Announcement

**pm530** · 06-29-2007, 03:39 AM

Six-pack for Friday

-- Craig Biggio is only player in baseball history to play at least one full season at catcher, second base and outfield.

-- Not only did Biggio get five hits on same night he got his 3,000th hit, he started the game-winning rally for Houston.

-- Unlike Frank Thomas, who hit his 500th homer, but also got tossed out of game for arguing balls and strikes.

-- Colorado is 0-7 on road trip, blowing three leads in final inning; in all three games, Tulowitzki had given Rockies the lead with a dramatic home run.

-- Roy Oswalt now has only one win in his last nine starts.

-- Bronx led 8-6 at Baltimore when game was suspended due to rain; game will be finished July 27.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 06-29-2007, 03:40 AM

Friday's Den-- Running thoughts during the NBA Draft

For better or worse, here are my rambling, running thoughts as I watch the NBA Draft, with some baseball thrown in when commercials intrude on the proceedings.............

Before the draft................
-- Why does ESPN insist on employing the hideous Stephen A. Smith? He is loud and ignorant; other than that, he brings absolutely nothing to the table. Awful. Embarassingly bad.
-- Put it this way; Dick Vitale was just on, but after listening to Smith, he seems to be an understated human. Yikes.
-- Seattle has the second pick in the draft, but they don't have a coach. Then again, they're probably leaving Seattle, so they are a team without a city, a coach and a clue.
-- Chase Utley just homered for Phillies (2-0 Phil); it is raining in New York, so the Mets are in a rain delay, and my father is rambling about Mets' pitching coach Rick Peterson. Uh, oh....
-- My father might hate Bronx Bombers more than any person I've ever seen hate anything; if they lose to the Orioles today, he might run around the block, and he's 81 years old.

The First Round.............picks 1-5
-- David Stern is wearing one of those blue dress shirts with the white collar; he always has that look about him, like he's in charge, and knows something we don't know.
-- Trailblazers took Greg Oden; there are a lot of guys in the Portland draft room wearing white hats and high-fiving each other. There might be more guys at that table than there are on the Trailblazers' roster. Even the custodians are happy.
-- Portland scored the second fewest points in the NBA last year; Oden will help their defense more than their offense.
-- Celtics traded Jeff Green, Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak to the Sonics for Ray Allen, who is 32 years old. Paul Pierce bitches, Celtic management listens, the Celtics get worse.
-- Seattle also drafts Kevin Durant, who appears to be a very tall person; he got a 3.5 GPA at Texas last year. Durant can't benchpress 185 pounds; so what? He has 7-5 wingspan and can fill it up from the outside. He'll be a super player.
-- Hey, maybe Seattle doesn't need a coach? Larry Brown is watching their roster get better, and is now searching for the phone number of Seattle GM Sam Presti, who is only 30 years old, by the way.
-- ESPN also has Stuart Scott doing interviews, giving them bookend nitwits. No one hires nitwits as well as ESPN.
-- Kevin Pritchard is Portland's GM; it wasn't so long ago he was playing guard at Kansas. Damn, I'm getting old.
-- The Hawks drafted Al Horford; his dad Tito played briefly in the NBA (63 games) and is friends with Sammy Sosa. For some reason, that interests me.
-- Joakim Noah looks like Carrot Top dressed up as an usher, with a bow tie; now that I look closer, he is wearing an outfit like I wore to my Senior Prom, back in 1977. Interesting.
-- Memphis Grizzlies drafted Mike Conley, Jr, point guard who is a terrible shooter, but is very fast. He played in high school with Oden, first time since '79 that two guys from same high school got drafted this high in draft.
-- Conley's father won a gold medal in track at the Olympics, and is now his son's agent.
-- Grizzlies, by the way, were last in NBA in attendance a year ago; they came to Memphis from Vancouver, which tells us that Grizzlies management is lousy at picking hometowns.
-- Milwaukee is on the clock; they are supposed to take the kid from China, whose people don't want him going there. By the way, the owner of the Bucks is a US Senator., so there is the possibility of an international incident. Just great.
-- My father just asked if there were any white guys going to be drafted; I told him all the white kids got taken Friday night, at the NHL Draft. He didn't laugh. He might believe me.

NBA Draft, picks 6-10
-- Bucks drafted Yi Jianlian, who played for Del Harris couple years ago; Harris' son is the Bucks' GM. GM Harris didn't see Yi play this year; he is going on the word of his dad, who is a Dallas assistant coach. Isn't that a conflict of interest?
-- Al Horford is Florida's highest-drafted player since back in 1969, when they drafted Neal Walk. Lets hope this turns out better than that did.
-- Reds lead Phillies 5-4 in fourth; first team to 10 wins.
-- Bucks say they're keeping Yi, but do you really want a guy who doesn't want to be there? They can probably do well in a trade; Golden State is rumored to want him badly.
-- Stephen Smith just echoed my comment about Bucks' not seeing Yi in person; Jay Bilas pipes in that he thought Bucks' scouts had seen them. I'm not terribly happy that my train of thought is running parallel to Stephen's.
-- Dick Vitale thinks Seattle won on the Ray Allen trade; just thought you'd like to know.
-- Every mom at this draft looks like they just hit the lottery, which is pretty much true, actually........
-- Hey, the Devil Rays are losing, 3-0!!!! Stop the presses!!!
-- Charlotte Bobcats are on the clock, with Michael Jordan in control of things; they select Brandan Wright, a Tar Heel just like Jordan, but one who didn't always play hard. Bilas listed Wright as #4 guy in draft, so he think Bobcats got a steal.
-- Bulls are up with the pick they got from the Knicks in Eddy Curry trade; they're the only playoff team in lottery, thanks to Isiah Thomas being an incompetent.
-- Spike Lee is at the draft, wearing retro Knick warmup jacket; we missed Spike at the hockey draft last week.
-- Chicago takes Noah, giving Florida Gators three picks out of first nine. Noah's mom was Miss Sweden in 1978; couldn't ESPN show her a little more often? Great pick by Bulls, who grab a kid who loves to win, doesn't need to score, and won't have to in Chicago.
-- Sacramento just drafted Spencer Hawes from Washington, who missed much of last season with weird illness. Bilas says he has a lot of upside. My dad is happy because a white kid got drafted. Stu Scott made a joke about Hawes liking politics
-- Reggie Theus is the coach of the Kings, by the way; in the way of being informative, Sam Vincent is Bobcats' new coach and Rick Adelman has surfaced in Houston. Has a guy ever shot up the coaching ladder faster than Theus? The guy was coach at New Mexico State for two years, and now, wow.......

NBA Draft, picks 11-15........
-- Atlanta Hawks, America's most obscure sports franchise, take Acie Law IV, filling their point guard need. It takes him a while to get up to the podium, because he is hugging all the other Acie Laws. Just kidding. He is great nephew of Mr Cub, Ernie Banks, and he actually played four years in college.
-- 76ers went 30-28 after trading Allen Iverson, but finished in second-to-last in attendance. Why? They actually are better now, and have three first round picks tonight.
-- Sixers, Hawks both have new uniforms, with Atlanta going with a dark blue look, with New England Patriot-type style of numbers/letters. I had the NBA package for three years, but never saw a Hawks' game. Very obscure team.
-- Nitwit Smith doesn't buy the Sixers' 30-28 finish (17-9 in last 26 games); then again, he thinks if an NFL team misses game-winning field goal on third down, they get to kick it again, so we take what he says with a grain of salt. Like we said, nitwit.
-- 76ers passed on Al Thornton, who is 23 years old, but was a big scorer on an underachieving team at Florida State. For some reason, I think kids who play four years of college have a stigma attached to them, like they're not that good, which is unfair. Why penalize a kid because he developed later?
-- Hawks' GM Billy Knight was a terrific player at Pitt, by the way; he played against David Thompson's NC State team in regional final in '74. Sixers' GM Billy King played at Duke; is there a rule that you had to play to be a GM?
-- McHale, Bird, Thomas, Jordan-- all great players, none are great GMs. Playing, managing are two different skills. Jerry West and Joe Dumars have been terrific, for sure, but to be a great GM, you don't need height or quickness.
-- Hornets take Julian Wright, who likes to bowl; we see him roll a strike. Are there bowling alleys in New Orleans?
-- Bronx Bombers lead 4-2; Phillies lead Reds 6-5, Devil Rays trail Chicago 3-1. My father religiously watches Indian, Tiger games to make sure they finish ahead of Bronx for Wild Card.
-- Clippers take Al Thornton, only second college senior out of first 14 players taken. Thornton is 24, so he is older than Darko Milicic and Lebron James. Interesting pick by the Clips

NBA Draft, picks 15-20
-- Pistons took Rodney Stuckey from Eastern Washington; in two years with the Eagles, he scored 24 ppg, and when they missed the NCAAs, the school actually fired the coach, even though they had a winning record. Stuckey is 6-4, but Bilas says he needs to work harder, and become a better shooter.
-- Last year, Stuckey was 43-161 (26.7%) on 3-pointers, which is a truly awful percentage. The NBA trey is even longer.
-- USC's Nick Young goes to the Wizards, who are east coast version of the Suns. Excellent pick, who fits in with Wizards' fast-paced approach.
-- Young's college coach, Tim Floyd, was a ballboy for Saints in 1971, Archie Manning's rookie year, and they are friends to this day. In fact, Peyton Manning worked out with USC team today, after filming a TV commercial at the LA Coliseum.
-- Mets got rained out, saving me lot of grief about my use of the remote control, but Jay Gibbons just hit a two-run double to give Orioles 5-4 lead. My father just high-fived himself.
-- Knicks just got Zach Randolph from Portland, and gave up Steve Francis and Channing Frye, not a whole lot. Randolph is an immense talent, but has some character issues.
-- Speaking of which, Nets just took Sean Williams, a terrific shot blocker who was booted off Boston College team, due to multiple drug-related happenings. He spent 90 days in rehab facility. The NBA................its fantastic!!!!!!!
-- Spike Lee approves of the Randolph trade; why shouldn't the Knicks hire Lee to replace Isiah as GM? Could he be any worse? No one on ESPN has mentioned that Randolph is, um, a little wacky.......teams don't just give 20-point scorers away.
-- Warriors drafted Marco Belinelli, who is no relation to our favorite actress, Valerie Bertinelli. Marco is Vinny Del Negro type player, a 21-year old, 6-5 guard, who can score, typical of a Don Nelson-guard. Except that he is Italian.
-- ESPN's people just spent a few minutes trashing the Lakers' franchise, but despite what they say, no way is Kobe Bryant the best player in the NBA. No freakin' way; he's not a team guy. Lakers took PG Crittendon from Georgia Tech, who was at Tech for only one season. Mark Jackson points out that in triangle offense you don't need a point guard, but the Lakers took one in first round two years in a row. Whoops.
-- Oddly enough, Dick Vitale injects a little sense, being first person to question whether Zach Randolph can handle NYC, or life in general. He also questioned Sean Williams' character Thank the lord someone isn't afraid to speak their mind.

NBA Draft, picks 20-24
-- The worst part of NBA Draft is that trades that are made do not get announced tonight, which takes a little bit away from the proceedings. The NHL actually has best-run draft, believe it or not. All the league executives are present at the draft.
-- Oriole-Bronx game is in rain delay, Reds lead Phillies 7-6 as it rains in Philly, and Devil Rays continue their drive to first pick in next year's baseball draft, trailing the White Sox 5-1.
-- This draft is in WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. Insert your own joke here.
-- College hoop coaches Mike Deane (Wagner), Al Skinner (BC) and Lon Kruger (UNLV) were all drafted in ninth round of the '74 draft. Skinner was the best player of the three.
-- Jim Gray is interviewing Laker GM Mitch Kupchak, who is looking like a man heading to his own execution, and doesn't seem interested in answering questions. Gray is an annoying guy who thinks he is Mike Wallace. Kupchak, by way, was a terrific player at North Carolina a long, long, long time ago.
-- Bobcats made great pick by taking Jared Dudley, who is a terrific, tough player who helps a team win. Charlotte made a tremendous pick here; maybe this Jordan guy knows of what he speaks. Dudley was ACC Player of Year for BC.
-- Knicks are on the clock, which means we have to look and listen to Spike Lee, who is being interviewed on ESPN; Spike tells us Isiah knows what he's doing. He also hints that Isiah tells him who he is drafting ahead of time. Good thing this is not a multi-million dollar industry.....oh wait, never mind......
-- Spike Lee gave ESPN a scoop, as Knicks do take DePaul's Wilson Chandler. He scored 14.6 ppg at DePaul, is strong kid. If you didn't know and were listening to this broadcast, you would think Isiah was NBA's best executive. Good lord.
-- Suns are on clock with 24th pick; we go from Isiah's team to a team that is actually well-run. Phoenix has Rudy Fernandez as its pick, but they're going to trade him to Portland. After seeing his highlights, I think Fernandez is greatest shooter I have ever seen-- he just made seven straight jumpers!!!!
-- Almond Joys for everyone!! Utah just took Morris Almond of Rice, who was a big scorer the last couple years on a team that couldn't get out of its own way in a mediocre league.
-- Baseball update-- Reds-Phillies are in extra innings, game in Baltimore is in rain delay, and Russell Martin, catcher on my fantasy team, has a homer and double for the Dodgers.

NBA Draft, picks 25-30
-- Rockets won 18 more games last year than year before, but Tracy McGrady still hasn't won a playoff series, and now the Rockets have a new coach. Houston takes Aaron Brooks, a very quick player who was a dynamo for the Oregon Ducks.
-- Phillies and Mets have twinbill Friday; Phils are playing a long game, while Mets' bullpen hasn't worked since Tuesday.
-- Andy Katz is reporting Yi Jianlian may not go to post-draft press conference tomorrow in Milwaukee. Unless they want to trade Yi, why would Bucks take a guy who didn't want to go there? It doesn't make a lot of sense.
-- Seattle is going to keep Rashard Lewis now; their new GM is 30 years old. PJ Carlesimo is rumored to be front-runner for the Sonics' job; the two worked together in San Antonio. The shadow of Latrell Sprewell looms over Carlesimo; when your best player tries to strangle you, it hurts your chances to get back in as a head coach.
-- The guy who owns the Sonics owns Starbucks, but wants Seattle to build him yet another arena; he couldn't build this arena himself? An interesting thing to follow will be where the Sonics wind up, as a franchise. Oklahoma City? Vegas?
-- The field in Philly is totally soaked, with puddles on infield; I've never seen a major league game played in conditions like this, on a grass field. Rollins is up with guys on 1st and 2nd, one out, in 10th inning. Rollins doubles to right, Phillies win.
-- Why would team named Reds have hats with black brims?
-- Spurs drafted another foreign player, Tiago Splitter, who is from Brazil. What does it say about American basketball that the best team in NBA rarely drafts American players?
-- It looks like Dick Vitale has a really nice house.
-- Craig Biggio got his 3,000th hit tonight. Frank Thomas got his 500th homer this afternoon. Both are having down years.
-- 76ers finish first round by taking a kid from Finland who is there, with about a dozen friends/family. If my father was still around, he might have suggested that the kid missed the bus to the NHL Draft. He is point guard who struggles handling the ball, according to Fran Fraschilla. Sounds like a keeper.

NBA Draft, 2nd round highlights..........
Would it have killed ESPN to show Joakim Noah's mom a few more times? Yes, I'm bitter about it..............After a food run to Wendy's, we move to further action in the second round........
-- You better keep reading; Michael Redd, Monta Ellis, Gilbert Arenas and Carlos Boozer were all second round picks.
-- Catching up on second round picks, Seattle takes Landry of Purdue, Celtics take Pruitt of USC, Fazekas went to Dallas, the Spurs took the Williams kid from Arizona, and a couple of very big foreign kids got drafted. Never heard of them.
-- Somehow, I can't picture Pat Riley sitting in room in Miami with his braintrust, trying to figure out which 7-foot foreign kid to draft. It just doesn't compute.
-- Josh McRoberts played AAU ball with Greg Oden, so solid move by Portland, teaming him up with Oden again, making it a more comfortable transition for both young fellows.
-- Golden State traded Jason Richardson, Jermareo Davidson for the rights to Brandon Wright. ESPN nitwits kill Charlotte, but let us remember that Jordan and Wright are both alumni of North Carolina, so if Wright has the effort issues, wouldn't Jordan be first to know?
-- Alabama kids make good pros, usually; this Davidson kid had lot of tragedy last year. Got to like the move for Bobcats.
-- Jay Bilas makes up terms; instead of saying Landry is good rebounder, he says "Landry rebounds at a high rate." He is a lawyer, so that explains that.
-- Everyone taken is second round has a flaw or two, so deal with it. They can still turn out to be terrific players.
-- While at the drive-thru at Wendy's, I saw two kids leaving their job for the night. The taller kid walks to a white Cadillac and gets in, and drives away. I have a full-time job for last 25 years and have a Corolla with 87,000 miles. This kid works at Wendy's and drives a Caddy. What a country.
-- Chirs Richard from Florida got drafted by Memphis in 2nd round, giving Gators four guys picked, but Taurean Green is yet to be picked. Maybe he should have stayed in college.
-- Glen Davis got drafted by Seattle, but will be traded to the Celtics. Davis played in first AAU game I ever saw in Florida; his team was tied 29-all at half, and Davis had 27 points. This could be a good pick for Celtics. Davis has lost 50 pounds.
-- The Clippers took Jared Jordan, whose dad's name is Mike. Jordan will be a solid NBA player. Excellent pick by the Clips, even if he does look like John Stockton's little brother.
-- Apparently, there was a team of Chinese guys who played in ABA (very low minor league) out in California, because it got kicked out of its league in China. Basketball can be crazy.
-- Lakers drafted Pau Gasol's brother in second round.
-- Suns need to draft a guy who will keep subs on the bench if a fracas breaks out in next year's playoffs.

-- I like the Byars kid the 76ers got. Quality kid, good player.
-- At 11:38, Stephen A. Smith is still yelling, and Rockies are in extra innings in Houston. The burgers were outstanding. Mark Loretta has three hits. Life is good.
-- I guess Riley wasn't deciding what big foreign guy to take, since they just traded him to Indiana.
-- Eight college freshmen were taken in first round, a record.
-- People in Portland won't recognize the Blazers; they picked the fifth Gator, Taurean Green, whose dad Sidney was once a high draft pick by the Bulls, in early 80's.
-- Eight of the first 52 kids taken in draft played in NCAA final last April. No wonder Billy Donovan thought about leaving.
-- They put 42,000+ in Minute Maid Park Thursday; to see if Biggio could get his 3,000th hit; he just got his 3,001st-- he's been on base five straight times.
-- Portland has eight players they didn't have four hours ago.
-- By time you get near end of second round, kid is better off not getting drafted, then he can pick and choose where he is going to try and make an NBA roster.
-- Houston just drafted an Australian kid who played for the world-famous Townsville Crocs; one thing about highlights they show from these foreign games-- they use some strange looking basketballs overseas.
-- Road trip from hell continues for Rockies; Carlos Lee hit a walk-off grand slam to give Astros 8-5 win, making Colorado 0-7 on this road trip, with three of losses in games Rockies led going into last half-inning.
-- Stephen A. Smith, nitwit, is barking because Richardson is on the books for four more years at $12M a pop; well, no club is as far under the cap as Charlotte. They can afford it.
-- Spurs just took Giorgas Printezas from Greece, who has the sportscoat Don Johnson wore in Miami Vice.
-- Suns took DJ Strawberry with 59th pick; fans that are left start chanting, "Darryl......Darryl" Nobody likes a wise guy.
-- Last kid taken is a Serbian kid I've never heard of. Typical of the Mavericks.

Thats it from here; five hours of entertaining TV, except for the time Stephen A. Smith was babbling. Sadly, this night is the highlight of the season for the NBA, and three teams did not even select a player (Denver, Toronto, Cleveland). In my humble opinion, Portland and Philadelphia did the best, but so did the Charlotte Bobcats, too.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 06-29-2007, 03:41 AM

Weekend Sports Preview

It’s another busy sports weekend for fans and bettors, packed with football, baseball, basketball and lots of racing too.

The road to Arena Bowl XXI begins this weekend as the AFL Playoffs get started with the Wild Card round. The playoffs kick off on Friday night when Orlando visits Philadelphia (-4). A pair of playoff contests will follow on Saturday night, as Colorado takes on Kansas City (-6.5) and Columbus travels to Tampa Bay (-7).

As the AFL season is winding down they’re just getting started up north. The first week of the CFL season continues this weekend with one game each on Friday and Saturday. Friday night’s contest has Saskatchewan at Montreal (-3), while on Saturday, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats take on the Calgary Stampeders (-10).

The baseball season is nearing the mid-point this weekend with the All-Star break right around the corner. In the American League this weekend, the top matchups include a division battle between Minnesota and Detroit, while Oakland visits the Yankees with both teams desperate for wins to keep pace in their divisions. The rest of the AL schedule includes the Angels at Baltimore, Texas at Boston, Tampa Bay at Cleveland, the White Sox at Kansas City and Toronto at Seattle.

Over in the National League, Philadelphia could take over first place in the East if they can pull off a four-game sweep of the New York Mets. The Mets and Phillies have a doubleheader on Friday and meet up again on Saturday and Sunday. Another division lead could also change hands this weekend, as San Diego battles the Dodgers and Arizona takes on San Francisco. The Padres and Diamondbacks are currently tied for first place in the West, with the Dodgers sitting only half a game back.

The rest of this weekend’s NL schedule includes Milwaukee at the Cubs, Washington at Pittsburgh, Atlanta at Florida, St. Louis at Cincinnati and Colorado at Houston.

The WNBA begins the weekend with a busy Friday night that includes five games. Detroit at Washington gets things started and that will be followed by Indiana at Connecticut, Minnesota at San Antonio, Chicago at Sacramento and New York at Los Angeles. There is only one game on Saturday, as Phoenix takes on Houston, but five more games hit the court on Sunday. The Sunday contests include Indiana at Washington, San Antonio at Detroit, New York at Seattle, Minnesota at Sacramento and Chicago at Los Angeles.

On the track this weekend both NASCAR and Formula 1 will be racing on Sunday. NASCAR returns to New Hampshire International Speedway on Sunday for the Lenox Industrial Tools 300. Kyle Busch won this race last season, but Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are the co-favorites this weekend, with both getting 5/1 odds.

Lewis Hamilton will be looking for his third win in a row this weekend when Formula 1 heads to Magny-Cours for the French Grand Prix. Retired driver Michael Schumacher won the French last season, but Fernando Alonso did conquer Magny-Cours in 2005.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 06-29-2007, 03:43 AM

Arena Football League – Long Sheet

AFL
Long Sheet

Friday, June 29

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ORLANDO (8 - 8) at PHILADELPHIA (8 - 8) - 6/29/2007, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 34-19 ATS (+13.1 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 2-2 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 2-2 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 06-29-2007, 03:44 AM

Arena Football League – Write up

AFL
Write-up

Friday, June 29

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arena Football Playoffs; Wild Card round

Orlando (8-8) @ Philadelphia (8-8) -- Soul's 63-49 win here a week ago vs Orlando (-3) gave Philly home field for this round. Philly is 4-2 in last six games, after six-game skid that followed a 4-0 start. Predators lost four of last five games; they split eight road games this year, with losses by 3,21,7,14 points-- this is fourth road tilt in last five weeks for them. Soul is just 3-4 in its last seven home games. Last week's game was 35-all at half.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 06-29-2007, 03:45 AM

AFL
Added notes

Friday, June 29

AFL Playoffs Start at Favored Philadelphia
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Philadelphia (8-8) got the confidence boost it needed last week in beating this very same Orlando (8-8) team 63-49 last week to secure home field edge for Wild Card round. Quarterback Tony Graziani played like he did in before the injury, throwing six touchdown passes and running in a pair. The Soul was only 4-4 at home (3-5 ATS), yet have won four of last six. Philadelphia finished 8th in points allowed at 52.2 per game; however are 12-25 ATS vs. poor passing defenses - allowing a comp. pct. of 61% or worse.

Orlando returns to the City of Brotherly Love like a Disney World vacationer, tired and worn out, having lost four of last five games. Playoff football should invigorate the Predators who are making 15th consecutive postseason appearance. The Orlando defense can get after opponents finishing third in points surrendered at 47.9 PG and second in sack with 26. They also were tied for third in turnover margin at +16. Orlando will have the advantage of playing the same team twice in a row and are 6-0 ATS after two or more consecutive losses against the spread over the last three seasons.
Philadelphia has moved up to 4-point favorite at Bookmaker.com with the total at 104. The magic number for the Soul is 50 points. This season when they held an opposing team to 50 or less points they were 5-1 straight up and ATS. Orlando has bountiful playoff experience and knows they upset Dallas last season, thus will be ready. The Predators are 34-19 ATS revenging a loss vs. opponent since 1996.

The totals are contrasting and revealing for both National Conference squads. Philly is 8-1 OVER when the total is between 100 and 109.5 points this season, winning by almost 11 PPG. Orlando on the other hand is 15-4 UNDER after a loss by 14 or more points, winning by 6.3 PPG. ESPN will televise this Wild Card game starting at 7:30 Eastern. Expect a tight game with a slight lean towards the Soul with the heart of QB Tony Graziani the difference.

Key Super Situation – PLAY UNDER any team when the total is between 100 and 109.5 points in playoff games. (40-12, 76.9 % L5 years)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 06-29-2007, 03:47 AM

Pro Basketball (Women’s) – Long Sheet

WNBA
Long Sheet

Friday, June 29

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DETROIT (11 - 2) at WASHINGTON (4 - 10) - 6/29/2007, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 136-179 ATS (-60.9 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 81-112 ATS (-42.2 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 87-116 ATS (-40.6 Units) vs. division opponents since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 5-3 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 4-4 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INDIANA (10 - 3) at CONNECTICUT (5 - 10) - 6/29/2007, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CONNECTICUT is 7-3 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 7-3 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MINNESOTA (4 - 10) at SAN ANTONIO (8 - 5) - 6/29/2007, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 44-67 ATS (-29.7 Units) in May, June, or July games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 4-3 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 5-3 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHICAGO (6 - 8) at SACRAMENTO (10 - 5) - 6/29/2007, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SACRAMENTO is 56-40 ATS (+12.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 36-22 ATS (+11.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 2-1 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
SACRAMENTO is 3-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK (7 - 7) at LOS ANGELES (7 - 6) - 6/29/2007, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 3-0 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 3-1 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 06-29-2007, 03:48 AM

Pro Basketball (women) – Hot Lines

WNBA
Hot Lines

Friday, June 29

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lady luck: Friday’s best WNBA bets

Minnesota Lynx at San Antonio Silver Stars (-6, 148)

It’s been a bumpy road for the Lynx this season. They didn’t pick up a win until their eighth game of the season, but they’ve covered in five of the last seven.

“With a young team, you can be real good one night and then scratch your head the next night,” Minnesota coach Don Zierdon explained after Friday’s 78-76 victory over the Seattle Storm.

San Antonio was enjoying a four-game win streak until the Houston Comets crashed the party. The Silver Stars lost by eight in Houston on Tuesday night despite a 32-point performance from Becky Hammon.

Hammon will have more help from her teammates tonight.

Pick: Silver Stars

New York Liberty at Los Angeles Sparks (-4 1/2, 140)

Sparks coach Michael Cooper has done a great job of getting the most out of his team. Marta Fernandez and Sherill Baker have played well above expectations.

“Marta’s been great for us,” Cooper said after beating the Sacramento Monarchs 74-66 on Wednesday. “She’s deceptively quick. Her rhythm is not the type of rhythm that Americans are used to looking at.”

The WNBA rookie was the 2006 Spanish League MVP before joining the Sparks.

Beating a quality team like Sacramento was even more impressive considering Los Angeles’ was without Taj McWilliams-Franklin. The Sparks' best post player missed the contest because tightness in her right hamstring.

The wheels have fallen off the Liberty bandwagon. The team has dropped and failed to cover in seven of the last nine.

Pick: Sparks

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 06-29-2007, 03:50 AM

Canadian Football League – Long Sheet

CFL
Long Sheet

Friday, June 29

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SASKATCHEWAN (10 - 10) at MONTREAL (11 - 9) - 6/29/2007, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 75-46 ATS (+24.4 Units) as an underdog since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 4-0 against the spread versus SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 4-1 straight up against SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 06-29-2007, 03:51 AM

Canadian Football League – Write up

CFL
Write-up

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CFL regular season starts June 28. We'll start weekly writeups with Week 2 games.

Week 1 CFL Games

British Columbia Lions 3, 47.5
Toronto Argonauts

Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Edmonton Eskimos 1.5, 46.5

Saskatchewan Roughriders
Montreal Alouettes 3, 50.5

Hamilton TigerCats
Calgary Stampeders 10, 52

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 06-29-2007, 03:53 AM

Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB
Tips and Trends

Friday, June 29

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs (2:20 PM ET)

Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo has pitched well in his first two career starts, allowing four runs and nine hits over 13 1/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: BREWERS
Gallardo was brilliant in his only daytime start, pitching seven strong innings and surrendering just one run on five hits. EDGE: BREWERS
Cubs left-hander Rich Hill was touched up for four runs and six hits in his last start against Milwaukee, but is an even 1-1 with a 2.52 ERA in four career appearances against them. SLIGHT EDGE: CUBS
Hill is a solid 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in six daytime starts this season, as he’s given up just three home runs in 34 2/3 innings. EDGE: CUBS
The OVER is 10-3-2 in the last 15 meetings.

Los Angeles Angels at Baltimore Orioles (7:05 PM ET)

Los Angeles starter Kelvim Escobar suffered a 6-2 loss in his last start versus Baltimore on May 31, but he has tremendous 12-5 record in his career against them. SLIGHT EDGE: ANGELS
The Angels have outscored opponents 20-5 in Escobar’s last two starts against the Dodgers and Pirates. BIG EDGE: ANGELS & OVER
Orioles left-hander Brian Burres picked up a victory in his only career start against the Angels, hurling five inning of one run ball and allowing three hits. SLIGHT EDGE: ORIOLES
Burres enjoys pitching under the lights in 20 career outings, posting a 3-1 record and 2.45 ERA. EDGE: ORIOLES
The Angels are 6-1 in the last seven meetings.

Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers (7:05 PM ET)

Minnesota ace Johan Santana has very impressive numbers in 23 outings against Detroit, going 10-3 with a 2.70 ERA. He’s surrendered just 87 hits in 116 2/3 innings against them. BIG EDGE: TWINS
Santana has picked up two straight victories and the Twins have won his last three, as the left-hander has allowed just three earned runs over his last 22 innings. EDGE: TWINS
Tigers hard-throwing right-hander Justin Verlander is a perfect 4-0 in June this season, which includes a no-hitter three starts back against the Brewers. BIG EDGE: TIGERS
Verlander has tallied a 3-2 record and 2.90 ERA in five career starts against the Twins. It’s interesting to find that he’s struck out just 12 batters in 31 innings against them. SLIGHT EDGE: TIGERS
The Twins are 1-4 in Santana’s last five starts as an underdog.

Oakland Athletics at New York Yankees (7:05 PM ET)

Oakland left-hander Joe Kennedy is a dismal 3-5 with a 5.82 ERA in 14 career outings against New York. He allowed three runs and two hits in his last appearances against them. EDGE: YANKEES
The Athletics have lost six of Kennedy’s last seven starts, as opponents have touched him up for 12 runs in his last 14 innings. EDGE: YANKEES & OVER
New York’s Mike Mussina is 9-6 in 21 career starts against Oakland, but carries a slightly inflated 4.51 ERA. SLIGHT EDGE: YANKEES & OVER
The Yankees have lost two straight games with Mussina on the hill, but he’s pitched relatively well in giving up just five runs in 11 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: ATHLETICS
The Athletics are 6-1 in the last seven meetings.

New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies (7:05 PM ET)

New York’s Mike Pelfrey (0-5, 6.53 ERA) has pitched just once on the road this year, giving up all three runs in a 3-1 loss at Arizona on May 6th. The right-hander has issued 17 walks and fanned just 13 in 30 1/3 innings this season. EDGE: PHILLIES
Pelfrey will have trouble against the left-handed power of the Phillies, as lefties are hitting .324 against him in his career. EDGE: OVER
Phillies southpaw starter Cole Hamels is an impressive 5-1 with a 3.04 ERA in seven home starts. He’s fanned 46 batters and walked just eight in 50 1/3 innings at Citizens Bank Park. BIG EDGE: PHILLIES
The Phillies have tallied nine victories in Hamels’ last 11 starts this season. He pitched just three innings in his last start due to an extended rain delay, so insiders expect him to be fresh in tonight’s start. EDGE : PHILLIES
The UNDER is 4-1-1 in the last six meetings.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 06-29-2007, 03:55 AM

MLB
MLB Betting Notes

Friday, June 29

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday’s MLB betting notes

Halos grant Hillenbrand’s wish

A day after telling the Los Angeles Times that he wanted to play or be traded, Shea Hillenbrand got a response from the Angels. The powerful hitter will be designated for assignment on Friday.

"I feel like I'm being pushed aside, put on a back burner, and I don't like that at all," Hillenbrand said in the Times on Wednesday. "If I'm not going to play here, give me enough respect to trade me or get rid of me. I think I deserve that."

One obstacle in the way of the trade could be Hillenbrand’s $6.5-million salary. His batting average of .254 with 22 RBIs and three homers will not be overly tempting to suitors either.

Hillenbrand will not travel to Baltimore with the Angels as they begin a nine-game road trip, with a three-game series against the Orioles on Friday.

Aramis rested

Chicago Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez will enter this weekend’s series against the Milwaukee Brewers with two days rest, as he looks to continue a successful return from a recurring knee injury.

Ramirez came off the 15-day DL last Friday and was the designated hitter in the Cubs three-game sweep of cross-town rivals the White Sox. He then returned to third base for the first two games against the Colorado Rockies this week, before getting Wednesday off.

"We're going to do everything we can to keep him as rested as we can," Cubs manager Lou Piniella told MLB.com. "It's going to get sore from time to time. We've just got to keep him as fresh as possible, and as rested as possible."

Ramirez, who is batting .297 with 42 RBI and 14 homers, will return to the lineup on Friday against the Brewers. The Cubs are –127 favorites to take that game with Rich Hill (5-5, 3.13 ERA) set to start. Milwaukee will counter with Yovani Gallardo (1-0, 2.70 ERA).

Coco boost

The Boston Red Sox closed out a nine-game road trip on Thursday, with a 2-1 extra innings loss to the Seattle Mariners. That left them with a disappointing 4-5 record for the trip, but there was one positive for the Sox – Coco Crisp breaking out of his slump.

Crisp went 16-for-34 during that stretch with six RBIs, eight runs and two stolen bases to raise his average from .233 to .262.

"He looks like that kid where you can't throw the fastball by him," Boston manager Terry Francona said on MLB.com. "You can throw it 100 [mph] and he's going to be right on it."

Crisp will be hoping to continue that form as the Red Sox return home to Fenway for a three-game series against the Texas Rangers. The Sox are huge –211 favorites with Tim Wakefield (7-8, 4.52 ERA) facing Jamie Wright (1-1, 7.43 ERA) on the mound.

Doing very Wells

When Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons decided to move Vernon Wells to the lead off spot on Friday, it raised a few eyebrows. Wells had not hit in that spot since 2002, but the move proved to be a successful one.

The center fielder was batting .244 and was on an 0-for-17 streak at the plate before the switch, but has since batted .333 with three homers and nine RBIs.

"I ended up making some changes around the time the lineup was changed, so I think it's a combination of a lot of things," Wells told reporters on Wednesday. "I've just been trying to work out the kinks, and it's all seemed to work out so far in the leadoff spot."

Wells is likely to continue to bat first in order this weekend as the Jays head west to face the Seattle Mariners. That series starts on Friday with Dustin McGowan testing his stuff against Seattle’s Jarrod Washburn. The Jays are +133 underdogs with the total set at nine runs.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Udog** · 06-29-2007, 06:17 AM

Baseball Today - June 29

SCOREBOARD Friday, June 29

L.A. Angels at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EDT). Kelvim Escobar goes for win No. 10.

STARS Thursday

-Carlos Lee and Craig Biggio, Astros. Lee hit a game-ending grand slam and Biggio reached 3,000 career hits in Houston's 8-5, 11-inning win over Colorado.

-Jimmy Rollins, Phillies, had four hits, including a game-winning RBI single in the 10th inning to lift Philadelphia over Cincinnati 8-7.

-Paul Konerko, White Sox, hit a pair of solo homers to lead the Chicago White Sox past Tampa Bay 5-1.

-Jason Michaels, Indians, hit a three-run homer in Cleveland's 4-3 win over Oakland.

-Gary Sheffield, Tigers, hit a two-run homer - his team-high 18th - to help Detroit beat Texas 5-2.

ELITE COMPANY

Craig Biggio became the 27th player in major league history to get 3,000 hits in Houston's 8-5 11-inning victory over Colorado on Thursday. Biggio singled to center field in the seventh inning for the milestone hit and was thrown out trying to stretch the play into a double. The 41-year-old finished 5-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored.

500 FOR THOMAS

Frank Thomas hit a three-run homer in the first inning of Toronto's 8-5 loss to Minnesota on Thursday to become the 21st major leaguer to reach 500 career home runs. The Big Hurt sent Carlos Silva's 1-2 pitch an estimated 396 feet into the left-field stands.

EXCLAMATION POINT

Carlos Lee's grand slam in the 11th gave the Houston Astros an 8-5 win over the Colorado Rockies Thursday night. Lee's shot to left field off Brian Fuentes (0-3) came on the first pitch. Craig Biggio singled in the 11th, tying a career high with his fifth hit. Hunter Pence followed with a double before Lance Berkman was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

ECHOES OF THE PAST

The New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles game was suspended Thursday night due to rain. New York was leading 8-6 in the top of the eighth when play was halted for the last time. The game will be resumed on July 27, at the point it was stopped, when the Yankees return to Camden Yards. Before 1980, the score would have reverted to the start of the inning, giving the Orioles a 6-4 win. But the rule was changed after a game on Aug. 13, 1978, when Baltimore led 3-0 after six innings and the Yankees scored five runs in the top of the seventh.

FRUITFUL RETURN

Kenny Rogers gave up one run and four hits over six innings in his first home start since shoulder surgery, leading Detroit to a 5-2 win over Texas on Thursday. Rogers (2-0) missed the first 12 weeks of the season after surgery to remove a blood clot from his throwing shoulder. It was his first start at Comerica Park since Oct. 22, when he pitched eight scoreless innings to win Game 2 of the World Series against St. Louis.

K-FISH

Scott Olsen became the first Marlins pitcher to start a game with five strikeouts, finishing with 10 in a 9-7 victory over Pittsburgh on Thursday. Olsen (6-6), who was one strikeout shy of his career high, gave up five runs and seven hits in six-plus innings.

STREAKS

Adam Dunn hit his 23rd home run of the season in Cincinnati's 8-7 10-inning loss to Philadelphia and has now homered in three straight games for the third time this season. ... Delmon Young extended his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games in Tampa Bay's 5-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

SPEAKING

''I'm probably the first to get 500 home runs and get thrown out of the ballgame. That's something I didn't want to happen, but the moment just got the best of me.'' - Frank Thomas, who became the 21st major leaguer to reach 500 career home runs. Thomas hit a three-run shot in the first inning of Toronto's 8-5 loss to Minnesota on Thursday and was ejected in the ninth for arguing after being called out on strikes for the second time.

SEASONS June 29

1916 - The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds played a nine-inning game with just one baseball.

1923 - Brooklyn's Jacques Fournier went 6-for-6 with a home run, two doubles and three singles as the Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 14-5.

1937 - Chicago Cubs first baseman Rip Collins played an entire game without a putout or an assist.

1941 - In a doubleheader against the Washington Senators, New York's Joe DiMaggio tied and then broke the AL record of hitting safely in 41 consecutive games. DiMaggio doubled in four at-bats in the opener and singled in five at-bats in the nightcap to break the record set by George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns in 1922.

1968 - Detroit's Jim Northrup hit his third grand slam in a week as the Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox 5-2.

1990 - Dave Stewart of the Oakland A's pitched the first of two no-hitters on this day, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-0 at the SkyDome. Fernando Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Dodgers duplicated Stewart's feat by throwing a 6-0 no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals. It was the first time in major league history that two no-hitters were pitched in both leagues on the same day.

1995 - The Dodgers' Hideo Nomo struck out 13 Colorado Rockies in a 3-0 victory, giving him 50 strikeouts in four games. That broke the Los Angeles record of 49 over four games, accomplished three times by Sandy Koufax, the last 30 years earlier.

2003 - Eric Byrnes hit for the cycle and matched a franchise record with five hits as Oakland beat San Francisco 5-2.

2004 - Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks became the fourth pitcher to record 4,000 strikeouts when he struck out San Diego's Jeff Cirillo in the eighth inning of the Padres' 3-2 win.

**Udog** · 06-29-2007, 06:27 AM

MLB
70% Situation

MLB (Friday): Play Against MLB home teams when the money line is +125 to -125 with a team that averages <=4.5 runs per game facing a team with a bullpen ERA >=5.00 and a starting pitcher who averages less than 1.75 bases on balls per start.
(38-13 since 1997.) (74.5%) PLAY: Chicago White Sox -105

Announcement

Friday Trends and Indexes 06/29

Friday Trends and Indexes 06/29

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment