Emerson College Quidditch

Now that finals are over…

…ECQ would like to take a moment and recognize our members who will be leaving Emerson at the close of this year.

Boylston Berserkers: Max Blaushild, Liz Fisher, Frank Gao, Jo Lam, Garrett Siegel, Brittany Taylor, and Mari Watson

Faneuil Falcons: Cheryl Rafuse

Jamaica Plain Jaguars: Jenni Daniel, Dan Hoene, and Ben White

Old North Outlaws: Matt Lowe, Manny Jaquez, and Maddy Wojdak

Park Street Pulverizers: Ryan Barnada and Rose Pleuler 

South End Slothbears: Brian Zanghi

Each of these individuals has contributed to ECQ in their own unique way and we will miss them all dearly. We look forward to seeing what other amazing things they will continue on to do. Thank you all for being a part of ECQ!

Congratulations to the 2013 Griffith Cup champions!

After a long day of quidditch, we are pleased to congratulate the Old North Outlaws for winning ECQ’s House League Championship! The Outlaws won the finals in two matches against the South End Slothbears. Both teams played incredibly, and we hope that the rest of our House League enjoyed playing today as well. We’ll see you all at the 2013 Combine!

Congratulations to the new captains of our World Cup Team!

We are pleased to announce the captains for the 2013-2014 World Cup team. Please join us in welcoming David Fox, CJ Junior, Jackson Maher, and Carlyle Thomes! 

We look forward to seeing how our quad-captainship will work out, and to see these four captains lead us to victory! Congratulations!

Congratulations to ECQ’s E-Board!

Please join us in welcoming the new members to ECQ’s Executive Board for the 2013-2014 academic year!

Commissioner: Jake L Hines
Vice President: Paulina Pascual
Logistics Coordinator: Bridget Hess-Mahan
Treasurer: Emily Yumkas
Gameplay Director: Bobby O’Neil
Communications Director: Todd Mitchell
Media Director: Brooke Lydon
Sales/Marketing Director: Ashley Newman
Equipment Manager: Tyler Trudeau

Captains: 
Boylston Berserkers: Pablo Calderón Santiago and Cassie Samuels
Fanueil Falcons: Capri DeBiccari and Lindsay Geller
J.P. Jaguars: Leanne Dillmann and Victor Viega
Old North Outlaws: Griffin Conlogue and Rebecca Contreras
Park Street Pulverizers: Danica Benitez and Z Kuester
South End Slothbears: J.D. Knapp and Aaron Wohl

The new members of E-Board are eager to bring ECQ to it’s former glory. Let’s hope for a wonderful fall semester of quidditch!

emersonquidditch:

ECQ and the Boston Riot are completely safe. From what we know, BUQ and Tufts are also fine.

Our thoughts are with our friends in Boston.

ECQ and the Boston Riot are completely safe. From what we know, BUQ and Tufts are also fine.

Our thoughts are with our friends in Boston.

ECQ in the NBA: Jackson Maher (22)

In conjunction with our 1v1 interviews, our team decided that there was a better idea to get an accurate image of our player’s skill, strength and falir. That, of course, would be by comparing them to the legends and stars of our favorite professional sport. If you’ve never seen us play, but hear someone get called sneaky like Jason Kidd, that’s a pretty easy notion to imagine; and the YouTube support is many. 

Created by a back and forth email chain, our experts weigh in on each player’s individual discussions and cast votes— this is the result:

Griffin: Jackson has a pretty unique skill set. A very dangerous offensive threat that can change a game with his scoring. He plays his hardest at all time and wears his heart on his sleeve out there. He’s the kinda guy that will play 100% and go at his teammates until they are also going 100% percent. He’s a very established defensive player who plays far bigger than he actually is. He’s a bit of a bully (ok maybe a lot of a bully sometimes) that will go at players and piss them off and bug them out there until they make mistakes. A threat all over the field, a terrorizer on defense, and a pretty vocal leader. Jackson is Gary Payton.

Benny: I’m sort of feeling Monta Ellis the more I think about it. Now, there are a lot of common misconceptions about Ellis that I think might hinder people’s ability to get behind this comparison. People think he’s an overrated ballhog incapable of winning anything— that’s not the case. A few years ago, he nearly lead the league in PER, scores when he wants but also has the ability to facilitate his team while helping on the defensive end of things. How many teams has Ellis put up a 20 pt, 11 assist, 6 steal game this year? Believe me, it’s more than you would guess, but my fantasy team loved it. With an offensive arsenal of moves, it’s impossible to stay with Ellis. He’ll take you to the hoop. He’ll look you off and shoot a long shot. He’l frustrate you into turning the ball over. Monta Ellis is one of the most underrated players in the NBA and I think Jackson doesn’t get anywhere near enough love in the IQA community.

G: Yeah I really like Monta Ellis as a comparison. Ellis used to be one of my favorite players, and I even wore number 8 in my rec ball league in high school to rep him. Always thought he was such a straight up baller. He hits the big shots when he needs to. An underrated defender because he is pretty undersized for him position. All of these things can apply to Jackson. They are both incredible athletes that want to do it at all for their team, while also being great facilitators when necessary. Monta Ellis it is.

VERDICT: MONTA ELLIS

ECQ in the NBA: Benny Nadeau (21)

In conjunction with our 1v1 interviews, our team decided that there was a better idea to get an accurate image of our player’s skill, strength and falir. That, of course, would be by comparing them to the legends and stars of our favorite professional sport. If you’ve never seen us play, but hear someone get called sneaky like Jason Kidd, that’s a pretty easy notion to imagine; and the YouTube support is many. 

Created by a back and forth email chain, our experts weigh in on each player’s individual discussions and cast votes— this is the result:

Benny Nadeau is… (warning: super long)

Jackson: This one is really tough for me. Benjie definitely has superstar status due to his high-flying abilities and highlight plays. Originally, I was going to say Vince Carter, but I think I’m going to go with Tracy McGrady. An all around talent with great athleticism (and a little injury-prone), Benjie definitely can bring a crowd to its feet with an amazing play, but he also is able to impact a game from an all around angle like vintage TMac, whether its dunking, shooting, passing, or in the mid-range game.

Griffin: I’m gonna go with Steph Curry. If you substitute dunks for flashy layups you get Benjamin. He’s a great passer, one of the best 3 pt shooters in the game, can finish around the rim, and better yet is an emotional leader on his team. I don’t really think of T-Mac as an emotional leader. More of just a teams scoring and performance leader. Ben might not be out there dropping the most points but he’s the teams heart. Steph Curry is the heart of the Warriors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ3OEplEa00&feature=player_embedded

CJ: I mean, Ben is a very unique presence at Emerson. He has the skills (and often uses them) to perform some jaw dropping dunks and fakes, but is also looked upon to serve as a leader. Jackson and I already talked about this comparison a bit, and I think TMac is a wonderful choice. McGrady is known for making shots that seem impossible, running the floor as a passer, scorer, and doing the dirty work. He was also the go-to guy on every team he was on when the team needed a boost. While he will go down as one of the big stars to never win a playoff game, you can hardly fault him— (he had some amazing playoff performances). The injury-prone factor is a nice addition given Ben’s ankle problems last year a bit, too. Overall, I think TMac and Ben both have the explosive, dynamic factor as well as being experienced leaders. When I see TMac’s unforgettable 13 points in 25 seconds, I think that if we ever needed a miracle like that, we’d hand the quaffle to our veteran captain to get the job done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceLlz7dOOvY

G: I can totally get behind T-Mac. He was always my favorite player growing up and is one of the most fun basketball players to watch. I also think that Ben is probably the most entertaining Quidditch player at Emerson to watch play. I guess my only real problem is the sour taste in my mouth from the last few years of his career. I also never really got the impression he was a good leader. I think as a player who NEVER won a playoff series his leadership is a big dark mark on his career. Ben is our leader and that is a huge aspect of who he is as a teammate.

J: Benjie does everything proficiently and while I like the Curry comparison, I dont see Benjie taking and making a high volume of three-pointers as Curry does this year for the Warriors. Benjie definitely aims to bring some flash and pizazz to the pitch, wowing people with dunks and circus shots just as T-Mac has over the course of his career.

CJ: I’m still good with TMac. I think it works well. Ben is flashy, exciting, a leader on the court, and while maybe he isn’t as dominant as someone like David (just in terms of being an absolute force with the ball), he is an emotional leader on the field and his teammates trust him to make the right decisions. I think the parallels are there!

J: I would definitely agree that TMac wasn’t a great emotional leader. Arguably his most famous play is this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9fJEG2gbuM

You can hear Steve Kerr after the play saying that TMac is usually droopy eyed and smooth but stepped it up for this play. I tend to agree with this, you rarely see TMac get too excited on the court, unless he’s doing something legendary. Like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfurCV1FDpM

For the most part, I’d argue that Benny is the same way. That’s not meant to be a slight to him at all. Rather, I’ve seen him make a lot of unbelievably athletic highlight plays, but he always flows with the game and is always able to pass it off like it was no big deal for him while we all pick our collective jaws off the ground.

G: I’m gonna suggest a new one: a healthy Brandon Roy. A great leader who is both vocal and an on court leader. Can score pass and defend. And he’s just a kewl dude.

J: I definitely like Brandon Roy in this conversation. Great player inside and out that was able to finish going hard to the hoop with either hand. Both Roy and Benjie are both more than capable from distance and are absolutely deadly in the midrange, partially because you have to watch out for them driving in and scoring from close range. Still, I’d have to say that Roy doesn’t have the flash that Benjie does. They have comparable overall abilities, but I’d still say that Benjie’s personality and on-pitch demeanor is more akin to TMac.

CJ: Agreed^ Plus, Brandon Roy didn’t have the career Ben did. Ben was one of three freshman to make the team that season, and is going to be one of a few people to go to (probably) 4 world cups. Thats a pretty impressive figure that we can’t overlook. Brandon Roy just (sadly) doesn’t have the longevity in the league and the veteran rep that Ben is developing.

Pablo: Jackson mentioned it then sort of disregarded it in the first comment but after reading everything and thinking for a while, I keep coming back to Vince Carter. I also really liked Roy as an option (partly because I think he is one of the great underrated players of our time). However, Carter also had the amazing physical ability but so much more flashy showmanship than Roy and arguably TMac as well. Carter can shoot it from midrange no problem if you let him, but he will kill you with a dunk as soon as you let him take it to the hoop. In fact, Carter is widely regarded as one of the greatest dunkers of all time and, at least for me, when it comes to dunking in quidditch I immediately think of David and I think of Benny. Carter was always a very important presence in all his teams (up until the Magic, at least) and actually captained the Nets for the 2008-2009 season, during which time he mentored young players like Devin Harris and Brook Lopez, both of whom have turned into incredible players. I feel the ability to mentor and get people to try quidditch in the first place (Orientation flashback[s]) is one of Benny’s strongest assets as captain. And just because it fits, Vince Carter has never won a championship either (although he does have an olympic gold medal, which is okay, I guess).

http://youtu.be/XMrPjl-927Q

G: I just feel like with the similar skill set and the lack of leadership issues Carter’s a better fit if we are looking at the high flier show stopper kinda player. And though he’s tapered off at the end of his career he didn’t become an irrelevant and washed up player by 30 like McGrady.

J: The end of career argument differences doesn’t seem very relevant here since Benjie is in his prime or still on his way up rather than at the end of his physical abilities. As far as the on the field leadership argument, I’m not buying that Carter was that much different of a leader on the court. He didn’t really bring teams anywhere either. Sure, he has the similar jaw-dropping dunk ability, but in his prime (like on the Magic), TMac could do everything and was much more of an MVP candidate than Carter, finishing 6th in 2001, 4th in 2002 and 2003, and 7th in 2005 (according to Basketball Reference), which was higher than Carter in each of those years, and Carter never finished higher than 10th. Hell, McGrady for all the shit he gets, has a career playoff average 25.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.2 spg, and 1.0 bpg. That is a freaking impressive ass line. Forget the fact that one year in the playoffs he dropped 33.8 ppg and 8.3 apg (along with his career averages in every other category) in a series that the Magic obviously lost but not due to TMac. Carter never had the well rounded aspect to his game that McGrady did. When I watch Benjie play, he is trying to impact the game from every single angle that he can, passing, hustling, rebounding, and scoring. I think it’s hard to say that there wasn’t a time in TMac’s career where you couldn’t have said the same thing, and I think those stats back up that statement.

G: Ok fair argument. This is the first time you’ve given me a reason to agree. I can die happy now.

P: Yeah I really wasn’t convinced until that paragraph. I can get on board with it now.

VERDICT: TRACY MCGRADY

DEPTH CHART

PG: Aaron Wohl (Kidd)/Ryan Barnada (Fisher)/Jake Hines (Wall)/Pablo Calderon (Rose)/Griffin Conlogue (Rubio)

SG: Matt Lowe (Kobe)/Jo Lam (Johnson)/Cam Wong (Allen)/Lyle Thomes (Ginobili)/Capri DeBiccari (Turner)/Benny Nadeau (McGrady)

SF: Mike Rodriguez (Carmelo)/Max Blaushild (Pierce)

PF: Victor Viega (Ibaka)/Mara (Rodman)/CJ Junior (Garnett)/Wes Weiss (Martin)

C: David Fox (Shaq)/Maddy Smeaton (Noah)/Paulina Pascual (M. Gasol)/Erin St. Pierre (Wallace)

?: Cassie Samuels (Oscar Pistorious)

ECQ in the NBA: Cassie Samuels (21)

In conjunction with our 1v1 interviews, our team decided that there was a better idea to get an accurate image of our player’s skill, strength and falir. That, of course, would be by comparing them to the legends and stars of our favorite professional sport. If you’ve never seen us play, but hear someone get called sneaky like Jason Kidd, that’s a pretty easy notion to imagine; and the YouTube support is many. 

Created by a back and forth email chain, our experts weigh in on each player’s individual discussions and cast votes— this is the result:

Cassie Samuels is…

CJ: Who the hell is Cassie?

Griffin: Oscar Pistorius

VERDICT: Oscar Pistorious

ECQ in the NBA: Erin St. Pierre (20)

In conjunction with our 1v1 interviews, our team decided that there was a better idea to get an accurate image of our player’s skill, strength and falir. That, of course, would be by comparing them to the legends and stars of our favorite professional sport. If you’ve never seen us play, but hear someone get called sneaky like Jason Kidd, that’s a pretty easy notion to imagine; and the YouTube support is many. 

Created by a back and forth email chain, our experts weigh in on each player’s individual discussions and cast votes— this is the result:

Erin St. Pierre is…

Jackson: Okay, hear me out here: Taj Gibson. ESP might not be the fastest beater or the biggest at her position, but she plays exceptional defense. She is constantly showing help defense that makes chasers and keepers second guess their next move. I was just reading this article about Taj Gibson’s active hands on defense, that get in passing lanes, and while ESP can’t actually touch the quaffle, she is quick to cut off passing lanes by moving her feet and getting to that chaser just as the quaffle gets there.

CJ: I’m gunna go same position, but a little bit different. I think Erin is David Lee. He’s relatively mobile, good with his hands and his feet, and is always hustling to the right spot and isn’t afraid to put his body through some physicality for the ball. He manages to do more on both ends than people expect him to, and is a double-double machine. Erin is the same way- All smiles off the field, but can be fierce when she’s on it. She’s willing to chase you down and will often surprise you with that extra step that will leave you frustrated with yourself. She’ll lure you into traps and is always a vocal leader amongst the beaters. While she may not always make the flashiest plays, she quietly plays some of the most fundamental beating that I know. If quidditch kept stats, ESP would be turning a lot of heads.

Griffin: I’m gonna have to agree with Jackson on this one. I like the David Lee comparison too and both players are vastly underrated but Gibson is one of the best defenders in the NBA. ESP is the same kind of smart defender. Taj Gibson is so good at slides and helpside D and that’s what ESP is so great at.

BUT I’ve decided I’m gonna bring up a player I previously discussed for someone else: Ben Wallace. One of the best defenders in the history of the NBA. He may not be the biggest or the most athletic big in the game but he’s gonna use his intelligent use of footwork to get in the lane, cut off passes, and block shots. He won defensive player of the year FOUR times, competing with the likes of Garnett and Duncan. He was a monster in the paint, just like ESP is a monster in the quidditch “paint”.

CJ: I think Wallace is a great pick. Athleticism and fire. More dominant than someone like Lee on defense, too. I can get behind it.

J: Yeah, my issue with David Lee is that he isn’t really an elite defender. He’s a very good rebounder and an excellent piece on offense, but ESP’s strength is completely in understanding defensive rotations. She’s constantly communicating with her beating partner and calling out rotations to make on the field. She’s got a great sense of where the ball is going and slides to the right spot. All of those great things Taj does are all things that made Ben Wallace great too. That and the afro.

CJ: And ESP’s afro is coming along pretty well too.

VERDICT: BEN WALLACE