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07/09/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - LeBron James made the right decision the wrong way.
I first realized James had officially lost touch with reality on Wednesday when the ESPN press release announcing "The Decision," the hour-long vehicle in which the NBA's best player announced his intention to flee the tortured city of Cleveland for Miami, arrived in my inbox.
I certainly had no problem with James choosing the Heat. It's not my place to tell a 25-year-old-man in the prime of his life to give up the sun and sand of South Beach for the harsh winters and reeling local economy in the Forest City.
To be blunt if most of us, including just about everybody who lives in Cleveland right now, were given the opportunity to work in either place, the decision really wouldn't be all that difficult. James had every right to pack his bags for the tax haven that is Florida, but it would have been nice if he handled his exit with a bit more class.
By shopping his divorce from the Cavs to ESPN, James essentially flipped his middle finger at his hometown fans and the people that loved and supported him since high school.
I'm not sure who was steering James during this debacle. It's hard to believe his agent Leon Rose, with all of his experience, would have pushed LeBron toward a public relations disaster. I suppose Maverick Carter or one of his other immature hangers-on could have been in his ear, but at the end of the day it's James who came across as the selfish, ego-driven athlete that thinks he's bigger than the game.
In fact, I haven't seen such narcissism on national television since Lex Luger was flexing in front of a mirror for Vince McMahon in the 1990s.
In one moment, James went from the most popular figure in Cleveland to a pariah that now rivals Art Modell, who moved the former Cleveland Browns to Baltimore in 1995, as the most vilified sports figure in the city's history.
Wherever the bad advice came from, it's all spilt milk now and James will have to rebuild a tattered reputation and the backlash that has already ensued when he plunged the dagger into Cleveland's collective heart.
Already, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert sounded like part spurned lover, part nonsensical fan and part gypsy when he released an open letter to his team's fans that read more like an extremist rant coming from a wing nut like Ann Coulter or Keith Olbermann.
"As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier," Gilbert wrote. This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build- up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.
"Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us. You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal. You have given so much and deserve so much more. In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight: I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER 'KING' WINS ONE. You can take it to the bank.
"If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels. Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there. Sorry, but that's simply not how it works.
"This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown "chosen one" sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And "who" we would want them to grow-up to become.
"But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called "curse" on Cleveland, Ohio. The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma."
If you think that's bad, Gilbert went even further in a phone interview with The Associated Press when he accused James of quitting during the Cavaliers' second-round playoffs series against the Boston Celtics, who rallied from a 2-1 deficit to eliminate Cleveland.
"He has gotten a free pass," Gilbert told The AP. "People have covered up for (James) for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is. He quit. Not just in Game 5, but in Games 2, 4 and 6. Watch the tape. The Boston series was unlike anything in the history of sports for a superstar."
Clearly Gilbert has already moved to the second stage (anger) of the Kubler- Ross model, commonly known as the five stages of grief. Since there is no more bargaining to do the only things left for Cleveland are depression and acceptance.
For his part, James was at least smart enough to point out that he is taking less money to go to South Florida in an effort to win a championship with his friends, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
"I feel like it's going to give me the best opportunity to win and to win for multiple years," James said in his decision announcement interview with ESPN's Jim Gray. "Not only just to win in the regular season, to win five games in a row or three games in a row, I want to be able to win championships, and I feel I can compete down there."
The questions now will turn to James' bloated ego, the one that was on full blast during "The Decision" broadcast.
Can a self-centered, conceited egomaniac handle sharing the spotlight with two other All-Stars and develop the chemistry needed by a championship team?
Stay tuned.
<< Phils rest hopes on Blanton in second test vs. Reds
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Many assume that the Phillies will be in the hunt for
pitching prior to the non-waiver trade deadline at the end of this month. That
need will be lessened a bit if Joe Blanton can get on track.
Blanton will try to
<< Dodgers hope for more pitching prowess in second test with Cubs
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley has to be
motivated by what staff mate Clayton Kershaw did in last night's series-
opening win versus the Chicago Cubs. He'll try to give his team another
dominating mound performa
<< Red Sox resume trek at Toronto's Rogers Centre
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After beginning a six-game road trip with three straight
losses to one division rival, the Boston Red Sox head to Toronto in search of
some momentum. The Rogers Centre is a good place to look for some.
The Red Sox, h
<< Angels visit A's in clash of slumping division foes
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of struggling AL West inhabitants get together this
evening in Oakland, as the Athletics and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim kick
off a three-game series from the Coliseum.
The Angels have dropped four straight and th
AHL extends president's contract >>
Springfield, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - American Hockey League president David
Andrews has agreed to terms on a contract extension that will keep him in his
position through June, 2015.
"All of us with an interest in the American Hockey L
Rangers re-sign D Girardi >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Rangers have re-signed defenseman
Daniel Girardi to an undisclosed contract.
The 26-year-old registered six goals and 18 points with a minus-two rating
over a full 82-game schedule in 2009-1
Wizards' top pick Wall sits out with injury >>
WASHINGTON (AP) -Washington Wizards top draft choice John Wall has missed practice after injuring his groin a day earlier during his first workout with the team.Coach Flip Saunders says the overall No. 1 pick in last month's NBA draft has tightness
Line of Scrimmage: NFL GameChangers '10: O-Line and TEs >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The news that you are being forced to move
to Detroit is, in most cases, best broken gently. No disrespect to the Motor
City, which is on the way back under mayor Dave Bing and has produced some of
the greate
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MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined
Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.
"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."
Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)
According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.
As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).
Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.
Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at
17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.
*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007
New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers
By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.
"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."
While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."
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