(Super Bowl)

Patriots-Eagles,,,Sunday matchup…..New England’s Bill Belicheck goes for 6th run which would tie him with Vince Lombardi and George Halas for most championships in a career….Belicheck (28-10) in post season games…Belicheck (278-128) in coaching career….Tom Brady (27-9) in playoff games…Brady in career playoff games (68TD-31 Int-63%-270YPG)….Eagles have not won an NFL championship since 1960-Norm Van Brocklin-Tommy McDonald-Chuck Badnarik era….Belicheck in Super Bowl for 11th time as a coach….32-Pats players have been in Super Bowl….Eagles-only 6-players have Super Bowl experience.

Patriots…Tom Brady (32TD-8 Int) this year….Patriots #1-in offense (394YPG)…Patriots averaging 33 Min-TOP in postseason games….Brady (5TD-0Int) this year in playoffs…Pats #2-NFL-scoring offense……Rob Gronkowski (15YPC)…Brandon Cooks (16Y)…Chris Hogan (13Y)…Danny Amendola (11Y)….3-RBs have combined for 128-receptions this season…Brady has 280-plays for first downs on first or second downs….stays ahead of the chains…..Pats have just 12-turnovers on the season…..New England defense is #5-in scoring defense….Pats defense is #2 in red zone scoring defense…Pats defense however (4.7YPC) against the run in regular season….Pats defense has allowed just 6-rushing TDs all year….New England defense has allowed just 17-TDs in last 12-games…just 34-TDs in 18-games this year…has just 18-takeaways-39-sacks on year…

Eagles….Finish season 9th in NFL in offense….4th in defense….3rd in scoring offense…4th in scoring defense…..Eagles defense has 34-takeaways -40 sacks on season…..Eagles defense allowed just 13TDs in last 9-games..Nick Foles (3TD-0 Int) in playoff games…has (122QBR) rating in postseason in his career….Jay Ajayi (5.8YPC)…LaGarret Blount (4.4YPC)….WRs-Alshon Jeffrey (13YPC)..Nelson Agholor (12Y)…Torrey Smith (11Y)…Zach Eertz (11Y)

Keys…Tom Brady against Eagles rotating 8-man front….Brady to run crossing patterns creating picks-rubs-receivers to run seats down middle….Go no huddle to stop Eagles substitutions….New England front must handle Eagles very physical group of Fletcher Cox-Brandon Graham-Chris Long-Derek Barnett….Brady to try and get Eagles defense run out of gas….Eagles went to no huddle pass on the edge passing game to wear out Vikings defense….Nick Foles not asked to hold the ball and go thru progressions…Foles not asked to make a lot of pre snap reads-just run the package….Big matchup Mal Jenkins-vs-Gronkowski…..and young secondary against group of Patriots WRs…..Jim Schwartz could pressure up middle with LBs and Fletcher Cox forcing Pats RBs to stay in and block, removing a weapon in Brady offense….

New England wins…Brady makes enough big plays with TE-WRs….Belicheck makes Foles make mistakes and keeps Eagles out of end zone.

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(NFL)

Hall of Fame…Vote on Saturday….15-finalists on the list…headed by Ray Lewis..Randy Moss…Terrell Owens….Issac Bruce….Joe Jacoby…Alan Faneca…Kevin Mawae….John Lynch…Ty Law…Everson Walls…Tony Boselli……On the Veterans Committee list-Jerry Kramer…Robert Brazille…..Contributors List-Bobby Beathard….48-will vote on the list.

Patriots…Owner Robert Kraft says ‘tension’ in an organization is good…and thet New England is not ‘dysfunctional’…..

Packers..WB_Aaron Rodgers-upse team let QB-coach Alex Van Pelt leave.

Vikings..Will wait to interview John DeFilippos-Eagles for Off Coor job once Super Bowl is over.

Seattle..Hires Larry Rizzo as assistant Special Teams coach-had been with Miami.

Denver…LB-Von Miller and group of players talk to John Elway-urging him to big on FA-QB-Kirk Cousins.

Steelers…LB-Ryan Shazier released from U-Pittsburgh Medical Center rehab center….. is in a wheelchair and will be transported from his home to continue rehab following spinal column surgery.

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(College)

SEC…Announces each school receives 41M-in TV Network revenues.

Michigan State..Hires Chuck Bullogh as LB-coach…ex-UCLA-Syracuse
Colorado State..Hire Chase Gibson-assistant from Notre Dame
Utah State..Hire Keith Patterson-Def Coor-ex-Arizona State.

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……….(Baseball)………

MLB-Union….Make new proposal on ‘Pace of Play’ rules…..Rob Manfred proposes to make minor rule changes without inserting pitch clock for 2018…..will cutback time between innings for warmup pitches…reduce time for managers to evaluate use of instant replay….limit time batters have to get into the batters box….reduce number of managers challenges……Wants to reduce time of games from (3;05-to-2:55) in 2018…if that can be done….they will not use (:20) pitch clock….if they cannot-then pitch clock will be invoked for 2019.

(Roster Moves)

Phillies..P-Mark Appel…Top pick in 2013-draft-retires to enter graduate school…..career had been sidetracked by injuries and wildness….

Washington..Sign FA-C-Miguel Montero-ex-Cubs-Bue Jays
Cubs..Sign FA-OF-Peter Bourjos-ex Tampa Bay-Angels
Phillies..Sign FA-OF-Adam Rosales-ex-Arizona-A’s-Padres

Milwaukee-Rays A’s…Trade talks for Rays P-Chris Archer…

Indians…Utilityman Mike Martinez tears Achilles-out for 6-months.

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……(Basketball)………..

USD-L-Gonzaga (69-59)….Jon Williams (14P-12R) for Zags….Zags shot 41% but had 45-rebounds….USD shot just 32%….Zags had (12-0) run early…..Toreros had (13-2) early in 2nd half…then USD went 8-minutes without a basket (0-12) shooting and lost……..Torerors (15-8)…Bulldogs (20-4)

USD-hosts-St. Mary’s on Saturday night

Aztecs-Air Force…Saturday matchup….SDSU (12-8) but lose G-Trey Kell with severe ankle sprain.

(Mountain West)-Saturday

Nevada-vs-Colorado State…Wolfpack (19-4).
Boise-UNLV…Broncos (18-4)…Rebels (16-6)
Wyoming-Fresno…Cowboys (15-7)…Bulldogs (15-8)
New Mexico-San Jose State

Division III….NCAA record set when Greenville College played Fontbonne of Missouri in overtime game…most point scored in game (164-154) Fontborne wins.

(NBA)

Bulls-Pelicans…Trade…Chicago sends F-Nikola Mitotic and #2….for #1 pick…G-Tony Allen-Jameer Nelson-C-Omer Asik.

Lakers-Brooklyn Nets…Friday matchup…LA (19-31)
Clippers-Bulls…Saturday night

Lakers..G-Lonzo Ball not making enough progress from sprained knee…will remain out of action a 4th week.
Lakers..C-Brooke Lopez upset he is averaging 20-minutes a night…and has been benched in the 4th quarter in 16-games this year.

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……..(Hockey)……….

Ducks-L-Ottawa (2-1)…Senators score 2-power play goals…Ducks G-Ryan Miller 32-saves in loss..
Ducks-at-Montreal…Saturday night

Kings-L-Nashville (5-0)…Predators score 3-goals in 7-minutes…including 2-power plays ….
Kings-host-Arizona on Saturday night

Gulls-Tucson…Saturday night AHL action…Gulls just (3-4) last 7-games
Gulls…G-Reto Berra called up by Ducks…had (2.68-GAA) with (.920) save percentage.

Rockies….Lose F-Nathan McKinnon-4W-shoulder.

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………(General)………..

Phoenix Open…Bill Haas (7-under)…5-birdies then an eagle surges to lead…Ricky Fowler-Billy Hoeschel in group (-5)…..Jon Rahm (-4)…..Phil Mickelson (-1)

English Premeir League…Saturday Schedule
..Manchester City (21-1-2)-vs-Burnley
..Manchester United-vs-Huddlesfield
..Arsenal-vs-Everton
..Tottenham-vs-Liverpool

US Gymnastics…NBC-TV reports US-CEO Steve Penny emailed director of security about sex abuse complaints against Dr. Larry Nassar…but the security chief sat on the Email for 1-full year…never opened an investigation.-

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