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No need to panic in San Antonio
The Western Conference No. 1 seed San Antonio Spurs didn’t exactly tear it up down the stretch as they headed into the NBA Playoffs, even getting overtaken for top spot overall in the NBA by the Chicago Bulls on the last day of the regular season. And that indifferent play continued into Game 1 of their opening round playoff series Sunday, when they were stunned 101-98 by the No. 8 seed Memphis Grizzlies , a game in which the Spurs had been a 6.5-point home favorite. It was the first ever playoff win for the Grizzlies franchise. But the Spurs have no intention of making major changes or adjustments for Game 2 of the best-of-seven series Read More
Point Shaving scandal represents dark side of sports betting
The dark side of sports betting has been revealed this week with news of an alleged points shaving and basketball gambling ring at the University of San Diego . Federal authorities say 10 people have been charged them with running a sports betting business that affects the outcome of games. Any time the FBI is involved in something, you know it’s serious. The NCAA says it plans to conduct its own investigation after the FBI completes its work. NCAA vice president of enforcement Julie Roe Lach called the allegations sad, which may be the understatement of the year. But she did add that they are very serious. The charges were unsealed on Monday in San Diego. Those charged include Brandon Johnson, USD’s career scoring leader who is now playing in the NBA Development League , as well as former assistant coach Thaddeus Brown and former player Brandon Dowdy. On Tuesday, eight of the 10 people pleaded not guilty in federal court. Six of the eight defendants were granted bail ranging from $35,000 to $50,000. Read More
Legalized Internet Gambling Likely?
Leave it to the credit rating companies to make a push that could see Internet Gambling legalized in the United States.On Monday, a prominent credit rating agency said it sees Internet gambling gathering momentum in various states and in Congress. Fitch Ratings , the agency whose bond ratings the state of Massachusetts uses as a measure of the state’s economic strength, said in a new report that legalized online gambling is “increasingly likely.” It said the changes may happen on either a regional basis or at the federal level.“Multiple states have been considering intrastate online gaming proposals, new federal proposals are being discussed, and the budget outlook at both state and federal levels remains strained,” according to the Fitch analysis. “Companies have been ramping up online initiatives and/or entering into alliances, such as Wynn-PokerStars and Caesars-888 Holdings .” Read More
My latest video 4/5/11
Tiger Woods no favorite heading into The Masters
Tiger Woods will tee-off at Augusta for the 2011 Masters Tournament this week, and for the first time since he burst on to the PGA Tour in the ‘90s, Woods is not the favorite to win the prestigious event, one of golf’s four grand slam tournaments.
Just a couple of years ago, it would have been nearly impossible to comprehend a Masters where Woods was not the man to beat.It’s hard to determine exactly when was the last Masters that Woods was not the favorite at, but this is certainly the first Masters in which Woods has competed in which he’s not the favorite. That fact underlines how far the greatest player the game has ever known has fallen.This is a tournament and a course that suits his game best. And it’s a tournament that Tiger has won four times.There were Masters tournaments in the past, as recently as two years ago, when Woods was at even money to win the Masters, which says a lot about how dominant Woods once was in general, and how he owned Augusta in particular. Read More
Listen to my latest PodCast 4/4/11
Check out todays Podcast, We talk NBA, NCAAB, MLB, alittle NFL, and even some NASCAR http://www.talkshoe.com/resources/talkshoe/images/swf/lastEpisodePlayer.swf?fileUrl=http://recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-95916/TS-473021.mp3
NCAAB Championship Game Tonight
It all comes down to one night, when the (March) Madness comes to an end and a new College Basketball champion is crowned in Houston.The No. 3 seed Connecticut Huskies and the 8th-seeded Butler Bulldogs meet in the 2011 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game on Monday at Reliant Stadium (9:23 pm ET, CBS).Butler (28-9 SU, 20-14-1 ATS), last year’s Cinderella team, bounced this year’s Cinderella right out of the Big Dance, crushing the hopes and dreams of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams with a 70-62 victory in their Final Four matchup on Saturday.The Bulldogs cashed as a 3.5–point favorite and the score crept over the total of 130. The Bulldogs know all about crushed dreams: Last season, the Bulldogs went all the way to the NCAA title game only to lose a 61-59 heartbreaker to the Duke Blue Devils. Guard Shelvin Mack scored 24 points for Butler on 8-of-11 shooting from the floor, but he was one of the few offensive standouts on either team, as both the Bulldogs and Rams shot less than 40 percent from the floor.
Meanwhile, Connecticut (31-9 SU, 22-12 ATS) is the last hope of the Big East conference, which sent a record 11 teams to the NCAA Tournament only to have just two (the Marquette Golden Eagles were the other) remaining going into the Sweet 16. UConn edged the Kentucky Wildcats 56-55 in the second Final Four game Saturday, cashing as a 2-point underdog. The score went well below the total of 138.5. The Huskies will be gunning for their third national championship. The Huskies’ defense has been huge during March Madness, limiting opponents to 59 points per game. Kentucky shot just 33.9 percent from the floor. The Huskies are a 3.5-point favorite and the over/under total is at 129 points in NCAAB Odds.
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NCCAB Final Four Matchup time.
Virginia Commonwealth Rams face Butler Bulldogs in Final Four on CBS Saturday’s Final Four opener between the No. 11 seed Virginia Commonwealth Ramsand the No. 8 seed Butler Bulldogs has captured the attention of College Basketball fans across the nation – and a lot of people who’ve never even seen a basketball court.
That’s what happens when you bring two Cinderella teams together and then add a shot at the national title to the mix.
At the 2011 NCAA Tournament, Virginia Commonwealth and Butler square off in the first Final Four matchup at Reliant Stadium in Houston (6:09 pm ET, CBS).
The winner will advance to the NCAA Championship Game on Monday, where they’ll face the winner of the other Final Four game between the No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats and No. 3 Connecticut Huskies.
The Rams (28-11 SU, 18-20 ATS, 12-6 CAA) have impressed many during March Madness , attracting a load of new fans and making bettors a bucket load of cash. Last Sunday, the Rams won their fifth straight when they shocked the No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks 71-61 in the Elite Eight round. VCU covered as an 11-point underdog and the score went under the total of 145.5.
It was just the latest big win for the Rams, who kicked things off with a win over the No. 11 seed USC Trojans in the play-in game, and went on to beat the No. 6 Georgetown Hoyas, the No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers and the No. 10 Florida State Seminoles.
Butler (27-9 SU, 19-14-1 ATS, 13-5 Horizon) needed overtime to beat the No. 2 seed Florida Gators 74-71 in their Elite Eight matchup. The Bulldogs covered as a 4-point underdog and the score went over the total of 134.
Butler has been the hottest team in NCAA Basketball for two months now. Back on Feb. 3, Butler was 14-9 SU and 6-5 in the Horizon League and looked like it would be lucky to make the NIT Tournament.
Since then, the Bulldogs have won 13 straight, a run that includes wins over the No. 1 Pittsburgh Panthers in the opening round and the No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers in the Sweet 16.
Kentucky Wildcats, Connecticut Huskies square off in March Madness on CBS
This is the weekend College Basketball bettors look forward to all year: the Final Four followed by the national title game on Monday.
And while one Final Four matchup features a pair of Cinderella teams, the other has two of the proudest College Basketball programs in the nation.
What some might call the “power-conference” matchup has the No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats against the No. 3 Connecticut Huskies in Houston (8:45 pm ET, CBS).
Looking at the basketball accomplishments of the two schools is almost mind-blowing.
Kentucky leads all schools in total NCAA tournament appearances with 51, and is tied with the North Carolina Tar Heels in NCAA tournament wins with 105. It has an NCAA record 42 Sweet 16 appearances, an NCAA record 33 Elite-8 appearances, and is now fourth with 14 Final Fours. It has made it to the NCAA championship game 10 times, and ranks second to UCLA in NCAA championships with seven.
UConn has made the Big Dance 30 times, been to the Sweet 16 a total of 16 times and the Elite Eight 10 times. This is the Huskies’ fourth Final Four and the program has won the national title twice, the last one in 2004.
With all those March Madness appearances, you’d think the teams would have crossed paths, and they have – but just once.
The last time the teams met at the NCAA Tournament was a round of 32 matchup in 2006, which the Huskies won 87-83 but failed to cover as a 9-point favorite.
And the teams met earlier this season, when the Huskies won 84-67 and covered as a 5-point road underdog on Nov. 24. The score went over the total of 143. Connecticut is 2-1 SU and 1-2 ATS in the past three meetings, two of which have gone over the total.
The Wildcats are a 2.5-point favorite and the over/under total is at 140.
Check out expert handicapper Scott Matthews’ podcast here , or check out www.smpicks.com .
Former aide says she saw trainer inject Bonds
Tears streaming from her eyes, Barry Bonds’ former personal shopper became the first and only one of the government’s 23 witnesses at his federal trial to say she saw the all-time home run leader getting an injection from his trainer. Kathy Hoskins was the first eyewitness to testify that Bonds’ personal trainer—Greg Anderson, who was later convicted of dealing steroids—injected the slugger. She said Thursday that the scene unfolded at Bonds’ well-appointed Bay Area home in 2002. As part of her job, she packed the baseball star’s clothes for road trips.
Anderson came into the bedroom as she was filling a suitcase.
“Barry was like, ‘Let’s do it right here,”’ she testified, using a tissue to repeatedly dab at her eyes and brow.
“‘This is Katie. That’s my girl. She ain’t going to say nothing to nobody,”’ she quoted Bonds as saying. “So Greg shot him in the belly button.”
“It was a regular, normal-size syringe,” she said.
Hoskins said she didn’t ask about the injection, but Bonds volunteered that it was “a little something, something for when I go on the road. You can’t detect it. You can’t catch it.” Read More
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