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08/30/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Monty couldn't win.
There were five players vying for three spots on the European Ryder Cup team. Technically, there might have been six golfers for three spots, after Colin Montgomerie himself floated Bernhard Langer's name out there.
Somebody's feelings were going to be hurt on Sunday. Sadly, someone's feelings were going to be hurt at an event on the other side of the pond, and that's indicative of the bigger problem.
Padraig Harrington, Edoardo Molinari and Luke Donald were tabbed for the three spots, and Paul Casey, Justin Rose and Langer weren't. Everyone but Molinari was in the field at the Barclays on the PGA Tour.
So Monty was able to get a hold of Rose before he teed off on Sunday. Had to be a fun call, but it's one that's always made.
You want real awkward, like lose your wedding ring in a strip club awkward?
Caroline Harrington got a text message saying her husband made the team. She gave the thumbs-up to Paddy's caddy who told the Irishman. His playing partner felt a little overwhelmed and ignored once Harrington received the news.
Harrington's playing partner? Paul Casey.
"Caroline's a great friend," said Casey. "She would have said something to me if I had been picked. So at that point I kind of knew that I hadn't. It was about two-and-a-half hours. It was difficult."
That's just a bad confluence of events, but some are criticizing Monty's picks.
Molinari was a lock. He won on Sunday and did so with birdies at the last two holes. The Italian won twice this summer and if that doesn't get you on the team, what could?
Plus, his brother Francesco made the team on points. Seems like a pretty simple pairing to me, and to Monty.
"I don't think I have to tell you who his partner might be in the four-ball or the foursomes," joked Montgomerie.
Harrington has had a terrible year, but he won three majors in the last three years. He's played on every Ryder Cup team since 1999 and is a veteran presence on a team, with the inclusion of Edoardo Molinari, that has six rookies.
The Donald inclusion isn't hard to fathom either. He's had maybe the best summer of anyone. Donald has eight top 10s all over the world, including a win at the Madrid Masters.
Hard to argue his credentials.
The problem is, anyone can make a case for Rose or Casey as well.
Casey is the ninth-ranked player in the whole world. Rose won twice on the PGA Tour this summer at some pretty remarkable venues like Muirfield and Aronimink.
It makes very little sense to almost anyone how a top-10 player in the world can't make a team of the top 12 players on a continent.
"That's up for the committee and European Tour to sort out of which I'm a member of the committee, but we will see," said Casey.
It's a tricky situation for the European Ryder Cup committee. The U.S. team is run by the PGA of America and they don't run the PGA Tour. The European team is run by the European Tour.
The logical play is to get more of the top-ranked Europeans on the team. The realization has been made to a certain degree that the state of golf is global now. The majority of European Ryder Cuppers play the U.S. full time, so why not make the standard for team membership even more world-ranking-based?
As it stands now, the top four in the world-rankings-based points list make the team and the next five come from a European Tour-based points system. Why not at least flip that so you have the best possible team? Heck, I'd even make it six and three.
You have to give credit to guys like Peter Hanson and Ross Fisher for making the team. But my dad won't have a clue who those guys are.
This process is based on the fact that European Tour has to protect itself. If making the Ryder Cup team becomes too world-ranking oriented, than some Europeans may not play that tour at all.
It's certainly an interesting pickle. The reality is that changes are probably not forthcoming. It's definitely a nice problem to have for the European side. Woe is us, we have too much high-ranking talent to make our team.
It's a better problem than Corey Pavin will have a week from now. Only one top 10 player to choose from for Captain Corey. I think he'd take Casey and Rose. They do live in the U.S. part-time.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
- I'd have gone Harrington, Molinari and Rose myself. Donald's summer love tour aside, I would have had a hard time leaving off a guy who won twice in the U.S. this summer.
- Here's how I handicap Pavin's four picks - Locks: Tiger Woods. Likely: Zach Johnson. Screwing himself badly out of an easy lock pick: Anthony Kim. Possible, but I hope not as a proud American: Stewart Cink, Lucas Glover. I'm gonna say Pavin goes Woods, Johnson, Cink and Glover, but with a big push from some Americans at the Deutsche Bank Championship, the last two are subject to change. I think they are actually ripe to be knocked off this list, so go get 'em, U.S. guys.
- The Jim Furyk disqualification at The Barclays is a stunningly bad rule. How can you disqualify a player for missing a pro-am tee time when only half of the field is even asked to participate in the pro-am in the first place? Isn't that by very definition completely unfair? Thanks for being such a good player and such a big star. We trust you to schmooze with our sponsors. Now you have to adhere to rules that half of the field doesn't. Ridiculous.
- Michelle Wie wins and now has to stop in a little bit to go back to Stanford. Tough decisions I did not have to make in my pursuit of a.) a degree and b.) millions of dollars.
- Movie moment - I tweeted this recently, but the most underrated great movie of the last 25 years is "The Insider." Russell Crowe is at his best in this movie. (No offense, "A Beautiful Mind." Tons of offense, "Gladiator.") I could watch Christopher Plummer destroy Gina Gershon verbally all day. Just a great movie in every way imaginable. Even a golf scene, so that's something.
<< Arizona Cardinals 2010 Season Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With Kurt Warner having ridden off into the glorious sunset
of retirement, the Arizona Cardinals were planning on once again handing Matt
Leinart the keys to the Porsche.
But as he has done twice before, Leinart is already
<< Van Persie suffers minor ankle injury
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arsenal and Netherlands striker Robin van
Persie is set to miss a few weeks because of an ankle injury, according to the
Dutch football federation.
Van Persie missed five months last season because of
<< Arena to extend schedule to 18 games
Tulsa, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arena Football League will extend its
regular-season schedule from 16 to 18 games next season.
A 16-game schedule had been in effect since 2003.
"There has never been a better time for the Aren
<< Boston downs Philadelphia to edge closer to playoff berth
West Chester, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Breakers closed the gap on the
Philadelphia Independence in the race for second place in the Women's
Professional Soccer table with a 2-1 comeback win at John A. Farrell Stadium
on Sund
Wie up to seventh in world rankings >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michelle Wie's victory Sunday at the
Canadian Women's Open vaulted the 20-year-old up to No. 7 in this week's world
rankings.
Wie, who collected her second LPGA Tour win, moved up five spots this wee
Fabiano signs Sevilla extension >>
Seville, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Luis Fabiano pledged his future to Sevilla
through June 2013 on Monday when he signed a two-year contract extension,
which brings to an end any speculation about a move away from the club.
Fabiano's p
Baggies add Scharner on free transfer >>
West Bromwich, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - West Bromwich announced the signing
of Paul Scharner on a two-year contract on Monday.
The 30-year-old Scharner joined on a free transfer after leaving Wigan at the
end of last season, and Baggie
Kuchar up to 10th in world rankings >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Kuchar's playoff victory Sunday over
Martin Laird at The Barclays vaulted Kuchar up to 10th in this week's world
golf rankings.
Kuchar jumped up 13 places to his highest-ever ranking.
Tiger Wo
After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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