A sad, tragic end in Memphis
Basketball Betting Lines
07/29/2010 -
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A body riddled with bullets was found in
Southeast Memphis Wednesday afternoon in a thickly wooded area near FedEx's
world headquarters.
It was just another sad ending in a city that has become notorious for its
gang problems and ever-increasing homicide rate.
But, Lorenzen Wright was the last person they should have been caught up in
the underbelly of Memphis.
Wright spent 13 years in the NBA after being selected seventh overall by the
Los Angeles Clippers in the 1996 draft.
Raised near Oxford, Miss., the River City would become a constant in Wright's
short life. The 6-foot-11 power forward played his high school and college
ball in Memphis, and eventually ended up with the Grizzlies in 2001-02 when he
was traded by the Atlanta Hawks along with Pau Gasol and Brevin Knight to the
Grizz for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Jamaal Tinsley.
Although he never lived up to the billing of a top 10 pick, Wright carved out
a niche that enabled him to make over $55 million dollars over his NBA career,
and he never hesitated to give back to his hometown.
During his first of three NBA stints in Atlanta, Wright, Penny Hardaway and
two other Memphis-area NBA players (Todd Day and Elliot Perry) furnished
$10,000 to Travis Butler, a 9-year-old boy who lived with his mother's corpse
for a month out of fear he would be put in foster care if anyone found out she
was dead.
He also founded the Sierra Simone Wright Scholarship Fund designed to award
students for academic achievement and heavy involvement in their school or
community after the death of his infant daughter in March 2003.
Now, all that's left of Wright's legacy is for police to figure out what
happened to him in the early morning hours of July 19.
The 34-year-old Wright was last seen alive on July 18 and was reported missing
by his family four days later. A 911 call was received from Wright's cell
phone at 1:00 am on the 19th and the caller, presumably Wright, was speaking
with the dispatcher when several gun shots rang out.
According to 730 Fox Sports in Memphis, Wright was shot at least a dozen times
and possibly as many as 18 times, a fact that most investigators will tell you
points away from a random act of violence.
By Wednesday night, local media reports had nearly 200 people gathering in the
area Wright's body was found as investigators combed the area for evidence and
brought in a mobile command center.
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Lorenzen Wright," Grizzlies
owner Michael Heisley said in a statement. "We lost a member of the Grizzlies
family. Lorenzen delighted fans on the court with his passion and off the
court with his generosity in a Memphis community that watched him grow
throughout his playing career at Booker T. Washington High School, the
University of Memphis and the NBA."
Family and friends, meanwhile, are having a difficult time coming to terms
with Wright's tragic end.
"Lorenzen's family has come together to mourn his loss and honor his legacy,"
his family said in a statement issued through their cousin, Camella Logan. "We
appreciate your thoughts, prayers and condolences as they are comforting at
this very difficult time. Additionally, we ask that you please respect our
privacy as we try to cope with his sudden loss."
"I cried, the emotions hit me immediately," Hardaway told Eyewitness News in
Memphis. "It's sad because we lost a good person and a brother."
Wright leaves behind six children and a mystery for Memphis to solve.
"To end his career and his life like this here in some woods, that's not
good," friend Stan McKinley said. "You don't do a dog like this. It's just a
really sad day for the city as a whole."
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MySportsbook.com week 1 NFL lines
Now 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
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NFL Sports Betting
NFL betting action is back! At MySportsbook, all of the pro football odds are posted for the NFC North.
Check out how we see the four teams in this cloudy division stacking up this year in the chase for the playoffs! Green Bay Packers (+125) - With QB Aaron Rodgers leading the offense and DC Dom Capers working his magic on defense, the Packers are a real force to be reckoned with.
Virtually nothing changed on this offense for Green Bay from last year to this year, save for the addition of rookie OT Brian Bulaga to the bunch. Expect more huge numbers from the Pack, and a relatively favorable schedule should get them over the hump and into the playoffs once again this season. My NFL Betting Predictions: 11-5, 1st place in NFC North Minnesota Vikings (+130) - There are still too many unknowns about the Vikes this year. There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not.
There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
Chicago Bears (+350) - The Bears are probably a bit of an overhyped team once again this year.No, we don't think it is plausible for QB Jay Cutler to have as bad of a season as he did last year, and we do think the additions of RB Chester Taylor and DE Julius Peppers are going to help immensely, but there's still something in the water in the Windy City that we aren't so sure about. Maybe Chicago finds its way to .500... but then again, maybe it doesn't. If Favre comes back, Cutler might be the worst quarterback in this division this year.
Detroit Lions (+1500) - The Lions are probably once again going to be the whipping boys for the rest of the teams in the NFC North, but they aren't just going to roll over and die once again. There is some real talent amassing on this team offensively, as the combination of QB Matt Stafford, RB Jahvid Best, WR Calvin Johnson, and TE Brandon Pettigrew should put a bunch of points on the board if the offensive line can even remotely hold up. The questions really lie on defense, where it feels like DT Ndamukong Suh is going to be trying to stop opposing teams all by himself. This year should show some marked improvement in the Motor City.
The Patriots will make NFL betting fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash. NFL Betting
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