Line of Scrimmage: McNair's Death Should Be Part of Legacy
Football Betting Lines
07/09/2009 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Those of us still clinging to the naive hope that the police investigating the death of Steve McNair would step to the podium in Nashville on Wednesday, and announce that our suspicions about the manner in which the former Pro Bowl quarterback died were way off, have now loosened our grip on that notion.
Nashville police concluded that Sahel Kazemi, McNair's 20-year-old girlfriend, killed McNair with four bullets before turning the gun on herself. Perhaps Kazemi was troubled because of the nature of her relationship with McNair. Perhaps she was just troubled in general, and put an end to her own desperation and misery in one final, irrational act.
We'll never know for sure, and that fact will provide sustenance to the conspiracy theorists in the coming weeks, months, and years.
McNair was an extraordinary person to many, and it's always hard to accept that extraordinary people die just like the rest of us, with no breath in their lungs or blood pumping through their veins.
That's the reason there are still those willing to believe in JFK assassination theories some 45 years after the event, despite a mountain of evidence that a single, scrawny young drifter with rudimentary firearms training could take down the most powerful person in the free world.
They're saying the same sorts of disbelieving things about Kazemi, and at the same time lamenting how unfortunate it was that the great warrior's orbit should overlap with that of the wayward, unstable woman, barely out of her teens.
That the life of a 20-year-old young woman has ended before it could truly amount to anything is strictly a below-the-fold item, no matter what friends or family might be mourning Kazemi's death or to what degree she may have been used and misled by a superstar used to having things his way.
Meanwhile, in the wake of his shocking death, there has been an outpouring from McNair's former teammates, his coaches, his opponents, and the fans who watched him work, talking about what a respected figure he was both on and off the field. McNair's former coach, the Titans' Jeff Fisher, told us McNair should be remembered as a consummate champion, a man who gave back both his time and wealth to the community, and as someone who loved his family.
"My hope is that we can get past the circumstances and let those go...and dwell and stay focused on the type of player and person that he was," said Fisher.
All of which would be much easier to do if Steve McNair had died like Pat Tillman in the mountains of Afghanistan. Or like Roberto Clemente, on a relief mission to Nicaragua. Or like anyone who wasn't complicit in their own demise because they were out doing what married fathers of four ought not.
Apologies to Fisher and any other McNair friends or followers who would like to divorce their hero's legacy from the events of his final, fateful night, but that's not how it works and not how it should work.
No, we should not forget how McNair blazed a trail for the small-college and African-American quarterbacks who came after him, we should not forget his on- field greatness or his off-field philanthropy, and we should not miss this chance to forever tell a powerful cautionary tale about a man who apparently felt that his celebrity absolved him from acting with a sense of morality or humanity in his personal life.
Yes, McNair was a victim in this case, and nothing he may have done justifies the horrific manner in which he died, or that he died at all at the age of 36. But he's not a victim in the same way Sean Taylor was a victim, and McNair's ultimate off-the-field misstep should occupy the first half-hour of every NFL rookie symposium from now until the league folds.
Let's not whitewash the truth here, or spin away the ugliness, lest we're reading similar headlines about another father, friend and teammate somewhere down the line.
How does McNair deserve to be remembered? He deserves to be remembered as a winner, a fighter, a tremendous talent, a community leader...and a man who died with four bullets in his body due in part to the poor decisions that he made.
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When rules are broken, someone has to pay the price. In the case of the 61 Florida State athletes who cheated on tests in 2006-07, the one who may pay the heftiest price is legendary coach Bobby Bowden.
<< Rangers head to Seattle for showdown with Mariners
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The AL West-leading Texas Rangers try to stay perfect on
the season against the Seattle Mariners when the division foes open a four-
game series this evening at Safeco Field.
After winning 11 of their 18 meetings with the
<< Braves send out phenom Hanson for opener with Rockies
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Braves rookie pitcher Tommy Hanson has opened some
eyes around the big leagues and will try to remain unbeaten when he takes the
mound tonight in the opener of a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies
at Coors
<< Padres pay a visit to Lincecum, Giants by the Bay
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The worst offensive team in the majors will have to face
one the game's premier pitchers when the San Diego Padres visit San
Francisco's AT&T Park tonight to take on Tim Lincecum and the playoff-hopeful
Gia
<< Phils aim for elusive home series win over Reds
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies seem to have solved their home
woes and will close out a four-game series tonight versus the Cincinnati Reds
at Citizens Bank Park.
Philadelphia entered its current 10-game homestand having lost s
Auburn Hills, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Pistons named John Kuester as their new head coach on Thursday. Kuester has been an assistant for six different NBA teams since 1995, most recently with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2007-20
Galaxy ink midfielder Birchall >>
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Galaxy agreed to terms with
Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Chris Birchall, the Major League Soccer club
announced.
The 25-year-old received his P1 Visa on Monday and will officially be ad
Cavs and Varejao agree to six-year deal; also add Parker >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Cavaliers and forward Anderson
Varejao have reportedly agreed to a six-year deal.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that the deal with Varejao could be
worth as much as $50 million,
Cardinals sign third-round pick Johnson >>
Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Cardinals have signed safety Rashad
Johnson to a three-year contract.
Financial terms for the club's third-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft were not
disclosed.
Johnson was selected with the 95th
Indians activate Betancourt from DL, option Sowers >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians activated pitcher Rafael
Betancourt from the 15-day disabled list on Thursday and optioned pitcher
Jeremy Sowers to Triple-A Columbus.
Betancourt, who was on the DL since June 1 with
March Madness odds and printable March Madness brackets
With the field of 64/65 set, MySportsbook.com has the Florida Gators as the 4-1 favorite to successfully defend their National Championship. Men’s Division-1 College Basketball has not seen a team repeat as National Champions since Duke won back to back championships in ’91 & ‘92. After losing three out of four late in the season, the Gators are full of momentum as they won their last four games by an average of 18 points. Not surprisingly, right behind the Gators are the other three top seeds: Kansas 5-1, UNC 6-1, and Ohio State 7-1. Many consider Kansas to be the hottest team in the country, having won 11 straight. With Kansas, it is hard to ignore all of the early exits from the “dance” in recent years. With an impressive ACC Tournament, UNC ensured themselves the other top seed. UNC has about as much talent as any other team in the tournament but with a team that’s best players are primarily freshman and sophomores, could youth be a concern. Behind freshman sensation, Greg Oden, OSU will look to do what their football team failed to do just a few months earlier. OSU seems to have peeked at the right time, as they currently have a 17 game winning streak. Since the tournament field was expanded in 1985, there has never been an instance where all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. It is obvious that each of the top seeds have the talent to make it through to Atlanta. But as everyone knows, when makes the NCAA Tournament so special are all of the spoilers and “Cinderella” stories that knock off the favorites on a daily basis.
Be sure to logon to MySportsbook.com to see check out all of the early lines and “March Madness” props. Also be sure to enter the “$10,000,000 Perfect Bracket Contest”. If someone has the skills to predict every winner, they will be set for life and walk away with $10,000,000. Even if no one can cash in on the Grand Prize, with a $35,000 guaranteed prize pool and a Mazda RX-8 to the first prize winner, Sportsbook.com’s bracket is a must for all “March Madness” fans.
MySportsbook.com’s odds to win the Championship and Regions:
| EAST | National Championship | Region |
| Arkansas | 300-1 | 50-1 |
| Belmont | 1000-1 | |
| Boston College | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Eastern KY | 1000-1 | |
| George Washington | 75-1 | |
| Georgetown | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| Marquette | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Michigan State | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| New Mexico St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| UNC | 6-1 | 6-5 |
| Oral Roberts | 500-1 | |
| Texas | 15-1 | 5-1 |
| Texas Tech | 200-1 | 5-1 |
| USC | 75-1 | 20-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Washington State | 40-1 | 15-1 |
| WEST | ||
| Duke | 50-1 | 10-1 |
| Florida A&M | 1000-1 | |
| Gonzaga | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Holy Cross | 300-1 | |
| Illinois | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Indiana | 75-1 | 40-1 |
| Kansas | 5-1 | 13-10 |
| Kentucky | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Niagara | 1000-1 | |
| Pittsburgh | 40-1 | 8-1 |
| Southern Ill. | 50-1 | 12-1 |
| UCLA | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| VCU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Villanova | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| VA Tech | 50-1 | 15-1 |
| Weber St | 1000-1 | |
| Wright St | 1000-1 | 300-1 |
| MIDWEST | ||
| Arizona | 50-1 | 30-1 |
| Butler | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| Davidson | 300-1 | |
| Florida | 4-1 | 4-5 |
| Georgia Tech | 75-1 | 25-1 |
| Jackson State | 1000-1 | |
| Maryland | 30-1 | 6-1 |
| Miami-OH | 300-1 | |
| Notre Dame | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| ODU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Oregon | 40-1 | 6-1 |
| Purdue | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Texas A&M CC | 1000-1 | |
| UNLV | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Winthrop | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Wisconsin | 15-1 | 7-2 |
| SOUTH | ||
| Albany | 200-1 | |
| BYU | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Central CT St. | 1000-1 | |
| Creighton | 100-1 | 35-1 |
| Long Beach St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| Louisville | 40-1 | 10-1 |
| Memphis | 30-1 | 4-1 |
| Nevada | 75-1 | 35-1 |
| North Texas | 500-1 | |
| Ohio State | 7-1 | 6-5 |
| Penn | 500-1 | |
| Stanford | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Tennessee | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| Texas A&M | 12-1 | 11-5 |
| Virginia | 75-1 | 18-1 |
| Xavier | 100-1 | 40-1 |
Field 100-1
About MySportsbook.com MySportsbook.com is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best US Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.
To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.
2007 NFL Football Betting Preview
“You play to win the game!”
Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.
The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.
The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.
Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?
Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.
Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.
Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.
Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.
The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.
Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.
Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.
This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.
First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”
The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason.
Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football wagering needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.