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07/22/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Soccer has long been hoping to acquire a sense of legitimacy within the soccer world. The acquisition of players with marketing appeal has long been a tenet the league has used in order to gain such acceptance.
Thierry Henry is the latest high-profile player to be brought into the league in order to give it a better chance at such legitimacy. The problem in this philosophy, however, is that the players being brought in are long past their prime and are shadows of their former selves talent-wise, Henry fitting right into that mold.
The former Arsenal great managed only four goals for Barcelona last year, and at age 32 is in the twilight of his career. What he does bring to the New York Red Bulls and the MLS is the reputation as one of the all-time great soccer players but one only needs to look at the recent past to see how this has worked out before.
In 2007, the Los Angeles Galaxy brought in publicity magnet David Beckham in hopes of boosting the team's profile and that of soccer in North America. The long-term results have been underwhelming to say the least, with Beckham's extraordinary jersey sales numbers being the most positive aspect thus far, and his play being well below par.
Much like Beckham, Henry could provide a boom when it comes to merchandise but the likelihood of him having a lasting effect on the game in North America is a moderate one at best. A new philosophy is needed by the MLS to grow the game, and the options are vast if implemented properly.
Acquiring younger players with potential, over former stars that are over the hill, could lead to a change in the mindset about the MLS throughout the world. With players like Henry and Beckham seemingly making the MLS their final stop in their playing days, the perception of the MLS as a retirement home for former star players is growing.
The likelihood of the MLS being able to draw the likes of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to the league at this point are slim, but nothing stops teams in the league from searching the globe for young talented players that have yet to become established stars.
This is the model of many of the smaller soccer leagues in Europe, and allows them to be competitive while maximizing their assets when cash-laden teams from bigger leagues come calling.
To date, MLS teams have had very few players that have garnered interest across the bigger leagues such as the English Premier League, Italian Serie A and the Spanish La Liga. The most notable player to come out of the MLS and make a strong impression on the top tier in Europe is American Landon Donovan, who has seen time with Bayern Munich and Everton on loan over the last few years.
Though his stint at Bayern Munich saw mixed results, his stint at Everton was much more successful and that, perhaps more than the Beckham signing, made people take note that the MLS does indeed have some world-class players in their midst.
With such success outside the MLS, the league should be branding Donovan as its poster boy, and not the likes of Beckham or the incoming Henry. Though Donovan was originally discovered by Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, he has played the majority of his career in the MLS with San Jose and Los Angeles, as a key contributor to both teams success.
Donovan was only 19 when he made his debut, and the model by which he became a star in the MLS, and a widely-known soccer player, should be used more often in the league to give it the legitimacy it so desperately needs at this point in its existence.
Though not having reached the success of Donovan as of yet, fellow American national team member Jozy Altidore possesses a vast amount of skill that was first honed with the Red Bulls. He has yet to leave his mark in Europe after being sold to Villarreal, but provides yet another example of a young player groomed for success. At only 20, should Altidore return to the MLS in the near future, he could become the long-term heir apparent to Donovan on the North American soccer scene.
The signing of Thierry Henry by the Red Bulls seems to be an attempt at a short-term solution to a long-term problem. Trying to capitalize on the fading star of a recognizable player is nothing new to the MLS, though succeeding with that approach is foreign territory.
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HOUSTON (AP) - The Houston Rockets think they are ready to contend in the Western Conference, even after striking out on the big names in this summer's free-agent bonanza.When their main target, Chris Bosh, opted to join LeBron James and Dwyane Wade
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Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Snyder's hit to the gap in left-center
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Arizona to a 4-3 win over the New York Mets, as the Diamondbacks completed
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Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Casey Blake hit a solo homer and drove in
another run with a single to back Chad Billingsley's second career shutout, as
the Los Angeles Dodgers snuck past the San Francisco Giants, 2-0, in a
pitcher
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Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Franklin Gutierrez stroked a two-run single in
the bottom of the 11th inning, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Chicago White
Sox, 2-1, to salvage the finale of a three-game series at Safeco Field.
The White S
Reds' Volquez takes mound in finale with Nationals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Nationals' rotation has gotten a jolt ever since
Stephen Strasburg joined the club in June. The Reds are hoping for a similar
result from Edinson Volquez.
Volquez will make his second start since returning
Rockies hope to solve Marlins ace Johnson >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Rockies struggled against one Marlins starter last
night. Their offensive scuffle could be extended another day as Colorado is
set to face Florida's Josh Johnson this afternoon in the finale of a four-game
set at
Padres go for series win over Braves in Dixie >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Outstanding play at home and the ability to hold late leads
are the main reasons why the Braves own the top spot in the National League
East.
The Padres overcame both last night.
After an extra-inning victory on W
Twins hope to solve road struggles in trip to Baltimore >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Twins have had their problems when playing
on the road in recent weeks, but a visit to Baltimore's Camden Yards could
help solve those struggles.
Minnesota starts up a week-long trek with tonight's opener of
American Idol odds : Blake Lewis the Early Standout
An important American Idol betting lines recap from February 20 Guys episode. The 12 men came out flat overall with Blake Lewis appearing to have the early edge after the first hour and a half.
Rudy - was quite good singing "Free Ride" to start off. Randy was not impressed though. Paula thought he started off fantastic. "Never had anyone stop off so lively" said Paula but Simon (who does not like Rudy) does not feel he has a distinct voice and was not impressed either.
Brandon was a little pitchy according to Randy and Paula agreed. Simon said he was a good singer but the song was "too safe" and he needs to make an impact. He was listed at +1200 odds or $1200 paid out on a $100 bet should he win the competition.
Big favorite Sundance came in with a flat version of "Knights in White Satin" and the judges let him have it, including Paula. Randy claimed the song was out of pitch throughout.
Korean American - and a Jenny Woo favorite - Paul Kim was up next. Another pitchy flat one but Randy said he still liked his potential. Kim at +3000 odds was said to have sung a "third rate version of that (George Michael) song" according to Simon Cowell. He sang "Careless Whisper".
22 year old Chris Richardson was up next. He was listed with +1100 odds coming in. He got the best response from the judges though Simon did not believe the vocal was that great.
Nick was boring and pitchy. Simon didn't think he was that bad though and predicted he would be back next week. Nick Pedro was a big +3000 dog coming into this competition.
Beat boxer Blake Lewis was listed with early +1000 odds or $1000 payout on a $100 bet if he were to become the next American Idol winner odds . These of course were the early odds. He was considered original for picking an "odd song". He did not beat box and the judges felt it was the best vocal of the night.
Sanjaya came in as the second biggest favorite after Chris Sligh but his performance Tuesday night was not very good.
Chris Sleigh was the early favorite at +450 odds. Great voice and a great sense of humor. He's a real standout. Randy felt it was on point but maybe ahead of the chorus a little bit. Simon Cowell said he felt like he was in some "sort of weird student gig".
Jared Cotter followed. He was listed with +2000 odds early on to win the competition. The judges felt he needs to take more risks but looked good.
22-year old AJ Talbado, who has tried out for American Idol five times, was up next. "Kind of a theme park performance" said Simon. Though the judges felt he performed okay. Simon did feel AJ might be better than he originally thought.
Phil - this season's military favorite - came into this competition with +1200 odds to win the competition. He was the last to perform. He was certainly strong enough to get through this stage of the competition and perhaps the best one after a shaky start.
Tomorrow night, the ladies perform and I sure hope they do a better job than the boys. Check out all the American Idol betting odds here.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Sportsbook betting odds favor Europe in Ryder Cup
September 19, – Despite holding a decided edge in the all-time series, with 24 wins, 2 ties and 10 losses, Team USA is the underdog again heading into the Ryder Cup in Kidare, Ireland this weekend, according to MySportsbook.com. The Europeans have captured four of the past five editions, including their largest victory ever, an 18 ½ to 9 ½ thumping in Michigan in 2004. Current Ryder Cup betting odds favor the Europeans to continue their winning ways; they are a 4-5 bet to take the title, compared to 6-5 for the Americans.
Despite being knocked out in the first round of World Match play by Shaun Micheel, Tiger Woods is predicted to lead the US charge and be their highest point scorer for the week, with odds listed at 9-4 that he outpoints all other American players, including Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco to name a few. Team USA has four relatively unknown players on the roster but all four are 2007 tournament winners and have posted some of season’s best performances, each earning over $1.5 million on the PGA TOUR. They include Zach Johnson, Vaughan Taylor, JJ Henry and Brett Wetterich.
The experienced European squad includes the likes of Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Jose Maria Olazabal and Darren Clarke, who’s emotions will be tested after the passing of his wife to a battle with cancer. Donald and Garcia are in particularly good form and each is a 5-1 bet to lead the European squad in the points race. Donald has proven he can go head to head with Woods at a major event after a run for the $1.2 million purse at the PGA Championship. Garcia’s Ryder Cup credentials prove he’s ready for battle too.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your golf sportsbook needs.
Ryder Cup Odds| Europe Tie USA |
4-5 10-1 6-5 |
| Tiger Woods Jim Furyk Phil Mickelson Chris DiMarco David Toms Stewart Cink Chad Campbell Scott Verplank Zach Johnson Vaughan Taylor JJ Henry Brett Wetterich |
9-4 4-1 5-1 7-1 8-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 25-1 30-1 30-1 50-1 |
| Sergio Garcia Luke Donald Padraig Harrington Colin Montgomerie Darren Clarke David Howell Lee Westwood Paul Casey Henrik Stenson Jose Maria Olazabal Paul McGinley Robert Karlsson |
5-1 5-1 6-1 13-2 8-1 9-1 9-1 11-1 12-1 12-1 20-1 25-1 |
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com
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