Could the Eagles be a team to watch if Marcus Mariota is cut or traded?Could the Eagles be a team to watch if Marcus Mariota is cut or traded?
The Eagles could have interest in Marcus Mariota if the Raiders release or trade him
Day: March 1, 2021
Steelers writers divided in new 2021 mock draftSteelers writers divided in new 2021 mock draft
Which pick do you want for the Steelers in the first round?
Three-time defensive player of year JJ Watt signs with Arizona CardinalsThree-time defensive player of year JJ Watt signs with Arizona Cardinals
Defensive end left troubled Texans earlier this yearESPN reports Watt has signed two-year contract JJ Watt was a hugely popular figure in Houston. Photograph: Matt Patterson/AP Three-time defensive player of the year JJ Watt has announced he is joining the Arizona Cardinals after leaving the Houston Texans. Watt shared a photo of himself on Twitter working out in a Cardinals shirt with the caption "Source: me". ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Watt's deal is for two years with $23m guaranteed. source: me. pic.twitter.com/1Y6okQBUy5— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 1, 2021 The 31-year-old was released last month at his own request by the Texans, for whom he had played his entire 10-year NFL career. His departure was seen as another sign of dysfunction from a franchise that has alienated or traded away its best players. The Texans' best player, quarterback Deshaun Watson, is seeking a trade and has indicated he is willing to sit out the 2021 season rather than continue with the team. In his prime, Watt was the most disruptive defender in the NFL, but injuries and age have slowed him and last season was only the second since 2015 in which he played all 16 games. However, he is still an effective player when fit, and recorded five sacks and an interception in 2020. Watt was an immensely popular figure in Houston and raised more than $35m to help the city's recovery from Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
Value betting on underdogs so far this seasonValue betting on underdogs so far this season
William Byron was at +2500 to win Sunday’s race at Homestead. And he’s had the lowest odds of any of the three winners so far in 2021.
After rumor-filled morning, Watt picks CardinalsAfter rumor-filled morning, Watt picks Cardinals
Monday started with a fake J.J. Watt exercise account. It ended with the defensive star breaking the news about his future.
Power Rankings: Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MastercardPower Rankings: Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard
Not everyone celebrates anniversaries, and not all anniversaries are worth celebrating, but the first anniversary always serves as an exercise in perspective. The Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard was the last tournament completed before the pandemic that forced a three-month shutdown in 2020. Given everything that has happened and what we know now, that the hiatus lasted only three months is a remarkable achievement. The collaboration with local communities has been paramount in sustaining a safe and competitive environment. Yet, a break from how Bay Hill Club and Lodge tested last year presented an opportunity for a different kind of recovery. Scroll past the projected contenders for details of how extreme it played and why, what the limited field can expect this week and more. RELATED: The First Look | Inside the Field POWER RANKINGS: ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL The Fantasy Insider will be delayed until Wednesday. Notables reviewed will include Jordan Spieth, Max Homa, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Hideki Matsuyama. Despite the circumstances that triggered the shutdown of 2020, those who attempted to tame Bay Hill needed a minute to lick their wounds. The stock par 72 averaged 74.106 for the week, and that included splits of 75.913 and 75.058 in the third and final rounds, respectively. It was the highest scoring average in relation to par on a par 72 in a non-major in the last four completed seasons. It also was the highest that Bay Hill averaged since it scored 75.150 as a par 71 in 1983, the first year that data was recorded in earnest. Arnold Palmer's primary objective was to have fun, but that was the furthest thing from it. Persistent gusty winds north of 20 mph throughout pummeled the field. It averaged just 9.1 greens in regulation per round, lowest of any non-major in 15 years. That seems like a misprint given that greens average a roomy 7,500 square feet, but they also run up to 13-and-a-half feet on the Stimpmeter with penalizing undulations, so precision on approach is at a premium. With nowhere to hide to swallow the pride, it's no wonder that Tyrrell Hatton's 4-under 284 was the highest winning aggregate in tournament history. He ranked outside the top 30 in both distance of all drives and fairways hit, but that's fine when the wind is a factor. The Englishman managed the rest of his game exquisitely, slotting T9 in GIR (10.5 per round), 10th in proximity, 15th in Strokes Gained: Putting and second in bogey avoidance. He also co-led the field in par-3 scoring and played the par 5s in 4.63 to rank T17. With that recap scaring everyone straight, a pivot to this week's forecast is relevant. After a relatively benign first two days with high temperatures in the mid-70s, things will turn for the worse after the 36-hole cut falls. There's a very good chance of rain on Saturday. With the threat, winds will freshen considerably and stick around for Sunday's finale when the sun returns. It might not reach 70 degrees on the weekend. The only notable modification since Hatton's victory was made on the tee at the par-4 13th hole. It's been expanded to allow for another 12 yards and can now extend to 382 yards. The entirety of that increase equals the overall bump in Bay Hill's overall length to 7,466, longest in tournament history. Wayward drives may find rough at three-and-a-half inches and longer. That helps explain why disrespecting the value of course management off the tee can lead to a bad day. As usual, the TifEagle bermuda greens have not been overseeded for the competition. The perks for winning mirror what Max Homa earned as the champion of The Genesis Invitational: 550 FedExCup points and three-year PGA TOUR membership exemption (or additional season if already exempt through 2023-24 or 2024-25). He also receives a three-year exemption into THE PLAYERS Championship. The field stands at 123 as of Monday afternoon. Former winners Robert Gamez (1990), Paul Goydos (1996) and Tim Herron (1999) are add-ons as champions pre-2000. If any withdraws before his opening round, he will not be replaced. ROB BOLTON'S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM's Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers WEDNESDAY: Fantasy Insider SUNDAY: Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Rookie Watch * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM's Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.
Illinois’ Brad Underwood - ‘No Big Ten Championship Means Much'Illinois’ Brad Underwood - ‘No Big Ten Championship Means Much'
Michigan will face Illinois Tuesday night with an opportunity to clinch a Big Ten title. Brad Underwood doesn’t care.
Tyrrell Hatton returns to Bay Hill ready to defend first TOUR titleTyrrell Hatton returns to Bay Hill ready to defend first TOUR title
ORLANDO, Fla. - Tyrrell Hatton has spent some interesting stages of his life in Orlando. In 2012, he was a green mini-tour pro visiting America from England, doing his best to scratch out a living on the Hooters Tour. He lived with three roommates and was bankrolled by members of his home club at Harleyford, Move forward eight years, and Hatton showed up to the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard last March hovering just outside the top 20 in the world, his stock rising. He had yet to win on the PGA TOUR. Hatton hung tough on a brutal weekend, made some hard-fought closing pars, and emerged as a champion. The trophy and winner's red cardigan (a fashionable Palmer staple) was given to Hatton on the 18th green in front of an amphitheater filled with thousands of fans. It would be the last tournament contested on the PGA TOUR - and one of the last sporting events staged anywhere - without COVID-19 restrictions. Five days later at THE PLAYERS Championship, the PGA TOUR would shut down for three months. This week's Arnold Palmer Invitational will be played in front of a limited gallery, estimated at 4,000-5,000 people a day. Hatton looks forward to any level of atmosphere that fans can provide after competing in near silence for months. "We've missed the fans," he said. "That's normally such a huge part of every tournament, the atmosphere that they create. The buzz on a Sunday afternoon is something we've all been used to. We love that. I just think having fans back again in any capacity is going to be a great thing for the TOUR." Winning at Bay Hill last March sparked a torrid run for Hatton. When he resumed play after a 15-week break, Hatton finished T3 and T4 in his first two starts (RBC Heritage and Rocket Mortgage Classic). Since June, he posted his fifth and sixth European Tour victories - the BMW PGA Championship last fall and Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January - amid a handful of other top-10 worldwide finishes. With his financial windfall, Hatton purchased a residence at Lake Nona, about 20 minutes from Bay Hill. It's a long way from where he started, playing mini-tours in town. Somewhat quietly, Hatton will tee it up at Bay Hill as the sixth-ranked player in the world (he was fifth last week). Among Europeans, only Spain's Jon Rahm (second) is ranked higher, and Hatton is a lock to play in his second Ryder Cup in September. (European captain Padraig Harrington called Hatton "a Ryder Cup dream.") "For me, I look at it as kind of surreal," said Hatton, who hails from Marlow in County Buckinghamshire. "I don't sort of change anything with my routine, or think of myself any differently. I try to go to every single tournament and try my best when I get there, and if you are able to play good golf, the world rankings is a byproduct of that." At World No. 6, does he believe he will keep climbing? "It's really cool to be where I'm at in the World Rankings at the moment, and I'm hoping I can keep playing well," he said. "It would be nice to try to get higher. We'll see how we go." Hatton, who doesn't turn 30 until October, often gets left off the list of the game's top twentysomethings. He has many strengths in his game, and few weaknesses. For starters, few players hit it any straighter, and that helps Hatton create plenty of quality approaches (he ranked fourth in 2019-20 in Strokes Gained: Approach The Green) and birdie opportunities. He averaged 4.55 birdies a round last season, second best on TOUR. Hatton also ranked 10th in scoring (69.50) and finished seventh in the FedExCup standings despite making only 11 PGA TOUR starts (he finished top 10 in six of them). He is the complete package, with a swing honed by his father, Jeff Hatton, an instructor and clubfitter who build a makeshift golf studio in the garage at Tyrrell's grandmother's house in England. (Jeff Hatton is a busy man these days; golfers are asked to book lessons at least a week ahead.) When Tyrrell's swing feels a little off, which is rare these days, he sends off video to his father to have a look. They often return to discussing the very basics. Hatton will readily admit that nobody is tougher on Tyrrell Hatton than Tyrrell Hatton. Some of his post-shot antics in the fairways and histrionics after missed putts are the stuff of YouTube legend, on both sides of the pond. ("We all know what the sound is when the teapot is ready," NBC's Paul Azinger quipped as Hatton double-bogeyed a hole during last year's API.) David Feherty made the astute observation that Hatton is nice to everybody but himself. Hatton even participated in a European Tour video spoof titled "Angry Golfers," a group session led by fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood. The entertaining spot is funny and quite clever, and has received rave reviews. In it, a sheepish Hatton, newest group member, keeps his head bowed as he shamefully introduces himself thusly: "I'm Tyrrell, and I'm an angry golfer." A playful collection of players that includes Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, Matt Wallace and Eddie Pepperell responds in concert, "Hi, Tyrrell." "It was good fun filming," Hatton said. He laughed. "If there was an ‘outtakes' video released, I think that would be even better. It was great it went down so well, and got such a great reaction." The funny part is, as combustible and emotional as Hatton can be on the golf course, he is known as a low-key, very funny, sweet young man off it. Rest assured, all his peers know he is loaded with game. "He's always been a really good player, and I think he himself has held himself back," Poulter, Hatton's fellow Englishman, said at the Puerto Rico Open. "Like we've all said. I think he's now getting out of his own way, and he's playing great golf. He's got a good caddie on the bag - my old, old caddie, Mick (Donaghy) - who is a real good caddie. He is a strong personality, which someone like Tyrrell needs on the bag. "As we've seen, he's overly vocal, but a good guy - a great guy - off the golf course. Real easy-going, a super kid to hang around with. And his consistency has been impressive." A year ago, playing in demanding, firm conditions at Bay Hill - the final round scoring average was 76 - Hatton closed with seven pars to shoot 74 and prevail. He hit great approaches into 17 (whistling a 5-iron past a back flag) and 18 (7-iron safely over the Devil's Bathtub) to set up stress-free pars and his first TOUR victory. His 4-under 284 was the highest winning score in the 42-year history of the API. "For me to get my first PGA TOUR win at Bay Hill, it's such an iconic venue, and having Mr. Palmer's name attached is a huge honor," Hatton said. "What he did for golf is incredibly special, and his legacy lives on. As a player, it's definitely an event on the schedule that you always look forward to playing, and I definitely look forward to defending the trophy." For a self-admitted "Angry Golfer," these days, Hatton seems to be a pretty happy guy.
Chiefs hope Mahomes (toe) ready for minicampChiefs hope Mahomes (toe) ready for minicamp
The Chiefs are hopeful quarterback Patrick Mahomes will have recovered from recent toe surgery to participate in the team’s June minicamp. The expectation is that he will be ready to go by the start of training camp later in the summer.
Rodgers helps small businesses with $1M giftRodgers helps small businesses with $1M gift
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has made a $1 million donation to help 80 struggling small businesses in and around his hometown of Chico, California.