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06/03/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - To quote The Guess Who, "American woman gonna mess your mind."
The LPGA Tour is one-third of the way through its season, and there has only been one American winner, with that lone victory coming in an unofficial event.
The perception is that there are more quality American women golfers then ever, yet a quick glance at the top of the Women's World Golf Rankings, and you will find just 20 Americans among the top-100.
In that group are Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis - huge names to be sure - but that fame hasn't translated to a lot of titles lately.
Wie owns the last win by an American, last November, which was 10 official tour events ago.
Creamer is easily the most accomplished of the above trio, with eight LPGA Tour titles, but has basically missed the entire season after withdrawing from the first event with an injury.
In the midst of her ninth season, Gulbis has been the poster girl for the tour since her first appearance. However, she has won just one event thus far.
This season's drought follows a campaign in which the American women as a group were victorious in only five events, although the Americans did win the Solheim Cup last year.
The main cause for this lack of success? How about the explosion of young talent arriving on the tour, largely from Asia, which has taken control.
A look at the rankings bears that out, and also raises questions about the relative strength of the Americans in that group.
Cristie Kerr, the second-most accomplished active American woman, owns 12 LPGA Tour victories, including one in each of the last three years. At 32, she is at a crossroads in her career. Currently ranked No. 5 in the world, Kerr got married last year and the questions about starting a family are swirling.
Wie is next in the rankings at No. 7. Her well-documented career has yielded two wins, one as an amateur and one as a professional.
Angela Stanford, ranked ninth, might be playing better than any of her countrywomen. She won twice in 2008 and once last year. Stanford has tallied 15 top-10 finishes since the start of the '09 season, including six top-three finishes.
In addition to the players mentioned above, the group of Americans in the running to snap the losing streak includes two-time winner Morgan Pressel, three-time champ Brittany Lincicome, Stacy Lewis, who has an unofficial win in a rain-shortened LPGA event as an amateur, and 2009 Q-school winner Amanda Blumenherst. Lewis is the oldest of the group at 25.
Other Americans that are among the top-100 in the rankings are three women on the downside of their careers - Juli Inkster, Pay Hurst and Michele Redman. Not to demean anything those three have accomplished, but they're not the future.
Inkster was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame 10 years ago and has won 31 times on the LPGA Tour. Recently named as an assistant captain for the U.S. Solheim Cup team, Inkster could qualify for next year's team on points, and if she does, it would be her eighth straight appearance on the U.S. team.
Hurst, nine years younger than Inkster, claimed her sixth tour win last year, but has only two top-20s this year. She made five Solheim Cup squads.
Redman made more Solheim Cup teams (3) than she owns wins (2). Dating to the 2008 season, she has finished inside the top-20 only eight times.
Overall, in the last two seasons, the Americans have six wins, one of which was unofficial, and 19 runner-up finishes.
You could say they are right there on the verge of success, but there is also plenty of talent they'll have to overcome. Team success in the Solheim Cup is fine, but the American women need to get back in the winners circle quickly.
DONALD, ALLENBY, AND THE WORLD RANKINGS
Luke Donald, world No. 9, and Robert Allenby, world No. 13, unquestionably are two of the better players in golf, but are their world rankings skewed?
There has been plenty of debate this week over whether Donald is the ninth-best player in the world. Most feel that he isn't, though according to the world ranking system, his win last week at the Madrid Masters gave him enough points to move up four places to No. 9 in the world.
The win also knocked Allenby down a notch to 13th this week.
The world ranking system is difficult to understand, but basically it is a two- year points system where more points are available at the better tournaments, i.e. majors and World Golf Championships.
If you break down their finishes, Allenby has slightly better stats, but Donald has the most recent win. From the start of the 2008 season, Donald owns 13 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour and five more in Europe.
That is two less than Allenby, who has 16 top-10s on the PGA Tour and four more worldwide. Outside of his win at the 2009 Nedbank Golf Challenge, which was a 12-player field, Allenby's last worldwide title was back in 2005, when he swept the three major Australian events -- Aussie Open, Aussie PGA and Aussie Masters.
Donald has won once on the PGA Tour, at the 2006 Honda Classic, and once in Europe last week, since Allenby's last visit to the winner's circle in a full- field event.
Are they both among the best players in the game? No doubt. I have a hard time saying they are the ninth and 13th best players in the game though. I would take No. 14 Padraig Harrington, a three-time major champion, ahead of either Donald or Allenby if I had to choose.
MINI-TIDBITS
- The United States Golf Association bailed out Vijay Singh on Wednesday. The USGA granted Singh an exemption into the U.S. Open, meaning his streak of consecutive majors played will move to 64. That is the longest active streak.
- The PGA Tour is losing one of its best characters this week as Mark Calcavecchia is making his final PGA Tour start. The 1989 British Open champion collected 13 PGA Tour wins and was always won of the best quotes on tour.
<< Chris Wood takes Wales Open lead
Newport, Wales (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - England's Chris Wood shot a six-under 65 to
take the first-round lead Thursday at the Wales Open.
Wood collected six birdies in a bogey-free round on the Celtic Manor course to
finish with a one-shot lead
<< Anybody's choice in 142nd Belmont Stakes
Elmont, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pick the horses out of a hat for Saturday's
running of the $1 million Belmont Stakes. Any of the 12 horses has a good
chance of winning the third jewel of racing's Triple Crown.
The two second-place
<< In the FCS Huddle: Top 10 FCS Receivers
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The dry erase board hanging in Tysson
Poots' apartment lists his receptions, receiving yards and touchdown
receptions during his first three seasons as a wide receiver at Southern Utah:
- Freshman: 29, 433
<< Oakland P Anderson leaves game
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oakland Athletics starter Brett Anderson left
Thursday's game against the Red Sox with an undisclosed injury.
Anderson had allowed two runs and five hits in two full innings before
leaving. Vin Mazzaro took ove
Benitez leaves Liverpool >>
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Liverpool has confirmed that manager
Rafael Benitez will leave the club by mutual consent following a disappointing
seventh-place Premier League finish last season.
The club lost 11 league games
Wade given temporary custody of sons >>
MIAMI (AP) -Dwyane Wade has gotten temporary custody of his two young sons, ordered by a court in Chicago after ongoing issues regarding visitation schedules between the Miami Heat star and his estranged wife.It's a significant step for Wade, who is
Bulls fans to Lebron: Come to Chicago >>
CHICAGO (AP) -Bulls fans are taking their sales pitch to LeBron James to another level - like 30 feet off the ground.The group behind the Web site SendLeBrontoChicago.com has paid for a billboard in downtown Chicago pleading with ``King James'' to l
Hannover signs defender Pogatetz, goalie Miller >>
Hannover, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hannover has completed a double swoop
after landing defender Emanuel Pogatetz and goalkeeper Markus Miller.
Austria international Pogatetz has joined the Bundesliga outfit from
Middlesbrough
MySportsbook.com: NBA Championship Odds
With the playoffs about two months away, the top two teams in the Western Conference are the clear cut leaders to win the NBA Championship. The Dallas Mavericks have the best record in the NBA (44-9) and have been absolutely scorching since the second week of the season. What makes the Mavs’ record more impressive is the fact that they dropped their first four games of the season. Currently they have won 17 out of their last 18 and are MySportsbook.com’s favorite (2-1) to win it all. Right behind the Mavs are the Pacific leading Phoenix Suns (39-13). Last season, the Suns lost in the Conference Finals to non-other then the Mavericks four games to two. Of course the Suns were without center Amare Stoudemire who has is averaging 19.9 PPG and 9.5 RPG since coming back from his knee injury. Unlike the Mavs, the Suns have struggled a bit lately having lost their last three and four out of their last seven. Of course the main reason for their three straight loses is due to the absence of two time MVP Steve Nash, who is out with a shoulder injury. Heads-up, the Mavs have beaten the Suns in both of their meetings this season.
In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons (32-19) are the favorites to win it all at 6-1. The addition of Chris Webber seems to have been a good move for the Pistons. Since coming over from the 76ers, Webber has averaged 13.1 PPG and 7.3 RPG and the Pistons are 11-4. Even though the defending champion Heat are currently on the playoff making cusp, they are the Eastern Conference team that is getting the most action to win it all (9-1). The fact that Shaquille O’Neal is back in the starting lineup after missing 39 games probably has something to do with this. No doubt, Shaq makes a difference when in the lineup as their winning six out of their last seven would indicate.
Just because it is the All-Star break doesn’t mean that you can’t bet on NBA hoops this weekend. Be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com to bet on who you think will cut down the nets this July. Also, be sure to check out all of the lines and props for All-Star weekend. With the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry, there are plenty of ways to cash in on the NBA this weekend.
MySportsbook.com’s NBA Championship odds:
Atlanta Hawks 1000-1
Boston Celtics 5000-1
Charlotte Bobcats 5000-1
Chicago Bulls 20-1
Cleveland Cavaliers 20-1
Dallas Mavericks 2-1
Denver Nuggets 25-1
Detroit Pistons 6-1
Golden State Warriors 250-1
Houston Rockets 12-1
Indiana Pacers 60-1
Los Angeles Clippers 45-1
Memphis Grizzlies 5000-1
Miami Heat 9-1
Milwaukee Bucks 1000-1
Minnesota T-Wolves 200-1
New Jersey Nets 50-1
New Orleans Hornets 150-1
New York Knicks 150-1
Orlando Magic 75-1
Philadelphia 76ers 1000-1
Phoenix Suns 5-2
Portland TrailBlazers 1000-1
Sacramento Kings 250-1
San Antonio Spurs 9-1
Seattle Sonics 5000-1
Toronto Raptors 35-1
Utah Jazz 20-1
Washington Wizards 25-1
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Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.
Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.
NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.
"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.
The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.
But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.
The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.
Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.
The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.
The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.
The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.
Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.
Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."
Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.
"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."
Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.
It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.
"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."
Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.
"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."
At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.
According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.
Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.
Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.
He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.
Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.
Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.
Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.
While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.
"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.
Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.
Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
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