Bengals deactivate WR Johnson for Steelers game
Football Betting Lines
11/20/2008 - Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Bengals deactivated wide receiver Chad Johnson for their Thursday night game against the division rival Steelers for violation of a team rule.
After a season of relative calm for the mercurial wideout following a turbulent offseason, Johnson will sit out Thursday night's game in Pittsburgh for the unspecified violation. The Bengals made the announcement in a statement from the team's hotel, and said there would be no other announcement until after the game.
Johnson had been the center of the Bengals' attention for much of the offseason. He unsuccessfully lobbied for a trade and threatened to sit out if he wasn't dealt to another team. After the Bengals refused, he gave up and reported to minicamp, but complained that his right ankle was bothering him.
He had bone spurs removed from the ankle and was limited at the start of training camp. In the second preseason game, he landed awkwardly and temporarily dislocated his left shoulder.
The 30-year-old wideout then made headlines for legally changing his surname to Ocho Cinco -- the nickname he created for himself based on an incorrect Spanish translation of his jersey number, 85.
Johnson has been relatively quiet since, however, not generating much news either positive or negative for the 1-8-1 Bengals. His production has dropped off, as he is on pace to finish with less than 1,000 yards receiving for the first time since 2001, his rookie season out of Oregon State. Through nine games Johnson has 41 receptions for 383 yards and four touchdowns.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Needless to say, Washington's Alex Ovechkin has put his slow start behind him. The NHL's reigning leading scorer with aim to extend his point streak to six games tonight, as the Capitals visit the Los Angeles Kings and the St
<< Red Wings begin road trip in Edmonton
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings aim for their fourth straight win
tonight, as they begin a three-game tour of western Canada with a stop in
Edmonton to take on the Oilers at Rexall Place.
The Red Wings were last in action on Monday,
<< Blackhawks aim for rare road win in Big D
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Though their six-game road trip got off to a good start,
the Chicago Blackhawks face a stiffer challenge tonight, as they try to record
a rare road win against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center.
The Blackhawks h
<< Trojans take on Pirates in Puerto Rico
San Juan, PR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 19th-ranked USC Trojans and the Seton Hall
Pirates have arrived in San Juan to begin play at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.
USC opened its season on Saturday with a 78-55 decision over UC Irvine and
followed tha
<< Gators and Thunderbirds get together in Gainesville
Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 18th-ranked Florida Gators seek their
seventh straight 3-0 start to a season, as they welcome the Southern Utah
Thunderbirds to Gainesville for a non-conference matchup at the Stephen C.
O'Connell Center.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Devils will try to post back-to-back wins for the first time in nearly a month when they welcome the Florida Panthers for tonight's meeting at the Prudential Center. The Devils ended a four-game losing strea
Thrashers, Pens both try to get back in win column >>
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snapped will meet tonight in Atlanta, as the Thrashers welcome the Pittsburgh
Penguins to Philips Arena.
The Penguins had won six straight before being dealt a shootout
Sens hope to end skid versus slumping Habs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Ottawa Senators will try for their first win in two
weeks when they invite the struggling Montreal Canadiens for tonight's
Northeast Division matchup at Scotiabank Place.
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Trying to match season-high win streak, Wild host Canucks >>
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streak of the season tonight, when they host the Vancouver Canucks in a
Northwest Division showdown at Xcel Energy Center.
Vancouver and the Wild will battle for f
Steelers Look to Knock Out Last-Place Bengals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Steelers will look to remain above the fray
in the AFC North on Thursday night, when Mike Tomlin's team welcomes the
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Football Betting: Defensive Rookie of the Year Awards
Oddsmakers have released the odds for the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry has been made the opening favorite.
Seattle took Curry with the fourth overall pick in April's NFL draft and plan on inserting him into its starting lineup right away. The Hawks traded linebacker Julian Peterson in the offseason, so Curry is expected to have a significant role in Seattle's defense next year and that's one of the primary reasons he is the favorite to win the NFL ROY Award.
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook MySportsbook.com have made Curry a 5/1 favorite to win this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Given that he was the best defensive prospect in this year's draft and how he'll have plenty of opportunities to make plays in '09, Curry offers a ton of value at 5/1.
Another thing working for Curry is the position he plays. A linebacker has won the defensive ROY award six straight times and eight of the last nine years. Jerod Mayo, Patrick Willis, DeMeco Ryans, Shawne Merriman, Jonathan Vilma, Terrell Suggs, Kendrell Bell and Brian Urlacher were the most recent linebackers to take home the award.
Following Curry at 5/1 are Tyson Jackson (Chiefs) at 7/1, James Laurinaitas (Rams) at 8/1, Brian Orakpo (Redskins) at 10/1, Rey Maualuga (Bengals) at 10/1 and Jerry Peria (Falcons) at 10/1.
All the players mentioned above are expected to start for their respective teams, but Jackson and Peria are going to have a tough time being recognized on a national level given they're both defensive linemen. D-linemen rarely put up the numbers that it takes to win an individual award like the ROY.
A couple of players with some value are Clay Matthews (Packers) at 12/1 and Larry English (Chargers) at 15/1. Matthews is expected to start at outside linebacker in Green Bay's new 3-4 defense and could rack up a ton of tackles. English, who was an impressive player at Northern Illinois, is expected to be a situational pass rusher for the Chargers and could rack up a ton of sacks.
For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, see below. And for complete odds for the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, click the link provided.
2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award
Robert Ayers (DEN) 12/1
Ron Brace (NE) 25/1
Everette Brown (CAR) 16/1
Darius Butler (NE) 40/1
Patrick Chung (NE) 30/1
Aaron Curry (SEA) 5/1
Brian Cushing (HOU) 12/1
Vontae Davis (MIA) 30/1
Louis Delmas (DET) 30/1
Larry English (SD) 15/1
Evander Hood (PIT) 25/1
Tyson Jackson (KC) 7/1
Malcolm Jenkins (NO) 25/1
Paul Kruger (BAL) 50/1
James Laurinaitas (STL) 8/1
Sen'Derrick Marks (TEN) 20/1
Clay Matthews (GB) 12/1
Aaron Maybin (BUF) 15/1
Rey Maualuga (CIN) 10/1
Roy Miller (TB) 20/1
Michael Mitchell (OAK) 45/1
Fili Moala (IND) 30/1
Brian Orakpo (WAS) 10/1
Jerry Peria (ATL) 10/1
B J Raji (GB) 7/1
Clint Sintim (NYG) 35/1
Alphonso Smith (DEN) 40/1
David Verkune (CLE) 20/1
Jason Williams (DAL) 30/1
Field (Any Other Player) 6/1
To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.
FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million
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.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.