![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and its played such a major role in who Ive become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something Im [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala (21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“Im not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
Undefeated teams ruin professional sports
The Golden State Warriors prepare to play a match at Oracle Arena in Oakland. The team currently holds a 23-0 record, which is the best start to a season in NBA history.
December 9, 2015
With the NBA and NFL seasons underway, fans of both leagues are witnessing seasons with very unexpected results, and it’s all because two teams have yet to lose a single game.
Currently, Oakland’s own Golden State Warriors lead the NBA in wins, sitting with a 23-0 record. To put that in context, the St. Louis Maroons, an early professional baseball team, went 20-0 in the 1884 season and set the record for the longest season-opening win-streak. This mark stood for 131 years until the Warriors defeated the Toronto Raptors, 112-109.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers lead the NFL with 12 victories and 0 losses. Though the team’s recent streak has not broken records — the New England Patriots went undefeated during the regular season in 2007 — the club has surpassed all expectations. In fact, ESPN’s 2015 NFL regular-season predictions had Carolina finishing with 10-6 record. Now, the franchise envisions an undefeated season.
Undefeated teams polarize the nation as fans look forward to watching each game in anticipation of an end to the string of wins. In the case of the Warriors, who gained significant traction during their 2014-15 campaign that ended in an NBA championship, viewership jumped 56% from last season to this season. The increased TV attention and team success benefit the team as well, with players selling more jerseys and leagues gaining advertising interest.
On the other hand, dominant powerhouse teams diminish competition across the league. Fans and members of the media believed at the end of last season that the Warriors would outpace the rest of the league. Already, many analysts have crowned Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors back-to-back champions. And though the Panthers beat expectations this season, their constant success has also led to a rising predictability in wins.
The rising expectation that undefeated teams will succeed leads to general apathy. Though the two sports still remain unpredictable — key players could have off-nights, get injured, or just not play — we can now more accurately predict each game, especially in the context of the rest of the league.
For instance, the NBA’s worst two teams, the Philadelphia 76ers, who have a 1-20 record, and the Los Angeles Lakers, who are 3-17, might be early contenders to “tank” this season, or lose as many games as possible, to secure a high draft pick through the lottery system. Last season, fans accused multiple teams of tanking, causing league-wide disapproval since teams no longer played to win. Similarly, the NFL’s Cleveland Browns dwell at the bottom of the entire league with a 2-10 season record, continuing the team’s legacy of never making it to the Super Bowl.
The team atop the NBA’s Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers, has won 14 out of 21 games. The San Antonio Spurs, second in the Western Conference, hold an 18-4 record. Though each of these records is impressive, fans still expect the Warriors to defeat both these teams. Not just that, with Golden State beating its opponents by an average of 14.9 points per game, per Basketball Reference, most of the games the team plays turn into blowout victories.
In short, for anyone vaguely following the Warriors, the games are just not as interesting anymore.
Stephen Curry, the NBA’s leading scorer at 32.4 points per game, scores over 40 points in two games straight, as he did against the Hornets and then the Raptors? Cam Newton, the Panthers’ quarterback, rushes for a touchdown, as he has already done seven times this season? Been there, seen that.
From each of these cases, it’s clear that a balanced playing field, not too predictable but not too random, is necessary in professional sports. This explains why NBA commissioner Adam Silver proposed a mid-season tournament that would take only the top teams, regardless of conference, when the NBA experienced a strong imbalance between conferences last year. It also explains why most professional leagues, including the NFL and the NBA, tilt the odds to allow the worst teams to have higher draft picks.
So while the Warriors and the Panthers each merit their successful seasons, it’s clear that multiple seasons of extended undefeated play will no doubt hamper the appeal of professional sports. Leagues must find better ways of balancing teams and remaining competitive.
