Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk had earlier threatened Manny’s camp to pull support and funding of the fight unless confirmed that the Filipino great would fight in Brisbane.

“I have had a meeting earlier today which has confirmed that Manny Pacquiao will definitely be in Brisbane this year for a rematch with Jeff Horn,” Quirk told local media.

Quirk added, “It was a matter of Manny Paqcuiao deciding whether he wanted to take up that clause in the contract to give a rematch in the event that he lost.”

Majority of boxing fans were surprised by the results of the unanimous decision of the judges on their first match in favour of Horn. Many observers believe that Pac Man should have won the fight over the Australian school teacher. I guess this is what rematch are really for, to prove that a controversial decision is actually whether right or wrong.

Spotted having casual lunch together at Breakfast Creek Hotel having a meet and greet are Minister Kate Jones, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Jeff Horn and Dean Lonergan from Duco Events. It is presumed what transpired in their conversations are how to close the deal on the rematch. Ms. Palaszczuk confirmed a formal deal was in the works after the first match elevated the state economy that provided a $25 million boost.

The Premier also said, “It was an informal discussion, but I can confirm my Government is in advanced formal negotiations to secure the rematch.”

The city council’s major events branch, Brisbane Marketing, would head the re-negotiations with promoters Top Rank and Duco Events.

After the first bout and a time off to rest and recover, Horn said he’d only just started training again. He says that he is starting slowly with some weights and fitness so that his body won’t get too sore. But he knows he has to step it up depending on the final outcome of the negotiation.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, still has senatorial duties in the Philippines. It’s not known if he already started training for the next fight, but he’s a great living legend on his own and he has too much experience already to just sit around the corner. The rematch would probably on the week when Manny is taking a break from being a Senator to possibly becoming once again a world welterweight champion.

The exact date of the fight has not been released yet but it’s rumoured to be set on November of this year at Suncorp Stadium the same place where the humble schoolteacher Horn defeated Pacquiao for the WBO welterweight belt in a unanimous 12-round decision last July.

Since the rematch is almost a done deal, are you ready to see another exciting bout between the two? It would be marvellous to once again see the humble Australian school teacher battle the legendary Filipino in the ring.

The post Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn Rematch for the ‘Battle of Brisbane’ is Nearly a Done Deal appeared first on Master Herald.

In a cruel twist, it was Golden State who had achieved the impossible to knock the Thunder out of the playoffs (Of course, we all know what happened in the Finals itself). Fans knew that this season would be different as they handed the keys to the franchise to Russell Westbrook, a superstar player who can sometimes act rashly in the face of adversity. However, this season hasn’t turned out the way they wanted it too, which speaks toward the reliability of their coach.

Billy Donovan was a great coach in college basketball. There’s really no question about it. He won two championships at Florida and led them to sustained success over almost two decades. However, he has presided over some questionable decisions in his tenure as an NBA coach. He offered promising results at the end of last season, as the Thunder nearly made the NBA Finals. He also allowed Serge Ibaka to be traded to Orlando, which probably was a factor in Durant taking his talents to the gold coast.

Obviously, while that wasn’t his sole decision, he was allowed to give input into what kind of team he wanted to run, a team that probably didn’t include Ibaka or Durant in long-term plans.

Donovan has also been chastised for his unorthodox coaching style. He doesn’t care about regular-season record, just that his team makes the playoffs. The regular season is just an experiment for him, where he can make as many lineup changes, trades, and signings to find the right fit. This could be attributed to his time as an NCAA coach as the powerhouse teams don’t necessarily care what seed they are if they show up to play in the tournament (see Duke, Michigan State). This is an interesting style of play coming to the NBA as he has shown success in the playoffs in his first year.

However, this also allows players like Russell Westbrook to sacrifice wins in order to pad stats to achieve triple-doubles every night. Obviously, the argument comes up where the Thunder are 26-6 when Westbrook completes a triple-double and 12-23 when he doesn’t. I’d argue that the wins are more a catalyst than a consequence of that action.

To elaborate, Westbrook obviously plays well giving the Thunder an opportunity to win, but feels that he has to hit that allotment of ten rebounds and ten assists to make the win memorable. While that is of no consequence down the stretch in a win, it does make a difference earlier in games when Westbrook gambles for rebounds, or tries forcing a pass when there isn’t one to get that early assist. This mentality puts the Thunder at risking of falling behind early, which means it is much harder to track whether Westbrook had an adverse effect on his team. This also allows Westbrook to play from behind, which gives him an even better stage to accumulate counting stats that ultimately count for naught in the standings.

The Thunder acquired two dynamic players at the deadline, dealing Cameron Payne, Anthony Morrow, and Joffrey Lauvergne to the Chicago Bulls for Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott. Clearly, Donovan is making his mark on the team given that he’s also been a fan of the bruising tall players having coached Gibson’s former teammate Joakim Noah at Florida. With Steven Adams and Domantas Sabonis as the only real big men threats, Donovan acquired two more guys that could either space out the floor in McDermott and cause trouble inside in Gibson. Admittedly, it has been a small sample with only 10 games played for each of them, but the early returns are not looking promising. Gibson and McDermott sport PER’s of 11.5 and 5.9 respectively (average player PER is 15) and Donovan hasn’t figured out to play Gibson and Kanter together, which in theory should be the makings of a dominant defensive lineup.

Donovan has shown that he has the long-term potential to be a good coach in the NBA. His handling of Russell Westbrook shows that he seems to be prioritizing experimental play in the regular season in lieu of wins, a dangerous ploy for any coach hoping to have a long future as an NBA coach.

The post Russell Westbrook’s Playing Style Reflects on his Coach – and Not In a Good Way appeared first on Master Herald.

Kevin Durant is injured, the Cavaliers are struggling, the Spurs are soaring, and the Rockets are taking off. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the NBA this year has been the play of the top players.

The MVP race has been one of the most interesting in years. Conceivably, four different players have legitimate shots at winning this year: Lebron James, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Russell Westbrook.

The anger over why Westbrook is in this conversation begs the question, how come Russell Westbrook seems to be universally disliked for putting up video game numbers?

Only one NBA player ever has put up a triple-double average for an entire season. That was Cincinnati’s Oscar Robertson back in the 1961-1962 season. While that would be an amazing feat if Westbrook is able to pull it off, it may help to look a little closer into what exactly a triple-double entails.

Pulling off a conventional triple-double for a single game means that that player has succeeded at scoring, helping others score, and recovering possessions far better than other players. Keeping this up for an entire season means that a player’s usage rate (number of possessions a player uses per 40 minutes) has to be incredibly high. This is a list of the top players in the NBA ranked by usage rate.

Westbrook’s usage rate is almost 23% greater than his next competitor, fellow MVP candidate James Harden. Having such a high usage shows that Westbrook either takes shots, assists, or turns the ball over on an astoundingly high number of possessions. Looking at Westbrook’s PER helps tell the full story.

Someone who has an insane usage rate should be efficient with possessions to help maximize offensive production for their team. While Westbrook does lead the league in PER, he does so at a far smaller percentage over his nearest competitor, Kawhi Leonard, whom he is only 10% greater. In comparison, Leonard is not even listed among the 10 highest usage rates in the league which is another feather in the cap for San Antonio’s small forward MVP candidacy.

One of the few players who has elicited comparisons to Robertson as well was former Knicks PG Stephon Marbury. As The Ringer’s Jason Concepcion notes, he was the first player since “The Big O” to average 20 points and 8 assists in the mid-2000s. Marbury notoriously aware of this link, would sacrifice possessions to reach the plateau of 20 points and 8 assists every night.

Although one can’t accuse Westbrook of trying to pad his stats to reach that triple-double every night, this author has watched Westbrook try forcing the issue in blowout games to get that 10^th assist or 10^th rebound (admittedly in a small sample size – OKC games on national television).

It can’t be that big a surprise to find out that the year Robertson average a triple-double, his Royals were bounced out to the Detroit Pistons featuring Bailey Howell and Gene Shue. Maybe Westbrook can learn that essential lesson and try giving newly-acquired Taj Gibson some possessions on the low block.

Another reason why fans seem to be cooling on Westbrook was the level of expectation of his play. When Kevin Durant took his talents to the Bay area in the summer, fans were left feeling sorry for Westbrook. They fully knew that given the keys to the Thunder offense, he could create some crazy numbers. In an ironic twist, despite other-worldly numbers, fans would rather see him improve his team than put up the numbers they themselves predicted would happen.

Depending on the yearly debate about what exactly MVP really means, Westbrook might be taking home his first MVP trophy later this year. But when his team gets bounced out in the first round of the playoffs this year, he might be wishing he had sacrificed some stats to let more efficient players touch the ball.

The post Russell Westbrook Could be the Most Hated MVP Candidate Ever appeared first on Master Herald.

Danny Woodhead (RB)

As any fantasy football player knows, Danny Woodhead is always a solid asset on any team. The problem here is that Woodhead’s season was abruptly stopped after a torn ACL in September. Given that there are few suitors for a 30-something former MVP running back coming off injuries (Adrian Peterson), Woodhead seems unlikely to have teams barging through the door to sign him. The team that does, however, will hope that he can emulate his 2015 season where he accumulated 80 receptions for 755 yards, provided outstanding pass protection, and costed the Chargers less than $2 million in salary.

Johnathan Hankins (DT)

Assuming the New York Giants don’t re-sign him to a contract, Hankins would be an attractive player for many teams. Dontari Poe headlines the defensive tackle market and is valued for more than the five-year, $46.25 million that Damon Harrison commanded from the Giants last year. That price range is out of sight for many teams, which leaves Hankins as a solid backup option.

Dwight Freeney (DE)

Yeah, I know, Freeney is 37 and has 15 years of game mileage on him. Doesn’t matter. He signed a $1 million contract with the Falcons last year that seemed much more valuable in the long run. Helping them win reach the Super Bowl (sorry, I still can’t believe it) was readily worth the money, but Freeney is the perfect locker room teammate a team would want around their young guys. With some gas still left in the tank, Freeney is a perfect low-risk, high-reward kind of guy.

Dont’a Hightower (LB)

Coming off a Super Bowl victory, one would expect Hightower to garner a lot of interest on the open market. However, the Patriots are playing the same game that they did with Devin McCourty a few years back. They’ll let him test the open market, but if the offers are less than what was expected, the Patriots will be expected to retain him. It worked with McCourty, but I’m less assured that Hightower will be undercut in the market, especially considering he’s coming off another superb season at the LB position.

Logan Ryan (CB)

Logan Ryan is essentially in the same boat as Hightower except the Patriots have decided to push him overboard. Their signing of CB Stephon Gilmore from division rivals Buffalo Bills has essentially forced Ryan to field offers from the market. Gilmore is assumed to have fetched more than $14 million a year which is more than what top CB free agent A.J. Bouye will probably expect to receive. For teams that are hesitant on paying top-dollar for cornerbacks, Ryan is a solid-yet-unspectacular option that could probably go for half as much money as the others.

Pierre Garcon (WR)

Pierre Garcon is one of those players that has dropped under the radar in the past few seasons and for good reason. With Jordan Reed solidifying himself as the number 1 option in a high-powered Washington offense, Desean Jackson still an explosive downfield threat, and Chris Thompson and Rob Kelley catching passes out of the backfield, Garcon wasn’t allowed to establish himself as a threat like he did on the Colts. But, he has been a very solid option for the Redskins who view him as a dependable third down-and-long receiver. For someone who hasn’t missed a game in over 4 years, he’s definitely worth a flier as the 2^nd or 3^rd receiver on a team.

Brandon Williams (DT)

The Baltimore Ravens have lost some key players in free agency already which probably means that they will do whatever it takes to keep Brandon Williams. However, multiple teams have already expressed interest in Williams. The plus side for the team that signs Williams? He has been one of the best defensive tackles the past few years, but endured a tumultuous contract year. This could potentially drive his price down, making him a very good value signing. 

The post 2017 NFL Free Agency: Marquee Players on the Market appeared first on Master Herald.

He threw an American football down the length of the ISS and it reached 564,644 yards in zero gravity, reports MSN News.

The distance is actually over 4,705 times the length of a football field so it was a sort of a record, to say the least.

But then, the astronaut threw the ball in zero gravity and they were about to watch the Super Bowl 51 from 250 miles above the Earth, so it technically does not count.

The astronaut made the throw as he and his colleagues at the ISS were preparing to watch Super Bowl 51 on February 5 pitting the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

It is apparently one of the things that NASA astronauts do while they while away their time on the ISS and the space administration was game enough to also show a video of the ‘throwing incident’ which has now become viral online, notes BBC.

It was almost sure that the astronauts at the ISS also witnessed how the New England Patriots came from 21 points down in the first half of the Super Bowl 51 to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 on course to their fifth Super Bowl.

How astronauts while away their time in space

In addition to watching the Super Bowl, which only happens once a year, astronauts actually while away their time in space doing some special things in an unorthodox manner since the gravity is always factored in on everything.

In a report of BBC, it once featured Italy’s first female astronaut in Samantha Cristoferetti and how she spent almost six months of her time on the International Space Station almost three years ago.

The European Space Agency astronaut arrived at the orbiting space lab in November of 2014 along with two crewmates from Russia and the US.

It was not clear to many what exactly will she be doing during her time in space then. But it was soon found out that she will be doing some scientific experiments on the ISS.

The ISS gives the chance to do scientific experiments that cannot be done on Earth, as the station offers an environment of microgravity.

Her accomplishments in space

Some of the things that the first female astronaut was able to do at the ISS include an electromagnetic levitator, testing technology, as well as medical research.

Samantha Cristoferetti operated a gadget called an electromagnetic levitator, which can heat metals to 2,000°C and then cool them very quickly.

It was a chance for Samantha to see what happens to different metals when they go from liquid to solid, without the effect of the Earth’s gravity.

At that time, it was highly hoped that the results will reveal more about the physics of the metals and how they work, which seems to be clearly defined now as a result.

Part of the scientific experiment in the ISS includes a new kind of testing technology for use in various industries.

When the first female astronaut went into the ISS, she also tested a new machine technology and how well they work in space, such as the astronaut joystick. Using a joystick in space feels very different in space compared to using one on Earth.

The experiments showed how being in space affects how well an astronaut can control a space robot or space machinery.

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The night before the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots faced off in the Super Bowl 51 on February 5, Matt Ryan was named as the NFL MVP, capping off a career-best season leading his team to its first ever Super Bowl appearance since 1999.

The 31-year-old Matt Ryan received 25 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 members who regularly cover the NFL games. Tom Brady, the quarterback for the New England Patriots, who led his team to the championship was a distant second to Ryan as he managed to snare 10 votes.

Dallas Cowboys rookie sensation running back Ezekiel Elliott and Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr each received six votes. Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, got two votes. The remaining one vote went to the other Dallas Cowboys rookie sensation Dak Prescott, who was adjudged as AP’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Offensive Player of the Year awardee too

Matt Ryan also won the Associated Press’ Offensive Player of the Year award on February 4, beating Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers. Ryan got 15 votes compared to Rodger’s 11 votes, reports ABC News.

Ryan passed for 4,944 passing yards with 38 touchdowns and only seven interceptions and led the NFL with a 117.1 passer rating, helping the Falcons score a league-high 540 points.

In accepting his MVP award, a video was shown wherein Ryan was giving a speech as he was not able to attend the ceremonies, probably because they were in the thick of their game planning for the next day’s Super Bowl 51.

Ryan said that it is an incredible honor for him, adding that there are so many other great candidates and players who had amazing seasons in the NFL.

He then thanked his teammates because without them he would not be able to win the award or get an amazing season for the Falcons.

Ryan explained that they had so many guys on their team making great plays and have great seasons for the team, and he acknowledged them by expressing his gratitude to them.

Consistency wins it for Ryan

The third overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, Ryan guided the Falcons to an 11-5 record, the NFC South title and their first playoff berth since the 2012 season.

It marked the second consecutive year a quarterback from the NFC South was named MVP, following Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers.
Arthur Blank, the owner of the Atlanta Falcons, said that if the voters for the NFL MVP were looking for consistency in the 2016 NFL season, they should all talk about Matt Ryan.

Blank said that he thinks that the reason why Matt Ryan had a strong season this year is because of the offseason work that he put in himself personally as well as to some commitments he made on the West Coast to support his training, his offseason programming.

The Falcons owner said that Matt Ryan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan have been on a much better communication path than they were in their first year, adding that Matt’s understanding of the system is certainly greater than it had been in Year 1.

Blank added that Ryan’s ability to feel comfortable turning his back to the line of scrimmage, partly due to Alex Mack, partly due to the offensive line withstanding their role staying together and carrying back when releasing the ball were all critical.

He explained that Ryan’s ability to pass on the move and do it in an accurate fashion, all of that’s gotten much better. That started from Day One and has continued throughout the season.

Ryan, a four-time Pro Bowler, was considered to be the front-runner for the MVP award after being named first-team All-Pro, ahead of Super Bowl counterpart and two-time MVP Tom Brady.

As he evolved into the lead MVP candidate, Ryan maintained a team-oriented approach whenever he discussed the possibility of achieving the league’s highest individual honor, details USA Today.

The post Matt Ryan’s All-Season Long Quarterbacking Consistency for the Atlanta Falcons Enabled Him to Bag NFL MVP Honors! appeared first on Master Herald.

What made the milestone important is the fact that LeBron is actually the youngest player in NBA history to reach the 28,000-point plateau, giving critics and statisticians the collective notion that he would be on course to making it all the way to the top five of NBA’s all-time scoring list, details the Bleacher Report.

The three-time NBA champion entered the game against the Knicks averaging 25.7 points per game on 52.7% shooting, making him one of two players, along with Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant, averaging at least 25 points per contest while knocking down better than 50% of his total looks from the field, notes NBA.com.

The 32-year-old NBA superstar reached the milestone in the second quarter of the game with the Knicks, when he drilled a deep fadeaway jump shot over Courtney Lee.

James has ascended the league’s scoring charts at an unprecedented pace, having already passed the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon, Oscar Robertson, Moses Malone and Tim Duncan on the all-time scoring list.

Next up is Shaquille O’Neal, who occupies the seventh spot with 28,596 points. At this point, it’s simply a matter of when James will pass Shaq’s numbers.

On pace to break 30,000 points

LeBron only needs to score 597 points to eclipse the record of Shaq and it seems very easy for King James.

The next hurdle would be the record of Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks, who at 29,797 points as of February 4 is currently ranked sixth on the all-time scoring list.

Nowitzki is still actively playing for the Mavs but the current season might be his last so after taking over Shaq’s numbers, Lebron might have to hurdle more than 1,600 points to eclipse the record of Dirk.

Barring any season-ending injuries in the next few years until he retires at around the ages of 39 or 40, critics believe that LeBron James is on course to hit 30,000 points at least. The bigger question now is whether he still has enough gas left in his tank a few years down the road to overtake Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 31,419 points or Michael Jordan’s thereafter.

LeBron James has evolved into a well-rounded player. Unlike the time when he first played in Cleveland, he was the go-to-guy and the lone scorer in the team.

When he went to play for Miami for three years, he was not so much of a scorer but more as a playmaker and he only scores when he needed to.

Critics are saying that it would be tough for LeBron to shoot on overtaking the scoring record of Chamberlain since there are just too many guys on the Cavaliers roster who can score as much as he does.

Thus, the pundits are saying that he could be on pace to making it to the top five NBA all-time scoring list but it would be a stretch to see him do better than Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, although there are still more years ahead of him in the NBA.

Focusing more on the championships

After Wilt’s record, Michael Jordan’s 32,292 points is up, which is barely 1,200 points away from Chamberlain’s points total.

Kobe Bryant is at third with his 33,643 points. It can be recalled that Kobe Bryant, just like LeBron James, entered the NBA straight from high school so they were expected to have longer years in the league.

Kobe spent 18 years in the league with his farewell season last year. In his last two seasons in the NBA, he was no longer considered a prolific scorer.

The second spot belongs to Karl Malone with his 36, 928 points and the top spot, which would be a tough record to break is held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 points.

At this juncture in his career, it seems likely that LeBron is focusing more on winning two or three more championships before he retires for good.

Considering the rigors that his body had to hurdle since he broke into the league as an 18-year-old high school graduate, it is highly doubtful if he would continue to play beyond 38 years old.

He can definitely overtake Shaquille’s records if not this season, next season but breaking Nowitzki’s scoring record would take about two more seasons so it would be tougher for LeBron to go from there.

LeBron James played high school basketball at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, where he was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar.

After graduating, he was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft. James led Cleveland to the franchise’s first Finals appearance in 2007, losing to the San Antonio Spurs.

In 2010, he left the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat. James played four seasons for the Heat, reaching the Finals all four years and winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. In 2013, he led Miami on a 27-game winning streak, the third longest in league history.

Following his final season with the Heat, James opted out of his contract and re-joined the Cavaliers. Behind his leadership, Cleveland immediately advanced to two consecutive Finals against the Golden State Warriors, winning the championship in 2016 to end Cleveland’s 52-year professional sports title drought.

The post LeBron James On Pace to Making it to the Top Five All-Time Scoring Leaders of the NBA After Passing 28,000 Point Mark Recently! appeared first on Master Herald.

For one, Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots are undoubtedly the best quarterbacks in the NFL this season.

In fact, they are one and two, respectively, in the voting for the NFL’s MVP which was awarded to Matt Ryan on February 4, the eve of Super Bowl 51.

But it was Tom Brady who was the better quarterback in the second half of the match by overcoming a 28-3 deficit and turning it into a 34-28 victory, on course to their fifth Super Bowl trophy.

Both teams would have looked better in 1966

What fewer people know, thanks to the constant cycle of rebranding and uniform changes, is that the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons would have looked much better in 1966.

New England and Atlanta are home to two of the league’s finest throwback uniforms; blocky, solid color jerseys with iconic logos and complementary colors, details SB Nation.

They’re the opposite of color rush and a tried-and-true design victory that still looks good 50 years later.

Each team joined the NFL in the 1960s and needed to make a splash to convert new boosters to the sidelines.

Fans in New England left without many geographical alternatives, often turned to the New York Giants to fill that void. The closest team to Atlanta before the franchise’s first game in 1966 was Washington, leaving the college game as king.

Creating a viable, and most importantly, cool-looking identity was paramount to establishing the new identity for the team.

The Falcons’ original uniforms were meant to represent something for everyone in the Peach State. The NFL had a new major market to conquer but understood there was no way to pry rabid fans from the colleges they had watched every Saturday for the previous decade.

Instead, the franchise worked to find a common ground and add an extra day of football to Georgian schedules.

The red and black appealed to the University of Georgia fans from border to border. The white and gold were for the Georgia Tech boosters centered in Atlanta. The result was an old school mash-up that sounded garish on paper but looked sweet on the turf.

Rebranding with the flying Elvis logo

But Atlanta is not alone in abandoning some of the finest throwbacks the league has to offer. The Patriots’ luck as a franchise changed after rebranding with their flying Elvis logo, but their rush to distance themselves from the putrid teams of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s discarded a gorgeous uniform in the process.

New England’s old kits were a classic red, white, and blue. Red jerseys for away games, white for home games with generous striping across the shoulders. White pants gave way to Adidas-style stripes down the outseam.

And the capper, at the very top, was Pat Patriot, a gruff-looking soldier dressed up like a Minuteman or Pawtuxet Ranger. Pat was crouched in a three-point stance, prepared to snap the ball to whichever disappointment the franchise was starting at quarterback those days.

The throwback uniforms are so great, they could make notoriously handsome Tom Brady look like a nerd by comparison. Maybe that’s why they don’t wear them so often anymore.

The Patriots and the Falcons broke out the latest in an evolving chain of increasingly generic uniforms and battled it out for the Super Bowl 51

The Falcons wore red jerseys while the Patriots wore white. Based on history, teams that have worn white jerseys in the Super Bowl have won 11 out of the last 12 times. That statistic stayed true to form again.

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At the helm of Dallas Cowboys’ resurgence are Head Coach Jason Garrett and two rookies in Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott who helped turn things around for the franchise. Through it all, critics believe that Jason Garett was pretty impressive.

Garrett was at the helm of the Dallas Cowboys during the team’s historic season in 2014. But the wheels fell off in 2015 due to injuries at key positions combined with horrible quarterback play without starting quarterback Tony Romo.

The coach would bounce back in the 2016 season by besting the 2014 campaign, and with two rookies at the helm, no less.

Neither the expected inexperience at the two most important positions in football nor injury could stop Dallas during the regular season, which is why Garrett has been named 2016 NFL Head Coach of the Year.

A hands-down winner

For a while, some observers were saying that the voting for the NFL Head Coach of the Year would be close.

But lo and behold, Jason Garett got 25 votes and the closest competition was Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots, who got 14 votes and who would eventually go on to win the fifth Super Bowl for the Patriots.

Coming in at third is Adam Gase of the Detroit Lions with six votes, Jack Del Rio of the Oakland Raiders with four votes, and Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs with one vote.

Garrett’s ability to get an entire buy-in from all 53 men was remarkable, which included Romo, who could have easily pushed the issue to recover his starting quarterback role.

And then there were the suspensions that could have also derailed the season, but instead became completely inconsequential to their regular season win total, reports 247 Sports.

It was all handled masterfully and the Cowboys rattled off a franchise record 11 straight wins in the process, many of which were gritty and showed Garrett is unafraid to take chances.

Rallying the troops

In a season predicted to be a total loss for the Cowboys after Romo was lost to injury in August, Garrett rallied the troops behind rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott and launched into orbit.

Few NFL head coaches could have matched Garrett’s success this past season if given the same extreme handicaps, particularly under the spotlight that looms over the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys’ 2016 season actually got off to a terrible start when quarterback Tony Romo went down with a back injury in the preseason and it looked like the Cowboys were headed for a repeat of their 4-12 season in 2015.

But the Cowboys were determined not to let the same set of adversities sink another campaign.

Garrett said in October last year that there was a lot for all of them to learn from that experience, referring to the 2015 debacle, and they are still learning.

He said that they were determined to come back in the early part of the offseason, they were determined to build the team that could handle and withstand the adversities that are inevitable in the NFL.

The Cowboys head coach added then that they have tried to do that and will continue to try to do that each and every day. True enough, it was a splendid year for the Dallas Cowboys, details the SB Nation.

The team headed into the 2016 season with a rookie running back, a rookie fourth-round quarterback, a pass rush with no NFL pedigree, and a bunch of no-name players on defense.

The post Dallas Cowboys’ Bounce Back 2016 NFL Season Propels Jason Garrett to Win Head Coach of the Year Honors! appeared first on Master Herald.

Coming in at a distant second is the Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady, whose 10 votes would have increased had the voters seen his play during the Super Bowl 51 where he led his team to a come-from-behind victory over the Falcons en route to their fifth Super Bowl.

The biggest surprise for the MVP race was the fact that the third place in the MVP race in terms of votes received went to the six of Dallas Cowboys’ rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott and Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who also got six votes.

Everyone was expecting that the third spot would fall into the hands of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers who also had a sensational 2016 NFL season. But he only got two votes, just one vote better than Dak Prescott, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, details CBS Sports.

Right there with the best

Eliott was right there with Brady in terms of MVP votes and lost one vote because Dak Prescott received a single vote, which could have also gone to him.

Rodgers was a guy that people were pumping up to win the award. After the Packers fell to 4-6, Rodgers said he believed Green Bay could run the table and he wasn’t kidding.

The Packers would rip off six straight wins to close out the season, beating the Lions in Week 17 to secure the NFC North title.

He had a fantastic season, completing more than 65 percent of his passes, throwing for 4,428 yards and leading the league with 40 passing touchdowns. That six-game stretch to close out the year featured Rodgers playing the quarterback position in a way that one won’t often see as he was locked in like only Rodgers can be.

The Packers nearly parlayed it into a Super Bowl run, beating the Giants handily at home and upsetting the Cowboys on the road before falling to the Falcons in the NFC Championship Game in Atlanta.

The run would, many believed, get him some serious MVP consideration. But it turns out that he was less of a candidate in the voters’ minds than the Cowboys rookie running back.

His first MVP award

Matt Ryan received his first-ever MVP award during the NFL Honors award show on the night of February 4 in Houston, less than 24 hours before the Super Bowl 51.

The Falcons passer became the first player in franchise history to win an MVP award, which headlined an evening in which he was recognized for three different honors, points out the Bleacher Report.

Ryan was officially named as the FedEx Player of the Year. Ezekiel Elliott was named as the FedEx Ground Player of the Year.

Meanwhile, Eli Manning, quarterback of the New York Giants, and Larry Fitzgerald, wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals shared the Walter Payton Man of the Year honors.

Derek Carr, quarterback of the Oakland Raiders was named as the Castrol EDGE Clutch Performer of the Year.

Mike Evans, wide receiver of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was handed the Bridgestone Performance Play of the Year while the Built Ford Tough Offensive Line of the Year went to the Dallas Cowboys.

The Salute to Service Award was awarded to Dan Quinn of the Atlanta Falcons while the Courtyard’s Greatness on the Road Award went to Le’Veon Bell, running back of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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