MLB Betting – Playoff Race Tightening Up as the Hunt for October Is On
MLB sportsbooks Betting – Playoff Race Tightening Up as the Hunt for October Is On
Are you ready for MLB betting action? Eleven teams are still basically fighting for just eight spots in the baseball postseason and, here at online sportsbook power rankings, we’ve got the lowdown on how each of the divisional races are going to pan out. In the American League, barring a huge run by the Chicago White Sox or Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins and Texas…
Nuggets’ Karl visits Broncos’ McDaniels (AP)
Denver Nuggets coach George Karl was Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels’ special guest Wednesday. Both men were jokingly asked if Karl was at Dove Valley to seek advice on how to handle a superstar who wants out of town. The Nuggets are trying to persuade All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony to sign an extension.
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Ponder’s 395 yards, 3 TDs lift Seminoles (AP)
Ponder’s 395 yards, 3 TDs lift Seminoles (AP)
Christian Ponder knew Florida State’s offense was good enough to get the Seminoles back in the game, even against one of the nation’s top defenses. Now maybe Bobby Bowden’s critics will back off for a while. Ponder threw for a career-high 395 yards and three touchdowns to help Florida State rally from a big second-half deficit and beat North Carolina 30-27 on Thursday night, a game that…
Oden reinvents Gambling GP online sports for new season (AP)
Greg Oden reinvented himself this summer. After instant play casinos an inconsistent debut season, the 7-foot-center for the Portland Trail Blazers slimmed down, worked on his defense, focused on his footwork and even added a turnaround jumper to his repertoire. He also changed his attitude. “It wasn’t really an ‘Aha!’ ” he said.
sports betting track team to train in Birmingham for 2012 (AP)
The usa internet casinos track and field team that will compete in the 2012 London Olympics will train in Birmingham, England, before the odds spel . Birmingham’s local government says USA Track & Field has agreed to send the team to train there six weeks before the Olympics. The city council says the deal was signed after three years of negotiations.
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Reports: Jets DT Ellis agrees to plea (Yahoo! Sports)
Reports: Jets DT Ellis agrees to plea (Yahoo! Sports)
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) New York Jets defensive lineman Kenrick Ellis reportedly has reached a plea agreement in a Virginia court that will reduce a felony charge to a misdemeanor. Multiple reports Thursday say Ellis will plead guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery, citing comments from attorney S. Howard Woodson, who represents the victim, Dennis Eley. Woodson said Eley likely will pursue a civil lawsuit, which he was originally filed for $3 million, then withdrawn. The incident took place in April 2010 while Ellis was attending Hampton University. The Jets selected him in the third round of the 2011 draft.
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Cris Carter said that he put bounties on defensive players when he played
Cris Carter said that he put bounties on defensive players when he played
Cris Carter is not ordering a pizza. (Getty Images) If you think that defensive players are the only ones capable of putting bounties on opponents — paying teammates to exact physical retribution of any stripe — on the field, former receiver Cris Carter is here to give you a nice little reality check. Carter, who caught 1,101 passes in his 16-year career and may be the best eligible player not in the Hall of Fame, told Mike Hill and Mark Schlereth of ESPN Radio on Tuesday that he did indeed pay what he called “protection money” to do what needed to be done. “I’m guilty of [bounties] — I mean, first time I’ve ever admitted it — but I put a bounty on guys before,” Carter said. “I put bounties on guys. If a guy tries to take me out, a guy takes a cheap shot on me? I put a bounty on him right now!” Carter admitted that the bounties were financial in nature, but that the intentions were not the same as the ones put out by Gregg Williams and his New Orleans Saints players — these were more about “an eye for an eye” than “kill the head and the body will die.” “But you have to realize the league we grew up in, the bounty was based on protection, or a big hit, excitement or for helping your team win,” he said. “It wasn’t to maim or hurt the dude,” said Carter, who retired from the NFL following the 2002 season. “When a guy said he was going to hurt me, my recourse was to put a bounty on him to make sure.” On ESPN’s “Mike and Mike” show on Wednesday morning, Carter explained exactly how the process worked. “When you come out onto the field, you’re getting ready to run the first play, and you see the guy across the line, and [he says]. ‘If you come across the middle, I’ll end your career.’ Well, no problem, because you ain’t gonna end my career! I’ve got a wife to take care of, and two kids, and a couple of houses, and several cars, and I’m gonna protect that. So I go to Randall McDaniel, who’s the left guard, and an All-Pro, and I say, ‘Bill Romanowski is acting a fool — I need some protection.’ I go to Todd Steussie, the left tackle, and say, ‘Keep an eye on Romanowski.’ I go to Korey Stringer, the right tackle, and say, “Hey, big Korey, I’ve got some fools [out there] — keep an eye on Romanowski.’ It goes something like that.” What does “keep an eye on Romanowski” mean? “I know you might find this kinda hard, but in football, you’re going to get tackled,” Carter told ESPN’s Mike Greenberg. “There’s only a certain amount of protection you can get. You’re just trying to get protection against the extra activity.” Carter said that retribution could come against a targeted defender in pile-ups, or on plays where Carter was not specifically targeted and the officials might be looking the other way. “I’m not asking for any extra protection if it’s a cornerback or safety, but if it’s a linebacker coming in on me, I expect a lineman to be able to handle that. There is no pure protection from everyone — you don’t want that — but it’s just to create an even playing field so that you can concentrate on your assignment and your job.” One suspects that Carter is far from the only NFL player — past or present — who’s availed himself of this kind of protection against the extracurricular activities of defenders. Especially in decades past, when the on-field code was less stringent when it came to the culture of intimidation, you can imagine an offensive lineman blocking for John Elway, or the tight end who isn’t going to the Super Bowl if that New York Giants defensive end keeps hitting Joe Montana in his already-injured back, going out of his way to ensure that equal playing field. That defenders may have had specific bounties on him makes Carter’s statements less black-and-white. Was this a weird case of self-defense in an NFL that let these things go on? “I don’t regret it,” Carter said. “It’s a part of the game. I have a clear conscience with God, and a clear conscience with my family. I feel like I did everything for us to win.” On the Saints’practices, however, Carter had a different take when asked if intentional injury for money was commonplace in the NFL at any time. “The Saints took a model that most teams have, and they put a little extra on it.”
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Hamilton hits 4 HRs as Rangers beat Orioles 10-3 (Yahoo! Sports)
Hamilton hits 4 HRs as Rangers beat Orioles 10-3 (Yahoo! Sports)
BALTIMORE (AP) Moments before he made history with his final swing in an incredible four-homer performance, Josh Hamilton stepped to the plate in the eighth inning with a surprising sense of calm. The Texas Rangers slugger had never before hit more than two home runs in a game, and he already had three. So as he took his place in the batter’s box against Baltimore right-hander Darren O’Day, Hamilton already had a feeling of accomplishment. ”I just went up like it was any other at-bat because if I don’t hit one,” Hamilton reasoned, ”I’ve still had a really good night.” It turned out to be unforgettable. Hamilton became the 16th player to hit four home runs in a game, launching a quartet of two-run drives against three different pitchers to carry the Rangers to a 10-3 victory Tuesday. Hamilton homered off Jake Arrieta in the first and third innings, added another off Zach Phillips in the seventh and topped it off with a one-for-the-books shot against O’Day. During the last at-bat, Hamilton took a mighty hack and missed, lined a foul into right-field seats and then sent an 0-2 pitch over the center-field wall. ”Obviously it’s, other than being in the World Series, the highlight of my big-league career,” Hamilton said. ”I was saying after I hit two I’ve never hit three in a game before, and what a blessing that was. Then to hit four is just an awesome feeling, to see how excited my teammates got. ”It reminds you of when you’re in Little League and a little kid, and just the excitement and why we play the game. Things like that. You never know what can happen. It was just an absolute blessing.” Hamilton also doubled in the fifth inning. His 18 total bases is a new single-game American League record, and his eight RBIs are a career high. ”Amazing,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. ”Josh came out tonight, and he wasn’t going to be denied.” The last player to hit four home runs in a game was Carlos Delgado on Sept. 25, 2003, for Toronto against Tampa Bay. Two of the 16 players to hit four homers in a game did it before 1900. ”History was witnessed tonight,” Washington said. ”It’s like anything else – you do something good or something incredible happens, it takes a little bit for it to sink in,” Hamilton said. ”I think when I get away from everybody and I have some time to myself, I think it might then.” Hamilton is the sixth AL player to perform the feat. The last to hit four homers in a game against the Orioles was Rocky Colavito in 1959, at old Memorial Stadium. ”He’s the best athlete in baseball,” teammate Nelson Cruz said of Hamilton. ”If anybody can do it, he can do it.” Elvis Andrus got on base ahead of Hamilton in each instance, said, ”He kept hitting bombs and bombs. It feels really good because I don’t have to run that hard to score.” Hamilton, who is in the final year of his contract and could become a free agent after this season, leads the AL with 14 homers and 36 RBIs, and his 5-for-5 effort raised his batting average to .406. He also set the Texas single-game club record with five extra-base hits, breaking the mark of four held by eight players. Hamilton has homered in five of his last six at-bats, counting his final trip to the plate Monday night. Hamilton’s record-setting night is the latest accomplishment in a career that almost never was. He went from first round draft pick in 1999 by Tampa Bay to out of baseball all together because of drug and alcohol addiction. He recovered and returned to the majors in 2007 with Cincinnati, and was traded to the Texas, where he has become a star – the AL MVP in 2010 – while still battling his addiction. He had a relapse before this season, but is off to a torrid start. ”Understanding that what I’m doing and what God’s allowed me to do coming back from everything I went through and allowing me to play the game at the level I play it, it’s pretty amazing to think about,” Hamilton said. Adrian Beltre also homered for the Rangers. Coming off a 14-3 win in the series opener, Texas has won two straight for the first time since April 24-25 and are 20-10, their best-ever record after 30 games. Dating back to last season, Texas has won seven in a row over Baltimore by a combined 70-18 score. Rangers starter Neftali Feliz (2-1) gave up one run on four hits and had a career-high eight strikeouts. Converted to starter after notching 72 saves over the previous two seasons, Feliz had a 2-0 lead to protect before throwing his first pitch and maintained the advantage – just like when he was closer. The Orioles entered the series with the best record in the majors after a 5-1 trip through Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park, but they have looked more like a team with 14 straight losing seasons in these two games against the two-time defending AL champions. Arrieta (2-3) allowed six runs and nine hits in 6 1-3 innings. He yielded a career-high three homers, matching the total he surrendered in his first six starts this season. His most notable flaw was his inability to keep Hamilton from hitting the ball out of the park. ”It was the first time I’ve ever seen anything like that. Very special hitter,” Arrieta said on Hamilton. ”He didn’t miss tonight.” J.J. Hardy and Nick Markakis hit consecutive solo homers for Baltimore in the eighth, long after the outcome had been decided. The Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Andrus drew a one-out walk and Hamilton hit Arrieta’s next pitch over the center-field wall. It was more of the same in the third, and then some. After Andrus reached on a chopper off the plate, Hamilton lined an opposite-field drive into the left-field seats. Beltre followed with this sixth home run, the fourth time in 30 games that Texas has homered in successive at-bats. Andrus singled in the seventh before Hamilton sent a drive over the center-field wall against Phillips, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game. After that, the only suspense was whether Hamilton would get another at-bat. He did, and made it count. NOTES: Andrus has reached base in 26 straight games. He is 16 for 33 on the road trip. … Despite Baltimore’s surprising start, the game drew a meager crowd of 11,263. … Baltimore’s Chris Davis singled in the eighth to snap an 0-for-14 skid.
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AP Source: Knee surgery for RB Ingram (Yahoo! Sports)
AP Source: Knee surgery for RB Ingram (Yahoo! Sports)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) A person with knowledge of the surgery says New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his knee. The surgery was performed Thursday, the person says on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced it. The prognosis is for Ingram to return well before training camps open at the end of July. Ingram, the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama, was slowed by a turf toe injury in his rookie NFL season. He had left knee surgery while in college. Ingram gained 474 yards on 122 carries and scored five touchdowns rushing for the Saints last season.
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Simon reaches final in Bucharest (Yahoo! Sports)
Simon reaches final in Bucharest (Yahoo! Sports)
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) Top-seeded Gilles Simon beat Matthias Bachinger of Germany 7-5, 6-2 on Saturday to advance to the final of the Nastase Tiriac Trophy. The Frenchman, who won the tournament in 2007 and ’08, clinched his fourth ATP World Tour semifinal victory this season. He’ll play Fabio Fognini, who defeated Attila Balazs 6-3, 6-1.
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Spurs rout Lakers, improve spot atop West (Yahoo! Sports)
Spurs rout Lakers, improve spot atop West (Yahoo! Sports)
LOS ANGELES (AP) While last week’s blowout loss to the Lakers still stings the San Antonio Spurs, they found a way to feel better while moving into prime position to win the West. Tony Parker had 29 points and 13 assists, Tim Duncan had 19 points and eight rebounds, and the Spurs handed Los Angeles its worst loss of the season, 112-91 on Tuesday night. Just six days after the Kobe Bryant-less Lakers jumped to a 26-point lead during a comfortable victory at San Antonio, the Spurs answered by scoring 18 consecutive points during an impressive second-quarter spree. The Spurs snapped Los Angeles’ four-game winning streak while dominating a meeting of division leaders – albeit with Bryant sitting out his sixth straight game to rest his bruised shin. ”It went just as well for us as it went for them in San Antonio,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ”The Lakers had the kind of night we had back home when they destroyed us. So we had a good night, and we still caught a break: I looked hard, but I didn’t see Kobe anywhere. I think that helped us a little bit.” Manu Ginobili scored 15 points as the Spurs (44-16) improved their position atop the Western Conference with their fourth straight win, moving a half-game clear of Oklahoma City (44-17) for the No. 1 playoff seed. Popovich didn’t sit his stars in the second game of a three-in-three-nights stretch, with Duncan playing 35 minutes and Parker 30. ”After the last meeting, this game had a little more to it,” Duncan said. ”We love our position (in the West), obviously. We hope to hold on to it. We’re facing a tough schedule, but we’re feeling good, and we’re staying healthy.” San Antonio, which had lost three straight to the Lakers, stretched its lead to 23 points in the third quarter – making 30 of 43 shots in the middle quarters – and hung on comfortably for its 15th win in 17 games. Parker particularly decimated Los Angeles’ defense, going 14 of 20 against point guards Ramon Sessions and Steve Blake. ”I think it was very motivated,” Parker said. ”We weren’t happy with our performance (last week), and we wanted to get it back from them. Everybody knew it. Pop didn’t bring it up and we didn’t talk about it. Personally, I think it was one of my worst games, so I wanted to do better.” The two perennial West powers will meet yet again for a rubber match Friday in San Antonio. Andrew Bynum had 21 points and seven rebounds for the Lakers, whose Pacific Division lead over the Clippers dwindled to a half-game, although the Lakers hold the tiebreaker. Matt Barnes and Pau Gasol scored 16 points apiece, but with Bryant watching from the bench in a sharp suit, Los Angeles couldn’t match the depth of the Spurs, who got at least four points from 10 players. ”We’ve been doing pretty well with and without (Bryant),” Gasol said. ”We just had a bad stretch at the end of the second quarter, and we paid a huge price.” Bryant’s absence had inspired strong performances from the Lakers over the past week, but the Spurs had little trouble with Los Angeles’ reconfigured lineup. San Antonio took control with a 24-4 run in the second quarter, blowing open a tight game with opportunistic defense and relentless fast breaks. Six players scored during the 18-0 portion of the run, with Danny Green hitting consecutive 3-pointers along the way. The Lakers committed seven turnovers in the second quarter, while the Spurs made 17 of 24 shots to take a 63-47 halftime lead. ”The tempo was in their favor,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said. ”They sped us up, and we did not look like we had – nor did we try – to get control of the game. We got out of character a bit of the way we’ve been playing lately. You have to give the Spurs credit.” Although Bryant says he would be healthy enough to play if the Lakers were in the playoffs now, Brown said Bryant is unlikely to play Wednesday at Golden State. The NBA scoring leader already has played through several lesser injuries this season, and Brown seems content to allow Bryant to heal for the postseason, even if his absence costs the Lakers a spot in playoff seeding. Popovich agreed with his former assistant’s strategy, saying he would choose health over playoff position. Popovich has rested his veteran core down the stretch, but everybody was active against the Lakers – and everybody contributed to a blowout win. NOTES: The Spurs have 19 road wins, matching Oklahoma City for the most in the West. Chicago leads the NBA with 22. … Devin Ebanks had nine points in his 10th start of the season for Los Angeles, his sixth straight in Bryant’s place. The second-year pro has played in just 20 games this season. … Fans near courtside included Denzel Washington, Charlize Theron, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, Salma Hayek, Kat Dennings and former Angels 3B Doug DeCinces.
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Allen takes five-shot lead at TPC Tampa Bay (PGATOUR.com)
Allen takes five-shot lead at TPC Tampa Bay (PGATOUR.com)
Putting: Improve Your Distance Control by Looking at the Hole Krista Dunton, PGA-Berkley Hall When you toss a ball how do you know how far to throw it? Your eyes are telling your body how far because they are looking towards your target as you are throwing. The same holds true in putting for great distance control.During the practice stroke keep your eyes focused on the hole. Allow your eyes to see the distance of the putt and then tell your body how long your stroke needs to be. Once you get a feel for the distance, simply set up to the ball, keep your eyes looking at the ball and repeat the stroke you rehearsed. This takes the mind out of putting and lets you putt with more feel!
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Vince Carter airballs a layup, takes it out on Hassan Whiteside (VIDEOS)
Vince Carter airballs a layup, takes it out on Hassan Whiteside (VIDEOS)
Vince Carter’s shooting 60.7 percent at the rim on the season for the Dallas Mavericks, but he shot a bit below that on Tuesday night, hitting two of four attempts in the Mavs’ 110-100 win over the Sacramento Kings. Two of the tries one a miss, the other a make were pretty amazing. First, the agony: The play-by-play rundown of the game captures this play as “Vince Carter traveling,” which is probably OK by Carter. I imagine his attitude toward potential descriptions of him coming up short on a finger-roll, airballing a layup by trying to be Vince “Mr. Fancy Man” Gervinson in the paint, would probably be, “The less said, the better.” To his credit, Carter smiled, clapped, ran down the other end … and plotted his redemption. Three minutes later, unfortunately for Kings big man Hassan Whiteside, he got it. Hit the jump for the ecstasy. A little two-man game with Jason Terry, a nice slip of the screen when both Tyreke Evans and Isaiah Thomas rushed the ballhandler, a clear flight path and sweet, sweet deliverance on Whiteside’s dome. If you have to airball a finger roll, cramming it on a 7-footer three minutes later isn’t a bad way to make up for it. Carter finished with seven points, seven rebounds, five assists, three blocks and a steal in 28 minutes of work off the Dallas bench in the win. Videos of Carter’s blown finger-roll and bang on Whiteside thanks to our friends at the National Basketball Association. Hat-tip to Yert Kerbsen at The Basketball Jones.
