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09/06/2010 - Istanbul, Turkey (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chauncey Billups led a 121-66 rout of Angola with 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three-point range, as Team USA rolled into the quarterfinals of the 2010 FIBA World Championships.
Kevin Durant, Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay each scored 17 points as the Americans rolled behind 53-percent shooting and 18 three-pointers on 38 attempts.
Derrick Rose and Lamar Odom each had nine points with the latter bringing down a game-high eight rebounds.
The U.S. will face Russia on Thursday in the quarterfinals.
Joaquim Gomes put in 21 points for the Angolans, who were overwhelmed from the start and trailed 33-13 after the opening quarter.
Team USA scored 18 points off turnovers and turned in 22 fast-break points in the rout. It was 65-38 at halftime and Angola managed just 28 points in the second half.
A 10-0 spurt in the first quarter was capped by consecutive threes from Billups and Durant to forge a 22-7 lead. A three-point play by Kevin Love minutes later had the margin at 29-9.
It was more of the same in the second half, as Gordon rattled in a pair of threes in the latter stages of the third to expand the lead to 89-52.
The U.S. outscored the opposition 30-10 over the final 10 minutes.
In Monday's second round of 16 matchup, Russia pulled away in the second half to knock off New Zealand, 78-56.
Andrey Vorontsevich scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, helping Russia pull away in the second half after leading by only four at halftime. Timofey Mozgov added 16 points, while Vitaliy Fridzon had 12 points in the victory.
Kirk Penney led New Zealand with 21 points, and Thomas Abercrombie had 13 in defeat.
<< Walker, Pirates shut down stumbling Braves
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Neil Walker's two-run homer in the sixth
inning proved to be the difference, as the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the
Atlanta Braves, 3-1, in the opener of a three-game set at PNC Park.
Jose Tabata a
<< Chicago stays hot with win over Detroit in extras
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A.J. Pierzynski singled home the go-ahead run
in the top of the 10th inning, and the Chicago White Sox beat Detroit, 5-4, in
the opener of a four-game series at Comerica Park.
Pierzynski added a two-run singl
<< Mendez goes six strong in debut as Marlins down Phils
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adalberto Mendez pitched six shutout
innings in his major league debut, and the Florida Marlins beat the
Philadelphia Phillies, 7-1, in the first of two games Monday at Citizens Bank
Park.
<< Cummings named MLS Player of the Week
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Colorado Rapids striker Omar Cummings was
named the MLS Player of the Week for Week 23 on Monday as he had a hand in all
three of Colorado's goals in a 3-0 win over Chivas USA on Saturday.
Cummings is t
Kubel, Thome homer to help Twins edge Royals >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Kubel and Jim Thome both homered in
the bottom of the fifth inning, as the Minnesota Twins clipped Kansas City,
5-4, in the opener of a three-game series at Target Field.
Thome, who now has 585
Soto's homer in eighth lifts Cubs past Astros >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Geovany Soto's two-out homer in the eighth
proved to be the difference, as the Chicago Cubs opened a three-game series
against the Houston Astros with a 5-4 victory at Wrigley Field.
Soto launched his
Bucs claim RB Blount, release WR Brown >>
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have claimed running
back LaGarrette Blount off waivers from the Tennessee Titans and released
veteran wide receiver Reggie Brown.
Blount was let go Sunday by the Titans afte
One More Laugh claims Cane Pace >>
Freehold, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Odds-on favorite One More Laugh rolled to
victory Labor Day in the $300,000 Cane Pace at Freehold Raceway. The Cane Pace
is the first of Pacing's Triple Crown races.
Pacing's Triple Crown will continue
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
Trash talk has a place in every competitive endeavor (except baseball; those stirrup-wearers are too busy chewing on their sunflower seeds and their supplements to worry about what their opponents are doing).
Fantasy sports is no exception. Any intelligent discussion of the subject would probably start with a thesis statement or a definition of terms. Thankfully, this wont be an intelligent discussion.
Let me just say that I am happy to take a place in this space alongside my talented colleagues, even our commissioner. (You should see how she bleats like a demented paper boy about league fees on our fantasy site).
Trash talking, I would argue, is primarily about amusing your friends, their sheeplike demeanors and sloping foreheads notwithstanding. The best place I have found for football trash talking is at www.SportsAlarm.com.
Beyond the entertainment factor, though, I would recognize that the sophomoric ritual has one advantage, when properly applied. It magnifies your fantasy triumphs and mitigates your fantasy failures by transforming the eventual point total into an afterthought. Winning makes it seem like your opponent really is a truss-owning, lapel-pin-wearing nitwit. And in defeat, trash talk can be the air bag to break the fall from your hyperbolic heights. The plug-necked yahoos on your team, you can say, will be sacking groceries by the end of the season.
The best trash talk, in my view, is layered and nuanced. And it doesnt focus only on your opponents team. It picks apart your opponent. The idea is to create a shock-and-awe-scale blizzard of nonsense, and the goal is to make your opponent drop his hands from his keyboard in exasperation.
What team does your opponent root for? Accuse a Giants fan of having a Joe Namath pillowcase. Wheres your opponent from? Give a look of concern no matter his reply, then say, I'll try to type slower for you next time. Is your opponent into politics? Label everyone a tax-and-spend corporate shill.
Cap all that with a liberal application of irrelevance. For instance, dont just conclude by saying your opponent is a twerp who drafts like my grandmother. Say that your opponent is a sweater-wearing, eyebrow-plucking twerp who drafts his team about as well as Zsa Zsa Gabor gave acceptance speeches at the Oscars. By the time your foe makes sense of that, his starting running back will have had puppies.
But what about you? Hmm? Recall a memorable slam? Have a tried-and-true technique? Know someone who seems impervious to insult? Take a moment and tells us about it. Put together some (fit-for-publication) thoughts. You wont be too busy returning phone messages from your friends, Im sure, to reply.
In addition to the trash talking, the Sports Alarm has a huge gallery of high resolution pictures of beautiful women and models in bikinis. The most popular models are: Lindsay Lohan, Carrie Underwood, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Paris Hilton.
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