Crowded leaderboard at ATB Financial Classic
Golf Betting Lines
06/25/2009 - Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Stuart Anderson and Tom Stankowski, both former Canadian Tour Championship winners, carded rounds of five-under 67 and shared the lead with two other players Thursday after the first round of the ATB Financial Classic.
Mauricio Molina and Garrett Frank joined the four-way tie for first place after a windy day at Sirocco Golf Club.
Brady Schnell, Tyler Martin and Danny Sahl stood one stroke off the pace at four-under 68.
Anderson, the 2006 Tour Championship winner, was happy to settle for par at his first hole of the day.
"It was nice to get a good start on 10, which is straight up the hill. The wind was howling when we teed off and it was a full driver to get it over the hazard about two hundred yards out," said Anderson, who ended with six birdies and one bogey.
Stankowski, the '08 Tour champion, matched Anderson with six birdies and just one bogey in his round, while Molina made seven birdies and two bogeys for his piece of the lead.
Frank, meanwhile, had five birdies, two bogeys and an eagle at the par-five eighth to highlight his up-and-down effort.
Everyone struggled in the wind.
"Did I have fun?" Frank asked. "Other than playing for what seemed like six hours in a hurricane, it was pretty good."
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rodriguez moved into a tie for 11th place on the all-time home run list and finished with four runs batted in to lead the New York Yankees to an 11-7 win over the Atlanta Braves in the rubber match o
<< Knicks send Richardson to Memphis for Milicic
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Knicks sent veteran swingman
Quentin Richardson and cash to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for forward
Darko Milicic.
The 29-year-old Richardson is coming off a season in which he averaged 10.2
<< Knicks get draft rights to Douglas from Lakers
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Knicks acquired the draft rights
of Florida State shooting guard Toney Douglas from the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Knicks sent the Lakers 2011 second-round draft choice and cash
considerations.
Do
<< Smoltz activated from DL, makes season debut
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-handed pitcher John Smoltz
was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Thursday in time to make his
season and Red Sox debut.
It was not a successful one for the 42-year-old, who w
<< McCutchen's hit in ninth lifts Pirates over Tribe
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andrew McCutchen singled in Jack Wilson with
the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to boost Pittsburgh over
Cleveland, 3-2, in the rubber match of a three-game series.
McCutchen, playing in
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Nuggets acquired the rights to draft pick Ty Lawson from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a future protected first-round selection. Lawson, a point guard from the University of North Carol
Blazers send Rodriguez to Kings in draft day deal >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento
Kings consummated a trade on draft night.
The Blazers acquired the draft rights of forward Jeff Pendergraph from
Sacramento in exchange for guard Sergio Rodriguez and
Heat deal draft pick Thornton to Hornets >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat traded the draft rights of
shooting guard Marcus Thornton to the New Orleans Hornets for a pair of future
second-round picks.
Thornton was taken in the second round, 43rd overall. He helped LSU
Rockets make deals to get second-round players >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Rockets made three separate deals
to get a trio of players in the second round of Thursday night's NBA Draft.
The Rockets obtained the draft rights of guard Jermaine Taylor, the 32nd
overall pick,
Rays top Phils, take two of three in WS rematch >>
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Willy Aybar went 3-for-4 with a homer
and three runs batted in, as the Tampa Bay Rays routed the Phillies, 10-4, in
the rubber match of a three-game set between last season's World Series
partici
Problem with Bears?
Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.
"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."
Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.
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Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana
Work left to do: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa
Behind the big two, the pecking order might be in a bit of flux. Has Michigan State passed Indiana after handling the Hoosiers in East Lansing? Where is Illinois in that mix? What looked like a four-big league last week could be morphing into five -- and even six is not unthinkable at this point if everything breaks right.
Should be in:
Michigan State [21-8 (8-6), RPI: 20, SOS: 15] The Spartans made it four-for-four on the homestand, a gigantic accomplishment that leaves them in extremely good shape. MSU is only 1-6 on the road and is at Michigan and at Wisconsin to close things out, meaning the date with the Wolverines on Tuesday looms very, very large. Beating Texas early will hold up well, as will the rout of Bradley and the win over BYU, but will 8-8 be enough? It very well could be, as the computer numbers are good, but why chance it?
Indiana [18-9 (8-6), RPI: 24, SOS: 32] Hmm ... good thing the last two are at Northwestern and home to Penn State, because IU might want to get both to feel completely safe after dropping its third in the last four, fading after halftime at Michigan State. Who knew the best nonconference win would be over Southern Illinois, which is a gift that keeps on giving for the Hoosiers. The win over Wisconsin also looks good on the mantel.
Work left to do:
Illinois [21-9 (9-6), RPI: 31, SOS: 25] A good performance at Penn State leaves the Illini in pretty good shape. Can they go to Iowa and take care of business to really look on their way? That's a huge game, as there is a possible cluster of teams that will end at 9-7. Illinois beat Bradley, but has lost to Xavier. A 9-7 mark and a semifinals trip in Chicago could be enough with the computer profile hanging in there, but it would be better not to mess around, clinching at least a tie for third.
Purdue [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 47, SOS: 28] Couldn't get it done at Iowa, but did win at Northwestern to put 9-7 squarely in sight. Where does that leave the Boilermakers, though? Even if they beat Minnesota and Northwestern at home, that won't help the computer numbers. Nonconference wins over Virginia, DePaul and Oklahoma are solid, but not spectacular. The Boilers very well might need an upset in the B10 quarters to have a legit claim.
Michigan [19-10 (7-7), RPI: 55, SOS: 53] Well, Michigan did what it needed to do, winning at Minnesota to take control of its fate. The Wolverines have Michigan State and an already-wrapped-up-the-league Ohio State at home to close, so the chances are there. Win both and we can talk. There is no marquee win yet in the profile, and the Wolverines were splattered in several games against name opponents. A mediocre computer profile fueled by a lack of road wins isn't helping, either.
Iowa [16-12 (8-6), RPI: 80, SOS: 64] For the sake of being complete, we'll add Iowa, this season's Stanford. It's plausible that the Hawkeyes could get to 10-6 (at Penn State, vs. Illinois left), but where does that leave them after a gruesome nonconference performance where the best win was over ... Toledo? Iowa State? Cornell?? If they get to 10-6, we can start to look at what they need to do in the B10 tourney, although my gut sense is that they would need to make the final and have knocked off Ohio State or Wisconsin on the way to have any real claim.
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