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Brandeis University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1949 | Waltham, MA

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Hot Take

(03/10/26 10:00am)

Thanks for sending in this week’s hot take, Esther. I think women getting into sports is pretty topical since the release of Heated Rivalry brought in a lot of new female hockey fans, and they have received criticism for this. To all those who think that you are not allowed to be a hockey fan because of Heated Rivalry, I say this: Who cares? Can’t everyone just enjoy sports? Can’t everyone just get along? The best part of watching sports is the community around it. Everyone can watch and have their own opinions and their favorite teams — so what if someone likes a team because there’s a hot player on it? They still enjoy the games just as much as everyone else, and I’ll bet they know just as much as the average fan. Of course I agree with Esther because all sports fans are valid for their reason of being a fan. We shouldn’t judge based on why you’re a fan, but what you’re a fan of. I don’t care that you like the Oklahoma City Thunder because you think Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is hot, I care that you like the Thunder because I hate them. If you’re a sports fan, you’re a sports fan — and that’s that. If you’re a man and you disagree with what I’ve said, let me ask you this: Why do you watch LeBron play? 

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2026/03/hot-take-69af9ddb3ce10

Hot Take

(02/10/26 11:00am)

  Thanks for sending in this week's hot take, Alyssa. Draymond Green has been the starting power forward for the Golden State Warriors for the last 14 years. During this time with the Warriors he was a major contributor to four championships and the best win record in NBA history, the 2015-16 season, where the Warriors went 73-9. He is a Defensive Player of the Year and recorded the only ever triple double without points. He has revolutionized the way power forwards and centers play, often being the most ball dominant player on his team which allows his point guard, Steph Curry, to play off the ball. The archetype of a passing big, a model of player seen often in the modern NBA, is heavily influenced by Green’s playstyle and the role he plays in the Warriors offense. He is also heavily criticized for being one of the most unstable and violent players in the NBA, being sixth all time in technical fouls and second all time in flagrant fouls. I could spend all day listing distasteful things Draymond has done on the court, so I will stick to the highlights. He punched Jordan Poole in the face during a practice, leading Golden State to trade Poole and likely dashing their chances for a back-to-back championship. He stepped on Domantas Sabonis’ chest during a game, a potentially career-ending injury. He kicked Australian player Stephen Addams in his down under after getting blocked by him. He went on his podcast and called Karl Anthony-Towns “soft” for missing a game, then doubled down on his statements after learning Towns missed the game for his family friend’s funeral. I think Jusuf Nurkic got it right when asked about Draymond, he replied “That brotha needs help,” a quote that quickly went viral. It goes without saying that basketball is a very competitive sport and Draymond is not the only player to have gotten carried away during a game. Historically, he’s not even the worst player, but he’s definitely criticized the most. Dennis Rodman and the bad boy Detroit Pistons did much of the same in the ’80s and ’90s, but they receive praise for their efforts. It’s true, the game has changed since then, but that doesn’t excuse the demonization of Draymond as opposed to other players in the NBA. He himself has been outspoken about people's perception of him. Green in 2023 apologized for his behavior and agreed that changes are necessary. In 2025 he again commented saying that when people criticize his overly-physical playstyle, they are forcing him into the stereotype of “an angry black man.” While he has certainly gone too far in some instances, his contributions to NBA culture have been enormous, and he has made efforts to be better. I agree with Alyssa that Green might deserve some criticism, but the hate goes too far.  

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2026/02/hot-take-698ad284e28b5

“Heated Rivalry” goes to the Olympics in real life

(02/03/26 11:00am)

With the airing of the hit Canadian television show “Heated Rivalry” in late November and December of 2025, the series thrust actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie into stardom at a blinding speed. The two actors have since appeared  on multiple talk shows, presented at the 2026 Golden Globes and walked runways. They have also been selected as torch bearers for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which take place in Milan, Italy, from Feb. 6 to Feb. 22. 

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2026/02/heated-rivalry-goes-to-the-olympics-in-real-life

Hot Take

(02/03/26 11:00am)

 Thank you Ben for sending in this week’s take. Tanking in sports is a pretty heavy topic. Almost every major American sport has a draft, which means that almost every American sport experiences some form of tanking. For those who are unfamiliar, tanking is when a team doesn’t believe it can achieve major success in a season and instead tries to perform worse and lose more games to receive a better chance of a higher draft pick. The NFL probably has the most egregious examples of this tactic since there isn’t a lottery in their draft. Drafts usually only give a better chance depending on win percentage whereas, in the NFL, whichever team does worst gets the first pick. It is true that equity is a hard thing to keep in professional sports, and tanking seems to be inefficient at preventing an imbalance in teams. Focusing on the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks received the number one pick despite having a winning record and a less-than-one-percent chance of getting it, the San Antonio Spurs have received a top-five pick for the last three years despite having a winning record for two of them, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are likely going to receive a top-three pick this year despite having the best win record in the league. The better question is, does tanking even work in the first place? At the end of the day, bigger market teams are always going to have more assets and it’s almost impossible for them to need to tank. Throughout the entire history of the Boston Celtics, an organization that has existed for roughly 80 years, they’ve had three losing seasons, yet they’ve still had over 30 top-ten picks. The biggest issue people have with tanking is that it makes for a terrible watching experience; personally I don’t want to watch my favorite team try to lose all of their games, and as a New York Giants fan, I haven’t. I’m going to have to disagree with Ben’s take, partially because I hate watching teams play poorly and partially because it just doesn’t work. Really bad teams tend to stay really bad and really good teams rarely lose their status and if they do it doesn’t last long. 

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2026/02/hot-take