Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
06/04/2010 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Legendary UCLA men's basketball coach John Wooden passed away Friday at the age of 99.
Wooden coached the Bruins from 1948-1975 and claimed 10 national championships over a 12-season stretch, including a record seven straight from 1967 to 1973. The Bruins also put together an incredible streak of 88 straight victories from 1971-1974. He also had four perfect 30-0 seasons and at one point won 38 consecutive games in the NCAA Tournament.
During his time with the Bruins, Wooden provided guidance for future NBA talent such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Jamaal Wilkes, Sidney Wicks and Marques Johnson.
A long and successful coaching career for the Indiana native began back in 1932 at Dayton High School in Kentucky. He moved on to a bigger profile high school job at South Bend Central High School in Indiana, where he also coached baseball and tennis. His first foray into the college ranks came with Indiana State.
Yet, his legacy remains the Wizard of Westwood.
He was the first person to become a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach. He amassed 620 victories and his teams won 19 conference championships during his decorated tenure.
Born in Martinsville, Indiana on October 14, 1910, Wooden went on to graduate from Purdue University in 1928. As a player, he helped lead the Boilermakers to the 1932 national championship. He came to be known as the "Indiana Rubber Man" for his suicidal dives and ability to bounce back after a physical play on the court.
He also spent many years playing professional ball while teaching and coaching at the high school level. Wooden, who played in the National Basketball League, was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1960 and as a coach in 1973.
Wooden was a lieutenant in the Navy from 1943 to 1946. He then taught at Indiana Teachers College, now called Indiana State. He coached for two seasons at the school and incredibly never had a losing season there or at UCLA.
Wooden concluded his 40 years as a head coach, high school and college, in 1975 with an 885-203 overall record (a percentage of .813), which is unmatched. He went 620-147 at UCLA. Even more amazing, UCLA won 149 of 151 games in Pauley Pavilion during his Bruin tenure.
Wooden's "Pyramid of Success" is still used by several coaches across the country and also in business. Wooden identified 25 behaviors he believed were necessary to achieve his idea of success, building from loyalty, cooperation and enthusiasm, all the way to the top of the pyramid - competitive greatness.
<< Flyers maintain two-goal lead after two periods in Game 4
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Goals from Mike Richards, Claude Giroux
and Matt Carle in the first period and 23 saves from Michael Leighton have
helped the Philadelphia Flyers hold a 3-1 lead over the Chicago Blackhawks
after 40 minutes o
<< Bautista homers twice as Blue Jays handle Yankees
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jose Bautista homered twice and Brett Cecil
pitched a solid eight innings, as Toronto beat the Yankees, 6-1, to kick off a
three-game set at Rogers Centre.
Bautista came in tied for the major league-lead
<< Mariners P Fister to miss one start
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seattle Mariners pitcher Doug Fister will miss
his next scheduled start with what is being called shoulder fatigue.
According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Fister is expected to start next
Thursday in Te
<< Broncos give OL Kuper six-year deal
Englewood, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Broncos made a number of moves on
Friday, including giving offensive lineman Chris Kuper a six-year contract.
Kuper, a fifth-round pick of Denver in 2006, has started 42 games in his
career.
Halladay doesn't duplicate perfection, but Phils still top Padres >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roy Halladay wasn't perfect, but the
Phillies' ace still threw seven solid innings and was backed by Shane
Victorino's productive night in a 3-2 win over the Padres.
Halladay (8-3), in his
Mackenzie moves in front at Times Colonist Open >>
Victoria, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - American Brock Mackenzie fired a six-under 64
on Friday to move atop the leaderboard after the second round of the Times
Colonist Open.
Mackenzie finished 36 holes at 10-under 130 to move two strokes
Wainwright baffles Brewers for first career shutout >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adam Wainwright was sensational on the mound,
allowing just two hits and fanning eight batters en route to his first career
complete game shutout, as the St. Louis Cardinals dominated the Milwaukee
Brewers
Desmond, Nationals rally to beat Reds >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ian Desmond singled in the winning run as
part of a two-run seventh inning rally that lifted Washington to a 4-2 win
over Cincinnati in the opener of a three-game series at Nationals Park.
Desmond, C
The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts US credit cards
Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.
NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting