Gooden, Cavs agree on 3-year deal

Basketball Betting Lines

08/14/2006 -

CLEVELAND (AP) -Free agent forward Drew Gooden agreed to terms on a three-year, $23 million contract to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, agent Bill Duffy said Monday.

Gooden, the team's top rebounder last season, has been a solid complementary player to All-Star forward LeBron James, who committed to a three-year contract extension with the Cavaliers in July.

Duffy said fellow agent Calvin Andrews handled the bulk of the negotiations with Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry.

``We're ecstatic,'' Duffy said. ``Drew is very happy. He likes where Cleveland is headed.''

The 24-year-old Gooden averaged 10.7 points and 8.4 rebounds last season. His inside presence and energy helped Cleveland go 50-32 in the regular season and make the playoffs for the first time since 1998.

The Cavaliers eliminated Washington in the first round and pushed defending Eastern Conference champion Detroit to seven games. Gooden averaged 8.8 points and 9.3 rebounds against the Wizards.

``We have said from the beginning that we wanted to keep Drew in a Cavaliers uniform, and although I'm not going to comment on specifics of the negotiations, things have moved in a good direction,'' Ferry said.

Other than getting James' signature and commitment for the future, re-signing Gooden was the Cavs' top offseason priority. The Cavaliers have had a relatively quiet summer, one year after their 2005 free agent spending spree when they signed guard Larry Hughes and Damon Jones and re-signed center Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

The sides only need to finalize some details before Gooden signs his deal.

Gooden, a restricted free agent, was hoping for a deal similar to the six-year, $60 million contract that Nene signed with the Denver Nuggets. However, Gooden found a limited market and decided to stay with the Cavs, who acquired him in a 2004 trade with Orlando.

Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Worldcupwagering Basketball Betting News

<< Kansas State player, on sex offender list, suspended from team
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) -A reserve basketball player at Kansas State was suspended from the team because his name appears in a registered sex offender database.Tyler Hughes, a 6-foot-11 forward, was suspended indefinitely Saturday. The decision came af

<< Fulmer vows to fix Vols after 5-6 season
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -At the University of Tennessee, one losing season is enough to send the faithful into a frenzy, questioning the coach's competence and wondering if it's time for a change.And that's even if the coach, Phillip Fulmer, has won 8

<< UNDATED: the All-Star break.
AL CapsulesUNDATED: the All-Star break.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The

<< Redskins RB Clinton Portis hurts shoulder
CINCINNATI (AP) -Running back Clinton Portis hurt his left shoulder on the Washington Redskins' opening series Sunday night and left the preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals.X-rays were negative, but the Redskins immediately sent him for an

<< Weekend NFL Transactions
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS-Re-signed DB Gemara Williams.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written autho

Mercker faces surgery Thursday >>
CINCINNATI (AP) -Veteran left-hander Kent Mercker will undergo season-ending reconstructive surgery on his left elbow, the Cincinnati Reds said Monday.The 38-year-old Mercker was placed on the disabled list Saturday after pitching a scoreless inning

Seau's fist-pumping NFL days finally end >>
SAN DIEGO (AP) -The Seau punch has finally run out of juice.Junior Seau retired from the NFL on Monday after 13 seasons as the live-wire leader of his hometown San Diego Chargers and three less-productive years with the Miami Dolphins.The 37-year-ol

Cardinals coach loses patience with rookie's holdout >>
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) -Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green has lost his patience with rookie Matt Leinart and his contract holdout.Green sharply criticized Leinart and his representatives on Monday for rejecting ``a more than generous'' offer from

Martinez leaves game with calf injury after bad first inning >>
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -New York Mets ace Pedro Martinez strained his right calf and left Monday night's game after one awful inning against the Philadelphia Phillies.The Mets said Martinez felt the strain while warming up before the game, and listed him

Saints quarterback out indefinitely after mascot smashup >>
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -Shortly after the New Orleans Saints gathered for Monday morning's practice, reserve quarterback Adrian McPherson limped over to an exercise bike, climbed aboard and started pedaling toward another comeback.McPherson was run ove

Super Bowl XLIV Odds

Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.

Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.

That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.

Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.

After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.

The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).

To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.

NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV

New England Patriots 8/1

Dallas Cowboys 9/1

New York Giants 10/1

Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1

Indianapolis Colts 12/1

San Diego Chargers 12/1

Baltimore Ravens 14/1

Tennessee Titans 16/1

Carolina Panthers 18/1

Philadelphia Eagles 18/1

New Orleans Saints 20/1

Atlanta Falcons 25/1

Denver Broncos 25/1

Green Bay Packers 25/1

Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1

Minnesota Vikings 25/1

New York Jets 25/1

Arizona Cardinals 30/1

Chicago BearS 30/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1

Buffalo Bills 35/1

Houston TexaNS 35/1

Miami Dolphins 35/1

Washington Redskins 35/1

Seattle SeahawkS 50/1

Cleveland Browns 55/1

Cincinnati Bengals 60/1

San Francisco 49ers 60/1

Oakland Raiders 75/1

St. Louis Rams 75/1

Detroit Lions 100/1

Kansas City Chiefs 100/1

Odds as of: 2/2/09

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

To visit this online sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.

SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting

NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.


That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.

A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."

It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.

The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.

So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."

Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.

Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Seriously.

The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.

The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.

Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."

The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts MasterCard needs.