Playoff or pay-off? MEAC decision a 'win-win'
NCAA Football Betting Lines
07/30/2010 -
Norfolk, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There's a difficult decision ahead for Mid-
Eastern Athletic Conference football, and there may not be a right or wrong
answer considering both of the given options have merit.
"A win-win situation," according to Norfolk State football coach Pete Adrian.
Just as the FCS is expanding its playoff format from 16 to 20 teams this
season, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schools are weighing in on the idea of
giving up the automatic bid afforded its champion, beginning in 2011, to return
to a bowl game against the champion of the nation's other Historically Black
Colleges and Universities league, the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Talk of the potential Legacy Bowl has gone on for some time. Decision day is
nearing.
Ironically, as FCS conferences desperate for an automatic bid like the Pioneer
League and Great West circle the waters, there's good reason for the MEAC to
considering giving up its bid. ESPN is believed to be offering around $1.5
million to the MEAC and SWAC for the television rights to such a bowl game.
The SWAC already foregoes sending its champion to the playoffs to have its own
championship game, which draws huge crowds and revenue that stays within the
conference. The FCS playoffs, meanwhile, aren't much of a revenue-generator for
schools with small fan bases or those that, like the MEAC, rarely host.
"Hopefully it will be at some point in time in the fall, or before. At the
latest in the fall," MEAC commissioner Dennis Thomas said today regarding the
MEAC's decision during the conference's football media day.
"It's part of my responsibility to identify new revenue streams. And this is
one of many revenue streams that I have brought to the table as commissioner.
As you know, with the economy these days, every institution in our conference,
their states are facing tremendous cutbacks and deficits. This is another
proposal to vet with our membership to see whether or not we want to take
advantage of a new revenue source."
North Carolina Central and Savannah State will begin participating in MEAC
football next year, but Thomas said the proposal would be voted on only by the
chancellors and presidents of the nine existing member schools: South Carolina
State, which has been named the preseason favorite to win a third straight
conference title, along with Bethune-Cookman, Delaware State, Florida A&M,
Hampton, Howard, Morgan State, Norfolk State and North Carolina A&T.
A majority vote will determine the MEAC's future direction, Thomas added. If
the vote was taken today, it surely would have been close, with South Carolina
State, Florida A&M and to a lesser degree Delaware State believed to be the
strongest proponents of keeping the status quo and not sacrificing the FCS
automatic bid. What direction the other schools are leaning is up for
speculation.
"You look at what's going on in college football today in general with the big
guys," South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough said. "You know, Texas saved the
Big 12, or whatever number they are now; Nebraska left the Big 12 to go to the
Big Ten because of money. If those kind of people are making decisions based on
fundraising, finances, that kind of stuff, then why in the heck would a little
bitty outfit like us who needs a hundred times more money than they do not at
least explore the possibilities of what could be?"
"Both ways, it's really a win-win situation, whichever way you want to go,"
Adrian said. "Obviously, we like being in the playoffs, but if the bowl game is
something that's going to be on national TV, as it's supposed to be in front of
30, 40,000 people, that's bigger than any playoff games. It's just a question
of which way we go. We don't know yet."
The MEAC and SWAC played a bowl game during the 1990s - the Heritage Bowl, with
the conference champions having the option of playing in the game or going to
the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) playoffs. If a conference champion chose
the playoffs, the No. 2 team would be invited to play in the Heritage Bowl.
In a twist with the Legacy Bowl, the conference champions would square off, and
other teams in the conferences could still have the chance to go to the
playoffs, though they would have to be strong enough to earn an at-large bid.
It seems unlikely for the MEAC, which hasn't won a playoff game since 1999.
Florida A&M won the MEAC's only national title in 1978, but it was only a four-
team playoff then.
The MEAC has won four playoff games since the field was expanded to 16 teams in
1986.
"South Carolina State (which fell at Appalachian State, 20-13, in last year's
first round) showed that this conference has probably made the biggest gains in
terms of quality play as a conference," said Florida A&M coach Joe Taylor, who
had some playoff near-misses at Hampton before he switched schools. "Certainly
the CAA, everybody is chasing them - that's the flagship, they put teams in
they've won it. Buddy showed last year that we have somewhat closed that gap
with some of these stronger leagues within FCS. That's important, that you
compete for the best, for the ultimate prize. I think you're going to see that
continue to happen."
Taylor adds that recruiting would suffer if the MEAC surrendered its playoff
bid, but Adrian says it's not necessarily true. "You can say that I guess,"
Adrian said, "but when you look at the big guys, if you're not at a BCS school,
you've not playing for the national championship and they still get the good
recruits."
Some believe the Legacy Bowl would be a better experience than, say, losing a
first-round playoff game. There are few games nationally in early to mid-
December, when the Legacy Bowl would take place, so there would be a better
chance for gaining national exposure.
"When you talk about going into a bowl game," Morgan State coach Donald Hill-
Eley said, "it gives our young men an opportunity to experience that atmosphere
of the bowl games, it gives them an opportunity to compete against another
conference, to be able to go and spend three or four days away and be
representation of your conference."
"The plusses would be a couple-day bowl game and the exposure from that,"
Delaware State coach Al Lavan added, "and the fact some revenue from those
games would be equally distributed between the two teams involved, but also the
remaining revenue would be dispersed to the remaining teams. That the plusses
for it. I think there's good reason to certainly consider it."
Pough's South Carolina State squad has won 19 straight MEAC games, has a
veteran team which won every conference game by at least 12 points last season,
and again is led by senior quarterback Malcolm Long, the preseason conference
offensive player of the year. Despite SCSU suffering losses in the first round
of the playoffs at Appalachian State each of the last two seasons, including
the hard-to-swallow defeat last year, Pough still prefers that experience over
the MEAC's possible alternative.
"I enjoyed being in the playoffs," he said. "I also have confidence in the fact
that the powers-that-be who make these kinds of decisions will make good
decisions. They asked us for our input and we tell them what we like. Of
course, some of us want to be in, some of us would like to be out. The one
thing that I can tell you is that none of us take this lightly as far as how we
decide what we're going to do."
MEAC PRESEASON POLL (Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors)
1. South Carolina State (15 first-place votes), 315 points; 2. Florida A&M (2),
268; 3. Norfolk State, 190; 4. Hampton (1), 167; 5. Morgan State, 166; 6. North
Carolina A&T, 150; 7. Delaware State, 120; 8. Bethune-Cookman, 68; 9. Howard,
32
PRESEASON MEAC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Offensive Player of the Year - Malcolm Long, QB, South Carolina State
Defensive Player of the Year - Julio Sanchez, LB, Hampton
First-Team Offense
QB- Malcolm Long, South Carolina State. RB- DeAngelo Branche, Norfolk State;
Philip Sylvester, Florida A&M. TE- Lamont Bryant, Morgan State. WR- Willie
Carter, Howard; Isaac West, Howard. OL-Johnny Culbreath, South Carolina State;
Juavahr Nathan, South Carolina State; Josh Harrison, South Carolina State;
Kendall Noble, Norfolk State; Sam Timothy, South Carolina State.
First-Team Defense
DL- Andre Carroll, Delaware State; Kenrick Ellis, Hampton; Josh Turner, Norfolk
State; Jayson Ayers, South Carolina State. LB- Alvis Graham, Florida A&M; David
Erby, South Carolina State; Julio Sanchez, Hampton. DB- Qier Hall, Florida A&M;
Justin Ferrell, North Carolina A&T; Quay Long, North Carolina A&T; Darren
McKahn, Morgan State.
First-Team Specialists
PK- Trevor Scott, Florida A&M. P- Nicholas Adams, Morgan State. Ret- Dwight
Fluker-Berry, Norfolk State.
Second-Team Offense
QB- Anthony Glaud, Delaware State. RB- Jaashawn Jones, Delaware State; Mike
Mayhew, North Carolina A&T. TE- Sherron Childress, Norfolk State. WR- Kevin
Elliot, Florida A&M; Richard Christie, South Carolina State. OL- Christopher
Sands, Florida A&M; Michael Ola Folorian, Hampton; Lawrence Brewer, Morgan
State; Calton Ford, Norfolk State; William Falakiseni, Norfolk State.
Second-Team Defense
DL- Ryan Davis, Bethune-Cookman; Brandon Peguese, Hampton; Micah Stanfield,
North Carolina A&T; Ronnell Ferguson, South Carolina State. LB- Reginald
Sandilands, Bethune-Cookman; Anthony Taylor, Norfolk State; Julius Wilkerson,
South Carolina State. DB- Curtis Holcomb, Florida A&M; Semaj Moody, South
Carolina State; Devonne Quattlebaum, South Carolina State; Ricardo Silva,
Hampton.
Second-Team Specialists
PK- Blake Erickson, South Carolina State. P- Alex Grubb, North Carolina A&T.
Ret- Larrone Moore, Delaware State.
<< Oswalt a deflection, not redemption, for Amaro
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When Roy Oswalt puts on his Phillies
uniform for the first time, he might have to check to make sure it is his name
on the back of the jersey rather than what everyone in Philadelphia will be
calling him for
<< White Sox pick up Jackson from Arizona
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox have acquired pitcher
Edwin Jackson from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for pitchers Dan
Hudson and David Holmberg.
Jackson was in his first year with Arizona after being
<< Packers ink first-round pick Bulaga
Green Bay, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Green Bay Packers have signed first-round
draft pick Bryan Bulaga.
The Green Bay Press Gazette is reporting that the offensive lineman has signed
a five-year deal worth $14.75 million, with $8.76 million
<< Dolphins sign ex-Saints DE Grant
Davie, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Dolphins have signed defensive end
Charles Grant.
Terms of the deal were not released, but the Palm Beach Post reported
Wednesday that the contract is for two years and is worth $4.5 milli
<< Youzhny ousted in Gstaad quarters
Gstaad, Switzerland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top seed Mikhail Youzhny was a
quarterfinal upset victim Friday at the Swiss Open Gstaad.
Qualifier Yuri Schukin upended his world No. 14 fellow Russian Youzhny 6-4,
2-6, 7-5 in 2 hours, 12
Celtic signs McCourt to new three-year contract >>
Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Northern Ireland winger Paddy McCourt
signed a new three-year contract with Celtic on Friday.
McCourt, 26, had one year left on his current deal. He joined Celtic in 2008,
and has three goals in 19 a
Iupati joins Davis, Mays and Bowman as Niners picks to sign >>
Santa Clara, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Francisco 49ers completed the
signings of their 2010 draft class on Friday, as guard Mike Iupati followed
offensive tackle Anthony Davis, safety Taylor Mays and linebacker Navorro
Bowman,
Cardinals sign LB Washington >>
Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Cardinals have signed linebacker
Daryl Washington to a four-year contract, the team announced Friday. Financial
terms of the deal were not released.
Washington was Arizona's second-round pick, 47
Jets sign Ryan, Tannenbaum to extensions >>
Florham Park, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Jets announced Friday they
have signed head coach Rex Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum to
contract extensions that will keep them with the club through the 2014 season.
Tann
Steelers ink rookie LB Worilds, make Adams agreement official >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Steelers signed rookie
linebacker Jason Worilds on Friday, and also announced they have agreed to
terms on a two-year contract with veteran offensive tackle Flozell Adams.
Worilds,
NCAA Football Betting
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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 lines .
To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sports betting
Sportsbook Betting
After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
NFL Betting Lines
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
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.
|
