D Day is Almost Here

As a fan of the Arizona Cardinals, the NFL draft day is huge. I love my team but we have been without a decent quarterback since Kurt Warner retired to dance with the stars. Two days from now the fate of the 2011 season (if there is one) will be decided. We need a strong QB. As much as I would love to see my boy Cam Newton (Auburn, QB) playing for the Cardinals, we need someone who has a stronger arm so we can leverage Larry Fitzgerald. In that case, many people, including ESPN's Todd McShay who thinks Cam will go to the Panthers, think we'll get Blaine Gabbert (Missouri, QB).Who? Yes, the QB from Missouri.

On the defensive side I'd love to see Nick Fairley (Auburn, DT) get picked up by Arizona, but more realistically he will get drafted by the Tennessee Titans.

Now it's time to wait and see what happens...

It's Playoff Time

Whether you're a hockey fan or a basketball fan you're in luck- it's time for playoffs! This is one of the best times of year, especially if your team is contending.  Enter, the San Jose Sharks. Tuesday night was game 3 in the playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings (not to be confused with the basketball Kings who are no where near the playoffs). Sharks were down 0-4 in LA and miraculously came back to win in sudden death 6-5. How could you not get excited about that! I'll tell you- because it means we've played in two overtime games and we'll be exhausted after this series as we meet Red Wings who swept the Coyotes. They'll be nice and rested by the time we meet them next round. Either way, I'm happy about the win.

So... basketball. Unfortunately my Phoenix Suns aren't in the playoffs this year but that doesn't mean there aren't great teams playing. For one, the New York Knicks. It's nice to see Mike D'Antoni back in the playoffs after a few year hiatus, along with Amar'e Stoudemire who deserves to get a championship ring at some point. Granted, I would have preferred they both stayed with the Suns but too late now.  Unfortunately they are down 0-2 in that series against the Boston Celtics and both Chauncey Billups and Amar'e are injured. Think Melo and Turiaf can carry the team on their own? Survey says it's not looking good.... there's always next year.

Next we have the Orlando Magic, as I mentioned months ago I think this is a team to watch this season. They're tied in the series right now 1-1 against the Atlanta Hawks. But really, when's the last time Atlanta was in the finals... my vote is with the Magic.

Lastly, I'm rooting for New Orleans, not only because I like the city and I like Chris Paul... but I also hate the Lakers. Enough said. Go Hornets.

Quite the Masters Finish

Well, if you're not a fan of watching golf because it seems to be boring, you obviously did not watch Sunday of the Masters. What a wild ride for about 10 different players, who all had a shot at winning on Sunday after Rory McIlroy gave up his two stroke lead.

Let's start from the beginning. It started with Tiger hunting the #1 spot with an eagle on 8 and shooting a 31 on the front nine. It was great to see the old Tiger back again, fist pumps and all. He made clutch putts on the front but unfortunately just couldn't close on the back nine. I think he's almost back, his drives and irons are dialed-in and after shooting a 66 on Friday and a 67 on Sunday (his best Sunday round at Augusta ever), he's about to bring home the win.

Now let's talk about Adam Scott. One of my favorite moments was Sunday afternoon when the scoreboard read Tiger Woods, Adam Scott- first and second place... let's take a moment to let that one sink in. I am now totally on board with the long putter. Adam had a very slow and steady tournament and got fired up on Saturday and Sunday shooting back to back 67s. He held the lead at one point but couldn't close the deal and lost to Charl Schwartzel in the end.

And now a moment for the best forearms in golf....

So what happened to Rory? Most people think that Rory cracked under the pressure of being only 21 and holding the lead for 3 days at the Masters. I don't agree, I think that after Friday you could tell he was going to crack. His putting struggled on Saturday and he was too arrogant going into the season. With early interviews criticizing Tiger, I think this was the piece of humble pie that Rory had to eat to bring his ego back to where it should be. Moving forward I think Rory will start to respect the game more and respect those players who have handled the pressure and won a major.... or 14. 

And where was Phil? After four days of constant Masters coverage, I think I saw Phil about twice. But if you're really curious where he was, he spent it tied at one under with Matsuyama, an amateur from Japan.

Masters Week- Pairings

Today the Masters announced Round 1 and 2 pairings at Augusta. There are some great match-ups for Thursday and Friday this week so it should be an exciting first few days.

To pay tribute to these match-ups, I've taken to the age old tradition of senior superlatives. Enjoy the Masters class of 2011, Round 1 Pairings:

• Most Likely to Succeed: Tiger Woods, Graeme McDowell, Robert Allenby
• Most Attractive: Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson, Nick Watney
• Class Clown: Angel Cabrera, Ian Poulter, David Toms
• Most Athletic: Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Matt Kuchar
• Life of the Party: Fred Couples, Luke Donald, Steve Stricker
• Best Dressed: Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler (Puma), Jason Day
• Most Likely to Join the Peace Corps: Padrig Harrington, Ryo Ishikawa, Bill Haas
• Most School (Tour) Spirit: Bubba Watson, Paul Casey, Edoardo Molinari
• Most Dependable: Hunter Mahan, Ernie Els, Francesco Molinari
• Most Popular: Tom Watson, Ricky Barnes, Jason Bohn

It's Masters Week

The best thing about the beginning of April is without a doubt The Masters. Yes, Spring is here, the sun is finally out (if you're lucky) and summer is on the horizon. But, there is nothing like the anticipation of what will happen at Augusta National on that fateful weekend in April, when the best of the best come out and play with the world watching. It is prestigious, it's in mint condition and it's the same... year after year.

I'm looking forward to someone other than Lefty wearing the green jacket and being highlighted in most of the coverage. I still think Tiger has a shot at winning, if he can get his game together he'll be the one to watch. Also, looking forward to how Adam Scott plays the course, he has been fixing his game the last year, and now with the long putter he has a chance at throwing up a great scorecard.

It's Masters Week!