Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
07/28/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Thank goodness the NHL still has a few guys like Max Talbot.
Today's athletes are generally so concerned with image that they are constantly guarding themselves against saying something controversial. If you've watched a lot of post-game NHL interviews, it wouldn't surprise you that hockey players are the most restrained of all the major sports.
So, when Talbot went on a Pittsburgh radio show on Tuesday morning and called Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin a word that is most accurately used to describe a feminine hygiene product, like it or not, I bet it grabbed your attention.
And the fact that the insult was hurled just hours before Talbot represented the Penguins at a Heinz Field press conference to officially announce the Winter Classic contest between the Pens and Caps, makes the gritty Pittsburgh forward a marketing genius.
Some might say that Talbot was simply caught up in the morning zoo atmosphere of the WXDX program, but the timing of the verbal barb can't be a coincidence.
Even though Talbot was somewhat diplomatic and certainly cleaned up the language when asked about Ovechkin at the Heinz Field press conference, it's hard to believe he simply slipped up on the morning show. Talbot was on 105.9 The X to talk about the Winter Classic and about 20 seconds after being asked about Ovechkin, Talbot said "I just hate the guy".
One of the hosts followed up that remark by saying that's why he wanted Talbot on the show and not Sidney Crosby because he knew Sid would have chosen the PC route in answering questions about Ovie. Talbot -- a Stanley Cup hero for Pittsburgh in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals against Detroit in 2009 -- didn't need to add fire to the already smoldering rivalry between the Caps and Pens, but it seems to be his nature to stir the pot, on and off the ice.
How long this Talbot-created controversy will last is now largely in Ovechkin's hands. If the Russian icon chooses to take Talbot's bait we could be in for the type of offseason war of words that is not a frequent occurrence in the buttoned-up world of the NHL.
My guess is Ovechkin will fire back with some sort of jab regarding the gap in talent between he and Talbot, but you never really know how, or if, Ovie will respond. Like his Penguins detractor, the Capitals sniper is an interesting guy in his own right.
I'm sure Gary Bettman is so happy he could kiss Talbot for his remarks. After all, the commissioner already has a marquee matchup for his league's precious outdoor game and any added interest could only help TV ratings come January 1.
The only problem is that the Pens and Caps won't face each other in the regular season until December 23 in Washington, giving a whole lot of time for the Talbot-Ovie spat to go away. But, rest assured, the media won't forget and we'll be here to remind everyone of Massengill-gate, every chance we get. And don't worry, the fans will join in on the fun as well. In fact, I can already amuse myself by imagining the signs that will be visible at the Verizon Center in late December.
I know the whole thing is childish and possibly even offensive, but covering hockey in the summer can get a bit boring. That is, unless people continue to ask Max Talbot questions about a certain Capitals superstar.
KOVALCHUK SAGA ENTERS LEGAL LIMBO PHASE
Another reason to cheer the Talbot-Ovie story is that the Ilya Kovalchuk free agency saga is getting too boring for words. As if the chase to land the superstar winger could drag on any longer, Kovalchuk's future, at least for the time being, is now for an arbitrator to decide.
The yet-to-be-named arbitrator will determine whether Kovalchuk's contract with the New Jersey Devils, a 17-year, $102 million deal, is valid or if it "deliberately circumvented" the salary cap, as the NHL said it did when it rejected the contract last week.
Since free agency began on July 1, the biggest talent to be had on the open market this summer has been rumored to be heading to Los Angeles, New Jersey and even St. Petersburg (Russia, not Florida). It appeared that the Devils had finally sealed the deal with their offer last week, but the league stepped in and rejected the contract. On Monday, The NHL Players Association filed a grievance on Kovalchuk's behalf, prompting the need for an arbitrator.
Now, all we can do is wait for the union and the league to agree on an arbitrator. After one is selected, the arbitrator will have 48 hours to decide on the validity of the contract.
No matter which way the arbitrator rules, it is seeming like more of a sure thing that the Devils are going to land Kovalchuk. After all, they've already done the hard part and worked out a deal that made both sides happy. If the arbitrator says the deal is valid, then Kovalchuk will head back to Newark, where he played the end of last season following a trade with Atlanta. However, if arbitration winds up favoring the league on this situation, there still should be no reason the Devils and Kovalchuk can't tweak the deal a bit and make it work.
Hopefully, this marks the final phase of Kovalchuk's search for a long-term destination. If not, I guess hockey enthusiasts will go back to what we've all been doing since July 1, waiting for one of the NHL's most talented scorers to finally make up his mind.
<< Raul completes Schalke switch
Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid legend Raul has
confirmed the new chapter in his career by joining Bundesliga side Schalke.
The 33-year-old striker has agreed to a two-year contract with Schalke after
officia
<< McGowan joins St Mirren on loan
Paisley, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St Mirren have signed striker Paul
McGowan on a season-long loan deal from SPL side Celtic.
The 22-year-old has made just a handful of starts for the Bhoys to date and
has previously been loaned
<< De Guzman pleased with Mallorca move
Mallorca, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Canadian-born midfielder Jonathan De Guzman
is delighted to have sealed his move from Feyenoord to Mallorca.
He makes his way to the La Liga outfit on a three-year deal after making over
100 appearances fo
<< Ruggeri helps save Argentina
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If Argentina lifts the World Cup four
years from now in Brazil, Oscar Ruggeri will be able to take some of the
credit.
No, Ruggeri is not a fleet-footed winger capable of scoring bags of goals, or
even
Surrey's Ellis chasing major league dream >>
Thunder Bay, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Ellis is like any other player on
Canada's junior national baseball team - following his passion by playing the
sport he loves.
What's different about him and the rest of Team Canada's 18-and-under
Phillies put Victorino on DL, call up Domonic Brown >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies have placed
outfielder Shane Victorino on the 15-day disabled list and selected the
contract of prized outfield prospect Domonic Brown from Triple-A Lehigh
Valley.
CFL East: Blue Bombers dominant with Jyles at the helm >>
Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The East division took full advantage of
home cooking last week, as Montreal, Toronto, and Winnipeg all won within their
friendly confines. Hamilton was the lone East team to fall, as touchdowns in
their match
PGA Championship Hole-By-Hole Preview >>
Haven, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
HOLE ONE - Par 4 - 408 yards: Bending from right to left, the opening hole on
the Straits Course gives the player his first glimpse of mighty Lake Michigan,
not to mention the myriad bunkers strewn across the cours
Check out all of the NFL football betting promotions at the best online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. At this Sportsbook they provide the best NFL & College Football betting lines, promotions, and free contests.
More Props Equals More Fun
There is quite simply no one else in the World that offers you more proposition and futures wagers than we do. Player Props, Scoring Titles, Scoring by Quarter and by half. Dozens of daily Golf Matchups. Racing Fans will be in heaven with our selection. There is quite simply only one way to show you.
If Win and If Action Sports Betting
On an NFL Sunday there are less than 15 minutes between the morning games and the afternoon games. How do you get your second bet down? We have just the solution for you, If Bets. Its a simple bet in which you wager a fixed amount on one team and if that team wins, then the same amount as your original wager is placed on a different team.
Football Teasers up to 15 Teams
You can tease together up to 15 teams removing as many as 10 points off the spread. We offer 6, 6.5 and 7 point teasers as well as 3 team 10 point teasers. Click here to see our full Payout Table. You can tease NCAA & Pro games together as well.
Football Parlays up to 12 Teams
We offer parlays from 2 to 12 teams, paying up to 1,800 to 1. You can parlay teams from different sports, you can parlay totals and sides and you can even parlay together our huge selection of proposition wagers.
Progressive Parlays - Football betting
We were the first to create Progressive Parlays and now the world has followed. Play an 8 team parlay and if 6, 7, or 8 teams win, you win. Play a 4 team parlay, if 3 or 4 teams win, you win. Even if you dont win all the games in your parlay, you can Still Win!
Double Your Money Mondays NFL Football Betting
Free contest for Members! Double your winnings with our Sportsbook during football season! On specific football games throughout the year, our Sportsbook will have regular contests where you can double your winnings on selected games.
$1,000.00 Weekly Pigskin Payout NFL Football Contest
Make a free football bet on us! We're giving our members a chance to walk away with a part of $1,000.00 in v-chips for free every week this football season. Simply fill out our weekly $1,000 Pigskin Payout entry form and you're eligible to win.
Free NFL Football $10 No Risk Bet
We offer a risk free football prop bet to active members. It is posted on the main page once you login. Make a $10 bet and enjoy the profits if you win and we'll refund the wager if it loses. The refund is credited automatically to your account.
Buy Points - Adjust the spread for Football Betting
We offer you the chance to adjust the odds in your favor. You can now buy up to 3 points off the "spread" and "total" numbers for football and basketball games. Get the advantage in your betting with our Sportsbook.
$100,000 Weekly Football Challenge
As a member you can "log in" and pick 13 teams from our selection of listed games under the heading $100,000 Challenge and when they all win against the spread, you win the ultimate handicapping prize, $100,000.00 CASH.
Football In Game Betting
We are now proud to bring you LIVE In Game Betting odds. Follow the plays and put a wager down as the game goes. Odds will be posted on our site under "In Game Betting" once the game starts and throughout the whole game.
NFL Player to Score First Contest
If our randomly selected player scores the first Touchdown in a selected game, we'll refund the wagers on ALL other players in our "Player to Score First" future.
No Juice College Football Game of the Week
Every Saturday we will pick one afternoon nationally televised game and offer the game at even odds, lay $100 to win $100. No Juice! What better way to kill a Saturday afternoon and make some quick cash.
NFL Football Betting Shutout Refund
We have to be the only place to bet the Money Lines. If your NFL team is shutout, we will refund All Money Line Bets. It's that simple, a shutout means a Full refund!
Free Printable NFL Office Pool Sheets
Run your own NFL Football Office Pool. Create your own pool, invite your friends to join. Compete with your with co-workers, friends or family for bragging rights every week.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting