Watching the Dallas Cowboys take on the Green Bay Packers this past weekend, I felt like I was seeing one of the most dramatic games of the season. The storyline of Micah Parsons returning to Dallas stood out to me right away. Seeing him line up against his former teammates added another layer of intensity. Every time the camera cut to him, I felt the tension of his homecoming—he was playing with an edge, and even when he wasn’t directly making a play, his presence seemed to affect how the Cowboys’ offense approached certain situations. That narrative alone made the game feel bigger than just a regular season matchup.
From kickoff, the game turned into a shootout. Both Dak Prescott and Jordan Love threw three touchdowns, I was especially struck by the special teams plays—the blocked extra point that turned into two points the other way and the big kickoff returns kept shifting momentum. Even though the game ended in a 40–40 tie after overtime, which felt a little unsatisfying, it was still packed with moments that kept me locked in.
What also grabbed my attention was the way the announcers, Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth, handled the broadcast. Tirico’s steady delivery made it easy to follow the constant swings of the game, keeping the details like down-and-distance and clock situation clear. I liked how Collinsworth added just enough analysis to explain why certain plays worked or failed, without slowing down the excitement.
I didn’t watch any football this weekend, however, I did watch a NASCAR race that had a very interesting and controversial ending. As the NASCAR playoffs wind down, veteran driver Denny Hamlin is trying to advance to the next round by winning the race, and getting a shot to race for the championship in the coming weeks. However, he is part owner of a separate racing team, piloted by driver Bubba Wallace, who is also trying to win the race and advance to the playoffs. As the laps winded down with the two drivers were in 1st and 2nd. The announcer beautifully crafted the story, embracing the conflict. Would Denny Hamlin cut Bubba some slack and let him win because he owns the team he races for? Or would he drive as hard as he can, and try to take the win for himself? With both drivers gunning for the playoffs, it was an intense situation, and the announcers captured it perfectly. In the final turn before the checkered flag, Hamlin would crash into Bubba, and neither of them would win the race, or advance in the playoffs. This was a very unique situation that a casual fan watching would not understand the importance of. But because the announcer was able to dig deep and lay out a story as the most intense part of the race was happening, everyone understood the conflict.
I didn’t watch American Football with weekend, but I did was soccer. The story of the Hearts of Pine’s September 27th clash with Texoma FC was one of grit, atmosphere, and identity. More than just a game, it was the debut of the club’s bold new “Blaze Kit” –a Maine original that colored Fitzpatrick Stadium in blaze orange and green. The kit itself tells a story: camouflage reimagined, heart-shaped patterns woven into the design, and blaze orange symbolizing protection, heritage, and belonging. Many fans wore it, making the stands blaze like autumn forests. The Zoo, the Hearts’ legendary supporter section, filled the stadium with chants, drums, and clouds of pink smoke, a display of passion that the Boston Globe recently hailed as part of a phenomenon “that will save American soccer.” This sense of community set the tone for a night destined to be remembered.
On the pitch, Hearts of Pine secured a tight 1–0 victory, extending their unbeaten streak. Three moments stood out above all. First came in the 13th minute, when Texoma nearly gifted Hearts an early lead: their keeper Javier Garcia fumbled under pressure, and Masashi Wada almost pounced, only to be denied by Garcia’s reflex save. The second turning point came in the 23rd minute, when Texoma mounted their first real attack. A scramble in the box forced keeper Hunter Morse into a big stop, and Nathan Messer cleared the danger to reset Hearts’ back line. Finally, in the 75th minute, Messer became the hero. After a clever setup by Ollie Wright, the left-back slotted home the game’s lone goal, sending the stadium into chaos and sealing the result. The broadcasters captured the rhythm of the match with clarity and depth. The play-by-play painted the action so vividly you could follow without seeing the pitch:“floats it up to half-field, taken by Texoma, lifted into the 18, deflected by Messer…” The color commentary weaved in strategy, anecdotes, and atmosphere, particularly the way the fanbase knew when to push energy into the team. Even the advertisements tied back into the bigger stakes of the night, highlighting the playoff race and the club’s growing presence in American soccer.
This past weekend was filled with some of the most electrifying football games of the season. Being able to watch pretty much every game on Sundays is what I look forward to every week. Just like every week however, one game stands out to me the most, and that was the Miami Dolphins who took on the New York Jets this past Monday night. The prelude of this game didn’t have that much hype as both teams were at the bottom of the NFL standings as they both had a record of 0-3, but wanted to get their first win of the season brought lots of pressure to both teams.
From kickoff, the Dolphins looked like a team that was desperate for their first win as they stormed out to a 7-0 lead, and the defense was motivated as they forced multiple turnovers on the Jets offense. The first half was over and the Dolphins were up comfortably. As the start of second half was underway, Miami still looked comfortable as they were moving the ball up field until something devastating happened. The Dolphins superstar, Tyreke Hill caught a pass from their quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and after he was tackled out of bounds, Hill visibly had a horrible injury occur. The Miami Dolphins medical staff quickly rushed to get him off the field. Watching the game live, it was clear that this wasn’t just a common injury, and Hill was most likely going to be out for the rest of the season.
It seemed that after the injury, Miami was fueled even more, as they scored a touchdown that same drive. The Dolphins went on to win this game 27-21 but everyone was really paying attention after the game, and when we heard the outcome on Hill’s injury. The outcome wasn’t great, as it was announced that Hill would be out for the year with a dislocated knee. Lastly, I feel that the announcers definitely did a great job on this game as well. Chris Fowler and Louis Riddick were great on this game as they gave great input throughout, and kept the people watching the game locked as Riddick was a former player, and hearing him break down plays before they even occurred was very cool to hear as a listener. All in all, this was a great game with some unfortunate events that occurred, but Miami pushing through for their injured teammate was very good to see.
5 thoughts on “BONUS JOURNAL”
https://eglynos.uneportfolio.org/journal-entries/
Watching the Dallas Cowboys take on the Green Bay Packers this past weekend, I felt like I was seeing one of the most dramatic games of the season. The storyline of Micah Parsons returning to Dallas stood out to me right away. Seeing him line up against his former teammates added another layer of intensity. Every time the camera cut to him, I felt the tension of his homecoming—he was playing with an edge, and even when he wasn’t directly making a play, his presence seemed to affect how the Cowboys’ offense approached certain situations. That narrative alone made the game feel bigger than just a regular season matchup.
From kickoff, the game turned into a shootout. Both Dak Prescott and Jordan Love threw three touchdowns, I was especially struck by the special teams plays—the blocked extra point that turned into two points the other way and the big kickoff returns kept shifting momentum. Even though the game ended in a 40–40 tie after overtime, which felt a little unsatisfying, it was still packed with moments that kept me locked in.
What also grabbed my attention was the way the announcers, Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth, handled the broadcast. Tirico’s steady delivery made it easy to follow the constant swings of the game, keeping the details like down-and-distance and clock situation clear. I liked how Collinsworth added just enough analysis to explain why certain plays worked or failed, without slowing down the excitement.
I didn’t watch any football this weekend, however, I did watch a NASCAR race that had a very interesting and controversial ending. As the NASCAR playoffs wind down, veteran driver Denny Hamlin is trying to advance to the next round by winning the race, and getting a shot to race for the championship in the coming weeks. However, he is part owner of a separate racing team, piloted by driver Bubba Wallace, who is also trying to win the race and advance to the playoffs. As the laps winded down with the two drivers were in 1st and 2nd. The announcer beautifully crafted the story, embracing the conflict. Would Denny Hamlin cut Bubba some slack and let him win because he owns the team he races for? Or would he drive as hard as he can, and try to take the win for himself? With both drivers gunning for the playoffs, it was an intense situation, and the announcers captured it perfectly. In the final turn before the checkered flag, Hamlin would crash into Bubba, and neither of them would win the race, or advance in the playoffs. This was a very unique situation that a casual fan watching would not understand the importance of. But because the announcer was able to dig deep and lay out a story as the most intense part of the race was happening, everyone understood the conflict.
I didn’t watch American Football with weekend, but I did was soccer. The story of the Hearts of Pine’s September 27th clash with Texoma FC was one of grit, atmosphere, and identity. More than just a game, it was the debut of the club’s bold new “Blaze Kit” –a Maine original that colored Fitzpatrick Stadium in blaze orange and green. The kit itself tells a story: camouflage reimagined, heart-shaped patterns woven into the design, and blaze orange symbolizing protection, heritage, and belonging. Many fans wore it, making the stands blaze like autumn forests. The Zoo, the Hearts’ legendary supporter section, filled the stadium with chants, drums, and clouds of pink smoke, a display of passion that the Boston Globe recently hailed as part of a phenomenon “that will save American soccer.” This sense of community set the tone for a night destined to be remembered.
On the pitch, Hearts of Pine secured a tight 1–0 victory, extending their unbeaten streak. Three moments stood out above all. First came in the 13th minute, when Texoma nearly gifted Hearts an early lead: their keeper Javier Garcia fumbled under pressure, and Masashi Wada almost pounced, only to be denied by Garcia’s reflex save. The second turning point came in the 23rd minute, when Texoma mounted their first real attack. A scramble in the box forced keeper Hunter Morse into a big stop, and Nathan Messer cleared the danger to reset Hearts’ back line. Finally, in the 75th minute, Messer became the hero. After a clever setup by Ollie Wright, the left-back slotted home the game’s lone goal, sending the stadium into chaos and sealing the result. The broadcasters captured the rhythm of the match with clarity and depth. The play-by-play painted the action so vividly you could follow without seeing the pitch:“floats it up to half-field, taken by Texoma, lifted into the 18, deflected by Messer…” The color commentary weaved in strategy, anecdotes, and atmosphere, particularly the way the fanbase knew when to push energy into the team. Even the advertisements tied back into the bigger stakes of the night, highlighting the playoff race and the club’s growing presence in American soccer.
This past weekend was filled with some of the most electrifying football games of the season. Being able to watch pretty much every game on Sundays is what I look forward to every week. Just like every week however, one game stands out to me the most, and that was the Miami Dolphins who took on the New York Jets this past Monday night. The prelude of this game didn’t have that much hype as both teams were at the bottom of the NFL standings as they both had a record of 0-3, but wanted to get their first win of the season brought lots of pressure to both teams.
From kickoff, the Dolphins looked like a team that was desperate for their first win as they stormed out to a 7-0 lead, and the defense was motivated as they forced multiple turnovers on the Jets offense. The first half was over and the Dolphins were up comfortably. As the start of second half was underway, Miami still looked comfortable as they were moving the ball up field until something devastating happened. The Dolphins superstar, Tyreke Hill caught a pass from their quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and after he was tackled out of bounds, Hill visibly had a horrible injury occur. The Miami Dolphins medical staff quickly rushed to get him off the field. Watching the game live, it was clear that this wasn’t just a common injury, and Hill was most likely going to be out for the rest of the season.
It seemed that after the injury, Miami was fueled even more, as they scored a touchdown that same drive. The Dolphins went on to win this game 27-21 but everyone was really paying attention after the game, and when we heard the outcome on Hill’s injury. The outcome wasn’t great, as it was announced that Hill would be out for the year with a dislocated knee. Lastly, I feel that the announcers definitely did a great job on this game as well. Chris Fowler and Louis Riddick were great on this game as they gave great input throughout, and kept the people watching the game locked as Riddick was a former player, and hearing him break down plays before they even occurred was very cool to hear as a listener. All in all, this was a great game with some unfortunate events that occurred, but Miami pushing through for their injured teammate was very good to see.