Falcons get to 53; CB Jackson among cuts
Football Betting Lines
09/04/2010 - Flowery Branch, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Falcons have released 21 players as part of their Saturday "cut-down-day" maneuvers.
Atlanta waived or released tight end Robbie Agnone, wide receiver Troy Bergeron, safety Eric Brock, wide receiver Tim Buckley, safety Rafael Bush, safety Eric Brock, cornerback Dominique Daniels, wide receiver Brandyn Harvey (waived-injured), cornerback Chevis Jackson, linebacker Weston Johnson, fullback Dan Klecko, defensive end Maurice Lucas, running back Dimitri Nance, center Brett Romberg, center Blake Schlueter, wide receiver Andy Strickland, defensive end Emmanuel Stephens, guard Jose Valdez, wide receiver Ryan Wolfe, linebacker Bear Woods and tight end Keith Zinger.
Notables among that group include Jackson, a 2008 third-round pick who appeared in all but one of the Falcons' games over the past two seasons and posted an interception in Atlanta's playoff contest against Arizona two years ago. The LSU product fell victim to a numbers crunch at the cornerback position.
Klecko, a six-year veteran and son of ex-Jets star d-lineman Joe Klecko, had his contract terminated. The younger Klecko is a former member of the Patriots (2003-05), Colts (2006-07) and Eagles (2008).
Romberg joins Jackson in the category of players with Falcons experience to released. The Miami-Florida product and former St. Louis Ram (2006-08) appeared in nine contests with Atlanta last season.
The Falcons open their 2010 regular season on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday.
Flushing Meadows, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seeded 2009 runner-up Caroline Wozniacki and former champion Maria Sharapova were easy third-round winners, while former finalist Jelena Jankovic went by way of the upset Saturday at the U.S. Open.
<< Jankovic exits U.S. Open
Flushing Meadows, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former runner-up Jelena Jankovic was
a third-round upset victim Saturday at the U.S. Open.
Wimbledon quarterfinalist Kaia Kanepi stunned the former world No. 1 Jankovic
6-2, 7-6 (7-1) at the USTA Bil
<< Serbia edges Croatia to reach World Championship quarters
Istanbul, Turkey (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aleksandar Rasic's free throw with one
second left gave Serbia a 73-72 victory over Croatia and berth in the
quarterfinals of the FIBA World Championship.
The Serbs led by seven during the fou
<< Soderling reaches fourth round in Flushing
Flushing Meadows, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two-time French Open runner-up
Robin Soderling was an easy third-round winner Saturday at the U.S. Open.
The fifth-seeded Soderling whipped Dutchman Thiemo De Bakker 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 on
Day 6 at the US
<< Woods rebounds nicely with a 65
Norton, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tiger Woods shot a five-under 65 in the second
round of the Deutsche Bank Championship on Saturday, matching his lowest round
of the season.
More importantly? Woods played well enough to ensure he makes the 36
University Park, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - True freshman quarterback Rob Bolden threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns in his collegiate debut, leading Penn State to a 44-14 rout of Youngstown State in the 2010 opener for both schools. Bold
Rams tab rookie Bradford as Week 1 starter >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Rams announced on Saturday that
rookie and top overall pick Sam Bradford will be the team's starting
quarterback in Week 1 against Arizona.
Bradford is one of three quarterbacks on th
Robinson rushes for three TDs as Iowa wins opener >>
Iowa City, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adam Robinson ran for 109 yards and three
touchdowns, leading ninth-ranked Iowa in a 37-7 rout of Eastern Illinois to
open each school's 2010 season.
Robinson received 24 carries for the Hawkeyes (1-0
Florida begins life after Tebow with win over Miami-Ohio >>
Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Janoris Jenkins returned an interception 67
yards for a touchdown in the first half and Jeffery Demps rumbled 72 yards for
a score in the fourth quarter, as fourth-ranked Florida began life without Tim
Tebow a
Cardinals release Leinart, reduce roster to 53 >>
Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Cardinals have officially released
quarterback Matt Leinart, as part of a group of Saturday moves to pare their
roster to the 53-player maximum.
Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner and No.
Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
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FOOTBALL BETTING
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.
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