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Carmello Anthony scored 41 points and the Denver Nuggets used a second half comeback to give the Portland Trailblazers a rare 97-94 loss at their Rose Garden Arena home venue on Thursday night. The Blazers held a 67-62 lead heading into the final quarter but for the second time in as many games had trouble putting their opponent away. Brandon Roy led Portland with 30 points, and Greg Oden was the high rebounder for the home team with 9 boards.

NBA pointspread players who took Denver as +8 road underdogs enjoyed their outright victory and the ensuing payday. The Nuggets have covered the number in both of their victories this season, while Portland evened their ATS mark at 1-1. The’1 combined points went UNDER the posted total of 200.

After the game, Anthony was happier about the victory than his personal offensive outburst:

“We came out here and stole the win. It wasn’t just an important win. It was a battle.”

Anthony made 7 of 9 shots from the floor and 9 of 10 free throws in the decisive fourth quarter run:

“My shots were going in. I was trying to attack. I got to the rim and the foul line.”

Portland’s Greg Oden was taking the loss hard, as he missed a couple of late game free throws that could have given the Blazers a lead:

“This is a tough one. I definitely stepped up there with confidence thinking I was going to hit both and it didn’t go that way. I put this loss on me. I need to step up and make those.”

Team leader Brandon Roy said that he’d give the Blazers’ big man a pep talk, stressing the fact that missed shots are just part of the game:

“The biggest thing is to let go. We all miss shots, you’ve got to forget about it.”

Roy also added that the choppy pace of the game with a lot of fouls called benefitted Denver playing in back-to-back games:

“I think it benefited them a bit more coming off a back-to-back. They were tired but anytime you slow the game down that much, it gives them a chance to recover.”

The Blazers will head to Texas for a rematch against the Houston Rockets, whom they beat to open the NBA season. They’ll play at Oklahoma City on Sunday before returning home for a game at The Rose Garden against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. Denver will head back to ‘The Mile High City’ for a game against Memphis on Sunday before an east coast road trip with stops in Indiana and New Jersey early next week.

Ross Everett is a widely published widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

New York Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez has been a crucial factor in the teams 2-0 start, showing a poise and head for the game very rare for NFL newcomers. Still, there wasn’t much worry at the revelation that hes suffering from tendinitis in his right knee. The Jets announced Sanchez’s injury on Thursday, and hes listed as probable on the official NFL injury report.

Sanchez practiced on Thursday, and though he was seen stopping to stretch and rub his right knee on a few occasions didn’t seem to suffer any impairment in his mobility. He participated in the entire practice, and there didnt appear to be any sort of effort to prepare Kellen Clemens to assume the starting role. Clemens took his usual snaps with the team, though not any additional work that would indicate a concern that Sanchez wouldn’t be able to start.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan confirmed the injury while downplaying its significance:

“It’s not that big a deal. He has something. I don’t know how to describe it than just to say its a little tendinitis. But, he’s fine. I mean, he fully participated and moved around great, I thought.”

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was even more emphatic in his statement:

“Mark’s totally fine.”

Ryan then added a sarcastic note that brought laughs from the assembled media: “Make sure he’s on that list. I don’t mean anything by that.”

Ryan was referring to the Jets receiving a fine from the NFL for not properly disclosing injuries to then-QB Brett Favre late last season. Favre was suffering from a torn biceps tendon, though the team didnt list him on the official NFL injury report. The team was fined $75,000 while GM Mike Tannenbaum and former coach Eric Mangini were each fined $25,000 each.

The Jets are less optimistic about the condition of cornerback Donald Strickland, who is suffering from a sprained right ankle. Ryan didnt offer much positive indication that hed be able to see action on Sunday:

“I don’t think he’s going to be able to play this week. I’m not declaring him out right now, but I don’t think there’s any way he’s playing this week.”

The Jets host the Tennessee Titans at the Meadowlands this Sunday afternoon. New York has been installed as a -1 home favorite, with the total set at 37. After that, the Jets will take to the road for their next two games. Theyll play the New Orleans Saints on October 4th before heading to south Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins the following Monday night.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on soccer betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

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Manchester United is in good shape to advance to the Champions League soccer quarterfinals following a 3-2 win over AC Milan at the San Siro. The competition itself was overshadowed by the fact that it was the first time that David Beckham had played against his old team since leaving Old Trafford in 2003, and Wayne Rooney squashed Milan’s early hopes with two goals to put the game on ice. Clarance Seedorf scored at the 85 minute mark to make the score respectable, but Man U controlled play after the halftime break.

AC Milan got on the board first just three minutes into the game as Beckham set up Ronaldinho’s goal that sent the San Siro into a frenzy. Paul Scholes evened the score at the 36 minute mark and the teams went into the halftime break tied at 1-1. Rooney would net his first goal at the 66 minute mark and would score again just 8 minutes later to give Man U a 3-1 lead.

The 24 year old Rooney is becoming recognized as one of the best strikers in soccer. He’s now got 25 goals on the year with 19 games left to play. He’s also received high marks from the soccer press for his playmaking, heady play and overall attitude. The consensus is that he’s already one of the best in the world and is only getting better. He’s expected to be a valuable contributor to England’s World Cup effort this summer.

After the game, Beckham complimented Rooney on his play and suggested that he receive consideration for the World Player of the Year award:

“I hope he is a contender for the World Player of the Year and the Ballon D’Or. I would love to see him win every title possible. I have seen Wayne from being a young lad. I played in his debut for England and I have watched him score goals week in and week out ever since. It is amazing to see.”

“He looks after himself and works hard. The way he plays is the way he trains. That is why he is so good and why Wayne is ready for any game. It doesn’t matter how many games he has played or how many he will be involved in to the end of the season, he will be ready for anything.”

There’s a good chance that Beckham and Rooney will be teammates on England’s World Cup team this summer. Beckham made note of that fact:

“I wouldn’t want to see him do it again against us in a few weeks but of course I’d like it in the World Cup.”

Rooney’s sizzling play and Beckham’s veteran leadership and dominant free kicks are a big reason why England is among the World Cup betting favorites before the team has even been made official. England will start World Cup play on June 12 against the United States. England is a +600 choice to win the World Cup, third favorite behind Spain and Brazil.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer specializing in sports handicapping, horse racing, soccer coaching and fencing. He is also a well known expert on NFL football betting and has made many broadcast appearances on TV and radio. He lives in Southern Nevada, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a retired racing wombat.

Pioneering UFC fighter Kimo Leopoldo is very much alive after numerous mainstream media reports to the contrary. The New York Daily News was first to report the story that Kimo had died of a heart attack, and it quickly spread to other mainstream media outlets. MMA insiders were somewhat skeptical, a there were few details as to the circumstances surrounding his passing, or any real independent confirmation.

A few hours later, the story began to unravel. First, Kimo’s agent indicated that he had spoken to him at 11 PM Monday night and that he was alive and well. He did add that he hadn’t spoken to him since, but that he had not received word from anyone close to Kimo of a problem nor had he been contacted by any authorities. Shortly after 2:00 PM Tuesday, Kimo’s attorney reported that the fighter had been located and was alive and well. Theres still a question of how the report that he was dead made it out in the first place, but the New York Daily News isnt providing much of an explanation–theyve simply deleted the report without comment and will presumably pretend it never happened. There’s some suggestion that the rumor started in an online MMA forum, and Kimo has suggested that he’ll pursue legal action against the perpetrator.

The false death rumors are the latest twist to the utterly bizarre life of Kimo Leopoldo. A native of Munich, Germany, Kimo–he claimed later in his life that he had legally changed his name to simply ‘Kimo’–was the UFCs first over the top personality back when the promotions events were still in the single digits. He was also one of the sports first freestyle fighters in an era when most competitors were specialists in one martial arts discipline.

By the end of 1997, Kimo had compiled a 6-2-1 record with his only losses coming to Gracie and another UFC Hall of Famer, Ken Shamrock. He also earned a draw against a third UFC Hall of Famer, wrestling specialist Dan Severn. His career would be downhill from that point, the result of better fighters entering the sport and his own self destructive lifestyle choices.

Kimo became known as much for his flamboyant personality as for his toughness as a competitor. He was a devout Christian, and sported many religious tattoos”most famously a large Jesus inscription across his stomach.

Kimo has battled drug and alcohol addiction throughout his life, and in recent years has reportedly became addicted to meth. In one of his more recent run ins with the law, he was playing with a yo-yo in a parking lot while wearing an orange jumpsuit made for law enforcement disaster response. He was approached by police who questioned him about the outfit, and upon searching him he was found to be in possession of marijuana and subsequently arrested.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and World Cup betting sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

In his second fight in just over a month, Frank Trigg dominated tough veteran Falaniko Vitale wire to wire en route to a unanimous decision victory at Strikeforce: Payback. Trigg looked very sharp in easily handling Makoto Takimoto in Tokyo at Sengoku 4 on August 28th, and his victory here was every bit as impressive. Aside from a 2nd round takedown, Vitale mustered precious little offense and spent most of the fight trying to counter Triggs sharp striking and takedown attempts.

In the co-main event, Duane Bang Ludwig earned an explosive TKO win over Sam Morgan. After an evenly contested first minute, Ludwig quickly took control with a series of Muay Thai knee strikes which set up a perfectly placed bodyshot to the liver that floored his opponent. Ludwig quickly pressed his advantage and never gave Morgan a chance to recover. Still feeling the effects of the liver shot, Morgan ate another hard punch to the solar plexus and gasping for breath was forced to tap out under the barrage of strikes. The victory gave Ludwig some redemption for an embarrassing TKO loss to Morgan in 2005 when he was simply overwhelmed within the first minute of the fight.

In perhaps the most entertaining bout on the card, highly touted Billy Evangelista survived his second big scare in as many fights to remain undefeated. After a split decision victory over Nam Phan in June, Evangelista found himself in grave danger of a TKO loss early in his bout with tough veteran Luke Caudillo. Caudillo”who goes by the nickname Lil Hulk”opened the fight with a flurry, knocking Evangelista to the canvas three times in the opening minute. Via some combination of wits and toughness, Evangelista managed to survive the barrage and began to take over the fight late in the round with his superior technical striking.

As the rest of the fight unfolded, Caudillo made the mistake of becoming a headhunter looking for a KO punch which allowed Evangelista to take over the fight. Evangelista continued to score with crisp combinations and as the bout progressed demonstrated his superior conditioning”a major factor at the high altitude of the Broomfield, Colorado fight venue. Evangelista would eventually earn a unanimous decision victory though the 30-27 score awarded by one judge was questionable considering that he spent the first half of round one being bounced around the cage like a beach ball.

A highly anticipated womens match took place early in the evening, with former Hooters waitress Michelle The Karate Hottie Watterson easily defeating an overmatched opponent in Tyra Parker. Parker, whod lost her pro debut six weeks ago, may have been rushed back into action too quickly but she came out fighting gamely swinging for the fences with wild, powerful punch attempts. Watterson easily figured out her opponent, however, and The Karate Hottie quickly took over with her more disciplined striking approach. The dnouement came when Watterson landed several big knees from the clinch, took her opponents back and locked in a rear naked choke for the tapout win.

The event marked Strikeforces first visit to Colorado, and another in a series of very entertaining fight cards. Scott Coker and his team deserve a lot of credit for their matchmaking”even in the lower card fights they have a knack for putting together bouts that more often than not are exciting and competitive. Strikeforce is clearly a promotion on the rise, and could be the USA’s #2 group before long.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer specializing in mixed martial arts, judo, soccer betting, falconry and fantasy role playing games. He is a well known expert on sports betting and has made countless TV and radio appearances. He lives in Southern Nevada with his Asian houseboy, three Jack Russell Terriers and a retired racing wombat.

New York Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez tracked down NFL legend Joe Namath before the game looking for a pep talk and some pointers. What the NFL Hall of Famer told him had a very beneficial effect. Sanchez looked very decidedly not like a rookie as he threw for 272 yards and a touchdown against one interception. More importantly, the Jets easily beat the host Houston Texans 24-7.

NFL sports betting enthusiasts who took the Jets as +4 road underdogs cashed their tickets with the outright win. New York improved to 10-8 ATS as an underdog over the past three NFL seasons. The combined 31 points scored went UNDER the posted total of 44.

After the game, Sanchez recounted what Namath had told him:

“What a pep talk. That was Joe Namath, just taking all the credit from himself and throwing it back to me and just saying, ‘Good luck.’ To hear that from a legend like that, it just kind of gives you the chills. It was something special to be a part of, an emotional start, an emotional little pep talk.”

For his part, Namath said he wasnt surprised at Sanchez’s solid debut performance:

“No, I was hopeful and I’m satisfied more than I thought I’d be. His offensive line did a hell of a job, but he did a great job of finding time with his feet, just to move subtly … I don’t doubt even a little bit that he doesn’t have poise at this stage.”

The Jets defense also had a great afternoon. New York outgained Houston 462-183, and the Texans made it past midfield only once in the first three quarters. The Jets run defense was particularly stifling, holding Steve Slaton to just 17 yards on the ground. Afterwards, Slaton was at a loss for an explanation:

“It’s just insane. You work for six months leading up to this first game. You have all offseason to prepare for this game and then to come out and play like that is upsetting.”

Texans coach Gary Kubiak took the blame for his teams substandard showing:

“The offensive football team gave us no chance and that starts with me. There’s nobody that can feel anything good coming out of this football game.”

Houston will start from scratch on Sunday as they travel to Nashville to face the Tennessee Titans. The Titans are a -6 home favorite with the total set at 40. The Texans will return home for games the following two weeks against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders. The Jets will play their next two games at home, beginning this weekend against the New England Patriots. New York is +4 home underdog to the Pats, with the total set at 47. Theyll welcome the Tennessee Titans to the Meadowlands the following week.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and World Cup betting sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

Its been a rough NFL preseason for last years Superbowl runner up. The Arizona Cardinals have only scored one touchdown in two games as they’ve stumbled to a 0-2 record. Things didn’t get any better on Saturday night, as the visiting San Diego Chargers added to their offensive woes en route to a 17-6 victory.

The Chargers cornerbacks performed admirably against Arizona, and Antonio Cromartie–who intercepted Kurt Warner in the endzone to perpetuate the Cardinals scoring futility”said that’s been a focus for the team during the preseason:

“That’s one of our biggest focuses. Do whatever you’ve got to to keep them out of the end zone. We did that.”

Despite the teams lack of offensive productivity Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt wasnt particularly concerned:

“I’m disappointed that we haven’t had more touchdowns, obviously but I will say this, we haven’t game planned in the red zone. A lot of times when we game plan in the red zone we’re one of the best teams in the NFL, because we put our players in a position to best give them a chance to win.’

QB Warner agreed with his coach:

“It is disappointing because we had some opportunities we didn’t capitalize on like we wanted to but there is going to be a lot of stuff we can learn from tonight. We will get better and be all right in a couple of weeks.”

The Chargers offense hasn’t lit up the scoreboard either, and their pass protection has been particularly weak. San Diego coach Norv Turner indicated that this was a problem:

“The things we take a lot of pride in around here. Tonight our guys saw we have some work to do.”

LaDanian Tomlinson said that he’s benefited from preseason play:

“I think it was just good to get in there and start to get a rhythm.

The Cardinals will open the NFL regular season on Sunday, September 13 as they host the San Francisco 49ers while the Chargers will start the 2009 campaign on Monday, September 14th as they travel to Oakland for a game against the Raiders.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

Seattle’s Matt Hasselbeck and Denver’s Kyle Orton both played fairly well in the first half, but the Seahawks reserves pulled away in the second half. The Seahawks improved to 2-0 on the NFL preseason with a 27-13 win while the Broncos dropped to 0-2 in their exhibition contests.

Hasselbeck completed 16 passes in 23 attempts including two touchdowns, though he was sacked three times. That was a big concern as he missed considerable time last season due to a back injury, but appeared to suffer no ill effects here. Still, the Seahawks starting QB said it was a traumatic experience:

“It’s just like I remembered- no fun. … I forgot how hard people hit in here. It’s just like a car accident. It’s part of the game … and it was probably good that it happened.”

After a rough opening weekend as the Denver Broncos starting QB, Kyle Orton recovered to post decent numbers. After the game, Orton indicated that hes feeling confident about his play:

“I’ve got an awful lot of confidence right now, I really do. This is the best offense I’ve ever played with. This is the best talent around me that I’ve ever had. I just feel that my game right now is as good as it has ever been.

Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels was more reserved in his assessment:

“I think he acquitted himself fairly well. He played, you know, fairly well. There’s still obviously room for improvement. But he did what we feel he is capable of doing.

It would have been hard for Orton to have played worse than he did in the Broncos opening NFL preseason contest against the San Francisco 49ers last week”in that game Orton threw three interceptions in his first three drives.

The Seahawks will continue their NFL preseason slate next Saturday against the Chiefs in Kansas City. Denver, meanwhile, will host Ortons old team”the Chicago Bears”and face their former starting QB Jay Cutler for the first time. Seattle will get the NFL regular season off and running on Sunday, September 13th as they host the St. Louis Rams. The Broncos will travel to Cincinnati for a game against the Bengals on the opening Sunday of the regular season.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi completed a 7 yard touchdown pass to Marvin McNutt as time expired, allowing the Hawkeyes to take a 15-13 road win over Michigan State University and preserve their undefeated season. Trailing 6-3 at halftime, Iowa mounted a furious drive after Michigan State had scored to take a 13-9 lead with 1:37 remaining in the game. Iowa moved to 8-0 for the first time in school history for the win, and has won twelve straight games overall. Michigan State evened their record at 4-4 with the loss.

When you bet on college football you learn that you can’t count your money until the game was over and such was the case here as Iowa even managed to cover the pointspread as they won outright as +2 road underdogs. Iowa improved to 5-2 against the spread while Michigan State dropped to 3-4 against the number.

Stanzi threw three incomplete passes into the end zone before he hit McNutt with the game winner. There were 2 seconds left on the clock when the play began, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz commended McNutt on his effort to get open on the play:

“He made a nice break inside, made a great grab.”

Ferentz was also proud of the way his team responded after falling behind late on the road:

“It speaks to our players, the character that they have. They realized they still had time.”

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio also praised his players for their tough defensive stand at the end of the game:

“When we scored at the end, I thought that we had it. I’m proud — not happy. Proud of the way our football team responded.”

The Hawkeyes became only the second team in Big Ten history to win at Penn State, Michigan State and Wisconsin in the same season. Michigan was the first to accomplish the trifecta when they did it in 1997.

Michigan State will take to the road next weekend for a game at Minnesota. They’ll host Western Michigan the following Saturday before playing away at Purdue on November 14. Iowa will play their next two games at home, starting with Indiana next Saturday. They’ll host Northwestern a week later before a big game on November 14th on the road against Ohio State.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.