08/11/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kyle Busch established himself as NASCAR's new "road-course king," and Australian driver Marcos Ambrose scored his first Nationwide Series victory during a memorable weekend of racing at the historic 2.45-mile Watkins Glen International.
Busch's already phenomenal season continued when he became the first driver in NASCAR's 60-year history to win three road-course events in the same year. He also won the June 22nd Sprint Cup race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA, and the April 20th Nationwide event at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City.
After disappointing performances at Indianapolis and Pocono, Busch rebounded with a dominating performance at Watkins Glen by leading 52 of 90 laps. He also avoided a multi-car crash somewhat resembling "the big one" at Daytona and Talladega. With eight laps to go, Michael McDowell and David Gilliland made contact in turn 11, triggering the pile-up involving nine drivers. Several cars were heavily damaged, and NASCAR halted the race for 43 minutes to clean up the mess. Nobody was injured, but Bobby Labonte was transported to a nearby hospital for further evaluation and later released. McDowell and Gilliland were summoned to the NASCAR hauler at the conclusion of the event.
Busch held off his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate and four-time Watkins Glen winner Tony Stewart in the final laps for his eighth Sprint Cup victory of the season. He has now secured the top spot in the championship standings when the "Chase for the Sprint Cup" begins September 14th at New Hampshire.
While everything went Busch's way at Watkins Glen, that wasn't the case for Hendrick Motorsports drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Gordon. Earnhardt, Jr. and crew chief Tony Eury, Jr. decided to pit late during a round of green- flag stops, but their gamble backfired. Junior held the lead after all drivers made their stops under green, but as the second caution flag waved on Lap 64, he had yet to pit. Junior was the only driver who pitted during the caution, and he lost valuable track position. He finished 22nd.
Gordon, another four-time winner at The Glen, dealt with radio issues and battled with an ill-handling car before posting a 29th-place finish. Gordon, currently sixth in points, has yet to win a race this season.
Next to Busch's record-setting accomplishment at Watkins Glen has to be Ambrose's monumental achievement there. In just his third Sprint Cup start, Ambrose charged from the 43rd-starting position to an impressive third-place finish, driving the No.21 Ford for the Wood Brothers. The Aussie's first Nationwide win on Saturday came in thrilling fashion. Johnson and Jeff Burton ran out of fuel with five laps to go, allowing Ambrose to move from third to first. He led the final four laps en route to his first victory in his 59th Nationwide start.
Had Ambrose won Sunday's Sprint Cup race, he would have become the first driver to win both NASCAR races at Watkins Glen in the same season.
Even though Watkins Glen got off to a soggy start with Friday's Sprint Cup qualifying cancelled because of rain, the weather cooperated from there on to allow Busch and Ambrose to make a weekend to remember in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.
<< Hart, Counsell lead the way as Brewers dump Nats
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Corey Hart belted a two-run homer to snap a
tie and Craig Counsell helped blow the game open with a two-run double and a
run scored, as the Milwaukee Brewers completed a four-game sweep of the
Washing
<< Kings ink first-round pick Doughty
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Kings agreed to terms on a
three-year entry-level contract with defenseman Drew Doughty on Monday.
Per team policy, terms were not disclosed.
Doughty was the Kings' second-overall draft
<< Mets' bullpen collapses against Pirates
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steve Pearce's two-out, two-run single capped
a three-run ninth-inning comeback, as the Pittsburgh Pirates pulled off an
improbable 7-5 victory over the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.
The game was playe
<< Line of Scrimmage: The Curious Case of the Carolina Panthers
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There are no blackjack or craps dealers in
the state of North Carolina. The state's only casino, Harrah's Cherokee,
doesn't allow them, though the state does have at least two noted gamblers.
Carolina Pant
Angel's brace earns him MLS Player of the Week >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Red Bulls forward Juan Pablo Angel
was voted Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 20, it was
announced on Monday.
Angel scored two goals in New York's 4-1 victory over D.C.
Pistons keep Herrmann >>
Auburn Hills, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Pistons re-signed forward
Walter Herrmann on Monday.
The 29-year-old came to the Pistons in December of 2007 with Primoz Brezec in
a trade that sent Nazr Mohammed to the Charlotte Bobcats
RSL waives defender Mantilla >>
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Salt Lake waived Argentine DF
Matias Mantilla, the Major League Soccer team announced on Monday.
"Matias joined us last year and made an immediate impact to improve our team,"
RSL General Ma
Rays' Longoria heads to disabled list >>
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays placed rookie third
baseman Evan Longoria on the 15-day disabled list Monday with a fractured
right wrist.
Longoria was hit by a pitch from Seattle Mariners closer J.J. Putz on
In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South. Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC. The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game. For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft. Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.
1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign? New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1. Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT. Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.
Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami
2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round. LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems. If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season. The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach. The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub. High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career. With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson.
Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season. The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age. It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot. This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.
Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season. On the clock: the NFC North
Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2
Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1
Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
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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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