Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Gregory Block
Block: Recapping the NFL’s stay-at-home draft
Barring a massive technical issue, there was little chance of the 2020 NFL Draft being a disappointment. After six sports-deprived weeks, any discussion of professional sports (no matter how far away the season may be) was a welcome event. However, the excitement surrounding the buildup to this year’s event was accompanied by some concerns. With the draft growing excessively location-dependent over the past few years, there was no guarantee that the makeshift virtual format would be successful.
Football roundtable: Another early-season battle with the Trojans
Stanford, CA - August 31, 2019: Stanford Football wins over Northwestern, 17-7 at Stanford Stadium. by Gregory Block, King Jemison and Cybele Zhang — September 5, 2019September 5, 2019 Stanford football has swept California teams in four of the last six years, but the first step toward making that five in seven is defeating USC. Two years ago the Trojans beat Stanford twice; last year the Cardinal almost pitched a shutout in a dominant 17-3 victory.
Football round table: Unstoppable force, immovable object
Stanford football enters the Big Game this year with the same record as the Cal Golden Bears for the first time in what seems like forever. The playing field is level, and everything is on the line. The Cardinal have an eight game winning streak in progress, and look to make it nine. Cal has a strong defensive identity and a bowl game for the first time since 2015. Two teams enter, one team leaves.
Athlete Round Table: Women’s basketball season preview
The Daily’s Sally Egan sat down with three returning women’s basketball players, sophomore guard Kianna Williams, senior forward Alana Smith and junior guard Dijonai Carrington to get their thoughts on this upcoming season. Sally Egan (SE): What do you think the team’s greatest strength will be this year? Kianna Williams (KW): I think our depth will be.
America East Field Hockey Championship begins
With the conclusion of the field hockey regular season this past Sunday, the 2018 America East Field Hockey Championship bracket has been determined and has eight teams heading to Stanford University for the tournament, which takes place Nov. 1-4. The first game for No. 22 Stanford (13-5, 5-1 America East) is on Thursday, November 1st at 1 p.m. against the No. 36 New Hampshire Wildcats (6-11, 3-5 America East).
Football Round Table: Wearily heading to Washington
The Stanford Cardinal football team (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) has fallen out of the AP College Football Top 25 once again, after yet another heart-wrenching loss to Washington State. The good news? The Cougars look like the best team in the Pac-12 and might be heading to the Rose Bowl. The team suffered a ‘quality loss.’ The bad news? Any loss is still a loss.
The tragedy of Kanye West
I was 12 years old, on my way to a wrestling tournament, when I first discovered Kanye West. I struggled to keep my earbuds in, but the sound still managed to flow into my ears over the roar of the bus engine. What was lost in the transmission of bass and beats that night I found in subdued synths and piercing lyrics as Lost in the World ushered me into a new reality. From then on, I carried his worlds and stories with me everywhere I went.
Reflections on Pittsburgh
One of my oldest and most vibrant memories is walking through the streets of Squirrel Hill with my family on a warm summer morning. I remember taking scraps of old cardboard from behind my grandparents’ house and driving to Frick Park, where we would line up to race down the blue slide. I remember walking down the wide streets and past the orderly brick houses, stopping outside of our father’s childhood home.
The good and bad of the midterms
There has been no shortage of advertisement about how important the upcoming midterm elections are. For the first time in several years, the United States could see a flip of the Senate in favor of the Democratic party, which would be a huge victory for them and a devastating loss for the Republican party. But throughout this battle for seats, we’ve seen how nasty political races can get, and the outcome of these races could be polarization unlike anything our nation’s seen thus far.
Cross country prepares for toughest race yet
The men’s and women’s cross country teams, both ranked fifth in the country, will compete at the Pre-Nationals Invitational on the NCAA championship course in Madison, Wisconsin, tomorrow morning. Both teams will toe-line against some of the top teams in the nation, offering a glimpse of what the competition and field could look like at the NCAA Division I National Championship race at the end of the season.
Women’s volleyball remains undefeated in Pac-12 play
No. 2 ranked Stanford women’s volleyball (14-1) is now 6-0 in Pac-12 play after a weekend road sweep of fellow conference members No. 24 Utah (9-7, 1-4 Pac-12) and Colorado (10-7, 2-4). Stanford is now riding a 12-game winning streak; the team hasn’t lost a match since falling to BYU over a month ago. If they expected a waltz through their road trip, the Cardinal were quickly reminded that they will have to play their best in every match this season in order to remain atop the Pac-12.
Stanford football upset by unranked Utah
No. 14 Stanford (4-2, 2-1 Pac-12) suffered its second-straight loss Saturday night, this time falling 40-21 to unranked Utah (3-2, 1-2 Pac-12) in Stanford Stadium. It was the first home loss for the Cardinal in nearly two years. Utah took advantage of four Stanford turnovers, turning them into 17 points, including an 100-yard pick six from defensive back Jaylon Johnson off an errant throw from junior quarterback KJ Costello.
Football prepares to host Utah at home
KJ and JJ. It’s a combination that is quickly becoming one of the best in the country. Get the ball inside the 20 – preferably inside the 10 – and you can expect KJ to throw it up and JJ to bring it down. Against Notre Dame last Saturday, though, the Cardinal only made one red zone trip, which resulted in an Arcega-Whiteside touchdown.
King’s Keys: KJ Costello must be protected
No. 14 Stanford received a harsh lesson in their blowout loss to No. 6 Notre Dame last week: The team that wins the line of scrimmage usually wins the game. The Irish thoroughly dominated the Cardinal along both lines, particularly in the matchup between Notre Dame’s incredible defensive front and Stanford’s struggling offensive line. Although the Cardinal kept it close for three quarters, eventually that dominant advantage in the trenches turned into a dominant 38-17 Irish victory.
Football round table: Moving on to Utah
The No. 14 ranked Stanford Football team suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Notre Dame last Saturday during a tough road game in South Bend, Indiana. Although the team’s hopes of making it into the College Football Playoff are all but gone, they are still at the top of the Pac-12 North, and have the championship game set in their sights. This week they return to the Farm to take on the Utah Utes, a team riding a two-game losing streak.
Women’s Soccer continues play in Oregon
As September came to a close this past weekend, so too did a seven-game home stand for the No. 1 Stanford women’s soccer team. A month to remember, September saw the Cardinal win two matchups against No. 2 ranked teams, have four home game sellouts, and make two golden goals. Marking the team’s first away game since Sept. 2, the Cardinal (10-0-1, 3-0-0 Pac-12) will travel up north to match up against Oregon tonight and Oregon State on Sunday night.
Cardinal fall to Notre Dame in crushing defeat
The No. 7 Stanford Cardinal (4-1, 2-0 Pac-12) came into South Bend with a perfect record and College Football Playoff hopes. They left with an ugly 38-17 loss to No. 8 Notre Dame (5-0) and a lot of questions after allowing 550 yards of offense through the entire game and mustering a pitiful 30 yards themselves in the second half.
King’s Keys: Upending Notre Dame
The Daily’s football writer King Jemison shares the three keys the Cardinal football team should adhere to this weekend if they hope to take down the Fighting Irish. No. 7 Stanford just got over one massive hurdle on their path to the College Football Playoff by defeating No. 19 Oregon on the road. If they want to stay on that path, they have to go on the road and beat a ranked team yet again. This time, the opponent is No. 8 Notre Dame, under the lights at Notre Dame Stadium.
Undefeated showdown in South Bend
No. 7 ranked Stanford (4-0) and No. 8 ranked Notre Dame (4-0) first played each other in the 1925 Rose Bowl. Since that first meeting (where Knute Rockne’s Fighting Irish took down Pop Warner’s Cardinal), the teams have met 31 times. Thirty-two matchups. Almost a century of history in the rivalry. But for the first time this Saturday, the programs will meet while both ranked in the Top 10. Saturday’s matchup in South Bend could very well be the most important game in this rivalry’s history.
Women’s volleyball draws a massive crowd, delivers a massive beatdown
On the calendar, Wednesday’s routine regular season matchup between the No. 2 ranked Stanford women’s volleyball team (11-1, 3-0 Pac-12) and No. 18 ranked UCLA (6-4, 1-2 Pac-12) looked like just another notch in the team’s normal schedule. Yet what transpired in Maples Pavilion during the Cardinal’s 3-0 sweep of the Bruins was anything but normal.
A month of summer monotony
After working for nine weeks in Menlo Park, I returned home to San Diego for the last month of summer. My internship had been slow and a bit lonely, and I was ecstatic to be returning to a month with my family. It would be my first extended trip home since I began college last fall, and I wanted to suck the proverbial marrow from my unstructured time with the people I’d grown to miss with a dull ache, a back-of-mind longing for home.
Stanford volleyball to host UCLA
The No. 2 ranked Stanford women’s volleyball team (10-1, 2-0 Pac-12) continues its three game homestand on Wednesday night as it plays host to UCLA (6-3, 1-1) in Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal are undefeated in the Pac-12 and are riding an 8-game win streak that has lasted since they fell to BYU nearly a month ago. Stanford has looked nearly unstoppable when all cylinders are clicking on offense and impossibly sloppy when things aren’t working out too well.
Football roundtable: Can the Cardinal overcome the Fighting Irish?
Stanford football is currently ranked seventh in the country coming off of an unbelievable comeback victory in Eugene, Oregon. The Cardinal now face the tall task of heading to South Bend, Indiana to face off against the undefeated, eighth-ranked Notre Dame in what could be the team’s most important game in the last decade.
Police blotter: Sept. 18 - Sept. 24
Unlike many of the young kids who watched Tiger Woods win a a golf tournament on Sunday, I’m old enough...
Senate debates affordable healthcare
In its sixth meeting, the 20th Undergraduate Senate debated options for supporting affordable healthcare in Stanford and the surrounding area. ASSU President Shanta Katipamula ’19 also introduced a bill to confirm two nominees to the Constitutional Council.
Stanford athletes to watch in 2018-2019
The end of a sports season can be a sad and upsetting time. There are no games to watch, wins to celebrate or losses to mourn. It is an unsettlingly empty feeling. As a Stanford sports fan, what are we to do when no sports seasons are in progress? Are we supposed to reflect on the four national championships we won last year? Reflection only takes us so far before we crave the beginning of a new season. Are we supposed to watch professional sports?
Block: Tiger’s comeback complete
Unlike many of the young kids who watched Tiger Woods win a a golf tournament on Sunday, I’m old enough to remember when Tiger was the most dominant athlete in the world. I’m also old enough to remember his fall from grace. The magazine covers, the news reports, the endless series of setbacks — personal, physical and professional — it seemed impossible that he would ever make it back to the top of the golfing world.
Duck hunting season for Stanford football
It has been smooth sailing to start the season for the No. 7 ranked Stanford Cardinal (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12). Three straight home games. A blowout win over San Diego State. A dominating defensive performance against USC and their true freshman quarterback. And last Saturday, an easy win over an overmatched UC Davis team. But enough with the sleepy Saturday morning kickoffs and non-conference tune ups.
A great game, indeed
When I was 12 years old, my Little League all-star team lost in the regional semifinals to a team from San Francisco. It was a heartbreaking loss that ended our chances of competing in the Little League World Series. With thousands of teams vying for eight spots in Williamsport, PA, it was unlikely we would have advanced much further in the tournament, but the finality of the defeat, and thus the finality of our youth baseball careers, was crushing to a seventh grader.
Cardinal sneak past Arizona State for big road win
Stanford head coach Jerod Haase and his Stanford men’s basketball team must have breathed a sigh of relief in the locker room after Sunday night’s thrilling 84-82 win over Arizona State in Tempe. A wildly exciting and competitive finish to the conference season, it wasn’t until the final seconds that Stanford was sure to emerge from the desert with a victory.
Men’s basketball set to host defending champion Tar Heels
After suffering a disappointing 61-67 loss to Eastern Washington last Tuesday, the Stanford Cardinal (3-1) may have hoped for a few weaker opponents as it tries to regain its footing. Instead, next Monday it hosts No. 9 North Carolina (2-0), the defending national champions and one of the most talented teams in the country.
Men’s basketball stunned by Eastern Washington
Maybe it was the impending matchup with North Carolina next Monday. Maybe it was the absence of injured leaders Dorian Pickens and Marcus Sheffield, or perhaps it was the quick turnaround after Sunday’s victory. Whatever the reason, the Stanford men’s basketball team (2-1) looked lethargic and sloppy in an ugly 67-61 loss to Eastern Washington (2-1) at Maples Pavilion on Tuesday.
Women’s basketball to host UC Riverside in home opener
After a brutal couple of games to begin the season, No. 14 Stanford women’s basketball (0-2) will look to right the ship in its home opener against UC Riverside (0-2) at Maples Pavilion on Friday. The Cardinal faced No. 9 Ohio State and No. 1 Connecticut last week and were completely outplayed in both contests. Against the Buckeyes on Friday, Stanford was outrebounded 64-41, while in Sunday’s match, the Huskies forced 15 turnovers and wreaked havoc defensively.
Men’s basketball hosts Eastern Washington, searches for improvement
Last Friday, it was Reid Travis. On Monday, it was Michael Humphrey. Regardless of who steps up and takes control of the game when the Stanford Cardinal (2-0) take on the Eastern Washington Eagles (2-1) Tuesday night, as long as the two big men keep rolling, the Cardinal will be tough to stop. Stanford’s power duo will look to continue their dominant start to the season when they battle the Eagles in Maples Pavilion.
Women’s volleyball returns home, hosts USC, UCLA
Coming off of a week in which it lost its first conference match of the season, the No. 2-ranked Stanford women’s volleyball team (22-3, 15-1 Pac-12) heads back to the Farm for a difficult back-to-back slate against No. 17 USC (20-7, 12-4 Pac-12) on Wednesday and UCLA (16-9, 9-7 Pac-12) on Thursday. Despite their four-set loss to Washington last Wednesday, the Cardinal are still in complete control of the conference race with a comfortable three-match lead over USC.
Women’s volleyball heads to Washington
It seems unreasonable to describe anything as a challenge for the No. 2-ranked Stanford women’s volleyball team. After all, the Cardinal have absolutely steamrolled their way through conference play, dropping only seven sets over the course of 14 matches.
Men’s basketball preview: Schedule overview
The Stanford men’s basketball team had a brutal schedule last year and didn’t fare too well against some of college basketball’s top programs. The good news? The Cardinal should be better this season, thanks to a highly touted freshman class and the return of four starters from last year’s team. The bad news? Their schedule this year may be even tougher than last year’s, including a visit to the Farm from the defending national champions.
Men’s basketball takes exhibition game at home
Even with all the pre-season hype surrounding Stanford basketball’s highly-touted freshman class, this is still Reid Travis’ team. The senior forward reminded everyone just how good he was last year, kicking off his senior season with a 24-point performance as Stanford was able to fight off a scrappy Chico State team in its 91-81 exhibition victory at Maples Pavilion on Thursday. The teams entered the half locked in a 35-35 tie, but Stanford came out of the locker room with a renewed energy.
Women’s basketball: Schedule preview
There will be no easy games against D-III opponents for Stanford women’s basketball. No time for the young nucleus of this team to adjust to the college game against inferior opponents. Not even a chance to get some wins under their belts before facing the big dogs later in non-conference play. No, the Cardinal are going to be put to the test early and often throughout their non-conference schedule, something that coaches and players think will be beneficial down the road.
Women’s basketball preview: leaders
On paper, it might appear that Stanford women’s basketball has insurmountable challenges ahead of them. There is the loss of three key senior leaders from last year’s Final Four team, the addition of new freshmen still adjusting to the college game, a difficult early season slate against high-caliber opponents and, of course, the perennial lofty expectations that come from playing under head coach Tara VanDerveer.
Womens basketball preview: Newcomers
For a Stanford women’s basketball team that was propelled to the Final Four last season by strong senior leadership, it may be the young guns who help them return this year. The Cardinal’s freshman class — forwards Alyssa Jerome, Maya Dodson, Estella Moschkau and guard Kianna Williams — are talented, versatile and confident. Even though these freshmen are yet to play a collegiate game, their teammates and coaches have been impressed by what they have seen in practice.
Women’s volleyball prepares for Arizona road trip
Still undefeated in conference play, No. 2 Stanford women’s volleyball team (17-2, 10-0 Pac-12) heads to the desert on Friday to face Arizona State (10-12, 0-10) and Arizona (8-11, 2-8). Currently riding a 12-game winning streak, the Cardinal are coming off a pair of resounding home victories against No. 14 Washington and Washington State. While Stanford struggled in its five-set win over the Huskies, it was able to eke out the victory before cruising to a straight-sets win over the Cougars.
Men’s soccer has perfect road trip in wins over Washington, Oregon State
It was another week and another dominant road trip for the No. 6 Stanford men’s soccer (12-2-1, 6-0-1 Pac-12) as it cruised to victories over No. 21 Washington (10-5-1, 3-3-1) on Thursday and Oregon State (5-10, 2-5) on Sunday. The Cardinal finished their 2017 conference road schedule with an unblemished 5-0 record for the first time in school history. The Washington game was the headliner of this road trip just a week after the two teams played to a dramatic extra-time 1-1 draw at Cagan Stadium.
Men’s soccer heads north to face Huskies
Coming off of a dominant 1-0 victory over Oregon State on Sunday, the No. 8 Stanford men’s soccer team (10-2-1, 4-0-1 Pac-12) heads to Seattle on Thursday for a showdown with the No. 21 Washington Huskies (9-4-1, 2-2-1). The two Pac-12 rivals played to a 1-1 draw at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium on Oct. 12, a back-and-forth matchup in which both teams had a multitude of scoring opportunities but were unable to capitalize.
Women’s volleyball sweeps through Oregon, heads for Los Angeles
Looking to continue their dominating run through conference play, the No. 2 Stanford women’s volleyball team (13-2, 6-0 Pac-12) heads to Los Angeles on Friday for a two-game road trip against No. 12 UCLA (11-4, 4-2 Pac-12) and No. 15 USC (13-4, 5-1). The Cardinal returned Monday from a road trip against No. 16 Oregon and Oregon State, in which they won both matches in businesslike fashion. They have rarely been challenged this season, winning all but two of their matches in straight sets.
Tennis: 2016 Marin high school girls team-by-team preview capsules
There’s something different around the MCAL girls tennis scene this year, a collective confidence that is hanging in the air and building up inside locker rooms. For the first time in a while, Redwood and Tam, the traditional powerhouses, aren’t so invincible, and it means that 2016 may be the year for a new team to rise to the top. It could be Branson, whose star duo of Amanda Douglas and Alise Pedersen will give the Bulls an edge at the top of their singles ladder against any opponent.
Tennis: Branson challenges Marin high school girls elite squads with strong duo at top
Amanda Douglas and Alise Pedersen have been on opposite sides of the net for years as competitors in youth tennis tournaments. But now they are playing on the same side, hoping to lead Branson School deep into the postseason as the top singles players on the high school girls team. “I remember when we played at a Belvedere tournament when I was maybe in seventh grade and we were in the finals of that tournament and she just killed me,” Douglas said with a laugh.
Marin Waves runners competing in new event at nationals
The first time Paul Law attempted to clear a steeple, he jumped and landed in three feet of water, a soggy first encounter with what is now one of his favorite track and field events. “I didn’t know how deep the pit was so I was almost fully submerged in it,” Law joked.
Girls basketball: Greenbrae’s Politzer driven after tryout for under-17 national team
When Sydney Politzer found herself surrounded by 139 of the best youth basketball players in the country, she wasn’t deterred by the pressure or scared of the competition. Instead, she was inspired by the moment. As an invitee to the under-17 United States national team trials, the Greenbrae resident traveled to Colorado Springs in May. She worked through three days of intense trials, which lasted from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and included scrimmages, skill sessions and classroom meetings.
Little league: San Rafael outlasts Twin Cities, stays undefeated
Bases loaded, bottom of the seventh inning — for some pitchers, the pressure can be overwhelming. For San Rafael’s Drew Caveney, it was just another batter. Caveney got Twin Cities’ Yanni Caparis to ground out to end the game, helping San Rafael win 4-2 in a nail-biter in the District 3 juniors tournament Thursday at Endriss Field in Larkspur. “That’s what he’s there for,” San Rafael manager Myles Miller said.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Gregory
Contact Gregory, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack