Bubba edges Lefty at Farmers

Bubba Watson rolled in a 15 foot birdie put on the 72nd hole in Sunday's Farmers Insurance Open that ultimately won the tournament for him.

Watson shot a final round 67(-5) and finished one shot clear of the field at 16 under. Mickelson entered the final round tied for the lead at 12 under before firing a 69 on Sunday and finishing at 15 under. It was a much better week for Phil than it was for Tiger... that's his name right, Tiger? Well, that's at least what people tell me. What happened to the guy that could fire 65 on any given day at any given course in any given conditions? What happened to the guy who dominated tournaments? What happened to the former number one player in the world?

Tigers' game is going straight downhill and his personal struggles are all too far in the past to be used as an excuse. The hard truth is that he needs to just go back to what got him 14 majors and all of his past memorable performances. Tiger shot back to back 69's on Thursday but played the weekend at five over par including a final round 75, to finish at one under and tied for 44th.

The year of the young player seems to be carrying over as well from last year. Eight of the top ten finishers are all younger than 30. In that group includes Anthony Kim, Nick Watney, Bill Haas, Jhonattan Vegas, Hunter Mahan, Marc Leishman, and Dustin Johnson who finished in a tie for third and continued his success from last year. He shot a final round 66 to finish 13 under.

The next PGA Tournament is at Pebble Beach for the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Dustin Johnson is the defending champion.

Farmers Insurance Open - Final
$	POS	START		NAME	SCORE	1	2	3	4	TOTAL	EARNINGS
	1	T3		Bubba Watson	-16	71	65	69	67	272	$1,044,000
	2	T1		Phil Mickelson	-15	67	69	68	69	273	$626,400
	T3	6		Jhonattan Vegas	-13	69	69	69	68	275	$336,400
	T3	T7		Dustin Johnson	-13	69	69	71	66	275	$336,400
	5	T7		D.A. Points	-12	73	68	68	67	276	$232,000
	T6	T3		Hunter Mahan	-10	69	67	69	73	278	$194,300
	T6	T56		Nick Watney	-10	70	73	72	63	278	$194,300
	T6	5		Anthony Kim	-10	68	67	71	72	278	$194,300
	T9	T13		Marc Leishman	-9	67	72	71	69	279	$150,800
	T9	T1		Bill Haas	-9	67	66	71	75	279	$150,800
	T9	T24		Troy Matteson	-9	74	68	70	67	279	$150,800
	T9	T7		Brandt Snedeker	-9	70	69	70	70	279	$150,800

NFL Draft Prospect: Da'Quan Bowers

Prospect: Da'Quan Bowers

Position: Defensive End

School: Clemson

Class: Junior

Height: 6-4

Weight: 280

Strengths: Bowers is another prospect that has number one overall pick potential. He is a naturally athletic kid with good size and speed for a defensive end. He is a great pass rusher and has very quick moves to go through and around offensive linemen. He has incredible burst off the line. He also, unlike some of the other prospects I have outlined, has no character issues. He is a hard worker and a great leader. He has a great work ethic and drive to preform.

Weaknesses: Bowers is a freak athlete but he has been plagued by injuries during his time at Clemson. He also has only had one really dominating season at Clemson so some people have questioned his consistency.

Overall Analysis: Da'Quan Bowers is a top 5 prospect on anyone's big board and can be justified at any pick in the top 5. He is my second ranked defensive linemen on the board and will be taken off the board at no later than the fifth pick. This draft doesn't feature any clear number one but it does have about six or seven guys that can easily go number one, and Bowers is definitely one of those.

Possible Destinations: Carolina Panthers/ Denver Broncos/ Buffalo Bills/ Cincinnati Bengals/ Arizona Cardinals

Probable Pick: Top 5 pick

Daemen Men vs. Cedarvile LIVE Game Log

5:51- FINAL 75-59. Jim Regan's technical foul lead to a double technical on coach Don Silveri and an ejection. Cedarville had a slight advantage in rebounding 44-42. They shot 44.3 % from the floor, 53.6 in the second half. Daemen had four players in double figures. Khorri Silcott lead the way with 12 and 11 rebounds. Casey Sheehan also had 11 as did Dom Mazzachi. M.J. Oridami had 10. With the loss Daemen falls to 12-11(7-5) and with the win Cedarville improves to 11-10(7-4)

5:37- 65-54 Cedarville, 2:25 left.

5:34- Daemen seems to be showing some life going on a 6-0 run. They are down 63-52 with 3:08 remaining.

5:28- Don Silveri calls a timeout but nothing seems to be working for the Wildcats. They are just trading buckets with the Yellow Jackets. Cedarville up 57-43. 6:11 left.

5:26- Media Timeout. It has been back and forth but neither team has gotten into a flow. Cedarville is just keeping the lead that they had from the first half but havent been able to expand on it.

5:10- Media Timeout. Cedarville leads 39-28 with 14:33 left... that's about all there is to say about this one.

4:45- At halftime, Cedarville leads Daemen 30-22. Neither of the teams' best efforts of the season. Daemen shot 30% from the field but Cedarville didnt get much better as they shot 36%.

4:30- Back and forth game thus far as Cedarville holds a 22-15 lead. 6:59 left in half.

4:24- Cedarville is controling the pace of play thus far and therefore have a 5 point lead at 19-14.
4:17- Daemen went with an irregular lineup to start this game as Aaron Davis and Jim Regan were inserted in the places of Dom Mazzochi and Moustapha Baidy. !4:25 left in the half, Cedarville leads 9-8.

3:53- 10 minutes until tip-off. Daemen is coming off of a huge win last night against Mount Vernon Nazerene and are looking to continue that success today in another AMC match-up against Cedarville. Daemen is 12-10(7-4) and Cedarville is 11-10(6-4)

#9 Daemen Women vs. #15 Cedarville LIVE Game Blog

3:41- Cedarville's half court heave falls short and Daemen knocks off 15th ranked Cedarville 68-66. Aubrey Siemon lead Cedarville with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Sarah Soroka had only 16 points but had 10 boards as well. Cedarville held her in check all day and she was almost invisible until the last shot. Alanna Laguerre had 14 points for Daemen and Bridgette Burke added 11. With the win Daemen improves to 20-4(10-1) and Cedarville with the loss, falls to 17-6(7-2).

3:38- Lindsay Stoddard gives Daemen a 2 point lead with 1.8 second left and 1 free throw attempt left. Cedarville timeout.

3:36- Sarah Soroka give the Wildcats a 1 point lead, 67-66 with 11.7 second left on a layup. Cedarville's Caitlyn Brooks commits an offensive foul to foul out and give the ball back to Daemen with 2.6 second remaining.

3:30- Two free throws by Siemon have Cedarville up 2 with 1:14 left in regulation.

3:29- A Bridgette Burke offensive rebound a put pack has tied this game at 64.

3:24- The crowd has came back to life as a 5-0 Daemen run has cut the Cedarville lead to 2 at 64-62, with 3:48 left to go in regulation.

3:16- Daemen finds themselves trailing by 5 at 58-53.

3:04- Bridgette Burke will be heading to the line to try and complete a 3 point play after the media timeout. Daemen trails by 1, 39-40. Soroka for the first time in a long time is getting outplayed on the post. Amber Siemon who has 16 points and 6 rebounds.

3:01- The teams are trading buckets right now as they are both shooting better. Wildcats lead by 1 37-36.

2:42- A great coaching decision by Dave Skolen at the end of the half, by putting in Lindsay Stoddard to catch the inbounds pass and drive 70 feet to the bucket to send the game to halftime tied at 25. Soroka leads Daemen with 8 points and 6 rebounds and Aubrey leads Cedarville with 10 points. Both teams have turned the ball over 8 times with Daemen leading rebounding 22-20.

2:34- With 3:02 left in the first half, the hangover of yesterday's loss seems to be lingering as the Wildcats find themselves trailing 21-20 and committing many turnovers and shooting poorly from the field.

2:24- Sloppy playing by both teams have lead to this game being tied at 17 with 7:52 to go in the first half.

2:11- Sarah Soroka completes the three point play to give Daemen a 10-5 lead at the first media timeout. 14:44 remaining in first half.

1:55- Five minutes until tip 0ff. Daemen comes into this one, just 18 hours after a crushing home loss to Mount Vernon Nazerene, 86-81. Cedarville is 17-5(7-1) and are lead by Aubrey Siemon at 13.5 ppg and 11.9 rpg. Daemen is continues to lead by their senior core which includes the nation's leading scorer Sarah Soroka who is averaging 24.7 ppg and just under 9 rebound.

Daemen Men's Basketball vs. Mount Vernon Nazerene LIVE Game Blog

9:31- Daemen got a huge win tonight against a conference opponent 79-63. The Wildcats played with passion and determination right from the tip off. Dom Mazzochi lead the team in scoring with 18. Casey Sheehan had 18 to go along with M.J. Oridami's 13 and Moustapha Baidy's 10. With this win Daemen moves to 12-10(7-4) overall and will play host to Cedarville at 4:00pm. The Cougars fall below .500 at 10-11(6-4).

9:19- A 7-0 Daemen run with 5 Mazzochi points and 2 from Sheehan has all but iced this game for the Wildcats.

9:14- This is a ten point game as Daemen leads 64-54. Daemen doesn't seem like they can pull away but MVN doesn't seem to capitalize on mistakes; Makes for a wild finish

9:01- A Don Silveri technical foul has seemed to bring some life to MVN. They trail 55-42 with 9:16 remaining but they look re-energized. We will see what they can make of this.

8:51- Daemen continues to roll as Oridami just completed a three point play. They lead 50-35.

8:42- Media Timeout. Daemen continues but some missed opportunities have paved way for MVN as they only trail by ten at 38-28.

8:16- At halftime Daemen leads MVN 34-20. Daemen has had balanced scoring buy Casey Sheehan leads the team with 10. MVN has no scorer over 6 points as they Wildcats have played stellar defense and have rebounded quite well. Coach Silveri has to be happy with his teams performances.

8:00- Coach Silveri is ten players deep just 12 minutes into this game and it has him a 24-11 lead. The team looks in sync and in the flow of the game. MVN seems to be chasing and out of position. Let's see what trend continues.

7:51- Highest energy of the year I have seen from the Wildcats all year. A MJ Oridami steal and lay-in has Daemen up 14-3. with 13:07 remaining in the half.

7:47- Daemen's high energy has propelled them to an early 10-2 lead.

7:38- Record time for Coach Silveri to argue a call... one second.

7:23- Daemen comes into this contest at 11-10(6-4). They will take on Mount Vernon Nazerene 13-8(6-3). This looks to be an interesting matchup but more importantly a huge conference matchup as the season winds down. If Moustapha Baidy can dominate the post in this contest, Daemen has a good chance to get the victory. But if Brandon Short gets going, the leading scorer for MVN averaging 15 a game he will be hard to stop. Earlier in the year, MVN took this context in their place 87-72.

#9 Daemen Women vs. Mt. Vernon Nazerene LIVE Game Blog

7:13- MVN defeats the ninth ranked team in the country by a score of 86-81. Sarah Soroka lead all scorers with 34 points to go along with 9 rebounds. MVN had five players in double figures and were lead by Amanda Himes with 23 and Sierra Fletcher with 18. This is the Wildcats first conference loss. They fall to 19-4(9-1) and play next tomorrow at home against another ranked team Cedarville at 2pm. With this huge win, Mount Vernon Nazerene improves to 15-5(6-3).

7:10- 1.8 remaining. Tara Bailey knocks down a 28 foot 3 point jumper to cut lead to three but too little for the Wildcats it looks like.

7:06- 20.8 remaining. Stoddard drives down the lane and lays it in for two. MVN leads 80-76.

7:03- 40.7 remaining. Daemen down six with the ball. With Stoddard in the game, it gives the Wildcats the ability to down the court to get a quick two.

7:01- 42.7 seconds remaining. Daemen down 78-74. Poorly officiated game to this point. Wildcats will have to foul.

6:56- Full timeout by Daemen only trailing by one. They just grabbed the lead by one but gave it right back with two MVN free throws. MVN has five players in double figures. Soroka leads all scorers with 33. 1:48 remaining in regulation.

6:53- ANOTHER Soroka 3 cuts lead to two!

6:48- Sarah Soroka. Big 3 pointer to cut deficit to 3

6:43- Ellie Allen knocks down a corner three and then connects on a half court shot pass to Soroka to cut lead to four.

6:34- MVN timeout, up 7. Daemen seems to be coming to life going on a 7-0 run to get it to 51-47 but a three pointer by Kelli Pollock silenced the crowd to get the lead back up to seven.

6:31- 5-0 Daemen run has Daemen within 6.

6:24- Daemen still looking sloppy, down 9, 49-40. MVN leading scorer Amanda Himes leaves the game with apparent knee injury.

6:16- Doave Skolen, Daemen coach does not look happy.

6:05- Halftime in Amherst. MVN leads 43-38. Sarah Soroka lead Daemen with 20 points for Daemen to go along with four rebounds. Amanda Hines leads MVN with 14 but they have three others with seven points so the wealth is being shared. MVN controlled the tempo of the first half and after Daemen jumped out to a 21-7 lead, they outscored the Wildcats 36-17. Very unlike Daemen to be outplayed offensively and defensively. Look for more energy out of Daemen come second half.

6:00- Mount Vernon has completely dominated the last 10 minutes and lead by three at 39-36.

5:55- Alexis Harkins of MVN completes three point play off of steal of bad pass by Soroka. Wildcats look out of sync and disorganized.

5:50- Bridgette Burke's layup stops 13-0 Cougar run. 23-22 Wildcats.

5:47- 8-0 Cougar run calls for a Dave Skolen timeout and cuts lead to 21-15.

5:45- Lindsay Stoddard completes the three point play to give Daemen a 21-8 lead.

5:43- Soroka with 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting in eight minutes has Daemen up 15-8.

5:39- Five straight Soroka points makes it a 12-6 Wildcat lead.

5:34- Sloppy ball movement, a Laguerre offensive foul, and poor rebounding have lead to a 4-2 deficit thus far.

5:24- Four minutes until game time. Cougars come in at 14-5 and look like a strong team. Wildcats 9-0 in conference play looking to make it 10-0.

NFL Draft Prospect: Patrick Peterson

Prospect: Patrick Peterson
Position: Cornerback
School: LSU
Class: Junior
Height: 6-1
Weight: 220

Strengths: Peterson has phenomenal athleticism for a cornerback and is the best in this years' class by far at his position. He is a physical corner which can cause disruptions for the receiver, quarterback, and offense as a whole. He is a ball hawk who can come out of anywhere to make an interception and change the game completely. He is the best lockdown corner in the nation and has the potential to be an a Darrelle Revis type player. He is quick off the ball and can change directions at a very high pace, making it very difficult for the receiver to run a good route on him.

Weaknesses: Peterson has the tendency to over pursue or over anticipate on throws and routes. That causes him to get in trouble and allow easy catches for the receiver. It also disrupts the defense because it is forced to over compensate for Peterson's mistake. He sometimes is to physical at points but I am not really sure if that is a bad thing?

Overall Analysis: Bottom line on Peterson is that he may be the best pro prospect since Darrelle Revis. He is going to be a huge difference maker on whatever team he goes to and will most certainly make an immediate impact. He has the ability to play corner or safety at the pro level.

Possible Destinations: Denver Broncos/ Buffalo Bills/ Arizona Cardinals

Probable Pick: Top 5 pick

Farmers Insurance Open Rd.1; Kang Leads, Fowler 1 Back

One Round of the Farmers Insurance Open is complete and it is being lead by a 24 year old rookie... Sunghoon Kang? Yes, it's not a typo or misspelling, he really is leading. Kang shot an eight under 64 in the opening round. He has a one shot lead over Alex Prugh and young star Rickie Fowler. Some highlights of the first round included Tiger Woods firing a three under 69, John Daly in contention with a five under 67, and Phil Mickelson getting his game back with a 5 under round as well.

Farmers Insurance Open - In Progress
$	POS	START		NAME	SCORE	THRU	TODAY	1	2	3	4	TOTAL
	1			Sung-hoon Kang	-8	1:20 PM (ET)		64	-	-	-	64
	T2			Alex Prugh	-7	11:40 AM (ET)		65	-	-	-	65
	T2			Rickie Fowler	-7	12:00 PM (ET)		65	-	-	-	65
	4			Chris Kirk	-6	1:20 PM (ET)		66	-	-	-	66
	T5			Ryuji Imada	-5	11:30 AM (ET)		67	-	-	-	67
	T5			Fredrik Jacobson	-5	11:40 AM (ET)		67	-	-	-	67
	T5			Y.E. Yang	-5	11:50 AM (ET)		67	-	-	-	67
	T5			Marc Leishman	-5	12:00 PM (ET)		67	-	-	-	67
	T5			Phil Mickelson	-5	12:00 PM (ET)		67	-	-	-	67
	T5			John Daly	-5	12:30 PM (ET)		67	-	-	-	67

NFL Draft Prospect: Julio Jones

Prospect: Julio Jones
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Alabama
Class: Junior
Height: 6-4
Weight: 210

Strengths: Julio Jones is my second ranked wide receiver on my big board. At 6-4 he has perfect size for the NFL. He has good speed and strength to complement that size. At Alabama he was able to show off these skills in an offense in which he shined. As much as they were a running team with Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, when he did get the ball, he was a threat to score. He was a playmaker at Alabama. He also is a great at catching the football close and away from his body. He has great hands and run after catch ability, something all teams look for if they are going to spend a first round pick on a wide receiver. He has also played in a pro style offense at Alabama so it is an easier transition for Jones.

Weaknesses: Jones has had some injury problems at Alabama including a broken hand so his past injuries will obviously play a factor. He does have good speed but he lacks that elite explosiveness off the line to get past corners in the NFL. His mental game has to get stronger as well. He drops very catchable balls here and there due to his lack of focus.

Overall Analysis: Julio Jones is a good wide receiver but not a great one yet. He has the potential to be one but he will have to improve. Whatever team he goes to, there will have to be a good, established quarterback in place. He will have the best chance to succeed if the quarterback can help him.

Possible Destinations: Cincinnati Bengals/ Cleveland Browns/ St. Louis Rams

Probable Pick: Mid First Round

2011 PGA Tour Season Kicks off Today

One of the few sports that really doesn't have an off season is golf. Right when you thought the 2010 season was over, the 2011 season comes rolling right on through. With that being said, many of you may have to catch up on the game of golf and re-familiarize yourself with the names and faces of the veterans and young guns. I am going to give you a preview of the 2011 Season and hope it guides you to watching great golf in 2011.

Biggest Headline: Tiger Woods. Coming off of his first winless season since turning pro, Woods has all of the pressure on him to win. This week is a perfect place to start as he is playing at Torrey Pines, a place where he was won seven times, and where he won his last major; a playoff win on a Monday on one good leg over Rocco Mediate. Woods has revamped his swing with new swing coach Sean Foley and says he is 'healthy' and it's 'game time.'

Players on the Rise: Dustin Johnson. Dustin as most of you remember had a chance to win two majors last year. He had a three shot lead in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach before shooting a final round 82 to obviously play himself out of that, and he had the infamous bunker penalty at the PGA Campionship. Dustin is one the best players on tour and is poised to win a major this year. His power of the tee and iron play make him a superb pick any tournament. If he can sure up his putting, he will be hoisting trophies early in the season.

Rickie Fowler. If any of you know me, Fowler is by far my favorite player on tour but besides the biased standpoint, I really think he will do big things this year. He showed he can play his way to the top last year posting 3 runner-up finishes. He has also shown he can handle pressure as he was 4 down with 4 to play at the Ryder Cup only to win the last four holes to halve his match. A year of experience is under his belt and that can only help him.

Martin Kaymer- Just surpasses Tiger as Worlds' number two and is coming off Major Win in 2010

Rory McIlroy- Kid just continues to impress and is only matter of time before he he's Major champion.

Paul Casey- He is always around the top and is one of the most consistent players on tour.

Matt Kuchar- Casey is very consistent but Kuchar defines consistency.

Adam Scott- Has moved up over 25 spots in World Rankings after being ranked number 2 only four short years ago.

Veterans Still Making a Splash: Lee Westwood. Westwood has gained the number one ranking in the world as of late last year but we all know that is not what he wants. He wants and only wants to be a major champion. If he plays the way he did during the Ryder Cup, I think he will accomplish that. He is intimidating and his swing is simple and compact.

Phil Mickelson: Phil has yes dropped to number six in the World Rankings but he is still a threat to win any tournament he enters. He is not the force he once was but if he is focused and committed to golf this season, he can get back to the top.

Ian Poulter: Outspoken, flashy dresser can strike at any time.

Steve Stricker: Beating Lee Westwood at the Ryder Cup shows he's still got it.

My Dark Horses for 2011: Graeme McDowell. I'm not sure if this is a dark horse but I'm going to put him here. He went from an after thought to the United States Open Champion in a flash. He is ranked fourth in the world but with his play, he has the potential to go up.

Nick Watney: Held the lead at the PGA and can do it again.

Ryo Isikawa: He is finally going to get out of his teens! Loads of talent.

Anthony Kim: Coming off thumb surgery he should be ready to go.

Early Maters Champion Pick: Tiger Woods

NFL Draft Prospect: Nick Fairley

Prospect: Nick Fairley

Position: Defensive Tackle

School: Auburn

Class: Junior
Height: 6-4
Weight: 315

Strengths: I could write an entire article just on this guys' strengths. He is as talented as you will see come out of college at the DT position. I would argue that he is more dominant that Suh. Some of Fairley's key strengths are in fact his actual strength, size, and speed for a man his size. He is extremely athletic and is the definition of a game changer. He is very good at disrupting the quarterback and/or the offensive line. During the national championship game against Oregon, Fairley was very quick off the ball and caused confusion to the Oregon offensive line which created holes for Fairley as well as his teammates because the line was paying so much attention to Fairley. He also can get to the quarterback anytime he wants. His ability to read the quarterbacks eyes and quickness off the spot is tremendous.

Weaknesses: There isn't really anything specific I would put in his weakness area. He has a few questions about his character and work ethic but how I said about Blaine Gabbert, we see that with almost every prospect so it's almost irrelevant. I think the best thing that Fairley can work on is his composure and maturity. He may face a few bumps and struggles adjusting to the NFL game and if he has the mental strength and is mature enough to face the problems head on, he will do nothing but succeed.

Overall Analysis: Nick Fairley is the top prospect on my big board and is worthy of the number one pick. Every expert is high on Fairley including Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. The talent, leadership, and play making ability he will bring to whatever team he goes to will be tremendous. Teams will dare to run against him.

Possible Destinations: Carolina Panthers/ Denver Broncos/ Buffalo Bills

Probable Pick: Top 3

#1 Ohio State Makes Statement; Rips #12 Purdue

There are only two undefeated teams left in the land of college basketball and one of them, who just happens to be ranked number one in the country, made a statement to the whole nation last night.

#1 Ohio State had a huge game slated for Tuesday in Buckeye Nation against #12 ranked and Big10 rival Purdue, but from the opening tip-off, this one was no contest. Ohio State just dominated Purdue from start to finish as the won decisively 87-64.

Six players scored in double figures for the Buckeyes as they were lead by William Buford's 19. The other players to hid double digits were David Lighty (10), Jon Diebler (13), Jared Sullinger (17), Aaron Craft (11), Deshaun Thomas (13).

Purdue's big guns in JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore lead Purdue with 22 and 16 respectively.

Jon Diebler stood out in this game as he had his 13 points but also added a career high 8 rebounds and 6 assists.

Ohio State knew that big man JaJuan Johnson was going to get his points but containing him was the key said Jared Sullinger.

"Jared is definitely a great player. Teams definitely have to decide how they're going to guard him," Aaron Craft said. "At the same time, we have the ability to put people around him who can make plays. Will knocked down those two 3s early and that's because they put so much attention on Jared. That just opens it up for all of us. That's definitely a big key to our team, that so many people can put the ball in the basket."

With this huge win, Ohio State will stay at number one in the polls and now are 21-0(8-0). They will next play at Norhtwestern on Saturday. After this humiliating loss, Purdue drops to 17-4(6-2) and will have to regroup quickly to avoid another letdown as they host #18 Minnesota on Saturday.

NFL Draft Prospect: Blaine Gabbert

This is a new segment to Jonny's Court. Everyday leading up to the 2011 NFL Draft, I am going to outline one draft prospect. The positions will change everyday. I will provide you with strengths, weaknesses, overall outlook, possible destinations, and probable pick.

Prospect: Blaine Gabbert

Position: Quarterback

School: Missouri

Class: Junior

Height: 6-5

Weight: 240

Strengths: With the quarterback class not being the strong point in this year's NFL draft, it was tough to pinpoint a number one quarterback prospect. My number one guy is Blaine Gabbert out of Missouri. Gabbert is a perfect size for an NLF quarterback at 6-5, 240. He has a big arm and is quite mobile for a big guy. His mechanics are better than anyones' of those in the NFL draft and he has shown he can make the NFL throws necessary to be successful.

Weaknesses: His footwork is quite inconsistent and is caught often throwing off of his back foot and not stepping into his throws. He also played in a spread offense at Missouri which helps most collegiate quarterbacks "pad" their stats and throw a lot, almost 75 percent of the time. There have also been questions about his character and work ethic but we see that with almost every prospect so I wouldn't throw up a red flag just yet.

Overall Analysis: When everyone thought Andrew Luck was going to declare for NFL draft, Gabbert really flew under the radar and never got the respect he deserved so now with Luck out, Gabbert can show off what potential he has. The bottom line on him is that he is a strong and mobile quarterbacks with all the tools NFL scouts look for. He will definitely have to adjust to the NFL game though. He has virtually never taken a snap under center and he will HAVE to learn how to before he can be successful.

Possible Destinations: Buffalo Bills/ Arizona Cardinals/ San Francisco 49ers/ Tennessee Titans/ Washington Redskins/ Minnesota Vikings/ Miami Dolphins/ Jacksonville Jaguars

Probable Pick: Top 10

Consistency is Key for Sabres in Second Half

Three Weeks ago their season was over but over the past few weeks they Buffalo Sabres have shown glimpses of hope. Over their past 10 games, Buffalo has gained 13 out of a possible 20 points. Good? Yes. Great? Absolutely not.

Buffalo is not looking to be a top seed in the playoffs but just getting into them would be nice. Through 48 games, they are 22-21-5 with 49 points. They are third in the Northeast division and 10th in the Eastern Conference. They are just a mere six points behind Atlanta for 8th place in the conference with three games in hand.

I have reviewed their season up to date and with just a mere 4 days until the all-star break I have given them a mid-season report card, along with things that have worked and that haven't, along with positives and disappointments.

Overall Play: C-

Offensive Play: C-

Defensive Play: C+

Goaltending: B-

Coaching: D

Management: C-

Top 4 Positives

1.) Thomas Vanek- Vanek has always been one of my personal favorites and while he hasn't put up his 2006-2007 stats of 43 goals 41 assists and a +43 rating but he has played very well. He has 18 goals and 21 assists this year playing on a very mediocre team. Vaneks' most underrated trait he possesses is his play making ability. He has great vision and passing skills from anywhere on the ice. He makes everyone around him better. I believe if Vanek is on just about any other team in the NHL he is a 40 goal scorer every year, he's that talented.

2.) Derek Roy- Before Derek went down with a season ending injury he was playing the best hockey of his career. He had 10 goals and 25 assists in only 35 games(avg. of 1 point per game). He was starting to hold his own and control his line. He isn't a great player but I think he fits well on the Sabres and make contributions to push this team in the right direction when he comes back.

3.) Young guns of Tyler Ennis and Nathan Gerbe- I have fallen in love with these two players over the past few months. I don't think either will ever be an elite player in the NHL but both play hard and good styles of hockey. I like Ennis more out of these two. He has 12 goals and 15 assists this year. He is going to be on this team for a long time. Gerbe on the other hand doesn't get as much playing time as Ennis but he has 6 goals and 8 assists in only 31 games. He makes the most of his time and isn't afraid to stick his nose in the middle of scrums or go into the corner for the puck. The rest of the Sabres team can watch him for tips.

4.) Jordan Leopold- I'll admit, I like defensemen who can put the puck in the net. I like defensemen who have points and can score. Leopold is fourth on the team in scoring with 10 goals and 17 assists. He creates plays and can put the puck in the net. He is someone the Sabres need on the blue line.

Top 3 Disappointments

1.) Goaltending (Ryan Miller)- Let's face it, Ryan Miller is not the goalie he was in the Olympics or last year. He has fallen off and no longer is the elite goalie everyone thought he was. He has been inconsistent and has looked rattled and uncomfortable in net sometimes. He has kept Buffalo in a lot of games but has also lost some for them too. He has a GAA of 2.70 and a save % of .912, much lower than last year. For the Sabres to make the playoffs, it's a very simple message, Ryan Miller HAS to be better.

2.) Jochen Hecht- Hecht was helpful to the Sabres when he originally came over and they made their two consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference Finals but now he just useless. There's not much to say about him. He can't hit the net, hes constantly out of position, doesn't hit anyone, and seems afraid to take a hit or even go into the corner. This is probably his last year as a Sabre.

3.) Lindy Ruff- His time has come and passed. The things Ruff has been teaching is the same thing he taught 10 years ago and the reality is, is that it doesn't work anymore. Other teams have caught up and are just faster and more physical. He's not a bad hockey coach but he's becoming one and parting ways and starting fresh is probably the best option for the franchise to get back to the top.

Prediction for Second Half...

I am going to go out on a limb here and say the Sabres will find a way to make the playoffs as a seven seed. I'll see how long I will stick to that but for now I'm going to be optimistic.

Super Bowl Matchup Set

Super Bowl XLV is set and it's a 2 seed vs. a 6 seed. After a set of compelling conference championship games, the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets both came out victorious. Both Games were close and all four teams deserve a lot of credit for their efforts. The Packers and Steelers just had a little more extra today.

NFC Championship

Green Bay Packers 21

Chicago Bears 14

Green Bay dominated most of the first 3 quarters before third string QB Caleb Hanie of the Bears came in and provided a spark for the injured Jay Cutler and ineffective Todd Collins. In the end it was 314 pound B.J. Raji's interception return for a TD that was the difference as Aaron Rodgers' mediocre performance and James Starks' continued effective running pushed them over the top and onto Dallas.

Top Performers
Passing: A. Rodgers (GB) - 244 YDS, 2 INT
Rushing: J. Starks (GB) - 22 CAR, 74 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving: G. Jennings (GB) - 8 REC, 130 YDS

AFC Championship

Pittsburgh Steelers 24
New York Jets 19

Pittsburgh completely controlled the flow of the game from the first snap and set the tone for the game as that methodically drove down the field on a eight and a half minute touchdown scoring drive. They later took a 24-0 lead and 24-3 halftime lead. Rex Ryan rallied his troops to an early long touchdown to Santonio Holmes on a great pass from Mark Sanchez. Then after being stopped at the one yard line, the Jets defense held strong and caused a Ben Roethlisberger safety. They added another touchdown but in the end, they just ran out of time. A valiant effort fell short as the Steelers took this one 24-19.

Top Performers
Passing: M. Sanchez (NYJ) - 233 YDS, 2 TD
Rushing: R. Mendenhall (PIT) - 27 CAR, 121 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving: D. Keller (NYJ) - 8 REC, 64 YDS

Early Super Bowl Prediction: Packers 24-17 Steelers

My Top 5 Playoff performers to date in 2010-2011
5.) Matt Forte RB Chicago
4.) Mark Sanchez QB New York
3.) James Starks RB Green Bay
2.) Greg Jennings WR Green Bay
1.) Aaron Rodgers QB Green Bay