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Is Marco Reus’ Transfer Saga Over Now?

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is marco reus transfer saga over now soccer images 2015

Marco Reus, the 25-year-old attacking midfielder has signed a new deal with Borussia Dortmund, which would keep him there till 2019. There was a lot of speculation about the future of Reus until he penned a new deal worth 6 million pounds plus 1.5 million per year which is to be spent on image rights and thus a total of 145,000 pounds a week.

The 2012-13 Champions League finalists have struggled a lot this season. They are currently 14th on the Bundesliga table with 14 matches to go. Klopp’s men can still turn around the season and end it on a positive note. The only way in which they could book a Champions League berth for next season is by winning this version. Dortmund topped their group in the group stages, followed by Arsenal. In the first leg of the round of 16 on Tueday, they’ll face the Italian champions, Juventus in Turin. If he stays injury free, Reus can certainly play a big role in getting his team achieve their goals this season.

Carlos Ancelotti’s Real Madrid and Wenger’s Arsenal were reportedly interested in signing the former Monchengladbach player. It was believed that his release clause of £20million could soon be activated as the club is in a state of turmoil.  But the Germany International has shown his loyalty and love for his hometown club by signing a contract extension. Since making a move from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2012, Reus has netted a total of 34 goals in 72 appearances in all competitions for Dortmund.

After sealing the deal, Reus tweeted on Twitter: “Hey Folks. I am delighted to inform you that I have prolonged my contract until 2019. Marco!”

marco reus signs with borussia dortmund soccer league 2015 images

On his Facebook wall, he wrote: “I am very much looking forward to the future at BVB with our outstanding fans backing us. My heart has decided. Let’s get it started. We want to achieve a lot of things. Not only this season.”

In an interview with Ruhr Nachrichten, he said, “When I signed for Dortmund, I said that I want to achieve great things with the club. I have the feeling that it’s not over yet, especially given our difficult situation right now.”

“I stand by my words. You win and you lose together. It’s also a decision for life. That’s why it took me so long to decide.”

marco reus soccer grab from men 2015

He made his international debut against Malta in 2010. He along with Gotze and Muller are the future stars of the German National Team. Dortmund’s managing director Michael Zorc claimed that Reus can fit in any world class team and his decision to stay shows how much he loves Borussia Dortmund. Another important person at the club, the club chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said that Reus is capable of becoming a club legend like Uwe Seeler of Hamburg and Gerrard of Liverpool.

Bayern Munich were also interested in signing the star midfielder, but they lost their interest as the Dortmund ace suffered from so many injuries. After suffering back to back injuries, before and after the World Cup, Reus is being labeled as injury prone.

Celebrity Gossip Recap: Taylor Kinney Goes GaGa & Khloe Kardashian Not Too Rosey

The celebrity gossip mill is ever churning isn’t it? So much drama in the LBC I tell you. Here’s the best of the best:

amber rose twitter war with khloe kardashian and wiz khalifa 2015

The newest celeb feud involves Amber Rose and the Kardashians with Wiz Khalifa in there somewhere. Over the weekend, some twitter beef was started when good ole Amber, when asked about the friendship between Kylie and Tyga on Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club stated, “She’s a baby… She needs to go to bed at 7 o’clock and relax.” So you know how the K Club rolls. Khloe took to Twitter on Monday in a series of posts about Rose that attacked her past and her present, “’I was a stripper since I was 15 years old,’ Amber Rose told Foxx. Please don’t worry about my sister who has a career & her shit together at ONLY 17.” It has just gotten deeper and more heated since then. I have to give it to Khloe though, her responses are quite adult for the uberly famous. “We get asked questions about people all the time and my sisters and I always take the high road and don’t answer… I’m not going to comment on someone I don’t know.”

kylie jenner swears shes not dating black men like tyga 2015 images

All of this has caused Tyga to openly say that he and Kylie are not dating. I hear you Tyga, but that still doesn’t explain why you guys are always hanging out. I mean, you’re 25 she’s 17. I don’t get it. All this has also lead to Wiz taking jabs at his ex on her mothering abilities. He wants more custody of their one year old son because he says Rose is a bad mom staying out all night and allowing their dog to eat its own feces and then lick Sebastian’s face. According to Khalifa too, she does not spend any time with their son which is prompting him to start the legal process of filing for a change in their custody agreement.

north west makes fashion week new york ban babies 2015 images

North West can add this to the list of things she has accomplished before the age of two- babies are banned from New York Fashion Week thanks to her. According to VH1.com, Nori has thrown tantrums on a few occasions during the past five days which has led the higher ups to enact a “no babies” rule. I get it too. Babies don’t need to be at an event like NYFW. They don’t know what’s going on and they just kind of get in the way.

taylor kinney married to lady gaga 2015 iamges

In lovers news, singer Lady Gaga and actor Taylor Kinney are engaged. Like seriously, didn’t even know they were together. He proposed with a huge heart shaped diamond ring on Monday. Maybe he is the reason she has really toned down her persona, I mean at this rate, she may soon go by Stephanie. Either way good for them (now let’s see how long this lasts).

fifty shades of grey movie boring sexless and impotent 2015

For those who have not seen Fifty Shades of Grey, take it from me, you don’t want to. Over the weekend I ventured to the movies to see what the hype was all about. I previously wrote that critics slammed the movie and on Sunday I saw firsthand for myself why they did. It is a horrible, unreal, boring, haphazard attempt at film making. The sexiest thing in the movie is the car Christian gives Anastasia for her graduation. See it if you want to, but you will spend the whole two hours and nine minutes waiting for a climax that never happens.

manny pacquiao fighting floyd mayweather 2015 images

Boxing fans, the fight of the century may actually take place and may actually be closer than we thought. Negotiations for Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are nearly finished as Pacquiao agrees to a drug test. This is huge. For the record, I am usually all about other Pieces winning but it’s hard for me to root for Mayweather (and we share the same birthday) because he is just so damn cocky. Nonetheless, I am interested to see how things go because I think this fight will prove once and for all if he is really as bad as he claims to be.

ray j beaten up by princess love and bails her out 2015 images

And finally, Ray J was reportedly beaten up by his girlfriend Princess Love. Now let me explain what I mean by beaten up. Really, he got his ass whooped. He sustained broken ribs, a busted lip and a torn ACL. The fight went down in New Orleans last week after he returned to their hotel room from chilling in a strip club with some TV producers. Well damn, Ray, I understand not wanting to hit a woman but to let her do you in like that, you my dude. You must have been really drunk or she must be really strong.

RHOA Ep 14 Season 7: Apollo Gets Locked Out

RHOA Ep 14 Season 7 Apollo Gets Locked Out

This week on the Real Housewives of Atlanta, Kenya and Cynthia visit Claudia at her new place which overlooks the city. She tells them what happened at the Dish Nation party with Porsha which causes her to break down crying to the girls. “It just reminds me of high school…I’ve been trying my best to rise above the pettiness and take the high road.” Kenya tells her that they are going to support her no matter what.

claudia jordan crying about mean girls on real housewives of atlanta 2015 images

This is why Claudia is my fave. She is real and she doesn’t have a problem being real. She talks openly about her issues with Porsha and continually expresses her desire to move on from it all. She pays a visit to Ricky in his office and expresses to him how she feels about her work. He then asks the million dollar question, “Is everything good with you and Porsha?” She says no and he tells her that “someone has to be the bigger person” and move on because we have to work together. Then he goes to find Porsha. They come together to have a conversation. He tells them that he can feel the tension in the air and like the stuck up brat that she is, Porsha huffs and puffs, “What tension Ricky, what?” Claudia says “We’re supposed to be cool right” to which Porsha answers, “It’s not cool, we’re not friends… Please stop trying to create stuff with me.” Porsha is so full of herself. She just “wants to squash whatever negativity is coming to my work place.” Um did you ever consider that you are a source of it? Ricky then ends with prayer. Amen.

khandis girl unpacking her load for todd burress real housewives of atlanta 2015 imagess

Then there is Kandi. She and Todd head to L.A. so that she can do a part in a new film called Second Chance Christmas that he got for her. She notices that Todd is taking more bags than she is and asks him why he is staying a week later than she is. He tells her that he needs some time to which she looks at him like “for real.” He tells her, “I aint gonna go back and forth with you, you just like to argue.” She tells him that she is just going to shut down instead of arguing and that’s just what she does… and walks away.

So they go to L.A. and Kandi comes back home… alone. Carmon meets her at the house. Kandi tells her that L.A was fine but “I am not necessarily a fan of anywhere else but Atlanta.” She then tells her how she and Todd argued because she asked someone a question after he gave her the answer. She then tells her “girl we aint even had sex like that that much… we may do it once a week.” Kandi tells her that she initiates the sex which begs the question, is Todd stepping out. “The amount of times we have sex it seems like someone is cheating.” Then she says, “If he is misbehaving, just don’t let me find out about it.” Mmmmm, that doesn’t sound right. From this conversation she realizes they need counseling. “We’re just gonna have to work it out.

apollo tell peter about phaedra cheating chocolate rhoa recap 2015

In this episode too, Apollo is finally heading to jail and he needs some boy time, I guess, so he goes for a ride with Peter. Apollo tells him that he saw Phaedra’s phone and she is having an affair with some African guy named Chocolate. He has her text messages, which he sent to his phone and shows Peter. He tells Apollo to keep cool and not do something stupid. Don’t snap Apollo. Don’t… Snap! I’ve never seen such an influx of Africans descending on one city before, but Atlanta seems to be infested with them.

cynthia bailey shocked at phaedra scandal real housewives of atlanta recap image 2015

A few hours later, Peter gets home and guess what? He tells Cynthia. He reads her the text messages and of course she is in total shock. Cynthia then pretty much calls Phaedra a hypocrite because she is always calling everyone else a hoe and THOT when she is having an affair herself. Damn right. I do feel like Peter just yearns to be one of the additional Housewives Of Atlanta because he just loves him some gossip and can’t hold it in for a minute!

apollo finds sexy texts on phaedra phone rhoa 2015 images

And remember Kenya and her TV show she is working on. Well we see her writing her script at 2 a.m. (what a work ethic) because she can’t find a writer. If nothing else, she works hard because she “doesn’t like to lose money.”

The next day, she and Brandon audition actresses. The girls go through their lines and Kenya just stares at them crazily. Then Cynthia comes in to read for character Cynthia and totally nails it. It is safe to say that she has the part.

apollo goes off when phaedra changes locks real housewives of atlanta 2015 images

The episode ends with a majorly dramatic confrontation between Apollo and Phaedra. She thought he was in jail but he shows up the house. And he shows up when the repair guy is there to replace the garage with a new opener. Phaedra actually has all of the locks changed on the house and you know Apollo is pissed about that. She does not call the police on him but tells his friend Bun that he needs to come get him. Now when I say Apollo is heated, I mean he is livid going through the house cussing, messing stuff up. She stays calm the entire time.

apollo tells phaedra to not call cops threaten rhoa 2015 images

 

This was a really odd part of the show as Phaedra keeps talking about Apollo punching holes in the walls, but we’ve yet to see any of this. We know how producers of these reality shows live for moments like this, so you’d assume there would be some type of proof. Or at least Phaedra being the top rank lawyer would be collecting proof like crazy, but she just remains a very cool woman, and when she said her prayer comment to Apollo, it did make me laugh. For some reason, I think that both of them are equally at fault in all this, and she’s smart enough to wiggle her way out of trouble.

phaedra holding apollo off with tool real housewives of atlants 2015 images

The whole situation is very interesting because her calmness makes me wonder if the cheating claims are true. But then again, text messages don’t lie. But on the other hand, it’s just as easy to create fake text message, and if we remember, Apollo did fess up to making up the entire Kenya L.A. meeting last year.

We’ll find out next week.

Odds On Favorites For Super Bowl 50

Odds On Favorites For Super Bowl 50 2015 images

It’s never too early to start thinking about next year’s Super Bowl aka Super Bowl 50. I’m aware that Super Bowl 49 just wrapped up and Pete Carroll is still having some sleepless nights after he botched the call at the goal line. And there were enough storylines from that one game to carry over into March. That’s how good this year’s Super Bowl was and how shocking the ending was for everyone watching. As good as the entire 2014 season was, we have to move forward and take a peek at which teams are favored to win it all in 2015. The talking heads on TV have their own ideas about who will be in the big game at the end of next season, but I will go with the true experts in Vegas. Here are teams that the oddsmakers believe to have the best shot.

russell wilsons seattle seahawks odds on for super bowl 50 2015

Seattle Seahawks – 13/2 odds – They all but won the game this year. They were one yard away with a monster at tailback. But a coaching blunder cost them the world title. A single play call like that can have ripple effects for years to come believe it or not. The team is going to give Russell Wilson a boatload of money long term so that will affect who they can sign this offseason as well as the next three or four years. The team is young, but has mad experience over the past three years. They have played in some of the most exciting playoff games we have witnessed. Nearly coming back against Atlanta three years ago in the playoffs, destroying heavy favorite Denver in Super Bowl 48, ripping Aaron Rodgers’ heart out in the NFC title game this year, and playing in one of the best Super Bowls ever versus New England, makes them as game ready as any team in the league. If I had to bet though, I would take another team to win. It is no easy thing to get to three Super Bowls in a row.

tom brady new england patriots best best for super bowl 50 2015

New England Patriots – 8/1 odds – They went toe to toe with Seattle and many people would say the Seahawks were the better team, but just lost only due to a bad coaching decision. Let’s not forget that the Patriots had the defending champs down by four with just two minutes to go. If not for a miracle catch by Jermaine Kearse at the five yard line Seattle may never sniff the goal line. The Pats won the game period. If I had to bet on one team, this would be it. Laying $100 on Brady and Belichick to win $800 is a risk worth taking. Brady is still a top five QB even though he has thrown more costly picks in bigger games the past few years. Can the dynamic cheaters, allegedly, get to five Super Bowl wins? They have as good a shot as any other elite team and the odds are worth taking for a few bucks.

aaron rodgers green bay packers good bet for super bowl 50 2015

Green Bay Packers – 10/1 odds – Even though Aaron Rodgers probably hates the fact that Mike McCarthy is his head coach, the Packers are still a threat to go to the Super Bowl each year. Rodgers is the best quarterback in the world and has receivers that Tom Brady would kill for or at least try and cheat the Packers’ out of. McCarthy is no longer going to be calling the plays so I feel like Aaron Rodgers will have more influence over how aggressive the Packers are in the playoffs. #12 never wants to see a sure victory get away from them like the game up in Seattle. 10/1 odds is a good play considering how good the Packers offense is and how well the defense played versus Seattle for all but those last few minutes.

peyton manning denver broncos not good bet for super bowl 50 2015

Denver Broncos – 10/1 odds – I would stay away from this bet unless you have boundless faith in Peyton Manning. He may not even be back next year as he is still undecided according to the latest reports. If he does come back its not like he will have a cannon for an arm magically. He looked awful the last few games of 2014 injured or not. He is not the same guy he was and even if he was it’s not like he has shined in the playoffs. His regular season greatness simply hasn’t applied to the postseason. So Peyton or no Peyton in 2015, I would not risk a hundred dollar bill even to win $1000.

dallas cowboys good choice for super bowl 50 2015

Dallas Cowboys – odds 20/1 – This team has the feel of a powerhouse judging by what they did in 2014. However they face the dilemma of signing Dez Bryant and or DeMarco Murray. Signing both is possible, but not super likely. Without that tandem they could drop off significantly. A bad call on what is or isn’t a catch cost the Cowboys a chance to beat out the Packers for their spot on the NFC Title matchup with Seattle. Rolling the dice on Dallas at 20/1 odds isn’t a terrible bet. America’s team has to eventually win another Super Bowl….right?

Some surprising teams near the top of the most favored list are:

-Philadelphia at 20/1 – They were elite in the regular season, but fell apart when it mattered most down the stretch. Not an unreasonable pick in my opinion though.

-San Francisco at 25/1 – This team has run off one of the best in the business in Jim Harbaugh and yet they are still in the top eight most favored Super Bowl 50 winners. Vegas knows more than me, but I don’t have any faith in this team at this point.

-Detroit at 30/1 – The fact that San Fran is above the Lions on this list should upset Detroit fans a bit. They are a contender, but the expert bookmakers likely have little faith in Matt Stafford.

See the entire list of futures odds on next year’s Super Bowl. By the way, the NFL is using normal numbers for the 50th Super Bowl. ‘Super Bowl L’ just looked odd so they are going with ‘Super Bowl 50’. I wish they would do that going forward.

Detroit Lions Season Recap & 2015 NFL Draft Needs

Detroit Lions Season Recap 2015 NFL Draft Needs

Another disappointing season has come to an end for the Detroit Lions in the Motor City. Despite an 11-5 record and another playoff berth, the Detroit Lions were unable to go anywhere once again, losing in the Wild Card Round to the Dallas Cowboys 24-20. Sure, the referees robbed the Lions of their victory; but at the end of the day the Lions were knocked out after only one game.

detroit lions lose dallas cowboys wildcard 2015 images

The Lions certainly had a lot of potential early in the season. They beat their NFC North rival Green Bay Packers 19-7 early in the season, and for a while the Lions actually boasted the best defense in the NFL over both the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.

ndamukong suh leaving detroit lions 2015 images

The Lions are an odd case. It seems that every season they have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, but they never do anything with it. With Ndamukong Suh’s contract ending, the Lions may lose their best defensive player; and that will certainly leave a hole in their defense. On offense, the Lions have Calvin Johnson. Really I shouldn’t have to mention anyone else; but they also have Reggie Bush, Brandon Pettigrew, Matthew Stafford, and Golden Tate. Every game should be a Stafford touchdown fest, but that’s just not the case. Maybe the Lions should focus more on their coaching issues than anything. With that in mind, here are the Lions top needs in the 2015 Draft:

reggie bush running ball for detroit lions 2015 images

Running Back: The running game is the Lions biggest offensive flaw. Bush is a fantastic athlete, but he’s struggled with actually running the ball since his days with the New Orleans Saints. Bush is better as a check down option or a pass protector. On top of that, Bush has always had problems staying healthy. Theo Riddick has been solid for the team, but that’s not saying much. At the end of the day he’s just a third-down back. Joique Bell is the best option for the Lions moving forward, but bringing in someone to alternate with Bell would be a good move. If the Lions are lucky, Miami running back Duke Johnson might just fall to their 23rd overall selection.

jake fisher best draft pick for detroit lions 2015

Offensive Tackle: Drafting just a running back won’t do the Lions much good. The Lions started three different players at right tackle, but with no luck. The Lions rookie running back would have no chance at success without a solid offensive line to block for him. The Lions top prospect seems to be Oregon Ducks’ tackle Jake Fisher. Fisher seems to be just one of many tackles in the draft this season that would be ready to step into a starting role immediately. A 1st or 2nd round selection here would do wonders for the Lions run blocking.

nick failry looking to leave detroit lions 2015 images

Defensive Tackle: This may strike some people as odd, after all the Lions had the NFL’s best front four this past season. Well, here’s the problem: both Suh and Nick Fairley are at the end of their contracts and fully intend on testing the free agency market this offseason. All signs point towards Suh finding employment somewhere else; and Fairley is coming off of a pretty serious injury, so drafting a backup plan can’t hurt.

michael bennett ohio state draft pick for detroit lions 2015 images

The Lions actually have some options here. They could use an early draft pick to select a defensive lineman like Michael Bennett out of Ohio State who would be ready to jump in and contribute. However, if Suh does decide to leave Detroit, the Lions would save a ton of money. In fact, the Lions could use one season’s salary that would have gone to Suh to grab up two experienced veterans. Either way, look for the Lions to fill up their defensive line and keep it onto of the NFL.

FCC Deciding Whose Internet It Will Be

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fcc decidings who owns internet

A ruling to decide whose internet it is, will be made by the Federal Communication Commission, FCC. Tom Wheeler, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, says he’s keeping that question in mind as he pitches the biggest regulatory shake-up to the telecommunications industry since 1996, when people still used noisy modems and referred to the “information superhighway” as a fun way to buy books or check the weather.

Wheeler has not publicly released his plan yet, and might not for a few weeks. But he has suggested that Internet service has become as critical to people in the United States as water, electricity or phone service and should be regulated like any other public utility.

Wheeler reported that he wants “yardsticks in place to determine what is in the best interest of consumers as opposed to what is in the best interest of the gatekeepers.”

There are chances that an annual tax rate of U.S. wireless accounts will increase by 72$ this year. However, the consumers will be facing no changes in their internet experiences as this expected rate is unapproachable.

What is the term “net neutrality” and how it will affect the consumers:

save the internet fcc decides on net neutrality

THE ISSUE

Net neutrality is the idea that Internet providers should not move some content faster than others or enter into paid agreements with companies such as Netflix to prioritize their data.

Broadband providers have questioned the fairness of this approach. They have invested heavily in a sophisticated infrastructure and question whether the government should be telling them how to run their networks and package services.

But what if the major cable companies that provide much of the nation’s broadband had free rein to load some files faster than others? It is easy to imagine scenarios where these providers might favor content produced by their affiliates or start charging “tolls” to move data. Consumers naturally would gravitate toward faster sites and services that pay those fees, while smaller startups or nonprofits get shut out.

OPTIONS TO SOLVE THE ISSUES

The FCC had used the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which was intended to encourage competition in the telephone and cable industry, to enforce “open Internet” rules, until recently, when a federal appeals court knocked down that approach.

President Barack Obama and consumer advocates say a better tack would be to apply Title II of the 1934 Communications Act. That law, written with radio, telegraph and phone service in mind, prohibits companies from charging unreasonable rates or threatening access to services that are critical to society.

Industry likens that approach to cracking a nut with a sledgehammer.

THE FCC

Wheeler says he will circulate his proposal among the other FCC commissioners before Thursday. He has suggested it probably will apply Title II regulation to all Internet service, including wireless, but with some caveats.

Industry experts expect that Wheeler will say many rules should not apply to broadband, invoking what’s called “forbearance.”

The commissioners will vote Feb. 26. Wheeler expected to have the support of the other two Democratic commissioners. The two Republican commissioners have made clear that they do not support applying Title II.

Next stop will be the courts. Industry lobbyists and FCC officials say there’s no doubt one of the big providers will sue and probably ask the court to suspend enforcement of the new regulation pending appeal. It’s possible the issue won’t be resolved for several more years, even well into the next president’s first term.

CONGRESS

Lawmakers could try to resolve the uncertainty, but Congress rarely is that pragmatic. Lawmakers tend to take on issues that fire up their base or bring their states money, and an in-the-weeds compromise on telecommunications law would be a lot of work with little immediate payoff.

So far, Republicans have pitched an idea that would enforce basic open Internet rules but could strip the FCC of its ability to help local municipalities build their own broadband. It’s a nonstarter for Obama and congressional Democrats who say poor and rural areas have been left behind in the deployment of high-speed Internet.

Assuming Wheeler’s proposal satisfies consumer advocacy groups, Democrats would have little incentive to revisit the issue. While Republicans have the votes to ram though their own anti-regulation legislation without Democratic support, Obama would veto it.

CONSUMERS

Most Internet providers, except Sprint, have warned the legal uncertainty will chill future investments. FCC officials point to a recent wireless spectrum auction that has attracted some $44 billion as proof that the telecommunications industry is thriving even amid the current uncertainty.

As for taxes, the Progressive Policy Institute estimated that treating the Internet like phone service would trigger taxes and fees up to $15 billion a year, including $67 for each wired service and $72 for wireless in state and local taxes.

But that report, widely quoted by industry lobbyists, did not take into account the Internet Tax Freedom Act, which prohibits state and local governments from imposing new taxes on Internet access, or the FCC’s ability to shield consumers against some state and local taxes by claiming the Internet is an “interstate” service.

 

Top 3 Most Underrated Tennis Players 2015

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Top 3 Most Underrated Tennis Players 2015

It often happens in men’s tennis that an underdog player, much lesser known compared to some, bursts into the Top Ten on tour and makes a name for himself with upset victories over well-established players. Robin Soderling, the only player to date to defeat Rafael Nadal at the French Open, is a prime example of such a player as the Swede made a name for himself in 2009 at Roland Garros. Many tennis fans might also remember Jurgen Melzer’s shock defeat of Novak Djokovic at the 2010 French Open, coming back from down two-sets to love in that tournament’s quarterfinals. Both Soderling and Melzer enjoyed some time in the Top 10 in no small part due to their hard-to-predict upsets.

Right now on the ATP Tour there are certainly some players that I think are below the radar. Here’s a look at a trio of players that could be considered under-rated on the ATP Tour right now.

gilles miller top 3 most underrated tennis players 2015 iamges

Gilles Muller

Gilles Muller, as I write, just closed out a win in Rotterdam against a much younger player in David Goffin. Nonetheless the man from Luxembourg will remain a relatively unknown player for many tennis fans. Muller is 31-years old and currently ranked 37th in the world – not exactly head turning. However astute tennis fans will have noticed that Muller is a player capable of doing damage in Grand Slam tournaments.

The 6’4” lefty has a Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance to his credit, having made it that far at the 2008 US Open. In that event he sent Tommy Haas, Nicolas Almagro, and Nikolay Davydenko packing despite being ranked well outside of the Top 100 on tour. Muller also victories in Grand Slams over a few former Grand Slam champions: he defeated Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon 2005 when Rafa was ranked third in the world, Muller defeated Andy Roddick at the 2005 US Open when Roddick was ranked third, and he, Muller, also defeated former French Open champion Gaston Gaudio at the Australian Open.

Recently Muller made the fourth round of the Australian Open where he was a worthy competitor against Novak Djokovic. The small-run to the fourth round at Melbourne Park was a good follow-up to 2014 where Muller’s play hinted at an emergence on the men’s tour.

The current World No. 37 claimed five challenger titles last year, efforts that helped him skyrocket from a year-starting position of World No. 366 to a year-end position of World No. 47. Playing his best, Muller can stay on the court with anyone. He’s capable of putting a dent into any of the Masters Series draws, his ranking should get him into those tournaments, and he’s also capable of further Grand Slam success. If a couple tournaments go his way then he might be able to put himself into position to reach the Top Ten on tour.

At present you will be hard pressed to find betting odds on Muller for the 2015 US Open. However that will change if he plays to his potential this season.

victor estrella burgoes top 3 most underrated tennis players 2015

Victor Estrella Burgos

Victor Estrella Burgos is 34-years old and he just made major headlines on tour this past weekend. “Viti,” as he is affectionately called by his friends, claimed his first tour title with a surprise win in a 250-level event in Quito, Ecuador. As a result of that win, he has entered the record books for ATP tennis as he is the oldest first-time champion in tour history.

Estrella Burgos has not had much of a career but he first caught my attention in Bogota last summer when he shoulda-coulda-woulda won the title in that tournament, losing to Bernard Tomic by the minimum in a semifinal third set tiebreaker.  Estrella Burgos then made some minor headlines at the US Open, making the third round and playing three tough sets against Milos Raonic before losing in that round.

Having contested so few ATP level events in 2014 the only place that Viti can go is up. He’s got enough ranking points to get into all the minor events on tour now and he’s got enough to get into all the Grand Slams. Some of the small-field Masters Series events will require qualifying for the current World No. 52, while others will not, but regardless his opportunity is there.

All factored in, things are looking great for the 34-year old as long as he avoids injury – something players in their mid-30s often have trouble doing. But look for Estrella Burgos to keep scoring wins over players outside of the Top 20 and, since Viti is well under-rated at his point in his career, look for the announcers and commentators to keep calling his victories upsets.

roberto bautista agut top 3 most underrated tennis players 2015

Roberto Bautista Agut

Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain claimed a couple titles in 2014, winning a clay court event in Stuttgart and a grass court event in s-Hertogenbosch. He’s hard to call “under-rated” due to the fact that he has a high ranking on tour, currently sitting as the World No. 16. However he is a little bit of a clay courter and if Rafael Nadal is not his old self during April, May, and June that might leave some spots in late rounds of tournaments up for grabs. Bautista Agut is one of the players that is capable of filling any void left by a less than par top player.

Currently the Spaniard is a major longshot to win the French Open, priced at 300 to 1 (source: 888sport). However those odds could very well shorten in the months ahead if he continues to prove himself on tour as he did in 2014. Although he’s already a proven Top 20 player, I think you could still consider him under-rated as he has more potential that what his odds in major events suggest.

Top 3 Most Overrated Tennis Players 2015

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Most Overrated Tennis Players 2015

In ATP tennis, it is harder for a player to be over-rated compared to a lot of other sports. There’s a couple good reasons for that in my view, and one of those reasons has to do with the ATP’s ranking system.

The ATP Tour, it could be argued, has a sound approach for ranking its competitors. The tour employs a system where results over the last 52 weeks count toward a player’s ranking: a player earns points through what he proves on court with tournaments offering ranking points to players based on rounds of elimination.

That ranking system is different than college basketball, for example, where teams receive votes that count toward their rankings – votes that reflect subjective opinion.

But since every ranking point is earned in ATP tennis it is hard for players to be over-hyped: for the most part, you get the exact ranking that you deserve. However, when addressing the subject of who is over-rated, I do think you can look at betting odds. From that point of view there are some players that have shorter odds for some events than they probably should.

He’s a look at a trio of over-rated tennis players for some important future tournaments.

rafael nadal most overrated tennis players wimbledon 2015

Rafael Nadal: Over-rated for Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal, considered to be one of the greatest players of all-time, is currently ranked third in the world behind both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. The Spaniard is the odds-on favorite to win the 2015 French Open (source: bet365) following so much success in the tournament. However he is also fourth favorite to win Wimbledon and I think he’s well overhyped at that.

It’s been a full five years since Nadal has won Wimbledon and it’s been four years since he’s made the final having lost early in the grass court Slam to Steve Darcis, Lukas Rosol, and Nick Kyrgios. What can be expected of Nadal at the All England Club in 2015? Based on his recent history of results but also in consideration of his potential I would make Nadal my 7th to 10th favorite. That status implies an exit in the fourth round or the quarters.

juan martin del potro most overrated tennis players french open 2015 images

Juan Martin del Potro: Over-rated for the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open

Juan Martin del Potro is always on the short-to-medium lengthed list of favorites to win a Grand Slam title provided that he is actually participating in the event. However those that believe in JMD are those that believe in ghosts.

The Argentine has just one Grand Slam final to his credit in his entire career and it’s a good thing that he cashed in on that appearance because it might have been his only chance at greatness. Sadly, the years are passing on the sidelines for the 2009 US Open champion and the former World No. 4 is currently ranked just 339th. While that ranking may be fluff from some points of view, the bottom line is that Juan Martin, even when he starts entering tournaments, may have big time seeding problems.

Delpo might be a better pure talent than either Stan Wawrinka or Maric Cilic – two recent Slammers. However things as they are, the Argentine is more of a player from the past than one for the future. Perplexingly, JMD is considered sixth favorite for the French Open, he’s considered seventh favorite for Wimbledon 2015, and he’s the ninth favorite to win Flushing Meadows this year. He’s a bigger longshot than that in my books for all of those events.

Truthfully, I would be surprised if he even played in all three of those upcoming tournaments.

tomas berdych most overrated tennis player french open 2015 images

Tomas Berdych: Over-rated for the French Open and Wimbledon

Tomas Berdych, many times a Grand Slam semifinalist and once a runnerup, can be found priced as short as 20 to 1 to win the 2015 French Open (source: Betfred). The same sportsbook also has Berdych at 16 to 1 to win Wimbledon. However a close look at the current Czech No. 1 shows that, while Berdych is a tough out in most draws, he’s just not capable of consistently closing out tournaments.

Berdych has been ranked in the Top Ten for ages. However, for such a highly ranked player, he’s only picked up ten career titles. Of those titles, only one is noteworthy as he won the Paris Masters way back in 2005.

But to go with those ten titles, Berdych has a whole bunch of late round losses. For starters, he has lost fifteen finals in his career. Additionally, Berdych is just 1-4 in Grand Slam semifinals.

He’s clearly not much of a tournament closer and anyone that watched Berdych play in the 2015 Australian Open saw what he’s like. The Czech is a dominant player that often cruises through the early rounds of tournaments but then he bumps into the brick wall of fatigue.

Odds of 20 to 1 and 16 to 1 to win the French Open and Wimbledon respectively over-rate Berdych quite severely because he just doesn’t have what all Grand Slam titlists have: the ability to play high quality tennis, not just out of the gates but all the way to the finish line.

Minnesota Vikings Season Recap & 2015 NFL Draft Needs

Minnesota Vikings Season Recap 2015 NFL Draft Needs

The Minnesota Vikings did not have the best season in 2014, but for playing nearly the entire season without their best player they did relatively well. 2012 NFL MVP Adrian Peterson was only able to play Week One before being suspended for the rest of the season due to his child abuse scandal.

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Without their superstar running back the Vikings struggled greatly, especially on offense. Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater took over for the injured Matt Cassel Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints, and he completely shook up the NFL world. Bridgewater did fantastic in his first few games, including a season-high 317 yards in his home debut against the Atlanta Falcons the next week; but it was all downhill from there for the rookie.

minnesota vikings head coach mike zimmer good season 2015 images

The Vikings finished 7-9, second to last in the NFC North; and all things considered Mike Zimmer’s first season as head coach went pretty well. There is no guarantee that Peterson will return to the Vikings, so the Vikings will really need to dig deep in this coming draft. Here’s the Vikings top needs before heading into the 2015 season:

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Running Back: As I said, Peterson’s return is not written in stone. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been trying to get Peterson to jump ship since the running back got to Minnesota. This team was built around Peterson, so having a good running back to fill in the void would be helpful. Sure, the odds of finding an Adrian Peterson outside of the top five is slim to none; but the Vikings don’t need another Peterson, just someone good enough to split the carries with Jerick McKinnon. An early to mid-round selection should suffice.

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Linebacker: The Vikings selected Anthony Barr with their first round pick last season, and he has turned out great so far. Chad Greenway is also an above average linebacker. The problem is the Vikings have no one else and no backup plan if either of them get injured. The Vikings really need to consider using a mid to late round pick this season to grab a solid backup for their two stars.

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Offensive Tackle: The Vikings offensive line saw a lot of injuries this season, but even when they were all healthy they struggled to protect Bridgewater. One tackle, Matt Kalil, had an especially tough season. Finding a starting caliber left tackle outside of the first round might be asking a little too much, but drafting some competition for Kalil can’t hurt. If he can’t compete with an early round rookie then obviously he doesn’t deserve to start anyways.

harrison smith minnesota vikings best defensive secondary 2015 images

Defensive Secondary: The Vikings boast Harrison Smith, arguably their best defensive player. Well, the free safety can’t do it all. The Vikings need some help around Smith, some depth at cornerback, and a new strong safety all together. The Vikings would be smart to use the majority of this draft restocking their secondary with some fresh young talent. The more depth, the better.

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Wide Receiver: This seemed to be the one position that the Vikings had covered heading into the 2014 season. Cordarrelle Patterson had an outstanding season in 2013, but he wasn’t able to come even close to living up to the hype around him in 2014. As a result, adding a number one guy to the roster is a pressing need for the Vikings; and the improvement in Bridgewater’s numbers will certainly thank them. The Vikings have the 11th pick in the 2015 Draft, so moving up to draft Amari Cooper isn’t out of the question. Whatever the Vikings decide, their first round pick would certainly go a long way with the right receiver.

UEFA Champions League Group Series 2014-2015 Review

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UEFA Champions League Group Series 2014-2015 Review

UEFA Champions League Group Series, the biggest European competition, will resume on Tuesday after a big break! Allow us to take you back to the group stages of this season’s Champions League.

Last season’s finalist, Atletico and the Serie A winners, Juventus were placed in Group A alongside the Greek club Olympiacos and Malmo FF. The Spanish champions finished the group stages at the top with 13 points, while the Old Lady earned 10 points and finished second. The third placed, Olympiacos have qualified for the Europa League spot.

Real Madrid won all the matches they played in Group B. The European champions picked up 18 points after winning all the six games including the home and away fixtures against Liverpool. The five-time European champions got knocked out after struggling in their first Champions League since 2009. Brendan Rodgers’ team lost thrice and drew twice and finished third in the group. Basel were the second best team in the group as they earned seven points from six matches.

AS Monaco topped the Group C while Bayer Leverkusen finished second. Zenit St. Petersburg and Benfica couldn’t keep up with the French and German clubs. Both Monaco and Leverkusen won three games each, but the Ligue 1 team got one better of the Germans on account of losses. Leverkusen lost twice and drew once and Monaco gathered 11 points by drawing twice and losing once.

Borussia Dortmund are clearly struggling in their domestic league this season and they won’t certainly feature in next year’s version if they don’t win it this season. Their Bundesliga performances were quite different from what they gave in Europe. They topped Group D, followed by the evergreen Arsenal. The Gunners accrued equal points as Klopp’s side (13), but on account of goal difference they finished runners-up.

The winners of Group E, Bayern Munich completely dominated their group. Pep Guardiola’s team lost only once in the group games and they accumulated a total of 15 points. Group E’s runners-up, Manchester City have made it to the knock out stages after failing on all previous attempts. Pellegrini’s City were able to pick up all three points against the German champions. CSKA Moscow were punished by all these major European powerhouses and they finished fourth behind Roma. The Rome based club also lost on several occasions despite of so many quality players. Alike Liverpool, Roma made a comeback after missing out on a previous few occasions.

Group F’s proceedings were resided upon by Luis Enrique’s Barcelona. The Blaugrana giants won all their group matches expect one. PSG finished second, only two points behinds the Spanish giants. Both these teams have interesting fixtures in the round of 16, this week.

Chelsea and Schalke were the clear winners of Group G. The Blues won four and drew two to gather 14 points in their six group games. The German club, Schalke FC were the second best team in Group G and they finished the group stages with 8 points, only one more than the Portuguese club, Sporting Lisbon.

Group H was topped by the Portuguese club, Porto FC. Porto went undefeated in the group stages and amassed 14 points. Shakhtar Donetsk has also made it to the knock out stages after winning twice and drawing thrice in the group stage.

UEFA Champions League Soccer Is Back! Week 15 Preview

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UEFA Champions League Soccer Is Back Week 15 Preview

UEFA Champions League, the biggest club competition in the world, is back after a two month break. The stage is set as we’ve now reached the knock stages of the tournament. The draws for the round of 16 of this elite competition was held on December 15, 2014 and the first legs will be played on February 17, 18 and February 24, 25.

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Paris Saint Germain vs Chelsea will kick-off this week’s action. This tie in Paris is scheduled for Tuesday and we can expect a lot of fireworks, when these two sides meet at Parc-des-Princes. The Blues are the favorites to go through to the quarter finals, but we simply can’t write off Laurent Blanc’s men. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still one of the best players in the world and is more than capable of winning matches on his own. The Swedish striker will face his former boss, Jose Mourinho, from his time at Inter. Another former player of the Chelsea boss, David Luiz, will have an emotional set of fixtures against the West Londoners. Both the teams are equally balanced and more or less have similar form in their respective domestic leagues.

baryern munich vs shakhtar champions league soccer 2015 images

In the other fixture on Tuesday, Bayern Munich will travel to Shakhtar Donetsk and we can expect Guardiola’s team to dominate in both the legs. The result at Veltins Arena could be quite similar on Wednesday, as Schalke plays host to Real Madrid. Ancelotti’s team haven’t been as lethal as they were in the first half of the season, but the European champions certainly have the quality to make it to the semi finals. It won’t be a big surprise if they become the first European team to retain the Champions League trophy. Another match in the midweek will be between Basel and FC Porto. It is hard to pick between these two sides, but it will be a lot easier to do after this clash.

manchester city vs barcelona champions leagues 2015 images soccer

Next week, we’ll have crunchier matches. On February 24, Manchester City will be inviting Luis Enrique’s Barcelona. Both the teams have a lot of firepower, which makes this clash more mouthwatering. Barca are in great form and it would be a big task for Pellegrini’s men to contain SNM ( Suarez, Neymar and Messi ). Aguero, Toure and Silva will have to step up their game in order to beat the European giants. On the same day, Juventus will host the German club, Borussia Dortmund. Klopp’s team are gaining pace in the Bundesliga, but still if we evaluate on the basis of their recent form, the ‘Old Lady’ have an advantage.

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On Wednesday, next week, Bayer Leverkusen will invite the Spanish champions, Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone’s side lost this weekend and they’ll look to bounce back in the La Liga, before heading to Germany. Last year’s runners-up, Atletico have what it takes to reach the final yet again, but they’ll have to be at their best to achieve that. Last but not the least, the English giants, Arsenal will face the Ligue 1 outfit, AS Monaco at the Emirates. With most of their players back from the treatment room, the North Londoners have a good chance of advancing to the next round.

TOTAL DIVAS Season 3 Brie Mode & Nattie’s Dad

TOTAL DIVAS Season 3 Brie Mode & Natties Dad

This was a rollarcoaster of emotions week on Total Divas Rosa Mendes, Alicia Fox and Paige were clowning around with Summer Rae and Renee Young. Natalya walked in and was startled by their behavior, which took place backstage at a WWE taping.

natalya nattie watching match with out of it addict dad total divas 2015

Natalya talked about her dad’s struggle with an addiction. Meanwhile, backstage at a Smackdown taping the girls were briefed on WWE’s upcoming European Tour.  The girls then talked about WWE wrestler Wade Barrett and Alicia Fox confessed that the two dated for two years before he broke up with her.

As they arrived in Europe, Paige expressed her excitement at being home for the duration of the two week tour. Natalya called to find out an update on a court case her dad is involved in. Natalya told Brie that her dad doesn’t think he has a problem with addiction and doesn’t think he needs help. She also said she wants to intervene on her dad’s behalf and make sure he gets help anyway. Natalya then said that she knows she is controlling and it is one of the issues she has with her husband, TJ, but that she needs to use her propensity for controlling when it comes to helping her dad.

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While in Europe, Nikki and Brie were presenters at the MTV Awards. Meanwhile, Rosa Mendes and Alicia Fox went to Las Vegas together. Rosa told Alicia she needs to go out, meet guys and start dating. Alicia said that she will love again when she is ready to and Rosa shouldn’t be pushing her to find a man because Rosa is single too. Rosa expressed her anger that Alicia was trying to interfere with her life.

brie defends brie mode from paige on total divas 2015 images

Back in Europe, Nikki and Brie went to the hotel bar to drink with Paige. The twins cringed when Paige ordered shots for all three. Brie and Nikki tried to tell Paige to finish her glass of champagne and then go to bed. As the divas continued to do shots they became visibly drunk. They started to get sloppy with their drinks and began dancing in a provocative manner. When they left the bar they were extremely loud. They then piled into a car service to head back to their hotel. They drunkenly sung about Brie having lost her shoe.

brie vomits on nikki total divas recap images 2015

In Europe, Nikki went to Brie’s hotel room to check on her and got no response when she showed up at her door. Nikki then asked the hotel staff to let her into Brie’s room. When she got in there she found Brie sleeping in the bed. Nikki said Brie had to get up because they had a live WWE RAW show to do that day and they agreed to work out together before the show. Brie then responded by getting sick to her stomach in the bathroom. Nikki became frustrated with Brie and Brie shot back that Nikki has thrown up before. She scolded Nikki for drinking so much when she knew they had to wrestle the next day. Later on, backstage at RAW Brie swore that she felt better but Nikki was clearly still annoyed with her.

While in Europe, Alicia Fox, Natalya and Rosa Mendes went on a Beatles tour though England. Natalya expressed she was grateful that the girls were distracting her from worrying about her dad. They talked about whether or not Alicia Fox was going to get back together with Wade Barrett and she said that she wasn’t. Natalya told her the best way to get revenge on Barrett is to live her life and be happy. Alicia expressed her anxiety at the thought of having to see Barrett during the European tour.

Paige said that Brie is wild when she’s drinking and even called her a legend.  They then talked about Nikki getting Brie up after her night of drinking and Brie told Paige Nikki is mad at her. Nikki expressed her concern that if Brie’s performance was off then that would affect Nikki too. During Brie’s match with AJ Brie felt amazing from the adrenaline shot she got from wrestling. Nikki told Brie she works pretty well when she is hung over but Brie denied being hungover.

As the girls met they could tell Natalya was upset about her dad. She had received a call from her mom that her dad went to the emergency room and almost died. Natalya was so upset she said she didn’t want the cameras filming her for the show.

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At a WWE Meet & Greet Natalya connected with her fans who she calls Team Natty. Some fans asked her how TJ was doing. Natalya said it was tough for her to pretend to the fans that everything in her life is OK when it is not. She then discussed the situation with her dad with TJ and asked him to talk to her dad. Natalya told TJ her dad can’t function now that he is retired from the wrestling business. She expressed that TJ understands her and the dynamics she has with her dad. She also said TJ is there for her when she really needs him.

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As Alicia Fox saw Wade Barrett backstage she didn’t know what to say but knew she needed to talk to him even though the thought of doing so made her feel sick to her stomach. Then she disappeared into the ladies room and threw up. When she talked to Barrett she said she felt like a loser and it was weird that he was there in front of her. She told Barrett he broke her heart and she couldn’t bear to be around him. He said he didn’t want to go to work and make Alicia upset and confessed that their breakup was bad. She asked him why he broke up with her and he told her he couldn’t see them together forever.

natalya brings drug counselor dan spivey to talk to dad total divas 2015

The episode ended with Natalya’s dad coming to visit her and TJ. She brought her dad’s friend Dan to help her talk to him.