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06/21/2010 - Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra put in her first workout at Churchill Downs on Monday morning since her victory in the $200,000 Fleur de Lis Handicap. The four-year-old filly breezed a half-mile for trainer Steve Asmussen.
"She went fine," said Asmussen. "It's a ridiculously hot morning, you know. That's a big concern. It's time to get out and go north."
With Shaun Bridgmohan in the saddle, Rachel covered the four-furlongs in 51 1/5 second and galloped out five-furlongs in 1:05 1/5. At 6:30 a.m. (et) it was 81 degrees when the champion took to the track.
"I think we've got to get out of this weather," Asmussen commented. "The flag's stuck to the pole today. She acts like the rest of us do right now -- it's hot. Her weight's good and she's very sound, and her strength is good. But it's hot. We'd all feel better if it was about 20 degrees cooler."
The original plan for Rachel was for her to travel to Saratoga after the end of the Churchill Downs meet on July 4. Asmussen is now thinking about shipping the filly and his other horses earlier due to the hot weather.
Rachel won the Fleur de Lis by 10 1/2-lengths on June 12, her first win of the year. She came up short in her initial two starts of 2010. She was second to Zardana at the Fair Grounds in the New Orleans Ladies Classic and runner-up to Unrivaled Belle at Churchill Downs in the La Troienne.
Owned by Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick, the filly has career earnings of $3,216,730 with 12 wins in 17 starts.
<< Portland Trail Blazers 2010 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Pritchard has built the Portland Trail Blazers into a
contender in the Western Conference but he is reportedly not in the good
graces of team owner Paul Allen.
In fact, Pritchard has acknowledged he knows ownership i
<< Phoenix Suns 2010 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Suns rebounded nicely this year after the Terry Porter
debacle but that didn't stop Steve Kerr from announcing that he would not
return as president and general manager when his contract expires on June 30.
Kerr intend
<< Monterey is more than Pebble Beach
Monterey, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Most golf nuts are always searching for that
ultimate buddy trip. To play 12 rounds of golf in 5 days, visit the local
establishments and enjoy the fruitful libation to the wee hours of the
morning.
Myrtle Be
<< Philadelphia 76ers 2010 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the more active
teams early in the offseason, naming Doug Collins as the team's new head
coach, and trading disappointing center Samuel Dalembert to the Sacramento
Kings.
Collins is
Toronto Raptors 2010 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Raptors figure to lose Chris Bosh in the offseason so
they will need to acquire a big man to replace him.
Toronto would like to work a sign-and-trade with Bosh's prospective new
team, where it could get an asset in ret
Miyazato takes over top spot in world rankings >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With her fourth win of the season on
Sunday, Ai Miyazato took over the No. 1 spot in the world rankings for women's
golf.
Jiyai Shin, who slipped to No. 2, is scheduled to return to action thi
FC Dallas names Quinn president, CEO >>
Frisco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FC Dallas announced that Douglas Quinn has been
named president and chief executive officer of the Major League Soccer club,
effective Aug. 2.
"We are thrilled to welcome Doug to FC Dallas, and look fo
Utah Jazz 2010 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The rich plan get richer, as Utah will use the New York
Knicks' pick to select a big man as insurance for the injured Mehmet Okur and
free agent power forward Carlos Boozer.
The Jazz must also make a decision on Kyle Korve
In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.
And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.
Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.
So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.
Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)
The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.
As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.
The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.
In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.
Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.
And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.
So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.
There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.
So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.
And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.
There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)
Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.
Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.
Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.
So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.
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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
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