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05/04/2009 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tiger Woods and Sean O'Hair text each other.
This is not news -- not when we have reporters texting soon-to-be NFL draft picks, congressmen "tweeting" from the floor of the house and Ashton Kutcher posting underwear pics of wife Demi Moore online.
We live in one hell of a well-connected world. If I wanted to, I could see the color of the roof on your house. But I don't want to.
Here at The Sportsbook Betting Lines, we've written about O'Hair a lot. We've spent more column space on him than other equally-deserving young golfers. Part of the reason is that we have a personal relationship with the young man, so...that's how that goes.
We live in one hell of a well-connected world.
O'Hair won the Quail Hollow Championship on Sunday for the third -- and by far biggest -- victory of his career and his first $1 million check. It's a whale of a tournament, won in the past by Woods, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk, David Toms and Anthony Kim.
In beating one of the best fields outside of the four major championships, O'Hair became the only American player under the age of 30 with three PGA Tour titles. Kim, Dustin Johnson, Charles Howell III and Boo Weekley each have two.
O'Hair also joined Sergio Garcia (seven victories) and Adam Scott (six) as the only under-30 players of any nationality who have won at least three times on the PGA Tour.
Now, we could write all we want about what that means: about how O'Hair, and not Howell or Kim, might be the real Next Great American Golfer. But it's way too early for any of that -- even if the victory moved O'Hair to No. 12 in the world rankings, ahead of Kim.
O'Hair won despite coughing up a two-shot lead with back-to-back bogeys on the last two holes. Only a bogey by Lucas Glover on 17 saved him.
Coming just five weeks after he lost a five-shot lead to Woods at the Arnold Palmer Invitational -- Woods beat him with a birdie on the last hole -- his victory on Sunday didn't come in convincing fashion.
Not the way we expect the Next Great American Golfer to win tournaments, at least.
Yes, O'Hair was the only player among the final groups to break 70, but his scrambling finish -- he three-putted from 26 feet at the 18th after missing a slippery downhiller from the back of the green -- didn't inspire waves of confidence in his closing abilities.
But it was a step in the right direction -- OK, a giant leap in the right direction.
Of course, there are other things to consider with O'Hair. Things like the estranged father who pushed him too hard; and that fact that, at age 26, O'Hair has already played professionally for a decade.
These are well-known and well-worn stories -- "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" stuff.
"It feels like a whole 'nother life," O'Hair said about his days playing the mini-tours. "My wife and I have been through a lot ... I remember being on the Gateway Tour in '04 and having $2,000 in our bank account and we didn't have enough money to play in any tournaments in the summer.
"It was basically we were playing for a meal ticket for the next week. I mean, it was actually that tough. We constantly talk about that stuff and reminisce. I think that's the stuff that makes this so sweet. It makes the hard work worth it, and it's just really nice to enjoy it with her, especially from where we came from."
O'Hair and Woods have struck up something of a friendship on tour -- Woods calls O'Hair "Chicago" after the Windy City airport -- and that shouldn't be overlooked.
Woods, 33, is a man whose professional golfer friends tend to be much older -- think 52-year-old Mark O'Meara or 51-year-old John Cook -- so it's eye-opening to see him embrace a youngster like O'Hair. Especially one who is on everybody's "Who will challenge Tiger?" radar.
The world No. 1, after finishing fourth, waited around to congratulate O'Hair on his victory.
"He's got all the talent. We know that," said Woods, who admitted being a friend -- and fan -- of O'Hair's. "We've seen how well he's played. It's just he's been through a lot off the golf course, and it's just a matter of time before all that settles in."
"He's got a great family," Woods continued, "and you can see now he's starting to gain confidence with what he's working on. I think he's gone back to his old coach, and things are working out pretty good for him."
When O'Hair arrived for Masters week two Mondays after losing to Woods at Bay Hill, he spotted Woods during a practice round.
"I saw Tiger, and he looked over and I kind of nodded, and he said something, and I'm like, 'That son of a b---h!'" O'Hair laughed. "The guy is a fierce competitor."
The fiercest.
A colleague is always harping on the topic of "learning how to win." He wrote often about how Michelle Wie was never given a chance to learn how to win, how she was thrust into the spotlight on the LPGA Tour and pushed to play against the men on the PGA Tour.
In some ways, her story could end up like O'Hair's. She could be -- there's a good chance she will be -- a three-time winner by the time she is 26. But she needs to learn how to win.
O'Hair is almost there. Three wins into his still-young career, a spot just outside the top-10 in the world rankings and a slew of good performances to start the season, and it's clear O'Hair is learning.
But he nearly gave away another win on Sunday.
Luckily for him, Lucas Glover is not Tiger Woods.
O'Hair talked more about seeing Woods at Augusta, so soon after he had become just the latest Sunday offering to the Best Player in the World.
"I just saw him, and he smiled and I smiled back. He's a good guy. You know, he texted me afterwards and said some nice words. The guy is just -- no matter how friendly you are with him, he wants to slit your throat on the golf course, and I respect that. That's a true competitor."
And that's where O'Hair needs to be.
<< Sweden doubles up France at Worlds
Bern, Switzerland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johnny Oduya, Kristian Huselius and
Marcus Nilson each notched a goal and an assist, as Sweden finished its
qualifying round action with a 6-3 victory over France at the 2009 World
Hockey
<< Hyypia set for Leverkusen switch
Leverkusen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Veteran Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia
will end his decade at Anfield this summer after agreeing a two-year contract
with Bayer Leverkusen.
The 35-year-old Finn moved to the Reds from Willem II 10
<< United should expect a different Arsenal
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arsenal enters the second leg of its
Champions League semifinal against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium
on Tuesday trailing 1-0.
And although they face a tall order in attempting to ral
<< Preakness Stakes appears to be next for Mine That Bird
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It appears as though Kentucky Derby winner
Mine That Bird will run in the Preakness Stakes on May 16 at Pimlico Race
Course.
After a day of speculation following the 50-1 longshot's stunning win Satur
Playoffs heat up with Elite Eight >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NBA's marketing machine came up with
the tag line "Where Amazing Happens" for this year's postseason.
We certainly got some "amazing" in the first round.
There were a couple of Game 7s, an Oscar Robe
United boosted by Rio's return >>
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester United defender Rio
Ferdinand looks set to return to action in Tuesday's Champions League
semifinal second leg against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
The England interna
Moyes eyes fifth for Everton >>
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Everton manager David Moyes believes
fifth place in the Premier League table is now within his side's reach
following Sunday's 2-0 victory at Sunderland.
Moyes was delighted with the focus
Ravens sign QB Beck >>
Owings Mills, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Ravens have signed free
agent quarterback John Beck to a one-year contract.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Beck was a second-round selection by Miami in the 2007 NFL Draft,
MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?
Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite. Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight. With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites. As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).
Midwest
#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler
The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April. Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT. After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games. Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season. As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers. Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS). Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field. With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.
#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV
As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year. If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season. As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well. This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons. Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late. There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games. It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.
East
#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown
“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season. Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU. They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games. With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field. Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense. Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc. The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range. Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.
#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC
The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country. Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times. Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter. UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen. UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS. An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games. This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS. USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types. An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough. USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS. They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12. When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
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In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.
And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.
Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.
So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.
Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)
The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.
As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.
The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.
In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.
Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.
And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.
So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.
There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.
So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.
And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.
There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)
Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.
Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.
Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.
So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.
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