Canada following a path to gold
Baseball Betting Lines
07/29/2010 - Thunder Bay, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Team Canada's quest for gold at the World Junior Baseball Championship nearly took a detour down a dangerous road.
Luckily for them, Dalton Pompey knows his way around a diamond.
Pompey came off the bench to go 1-for-3 with two RBI including the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth that capped a dramatic comeback by Canada to defeat the Czech Republic 8-7 and advance to the quarterfinals against Italy on Friday.
"Never in doubt," said coach Greg Hamilton after his team avoided a first-round matchup with Chinese Taipei. "Those are the ones that you fear, you really do.
"They're the games that you have to win, that you should win."
And in the end they did, climbing back from a four-run deficit in the sixth to win Pool B in the final game of round robin play in front of a raucous crowd at Port Arthur Stadium.
Pompey, banged up after sliding into second base on Wednesday against Panama, showed no ill effects of the injury after roping a liner into center to score Philip Diedrick and sending the sell-out crowd into a frenzy.
"We had a bullet that we used," Hamilton said in reference to his center fielder. "I was hoping we could use it a little earlier but we'll take it at anytime."
With a crowd of nearly 3,000 fans on hand in support of the host country, few expected the Canadians to have to fight their way back against a winless Czech Republic team.
As it happened, the Thunder Bay faithful were treated to an early taste of the type of playoff atmosphere expected to sweep the city and Port Arthur Stadium when the medal round begins on Friday.
By beating the Czechs and coupled with the Netherlands' improbable come-from- behind win over Cuba, Canada's path to the championship has become much clearer - and perhaps, a little easier.
With coaches and players preaching nothing is a given in a tournament such as this, the fact Canada can now navigate its way to the final without facing two- time defending champion South Korea, Team USA or Cuba has to bode well for a country that has won gold just once in the history of the event.
After beating the Koreans in group play and hanging in tight with the Cubans, Canada has shown its ability to contend with the tournament's incumbent powerhouses.
But Hamilton's not biting as his team prepares to play an Italian squad with nothing to lose and everything to gain against the heavily-favored Canadians.
"You can't take anything for granted," Hamilton said. "We're in a quarterfinal game with a team that's playing with house money.
"If you don't come out ready, you can lose in any given night."
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young will reportedly escape punishment by the NFL for his part in a fight at a Dallas strip club last month. The Tennessean cited unnamed sources ahead of
<< A sad, tragic end in Memphis
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A body riddled with bullets was found in
Southeast Memphis Wednesday afternoon in a thickly wooded area near FedEx's
world headquarters.
It was just another sad ending in a city that has become notorious f
<< Nationals decide to put Strasburg on DL
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Nationals have decided to
put rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg on the 15-day disabled list with stiffness
in his shoulder.
Strasburg is expected to rest for the next 3-to-4 days and have
<< Southern Illinois adds six players, two from FBS
Carbondale, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Southern Illinois football team has added
six players to its 2010 roster.
Highlighting the group are Football Bowl Subdivision transfers Carl Harris, a
wide receiver from Rutgers, and Myron Walker, a nos
<< Aberdeen signs midfielder Hartley
Aberdeen, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aberdeen signed Scotland midfielder Paul
Hartley on Thursday.
Hartley, who has played 25 times for Scotland, was named Aberdeen's captain.
He last played for Bristol City, and played at Celtic from 200
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers placed All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left groin among several roster moves made by the club on Thursday. The move is retroactive to
Thrashers re-sign Ladd >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers agreed to terms with
forward Andrew Ladd on Thursday.
Terms of the contract were not announced, per team policy.
The 24-year-old winger came to Atlanta from the reigning Stanley Cu
AP source: Oswalt says OK for trade to Phillies >>
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -A person with knowledge of the deal says Houston ace Roy Oswalt has agreed to waive his no-trade clause and accept a swap to the Philadelphia Phillies.The person aware of the trade told The Associated Press that Oswalt must first
2010 NFL Training Camp Dates >>
BALTIMORE RAVENS - McDaniel College, Westminster, Md., rookies: July 26/veterans: July 28.BUFFALO BILLS - St. John Fisher College, Pittsford, N.Y., both July 29.CINCINNATI BENGALS - Georgetown College, Georgetown, Ky., both July 28.CLEVELAND BROWNS
AP source: Haynesworth fails conditioning test >>
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -Albert Haynesworth has failed his conditioning test and is being forced to sit out the first practice of the Washington Redskins training camp.A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Haynesworth did not
FOOTBALL 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.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.