Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
08/09/2008 - Bloomfield Hills Township, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul Azinger was always going to be a different Ryder Cup captain than most.
In his Ryder Cup career, which only spanned four Ryder Cups, Azinger got into legendary confrontations with the famed "Spanish Armada" of Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal, and refused to back down to the man leading the other side against him in a month, Nick Faldo.
So it shouldn't come as a surprise that Azinger is imposing his will as the leader of the American Ryder Cup team.
When he took the job, Azinger got the PGA of America to totally revamp the selection process for the U.S. team. The Europeans always have a one-year qualifying window, thus, got the hottest players.
The U.S. always had a two-year period, with more emphasis on the second year and majors. Azinger told them to cram that system. He said to make it money- based and only count the majors from the prior season. The year of the Ryder Cup is when it should count, therefore you get the best players.
Tom Lehman, who led his American compatriots to slaughter at The K Club two years ago, tweaked the system. Azinger blew it up.
PGA of America agreed to Azinger's demands.
Azinger wanted four picks, not the traditional two. He also didn't want to have to use them the Monday after the PGA Championship. It didn't make sense to him to pick guys almost a month before the competition
So the PGA of America agreed. Now Azinger won't make his four picks until September 2nd, almost three weeks after the eight automatic players make the team. The U.S. players now have what has become essentially a three-week try out.
Perhaps more important than the three-week try out is that Azinger will make these four picks 17 days before the first ball is struck at Valhalla. Talk about getting the hottest guys before the tournament.
If three Americans win in the three weeks leading up to the picks, they will probably make Azinger's team. He said as much on Wednesday.
"I'm going to look at who is hot. If somebody wins Greensboro (next week's Wyndham Championship), he's going to get a really good look from me," Azinger said.
Azinger has pulled no punches with his prospective team as well. All you've heard all year is that Kenny Perry wanted to make the Ryder Cup team in his home state of Kentucky. He eliminated majors off his schedule to try and earn more points to make this team.
Azinger was strategically quoted as saying he only wanted winners on his team. Perry hoisted three trophies this year.
If Jim Furyk, Anthony Kim and Phil Mickelson are looking for a rah-rah guy, they are going to be in for a rude awakening. Azinger is a cancer survivor and a dogged competitor, but inspiring?
"If they need to be inspired by me, then they are hurting," Azinger said on Saturday after a third-round, six-over 76. "I mean, if I'm an inspiration, I'm happy to be that. I think that they are going to be really motivated and they are going to be inspired to play well, and it's not really the captain's responsibility to do that."
Azinger will get them to Valhalla, but he's practical enough to know that his guys have to sink the putts. He can't do that for them. All Azinger can do is put what he believes is the best team on the course.
Azinger will have done that come September 19th thanks to imposing his will for what's best for the United States Ryder Cup team.
<< Blumenherst, Munoz to battle for U.S. Women's Amateur crown
Eugene, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Amanda Blumenherst didn't lead until the back
nine on Saturday, but she managed to knock off Erynne Lee 3 & 2 to advance to
the finals at the 108th U.S. Women's Amateur at Eugene Country Club.
Azahara M
<< Browns terminate CB Baxter's contract
Berea, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Browns put Gary Baxter's comeback
on hold when they terminated the cornerback's contract on Saturday.
Baxter, 29, joined the Browns in 2005 as a free agent from Baltimore, but he
played in just
<< Lakers agree to terms with Chinese guard
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Lakers agreed to terms on
a contract with point guard Sun Yue. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 22-year-old was the Lakers' second-round choice in the 2007 draft out of
Chinese
<< Bodine captures first truck pole of the season
Lebanon, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Todd Bodine won the pole for Saturday's Toyota
Tundra 200 at the Nashville Superspeedway. The No.30 Germain Racing Toyota
driver rounded the 1.333-mile concrete oval in 30.244 seconds (158.669
m.p.h.)
Reds place Votto on bereavement list >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Reds placed first baseman
Joey Votto on the bereavement list on Saturday and selected the contract of
infielder Adam Rosales from Triple-A Louisville.
The 24-year-old Votto is eligibl
Barrett goal leads TFC to improbable win at Colorado >>
Commerce City, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Rapids had all the
advantages heading into their Major League Soccer fixture vs. Toronto FC on
Saturday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
The Rapids were playing at home, had a w
French horse captures Arlington Million XXVI >>
Arlington Heights, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - European invader Spirit One went
wire-to-wire to win Saturday's 26th running of the Arlington Million at
Arlington Park. The victory in the 1 1/4 mile grass race, part of the "Win
and Yo
Inclement weather ends Saturday at PGA >>
Bloomfield Hills Township, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Inclement weather at Oakland
Hills forced the suspension of play for the day Saturday during the third
round of the PGA Championship.
J.B. Holmes stayed atop the leaderboard, but has not teed
Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.
NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
MySportsbook.com is considered one of the finest online sportsbook according to several surveys performed by independent industry analysts considering such factors as payout accuracy and timeliness, overall quality of website, and bettor satisfaction.
MySportsbook is offering a free printable NFL football office pool sheets. Run your own NFL Football Office Pool. Create your own pool, invite your friends to join. Compete with your with co-workers, friends or family for bragging rights every week. Exchange some hard hits without risk of injury. Trash Talk with your fellow co-workers.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your nfl football pool sheets needs.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting