True freshman to lead the Trojans – Matt Barkley named starter

Pete Carroll has rolled the dice on a true freshman to lead the Trojans this coming season as he has named Matt Barkley as his starter. This is quite monumental, and an obvious sign of this kid’s ability as it is the first time a true freshie will start on opening day for USC.

Carroll is showing full confidence in the kid "He’s the starting quarterback at USC — it’s not a one-game deal," he said in a statement. "He seized the opportunity that was in front of him and took control. He deserves all the credit in the world and we expect nothing but great things from him."

Barkley won the job over third-year sophomore Aaron Corp in spring practice despite Corp having a seriously impressive camp. Apparently he was near-flawless that included only one interception in 15 workouts but he suffered a cracked fibula on the third day of training camp. Corp returned to full-speed workouts on this past Tuesday and did not miss a beat in passing efficiency and looked poised to take the reigns for the Trojans but his absence gave Barkley the opportunity to take all of the first-team snaps, and he clearly showed enough to over take Corp.

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"It’s clear to us as a staff that Matt Barkley is ready to be the starting quarterback at USC," Carroll said. "He has exceeded all of our expectations. He has all the physical ability, he has the mentality and temperament to handle the position, his personality is very well received by all the players and he’s extremely talented.”

Kuznetsova and Mauresmo battle for a spot in the semis

New Haven, CT – After winning the 2009 French Open Svetlana Kuznetsova’s star was supposed to shoot in the WTA Sony Ericsson Tour but instead her star has fizzled. Her star shoots off now and again but these spurts are not what one expects of a two-time Grand Slam champion.

There is too much talent in Kuznetsova to dismiss the Russian’s star entirely but something has to give soon or else she will be relegated to a non-threatening existence in some quiet corner of the women’s game. Hate to see that happen to one so organically gifted.

Since winning the French Open, Kuznetsova has not seen into the quarterfinals of a tournament; that is until this week when she reached the quarters at Pilot Pen. Kuznetsova suffered a third round exit at Wimbledon and Cincinnati and fell in the second round of the Rogers Cup.

But before everyone jumps on Kuznetsova’s bandwagon now that she is into her first quarter since winning the French Open crown it has to be pointed out that the New Haven draw is made up of 32 players. Therefore, she needed to play only two matches to get to the quarters. And neither was spectacular in performance mind.

In both her first and second round matches, Kuznetsova had to claw her way to victory. She persevered over Jie Zheng 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-4 and followed with another hard fought battle over Yanina Wickmayer 6-4,5 -7 7-6(2). Her seeming struggles to win do not bode well for her or for her fans hoping to back her to the title match on Saturday. Next up is Amelie Mauresmo; a spot in the semis on the line.

Tennis Betting Line:

Svetlana Kuznetsova -2½ -130 -160 21½ O -140 U Ev

Amelie Mauresmo +2½ -110 +120 21½ O -140 U Ev

Match Time: 07:00 P.M. Eastern Time Thursday August 27 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: Kuznetsova, despite her struggles in New Haven to win matches convincingly, enters the quarters as the firm favourite, tipped at -160 on the money line. Head-to-head, Kuznetsova and Mauresmo have split eight meetings. However, Kuznetsova is on a four match-winning streak against Mauresmo, going back to Dubai (2006). The last time they met was last year in Dubai in the quarters. Kuznetsova beat Mauresmo 6-1, 7-6(4).

That Kuznetsova has owned their series over the last three years is encouraging for the Russian. That Mauresmo has been shown good form in New Haven is in turn encouraging for the Frenchwoman. Mauresmo reaches the quarters with straight set victories over Ai Sugiyama and Alona Bondarenko. Her convincing victories in the early rounds sets her up well against Kuznetsova and tennis bettors would do worse than take her at the underdog price tag of +120. That said, I still like Kuznetsova to beat Mauresmo.

Tennis Free Picks: Kuznetsova in straight sets -160 | Over 21 ½ -140

Fedor has a Fight – Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers

The man many call the “baddest on the planet,” Fedor Emelianenko, finally has his first Strikeforce opponent as the 32-year-old legend will take on undefeated American challenger Brett Rogers at a future event.

No date or venue has been announced yet, but odds are that the Rogers-Emelianenko fight will go over much better in MMA fan circles than the rumored Vitor Belfort fight after Emelianenko’s Affliction opponent, Josh Barnett, tested for steroids and was forced to pull out of the fight.

“Grim” Rogers is currently 10-0 in his young MMA career and poses a threat to Emelianenko because of his size at 265+ pounds along with his heavy hands. Rogers used those hands to knock out their only common opponent, Andrei Arlovski, in just 22 seconds back in June.

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Emelianenko also scored a knockout of Arlovski in his last fight 3:14 into the first round of their match and is currently on a 27-fight win streak with an overall record of 30-1 in his illustrious career. He should come in at the 230-240 pound weight range for the fight which will leave him at a big size disadvantage, but Emelianenko has fought many other larger opponents in his career.

The big advantage for Fedor going into this one will likely be in grappling both standing and on the ground as he is a world-class sambo practitioner and one of the best submission artists in all of MMA. Rogers’ ground game is still a bit of an unknown at this point in his young career.

Rogers has also not faced anywhere near the competition that Fedor has, as Arlovski was the first big-name opponent he’s ever faced while Fedor has beaten the likes of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), Mirko Cro Cop, Mark Coleman, Tim Sylvia, and more.

From an entertainment perspective, expect plenty of fireworks in this one. Both fighters have heavy hands and are extremely aggressive, constantly looking to finish each fight they’re in.

If Strikeforce plays their cards right and pairs this fight with some other quality matchups like perhaps the Mayhem Miller vs. Jake Shields interim middleweight title bout, they just might have a pay-per-view quality card on their hands or maybe even a network TV debut for Emelianenko if they choose to go that route and perhaps negotiate with CBS or another network.

Stay with BetOnline.com for lines on the Fedor vs. Rogers fight in the coming weeks as Strikeforce continues to put together what will be their biggest and most-anticipated card to date

Mark Sanchez named starting QB for the New York Jets

Mark Sanchez has just proved Pete Carroll and all the naysayers wrong. It was announced today that Sanchez, who left USC after his junior year to enter the NFL draft against the advice of the Trojans head coach, will be the starting QB for the New York Jets.

This was bound to happen from the day the Jets traded up to the number 5 spot in the draft to snag the young QB. Although he didn’t look very good against the Baltimore Ravens, he had done enough to impress in mini-camps and OTAs. And lets remember, he was up against one of, if not the best, defenses in the league and on the road in a preseason game that had all the intensity of a regular season matchup.

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It may have been something that he didn’t show in that game that was a major factor in the Jets going with Sanchez of Kellen Clemens, and that was panic. Even though he looked really bad to start the game and had tossed a pick-six before the game was even a minute old, he stuck with it and ended up putting together a scoring drive near the end of the second quarter that was capped off with perfectly thrown ball to Leon Washington for 6.

Sanchez now steps in to fill the spot vacated when Favre, ahem, retired and will open his NFL career against the Houston Texans on September 13th. Jets fans get one more chance to see him in action before the season starts as they face the Giants in what should be a very entertaining preseason football game.

Champions League Playoffs – Arsenal FC and Sporting Clube de Portugal

Arsenal FC, Sporting and FC Copenhagen are all in action today as UEFA Champions League betting continues at BetOnline Sportsbook. Here is a look at this trio in the second leg on Wednesday, set to kick off in mere hours.

Soccer Betting Line:
Arsenal FC -1½  Ev   -325   2½  O -140   U +110   Draw   +350    
Celtic Glasgow  +1½  -130   +725    2½  O -140   U +110   Draw   +350    

Venue: Arsenal Stadium – London – England
Match Time: 02:45 P.M. Eastern Time Tuesday August 25 2009

Soccer Betting Analysis: Arsene Wenger’s Gunners are in pole position to advance into the UEFA Champions League group stage after taking the 2:0 victory at home to Celtic Glasgow. Yet, Celtic are a quality side and though at the onset it might appear to be a tall order for the Scots (the bookies certainly believe so, tipping them at +725) they are unfazed. Determined to put their best foot forward.

Soccer Betting Verdict: Arsenal have experience and they have successfully retained the advantage on the last eight occasions they took a first-leg lead in UEFA Champions League tie (including qualifying). Arsenal also started the Premier League season, scoring 10 goals in their first two matches. Staggeringly impressive. They are hot favourites to advance at -325 and given their current form, any other outcome would be a surprise.

Soccer Free Picks: Arsenal -325 | Over 2.5 goals -140

Soccer Betting Line:
Fiorentina -½  -155   -160   2½  O -110   U -120   Draw   +260    
Sporting Clube de Portugal  +½  +125   +375  2½  O -110   U -120   Draw   +260    

Venue: Artemio Franchi – Florence – Italy
Match Time: 02:45 P.M. Eastern Time Tuesday August 25 2009

Soccer Betting Analysis: The first leg ended in a 2:2 tie in the fixture between Fiorentina and Sporting Clube de Portugal, setting up an almighty battle in the second leg. This is perhaps the most wide-open fixture of the UEFA Champions League playoffs and it is for the taking. Fiorentina have the home edge and they are favoured to advance at -160 (rather generously methinks). Sporting seems underrated at +375. Or are they?

Soccer Betting Verdict: sporting have won two, lost seven of their previous nine two-legged contests against opposition from Serie A. History is against them, and in this case it might be significant. Sporting put forward a decent campaign last season in Champions League to reach the knockout stages before bowing to Bayern 12-1. This season Sporting have gotten off to a slow start, picking up only one point in the first two rounds of domestic action. Fans are furious and coach Bento is in the hot seat. Mired in a crisis of confidence and in total disarray it is hard to believe Sporting will rebound. Fiorentina have two away goals in the bank. They have a slight edge and they will try to retain it at Artemio Franchi today.

Soccer Free Picks: Fiorentina -160 | Under 2.5 goals -120

 

 

Agent Blaming Crabtree for Deal not Getting Done

With the start of the NFL season getting enticingly close, the 49ers and their 10th overall pick, Michael Crabtree, don’t seem to be close to getting a deal done. What makes things worse for the disgruntled wide-out is that his agent is now blaming his client for his cash demands according to ProFootballTalk.

Crabtree is looking for the kind of money that Darrius Heyward-Bay got from Oakland, but the Raiders and Al Davis are not a group you want to measure market value to. The 49ers don’t want to give him anymore money than B.J. Raji got from Green Bay, the 9th overall pick.

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Someone should tell this guy that this is how it works; the lower you go in the draft the less money you get, just ask Brady Quinn. If he decides to sit out for the season and re-enters the draft in 2010 he will just be costing himself more money because he will be out of football for a full year. If he thinks that he’s going to get drafted higher next year, he’s got another thing coming. In sports, and football in particular, its what have you done for me lately.

Another factor he clearly isn’t considering is that teams aren’t going to want to take a shot at him if he’s this difficult to deal with when it comes to contract negotiations. Its one thing if the 49ers were low balling the kid but they’ve had some substantial offers on the table; someone should remind this kid that he hasn’t done a damn thing yet and you need to earn your paydays.

CBS Releases Broadcasting Pairings for the 2009 NFL Season

For those of us who spend our Sunday’s glued to the TV gaining knowledge and insight from the former NFL greats and sports experts, who we choose to spend our day with is a big thing. With several networks having a national NFL broadcast, its just personal preference.

This season marks the 50th year that CBS has been covering the NFL, and for some of us, it is our number once choice. Like any team, you have your go-to guys that are the face of the franchise. Well it’s sort of the same for CBS as they have named Jim Nantz and Phil Simms as the lead for The NFL on CBS heading into the 2009 season.

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James Brown will anchor the hour-long pre-game show that breaks down all of the day’s matchups. With him in the CBS broadcast studio in New York are former NFL greats Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason and Shannon Sharpe along with former Steelers head coach, Bill Cowher.

The rest of their broadcasting lineup makes up arguably the deepest amongst all the major networks, and they are:

Greg Gumbel//Dan Dierdorf

Dick Enberg//Dan Fouts

Kevin Harlan//Solomon Wilcots

Ian Eagle//Rich Gannon

Gus Johnson//Steve Tasker

Don Criqui//Randy Cross

Bill Macatee//Steve Beuerlein

These guys all know their stuff and will give you the insight and quality broadcasting that you need to get you through this upcoming NFL season. And much like CBS, BetOnline has the deepest roster of betting analysts and lines makers in the business. Our NFL writers are all betting sharps themselves and take this profession seriously, so for your best chance at cashing in this year on NFL betting, trust the experts at BetOnline.com.

Vince Young Watch – Where Will Former Collegiate Champ Call Home Next?

Okay NFL sports betting fanatics, while I like Tennessee Titans athletic backup quarterback Vince Young and fully believe he still has an excellent opportunity to become a successful NFL starting quarterback, it’s pretty clear at this point that, unless veteran quarterback Kerry Collins suffers some sort of season-ending injury, the Tennessee Titans will almost certainly part ways with their former No. 1 draft pick at some point in the near future.

With Collins firmly entrenched as the team’s starting quarterback after taking over for an injured Young in Week 1 last season and leading the Titans to an impressive 13-3 regular season record, the writing appears to be on the wall for Young.

The Titans reassured Collins of their faith in him this offseason by rewarding him with a lucrative $15 million dollar two-year contract with $8.5 million guaranteed.

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Now, Young will likely be on the move at some point soon and his next destination could be one that helps put some struggling franchise over the top.

Here is a look at some possible future homes for Vince Young.

Denver Broncos – Unless you’re the biggest Kyle Orton fan in the world, Denver looks like a very suitable situation for the former Texas Longhorns star. If Orton fails in his first season with the Broncos, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Denver make a play for Young.

Washington Redskins – While I personally like Skins quarterback Jason Campbell, it’s clear the Redskins organization doesn’t have full confidence in Campbell as they looked to move the former Auburn star this past offseason. If Campbell doesn’t become more productive this season, Dan Snyder could roll the dice and make a bid for Young.

Cincinnati Bengals – Maybe it’s me, but I just don’t have a lot of trust in Carson Palmer’s susceptible knees – or the rest of his body for that matter. While there is absolutely no doubt that Palmer can play the game when healthy, I just don’t see much long term health for the former Heisman Trophy winner from USC.

Oakland Raiders – The Raiders may have their quarterback of the future in former No. 1 overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell – but will undoubtedly need to find out if he’s for real or not this season – though if it were up to me – veteran signal-caller Jeff Garcia would get the nod as the team’s starting quarterback.

Dallas Cowboys – Think this is preposterous? Think again. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, for all of the national press he receives – has won exactly the same amount of playoff games in his career as Young – yup, zero. Now entering what looks like a make-or-break season with the Cowboys, Romo needs to help the Cowboys win a playoff contest or he could be in trouble himself. Lest anyone forget, Young was a beloved former high school and college star in the Lone Star state – and one that would get a chance to resurrect his career in his home state.

Carolina Panthers – The aging Jake Delhomme looked shaky at best last season, hurting the Panthers in the postseason by throwing a whopping five interceptions in a surprising 33-13 home loss to Arizona. Another mediocre season for Delhomme could spell trouble – and Young could be the answer to Carolina’s possible quarterbacking problems.

San Francisco 49ers –Alex Smith has been an absolute bust since arriving in Frisco as the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2005. Veteran Shaun Hill is solid but unspectacular – and Young could be an upgrade over both players in the very near future.

NFL Thursday – 3 Game Preview Including the Vick Return

Michael Vick will make his return to the field at some point on Thursday night when the Philadelphia Eagles host the Jacksonville Jaguars in the preseason. The Eagles are winless in the preseason both SU and ATS. Does the debut of Vick change anything for the NFL betting crowd?

The answer to that question is hard to figure out right now because no one knows how much or even when Vick will play. Donovan McNabb is scheduled to play the first three quarters on Thursday, while Kevin Kolb, who missed the first two games with an injured knee, has been slotted to play the fourth. Where’s Vick fit in there? He’s likely to spell McNabb a few times, or maybe he’ll line up at running back or receiver? Vick’s played mostly at quarterback in practice and he’s been slinging the ball very well. It may be a different story with an opposing defense breathing down his neck.

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Also set to make his preseason debut on Thursday is Eagles running back Brian Westbrook. He’s been sidelined the entire preseason so far while recovering from offseason ankle surgery. Westbrook is expected to start against Jacksonville, but he likely won’t see much action.

The Jaguars are also winless in the preseason so far after losing to Tampa Bay 24-23 last week. Despite that loss David Garrard finally started to gel with one of his receivers while completing 10-of-16 pass attempts for 216 yards. Garrard connected with Troy Williamson three times for 147 yards, which included a 74-yard touchdown. In Thursday’s game the Eagles are a 7.5-point favorite on the NFL betting odds.

In other action on Thursday St. Louis visits Cincinnati and Miami takes on Tampa Bay. The Rams lost to Atlanta 20-13 last week with starting QB Marc Bulger out. Bulger will remain out this week and could miss the rest of the preseason with a chip fracture of his right pinky finger. With Bulger out, backup Kyle Boller and third-stringers Brock Berlin and Keith Null will run the offense.

The Bengals picked up their first win of the preseason last week, 7-6 over New England. Carson Palmer sat out with a sprained ankle and J.T. O’Sullivan had the lone touchdown on a pass to Chris Henry. Chad Ochocinco also made news by kicking the extra point with Shayne Graham nursing a sore groin. Palmer is expected to be out again on Thursday, which gives O’Sullivan another start. The Bengals are a 2.5-point favorite on the NFL odds.

Miami displayed their Wildcat offense last week in their 27-17 win over Carolina. They used it sparingly, though, as Chad Pennington and Chad Henne each played nearly a half. Both Chads threw a touchdown pass and looked ready for the season in the win.

Tampa Bay edged Jacksonville last week, as Luke McCown and Byron Leftwich continued to battle for the starting QB job. McCown may have the edge after tossing two touchdowns last week. The Bucs are a 2.5-point favorite versus Miami.

NFL – Dirty Sanchez Starting for Jets

The Jets know that their rabid fans won’t be patient enough to wait for Mark Sanchez to develop in to the franchise quarterback he’s supposed to bed. But they’re also not hedging their bets. “Dirty” Sanchez is going to be the Jets starter to open the season, and before you get all optimistic, the Jets have not made a rookie their opening starter in nearly 50 years.

Sanchez’s debut in the NFL was anything but reassuring. He was nearly sacked by Ray Lewis on his first snap, and forced a pass that was picked off for six by the stingy Baltimore defense. It was a stark reminder to the rookie that the NFL is not USC, and that he has a lot left to learn. Dirty ended the game with 3-of-8 passes completed for just 83 yards, including a 25-yard reception by Leon Washington for a touchdown.

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The decision to tab Sanchez so early leaves perennial back-up, Kellen Clemens, on the outside looking in. First he lost his starting job to Brett Favre. Now he’s losing it to a rookie. Clemens had 5-of-10 completions for 60 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a showcase that was anything but stellar. The mood in New York is that Clemens was never meant to be anything more than a backup. He’ll have Erik Ainge, the former Texas Longhorns standout, to contend with for backup honors.

Sanchez will have a few weapons to work with, namely Jericho Cotchery and Leon Washington with Thomas Jones being leaned on as a workhorse back. There have been plenty of rumors that Brandon Marshall will somehow land in New York to bolster the receiving corps, but the point is moot because it is obvious that Sanchez has a lot to prove in the NFL right now. Those of you that thought Sanchez would be the cure-all for the Jets after they moved up to draft him, are horrifically mistaken.

Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions was nabbed with the first overall pick in the 2009 draft, and his play in the preseason has been promising. Of course, the expectations on Stafford are low. If he can win three games this year, then Detroit will have something to smile about. Joshua Freeman, the 17th overall pick and the top pick of the Buccaneers, is going to be given the grace of enjoying a clipboard while McCown and Leftwich get slaughtered on the field instead. Those are your three first round quarterbacks from the 2009 draft.

The question is whether Stafford and Sanchez will be the Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco of 2009.

If anyone has the opportunity to recreate Flacco, it’s Sanchez. He’s an exceptionally talented slinger, and the game against Baltimore had more to do with being rightfully terrified of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. The comparisons are similar, but not staggeringly similar. Flacco had a mediocre receiving corps to work with, and the team relied on their ground game to win. The Jets will very much do the same, but Baltimore’s defense is far better than the one in New York. Sanchez will be leaned upon to actually win games, and that can be a daunting task for anyone, including a guy with the nickname “Dirty”.

The time for Sanchez is now. Is it the right time? No. But that’s what New York gets for being impatient.

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