Knicks Add Kevin Knox in 2018 NBA Draft

The recipient of a master's degree in literacy from Long Island University, Greg Gerkens is an education administrator who most recently served as assistant principal at a New York-based high school that serves special needs students. Beyond his professional pursuits, Greg Gerkens is a passionate fan of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) New York Knicks.

The Knicks haven't made the playoffs since 2013, but the franchise is hoping for a change in fortune this season after adding talented forward Kevin Knox with the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. A 6-foot-9 native of Tampa, Florida, Knox was a freshman with the University of Kentucky last season and averaged 15.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. In addition to leading the team in scoring, he also registered the eighth-most points (576) among freshmen in school history. He was the Southeastern Conference's (SEC) co-Freshman of the year and earned All-SEC First Team recognition. 

With its second-round pick, New York selected 7-foot, 225-pound forward Mitchell Robinson who, as a senior with Chalmette High School, averaged 25.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 7.1 blocks per game. Both Knox and Robinson complement the Knicks' young core players like Frank Ntilikina, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Kristaps Porzingis.

New York Islanders Offseason Acquisitions

An education administrator who specializes in working with students with special needs, Greg Gerkens is a child study and human relations graduate of St. Joseph's College. Since graduating, he has earned post-graduate degrees and certificates in literacy, educational leadership, and English. A passionate sports fan, Greg Gerkens counts the New York Islanders as his favorite National Hockey League (NHL) team.

The Islanders lost its captain and most important player, John Tavares, to the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency on July 1, but the team also added a pair of former Maple Leafs. On the same day, New York signed veteran winger Leo Komarov to a four-year, $12 million contract. Two days later, New York acquired Matt Martin from the Maple Leafs in a trade. A 31-year-old native of Narva, Estonia, Komarov was originally selected by Toronto in the sixth round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, and has since registered 122 points in 327 games with the franchise. Martin, meanwhile, accumulated 173 penalty minutes and 21 points during the past two seasons with the Maple Leafs, but spent the previous seven seasons with the Islanders.

New York also signed free agent right winger Tom Kuhnhackl and goaltender Robin Lehner in addition to re-signing multiple players, including Ryan Pulock, Brock Nelson, Ross Johnston, and Thomas Hickey. The team also recently announced it invited veteran defensemen Dennis Seidenberg and Luca Sbisa to its training camp.

Fishing Rod Power and Action

Long-time educator Greg Gerkens serves as a high school biology and Earth science teacher. In his free time, Greg Gerkens enjoys outdoor activities such as fishing.

People who fish must consider two basic features when they choose a fishing rod: power and action. Power refers to the amount of pressure needed to bend the rod.

Typically, rods are categorized as either light, medium, or heavy, but some companies have in-between categories, such as medium-heavy. Rods with heavy power do not bend unless they are put under a great deal of pressure and are better at handling heavy line weights. For this reason, anglers who plan on catching large trophy fish need a rod categorized as heavy.

Action refers to how easily a rod bends and where it bends when pressure is applied. Slow action rods bend throughout the length of the rod and work best with light baits.

Fast action rods bend only about 3 to 4 inches from the top. The action of a rod affects the way anglers set the hook and the way the bait casts.