Despite scoring slump, Tavares building foundation
Hockey Betting Lines
03/11/2010 -
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie forwards usually take at least a season to develop
into consistent performers at the NHL level.
Even in the case of No. 1 overall picks, who are expected to be stars, it
usually takes a year of adjustment to the grind of the NHL's 82-game schedule
before they become "difference-makers".
The past three No. 1 overall picks have all experienced the expected highs and
lows during their rookie campaigns. While Chicago Blackhawks' dangler Patrick
Kane (2007) and Tampa Bay Lightning pivot Steven Stamkos (2008) are currently
thriving, 2009 No. 1 overall pick John Tavares of the New York Islanders is
going through a rough patch.
The 6-foot-0, 195-pound center started the 2009-10 season on a high note,
scoring 15 goals in his first 31 games, but since late December, his scoring
touch has deserted him. The talented rookie has scored just three goals in his
last 35 games ahead of the Islanders matchup with the Blues on Thursday night,
with a goal in the Islanders' most recent game snapping a 17-game scoreless
streak.
"I knew there would be some bumps in the road," Tavares told The Sportsbook Betting Lines earlier this week. "That is part of the process. Obviously every game
I would like to do good things out there and be able to produce."
But what the 19-year-old rookie has been able to contribute during his first
professional season, despite the extended scoring slump, should be enough to
make the Islanders and their fans beam.
"He has continued to work out of his scoring slump," Islanders coach Scott
Gordon said. "That's an important part of it. His game hasn't tailed off in
other areas from his frustration in not being able to score."
Tavares has been able to work on keeping his motor running in the offensive
zone, not giving up on plays while also covering the ice better, which is a
big part of the center-ice position at the NHL level. While he isn't putting
the puck in the net consistently, he is still at least creating chances for
himself and his linemates.
"The biggest take-away is that he is allowing himself the opportunity to get
better in smaller areas while he is trying to find his scoring touch," Gordon
said.
"Obviously during this stretch I'm on, where things haven't really gone my
way, I have learned a lot, tried a lot of different things and worked on a lot
of different parts of my game, which is going to help me in the long run,"
Tavares said. "I know what I have been able to do my whole life and this will
only help me get better as I go along. I think I have proven myself as well,
that I belong here and I can contribute consistently and produce consistently.
It's my first year, I'm learning a lot and it will really help me for my
future."
Tavares need look no further than Stamkos for inspiration. As a rookie last
season, Stamkos started off shaky before finally finding his groove toward
the end of the season. The early part of the season, while rough on the
youngster, helped him develop his game.
The result? Stamkos is among the NHL leaders with 41 goals scored through
March 11 in this, his second season in the NHL.
"It's great seeing a guy like Steven, who I know personally, doing
well after having a tough year last year," Tavares said. "He played really
well the second half of the season. For me it's positive to see guys who have
been in my position and succeeded."
That positive attitude not only bodes well for Tavares' future, but the
Islanders, who have lacked legitimate star power for a number of years.
Tavares and second-year winger Kyle Okposo give the Islanders a young duo up
front who they can build around. Both players seem to have the maturity,
pedigree and desire to be the go-to-guys in the near future.
"I've dealt with pressure for a long time," Tavares said. "For me it's not
really new. I think it's a different type at a different level. Kyle has
proven himself as a great player and I'm trying to do doing the same
thing. We like that, we like being in the situation where we are relied on in
situations. We want to come up with the big plays at the big times and we are
excited about our future here as Islanders."
The Islanders are currently last in the Atlantic Division and second-to-last
in the Eastern Conference, but with a couple horses in the stable, there is at
least a glimmer of hope for the downtrodden franchise.
"You just take it one day at a time," Tavares said. "I think we are trying to
improve in a lot of areas."
<< Brian Giles hangs up his cleats
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league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, announced his retirement on
Thursday.
The 39-year-old outfielder battled an arthritic right knee last season
<< Kansas topples Texas Tech for milestone win
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sherron Collins scored 19 points and Cole
Aldrich chipped in 12 with 18 rebounds, leading top-ranked Kansas to an 80-68
victory over Texas Tech in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.
Xavier Henr
<< Blue Bombers ink CB Glover
Winnipeg, MB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Winnipeg Blue Bombers signed four players
on Thursday, including defensive back LaVar Glover.
Glover has spent the past four years with Winnipeg and in that time has
accumulated 116 tackles along
<< Hoyas knock off top-seeded Orange in Big East
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Wright scored 27 points and Greg Monroe
contributed 17 with 10 rebounds and seven assists, as 22nd-ranked Georgetown
pulled off a 91-84 victory over No. 3 Syracuse in the quarterfinals of the Big
East To
<< Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Recaps
Greensboro, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sammy Zeglinski scored a season-high 21
points to lead Virginia to a 68-62 victory over Boston College in the first
round of the ACC Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Virginia (15-15), seeded ni
New York officially adds midfielder Robinson >>
Secaucus, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Red Bull New York acquired midfielder Carl
Robinson from Toronto FC in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2011
draft, the Major League Soccer club announced on Thursday.
"Carl is a very consis
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Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Soccer players overwhelmingly
voted to strike if a new collective bargaining agreement isn't reached with
the league by the season opener on March 25, according to a report in The
Washing
Onuaku injures knee in Syracuse loss >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Syracuse forward Arinze Onuaku injured his
right knee in Thursday's loss to Georgetown in the Big East Tournament.
Onuaku was hurt with just over five minutes to play in the 91-84 loss when he
tried to
Colts bring in G Alleman >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Indianapolis Colts signed guard Andy
Alleman on Thursday.
Alleman played in nine games with Kansas City in 2009, with three starts.
He appeared in 15 games two years ago with the Miami Dolphins.
Southeastern Conference Tournament Recaps >>
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mikhail Torrance scored 17 points to help
Alabama rally for a 68-63 win over South Carolina in the first round of the
SEC Tournament.
Justin Knox had 16 points and seven boards while JaMychal Gree
NCAA Football Betting : USC's reward: Top spot in Top 25
NEW YORK (AP) -By staying away from the cupcakes, Southern California earned itself a slim new ranking.
No. 1 always seems to fit USC.
Southern California jumped two spots to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Tuesday, rewarded by voters for opening the season with a dominant performance on the road against a BCS conference opponent.
Georgia and Ohio State, the preseason Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, started their seasons with glorified scrimmages at home against FCS (formerly I-AA) teams. USC, however, traveled across country to face Virginia and could not have been more impressive in a 52-7 victory.
Georgia fell to No. 2 and Ohio State to No 3.
"We realize that rankings so early in a season are certainly fluid. But rankings do help establish a pecking order for things later in the season," USC coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. "As for moving into the No. 1 spot, it's nice to know that people think highly of our team."
Since reaching No. 1 on Dec. 7, 2003, the final-regular season AP poll of that season, USC has been No. 1 in 39 polls, by far the most of any team during that time.
"Some have said the voters are taking our schedule into consideration," Carroll said. "Our philosophy has always been to schedule outstanding opponents. We need to play challenging games like we just did, traveling across the country to open the season at Virginia. Games like that bring out our best and make us stronger as a team."
The latest voting was close. USC received 21 first-place votes and 1,539 points from the 65-member media panel. Georgia had 20 first-place votes and 1,506 points. Ohio State got 15 first-place votes and 1,497 points.
"I'd say we've evolved as pollsters," said Stewart Mandel of SI.com, who moved USC up to No. 1. "In the past, voters just kind of automatically moved teams up and kept teams where they were if they won."
Georgia beat Georgia Southern 45-21 on Saturday and Ohio State opened with a 43-0 win over Youngstown State.
"There's a bit of a growing backlash for the amount of teams that open with I-AA cupcakes," said Mandel, whose book "Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls" chronicles college football's controversies. "To see a team [USC] go on the road and play a New Year's Day bowl team from last season, and not only play them but destroy them, how could you not reward that team?"
USC also jumped past Georgia to No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' poll, which has the same top five as the AP poll.
"It's definitely a privilege to be No. 1. But it's not heartbreaking to me if we drop," Georgia offensive lineman Josh Davis said. "It doesn't matter right now what we're ranked. What matters is our next game and right now, that's Central Michigan. The only time the polls matter is in December. That's when the polls matter."
While the Bulldogs opened easy, their schedule ultimately should be as difficult as any team's. Georgia's big nonconference test is at No. 15 Arizona State on Sept. 20. The Bulldogs also face six Southeastern Conference rivals that've been ranked in the first two polls.
As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes play at USC on Sept. 13 before getting into the Big Ten schedule.
But of the teams in this week's top 10, USC and Texas are the only ones that don't play an FCS opponent, and the Trojans are the only team that doesn't play a team from a non-BCS conference.
Get the latest 2009 BCS Championship odds at MySportsbook.com.
The last team to drop from No. 1 after a victory was USC last season. LSU jumped from No. 2 to No. 1 when it beat Tulane 34-9, the same week the Trojans edged Washington 27-24 on the road.
The last preseason No. 1 team to lose the top spot after winning its opening game was Florida in 2001. The Gators beat Marshall 49-14, but preseason No. 2 Miami opened with a 33-7 victory over Penn State and the Hurricanes jumped to No. 1 with Florida slipping to second.
The next four teams in the new Top 25 stayed the same: No. 4 Oklahoma (two first-place votes), No. 5 Florida (five first-place votes), No. 6 Missouri (one first-place vote), No. 7 LSU (one first-place vote) and No. 8 West Virginia.
No. 9 Auburn and No. 10 Texas each moved up a spot, taking advantage of Clemson's big drop. Clemson, ninth in the preseason, fell out after losing 34-10 to Alabama on Saturday.
Also falling out after losses were Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.
Moving into the rankings were No. 21 Fresno State, No. 22 Utah, No. 23 UCLA and No. 24 South Carolina.
Alabama moved up 11 spots after its big victory over Clemson.
The second 10 started with No. 11 Wisconsin, followed by Texas Tech, Alabama and Kansas. BYU and Arizona State were tied for 15th. Rivals BYU and Utah are both ranked for the first time since 1996.
South Florida was No. 17, ahead of Oregon, Penn State and Wake Forest at No. 20.
The final five were all the teams to move into the ranking, except for Illinois, which dropped four spots and tied South Carolina for No. 24.
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FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million
Football Betting
In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.
And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.
Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.
So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.
Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)
The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.
As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.
The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.
In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.
Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.
And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.
So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.
There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.
So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.
And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.
There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)
Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.
Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.
Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.
So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.
NFL Betting Lines
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Bonds nearly hits HR 751, SF wins
4 and drove in
a pair of runs, and Barry Bonds nearly hit homer No. 751 as San Francisco beat
1, in the middle contest of three at AT&T Park.
6) allowed five hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings, fanning
eight and walking three.
game slide.
Bonds, who came within five homers of Hank Aaron's record on Friday, went
1 with three walks, an RBI double and scored twice. The double ...
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