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LPGA TOUR – SAMSUNG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course), San Diego, California
The LPGA heads to Torrey Pines this week for the 20-player, invitation-only Samsung World Championship.Paula Creamer will defend the title she won at Half Moon Bay last year. She closed with a three-under 69 to fend off Song-Hee Kim by a single stroke. Two shots back were Juli Inkster, Angela Stanford, Lorena Ochoa and Suzann Pettersen. Including Kim, all five of those players played their way into this year’s field as well. Inkster is the lone sponsor exemption into the field. Creamer’s win last year ended a run of six straight non-American winners. The last two world No. 1’s — Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam — had won the last four crowns and five of the previous six. Sophie Gustafson won in 2003, with Sorenstam winning the year prior and the two years following her fellow Swede’s title.Creamer, Gustafson, Ochoa, and three-time champion Inkster are all in the field, as are 2002 runner-up Cristie Kerr and two-time runner-up Karrie Webb. The field has combined to win 16 of the 20 official LPGA events so far in 2009. Pat Hurst, Ji Young Oh, Eunjung Yi and M.J. Hur are the only winners not to earn a spot in this week’s field. Torrey Pines will be the 15th different venue to host this prestigious event.
Golf Channel will have two hours of coverage the first two days and NBC will air two hours of action on Saturday and Sunday. Next week is the CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge, where In-Kyung Kim is the defending champion.
EUROPEAN TOUR AUSTRIAN GOLF OPEN, Fontana Golf Club, Vienna, Austria
Last year, the tournament was shortened to 54 holes after Thursday’s play was completely washed out. In the third and final round, Jeev Milkha Singh made some history. He became the second person in European Tour history to par all 18 holes in the final round and win the title. The other was Nick Faldo, who did so en route to winning the 1987 British Open Championship. Singh fended off Simon Wakefield, who finished one back despite closing with a three-under 68. The win was Singh’s third on the European Tour. Hometown favorite Markus Brier, who lives within an hour of Fontana Golf Club and is attached to the course, has won this title as part of the European Tour and the Challenge Tour.
Golf Channel will have three hours of coverage all four days this week. Next week is the inaugural Vivendi Trophy, in which continental Europe will battle a team from Great Britain & Ireland.
CHAMPIONS TOUR GREATER HICKORY CLASSIC AT ROCK BARN, Rock Barn Golf & Spa, Conover, North Carolina
Last year, R.W. Eaks successfully defended his title thanks in part to an opening-round, 11-under 61. From there, Eaks cruised to a 16-under 200 total to beat Tom Jenkins and Tom Kite by four strokes. Eaks missed his own tournament scoring record by a single shot. His 61 was the low round of the year on the Champions Tour. The event is in its seventh year and Eaks is the only multiple champion.
Golf Channel will broadcast action from 3:30-6:00 p.m. (et) all three days. Next week is the SAS Championship, where Eduardo Romero is the defending champion.
NATIONWIDE TOUR ALBERTSONS BOISE OPEN, Hillcrest Country Club, Boise, Idaho
For the second straight week, there is a defending champion on the Nationwide Tour. Chris Tidland carded four rounds in the 60s last year en route to a four- stroke victory over Scott Piercy. Tidland returns to defend his crown this week and will try to become the Nationwide Tour’s first repeat winner. The Boise Open is one of four original events on the Nationwide Tour and Hillcrest Country Club has hosted the event every year.
Golf Channel has coverage of all four rounds. The tour heads to Texas next week for the WNB Golf Classic, where Marc Leishman won last year.
September 16th, 2009
Here’s a follow-up to our last post previewing the first week of the NFL action… (Courtesy of the team at BetOnline.com – compare popular online sportsbooks for American and Canadian sports bettors)
NFL betting fans have a lot to digest after a busy Week 1 of action. There weren’t many upsets, but there was certainly enough surprises to keep bettors on their toes moving forward. Here’s a brief recap of each game, with key news and notes, to get you up to speed for NFL Week 2 betting.
Steelers 13 Titans 10 (OT)
The Steelers won, but they suffered a big blow after losing safety Troy Polamalu to a knee injury. Pittsburgh also struggled to run the ball and could rely on the pass more heavily this year. The Titans looked fine without Albert Haynesworth on defense, and they may have solved their receiver problems with Justin Gage and Kenny Britt, who combined for 163 yards and a score.
Falcons 19 Dolphins 7
Many speculated the Dolphins would crash with a new, much-tougher schedule this season; looks like they were right as Miami’s offense struggled (four turnovers). Tony Gonzalez (73 yards, one touchdown) looks like a great addition for quarterback Matt Ryan, who showed no signs of a sophomore slump.
Broncos 12 Bengals 7
If you subtract Kyle Orton’s fluky, last-second bomb to Brandon Stokley, Denver’s offense did nothing (215 yards). Unless the running game picks up or Brandon Marshall turns things up fast, this is going to be a pitiful unit. Some minor Bengals preseason hype is quickly erased after Carson Palmer tossed two interceptions. Stay away from Cincy against the Packers this week.
Vikings 34 Browns 20
Brett Favre didn’t show much in his Vikings debut, and he won’t have to if Adrian Peterson keeps this up (180 yards, three scores). Minny defense stood strong, forcing two turnovers. On Cleveland’s side, Brady Quinn did little to solidify his position as the team’s starting quarterback. Back-up Derek Anderson is lurking.
Indianapolis 14 Jacksonville 12
David Garrard is looking more and more like a one-year wonder (14/28, 122 yards, no touchdowns). The Jacksonville defense needs to create more pressure after hitting Peyton Manning just twice all day. Speaking of Manning, another day, another 300-yard passing effort. Anthony Gonzalez was lost to a knee injury, though. Expect more action in Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne’s corners.
Saints 45 Lions 27
Six touchdown passes for Drew Brees; let the MVP talks begin. Mike Bell look great as the starting back (143 yards) and could steal some more carries when Pierre Thomas returns. Rookie Matt Stafford was erratic for Detroit, completing less than half his passes and tossing three picks. Stay away from the Lions.
Cowboys 34 Buccaneers 21
Obviously Tony Romo isn’t worried about losing Terrell Owens after throwing for 353 yards and three touchdowns. Oddly, no sacks or turnovers for the Dallas D—don’t expect that to become a trend. Tampa Bay got a great day from its running backs (174 yards, 5.6 average, two touchdowns) and will need a lot more of that to stay competitive this season.
Eagles 38 Panthers 10
Jake Delhomme looks finished; he’s turned it over 11 times in his last two starts. That’s bad news for the Panthers because they have no one else to turn to. Donovan McNabb broke his ribs on a touchdown run, so either Kevin Kolb or recently signed Jeff Garcia will likely start this week.
Ravens 38 Chiefs 24
Joe Flacco looked great, throwing for 307 yards and three touchdowns. The Baltimore running game also dominated, racking up 198 yards and a pair of scores. Brodie Croyle played decently in place of injured Matt Cassel, but the running game (29 yards) and defense (501 yards) were awful—two trends you can expect this season.
Jets 24 Texans 7
Sleeper hype for the Texans might have been premature. Houston had no answers for a swarming Jets defense, which Rex Ryan had operating at full bore. Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez was solid if unspectacular in his New York debut.
Giants 23 Redskins 17
New York’s defense held Washington to just 272 yards while creating two turnovers and a touchdown. The Giants offense will have to be a little sharper against the Cowboys next week, though. ‘Skins quarterback Jason Campbell didn’t look particularly confident, and seven of Washington’s points came off special teams.
49ers 20 Cardinals 16
Mike Singletary has turned this defense around, holding the prolific Cardinals to just 299 yards and 16 points. Offensively San Fran must bring more to the table to stay competitive, and that begins with Frank Gore (22 carries, 30 yards). Kurt Warner looked out of synch for Arizona and, surprise, the Cards couldn’t run the football.
Seahawks 28 Rams 0
Matt Hasselbeck and tight end Jon Carlson made some sweet music together, hooking up for 95 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Even Julius Jones had it going with 117 yards and a score. Marc Bulger got beat up again, taking three sacks and numerous hits.
Packers 21 Bears 15
In a much-anticipated quarterback duel, defense was the key to the game. Jay Cutler looked impatient and awful in his Bears debut, throwing a career-high four interceptions. Aaron Rodgers tossed a late game-winning touchdown for Green Bay, but he was harassed mercilessly by the Bears’ defensive line (four sacks). Both teams have room for improvement in Week 2.
Patriots 25 Bills 24
Horrific meltdown for the Bills. The much-talked about hurry-up offense produced just 276 yards, although Fred Jackson looked impressive in the loss (140 total yards and a score). Tom Brady struggled with accuracy and didn’t go downfield much, but he still finished with 378 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdown passes. Sportsbook fans take note: he’s back.
Chargers 24 Raiders 20
Oakland was surprisingly feisty. The running game was solid, though JaMarcus Russell struggled (two picks). Richard Seymour was brilliant in his Raider debut, though, registering six tackles and two sacks. The Chargers gutted their way through this one. LaDainian Tomlinson is obviously going to lose playing time to Darren Sproles (14 touches each), and the former didn’t show the same burst he had a few years ago.
September 15th, 2009
PGA TOUR – BMW CHAMPIONSHIP, Cog Hill Golf & Country Club, Lemont, Illinois
The eligible field of players has been trimmed to just 70 for the third event of the FedEx Cup playoffs, the BMW Championship.It will be narrowed even further following this week’s event, with only the top 30 in the standings moving on to the Tour Championship, which begins Sept. 24 after a rare one-week break in the schedule.Last year, Camilo Villegas captured his long-anticipated first career PGA Tour victory with a two-under 68 in the final round, holding off a hard-charging Dudley Hart to win the BMW Championship by two shots.Villegas moved to No. 2 in the playoff standings following the win, but was statistically unable to overtake Vijay Singh for the FedEx Cup and its $10 million top prize.Singh, who won the first two playoff events last year, simply had to finish four rounds at the Tour Championship to claim the lucrative title. As there is no cut in the playoff finale, Singh easily kept his position at the top — even as Villegas claimed his second-straight victory.There is no cut at the BMW Championship either, so all 70 players in the field this week will have four rounds to make something happen. Forty of them will not move on.Steve Stricker overtook Tiger Woods for the No. 1 spot in the playoff standings after winning the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday. Woods fell to No. 2 in the standings and was followed by Barclays winner Heath Slocum, Zach Johnson and Scott Verplank.Following the Tour Championship in two weeks, the No. 1 player in the standings will earn the $10 million bonus. Second place receives $3 million, third gets $2 million, fourth earns $1.5 million and fifth place receives $1 million.Villegas got up and down for par to defeat Sergio Garcia on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win last year’s Tour Championship, taking second in the playoffs to Singh.To follow this week’s action at Cog Hill, tune in to Golf Channel on Thursday and Friday, and NBC on the weekend.
EUROPEAN TOUR MERCEDES-BENZ CHAMPIONSHIP, Golf Club Gut Larchenhof, Cologne, Germany
Robert Karlsson had nine top-10 finishes worldwide and was among the hottest players in golf heading into last year’s Mercedes-Benz Championship.Only one thing was missing from a season that saw Karlsson place in the top-10 in three consecutive majors — a victory.The lanky Swede broke free of his close-but-no-cigar streak with a two-shot win at Gut Larchenhof, posting a one-under 71 in the final round to finish at 13-under 275. It was his first win in two years and the eighth of his career on the European Tour. He claimed No. 9 in his next start, winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in a three-way playoff.Karlsson’s win made for a nice story, but this tournament is all about the Germans.Four-time Mercedes-Benz champion and Hall of Famer Bernhard Langer will lead a home contingent in Cologne that also includes red-hot Martin Kaymer and Alex Cejka. Langer, who spends most of his season playing on the Champions Tour, won the tournament in 1989, 1991, 1997 and 2001.Golf Channel will have coverage of all four rounds this week beginning at 9:30 a.m. (et) on Thursday and Friday and at 8 a.m. both weekend days.Next week is the Austrian Golf Open, where Jeev Milkha Singh won last year.
LPGA TOUR NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP, Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers, Arkansas
Seon-Hwa Lee closed with a four-under 68 in the final round last year, making birdie on the final hole to win by one shot over hard-charging Jane Park and Meena Lee.Seon-Hwa Lee finished at 15-under 201 to capture her fourth LPGA Tour win and second of the season.Park, playing in one of the first groups out Sunday, fired a 10-under 62 in the final round to vault up the leaderboard and tie Meena Lee for second place.This is only the third year of the tournament. It made its debut in 2007 under unique and unfortunate circumstances as the first full-length LPGA Tour event shortened to 18 holes.Persistent weather problems left the tour with no choice but to cancel two of the rounds. Stacy Lewis, then an amateur, was not credited with an official win after finishing atop the leaderboard with a seven-under 65.Golf Channel has coverage of all three rounds this week beginning at 12:30 p.m. (et) on Friday and at 1 p.m. on both weekend days.Next week is the Samsung World Championship, where Paula Creamer won last year.
NATIONWIDE TOUR UTAH CHAMPIONSHIP, Willow Creek Country Club, Sandy, Utah
Brendon Todd shot a four-under 67 in the final round last year to capture his first Nationwide Tour win.Then a 23-year-old rookie, Todd finished at 22-under 262 for a six-stroke victory over six players.Todd made it to the PGA Tour but has struggled, missing 13 cuts in 18 starts — including seven in a row. He has also played twice on the Nationwide Tour, with his best finish a tie for 50th place at the Athens Regional Foundation Classic in April.He will be in the field this week looking to become the first player in tour history to successfully defend a title.Golf Channel has coverage of all four rounds beginning at 6:30 p.m. (et) the first three days and at 7 p.m. on Sunday.Next week is the Boise Open, where Chris Tidland won last year.
UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION WALKER CUP MATCH, Merion Golf Club (East Course), Ardmore, Pennsylvania
The Walker Cup Match, to be played on Saturday and Sunday this week at historic Merion Golf Club, pits two teams of amateur players against each other — one from the United States and one from Great Britain & Ireland.The match is contested every two years, alternately in the U.S. and Great Britain/Ireland, between teams with no more than 10 players.The U.S. retained the Cup with a one-point victory in Northern Ireland in 2007.
USGA SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP – The Beverly Country Club, Chicago, Illinois
George “Buddy” Marucci, Jr. defeated George Zahringer, 2-up, to win last year’s USGA Senior Amateur Championship. Marucci, the U.S. Walker Cup captain, collected his first USGA championship after coming close 13 years earlier at the 1995 U.S. Amateur Championship, where he lost to a young Tiger Woods.The championship, played for the first time in 1955, is open to amateurs 55 and older.
USGA SENIOR WOMEN’S AMATEUR – The Homestead (Cascades Course), Hot Springs, Virginia
Diane Lang rolled to a 6 & 5 victory over Toni Wiesner last year to claim her third USGA Senior Women’s Amateur championship in four years.The Jamaican-born Lang won the first hole at Tulsa Country Club and never trailed in the final match. She also captured the championship in 2005 and ’06.Started in 1962, the Senior Women’s Amateur is open to female amateurs 50 and older.
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September 8th, 2009
Steve Stricker birdied the final two holes Monday to collect his third win of the 2009 season and move to a career-best ranking of No. 2 in the official world golf rankings.
Tiger Woods made a big charge Monday, but it wasn’t enough to get a victory. He remained the top-ranked player in golf.
Phil Mickelson and Paul Casey each slipped a spot to three and four, while Kenny Perry held steady in fifth and was again followed by Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Geoff Ogilvy, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Stewart Cink.
Jim Furyk and Martin Kaymer exchanged places with Furyk up to 12th. Vijay Singh remained No. 14 and was followed again by Lucas Glover, Camilo Villegas and Anthony Kim. Retief Goosen inched up one to 18, while Sean O’Hair climbed three to 19 and Robert Karlsson moved up a notch to 20th. Ian Poulter, down three to 21, and Ernie Els, down a pair to 22nd, both dropped out of the top 20.
On Sunday, Ryo Ishikawa picked up his third win of the season and fourth of his career on the Japan Golf Tour and that helped him improve to No. 47. It is his first trip inside the top 50 and could help him earn one of Greg Norman’s captains picks for the International team at next month’s Presidents Cup. Those selections will be announced Tuesday.
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September 8th, 2009
Saturday’s going to be a difficult day for some of the best football players in the world.
There’s only room for 53 men on every NFL roster, spread out among 22 positions plus special teams. Saturday is the final cut day before the start of the 2009 season. Most of the personnel decisions have already been made, but there are still some jobs on the line during Week 4, the final week of the preseason. A handful of those who don’t make the cut will go on to the CFL or the new United Football League and be back for training camp next year. Others have some tough career choices to make.
Then there are the players in football limbo. They’re suspended, have yet to sign contracts, will start the year on the injured list, or are named Michael Vick. Keeping track of these players is doubly important as we prepare for both Week 4 of the exhibition season and Week 1 of the regular season.
The Commish
It looks like NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will rule Saturday if and when Vick will be allowed to play for the Philadelphia Eagles. Goodell doesn’t have to make any decision at all until Week 6, but getting the decision in by cut day will allow the Eagles to make the appropriate roster moves. Rumors/press leaks have it that Vick will be made eligible to play in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, with some hope for an immediate reinstatement. Meanwhile, Vick will reportedly play QB for the second half of Philadelphia’s preseason finale against the New York Jets (-3 at home). Second-string QB Kevin Kolb will start, with Vick lining up here and there in the Wildcat.
Vick’s Rub
The Eagles were one of the fashionable choices to win the Super Bowl this year at 12-1 when the futures market opened. At press time, those odds were down to 10-1, and they could shorten even further after Saturday’s announcement. The over/under on regular season victories was put up on the board more recently and remains (for now) at 9.5. The Minnesota Vikings moved from 22-1 to 12-1 after signing QB Brett Favre; their total for victories is nine. Favre is not expected to play for Minnesota on Friday night against the Dallas Cowboys (+3 on the road).
According to Croyle
The Chiefs are one of the few teams uncertain who their starting QB will be in Week 1. There are conflicting reports in the news about the status of Matt Cassel (knee) for the season opener. If he’s unable to go, the torch will be passed to either Tyler Thigpen or Brodie Croyle. And it appears Croyle has the inside track at the moment; he’ll get the start in Thursday’s Week 4 matchup with the St. Louis Rams (+1 at home). Thigpen (74.4 career QB rating) started 11 games for the Chiefs last year after Croyle (67.5) was injured in the season opener.
Marshall Marshall Marshall
The Denver Broncos haven’t made any headway in their attempts to satisfy WR Brandon Marshall’s trade wishes. He was suspended for the last two games of the preseason, leaving the Broncos short on skill players for Thursday’s matchup with the Arizona Cardinals (-3.5 on the road). QB Kyle Orton has a dislocated right index finger, QB Chris Simms has a high ankle sprain, and RB Knowshon Moreno has a sprained MCL. All three are expected to be ready for the season opener, but WR Jabar Gaffney (broken thumb) is out indefinitely.
The Walking Wounded
Here is a list of some of the other key injuries as the preseason draws to a close.
Cincinnati Bengals RT Andre Smith: stress fracture, out indefinitely
Tampa Bay Buccaneers P Josh Bidwell: hip, out for season
Arizona Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin: hamstring, day-to-day
Indianapolis Colts S Bob Sanders: knee, doubtful for Week 1
Atlanta Falcons RB Jerious Norwood: knee, day-to-day
Detroit Lions QB Daunte Culpepper: toe, day-to-day
Green Bay Packers WR Greg Jennings: concussion, day-to-day
Carolina Panthers DL Maake Kemoeatu: Achilles’, out for season
New England Patriots WR Wes Welker: undisclosed, status uncertain
Baltimore Ravens DB Samari Rolle: neck, PUP list, out until Week 7
Seattle Seahawks LT Walter Jones: knee, out indefinitely
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September 3rd, 2009
PGA TOUR – DEUTSCHE BANK CHAMPIONSHIP, TPC Boston, Norton, Massachusetts
The second FedEx Cup playoff event, the Deutsche Bank Championship, kicks off on Friday with Vijay Singh defending his title at the TPC Boston. Singh trailed third-round leader Mike Weir by three strokes last year, but fired an eight-under 63 to win his second straight playoff event. He had won The Barclays the week before and those two wins were good enough for the Fijian to take home the FedEx Cup’s $10 million annuity. Heath Slocum fended off four of the biggest names in golf last week to win The Barclays. Slocum ran home a 21-footer for par on the final hole to beat Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker, Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington by a single stroke. Singh enters the Deutsche Bank ranked 78th on the points list and will need to move into the top 70 to advance to next week’s BMW Championship.
The BMW Championship will have a 70-player field with no cut, and several big names may not make it there. Along with Singh, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Justin Rose and Nick O’Hern are among those on the outside looking in.With the elevated points awarded for the playoffs, K.J. Choi missed the cut last week and tumbled from 92nd to 101st on the points list to miss this week’s event. Lee Janzen, Boo Weekley, Bob Estes and U.S. Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples are on the bubble to make next week’s field. This week’s event features a 100-player field and runs Friday to Monday to give it a Labor Day finish. The Golf Channel and NBC will split coverage from 3-6 p.m. (et) the first three days, before NBC broadcasts action from 2-6 p.m. for the final round. Next week is the BMW Championship at Cog Hill. Camilo Villegas won that title last year.
EUROPEAN TOUR OMEGA EUROPEAN MASTERS, Crans-sur-Sierre, Crans Switzerland
The European Tour moves to Switzerland this week for the European Masters.This event carries a little more significance than normal as it kicks off the scoring for the 2010 European Ryder Cup team. Some of the big names will be in the United States however for the second of four FedEx Cup playoff events.
In a blow to the tournament, European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie withdrew citing fatigue. Monty has played four of the last six events on the European Tour schedule and has struggled with three missed cuts and a tie for 31st last week at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. Miguel Angel Jimenez, Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood and Oliver Wilson are among those looking to make the European Ryder Cup team and all four will be at Crans-sur-Sierre this week.
Joining those four in the field will be former major champions Michael Campbell and Trevor Immelman, as well as Jean-Francois Lucquin and Rory McIlroy. Lucquin birdied the second playoff hole last year to beat McIlory for this title. The Golf Channel has three hours of coverage all four days. Next week is the Mercedes-Benz Championship, where Robert Karlsson won last year.
LPGA TOUR CN CANADIAN WOMEN’S OPEN, Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club, Calgary, Alberta
The LPGA heads North of the Border this week for the Canadian Women’s Open, where Katherine Hull earned her first LPGA Tour title last season. Hull closed with a three-under 69 to fend off Se Ri Pak by a single stroke, while third-round leader Yani Tseng faltered to a five-over 77 to end alone in third at minus-nine. The event rotates around Canada and last year was contested at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ontario. It shifts to Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club in Calgary this year.
Twenty of the 24 players that competed in the Solheim Cup two weeks ago have committed to appear at Priddis Greens. This will mark the first time Priddis Greens will host the tournament as an LPGA Tour event. The Canadian Women’s Open joined the LPGA Tour schedule in 2001, but has been played since 1966. The Golf Channel will have 2 1/2 hours of tape-delayed coverage of the final two rounds. Seon-Hwa Lee is scheduled to defend her title next week at the P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship.
CHAMPIONS TOUR WALMART FIRST TEE OPEN at Pebble Beach, Pebble Beach Golf Links & Del Monte Golf Course, Monterey Peninsula, California
Jeff Sluman returns to Pebble Beach this week to defend his title at the Walmart First Tee Open. Sluman, who nearly won at Pebble twice in 1992, finally broke through on the scenic course. He fired three rounds in the 60s to cruise to a five-shot win over Craig Stadler and Fuzzy Zoeller.
This unique event features Champions Tour players paired with youngsters from the First Tee program in a pro-am format. The leading amateur teams and individuals will play opposite the Champions Tour players in the final round at Pebble Beach. The first two days of play will shift between Pebble Beach and Del Monte Golf Course.The Golf Channel will have live coverage of all three rounds. After a one-week break, the Champions Tour returns to the East Coast with the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn, where R.W. Eaks won last year.
NATIONWIDE TOUR MEXICO OPEN, El Bosque Golf Club, Leon, Mexico
After being rescheduled due to the Swine Flu outbreak earlier this year, the Mexico Open will be the Nationwide Tour’s final stop outside the contiguous United States. In early February last year, Jarrod Lyle carded four rounds in the 60s, including an eight-under 63 in the final round, to win by five strokes over Matthew Every. The win was Lyle’s first on the Nationwide Tour and he won again later in the season en route to earning his PGA Tour card for the 2009 campaign. Just two players ranked in the top 10 on the money list are scheduled to be at El Bosque Golf Club this week — No. 9 Derek Lamely and No. 10 Garth Mulroy. That gives those outside the top 25 a better chance at getting into the top 25 to earn their PGA Tour cards for next season. There is no television coverage this week. The Nationwide Tour heads to Sandy, Utah next week for the Utah Championship, where Brendon Todd won last year.
CANADIAN TOUR CANADIANTOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, St.Catharines Golf & Country Club, St. Catharines, Ontario
The top 132 players on the Canadian Tour Order of Merit tee it up this week at St. Catharines Golf & Country Club. Tom Stankowski is the defending champion and headlines the field with Graham DeLaet, who is a two-time winner this year and leads the Order of Merit. St.Catharines normally plays to a par-72, but will switch to a par-70 layout for this championship. National Pines Golf Club has hosted the tournament the last two years. There are three events left for the Canadian Tour this year. Fall Q-School is next week, and there will be two events in Mexico, one at the end of September and the other the first week of October. Those tournaments were postponed by the Swine Flu outbreak earlier this year.
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September 1st, 2009
Peter Hedblom fired a five-under 67 to win the Johnnie Walker Championship on Sunday, holding off fellow Swede Martin Erlandsson by a shot to capture his third European Tour title.
Hedblom, who lost a playoff at last week’s KLM Open, finished four trips around the Gleneagles course at 13-under 275 for his first victory since the 2007 Malaysian Open. The hard-charging Erlandsson, chasing his first tour win, made nine birdies in one 11-hole stretch Sunday and set the course record with a 10-under 62. But he fell one stroke short of his countryman at 12-under 276.Gregory Havret, last year’s champion from France, closed with a 67 to share third place with 1999 British Open winner Paul Lawrie (69) at 10-under 278. Gary Orr (64) took fifth place at nine-under 279.
Hedblom carried the lead into the final round for the second week in a row after posting the lowest 54-hole score on the European Tour this season at the KLM Open last week. He managed only a one-under 69 last Sunday, however, and lost to Simon Dyson in a three-way playoff. Hedblom said the difference this week was his confidence, which was high at the beginning of the round. He went birdie-bogey-birdie over the first three holes.
“I thought that was the key,” he said. Still, with Erlandsson scorching the course in front of him — he made nine birdies between Nos. 2 and 11 — Hedblom found himself playing catch-up. He birdied four consecutive holes beginning at No.7, capping the rally by holing a putt from off the green at the 10th, and pulled one shot in front of Erlandsson. Hedblom later bogeyed the 15th hole to fall into a tie with Erlandsson, who was already in the clubhouse at 12-under.
Knowing he needed a birdie, Hedblom took aim at the pin on 16 and spun his approach back to four feet.It was the shot that won him the tournament, setting up the go-ahead birdie. All that remained were two pars — including a knee-knocking four-foot putt at the 18th that was left when Hedblom ran his birdie try too far past the hole. He pumped his right fist after rolling it in to secure the win.
“It was so tough. I thought last week was tough, this one was even harder, especially since I had the lead,” said Hedblom. “I had to dig down so deep,” he added, “but I’m so happy now.”
Erlandsson made 10 birdies in a flawless round, breaking by one shot the previous 18-hole course record of 63 set by Pierre Fulke in 2000 and matched by Adam Scott in 2002. “What a round,” said Hedblom, who added with a chuckle: “He should have won.”
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August 30th, 2009
Here’s the latest round up on this week’s auto racing courtesy of Bookmaker.com.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is off for the final time this season, but there is still plenty of racing action this week, as the Nationwide Series heads to Montreal. The IndyCar Series and the Camping World Truck Series run under the lights at Chicagoland this weekend, while Formula One revs it up in Belgium.
NASCAR Nationwide Series NAPA Auto Parts 200 – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
The Nationwide Series heads to Montreal for the second and final road course event on the 2009 schedule. Watkins Glen, NY was held earlier this month, with Marcos Ambrose defending his race title there. Montreal is now the only NASCAR national touring series event held outside the United States, since Iowa Speedway replaced Mexico City on this year’s Nationwide calendar. Canadian Ron Fellows returns to his home turf to defend his race title. Last year, Fellows endured wet track conditions on the 2.709-mile, 14-turn course and capitalized on an early-race pit strategy to claim his fourth career Nationwide victory. NASCAR ran its first-ever national series points event in the rain, but weather conditions deteriorated to the point where the race was cut 26 laps short of the 74-lap distance.
“I did just one race last year with JR Motorsports and Rick Hendrick in the 5 car,” Fellows said. “It was obviously a successful one. It was a wild day with certainly the threat of rain, getting an opportunity to actually race the Nationwide cars in the rain.”
Fellows will drive the No.5 JR Motorsports Chevrolet at Montreal once again this year. Patrick Carpentier, from nearby Ville Lasalle, Quebec, has finished second in the first two races at Montreal. Carpentier will drive the No.99 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota. He drove Waltrip’s No.55 Sprint Cup car at Watkins Glen and Sonoma, CA this year.Ambrose, Carl Edwards and Brendan Gaughan will pull double duty at Montreal. The trio will make their debut in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. The Grand-Am race runs Saturday, the day before the Nationwide event. Edwards and Ambrose will share driving duties in the No.77 Doran Ford Daytona Prototype (DP) car, while Gaughan and Grand-Am regular Andy Lally will team up in the No.66 TRG Porsche GT3 (Grand Touring) entry.
Ambrose finished third in last year’s Nationwide event at Montreal. “I’ve got a chance to win two races this weekend at Montreal, and that is what I’m going there to try and do,” Ambrose said. “The racing at Montreal is always really good, and I’ve been so close to winning that Nationwide race for the past two years.” Kyle Busch is looking to rebound after he finished a disappointing 28th at Bristol. Busch, who was involved in an early-race crash with Chase Austin, saw his lead over Edwards shrink from 339 points to 248. Edwards finished second to his Roush Fenway Racing teammate David Ragan.Edwards finished 30th in the inaugural event at Montreal in 2007 and sixth there last year.
“Montreal is one of the most fun events of the year,” Edwards said. “I love going to places that are out of the norm. It was an adventure last year racing in the rain, and it was one of the neatest events that I have been a part of.” Busch has yet to compete at Montreal. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has hosted Formula One, CART/Champ Car and NASCAR Canadian Tires Series events. The circuit, on lle Notre-Dame, a man- made island on the St. Lawrence River in Montreal, was named after the late Canadian driver Gilles Villeneuve, father of Jacques Villeneuve, who is driving the No.32 Braun Racing Toyota this week. Forty-five teams are on the preliminary entry list for Sunday’s NAPA Auto Parts 200.
Camping World Truck Series EnjoyIllinois.com 225 – Chicagoland Speedway – Joliet, IL
Despite his winning streak of five races coming to an end last week at Bristol, Ron Hornaday Jr.continues to hold a sizeable points lead in the Camping World Truck Series. Hornaday has a 211-point advantage over Matt Crafton with 10 races remaining in the season.Chicagoland kicks off a two-week stretch of an inaugural race at a track new to the series.Iowa is scheduled for Labor Day weekend. Chicagoland has been on the Sprint Cup and Nationwide schedules since 2001.Kyle Busch, who snapped Hornaday’s streak at Bristol, won last year’s Sprint Cup and Nationwide races at Chicagoland. He is looking to complete the track’s national series triple.”The biggest thing I learned last year was the track didn’t change much,” Busch said. “It just got cooler and gained grip. Winning both races at Chicago last year – it was just a great weekend.”
Busch has victories in all three of NASCAR’s national series at five different tracks (Atlanta, Bristol, California, Dover and Phoenix). Hornaday has won nine inaugural races in the Truck Series since its inception in 1995. He has also competed in two Nationwide events at Chicagoland, finishing fifth in 2002 and 10th in ’04.”I’m really excited to go to Chicago,” Hornaday said. “We tested there some last year, and I really liked the track. We have run pretty well at the 1.5- mile tracks this season.” Hornaday has won two of the last three Truck races on 1.5-mile tracks. He took Kentucky last month and Charlotte in May.Busch and Roush Fenway Racing driver Colin Braun will attempt the Chicagoland- Montreal combo this weekend. Braun will make his first Nationwide start this season, and he’ll compete at Montreal for the first time. He has practiced there several times.”I feel like there’s definitely enough time in between to kind of transition in between those two different types of vehicles and types of racetracks,” Braun said.”I could see it would be really difficult to do it on the same weekend.” Forty teams are on the preliminary entry list for Friday’s EnjoyIllinois.com 225.
INDYCAR SERIES Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 – Chicagoland Speedway – Joliet, IL
Three races to go, and three title contenders remain in the show.After finishing second in last Sunday’s race at Sonoma, CA, Ryan Briscoe from Team Penske reclaimed the championship lead in the IndyCar Series. Briscoe holds just a four-point advantage over Dario Franchitti, who led all 75 laps at Sonoma for his fourth victory of the season. Briscoe won earlier this month at Kentucky and the season-opener in April at St. Petersburg, FL, but has finished second in seven other races this year.”We just have to keep getting these points,” Briscoe said. “Coming in second gets a little old after awhile, but we’ll win one of these someday.” Scott Dixon, also a four-time race winner this season, came to Sonoma with the points lead, but after a 13th-place finish there, he has fallen to 20 points behind Briscoe and 16 back of his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Franchitti.
Dixon was one of those involved in a seven-car pile on the opening lap. He got caught in a jam and drove into the back of Tony Kanaan, sustaining damage to the nose of his car. Dixon remained on the lead lap and worked his way back to 10th before Marco Andretti spun him out on the final lap. “Hopefully, we’ll take this as our bad weekend and just move on and get a good result on our next three,” Dixon said. With Chicagoland, Motegi, Japan and Homestead, FL remaining on this year’s schedule, Dixon is confident he can repeat as the series champion. “We have a great run coming up with the three tracks at the finish,” he added. Dixon has finished second in the last two races at Chicagoland, which has been the site of the season-finale the previous three seasons. Last year at Chicagoland, Helio Castroneves nipped Dixon in one of the closest finishes in series history. While Castroneves captured his second win of the season, Dixon clinched the series title by 17 points.In 2007, Franchitti, who drove for Andretti Green Racing at the time, entered the season-finale at Chicagoland with just a three-point lead over Dixon. The two drivers battled all the way to the final lap, with Franchitti taking the checkered flag and the series title. Dixon held the lead on the last lap, but Franchitti passed Dixon, who suddenly slowed when he ran out of fuel. He managed to coast home in second.”It’s just so competitive that you can’t afford mistakes,” Franchitti said. “We’ve all made them this year. Actually, we’ve all had bad luck as well. When you get the chance, you got to score the points.”
Castroneves saw his championship hopes diminish significantly after an 18th- place result at Sonoma. The Penske driver got slightly airborne after he made contact with Kanaan heading into a corner late in the race. Shortly after, his right front suspension failed, causing him to run off course and into the dirt. He now trails his teammate Briscoe by 126 points.
FORMULA ONE Belgian Grand Prix – Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps – Spa, Belgium
Brawn GP’s Rubens Barrichello revived his Formula One world championship hopes afterwinning lastSunday’s European Grand Prix in Valencia, Spain. Barrichello, who recorded his first grand prix victory since 2004 when he drove for Ferrari. The Brazilian moved to within 18 points of leader and teammate Jenson Button, who finished seventh at Valencia.Barrichello, who is the oldest current F1 driver at age 37, benefited from Lewis Hamilton’s costly pit road mistake to take the European GP. Hamilton started on the pole and led early, but was delayed during his final pit stop when his McLaren team was not properly prepared for a tire change. The defending world champion made steady progress in the closing laps, but settled for a second-place finish. After the conclusion of the ’08 season, Barrichello and Button’s future in F1 were uncertain after their Honda team pulled out of the sport due to the world-wide economic slowdown. Ross Brawn acquired the former Honda team and has since revitalized both drivers’ careers.”Last year, people seemed to think that was it for me, but now I can show that it wasn’t. I have always thought I had it in me. I think I have just reached the peak of my speed, so I have more on me. I hope I can carry on,” Barrichello said.
Barrichello could very continue his march towards his first F1 title in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. The Belgian GP is held on the famed Spa-Francorchamps, one of the oldest courses on the F1 circuit. The track has also been good to Ferrari the last several years.Michael Schumacher drove a Ferrari to consecutive wins at Spa from 2001-02. Kimi Raikkonen won the Belgian GP back-to-back from 2004-05 and then again in ’07. Felipe Massa recorded the victory in last year’s race there. The event was not run in 2003 and ’06. One year ago, Hamilton crossed the finish line first in the Belgian GP, but Massa was credited with the win after race stewards penalized Hamilton for an infraction during his late-race battle with Raikkonen. Hamilton was originally declared the winner, but was later handed a 25-second time penalty after stewards decided he gained an advantage by cutting the final chicane during his duel with Raikkonen. The McLaren driver dropped to third place as a result, with Nick Heidfeld from BMW Sauber moving up to second.Hamilton said he is skeptical about his team’s chances of winning in Belgium this year.”I don’t think we’ll be as competitive as we’ve been at the last few races, because Spa is a circuit where you need a lot of downforce,” he said. “I think Brawn, Red Bull and even Ferrari will be fast there.It’s a high-speed circuit, and Ferrari has always been very quick there, so I’m expecting Kimi to be quick. It should also suit the Red Bulls, because it’s very high-speed and flowing and they have great downforce.”
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August 27th, 2009
Here’s the round-up of golfing betting action this coming week courtesy of top US sports betting site Bookmaker.com
PGA TOUR – THE BARCLAYS, Liberty National Golf Club, Jersey City, New Jersey
The 2009 FedEx Cup Playoffs begin this week in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty and the skyline of New York City. The top 125 players in the FedEx Cup standings — Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson included — will be at picturesque Liberty National Golf Club for the $7.5 million Barclays, the first of four playoffs events. Those staying in Manhattan will arrive to the course by boat, an experience described by LPGA Tour player Morgan Pressel on her Twitter feed as “Truly amazing.”
This week’s Barclays will be the first big-time professional tournament hosted by the three-year-old course, which was built on a piece of contaminated land in Jersey City.Tom Kite, the golf Hall of Famer who was one of two course architects, “hated the site, but loved the location” when he first visited. The task of building the course included covering the property with something akin to a plastic bag, then several feet of sand on top of that. It’s a one-of-a-kind setting for the tournament that kicks off the third year of the PGA Tour’s playoffs.
Steve Stricker won the Barclays in 2007, the first year of the playoffs, but finished second to Woods for the inaugural FedEx Cup and its $10 million annuity. Last year, with Woods sidelined by knee surgery, Vijay Singh beat Sergio Garcia and Kevin Sutherland at the Barclays and went on to win the FedEx Cup.
The four-tournament playoff swing will take five weeks this year. Next week is the Deutsche Bank Championship, also won by Singh last season, followed by the BMW Championship beginning Sept. 10. After a rare one-week break in the PGA Tour schedule, the playoffs conclude at the Tour Championship beginning Sept.24. Camilo Villegas won the BMW Championship and Tour Championship last year. By the time the Tour Championship begins, the playoffs field will have been whittled down to the top 30 players in the points standings — a truly elite field of golf’s hottest players. Golf Channel and CBS will split coverage of The Barclays this week.
EUROPEAN TOUR JOHNNIEWALKER CHAMPIONSHIPS AT GLENEAGLES, The Gleneagles Hotel (PGA Centenary Course), Perthshire, Scotland
Gregory Havret will defend his title this week at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.Havret closed with a three-under 70 last year to beat hard-charging Graeme Storm (68) by a shot for his third European Tour win. The Frenchman sealed the victory with an up-and-down par save from a bunker beside the 18th green, celebrating with a right-fist pump and a customary champagne shower from his countrymen. Havret will be joined in the field this week by fellow Johnnie Walker champions Marc Warren (2007), Emanuele Canonica (2005), Miles Tunnicliff (2004). But because the first event of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs is also on the docket this week, many of Europe’s top stars will be in the United States.
Golf Channel has coverage of all four rounds beginning at 10 a.m. (et) on Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. on both weekend days. Next week is the Omega European Masters, where Jean-Francois Lucquin won last year.
LPGA TOUR SAFEWAY CLASSIC, Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Ghost Creek Golf Course, North Plains, Oregon
All 12 members of the victorious U.S. Solheim Cup team are scheduled to play in this week’s Safeway Classic, including defending champion Cristie Kerr. The players woke up Monday morning in Illinois, their 16-12 win over Europe only hours old, and immediately began preparing for the three-day tournament in Oregon.
“First class is going to be loud this morning!” Christina Kim said on her Twitter feed, preparing to take a flight to Portland with Kerr and some of her other teammates. Kerr fired a seven-under 65 in the final round last year, then beat Helen Alfredsson and Sophie Gustafson — two of her opponents at the Solheim Cup — in a playoff.She birdied the first extra hole to claim her 11th LPGA Tour victory — her first since the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open. Kerr picked up win No. 12 this season at the Michelob Ultra Open.World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa, the 2007 champion, headlines the rest of the field.
ESPN2 has coverage of the first two rounds, while ESPN will broadcast Sunday’s final round. Next week is the CN Canadian Women’s Open, where Katherine Hull won last season.
CHAMPIONS TOUR BOEING CLASSIC, TPC Snoqualmie Ridge, Snoqualmie, Washington
Tom Kite won the Boeing Classic for the second time last year, shooting a six-under 66 in the final round to beat Scott Simpson by two shots. It marked the 10th win in Kite’s Champions Tour career, but first since he also captured this tournament in 2006. This will be an interesting week for the Hall of Famer.Not only will he defend his title at the TPC Snoqualmie Ridge, but the PGA Tour playoffs begin Thursday at a course (Liberty National) that Kite helped design. Kite will be joined in the field by fellow Boeing Classic winners Denis Watson and David Eger. It is the first time since July 10 that the Champions Tour will begin a non-major event.
Golf Channel has coverage of all three rounds beginning at 6:30 p.m. (et) the first two days and 7 p.m. on Sunday.Next week is the Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, where Jeff Sluman won last season.
NATIONWIDE TOUR NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA CLASSIC, Elmhurst Country Club, Moscow, Pennsylvania
Last year, Scott Piercy shot a six-under 64 in the final round of the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic to win for the second time in three weeks. Piercy, playing this season on the PGA Tour, won’t get a chance to defend his title this week. But 15 of the 19 winners from this season will be on hand.This is the second time that Elmurst Country Club in Moscow, Penn., will host the tournament, which is the only PGA Tour-sanctioned event in the state.
There is no television coverage this week. Next up for the Nationwide Tour is the Mexico Open, where Jarrod Lyle won last season.
CANADIAN TOUR SEAFORTH COUNTRY CLASSIC, Seaforth Golf Club, Seaforth, Ontario
The $125,000 Seaforth Country Classic is on tap this week. Last year, Kent Eger fired a seven-under 64 in the final round to beat a trio of hard-charging players — Wil Collins (62), John Ellis (63) and Daniel Im (63) — by two shots. Eger, who captured his first win, finished at 26-under 258 to set a Canadian Tour record for lowest overall score. Next week is the Canadian Tour Championship, where Tom Stankowski won last year.
August 26th, 2009
You’ve been waiting for this for months. The 2009 NFL season is only two weeks away – all right, the NFL preseason. But it’s still football, by far the most popular betting sport in North America, and the NFL is our bread and butter at Bodog Sports.
There’s no such thing as an offseason when it comes to business. Important players have changed hands, others were added at the 2009 NFL Draft, and we’re once again left hanging about Brett Favre’s future. Here’s the skinny on what’s been going down.
Favre Watch, Day 181
It’s been widely assumed since Favre retired from the New York Jets on Feb. 11 that he’d be back in the NFL for 2009, and playing for the Minnesota Vikings. A lot is riding on this decision; even at age 39, Favre put up useful numbers (22 TDs, 22 INTs, 81.0 passer rating) for the Jets and nearly got them into the playoffs. Incumbent starter Tarvaris Jackson has a career passer rating of 76.5 in parts of three seasons with the Vikings. The difference between the two is big enough to keep Minnesota’s over/under for wins off the board for now.
Orton Hears a Who
The Jets are one of 11 teams to go into the 2009 NFL season with new full-time head coaches:
The Jets are one of 11 teams to go into the 2009 NFL season with new full-time head coaches: Cleveland Browns: Eric Mangini replaces Romeo Crennel
Denver Broncos: Josh McDaniels replaces Mike Shanahan
Detroit Lions: Jim Schwartz replaces Rod Marinelli
Kansas City Chiefs: Todd Haley replaces Herm Edwards
Indianapolis Colts: Jim Caldwell replaces Tony Dungy
New York Jets: Rex Ryan replaces Mangini
Oakland Raiders: Tom Cable replaces Lane Kiffin
St. Louis Rams: Steve Spagnuolo replaces interim coach Jim Haslett
San Francisco 49ers: Mike Singletary replaces Mike Nolan
Seattle Seahawks: Jim L. Mora replaces Mike Holmgren
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Raheem Morris replaces Jon Gruden
Dungy and Holmgren have earned their retirements. Everybody else got the pink slip. All these coaching changes should make the NFL a more volatile commodity for bettors this year – and the most volatile situation is in Denver, where the new Broncos front office got into a feud with QB Jay Cutler (25 TDs, 18 INTs, 86.0 passer rating) and ended up trading him to the Chicago Bears for QB Kyle Orton. (18 TDs, 12 INTs, 79.6 passer rating). That’s a downgrade for the Broncos, but Orton is an undervalued commodity because of his “goofy” personality off the field.
Not Quite Free Michael Vick
If anyone else needs a quarterback, Michael Vick wants to play, but he won’t be available until Week 6. That’s according to league commish Roger Goodell’s ruling on Monday to conditionally reinstate Vick after 18 months in prison for dogfighting-related crimes. Handicappers will want to pay extra attention to this story for two reasons. One, Vick would actually be able to participate in workouts and the final two preseason games, should anyone sign him. There will be betting lines for those games, and Vick figures to need a lot of playing time to get back into game shape. Two, Vick’s ongoing suspension (spun by Goodell as a chance to make a “transition”) is being labeled as harsh in the press and could be lifted upon further review.
If anyone else needs a quarterback, Michael Vick wants to play, but he won’t be available until Week 6. That’s according to league commish Roger Goodell’s ruling on Monday to conditionally reinstate Vick after 18 months in prison for dogfighting-related crimes. Handicappers will want to pay extra attention to this story for two reasons. One, Vick would actually be able to participate in workouts and the final two preseason games, should anyone sign him. There will be betting lines for those games, and Vick figures to need a lot of playing time to get back into game shape. Two, Vick’s ongoing suspension (spun by Goodell as a chance to make a “transition”) is being labeled as harsh in the press and could be lifted upon further review.
Drafting Table
Here are the five draft picks most likely to make an immediate impact in their rookie campaigns.
Here are the five draft picks most likely to make an immediate impact in their rookie campaigns. 1. Jason Smith, St. Louis Rams: Smith will slide in at left tackle and give QB Marc Bulger (38 sacks) the blindside protection he sorely needs.
2. Brian Orakpo, Washington Redskins: Orakpo can play linebacker or end, and when he’s on the line, the former Longhorn gets to play alongside premium tackle Albert Haynesworth.
3. Robert Ayers, Denver Broncos: This was the second-worst defense in the league last year in terms of efficiency. Ayers offers instant relief on the line as new defensive co-ordinator Mike Nolan switches to the 3-4.
4. Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings: Whether it’s Favre, Jackson or Sage Rosenfels throwing the ball, Harvin is a dazzling skill player fulfilling a big need for the Vikings.
5. Rey Maualuga, Cincinnati Bengals: Maualuga is a pass-rushing linebacker with coverage skills and the opportunity to line up next to former USC Trojans teammate Keith Rivers.
Walk it off
Ayers won’t be making any difference for the Broncos until he agrees to sign and report to their training camp, which starts July 30. Both Ayers and fellow first-round pick Knowshon Moreno are holding out; Brandon Marshall will be there, but he’s clearly not happy with his situation in Denver. Or perhaps they just want to avoid the horrible injuries that can happen in camp. We leave you with these (non-heat stroke related) classics:
Ayers won’t be making any difference for the Broncos until he agrees to sign and report to their training camp, which starts July 30. Both Ayers and fellow first-round pick Knowshon Moreno are holding out; Brandon Marshall will be there, but he’s clearly not happy with his situation in Denver. Or perhaps they just want to avoid the horrible injuries that can happen in camp. We leave you with these (non-heat stroke related) classics:
1983: Rookie RB Doug Furnas injured in Broncos camp, becomes pro-wrestler instead after a year on injured reserve
1987: Green Bay Packers sophomore DB Elbert Watts tears up his knee in a scrimmage, never plays again
2004: WR David Boston’s knee buckles during a Miami Dolphins practice; career goes into tailspin
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July 28th, 2009
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