PGA MASTERS GOLF PREVIEW

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2017 PGA Masters Preview 
It’s that time of year again golf fans. As we cruise through March it is impossible to not start looking forward to the biggest tournament of the year, The Masters. The Masters is always the first of four major professional golf championships held each year. Unlike the other three major championships, The Masters is held at the same location each year, the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. This makes The Masters the most tradition packed and hyped up tournament of the year. Here’s everything you need to know heading into this years tournament.

It only seems right to start with the defending champion, Danny Willet. The 29 year old Englishman is currently ranked as the 14th golfer in the world. At last years tournament, he shot an impressive five-under-par round of 67 on the final day to comeback and win the tournament. Last years win was Willet’s first major championship title and first win on the PGA tour. He also has four European Tour wins on his resume; however, he is still in search of his first win since last years Master’s. Willet also blew a three-stroke lead on the final day of last month’s Maybank Championship. Willet is currently pegged at 80/1 odds to win this years tournament as he tries to become just the fourth golfer ever to win back to back Master’s.

Next up are the two favorites, Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth. Both players are leading the pack slotted at 13/2 odds to win the tournament. Dustin Johnson is undeniably the hottest golfer in the world right now. Johnson has always been one of the most talented golfers on the PGA tour, but up until last year, he just couldn’t put it all together. At last years Masters, he had a great outing and finished tied for fourth. He rode that momentum into a first place finish at the next major championship, the U.S. Open, and hasn’t looked back since. After starting 2017 with two top ten finishes in his first four events, Johnson has caught fire. In February, he won the Genesis Open, launching him to the number one ranking in the world for the first time in his career. In early March, he won the WGC-Mexico Championship in his first event since earning the number one ranking in the world. It’s obvious Johnson has all sorts of confidence right now and is my pick to win the green jacket at this years Masters.

Jordan Spieth, the 23 year old, is the other favorite heading into this years Masters. Don’t let his young age fool you as Spieth has already won two Major Championships; one being the 2015 Masters, and the other being the 2015 U.S. Open. Spieth is a former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking and currently holds the number five spot. Despite his strong odds to win this years Masters and his solid start to 2017, I don’t like Spieth’s chances at Augusta this year. At the 2016 Masters, Spieth was well on his way to becoming the fourth golfer to win back to back years at Augusta as he held a five stroke lead heading into the back nine. But Spieth completely blew it. One of the most memorable choke jobs in the history of golf involving many bogeys and water shots. I have to believe this will be in his head at this years tournament and can’t see him getting passed it.

Clearly there are many question marks heading into this years tournament. One thing that is for sure is that this years action kicks off on Thursday, April 7th, and you won’t want to miss it.

LA LAKERS LATEST NEWS

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One of the biggest Hollywood secrets has been the strained relationship between siblings, Jeanie and Jim Buss.

Less face it, they don’t like one another, and that came out publicly after she fired him as Executive Vice-President of Basketball Operations for the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this month. He wasn’t alone as Jeanie relieved long-time employee Mitch Kupchak of his general manager duties, and brought back Laker legend Magic Johnson into the fold to run the daily operations of the franchise.

An Act Straight Out of Game of Thrones

The more shocking revelation was the attempted coup d’e’tat by Jim and his older brother, Johnny, to remove Jeanie from atop her throne overlooking Laker Kingdom. Together, they brought legal action against their sister in an attempt to strip her of all executive powers with the franchise. Many legal experts felt the lawsuit submitted to Los Angeles Superior Court has too many flaws and failed to provide any evidence that showed her to be derelict in her position with the team. The consensus was they wouldn’t gain a favorable ruling unless the brothers change the tone of the paperwork. Jeanie’s counter argument was the firings were justifiable because Jim failed in his role to rebuild the roster, and would have been let go earlier if his name wasn’t Buss.

Walton Seems to Have Survived

The relationship between Lakers head coach Luke Walton and Jeanie Buss is quite good as they talk often in-person during the week if their schedules coincide. This wasn’t the case with the past two Laker (Mike D’Antoni and Byron Scott) coaches as Jeanie had little contact with them during their tenure with the club. The lack of communication brought her frustration to the forefront, and confirmed to Jeanie that a front office upheaval was needed to end the rapid decline of the franchise.

The occasional chat with Jeanie has done wonders for Walton’s job stability. He was put in an awkward situation as Walton had a terrific relationship with the recently fired management team. He was candid with the press about being surprised with the announcement of Jim and Mitch’s firings. Walton accepted the head coaching position with the belief that they would work together in bringing the Lakers back to prominence, but life in the NBA is constantly changing and you must make the necessary adjustments to survive in the sport.

The State of the Franchise

The Lakers are near the bottom of the standings and in the midst of their fourth straight losing season. The team should benefit greatly from the their struggles as they have a top-three protective lottery pick in this June’s Draft.

All signs point toward the Lakers drafting UCLA freshman guard Lonzo Ball, who could be the final piece to their rebuilding puzzle. This would make the city of Los Angeles very happy, especially for one proud papa, LaVar Ball, who has openly campaigned for his son to play for the hometown team.

The Lakers are on the right course in rebuilding the franchise, as the hiring of Magic didn’t solve the problem, but allow them to hit the reset button. The fans believe their beloved hero is ready for the challenge, and expectations are high that it won’t be long before the Lakers are back contending for a NBA title.

But for right now, the playoffs seem to be nowhere in sight.

JABRILL PEPPERS BEST FIT IN THE NFL

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When it comes to being intriguing, Jabrill Peppers fits the bill perfectly as a strong prospect for the National Football League’s 2017 draft. Being a hybrid for many positions makes it a difficult choice on what position he should play. He knows this, which is why he has been trying to become more clear by showing his abilities during the Combine that the NFL holds.

His best bet is with a team that will utilize all of his skills and abilities and not just put him into one position where his total skills become limited. Having Peppers will be the best choice for any team who needs help defensively. But it could be tough for teams to decide early on in the first round of the draft.

To help make sense of it all, we have a few teams listed that would benefit from picking Peppers during the second half of the first round which will be held towards the end of April.

The Titans
The first round pick of the Titans occurs at the No. 18 spot as soon as the Redskins make their pick. Although the Titans should focus on a wide receiver or cornerback after the Rams gave them the No. 5 pick, their next choice could see the Titans picking a player who can give high impact. Pepper’s ability to show versatility could make him a great safety for the Titans.

The Redskins
Peppers could become a huge standout if picked for both a safety and linebacker for the Washington Redskins. In either of those positions Peppers could easily raise the big plays for their defensive. Prior to taking a starting position, Peppers could be used on special teams or as a player who could attack easily.

The Texans
Even if the Texans don’t pick Peppers, they will have a strong defense again as soon as J.J. Watt makes a healthy return. Peppers could make a great impact for the Texans if he was picked for inside linebacker or safety. The downfall to this is that Peppers would be a stronger blitzer. History has shown that the Texans defensive coordinator is known to place his players who have the most talent into high impact positions. Jabrill Peppers would fit in perfectly under this coordination.

The Packers
With Morgan Burnett being versatile as a strong safety for the Packers, the team will soon lose him to free agency next year. So, for the time being, they would benefit from having more stability and durability for the inside linebacker position mainly due to injuries that Jake Ryan and Blake Martinez sustained last year. With the profile of Greenbay at 3-4, it fits perfectly with Peppers where he can easily create big plays as he contributes to the defense in many different ways.

The Patriots
It seems like the Patriots always pick the best players who show the most versatility and abilities. With the creativity of Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia, we could easily see Peppers all over the field. Peppers could easily fill in at the cornerback or safety position. With Duron Harmon in free agency and Patrick Chung signing on through next year, we could see Peppers as a multi-position player for the Patriots, before a regular position becomes available.

It would surely be fun to observe how Peppers gets around in the defense, but one thing is for sure, Josh Daniels will have no problem placing him into a role in the offense. Another thing is that the Patriots’ special teams could also benefit. A No. 32 pick could perfectly slide Peppers towards the Super Bowl Champions.

Why Tom Brady is the Best QB of All-Time

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It is easy to argue that Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time to play for the NFL. His stats in both regular and post season games are astounding and unlikely to be reached or surpassed in our lifetime. He has also maintained a reputation for his strong leadership skills both on and off the field. Not to mention that he completes the perfect all American image with his stunning super model wife and breathtakingly beautiful children.

Brady also possesses an unmatched number of trophy’s for his many victories, including four separate super bowl rings. In addition to his highly coveted rings, Brady has received accolades for being the most valuable player in other bowls. Although, he has been no stranger to controversy, like the famed deflate gate scandal in which he was accused of being involved in the scheme to deflate footballs in the super bowl in order to secure a win. Events like deflategate were certainly damaging to Brady’s personal and professional images and reputation. However, it is still difficult for even rival teams to argue that Tom Brady has not proved himself as the best quarterback of all time.

Brady’s Stats:

Passing yards

• Brady: 58,028 (5th)

• Leader: Peyton Manning – 71,940

Pass completions

• Brady: 4,953 (5th)

• Leader: Brett Favre – 6,300

Touchdown passes

• Brady: 428 (3rd)

• Leader: Peyton Manning – 539

Passer rating

• Brady: 96.4 (6th)

• Leader: Aaron Rodgers – 104

Completion rate

• Brady: 63.6 (13th)

• Leader: Drew Brees – 66.3

Wins

• Brady: 172 (3rd)

• Leader (tie): Brett Favre and Peyton Manning – 186

MVP Awards

• Brady: 2

• Leader: Peyton Manning – 5

Pro Bowl appearances

• Brady: 11

• Leader (tie): Peyton Manning, Tony Gonzalez, Bruce Matthews, Merlin Olsen – 14

Brady’s case as the best quarterback ever got a genuine help with his execution in Super Bowl XLIX. The contention developed considerably more with his MVP-gauge execution amid the 2015 general season. He now holds about each real Super Bowl passing record notwithstanding the record for most Super Bowl appearances by a quarterback. All the more significantly, Brady now ties Joe Montana, the quarterback numerous consider to be the best to ever play the game, for most Super Bowl wins and most Super Bowl MVP grants.

Brady additionally holds numerous playoff (quarterback) records and is in the main five in almost every vocation general season passing class. He has implied that he has “a considerable measure of football left” to play in his profession, implying that he is very liable to enhance his remaining in each class. In the event that he genuinely plays another five to seven seasons, Brady will most likely hold each customary season passing record, each postseason passing record, and each Super Bowl is passing record.

Besides, if Brady wins another Super Bowl title before he resigns, he will probably end the discourse and go down as the best quarterback in NFL history. Indeed, even without another Super Bowl, if Brady can turn in a few more tip top level seasons, it will be difficult to contend against him as the best ever. Although he is starting to reach an age where he may not have many more opportunities to play many more seasons, Brady has proved time and time again that he can perform under pressure.