Five Reasons Sports Super Bowl LIV Predictions

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We know everything.

But we know nothing.

Here are some of the predictions from the Five Reasons Sports Network team, for Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs at Hard Rock Stadium.

Most of us like the Chiefs, and Andy Reid.

Want to bet against us?

Go to BetDSI.com and use the promo code FIVE101

(Follow @EthanJSkolnick, @CraigDavisRuns, @CKParrot and @5ReasonsSports for coverage from the scene).

….

David Friedman SF 30 KC 23

Jake Elman KC 27 SF 17

Ethan Skolnick KC 34 SF 24

Austin Robilliard KC 30 SF 23

David Hondal KC 31 SF 21

Josh Houtz KC 31 SF 27

David Eversole KC 28 SF 24

Luis Sung KC 34 SF 20

Eddie Santana SF 24 KC 14

Alfredo Arteaga KC 27 SF 24

Paul Austria KC 31 SF 23

Michael Sonbeek KC 41 SF 38

Craig Davis SF 34 KC 27

Danny Jaillet SF 31 KC 24

Chris Kouffman KC 28 SF 25

Jazz Santana KC 34 SF 29…

Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes: Program expected to name Rob Likens as WR coach

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The Miami Hurricanes are going to get a new wide receivers coach. Rob Likens is expected to be named the new wide receivers coach.

The past two seasons, he has been the offensive coordinator at Arizona State. The role of wide receivers coach is not something new for him. He has also served the role at Arizona State and Temple. Arizona State was second in the entire PAC-12 in points last year. The program was also second in first down conversions with 233. Tied with three other teams, Arizona State had a 91% red zone conversion percentage.

Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels ranked fifth in the conference with 245.3 yards per game. Running back  Eno Benjamin also performed well last year. Rushing for 90.3 yards per contest, that ranked him third overall in the conference.

Likens brings experience to Miami Hurricanes

Likens certainly brings with him a bevy of experience to Miami. The Pac-12 as a conference is very fast-paced.  Miami could definitely use that type of offense. The conversion numbers and the amount of points scored by Arizona State is also a positive trend for Likens. Although he will be dealing with entirely different personnel, it bodes well for a Miami Hurricanes team that has reloaded this offseason.

It will be interesting to see if the Miami Hurricanes offense will have a Pac-12 feel to it. They certainly need to improve in many areas. They are taking steps to improve and are heading in the right direction. Just a look at the fact that the D’Eriq King is coming to the program. That says something right there.

The program has been rebuilt in what feels like a matter of weeks. The turnaround has been quite impressive. Now, we’ll have to see if all the pieces are able to form a fluid, cohesive unit on the field next season.

Panthers Lose Ugly Game, Barkov to Start Second Half

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The Florida Panthers managed to lose ugly to start the second half, 4-0 Saturday at Montreal.

It was the first time this season the Panthers have been shut out.

A poor start by Florida got worse quickly with an injury to Sasha Barkov.

 

 

Early prognosis on Barkov’s apparent lower body injury is positive

Momentum from the first half of the year quickly disintegrated as Florida fell behind just over five minutes in.

Montreal would never look back.

 

The dynamic Panther power play was shut out in six attempts, despite 14 shots on goal with the man advantage.

Florida lacked energy and focus earlier as Montreal did all the little things right, winning battles on the boards and in front of both goals.

Jeff Petry had an assist on all four tallies for the Canadiens and Montreal won the face off battle 37-20, a huge disparity leading to puck possession.

Montreal goalie Carey Price stopped all 29 shots for his 47th career shutout, third in Canadiens history.

Sergei Bobrovsky was not the problem despite allowing four goals, he stood on his head to keep Florida in it early.

Bobrovsky stopped 31 shots overall, including 15 of 16 sent his way in a rough first period for the team.

His play in net kept the Panthers within range for the first half of the game until it got away in the second period.

Montreal was able to convert on 1-of-2 power plays and controlled the game from the onset.

Florida now sits at 28-17-5 and are tied with Toronto with 61 points.

The two meet Monday in a pivotal Atlantic Division game as both fight for playoff position.

 

 

Yung Mayo

Miami Dolphins: Zach Thomas snubbed for Hall of Fame

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The Miami Dolphins great will have to wait another year.

The big day arrived for former Miami Dolphins great Zach Thomas. Saturday was the day that he would find out if he would be selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The anticipation was building, with many legends chiming in and making the case for Thomas to be selected.

He certainly has an impressive resume. A seven-time Pro Bowl selection, AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and five first-team All-Pro selections are just some of the things he can hang his helmet on. In addition, he made the NFL 2000’s All-Decade team.

Unfortunately, Thomas did not make it. failing to be selected. Now, the hope is that he will have a shot in 2021. But it will only get tougher…

Among the first year candidates next season:

Automatic selections Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson and Calvin Johnson.

 

The Miami Dolphoins legend should be part of class

This is extremely unfortunate that Thomas is not going to be a part of the 2020 class. He gets very little credit nationally. Unfortunately, I think it’s partly due to the fact that he played for the Miami Dolphins. The Miami Dolphins have not really been in the national media spotlight over the last decade or so.

Thomas was an extremely consistent player throughout his entire career. He played in 184 total games, starting 182 of them. He played in all 16 games five times in his career. Especially for the way he played, that is certainly impressive due to his physicality.

The Texas Tech product was also a player that could do more than just tackling and sacking the quarterback. He recorded 17 interceptions throughout his career. Nowadays, that number is difficult for a linebacker to obtain.

Brian  Urlacher has comparable statistics, and he was able to earn a spot in Canton. Thomas should have been there as well.

It’s disappointing that he was not a part of this year’s Pro football Hall of Fame class. Hopefully next year will be the year that Thomas makes it. He certainly deserves the honor.

Ryan Tannehill came back from…. Adam Gase?

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This is somewhat confusing.

It’s never been entirely clear what a Comeback Player of the Year is in major sports. Come back from what? Drugs? Tragedy? Incompetence of a team’s management?

This is one reason why the NBA changed the award to Most Improved Player a few years back.

So it’s tough to know what to make of now-Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill winning the award at NFL Honors on Saturday in Miami, during Super Bowl LIV week.

Tannehill, after all, was never terrible.

He hasn’t endured a tragedy.

He has had two significant injuries, yes, but nothing that was considered career-threatening.

So can we say that what he came back from was…. playing for the Miami Dolphins under Joe Philbin and Adam Gase?

Either way, Tannehill did have a solid season. Better than solid. Aided by an elite offensive line and bruising runner (Derrick Henry), a combination he never really had in Miami — 2016 with Jay Ayaji was closest — Tannehill did more than game manage. He led the league in some categories after taking over from Marcus Mariota. And he didn’t mess up as Henry carried the load and the Titans to the AFC Championship Game before they were exposed against Kansas City.

Still, Comeback Player of the Year?

Seems a stretch — just as it’s a stretch to expect Tannehill to be a top-5 quarterback next season.

Florida Panthers Look to Carry Momentum Into Second Half

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The Florida Panthers hope to keep the momentum going into the second half of the season.

Florida has five games in seven nights to open the second half, with three on the road to start.

With six straight wins entering the NHL All-Star break, the Panthers are the hottest team in the NHL along with Columbus.

Sergei Bobrovsky has three of those victories and for him at least the layoff was a good thing in terms of health.

Now as an important stretch approaches, the Panthers travel to the hockey mecca in Montreal to kick off the second half.

From Have Nots to Habs Again?

Montreal on the other hand has been on a roller coaster ride since late December as they lost eight straight going into the new year.

The Habs turned it around a bit before the break with wins in four of six following that losing skid.

Ageless Cary Price (21-17-0, 2.80 GAA, .909 SV %) still mans the net in Montreal. Price has won four out of his last five starts.

Left winger Tomas Tatar leads Montreal with 46 points (18 goals, 28 assists) and the Canadiens get solid scoring across multiple lines.

Montreal has seven players with at least 11 goals, including the dangerous Shea Weber from the blue line. Weber has the hardest slap shot in the NHL from the point, Florida must be aware of him especially on the power play.

The Canadiens are a middle of the pack team that doesn’t stand out in one particular phase, Florida has the better talent overall but cannot overlook anyone.

Florida’s key advantage is their 5th ranked power play versus the 23rd ranked penalty kill of Montreal. If the Cats get the man advantage they need to capitalize.

Playing in Montreal is always tough, Head Coach Joel Quenneville will certainly have the team motivated out of the break.

 

Excitement is building around the Panthers as they surged to end the first half. After starting many seasons past slowly, those early points will certainly help their playoff push.

Bobrovsky should be energized after the hiatus, if the defense can take the next step it will give the Panthers the balance they need to contend with the upper echelon of the NHL.

After Montreal the Cats will travel to face the high flying Columbus Blue Jackets on Super Bowl Sunday.

Miami Heat: Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn selected for Rising Stars Game

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Two more members of the Miami Heat are set to take part in All-Star weekend. Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn will be participating in the NBA Rising Stars Game.

Both Herro and Nunn will be on the USA team. Herro is averaging 13.1 points per game to go along with two assists and 4.2 rebounds. Nunn has recorded 16.2 points per game, 3.5 assists, and 2.8 rebounds.

Both players have been a huge part of the young foundation the Miami Heat are trying to build. Together they have shown promise as the season has progressed, and it will be imperative that they build off their progress in the second half.

For the Miami Heat, this will be a star-studded affair. The addition of Herro and Nunn now makes it four representatives for the Miami Heat in Chicago. This will give people a chance to see exactly what has made the Miami Heat so effective during the first half of the season.

Nunn was extremely excited about being selected to the game, posting his feelings on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7_qvfnARe3/

Miami Heat have been here before.

This is the first time a Heat player has been selected to this game since Norris Cole in 2012. Cole recorded 18 points on seven-of-15 shooting in the event and 4-11 from beyond the arc. He also made plays for others, recording six assists and four steals.

Both Nunn and Herro will be heavily relied upon in the second half of the season as the Heat look to make a playoff run. Given the track record of most first-year players, it will be interesting to see if they hit the “rookie wall.” Alternatively, both are talented enough for sustained production the rest of the way. The Heat are going to need them to continue to play at a high level.

Super Bowl party and event schedule

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Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo selected to All-Star Game

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The Miami Heat will be sending two representatives to the All Star Game in Chicago. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo will both be there, as the reserves were announced Thursday night.

For Butler, this will be his fifth All-Star appearance. Adebayo will be appearing in the game for the first time.

Butler is having a great year for Miami. Many thought he was snubbed for not being a starter, with the selections taking place last week. On the season, Butler is  averaging 20.2 points per contest to go along with 6.9 rebounds per game and 6.4 assists per game.

Both are thriving for Miami Heat

Butler’s impact goes beyond the statistics sheet however. He is a veteran on a youthful basketball team. While the team itself may have flaws, Butler has helped carry this group and masked those deficiencies. By all accounts, it seems like he is embracing the role of being a leader. His guidance is allowing Miami to stay in the hunt for a top spot in the Eastern Conference standings. In what has been an overachieving year for the team, he has led the way.

Adebayo is having a tremendous year himself. He is averaging 16 points per game on the season to go along with 10.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists per contest. The rebounds, assists, and points are all career-highs for him. He has established himself as a dependable player for Miami. Miami has been waiting for him to have this type of year ever since he came into the league in 2017.

Now, it appears he is delivering. Not only that, Adebayo looks extremely comfortable within the offense.

With two Miami representatives in the game, there will certainly be something for Heat fans to watch. In what should be a fun weekend overall, these selections give the game a little extra meaning for players and fans alike.

Miami Hurricanes: Ed Reed to join program as Chief of Staff

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A familiar face is coming back to Coral Gables. The Miami Hurricanes have hired Ed Reed as  Chief of Staff for the program.

According to the program’s official press release, Reid will serve in an advisory role to head coach Manny Diaz. Reed will take on duties that include strategic planning, operations, quality control, and player evaluation and development. He also serve in an athletic mentor role and help recruit players as much as the NCAA allows.

A smart move for the Miami Hurricanes

This is certainly an impactful move for the program. Reed was one of the best Miami Hurricanes players of all-time. Playing from 1997-2001, he was part of the most recent golden age for the program. He led the nation with nine interceptions in the 2001 season and was named the 2001 co-Big East defensive player of the year. He was undoubtedly the heart and soul of those great defensive teams. That is certainly saying something when you consider who else was on the roster.

Reed was a  first-team All American in 2000 and 2001. Those Miami Hurricanes teams posted a 23-1 record. They were at the pinnacle of the college football mountain. Some still talk about that 2001 Hurricanes team to this day, and they are continually in the conversation as one of the best college teams of all time.

Having Reed on the recruiting trail would be  tremendous for Miami. When you consider his body of work both at Miami and at the professional level, there is no denying he was successful. A Pro football Hall of Famer in 2019, he has been successful everywhere he has went. His role with the program certainly checks off many boxes. It will be interesting to see where he contributes most.  Just having his name attached to the football program is a huge win for the Miami Hurricanes.