Derek Smith stays strong as Niners' linebacking leader
Football Betting Lines
08/23/2006 - SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -Derek Smith has called thousands of defensive signals and made hundreds of thankless tackles in his nine NFL seasons. He's willing to do almost any dirty work to help the San Francisco 49ers. Just don't ask this prototypical middle linebacker to move out of the middle, even now that the 49ers' group of outside linebackers is ravaged by injuries and free-agent defections. ``You've got to embrace your strengths,'' Smith said Tuesday. ``I'm not an outside guy. I see things better behind the ball. You can't get in as much of the action when you cut yourself off from half the field.'' The 49ers wouldn't dream of separating the thick-necked, speedy Smith from his favorite task. With a new three-year contract and a swell of optimism for the upcoming season, the 31-year-old believes he'll be a big part of San Francisco's move back to the respectability it enjoyed when he first joined the club in 2001. While coach Mike Nolan has gutted much of the roster he inherited last year, Smith is among the 49ers' handful of veteran mainstays, along with defensive end Bryant Young and injured center Jeremy Newberry. Smith, San Francisco's leading tackler for five straight seasons, appears in promotional spots for the club, encouraging fans to remain faithful to a team that's won six games in the last two years. ``I feel like I'm one of the guys they want to try to build around,'' Smith said. ``Those are the type of guys they want to have in there, those character guys.'' Yet Smith feels like a newcomer every time the 49ers change coaches. The Niners have employed three coaching staffs in his time with the club, but he has been a steady standout throughout the turmoil of owner John York's regime. ``He's a phenomenal leader,'' defensive coordinator Billy Davis said. ``He takes his business very seriously. He's no-nonsense. (He'll say), `Just watch me work.' Derek and Bryant Young ... they don't tell somebody how hard you have to work. Just watch (them) work, and you'll be playing at a championship level.'' Other linebackers with Smith's credentials are rich and famous, with multiple Pro Bowl appearances and national followings. Smith has made at least 100 tackles in nine straight seasons, a number surpassed only by Tampa Bay's Derrick Brooks and Miami's Zach Thomas, who have done it in 10 straight campaigns. But Smith plays for the lowly Niners, and does little to draw attention to himself apart from his consistent play. He has moved cautiously into a vocal leadership role with the 49ers in recent seasons, but still feels most comfortable lifting in the weight room or hammering ball carriers in the gaps of an offensive line. ``I still try to do what I do in practice, just be an example to guys that way,'' he said. ``If things aren't going as well as they should, I'll step up and say something now.'' He has plenty to say this week after the 49ers' lackadaisical performance in a 23-7 exhibition loss at Oakland. Though he only played 12 snaps, Smith spoke out about the defense's slow tempo and tepid aggression. The 49ers visit the Dallas Cowboys and former teammate Terrell Owens on Saturday, and Smith is one of the few Niners still remaining from Owens' eight seasons with the club. The linebacker had unusually harsh words about T.O.'s attitude and effort last season before San Francisco faced the Philadelphia Eagles - but Owens claimed he didn't even know who Smith was. ``Derek isn't in it for the glory or the money,'' said Jeff Ulbrich, his teammate and fellow unsung linebacker since 2001. ``He's just a guy who would rather be playing football than doing anything else, except maybe being with his family. I'm the same way. We love the game.'' Smith was a starter from his first game in the league with the Washington Redskins in 1997, and he learned aspects of professionalism and poise from veteran linebackers Marvcus Patton and Ken Harvey. He left Washington after four seasons to join San Francisco as a free agent, then took a contract worth less than he probably could have made elsewhere to return last spring. Smith got a three-year deal with a $2 million signing bonus and more than $3.7 million in salary this season - perhaps not numbers in line with his statistical achievements, but still gratifying for a hardworking employee. ``You have to earn it every day,'' he said. ``You want to make them feel like they got a good deal.'' Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< UNDATED: 10 starts.
NL CapsulesUNDATED: 10 starts.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associat
<< Bears' Benson disciplined for leaving sidelines during game
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) -Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson has been punished by coach Lovie Smith for leaving the sidelines during Friday night's preseason win over San Diego, and for missing a mandatory post-game meeting.``Cedric was supposed
<< Mussina to miss turn; Matsui cleared for BP
SEATTLE (AP) -Mike Mussina will miss his next turn in the New York Yankees' pitching rotation because of groin tightness that the team at first thought was a cramp.The five-time All-Star right-hander called it minor, low-grade pain. He remains winle
<< Mets acquire Green from Arizona
NEW YORK (AP) -Outfielder Shawn Green was traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the New York Mets on Tuesday night, giving the NL East leaders one more big bat as they gear up for the postseason.The Diamondbacks sent the 33-year-old Green and slig
<< Shawn Green Career Statistics
Year, Team AB R H HR RBI SB Avg1993, Tor 6 0 0 0 0 0 .0001994, Tor 33 1 3 0 1 1 .0911995, Tor 379 52 109 15 54 1 .2881996, Tor 422 52 118 11 45 5 .2801997, Tor
Georgia's Johnson to transfer to junior college >>
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -Georgia forward Kendrick Johnson will transfer to San Jose (Calif.) City College for academic and medical reasons, Georgia coach Dennis Felton said Tuesday.Felton said he hopes Johnson can return to Georgia.Johnson has had two reco
Taveras extends streak to club-record 26 games >>
CINCINNATI (AP) -Willy Taveras extended his hitting streak to 26 games with a bunt single Wednesday, setting a Houston Astros record.The outfielder bunted to the third-base side of the mound and beat pitcher Chris Michalak's throw to first on a clos
Culpepper returns to the scene of his devastating injury >>
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -The last time Daunte Culpepper faced the Carolina Panthers, he was hauled off the field with three torn knee ligaments and his playing career in doubt.Culpepper returns to Bank of America Stadium on Thursday with a new team and
Judge refuses to let Ohio coach withdraw no contest plea >>
ATHENS, Ohio (AP) -A judge refused to let Ohio coach Frank Solich withdraw his no contest plea Wednesday to a drunken driving charge, finding that there was ample evidence to support the offense.Solich had asked to drop the plea based on his claim t
Henson done with Cowboys, Romo still No. 2 QB behind Bledsoe >>
IRVING, Texas (AP) -Drew Henson won't be on the Dallas Cowboys roster this season, and the former third baseman once considered the team's quarterback of the future might be on the trading block.``I just didn't see enough,'' coach Bill Parcells said
NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.
That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.
A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."
It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.
The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.
So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."
Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't.
Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.
Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.
Seriously.
The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.
The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.
Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."
The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts MasterCard needs.
While the NFL is the sport wagered on the heaviest, college football betting lines has become more and more popular as people realize it’s a game that can be beat. The NCAA football season gets longer each year with the addition of numerous bowl games and with that comes more opportunities for more money in your pocket, if handled correctly.
Betting on college football is not the same as with the NFL, so make sure you separate the two. Because of the vast number of teams, the parity between college football programs is slight and thus, you are going to see some high numbers in the NCAA. Teams favored by more than 40 points are not uncommon especially early in the season when teams playing their non-conference schedules.
The best advice when trying to tackle these enormous spreads and is to just stay away. A team that is favored by 40 points is favored by that many for a reason while teams getting 40 points are bad enough that they shouldn’t be touched. Set yourself a spread limit. Getting rid of these games will cut down on the number of contests that you need to handicap while staying away from backdoor or front-door covers.
What is a backdoor and front-door cover you ask? A backdoor cover is a team that is getting beat by more than the spread, but scores late to get within that number thus covering the spread. A front-door cover is just the opposite where the favorite scores late and covers the number they are favored by.
These front-door and backdoor covers are common when second and third string players enter games in college football and it can be the worst nightmare for some bettors. These players can also be your best friend, but ask any bettor and he will give you more instances on losing in this situation than winning. It just seems to work out that way even though everything evens out in the end.
College football betting has some of the softest lines of any sport and it’s being able to find these lines that will make you a successful college football handicapper. The NFL and NBA have the tightest lines around and while those sports can be beat by looking at situations and systems, college football doesn’t quite work that way. It’s much more manual, but when done correctly, it’s much more gratifying as well.
Getting into the nuts and bolts of college football means looking at the many stats in order to beat the number. As opposed to pro football, college football is less dependent on situations and angles and more on certain statistics. Rushing offense and defense, pass efficiency offense and defense and turnover margins are huge. These are vital in the NFL, but even more so when it comes to college football.
Being able to run the ball in college football has always been a key factor in the overall success of a team. The same adage also goes for teams who have the ability to stop the run. Putting these two factors together can produce some positive results in a team’s record both straight up and against the spread. These numbers show huge differences in teams and the spread may not take those into effect, which is where the value comes into play.
Passing yardage numbers both for and against can be a misinterpreted statistic. However, pass efficiency has always been one of the best ways to look at a teams’ passing game ability both offensively and defensively. But is it really a true indication of how they perform? I wouldn’t say so since they are raw passing numbers with nothing else taken into consideration.
I use pass efficiency ratings when doing my handicapping but I adjust my numbers based on a number of factors including power ratings, strength of schedules, personnel and injuries. This gives a much better picture of a team’s ability to pass effectively and also being able to defend the pass. Tweaking pass efficiency stats instead of raw passing yards is the key.
Turnovers are the single most frustrating, and at times the most gratifying, aspect of a college football lines, mostly because they are so unpredictable. They are part of the game and most of the time nothing can be done to control them. However, turnovers are contagious and they can carry over from game to game and season to season.
It’s important to know how to forecast these unforeseen events and how to use them to your advantage. You can find ways to give yourself an edge by looking at past histories of teams and coaches and how they have fared in turnover wars in the past. Instead of turnovers hurting you at the wrong times, find ways to use them to your advantage.
As you can see, college football handicapping is very labor intensive and isn’t just based on where teams are ranked in the AP and coaches polls. Experience, coaching and match-ups are all important since unlike the NFL, college teams turn over much more often with new personnel at most positions every single year. Keeping current on this information is vital.
Betting NCAA football can be lucrative if done correctly, but more importantly, it’s just plain enjoyable because it can be beat. College football is one of the best sports to watch with some of the best rivalries taking place in all of sports. The only downfall is that a championship isn’t decided on the field but on a computer-based system that is the Bowl Championship Series. That will change someday and we will all be better off for it.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NCAA college football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
your source for online betting
As the web was just getting it's footing in the business world in 1997, My Sportsbook was breaking new
ground in the online sportsbook arena. Offering over 20 Las Vegas Games and backed by Sporting Bet UK,
the largest publicly traded Internet gaming company in the world today, My Sportsbook offers betting lines
on every major sporting event in the world, including Online MLB Baseball Betting. With a wide array of bonuses including a 10% Free Money bonus
to all new customers, My Sportsbook is a top online sportsbook, poker room, casino and racebook -- join today!For those that feel that a site like My Sportsbook is only a sportsbook we would like to introduce you to
a place where a single login allows you to not only bet on every major sporting event in the world but also
to bet on horses at over 90 different tracks or play at over 20 Las Vegas style table games in their top online
casino. My Sportsbook has won many awards for it's site design and ease of use as well as it's 24/7
customer support. Get all your gaming done in one spot - try My Sportsbook Today!
|
Bonds nearly hits HR 751, SF wins
4 and drove in
a pair of runs, and Barry Bonds nearly hit homer No. 751 as San Francisco beat
1, in the middle contest of three at AT&T Park.
6) allowed five hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings, fanning
eight and walking three.
game slide.
Bonds, who came within five homers of Hank Aaron's record on Friday, went
1 with three walks, an RBI double and scored twice. The double ...
read more
|
online sportsbook and casino
Since 2000, Best eCasino has maintained a 98.5% payout rate on all their more than 20 Las Vegas style games.
Each of their award winning games including, blackjack (and blackjack super 7s), Baccarat, Roulette and Craps are
available as either a downloadable program or as java programs that can be played directly within your browser. Don't
know how to play a certain game? Read the details and strategy here and start with their Play for Fun section which
allows you to practice a game before taking on the casino. Let's see any Vegas casino do that... Best eCasino doesn't stop there, they now offer horse wagering and sportsbook lines to round off all the online
gaming industry have to offer. They are consistently at the forefront of the industry with new innovations consistently
starting with their site. These guys are the entrepreneur's of the online gaming world and they set the standard for others
to follow. So bet with a leader that's backed by the largest online gaming company in the world with 24 hour customer support,
Best eCasino.
|
