Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys are the favorites to win the NFC and be at home for the Super Bowl., according to odds courtesy of Bodog
Odds to win the NFC
Dallas Cowboys 9/2
New Orleans Saints 5/1
Green Bay Packers 11/2
Minnesota Vikings 11/2
Atlanta Falcons 11/1
Chicago Bears 12/1
New York Giants 12/1
San Francisco 49ers 12/1
Philadelphia Eagles 13/1
Washington Redskins 14/1
Arizona Cardinals 22/1
Carolina Panthers 25/1
Seattle Seahawks 28/1
Detroit Lions 50/1
St. Louis Rams 50/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 60/1
September 2, 2010 8:14 pm
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Peyton Manning’s Colts are the favorite to win the AFC, according to the odds posted on Bodog.
Odds to win the AFC
Indianapolis Colts 9/2
San Diego Chargers 11/2
New York Jets 11/2
New England Patriots 13/2
Baltimore Ravens 11/2
Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1
Cincinnati Bengals 12/1
Tennessee Titans 14/1
Houston Texans 14/1
Miami Dolphins 16/1
Denver Broncos 25/1
Oakland Raiders 35/1
Jacksonville Jaguars 40/1
Cleveland Browns 50/1
Kansas City Chiefs 50/1
Buffalo Bills 60/1
8:09 pm
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Saints head coach Sean Payton has three things laid out neatly on the desk in his office before every game: The laminated play sheet with the catalogue of plays the coaching staff plans to use in the game. The red flag he’ll use to challenge officials’ calls. Two neat stacks of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum. Each stack will contain five sticks, one for each drive of each half. Payton will not take the field until he has stashed the sticks into his pocket. He breaks out a new stick to start each offensive series. If the Saints enjoy more than five drives in a half or the game goes into overtime, the equipment staff keeps a reserve supply in a tray behind the bench. The Juicy Fruit is Payton’s lone game-day superstition, and for him, it’s every bit as important as the play sheet. Although he scoffed at the notion that the Saints might have been a team of destiny last season, he’s a devout believer in the juju of the Juicy Fruit. — New Orleans Times-Picayune
Pro boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. showed off his jewlery collection to Media Take Out. Mayweather has a $2 million watch. He wears a $100k belt buckle. To carry around all his cash, he has a wallet worth $50,000. — Media Take Our
She has been compared to Kim Kardashian, and now Reggie Bush’s new girlfriend could be mirroring the reality TV star in more ways than one. RadarOnline.com has learned that sexy Latin singer Mayra Veronica has been offered more than $1 million to make a porn film. “The amount is exceedingly tempting,” said a source close to the situation. “Mayra has dabbled with racy shots, but has never done any fully nude pictorial, much less a video.” — Radar Online
Given the sexually explicit video of Brandon Spikes making the rounds on the Internet, Reebok has decided against finalizing the marketing deal it had proposed for the rookie linebacker. Terry Watson, who represents the Pats second-round draft pick, confirmed that Reebok had turned away from his client. Spikes may face disciplinary action under the league’s personal conduct policy. — Boston Herald
For those keeping score, New York Jets CB Darrelle’s Revis’ 31-day fine total is now up to $512,213. And counting. — Twitter (Adam Schefter)
Golfer Tiger Woods‘ secret divorce settlement may be so expensive that he had to mortgage his home to pay for it! Official records that just popped up in Martin County hint that Woods will have to pay ex-wife Elin Nordegren $54 million by January 2016 — or risk losing the house he spent five years building. How do I know? The philandering golf-club swinger took out a $54 million-mortgage last Wednesday, two days after his quickie divorce was finalized in Panama City Aug. 23. Woods, the mortgage shows, used the Jupiter Island property, Sand Turtle, to secure the loan — which means that Nordegren could end up with that Motel 6-style crib if he doesn’t pay up. — Palm Beach Post
Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane said Wednesday that he would not have vetoed any deal that sent former ace Roy Oswalt to the Cardinals because of the teams sharing the same division. The talks just never got to that point, he said. “That was not a roadblock,” McLane said. “I think (trading within the division) used to be something you avoided. That’s not how I viewed it this time. We had discussions with the Cardinals, and it just did not work — it did not work for either team. It just never really materialized. They talked two or three times, and it never got close to being a deal.” McLane acknowledged that Oswalt was “excited about the potential of being with the Cardinals” and that he expressed that wish to Houston ownership. McLane said the players offered by the Cardinals, who included at least one major-league player, did not cause negotiations to falter. — St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Among all the NFL games in the 2010 season, which begins next week, Buffalo is home to four of the five with the lowest-priced tickets, according to SeatGeek.com, which analyzes the prices of second-hand ticket transactions. The average ticket price for one of the Bills’ games is a league-low $85.01—that’s less than one-third of the $265.29 average price for a New York Giants ticket. The New Orleans Saints, fresh off their first Super Bowl victory, have the second-priciest seats at $240.83 and the New York Jets, who will christen a new stadium this season with the Giants, are third at $225.68. — Wall Street Journal
Most Expensive Avg. Ticket
Vikings at Saints (9/9)……………$372.39
Vikings at Packers (10/24)………$359.67
Cowboys at Giants (11/14)……..$349.85
Panthers at Giants (9/12)……….$322.69
Least Expensive Avg. Ticket
Browns at Bills (12/12)…………..$41.87
Lions at Bills (11/14)……………..$49.44
Rams at Lions (10/10)……………$50.28
Patriots at Bills (12/26)…………..$55.17
Source: SeatGeek.com
Amare Stoudemire entered his first free agency with two priorities: staying in Phoenix and pursuing a championship. Picking New York was a step away from both. “My goal is to do what I did here in Phoenix – to rebuild,” Stoudemire said. “The year we traded Stephon (Marbury), Penny (Hardaway) and Googs (Tom Gugliotta), the next year we rebuilt. “The question ownership asked to me was, ‘Who do I want – Jason Kidd, Steve Nash or Kobe Bryant?’ I said Steve. Over Kobe. At the time, Kobe had a reputation for being selfish and Steve was the ultimate point guard. I felt like that’s what we needed. We had Joe Johnson and Shawn Marion. We just didn’t have a PG to control tempo. Kidd was banged up after microfracture (knee surgery).” — Arizona Republic
Apparently a top former WWE Star, named The Violator, is now homeless. The web site Media Take Out has pics, taken yesterday in Hollywood. — Media Take Out
Several months ago, the Bucs informed Michael Clayton of their plans to trade him, but there have been no takers. The receiver’s $3.5 million salary is guaranteed, but his spot on the roster is not. Then during Saturday night’s third preseason game, Clayton never left the bench against the Jaguars. After the game, he showered anyway. “Force of habit,” Clayton said. Whether his career in Tampa Bay is washed up remains to be seen. Clayton, 27, refuses to believe it is. – St. Petersburg Times
There are no guarantees on whether the Cubs will be able to afford to shop in the Adam Dunn section of the free-agent market. And the Ted Lilly section might not even be available if the Dodgers’ efforts to re-sign the former Cubs lefty are as serious as reports suggest.
Skiing bad-boy Bode Miller was spotted chatting up “Gossip Girl” beauty Katie Cassidy and her friend at the US Open on Tuesday night. Onlookers say the Olympic gold medalist “seemed to hit it off with Katie, they were sipping Ty Ku cocktails and talking closely while in a private box.” Cassidy was earlier linked this year to LA Kings hockey star Jarret Stoll, while he was last seen dating model Amanda French. Miller’s rep confirmed he was there but declined to comment further. Another source said that Bode ended up exchanging numbers with Cassidy’s girlfriend instead. — NY Post
Phillies Ryan Howard and Chase Utley have secured spots in the “Guinness Book of World Records 2011,” due out Sept. 15. Howard, whose picture appears in the book, has the record for “Fewest Games to Reach 200 Career Home Runs.” (He did so July 17, 2009, in his 658th game.) Utley captured the “Most Home Runs in a Single World Series” by hitting five against the Yankees. — Philadelphia Daily News
Bill Ford Jr., the team’s vice chairman, knows the Lions have been competitively bankrupt for the past 10 years. Maybe that’s why he won’t define success for the team in Jim Schwartz’s second season as coach and Matthew Stafford’s second season as franchise quarterback. “I don’t want to replay the last 10 years,” Ford told the Free Press on Wednesday. “We are where we are. I’m just very happy with the new regime.” But he sees improvement in how the front office operates now compared to when Matt Millen called the shots. And he believes general manager Martin Mayhew is cut from the same mold as Ford Motor CEO Alan Mulally. That’s high praise considering Mulally orchestrated Ford’s ascension from the domestic automotive abyss. — Detroit Free Press
Montro, barber to sports stars, has texted to say he will be doing Manny Ramirez’s hair in Boston either on Thursday or Friday. Ramirez’s dreadlocks have already become an issue in Chicago, where team owner Jerry Reinsdorf has a policy on the length of hair. — Boston Globe
Byron Scott knows the Lakers so well that he trusts this isn’t his only opportunity. And he’s right. Scott will still be the Lakers’ head coach someday, just not next year. Odds are that day will not be all rainbows and rings – and pressure – as awaits Brian Shaw in all likelihood as Jackson’s successor. When Scott comes back to the Lakers, it will be a Monday morning – with much work to be done – and that will actually fit him best. He views himself as a rebuilding specialist after NBA Finals appearances in his second and third seasons in New Jersey and then quite a booster shot in New Orleans, too. It’s why he took the Cleveland job with a full sense that LeBron James was unlikely to return. Scott is a believer that a big ditch exists so you can construct a big building there. Scott is 49 – still a young man in the coaching business, though 14 years older than in his last go-around with the Lakers. It was then that Scott formed the basis for his belief that there will be a second chance at his dream job, learning definitively those exist with the Buss family. — OC Register
Don’t start rolling out the welcome mat for Tiger Woods just yet. Though Us Weekly reported that the horny golfer had moved into an apartment downtown — pinpointed by the Daily News yesterday on Hudson Street — real-estate sources say it’s either wishful thinking or a stunt pulled by a landlord to promote his building. “No way Tiger would live there,” one broker told The Post. “It’s an ’80s conversion, run-down, with leaky ceilings.” If it really was Tiger who was spotted moving boxes in from a BMW, brokers say he might have been helping a girlfriend. “It would have to be a mistress he doesn’t care about.” Another broker said, “If he does live there, it means his wife took every penny he has and he’s at the end of his rope.” Non-real-estate sources are equally skeptical and point out that Woods has always gone out of his way to avoid the city and stayed on his yacht, The Privacy, when the US Open was played at Bethpage. “He hates it in New York,” said one observer. “Why would he come here when he needs his privacy more than ever?” — NY Post
Former QB Jim McMahon golfed in his bare feet wearing a crazy hat and sunglasses with a beer at the 1985 Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears golf outing. . . and he’s a really good golfer. He could be prickly at times back in the day, but is mellow now.” — Chicago Sun-Times
Matt Leinart suddenly has become available and the Cardinals want to drum up interest for him, which will be difficult to do, because of the bloated salary (he’s due close to $10 million in salary the next two seasons) attached to the former Heisman Trophy winner.
ESPN reported that the Giants, Bills and Raiders have had discussions with the Cardinals about acquiring Leinart. The “discussions” likely were as benign as Cardinals general manager Rod Graves calling Giants counterpart Jerry Reese to gauge his interest and learning the interest is nil. If they don’t stick with Bomar — who will play a great deal tonight after Eli Manning takes an early seat in the preseason finale against the Patriots — the Giants want someone willing to accept a supportive, backup role. Leinart doesn’t fit that characterization. Plus, Leinart wants to go somewhere to start. – NY Post
Angels GM Tony Reagins wasn’t kidding when he said the player to be named in Friday’s trade of closer Brian Fuentes to the Minnesota Twins would be a “prospect with upside.” The deal was completed Wednesday with the Angels acquiring pitcher Loek Van Mil, a 7-foot-1 right-hander who is the tallest player in professional baseball. Van Mil, 25, went 1-2 with a 6.37 earned run average in 23 relief appearances double-A New Britain after beginning the season at Class-A Fort Myers, where he was 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three outings. The Netherlands native, who will report to the Angels’ double-A team at Arkansas, has been known to hit 94-95 mph with his fastball, but his secondary pitches need work, and he has had some elbow problems. — LA Times
Five regular-season months into his first coaching job at any level, Mark McGwire described Wednesday how he’s had a steep learning curve, how there have been plenty of frustrations, and how the coaching bug has bit him, bad. “I know one thing after this, I would really love to be a hitting coach for many, many years,” the former home run king said. “We’ll talk about it when the season is over with and evaluate it then. But I have really enjoyed it. It’s been a great learning experience for me. I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights. I’ve had a lot of great nights.” McGwire is on a one-year contract with the Cardinals, and any decisions about the club’s coaches will come this offseason, probably after manager Tony La Russa has deliberated on his own return. At the time of his hiring, La Russa and the club acknowledged that it was a mutual experiment — that McGwire wanted to start a second baseball career as a coach and La Russa wanted to give him that opportunity. — St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The job is enormous and the view spectacular, but at the end of the day the work is pretty ordinary: Like other New Orleanians caring for their driveways or decks, private crews atop the Superdome are pressure-washing mildew off the 9.6-acre landmark. The distinctive white roof needs it. The section that has been cleaned contrasts sharply with the streaked and dingy area still untouched. The $87,500 job should be done by the middle of next week, in time for the New Orleans Saints’ regular-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 9, said Doug Thornton, senior vice president of SMG, the company that manages the Superdome and the New Orleans Arena. Thornton said Superdome managers noticed a few months ago that the domed roof was getting dirty much faster than normal. Ordinarily, it’s 18 to 24 months between cleanings. This time, the roof looked bad in 14 months, he said. A lab analysis showed there was nothing unusual about the grime: It’s ordinary dirt and South Louisiana mildew discoloring the Superdome. – New Orleans Times-Picayune
The Green Bay Packers traded one former tight end turned tackle at the final cut last year and probably will have chances to deal another Saturday. A source said several teams are interested in tackle Breno Giacomini, one of four veteran offensive linemen the Packers might be considering releasing on the roster reduction. All teams must reach the 53-man limit by 3 p.m. Saturday. The Packers have 75 players on the roster. Giacomini, a fifth-round draft choice in 2008, played tight end early in his career at Louisville just as Tony Moll, a fifth-round pick in 2006, did at Nevada. The Packers shipped Moll to Baltimore Sept. 5 for safety Derrick Martin. “We don’t even joke around about that stuff,” center Jason Spitz said. “Obviously, we all want to be here. We’re all working toward that. But it won’t work out that way.” — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland will look for Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant sometime before or after the preseason game between Miami and Dallas Thursday night, the Miami Herald reported, citing an anonymous source. The Herald reported Ireland wants to close the book on the questiongate incident that happened between the two men just prior to the draft. The source told the Herald that Ireland has given thought to the Bryant situation in recent days and would like to speak with Bryant. Ireland and others within the Dolphins organization have discussed how to handle Thursday’s likely meeting because the GM knows it will be an issue for the media and perhaps Bryant himself. Ireland declined to comment to the Herald Thursday. — Dallas Morning News
Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco spread some advance goodwill by buying dinner at St. Elmo’s Steakhouse in Indy for 64 of his closest friends – whom he had never before met. Ochocinco posted an open invitation on his Twitter page, and our pal Todd Wright of Sporting News Radio (who has a St. Elmo’s source) said that folks arrived in droves. For those of you wondering, the magic number was 64 instead of 85 because the room in which the dinner occurred holds only 64 people. Wright says that Ochocinco was very cordial and took great care of the employees. — Pro Football Talk
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the athletic training staff “has given me no indication” that wide receiver Roy Williams will miss the opener. Williams did not participate in Wednesday’s practice because of soreness in his lower back and hip flexor. He will not play against the Dolphins. Williams finishes the exhibition schedule with five catches out of 13 passes directed at him for 68 yards in four games. A year ago, Williams appeared in only two exhibitions, catching six of nine passes for 48 yards. — Dallas Morning News
With Carson Palmer and the first-team offense expected to play only a series or two, this is one final chance for J.T. O’Sullivan and Jordan Shipley to make a case on why they should remain on the roster. While the play of the guys who are one unfortunate incident away from having to go into a game has been awful at times, offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski took a better tact, calling it sporadic. “Obviously there have been stretches of good things and stretches of not so good things. We’ll give them another run at it this week and see if we can clean up some of the not so good things,” Bratkowski said. In 39 series, the two have produced four touchdowns and six field goals. They’ve also combined for five interceptions with two of Palmer’s being run back for touchdowns. Instead of making progress from last season, it’s looked more like they’ve regressed. — Cincinnati Enquirer
Kid Rock’s red-white-and-blue résumé is about to get a baseball entry. The rousing, patriotic “Born Free,” the title track from the Detroit rocker’s upcoming album, has been enlisted by TBS as the official marketing theme for the network’s Major League Baseball postseason coverage. Turner Sports has created a 2 1/2 -minute video for the song, which intersperses baseball footage and scenes from Rock’s recent concerts at DTE Energy Music Theatre. That full-length video will debut Friday on National CineMedia’s 14,600 movie screens, including Star and Cinemark theaters in metro Detroit. Clips from the video will be repurposed for commercial spots across the Turner networks, including TNT and CNN. The song will be integrated into the game presentations on TBS, which will air the playoffs starting Oct. 6. “Born Free” was “the perfect track” for a baseball campaign, a Turner Sports executive said in a statement. — Detroit Free Press
Macho Harris can count, and he knows that getting moved from cornerback, where he’d played all spring and summer, back to safety for the final week of the preseason probably was not a great omen for his continued employment with the Eagles. Harris talked this week about the opportunity to “showcase my talent” in tonight’s preseason finale against the visiting New York Jets. Translated, that means the rest of the NFL will see the film, and if last year’s rookie starter at free safety is a victim when the Birds trim from 75 to 53 this weekend, he at least can enhance his chance of getting a job somewhere else. For what it’s worth, Harris said he felt his conversion back to safety has been “smooth, very smooth – I felt like I didn’t miss a beat at all at safety.” — Philadelphia Daily News
Rick Fox told the Boston Herald he’s bringing Cheryl Burke with him when he comes to Boston this weekend so they can start practicing for Season 11 of the hit ABC reality show. Fox will be in town Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with his hoofing instructor and they may film a video package for the show while they’re here. “I’ll take her on a sight-seeing tour,” Rick told the Track. “It’s a beautiful city.” — Boston Herald
The Dodgers generated $72 million in operating revenue last year but had a net profit of $8.4 million, largely because of $28 million in debt service and $34 million in revenue-sharing payments. Baseball requires the teams that generate the most money help support the ones that generate the least.
Rays manager Joe Maddon will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Lafayette College today in an on-campus ceremony; he plans to wear his BRayser and allow the school to auction it off. — St. Petersburg Times
Another special feature of Pau Gasol’s visit to India was that he brought along the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship trophy, which he won with the Lakers for the second year running this past June. This was the first time that the trophy was brought to Indian soil, and it garnered almost as much attention as the superstar player himself. Gasol unveiled it during his clinics in Mumbai and New Delhi much to the delight of the young NBA fans in the crowds. — Slam
