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Steinbrenner's death casts pall over All-Star festivitiesBaseball Betting Lines07/13/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If there was ever a baseball story that could steal the spotlight from the All-Star Game, this was it. George Steinbrenner passed away early Tuesday morning following a massive heart attack in his Tampa home. The longtime Yankees owner had reportedly been in failing health for years, and was rarely seen in public of late. Whatever you may think of Steinbrenner, this much I know: there will never be another owner like him. The Daniel Snyders, Mark Cubans and Dan Gilberts of the world can try, but they are not and never will be George Steinbrenner. The quote from his initial press conference in 1973, when he took over the franchise in 1973, still resonates, albeit ironically. Steinbrenner said he would not be involved in the day-to-day operations of the team, a statement that was almost as off-the-mark as his insistence that he was dead-set against free agency, that it would ruin the game. Known as "The Boss," Steinbrenner helped change baseball. He was at the forefront in the infancy of free agency, luring Jim "Catfish" Hunter to the Bronx prior to the 1975 season and Reggie Jackson two years later. Other early big signings were Goose Gossage in 1978 and Dave Winfield before the 1981 campaign. With Steinbrenner at the helm, the Yankees won seven World Series titles and 11 American League pennants. The club went to the World Series in 1976, just his fourth season of ownership, and captured the first of two straight titles the following year. Steinbrenner was the owner that you loved to hate, unless he owned your team, of course. He transcended the sport. How many owners of professional sports teams have hosted Saturday Night Live, or had their likenesses portrayed on Seinfeld? What made him so great was that he seemed to have the ability to laugh at himself. He knew he was a character, and played it up to the fullest. Steinbrenner had his faults. Was he short-tempered at times? Yes. Ask Dave Winfield, or "Mr. May," as he was once referred to by Steinbrenner. Or the numerous managers he fired How about the time he called Hideki Irabu a fat toad? Or his fistfight with a Dodgers fan in the elevator during the 1981 World Series? His outbursts were legendary. The whole Billy Martin saga should be a broadway play. There wasn't anyone who at one time or another did not have a run-in with the Boss. Martin, Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Don Mattingly, Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Torre and even Derek Jeter have all at one time drawn the ire of Big Stein. He hired and fired 12 managers, including Billy Martin five times, from 1974 until Torre's reign began in 1996. But through it all, the thing he cared about the most was winning. One of his most famous quotes was, "Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing. Breathing first, winning next." A lot of Steinbrenner's charitable work was overshadowed by his larger-than- life persona. Among his many philanthropic contributions was the Silver Shield Foundation, established to provide scholarships and other educational support to the children and spouses of police officers, firefighters and state troopers killed in the line of duty. As the son of a New York City cop, I can't begin to tell you how important and meaningful something like that is. It is funny, through a lot of my childhood George Steinbrenner was hated by Yankee fans. Yankee Stadium actually erupted in cheers when he banned from baseball for the second time in July of 1990. Things changed once he came back nearly three years later. He softened as he got older, and defied the odds to become beloved. One of my favorite Yankee Stadium memories was Opening Day in 2004 when he was being interviewed on the field, the fans serenaded him with chants of "Thank you, George" and "We love you, George." The accolades brought The Boss to tears. Such adulation for an owner is unlikely to happen again in the Bronx. There will never be another George Steinbrenner.
<< Taylor pleads not guilty to rape charges
New City, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor has pleaded not guilty to rape charges that were brought against him this past May. He pleaded not guilty at a Rockland County courthouse on Tuesday as he was
<< Pens re-sign Conner
<< AL puts All-Star unbeaten streak on the line at Angel Stadium
<< Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner dies
<< Report: Steinbrenner suffers heart attack
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(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - We know this much is true about the Texas Rangers: on paper, they are a better ballclub than they were before Friday. When the Rangers traded for Seattle Mariners' ace Cliff Lee, they effectively complemented their potent
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Online Sportsbook Football BettingColts give the ‘D’ its dueThe Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain. They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities. "They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure." Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line. New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest. Not so sound on the ground If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU. Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com “We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star. Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground. Brees says bring it on Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites. Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship. Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game. "I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time." SportsBooks ready for a shootout Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses. “This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.” New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts. The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game. “Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.” Albert Pujols to be This Year's Home Run Champ Says Online Sportsbook Barry Bonds is a 50-1 long shot to be this year's home run champ odds. The favorite to be this year's home run champ is none other than Albert Pujols, however. Be sure to log onto online sports betting site MySportsbook.com to check out the odds for who will lead the MLB in home runs this season. Below is just a sample of the players listed. With the highest credit card rates in the industry, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on baseball this summer. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards. |
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