NY Jets – Chris Ivory

The New York Jets started off week 1 with a big win over Cleveland and much of it came from runningback number 33, Chris Ivory. We have all seen his powerful running style and no-quit attitude when he hits first contact, but not we are seeing all that work come to roost. This year’s offense is a case study in best traits; QB Fitzpatrick has the Harvard educated brain, WR Marshall has the enormous wingspan, WR Decker’s instincts downfield are second to none and Ivory’s lack of self preservation is the straw that breaks the defense’s back. Chris has made his presence known by defensemen once he makes contact with them. After getting hit hard by a running back like Ivory, defensive players think twice before hitting him again.

Ivory is 6’2 and 222 lbs of anger running down the field. This helped him to run for 91 yards and two touchdowns vs the Browns this past weekend, 64 of those yards after first contact. This is the type of back that offensive coordinator Chan Gailey can, and did build a game plan around. He used the run to set up the pass and vice versa, but it all starts with a high yard-per-carry from Ivory.

The term “work horse” has started to get thrown around the film room lately to describe Ivory. The team watched as his bruising effect on the defense slowly wore the Browns down similar to body shots in a heavyweight boxing fight. The humble back will not be complaining to the press how he is not getting his touches either.

For years Ivory has been waiting to prove his multi-dimensional talent as he spent years behind the lead back in New Orleans, and after his trade to the Jets, he did not get many carries with marty Mornhinweg calling the plays. Chris can run hard, catch the ball well, and be a reliable health asset. Hopefully this season will prove to be a breakout year with 1,500 yards on the ground as the Jets impress!

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3 Most Improves Receiving Corps: NFL

Many teams are under a strong microscope as camp and preseason games loom over the NFL. With such dissection of early performance, there has been many proclamations to who has improved and gotten worse. The latest instance comes from NFL.com where they look at the most improves recieving corps across the league. Here are the most improved three units.

3) The New York Jets

Despite the latest drama in the locker room, the organization’s new coach and general manager have done a great job giving their starting quarterback a chance down the field. Last year the offense was akin to watching paint dry, in part due to QB play, but mostly from the lack of explosion in the receiving options. Brandon Marshall bring an instant spotlight to the field for any defense game-planning the Jets. His 5-time Pro Bowl resume demands attention no matter who is throwing him the ball. Eric Decker will return for his second year with the team bringing with him his excellent hands and field awareness. He is also well versed in playing beside a big receiver like Marshall, from his days in Denver with Demaryius Thomas. Look to the receiving numbers from this crew to be much improved from last year.

2) The Seattle Seahawks

Jimmy Graham joins the team with his enormous reach and red zone capability. He may very well be the main target for Russell Wilson when the ball is within their opponents 20 yard line. Standing at 6’7 he is a force to be reckoned with for any DB or Linebacker. The added attention in the middle of the field from safeties could open up the edges for Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse to break free for big gains this year. Rookie Tyler Lockett may also have an opportunity to make an impact after coming off a college career that had him as a two-time first teamer in the Big 12.

1)The Indianapolis Colts

Yes, the Colts were the top ranked passing offense last year, but that did not stop the front office from improving on their talent pool. This offseason they have added Andre Johnson, and Phillip Dorsett giving QB Andrew Luck more options than the rest of league would like to see every Sunday.

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Knicks Free Agency Chase

The New York Knicks current star Carmelo Anthony and General Manager Phil jackson have reportedly not spoken since free agency began, showing some serious differences in vision for the Knickerbockers. When asked how Jackson feels about Anthony’s displeasure with the direction the club is taking, Phil only answered that basketball is a team sport that needs to be played together.

Anthony, a widely considered franchise player, has been kept out of the loop regarding the free agency offers that the Knicks have been offering. Robin Lopez, Derrick Williams, Arron Afflalo and Kyle O’Quinn were added to the roster without the stars blessing. New Yorkers do not seemed worried by the rift between the two big names. Phil Jackson has a history of winning, having 11 rings as a coach and 2 as a player with the Knicks. He seems to have the complete trust of the Knicks faithful as New Yorkers will be hoping to watch a “Knicks-tape” of highlights this year.

While some high profile contracts have fallen through the cracks, Jackson’s plan to capture some high profile stars is to build the program one year at a time by winning. By picking the right players to fit into a team system, the Knicks will be able to win more games every year, which attracts free agents looking for an opportunity to win a championship.

He plans to continue to build the locker room in leadership and defensive ability. Jacksons unpopular first round draft pick, Kristaps Porzingis has been playing well in summer league and looks to be positioning himself to make an impact.

While the team gears up for next season, Carmelo is coming off a serious knee injury and no secondary scorer has emerged from the roster. As a true long term team builder, Jackson is building a program to last, the only way he knows.

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SEC Sensing Competition On And Off The Field

The SouthEastern Conference has long been considered a powerhouse in college football. World beaters, unstoppable, until of course this past year. The all-mighty SEC was taken down by a historic team from Ohio, OSU. From 2006- 2012 the conference won 7 straight national championships, and at each year’s following conference press day many yucks were traded. The scene of the SEC Media Days, a four day long pep rally of sorts for coaches, is much more somber than years past.

Many seem to believe that SEC is feeling a little intimidated, humbled, and possibly scared. The consecutive years without a title has stymied the conferences seemingly unfaltering confidence. The top five teams in the conference went an unimpressive 0-5 in bowl games, quite a drop off from recent years.

For years coaches in the south have used certain camps to tour around NCAA rules, allowing them to get first dibs on the best recruits in the country right in their backyards. This year, new Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh announced he would be taking a tour through the south in an attempt to pick the pockets of the SEC. When coaches got word of this they quickly renounced the camps as recruiting tours. Oddly panicky behavior from the mighty men of the SEC.

The SEC has long kept a powerhouse brand of football. Pro style play is not often seen in other conferences but this worried the reigning champions of the decade little… until it stopped working. Now reevaluations of defensive schemes have been taking place and more than half of the defensive coordinators have been replaced in the SEC.

The major questions that remain for this upcoming season are, who will rise to the challenge, and how will this conference slow down the spread offense of the west?

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FIFA Issues

In sporting news, no story will be getting more attention than the recent arrest of 14 top officials within the FIFA organization this week in Switzerland. Under accusation of corruption, Swiss police arrested the men at a meeting of top ranking individuals within FIFA. The United State Justice Department requested such action after finding that bribed may have been taken by officials in exchange for contract rights across different disciplines.

FIFA President, Sepp Blatter was not one of the officials charged and public condone any behavior related to corruption. Sepp is currently seeking a 5th term as president of the organization that oversees the most popular sporting event in the world, The World Cup. Such negative press may bring light to possible mismanagement under Sepp’s tenure, but the president is looking to use this a jumping off point in organizational reform. The newest vote for president will be held tomorrow, Friday 5/29/15.

Sepp has vowed to uphold the integrity of the FIFA name and reform oversight of the company. This may help the incumbent to retain his place atop the organization but his closest opponent has a strong support behind him. Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan is a young, pro-reform executive committee member within FIFA and may be giving Sepp a run for his money.

While the top officials are positioning themselves for the latest presidential vote, the entire soccer community across the globe is reeling from the allegations of corruption. It is entirely heartbreaking to see a game that is beloved by so many, stained by so few.

Many world leaders stood by the United States with their pursuit of justice noting that corruption must be sniffed out and dealt with. Major corporations are also joining praises and calling for reform within FIFA. Companies like Adidas, Coca-cola, Visa and many more are outraged by the possibility of corruption within the upper ranks.

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Rangers Playoff Hockey

The rangers have been scraping out wins all year through the regular season, and now the postseason. As we look ahead towards game two of the Eastern Conference Finals lets take a look at how the defensive machine of the Rangers have been holding down the leagues best guns.

Three names are responsible for the majority of the Ranger’s success, Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, and Henrik Lundqvist. The three-headed defensive monster is anchored by a star goalie in Hank, who has made big save after big save since he stepped back between the pipes this year. Of course, a goalie is only as good as his defensemen in front of him. Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi have been drawing the top matchups this post season, making Hank’s job as easy as they can against the best talent in the east.

This series, vs the Tampa Bay Lightning the power duo defensmen have focused their ice time away from the highly star studded first line of Steven Stamkos towards the “Triplets”. Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, and Nikita Kucherov have been the key to the Lightning’s success this offseason, which warrants their attention from the Ranger’s best defensmen. Their line has accounted for 18 goals and 15 assists this postseason.

As for game 1 of the series, the Rangers held the Lightning and the Triplets to just one goal on a power play. Tonight will prove to be a true test for the Rangers defense as they try to fend off a stingy offensive effort that averaged over 3 goals per game over the course of the season.

We are in the midst of the best time of the year for hockey fans as all the games are top notch in terms of quality and gamesmanship. Every team who has made it this far in the postseason plays low margin-of-error, physical hockey that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.

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Average People Doing Ironman Triathlons

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Floyd “Money” Mayweather | Still The Champ

Modern day boxing pales in comparison to what it once was. The days of the sweet science are all but over, absent one last cornerstone fight. This past weekend Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fought in what was more than a half decade long awaited fight that was ticketed as the fight of a generation. Boxing enthusiasts had a dream fight finally come to fruition as two of the best pound for pound fighters in the world came to blows. While the hype launched both boxers pay day into the stratosphere, the fight itself was less than incredible.

Mayweather boxed an extremely strategic and educated match as he danced around the ring for the majority of each round, picking his punches. This type of tactic is not suited for crowd pleasing as the style of fight disappointed many. Smart boxing was enough to earn Money Mayweather his latest win bringing his career record to an astonishing 48-0 with 6 world championships in 5 separate weight classes. Throughout his nearly 50 wins Mayweather has taken down big names such as Oscar De La Hoya, and Sugar Shane Mosley along with scores of

Many viewers watched the program with the hopes of seeing a knockout or an exciting upset win by Manny Pacquiao. They would not receive any of their wishes as the match went the distance, 12 rounds, with Money taking the unanimous decision.

Mayweather has not only proven himself to be a force within the ring, he has also established himself as a tactician in the business world. Leaving his previous promotion house, Top Rank, Floyd began his own promotion company to fully integrate his supply chain and make money on both sides of the ropes.

Pulling in an unbelievable payout from the fight, Mayweather will likely pocket between $150-$120 million for the single fight, while Pacquiao will likely earn $100million to $80 million.

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Tiger Woods Unsure For Masters

It is hard to believe as we in the north east are still living in freezing temperatures that The Masters will be played in eight days. Thats right eight days away. The Masters is one of the most coveted and watched golf competition of the year featuring the most talented crop of athletes the sport has to offer. With the tournament being just over a week away, one of, if not the most well known golfer has his appearance being questioned.

Tiger Woods has gone on sabbatical from the PGA tour which has accounted for 50 days away from competition. Adding at least 12 more days to his leave, Tiger announced he will not be playing in Shell’s Houston Open. With no competitive golf to have his game warmed up, many think that he will also be passing on the opportunity to compete in this years Masters. Tiger has not won a major since 2008, and The Masters since 2005. In total, he has collected 4 wins at the tournament but not in a decade has he been fitted for a new green jacket.

Nobody can say for sure what Tiger will decide as he weighs his options for participation. The golf icon participating has a significant effect on viewership and ticket sales so it will be interesting to see how the next week will play out.

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Boxing Show Down

Boxing is a sport that has been lost to the evolution of excitement provided by things such as MMA and UFC. But the sweet science is not dead yet. There has not been a fight as anticipated within the boxing ring since heavyweights collided in the Holyfield Tyson saga. On May 2, 2015 the welterweight champion of the world will be crowned after the long awaited showdown between the two most prolific boxers of our era.

Pound for pound Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Manny “Pac-man” Pacquiao are considered to two of the best ever. Both promoters are considering this face-off to be the largest event in boxing history. While the histrionics of the event are yet to be realized, the money that is on the table for the winner and loser are most definitely at the top of the all-time lists. The two fighters will split an estimated $200 million with Pac-man taking $80 and Mayweather bringing home a whopping $120 million.

Purse totals are dependant on how the tickets sell for TV and live seats. With projections estimating the fight will sell out for the live viewing and set records on TV, it is safe to say people are willing to pay to see the biggest boxing event since Mayweather fought Oscar De La Hoya in 2007, the hype of which pales in comparison to this long awaited bout.

The MGM Grand plans to sell an estimated 250 tickets with the cheapest seat going for $5,400. Floor seats, right next to the action will most likely start at $7,500 face value and are being projected to be sold for $28,000 on the secondary market. This type of high profile pricing and hype may be just what boxing needs to rejuvenate its aging public appearance.

Be sure to find a friend who is buying the fight on pay-per-view or head to a bar or restaurant to see the action! It is sure to be an experience for the books.

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