Tolliver brings a sense of humor to the Twin Cities
Basketball Betting Lines
08/09/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's probably a good idea to have a sense of humor if you are around a basketball team that amassed all of 15 wins and finished 38 games out of first place.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have done their best to remake the roster that "accomplished" that last season, shipping a perceived "bad seed," power forward Al Jefferson, to Salt Lake City, while giving second-year coach Kurt Rambis some exciting new options like Syracuse rookie forward Wesley Johnson, former Bucks point guard Luke Ridnour, and a former No. 2 overall pick in Michael Beasley.
Of course this is the 'Wolves so you can bet the black cloud hanging over the franchise hasn't fully dissipated just yet. Promising sophomore point guard Jonny Flynn underwent surgery in late July to repair a labral tear and remove extra bone from his left hip and is expected to be sidelined from basketball activities for three to four months.
It's safe to say Minnesota still has a ways to go before Kobe and his Laker teammates are shaking in their boots but basketball chief David Kahn made another move late last week by agreeing on a two-year deal with Anthony Tolliver, a forward with all of 65 career games on his NBA resume.
It's not the type of signing that will require a press conference at Target Center but the 6-foot-9 Tolliver has shown some offensive skills with the Golden State Warriors and he should be able to carve out a few minutes in Rambis' frontcourt rotation that will include Johnson, Martell Webster, Kevin Love and Beasley.
Tolliver's biggest contribution to the 'Wolves, however, may be in the locker room.
He announced his decision to leave Oakland for the Twin Cities last Friday in a short YouTube video, spoofing LeBron James' often criticized "The Decision" special on ESPN last month.
In the video entitled "The Decision: Part Deux!!," a woman off camera asks the former D-League star when he made his decision.
"Um, I think I made my decision this morning while using the bathroom," Tolliver said. "It just came to me."
Unknown interviewer: "So, are you going to let us know your decision?"
After writing his decision on a piece of paper, presumably to build up the suspense, Tolliver said: "I will be taking my services to the north, the Minnesota Timberwolves."
A wolf is then heard howling in the background as Tolliver continued:
"Thank you to all my fans who have been following me and following my decision. It's been a great run and hopefully this is just the beginning."
James, of course, famously announced his decision by saying "I will be taking my talents to South Beach."
It's tough for a role player to become a leader in any locker room but humor is often the first step in getting along with people, especially in a close- knit atmosphere like the NBA.
Tolliver will never be a superstar on the court in Minneapolis. Off the court, he's off to a very good start.
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors will play the first-ever NBA regular season games in Europe at the O2 Arena in London, England on March 4 and 5. "The staging of our first regular-season games
<< Gustafson into top 25 of world rankings
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sophie Gustafson's victory at the Ladies
Irish Open on Sunday moved her back into the top 25 of this week's world
rankings.
Gustafson moved up six places to No. 24.
There were no changes in the
<< Dallas Cowboys 2010 Season Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jerry Jones has never been one to scale back when it comes
to his goals. The colorful Dallas Cowboys owner is certainly thinking big in
2010.
Last year Jones unveiled to an awaiting public his longtime grand design, a
spe
<< Cards re-sign FB Maui'a
Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Cardinals have re-signed fullback
Reagan Maui'a and waived-injured fullback Charles Ali.
Maui'a was released by the Cardinals on July 30 after being signed last
January. He originally sig
<< ODU won't have Davenport on roster
Norfolk, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - West Virginia transfer Dominik Davenport will
not be eligible for Old Dominion's football team this season.
The redshirt freshman defensive tackle joined the Monarchs in the spring. The
school announced he comp
Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Edmonton Oilers have agreed to terms with left wing Liam Reddox on a one-year contract. Reddox collected two assists in nine games for Edmonton last season. He spent most of the campaign with Springfi
Blue Jays' draft pick Diedrick proving his worth >>
Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - About the only thing bigger than Philip
Diedrick's heart is his smile.
Diedrick's infectious grin and mild-mannered approach to life are attributes
that serve him well in life and on the diamond.
I
Rematch between Blame and Quality Road not immediate >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Saturday's dramatic stretch drive between
Blame and Quality Road in the Whitney Handicap will have to satisfy race fans
for more than a month. The earliest the two four-year-olds will meet again
appears
Mahan up to 12th in world rankings >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hunter Mahan's victory Sunday at the WGC-
Bridgestone Invitational moved the American to 12th in this week's world golf
rankings.
Mahan moved up 19 spots this week after his biggest professional win.
Red Wings ink veteran blueliner Salei >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings have signed
defenseman Ruslan Salei to a one-year contract.
No terms of the deal were disclosed.
Salei was limited to just 14 games because of a back injury last season
Online Sportsbook Football Betting
Colts give the ‘D’ its due
The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts US credit cards
Football Betting Lines
The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.
Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.
Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.
A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.
Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.
Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.
Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.
And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.
For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.
2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win
Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1
Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1
Donald Brown (IND) 5/1
Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1
Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1
Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1
Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1
Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1
Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1
Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1
Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1
Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1
Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1
Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1
Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1
Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1
Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1
LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1
Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2
Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1
Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1
Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1
Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1
Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1
Jason Smith (STL) 40/1
Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1
Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1
Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1
Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2
Pat White (MIA) 30/1
Field (Any Other Player) 9/1
To visit this sports betting site go to BettingExpress.com for all your football betting lines needs.
For sports betting with credit cards site go to BettingExpress.com as well.