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07/16/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In addition to being three people who have never been in my kitchen, former NFL running backs Troy Hambrick, Greg Hill, and Neal Anderson all share another important commonality - they all followed legends.
And, in a circumstance as predictable as a Jaguars game being blacked out, each failed to rival the success of their more famous predecessor.
Hambrick (972 yards, 5 TD in 2003) earned the starting job in Dallas after Emmitt Smith defected to Arizona, and though he was good enough to help the Cowboys to the playoffs, was released the following May.
Hill (542 yards, 4 TD in 1999) was brought to Detroit as a stop-gap after Barry Sanders abruptly retired on the eve of training camp, but his uninspiring lone season with the Lions also represented his final bow in the NFL.
Anderson actually enjoyed some success after taking over for Walter Payton full-time in 1988, ending up with over 6,000 rushing yards and 50-plus touchdowns in eight seasons, but a promising career was derailed by injuries and Anderson is viewed by many Bears fans as an unfortunate case of "what if".
We offer this history lesson to those who wonder what will become of San Diego Chargers first-round pick Ryan Mathews. Mathews, the No. 12 overall selection in the April draft, will be the next in line to follow an all-time, top 10 NFL rusher when he carries San Diego into the post-LaDainian Tomlinson era this fall. Tomlinson was released by the Chargers in February and later signed by the New York Jets.
Asked if he felt the burden of succeeding Tomlinson, who left San Diego as the No. 8 rusher in NFL history, Mathews told the San Diego Union-Tribune, "I don't feel pressure replacing L.T. Big shoes. It's hard to fill those shoes. I'm going to play my game."
Mathews' game was just fine at Fresno State last season, when he led the NCAA in rushing during a junior campaign that saw the Bakersfield, CA native amass 1,808 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games. Spurred on by that showing, Mathews opted to enter the draft, where the combination of a weak running back crop, a 4.45 40-yard dash and a round of strong in-person interviews saw his stock rocket into the first round. Though some thought Mathews would last late into the first round, the Chargers took no chances, moving up to the No. 12 position to secure his services.
Immediately, head coach Norv Turner pegged the 6-0, 218-pounder for 250 carries and 40 catches as a rookie, a testament to the direction a formerly pass-happy offense is heading.
"Ryan was the most complete back in the draft," Turner told reporters in May. "He's got great speed and vision. What puts him over the top is he's capable of being a very physical runner."
Handling the physical demands will be critical for Mathews, who will likely be the team's primary offensive weapon early in the season. No. 1 wide receiver Vincent Jackson will serve a three-game suspension to open the year, and could be out longer if he fails to settle a contract dispute with the Chargers. That situation should open the door for plenty of extra touches for Mathews.
Perhaps more important for Mathews will be handling the expectations. Though Tomlinson's production had dropped off in recent years, Chargers fans know what a high-caliber running back looks like, and will be expecting to see some of the same flashes from Mathews that Tomlinson showed when he burst on the scene as a rookie in 2001.
After a long holdout, Tomlinson opened eyes with a 1200-yard, 10-touchdown performance in '01, one that served as a springboard to a certain Hall of Fame career. You can bet Bolts supporters will be breaking out the yardsticks come September to see whether Mathews is following the same trajectory.
You won't find Mathews comparing himself to Tomlinson, though he's already L.T.'s equal in terms of self-assuredness.
"I knew I should be playing with those guys after I got here," Mathews recently said of his initial steps in the NFL. "I didn't struggle. It was good. A running back has to be confident; you can't second-guess."
Below, as the seventh installment of our eight-part "GameChangers" series, we look at five incoming running backs who will enter their first year in a new uniform as central figures in their team's 2010 development:
5. LaDainian Tomlinson, Jets (free agent, from Chargers) - Though Tomlinson is old news in San Diego, big things are expected out of him in Gotham, where the Jets controversially signed him to a two-year deal worth $5.2 million after dumping the cheaper (and more recently effective) Thomas Jones. There have been indications that Shonn Greene will nominally be the Jets starter following a strong finish to 2009, but you have to believe, given his price tag and legacy, Tomlinson will get considerable touches as well. The NFL's active rushing leader did not post a single 100-yard game last season, but told ESPN in regard to those who feel he has diminished skills, "I'm tired of being doubted by so many people about what I can do." The motivation appears to be there for Tomlinson. But at 31, are the legs?
4. Thomas Jones, Chiefs (free agent, from Jets) - It's too bad Jones didn't hit his stride until he was 27 years old, otherwise we might be talking about him as a future Hall of Famer like Tomlinson. As it is, the 31-year-old Jones has now posted 1,100 or more yards in each of the past five seasons, split among two teams that ultimately decided he wasn't good enough to continue playing for them. Jones hopes to make the Jets pay for that decision just as he did the Bears three years ago, but there's no doubt that the odds are stacked against him repeating that scenario in Kansas City. The emerging Jamaal Charles (1,120 yards and eight TDs last season) and second-round draft pick Dexter McCluster (Ole Miss) are going to siphon carries away from Jones, and the Chiefs offensive line isn't nearly as strong as the one Jones ran behind as a Jet. Though he still appears to have something left in the tank, the former No. 7 overall draft pick is going to have to fight for an opportunity to shine.
3. Jahvid Best, Lions (rookie, California) - The Lions have had a rough history with promising running backs that they can't seem to keep healthy (see: Kevin Smith, Kevin Jones), so it was a little bit curious that they moved up into the bottom of the first round to select Best. Best had both elbow and foot surgeries while at Cal and missed the final four games of his junior season due to multiple concussions, but the 5-10, 199-pounder's sub-4.4 speed and 7.3 average per carry as a member of the Golden Bears were too enticing for Jim Schwartz's team to pass up. To start out, Best could play in a rotation with incumbent Kevin Smith (if he recovers sufficiently from knee and shoulder surgeries), with Best counted on most off the edge and as a pass- catcher. That's probably a prudent approach for a guy who might not be physically ready to take the punishment he would face behind a still- developing Detroit offensive line.
2. C.J. Spiller, Bills (rookie, Clemson) - There have been a number of ominous pronouncements about how bad the Bills could be in their first year under Chan Gailey, as the team has an uncertain quarterback situation and did very little to upgrade the already-marginal talent throughout the rest of its roster in the offseason. If there is an antidote to that line of doomsday thinking, it is Spiller, the first running back selected in the April draft. Though he'll have his work cut out for him on a team with a shaky offensive line and limited passing attack to take the pressure off, his 4.37 speed, pass-catching ability and good head for the game give the Bills a chance to be competitive. What Buffalo must avoid is another situation like the one it faced with last- year's first-round pick, Aaron Maybin, who held out late into the 2009 preseason and was rarely a factor in his first year in an NFL uniform.
1. Ryan Mathews, Chargers (rookie, Fresno State) - Though as mentioned above, following a legend is difficult, there are some positive examples to whom Chargers fans can point as they assess the possibilities for Mathews. The Browns' Leroy Kelly became a Hall of Famer after following Jim Brown, while Herschel Walker (succeeded Tony Dorsett) and Willie Parker (succeeded Jerome Bettis) each had at least modest success after filling big shoes. One thing that Mathews hopes not to emulate about Tomlinson is the protracted holdout that delayed his development slightly back in 2001. "My main thing is to get into camp as soon as possible," Mathews told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I've talked to my agent; I need to be there. Too many guys hold out for all the wrong reasons and I'm not going to be one of them."
Next up at the Line of Scrimmage: 2010 GameChangers Part VIII - Specialists
<< Lincecum blanks Mets
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Lincecum shut out the Mets, becoming
the second-fastest Giants pitcher to win 50 games, as San Francisco posted a
2-0 victory in the opener of a four-game set at AT&T Park.
It took the hard-th
<< Twins put Morneau on DL
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin
Morneau was put on the 15-day disabled list following Thursday's 8-7 loss to
the White Sox due to a concussion.
The move is retroactive to July 8. Morneau suffered the i
<< Pineiro beats former team, Angels down Mariners
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joel Pineiro threw seven solid innings to win
his seventh straight decision and the Angels got three RBI apiece from Erick
Aybar and Bobby Abreu in a 8-3 win over the Seattle Mariners to start the post
All-Sta
<< Lincecum blows out candles, blows away Mets
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Lincecum shut out the Mets, becoming
the second-fastest Giants pitcher to win 50 games, as San Francisco posted a
2-0 victory in the opener of a four-game set at AT&T Park.
It took the hard-th
Closing birdie saves Mickelson >>
St. Andrews, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With the wind picking up, the cut
line will likely climb through Friday afternoon, and possibly into Saturday
morning, at the British Open.
Phil Mickelson birdied the 18th hole Friday to post
Tigers, Scherzer open set with Indians >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Max Scherzer goes after his fifth straight winning decision
this evening when the Detroit Tigers start the second half of their season in
the first test of a four-game set against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive
Field.
Reds, Rockies get second half started in Cincinnati >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two potential National League playoff teams square off
tonight when the Cincinnati Reds host the Colorado Rockies in the opening
contest of a three-game weekend series at Great American Ball Park.
The Reds enter the season
First-place Braves resume series with Brewers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With rookie sensation Jason Heyward back in the outfield
for the Atlanta Braves, things may get a bit easier for the current National
League East leaders. Tonight Heyward and the Braves will resume a four-game
series versus t
My fellow Americans, as tempting as it may be to don the coat and HD-ready tie in order to deliver this State of the Game address before the cameras, I know better. As Brad Paisley sings on his latest album, "I'm so much cooler online."
The ideas for this annual essay to kick off the MySportsbook.com college football betting preview flowed like frat-house beer, which is to say they were cheap and spilled all over the floor. The 2007 season will be better than 2007, if only because there will be more of it. A year ago, the NCAA Football Rules Committee made two rule changes in the interest of speeding up the game. These changes went over like Kobe burgers at a vegan banquet.
To its credit, the rules committee rectified its mistakes. This season the clock once again will start when a kickoff is received, rather than when it is kicked, and the clock will not start so quickly on a change of possession.
However, kickoffs have been moved back five yards, to the 30, which will force more returns. (Thus forcing the clock to run. Clever, huh?) Special teams might decide a lot of games, because coaching strategy will come straight out of another new Paisley lyric (almost), I'd like to check you for kicks.
Paisley sings with a twang, which is why he's appropriate for this college football season. The sun coming up over the 2007 college football betting lines season rises from the south. It's a Southern football world. As the Southeastern Conference begins its 75th year, the power shift is noticeable.
Eight-figure budgets, glamorous settings -- and that's just for the head coaches. The SEC has four coaches who have won national championships -- the greatest aggregation of coaching know-how since Eddie Robinson dined alone.
Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have given lie to the idea that a conference championship game is too daunting a hurdle on the road to No. 1. In six of the past 10 seasons, the national champions played and won a conference championship game -- three of the six (Tennessee, 1998; LSU, 2003; Florida, 2007) from the SEC.
There will be more of the same this season, if the preseason prognostications are correct. Six SEC teams are in the preseason coaches' poll, more than from any other conference. Only one conference has talent so deep that a team with 15 returning starters, including the best quarterback in the league, from an eight-win season is considered an afterthought. That may speak more to Kentucky's losing legacy than to the wisdom of the predictions, but there you have it. And seriously, keep an eye on Wildcats QB Andre' Woodson.
The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.
So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.
USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster. Instead, the Trojans gathered themselves and routed Michigan, 32-18, in the Rose Bowl.
USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess (such as, without naming names, L.M. from Baton Rouge). The league only got deeper this season; Dennis Erickson is taking over an Arizona State team that never quite got out of its own way under his predecessor, Dirk Koetter.
Erickson will resume his quest to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools. Both he and Spurrier, now in his third season at South Carolina, returned to college football at schools with lower profiles than where they won their titles.
That isn't the case for the third coach looking for the national championship double. You may have missed this, but NASA reported the astronauts on the space shuttle last spring made contact with what can only be described as beings from another galaxy.
The leader of the aliens said, "We come in peace," followed by, "So how do you think Nick Saban will do at Alabama?"
The public is reacting to the new Crimson Tide coach as if he is the Barry Bonds of college football -- beloved at home for what his fans believe he is going to do, hated on the road for his intimidating attitude and for what his detractors believe he did (bend NCAA recruiting rules). I made this comparison from the dais at a charity dinner in Mobile, Ala., last month, and the chill that washed over me didn't come from the air conditioning.
Saban will attempt to prove that he can remake in Tuscaloosa what he built in Baton Rouge, much like another member of the national championship fraternity. Bobby Bowden is attempting to remake at Florida State what he built at, um, Florida State. Bowden rebuilt his offensive staff, bringing in four new coaches led by Saban's former offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, to jump-start an offense that has been dead for a couple of years.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to show new signs of life, too. That is said with no disrespect toward last season's champion, Wake Forest, which provided one of the best story lines of 2007. The Demon Deacons begin this season in their customary position, overshadowed by the Virginia Techs, Miamis and Florida States.
It's not that Wake will find it difficult to duplicate its success in 2007 as much as the feeling that success engendered. Surprising success is the narcotic of sport. It never feels quite so euphoric the next time. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has figured this out. He refers to 2007, when a league looked down upon by fans and foes alike took three undefeated teams into November, as "Cinderella."
The fairy tale may be over, but the Big East has four genuine Heisman Trophy candidates in Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, and Rutgers tailback Ray Rice. Rutgers, as did Wake Forest and, of course, Boise State, proved last season that the have-nots in college football occasionally have quite a lot.
The Broncos' rousing 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has raised the profile of all schools in conferences that don't get automatic BCS bids. This season, TCU and Hawaii are the preseason favorites to burst through the BCS doors and earn an at-large bid. The Warriors return 14 starters from an 11-3 team, including quarterback Colt Brennan.
Brennan not only broke the single-season record with 58 touchdown passes in 2007, but he also led Division I-A in passing efficiency (186.0). The senior is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy, and neither his success nor the rise of his team should come as any surprise in the 2007 season.
After all, Hawaii is the southernmost team in the country.
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In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.
It is called the "pointspread."
Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.
But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.
A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.
In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.
The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .
Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
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