Tolliver brings a sense of humor to the Twin Cities
Basketball Betting Lines
08/09/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's probably a good idea to have a sense of humor if you are around a basketball team that amassed all of 15 wins and finished 38 games out of first place.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have done their best to remake the roster that "accomplished" that last season, shipping a perceived "bad seed," power forward Al Jefferson, to Salt Lake City, while giving second-year coach Kurt Rambis some exciting new options like Syracuse rookie forward Wesley Johnson, former Bucks point guard Luke Ridnour, and a former No. 2 overall pick in Michael Beasley.
Of course this is the 'Wolves so you can bet the black cloud hanging over the franchise hasn't fully dissipated just yet. Promising sophomore point guard Jonny Flynn underwent surgery in late July to repair a labral tear and remove extra bone from his left hip and is expected to be sidelined from basketball activities for three to four months.
It's safe to say Minnesota still has a ways to go before Kobe and his Laker teammates are shaking in their boots but basketball chief David Kahn made another move late last week by agreeing on a two-year deal with Anthony Tolliver, a forward with all of 65 career games on his NBA resume.
It's not the type of signing that will require a press conference at Target Center but the 6-foot-9 Tolliver has shown some offensive skills with the Golden State Warriors and he should be able to carve out a few minutes in Rambis' frontcourt rotation that will include Johnson, Martell Webster, Kevin Love and Beasley.
Tolliver's biggest contribution to the 'Wolves, however, may be in the locker room.
He announced his decision to leave Oakland for the Twin Cities last Friday in a short YouTube video, spoofing LeBron James' often criticized "The Decision" special on ESPN last month.
In the video entitled "The Decision: Part Deux!!," a woman off camera asks the former D-League star when he made his decision.
"Um, I think I made my decision this morning while using the bathroom," Tolliver said. "It just came to me."
Unknown interviewer: "So, are you going to let us know your decision?"
After writing his decision on a piece of paper, presumably to build up the suspense, Tolliver said: "I will be taking my services to the north, the Minnesota Timberwolves."
A wolf is then heard howling in the background as Tolliver continued:
"Thank you to all my fans who have been following me and following my decision. It's been a great run and hopefully this is just the beginning."
James, of course, famously announced his decision by saying "I will be taking my talents to South Beach."
It's tough for a role player to become a leader in any locker room but humor is often the first step in getting along with people, especially in a close- knit atmosphere like the NBA.
Tolliver will never be a superstar on the court in Minneapolis. Off the court, he's off to a very good start.
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors will play the first-ever NBA regular season games in Europe at the O2 Arena in London, England on March 4 and 5. "The staging of our first regular-season games
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Gustafson moved up six places to No. 24.
There were no changes in the
<< Dallas Cowboys 2010 Season Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jerry Jones has never been one to scale back when it comes
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Last year Jones unveiled to an awaiting public his longtime grand design, a
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Norfolk, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - West Virginia transfer Dominik Davenport will
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Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Edmonton Oilers have agreed to terms with left wing Liam Reddox on a one-year contract. Reddox collected two assists in nine games for Edmonton last season. He spent most of the campaign with Springfi
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Red Wings ink veteran blueliner Salei >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings have signed
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Online Sportsbook Football Betting
LaDainian Tomlinson Favorite to be 2007 NFL MVP
With the first NFL preseason game less than two weeks away, it is time to start thinking about football once again at MySportsbook.com. Reigning NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson is currently the 5-1 co-favorite to win the award again alongside Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning.
This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone after his all out assault on the record books last season. For those suffering from amnesia or were under a rock last football season, all L.T. did last season was set the NFL record for rushing touchdowns (28), total touchdowns (31) and total points scored (186) to go along with his 1815 rushing yards and 508 receiving yards. At 6-1, Tom Brady is next in line which isn’t surprising considering all of the firepower the Pats added over the off-season. With the addition of Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker; it would be quite difficult for Brady’s numbers not to improve from last years 3529 yards and 24 touchdowns. There appears to be some decent value in Drew Bees at 10-1 considering he probably would have won the award last year if it wasn’t for L.T.’s record breaking season.
There is no reason to think the Saints will come back to earth this season and playing in a weak NFC, they should have as good a shot as any to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. At 15-1, Donovan McNabb could also be worth a look. Remember, many felt he was the MVP of the first half of the season before going down with a season ending injury. Reportedly, he is in great shape and well ahead of schedule to return to form. Also, he could have some added motivation to put up big numbers this season with the Eagles using their first pick in the draft on McNabb’s future successor Kevin Kolb.
Be sure to log on to MySportsbook.com to check out the complete odds for NFL MVP as well as all of the new football related futures. With the popularity of NFL futures, these betting lines will be sure to change as the money comes in; get the early sports lines now.
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2007 online football betting Preview
My fellow Americans, as tempting as it may be to don the coat and HD-ready tie in order to deliver this State of the Game address before the cameras, I know better. As Brad Paisley sings on his latest album, "I'm so much cooler online."
The ideas for this annual essay to kick off the MySportsbook.com college football betting preview flowed like frat-house beer, which is to say they were cheap and spilled all over the floor. The 2007 season will be better than 2007, if only because there will be more of it. A year ago, the NCAA Football Rules Committee made two rule changes in the interest of speeding up the game. These changes went over like Kobe burgers at a vegan banquet.
To its credit, the rules committee rectified its mistakes. This season the clock once again will start when a kickoff is received, rather than when it is kicked, and the clock will not start so quickly on a change of possession.
However, kickoffs have been moved back five yards, to the 30, which will force more returns. (Thus forcing the clock to run. Clever, huh?) Special teams might decide a lot of games, because coaching strategy will come straight out of another new Paisley lyric (almost), I'd like to check you for kicks.
Paisley sings with a twang, which is why he's appropriate for this college football season. The sun coming up over the 2007 college football betting lines season rises from the south. It's a Southern football world. As the Southeastern Conference begins its 75th year, the power shift is noticeable.
Eight-figure budgets, glamorous settings -- and that's just for the head coaches. The SEC has four coaches who have won national championships -- the greatest aggregation of coaching know-how since Eddie Robinson dined alone.
Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have given lie to the idea that a conference championship game is too daunting a hurdle on the road to No. 1. In six of the past 10 seasons, the national champions played and won a conference championship game -- three of the six (Tennessee, 1998; LSU, 2003; Florida, 2007) from the SEC.
2007 College Football Betting Preview
There will be more of the same this season, if the preseason prognostications are correct. Six SEC teams are in the preseason coaches' poll, more than from any other conference. Only one conference has talent so deep that a team with 15 returning starters, including the best quarterback in the league, from an eight-win season is considered an afterthought. That may speak more to Kentucky's losing legacy than to the wisdom of the predictions, but there you have it. And seriously, keep an eye on Wildcats QB Andre' Woodson.
The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.
So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.
USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster. Instead, the Trojans gathered themselves and routed Michigan, 32-18, in the Rose Bowl.
USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess (such as, without naming names, L.M. from Baton Rouge). The league only got deeper this season; Dennis Erickson is taking over an Arizona State team that never quite got out of its own way under his predecessor, Dirk Koetter.
Erickson will resume his quest to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools. Both he and Spurrier, now in his third season at South Carolina, returned to college football at schools with lower profiles than where they won their titles.
That isn't the case for the third coach looking for the national championship double. You may have missed this, but NASA reported the astronauts on the space shuttle last spring made contact with what can only be described as beings from another galaxy.
The leader of the aliens said, "We come in peace," followed by, "So how do you think Nick Saban will do at Alabama?"
The public is reacting to the new Crimson Tide coach as if he is the Barry Bonds of college football -- beloved at home for what his fans believe he is going to do, hated on the road for his intimidating attitude and for what his detractors believe he did (bend NCAA recruiting rules). I made this comparison from the dais at a charity dinner in Mobile, Ala., last month, and the chill that washed over me didn't come from the air conditioning.
Saban will attempt to prove that he can remake in Tuscaloosa what he built in Baton Rouge, much like another member of the national championship fraternity. Bobby Bowden is attempting to remake at Florida State what he built at, um, Florida State. Bowden rebuilt his offensive staff, bringing in four new coaches led by Saban's former offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, to jump-start an offense that has been dead for a couple of years.
Las Vegas Sports Lines
The Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to show new signs of life, too. That is said with no disrespect toward last season's champion, Wake Forest, which provided one of the best story lines of 2007. The Demon Deacons begin this season in their customary position, overshadowed by the Virginia Techs, Miamis and Florida States.
It's not that Wake will find it difficult to duplicate its success in 2007 as much as the feeling that success engendered. Surprising success is the narcotic of sport. It never feels quite so euphoric the next time. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has figured this out. He refers to 2007, when a league looked down upon by fans and foes alike took three undefeated teams into November, as "Cinderella."
The fairy tale may be over, but the Big East has four genuine Heisman Trophy candidates in Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, and Rutgers tailback Ray Rice. Rutgers, as did Wake Forest and, of course, Boise State, proved last season that the have-nots in college football occasionally have quite a lot.
The Broncos' rousing 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has raised the profile of all schools in conferences that don't get automatic BCS bids. This season, TCU and Hawaii are the preseason favorites to burst through the BCS doors and earn an at-large bid. The Warriors return 14 starters from an 11-3 team, including quarterback Colt Brennan.
Brennan not only broke the single-season record with 58 touchdown passes in 2007, but he also led Division I-A in passing efficiency (186.0). The senior is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy, and neither his success nor the rise of his team should come as any surprise in the 2007 season.
After all, Hawaii is the southernmost team in the country.
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