NFL Team Preview: Giants

By Mike Brody

WagerWeb

Contributing Writer

After finishing 11-5 and winning the NFC East last season, expectations are very high in New York for the Giants. New York addressed its 26th-ranked defense from a year ago by overhauling its secondary in the offseason and adding depth at linebacker. QB Eli Manning has another year under his belt and plenty of weapons on offense. If they can survive the competition from the toughest division in the NFL, the Giants just might fulfill those lofty expectations.

Key Additions: DBs Quentin Harris, Jason Bell, Will Demps, R.W. McQuarters and Sam Madison, LBs Brandon Short and LaVar Arrington, QB Rob Johnson, DE Mathias Kiwanuka, WR Sinorice Moss.

Key Subtractions: DTs Kendrick Clancy and Kenderick Allen, DBs Shaun Williams and Will Allen, LB Nick Greisen.

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Sportsbook Odds: The Giants will again be a playoff and Super Bowl contender. If they win their division again, they will be a favorite to reach the Big Game heading into the playoffs. They could be a value bet at this point in the season.
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has New York as +$175 to win the NFC East, +$700 to win the NFC championship and +$1400 to win Super Bowl XLI.

Player to Watch: As Manning enters his third season — second as a full-time starter — he should continue to improve and make better decisions. But the key player for the young QB and the Giants will again be RB Tiki Barber. The All-Pro is coming off his best NFL season, rushing for 1,860 yards and 9 TDs and another 540 yards and 2 TDs receiving. Barber should have another huge year and knows that his window to reach his ultimate goal is closing quickly. “There is probably more sense of urgency for me now, as I approach the season, because I know there isn’t a lot of time left for me to be ultimately successful, and win a Super Bowl,” said Barber, who, despite getting better with age, has withstood 10 seasons of pounding. “It’s not a big window, ever, for a player or a team in this league. For me, I’d say two years, and that’s probably it. I’ll be 33 then and … well, you know.”

Outlook: The Giants improved their biggest weakness by adding Madison, McQuarters and Demps to the secondary. Kiwanuka has looked like a young Michael Strahan in the preseason, and Arrington will only help a solid linebacking corps. If the defense improves to at least middle of the pack, the offense should again be one of the better ones in the NFL, making the Giants a team to reckon with. Manning will need to take a little bit of the load off of Barber by stretching the field. The team is hoping Moss will fit that bill as TE Jeremy Shockey and WRs Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer move the chains. The Giants could be a very dangerous team and will have a say in the NFC playoff picture.

Mark Your Calendars

By Jim Johnson

WagerWeb

Contributing Writer

After weeks of talking, toe is finally ready to meet leather and kickoff the 2006 college football season next week. The next 14 Saturdays will be overflowing with exciting football to watch. To help your planning and theodds of you winning negotiations with your significant other for TV time, here are the games you don’t want to miss. I’m restricting my list to the games actually played on Saturdays. There are a lot of quality games during the week this season, but since few of them overlap they don’t take much effort to sort out and prioritize.

Sept. 2: Notre Dame at Georgia Tech is the big game of the weekend. It will be a good test for Heisman favorite Brady Quinn on the road against Tech’s tough defense. A game that might tell us more about what is to come, however, is Cal at Tennessee. If the Golden Bears go in to Knoxville and pound the Vols, it will legitimize Cal as a contender for the Pac-10 and quickly turn up the heat on Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer. Keep an eye on Northern Illinois at Ohio State as a trap game for the Buckeyes.

Sept. 9: The rematch between Ohio State and Texas, this year in Austin, should be every bit as important and exciting as last year’s clash in Columbus. The winner comes out of this game with legitimate national championship hopes. Georgia’s hopes of winning the SEC East could suffer a blow if its young team can’t escape South Carolina with a win. If the Gamecocks can pull the upset, they would have a leg up on winning the division themselves. LSU needs to be wary of visiting Arizona. A victory in Baton Rouge would be a coming-out party for Coach Mike Stoops’ Wildcats.

Sept. 16: There won’t be many windows of time loaded with better football than 3:30-7:00 ET on this Saturday. Michigan travels to Notre Dame, LSU visits Auburn, and Miami heads to Louisville, and all games are scheduled to kickoff at the same time. The LSU-Auburn game will be critical toward determining the SEC West and possibly a national championship spot. Miami-Louisville provides a great matchup between the Hurricanes’ suffocating defense and the Cardinals’ unstoppable offense. Michigan-Notre Dame is always great to watch, especially when both teams are strong like they are this year. If you’ve got anything left after those games, check out the Clemson-Florida State battle. The Bowden Bowl could have the ACC Atlantic Division title riding on it.

Sept. 23: Penn State at Ohio State is the best of a relatively weak group of games this week. Arizona State at California is likely an elimination game to determine the primary challenger to Southern Cal in the Pac-10. Notre Dame at Michigan State could be a shootout with two outstanding quarterbacks leading prolific offenses against mediocre, at best, defenses.

Sept. 30: Another light week with only one marquee matchup, Ohio State visiting its toughest challenger in the Big Ten, Iowa. Among the other games, these conference matchups look like the most attractive ones: Oregon at Arizona State, Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech, and Alabama at Florida. All of these schools will likely be heading to bowls, and these games will help determine which ones.

Oct. 7: The annual Texas-Oklahoma throwdown highlights this week. LSU at Florida should also be a critical game Oklahoma will be gunning for revenge after Texas laid a whipping on the Sooners last year and will need to win that game to reach a BCS bowl. LSU and Florida will also be jockeying for position in their divisions and the BCS standings. Nebraska’s visit to Iowa State could decide the Big 12 North division –someone has to win it.

Oct. 14: Florida-Auburn and Michigan-Penn State will vie for the best game of this Saturday. The Gators and Tigers both start the season in the Top 10, and the winner of this game is likely to stay there. Penn State will be looking to avenge its only loss last season to the Wolverines, and both teams will be looking to stay within striking distance of a Rose Bowl bid.

Oct. 21: There’s no single can’t-miss game this week, but there are several good ones. Texas could have some trouble at Nebraska, Boston College’s visit to Florida State could be a determining factor in the ACC Atlantic Division winner, Iowa’s trip to Michigan could have a lot to say about the Big Ten race, and Fresno State’s game at LSU will be one of the last opportunities this season for a non-BCS school to claim a major BCS scalp.

Oct. 28: Georgia’s trip to the Swamp to play the Gators could decide the champion of the SEC East and carry major BCS implications. Miami heads to Georgia Tech trying to avenge the physical beating the Yellow Jackets administered to the ‘Canes last year. This will be Tech’s chance to be a major player in the ACC Coastal Division.

Nov. 4: Virginia Tech at Miami is this weekend’s most important game, with the winner likely claiming the ACC’s Coastal Division. Tennessee will look to improve its bowl standing by knocking off visiting LSU.

Nov. 11: Georgia at Auburn appears to be the only game this Saturday that could impact the BCS. Both teams could be trying to wrap up their divisions and set up a rematch in the SEC Championship Game in three weeks. South Carolina at Florida could be interesting if the Gamecocks are still in contention. Texas Tech’s trip to Oklahoma will also impact the bowl positioning for both teams.

Nov. 18: Many of the traditional rivalry games take place this weekend, but the biggest matchup is California at USC with the Pac-10 championship on the line. Michigan-Ohio State could decide the Big Ten title as it has countless times before.

Nov. 25: One of the must-see games of the year is on this day: Notre Dame at USC. If you watched last year’s game for the ages between these schools, one that actually exceeded the hype, then the only thing you need to know is what time it kicks off. Of the rivalry games this weekend, Florida-Florida State is the best of the bunch.

Dec. 2: This is conference championship weekend. Along with the ACC (my pick: Clemson vs. Miami), Big 12 (Nebraska vs. Texas) and SEC (Auburn vs. Georgia) will be the game that oozes more tradition than any other in college football: Army vs. Navy. The records of those two teams never matter, this game is worth watching.

In addition to these games, there will be ones bubble up during the year that become more important than anyone anticipated. It all adds up to another exciting year of college football, one with a plethora of important games since there is no clear cut front-runner for the national championship.

Bad News Rays

By Tom Brew

WagerWeb

Contributing Writer

Tampa Bay’s only reliable starting pitcher, 22-year-old All-Star Scott Kazmir, might be done for the season. The Devil Rays placed him on the disabled list after Friday’s game for what they said were precautionary reasons and don’t know when he will next pitch.

Kazmir, their prized 22-year-old left-hander, was on the DL from July 24 through Aug. 11 due to shoulder inflammation. He has made three starts since and, while getting decent results (0-1, 2.25 ERA, 24 strikeouts in 16 innings), has not looked as smooth mechanically as the Rays would like. They are concerned about an adjustment in his delivery to protect the shoulder and they don’t want to risk further damage.

“The last couple outings, we’re concerned that he’s starting to change his arm stroke a little bit because of the tightness in his shoulder on occasion,” Manager Joe Maddon said. “So we don’t want to risk him doing anything improper by throwing in a different manner.”

Kazmir said it seems to be an issue when he is warming up, a process that has been taking longer than usual. But he said he actually has been feeling better and is not concerned about potential further injury.

“It’s a good idea to take some time to let this run its course and get rid of it completely,” he said. “I’m fine with it.”

What the Rays don’t know is whether Kazmir’s season is over or if he will return as he hopes for the final three weeks.

“It’s possible (his season is over), but if he feels really good, I’d like him to (pitch),” Maddon said.

Kazmir, 10-8 with a 3.24 ERA, has thrown 144 2/3 innings this season. Meantime, continue to
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bet against the Devil Rays on the road. They’ve been respectable at home this year, but they are horrific away from Florida. They just got swept in Baltimore, and I don’t see this trend changing.

Since the All-Star break they are 1-18 on the road, and it doesn’t get any easier when they leave Baltimore. After that, they make their only trip to Chicago to face the White Sox, so keep going in that direction. It’s easy money.

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Barlow’s Baggage

By Tim Sullivan

WagerWeb

Contributing Writer

They both grew up in the football-frenzied town of Pittsburgh. They both decided to stay home, and attend the University of Pittsburgh. They both orchestrated tremendous college careers which, in turn, led to
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NFL careers. And now, thanks to a trade last week, they’re both on the Jets.

But make no mistake. That’s where the similarities end between Curtis Martin and Kevan Barlow.

Either way, Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum and Coach Eric Mangini threw caution to the wind by agreeing to ship a fourth-round pick to San Francisco for the combustible Barlow, who will attempt to take the place of Martin, a likely Hall of Famer whose career is in jeopardy with a right knee injury.

But Martin — a five-time Pro Bowler who has 10 1,000-yard seasons — is so much more than statistics to the Jets. He is a team leader, a fan favorite, a media darling, and maybe more important than anything, he’s not a troublemaker.

Barlow is.

“I’m a great guy,” Barlow promised the New York media this week. “A character guy.”

And then, of course, he went out and bashed 49ers coach Mike Nolan, comparing him to Adolf Hitler.

Now — as is the routine in the NFL when players cross the line with quotes — an apology soon followed.

“If I could take it back, I would,” he said. “I’m a passionate player, I’m an emotional guy when it comes to on the field and off the field. Sometimes it gets the best of us. I put it behind me, and I’m glad to be a Jet.”

Eventually, his teammates may be glad, as well. Especially if Barlow breaks out early for the rebuilding Jets, who have a hill to climb in order to surpass their WagerWeb.com season total of six wins.

In the interim, though, Tannenbaum and Mangini saw just a glimpse of Barlow’s baggage. And there’s a lot of it.

Where to begin. Well, there’s the seemingly never-ending feud with his former blocking back, Fred Beasley. Then, there were the disagreements with his first coach, Steve Mariucci, and then his second coach, Dennis Erickson.

Through it all, the Jets (+$1000 to win the AFC East; +$4500 to win the AFC; and +$9000 to win the Super Bowl on WagerWeb.com) are saying the right things about this former third rounder who has just one 1,000-yard season in his five NFL years. Of course, with Martin, 33, on the Physically Unable to Perform List, they didn’t have much of a choice but to acquire Barlow, 27.

“With everybody we bring in, we do a lot of research on background,” Mangini said. “We talk to other people that worked with them, whether they be coaches, players, front office. When we brought Bryan Cox here, there was a lot of talk about the problems he had had. I can tell you he was one of best guys I ever worked with.”

Who knows, with a young, hungry offensive line in front of him, perhaps Barlow can put up Martinesque numbers for the Jets, who have a last-place schedule in front of them.

Then again, he could lose his job to relative unknowns Derrick Blaylock, Cedric Houston or Leon Washington.

“I bleed green and white now,” Barlow said. “And I’m happy I’m here.”

Nolan is too.

ROD LIKES MIKE: Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan, of course, will have the final say when it comes to determining his No. 1 running back. Shanahan, after all, has given that label to Terrell Davis, Clinton Portis, Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson and Reuben Droughns in the past, so he has a tad of experience in that area.

But just in case he needs a little guidance, he can turn to veteran wide receiver Rod Smith. The three-time Pro Bowler has a soft spot in his heart for Mike Bell, an undrafted free agent out of the University of Arizona.

“I’m partial to the undrafted guys,” said Smith, an undrafted free agent out of Missouri Southern in 1995. “But he’s running hard. And with the offensive line we have here, he’s capable of having success.”

Shanahan agrees. After all, he has temporarily placed Bell at the top of the depth chart in front of veterans Tatum Bell and Ron Dayne.

“He plays pretty consistently,” Shanahan said.

THE HEFTY LEFTY: You can excuse Jared Lorenzen if he’s sick of being viewed as a circus act. Sure, when you’re a bruising 6-foot-4, 285-pound, left-handed quarterback, it kind of comes with the territory.

But when you’re trying to make an NFL roster, enough is enough.

“I’m used to it,” said the former Kentucky Wildcat who is trying to become the Giants’ No. 2 QB behind Eli Manning. “But I just want to be able to do whatever I’ve got to do to be known as just the quarterback, instead of the big quarterback.”

He’s on his way. Lorenzen, who threw for 10,354 yards and 78 touchdowns in college, has played in all three preseason games, and on Friday, against the Jets, he replaced Manning.

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NFL Team Preview: Chargers

By Mike Brody

WagerWeb

Contributing Writer

The San Diego Chargers had the most talent of any non-playoff team last season. Their frustrating season was marked by inconsistency. A demoralizing loss to Miami at home in Week 14 and back-to-back losses to division rivals Kansas City and Denver sealed San Diego’s fate a year ago. Now, the Chargers look to rebound with a new quarterback at the helm and a suspect defense.

The biggest decision San Diego made this offseason was to let Pro Bowl QB Drew Brees go to New Orleans as a free agent. That leaves third-year pro Philip Rivers in charge of the offense. Rivers has thrown a total of 30 NF> passes in two seasons, completing 17 of them. Despite his lack of experience, Rivers has been groomed for this job, and he and his teammates are confident the potent San Diego offense won’t miss a beat with the former North Carolina State star directing it.

“He’s been throwing strikes all camp,” RB LaDainian Tomlinson said. “Not only has he been throwing hard, but he’s been accurate and making perfect reads. He feels defenses very well.” WR Keenan McCardell has also noticed Rivers’ passing prowess. “He’s very accurate. He shocked me with how accurate he is.”

Key Additions: DB Marlon McCree, TE Aaron Shea, CB Antonio Cromartie (rookie), OT Marcus McNeill (rookie), QB Charlie Whitehurst.

Key Subtractions: LBs Donnie Edwards and Ben Leber, QB Brees, WR Reche Caldwell, TE Justin Peelle, C Bob Hallen.

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Sportsbook Odds>: The Chargers have a much easier schedule than last season. As long as Rivers keeps performing well, San Diego will be in the playoff hunt and has a good shot of winning the AFC West.

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has San Diego as $+250 to win the AFC West, +$1000 to win the AFC championship and XXX to win Super Bowl XLI.

Player to Watch: Rivers has plenty of weapons around him to be a successful NFL quarterback. Tomlinson is arguably the best running back in the league. Antonio Gates is the unquestioned best tight end in the league. McCardell is a great possession receiver, and Eric Parker, Vincent Jackson and Kassim Osgood will round out a decent receiving corps. If the Chargers’ solid offensive line can give Rivers some time and LT continues to tear it up on the ground, San Diego will be better than last season.

Outlook: Rivers should be able to get off to a good start and gain more confidence as San Diego opens the season against two of the worst defenses in the league, Oakland and Tennessee. The Chargers’ offense won’t be the problem, however. Their defense, which ranked 30th against the pass last season, hasn’t improved much. If Cromartie can shake off the injury-prone tag he acquired in college, and Quentin Jammer continues to improve, San Diego should be able to outscore most of its opponents and get back to the playoffs.

Horses to Watch

Compiled by handicapper racing writer Greg Melikov, who won six races, finished second five times and ran third once since Aug. 4.

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ARLINGTON PARK
Golden Glen: Raced four wide 3 ½ lengths behind in fifth after a half-mile, rallied in stretch to make up more than 2 ½ lengths and lost by a neck at a mile on Aug. 18; ran final quarter in 24 3/5.
Polly the Dolly: Exchanged bumps at break, dropped back to last, trailed by more than eight lengths after a half-mile, rallied in stretch from fifth to make up more than four lengths and lost by a length at 5 ½ furlongs on Aug. 13.
Whitetail Dove: Raced third early, dropped back to fourth 1 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, checked repeatedly in traffic before angling out for drive and gained second by 1 ¼ lengths at seven furlongs on Aug. 4.
Nan Ann Rocks: Raced seven lengths behind in seventh after a half-mile, angled out for drive, rallied from fourth to make up more than 4 ¼ lengths in stretch and lost by a head at 1 1/8 miles on July 27.
Dollar for Dollar: Raced 5 ½ lengths behind in sixth after a half-mile, rallied to make up more than two lengths in stretch and lost by a neck at 1 1/8 miles on July 23. (Raced fourth more than 2 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, rallied late in stretch to make up more than 2 ½ lengths and lost by a half-length at 1 1/8 miles on Aug. 11.)
Renee’s Regent: Raced fourth more than 2 ½ lengths behind after three-eighths of a mile, rallied to second in stretch, bothered by pacesetter and finished third beaten by two necks, but was advanced to second via disqualification at five furlongs on a yielding turf course July 14. (Raced two lengths behind in third after three-eighths of a mile, rallied along the rail to second in stretch and took command by a neck in the final strides at five furlongs on a soft turf course Aug. 4.)
Killing M Softly: Raced seventh more than 4 ½ lengths after a half-mile, angled out for drive, rallied from sixth to second making up more than two lengths and lost by a neck at 1 1/8 miles on a good turf course July 5. (Raced along inside more than 4 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, rallied up rail in stretch to second and won by a nose at about a mile on the turf Aug. 9; returned $29.20 on the front end and $7 for place.)

CALDER
Lilredwagon: Raced sixth early, steadied on first turn to avoid running up on third-place finisher, advanced to third four lengths behind after a half-mile, dropped back to fourth after six furlongs, angled outside leaders on far turn, made up 1 ¾ lengths in stretch and lost by three-quarters of a length at a mile and 70 yards on Aug. 20.
Ashlee the Great: Stumbled at start, raced fifth more than two lengths behind after a half-mile, angled outside leaders, losing ground entering stretch, made up more than three lengths and lost by a head at 6 ½ furlongs on Aug. 12.
Kipper’s Song: Broke next to last, advanced from 11th to sixth early, steadied in traffic down backstretch, inched up to fifth more 4 ½ lengths behind after three-eighths of a mile and rallied from fourth in stretch to gain second by two lengths at 5 ½ furlongs on July 23. (Raced more than six lengths behind in eighth after a half-mile, closed well on outside to make up five lengths and lost by a half-length at 5 ½ furlongs on Aug. 18.)
Causeway to Heaven: Raced ninth more than 4 ½ lengths after a half-mile, steadied in heavy traffic on far turn, angled out for drive, rallied from fifth to make up more than two lengths in stretch and lost by a half-length at 1 1/16 miles on a good turf course July 16.
G City Gal: Tracked pace in third early, advanced to second, challenged for lead after a half-mile, impeded at eighth and sixteenth poles by second-place finisher, ran third, but was advanced to second upon disqualification at six furlongs on July 15.

DELAWARE PARK
Rutland: Raced six lengths behind in seventh after a half-mile, advanced to third entering stretch, rider lost whip at sixteenth pole and finished a head back at six furlongs on Aug. 14.
Durajazz: Raced 6 ½ lengths behind in fifth after a half-mile, rallied in stretch from fourth to make up 3 ½ lengths and lost by a length at six furlongs on a sealed good track July 15.

DEL MAR
Run to the Border: Raced sixth more than 7 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, went three wide on far turn, surged between rivals late in stretch, made up four lengths and lost by two heads at 1 1/16 miles on the turf Aug. 6.
Midnight Lute: Bobbled at break, dropped back to ninth off rail early, inched up to eighth more than 4 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, moved up outside on turn six wide for drive, closed willingly in stretch to make up more than two lengths and lost by a half-length at six furlongs on July 28. (Pressed pace in third through turn, took lead by a half-length in stretch and drew off by 3 ½ lengths under some urging at seven furlongs on Aug. 20.)
Record: Steadied at start, trailed early, inched up to eighth more than 7 ½ lengths after a half-mile, moved up on turn, came out for drive, steadied off heels of rival in upper stretch, rallied between foes from fifth to make up 4 ¼ lengths and lost by a neck and 1 ¼ lengths at 6 ½ furlongs on July 27.
Fanatical: Bumped at start, steadied, raced eighth more than nine lengths behind after a half-mile, steadied off heels of rival, swung out four wide for drive, rallied from fifth to make up 2 ¾ lengths in stretch and finished a game second beaten 2 ¼ lengths at six furlongs July 23.

LAUREL
Ode d’Punch: Chased pace early in eighth, shuffled back between rivals on first turn to ninth, raced more than 10 lengths behind after a half-mile, angled out six wide for drive, closed fast from fourth in stretch, made up nearly 3 ½ lengths in stretch and lost by a head at a mile on July 23 at Delaware Park. (Raced seventh more than 5 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, swung very wide in upper stretch, gained lead by a head in mid-stretch and drew off by 3 ¾ lengths at seven furlongs on Aug. 17.)

LOUISIANA DOWNS
J C Engineer: Bothered slightly early, raced 4 ½ lengths behind in sixth after a half-mile, rallied outside to third entering stretch, made up more than 1 ¾ lengths while being carried out late by winner and lost by three-quarters of a length at a mile and 70 yards on Aug. 17.
Vision of Speed: Raced eighth early, dropped back to ninth more than 10 lengths behind after a half-mile, steadied in tight quarters entering far turn, advanced, fanned five wide from eighth to fourth for drive, made up more than 1 ½ lengths in stretch and gained second by 1 ¾ lengths at 1 1/16 miles on the turf Aug. 11.
Gran Punch: Off slow in last, moved up early behind leaders to fourth, raced 3 ½ lengths behind in third after three-eighths of a mile, angled out slightly looking for room in mid-stretch, bumped with third-place finisher, made up 1 ½ lengths and lost by a half-length at 5 ½ furlongs on July 28. (Tracked pace in fourth more than 2 ½ lengths behind after three-eighths of a mile, advanced outside to third in stretch and won by a half-length at 5 ½ furlongs on Aug. 13)
Cajun Hot Sauce: Chased pace in third more than 2 ½ lengths back after a half-mile, began advancing on two leaders on turn, steadied, moved out for drive, carried farther out by winner in stretch, resumed rally nearing wire and lost by a neck at seven furlongs on July 16.
Thornhill: Raced more than seven lengths behind in ninth after a half-mile, rallied five wide on far turn, finished full of run to make up more than seven lengths in stretch and gained second at 7 ½ furlongs on the turf July 2. (Raced eighth more than 7 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, angled to far outside for drive, rallied from seventh in stretch to make up three lengths and lost by 1 ½ lengths at 7 ½ furlongs on the turf Aug. 13.)

MONMOUTH
Briefcase Beauty: Raced sixth early, advanced to fourth 4 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, steadied looking for room entering stretch, clipped heels of third-place finisher nearly unseating rider and recovered quickly to gamely take second by three-quarters of a length at six furlongs on July 20. (Trailed early, inched up to sixth 5 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, eased out some in stretch, made up 2 ¾ lengths and lost by 1 ¼ lengths at six furlongs on Aug. 18.)
Extra Bend: Raced 11 lengths behind in fifth after a half-mile, launched drive near quarter pole angling four wide, came inside to avoid winner drifting out in stretch, made up nearly 4 ½ lengths and lost by a neck at a mile on the turf four ticks off track record July 9; zipped final quarter in 23 4/5. (Demolished at break, severely pinched back, spotted field several lengths, trailed by more than seven lengths after a half-mile, waited patiently at top of stretch, closed steadily four wide and lost by two noses at 1 1/16 miles on the turf Aug. 6.)
Pulpit Talk: Raced third early, dropped back to fourth more than a half-length behind after a half-mile, lost ground to fifth angling five wide near the quarter pole, dueled though stretch and lost by a neck at 1 1/16 miles on the turf July 1.

PHILADELPHIA PARK
Parado: Stumbled at start, raced fifth more than 6 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, split rivals in stretch, made up nearly three lengths and was nosed out at 6 ½ furlongs on Aug. 13.
Soldier’s Promise: Pressed pace in third about a length behind after a half-mile, steadied repeatedly in traffic through much of far turn, forced to wait for room after failing to slip through inside winner near quarter pole, eased off rail at head of the stretch, came again in deep stretch and lost by a neck at a mile on Aug. 6.
For Fun: Stumbled badly at start, raced fourth more than 1 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, lacked room from midway on turn to mid-stretch, angled inside during brutal trip and gained second by a neck at 6 ½ furlongs on July 30. (Quickly sprinted clear, led by seven lengths after a half-mile, caught in stretch, but held second by five lengths at seven furlongs on Aug. 12.)
Letters: Raced eighth lengths behind in sixth after a half-mile, closed well from fourth into the lane, made up 4 ½ lengths and lost by a half-length at six furlongs on July 27; ran final quarter in 24 2/5. (Trailed early, advanced to sixth more than five lengths behind after a half-mile, circled field on turn and finished strongly to win by a length going away at six furlongs on Aug. 8.)
Red Magic: Chased pace four lengths behind in sixth after a half-mile, blocked repeatedly on far turn, angled wide for drive, finished strongly to make up nearly two lengths in stretch and gained third by a head, beaten only 1 ¾ lengths at a mile and 70 yards on a good turf course July 8.

RETAMA PARK
Molly’s Gem: Broke last, jostled after start, raced seventh more than three lengths behind after a half-mile, raced three wide on turn losing ground, angled in near furlong marker, finished fast rallying from fourth in stretch to make up 3 ¾ lengths and lost by three-quarters of a length at six furlongs on Aug. 19.
Bullet Crane: Broke next to last from outside post, trailed by more than 6 ½ lengths after a half-mile, lacked room entering stretch, rallied outside to make up more than two lengths and gained second by 1 ½ lengths at 7 ½ on the turf Aug. 18.
Prospector Mattie: Leaned out at start, brushed with rival, raced third early, dropped back to fourth after a half-mile, waited while saving ground on turn, rallied from third near the eighth pole, closed willingly and lost by a neck at 6 ½ furlongs on Aug. 17.
Expectant Diva: Trailed by more than 6 ½ lengths after a half-mile, swung out at top of the stretch, rallied from fourth to make up more than 2 ¾ lengths and gained second by a neck at six furlongs on Aug. 12; ran the final quarter in 24 2/5.

SARATOGA
Cat’s a Rockin: Broke from outside post, raced eighth more than 10 lengths behind after a half-mile, launched bid three wide entering stretch, made up more than five lengths and lost by a length at seven furlongs on Aug. 12; ran final three furlongs in 36 4/5.
Imperial Reign: Raced fifth in second tier more than 5 ½ lengths behind after a quarter-mile, boxed in from three-eighths of a mile into stretch, looked for room, split rivals in fourth at three-sixteenths pole and gained second by 1 ¼ lengths at 5 ½ furlongs on Aug. 10.
Keen Lassie: Raced sixth more than 6 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, swung out five wide at quarter pole, finished strongly to make up more than 2 ¼ lengths in stretch and lost by two necks at a mile on the turf Aug. 6.
Solewisher: Broke ninth awkwardly from outside post, stalked two leaders three wide in third four lengths behind after a half-mile, dropped back to fourth on turn, launched rally outside in upper stretch, battled heads apart outside winner in deep stretch and lost by a neck at 1 1/16 miles on the turf July 27.
Desire to Excel: Stumbled badly at break, raced sixth early, moved up to third within two lengths of leaders after a half-mile, encountered heavy traffic on turn, swung out four wide for drive, drew even with winner in upper stretch, couldn’t keep up, but prevailed in second by 7 ¼ lengths at six furlongs on July 26.

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A Tale of Two Cities

By Jonathan Wachs

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Contributing Writer

“Realistically, I think it’s a stretch to think that we’re going to be there in ’07. I think probably right now, it’s going to take longer than that.” — Phillies GM Pat Gillick after the Bobby Abreu trade.

“Our goal is to put ourselves in a position to win 95-plus games and make the playoffs every single year. That’s always been our goal for this year and for next year and for the year after that. We still have a chance to do it.” — Red Sox GM Theo Epstein after the Yankees’ five-game sweep of Boston this weekend.

Clearly, one general manager was greatly underrating his team while the other is overrating his.

The Abreu trade has had a major impact on both the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies, as it sent them heading in opposite directions. Abreu is turning out to be the most impactful trade deadline acquisition (although Greg Maddux for the Dodgers is pretty close). What was seemingly an even race between two flawed teams in the AL East is now in danger of turning into a Yankee route.

Abreu drove in the winning run in the fifth game of the Yankees’ sweep of the Red Sox. Abreu finished the series with 10 hits in 20 at-bats. He drew seven walks, scored five runs, knocked in three runs and hit four doubles. In 21 games with the Yankees, Abreu has hit .395. His presence in the New York lineup has made the Yankees almost impossible to pitch to. Their lineup is now filled with players who know how to work the count and make a pitcher work. While it remains to be seen if they have the pitching to compete with some of the other AL playoff teams, it is clear that the Red Sox are now just pretenders.

As Curt Schilling said after the sweep, “What weaknesses weren’t exposed?” The Red Sox have had some bad luck with injuries to Jason Varitek, Trot Nixon and Tim Wakefield coming at the worst time. Some of the key acquisitions the club made in the offseason have yet to play up to expectations, including Josh Beckett and Coco Crisp. Beckett, in particular, has struggled more than anybody would have expected. The bullpen has been a disaster with even Jonathan Papelbon struggling of late. The pen gave up 46 runs in 38 1/3 innings vs. the Yankees this weekend.

The Red Sox’s schedule does not generate optimism. They are just starting a nine-game road trip vs. the AL West, and their road record is 30-32 after dropping Tuesday’s opener in Anaheim. Series vs. the White Sox and Twins still remain as does a visit to the Bronx. Sorry, Theo, it just isn’t your year.

A strange thing is happening in Philadelphia. Even though it appears the Phillies were positively fleeced by the Yankees, they have played their best ball of the season, making Gillick’s concession speech seem woefully premature. In fact, the Phils are 13-7 since the trade and have actually turned into buyers, having obtained veteran pitcher Jamie Moyer last week.

Jon Lieber, whom the Phillies tried to dump at the trade deadline, has posted a 1.76 ERA in his past four starts. Cole Hamels is 3-1 with a 1.35 ERA in August and is looking like the ace many projected him to be. The offense has been producing, and with a September schedule that contains only one team with a winning record, the previously underachieving Phillies may actually steal the wild card despite Aaron Rowand’s injury.

How is it possible that a team that gave up a player capable of having the impact Abreu is having with the Yankees is playing better without him? The Phillies are a team that needed to change the mix. Once they got rid of Abreu, they firmly entered the Ryan Howard/Chase Utley era, which allowed them to turn the page on their past and move forward with a fresh start. This is actually similar to what has happened to the Mets, who were energized this year when they officially converted from the Mike Piazza era to the David Wright/Jose Reyes era.

There is little reason to believe the Red Sox and Phillies won’t continue on the same paths they are on now. Look to bet the Phillies, particularly when Hamels is on the mound, and look for opportunities to bet against the Red Sox when they face good hitting teams on the road and have anyone not named Schilling on the mound.

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Grand Prix to Return to Indy

By Sean Toth

WagerWeb

Contributing Writer

Indianapolis Motor Speedway recently announced that it signed a one-year contract extension with Formula One to again host the U.S. Grand Prix in 2007.

Tony George, IMS CEO, signed the contract with top Grand Prix officials on Aug. 15.

A one-year deal was signed because the sport’s organizational structure, known as the Concorde Agreement, is good only through next year. No definitive date for the 2007 U.S. Grand Prix has been announced, but IMS officials said they are shooting for early-to-mid June. The date will be decided upon when the F1 sanctioning body approves next year’s schedule.

Although the contract was for only one year, George said that he hopes to have a long-term commitment to F1 racing.

This year’s Grand Prix was very controversial when 14 of the 20 drivers pulled their cars off the track before the start because of concerns over Michelin’s tires. Only six cars, all with Bridgestone tires, completed the race. The incident made the relationship between the IMS and USGP uncertain, and that is said to be another factor in the short-term contract. Michelin helped the situation by purchasing 20,000 tickets to fans that renewed their orders. But Michelin will not be participating in next year’s F1 events.

A plan for purchasing tickets will be announced to the public next week.

“It seemed appropriate to see how things shake out and see what the lay of the land is,” George said of F1’s instability. “There are too many unanswered questions to commit any longer than that.”

Of the three major events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (The Indy 500, Grand Prix and the Brickyard 400) the F1 race is thought to be the most financially beneficial for the area because a higher percentage of the race attendees are from out of town, giving more of a demand for businesses such as hotels and restaurants. And the teams and sponsors have larger financial backing than the other two races. This year’s race had an approximate attendance of 100,000 people.

No other details, including how much the Speedway will pay F1, were revealed.

I’ll keep you up to date on any more relevant information concerning this event and situation when it’s released!

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