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06/02/2010 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan, Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller and Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby have been selected as 2010 finalists for the Mark Messier Leadership Award.
The award recognizes an individual as a superior leader in hockey and as a contributing member of society. It honors an individual who leads by positive example through on-ice performance, motivation of team members and a dedication to community activities and charitable causes.
Messier, a six-time Stanley Cup champion in a 25-year NHL career, solicits suggestions from club and league personnel, as well as fans, in compiling a list of potential candidates. However, the selection of the three finalists and the ultimate winner is Messier's alone.
Doan, who has played for the franchise since the 1990s when it was known as the Winnipeg Jets, has been captain of the Coyotes for the last six years. He presided over the club's best season in team history, which saw Phoenix win 50 games and compile 107 points -- both franchise highs -- while it reached the playoffs for the first time since 2002. All of this occurred as the status of the team was up in the air with bankruptcy proceedings and rumors of relocation swirling constantly.
The 33-year-old has maintained a constant presence in the Valley of the Sun since he arrived in 1996. He currently serves as an ambassador for Coyotes Charities, and works with Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix Rescue Mission and Flashes of Hope -- an organization which allows photographers to visit terminally ill children and take uplifting family portraits.
Miller led the Sabres to a first-place finish in the Northeast Division this past season, and was also the tournament MVP as the backstop for the silver medal winning Team USA squad at the Vancouver Winter Games.
As the primary face of the franchise, Miller works closely with the Buffalo Sabres Foundation during its numerous events within the community. However, his best work comes with the Steadfast Foundation -- an entity Miller himself founded -- which works to benefit those who have been affected by childhood cancer.
Crosby, the Penguins' captain, has helped his club to a pair of Stanley Cup Finals appearances with a Cup victory in 2009. The native of Nova Scotia also etched his name in national lore after tallying the game-winner in overtime for Canada against the USA at Vancouver.
The 22-year-old superstar hosts a suite for underprivileged children at every Penguins home game in conjunction with the Make a Wish Foundation. He funds and serves as an on-ice instructor for the Penguins' Learn to Play Program that introduces the game to youngsters and, with support from Reebok, outfits them from head to toe.
The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 23, during the 2010 NHL Awards ceremony in Las Vegas.
Last year's winner was Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames. Chris Chelios of Detroit won the inaugural award in 2007.
<< Report: Ken Griffey Jr. retires
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ken Griffey Jr. reportedly announced his
retirement from baseball Wednesday just two months into his 22nd Major League
season.
Griffey was said to have informed the team before Wednesday's game and Seat
<< Lakers' Bynum has fluid return to knee
Los Angeles, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lakers center Andrew Bynum's right knee
has not improved after having fluid drained on Monday in preparation for
Thursday's Game 1 of the NBA Finals, though, he's still expected to play.
"It's th
<< Ken Griffey Jr. Career Stats
Year, Team AB R H HR RBI AVG1989, Sea 455 61 120 16 61 .2641990, Sea 597 91 179 22 80 .3001991, Sea 548 548 179 22 100 .3271992, Sea 565 83 174 27 103 .3081993, Sea 582 113 180
<< Rockies activate Morales
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Rockies activated reliever
Franklin Morales from the 15-day disabled list Wednesday.
Morales, out with left shoulder inflammation, was used in five save chances
prior to hitting DL on
Nothing tricky about Pocono for Hamlin >>
Long Pond, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup. Date: Sunday, June
6. Race: Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500. Site: Pocono Raceway. Track: (2.5-mile
triangle. Start time: 1:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 200. Miles: 500. 2009 winner: Tony
Stewart.
Summer stand-alone season begins with Nashville >>
Lebanon, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Nationwide. Date: Saturday, June
5. Race: Federated Auto Parts 300. Site: Nashville Superspeedway. Track:
1.333-mile D-shaped concrete oval. Start time: 8:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 225.
Miles: 300. 2009 w
Bodine looking to extend win record at Texas >>
Fort Worth, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck. Date:
Friday, June 4. Race: WinStar World Casino 400k. Site: Texas Motor Speedway.
Track: 1.5-mile tri-oval. Start time: 9:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 167. Miles: 400
(kilometers). 2
Franchitti riding high into Texas after Indy win >>
Fort Worth, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: IZOD IndyCar. Date: Saturday, June
5. Race: Firestone 550k. Site: Texas Motor Speedway. Track: 1.5-mile tri-oval.
Start Time: 8:45 p.m. (et). Laps: 228. Miles: 550 (kilometers). 2009 winner:
Helio Castr
NEW YORK (AP) -By staying away from the cupcakes, Southern California earned itself a slim new ranking.
No. 1 always seems to fit USC.
Southern California jumped two spots to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Tuesday, rewarded by voters for opening the season with a dominant performance on the road against a BCS conference opponent.
Georgia and Ohio State, the preseason Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, started their seasons with glorified scrimmages at home against FCS (formerly I-AA) teams. USC, however, traveled across country to face Virginia and could not have been more impressive in a 52-7 victory.
Georgia fell to No. 2 and Ohio State to No 3.
"We realize that rankings so early in a season are certainly fluid. But rankings do help establish a pecking order for things later in the season," USC coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. "As for moving into the No. 1 spot, it's nice to know that people think highly of our team."
Since reaching No. 1 on Dec. 7, 2003, the final-regular season AP poll of that season, USC has been No. 1 in 39 polls, by far the most of any team during that time.
"Some have said the voters are taking our schedule into consideration," Carroll said. "Our philosophy has always been to schedule outstanding opponents. We need to play challenging games like we just did, traveling across the country to open the season at Virginia. Games like that bring out our best and make us stronger as a team."
The latest voting was close. USC received 21 first-place votes and 1,539 points from the 65-member media panel. Georgia had 20 first-place votes and 1,506 points. Ohio State got 15 first-place votes and 1,497 points.
"I'd say we've evolved as pollsters," said Stewart Mandel of SI.com, who moved USC up to No. 1. "In the past, voters just kind of automatically moved teams up and kept teams where they were if they won."
Georgia beat Georgia Southern 45-21 on Saturday and Ohio State opened with a 43-0 win over Youngstown State.
"There's a bit of a growing backlash for the amount of teams that open with I-AA cupcakes," said Mandel, whose book "Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls" chronicles college football's controversies. "To see a team [USC] go on the road and play a New Year's Day bowl team from last season, and not only play them but destroy them, how could you not reward that team?"
USC also jumped past Georgia to No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' poll, which has the same top five as the AP poll.
"It's definitely a privilege to be No. 1. But it's not heartbreaking to me if we drop," Georgia offensive lineman Josh Davis said. "It doesn't matter right now what we're ranked. What matters is our next game and right now, that's Central Michigan. The only time the polls matter is in December. That's when the polls matter."
While the Bulldogs opened easy, their schedule ultimately should be as difficult as any team's. Georgia's big nonconference test is at No. 15 Arizona State on Sept. 20. The Bulldogs also face six Southeastern Conference rivals that've been ranked in the first two polls.
As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes play at USC on Sept. 13 before getting into the Big Ten schedule.
But of the teams in this week's top 10, USC and Texas are the only ones that don't play an FCS opponent, and the Trojans are the only team that doesn't play a team from a non-BCS conference.
Get the latest 2009 BCS Championship odds at MySportsbook.com.
The last team to drop from No. 1 after a victory was USC last season. LSU jumped from No. 2 to No. 1 when it beat Tulane 34-9, the same week the Trojans edged Washington 27-24 on the road.
The last preseason No. 1 team to lose the top spot after winning its opening game was Florida in 2001. The Gators beat Marshall 49-14, but preseason No. 2 Miami opened with a 33-7 victory over Penn State and the Hurricanes jumped to No. 1 with Florida slipping to second.
The next four teams in the new Top 25 stayed the same: No. 4 Oklahoma (two first-place votes), No. 5 Florida (five first-place votes), No. 6 Missouri (one first-place vote), No. 7 LSU (one first-place vote) and No. 8 West Virginia.
No. 9 Auburn and No. 10 Texas each moved up a spot, taking advantage of Clemson's big drop. Clemson, ninth in the preseason, fell out after losing 34-10 to Alabama on Saturday.
Also falling out after losses were Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.
Moving into the rankings were No. 21 Fresno State, No. 22 Utah, No. 23 UCLA and No. 24 South Carolina.
Alabama moved up 11 spots after its big victory over Clemson.
The second 10 started with No. 11 Wisconsin, followed by Texas Tech, Alabama and Kansas. BYU and Arizona State were tied for 15th. Rivals BYU and Utah are both ranked for the first time since 1996.
South Florida was No. 17, ahead of Oregon, Penn State and Wake Forest at No. 20.
The final five were all the teams to move into the ranking, except for Illinois, which dropped four spots and tied South Carolina for No. 24.
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Sportsbook betting odds favor Europe in Ryder Cup
September 19, – Despite holding a decided edge in the all-time series, with 24 wins, 2 ties and 10 losses, Team USA is the underdog again heading into the Ryder Cup in Kidare, Ireland this weekend, according to MySportsbook.com. The Europeans have captured four of the past five editions, including their largest victory ever, an 18 ½ to 9 ½ thumping in Michigan in 2004. Current Ryder Cup betting odds favor the Europeans to continue their winning ways; they are a 4-5 bet to take the title, compared to 6-5 for the Americans.
Despite being knocked out in the first round of World Match play by Shaun Micheel, Tiger Woods is predicted to lead the US charge and be their highest point scorer for the week, with odds listed at 9-4 that he outpoints all other American players, including Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco to name a few. Team USA has four relatively unknown players on the roster but all four are 2007 tournament winners and have posted some of season’s best performances, each earning over $1.5 million on the PGA TOUR. They include Zach Johnson, Vaughan Taylor, JJ Henry and Brett Wetterich.
The experienced European squad includes the likes of Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Jose Maria Olazabal and Darren Clarke, who’s emotions will be tested after the passing of his wife to a battle with cancer. Donald and Garcia are in particularly good form and each is a 5-1 bet to lead the European squad in the points race. Donald has proven he can go head to head with Woods at a major event after a run for the $1.2 million purse at the PGA Championship. Garcia’s Ryder Cup credentials prove he’s ready for battle too.
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Ryder Cup Odds| Europe Tie USA |
4-5 10-1 6-5 |
| Tiger Woods Jim Furyk Phil Mickelson Chris DiMarco David Toms Stewart Cink Chad Campbell Scott Verplank Zach Johnson Vaughan Taylor JJ Henry Brett Wetterich |
9-4 4-1 5-1 7-1 8-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 25-1 30-1 30-1 50-1 |
| Sergio Garcia Luke Donald Padraig Harrington Colin Montgomerie Darren Clarke David Howell Lee Westwood Paul Casey Henrik Stenson Jose Maria Olazabal Paul McGinley Robert Karlsson |
5-1 5-1 6-1 13-2 8-1 9-1 9-1 11-1 12-1 12-1 20-1 25-1 |
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