Unnamed Falcons player upset about Saints running up the score

On the way to Drew Brees breaking Dan Marino's single-season passing record, the Saints scored a whole lot of touchdowns, and the Falcons resorted to a whole lot of field goals. CBS Sports' Pete Prisco and an unnamed Falcons player had a problem with the Saints continuing to pass when they were up by 22 points.



It was a questionable decision to say the least to go for it in that manner since the Saints have another game to break the record ... The players I talked to all thought it was classless.

"No need for that," one player said. "It came on our watch, but it didn't have to come that way. We won't forget it."

Yes, those sentences were written about an NFL game between divisional rivals, not the pre-season scrimmage played on a Pop Warner field. I have to agree with the take Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon told to Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole.



"No man, it's our job to stop them," said linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who missed New Orleans running back Darren Sproles on the record-setting play. "I can't say I'm upset by them running up the score or anything like that when I had a chance to make a play."

Not only did the Falcons have a chance to stop Brees from getting the record during Monday night's game, they also could have stopped him during their game in November. Brees dropped 322 yards on the Falcons in that game.

That's the beauty of football. If this unnamed Falcon has a problem with something the Saints have done, he can exact revenge on the football field.

Titans accuse Saints of blowing whistles on the sidelines

The mantra pounded into every young football player's head is "Play 'til the whistle blows." According to a couple of Tennessee Titans, the New Orleans Saints tried to take advantage of it by blowing some unscrupulous whistles in an effort to get the Titans to stop playing prematurely.
Via Paul Kuharsky at ESPN.com, a man named Dean McCondichie, who produces a television show for the team, had a microphone on offensive tackle Michael Roos. The mic picked up some unauthorized whistles.

"During the game we heard this whistle blowing, but they weren't stopping the game, they just kept playing," he said. "They were loud enough for me to hear it on the microphone on him. They were all trying to figure out why play continued. I asked them if they knew where it came from and they said the New Orleans bench. Nobody saw it, but it was pretty loud and it was definitely a whistle."

Jake Scott, another Titans lineman said he heard it, too.

"Dean's got it on tape," Scott said. "Somebody was blowing a whistle on the sideline. There is audio of it, so we'll let it go from there. The second to last drive I think."

My prediction as to what will come of this is absolutely nothing. Unless the video shows some Saints employee with a whistle in his mouth, then how does anything get proven? How do we know it wasn't a guy in the first row blowing a whistle?
I expect a denial coming from the Saints shortly, and then this little issue going away.

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Six the- hard way: Which coaches might be next on the chopping block?

With Jack Del Rio, Todd Haley, and Tony Sparano already out the door, and just three weeks left in the regular season, it's time to start counting that little window of postseason, pre-draft narrative known as the mass termination of head coaching contracts. Here, in our general opinion, are six more head coaches who might want to watch their backs.

We might also add Mike Shanahan and Jason Garrett as more extreme longshots — it might take the Redskins and/or Cowboys losing out for such things to happen, but there are surprise firings every season … you just never know.

The Coach: Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams
The Record: 2-10 in 2011 (10-34 in third season with Rams)
The Case For: Took over a team that was bad enough to go 1-15 in his first season as head coach; rebuilt things enough the seemingly good drafts to advance to 7-9 in his second year. Was one win away from the NFC West crown in 2010. 2011 fallback has been far more about the team's offense than the defense, which is really Spagnuolo's domain.

Black Monday: Tony Sparano gets fired from Dolphins.

Monday has been rough for NFL head coaches. Just hours after Kansas City dismissed Todd Haley, word comes from the NFL Network that Dolphins coach Tony Sparano is the next to go. Secondary coach Todd Bowles will take over as the interim coach for the remainder of Miami's schedule.

Whispers about Sparano's job security began when the Dolphins started the season with seven straight losses. Though they improved to 4-9, it wasn't enough to save Sparano's job. It's possible that the Chiefs' decision to fire Haley played a part in ending Sparano's season.

The Miami Herald reports that finding a big-name coach who has proven himself to be a winner is a priority for Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden and Brian Billick are all possible candidates.

Sparano's record with the Dolphins is 29-31. In January, Miami extended his contract to 2013.

What? David Ortiz wants less dramatic team, cites Yankees as example + FREE PICK FOR 10/14

It didn't involve Aaron Boone, Bill Buckner or Bucky Dent, but Wednesday may still go down as one of the worst days in Boston Red Sox history.



To recap: Almost every member of the team was flamed — possibly by management — in a controversial Boston Globe article, the two-time World Series GM bolted to Chicago and longtime DH David Ortiz capped it all off by saying he's thinking of bolting to another team via free agency.



Maybe even the New York Yankees.

Wait a minute. Big Papi? On the Yankees?

Yup. In a sitdown interview with ESPN's Colleen Dominguez, Ortiz said that "there's too much drama" surrounding the Red Sox and that he doesn't know "if I want to be part of this drama for next year."
Though he didn't directly say he wants to land with Boston's biggest rival, Ortiz did laud the pinstripes. It seems he admires the way the Yankees have not completely imploded after their season ended in the ALDS last week.



From ESPN Boston:

"It's great from what I hear," Ortiz said of the Yankees. "It's a good situation to be involved in. Who doesn't want to be involved in a great situation where everything goes the right way?
"They lost just like we did, they just went to the first round of the playoffs. I ain't heard nobody coming out killing everybody just because they lost."

Well, that would explain why Papi was hugging all those Yankees fans last summer.



Also, I'm wondering if A.J. Burnett and Alex Rodriguez would agree with Ortiz's "no drama" assessment of life in the Big Apple.



Overall, Ortiz had a great 2011 season, hitting .309/.398/.554 with 29 homers and 96 RBIs. But he melted along with his team in September as his power disappeared. He hit only one home run over the 26 games he played in the month.

Ortiz, who will turn 36 in November, made $12.5 million in the final year of his contract with Boston and will likely draw interest from other teams in search of a good DH. But the suitors probably wouldn't include the Yankees as Jesus Montero and A-Rod already have that position spoken for in 2012.

But it's kind of funny to imagine that Ortiz believes there's only one other team he can land on if he wants to part ways with the Red Sox. Nine seasons in Boston presumably have a tendency to narrow that worldview.

FREE NHL PICK FOR 10/14: SAN JOSE SHARKS

How Jack McKeon handled Josh Beckett's clubhouse getaways

This season with the Boston Red Sox wasn't the only time Josh Beckett tried to leave the dugout and go back up to the clubhouse for some fried chicken and beer with a side of video games.



Back in 2003, Beckett and teammate Brad Penny did much the same thing when they played for the Florida Marlins. That's according to Jack McKeon, who was in his first stint as Marlins manager.

As he explained to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post on Wednesday, McKeon quickly dropped the hammer on any clubhouse chicanery by making sure his guys simply couldn't get in.

"I said, 'Hey, I got no rule against going up if you have to go to the bathroom or something, but get back.' A couple of times I looked down the bench to talk to somebody and they weren't there. They were in the clubhouse. So I went up and got them out and said, 'OK, boys that's it. We'll lock the door.'"

After chasing Beckett and Penny out of the clubhouse (with a bat in hand, he claims), McKeon then channeled his inner elementary school teacher. Anyone who needed to use the clubhouse for No. 1 or No. 2 had to get a bathroom pass — or as McKeon called them, "poo-poo cards and pee-pee cards" — from the manager. Needing permission to leave the dugout squashed any sneaking off.



All of which begs the question: Do you think Terry Francona read that article, put his face in his hands, and thought, "Poo-poo and pee-pee cards. Man, why didn't I think of that?"

Obviously, the situations with the 2003 Marlins and 2011 Red Sox are completely different. McKeon was an old-school type asserting his authority while trying to instill some good habits in his younger players who had yet to come into a lot of money. Francona is more of a player's manager who trusted his high-paid veterans to lead themselves, only to ultimately be tuned out.



Here's a great idea, though: Maybe Theo Epstein's replacement in Boston can bring on McKeon as a consultant next season. When the players get out of hand, lock up the clubhouse and bring out the poo-poo and pee-pee cards. See if they blow another nine-game wild-card lead then.

The absurdly premature 2011 playoff picture: Week 1

The absurdly premature playoff picture presents one man's projection for the NFL playoffs, at each given week in the season -- even if that week is unreasonably early.



• I know. There's nothing in there that's a terribly bold choice. However, since there's almost always at least a 50 percent turnover rate in playoff teams from one year to the next, and I have significantly less than that, couldn't that itself be considered bold? I say yes, because sometimes I convince myself of ridiculous things in order to boost my self-esteem.

• Oddly enough, my preseason No. 1 seed and No. 2 seed in 2011 are identical to my preseason picks from last year. Hooray for consistency, Packers and Saints! Hooray for stubbornness, me!

• Teams I found most difficult to leave out: St. Louis Rams, Dallas Cowboys.



• Teams it was somewhat difficult to leave out, but not really: Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts.

• Teams I considered throwing in because I think they could surprise, but mostly because it would have made me look edgy and daring: Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars.

• Included teams that were the closest to being left out: Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans.

• I do have the Jets winning the AFC East ahead of the Patriots, but don't read a whole lot into that. I see it as a very close race, with the teams splitting their regular-season matchups, and the division title coming down to the Most Points Scored on the Road by Players Who Have Enjoyed Taco Night at Riker's Island tiebreaker.

• I do feel weird not having the Colts in here, and I'm aware of the possibility that Peyton Manning(notes) will return in two weeks and make everyone feel really silly about the whole Demise-of-the-Colts thing. But I'm not sure I wouldn't have had the Texans in that spot anyway. I'm buying the notion that their defense will be respectable this year, and if it is, I think they're better than the Colts. Manning or no Manning.

The New York Jets lead the league in embracing social media

Here's a great big surprise: The New York Jets organization likes to talk.



The Nielsen people decided to measure what NFL teams make the most out of social media sites -- Twitter, Facebook, various blogs, etc. -- and found that the Jets are pumping out way more content than anyone else.

It makes sense. The Jets are in a city that, from what I understand, is a pretty sizeable media market, and they've also got media-friendly personalities. And if the head coach is setting the tone for the entire franchise, then the organizational philosophy is something like talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, whether anyone is listening to your nonsense or not.

Here's the top five:

1. New York Jets: 11.9 percent share of all NFL-related social media activity
2. Philadelphia Eagles: 8.3 percent
3. New York Giants: 6.0 percent
4. Dallas Cowboys: 5.9 percent
5. New England Patriots: 4.3 percent

Those are all the teams listed. I'd be curious to see how all 32 teams ranked, particularly the bottom five. In related news, I heard the Cincinnati Bengals were thinking about getting a computer, because computers are the future. (I guess Thursday is "Pick on Mike Brown Day". I'm OK with that.).



As far as players go, no word on who's using social media the most, but Reggie Bush is getting mentioned the most. He was mentioned 194,000 times this offseason, which compares favorably to the 12 or 13 times he'll be mentioned during the regular season.

Baseball will keep it simple with special 9/11 hats

We'll undoubtedly be hearing more about MLB's plans for the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, but it appears the league will be ditching its Stars and Stripes caps in favor of a simple, yet powerful American flag patch embroidered on the side of a regular cap.

That's a solid first move for baseball's tribute and not only because we're not fans of the Stars and Stripes series. The patches are very reminiscent of what the players wore on their caps and above the nameplates on their jersey when baseball returned after the terrorist attacks in 2001. It's what we've suggested baseball always wear on patriotic dates — Memorial Day, July 4th, 9/11 — so hopefully the caps will stick around after we remember one of our country's darkest days in a few weeks.

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NASCAR preview and picks: Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips At The Glen

After weeks of turning left, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will throw in a few right turns this week with a visit to Watkins Glen International for Sunday’s second and final road course event on the 2011 schedule, the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips At The Glen.
To the casual fan, the second of the two road courses on the schedule might look the same (Infineon in Sonoma California in June was the first), according to this week’s favorite Kyle Busch, they are very different.

Busch describes how different course layouts are by comparing Infineon to Martinsville, the smallest Sprint Cup oval, while comparing Watkins Glen to Talladega, the longest oval on the circuit.



“Watkins Glen seems like it’s an easier road course for these cars and for us to be on,” Busch told the media. “They’re not as agile as other sports cars are. We’re 3,400-pound racecars where other sports cars are maybe 2,500 or 2,800 pounds. You can throw them around a lot easier. Their brakes are a lot better and they stop a lot better. With as big and heavy of tanks as these (Sprint Cup cars have), we seem to have a problem, already, not running into each other.”

Busch drove to victory here in 2008 and hasn’t finished outside the Top 10 at the Glen since that win. Coming off a second place finish at Pocono last week, a track that many drivers admit acts like a road course, Busch is in a great position to pick up his fourth win of the season.

Tony Stewart is another driver on NASCAR bettors’ radar. He’s the series leader among active drivers with five wins at the Glen and last won here in 2009. Stewart could score his first victory of the season Sunday and his stats at the Glen, including the highest driver rating among the Top 12 drivers, seem to bear that out. However, he has been missing something this season that keeps him out of the favorite’s column. Should the magic return this weekend, Stewart could certainly be a threat.



Jeff Gordon might be ready to add a third victory and spoil the party for everyone else. He has four wins here and has been enjoying a decent season. Keep in mind, that the last time he won here was in 2001 and, while Stewart has the highest driver rating among the Top 12, Gordon has the lowest.

Wildcard watch

Under NASCAR’s new season points, the driver who is inside the Top 20 in points and who has at least one win, will be in line to make the season ending Chase for the Championship. With five races left until the cutoff that determines who will race for the title, several drivers are vying to make it inside the Top 20.

This week, the driver with the best shot to do that and win is Marcos Ambrose. Ambrose is 23rd in the standings and while he is winless at the Glen, he has finished third, second and third in his last three races here. With a record like that, and the motivation to win, he can’t be ignored.

Another driver on wildcard watch is Juan Pablo Montoya. He’s 21st in points, won last year’s event and has finished in the Top 10 in each of the last three races, but has been so off his game this season that a win Sunday would be a genuine surprise.



Head-to-head

This week’s primetime matchup pairs Jimmie Johnson vs. Carl Edwards. Both are winless at the Glen, but are at the top of the standings. Both drivers share three Top-5 finishes here and both will be racing in the Nationwide event Saturday. Johnson and Edwards will try to stay out of trouble in order to maintain their points, but Edwards has been coming on strong in the late stages of races, so look for him to finish ahead of the No. 48 Sunday.

Neither Clint Bowyer nor Dale Earnhardt Jr. are known as road course kings. Both are winless, but have been making noise lately as they try to prove they’re legitimate contenders. While Earnhardt does have two Top-5 finishes, the last in 2004, he also has two DNF’s. Look for Bowyer to come out ahead in this matchup.

Bottom Line
Starting inside the Top 10 at Watkins Glen can make for an easy trip to Victory Lane. Twenty of the 28 races at Watkins Glen have been won by a car in a Top-10 starting position.



Favorites

Kyle Busch(+800)
Tony Stewart (+700)
Jeff Gordon (+800)

Wildcard

Marcos Ambrose (+400)

NFL preseason betting: Coaches to follow and fade

The NFL preseason is a month-long opportunity for sports bettors to exploit generic lines that can offer plenty of value if you're paying attention.While teams' against the spread numbers tend to fluctuate from year to year during the regular season, that often isn't the case in the preseason, where most coaches have very pronounced histories and ATS trends.

Unlike in the regular season, many coaches will reveal to the media details about their upcoming game, such as who will play and how long, what their intentions are, what areas of improvement they'll try to identify, and so on.



With that in mind, here is a look at coaches you should consider betting on or against in the 2011 preseason, which kicks off Thursday:

COACHES TO FADE

Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts

In reality, this isn't a fade on Caldwell, the Colts' third-year coach, but rather on Bill Polian, the team's president. As an organization, the Colts don't believe there is any correlation between preseason and regular season success. They are routinely among the league's worst preseason teams both straight up and against the spread but still find themselves in the playoffs every year.

The Colts pamper their veterans and give Peyton Manning extremely limited action, often times looking for reasons to avoid playing him at all. Manning is expected to miss the Colts' first preseason game, and it's a safe bet he'll play just a series or two at most in the other three.

Caldwell is 1-7 straight up and 2-6 ATS in his two seasons as coach, continuing the Colts' tradition of preseason ineptitude that began with Tony Dungy. Since 2005, the Colts are 4-22 straight up and 7-18-1 ATS, which includes a 1-3 ATS mark last year, in which the Colts lost games by 20, 13 and 35 points.



Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks

Carroll is 11-10 straight-up and 12-8-1 ATS all-time in the preseason, a record that includes his first two head coaching jobs in the 1990s with the New York Jets and New England Patriots. But now, more than a decade later, it seems Carroll has mellowed with age.

Carroll's Seahawks went 1-3 SU and 0-3-1 ATS last year during the preseason, and this year, despite the layoff from the lockout, it doesn't appear that Carroll is approaching these games with any level of seriousness. The second-year Seahawks coach has been on Twitter all week imploring fans to send in their suggestions for Seattle's first play call, and it's become a bit of a circus act.

With so much uncertainty surrounding the Seahawks already, it might not be a bad idea to fade Carroll's club.



COACHES TO FOLLOW

Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars

If Del Rio's teams performed as well in the regular season as they do in the preseason, then perhaps he wouldn't find himself on the hot seat every year. But unfortunately for Del Rio, his preseason success rarely carries over, as he's led the Jaguars to just two playoff appearances in eight seasons as a head coach.

Del Rio is 20-12 SU and 20-11-1 ATS since 2003, including a 5-2-1 ATS mark the last two seasons. Overall, Del Rio has never finished worse than 2-2 ATS in the preseason, posting a 3-1 record four times, a 2-1-1 record once and a 2-2 record three times.

This preseason might offer Del Rio his biggest challenge yet, as he'll be up against two organizations — the Patriots and Falcons — who take the preseason seriously. However, he'll also be up against one of the worst preseason coaches, Chan Gailey of the Bills, who is 4-10 ATS all time.

Mike Shanahan, Washington Redskins

Expect the Redskins to play with a real sense of urgency during the preseason, since these exhibition games will represent the team's four best opportunities to win a game this season.



Shanahan has always played to win in the preseason, and that's apparent when looking at his 44-28 SU mark, which is far and away the best of any active head coach. More impressive is Shanahan's ability to cover the spread, as he's posted a 39-31-2 ATS mark all time, including a 2-2 ATS mark last year.

With many people questioning the direction of the Redskins franchise, Shanahan will be looking to deliver reasons for optimism throughout the month of August.

Tiger teammates argue on field... (Watch)

Get along, you two.


In the heat of a particularly frustrating afternoon for the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, right-hander Brad Penny and catcher Victor Martinez squabbled with each other in plain sight in front of more than 30,000 fans at Comerica Park.


The Angels roughed up Penny for seven runs over 3 2/3 innings, his worst statistical outing with Detroit, in a 12-7 victory for Los Angeles. Perhaps the ugliest detail: home fans booing their own team in the fourth inning when Penny and Martinez shouted at each other with the Tigers on defense.Though the teammates exchanged only words, along with some hostile body language, the argument went on long enough that pitching coach Jeff Jones emerged from the dugout to calm everyone down. He even had to lightly restrain Penny from getting in Martinez's face.


Over the long months of a season, teammates will argue with each other. It just doesn't happen, usually, between the mound and home plate in the middle of an at-bat.

Watch the Tigers bicker

Memo to Brad and Victor: You're supposed to act as a battery, not threaten each other with battery.
Penny later said the squabble stemmed from how Martinez was calling pitches with a runner on second base. Nothing more, no big deal. A penny for your thoughts, Victor?

"Next question," Martinez said. "Don't ask about that."

OK ... anybody have anything about the debt ceiling?


As the Tigers beat writers from MLB.compoint out, Penny and Martinez had experienced positive results when working together. In eight starts with Martinez behind the plate, Penny's ERA was two runs lower than it has been in 13 starts with No. 1 Alex Avila. And Penny has been effusive in praising Martinez, a backup at catcher at this point in his career, whom the Tigers signed mostly for his offensive abilities.
So what happened out there, Brad?

"It had nothing to do with pitch selection or anything like that," Penny said. "With a runner on second, I like to come set taking signs. That way the hitter can't look at second base and anything there. I've pitched my whole career that way, and he didn't want me to do it. I know there's no other way for me. I guess it's a habit. It's natural.


"I've done it my whole career. It's not that big of a deal. Me and Victor have been friends for a while now, and that happens when you're competing."

Though it shouldn't have happened in front of the world like that, Penny seemed over it after the game. But was Martinez over it? Judging by his reaction to being asked about it, nope.

If Penny's characterization of what happened is complete and accurate, then Martinez needs to shoulder most of the blame. The catcher is the captain. He's got to rein in the pitcher when he's acting like an angry bull who looks like Larry the Cable Guy. (Possible exception: whoever is catching Carlos Zambrano. Z cannot be tamed.)

It's also understandable for Martinez to be upset with Penny for apparently calling him out. But if Martinez was doing something different than he usually does in calling signs, then it's easy to see why that would ruffle Penny.

If you're wondering where manager Jim Leyland was during all of this, he had been ejected for arguing with umpires about something else an inning earlier.

Who will catch Penny's next start? Will this regrettable moment have any lasting effect on the Tigers? Perhaps a positive effect? Martinez ain't talking, so the answers have to come from elsewhere.

Monday’s streaking and slumping starting pitchers

STREAKING

James McDonald (6-4, 4.15 ERA), Pittsburgh Pirates

Baseball bettors are like yard sale shoppers. They’re always looking for a good bargain. This Pirate hurler is the equivalent of an original Atari system with 50 games for $2.50 – a sweet deal any way you slice it.

The Pirates are 6-1 in McDonald’s last seven outings, and they were underdogs in five of those games.

Mark Buehrle (7-5, 3.38 ERA), Chicago White Sox

The White Sox are just 6-9 in their last 15 games, but three of those wins came on days Buehrle took the bump. Chicago would actually be in great shape if Buehrle started all its games. The club is 5-0 in his last five appearances and 13-6 in his 19 starts this season.

The veteran southpaw has been especially effective this month. He carries a 2.05 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP (walks + hits per inning) into Monday’s contest.

SLUMPING

Jason Vargas (6-8, 3.94 ERA), Seattle Mariners

Seattle can’t sweep bad starting pitching performances under the rug like the Red Sox or Rangers. The squad's lack of offense doesn't allow bailouts for starting hurlers.

Vargas has given up four or more runs in four of his last seven outings. Not surprisingly, the Mariners are 2-5 in his last seven starts and the under is 5-1 in his last six trips the hill.

RETURNING

Jon Lester (10-4, 3.31 ERA), Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox haven’t exactly been reeling since Lester went down with a strained lat muscle but they’ll be happy to see their big left-hander take the mound on Monday for the first time since July 5.

“We’re just trying to ramp [Lester] up and let him get strong, " Red Sox manager Terry Francona told reporters. "He feels nothing in that lat, which is great. That’s what we wanted. Now it’s just the idea of getting him back to where he can go out there and start a game and not be so limited to where he can only throw 50 pitches.”

Lester was pitching extremely well before going down with the injury. He went 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in the month of June.

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NFL Report: Eagles not interested in Favre as backup QB

Two Philadelphia Eagles sources told FoxSports' Jay Glazer an "emphatic no" on Sunday when asked if they were targeting veteran quarterback Brett Favre to serve as the team's backup.Glazer even noted that he was attempting to "end the uproar now".

Summers in recent years have been filled with Favre rumors - dancing around either retirement or playing one more season.

As it stands, the 41-year-old Favre has retired - again - after a disappointing final season with the Minnesota Vikings.

A landing spot with the Eagles first surfaced when Howard Eskin of WIP Radio in Philadelphia detailed that the team is interested in the idea of bringing Favre into the fold.

The Eagles are expected to trade current backup Kevin Kolb once the lockout is lifted. Mike Kafka would then be the team's No. 2 quarterback.

Michael Vick tweeted on Sunday morning that he would welcome the veteran quarterback to the City of Brotherly Love.

"I would be honored to have Brett Farve as a backup," Vick tweeted. "That will be amazing learning how to toy with defenses the way he did his whole career."

Favre does know Andy Reid, who was a Green Bay Packers offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach for seven seasons.

PinnacleSports.com has the Eagles at +1400 to win the Super Bowl.

USC suspends senior RB for season opener

Southern California senior tailback Marc Tyler was suspended for the team's season opener following comments he made to TMZ.
When asked whether he could make more money at USC or in the NFL, Tyler didn't mince words.

"USC, they breaking bread," he said while making a gesture of large stack of money.

Southern California coach Lane Kiffin was not amused and suspended Tyler for all team activities leading up to and including the Sept. 3 opener against Minnesota.



"I am disappointed that I let down all the people who have supported me as I have been working through some personal issues," Tyler said in a statement released by the school. "I realize how my behavior and my statements, even though I was joking, can reflect poorly on so many people. As a veteran player, I should know that my job is to be an example for the younger guys."

Tyler battled for playing time in the deep Trojans backfield last season but did pile up 913 rushing yards with nine touchdowns. He had a serious shot of being the team's starter in the opening game as the team's only tailback with any significant experience.

The Trojans are entering the second year of a postseason ban during four years of NCAA probation stemming from illegal benefits provided to Reggie Bush.

Bombs away: Handicapping the MLB Home Run Derby

With the National League playing host to Monday's Home Run Derby, and subsequently the All-Star game, the powers that be couldn’t have picked a better park than Arizona’s Chase Field.
Out of every major league setting, Chase Field ranks fifth in home run rate at 1.283 (according to MLB ballpark factor), watching 101 balls clear its outfield walls so far this season. Those numbers are tops among NL stadiums, setting the stage for some huge dingers Monday night.

Of course, it helps when the derby roster is stocked with some of the biggest swingers in baseball.

American League captain David Ortiz selected reigning home run champ Jose Bautista, Boston teammate Adrian Gonzalez, and Yankees rival Robinson Cano. National League captain Prince Fielder picked two-time contestant Matt Holliday, Triple-Crown threat Matt Kemp, and teammate Ricky Weeks.

That field has combined for 155 home runs heading into Saturday, with the AL holding an 80-75 edge over the NL. Since 2000, the Junior Circuit leads the Senior 6-5 in the derby, with Ortiz breaking the tie after rocking 32 total round-trippers and beating Hanley Ramirez in the final round last year.

According to oddsmakers, the AL will take the home run derby again this summer, pricing an American League player to win at -130, while a National League champ would pay off at +111. If MLB bettors have a good feeling about one of this year’s contestants, they might as well double-down on the derby with the league prop.

Here’s a closer look at the field for the 2011 MLB Home Run Derby:

Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays - 31 home runs (+330)

The Jays’ slugger is proving he’s no one-year wonder, leading the majors with 31 big-flys this season. Bautista heads into the contests with one of the hottest bats in the majors. He homered in all three games versus the Phillies last weekend and heads into Saturday with five homers in his last eight outings.

Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers - 22 home runs (+367)

Fielder won the derby in 2009, launching 23 total home runs and edging Nelson Cruz in the final, paying out at +500. This season, Fielder has depended on Miller Park to provide much of his pop, hitting 14 of his bombs at home. However, he’s been comfortable in his limited trips to Chase Field, hitting four home runs in 54 career at-bats in Arizona – which is about one per series.

Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals – 14 home runs (+367)

St. Louis’ slugger is red hot entering the weekend, with four home runs in his last five games heading into Saturday. That, however, didn’t help Holliday in last year’s derby when he entered the contest with four home runs in the week before the break. He managed only five home runs and finished fifth. He placed third in the 2007 derby and in 167 career at-bats at Chase Field, he’s only hit four big-flys.

David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox – 19 home runs (+383)

Ortiz entered the 2010 Home Run Derby priced at +300 in what would be his fourth try at the ASG HR crown. Big Papi finally came through, hitting 32 total four-baggers, including 11 dingers in the final round. He’s sitting with one more home run than he had at this point last summer, and is paying a bit more in the odds. He’s also gone yard in two straight games heading into Saturday’s slate. At this price, Ortiz is a great bet to become the first back-to-back derby winner since Ken Griffey Jr. in 1998 and 1999.

Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox – 17 home runs (+725)

Gonzalez is flourishing in the Red Sox lineup and leads the majors in most statistical categories. But he’s not really known as a big swinger, with just one home run in his last 11 games heading into Saturday. He mustered just two home runs in his lone derby appearance in 2009 (priced at +500). That said, he punished the D-backs every time he visited Chase Field as a member of the Padres, smashing 13 home runs in 169 career at-bats there.

Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers – 22 home runs (+737)

Kemp is flirting with history, chasing after the NL Triple Crown, but has fallen off the pace in the home run category. He’s failed to record a round-tripper in 10 straight games, heading into Saturday, and carries that power outage into Monday’s derby in Arizona. However, fellow NL contestants Fielder was in a skid before he won the derby in 2009 and Kemp has had plenty of looks inside Chase Field. He has four home runs in 124 career at-bats in the desert.

Robinson Cano, New York Yankees – 15 home runs (+888)

Cano is another slugger making his derby debt Monday. His totals have benefited from playing in the home-run friendly new Yankee Stadium, hitting 11 of his 15 HRs in the Bronx this season. He’s only had 12 at-bats at Chase Field during his six years in the bigs and has failed to go yard in those limited chances. However, if guys like Cal Ripken Jr. and Bobby Abreu can win the derby, so can Cano.

Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers – 17 home runs (+1,167)

Leadoff hitters aren’t really known for their home run prowess, but thanks to some favoritism from his Brew Crew buddy Fielder, Weeks will be digging in Monday night. Since being selected, Weeks is doing his best to come through for his teammate, hitting back-to-back jacks heading into Saturday. He’s stepped into the batter’s box at Chase Field 55 times in his career and recorded three home runs. Week is, however, coming off a career-high 29 dingers in 2010 and is on pace for another big year at the plate.

--

Noteworthy info: The retractable roof at Chase Field will be closed for the majority of the All-Star events in Arizona, in order to protect fans and players from the desert heat. However, the Home Run Derby is the only event that will peel the lid off the field. Event planners will close the roof for the first two rounds of the derby, but open it for the finals. The heat and open air will change the dynamic of the park and help the ball carry further in the final round.
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The six worst road teams in baseball and when to bet them

Nineteen of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball have better records at home than they do on the road, which isn’t a surprising stat.However, some teams have home/road splits that are highly skewed, meaning a closer evaluation might lead us to profitable betting opportunities.

Here is a look at six of the worst road teams in baseball and how you should bet them.

Milwaukee Brewers (29-12 home, 16-29 road)

Milwaukee has the best home record in baseball and one of the league’s worst road records, despite being four games above .500. Only the Cubs and Astros have won fewer road games than the Brewers in the National League.

Over the last three years, the Brewers have been about a .500 team on the road, and you’d have to go back to 2007 to find the last time they were this bad. That year, they finished 83-79 overall but were just 32-49 on the road.

How to bet them: Play against the Brewers when they’re road underdogs, as they have posted a 6-18 record as pups. Then again, you might have success fading them as a favorite, too. The Brewers are an MLB-worst minus 12.96 units in road games.

Washington Nationals (25-15 home, 18-28 road)

The Nationals have been one of the league’s biggest surprises, but their road performance, as bad as it is, is actually better than usual.

Since 2008, the Nats have finished 28-53, 26-55 and 25-56 on the road. There’s a good chance they’ll be able to exceed their previous road win totals by mid-August.

How to bet them: If you’re looking for a strong situational bet, fade the Nats when Livan Herndandez (5.13 road ERA) is on the mound. They are just 1-8 and down 6.53 units in his road starts.

Kansas City Royals (23-24 home, 11-27 road)

After winning three of their first five road games to start the season, the Royals have since lost 25 of 33. The main reason for the Royals’ struggles has been their disastrous pitching staff, which has an MLB-worst 5.12 road ERA.

The Royals have won a handful of games as +150 road dogs or more, but are still down 9.49 units away from home for the season - worst in the American League.

How to bet them: Fade the Royals in the first game of a road series. They are just 4-10 in series openers and lost seven in a row at one point this season.

Oakland Athletics (22-20 home, 16-28 road)

Only the Royals have lost more money on the road than the Athletics, who are down 9.48 units so far in 2011.

Losing nine of 10 in an East Coast trip in early June didn’t help the A’s, who have had to play a brutal road schedule. They had road series against the Giants, Phillies and Mets in interleague play.

How to bet them: Getaway day hasn’t been too bad for the A’s. They are 7-7 in the final game of a road series, with four of their seven wins coming as underdogs. 

Minnesota Twins (19-18 home, 18-28 road)

Minnesota has struggled to score runs all season, and that’s been especially true on the road. The Twins, whose 316 runs scored is the third worst in the AL, are averaging just 3.69 runs on the road.

In a recent five-game road losing streak, the Twins managed to score just eight runs.

How to bet them: The under has hit in 25 of the Twins’ 46 road games so far, and 15 of those have come in Twins losses.

Baltimore Orioles (22-22 home, 14-24 road)

No team has a tougher division to play road games in than the Orioles, whose easiest trip involves crossing the border to play the Blue Jays.

The Orioles haven’t won more than 35 road games since 2005, when they finished 74-88 overall and 38-43 on the road.

How to bet them: Don’t be afraid to take the O’s as heavy dogs, as they’ve pulled off some surprises so far. Five of their 14 road wins have come as dogs of +145 or more, including wins over the Rays as +166 and +173 underdogs.

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MLB's biggest winners and losers from interleague

With Sunday’s 10-4 closing record, the American League put away the National League for the eight straight season, with a final count of 131-121. It was the overall power of the junior circuit that made the difference, sending 255 baseballs over the fence compared to 208 by the older league.
Here's a look at the biggest winners and losers from interleague play:

INTERLEAGUE WINNERS

The two biggest winners from the American League were the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels. Each posted a 13-5 record, with the Bronx Bombers picking up +5.9 units and the Halos were a baseball best +8.00 in interleague action. In fact, the Angels are a major league best 62-28 since 2007 in their battles with the NL, for a whopping +28 units.

The National League was not a complete failure as Atlanta and San Francisco took advantage of the situation to post a 10-5 records. The Braves helped baseball bettors walk away with +4.4 units and the defending World Series champions were finished interleague up 5.1 units.

INTERLEAGUE LOSERS

If the cream rises to the top, then mediocrity can coat the basement with a thick layer of unsightly play. Houston has the worst record in baseball and it’s no surprise the Astros had the poorest ledger against the AL with a 4-11 mark and a profitable play against proposition at -5.4 units. The Chicago Cubs were next at 5-10 (-3.6 units) and were positioned to have a better record since three of their wins came in the first game of the series.

Last place Kansas City picked up the rear in the AL with a 5-13 (-7.25) mark and were particularly inept against the NL West where they were a distressing 1-8.

Among the most shocking performances were the Cincinnati Reds, who were 6-12 in interleague play. Last year’s NL Central division champs have tumbled all the way to fourth place with an uneventful 43-42 record. They helped contribute to their division posting a 37-56 overall rate against the American League.

WHAT DID WE LEARN?

The Yankees were three games better than Boston (10-8), which is why they are in first place and the Red Sox are not.

Cleveland (11-7) regained the AL Central division lead by being four games better than Detroit (7-11) and restored their confidence as a club. They now know they can take adversity head on and still come out ahead, something they have not done in years. The underachieving Chicago White Sox kept pace with Cleveland with an 11-7 effort and are back in the division race in the final week before the All-Star break.

The L.A. Angels picked up four games on Texas and has caught the Rangers, giving them the belief they are still a division contender.

Arizona (10-8) had the same number of victories as San Francisco, but picked up three more losses as a result of the unbalanced schedule, which is the difference in the standings in the loss column between the two teams.

Atlanta was one game better than front-running Philadelphia (9-6) and strengthened its claim to be the wild card team.
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Is It Too Early to Start Talking About College Football???

Oregon Ducks. LSU Tigers. Week 1. I'm excited.

Excuse me if I'm jumping the gun a bit here, but I just received confirmation of my tickets to attend this Week 1 heavyweight match-up at Jerry Jones Stadium in Dallas, Texas---appropriately named the "Cowboys Classic."

Being a huge Oregon Ducks fan, this game will dictate our season. If you haven't heard, we lost Cliff Harris due to a plethora of infractions including $8,000 in unpaid tickets. He could be suspended for one game, one game, forever . . . who knows.

Fortunately for Oregon, their bread and butter is the offensive scheme master minded by Coach Chip Kelly. He has these guys running at warp speed which makes my Ducks the most highly watched team in the nation. Sorry Big 10, no one wants to watch the power running game for 60 minutes.

That's about where my enthusiasm ends surrounding this game. The SEC is big. Duck Nation found that out the hard way in the national title game. Oregon recruits small linemen, and if the offense isn't running at previously mentioned warp speed, the big boys on defense from our opposition stay fresh and thus we lose our advantage. SEE: Auburn Tigers/Oregon Ducks National Championship game.

I have my wager placed on LSU Tigers +2 even though I will be rooting for the Ducks. LSU carries the same storyline into the season as Auburn did last year with a transfer QB who was probably paid $180K to attend LSU. If Jordan Jefferson gets the nod, Oregon has struggled with overly mobile QBs, too. Either guy poses a problem along with a power running game and stout defense.

The most glaring aspect of Chip Kelly's record with Oregon is his dubious distinction of not being able to win games with extended preparation. Chip lost to Boise State in 2009 to open the year, he lost to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, and he lost to Auburn in the National Title game. All of these games had extended planning (offseason or extended layoff before bowl games) which neutralized the surprise of the Oregon gameplan.

LSU will have ample time this summer to prepare for the Ducks. I hope Chip gets this monkey off his back, but I can't put my money on him.

The winner will have an inside track to the BCS Title Game.

"We Can't wait!"
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Full Tilt Poker to be Bought by European Group

Full Tilt Poker is on the verge of being purchased by a European investment group, a sale that could allow the return of $150 million to American online poker players.

A report in Friday's Los Angeles Times said an agreement was signed Thursday between Fullt Tilt Poker and the group, which would put up the money owed to players who lost their funds when the site was shut down by federal prosecutors on April 15.

Full Tilt was among three online poker sites named in the federal indictment and charged with bank fraud, money laundering and gambling violations. In addition, the company was sued by spokesman and World Series of Poker star Phil Ivey.

Full Tilt's international operation remained active until Wednesday, when it was suspended without warning by overseas regulators.

According to the report, in exchange for the infusion of capital to refund players, the investors would take a majority stake in Pocket Kings, Full Tilt's parent company based in Ireland.

The report said investors also are hoping to settle its portion of a $3 billion civil lawsuit brought by the U.S. attorney's office against Full Tilt, Poker Stars and Absolute Bet.

According to the report, Poker Stars has returned more than $120 million to players but Absolute Bet has not refunded any money.

After the April indictment, Full Tilt was sued by Phil Ivey, a spokesman for Full Tilt and a mainstay at the World Series of Poker. Ivey refused to enter the WSOP in protest, but his attorney told the Times that Ivey would drop his lawsuit if Full Tilt repaid its players.

How Do You Deal With Losing? MLB Edition

Moneyline wagers go bad when bullpens implode.

Fielder’s indifference leads to -1.5 wagers becoming 1-run wins.

A famed starting pitcher’s stuff resembles batting practice than ace form.

A gas can throws a gem.

Totals go over after many scoreless innings.

Totals go under after explosive frames to begin a game.

We’ve all seen it happen over and over again. The MLB season is a long, tough grind. Losses, as with any sport and maybe more viciously than the other major ones, are inevitable.

For me, I’m a terribly sore loser. It’s not the money that bothers me because I have a very disciplined money management system. Money is a way of keeping score. I just hate losing . . . at anything. We could have a thumb war and I’ll want to punch you in the face if I lost. However, as much as I hate losing, I don’t blow a gasket. Understanding losing is a part of betting assists me with coping during a losing day. I think we can all agree that losing makes us all a little bitter. Some more than others.

How do I deal with the tough days? I reach for another beer. Nothing cures the pain like a nice ice cold Heineken or another Rum and Coke.

I compare my rather calm behaviors to those who say the words “AGAIN?! I F***ING LOST AGAIN?!”. I can only imagine who they are getting their picks from, not us that';s for sure.

In real life, I’ve seen some angry drunks at the sports books. Some get overly aggressive against themselves, or overly aggressive against others. Some compound their drinking with other social habits. It’s a roller coaster and I thankfully do not meet the losing requirements to ride.

Losing days. Everyone has them.

How do you cope with the bad streaks? I'll tell you one way is to join us at West Coast Handicapping where losing is rare, definiterly not the norm. Sure, we're not perfect and don't claim to be because noboidy is. But, we are sitting at 70% for 2011 so far with our members netting over 750 units (each game is assigned 1*, 1.5* or 2*). Plus, with us you get 6-10 picks daily not 1 or 2 from the other guys. Get on board now with our 4th of July special of $149 for the rest of 2011 (Special ends 7/4 at 1pm)  ONLY $149 FOR REST OF 2011

Las Vegas bookmaker: The danger of moving lines

No one likes moving and bookmakers are no exception. Shifting lines once numbers are open for wagering is a major headache for sportsbook managers. The goal for some of the sharper gamblers is to eliminate the gamble from gambling and while that might sound like an oxymoron, arbitrage and middling are art forms only the best can execute with limited risk.   

Even in the best middling opportunities basketball and football may present, odds are slim a game will fall between a narrow window allowing a gambler to win two bets. But through the influx of low juice books and shopping prices through town and offshore it’s become easier to wager a large chunk of your bankroll on both sides in a contest with limited risk and huge upside.
 


This approach to betting sports directly reflects a market investment strategy executed by Nassim Taleb referred to as the inevitability of disaster whereby you can’t always predict chance events and when they’ll occur but rather put yourself in a position to capitalize when they do unfold.  Here is an example:

For illustration purposes, let’s use Team A and Team B.

The opening number for Team B is -1 vs. Team A.

Line moves throughout the day and closes Team A -2. 

The astute gambler using arbitrage recognizes which direction the number is going to head and locks in wagers on Team A at +1 for 110 to win 100 and Team B +2 for 110 to win 100.  While it may seem foolish to risk 220 with such a small window to middle the game, you can actually win by not only middling the game if Team A wins by 1 but also through siding the game if Team B wins by 1 or loses by 2, meaning you’d win one of the wagers and push the other.  

What’s been done in this scenario is the gambler is only risking 10 bucks in juice for the opportunity to win 200 if the game falls in his perfect scenario.  Risk is reduced even further with shorter juice but assuming it was a .20 cent line (most common in Vegas for pointspread wagering -110/-110) a gambler would need to hit 1 out of 20 to break even with anything above that success rate serving as pure profit and emphasis on getting the best numbers for largest middle opportunities.

Baseball provides an even better prospect for this type of wagering through moneyline manipulation specifically in a 10-cent line. Unlike betting football or basketball against the spread, if you can gauge where a moneyline’s going to move, you can consistently lock in profits regardless of the actual outcome because you’ve created a scalp. 

The scalp allows the gambler to lay a price, say -175, and as the price climbs throughout the day he can take back any price of +177 and begin making a small return on investment. 

One point I want to get across through all of this is that just because these opportunities exist in the betting marketplace, this wagering strategy is not easy to execute. If you happen to bet the wrong side initially and the line moves against you, prospects for arbitrage are thrown out the window.
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Can LeBron Transform From Choker To Champ? A Sport Psychologist Has A Game Plan

The Decision has led to The Derision, and many are now calling LeBron James a choker.

Let's stay away from that label. But let's also ask: Why do great athletes sometimes fail to show up in important situations? Why did James, so dominant in fourth quarters leading up to the NBA Finals -- don't forget his incredible finish against the Pistons in the '07 playoffs -- start making high school mistakes when it counted most?

And is there a way he can confront this problem and overcome it?
There are answers, and they go all the way back to the 1989 Stanley Cup Final. One of the Calgary Flames, coming back to the dressing room right before the opening faceoff in Game 1, turned to the team's sport psychologist and made a confession:   "I'm scared."

The psychologist was named Hap Davis, and he has spent more than a generation examining why athletes succumb to pressure. He thinks he's found an answer, and it sheds light on both LeBron James' poor play in and Dirk Nowitzki's emotional response to winning in a whole new way.


In moments of fear, the human body produces cortisol, which helps its fight-or-flight mechanism. When you hear a story about a mother lifting a stalled car off her child to save his life, that's cortisol at work. But cortisol is not what a great athlete needs in a defining moment. In fact, cortisol may get in the way of an essential ingredient for athletic performance: Testosterone.

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"That's what comes with ability to stay in the moment -- frontal cortex activation, motor cortex activation and elevation in testosterone," Davis says.

Translation: Athletes who "stay focused" (to use a cliché) keep producing testosterone, which stimulates the part of the brain wired for motor skills such as shooting or dribbling.

The Rest of the 2011 MLB Season Special

THE REAL STORY BEHIND LEBRON'S BREAKDOWN IN CRUNCH TIME...

This is starting to get real ugly for Lebron.  He mentally is not in the game.  You can see it in his eyes, he has bailed on his teammates.

Let me take you back to last year when Lebron found out that Delonte had slept with his mom. His performance went on a downward spiral and he never recovered. Well, I have a very reliable source who clubs and drinks with all of the athletes that come through Orlando. He was all over the Tiger Woods issue and knew what all happened with Tiger prior to it being released publicly. My buddy has a place in Orlando, Lake Nona to be exact, and he lives among some athletes that live there in Orlando. Needless to say he golfs, drinks, and parties with some of these athlketes. So when word got to him while at the bar last night, he called me. Word got out while drinking with friends, that Rashard Lewis slept with Lebrons girl while visiting South Beach. Not sure how it all went down, but the guys he was drinking with all bashed Rashard for being a piece of shit. Take it for what it's worth, but this will all come out just like Delonte and that fiasco did as well.

This is personal, and it affected Lebron last year with his mom, and now this year on the largest stage with his woman. It's affecting him all around. Look at how passive, and how clueless he looks. Of course Lebron speaks like nothing is wrong, that's what he's suppose to do to get family out of the spotlight.

Pocono 500: NASCAR Betting Preview and FREE Picks

This week’s number is 13.

The Pocono 500 marks 13 races down and 13 to go in NASCAR’s regular season, which consists of 26 races prior to the 10-race Chase for the Championship.

Sunday kicks off the second half of the schedule at the track known as the Tricky Triangle - Pocono Raceway. With its three unique corners and three straights of varying lengths, it’s not exactly a superspeedway, but it’s not really a road course. Pocono is one of the most challenging tracks on the circuit and no one has shown a better ability to step up to that challenge than this week’s favorite, Carl Edwards.

Edwards is in the midst of a career-best season and comes into Pocono leading the championship standings by 40 points - the largest lead all season. And he’s well aware that while leading the points will get him into the Chase, in just 13 races all that will really matter are wins. Edwards has two wins here, his first coming in his first career start and he has finished in the Top 3 in three of the last five races.

“I really like racing at Pocono,” Edwards told reporters. “The first time I ran there I won so it’s been a favorite ever since. It is a very difficult track, both mentally and physically, and it taxes every part of the car as well. We’re going into Pocono with a big point lead so we are definitely going for the win. With a cushion in the points we are able to gamble a bit more and I can drive more aggressively to go for the win.”

Don’t count Denny Hamlin out of the mix, though. After being off everyone’s radar for most of the season, Hamlin has been showing steady improvement including a second-place finish at Kansas last week. He heads to Pocono with a ton of confidence and with four wins here - the most of any active driver. He’s the defending winner of this race and would like nothing more than getting back in the win column.

Like Hamlin, Tony Stewart has been uncharacteristically quiet this season. But he also heads to Pocono with a record that can’t be ignored. In the last five races here, Stewart has finished inside the Top 3 in four events, including a win two short years ago. Stewart could easily step up to the plate and steal the spotlight Sunday.

Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick make up this week’s prime-time matchup. Sure Johnson has two wins here but those came seven years ago when he completed a season sweep in 2004.  Although he could run up front Sunday, his recent stats don’t bode well for the No. 48 car. Harvick on the other hand has never won at Pocono but has been surprising at Pocono on more than one occasion. With two Top-5 finishes here last season, Harvick gets the nod in this matchup.

Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth have never won at Pocono either, but both are having stellar seasons and hope to continue that trend this weekend. However, neither have records at Pocono that make them favorites for a checkered flag. While Kenseth has put together some great runs this season, Busch should come out ahead in this matchup.

Bottom line: The June 2005 race was won by Carl Edwards from the 29th starting position, which is the deepest a race winner has started in the field.
 Favorites:
Carl Edwards (+700)
Denny Hamlin (+400)
 Spoiler:Tony Stewart (+1,000)
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