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01/16/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aloha is Hawaiian for either hello, or goodbye.
The PGA Tour should bid a permanent goodbye aloha to opening the season in Hawaii.
The tour heads to the mainland of the United States this week after a fortnight in the 50th state. The Hyundai Tournament of Champions and Sony Open in Hawaii are things of the past; hopefully, the permanent past.
Hawaii seems lovely. Never been myself, but "The Descendants" sure looked nice in the background. This is nothing against Hawaii itself. I've never been on a honeymoon, and I'm not "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," but the time for professional golf in the Aloha State has passed.
The season has opened in Hawaii since 1999 and with each passing year, the tour's top stars have skipped it more frequently than an 8:30 Friday morning class.
The tournament is reserved for the previous year's winners. It's an exclusive event and the intention is to reward golfers with a week in paradise and an enormous paycheck. (Jhonattan Vegas finished dead-last this year and pocketed $64,000.)
This year, Phil Mickelson, Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, world No. 1 Luke Donald, U.S. Open winner Rory McIlroy, Open champion Darren Clarke, Martin Kaymer, Adam Scott and Dustin Johnson all passed.
The biggest star in the field was Steve Stricker. Granted, he won the tournament, but that's not exactly what you should be looking for from the "Tournament of Champions."
Tiger Woods, back when he won official PGA Tour events, made it acceptable to withdraw before the tournament. He hasn't played in Hawaii since the 2005 season-opener.
Hawaii is beautiful, but who wants to travel that far? Players could make a two-week stay of it in Hawaii and play the Sony, but most of them don't want to make such a commitment that early in the season.
Do I think more stars would play if they didn't have to take a five-hour flight from California? Yes, that is my contention.
Few golfers speak out publicly why they don't want to play in this event, and there's zero evidence to suggest that a change to Los Angeles or even Las Vegas would enhance the star power.
The only thing backing up this theory is the years-long absence of golf's biggest names. We'll never know until the plug is pulled on the Hawaii experiment.
Aside from the fact the Hawaii swing is getting dimmer, there are other logistic problems.
The five-hour time difference on the east coast puts the championships squarely in prime-time. It's on against the NFL playoffs. You don't need to waste your time checking the ratings. Brady v. Tebow did better than Maggert v. Every.
Why try and compete against that? If the tour played in the western time zone, the rounds could still be over before 8:00 p.m. (et) and thus not have to fight for sports viewers.
Is this an east-coast bias? You bet it is, but remember, this is the media capital of the world. We don't owe Hawaii a blessed thing, other than a hearty thank you for Don Ho and embarrassing shirts for middle-aged men.
The LPGA Tour is headed to Hawaii in April with the LPGA LOTTE Championship. It's been wildly heralded as a huge move for the tour, although Dottie Pepper in last week's "Sports Illustrated" illustrated some unmentioned problems with this event.
"Three months before the event there's still no plan to get it on TV," wrote Pepper. "The equipment that brings us golf and football from Hawaii in January and February is back on the mainland by April. Those trucks may have to float west after the Kraft Nabisco, which will cost a lot but be well worth it. Last year Golf Channel aired more hours of live coverage and showed features about many of the players, and the LPGA's ratings grew 30 percent. Will it last?"
Events in Hawaii aren't bringing much more to the pig roast than some gnarly surfing opportunities for those involved. What was once a great perk has become a chore and it's not working.
Send everybody to Vegas or L.A. and it will work out better for all involved.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
- PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem got a four-year extension and will be on the job through 2016. He gets a lot of credit for keeping the tour thriving through choppy economic times. Finchem will be close to 70 when that extension runs out. There is no clear successor for the gig, so the tour has four years to find one.
- I'm available for aforementioned position.
- If Hawaiian events are outdated, so were five-round tournaments, so good news this week's Humana Challenge was trimmed to four. Pres. Clinton is heavily involved, thus the appearance of Greg Norman, a good buddy of the former President.
- According to ESPN, a poorly-kept secret may be reality. ESPN is reporting that Tiger Woods will team with Tony Romo at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Doesn't make pro-ams any more interesting.
- Movie moment - Normally I try to catch Oscar nominated films before the awards and nominations are around the corner. Which would I like to see less - a French silent film, or a movie about a horse? In its defense, it is a "War Horse."
<< Rose sidelined because of toe injury
Memphis, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose will sit out
Monday's game against Memphis because of a lingering toe problem.
Rose was initially hurt during a January 10 game against Minnesota and missed
the following night'
<< Zumaya headed to Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Twins and reliever Joel
Zumaya have reportedly agreed to a one-year contract.
According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the deal will pay the oft-injured
right-hander $800,000 with
<< Ragan signs with Front Row Motorsports
Statesville, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David Ragan will drive the No.34 Ford for
Front Row Motorsports during the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season, the team
announced on Monday.
Ragan drove the No.6 car for Roush Fenway Racing in Sprint C
<< Tigers avoid arbitration with Porcello, Coke
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Tigers have avoided arbitration
with Rick Porcello and Phil Coke, agreeing to one-year contracts with both
pitchers on Monday.
Porcello made 31 starts for the Tigers last season, going 1
Syracuse remains top team in men's hoops poll >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Syracuse is again the top team in the latest
Associated Press men's college basketball poll.
The Orange, after double-digit wins over Villanova and Providence last week,
again earned 60 first-place vote
Anderson, Stalberg, Malkin named NHL's 'Three Stars' >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson,
Chicago Blackhawks left winger Viktor Stalberg, and Pittsburgh Penguins center
Evgeni Malkin have been named the NHL's 'Three Stars' for the week ending
January
Stars' Ribeiro lands on IR >>
Frisco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Stars placed center Mike Ribeiro on
injured reserve Monday.
The move is retroactive to January 7, when he suffered a lower-body injury
against the Edmonton Oilers.
In 40 games this season, Ri
Wagner makes huge leap in world rankings >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johnson Wagner's victory Sunday at the
Sony Open in Hawaii eared him a huge leap in this week's world rankings.
Wagner rocketed up 106 spots to No. 92 this week after his two-stroke victory.
Luke Do
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
Brandon Roy Favorite to Win 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year
Portland TrailBlazer’s guard, Brandon Roy, is MySportsbook.com’s overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year odds.
Despite missing 20 games due to an injury earlier this season, Roy has definitely put up the best numbers of his 1st year peers. In 32 games, Roy is averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 boards and 3.5 assists in over 33 minutes of play per game. While most rookies breakdown as the season progresses (see Morrison), Roy is only getting stronger as his playing time and scoring average has increased each month.
With 30 or so games left in the regular season, Roy isn’t a lock for the award by any means. Other rookies are putting together some pretty impressive campaigns and a few could give Roy a run for the award with increased playing time. Heading the list is first pick, Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors. Even though he has started only two games all season, Bargnani is averaging 10.3 PPPG while shooting 35% from deep.
Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves could be set to give Roy the best competition NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines. With the benching of Mike James, Foye looks like he could be the starter in the T-Wolves backcourt for the rest of the season. So far, Foye has averaged 9 PPG and 2.4 assists in just under 21 minutes per game. With his new role of starter, Foye’s numbers will definitely increase. In his first game as the new starting guard this past Sunday, Foye had 10 points; five rebounds and 8 assists. More importantly, he logged 34 minutes of playing time; his third highest run of the season.
Adam Morrison, of the Charlotte Bobcats, was the favorite early on in the season after averaging 15+ PPG through the first month of the season. Ever since his torrid start, Morrison’s point production has declined each month. This really isn’t surprising, considering at 6’8” he only weighs 205 lbs. Obviously he will need to hit the weights big time during the off-season in order to keep from breaking down in the future.
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