Steinbrenner's death casts pall over All-Star festivities
Baseball Betting Lines
07/13/2010 -
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If there was ever a baseball story that could steal the
spotlight from the All-Star Game, this was it.
George Steinbrenner passed away early Tuesday morning following a massive
heart
attack in his Tampa home. The longtime Yankees owner had reportedly been in
failing health for years, and was rarely seen in public of late.
Whatever you may think of Steinbrenner, this much I know: there will never be
another owner like him. The Daniel Snyders, Mark Cubans and Dan Gilberts of
the
world can try, but they are not and never will be George Steinbrenner.
The quote from his initial press conference in 1973, when he took over the
franchise in 1973, still resonates, albeit ironically. Steinbrenner said he
would not be involved in the day-to-day operations of the team, a statement
that was almost as off-the-mark as his insistence that he was dead-set against
free agency, that it would ruin the game.
Known as "The Boss," Steinbrenner helped change baseball. He was at the
forefront in the infancy of free agency, luring Jim "Catfish" Hunter to the
Bronx prior to the 1975 season and Reggie Jackson two years later. Other early
big signings were Goose Gossage in 1978 and Dave Winfield before the 1981
campaign.
With Steinbrenner at the helm, the Yankees won seven World Series titles
and 11 American League pennants. The club went to the World Series in 1976,
just his fourth season of ownership, and captured the first of two straight
titles the following year.
Steinbrenner was the owner that you loved to hate, unless he owned your team,
of course. He transcended the sport. How many owners of professional sports
teams have hosted Saturday Night Live, or had their likenesses portrayed on
Seinfeld?
What made him so great was that he seemed to have the ability to laugh at
himself. He knew he was a character, and played it up to the fullest.
Steinbrenner had his faults. Was he short-tempered at times? Yes. Ask Dave
Winfield, or "Mr. May," as he was once referred to by Steinbrenner. Or the
numerous managers he fired How about the time he called Hideki Irabu a fat
toad? Or his fistfight with a Dodgers fan in the elevator during the 1981
World Series?
His outbursts were legendary. The whole Billy Martin saga should be a broadway
play. There wasn't anyone who at one time or another did not have a run-in
with the Boss. Martin, Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Don Mattingly, Yogi
Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Torre and even Derek Jeter have all at one time drawn
the ire of Big Stein.
He hired and fired 12 managers, including Billy Martin five times, from 1974
until Torre's reign began in 1996.
But through it all, the thing he cared about the most was winning. One of his
most famous quotes was, "Winning is the most important thing in my life, after
breathing. Breathing first, winning next."
A lot of Steinbrenner's charitable work was overshadowed by his larger-than-
life persona. Among his many philanthropic contributions was the Silver Shield
Foundation, established to provide scholarships and other educational support
to the children and spouses of police officers, firefighters and state
troopers
killed in the line of duty.
As the son of a New York City cop, I can't begin to tell you how important
and meaningful something like that is.
It is funny, through a lot of my childhood George Steinbrenner was hated by
Yankee fans. Yankee Stadium actually erupted in cheers when he banned from
baseball for the second time in July of 1990.
Things changed once he came back nearly three years later. He softened as he
got older, and defied the odds to become beloved. One of my favorite Yankee
Stadium memories was Opening Day in 2004 when he was being interviewed on the
field, the fans serenaded him with chants of "Thank you, George" and "We love
you, George." The accolades brought The Boss to tears.
Such adulation for an owner is unlikely to happen again in the Bronx. There
will never be another George Steinbrenner.
<< Taylor pleads not guilty to rape charges
New City, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor has
pleaded not guilty to rape charges that were brought against him this past
May.
He pleaded not guilty at a Rockland County courthouse on Tuesday as he was
<< Pens re-sign Conner
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed
forward Chris Conner to a one-year, two-way contract.
The deal is for $550,000 at the NHL level.
Conner, 26, has spent four seasons in the NHL, the first three
<< AL puts All-Star unbeaten streak on the line at Angel Stadium
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The American League will try to stretch its unbeaten streak
to 14 games over the National League when the respective All-Star teams battle
Tuesday in the 81st edition of the Mid-Summer Classic at Angel Stadium.
This marks
<< Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner dies
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died
Tuesday morning. He was 80 years old.
"It is with profound sadness that the family of George M. Steinbrenner III
announces his passing," a statement from the
<< Report: Steinbrenner suffers heart attack
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner has
reportedly suffered a heart attack.
According to the Tampa Tribune, emergency crews responded to Steinbrenner's
home late Monday night and took him to a hospit
AL West: Lee deal shakes up AL West >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - We know this much is true about the Texas Rangers: on
paper, they are a better ballclub than they were before Friday.
When the Rangers traded for Seattle Mariners' ace Cliff Lee, they effectively
complemented their potent
Habs sign Lapierre, two others >>
Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Canadiens signed forward Maxim
Lapierre to a one-year contract on Tuesday, and also signed defenseman Mathieu
Carle and forward J.T. Wyman to one-year, two-way contracts.
Lapierre finished his
Nets-Warriors make sign-and-trade deal for Morrow >>
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -The New Jersey Nets have acquired guard Anthony Morrow in a sign and trade deal with the Golden State Warriors.The Nets say the deal was completed on Tuesday, just a day after they handed Morrow an offer sheet on a three-
Magic make it official with Richardson >>
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Orlando Magic have signed swingman Quentin
Richardson, the team announced Tuesday. Terms of the contract were not
disclosed.
Richardson, 30, averaged 8.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 76 games last
Blue Jackets re-sign Boll >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed right
wing Jared Boll to a two-year contract, the team announced Tuesday.
Boll is coming off his third season in the NHL, all of which he's spent with
Columbus, and
MySportsbook.com refunds all bets on Oakland, Green Bay and Tampa Bay from NFL week one.
(September 14) – Week one of NFL action saw three teams go scoreless for the first time since 1977. Another four were unable to get a touchdown and almost half of the underdogs covered the spread. Those three teams saved bettors at MySportsbook.com from losing out completely, thanks to the company’s unique NFL Shutout Rule -- which ensures that if the team you backed goes scoreless, your wager is refunded.
Sportsbook refunded tens of thousands of dollars to customers who bet on Oakland, Green Bay and Tampa Bay, the three teams that stunk up the field so badly that their fans and backers never had a chance to get up from their couches and cheer. In the spirit of the low scoring start to the season, odds makers at the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino have set odds on how many total shutouts there will be this season.
MySportsbook.com has posted updated sports betting lines for week two of the season. Ben Roethlisberger’s health status is still questionable, so Willie Parker will try to lead Pittsburgh again as they travel to Jacksonville as a one point favorite. After beating up on his little brother last week, Peyton Manning will look to lead the Colts to victory against Houston. Indianapolis is a whopping 13.5 favorite in the match-up.
Seattle, last year’s highest scoring team, showed the power of their defense with their gritty 9-6 win in Motown over the ravenous Lions. They take their act back home to the comforts of Qwest Field where they will face the resurgent Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks are favored by a touchdown.
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MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South
In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South. Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC. The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game. For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft. Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.
1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign? New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1. Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT. Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.
Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami
2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round. LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems. If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season. The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach. The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub. High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career. With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson.
Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season. The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age. It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot. This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.
Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season. On the clock: the NFC North
Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2
Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1
Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
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