CoversBlogJam

Remember this summer, when at times it looked as if the NFL was doomed to miss at least part of the regular season?

Those were dark days. We’re lucky the players and owners smoothed things out before a gem like Thursday’s clash between the Saints and Packers became some sort of cyber eulogy played out only on Madden 12 – or maybe just Madden 11 if the lockout persisted.

Imagine where you would be if the NFL lockout continued into September and threw a wrench into Week 1 of the schedule. What would you be doing? What would you bet on? Would you care?

As fans of alternate realities, here are you options in a world without NFL football for September 8, 2011:

- Arizona at Oklahoma State: Since there’s no NFL, college football is king. Meaning all betting value NCAA pigskin held before the lockout is dried up like Sharon Stone. Enjoy getting raked over the coals just to wager on 20-year-old kids. And you thought Nevin Shapiro’s actions were bad in Miami – wait until every betting booster gets their claws into the money machine that is NFL-free college football.

- Phillies at Brewers: Baseball gets a major bump in attention without football hogging the ratings and the headlines. “America’s Favorite Past Time” reclaims that title after finishing second to the NFL since the 1994 strike. The surge in revenue allows rich teams like the Phillies and Yankees to build to their already-amazing lineups. Philadelphia starts Justin Verlander vs. the Brewers, then goes with Cole Hamels, Felix Hernandez, and closer Tim Lincecum out of the bullpen. Roy Halladay pinch hits.

- Stampeders at Eskimos: Without NFL around, kid brother explodes in popularity – with fans and bettors. This battle for Alberta was supposed to be the lone game this Friday night, but with the sudden explosion in interest, the league pulls a brash and unprecedented move and reissues the failed American CFL franchises mid-season to capitalize on the football-starved U.S. market. Teams like the Sacramento Gold Miners, Baltimore Stallions, Las Vegas Posse, Shreveport Pirates, Birmingham Barracudas, and Memphis Mad Dogs are brought back from the dead. Three downs are better than no downs, I suppose…

- Shock at Mercury: With the NFL lockout in full swing and the NBA stoppage on the same path, fearful basketball fans have flocked to the WNBA like it was the mother ship. In this scary alternate reality, the Shock still stink but more people know about it. Without the NFL and possibly the NBA, the WNBA has decided to expand its season into December. Dear God, I want to get off this ride!

- Rapids at Galaxy: When football is replaced with futebol in North America, we’ve hit rock bottom. Since there’s no NFL, the MLS has taken on new fans like ship-wrecked floaters clinging to pieces of debris, and Friday’s Colorado-L.A. matchup is a big deal in your house. Your kids aren’t wearing their favorite NFL players’ jersey anymore and have instead traded it in for a David Beckham shirt and that stupid faux-hawk haircut. You feel like falling to your knees a la Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes. You maniacs!

Scary, isn’t it? Thank your lucky stars the NFL is back in business. Imagine what horrors lie ahead without the NBA – or we could just watch college ball…

Good luck this NFL season!

Idle hands are the devil's playthings.

While that classic and creepy saying may be more bible bullying than anything, it holds a ton of truth. Just look at the NBA players getting in shit without the prospect of an NBA season to scare them straight.

Just last week, Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins was nailed for a DUI, and most recently, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant allegedly ripped a cell phone out of a guy’s hand because Bryant was sure the man was taking pictures of he and his wife. Oh, this happened in a church of all places, not an inner-city playground (where Michael Beasley shoved a fan in the face) or a musty old gym (where Matt Barnes punched an opponent).

While these minor dust-ups seem par for the course when it comes to the NBA offseason, they will only get worse as players miss training camps and further on, parts of or all, the NBA season.

Sports fans got a taste of it during the NFL lockout when DUIs, bar fights and casino heists were daily headlines on the football wire. It seemed the players couldn’t go a week without someone landing in the clink.

Basketball will be worse, mostly because the NBA lockout will be long and ugly. And with all these players jumping the pond to play in Europe, don’t be surprised if a couple guys miss the start of the season (whenever that'll be?) because they’re tucked away in some Turkish prison for smuggling weed through airport security.

Kobe’s camera snafu and Perkins DUI are just the tip of the iceberg. As morbid as it sounds, I wouldn’t be surprised if an NBA player isn’t shot, stabbed or beaten – and maybe even killed – by the time the league settles the labor dispute.

Hopefully, the players and owners can work it out before someone becomes an unfortunate martyr for the greed of individuals.

Motivation in the NFL preseason is sometimes harder to come by than a smiling Bill Belichick.

However, numerous teams continue to treat the tuneup games as the real deal, rather than glorified run-throughs and another chance to trim the fat.

Taking pride in the preseason is something football bettors have seen from the Detroit Lions year after year, going 3-1 SU and ATS last season, and boasting a stellar 10-2 record over the last three preseason schedules – posting a 8-3-1 ATS mark in that span.

In 2010, the San Francisco 49ers were the preseason champions with a perfect 4-0 SU record, covering in three of those contests with a push coming in the final preseason workout.

In 2009, the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens both went undefeated in the preseason, however, the Ravens edged out the Fins with a for/against points tally of +45. Baltimore went 3-1 ATS in those prep games.

Detroit was 4-0 in 2008, with a 3-1 ATS mark, prompting sad-sack Lions fans to print up “Preseason Champions” t-shirts in order to celebrate one of the franchise’s rare positive accomplishments.

So which team is going to top the preseason standing this year? Is there more value in the basement teams, trying to start the year on a positive. Or is the best wager one of the elite squads, like the Patriots, who smashed Jacksonville in their preseason debut Thursday?

Who you got?

Brett Favre rumors have become an NFL offseason formality, even in the lockout-shortened summer.

But as long as teams are starting terrible quarterbacks under center, there will always be buzz surrounding the now-retired veteran pivot.

There is a low hum resonating out of South Beach this week, where Favre’s name has popped up regarding the Miami Dolphins’ QB situation.

Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano didn’t shoot down the idea of bringing in Favre, stating anything could happen with this team, which recently signed past-his-prime linebacker Jason Taylor and brought in running back-turned-failed announcer Tiki Barber for a workout.

Sparano is obviously not happy with current No. 1 Chad Henne, benching him last year and trying to land Kyle Orton as his replacement this summer. But with Orton battling Tim Tebow for the starting gig in Denver, and Henne and backup QB Matt Moore not winning over Fins fans (Henne was actually booed at training camp), all signs point to a long-distance call to Mississippi.

While the journalists and casual fans gobble up all this Favre fodder, NFL bettors and sportsbooks are scratching their heads about the possibility of a No. 4 jersey in Miami’s locker room this fall. According to Tony Williams, sportsbook manager at 5Dimes.com, a move to get Favre would do little to the Dolphins’ odds.

“At this point in his career/retirement, I don't see him as any better than what (the Dolphins) have currently,” says Williams.

Most books have Miami around a +6,000 long shot to win the Super Bowl, at +600 to win the AFC East, have posted a regular season win total of 8, and have the Dolphins set as early 5-point home underdogs hosting New England in Week 1 of the season.

When Favre joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2009, action poured in on the Vikings’ futures. The same happened when Favre was coaxed out of retirement again last season. However, Williams doesn’t think another comeback would garner the same attention from bettors this time around.

“The Favre fad is over,” he says. “The thrill is gone. He has little or no bearing on volume. I think the word for him at this point in his career is ‘insignificant’.”

All reports on Favre to Miami are strictly rumors at this point. And even his agent has issued a statement, saying, "Brett Favre's retired, that's all I can say. He's like Elvis now. People just won't let go."

But until an entire football season can go by without Favre trotting out of that tunnel, football fans and bettors will believe it when they see it.

Baseball bettors who somehow forgot who the reigning World Series champs were, in the midst of all the success of the Phillies, Red Sox and Rangers, got a big wakeup call late Wednesday night.

The San Francisco Giants made a major move to repeat as World Series winners by adding Carlos Beltran from the New York Mets. Beltran brings with him some much-needed pop to the Giants lineup, which is hitting just .241 BA (26th in the majors) and averaging only 3.59 runs per game (28th in the bigs).

The addition prompted oddsmakers to adjust San Francisco’s MLB futures odds. Mike Colbert, the race and sportsbook director for Cantor Gaming, told Covers.com that they quickly moved the Giants’ odds to win the National League Pennant from 7-to-1 to 5-to-1, and adjusted the team’s World Series prices from 15-to-1 to 12-to-1.

“I think it’s a great pickup for them,” Colbert said of the Beltran deal. “That bat is just what they need.”

Beltran, who is hitting .289 BA with 15 home runs and 66 RBIs, is a switch hitter and appears to be over the rash of injuries which has plagued him the past two summers. Not only was the move incredibly smart by the San Francisco brass, but the Giants also scooped the right fielder out from under fellow contenders Philadelphia, Texas, Atlanta and Boston, who had all expressed interested in Beltran.

San Francisco will have its new centerpiece in the lineup versus the Phillies Thursday, being set as -115 road favorites with ace Tim Lincecum on the mound. The Giants have won three of their last four contests and are 14-8 in July heading into Game 3 with Philadelphia, holding a three-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West.

My car isn’t the greatest ride in the world. It doesn’t always work right and drinks gasoline like an alcoholic Transformer. But it does have two features that are imperative for the long, hot summer days: AC and satellite radio.

Inside my car, the air is cool and the listening options are endless, however, I mainly stick to the 80’s-90’s channels and the sports talk radio stations. I don’t always agree with the talking heads on the selected channel (which is part of any good host’s job), but following the United States’ loss to Japan in the Women’s World Cup Final, I had the sudden urge to rip that radio right out of the dash.

Heading into the tournament, most sports talk radio shows poo-pooed the Women’s World Cup, dismissing any callers who wanted to share their views on the pinnacle of ladies footy.

Hosts flat-out refused to comment on the event (mainly because they knew nothing about the sport), stating that no one cared. They would rather talk about their childhood memories and how baseball is ruined, or what Roger Goodell had for lunch that day.

Not even a United States win over Brazil or a victory over France in the tournament semifinals could prompt a good word out of the lock-jaw commentators, who were too busy debating the Roger Clemens mistrial or how golf belongs to the 20-somethings (wrong!).

But, following the Americans’ collapse and defeat to Japan on penalty kicks in Sunday’s final, it seemed like every talk radio show couldn’t get enough of the Women’s World Cup.

The loudest argument being that penalty kicks are no way to decided a final – even though the United States won the 1999 title on PK’s and defeated Brazil in the quarterfinals in the same format.

Radio hosts who, just weeks ago would rather sit through five minutes of dead air than talk WWC, were now referring to the United States squad as “we” – as in “we got screwed”.

Personalities, who had no say on the state of women’s soccer and strongly stated that nobody gave a rat’s ass about the tournament, were now pounding their chest in protest.

I understand that during the dog days of summer, hot-button topics, which fuel the sports talk radio world, are in short demand. But this flip-flop on opinion was solely greased by a slow Monday morning in which producers had milked the British Open dry and needed something else, other than the MLB grind and possible end to the NFL lockout, to fill six hours of air time.

And now that the Women's World Cup is gone for another four years, you won’t hear a peep out of these “passionate soccer fans” about the Beautiful Game, until maybe the next time they're scrabbling to fill an hour of show time.

At least the AC still works in my car.

It all started last week when Deron Williams announced he was heading overseas to play basketball - just until the NBA and its players figure out this nasty labor dispute that currently has the owners locking out their top talents.

Following Williams move to Turkey, a number of players have considered or been asked about moving overseas if there is no NBA season in 2011-12. Guys like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant have flirted with the thought, giving hoops fans a good idea of just how long the lockout will go.

This isn’t the NFL lockout. Football players just can’t pick up and go play for a Greek squad or sign up in the CFL or AFL for pennies. They have no other options, and that’s why a deal between players and owners seems to be on the way. Basketball fans won’t be so lucky.

With Euro clubs ready and willing to spend on big-name NBA talent, there’s no urgency for the players to cave on their demands. They can afford to take a European vacation and perform for the frenzied hoops fans across the continent, all the while still cashing checks.

Chris Rock said a man is only as faithful as his options and, in the case of the current lockouts plaguing the sports world, NBA players have a lot more options than the guys in the NFL. And it will be a long time before those options run dry.

Bunker down basketball fans. It’s going to be a while.

Anybody remember that scene from Naked Gun where Leslie Nelson is pretending to be an umpire during a major league game? It was absolute classic comedy. Maybe even better than his bit confusing the word “surely” with the female name “Shirley”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjI7P74cAJA

But here’s the problem. Real life umpires aren’t too far off Nelson’s shtick. Many of baseball’s umps crave the eyes of fans. They wait for the perfect opportunity to get into a shouting match with a manager or player and then make that violent finger gesture, the ultimate finishing move in the world of baseball.

“Yuuuuuuuuuurrr out of hereeeeeeeee!”

That’s hilarious in movies but when I’m watching a game - and especially when I'm betting it - I don’t want the officials to take over the show. And when you really think about it, baseball doesn’t need human judges.

Why pay four overweight, attention person to make a bunch of incorrect calls on the diamond when you could just use the K-Zone technology? There just aren’t that many subjective rules in the baseball that makes it necessary to have those blowhards out there on the field.

Think about it. Never worrying about whether an ump’s strike zone was big or small. It’d just be the right call every time. Fair or foul? No problem. Baseball could use the Hawk-Eye technology they use in tennis.

It may sound extreme but if we don’t do something soon the big leagues are going to look more and more bush league.

The Home Run Derby has gotten a bad rep over the last few years.

Ever since Bobby Abreu launched 41 home runs – 24 in the first round – in the 2005 derby, then went on to hit just six dingers following the break (18 before the ASG), hitting coaches have challenged that the home run contest ruins players’ swings.

Regardless of if you believe this or not, it does get tiresome as a viewer to watch home run after home run, or warning-track shot after warning-track shot (without steroids). Baseball needs to shake up the ASG program – and we’re not talking about another celebrity softball game.

Major League Baseball should take a page from the NBA and NHL All-Star circuses. Instead of just one main attraction, outside of the actual game, have a bunch of contest to showcase the best baseball has to offer.

Here are a few contests ideas that could really make the Mid-Summer Classic sizzle:

Fastest pitch contest

Hockey has the hardest shot competition, so why not pit the major’s best fireballers against each other and let the radar gun sort ‘em out. Sure, there are those realistic baseball tight-asses who will poo-poo pitchers putting any unnecessary strain on their arms. But who doesn’t want to see Aroldis Chapman toss a 105-mph laser?

Stolen base contest

Despite all the waiting around and down time in baseball, it can be a speed sport, especially when you have some of the big league’s fastest men on base. You could work this contest one of two ways: 1. You time their pace from first to second and have speed be the factor. 2. You make them steal a base against a pitching machine throwing to second, raising the speed of the throw with each round – kind of like raising the bar in the high jump – until one man remains.

Fly ball contest

Place a speedy outfielder at center field and randomly launch balls into the outfield, having the player shag as many as possible in a timed period. You could even steal from the home run derby or three point contest and have a golden or money ball in play.

Hitting accuracy contest

Tony Gwynn would never win the home run derby, but I bet he could place a base hit into a three-foot round target placed just outside of the infield dirt. The big hitters steal all the glory during the derby, so why not celebrate the guys who hit for contact and get on base.

Throw to home contest

One of the most exciting plays in baseball is a play at the plate. It’s even more exciting when that play comes on a frozen rope from the outfield. This event would test the biggest arms in the outfield against each other, seeing who can throw out a runner from their perch in the grass. Of course, you’d need a mechanical runner, like a rabbit at the dog track, to make sure each contestant got a fair opposing speed, and you’d need a marked line, like bowling, where you need to make the throw from. 

On a day when the United States celebrated its independence, one man stood up against evil and injustice, in the same spirit that inspired the Committee of Five, and ate 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes – seven more than the supposed fastest eater in the world and one more than the paper champion’s World Record.

Takeru Kobayashi, who was not allowed to compete against rival Joey Chestnut and other professional eaters at the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contests at Coney Island Monday, staged his own contest on the Fourth of July.

Kobayashi set up camp on top of a Manhattan bar and battled those pretenders on Coney Island, sucking back 69 hot dogs while going head-to-head with a TV broadcasting the event live from the Nathan’s.

Kobayashi’s alternate event and record (according to the powers that be) was due to his ongoing war with Major League Eating, the biggest professional eating circuit, which uses the Nathan’s as its flagship event.

The Japanese competitor, who won six straight Nathan’s titles between 2001 and 2006, refused to sign a contract with MLE that wouldn’t allow him to eat in any other events not sanctioned by the organization. His solo stand Monday, and stage-crashing at last year’s Nathan’s (for which he was arrested), were pushes to allow independent eaters on the MLE circuit.

All this drama seems to be pointing toward a Chestnut-Kobayashi showdown. But, like a Mayweather-Pacquiao bout, it will take more politicking and negotiating than waterlogged hotdogs to settle this score.

If MLE was smart, it would keep any momentum from Monday’s contest rolling and make this munching matchup a reality before we go back to not caring about how many hot dogs some weirdo can eat.

But seeing that it’s July 5, the clock may have already run out.

Oh well, there’s always next year.

After winning the French Open a sixth time and increasing his major title count up to 10, the question was could Rafael Nadal finish his career with more grand slam trophies than Roger Federer.

It didn’t seem unreasonable considering Nadal had won four of the last five majors going into this year’s Wimbledon. But there was this nagging feeling in Rafael’s gut following his victory over Federer at the French. The Spaniard knew he dodged a bullet when Novak Djokovic lost in the semifinal to Fed.

You see, Rafa already knew what few people would admit aloud. The new and improved Djokovic was kryptonite to Nadal. Novak had become to Nadal what Nadal was to Federer. A career killer.

Roger Federer cried after losing to Nadal in 2009 Australian Open final because he knew he played his best tennis and lost to a better player. Rafa is about to go through the same thing with Novak.

Djokovic is now 5-0 against Nadal this season after the four-set win in the final at Wimbledon, and don’t think those four wins Novak notched over Nadal earlier this year didn’t mess with Rafa’s confidence.

"When one player beat you five times, (it's) because today my game don't bother him a lot," Nadal said after the match. "Probably, the mental part is little bit dangerous for me."

Roger Federer can smile now knowing that Nadal is now moving into a role that the Swiss master had trouble accepting: The world’s second best player.

The summer is all about three things: Baseball, beer and the box office.

Nothing beats the heat like hiding in an air-conditioned theater for two hours, watching the latest big-budget flick. This week, one of the summer’s biggest films hits the screen with the release of Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon.

There’s no secret these Michael Bay offerings are more about huge stunts and big bangs than character development or storylines. But, like that craving you have for a double quarter-pounder with cheese, we can’t help ourselves when it comes to this tripe.

So in honor of the newest Transformers flick, and summer’s other mainstay – baseball – here are MLB’s biggest stars and the Transformers character they most likely resemble.

Roll out!

Autobots

Optimus Prime is Adrian Gonzalez

Gonzo is entering his prime in Boston. In his first year in Beantown, he’s hitting.361 with 16 home runs and 71 RBIs. At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, he’s a big dude with a big desire to win. He’s helped lift the Red Sox back to the top of the majors after a slow start to the year.

Bumblebee is Jose Reyes

The National League leader in batting (.341) is a total package of baseball talent. He can hit for contact, hit for power, steal bases and play a mean shortstop. Like the Autobots’ loveable warrior, Reyes has a ton of fans and is on almost every GM’s Christmas list.

Ratchet is Roy Halladay

The Autobots medical officer could be no one else in the bigs but “The Doc”. Halladay’s nasty stuff, mental toughness and endurance make him the cure for any losing streak – which the Phillies don’t see many of with their loaded staff.

Ironhide is Paul Konerko

Ironhide is the Autobots’ grizzled, old weapons specialist that packs a mighty punch, just like the ChiSox veteran slugger, who has consistently been one of the best power bats in the bigs for over a decade. He’s doing it again this year, hitting .324 with 21 home runs and 60 RBIs.

Decepticons

Megatron is Alex Rodriguez

While Detroit Lions receiver, Calvin Johnson, may already claim Megatron as his nickname, in the majors there is no player more hated – and feared – than A-Rod. His cocky attitude, shady steroid past, massive paychecks and movie star girlfriend are enough to make even the most casual fan dislike the Yankees star. However, his numbers are great and he’s having another solid season, hitting .300 with 13 home runs and 51 RBIs.

Starscream is Hanley Ramirez

Never ones to hide his true emotions, Ramirez and Starscream seem to be out for themselves. The Marlins shortstop isn’t having the greatest of years, hitting just .218 with four home runs and 21 RBIs, and has missed time with a laundry list of ailments.

Soundwave is C.C. Sabathia

Just like the Decepticons’ communications officer, the hefty lefty can throw a ton of weapons at you. Soundwave had an army of little beasties inside his chest, like Rumble, Laserbeak and Ravage. Sabathia has a ton of weapons in his pitching arsenal, including nasty breaking balls, flaming fastballs and sneaky changeups.

Shockwave is Miguel Cabrera

Shockwave is the latest Decepticon to grace the big screen and will be one of the main villains in TF3. He’s big, bad and transforms into a huge-ass canon. Cabrera sent shockwaves through the majors this offseason, during his drunken showdown with the law. But the Tigers slugger hasn’t skipped a beat and is still one of the biggest, baddest players, and transforms his bat into a canon every time he digs in.

There were a lot of NBA pundits talking about how Arizona forward Derrick Williams was a better pro prospect than Duke point guard Kyrie Irving. I don’t agree and it isn’t because I don’t like Williams’ game – he just plays the wrong position, that’s all.

Drafting a point guard high in the first round has producing much better results than a tweener forward over the last few years. There have been 14 point guards (Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Raymond Felton, Randy Foye, Mike Conley, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, D.J. Augustin, Tyreke Evans, Ricky Rubio, Jonny Flynn, Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings and John Wall) drafted in the Top 10 since 2005.

Among those, 11 have either become All-Stars or quality starters in the Association. Ricky Rubio,  who will make his NBA debut next fall, is still a mystery, so that means there’s been only two misses (Randy Foye and Jonny Flynn), and I still think Flynn’s career can be rescued with the right team.

Over the same time period, there have been nine tweeners (players in between a small and a power forward) drafted in the top 10. All I have to do is list off the names (Marvin Williams, Charlie Villanueva, Ike Diogu, Tyrus Thomas, Jeff Green, Yi Jianlian, Michael Beasly, Danilo Gallinari and Joe Alexander) to win my argument.

Kyrie is a keeper and the Cavs made the right decision by taking him with the first pick overall instead of Derrick Williams.

So much for staying in school, getting your degree and winning a national championship.

All these resume boosters would make any player a hot commodity, but apparently not in the NBA. It’s a bitter pill Duke’s Kyle Singler is having a hard time swallowing with the 2011 NBA Draft scheduled for Thursday night.

The versatile forward entered Durham as one of the top high school recruits, and was a projected lottery pick for the majority of his NCAA career. Singler’s stock plummeted like pumpkin shares after Halloween, dropping the once-ballyhooed small forward from lottery to late first-rounder to second-round scrub. He’s currently ranked as the ninth-best small forward in the draft field.

The biggest shot against Singler is his lack of athleticism. In a league were small forwards like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony rule the world, Singler just doesn’t have the tools to compete against those guys.

He’s 6-foot-9 and has good touch around the basket and perimeter. But is only 225 pounds and going up against small forwards that can back you down as easy as blow past you off the dribble.

Some mocks have Singler staying in the first round, perhaps to Chicago at No. 28 or No. 30. Others have the Dukie dropping to the No. 33 picks held by Detroit. One optimistic mock, probably done by the Blue Devils fan, had Singler going No. 19 to the Bobcats, in what could only be viewed as a Carolina pity pick.

The Fayetteville Observer quoted one scout as saying, “Even if Kyle Singler is drafted in the middle of the second round, it would not surprise me at all if eight or 10 years from now, he's still playing in the NBA and the vast majority of the guys picked ahead of him are not. The NBA Draft, with the calculus that it is now, guys who have exceptional athletic potential get picked ahead of other guys like Kyle. That doesn't mean it's fair. It's just the way it is."

Singler could turn out to be the steal of the draft or perhaps just follow in the footsteps of many of the Duke alums before him, and fade into role player obscurity.

I think many teams are betting on the latter. We'll see who's right in eight to 10 years.

Reading about another school being investigated by the NCAA is like finding out about another B-list celebratory entering rehab.

Yawn.

Tell me, was anyone really surprised about UNC being notified by the NCAA that the school was in deep do-do? Of course not. The Tar Heels just got caught. Some schools do, some don’t.

You've got to figure that all top college football programs are at least bending the rules if they're not full out breaking them.

As a bettor and a fan I just want to see the best players on the field. That’s it.

And that’s becoming more and more difficult with the NCAA burying its head in the sand, only to pop up with its hands over its ears screaming, “I can’t hear you. I’m not listening! La, la, la, la,” anytime someone questions their policies on the student athlete.

No one’s saying the kids have to be paid. Jay Bilas says we just have to abolish this whole amateur athlete business. That way A.J. Green wouldn’t be suspended for selling signed jerseys and Dez Bryant doesn’t have to sit out a season because he spoke with an agent.

Unfortunately the NCAA is a conventional bunch and all it sees is the growing profits college football is bringing in. “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.”

So how many more vacated championships are we going to have to see before the old boys admit that system is broken?

The 2011 NBA Draft starts picking Thursday from what many see as a weak class of players.

Outside of Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams, the draft is made up of respectable college players, terrific college players who won’t cut it in the pros, and a bunch of international guys most basketball fans know nothing about.

Sure, there will be a few surprises that break the mold and become impact players in the league, but, to take a quote from Jerry McGuire, “There's genius everywhere, but until they turn pro, it's like popcorn in the pan. Some pop... some don't.”

Here are five players from recent drafts that have stepped up their game at the NBA level and become much better pros than we ever thought:

Tony Parker – 28th overall

The petits Frenchman is one of the greatest draft finds over the past 10 years. Parker was selected by the Spurs with the final pick of the first round and parlayed that chance into three NBA titles, a Finals MVP, and three All-Star spots, not to mention a marriage to Eva Longoria and a fling with Brent Barry’s wife.

David West – 18th overall

Lost in the sauce of the 2003 NBA Draft, West turned out to be a much better pro than his time at Xavier would indicate. The Hornets knew they had potential with the 6-foot-9 small forward but could never imagine West would blow up like he did in 2005-06. He’s averaged just over 19 points per game since that season. Not bad for a guy selected after Žarko Cabarkapa (who?).

Danny Granger – 17th overall

Granger had the NBA body heading into the league, but coming out of New Mexico, not much was said about the do-it-all 6-foot-8 forward. The Pacers adored his skill set, hoping he could develop his perimeter game. And boy did he ever. Granger is one of the biggest long-distance threats in the NBA and averages 18.5 points and 37.6 percent shooting from downtown for his career.

Rajon Rondo – 21st overall

We’ll be the first to admit, we weren’t crazy on the Kentucky PG’s chances in the pros. And for a while, his claim to fame looked like just being a chess piece in the Celtics’ “Big Three” deal. But Rondo proved everyone wrong and became the heart and soul of a team that featured three Hall of Fame locks. He’s won an NBA title, two All-Star appearance and a couple All-Defensive Team badges while becoming one the best point guards in the league.

DeAndre Jordan – 35th overall

Jordan is still popcorn in the pot. But if he continues to improve like he did last season, he’ll pop soon enough. Jordan was hailed for this pro-ready physique and athleticism when he left Texas A&M after one year. But it was his maturity and unpolished fundamentals that dropped him all the way to the Clippers in the second round. The near 7-footer is on the right road to proving those doubters wrong. He averaged seven points and seven rebounds, along with 1.8 blocks this season, and made plenty of highlight reels with his ability to run the floor.

Honorable mention: Wesley Matthews – Undrafted

We didn’t include Matthews because he was never drafted. But for someone who got snubbed by every team, he is sure making the most of his time in the pros. Last season, the Marquette product made good on the Trail Blazers’ five-year, $34-million deal by averaging 15.9 points and playing in all 82 games.

Sports Illustrated just released their Fortunate 50 – a list of the top-earning athletes in America.

Their Top 5 was not that surprising with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, LeBron James, Peyton Manning, and Alex Rodriguez leading off the list.

SI.com factored in contract cash along with endorsement deals to get their grand totals. Some of the names on the list were shocking, seeing how high or how low their total earnings were. But as sports bettors, we have to add in another factor into the mix: Money made.

Here are three players who should be paid more according to their value to sports bettors, and three others who should dig deep into those fat-ass pockets and give gamblers their money back:

Three players worth it to wagering:

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (Earnings $32,700,000 – 8th)

Matty Ice has done nothing but cover since taking over the starting job in Atlanta. Since 2008, Ryan’s rookie year, the Falcons are 31-17 ATS including back-to-back 11-5 ATS seasons in 2009 and 2010. Ryan earns $32,250,000 for taking snaps and only $450,000 from endorsements. Perhaps his agents should start targeting Ryan’s biggest fan base: Sports bettors.

Jimmie Johnson (Earnings $19,264,780 – 32nd)

NASCAR betting isn’t the most popular choice among the wagering community, but if you jumped on the No. 48 car back in 2006, before J.J. won five straight Sprint Cup Championships, you’d probably have enough coin to start your own racing team. In that five-year span, Johnson has won 35 races, placed inside the Top 5 81 times, and has posted a Top-10 finish in 117 of 180 races he’s started. That’s a winning percentage of 19.4, a Top-5 percentage of 45, and a Top-10 percentage of 65.

Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies (Earnings $17,766,666 – 37th)

Z-Bo put his money where sportsbooks’ mouths are, helping the Grizzlies to a stellar 52-29-1 ATS mark in the regular season and an 8-4-1 record against the spread in the postseason. Randolph, who averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds this year, makes a cool $17,666,666 from Memphis and even more for its backers. Not bad from a guy who wasn’t ranked on the Fortunate 50 list last year.

Three players wasting everyone’s money:

Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants (Earnings $18,600,000 – 33rd)

Sports Illustrated had an interesting note along with Zito’s total earnings, stating that the combined salaries of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez just barely eclipse the veteran pitcher’s paycheck. Zito hasn’t pitched since the middle of April due to a foot injury and was 0-1 with an ERA north of 6.00 in his first three appearances of the season. Since signing the monster deal with San Fran in 2007, the Giants are 62-72 in games he started and down -1.06 units.

Gilbert Arenas, Orlando Magic (Earnings $17,980,694 – 36th)

Oh man, has there ever been such a waste of money in the history of the NBA (maybe that stupid new ball a couple years back)? Arenas signed an $111 million deal over six years with the Wizards in 2008, hobbling over to sign the contract on one good leg after playing only 13 games the previous season. He has gone on to play just 104 games since the ink dried, pulled a gun on a teammate, got busted gambling on road trips, and then was sent to Orlando, where he helped the Magic finish the 2010-11 season with a 35-46-1 ATS mark, scoring just over 10 points per game off the bench.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Earnings $26,572,930 – 13th)

It’s crazy how the most popular driver in NASCAR can suck so bad. Earnhardt has always been a huge fan favorite, thanks in part to his father’s legacy in the sport. But because of that, he’s also been very overrated. Lil’ E has only 18 wins since joining the Cup Series back in 1998 and hasn’t won a points race since June 2008. He earned $4,572,930 for driving a car and another $22,000,000 for standing next to it as a pitchman. He’s been a one-trick pony on restrictor-plate races and posted only five Top-5 showings and 13 Top-10 finishes in 2010 and 2009, despite commanding respect from NASCAR oddsmakers every weekend. Things are looking up for the No. 88 (which still looks weird). He’s third in the points heading into Sunday, with three Top 5s and eighth Top 10s.

Who else on The Fortunate 50 deserves some praise or hate for their contributions to your bankroll?

As we all know by now, Tiger Woods will not tee off tomorrow at Congressional for the U.S. Open.

A disappointment for the PGA Tour? Yes.

A crippling blow to the ratings? Think again.

According the Sports Business Journal, golf ratings are up almost 30 percent compared to last year and while the drop in viewership in 2010 can be directly tied to the long absence of Tiger Woods, the numbers suggest the rebound in 2011 has nothing to do with Eldrick.

There’s no question Tiger’s rocket to the top took the PGA from fringe to mainstream sport. His dominance captured the attention of an ADD generation, converting golf from an exclusive hobby to a sport of the people.

And while there were some doubts whether the PGA could maintain its popularity without Tiger playing a playing a major role, it’s safe to say the tour can not only survive but thrive in the post-Woods era.

The proof? The U.S. Open will be the 20th PGA event Tiger has missed this season but both NBC and CBS are reporting large increases in TV ratings in 2011. And that’s with Europeans dominating and the Steve Stricker as the highest rated American player.

Sure, a healthy and competitive Tiger helps the tour, but Woods is no longer a crutch superficially propping the PGA up.

Woods drew the fringe fans in. The PGA is proving it can keep them.

Crying in sports is a hot-button topic.

With emotions running high in the NBA and NHL playoffs this week, crying has come to the forefront of the sports world again.

If you watched the Miami Heat exit after losing the NBA Championship to the Dallas Mavericks Sunday night, you may have caught a glimpse of Chris Bosh collapsing to the floor in a pile of melodramatic tears and snot.

You’d feel sorry for the guy if he hadn’t been such an awkward emotional mess all season. Oh, and the fact that he plays for the Heat helps.

Tears also allegedly rolled down the face of shamed Vancouver Canucks goalie, Roberto Luongo, after he was peppered again by the Boston Bruins in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. Luongo was given the hook after allowing three goals in the first eight shots of the game, and sobbed on the bench during the 5-1 loss to the Bruins.

Goalies are a flaking bunch, but even a poor performance shouldn’t crank up the waterworks. C’mon champ, you still have Game 7 – if you even get the start.

Don’t get us wrong, crying is part of sports. But in recent years, we’ve seen more bad than good examples. Glen Davis anyone? It seems that these jocks need a reminder.

Here are three situations in which it is perfectly OK to cry in sports:

Winning the Big One

Think Michael Jordan. If one of the thousands of MJ images popping into your head isn’t Jordan sitting with his father, hunched over and crying on the Larry O’Brien Trophy after winning his first title in 1991, you don’t have a soul.

Athletes work their entire lives and sacrifice everything to reach the highest summit in their respective sport. I don’t blame them one bit for shedding a few tears.

The one exception: Roger Federer. Sure, cry it up after you win your first few major tournaments. But does your sixth Wimbledon title really call for Niagra Falls and choked-up interviews?

Losing the Big One

In the same spirit as “Winning the Big One”, losing a big game can give you a pass on the tears. But – and this is a big BUT – you’ve got to earn those tears.

As mentioned above, Bosh was a little misty eyed after losing to the Mavs this week. But, does he really deserve to cry?

The Heat will be contenders for the NBA title for the next four or five years, and it’s not like Bosh has been battling for a shot at glory for 10 or 11 seasons. Maybe if he stuck it out in Toronto and somehow got the Craptors to the finals... but he's played his cards.

If the shoe was on the other foot, and Miami had won, I wouldn’t pass judgment on Dirk or Jason Kidd for letting it all out.

Getting injured

I once broke my ankle trying to block a shot. It hurt so much I wanted to throw up. I didn’t cry, but if I did, and someone made light of it, I would have hobbled over and shown them just how well a one-legged man can do in an ass-kicking contest.

Getting injured sucks, especially when your livelihood depends on it. Athletes have extremely high pain thresholds, so when you do see them wince up and shed a few, you know it has got to hurt.

Hell, even watching some of their injuries make us fans want to put our head in our hands and weep like a child.

They were going to be the superfly superfriends bringing championship bling to South Beach. But a Finals setback that involved forgettable fourth quarter performances, tears in the locker room and a poorly timed mock session of Dirk Nowitzki will leave LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will plenty of criticism this offseason.

So will their friendships survive a summer full of the bad kind of heat?

Couldn’t you see D-Wade pull a Terrell Owens and tell media members that he wasn’t the one getting tired in the fourth quarters in the Finals, or Chris Bosh telling his non-basketball buddies that his superstar teammates didn’t carry the weight like he did in the postseason? Maybe even LBJ telling Pat Riley to trade Wade for Chris Paul or Dwight Howard.

If any this happens, you know we’re going to hear about it. I mean if we hear about Delonte West and Rashard Lewis messing up James’ personal life, something will definitely leak out about a possible Wade-Bron-Bosh breakup.

So will the Heat’s Finals loss bring the trio of All-Stars even closer or will the blame game pull this team apart in the near future?