The Royals opened the 2015 season with a seven-game winning streak after losing to the San Francisco Giants in the last World Series. After winning these seven games, the team has won three and lost three as of Tuesday, Apr. 21. Kansas City fans have been showing their allegiance to the team by wearing powder blue; you can almost always see someone on campus wearing Royals gear. This is a very powerful and meaningful tradition in the Kansas City area. This has led to the Royals selling more merchandise than any other team since the playoffs last season.

Statistically speaking, Lorenzo Cain, outfielder, is leading the team with a .377 batting average and an on-base percentage of .469. Salvador Perez, catcher, and Mike Moustakas, infielder, are leading the team with three home-runs each, with 12 runs-batted-in from Perez. Rookie Paulo Orlando, outfielder, has had five triples on the season. He leads the team and the entire league in triples.

With the season just getting started, Royals fans have a lot to anticipate. Currently, the team is in second place in the Central Division of the American League behind the Detroit Tigers.

Worried about missing out? On May 16 and 20, students with a valid ID can get a ticket for just eight dollars.

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In the realm of soccer, Sporting Kansas City has had two wins, two losses and three draws in this year, having a mediocre start to their year. They are coming off of a season in which they finished tenth in the Major League Soccer (MLS) standings. They are currently ninth in the Western Conference.

Sporting’s Krisztian Nemeth, forward, and Ike Opara, defender, are tied at two goals each for the year. Dom Dwyer, forward, leads the team in shots-on-goal with seven. Benny Feilhaber, midfielder, has had five assists. Lastly, keeper Luis Martin has had 19 saves.

With the season taking off, Sporting hopes to have a repeat of their 2013 season, in which they won the MLS Cup.

In offseason news, the Chiefs are looking forward to the NFL draft next week, in which they hold the 18th pick. The team will then begin preparation for training camp.

The NFL schedule was released earlier this week. The Chiefs will be featured in three primetime games. One is against the Denver Broncos, another against the Green Bay Packers and the last one against the San Diego Chargers. The team also plays the Detroit Lions in London, England Nov. 1. The Chiefs went 9-7 last year, finishing second in the American Football Conference (AFC) West. They did not make it to the playoffs, which is a goal they aim to meet this season.

With all seasons either underway or soon-to-be underway, Kansas City sports followers will have many opportunities to build and reflect upon the sports culture that is highly valued here in the City of Foundtains. Attendance for Sporting KC and Royals games have gone up over the past three years, and with the Power and Light District growing more and more popular among sports fans, viewers can watch the games at watch parties while socializing in huge crowds.

The William Jewell Track and Field team took to competition April 10 and 11 at the Darrel Gourley Open hosted at Greene Stadium on Jewell’s campus. The women finished in second place overall among 18 teams. The men’s team finished eighth out of 18 teams.

On the men’s side, there were numerous top 10 finishes. Quentin Riser, senior, placed ninth in the 200 meter race, which tied the school record. In the 1500 Meters, Uriah Heady, junior, and Dustin Ownbey, sophomore, finished seventh and 10th, respectively. In the shot put competition, Trevor Nicks, sophomore, finished seventh and Alec Whiteside, sophomore, was 8th. In the discus event, Tanner Butterfield, first-year, placed 7th. Lastly, in the hammer throw, Whiteside placed 6th, Nicks finished 9th, and Butterfield rounded out at 10th.

The Cardinals also had five top five finishes. In the 10,000 Meters, Chaston Kome, senior, placed fourth. In the pole vault event, Isaac Mattis, sophomore, finished fifth. Tanner Butterfield also left his mark on the javelin throw competition, finishing fifth. Blake Alexander, sophomore, finished fourth in the 400 hurdles and second in the 110 hurdles. His second place finish placed him at 19th in NCAA Division II rankings and first in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).

Thrower Alec Whiteside reflected on the competition.

“As a team we were pretty happy about our performances as a whole. I know that there were marks out there that were not satisfying for individual expectations but the drive for success as a team is there,” Whiteside said.

On the women’s side of the meet, there were seven top 10 finishers. In the 200 meters, Gretchen Mayes, sophomore, placed eighth. Evan Jones, senior, finished tenth in the 400 hurdles and Shelbie White, sophomore, placed sixth in pole vaulting. Emmalee Hyde, first-year, placed sixth in shot put, ninth in discus and 10th in hammer throw. Ashlee Halstead, first-year, finished ninth in the shot put event.

The Cards also boasted 12 top five finishers. Gretchen Mayes finished fifth in the 100 meters (beating the school record), Jessica Goldsberry, junior, finished at second in the 400 hurdles (which beat the school record) and Elizabeth Stevenson, first-year, placed second in the 500 meters. Julia Parker, sophomore, finished fourth in the high jump,which tied the school record and finished in second place in the heptathlon. Lainey Foltz and Liria Gutierrez, juniors, placed second and third, respectively in the 3000 meter steeplechase. Mayes also finished second in the long jump, behind Margaret Perko, junior. Perko placed second in the 100 hurdles and first in the heptathlon. Perko, Goldsberry, Mayes and Elaine Barella, first-year, placed third in the 4 x 400 relay. Barella, Goldsberry, Stevenson and Dylan Zinszer, first-year, took the top spot in the 4 x 800 relay for the Cardinals.

When asked about the biggest learning moment of the meet Mayes said, “it takes a team working together to gain ground and accomplish a common goal. Each of our individual points contributed to our goal to score for our meet.”

The women’s team lost to a nationally ranked top five team, Lincoln University.

“Our athletes continue to learn that they can do amazing things even when they don’t feel their best or are entered in multiple events.  To press on and to persevere in those moments where you may feel weak.  As a coach, these are skills that I believe translate directly to life,” Coach Tom Eisenhauer said.

With the GLVC Championship meet coming up May 1-2, the team looks to place high at the home meet.

“With the advantage of transportation, sleep and nutrition on our side I truly think the William Jewell Track and Field team can turn some heads this year at the GLVC Championships,” Whiteside said.

The Jewell softball team stayed in Liberty over the Easter break and took on Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) opponents University of Missouri S&T and Drury University. The Cardinals split the double-header wins with each team.

Although the team won two out of the four games, this was not the result that they had wanted.

“Even though we tried our hardest, we came up a little short,” Kelsey Morgan, sophomore, said.

In the S&T series, the Cards dropped the first game 8-3 but were able to win in the second game 3-1 after a dominating performance from pitcher Nona Pauline, junior. Pauline pitched a complete game while allowing only one run out of three hits, striking out 10 batters. She also hit a home run.

When they faced Drury University, the Cards lost the first game 4-2 but won the second game in a commanding fashion 11-3. In the second game, Rachel Potvin, senior, went 3-4 offensively, scoring two runs. Madi Giles, first-year, hit a three-run home run and Annali Dolman, junior, hit a solo home run.

This offensive showcase ignited a morale change for the team.

“Seeing the large numbers we put up against Drury makes me have confidence that we will do well this week and go on the winning streak that we need,” Morgan said.

The Cardinals traveled to Bolivar, Mo. to take on Southwest Baptist University Wednesday, April 8. The team dropped both games in the double header, losing 1-4 and 2-3.

The Cardinals are now 19-16 (7-11 GLVC) on the year, putting them at ninth in the conference standings. The team faces Truman State University and Quincy University Saturday, Apr. 11 and Sunday, Apr. 12, respectively.

With the National Football League (NFL) draft coming up in about a month, I would like to reflect on the racism found within it. After taking a class entitled “Communication in Sport” during my first semester at Jewell, this became a focus of mine.

Every year, millions of viewers from around the world watch the NFL Draft; it’s almost like Christmas time for the thirty-two teams because they are getting new faces to help them win. The individuals that are drafted are having new experiences that they have likely dreamed of since they were young.

Each year, hundreds of potential new NFL players go through the NFL Combine, a series of physical and mental tests that determine how high their draft stock should be. As these players are being evaluated, media giants like ESPN and the NFL Network provide coverage of how they are doing during each event. This is where things take a turn for the racist.

During the entire draft process, commentators describe white and black players differently. I encourage you to listen to the broadcasters and how they talk about individuals going through the draft. Almost immediately, you will recognize patterns in how black players are described and how white players are described. Black athletes are more likely than not judged based on pure athletic talent, while white athletes are more likely to be judged on mental strength. Throughout the draft coverage, the analysts will show plays from the players’ collegiate football days. For example, a six-foot, two-hundred pound black running back could make an elusive play, and the analyst would deem that the player was using his pure, natural running ability. On the other hand, if a running back that was the same exact size, but white, his ability to make the play would be because of his intellect and ability to recognize the defensive player’s strategy.

While the running backs could do the exactly same thing, the way it is described perpetuates racial stereotypes in sports. In general, the sports population is conditioned to believe that black athletes have a natural talent, and that white athletes have to develop the ability to be intelligent while on the field.

Running backs are an important part of the game, but the most blatant racism, in my mind, is primarily seen from the quarterback position. Again, I urge you to listen to how these players are described. The white quarterback is often “smart,” “able to make the throw” and “has good playmaking vision,” while the black quarterback is described as “quick on his feet,” having a “rock-hard body” and being a “natural physical specimen.”

Although I have only highlighted the draft, these stereotypes are displayed throughout all sports. They come up in almost any athletic event at any given time. It is hard to change this way of systematic racism, but everyone needs to be aware of it for change. In daily conversation, I have caught myself discussing athletes in this way, but I stop and think about it. This is the best way to combat it. If everyone can become more conscious of this issue, then I strongly believe race-related incidents in sports would decrease dramatically.