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Envy places The Big Journeyman in BostonBasketball Betting Lines08/06/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - I must admit that I chuckled more than a little bit when I saw some Boston-area writers proclaim that The Big Three in Beantown is now an oversized Big Four after Shaquille O'Neal agreed to terms with the Celtics on Wednesday. Maybe if this was 2006, the last year Shaq scored over 20 points a game and showed at least the slightest of movement skills to show on the pick-and-roll. What the Celtics signed earlier this week was an overweight journeyman that can't play defense, slows down your offense and is still obsessed with his former teammate Kobe Bryant. O'Neal was on top of the world back in '06 when he teamed with Dwyane Wade in South Beach to win his first and only Kobe-free championship. Since Shaq had the championship pedigree and Wade was an emerging superstar at the time, most pundits gave O'Neal the starring role in the championship duo, even though Wade was clearly the go-to-guy and the straw that stirred the drink. It was the same dynamic in Los Angeles. O'Neal and his larger-than-life personality also got more credit than the often brooding Bryant, even though Kobe had clearly surpassed him as a player. It fostered jealously in Bryant, the kind of envy that wasn't repaired until Bryant exorcised his Shaq demon when the Lakers topped Orlando in the NBA Finals during the 2008-09 season. A year later Kobe and his Lakers disposed of the their biggest rival, the Celtics, in the Finals and all of a sudden Bryant had more championships than O'Neal while still at the top of his game with the ability and complementary firepower to add even more. Perhaps that's why O'Neal signed a two-year deal for a paltry $3 million to play for his fourth team in five years, those same Celtics. Shaq is traveling from city to city, hoping to find a talented enough team to match up with his nemesis. Last year it was LeBron and Cleveland, and this year it's the team that took the Lakers to seven games without having O'Neal playing 20 minutes a night in the pivot. "I am honored to be joining the Celtics," Shaq said in a statement released by the team. "I have played against Paul [Pierce], Ray [Allen], Kevin [Garnett], Rajon [Rondo], and Jermaine [O'Neal] for many years and it will be great to be able to call them my teammates. I cannot wait to get to Boston to get started in pursuit of another championship." A 15-time All-Star, Shaq has made over $290 million dollars in his NBA career and that number doesn't include endorsements or those hefty royalty checks from Blue Chips and Scary Movie 4. Unless the big man has hired Scottie Pippen's accountant, he should have plenty of ducats left while Kazaam 2 remains in pre-production. So why is the 7-foot-1, 325-pound center sullying a brilliant career by touring the country as a role player? Simple -- you can't be envious and happy at the same time. Clearly Shaq wants to finish things by playing on the parquet floor underneath 17 championship banners with the intent of garnering No. 18 before Bryant and the Lakers can do the same.
<< Allmendinger extends contract with RPM
Watkins Glen, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A.J. Allmendinger has signed a multi-year contract extension with Richard Petty Motorsports to remain as driver of the No. 43 Ford in the Sprint Cup Series. Allmendinger and RPM made the announc
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<< Bills and Spiller agree to terms
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<< Saints add Mark Bradley
Jacksonville Jaguars 2010 Season Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Here's hoping Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio and quarterback David Garrard get used to the scorching weather during the dog days of August. After all, the duo is likely to find themselves on the hot seat all
Thunder ink first-round pick Aldrich >>
Seahawks agree to terms with top pick Okung >>
United acquires defender Zayner from Columbus >>
Fire trade defender Ward to San Jose >>
MySportsbook.com week 1 NFL linesNow that the 2008 NFL schedule is finally out, it is only matter-of-course for lines on “Week 1” to follow. Of course MySportsbook.com is the first to churn out odds for the NFL’s inaugural week for the upcoming season. Expect a lot of fireworks the first Thursday night of the season as the defending champion Indianapolis Colts face off against the surprise of the 2008 season, the New Orleans Saints. These teams were ranked #1 and #3 in the NFL respectively a season ago so a high scoring affair could be in order. As of now, the Colts will be giving 6 points to the Saints; keep in mind the Saints were one of the better road teams last season going 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS. The first Monday night of the season will again provide a “double feature”. Coming off a disappointing season, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to get back to playoffs and improve their public image as they take on the AFC North favorite Baltimore Ravens. The second game features a couple of teams that haven’t had too much success recently but each could make some noise if the NFC is as weak as it was last year as the San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals. The most interesting game of the opening week will feature the NFC champion Bears as they hit the road to take on the NFL’s top team during last year’s regular season, the San Diego Chargers. MySportsbook.com Week 1 odds: Saints +6 @ Colts -6 Falcons @ Vikings (pick ‘em) Panthers @ Rams (pick ‘em) Broncos -3.5 @ Bills +3.5 Chiefs -1 @ Texans +1 Dolphins +3 @ Redskins -3 Patriots -5 @ Jets +5 Eagles -3.5 @ Packers +3.5 Steelers -4 @ Browns +4 Titans +6 @ Jaguars -6 Bears +6 @ Chargers -6 Lions +3 @ Raiders -3 Bucs +6.5 @ Seahawks -6.5 Giants +4 @ Cowboys -4 Ravens +3 @ Bengals -3 Cardinals +3 @ 49ers -3 Super Bowl line (2008) NFC +6.5 vs. AFC -6.5 MySportsbook is a large, publicly traded company with strong financial backing. You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Online Sportsbook Football BettingThe NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason. New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall). The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo. Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years. Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason. Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes. The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher. Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer. The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick. Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards. However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed). The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense. Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style. In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record. Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme. Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack. MySportsbook is considered one of the finest football sportsbooks according to several surveys performed by independent industry analysts considering such factors as payout accuracy and timeliness, overall quality of website, and bettor satisfaction. MySportsbook is a large company with strong financial backing. Considered the best sportsbook for betting football online You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your nfl football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards. |
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