Free Agency Preview: Chicago Bears posted by Joe Anello

With NFL free agency kicking off at midnight on Thursday, the Chicago Bears need to make a huge splash. They have no first or second-round draft picks to spend money on and a salary cap-less year on the horizon, priming them to be major players in free agency for the first time I can remember. I'll take a look at a few positions and players the Bears should be targeting in free agency.

Defensive End

Julius Peppers (Carolina)

Undoubtedly the biggest fish in the free agent pool, the 30-year old defensive lineman would bring instant pass-rush to a Bears defense that is sorely lacking. In Lovie Smith's much maligned cover-two scheme, getting pressure with your front four is key. Adewale Ogunleye's impending departure and the death of Gaines Adams makes signing Peppers a no-brainer. When he wants to he's one of the best pass-rushers in the league. Every now and again he'll take plays off (or seasons, as evident by his 2.5 sack 2007), but he's racked up double digit sacks in six of his eight years in the NFL.

To my shock, the Bears seem extremely aggressive in their efforts, going so far as reportedly meeting with his agent over the weekend. (Which could be tampering, as noted by ESPN Chicago). This shift in attitude makes me excited about the prospects for a money-printing Bears franchise who aren't afraid to shell out the money. Peppers is going to get at least $12 million a year (and probably overnight), so there's no point in talking to him unless you're ready to pay the man. Signing Peppers would be a giant step in the right direction.

2 year olds at Churchill 11-1-2009 posted by Johnny Matheis

Each horseplayer has to have an edge, which is a secret only he uses. If other people use it, then he gets underlays and not only does he become a loser, but so do the people who steal his picks. In other words, if Joe picks the 3 horse and bets 5 to win, and Jenny decides to do the same, and she tells Fran and Bill, who each tell two friends, and before long Joe's 5 dollars is represented by 300 dollars, since at least one of those friends is an idiot who bets big money, and there are those at the track who simply bet what they see money bet on, and they can easily turn a 28-1 into a 12-1. Joe's available profit turns from 56 dollars (58.00 payoff) to 24.00 (26.00 payoff). He has to hit this twice as often. He plays it because if he wins one time in 30 he comes out ahead. Now one time in 30 puts him behind, because his own friends cut their own throats just to cut his. That's what it amounts to.

But as a blogger, I have to live with that. Just remember that only idiots bet more than 10 to win on a horse, (and yes, even I can be an idiot), because the more you bet, the more chance you have to rob yourself of your own payoff. Figure that 20 dollars, on an average day, will bring your payoff down at least 20 cents on 2 dollars, so you already cut your own throat out of two dollars.

So remember this and keep your bets low, and only play when the odds are okay.

Now, for a big secret that even I forget sometimes, but probably is the least used tool to handicapping.

Horses are animals.

Members of the animal kingdom. If you, or a four legged friend of your's runs over a hard surface, lots of internal damage is done which takes a while to recover from. The bigger the animal, the more time it takes to recover.

Chula Vista California is Looking Strong to Take the Little League World Series! Chula Vista Dropping Bombs! posted by Adam Hill

Little League World Series: No Longer ‘The Bronx Bombers’ its now Chula Vista Bombers!

By Adam Hill

                51 Home runs in 10 games!  I think that is all I need to say.  Anybody who understand baseball, knows that 51 home runs is not normal for anybody to hit in only 10 games.  I saw the stat comparison with the San Diego Padres, and it has taken them 60 games to hit that many home runs, if that puts it into comparison for those who are unfamiliar with baseball.

                75mph, equivalent to a 98mph fastball in the major leagues is not normal for a 13 year old kid.  300ft homers are not normal for a 12 year old kid.  6ft, 212lb and size 14 shoe is not normal for a 12 year old kid.  Chula Vista has all of these.

                Is it just me, or do all of these stats ring a bell in your head?  How are these kids hitting so well, throwing so hard and growing so big?  Do we give credit to the coaches?  However it is the all star team, so is this Chula Vista league one of the elite in the world or is it just a coincidence that these players are coming through at the same time?  It is not just the top of the order opposing pitchers need to worry about, as all 9 hitters are lethal threats!  The 9 hitter, usually the least productive hitter in the lineup, has 3 home runs!

Best Center Ever: Kareem posted by z

Who's the best NBA center ever?  Good question.  Most people argue for Kareem, Wilt, Russell, Shaq, and Moses.  Who do I think?  I think Kareem Abdul-Jabaar is the greatest center in the history of basketball.  Kareem won 6 titles, is the all time leading scorer in the history of the league, had probably the most effective shot ever (the skyhook), was a good solid defender, and extremely iconic. 

Now sure, Russell won 11, but his prime was pretty much in a time when there was like 8 teams in the league, and the overall talent pool was less.  Same with Wilt.  Russell didn't have a ton of offensive skill, and Wilt was known to be selfish.  Wilt rarely played on great teams, especially early in his career, and that held him back from winning a lot of titles.  Shaq is no doubt one of the best, but he regularly came to training camp out of shape, and I think that may have led to injuries and ultimately less titles.  Plus, he couldn't get along with Kobe.  So, to me, Kareem wins.  He played in a pretty difficult era with stiff competition.  I think Kareem is the best center ever, by a smidge.  

HOw well do you handicap the Preakness? posted by Johnny Matheis

Form went upside down in the Derby. Four of the runners with the most sprint in their bloodlines ran first through fourth, coming mostly from behind.

As I stated before, there can be no clear cut favorite. Oddsmakers are making the filly the favorite. Not only does this defy logic, it defies Anatomy, since the females of all species, including equines develop and mature earlier than males. Therefore, while the fillies hit their peaks young, as with humans, the males are still builing up.

Mine That Bird deserves a small favorite status off the derby win, and going to a distance much better for him.

But to take anyone at less than 6-1 would be stupid, and would mean you're relying on blind luck.

Most of the classic trainers are out. Mott, McGaughey, Nafzger, Zito are all absent. Lukas has two long shots.

Therefore, after the race, you can't brag about being a great handicapper if you win with less than a $12.00 payout on Mine That Bird, the filly, or the Derby's second, third and fourth place finishers. And you can't brag about being an expert handicapper with less than a $25.00 payout on any of the others. In fact, anyone who hits on payoffs lower than this can only brag about having dumb blind luck. There won't be any minus show pools (I can't imagine that, but it's always worth a look for handicapers). This doesn't look like a good betting race, but who knows? Perhaps some keen observer will be rewarded with their overlay bet. I'll be pulling for them.

Completing the Puzzle Part 1: Off-Season Tasks posted by Michael J. Shambaugh

The objective for the last three seasons has been to take a 21-win, 61-loss Blazer team and rebuild them into the Playoff-bound, title-contending team we, the fans, want them to be.

Objective accomplished.

The team has been rebuilt, the crazy trades have been dealt, and the risky drafts have been selected.  Now it’s time to sit back and insert the last few puzzle pieces this young Blazer team needs to make it to the finals.

Several players understand and are excited about the direction their team is headed, while others wonder what jersey they’ll be wearing next season.  Let’s take a look at where we are and what we have to look forward to this off season along with some tasks and questions the Blazers will face before the 2009-2010 season begins.

Before Darius Miles played his 10th game with the Memphis Grizzlies, the Portland Trail Blazers were looking at having a $16 million budget to play with this off season.  Those 10 games cost Portland $9 million in cap room, bringing them down to $7 million.  Portland will be losing Raef LaFrentz, Shavlik Randolph, and Michael Ruffin to free agency this year.  These three players combined saw a grand total of 72 minutes of play while pulling down a whopping $14,317,662 in salary.

Channing Frye will be an Unrestricted Free Agent this off season which means that Portland can match any offer Frye is given, even if it causes them to surpass the Soft Cap, as long as they stay under the Hard Cap.  It’s unknown at this time whether or not Portland will take advantage of this.  Last season Frye made a salary of $3,163,769, ranking him 6th highest on the team among active players.

so why did the Derby run so far against form? posted by Johnny Matheis

It doesn't help that everyone else was wrong, too. I can say that I didn't have Mine That Bird picked last. I had him picked second from last. If it wasn't for GodAwful stable having entrants, I surely would have picked him last.

Not only off form, but off pedigree. In fact, the top four finishers were bred for sprints much more than distance. Yet the track seemed muddy and tiring, which doesn't favor early speed.

So what does this all mean?

Obviously, the Derby was totally against form. Not only against form, but trainers like Mott, who get respect for not entering a race needlessly, ran so bad, while Woolley, a guy who brags about fights, wins. Pedigree was totally off form, too. So, this race was certainly a fluke. Why did it run this course?

Speed horses can often come from behind in sprints. One might say the cushion of the mud and the traction helped certain horses. A local Louisville paper may have hinted at some of the reason without realizing that they were giving away some secrets.

About twenty years ago, the University of Louisville, and other colleges, began Equine programs. I attended, but they were very tight knit and closed to the public. Since then, Mr Prospector foals began going from six furlongs to longer distances. I knew they were either performing some surgery after birth, or doing genetic engineering to help the black type for Kentucky's prize stallion, and big money was talking.

The local publication stated that students of breeding liked certain horses for the classic distance. But the horses they mentioned were doubly represented by Prospector. These were people in the wealthy circle of the secretive Equine society.

Future book Derby watch posted by Johnny Matheis

This weekend's column will focus on the future pool for the Derby, which is more exciting this year with the addition of exacta wagering. With 552 possible combinations (barring a scratch), the average payoff figures to be about $800 on a $2 bet.

What to look for in the first 2 pools is obviously bloodlines, and perhaps trainers. Even now, bloodlines are more important than form. The Derby is still too far away.

There are no sons of Halo. No standouts among the 23 named entrants. The best bloodlines are boasted by the 23 Win Willy, by Monarchos, although the dam's side isn't Derby spectacular.

The 22 There Goes Jojo has ample bloodlines on both sides. So does the 6 Friesan Fire. As usual, Pletcher has royally distance bred entrants.

One that intrigues for the exacta is the 13 Mr Hot Stuff, a closer in the Grade 3 Sham in California. By Tiznow, out of Sweet Damsel, he shouts out late bloomer, and may not be at his best until the Fall. Still, although I don't like his win chances, he is an obvious superfecta filler for the Derby, and maybe even an exacta filler.

The Derby will definitely be the class test. We know that the Lane's End winner, Mott's Hold Me Back, outclassed his rivals. We also know Mott and McGaughey (Imperial Council) are not partakers of needless Derby entries. They won't go to the Derby unless they think they have a great chance. Much like Lynn Whiting of Lil E Tee notoriety.

This means the Derby itself would be a good time to wager on Mott or Shug McGaughey, but the future pool isn't attractive. They are too likely to bypass the Derby. Still, for the exactas, Mott's Hold Me Back must be used. Imperial Council doesn't look classy enough yet.

NCAA Tourney Running Commentary posted by Ryan Turner

1:11 PM CST: Well, after staying up til 4 am watching videos from the Lonely Island (you know you've done it too), I managed to sleep through the majority of the first halves of the opening games. There are now just seven minutes remaining in my featured game and the 15 seed Cal State Northridge is down by just one to Memphis. They've even led the Tigers by as many as six points. I have Memphis and John Calipari's greasy hair going to the Final Four, but I want this to happen.

1:17 PM CST: The Tigers have started to remember that they're a two seed and CS Northridge's random shots have stopped falling. It's now 70-64 Memphis and they have the ball back. This might just be a first round scare after all. A steal and a layup for Northridge has them back within four and that brings us to a timeout by Northridge. They probably need a breather anyways as Memphis has been running the show for the past four minutes..

1:20 PM CST  The Tigers quickly respond with a two and an offensive board. The announcers are already making this sound like a moral victory. CSN makes another offensive board to be followed by a crazy runner to get it back to four, but Memphis answers with a three just as quickly. Northridge misses their response from long range and it's not looking good. Memphis drains some time, hits a three to build a 10-point lead and we're switched to the LSU-Butler game where the Tigers are up 70-66. I have LSU dropping the Tar Heels in the second round, so I need them to hold on.

1:24 PM CST LSU's fouled with 19.3 seconds remaining. If they make their free throws, this should be over. The first one rattled in. The second one swooshed through to make it a 6-points game. Butler comes down and hits another three! 11.6 remaining, but the Bulldogs aren't done yet. LSU drains both foul shots again to get the lead back to five. Butler gets a missed three tipped in to get the game back to three. They're going to have to foul and pray that the Tigers miss both shots. 

High School Basketball Coach Uses Hypnotism & 2009 MLB Preview posted by Colin Linneweber

Kansas High School Basketball Coach Hypnotized Team 

A high school board in Kansas voted last month to ban hypnotism sessions after their Class 1A boys basketball coach employed the therapy to increase focus and concentration among members of his team.

St. John High School basketball coach Clint Kinnamon had sought the free help of Carl Feril, a Church of Christ minster who is also a clinical family and marriage therapist.

"It won't be going on anymore at school," said Superintendent James, who requested a transcript of the sessions. "If parents want their child to do that, they can contact the licensed therapist on their own."

St. John, a town with a population of 1,200 about 90 miles northwest of Wichita, is traditionally a basketball powerhouse in Kansas. The boys team had won the state basketball championship in 2007 and they finished second last year.

After struggling this season to a record of 7-6, Kinnamon had his players undergo two 45-minute sessions with hope that hypnotherapy would boost his squad's confidence.

"Had I known this would have turned into what it did, I would have re-thought doing it," said Kinnamon after he revealed his players attended the sessions with the notion of envisioning themselves in a game.

"There's the perfect release of the basketball as it leaves your fingertips," said Kinnamon. "It's the perfect shot. It's a shot you've made a million times in your driveway. You hear it swish."

Nevertheless, Superintendent Kenworthy was adamant that hypnotizing students was a practice that was unacceptable and one that Kinnamon would cease to utilize immediately.

Royal Liverpool lands 2014 British Open

The Royal Liverpool Golf Club's Hoylake course has been awarded the2014 British Open. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for Golf

Lookin At Lucky 8-1 in Kentucky Derby Future Wager (AP)

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager opens this weekend, and 2-year-old champion Lookin At Lucky is the favorite individual horse at odds of 8-1. The oddsmaker at Churchill Downs has set the early betting line for fans to wager on their Derby picks in the first of three pools that runs from Friday through Sunday. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Browns release troubled WR Stallworth (AP)

[read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports