go against liberal policies on gun control with full force, but then switched gears after Republicans didn’t perform well in the 2022 midterm elections.

Many suburban voters, even those who identify as Republicans, began scaling back their support of the second amendment following the increase in mass shootings in the United States. Dan Eberhart, a major donor to the party, said that “McConnell can read the polls as well as anyone…Republicans are being painted as extremists on every issue because of the MAGA issue. Guns are an issue where they can disprove that narrative.”

Tulsi Gabbard – Entire Democrat Policy

During the run-up to the 2020 presidential election, Tulsi Gabbard was one of the leading candidates for the Democratic Party’s nomination. The Hawaii congresswoman was seen by the party as someone who could potentially appeal to more moderate Democrats, but overall, Gabbard had many left-leaning policies that included the legalization of drugs. That changed after she didn’t earn the bid, however.

In late 2022, Gabbard left the Democratic Party (though she was already out of office at that point), and cited multiple reasons. Gabbard said that the party was “stoking anti-white racism” and that they “demonize the police but protect criminals at the expense of law-abiding Americans…And above all, they are dragging us ever closer to nuclear war.” Though she officially said she was becoming independent, she has appeared at many conservative rallies and conferences since the switch.

5 High-Scoring NBA Games That Definitely Hit the Over

Posted on by scatty

One of the more common bets that you’ll see in basketball is on the totals. While the point spread can be a bit tricky to navigate for novice bettors, the total points scored line is easier as you don’t have to have too much inside knowledge of each team. Most bettors will also say that it’s more fun to bet the ‘over’ on the total, especially as teams start getting hot and baskets are dropping left and right.

There have been a handful of times in basketball history when the over was hit seemingly by halftime. Whether it was multiple overtimes which inflated the score or just two hot teams, these five games saw the most total points in NBA history. Let’s take a look at those extremely rare occasions and how they happened.

318 Points (Twice)

There have been two games that have hit 318 points total, with the first one not even needing overtime to reach new heights. The Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs met on January 11, 1984, and the two teams combined for 99 points in just one quarter, setting the new NBA record that hasn’t been touched since then. Kiki Vandeweghe led the way for Denver, scoring 50 points, while George Gervin put up 38 in the Spurs’ losing effort with a final score of 163-155.

The second time that two teams combined for 318 points came on December 7, 2006, as the Phoenix Suns defeated the New Jersey Nets 161-157. This game didn’t need just one overtime to reach the total, but two. Steve Nash led all scorers with 42 points while Shawn Marion added another 33 for the victors. As for the Nets, Jason Kidd (38) and Vince Carter (31) also had solid nights.

320 Points

The November 2, 1990 game between the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets was perhaps one of the most interesting games in NBA history. Not only was it opening night for the 1990-91 season, but the game set the league record for most points in a game that didn’t go into overtime with 320. Golden State would prevail, defeating the Nuggets 162-158.

The Warriors shot an absurd 57.8 percent from the field, needing only a pair of three-point baskets to hit 162 points. Chris Mullin recorded a team-high 38 points while Tim Hardaway added 32 and Mitch Richmond added 29. Orlando Woolridge (37) and Walter Davis (33) put up fine performances for the Nuggets in the loss.

329 Points

Reaching more than one overtime in the NBA is rarer than you might think, but reaching four overtimes is almost unheard of. When the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks met up on March 1, 2019, at the State Farm Arena in Georgia, they would end up needing all four overtimes to decide a winner, scoring a total of 329 points as the Bulls won 168-161.

Neither team was headed to the playoffs in this late-season matchup, which explains the lack of defense. Zach LaVine put up 47 points for the Bulls while Otto Porter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen each added 31. Trae Young led all scorers in the game with 49 while no other member of the Hawks reached 25 points, surprisingly.

337 Points

On March 6, 1982, a new standard for scoring was set in an NBA game when the San Antonio Spurs defeated the visiting Milwaukee Bucks by a score of 171-166 in triple overtime. Though the record wouldn’t last for a full two years, it was still far and away the highest-scoring game in NBA history at that point.

The two teams were tied 131-131 after regulation, and the highest scorers for the Bucks didn’t actually start the game. Brian Winters put up 42 points from the bench while Junior Bridgeman added another 31. As for the winning team, Mike Mitchell (45) and George Gervin (50) combined for more than half of the Spurs’ total.

370 Points

In one of the most unbeatable records in NBA history, the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets made history on December 13, 1983, when they combined for 370 points in the Pistons’ 186-184 road win. At 33 points more than any other game in league history, nobody has come close in the several decades which have followed.

The game ended after three overtimes, and was already high-scoring in regulation as the Pistons and Nuggets were tied at 145-145. Isaiah Thomas (47), John Long (41), and Kelly Tripucka (35) all had huge games for the Pistons while Kiki Vandeweghe had his second big game on the list with 51 points. Alex English also added another 47 for Denver.