Posts Tagged ‘football’
Falcons Hold Off Late Bears Rally
April 13, 2010
The Atlanta Falcons didn’t so much win their Sunday Night NFL Football game against the Chicago Bears as much as the Bears lost it. A series of costly mistakes and turnovers in the red zone negated an otherwise solid road effort for the Bears, as Atlanta held on to win 21-14 at the Georgia Dome. Chicago held a decisive edge in most of the statistical categories, but was undone by untimely turnovers. Atlanta improved to 4-1 with the victory while Chicago slipped to 3-2.
Chicago also disappointed fans who bet on NFL football by failing to cover the pointspread as +4 road underdogs. Both teams’ ATS records match their straight up records with the Falcons moving to 4-1 against the number while the Bears slumped to 3-2. The 35 combined points went UNDER the posted total of 46.
Winning Falcons’ QB Matt Ryan chose to credit his defense rather than point to Chicago mistakes as the determining factor in the outcome:
“Our defense, give them some credit. Our guys stepped up and made some plays when we needed them to.”
The Bears did a good job shutting down Falcons’ star running back Michael Turner. He came through with the game on the line, however, rushing for the winning touchdown with just over three minutes remaining in the game. Ryan praised his running back’s effort:
“Our offensive line did a great job just giving me just enough time to get the ball off, and then Michael Turner did what he does. The offensive line provided a great push and just paved his way.”
The Falcons are now 4-1 for only the fifth time in team history, the last coming in 2004. Despite their solid start, they’re still trying to keep pace with the red hot New Orleans Saints who improved to 5-0 with their win over the New York Giants earlier in the day.
Atlanta can improve to 5-1 and break the mark for best start in franchise history with a win on the road at Dallas next Sunday. That’ll be followed by an even bigger road game, on Monday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints-a contest full of all sorts of implications for the eventual divisional championship in the NFC South. The Bears will be back on the road next weekend to take on the Cincinnati Bengals before returning home for games the following two Sundays against the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals.
Ross Everett is a respected freelance writer who covers travel, casino gambling and sports handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, flower arranging and deep sea diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.
Vikings, Favre Rip Rams
April 13, 2010
The day after his 40th birthday, the Minnesota Vikings’ Brett Favre threw for 232 yards and a touchdown against one interception as his team easily beat the pitiful St. Louis Rams by a final score of 38-10. The Vikings are now 5-0 for the first time in six years and Favre is 5-0 for the first time in his Hall of Fame career. The Rams, who’ve scored only 4 offensive touchdowns in five games this season, dropped to 0-5.
Minnesota had no trouble covering the NFL pointspread as -10 road favorites. The cover improved the Vikings to 4-1 against the spread, while the Rams slumped to 1-4 versus the number. The 48 points scored went OVER the posted total of 44′.
After the contest, Favre talked about the hot start at his relatively advanced age:
“I hope there’s many more to come. I’d be lying if I said I thought I’d still be playing at 40 and not miss a game at this point. I just hope I can lead this team to bigger and better things.”
For the Rams, things can’t get much worse. St. Louis guard Richie Incognito surveyed the carnage:
“This is extremely tough. It wears on you, but to be a professional, you don’t let it show. You just keep preparing hard to go out and get a win.”
St. Louis is almost definitely the worst team in the NFL at this point. They’re averaging 6.8 points per game while giving up an average of 29.2 points per game. They’ve allowed more than 35 points in each of their last three games, they’ve committed seven turnovers in their past two games. In their last three outings they’ve been outscored by a combined score of 109-27.
Minnesota will try to extend their undefeated start this weekend as they host the Baltimore Ravens. They’ll then face two tough games on the road, starting with the following Sunday at Pittsburgh against the defending Superbowl champion Steelers. A bigger game may loom a week later, as the Vikings will head to Lambeau Field in Green Bay for a rematch against Favre’s old team. The Rams will try to put one in the win column as they head to Florida to face the Jacksonville Jaguars this weekend. They’ll host the Indianapolis Colts the following Sunday before traveling to Detroit on November 1.
Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer experienced in travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, flower arranging and scuba diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.
Alouettes Survive Tough Challenge From Roughriders To Remain Atop CFL
April 9, 2010
The Montreal Alouettes withstood a tough challenge from the Saskatchewan Roughriders to win their 7th game of the season by a 34-25 margin. Montreal remained atop the CFL with a 7-1 record, while the Roughriders slipped to 4-4. Als rookie QB Chris Leak scored the winning points, flawlessly converting on a third down goal line situation that also happened to be the first play of his CFL career.
After the game, Leak recounted his high pressure introduction to CFL football:
“It’s a about trust – that’s the number one thing. I’m just happy for the opportunity to earn the trust of the coaches and my teammates.”
The Alouettes swept the season series from Saskatchewan, having won 43-10 in Regina in early July. Saskatchewan has only won twice in their past eleven trips to Montreal, and will have to wait until next season to try and gain a measure of redemption.
The Roughriders held the edge in most of the statistical categories, but were undone by turnovers and a failure to cash in on drives deep into Als territory. Riders coach Ken Miller said in his postgame comments that there was plenty of responsibility to go around:
“It’s a team game and the fault doesn’t lie with any individual. Darian played probably his best. He turned the ball over three times, but he made plays with his feet and was a leader for us. I’m really proud of the way the men battled, but our team still needs to be tuned up some.”
Durants favorite target on the day was Weston Dressler, who caught eight passes for 179 yards and after the game gave a glass half full assessment of his teams performance:
“We were in it until the end. I think we showed we can complete with the best team in the league and I think we just have to keep working at it. We’re really close to being a great football team.”
Both teams will enjoy a bye next weekend, with Montreal returning to action on Friday, September 4th as they travel to Vancouver to play the BC Lions. The two teams will rematch at Montreals Molson Stadium the following week. Saskatchewan will return to action on Sunday, September 6th as they host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.
Think About Journey to Pittsburgh
April 8, 2010
Pittsburgh is a town in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Having a population of more than 350,000 persons and an area that covers various square miles, it can be just one with the largest cities within the state of Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh lies where the Monongahela River and the Allegheny River meet, forming the Ohio River. The rivers and mountains surrounding the metropolis make for a special terrain. Mainly because of this, the city developed as various separate, distinct regions or neighborhoods. Each region has diverse functions that make the metropolis an outstanding traveling destination for the young and old alike.
Millions of people journey to Pittsburgh every single year for a variety of sporting occasions. Pittsburgh has expert football, hockey, and baseball teams, all of which are located within the heart of down town. Regardless of whether you might be traveling to see the Steelers, Penguins, or Pirates, Pittsburgh’s sporting events are a large attraction. Within the summer months, Pittsburgh is likewise host to a variety of concerts, and there are theatrical performances in numerous locations year round.
Pittsburgh is likewise a quite historical metropolis with countless fascinating locations and museums. Downtown is home for the Andy Warhol art museum plus the Children’s Museum. In Oakland visitors can go towards Carnegie Museum of Art at the same time as the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Pittsburgh can also be home for the Carnegie Science Center and numerous other museums as well as a huge and quite well-known zoo. Just outside of Pittsburgh there is also an amusement park known as Kennywood. The small park was founded in the late 1800s, but it remains a quite well-liked tourist destination.
Buying and dining are also great in Pittsburgh. The various regions each feature an eclectic group of restaurants and unique shops. Pittsburgh can be residence to various shopping malls and most any popular chain restaurant a single could imagine. The Primanti Brother restaurant is an essential part with the Pittsburgh dining experience. There are many locations, but the original is located inside the city’s Strip District. The restaurant serves the popular Primani Sandwich which characteristics two slices of fresh baked Italian bread piled high with toppings such as cole slaw and french fries.
No matter what your taste, Pittsburgh is usually a city for individuals of all interests. Due to the fact it really is not regarded to become a top traveling destination, it can also be really affordable to journey there as hotels are usually inexpensive.
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Gators Subdue Bayou Bengals In Tebow’s Return To Action
April 6, 2010
Florida quarterback Tim Tebow shook off the effects of a concussion suffered against Kentucky two weeks ago and returned to lead the #1 ranked Gators to a hard fought 13-3 victory over #4 ranked LSU. Tebow got a good deal of help from a nasty Florida defense, and the largest crowd in LSU history (93,129) left disappointed as the Bayou Bengals offense was almost completely shut down. Florida improved to 5-0 while LSU dropped to 5-1.
College football betting enthusiasts who backed Florida as a -9 road favorite weren’t able to breathe easy until the final whistle, but eventually enjoyed a payday with the narrowest of pointspread covers. The Gators improved their ATS record over the past three years to a glossy 22-7 and they’ve covered 8 of their last 9 on the road.
After the game, Tebow explained that he tried to play smart but without fear:
“I tried to play smart. I told him, I said, when we were talking to Coach [Urban] Meyer, I said, ‘I’m not going to go out there and play tentative or scared. That’s not me.’ I did try to play smart but I wasn’t scared or timid at all.”
Tebow was also not the least bit intimidated by the huge crowd of LSU partisans:
“This place is one of my favorite stadiums to play in. It just gets your adrenaline going, then to play against a great defense like that.”
Tebow returned to practice earlier this week, but wasn’t medically cleared to play until a few hours before gametime. Even then, he was listed as a game time decision. Coach Urban Meyer talked about the difficult decision he had to make:
“It was a tough deal and I kept saying, ‘Would I play my son?’ You know Tim,” Meyer said. “It was, ‘Let me play. Let me play.’ Nonstop.”
Gators safety Will Hill said that the defense knew that they’d have to play well regardless of their quarterbacks status:
We knew Tim would suit up but we didn’t know if he would play, but we didn’t care. The defense knew what we had to do to come out and win this game.”
LSU receiver Brandon LaFell blamed his teams mistakes for the loss:
Those guys have a pretty good defense. We had a ton of chances, then we would get a mistake … Too many mistakes.”
Florida will try to keep their 15 game winning streak going next weekend as they host the University of Arkansas. They’ll be on the road at Mississippi State the following weekend before they face Georgia in the game fondly known as The Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” on October 31. LSU will take a bye weekend before returning to action against Auburn on October 24.
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.
Bombers Blitz BC Lions In CFL Football Play
April 6, 2010
After two straight wins gave the BC Lions hope that they’d turned the corner on the CFL season, they’re officially back at square one. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers Fred Reid torched the BC Lions defense all night long, and his career performance helped his team earn a lopsided 37-10 victory at Vancouver on Friday night.
After the contest, Reid gave credit to his offensive line for making his franchise record rushing performance relatively easy:
“Just about every play I was in the secondary. I have to give props to the O-line. They opened some big holes tonight. Before I knew it, I was in the secondary. You know how the DBs are, they don’t really want to tackle back there.”
“We had some good play calling that caught them off guard and some new schemes that they weren’t prepared for. We just executed. It gives us something to build on going in the bye week.”
Winnipeg QB Michael Bishop praised his running backs effort:
“Fred left it on the field today. To have a guy like that can carry the ball, and do the things he did today, it was amazing. ”
“A lot of people were saying it was a make-or-break game for us. We didn’t want to go into the bye with another loss. “We went in with style and class and have something to build on.”
BC linebacker JoJuan Armour was embarrassed for the part he played in allowing the blowout:
“They lined up and kicked our ass. That’s the bottom line. It’s embarrassing. I’m embarrassed for my performance and I apologize to my team. There was no excuse for it.”
Reid broke the previous Winnipeg franchise record of 249 set by Blaise Bryant in 1994. He finished just 27 yards short of the CFL single-game rushing record of 287 yards set over 40 years ago.
Lions coach Wally Buono is more concerned about his teams mindset than anything else:
“I’m more concerned about the collective psyche of the team after that. It’s hard to take. I was shocked. I was very, very disappointed.”
British Columbia, now has a bye week before they face a home and home series against the CFL leading Montreal Alouettes. The Blue Bombers will also enjoy a week off before a pair of back to back games against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Ross Everett is a freelance writer and highly respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.
Giants Sign Eli Manning To Longterm Deal
April 6, 2010
The New York Giants have made a huge financial commitment to quarterback Eli Manning by offering him a six year, $97.5 million contract extension. Manning will earn just over $15 million a year, and $35 million of the contract is guaranteed. Should Manning play through the end of his contract hell be a Giant until 2015, meaning there’s a decent chance hell play his entire career with the team.
Manning will earn roughly $200,000 per season more than Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha who agreed to a 3 year, $45 million contract earlier this summer. Hes also got the upper hand on his older brother, Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning who earns just over $14 million per season. Though the full term of his deal makes him the leagues highest paid player hell earn less this year than the Carolina Panthers Julius Peppers and the Cincinnati Bengals QB Carson Palmer, each of whom will pull down slightly more than $16 million.
While Manning and his agent have been tight lipped in the media about the deal, Giants GM Jerry Reese spoke in glowing terms of his teams $97.5 million investment:
“He is a franchise quarterback. He has done everything we asked him to do. He has come in, taken a lot of flak from you guys in the media and he just keeps going. He does what we ask him on the field and he does what we ask him to do off the field. He is a good football player.”
Reese also dismissed concern that the huge contract commitment would result in additional pressure on Manning:
“He is used to that. He won’t get more pressure than he already has in this market. He knows how to handle pressure and he has done it before. I don’t expect to see any difference in his attitude and his work ethic. He works hard. He expects a lot from himself. He knows what his role here is with us and we expect him to continue it for a long time.”
Manning definitely has a number of qualities that justify this level of investment. Hes produced on the field, leading the Giants to a Superbowl championship and four straight postseason appearances. He also became the first Giant QB in history to throw for 3,000 yards and 20+ touchdowns in four consecutive seasons. Hes also shown a great deal of durability, starting 71 consecutive games”the third longest streak in the NFL. Hes got solid leadership skills and is well liked and respect by not only his teammates but also by the notoriously tough New York media.
Manning will earn just over $9 million this season, the final year of his rookie contract. The new deal will kick in with the 2009-2010 season.
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.
NJ Jets Demolish Houston In NFL Opener
April 6, 2010
New York Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez tracked down NFL legend Joe Namath before the game looking for a pep talk and some pointers. What the NFL Hall of Famer told him had a very beneficial effect. Sanchez looked very decidedly not like a rookie as he threw for 272 yards and a touchdown against one interception. More importantly, the Jets easily beat the host Houston Texans 24-7.
NFL sports betting enthusiasts who took the Jets as +4 road underdogs cashed their tickets with the outright win. New York improved to 10-8 ATS as an underdog over the past three NFL seasons.
After the game, Sanchez recounted what Namath had told him in his ersatz pep talk:
“What a pep talk. That was Joe Namath, just taking all the credit from himself and throwing it back to me and just saying, ‘Good luck.’ To hear that from a legend like that, it just kind of gives you the chills. It was something special to be a part of, an emotional start, an emotional little pep talk.”
For his part, Namath said he wasnt surprised to see Sanchez have such a solid NFL debut:
“No, I was hopeful and I’m satisfied more than I thought I’d be. His offensive line did a hell of a job, but he did a great job of finding time with his feet, just to move subtly … I don’t doubt even a little bit that he doesn’t have poise at this stage.”
The Jets defense also had a great afternoon. The run defense was particularly stifling, holding Steve Slaton to just 17 yards on the ground. Afterwards, Slaton couldnt believe what had just happened:
“It’s just insane. You work for six months leading up to this first game. You have all offseason to prepare for this game and then to come out and play like that is upsetting.”
Texans coach Gary Kubiak took the blame for his teams substandard showing:
“The offensive football team gave us no chance and that starts with me. There’s nobody that can feel anything good coming out of this football game.”
Houston will start from scratch on Sunday as they travel to Nashville to face the Tennessee Titans. The Titans are a -6 home favorite with the total set at 40. The Texans will return home for games the following two weeks against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders. The Jets will play their next two games at home, beginning this weekend against the New England Patriots. New York is +4 home underdog to the Pats, with the total set at 47. Theyll welcome the Tennessee Titans to the Meadowlands the following week.
Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and World Cup betting sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.
Boise State Stomps Bowling Green
April 6, 2010
Bowling Green played Boise State tough on their home field this weekend–at least for one quarter. Things looked good for the host Falcons at the end of the first quarter, as they’d held the #6 ranked Broncos scoreless and were right in the thick of things in a scoreless game. It was all downhill from that point for Bowling Green, as Boise State exploded for 29 unanswered second quarter points. The Broncos would eventually win 49-14, improving to 4-0 on the season. Bowling Green dropped to 1-3 as Boise improved their record against the MAC to 6-2 all time.
The Broncos easily covered as -16 road favorites. The 63 combined points went OVER the posted total of 51. Boise State needed four plays or less on their first six scoring drives, and amassed a season high 529 yards of total offense. Their defense also forced the Falcons into three costly turnovers. By halftime, the game was essentially over.
Boise State coach Chris Petersen had insisted on more quick strike scoring drives in the week before the Bowling Green game. They most definitely delivered, and the coach commented to their performance after the contest:
“On offense, that’s always the name of the game. It makes it a lot easier when you don’t have those 15- and 17-play drives.”
Broncos quarterback Kellen Moore threw 17 completions in 21 pass attempts for a total of 247 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. 195 of his total yards came during the 2nd quarter onslaught, where he completed 8 consecutive passes during one stretch. After the game, Moore indicated that his team wasnt resting on their impressive season to date performance:
“There’s a lot of football to go and a lot of things to work on.
Coach Petersen concurred with his quarterbacks assessment:
“These guys are a fairly mature bunch and if not, we have a staff of mature coaches to keep them focused.
Bowling Green head coach Dave Clawson sounded somewhat in awe of the Broncos ‘quick strike’ offense:
“That’s what they do. When they have 500 yards of offense, it will always be 10 to 12 plays where half their offense came from.”
The Broncos looked sharp all around on offense despite the absence of second leading rusher DJ Harper. Harper is likely out for the year after a knee injury.
Bowling Green will take a step down in class of opposition next weekend as they host the Ohio Bobcats. Theyll play on the road the next two weeks, traveling to Kent State and Ball State. Boise will return home for a game against FCS opponent UC Davis next Saturday. Theyll play on the road at Tulsa the following weekend, before enjoying a bye week. Theyll be back in action on October 25 as they make the long trip to play the University of Hawaii.
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.
College Football Flashback: USC Finds A Way To Beat Ohio State
April 3, 2010
While not a vintage performance by their lofty standards, the University of Southern California Trojans overcame a number of mistakes to make big plays when they counted to prevail in a come from behind victory over Ohio State. Stafon Johnson capped a late game drive by scoring the game winning touchdown with just over a minute remaining as the Trojans won by a final score of 18-15. It was the first time the Trojans held the lead since early in the first quarter.
Ohio State did cash tickets for college football bettors, however, covering the spread as a +7 home underdog. USC won and covered last year, but the pointspread setback this year dropped the Trojans to a still impressive 13-5 ATS against the Big Ten conference since 1992. It was also only the second non-cover by a USC team in a non conference game in their last ten opportunities. The 33 combined points went UNDER the posted total of 45. Last years game also failed to exceed the total, and USC continued a strong UNDER tendency of late”the Trojans have now gone UNDER in 19 of their L27 lined games.
19 year old freshman Matt Barkley engineered the game winning touchdown drive. After the game, he spoke of the Trojan tradition of victory:
“We’re Trojans. That’s what we do. This is what we dreamed of, coming back like this. Doesn’t matter where we are in the score. We found a way. I love this.”
Tailback Joe McKnight sarcastically dismissed suggestions that Barkley was rattled by a tenacious and stifling Buckeye defense:
“He was scared, really. No, he came in with the same composure he had the whole game. He was calm. He made plays.”
USC coach Pete Carroll praised Barkleys composure in such an intense environment:
“He’s not 19. He’s our quarterback. I’m not worried about how old he is. Numbers mean nothing.”
Ohio State linebacker Greg Rolle said his defense was playing at a very high level”until the final drive:
“It’s very frustrating, but we knew eventually they’d make plays. The last drive was heartbreaking. Give McKnight lots of credit on that last drive, he was good. The last drive was definitely, you go back and you think about, and you think about how close you came to winning.
Ohio State will travel to Toledo for a non-conference game before starting their Big 10 schedule at home against Illinois. USC now faces three straight Pac 10 games, starting next weekend on the road at the University of Washington. Theyll return home the following weekend for a game against Washington State before heading to Northern California the next Saturday for a tough challenge against the University of California.
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.