Neworleanssportsreport

Best NFL Trends for ‘unders’ in Week 4 Betting

admin — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 01:18:10 +0000

Best NFL Trends for ‘unders’ in Week 4
Low scoring games are the norm for a number of teams in the NFL, and here at BetUS Sportsbook, we’re focusing in on some of those best matchups that this week has to offer. Here are the best NFL trends for ‘unders’ in the league in Week 4. Baltimore Ravens vs.

Premiership afl Betting Tips
18th -19th September 201018th September 2010 Stoke (1.91) Draw (3.5) West Ham (4.5) Terrific result for Stoke Monday. 1-0 down at half time, they fought back to win 2-1 with practically the last kick of the game. Stoke should be able to build on that after some unlucky results. West Ham will be without their manager due to Yom Kippur. That may not be such a bad thing considering their results so far this season. No wins and letting in 12 goals in just 4 games, things are already looking bleak. They are a relatively new team so will take a little more time to gel. If not, it’ll be Championship football next season for them. I don’t really give West Ham a chance in this game. Stoke opened at 2.0 and the odds have dropped. Best price is now 1.91 at most places. Aston Villa (1.83) Draw (3.6) Bolton (5) Villa outplayed Stoke first half last game but Stoked raised their game and Villa ended up losing 2-1. This could be the last game in charge for caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald with Gerrard Houllier taking over next week. They seem to be doing the exact opposite of Villa of the last few years in that they are winning their home games and losing their away games. Bolton had a good game at Arsenal only trailing 2-1 when Gary Cahill got sent off. Pretty much game over after that. He will be missing for this game which will be a big miss. In terms of betting, I’ll stick with form and just for a Villa home win. Its 1.83 at Boylesports. Blackburn (2.1) Draw (3.4) Fulham (4) Blackburn did a good job getting a point at Manchester City last week. They took an early lead and managed to hold on for the draw despite all the City pressure. Fulham scored a late goal to win against Wolves last weekend. The game was overshadowed by Booby Zamora breaking his leg. He’ll be out for at least 4 months now which will be a big loss for them. Home advantage makes this pick fairly easy. Blackburn are strong at home and Fulham are poor away from home. Blackburn win is 2.1 at Skybet. Everton (1.67) Draw (3.8) Newcastle United (6.3) Unreal game last weekend for Everton and Manchester United. Everton were 3-1 down in stoppage time and managed to score twice to level the game 3-3. Excellent character shown by Everton there. Some of it was down to Manchester United easing off thinking they had the game in bag. Newcastle could not follow up their recent form results. They lost 2-0 at home to Blackpool last week. Looking at the odds, Everton look a bit short to me. They are second bottom of the league without a win. I know they will pick up their game sometime but at 1.67 I am not willing to risk it. I think the draw at 3.8 at PaddyPower is the value bet. I’ll not trust Newcastle to get an away win here. Tottenham (1.5) Draw (4.5) Wolverhampton (8.5) Spurs disappointed last weekend at West Brom only managing a draw. In their midweek Champions League game they let a 2-0 lead slip and ended up with a 2-2 draw away in Bremen. Last time they had a Champions League game they came back and lost 1-0 at home to Wigan. Wolves gave it a good go at Fulham and could have won the game. In those last few minutes it could have gone either way. Wolves really are looking like a Premiership team. Last season, they did the double over Spurs. I think the bookmakers have put this in to the price. I was expecting Spurs to be shorter. Wolves still look tasty at 8.5 at Skybet. West Bromwich (2.38) Draw (3.3) Birmingham (3.25) West Brom have recovered well since the opening day thrashing at Chelsea. They were unlucky to lose at Liverpool and held Spurs 1-1 last week. Birmingham drew 0-0 last weekend against Liverpool in a game where they could easily won. This game will have a lot of interest in the Midlands but I can’t see myself getting excited about it. At first glance it looks like a draw to me but I wouldn’t want to put any money on this game. Sunderland (5.5) Draw (3.75) Arsenal (1.7) Sunderland played most of last weeks game against Wigan with 10 men and were only denied all 3 points by a late equalizer. Arsenal come in to this game on a high after thrashing Braga 6-0. Thats what happens to you if you try to play football against Arsenal, they will hit you on the counter and run up these scores. I am sure Steve Bruce will not make that same mistake. Sunderland won this game 1-0 last season and drew 1-1 the year before. I am still not sure about Arsenal with all those players out. Sunderland at 5.5 at William Hill looks a good bet to me. Teams generally do worse after a Champions League game and Sunderland could well take advantage of that. 19th September 2010 Manchester United (1.73) Draw (3.75) Liverpool (5.5) An extremely bad week for Manchester United, first they throw away a 3-1 lead at Everton and then they only managed a 0-0 draw against Rangers in the Champions League. To be fair I think Alex Ferguson thought he could beat Rangers with a B side. With the full side back I think they will do a lot better. Liverpool looked poor against Birmingham last weekend. Torres just looked so off the pace. In the Euopra League game they beat Steaua Bucurest 4-1. That scoreline was a bit flattering to them. Liverpool always seem to raise their game against Manchester United but this time I don’t think they have the players to do it. Manchester United at 1.73 at PaddyPower for me. Odds are rising though so you’ll probably get a better price closer to kick off. Wigan (5) Draw (3.75) Manchester City (1.8) Wigan only managed to draw against Sunderland last weekend despite having an extra man for most of the game. With Sunderlands general poor away record I would have expected better of them. I still think that the result against Spurs a few weeks ago was a fluke. Manchester City are lacking any form. If they were true title contenders then they really should have got all 6 points from their last 2 league games. Instead they drew 1-1 against Blackburn at home and lost away to Sunderland. They had a good result in Austria in the Europa League but that wasn’t Premiership standard. I still will go for a City win though. Wigan have not convinced me they are a Premiership side and City have the players to really give them a good hiding. Its 1.8 at VC Bet. Chelsea (1.11) Draw (10) Blackpool (29) Can anyone stop the Chelsea juggernaut this season? Someone will but it won’t be Blackpool at Stamford Bridge. 1.11 for a home side in the Premiership is the lowest I’ve seen. Bookies are really sure that Chelsea will win this. Hard to argue with them. Beating Newcastle and Wigan away is one thing but going to Bridge in a normal season is hard but Chelsea seem to be hammering teams like this for fun. I guess its Chelsea on the handicap then. One the Asian Handicap -2.5 its 1.82 at bet365.

Premiership Betting Tips
2nd – 3rd October 20102nd October 2010 Wigan (2.38) Draw (3.3) Wolverhampton (3.3) Neither of these teams have started brilliantly. They sit 17th and 18th in the league respectively. Wigan had a goalless draw last weekend at Birmingham. With no really good strikers they are struggling to score. Wolves are still underated in my opinion. They were unlucky not to get anything from Villa’s visit last weekend. Looking at the odds, its got to be X2. I will go with the away win because I think Wolve’s luck has to change at some point. Wigan look like a team that deserve to be at the bottom whereas Wolves have been unlucky. Its 3.3 at PaddyPower. Birmingham (2.88) Draw (3.3) Everton (2.7) Birmingham have drawn their last 2 home games 0-0. The don’t seem to have the ability to break teams down and their early season luck has run out. Everton are rock bottom with 3 draws. Last weekend they drew to Fulham 0-0. With no strikers I can’t see them scoring the goals needed to pick themselves off the bottom of the table. Cahill is a decent player but playing a lone strike role is tough for anyone. This games looks like a 0-0, or 1-0 either way. Unders for sure. Under 2.5 goals is 1.71 at Bodog but I am going to go for under 1.5 goals at 3.2 at VC Bet. Stoke (2.3) Draw (3.3) Blackburn (3.4) Stoke battled well from a goal down to take all 3 points from an in form Newcastle. They were outclassed first half but second half they came back and deserved the win. Blackburn beat Blackpool last weekend. It probably should have ended a draw and Blackpool sealed their own downfall by going for the win instead of settling for a point. Both teams are masters of the long throws in to the box. Its hard to separate the sides. I will go for the home win though as I am still as Stoke have been good at home in recent seasons and Blackburn poor. Normality has to return to the Premiership sooner or later. Its 2.3 for the home win at 888sport. Sunderland (5.5) Draw (3.6) Manchester United (1.83) Sunderland were unlucky to only get a point from Liverpool last weekend. That first goal should never have been. I guess its payback for last seasons beach ball incident. Darren Bent seems to be on a roll with scoring, netting both Sunderland goals. Manchester United were once again disappointing away from home in the Premiership. They had to come from behind twice to get a point against Bolton. They had a better time in Spain winning 1-0 against Valencia but both teams were really set out for the 0-0 and it was a late fortunate goal which gave Manchester United the win. I am sure Manchester United will turn their away fortunes around at some point but I’m not willing to back it at 1.83 this weekend. I think over 2.5 goals is the better bet. All 6 of Manchester United’s games have been over 2.5 goals. With their not so solid defense and Darren Bent free scoring they are bound to let on in, so they’ll need to have an overs game to win. Its even money at bet365. Tottenham (2) Draw (3.6) Aston Villa (4) Spurs had a good looking win on paper against FC Twente. They were 2-0 up, then conceded, had a man sent off, got a lucky penalty and scored a very late goal. It was one of those 4-1 games that could have been a 2-2. Last weekend they lost to West Ham 1-0. Gerrard Houllier has got off to the perfect start with 2 wins out of 2. Spurs will present a tougher test than Wolves or Blackburn though. I still am siding with the away win. Spurs had a game midweek and I am still not convinced that they have gotten used to playing in Europe then winning in the league. Villa win is 4.0 at most Bookmakers West Bromwich (2.2) Draw (3.4) Bolton (3.8) West Brom may have shock result of the season. Not only did they outplay Arsenal, winning 3-2, they were 3-0 up with 15 minutes to go. They knocked Man City out of the Carling Cup and beat Birmingham 3-1 in the previous home game. They are the in form team. Bolton played extremely well against Manchester United and fully deserved their 2-2 draw. Johan Elmander looks very threatening for Bolton at last. I will stick with the current form. I worry that some teams outside the top few haven’t got 3 wins in a row in them but you can’t go against a team that has just won at Arsenal 3-2. West Brom are 2.2 at PaddyPower. West Ham (2.38) Draw (3.3) Fulham (3.5) Just when I was writing off West Ham this season they get a draw at Stoke, beat Sunderland away from home (in the Carling Cup) and then beat Spurs. Grant has got them playing as a team now. I think Fulham have take a step back under Mark Hughes. Unbeaten but they have only won 1 game, drawing the other 5. They created few chances against Everton last weekend and 0-0 was a fair result. I am going to go with West Ham to carry on their resurgence. Its 2.38 at Betfred for the West Ham win. 3rd October 2010 Manchester City (1.5) Draw (4.5) Newcastle United (8.5) Great result for City last weekend against Chelsea. They outplayed them in a dull game and fully deserved the 1-0 win. On paper, they do have potentially a better team than Chelsea and it was just a case of whether they would gell at the right time. Newcastle were good against Stoke and going in to the break 1-0 they looked comfortable winners but Stoke came back and won 2-1. A little more consistency is needed. I probably could make the case for the Newcastle win. They did beat Chelsea’s (strongish) Carling Cup side 4-3. I am going to go for the home win though and put last week’s freak results behind. I think City will make top 4 this season. 1.5 is a great price for any top 4 team at home against a bottom tier team. Its 1.5 at William Hill . Liverpool (1.33) Draw (5) Blackpool (11) Liverpool’s season is going from bad to worse. In a game on paper, they should have won easily, they needed a referee’s mistake to earn them a point. There were signs of improvement but from a very bad start. Blackpool should have really settled for the draw against Blackburn last weekend. They lost because they went for the win. I know what Ian Holloway means when he says that draws don’t keep you up but better to have 1 point than 0. I really can’t see Blackpool getting anything here. They have had 2 shock away wins so far but against the big teams they have got spanked pretty hard. Liverpool win but to be honest 1.33 doesn’t appeal to me at all. I am still unsure whether Liverpool are a big team this year. Chelsea (1.75) Draw (3.75) Arsenal (5.5) Chelsea were brought crashing down to reality with the 1-0 loss at Manchester City last weekend. Many people thought they would walk the league this season (including myself) but they have shown that against strong opposition they can fail. Arsenal were humiliated last weekend by West Brom. Even Wenger, who usually defends his players or blames someone else, blamed his players. Its tough for Arsenal with all the players out though. Fabregas is very doubtful for this game and his role is vital if Arsenal are going to get anything from this. Usually, I would be saying back Arsenal at 5.5. How often does that happen? With all the injuries though, I can’t see them getting anything here. Chelsea are 1.75 at Boylesports.

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Hawks C Collins to miss 2 weeks (AP)

admin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:36:05 +0000

Hawks C Collins to miss 2 weeks (AP)
ATLANTA (AP)—The Atlanta Hawks say reserve center Jason Collins will miss the next two weeks with a sprained left elbow. Collins, the primary backup to Zaza Pachulia with All-Star center Al Horford sidelined the next three months, was injured in Thursday’s home loss to Memphis. Collins, an 11-year NBA veteran, has started 31 of 81 career games in three seasons with Atlanta. He is averaging 3.8 points and four rebounds this season in 22 minutes per game. Atlanta hosts Philadelphia on Saturday night. The Hawks have won three of four and are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference at 16-7.

Meyer lands top-5 class for Ohio State (AP)

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:54:03 +0000

Meyer lands top-5 class for Ohio State (AP)
COLUMBUS (AP)—When opposing recruiters brought up Ohio State’s bowl ban and other problems, new Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer fought back. “It was a two-week assault,” Meyer said after signing 25 players in what many experts have termed a class that is top-5 in the country. “But instead of waiting for that to come, we went after it. We were extremely pro-active.” Despite a 2012 bowl ban, NCAA probation and recruiting limitations, the forced resignation of Jim Tressel and the most losses (seven) for the Buckeyes since 1897, Meyer’s first recruiting class was an unqualified success. The headline-grabbing position was the defensive line, particularly end, where the Buckeyes locked up Adolphus Washington (6-foot-4, 230 pounds from Cincinnati), Noah Spence (6-4, 245 out of Harrisburg, Pa.) and Se’von Pittman (6-4, 260 from McKinley High in Canton, Ohio). “I call them the prize of the recruiting class,” said Meyer, who won two national championships in six seasons at Florida before working last year for ESPN while sorting through health concerns. Spence ended up in Columbus despite verbally committing to Penn State—one of four Ohio State recruits who switched allegiance from the Nittany Lions— while Pittman initially indicated he would go to Michigan State. Two others started out by committing to Notre Dame and another to Wisconsin, yet all ended up teammates under Meyer. “It’s always going to start up front,” said Luke Fickell, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach and last year’s interim coach. “If you’re going to start a class, it’s up front, whether it’s on the offensive or defensive line. The excitement starts there.” Those three signings got the attention of national recruiting observers. “As with any class at this level, there is a lot to be excited about, but the defensive line stands out as being special,” said Scott Kennedy, director of scouting and recruiting for Scout.com. Meyer also grabbed top running back prospect Bri’onte Dunn and big offensive linemen Taylor Decker (6-8, 315) and Kyle Dodson (6-6, 310). The Buckeyes didn’t get everybody they wanted, however. The player considered by some as the best in the state, offensive lineman Kyle Kalis of Lakewood St. Edward, withdrew his original commitment to Ohio State during the middle of the school’s NCAA problems and decided on rival Michigan. On Wednesday, Wolverines coach Brady Hoke called Kalis “a road grader.” In addition, Ohio State only signed one quarterback—former Cleveland Glenville signal-caller Cardale Jones, who spent last year at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy. The new coaching staff will have just four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster for the 2012 season, although one is Braxton Miller who started almost all of the 2011 season that finished 6-7. Still, it was a surprising bumper crop, particularly since the recruiting class ranked somewhere between 15 and 25 in the nation in most publications’ evaluations before Meyer was hired on Nov. 29. Ohio State is serving three years of NCAA-mandated probation for failing to monitor Tressel, who played ineligible players during the 2010 season who had taken cash and discounted tattoos from the subject of a federal drug-trafficking probe. As part of their NCAA penalties, the Buckeyes were docked three football scholarships each of the next three years. The 25 signees put the Buckeyes at 81, according to Meyer. Six of the players who signed Wednesday count against last year’s recruit total, plus Meyer hinted that other players may have dropped out, transferred or will not play due to medical reasons. Many people who follow recruiting closely were stunned by Ohio State’s success. “It’s been an amazing performance by Urban Meyer who has re-emphasized his ability to attract elite, national championship-caliber talent,” said Allen Wallace, national editor for SuperPrep.com. “This class is strong across the board and from (my) perspective, the best Buckeye recruiting effort in the last 10 years.” Meyer repeatedly tried to rein in some of the hype about the incoming class and his role in bringing it in. “I keep hearing this is a top 5, top 3, top 10 class,” he said. “That doesn’t’ mean much to me. What really matters is what happens two, three years from now.” Ohio State handed out only four-year scholarships as part of a Big Ten initiative to meet terms of the new four-year rule (as opposed to the previous standard one-year agreement) established recently by the NCAA. Kennedy expressed surprise at how big a year Meyer and Ohio State had. “I’ve had to add an exception to the rule that it takes a full year for a new coach to make an impact,” he said. “Urban Meyer’s impact at Ohio State this quickly has been unprecedented.” ——— Follow Rusty Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rustymillerap .

Bryan brothers denied record 12th Slam (AP)

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:54:11 +0000

Bryan brothers denied record 12th Slam (AP)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)—Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek denied Bob and Mike Bryan their record 12th Grand Slam doubles title, beating the American twins 7-6 (1), 6-2 in the final of the Australian Open. The Woodies could probably sleep a little easier Saturday night. The 33-year-old Bryans were attempting to secure their place as the most decorated doubles team since the Open Era began in 1968. The brothers remain level on 11 major titles with the Australian duo of Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge, also known by their nickname the Woodies. “Obviously, it’s disappointing,” Bob Bryan said. “But you know, I thought we have had a great Australian swing, and we’re playing, at least I’m playing a lot better than I did last year already. It bodes well for the rest of the year.” Paes and Stepanek are veteran doubles players but were teaming up for just the fourth time. Before partnering for a tuneup event at Sydney earlier this month, where they lost to the Bryan brothers, the Indian and Czech duo hadn’t played together for nearly six years. After Mike Bryan double-faulted on match point, Paes leaped into Stepanek’s arms and the pair swung around at midcourt. They both then reached up to stands to give high-fives to Martina Navratilova, with whom Paes won the mixed doubles trophy at the Australian Open in 2003. The Bryans have captured each major at least once, but they’ve been most dominant at Melbourne Park, where they’ve won three straight Australian titles and five overall. They hadn’t lost here since the quarterfinals in 2008. Bob Bryan has a special prize waiting for him at home. His wife was due to give birth to the couple’s first child on Saturday and he’s planning to catch a Sunday morning flight back home to Miami to try to be there in time. “I have something to look forward to going home, so my mind is going to get off the match a lot quicker than it usually would after a final like this,” he said. For the 38-year-old Paes, the victory marks a career milestone. By winning the Australian Open, he completed a career doubles Grand Slam, adding to his three French Open titles, two U.S. Open titles and one Wimbledon title. “It’s many years of hard work,” Paes said. “I put in many, many years. I have been in 25 plus years into the game of tennis, and it’s given me so much. The reason I can still win Grand Slams is, one, I know how to pick great partners; and, two, I’m very passionate about my daily schedule. “Every day I put myself on the line, and that’s a lot of fun.” It was Stepanek’s first major doubles title. The Czech player lost in his only other final at the 2002 U.S. Open. Paes and Stepanek dominated the first-set tiebreak, taking advantage of rare misses by the brothers and a couple of deft volleys by Paes to capture six straight points. The pair then broke the Bryans immediately in the second set on a Stepanek crosscourt volley winner to go up 2-0. The Bryans had a chance to break back at 2-4, but Paes saved it with another sharp volley. Paes, a former No. 1 doubles player, has a shot to pick up another trophy at Melbourne Park, too. He’s in the mixed doubles final with partner Elena Vesnina on Sunday, playing against Horia Tecau and Bethanie Mattek-Sands. The Bryans will have another shot at the Grand Slam record at the French Open in a few months. Even though one of them is soon to be a father, they don’t have plans to stop playing anytime soon. “We both feel young,” Bob Bryan said. “If we want to play this sport for another seven years, it’s going to be there for us if we stay healthy. “The singles game, as you see, is just incredibly physical. Guys, if they can get past 30, it’s amazing. But doubles, 40, 40 seems to be the age now.”

Caraviello: Inman blazes trail for crew chiefs to Hall (NASCAR.com)

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:00:10 +0000

Caraviello: Inman blazes trail for crew chiefs to Hall (NASCAR.com)
Richard Petty presents Dale Inman his ring upon his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. (Getty Images) CHARLOTTE, N.C.—There was the event in Riverside, Calif., in 1958, when he hauled the race car all the way out there, broke down somewhere in Arizona on the way home, and had to wait for a replacement part to be delivered by bus. There was the event in Daytona Beach, not on the track but the last one on the beach itself—down the shoreline, through a sand bank, and back through all the brine and muck. There was the Fourth of July weekend race in Daytona in 1969, when they ran it on whatever day July 4 was, which in this case happened to be a Friday. “The only problem was, we had [to] run Dover on Sunday, and had never seen the place. Nobody had ever seen it,” Dale Inman said. “And of course, we won that one.” They won a lot of them, Inman and Richard Petty did, on their way to being one of the most potent combinations that NASCAR has ever known. It’s always been Petty in the forefront, of course, natural in a sport where the driver gets most of the attention and nearly all of the glory, the King’s sunglasses and cowboy hat cutting an unmistakable image that for decades has come to define his sport. But Inman was right there, doing work that was often unheralded and groundbreaking at the same time, along the way essentially creating a crew chief’s position that’s become as integral to stock-car racing as tires and fuel. Friday night those contributions were rewarded in the grandest way, when Inman was inducted into the third class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with Wood Brothers founder Glen Wood and drivers Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough and Richie Evans. It was a big moment for an eight-time series champion whose compatriot and second cousin Petty went in as part of the inaugural class in 2010. But it may prove even bigger for Inman’s former profession, given the roles crew chiefs have played in shaping NASCAR as we know it, and the relative lack of consideration those signal-callers have received in the Hall of Fame’s nominating process. “They use the term eight championships, but it’s in a different league from what the drivers are, and I give that respect,” Inman said after the induction ceremony. “But to be the first crew chief coming in, I’m sure there will be more after this. It’s quite an honor.” Inman was, of course, the no-brainer. He won 193 races, and seven championships with Petty, and another crown with Terry Labonte in 1984, proving to all the doubters that he could do it with a vehicle other than that blue No. 43. If any crew chief was going to break through, it was going to be the one-time dean of what Petty and his wife, Linda, called the “Dale Inman School of Petty Enterprises,” which produced graduates like Mike Beam, Barry Dodson, Jake Elder, Tony Glover, Steve Hmiel, Robbie Loomis and Robin Pemberton. It was going to be one of the first who took cars apart when they got back to the shop after a race, just to make sure nothing was wrong. “He was one of the first ones to come in and take a car in and completely disassemble it from one race to another, instead of waiting until something broke or just checking wheel bearings and stuff like that,” Petty said. “[He] completely disassembled engines, the cars. And in doing that, that made those cars almost bulletproof. That’s the reason we won a lot of races.” He did it under conditions that seemed unthinkably oppressive by today’s standards—hauling the car out to far-flung race tracks on his own, racing on the beach at Daytona, making that frenzied two-day turnaround before that inaugural Dover race. He remembers times like Petty’s first race, in Columbia, S.C., in July 1958, when they needed hand signals to communicate with their 21-year-old driver. Petty had never wheeled a car before, and the signal to call for a relief driver was for the future King to touch his head. Soon enough, he was touching it again and again and again. The relief driver was summoned. But Richard kept going and going and going. “Going home, I said, ‘Richard, what were you doing?’ ” Inman remembered. “He said, ‘Oh, my head was itching.’ So it’s come a long way.” It has indeed, and crew chiefs have had plenty to do with that, even if the fledgling stages of the Hall of Fame’s evolution have struggled to accommodate that. When the nominating list was released for the inaugural class, there wasn’t a crew chief on it. Three-time championship crew chief Ray Evernham wasn’t on the nominating list for this year’s class, even though he’s been off the box since 1999. Some believe Glen Wood should have been inducted along with brother Leonard, the mechanical whiz behind the Wood Brothers’ early success, and the architect of the modern pit stop. “I think Dale Inman would agree,” Glen Wood said, “[Leonard] knows more about a car than anybody who’s ever been in NASCAR.” Yarborough agreed. “You won’t be far behind us, bud,” he told Leonard during his speech. * Leonard Wood’s impact | Video: Evolution of the Pit Stop There are unquestionably others, like Elder, who started out as a fabricator at Petty under Inman, and went on to win two championships with David Pearson. Smokey Yunick is almost universally regarded as the most imaginative mechanical mind of his day, but he’s never sniffed the Hall of Fame. You would think that Chad Knaus, with five championships and counting, would merit a place on the nominating list the moment he’s eligible. But with crew chiefs, it seems, nothing is guaranteed. Maybe now, with Inman in and his contributions so obviously recognized, that will change. The candidates are out there, and more are yet to come, particularly given how difficult and thankless the crew chief’s job is today. Although he didn’t have all the modern toys and engineering tools of today at his disposal, Inman sounds relieved he didn’t work in the age of the wave-around, the free pass, and 90-minute practice sessions. Some things, though never change. When it comes time to play enforcer for their driver, the crew chief is often the first to step up. “I tell Dale this all the time, and I’m serious. If I got into a little run in with Richard, all Richard ever really did, he just poked me in the chest with, it looked like ET’s finger. So I knew he’d go away,” Waltrip remembered. “But Dale, on the other hand …. I had a little problem with Richard one race at Richmond. I wasn’t looking for Richard to apologize [to], I was looking for Dale to apologize [to]. Because Dale Inman would hurt you.” Of course, Inman was much better known for his skills with the race car, which earned him his place in the Hall of Fame. And in the process, he perhaps blazed a trail that others in his former profession will one day follow. Inman, for one, seems certain that more crew chiefs are bound for consideration—and perhaps one day enshrinement. “I’m sure there will be,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing what the next group will be, because there are some other categories out there that should be added. But … there are crew chiefs that will be in, for sure, later on down the line. They’ve already asked me who do you think, or who should be in. I wouldn’t touch that with a 10-foot pole.” The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.

National hope Midnight out to regain the winning thread

admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:36:06 +0000

National hope Midnight out to regain the winning thread
You are here: Betting Guide » Grand National » National hope Midnight out to regain the winning thread Connections of the classy Midnight Chase will be hoping that a heavy fall at Down Royal on his seasonal reappearance has not affected his confidence and that the Lady Clarke-owned gelding can get his season back on track with a win at Wetherby on Boxing Day in the feature Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase, writes Elliot Slater. Trainer Neil Mulholland took a big chance in running Midnight Chase in the Grade 1 JNwine.com Chase at the Northern Ireland track in early November on ground far more testing than is ideal for the son of Midnight Legend who has shown over the years that he goes best on a decent surface. After racing prominently for much of the way it was clear that Dougie Costelloe’s mount was struggling as he dropped back to a very tired fourth before taking a heavy fall at the second from home in the race won by Ireland’s big Cheltenham Gold Cup hope, Quito de La Roque. Anyone following the ante-post Grand National odds wouldn’t have been impressed. The return to a left-handed track is also expected to raise the spirits of Mulholland’s charge who has a tremendous record at his beloved Cheltenham as proven last term when he rattled up a hattrick at the track including in listed and Grade 3 company before being given the green light to take his chance in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. After getting outpaced a mile from home and losing his position it was very much to Midnight Chase’s credit that he rallied bravely from the home turn and was staying on well at the death to be an excellent fifth behind Long Run. His Gold Cup performance convinced connections that their horse has what it takes to bid for a John Smith’s Grand National and bookmakers currently rate the Midnight chase a 33/1 chance across the board to triumph at Aintree in April. Related Articles:A Grand National Winning Chance for First-timer Tidal Bay Arbor a live Grand National hope for red-hot Mullins Walsh in line to ride The Midnight Club Dooneys yet another live hope for Mullins Festival hope Rev planning to live it up at Doncaster Written by Bet123 · Filed Under Grand National Comments

Jets fire their scapegoat, hire Dolphins’ scapegoat

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:54:05 +0000

Jets fire their scapegoat, hire Dolphins’ scapegoat
(Getty Images) The New York Jets lose the scapegoat for their quarterback and the man blamed for the eighth-worst offense in the NFL when late on Tuesday night they announced that offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is not returning to the team. While no formal announcement has been made, the Jets are expected to unveil former Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano as their new coordinator. Sparano was fired from the Dolphins in the midst of a 6-10 season where his team, despite being destined to miss the playoffs for a third straight year, still played hard. The son of Marty Schottenheimer, the famed NFL coach and offensive mastermind, “Schotty” was with the Jets since 2006 and for the past three seasons, has drawn the ire of Jets fans for his play-calling. Head coach Rex Ryan stayed firm behind Schottenheimer during that time, even as quarterback Mark Sanchez’s development flat-lined and perhaps regressed. Schottenheimer even became the face of the “Occupy Florham Park” movement. In a statement issued by the Jets, the team said it was the coordinator’s decision to “not return.” “After much thought and consideration, I have decided not to return to the New York Jets in 2012,” Schottenheimer said in the statement. “I am very proud of what we have accomplished in the six years I have been here. I am grateful for the relationships that I have with our players and coaches and appreciate the hard work and dedication that went into our success. My family and I would like to thank Rex Ryan and the entire Jets organization and wish them continued success. I look forward to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.” The move to cut ties with Schottenheimer is perhaps as much a sign to the Jets’ own, disjointed locker room that it was the coaching staff and not the players’ responsible for their disappointing 8-8 season, the first time under Ryan that the team has missed the playoffs. Schottenheimer drew the ire from fans for Sanchez’s subpar performance this year, including a relatively flat quarterback rating and a decrease in yards per completion. Despite the offense’s poor showing and the failure of the ground game, including the offense passing the ball 59 times in a 29-14 loss to the New York Giants in Week 16, management stood by the embattled coordinator. In an end-of-the-season press conference on Jan. 2, general manager Mike Tannenbaum said of Schottenheimer that “We do expect Brian Schottenheimer back. We have been with him now for six years and I really respect the job he’s done.” Ryan took it one step further, saying that Schottenheimer was ready for the next level in his professional career. Wishful thinking perhaps. “He’s got everything it takes to be a successful head coach in this league,” Ryan said last week. “I think it starts with pedigree, but more importantly, here is a guy that’s been successful.” Twice in the past three years, all with Sanchez as the starting quarterback, the Jets’ total offense has been in the bottom half of the league. Follow Kristian R. Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer\ Other popular content on the Y! network:• Michael Silver: Fired Hue Jackson says Raiders owner made decision• After three tough seasons, Tom Crean living hoops dream at Indiana• Video: Fans crash Mavericks’ bench during NBA game• Y! News: Vizio’s new TV models nearly 6 feet across

Magic get little from Howard, beat Kings (AP)

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:18:23 +0000

Magic get little from Howard, beat Kings (AP)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)—Having foul-plagued star Dwight Howard sitting on the bench for much of the first three quarters wasn’t funny to Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy during the game. Afterward, the veteran coach could laugh about it. Jason Richardson scored a season-high 22 points, Glen Davis added a season-best 20 and Orlando beat the Sacramento Kings 104-97 on Sunday with Howard playing only a minor role. The All-Star center, who entered the game averaging 20.3 points and 15.9 rebounds, had five points and four rebounds in 20 minutes and spent most of the first three quarters in foul trouble. He didn’t get his first rebound until 4 minutes into the fourth and was scoreless before converting a three-point play with 6:35 remaining, putting the Magic ahead 87-85. “I got Dwight a lot of rest in the first half. That was a (good) coaching move,” laughed Van Gundy, who received 42 points from his productive bench. Davis earned a big share of the credit. Nicknamed “Big Baby” for his 289-pound frame and style of play, Davis consistently hit jumpers from the perimeter and used his muscle to score inside and grab eight rebounds, including five on offense. He shot 8 of 13 and had two assists in 28 minutes. “These types of games are a tell-all for a team when you have your best player in foul trouble,” said Orlando forward Ryan Anderson, who had 19 points and 11 rebounds. “We had a lot of guys back (Howard) up tonight. Glen did an amazing job off the bench.” Tyreke Evans had a season-high 28 points and eight assists for the Kings. DeMarcus Cousins, also hampered by fouls, had 16 points and 10 rebounds. J.J. Hickson added 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Marcus Thornton scored 13 points. Guarding Cousins, Howard picked up his second foul at the 10:14 mark of the first quarter and promptly left the game. He was called for a third foul midway through the second quarter and had zero points and rebounds in 6 first-half minutes. Howard was whistled for his fourth foul at 9:57 of the third quarter. He also had a second-quarter technical for what he termed a harmless comment to the referees. “I didn’t curse and I didn’t show them up,” he said. Although Howard would have preferred playing with foul trouble, he said he understood Van Gundy’s decision to sit him for more than half the game. “It’s smart. He didn’t want me to pick up any more cheap fouls, especially early in the game,” Howard said. “He would rather have me sitting than in the game and having to be tentative.” With Howard on the bench, the Kings shot 52 percent to stay close throughout. But 17 turnovers and only 16 assists were partly to blame for the end to their modest two-game home winning streak. “Obviously, he’s the focal point of the team, an All-Star,” Kings coach Keith Smart said. “It makes the game a little bit easier when the paint opens up and you don’t have a guy shot-blocking and rebounding. So that was one of the keys to us staying in the game and having the lead. We just really couldn’t hold onto it and extend it.” Von Wafer made three 3-pointers and scored 12 points, and Hedo Turkoglu added 11 points for the Magic, who had 14 more field goal attempts than the Kings and committed only 10 turnovers. Turkoglu banked in a 3 with the shot clock running down to give Orlando a 93-89 lead with just less than 3 minutes remaining. Anderson’s 3-pointer from the corner and Turkoglu’s layup gave the Magic a 102-95 cushion with 35 seconds left. Even with Howard sidelined for a large portion of the game, Cousins also got into foul trouble. He picked up two fouls in just more than a minute in the third quarter and went to the bench at the 6:54 mark with five fouls. “We’ve just got to get better with late-game situations,” said Cousins, who had only four points and four rebounds in the second half when he was saddled with foul problems. “It’s not something we can get overnight, but we have to continue to get better. We are taking steps forward.” The game was the start of a four-game road trip for the Magic, which ends Jan. 16 against the Knicks. The Kings’ next game is Tuesday in Philadelphia, the start of a five-game road trip in seven days. After struggling for much of the game, Anderson got going in the third quarter, scoring 11 points. Davis replaced Howard and proved to be trouble for the Kings again, scoring nine points as Orlando took an 81-79 lead into the fourth. Despite playing almost the entire first half without Howard, the Magic led 49-47. Davis and Richardson both scored 11 points, while Evans had 15 for the Kings and Cousins added 12. The Orlando bench had 28 first-half points. A slow starter much of the season, Cousins scored 10 points in helping the Kings to a 21-19 lead in the opening quarter. Notes: Anderson, who missed his first six shots, grew up in nearby El Dorado Hills, about 30 miles northeast of Sacramento. He got tickets for a group of family and friends. … Turkoglu argued a first-quarter foul and was given a technical. … Thornton missed all seven shots in a scoreless opening half, but finally scored on a jumper early in the third quarter, when he had 10 points.

NFL Betting Trends

admin — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 09:18:28 +0000

NFL Betting Trends
NFL Playoff Betting Trends Banner -Online Sports Bettingat Bodog Sportsbook NFL Football Game Picks Dallas vs. NY Giants ATS Pick Kansas City vs. Denver ATS Pick San Diego at Oakland ATS Pick Baltimore vs. Cincinnati ATS Pick NFL Betting Recap – Week 16 Atlanta at New Orleans ATS Pick Chicago at Green Bay ATS Pick Eagles at Cowboys ATS Pick Houston at Indianapolis ATS Pick Steelers at 49ers Betting Pick Baltimore at San Diego Game Pick Jacksonville at Atlanta ATS Pick NFL Betting Recap – Week 14 Rams at Seahawks Best Bet Oakland at Green Bay ATS Pick Giants at Cowboys Game Pick Cleveland at P{ittsburgh Spread Pick NFL Betting Recap – Week 13 San Diego at Jacksonville Betting Detroit at New Orleans Best Bet Atlanta at Houston Betting Pick Philadelphia at Seattle Spread Pick NFL Betting Recap – Week 12 NY Giants at New Orleans ATS Pick Pittsburgh at Kansas City ATS Pick San Francisco at Baltimore ATS Pick Green Bay at Detroit Spread Pick NFL Betting Recap – Week 11 Chiefs at Patriots Spread Pick Philadelphia at NY Giants ATS Pick Cincinnati at Baltimore ATS Pick NY Jets at Denver Broncos ATS Pick NFL Betting Recap – Week 10 Vikings at Packers ATS Pick Patriots at Jets ATS Game Pick Giants at 49ers Spread Pick Raiders at Chargers Game Pick NFL Betting Recap – Week 9 Bears at Eagles Spread Pick Ravens at Steelers Spread Pick NY Giants at New England ATS Pick Tampa Bay at New Orleans ATS Pick NFL Betting Recap – Week 8 San Diego at Kansas City Betting Pick Dallas at Philadelphia ATS Pick Cleveland at San Francisco ATS Pick New England at Pittsburgh Odds NFL Betting Recap – Week 7 Baltimore at Jacksonville ATS Pick Indianapolis at New Orleans ATS Pick Kansas City at Oakland ATS Pick Houston at Tennessee ATS Pick Buffalo at NY Giants ATS Pick New Orleans at Tampa Bay ATS Pick Chicago at Detroit ATS Pick Green Bay at Atlanta ATS Pick Oakland at Houston ATS Pick Bettors Toolbox 2011 NFL Betting Trends 2011 Strength Of Schedule Free Office Football Picks NFL Handicapper’s Database Weather Forecasts NFL Future Odds AFC East Odds AFC West Odds AFC South Odds AFC North Odds NFC West Odds NFC East Odds NFC South Odds NFC North Odds Super Bowl Odds Rookie of the Year Odds Top Defensive Rookie Most Passing Yards Most Rushing Yards Most Receiving Yards NFL Handicapping Halftime Betting Tips Strategy for Wagering NFL Totals Sandwhich Game Handicapping Theory 8 Myths about Betting on Football NFL Key Numbers Halftime Betting Preseason Betting Football Gambling – How to Win Overlooked Handicapping Tools NFL Betting Basics

Dover’s seat-widening plan set to begin in 2012 (NASCAR.com)

admin — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:36:03 +0000

Dover’s seat-widening plan set to begin in 2012 (NASCAR.com)
Dover International Speedway announced Thursday a seat-widening plan for the track’s grandstands beginning in 2012. The multi-year process, which will take place throughout the entire outdoor grandstands, will begin in all seating sections located in Turns 2 and 3. Additional widening of seats toward Turns 1 and 4 and the frontstretch will begin after the conclusion of the 2012 season. When the process is complete, all seats will have increased from 18 inches to 22 inches throughout the venue. “Year to year, we’re always exploring ways to improve the experience for fans who attend our races at the Monster Mile,” said Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Motorsports, Inc. “Because many seats have already been renewed by our most loyal fans, we don’t want to displace them in an effort to make this change in one fell swoop. We’ll do our best to widen seats this year, and complete the process by 2014. “By widening our seats we are responding to suggestions from our fans and allowing them to enjoy the race in a far more comfortable setting.” When the process is complete by 2014, Dover’s new seating capacity will be 113,000.