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SEPTEMBER 2010
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PUSHING THE BILL H.R.2267
Oh. YES. WE. DID. LeBron's departure from Cleveland
2010 NFL SEASON PREVIEW The best bets to win you money
The Interview: A sit-down with Tiffany Michelle
GX EDITORIAL
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RUNNERS & WRITERS
MONDAY NIGHT MELTDOWN Can you smell that? Can you feel that in the air? To me, it smells like excitement. To me, it feels like wasted Sundays on the couch. I can see it now and it’s a beautiful thing. If you have no idea as to what I’m talking about, let me spell it out for you: football is finally back. Don’t get me wrong here, I love all sports and I think that my love of sport - besides the excitement, emotional investing and excuse to drink – comes from the fact that that no one can ever stop learning when it comes to sports. There are obviously some I prefer to watch over others, but I’d surely pick tuning into the PGA Senior Tour over The Jersey Shore any day of the week. To understand me, it’s important to know that my sports calendar is tidal: One month has its high tides and the next month has its low tides. For me, September is one of those high-tide months. Actually, it is, by far, the best month of the year for sports. With the MLB playoff picture beginning to take shape and the startup of the NFL season, I experience utter pandemonium for 30 days in September. However, there is one slight downfall that comes with the pandemonium and I’ll admit my guilt: I love to look at Vegas’ numbers and wager on sports. There I said it! Guilty as charged. Let’s get one thing straight, I was never a gambler. I never had the urge to take a trip down the Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun to play a hand of poker or pull the lever of a slot machine in hopes of matching three cherries in a row. In fact, I was totally opposed to just handing my hard-earned money over to casinos for the thrill found in the roll of the dice or a stone-cold bluff. Instead, being the sports enthusiast that I am, while in college, I took a liking into betting a few dollars on sports games. It was never any big money, but enough to make watching each game I wagered on a bit more exciting. Then, in 2007, the New England Patriots started a very impressive winning streak. Now, I’m a Boston guy, so from Week 1, I was enticed to put some sort of money down on New England. Whether it was the money line, point spread or over/under, I had an itch to just lay it all down for the sake of my Patriots. But week-after-week waves of apprehension crashed upon my gambling desires, causing my quixotic plans of cashing-in big because New England was winning every game – to be put on hiatus. It was Week 13 and New England was still undefeated. They were scheduled to play the Ravens on Monday Night Football. “This was it,” I thought. “This was the night to lay it all on the line.” Unbeknownst to me, this was the night when New England would be tested for the first time all season. It was actually the first night that the Patriots wouldn’t cover the spread and it was the first night when a win would come down to the final play of the game. I won’t say how much I wagered, but I will say that my heart was thumping at the speed of sound for all four quarters as I was stuck on a couch by myself, sweating profusely, eyes glued to the television, wondering how I was going to pay-up on Tuesday. That Monday night was one of the worst experiences of my life, since the one time I decided to be a “high roller” was the one time that season a sure thing would let down. That one game –which the Patriots ended up winning – sucked all the fun out of sports for me. It was the last time I would ever bet any serious monetary value on a game and it was also the last time I’d ever bet on my home team again. Now I’m at ease. Aristotle said it best, “Self-respect is the fruit of all discipline.”
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in the news September----October
ESPN Gamble on World Series of Poker Continues to Payout
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he “world-wide leader in sports” received a major boost in ratings (15%) as it continued to cover poker’s Super Bowl in 2010. ESPN reaped the benefits of amazing storylines and unprecedented play as its coverage heavily focused on the $50,000 Poker Players Championship, whereby Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi won his first gold bracelet. The coverage was enthralling and focused on Michael Mizrachi and his brother Robert, both of whom reached the final eight, before Michael knocked his brother out in fifth place. Vladimir Schmelev, who went on to make four World Championship final tables at the 2010 WSOP, was also involved in the battle for the WSOP gold bracelet. He also played in the heads-up play with Michael Mizrachi, but ultimately was sent to the rail in second place. Also, The Poker Players Championship was a big change from the mixed games World Championship that the WSOP had run in recent years. The tournament which opened the WSOP in late May, involved participants playing eight different games- No Limit and Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, Limit Stud and Stud Hi-Lo, Razz and Limit 2-7 Triple Draw. ESPN are broadcasting highlights of the 2010 WSOP up until the Main Event, which begins on November 9th.
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Full Tilt Poker’s FTOPS XVII Winner is TyboVegas
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he 17th FTOPS has finally came to an end Sunday August 15th after 34 events as the FTOPS XVII Main Event closed with TyboVegas winning the $423,057 for 1st place in the Main Event. While TyboVegas came first he did not take home the most money as DQnk shipped $446,943 for 2nd place due to a deal the final two players struck during their heads-up match. During the $3 million FTOPS XVII Main Event the top-5 players all took home six-figure cashes, but it was Mike “chip money” Chappus who truly won the most for his 266th place finish in the Main Event. Chappus was able to secure his FTOPS Player of the Year honors for his two FTOPS event wins (Events #3 and #24) and five overall cashes during the 34 FTOPS events.
Out of the 75 Full Tilt Pro players in the Main Event the closest any of them got to the final table was Joao Barbosa who took 27th place. The only big name from the final table was Jeremy Burleson who came 9th in the Main Event for $31,500, but is best known for winning the FTOPS XVII Event #19 (Triple Shootout) and taking home $76,545. While the FTOPS XVII Main Event boasted a $3 million guarantee, the buy-ins were just short of that mark. With 4,805 players spending the $600+$40 buy-in there was shortage of just over $117,000 on Full Tilt’s side. By factoring in the buy-in fee of $40 Full Tilt was at least able to cover the guarantee by over $70,000. In all, the FTOPS XVII Main Event gave away its largest prize pool in FTOPS Main Event history and made some players very rich. The XVII FTOPS was a successful kickoff to the rest of the major online poker tournament series as the UltimateBet and Absolute Poker UBOC and MiniUBOC kicks off on August 18th, 2010. -Dave Tubbs
Recession Pandemic Spreads to Atlantic City
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nline casinos and poker rooms growth continues to soar through 2010 even with hiccups along the way; Atlantic City’s land based casinos did not see this growth in July as revenues slid by nearly $365 million. This is a downturn of 5% from year over year revenues and spells an uncomfortable 2010 for the home of East- Coast gambling. The New Jersey gambling hub was topped by the Trump Taj Mahal as it had positive July revenue of $47.2 million. This is a $3.1 million jump from the same time in 2009. Two other Trump properties in New Jersey could not say the same as the Trump Marina and Plaza resorts both suffered double digit loses from the July prior. The Atlantic City Hilton saw a 2.1% growth for July and the Borgata, which is hosting a World Poker Tour event in September, broke even. The World Series of Poker Circuit touches down in Caesars Atlantic City next March, but that did little to help the resort fend off a 10% drop. In the first seven months of 2010 no Atlantic City casino and
resort has seen a positive growth in revenue in comparison to 2009. Harrah’s Atlantic City has been the closest at breaking even with their 2009 earnings with a fall of just 2.5%. The only ones who are winning as of right now are the New Jersey Casino Revenue Fund and the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority as they took 8% and 1.25%, respectively, in taxable gross revenue from the New Jersey based casinos. The Casino Revenue Fund took home $25.9 million in July while the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority snapped up $4.5 million.
sports betting t Newly acquired Angels starting pitcher Dan Haren delivers a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles in the third inning
t New York Yankees pitcher Kerry Wood works from the mound against the Tampa Bay Rays for the first time in a Yankees’ uniform, taking 8th inning duties from Joba Chamberlain.
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s New Chicago White Sox pitcher Edwin Jackson throws for the first time off of the mound in an AL uniform in 2010.
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prosecution, for furnishing offshore online gambling to U.S. residents, while the U.S. gambler placing the bet remains safe. And to date, banks and payment processors are still unclear as to which transactions are actually required to be blocked.
never implemented until June 1, 2010, after many long delays by the federal government’s U.S. Department of the Treasury in compelling U.S. banking institutions to honor its rules. However, the main problem, which will continue to haunt H.R. 2267, is the actual legal definition of “illegal online gambling”, thus creating all kinds of loopholes and wiggle room, from the living room gambler to organized crime, to skirt the law. And also of concern in the presently active UIGEA, is that banks remain the only legally accountable parties subject to penalty and
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Due to the difficulty in deciphering a non-finite system for the processing of legal U.S. based online gaming transactions, consumers’ credit cards and debit cards cannot only be blocked or frozen, but accounts are often cancelled. Furthermore, a consumer, ignorant of the UIGEA could innocently go to a gambling site, not even knowing from where it emanates and later find that their credit line or checking account is in peril, simply by clicking on an illicit site. So for now, that is the best that the U.S. government has served up, as concerns online gaming. But not shy to out-do itself, even if it compounds a dysfunctional process even more so, the federal government has plans to muck it up again through a poorly framed H.R. 2267; almost immediately setting it up to fail. H.R. 2267 is overly broad and murky, yet will intrinsically involve the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), amongst other U.S. federal agencies, for starters.
It is merely a wish list without the necessary mechanisms in place to not only generate the hoped for tax revenue, but for enforcing the law itself. And it stands to open the floodgates for illicit online gaming, incongruous with what it should be designed to do. It would leave online gambling sites left to police themselves, merely under the purview of the U.S. federal government. And like most other large pieces of U.S. legislation that has been conveniently rushed through to final Congressional passage, H.R. 2267 is another boiler plate document of mandates, to be fulfilled at a date certain after it is already signed into law. But due to its ambiguity, which seemingly appears by design, H.R. 2267 calls for provisions and assorted amendments that cover a wide array of issues. And it is worth noting several of them here, in order to show how arduous it will be for its desired compliance. Firstly, it authorizes the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury to create a licensing program for regulations and enforcement of the law, issuing licenses to online gambling entities, effective for a period of five years. Thus, it prescribes the licensing requirements for such internet gambling entities and prohibits operation of an internet gambling entity that knowingly accepts
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hould I stay or should I go?” It was the reoccurring, nightmarish question that Cleveland Cavalier fans knew, one day, would be asked by its most talented and beloved, home-grown athlete. It has also simultaneously remained the one question that every fan of the LeBronera Cavaliers has dreaded, much like a parent dreading the moment when they walk in on their children re-enacting scenes from “American Pie.” Yet, for seven years that one question has remained a notion that was out of sight and out of mind; until now, that is. Now, it’s been asked. Now, it’s been answered. And now, he’s gone forever.
It’s Just Business, Nothing Everything Personal.
We all know how it went down in Greenwich, Connecticut. The moment that the mega-hyped, The Decision aired July 8th live on ESPN at 9:00 PM EST was the moment when LeBron James stuck a trident in the backs of Cleveland Cavaliers fans. The entire sit-down was an overblown, sensationalized one-on-one that brought on a claustrophobic unease. It’s tough to even imagine the tensions that were rising and surely overflowing in Cleveland throughout the one-hour ESPN special. It can’t be explained or even summarized in words. Tortured Cleveland fans that have been put through so much agony and so much pain for so many years gathered in anticipation that their king would undoubtedly stay put rather than flee. Unfortunately, those that tuned-in were left with their mouths gaping open in disbelief, like if a guy just found out that the girl he’d been dating for six months was a man. When James uttered the words, “this fall I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and play for the Miami Heat,” to Jim Gray during The Decision, basketball in Cleveland died. That’s a fact. In retrospect, it’s easy to see that from the moment he was drafted #1 overall in 2003, LeBron James became the lifeblood of basketball - heck he was the lifeblood of all sports - in a community that was completely deeprooted in the dregs of professional athletics. The Browns, the Indians and, up until LeBron made his debut in 2003, the Cavaliers were all the bastardized children of the sports world. James changed all of that. He cast a ray of light on a city
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that was totally clouded with failure and misery. He gave the Cavs a chance to win each time he stepped out on the court. He was the almighty in Cleveland and Cavaliers fans kissed his feet and worshipped the parquet floors upon which he trotted.
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The first question to ask is, “How could he do this to his people?” How could, arguably, the greatest athlete to ever come out of Ohio, betray a city just miles from his hometown? It’s simple: LeBron is a businessman. He has been since he came out of St. Vincent’s-St. Mary’s High School to enter the NBA Draft. You’d have to be if you’re that good at anything. Looking in the rearview mirror, it’s not that difficult to comprehend. Think about it, LeBron-to-the-Cavaliers was a dream scenario. It’s every kid’s dream to go pro and play for his hometown team. Isn’t it possible that LeBron thought the same way? At the age of 18, how great must it have seemed to James to be the saving grace for his hometown team that hadn’t been relevant in the NBA for decades?
could never put the right pieces around him to catapult the Cavs into the Finals every year. Over the course of seven years the Cavaliers front office made all of the wrong moves by adding stinkers, including Jiri Welsch, Larry Hughes, Damon Jones, Ben Wallace and Wally Szerbiak, to the Cleveland roster. It was crystal clear that James had a growing discontent brought on by Danny Ferry’s successes of assembling a half-assed team that could never win it all each season. Despite Cleveland’s annual post-season shortcomings, it’s important to remember, never once did LeBron pull a “Kobe” and threaten to up-and-leave the Cavaliers while under contract. James wisely negotiated a three-year, opt-out clause in his contract for leverage, but nothing ever developed from it. Could that opt-out clause have scared away some of the free-agents Ferry tried to bring in and accompany King James? It’s likely. But LeBron never overelaborated on his unhappiness with the Cavaliers organization’s lame attempts to satisfy his desire to win a championship.
During the seven years James played in Cleveland, he made the Cavs clear-cut playoff contenders each year. While it’s true that LeBron could never bring them to glory, it wasn’t entirely his fault. He did come close in 2007, but was ousted in embarrassing fashion by the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals. It wasn’t James’ accountability that upper-management
Coming into 2009, Cavaliers owner, Dan Gilbert and general manager, Danny Ferry found themselves held at gun point with their backs up against the wall. With one year remaining on their most prized possession’s contract, Gilbert and Ferry did the only thing that they could do to make James’ possible final season in Cleveland successful: they went all-in. Danny Ferry brought
in Shaquille O’Neal, Mo Williams and then traded for Antawn Jamison mid-season in hopes of scrapping together something that might resemble a playoff-hopeful basketball team. Did the new-look Cavaliers ever have a chance to win an NBA Championship? Absolutely not. Mo Williams is a decent point guard, but not good enough to run the court on a consistent basis; Shaquille O’Neal hasn’t been a relevant starter in three or four years; and though people were excited when Cleveland traded for Antawn Jamison at the deadline, the majority forgot that he notoriously went into hiding during clutch or high pressure situations, circa the postseason. That’s precisely when LeBron quit - once he realized the team’s mortality after the regular season – and mailed it in. Sure, Cleveland finished the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference, clinched the number one seed in the postseason and even easily handled the Chicago Bulls in the opening round of the playoffs. However, once Boston rolled into town, the team Ferry assembled with Scotch Tape and Gorilla Glue failed to strike the right balance. The old, slow and worn-out veterans that comprised the Celtics’ roster had the antidote to counteract Cleveland’s young, athletic, but inexperienced group. It’s tough to write, or even think that LeBron would ever quit on the court, but he did for the first time in his career on May 13, 2010 in Boston. For the entire 46-minutes and 12-seconds James
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As Tony Gwynn, Strasburg’s college coach, put it, “the kid has it all.”
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Can they co-exist? Can they defend? That’s what the world wants to know. Dwyane, LeBron and Chris are all close friends, but if they can’t handle ball distribution and sacrifice personal stats for the greater good of the team, Miami could be headed for a Titanic-like disaster. Realistically, none of the three sacrificed a dollar coming over to Miami (remember there’s no state income tax in Florida). But, if they didn’t realize that sacrifices would have to be made on the court to win an NBA Championship when they crafted the idea of playing together, then they’re a lot dumber than they look. And when Bosh and James signed, Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem and Žydrunas Ilgauskas hadn’t been brought in yet. Now, the Heat has plenty of size and plenty of defensive ability. Do they have an Achilles’ heel? Not on paper. When asked if the Heat could win 72 games – a feat that hasn’t been done since the ’96 Bulls - ABC/ESPN NBA analyst, Mike Van Gundy stated, “I would think that everybody would think they would have a great shot at it.” Van Gundy also went on to say, “I don’t know if I said they will or they have a great chance, whatever I said, I just think if they’re healthy, the discrepancy between their talent level and the next level is so great that I just don’t see how they lose games. I think they’re that good.” The one area that could hurt the Heat is simply that they are now a villain team and a villain franchise. The entire NBA will be gunning after Miami as they have become the team to beat -
forget about the Lakers, Celtics and Magic. Oddly enough, the new “Big Three” will play the older “Big Three” on October 26th as the Heat open up the 2010 NBA season at the Boston Garden to take on the Celtics. It’s games like these that will foreshadow the successes or failures of the Miami Heat. If they do as advertised, bring out the best in each other and win it all, the move and the sacrifice will have paid off. If they implode and fail, they will all become the laughing stock of professional sports. We’ll know how for real Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh are very early in the season, as their first game will be against their toughest opponent within the Eastern Conference. For the new-look Heat, in their first year, it really is sink or swim. History tells us that the great ones usually stayed with one team; Russell, Bird, Magic, Jordan. They all won with one team and they retired with one team (minus Jordan who retired for the second time with Washington). But times have radically changed. When LeBron came to Cleveland he was the chosen one and we were all his witnesses. What we witnessed was an extreme example of identity crisis. For seven years James labored trying to bring a championship to his hometown and for seven years we all tried fitting a square peg through a circular hole. James is incapable of being Jordan, as he proved by joining a team to be a member of a supporting cast. The NBA is a business and
in a business there are no attachments and no favorites. LeBron made a business decision by leaving Cleveland. He no longer wanted to be the guy that an entire franchise - an entire city leaned on to bring them to greatness. Whether LeBron knowingly or unknowingly lead the Cavaliers straight into a snake pit of betrayal and heartbreak, there were better ways he could have departed from his seven-year relationship with the city of Cleveland. He’ll never be forgiven for the way he left the entire Cavaliers franchise at the altar. He’ll never be forgiven for divorcing himself from the Cavs on national television. He‘ll never be forgiven for kicking fans to the curb the way he did. The saying goes, “It’s just business., nothing personal.” But because James left the way he did, to the people of Cleveland, it was just business, everything personal.
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As Tony Gwynn, Strasburg’s college coach, put it, “the kid has it all.”
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the NFC East crown. Philadelphia is at 14-5 odds to win the division. The Giants are expected to rebound after last season’s disappointing finish. Eli Manning will need to become the leader of this team as there will certainly be more added pressure playing in a new stadium. His passing attack options are certainly strong with (the other) Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks and Kevin Boss. But running back Brandon Jacobs will have to help carry the load with Ahmad Bradshaw for an entire season to help out Manning. The G-men are at 3-1 to take the east. There won’t be any easy games in the NFC East this season; that’s the best way to look at it. The Eagles are 18-1 in Super Bowl odds, the Giants are 25-1 while the Redskins are 35-1.
NFC West The NFC West is wide open with San Francisco the slight favorite over Seattle and Arizona and St. Louis (the big longshot). Every team in the west has the reoccurring theme of quarterback questions beginning with the 49ers. San Francisco is hoping Alex Smith is the answer to the team’s QB nightmare and will prove that he’s not a bust after being the number one overall selection in the 2005 draft. It’s been a bit of a quarterback carrousel for the 49ers, but once Mike Singletary gave Smith his vote of confidence, the number one pick showed signs of brilliance at times. With Frank Gore in the backfield and Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis
as his go-to receiving weapons, Smith has one of the best one-two punches in the NFC. Factor in an astute and aggressive defense anchored by Patrick Willis and San Francisco is the immediate favorite to win the NFC West with 10-11 odds. The Arizona Cardinals will surely be missing Kurt Warner - who retired after failing to advance to the NFC Championship in 2009 and will rely on former Heisman Trophy winner, Matt Leinart. Leinart was selected 10th in the 2006 NFL Draft out of USC by Arizona and hasn’t shown much promise since then. The lefty has all of the talent in the world, but distractions off of the field have seriously hindered the young quarterback’s development. With Leinart given the chance to study under Kurt Warner for four seasons, the former USC prospect could pull an Aaron Rogers and make Arizona a contender. However, facing reality, with the departure of Anquan Boldin on offense and Karlos Dansby on defense, Larry Fitzgerald and Darnell Dockett will have to lead on both sides of the ball if the Cardinals are going to compete in their division. Arizona is a sleeper in the west –currently at 5-2 odds to take the NFC West crown- but, there are a lot of question marks and the quarterback position needs to come through in a big way if they’re going to make a run in 2010. Seattle relies upon aging Matt Hasselbeck who hasn’t played a full season since 2007. With Pete Carroll now in as head coach, the Seahawks have the tools to get the job done out west. Carroll will look to bring some of the luck and magic with him from USC, as he
slid out of Southern California before the NCAA uncovered any more dirt on the his successful program. Quite frankly, he can’t do much worse than he did with New York and New England in the ‘90s. Seattle is currently favored over the Rams to win out the NFC West with 3-1 odds. The Rams have #1 draft pick, Sam Bradford, to look forward to, but will probably struggle as a rookie quarterback. Don’t expect St. Louis to be making any sort of splash in the NFC West. This is a team that has drafted terribly and is still in its rebuilding years. The 49ers have the best odds of any team in this division to win the Super Bowl at 30-1.
NFC North Minnesota and Green Bay are expected to battle it out all season in the NFC North. Now that Brett Favre is back, the Vikings are hoping he comes back in his 2009 form and avoids the critical mistake that cost Minnesota a Super Bowl berth last season; also known as choking when the pressure is on. With Minnesota’s defense coming back 100% healthy, the Vikings are the obvious pick to win the division. If Favre and Sidney Rice also enter the season healthy and ready to play, Minnesota might be able to hold off Green Bay. With Favre back they’re 11-8 odds to win the division. The Packers are thought of as a team that could derail the Vikings this season with Aaron Rodgers leading the way. Rogers proved that it sometimes helps to be an understudy for a few
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including teammate Clint Bowyer who finished seventh in the race. With wins at both Talladega and the July Daytona race, Harvick is in a good spot for the Chase points reset, which happens at the beginning of the ten races. (The top-12 drivers all start with the same amount of points and then earn ten bonus points for every race they win). However, as Harvick and Burton prepared for an almost-guaranteed Chase run, coming into the second part of the season, Bowyer began to struggle. He dropped from second to ninth in the point standings during four races and fell out of the Chase during the April Texas race. Since then, he’s been ping ponging back and forth, and in and out of the final Chase spot. While two of his drivers were stealing the show right before our eyes, Richard Childress started to focus more attention on the No. 33 team and help get them back on track. The work seemed to have paid off when Bowyer started to become more consistent and demonstrated that he could fight against the rest of the sharks that were all circling
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Their rebound from the horrible 2009 season has been nothing short of magical c
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Frank Gore: San Francisco 49ers – Although Frank Gore has done an admirable job carrying the load in San Fran the past four years, Gore hasn’t been the same since his breakout 2006 campaign. However, Gore posted his fourth straight 1400+ all purpose yard season last year and scored a career high 13 TDs. With Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis drawing attention along with a capable backup in Brian Westbrook, Gore may actually see fewer touches this year, but be more productive as he should stay healthier. If he is still on the board in the second round, you have a steal.
Ryan Mathews: San Diego Chargers – Relatively unknown at the college ranks as a result of playing at Fresno State, Ryan Mathews will undoubtedly be the top running back of the 2010 rookie class. In desperate need of a running game, San Diego drafted Mathews to play. Averaging 6.6 yards per carry last year at the college level, it’s scary to imagine what Mathews might be capable with 25 touches a game for the Chargers this year. Draft Mathews from anywhere in the mid second round to early third round.
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Shonn Greene: New York Jets – In limited playing time last year, Shonn Greene was simply sensational averaging 5.0 yards per carry. With the departure of Thomas Jones, Greene will be the feature back for the New York Jets this year. Although he won’t be quite as big of a threat in PPR leagues due to the addition of LaDainian Tomlinson, Greene will have plenty of touches. Also consider that the Jets easily led the league in rush attempts in 2009, running the ball 607 times. Simply put, Greene will get his due. SLEEPER ALERT!
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Michael Turner: Atlanta Falcons – After finishing with 1,699 rushing yards and 17 TDs in 2008, Turner was a massive disappointment in 2009 finishing with 871 yards and 10 TD’s in only 11 games. The silver lining? Turner actually averaged 4.9 yards per carry last year as opposed to 4.5 in his breakout season. Quite simply, Turner was over used in 2008 and the disappointing 2009 season was not unexpected. Rejuvenated and with a highly favorable schedule this upcoming season, don’t be surprised if Turner proves that 2008 wasn’t a fluke.
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Rashard Mendenhall: Pittsburgh Steelers – Once he was handed the starting gig last year, Mendenhall was a man on a mission. After replacing “Fast” Willie Parker, Mendenhall ran for over 1,000 yards and seven TDs. Mendenhall also proved he could catch the ball converting 26 receptions in to 261 yards and a TD last year. The knock against Mendenhall this year will be a brutal schedule and the loss of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for four games. As one of the few backs in the league with no competition in the backfield, draft Mendenhall as a strong RB2 with the upside of an RB1.
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Jonathan Stewart: Carolina Panthers – Despite being a backup to DeAngelo Williams, Stewart managed to outrush (1133 yards vs. 1117 yards) and outscore (10 TDs vs. seven TDs) Williams last year. Although Stewart may be listed as second on the depth chart going in to the season, He could easily supplant Williams as the No. 1 back in Carolina. He’ll see no worse than equal touches to Williams and should also receive all of the coveted goal line carries. For 2010, expect a huge bump in last year’s already excellent stats for Stewart.
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POKER poker
Moves That Mold Champions Top-11 turn and river moves
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tack sizes are one of the most important factors to consider when deciding whether or not to make a move on the turn or the river. If the opponent you are up against has a large stack compared to yours and the blinds in general he is more likely to call any bet you make. Similarly, if your opponent has a significantly smaller stack than yours he will most likely be pot committed to call your bets. The best spot for making moves is when both you and your opponent have similar stack sizes that are significantly larger than the current size of the big blind. In my opinion, significantly larger in this context are stack sizes above 20 times the big blind.
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The Delayed Continuation Bet
You raise pre flop with two high cards but don’t hit a pair on the flop. By checking the flop behind your opponents you raise suspicion in their minds. They were expecting a standard continuation bet, but instead you checked. Could you be slow playing a monster hand? When a harmless turn card hits you are now in a great position to steal the pot.
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The Action-Inducing Bet
If you hit the nuts or another great hand on the turn then making a small bet compared to the size of the pot will give your opponents
the impression that you are weak. This will sometimes lure them into making a large re raise or even pushing all in.
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The Blocking Bet
The blocking bet can be used on the turn as well as on the flop. I already mentioned the blocking bet in my previous list of top 10 flop moves. Here’s what I wrote: Say you called a pre flop raiser out of position with a drawing hand such as 89 suited. The flop comes A J 7 with one card in your suit. You have an inside straight draw and a backdoor flush opportunity. By making a small blocking bet as
baseball lifestyle
suffers a lot of insecurity, but he isn’t afraid to get into a fight as he’s supposed to be a cool guy, and Cera manages to make that work. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is so hot in this film. And not just to look at. Her character is so likeable that it’s easy to understand why Pilgrim fell for her. She really nails that down. But the supporting cast that brings this together all has to come down to Keiran Culkin. Dear God this man was funny as all hell in this film. He plays Scott Pilgrim’s gay roommate and voice of reason. He adds so much to every scene he’s in with his witty oneliners and insightful advice.
THE BAD Like sequel films, they all have to live up to the film before it, and this is one issue I had
with Scott Pilgrim. The first fight with Patel is insane with lots of fun and smart dialogue – great over the top action. And the follow-up fight with Chris Evans’ big skater star-turned actor is even better. However, Routh’s Psi-Powered Vegan fight is funny but with a lot less action. the excitement descends from there on out. It’s really hard to live up to those awesome opening fights. The rapid-fire storytelling that I loved does slow down, which in itself is a good thing. But it starts to lose that wow-factor that gave you perma-grin for the first half of the movie. But the shift in gears does take a while to ramp back up again and it makes the finale fight a little less epic. The final fight is still good, but feels a bit dragged out at the end.
OVERALL I had quite a few laugh-out-loud moments and I wasn’t the only one in the theater chuckling. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World isn’t just funny, it’s enjoyable. It’s fun to experience and fun to watch. I had a great time watching this movie which says a lot. I give Scott Pilgrim vs. The World an: 8.5 out of 10
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On the Gridiron Madden ’11 Review EA Sports continues to pump out their sports simulators this summer as Madden ’11, their most popular and successful football franchise, has hit the shelves and is shaping the way sports games are played
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Platform: PS3 XBOX360 Wii Modes: Single, Multiplayer, Online Release date: Out now
he seemingly endless queue of fans were lined up outside of gaming stores across the country - as they annually do every August 9th - marking the 2010 “Maddenoliday.” In Madden NFL Football’s long and storied history, the franchise has grown by leaps and bounds each year, circumstantially raising the bar in football gaming. This year the mantra for developers at EA Sports was simple: “quicker, deeper and simpler.” While upgrading the newest edition of Madden NFL Football, EA Sports wanted to make Madden ’11 quicker to play, deeper in experience throughout a game and simpler to understand and control while keeping the game play factor – the main element that has made the franchise so successful – exactly the same. In this summer’s release of Madden, EA Sports nailed it. Though there are some shortcomings in the game, Madden ’11 has lived up to the standards EA Sports set out to accomplish.
Game Flow: EA Sports’ first step in completing their three goals –quicker, deeper and simpler – was to make each game played in Madden ’11 take up less time. To do this, they added the Game Flow feature to speed-up the time it takes to complete all four quarters of any match up. Game flow essentially takes the tendencies of real-life NFL coaches and assigns real plays from their actual playbooks according to what they would call in certain situations. Though Game Flow takes a little time to get used to, it really adds realism to the game play and alleviates time and headaches
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in selecting a play while in the huddle. Though you cannot choose which playbook the computer uses - defaults to the team selected – default playbooks can be customized and used in-game. One of the falws noticed in Game Flow is that it will sometimes call the same plays on a run of two or more plays in a row. But overall it is a great new add-on. It also makes it easy for newcomers to Madden to pick up the mechanics of the game rather than get called for “delay of the game” penalties because they’ve taken up too much time trying to find a play. Of course, for the hardcore Madden gamer, the Game Flow can be turned off and the playbook selection boxes will appear in between plays.
Online Revolution: While the Franchise mode has not received a whole lot of love, the online world of Madden ’11 has expanded exponentially. New to the game this year is Co-Op 3-on-3. This mode enables friends on XBOX Live or on The Playstation Network to connect and either play on the same team or play on opposing sides. The new Co-Op feature enables players online to command a skill position and work with or against friends. Co-Op works in the latest edition of Madden because it’s obviously a new addition that can bring friends and gamers together and create a heavy dose of replay factor while adding a whole new dimension to the online football world.
Locomotion Two-Stick Control System “Deeper” is accomplished in Madden ’11 by
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Destination Known: Harrah’s Resort: Atlantic City, New Jersey By Sam Gale Never thought that New Jersey could be a lusting luxurious locale? Think again. Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City marks a great way to cap off the summer with a getaway filled with pools and parties mixed-in with some fun and sun. Atlantic City is a common casino and resort town that’s often overshadowed by the “big guy” out west. When the ideas of gaming and gambling pop into the mind, Vegas is where it’s at baby, not Atlantic City. When a vacation destination entrenched in rest and relaxation is thrown on the table, Nevada is the state in mind, not New Jersey. Not so fast! It’s time to re-think where the plane tickets are being booked for this summer’s vacation. Think Harrah’s Resort.
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Accommodations With its stylish marina setting each hotel room gets a unique view overlooking some of the most scenic views of Mankiller Bay. Each room has a unique and stylish décor, hardwood floors, a king size bed, sitting area, work desk, high-speed Internet, wide-screen flatpanel TV, alarm clock/radio, and a stunning bath with ritzy fixtures, luxurious bathrobes, and full amenities.
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Driving in the Fast Lane
THE LEXUS LFA By JAMIE MALLON
THERE’S A NEW BOY IN TOWN This fire breathing, thoroughbred super car, capable of over 200 mph has been seven years in the making having undergone numerous changes throughout its conception in the quest for automotive perfection.
The new Lexus LFA has serious presence. All aspects of the car scream motorsport, from the gaping meshed vents in the front bumper to the vast carbon ceramic brakes sitting behind the 20-inch forged aluminum BBS rims or the Bugatti Veyron-style active rear wing.
Reliable, comfortable and reasonably priced are not words usually associated with supercars. Then again nor is Lexus. Yet this could all be set to change with the launch of the LFA. For this could be the first ever Lexus that hasn’t just broken the mould of uninspiring leather-clad luxury, it has smashed it to pieces and eaten it for breakfast.
And while you could be forgiven for thinking that this is Toyota/Lexus’ retort at Nissan following the success of the new GTR, you would however, be looking at entirely the wrong market. You’d also have to stretch your budget by a further $300,000 to get the LFA in your garage.
EXTERIOR The first thing that strikes you about the LFA is how aggressive and angular the car is. Large gaping intakes dominate the lines of the front bumper, A-pillar areas and around the rear wheel arches, and aim to create minimal aerodynamic drag and apply huge amounts of down force to ensure stability at speed.
The vast price tag of the LFA at $375,000 means Lexus isn’t in competition with its Japanese rivals to make a good looking, high performance sports car like the Nissan GTR. It’s in direct competition with the Hyper-Car big boys: The McLaren Mercedes SLR, the Porsche Carrera GT and the Pagani Zonda.
The LFA is a great looking car. But for its hefty price tag, would you in reality be expecting something a bit more refined, a bit more glamorous, and a car that looks a bit less like the bastard lovechild from a troubled relationship between a Toyota Supra and a Jaguar XKR?
Lexus have created a strong presence in the luxury market in the US and Europe, but with a new car packing serious power and race acumen, the question is, ‘are they punching above their weight?’
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This could well prove an issue for Lexus as they are taking on iconic cars lusted after the world over. But with such a limited production run, the exclusivity factor alone may make up for the lack of exotic name and fancy badge.