Week 6 Newswriting

Tom Brady once said, “Every quarterback can throw a ball; every running back can run; every receiver is fast, but that mental toughness that you talk about translates into competitiveness.” Tonight the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback passed NFL legend Drew Brees to become the all-time leading passer. Brady had achieved this accolade before when Brees was an active player but was passed for the lead for a record that seemed to be ever-changing. Tonight that race ended as Brees, who is now retired, was passed.

Brady is the most accomplished quarterback of all time with 7 Super Bowl wins (NFL record), 10 Super Bowl Appearances (NFL Record), 5 Super Bowl MVPs (NFL record), Three NFL MVP awards (tied for NFL record), and his latest accolade, the all-time NFL passing leader.

Brady looks to continue his success tonight with a win over his former team, the New England Patriots. Brady has 141 games at Gillette Stadium (home of the Patriots). The Buccaneers (2-1) are the defending Super Bowl Champions and are looking for a 2-peat. 

Sniff it out:

Scene setter: Walking outside on a summer night

Nut Graph: It was a clear night and the air smelled like smoke. The smoke is a good smell that reminds me of campfires and making smores as a child. 

Word Picture: Walking Home from a friends house last night, I smelled the nostalgic smell of campfire smoke 

Bodybuilding:  As a kid, I spent most of my summer weekends outside playing games with my friends, but the best games always occurred at night. Every once in a while, one of the parents in the neighborhood would host a bonfire, and every kid in my age group would come together for night games.

One O'clock, Two O'clock Three O'clock rock! If you are familiar with these words then you may have played the game ghost in a graveyard as a kid. A few nights ago when I was walking home, I caught a whiff of somebody having a bonfire. Reminiscing on the smell I thought back to the summer night of my childhood that was spent playing night games. As a kid, I spent most of my summer weekends outside playing games with my friends, but the best games always occurred at night. Every once in a while, one of the parents in the neighborhood would host a bonfire, and every kid in my age group would come together for night games. These games included classics such as capture the flag and kick the can, as well as some lesser-known games such as the ghost in the graveyard. 

The premise of all these games was very similar: use the dark to your advantage. In “kick the can”, the person who was “it” had to guard the can in total darkness, with only a flashlight as a means to see. In capturing the flag, members of the opposite team would spend nearly the whole game camping out behind enemy lines waiting for the opportunity to score, and in “ghost in the graveyard” (for those unfamiliar, it's basically "hide and seek"). Those hiding would find spots that were void of light. 

One night in particular that I remember very well involved heavy use of nerf guns. We decided to play a neighborhood-wide game to capture the flag. The two bases consisted of two different bonfires hosted on opposite sides of the neighborhood. Since the game was so big, one of the parents (Dave) suggested that we use nerf guns as a means to tag opposing players. Dave had already planned the whole idea out. Because he knew that there might be some disagreement about players who were tagged with the nerf guns, he went out and got us all velcro ammo. When a bullet stuck to you, you were out. The game went on for hours, and a winner was never decided, but it was the most fun that I ever had playing night games

These outdoor games that I played were not only fun but made me a better person. A lot of the people that I participated with are still close friends to this day. Having to figure out problems such as capturing the flag helped me to develop better problem-solving skills. Admitting when I was tagged, or just playing by the rules helped me to better understand the value of honesty, and to respect those who are honest with you. 

Smells are something that brings back memories. In my case, the smell of a burning campfire takes me back to playing night games as a kid. This is just an example of how one seemingly insignificant thing (in this case a smell) can have a meaningful effect on you.