Justin Menell
Bio
22 year old aspiring freelance writer.
Favorite topics: Sports, Outdoors, History
Stories (4)
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Why does the WNBA hate Caitlin Clark?
A few weeks ago, the 2024 WNBA Draft took place in Brooklyn, NYC, and Caitlin Clark was the obvious choice for number one. The Indiana Fever, coming off a brutal 2023-2024 campaign, needed this "do-it-all" star out of Des Moines, Iowa. From the moment her name was called, all cameras and attention were on her. Clark, 22, was coming off another stellar season at Iowa, winning National Player of the Year for the second time in her four-year collegiate career; looked poised to take on a significant role in the offense and become the new face of a seemingly struggling to gain attention league. For the WNBA, Clark's arrival also signified an opportunity to draw more attention and fans to the league. With her dynamic playing style and substantial following from her college days, she had the potential to become a prominent face in women's basketball, attracting new audiences and boosting the league's profile. The Indiana Fever, with Clark at the helm, aimed to capitalize on her star power to build a more cohesive and formidable team. The hope was that her leadership would inspire her teammates and foster a strong, winning mentality. However, things would go differently than planned; the Fever currently have a two-win nine-loss record and Clark has gained more attention for how opposing players or coaches are treating her than her performance.
By Justin Menell2 years ago in Unbalanced
Renaissance 2.0: Italy’s New Path
Italy’s history is synonymous with innovation, creativity, and cultural richness, epitomized by the Renaissance era. However, in recent decades, Italy has grappled with economic stagnation, high unemployment, and structural inefficiencies. Yet, amidst these challenges lies an opportunity for Italy to reinvent itself and embrace a new Renaissance. This “Renaissance 2.0” is where technological innovation, sustainable development, and cultural revitalization converge to shape a prosperous future. Despite facing economic challenges, Italy possesses the potential to harness its rich heritage, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit to drive economic evolution and reclaim its position among other world powers like the United States, China, and Russia.
By Justin Menell2 years ago in History
Cam Newton's Legacy with the Carolina Panthers
In 2011, with the first pick of the National Football League Draft, the Carolina Panthers drafted Cameron Newton, a Quarterback from Auburn University. For a franchise desperately in need of a quarterback, this seemed like the right pick, and it was. During his first few years in the league, Newton turned a relatively "bottom-feeder" team into a playoff-caliber team. The Panthers went to the playoffs three times in his first five years. Newton won the league's Most Valuable Player award in 2015 after taking the Panthers to a Super Bowl, where they would, unfortunately, lose to the Denver Broncos. In addition, he set the record for most combined yards(4, 784)and most combined touchdowns(35)for a first-year player.
By Justin Menell2 years ago in Unbalanced
Italian Military: WWII
Italy's entry into World War II began with the invasion of Greece on October 28, 1940, known as the Greco-Italian War. Mussolini sought to expand Italy's influence in the Mediterranean and establish dominance in the Balkans. It was the first military campaign of Italy in World War II, but it did not have a favorable outcome for the new members of the Axis Powers. Moreover, it overextended Italy's military power and left their territories in Africa(Libya) extremely vulnerable, "The Italo-Greek conflict was of particular importance because it diverted Italian land, air, and sea forces at a time when they were desperately needed in North Africa to parry a British attack there." (Sadkovich Pg. 440) The invasion of Greece was a boom or bust type of offensive aimed at kickstarting Mussolini's conquest in World War II. Mussolini sought to expand Italy's influence in the Mediterranean and establish dominance in the Balkans. However, the campaign quickly turned into a quagmire for Italian forces. Italian troops suffered significant setbacks, facing unexpected heavy Greek resistance, leading to a stalemate by November 1940. Mussolini's ambitions suffered a blow as Greek forces pushed back Italian invaders in the mountains of Epirus and Albania. On November 14, 1940, Greek forces launched a counter-offensive, pushing the Italians deep into Albanian territory.
By Justin Menell2 years ago in History
