Modano skates for 1st time with Red Wings
Hockey Betting Lines
09/09/2010 -
DETROIT (AP) - Mike Modano grew up dreaming of skating at Joe Louis Arena as a member of the Detroit Red Wings. He actually did it Thursday morning.
The 40-year-old center, who signed a one-year, free agent deal with the Red Wings worth $1.25 million and the possibility of $500,000 more through performance-based bonuses, joined most of his new teammates during an informal skate.
``It feels good. Feels great to be at the Joe skating again,'' said Modano, a native of the Detroit suburb of Livonia who has spent his entire 20-year NHL career with the Dallas Stars/Minnesota North Stars organization.
He talked about getting accustomed to new routines each day and how he had tearful goodbyes with several of the close friends he made in Dallas.
``Little by little, I'm getting accustomed to things,'' Modano said.
He also talked about a bit of personal history he has with one of his new teammates, veteran defenseman Ruslan Salei, who the Red Wings signed as a free agent a few days after they signed Modano.
On Oct. 2, 1999, Salei - then playing with Anaheim - checked Modano from behind and into the boards causing a concussion and neck sprain. Modano and Salei haven't talked since they became teammates.
``He's always been a hard guy to play against ... Always in your face,'' Modano said. He added that Salei inquired about how Modano was doing through other people.
``Just wanted to make sure I was OK,'' Modano said.
One of Modano's projected linemates, Dan Cleary, was also on the ice Thursday.
``Obviously he's a real good skater,'' Cleary said. ``He's excited ... He's back in his hometown.''
Modano, the highest scoring American-born player in NHL history with 557 goals and 1,359 points, left the arena as a passenger in Todd Bertuzzi's SUV. Bertuzzi was one of the Red Wings' players who Modano knew well and talked to before signing with Detroit.
The eight-time All-Star led Dallas to the Stanley Cup title in 1999. Modano played in the Olympics three times and helped the Americans win silver in 2002.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -If the impact of Boise State's big victory over Virginia Tech ever sinks in to Kellen Moore's brain, don't expect the soft-spoken quarterback to veer from the team's modesty mantra.Like his coach and teammates, Moore simply refuse
<< Colsaerts leads KLM Open
Hilversum, Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts birdied
his last three holes on Thursday en route to an eight-under 62 and the first-
round lead of the KLM Open.
Kenneth Ferrie and Shiv Kapur both posted rounds of si
<< King, Shvedova reach Open doubles final
Flushing Meadows, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - American Vania King and Kazakhstan's
Yaroslava Shvedova reached Sunday's women's doubles final at the 2010 U.S.
Open.
The sixth-seeded duo of King-Shvedova topped a ninth-seeded pairing o
<< Blue Jackets sign top pick Johansen
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Blue Jackets signed center Ryan
Johansen, the fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft, to a three-year entry
level contract on Thursday.
The 18-year-old Johansen scored 25 goals to go with
<< Fla St visit stirs memories of Sooners' 2000 title
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -As No. 17 Florida State travels to face No. 10 Oklahoma this week, the Sooners are firmly entrenched as a national powerhouse.It wasn't that way a decade ago when the programs last met.The Sooners had averaged only six wins per s
Orchard Park, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Buffalo Bills linebacker Kawika Mitchell missed practice Thursday and appears unlikely to play in Sunday's opener against the Miami Dolphins. Bills head coach Chan Gailey said Mitchell hurt hi
Women's Open semis on tap for Friday >>
Flushing Meadows, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The combatants for the 2010
women's final at the U.S. Open will be decided on Friday, when top-seeded
Caroline Wozniacki meets No. 7 seed Vera Zvonareva and second-seeded Kim
Clijste
NCAA Tournament's First Four to be played in Dayton >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of Dayton has been selected
as the host for the NCAA Tournament's new "First Four" games.
In April, the NCAA announced an expansion of the men's basketball tournament
to 68 teams for 201
Kuchar takes early lead at BMW Championship >>
Lemont, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Kuchar fired a seven-under 64 on Thursday
to take the early first-round lead at the BMW Championship.
The FedEx Cup leader scorched Cog Hill for an eagle, six birdies and a bogey,
building a one-shot lead o
Packers, Woodson agree to extension >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Green Bay Packers have reportedly given
cornerback Charles Woodson a contract extension.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the two sides have agreed to the
deal and ESPN.com reports that W
COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING
NCAA Football BettingMany fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines .
To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sports betting
MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.
Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.
According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).
Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.
''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.
Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.
''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''
Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.
”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.
For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.