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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46131165/
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Thursday, January 26, 2012
Europe poses global recession threat: IMF (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? Europe's debt crisis could tip the world economy into recession and a bigger firewall is urgently needed to keep the damage from spreading, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.
The IMF chopped its estimate for 2012 global growth to 3.3 percent from 4 percent just three months ago and warned it could drop as low as 1.3 percent if Europe lets the crisis fester for much longer. For 2013, it predicted growth of 3.9 percent.
"The epicenter of the danger is Europe but the rest of the world is increasingly affected," IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard said at a news conference. "There is an even greater danger, namely that the European crisis intensifies, and in this case the world could be plunged into another recession."
"With the right set of measures, the worst can definitively be avoided and the recovery can be put back on track," he said. "These measures can be taken, need to be taken, and need to be taken urgently."
The IMF called for swift action from the 17-nation euro zone, which it said would likely see its economy contract this year by 0.5 percent.
"The most immediate policy challenge is to restore confidence and put an end to the crisis in the euro area by supporting growth while sustaining adjustment, containing deleveraging, and providing more liquidity and monetary accommodation," it said in its latest World Economic Outlook report.
Blanchard and other top IMF officials emphasized repeatedly that Europe needs to bolster its rescue funds to win market confidence and lower yields on sovereign bonds so that countries like Italy and Spain can borrow at affordable rates.
Talks between private bond holders and the Greek government have foundered, raising the risk Athens could face a messy default that would touch off a deeper crisis. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde warned on Monday that a failure to erect a larger wall against financial contagion could lead to a "1930s moment."
Jose Vinals, director of the IMF's Monetary and Capital Markets Department, said it was important to both increase the size of the Europe's current 500 billion euro rescue fund and its flexibility.
In addition to helping countries it should be able to take direct stakes in troubled banks "to break the link between national sovereign risk and national banks," he said.
SUPPORT FOR GROWTH NEEDED
The IMF maintained its 1.8 percent growth forecast for the United States in 2012, but said a pick up in spending could be offset if the turmoil in Europe grew.
It also cut its projection for Japan to 1.7 percent from September's 2.3 percent and urged Tokyo to be more ambitious in reducing its debt and implementing a consumer tax.
Economic activity in advanced economies would expand by 1.5 percent on average in 2012 and 2013, too sluggish to make a major dent in high unemployment rates, the Fund said.
Emerging nations are also feeling the pinch.
The IMF projected growth in emerging economies to slow to 5.4 percent this year, down from 6.2 percent last year and well below the 6.1 percent forecast in September, and it called on them to focus policies on lifting growth.
It cut China's growth figure to 8.2 percent for 2012, down from 9.0 percent. Chinese growth should rebound to 8.8 percent in 2013, it added.
For fast-growing emerging Asia as a whole, the IMF reduced its growth outlook for 2012 to 7.3 percent from 8 percent.
Elsewhere, the IMF said growth in the Middle East and North Africa should accelerate, driven mainly by a recovery in Libya after a nine-month civil war ended with the capture and killing of leader Muammar Gaddafi in October.
Global oil prices are likely to ease slightly in 2012 despite slowing world growth, the IMF said, adding that its baseline oil price projection was broadly unchanged since September when it forecast $100 a barrel.
Non-oil commodity prices are set to fall by 14 percent this year, the IMF said, adding that risks to prices are to the downside for most commodities.
In Africa, the effects of the global slowdown is likely to be limited to South Africa, with the region as a whole expanding by around 5.5 percent this year, second fastest after Asia.
The largest impact of the slowdown would likely be felt in central and eastern Europe, which has strong trade links with the euro zone economies, the IMF said. It revised down its estimate for the region to 1.1 percent in 2012 from a previous forecast of 2.7 percent. Growth should edged up to 2.4 percent next year, the IMF added.
(Additional reporting by Glenn Somerville and Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Neil Stempleman, Tim Ahmann and Andrew Hay)
Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120124/bs_nm/us_imf
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Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Closing arguments set in lawsuit by Garth Brooks (AP)
CLAREMORE, Okla. ? Closing arguments have been scheduled in country music star Garth Brooks' lawsuit against an Oklahoma hospital he claims reneged on a pledge to name a women's center after his late mother in return for a $500,000 donation.
Both sides rested their cases Monday after Brooks concluded his testimony and two defense witnesses took the stand briefly.
Rogers County District Judge Dynda Post set closing arguments for Tuesday morning and told jurors they should expect to stay late to resolve the case.
Brooks filed the lawsuit against Integris (in-TEHG-rihs) Canadian Valley Regional Hospital in 2009, seeking a return of the donation. Colleen Brooks died of cancer in 1999.
The hospital has said the donation was an "unconditional" gift and it did nothing wrong when it didn't name the facility after her.
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Actress Keke Palmer grows up with 'Joyful Noise' (AP)
NEW YORK ? Keke Palmer became a star with her Nickelodeon show "True Jackson, VP" which aired for three seasons and made her one of the highest paid child actors on television. Instead of sticking with the show though she decided it was a good time to end it around her 18th birthday last August.
"I was approaching 18 and it's just like I don't want to be a grown woman on the show," said Palmer in a recent interview. "I want my fans to grow with me, I don't want to stay stagnant and that's what it pretty much came down to. You know I'm growing up and I wanted to grow with my audience. Not for them to watch me and I'm left behind and just a memory from their childhood."
Palmer shows she's growing up with the film "Joyful Noise" starring Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton. It's about a small-town church choir that faces being shut down by budget cuts.
She plays Latifah's teenage daughter Olivia, who falls for Dolly Parton's character's grandson, played by Jeremy Jordan.
In the film, Palmer has her first make out scene, which she admits made her nervous.
"It's not some Nickelodeon or Disney channel (romance) it's like the real deal," said Palmer about kissing Jordan. "The kissing scene I would say was the scariest thing for me."
She joked about how she had to tell her dad to leave the room during filming.
"I'm like, `Dad, doesn't this freak you out too, watching me do an on screen make out?'" she laughed.
"Joyful Noise" is now in theaters. It currently ranks No. 7 at the box office. The album's soundtrack also is No. 7 on the iTunes charts.
Palmer said she wants to continue showcasing her singing, acting and maybe host a talk show one day.
"Someday I would really love to do a talk show. That's something I've always been interested in. I like to talk, and I love to help people."
___
Online:
http://joyfulnoisemovie.warnerbros.com/
http://www.kekepalmer.com/
___
Alicia Rancilio covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow her at http://www.twitter.com/aliciar.
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Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Adoptable Pets Around Our Area - Milford, CT Patch
Animal shelters throughout the greater New Haven area have cats and dogs in need of homes. We've compiled a list here for you (details are in the captions).
Whether you're an animal shelter or a resident who knows of a pet looking for a new home, add your pic and a description of adoptable pets to this article by clicking the add photos & videos link below the existing photos.
Source: http://milford.patch.com/articles/adoptable-pets-around-our-area-8afbf725
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Monday, January 23, 2012
[OOC] We'll Meet Again, Some Sunny Day
Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.
"Vera! Vera! What has become of you?" :)
An interesting concept. A couple of questions though before I'm convinced:
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.
Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!
Topic Tags:
Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup."Vera! Vera! What has become of you?" :)
I may be interested in this roleplay. Can you tell me a little bit more about the plot?
Ita, ibi stabamus, et... Oh, ignosce mihi, was I speaking Latinam iterum? So sorry, ego really must work in ille. Anyway, back to fabulam meam, So, we were standing ibi, et...
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FalloutRomanae - Member for 1 years
Could I get a hold on female 3 please?
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It's just that yours is stupid.
?I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.?
?I guess I just prefer to see the dark side of things. The glass is always half empty. And cracked. And I just cut my lip on it. And chipped a tooth.?
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Lux_Disraeli - Member for 1 years
Very surprised at the response for this! Okay so since there's one place left then If you could send in your characters then I'll choose which one I like best but I may yet expand the character spots but first need to get some guy spots filled.
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Calvazara - Member for 1 years
I noticed you make historical role plays, which I absolutely love...maybe I will reserve one of the male characters
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. (H.P. Lovecraft "The Call of Cthulhu")
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girlwt - Member for 3 years
History is my passion! And it would be great if you could!
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Calvazara - Member for 1 years
My character is done I hope she's alright.
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snipergirl24 - Member for 1 years
An interesting concept. A couple of questions though before I'm convinced:
1) Can we get a map or geographical description Bedford Falls, SC? I've looked online and found no such town in SC so therefore I must assume it to be fictional and therefore its physical make up is up to the will of the GM.
2) Are there any factories, mines, shipyards, or any other industrial facilities in the area? Is Bedford Falls a farming town? What is the lifeblood of this place?
3) You mentioned swearing and violence are allowed but considering the nature of the time frame and the location, there is another issue that we should be exploring. Are we permitted to explore the nature of racism at the time?
4) Will this RP actually pursue the course of WWII post-American entry?
"There comes a time in the affairs of men when he must prepare to defend not only his home alone but the tenets of faith and humanity upon which his church, his government, his very civilization are founded."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1941
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Hadespwr - Member for 1 years
Post a reply
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Home Insurance Rates | WWW.THOMASBYERS.NET
Home Insurance Rates
Insurance premiums are calculated according to several risk factors. These are the factors identified by the insurance company as most likely to have an impact on the insured against risk occurring. Insurance is a significant cost associated with the item insured and should not be rushed into. It is always a good idea to shop around for the best price available. Insurance premiums will vary considerably from insurer to insurer so do your homework.
Shopping Around
Look up the various insurance companies you are interested in and ask them for a quote. They can usually give you a rough estimate fairly quickly and even more exact quotes should also be possible if you provide more details and wait. You should also look up insurers online and get instant quotes from their website. This is a very fast and effective way of shopping around. You will get a good idea of what prices to expect. You can also experiment with the quotation websites to see what effect it makes to your premium price if you select different options. With all insurance policies you will have a number of options that affect the price of the policy. Therefore you should think about these options and if there are risks that you do not wish to cover then let the insurer know as your premium should become cheaper.
Doubling Up
You should also try to make sure you do not double insure. It is a principle of insurance that you cannot benefit from the insured events occurrence. So you cannot get paid twice even if you have two insurance policies. So if a risk is already covered by one policy, again let your insurer know so they can remove it from their calculation.
Location, Location, Location
Home insurance rates depend on factors such as address. If your home is located in an are of high crime, or an area that flood often, or is prone to earthquakes, hurricanes or other significant risks, this will be reflected in the policy price. The security you have installed will also affect the premium you must pay. If you have a sophisticated security system this will obviously make your home safer and this will reduce the risk. Similarly, fire alarm systems and sprinklers can decrease your premium. In some areas, flood prevention measures may be taken into account. The size and value of your home will be another important factor, as clearly a more expensive home will cost more if it is damaged.
Many home insurance policies will require you not to leave the home unoccupied, and if you are renting out the home, this will also affect the premium.
Source: http://www.thomasbyers.net/home-insurance-rates/
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Sunday, January 22, 2012
Even ailing, James leads Heat past Lakers 98-87 (AP)
MIAMI ? LeBron James shook off flu-like symptoms to score 31 points, Chris Bosh scored 15 and the Miami Heat won their second straight, topping the Los Angeles Lakers 98-87 on Thursday night.
Shane Battier scored 11 and Mario Chalmers finished with 10 for Miami. James was sent home from the team's shootaround practice earlier in the day to rest, and finished with eight rebounds and eight assists to go with 12 for 27 shooting.
Pau Gasol scored a season-high 26 for the Lakers, Kobe Bryant scored 24 and Andrew Bynum finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Miami moved to 5-0 this season without Dwyane Wade, who missed his second straight game with a sprained right ankle. He missed three games earlier this season with left foot soreness.
Bryant put together a great late run to attempt a comeback, banking in a 3-pointer and following that seconds later with a steal and transition dunk that got the Lakers within 94-84 with 2 minutes left. But Derek Fisher's 3-point try on the next Los Angeles possession hit the front of the rim, Udonis Haslem controlled the rebound and James made a 15-foot runner to seal the outcome.
It was the first time James had gone against his former coach in Cleveland, Lakers' boss Mike Brown. At the Lakers' shootaround practice Thursday afternoon Brown said he and James had not spoken in advance of this game and didn't know if they would ? but James made sure they did, running over to the Los Angeles bench and grabbing his former coach for a long embrace and a few words.
Brown was asked before the game if going against James would bring out sentimental memories of their time in Cleveland together.
"I had a great time coaching LeBron," Brown said. "I wouldn't be in this suit if it wasn't for him."
James showed no signs of illness. In fact, he apparently felt good enough to take on two teams ? the Lakers ... and the Miami Marlins. James' momentum carried him over the sideline across from the Lakers' bench in the first half, nearly knocking over none other than Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, who escaped the collision with the 265-pound two-time MVP unscathed.
Loria spent most of the next few minutes laughing.
Meanwhile, the Lakers had very little to laugh about.
They shot 31 percent in the first half, their lowest output for any half this season. Bryant had as many field goals in the opening 24 minutes (one, on eight shots) as Heat forward Eddy Curry (1 for 1), who got his first NBA action since December 2009 when he checked in late in the first quarter for a 2 1/2-minute stint in which he made a basket, grabbed a rebound, was charged with a turnover and got a pair of loud ovations from a sellout crowd.
Curry returned for another stretch to start the fourth quarter, finishing his night with six points and three rebounds in six minutes. Curry said earlier Thursday that he lost about 65 pounds to get ready for his comeback, more than half of that since the start of Heat training camp in December.
"He gave us good minutes, good energy," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said during a televised in-game interview. "He's done a lot to get to this point. We're all very proud of him."
Miami's lead was 52-37 at the half, buoyed by eight 3-pointers ? more than the Heat attempted in two December games ? and a sizzling defensive start where the Lakers were forced into missing 18 of their first 24 shots. Over a 51-minute stretch going back to late in the first half of Tuesday's game against San Antonio, the Heat had outscored the Spurs and Lakers by a whopping 137-83 margin.
There was no second-half let-up, either. James scored nine points and Bosh was 4 for 4 from the floor in the third quarter, and even with the Lakers shooting 56 percent in the period Miami pushed its lead out to 77-56 entering the fourth.
NOTES: Bryant passed Bill Russell (40,726) for 21st on the league's all-time minutes played list. Next up: Michael Jordan (41,011). At his current pace, Bryant should become No. 5 on the NBA's career lists in points (passing Shaquille O'Neal) and free throws made (passing Jerry West) before the All-Star break. ... Ludacris was among the celebrities in the crowd. ... The Heat wore new all-black alternate uniforms, giving the Lakers the chance to wear their home gold on the road. ... Magic Johnson sat with Heat president Pat Riley for the second straight game. ... Gasol's previous season-best was 22. He hadn't scored 20 in any of his last nine games.
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Saturday, January 21, 2012
Fresh Android Apps for Jan. 19: Airbnb, Mind Games, Seal the Monsters (Appolicious)
Mid-January is not too early in the year to plan your next vacation. Let?s make 2012 a year of new adventure and breaking out of old routines. Why stay in a hotel when you can use Airbnb to rent a villa on the east coast of Borneo?
Get your magic on with Seal the Monsters and make yourself feel stupid by downloading Mind Games.
Need a place to stay? If you?re looking for something unique, check out Airbnb. It?s a DIY service for those renting out a dwelling and those looking to rent one. Listings include everything from a room with a bed to a castle, and the locations range all over the world. Browse based on place, price, or other filters, submit a reservation, and pay for it right through the app. You?ll find pictures, descriptions, reviews, and directions to your next getaway.
Hosts can manage all their listings, reservation requests, and financial transactions through the app as well.
Most mind games are bad for you, but these are meant to exercise your brain. Each screen shows one of ten different styles of board or card game puzzle with some you?ll recognize ? chess, solitaire, and reversi ? and many you won?t.
Solve each puzzle to move forward through the 120 challenges, each more difficult than the last. Use the hints if you get stuck, but be warned, the creator intended the app to mess with your head.
You are the only living ?sealer? and no that isn?t a home improvement skill, for gosh sakes, it?s magic! Monsters roam the earth and you must encircle as many as you can with your mystical invocation (also known as drawing a circle with your finger) to trap them and banish them from earth. Draw special patterns to unleash powerful spells that effect every monster on the screen, including fire and ice. Combo moves earn extra points.
Choose to fight in survival mode, where you try to stop the monsters from forming a pack, or time mode, where you have thirty seconds to trap as many demons as you can.
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Costa Concordia owner pledges assistance
Authorities must decide what to do with the stricken 115,000 ton cruise ship. NBC's Mark Potter reports.
By msnbc.com and news services
Updated at 8 p.m. ET: Carnival Corp., whose luxury liner Costa Concordia capsized off the coast of Italy last?Friday, said it was providing lodging, refunds and other support to people affected by the accident, even as some public relations executives criticized the company's handling of the situation.
"I give my personal assurance that we will take care of each and every one of our guests, crew and their families affected by this tragic event," said Carnival Chief Executive Micky Arison in a statement late on Wednesday ? five days after the incident that left 11 people dead and 22 missing.
Costa Cruise Lines, a unit of Carnival and operator of the ship, has been arranging lodging and transportation for passengers and crew members to return home, and has offered assistance and counseling as needed. It has also begun refunding passengers their cruise fares and all costs incurred while on board.
The company also said it was contacting every passenger and crew member or their family and will be addressing personal possessions lost on board.
Public relations experts have chastised Carnival for being slow to address the disaster and vague about its response and efforts to prevent similar incidents in the future.
"There are 101 ways they could have more effectively handled the communication around the crisis," said Evan Nierman, founder of public relations firm Red Banyan Group.
Carnival would have benefited, Nierman said, if Arison were on the ground in Italy, being seen talking to victims and crew and taking charge of the situation.
The shifting ship is creating dangerous problems for the searchers who need to blast holes in the hull. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.
Updated at 5:30 p.m. ET: The children of a Minnesota couple missing since last week's Costa Concordia disaster in Italy said Wednesday their parents are not among those passengers whose bodies were recently recovered.
Family members posted the information on their blog, and said they were praying that conditions at the stricken cruise ship would improve so authorities could resume search operations.
Jerry and Barbara Heil, of White Bear Lake, Minn., are the only Americans still unaccounted for. The Heils were among the passengers still listed as missing, according to an official tally released Wednesday by Italian authorities.
Family members, who had been waiting to hear the identities of five bodies recovered Tuesday, said on the blog that they received confirmation that their parents were not among them.
Italian rescue workers suspended operations early Wednesday after the ship shifted slightly on the rocks, creating concerns about the safety of divers and firefighters searching for the missing.
"We continue to pray and hope for advantageous conditions which will allow the search and rescue operations to continue," the Heil family said on the blog. "While it is certainly hard for us to see the recovery efforts stall due to the unstable conditions present at and around the Costa Concordia, we are also very concerned for the safety of the Italian Coast Guard as they continue to put forth a heroic effort in trying to find those who remain missing.
"We are grateful to all of those who are working so hard to find our parents," the statement said.?
Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino has reportedly now told officials that he tripped and fell into a lifeboat shortly after the ship began taking on water near Giglio Island.
Updated at 3:30 p.m. ET:?Francesco Schettino, captain of the doomed Costa Concordia that partially sunk on Friday, said he did not abandon ship, according to a transcript published by Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper and reported by the Associated Press.
"I did not abandon a ship with 100 people on board ... the ship suddenly listed and we were thrown into the water," Schettino reportedly said during a recorded telephone conversation with Capt. Gregorio De Falco of the Italian coast guard in Livorno.
The transcript also showed the coast guard official urgently commanding the captain to return to the cruise ship after he had abandoned it.
"You go on board! Is that clear? Do you hear me?" the Coast Guard officer shouted as Schettino sat safe in a life raft and frantic passengers struggled to escape the listing ship. "It is an order. Don't make any more excuses. You have declared 'Abandon ship.' Now I am in charge."?
The officer confronted him with an expletive-laced order to get back on board, which has quickly entered the Italian lexicon. The four-word phrase has become a Twitter hashtag and Italian media have shown photos of T-shirts bearing the command.?
Criminal charges including manslaughter and abandoning ship are expected to be filed by prosecutors shortly. Schettino faces a possible 12 years in prison on the abandoning ship charge alone.
Updated at 2:50 p.m. ET:?A German woman listed as missing from the Costa Concordia was located alive in Germany.
Gertrud Goergens alerted police in Germany that she was alive and well, according to the Associated Press, citing the prefect's office in Grosetto, Italy.
Goergens was removed from the official list of missing late Wednesday. Twenty-three passengers are still unaccounted for:
Dayana Arlotti, Italy;?William M. Arlotti, Italy;?Elisabeth Bauer, Germany;?Michael M. Blemand, France;?Maria Dintrono, Italy;?Horst Galle, Germany;?Jeanne Gannard, France;?Christina Mathi Ganz, Germany;?Norbert Josef Ganz, Germany;?Pierre Gregoire, France;?Gabriele Grube, Germany;?Barbara Heil, United States;?Gerald Heil, United States;?Egon Hoer, Germany;?Mylene Litzler, France;?Margarethe Neth, Germany;?Inge Schall, Germany;?Siglinde Stumpf, Germany;?Brunhild Werp, Germany;?Josef Werp, Germany;?Margrit Schroeter, Germany;?Maria Grazia Trecarichi, Italy;?Luisa Antonia Virzi, Italy.
Three crew members are also missing:?Girolamo Giuseppe, Italy;?Russel Terence Rebello, India;?Erika Fani Soriamolina, Peru.?
Eleven bodies have been recovered, though only one has been publicly identified: Crew member Sandor Feher, 38, of Hungary.?
Hungarian ministry spokesman Jozsef Toth said Feher's body was found inside the wreck and identified by his mother in the Italian city of Grosetto.
Jozsef Balog, a pianist who worked with Feher, a violinist, told the Budapest newspaper Blikk that Feher was wearing a lifejacket when he decided to return to his cabin to pack his violin. Feher was last seen on deck en route to a lifeboat. According to Balog, Feher helped put lifejackets on several crying children before returning to his cabin.
Captain Francesco Schettino, the man accused of causing the deadly wreck of a cruise ship off the coast of Italy, is out of jail and under house arrest, as additional bodies were found aboard the capsized ship. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.
Separately, Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said Wednesday he will hold a hearing to review cruise ship safety. The exact date has not been determined, but Mica has requested Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) to aid in the investigation.
"The Costa Concordia tragedy is a wake-up call for the United States and international maritime organizations to carefully review and make certain we have in place all the appropriate standards to ensure passengers' safety on cruise ships," Mica said in a statement.
Updated at 11:40 a.m. ET:?
The Costa Concordia took a nearly identical route past Giglio Island in August to the one Friday that led to the sinking of the ship, NBC News has learned.
Adam Smallman, editor of shipping magazine Lloyd?s List, said the route taken in August, based on satellite tracking, was ?authorized by the company and the coast guard.?
DigitalGlobe
The Costa Concordia ran aground Jan. 13 off the coast of Italy, resulting in the evacuation of thousands of passengers as the ship began heavily listing.
"Our assessment of the route this vessel took (in August) is it must?have come perilously close, and?I mean possibly within touching distance of the rock that it hit this time ... which the company is saying wholly unauthorized in terms of its proximity to the island," Smallman said.
The search for missing passengers aboard the Costa Concordia is on hold over fears that the ship is shifting, making rescue efforts more dangerous.
The captain in charge of the specialist divers searching the stricken Costa Concordia tells NBC News that they need to blow four more holes in it to gain access to the bottom of the cruise ship. Asked about the search for bodies -- some 23 people are unaccounted for according to Reuters -- the captain said there was visual evidence suggesting some bodies were at the bottom of the sea.
NBC News, citing officials involved in the rescue effort,?reported that on Wednesday the ship had sunk 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) at the front and 1 meter (3.2 feet) at the back, raising concerns that the vessel may break up in the middle.
The coast guard is monitoring shifts with sensors installed by divers at the start of the rescue mission, and that movement is its main concern as it could trap divers. By late afternoon, officials still did not have enough data to reassure them that the ship had stopped resettling.
"The visibility is awful. Yesterday I couldn't see my hand in front of my face," Giuseppe Minciotti, director of a school for cave divers in the northern city of Verona and part of the specialist team deployed on the wreck, told Reuters.
"I grabbed a piece of floating debris, and I couldn't see what it was until I had my head out of the water. It was a woman's shoe," he said.? "We're waiting today for new openings to be made, and we'll see if the visibility is any better in those points."
Jim Fee, a yacht skipper for three decades, discusses the potential ecological problems related to the Costa Concordia disaster. NBC's Harry Smith reports.
Coast guard spokesman Cosimo Nicastro said work would focus on an evacuation assembly area on the partially submerged fourth deck, where most of the 11 bodies found so far have been located.
"It's where we have already found seven of the bodies and it's where the passengers and crew gathered to abandon ship," Nicastro said.
Fire services spokesman Luca Cari said the search was suspended at about 8 a.m. local time (11 p.m. ET) after a shift of a few inches, posing a potential threat to diving teams operating in the submerged spaces of the ship.
There was no word on when work might resume.?
The Costa Concordia had more than 4,200 passengers and crew on board when it slammed into a reef Friday off the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio after Capt. Francesco Schettino made an unauthorized maneuver from the ship's programmed course ? allegedly to show off the luxury liner to the island's residents.
Rescue workers discovered five bodies on Tuesday, bringing the death toll of the Costa Concordia accident to 11.?
The adult bodies, believed to be passengers, were all wearing life jackets and were found in the rear of the ship near an emergency evacuation point, according to Nicastro.
Schettino, whose actions during the disaster have come under intense scrutiny as details of his role on the night of the disaster emerge, appeared before a judge in Grosseto, Tuscany,?where he was questioned for three hours. Schettino remains under house arrest.
During a heated conversation the Italian coast guard told the captain of the Costa Concordia to go back to the ship. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.
Schettino's lawyer, Bruno Leporatti, said urine and hair samples have been taken from Schettino, apparently to determine if he might have consumed alcohol or used drugs before the accident.
Leporatti also told a news conference in Grosetto that house arrest made sense given there was no evidence the captain intended to flee. He cited the fact that the captain coordinated the evacuation from the shore after leaving the ship.
"He never left the scene," Leporatti said. "There has never been a danger of flight."
Leporatti added the captain was upset by the accident, contrary to depictions in the Italian media that he did not appear to show regret.
"He is a deeply shaken man, not only for the loss of his ship, which for a captain is a grave thing, but above all for what happened and the loss of human life," the lawyer said.
Martino Pellegrino, a crew-member on Costa Concordia, described Schettino as "authoritarian," "stubborn" and "egocentric," in an?interview with Italian newspaper La Republica on Tuesday.
"Schettino likes to be in control of the ship's wheel," he told the newspaper.
Also on Tuesday, a transcript of a conversation between Schettino and Capt. Gregorio De Falco of the Italian coast guard in Livorno, showed the coast guard official urgently commanding the captain to return to the cruise ship after he had abandoned it.
"There are people trapped on board," De Falco said. "Now you go with your boat under the prow on the starboard side. There is a pilot ladder. You will climb that ladder and go on board. You go on board and then you will tell me how many people there are. Is that clear? I'm recording this conversation, Cmdr. Schettino ..."
Passengers continued to make their way home, with consistent claims that crew members were ill-prepared to handle an emergency evacuation.
"The crew members had no specialized training ? the security man doubled as the cook and bartender, so obviously they did not know what to do," passenger Claudia Fehlandt told Chile's Channel 7 television after being embraced by relatives at Santiago's airport.
"In fact, the lifeboats, even the ones that did get lowered, they did not know how to lower them and they cut the ropes with axes," she said.
Msnbc.com staff, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Friday, January 20, 2012
Nigeria investigates massive fuel subsidy fraud (Reuters)
LAGOS (Reuters) ? Nigeria has discovered a huge discrepancy in the amount of the motor fuel it subsidizes and what people actually consume, a legislative committee said, supporting the idea that a government scheme to make petrol cheaper is wasteful and corrupt.
President Goodluck Jonathan's government abruptly removed the subsidy on January 1 but strikes and protests by trade unions and civil society forced him to reinstate some of it, although the pump price was increased by 50 percent.
"What we have here is that 59 million liters were discharged by vessels, but the daily consumption locally was 35 million liters," Farouk Lawan, chairman of a House of Representatives committee probing subsidies, told an Abuja sitting late on Wednesday, in comments broadcast on independent station Channels TV on Thursday.
The comments are likely to further stoke the debate over the fuel subsidy, which economists say benefits wealthy fuel importers and smugglers more than ordinary Nigerians.
"There is a gap of 24 million liters per day being funded by Nigerians as subsidy that was not utilized by them. This of course amounts to overpayment; or in other words, sharp practices," the legislator said.
Critics of the subsidy say fuel importers overcharge for fuel in corrupt accounting procedures and that much of the fuel bought for local consumption is anyway shipped over the border to Cameroon and Benin, where it can be sold for a huge profit by smugglers. Both views seem to be supported by Lawan's findings.
"Smuggling has been encouraged by the system ... if local consumption is 35 million liters per day and we are paying for 59 ... we're making available 24 million liters a day for importers to smuggle out," Lawan said.
Lawan's committee is one of several investigations now in place on Nigeria's energy sector that were spurred by the fuel subsidy row, including a Senate probe into subsidies, a probe by the corruption watchdog into the state oil company and price regulator, and an audit of the entire Oil Ministry.
BLAME GAME
Nigeria imports most of the fuel it consumes because its four refineries are decrepit, producing at only a quarter of their installed capacity. The government buys the fuel then sells it to the public at cheap, subsidized prices.
The committee heard the subsidy paid for 24 million liters per day imported by marketers but not consumed by Nigerians amounted to 669 billion naira ($4.14 billion).
Economists say the fuel subsidy encouraged corruption and the wasteful use of fuel. The government had estimated it would save 1 trillion naira ($6.2 billion) in 2012 by eliminating it.
But Nigerians have always fought against its removal because they consider cheap petrol their sole benefit from living in a major crude oil producer which loses billions of dollars to corruption.
Its removal had doubled petrol pump prices to around 150 naira ($0.93) per liter from 65 naira, but Jonathan on Monday partially reinstated the subsidy, pegging the price at 97 naira.
"Subsidy was paid based on what was discharged; that was the practice I met on the ground," Reginald Stanley, head of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, which is in charge of fuel imports, told the committee.
Stanley, who took charge of the agency in 2011, said he had changed the system and from January 1, subsidy would be paid only for fuel actually trucked out of the port for consumption.
Stung by accusations of fraud, Nigeria's fuel marketers took out newspaper advertisements on Thursday, saying changes brought into the Petroleum Support Fund scheme in 2007 were to blame for allowing firms without pump stations to claim the subsidy.
"This saw the emergence of 'briefcase' companies (with no asset base nor accountability) in the PSF scheme," the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria said.
($1 = 161.4300 naira)
(Editing by Tim Cocks)
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Thursday, January 19, 2012
PSU trustees ousted Paterno over lack of action
FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2011, file photo, Penn State head coach Joe Paterno watches warm ups before an NCAA college football game against Purdue in State College, Pa. In his first public comments since being fired two months ago, former Penn State coach Paterno told the Washington Post he "didn't know which way to go" after an assistant coach came to him in 2002 saying he had seen retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexually abusing a boy, the Post reported on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2011, file photo, Penn State head coach Joe Paterno watches warm ups before an NCAA college football game against Purdue in State College, Pa. In his first public comments since being fired two months ago, former Penn State coach Paterno told the Washington Post he "didn't know which way to go" after an assistant coach came to him in 2002 saying he had seen retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexually abusing a boy, the Post reported on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) ? Penn State trustees say they decided to oust Joe Paterno in part because the football coach didn't meet a moral obligation to do more to alert authorities about a child sex abuse allegation against a retired assistant coach.
Trustees interviewed Thursday by The Associated Press also cited statements from Paterno in the days and hours leading to his dismissal Nov. 9 ? after nearly a half-century of leading the Nittany Lions ? that they felt challenged the Board of Trustees' authority. Board members saw that as inappropriate, particularly at a time of intense scrutiny over the case of former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.
Sandusky was charged with dozens of child sex abuse counts four days before Paterno was pushed out. The head coach had testified before a state grand jury about a 2002 allegation against Sandusky that was passed on to him by a graduate assistant.
A day after the graduate assistant, Mike McQueary, came to see him, Paterno relayed the accusations to his superiors, one of whom oversaw campus police. Board members didn't think that was enough.
"There's an obligation, a moral responsibility, for all adults to watch out for children, either your own or someone else," trustee Mark Dambly said. "It was in our opinion that Joe Paterno did not meet his moral obligation and for that reason ? me, personally for that reason, I felt he could no longer lead the university and it was unanimous."
But Dambly and three other trustees interviewed Thursday on the Penn State campus said they still intended to honor Paterno's accomplishments and contributions to the school. He won a Division I record 409 games over 46 seasons and the Paterno family has donated millions of dollars to the school.
"Obviously Joe Paterno is a worldwide icon and has done a tremendous amount for the university," trustee Joel Myers said. "We have sorrow and all kinds of emotions, empathy, sympathy for what has occurred. That's universal.
"But the university, this institution is greater than one person."
The trustees spoke out ahead of Friday's board meeting, their first gathering since November and the frantic week after criminal charges were filed against Sandusky, once heralded as the architect for the storied program's "Linebacker U." defense.
The trustees described the long deliberations in the days leading up to Paterno's ouster as emotional and nerve wracking, echoing the confusion and anguish also felt among students and alumni as the scandal unfolded. They were shocked by the lurid details that had emerged about the case that week, after having been given a short briefing about Sandusky months earlier by school President Graham Spanier and general counsel Cynthia Baldwin. That session lasted roughly 7 minutes and provided few insights, trustees said.
Paterno was dismissed the same day Spanier also departed under pressure. The board initiated an internal investigation into the Sandusky case and the role of Penn State officials.
Since then, some alumni and former players have been questioning the actions of the trustees. The criticism boiled over in three town hall-style meetings last week hosted for alumni by new school President Rodney Erickson.
According to Dambly, trustees had been advised not to speak because of the ongoing investigations but changed their minds following the town halls.
They began a series of interviews this week with media outlets. Also sitting in Thursday's interview with the AP was Lanny Davis, a prominent Washington attorney who has been retained by Erickson and the trustees as an adviser.
"It was clear that the alumni, students, faculty and general public were asking questions of the president that he was unable to answer," Dambly said. "We determined as a group that the Board of Trustees needed to answer the questions of what we knew, when we knew it and why we made the decisions that we made."
The trustees on Thursday cited three reasons for Paterno's immediate removal as head coach. Besides the moral obligation to do more in conjunction with reporting the 2002 allegation and statements issued by Paterno they felt may have challenged trustees' authority, the trustees also said there was concern that Paterno would not be able to properly represent the school if allowed to stay on as head coach the rest of the 2011 season.
On Nov. 6, as trustees began to arrive in State College in the wake of Sandusky's arrest, some were surprised by a statement from Paterno made without consulting the university, trustee Stephanie Deviney said. At the time, Paterno's son, lawyer Scott Paterno, had been also speaking on behalf of his father.
"When we're in the biggest crisis of this university, we all should have been coming together, and at that point we working separately," Deviney said.
In a statement the morning of Nov. 9 that caught the school off-guard, Paterno announced he was retiring effective the end of the year. At the time, Paterno said he was devastated by the case, and that the trustees should "not spend a single minute discussing my status" and had more important matters to address.
"This is a tragedy," Paterno said then. "It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."
Following a two-hour meeting later that night in which Dambly said the trustees came to a consensus, vice chair John Surma had an assistant athletic director relay a message to Paterno's home to call him. By then, a large crowd of students and media were outside Paterno's house.
According to The Washington Post, Surma told Paterno, "In the best interests of the university, you are terminated." Paterno hung up and repeated the words to his wife, who redialed the number.
"After 61 years he deserved better," Sue Paterno said. "He deserved better." The she hung up.
According to Davis on Thursday, Surma never got the chance to say two more things that night: that he regretted having to tell him the decision over the phone; and that the school was going to honor his contract and retirement package as if he had retired at the end of 2011.
Dambly insisted Paterno was not fired, although he never appeared as coach again. He remains a tenured faculty member, Dambly said.
Spanier, too, remains a tenured faculty member and is on sabbatical. The school has said that he had resigned, but trustees Thursday said his contract as president had been terminated.
With Spanier in attendance, general counsel Cynthia Baldwin had briefed the board about the grand jury investigation into Sandusky in May. Recounting the briefing, Dambly said Thursday trustees were led to believe the investigation was related to Sandusky's charity for at-risk youth, The Second Mile, or activities in Lock Haven, a small town about 45 minutes north of State College.
Authorities have said Sandusky met his accusers through the charity.
Trustees typically get briefed on legal matters. The case was not presented in a way "as anything we should really be concerned about," Myers said. Trustees said they learned the details with the rest of the public on Nov. 5: through newspaper, broadcast or online accounts.
The next day Spanier offered more details. He issued a statement calling the allegations troubling and adding that athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz had his unconditional support.
Scultz and Curley are awaiting trial after pleading not guilty to charges of perjury and failing to report the 2002 allegation to authorities. Curley is on administrative leave, while Schultz, whose department oversaw campus police, returned to retirement.
By Nov. 7, Spanier's support on the board had eroded, Myers said.
"It was very emotional. How could this have happened," Myers said in recounting the deliberations and initial reaction to the allegations. "This is the antithesis of what the university stood for."
Efforts Thursday by the AP to reach Spanier were not immediately successful. A representative for Paterno did not immediately provide comment.
"Blaming Joe Paterno for the failure of administration officials and the board to properly investigate Jerry Sandusky is unjustified," Paterno's lawyer, Wick Sollers, said in a statement to The New York Times.
In another statement, the group Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship said the board's comments have "done nothing but raise additional questions." The group started in mid-November, growing out of what a spokeswoman said was a common frustration among members over a lack of due process at the school.
"We can conclude, that consequently, their hasty and panicked damage control efforts in the first days of November, and the uncomfortable position they found themselves in, being caught flat-footed, instead of in a proactive leadership position, led to the unjust firing of Joe Paterno, without so much as a conversation, let alone complete due process," the group's statement said.
Other critical alumni have called for wholesale changes in the board's makeup, and more transparency into how the board operates.
Dambly said he hoped critics would look at the trustees' recent comments objectively "and that will I think to 90 percent to 99 percent of the world answer a lot of those questions."
The board is also expected to address the topic at the meeting Friday.
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Capitalism In Crisis: Do Either Dems or the GOP ... - Yahoo! Finance
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Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman formally exited the race Monday, leaving just five candidates to battle for the nomination. Mitt Romney leads the pack and a new poll shows the GOP front-running with a double-digit edge in South Carolina, which holds its primary in five days.
The attacks against Romney's tenure at private equity firm Bain Capital continue to dominate the GOP debates. Even satirist Stephen Colbert took a swing against Romney, running a television ad in South Carolina over the weekend that was paid for by Colbert's "Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC" Super PAC. Paul Krugman points out in a recent New York Times editorial that Romney's job creation record remains murky, and notes that Romney's campaign has not released documents proving the former CEO at Bain created 100,000 jobs, as claimed.
As Romney defends himself against allegations that he's a "jobs killing vulture capitalist," the whole concept of capitalism has come under greater scrutiny, and many financial insiders are expressing concerns about the economic model.
"America worships the idea of capitalism but there have been many fundamental paradoxes and contradictions in terms of how it's actually practiced," says Gillian Tett, U.S. managing editor of The Financial Times. The 2008 crisis "has forced us to rethink a lot of our assumptions, not just about Wall Street but much more broadly about how we run the economies."
The Financial Times just launched a series of editorials written by leading experts called "Capitalism in Crisis," that aims to broaden the debate. Contributors such as Larry Summers, Vikram Pandit, Mahathir Mohamed and Alan Greenspan raise important questions about capitalism's connection to rising income inequality and its place in a world where Asian economies are booming and Western economies are flailing, especially in Europe. (See: Europe's Debt Crisis Is Going to End Soon...For Better or Worse, FT's Tett Says )
The Occupy Wall Street movement may have brought the issue of income inequality to the nation's attention, but Republicans and conservatives have embraced it and GOP presidential contenders increasingly sound like liberals in their denunciations of Wall Street and globalization.
Tett says apprehension over income inequality exists in Europe, but not to the degree it does in the U.S. She gives the example of Germany, Europe's dominant economy. The country's unemployment rate fell to its lowest level since 1991 in December and its export market rivals China's, which has a population of 1.3 billion vs. Germany's 82 million. What separates Germany from its European counterparts is not its affinity for austerity but the close partnership between the public and private sectors. German workers are appointed to German corporate boards and government funded research institutes help fuel innovation.
In his "Capitalism in Crisis" commentary, Larry Summers writes that the capitalistic part of society, such as the trade goods sector, has experienced the greatest jobs loss while the U.S. healthcare industry has grown, partly because of government support and intervention.
Income inequality will not go away after the November election and debates on the merits of capitalism will continue to linger in the national narrative. Tett says Americans may have to address wealth distribution as a means of improving the economy, a concept widely ridiculed conservatives.
"Many people support the American dream in terms of meritocracy..if there's a feeling that everyone can buy into it," Tett tells Aaron and Henry. But "what's happened to Wall Street in the past decade has really left people questioning whether it is a meritocracy."
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Wednesday, January 18, 2012
NCAA Basketball Gambling: Indiana exposed on defense in Big Ten play
College Basketball Betting Trends: Marshall looks to maintain ATS success vs. WVU | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Virginia -3.5 vs. Marshall O/U 135 Marshall and West Virginia renew their rivalry tonight in Charleston, WV. The Thundering Herd have owned the series from a pointspread perspective but tonight's matchup has seen a massive adjustment in the line compared to previous meetings.
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NFL Playoff Gambling: California bettors show support for 49ers at Reno sportsbooks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| -NY Giants- at San Francisco -2.5 O/U 42 Reno's Peppermill and Cal Vena sportsbooks have seen a lot of betting support for the San Francisco 49ers. "Are you putting your money on the 49ers this weekend?" asked reporter Andrew Del Greco. "Of course," said Reyes. "Good luck," said Del Greco. "I'm going to bet my whole check if I have to," said Reyes. "The 49ers are going to the Super Bowl!" "Our ticket counts are up about 20 percent, it's mostly 49er fans," said Cox. Tags: NFL San Francisco 49ers New York Giants | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College Basketball Betting: Oklahoma State has trouble lasting 40 minutes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oklahoma State at Iowa State -8 O/U 137 Oklahoma State's youth and lack of depth really showed in last week's 106-65 loss at Baylor. But it wasn't the first time those shortcomings were exposed. The Cowboys are 2-2 in Big XII play, but?have been?outscored in the second half in all four games by a combined 45 points. Fatigue obviously could be a favor tonight with Iowa State looking to push the tempo. The Cyclones aren?t an ideal mid-range favorite, but perhaps we'll have?a halftime opportunity with a cheaper adjusted price. Following the loss to Baylor, OSU head coach Travis Ford dropped this gem of a quote... ?I told our guys and I want them to understand this, ?It?s not about winning and losing at this point, it?s about how you are playing,?? Ford said. ?Because we can play well and still not maybe win the game. ?About eight to 10 minutes to go in the (Baylor) game, we didn?t have much fight in us.? ? ? Tags: College Basketball Oklahoma State Cowboys Iowa State Cyclones | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NBA Handicapping: Clippers blasted in Utah sans Paul, return home to face Dallas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dallas at LA Clippers Without Chris Paul, or any real desire to put forth an effort, this happened to the Los Angeles Clippers last night. Head coach Vinny Del Negro wasn't shy about voicing his disappointment. The Clips still trail a majority of the team in terms of games played but will be facing the third game of a back-to-back-to-back tonight against Dallas. As of this morning, Paul (hamstring) was listed as questionable. ? "I didn?t like our approach," Del Negro said. "I didn?t like our focus. I didn?t like our toughness. I didn?t like our energy to start the game. We dug ourselves a hole. "We?re not going to win a lot of games playing with that type of effort. I don?t care if it is a back-to-back game, where we?re playing, how much rest they have. We have to play better than that." "We just came out and played poorly. We didn?t have good energy," Del Negro said. "We weren?t aggressive. They were more aggressive. Give Utah credit, but our starters didn?t get off to a good start with their energy defensively and Utah got into a rhythm. "There?re no excuses. We?ve got to bounce back tomorrow night and play much harder, play smarter, play tougher, and that?s what I expect." Tags: NBA Los Angeles Clippers Dallas Mavericks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NCAA Basketball Gambling: Indiana exposed on defense in Big Ten play | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana -4.5 at Nebraska O/U 131 Despite dropping back-to-back games, Indiana isn't going into panic mode as it travels to face Nebraska tonight. Despite some impressive wins this season, the Hoosiers continue to be exposed on the defensive end of the floor. Through six games in league play, IU ranks 12th in points per possession allowed (1.12), 11th in effective FG% (54.9) and 10th in 2-point FG% defense (55.3). The numbers should improve with their next three games against offensive challenged Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin. But the Hoosiers have built a rep in the betting markets and if they want to continue to win games (and cover pointspreads) they'll need to improve on the stopping the opposition. ?I think this is an important game because it?s the next game,? said IU freshman Cody Zeller. ?We?re just going to take this one game at a time whether we?re on a big winning streak or on a two-game losing streak. I think every game is important to us.? ?We?ve had two tough losses and now we have to bounce back from them,? Oladipo said. ?The most important game is our next one and that?s (today). We have to come out with an edge and with some energy.? ?Tags: College Basketball Indiana Hoosiers Nebraska Cornhuskers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NFL Playoff Betting News: High-octane offenses drop like flies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baltimore at New England -7.5 O/U 50.5 Despite all of the offense that took place during the regular season, the postseason has already weeded out two of the top three offenses (Green Bay and New Orleans). The Patriots are the only team remaining but are they on borrowed time or will their situational defense be enough to survive? Don't forget that the Saints, Patriots and Packers ranked 30th, 31st and 32nd respectively against the pass this season. Also note that the New England is just 1-6 ATS in its last seven postseason contests (the lone cover last week vs. Denver). ? Tags: NFL New England Patriots Baltimore Ravens | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NBA Handicapping: Dallas Mavericks one of many teams struggling to score | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Some startling numbers?on how bad offenses have been in the NBA with a focus on the Dallas Mavericks who shot 35% in last night's ugly 73-70 loss to the Lakers. There are currently 21 teams shooting 45% or worse ? up from last year's 13. Nineteen teams are averaging 96 ppg or less. "Hasn't been there all year," Terry said of a Mavs offense that ranks 21st in scoring at 92.6 points a game and 22nd in field-goal percentage at 43.1. "But defensively, we're doing our job. We just have to make shots. Stay encouraged; defensively we're playing our ass off. We'll get there. Again, it was just an uncharacteristic, off-shooting night for us. I'm not really concerned." "Throughout the season," said Dirk Nowitzki, averaging just 17.9 points on 46.9 percent shooting and 19.2 percent from 3-point range, "I expect a lot of ugly games like that to happen. It's just normal." Tags: NBA Dallas Mavericks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Handicapping the NFL Playoffs: Statistical percentages vs. Betting lines | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Quick look at the comparison between Football Outsiders' DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) playoffs odds and CRIS's betting lines.
Here are the moneyline to percentage calculations based on CRIS's lines. New England (-350) is 78% to beat Baltimore San Francisco (-135) is 57% to beat New York Here are the odds to win the Super Bowl; moneyline and percentages. New England (+105) 48.7% New York Giants (+240) 29.4% San Francisco (+240) 29.4% Baltimore (+650) 13.3% ? Tags: NFL | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NBA Betting Free Pick: Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Submitted by Teddy CoversGolden State +2.5 at Cleveland O/U 196.5? Recommendation: Golden State Expect another strong effort out of Golden State tonight as they continue their road trip with a game in Cleveland against the Cavs.? Here?s what forward David Lee said on the eve of the trip: ?If we come back with a losing record from this road trip, it should be a huge disappointment. This is a road trip to places where we need to go take care of business and get three or possibly four victories. I don't see it any other way at this point." But Mark Jackson?s squad started the trip with a complete no-show in Charlotte, blown off the court by the lowly Bobcats.? They were outscored 66-46 before halftime, and never came close to making up the deficit in the final 24 minutes of play.? Forward Dominic McGuire: ?We took it for granted. We came out thinking this was an automatic win?.I don't think it was anything they did. They were hitting shots but ... 38 points for the Bobcats in the first quarter? C'mon." The Warriors bounced back strong against the Pistons on Sunday, coming away with an eight point road win as a 4.5 point underdog.? And their primed to do it again tonight, facing a tired Cleveland squad, playing on the second night of back-2-backs with their ninth consecutive court change as they return home following a grueling seven game road trip.? The Cavs stepped up in the second half to earn a much needed win at Charlotte yesterday, leaving them a tad bit ?fat and happy' here, as evidenced by this quote from head coach Byron Scott: ?I told the guys that if we can come off this seven-game trip with three wins, it?d be pretty good. And we did that. And we had some other close ones, so the road trip pretty much was a success.?? Look for the Cavs to really struggle matching the Warriors intensity this evening, especially without injured sharpshooting starter Anthony Parker in the lineup. Tags: NBA Golden State Warriors Cleveland Cavaliers Teddy Covers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gambling on the NFL Playoffs: Baltimore prepares for trip to New England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baltimore at New England -7.5 O/U 50.5 New England has defeated Baltimore six out of the last seven in the series, but the Ravens did win in Foxboro during the 2009 playoffs. Winning on the road during this year's regular season proved to be difficult for Baltimore but the team is instead focusing on its past success on the highway during the postseason (4-3 SU/ATS last four years). "The last four times we played them, going back to `97, all four of them have been wars," Johnson said. "Even though they've won three of the four, they had to earn it. This one is not going to be any different. It's going to be an extremely intense situation and environment, and we're looking forward to it. It's going to be fun." "I think it helps just by the fact that we've done it," he said. "Most of our team has been there before. Those young guys can relate to the older guys, and the older guys can share some wisdom. "But it's not going to impact necessarily this game except to the extent that our guys have been there before and it's certainly not going to be anything new to them. And that's a good thing." ?Tags: NFL Baltimore Ravens New England Patriots | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NFL Betting News: Sportsbooks in fear of a New York Giants Super Bowl run | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Both offshore and Las Vegas sportsbooks are facing some hefty payouts if the New York Giants continue to win. The Giants right now are our biggest loser if they were to win the Super Bowl,? Kevin Bradley, Bovada sportsbook manager told the New York Post last week. ?Before the first Cowboys-Giants game (in Week 14), we actually had a big customer put down a large bet on the Giants to win both the NFC crown and the Super Bowl,? Chris Andrews, assistant director of Club Cal Neva Sports Books, said. ?This customer took 60-1 for the Super Bowl and 30-1 for the conference." ?If the Giants win the Super Bowl, it will be a very nice score for the betting public,? says David Mason, spokesperson for Panama-based BetOnline.com. ?It seems like no matter the sport, there is just so much public money coming out of the Big Apple, we are more often than not exposed a bit. This year is no different. Even a season like this one, when the Giants had to go down to the wire to even make the playoffs, their faithful bettors always saw value in their long odds.? Tags: NFL New York Giants | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sports Betting Podcast 1-17-2012 with Rob Veno and Erin Rynning | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tags: College Basketball NBA Rob Veno Erin Rynning | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gambling on the NFL Playoffs: San Francisco well aware of different Giants team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The red hot Giants, led by quarterback Eli Manning, look to be a different bunch than the ones that traveled to San Francisco earlier in the year. The 49ers have taken notice. Some quotes and notes here from the Mercury News: "Eli's not throwing many interceptions," said 49ers cornerback Tarell Brown, who had one of the 49ers' two interceptions against Drew Brees in Saturday's 36-32 divisional win over the New Orleans Saints. Manning tallied nine touchdown passes, one interception and 953 yards as the Giants won their past three elimination games: A 31-14 victory over Dallas to clinch the NFC East, a 24-2 rout of the Atlanta Falcons in the wild-card round and Sunday's dethroning of the Packers. Manning had two passes intercepted in the Nov. 13 loss. His fateful 40th attempt was knocked down by lineman Justin Smith's right hand on fourth down with 34 seconds left. "Eli has been money all year," Smith said Monday. "(When) we played him, he was dropping balls in there that only the receiver could get to. It's going to be a tough matchup." Tags: NFL New York Giants San Francisco 49ers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NBA Betting Trends: Chicago Bulls fit strong profile for matchup vs. Phoenix | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pretty impressive betting trend in action tonight in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls off a game in which they allowed more than 100 points* (102-86 loss at Memphis). Over the last two seasons, the Bulls are an amazing 14-3 ATS and 4-13 O/U in this profile. The two 64-point performances came this season. The rest during the 2010-11 season. No line yet on tonight's game against Phoenix ? Derrick Rose currently listed as doubtful. *In regulation
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NBA Handicapping: Phoenix Suns continue to struggle on offense | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Phoenix at Chicago Article of Phoenix's struggles on offense this year. The Suns are averaging 11.2 ppg below last year's mark and don't feature a player in the top 50 in scoring. ?I think everyone is going to score more,? said Nash, who posted 20 points and 10 assists despite a sore quadriceps. ?There?s going to be more cohesion. We?ll see more balance, and we?ll see more guys scoring. It?ll get better.? ?We?ve got to have Channing shoot the ball better than he is,? Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. ?JD (Dudley) is starting to come into his own, shoot better and make plays. We?ve just got to get ourselves running and get easy layups. The history of our team and how it has shot well came from how we would get layups and dunks. To be in a half-court situation so often is not good.? ? Tags: NBA Phoenix Suns Chicago Bulls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College Basketball Betting: Analyzing close against the spread results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Submitted by Fairway JayThis is Part I of a series of articles to be posted on college basketball results and the impact against the spread (ATS). I?m often asked about close results and usually emailed, tweeted or text a message about a close win or loss (usually loss). It?s important to understand some of the random variances that can take place in betting sports, and in this case college basketball. Over the course of a college basketball season the average margin of a final score will fall with 8-9 points from the betting line. Over the past few weeks we have suffered our share of close ATS losses, including 0-5 the past three days for results that landed within five points of the betting line. Along with some service selections, my personal wagering has resulted in a 0-5 recent run for games that landed within one point of the betting line.? Yet despite some recent less than desired results, we?ve been on quite a run on our top-rated Big Drive plays. Since late November the record stands 25-7. Through the winning run and full season, I spend many hours logging and tracking scores, stats and lines. I?ve been tracking scores and documenting the results as it relates to ATS wins and losses. In November I wrote a blog about ATS results. Over the years, I?ve used a 5-point result from the betting line as a pretty solid standard for random ATS results. Over the course of a college basketball season, approx. 40-42% of the games and final scores will land within five points of the betting line. In the opening month of the season covering over 580 lined games, 34.6% of the CBB games fell within five points of the betting line, proving that early season college basketball can be more beatable as the oddsmaker is not as sharp as it relates to final scores ATS. Understand that betting lines move based on market activity, and I?m usually grading from the closing line. But the results shown would still be close even to the opening line. In the month of December, there were over 660 CBB games. Of those games, 41.4% landed within five points of the betting line, and exactly 10% of the games landed within one point of the line; which is usually the average over the course of a CBB season. Regardless of your level of handicapping ability, long term results of these close ATS games should produce close to 50% ATS winners and losers. If you?re results are more losers than winners on these close ATS results, then you?re just having a negative random variance and unfortunate results. Along with line moves, bookmaker juice and other challenges in preparing to win and beat the bookmaker, it can be frustrating if you are suffering too many close ATS losses. We?ve experienced that first hand recently, going 5-13 on results that have landed within five points of the betting line in the month of January.?? We?ll review January results in Part II along with additional ATS parameters as we continue to evaluate the results, stats and match-ups, and work to become even more proficient in point spread prognosis in our never-ending pursuit of profit. Check back throughout each week for additional articles, analysis, insight and ?Fairway Forecasts? along with the best sports betting information at sportsmemo.com/blogs. Fairway Jay is a recognized leader and one of the sports industries insightful point spread prognosticators. He?s having another winning and profitable season in 2011-12 highlighted by 16-units of profit in December alone (1 and 2 unit scale). Fairway Jay?s current top-play Big Drive run is a bankroll-building 25-7 including 11-3 on his top-rated 20* Big Drive plays. Fairway Jay has won 67% of his top-rated Big Drive selections this college basketball season. Fairway Jay is a proven pro and performer in the college basketball game with a 5-year stretch of consecutive winning seasons and profits that placed him on the leaderboard among the nation?s top college basketball handicappers. With documented success and experience to battle with the best and beat the bookmaker, join Fairway Jay on the college basketball court and profit from his experience and well-rounded game. Follow on Twitter: @FairwayJay Tags: College Basketball Fairway Jay | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NCAA Basketball Gambling: Michigan looks for three straight over rival Michigan State | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State -1 at Michigan O/U 131.5 Notes on tonight's Michigan State-Michigan matchup in Ann Arbor. Both teams come in off of losses ?MSU fell at Northwestern 81-74 and UM was blown out at Iowa, 75-59. The Wolverines has some pretty strong ATS trends in their favor: 15-4 ATS run vs. Big Ten, 27-8 ATS run as an underdog, 15-6 ATS run at home. Michigan won both meetings last season, 70-63 (-1) and 61-57 (+11). ? Tags: College Basketball Michigan Wolverines Michigan State Spartans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College Basketball Free Play: Maryland Terrapins at Florida State Seminoles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Submitted by Andrew LangeMaryland at Florida State? Recommendation: Maryland +6.5 1st half Beating North Carolina at home wasn't that monumental of an achievement for Florida State ? despite what the Seminoles? student body showcased after the buzzer. However, hanging 90 on the Tar Heels in route to a 33-point victory is no doubt going to make FSU's players feel good about themselves. Letdowns happen all of the time in college hoops and the odds of that occurring to the Seminoles ? for at least parts of tonight's game ? are pretty good. I will say that of all of the potential letdown victims, it is the teams with elite level defenses which are typically the least susceptible ? something that FSU without question has. The one thing the Seminoles don't have though is the ability to consistently knock down shots. Against a majority of the better teams on their schedule, the Seminoles failed to top 1.0 point per possession. Maryland is a different squad than it was at the start of the year. After adjusting some to first-year head coach Mark Turgeon and going to battle with a full complement of players, we've seen the Terps play some competitive basketball with 9 out of 10 wins (lone loss, 79-74 at NC State). They take a big step up in class defensively against FSU but this is a scrappy enough team to hang around. Look for the home side to come out a little flat as we make a play on the underdog in the first half.? Tags: College Basketball Maryland Terrapins Florida State Seminoles Andrew Lange | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College Basketball Betting: Kentucky Wildcats struggle to cover pointspreads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Submitted by Andrew LangeTypically, the best teams in college basketball post against the spread records around the .500 mark. They obviously win a lot which is correlated with covering spreads but on the same token, the extra "tax" and attraction to bettors often keeps them from putting up great ATS numbers. Take last year from example. North Carolina (16-17 ATS), Duke (20-16 ATS), Kansas (18-17 ATS), Pittsburgh (15-14 ATS), Syracuse (15-18 ATS), Ohio State (18-16 ATS) and Kentucky (16-16 ATS) were all right around the .500 mark. There were some expectations, most notably UConn (23-12 ATS), but the Huskies came from way off the grid to go 10-1 ATS during the postseason. But this year, something odd is taking place. Kentucky, which is considered to be one of the best teams in the country, is a horrific 3-13-1/4-12-1/4-13 ATS (depending on what numbers you go by). Based on one set of numbers I saw, the Wildcats haven't covered a game since November 19 ? after starting the season 3-0 ATS. So why has Kentucky been such a poor spread team? No question, there is a tax tacked onto the Cats ? but the same can be said about a lot teams. But unlike those teams, Kentucky is young, and winning games by margin ? which often takes a full 40 minutes of effort with already inflated lines ? can be difficult with such a young cast of characters. The Cats have missed out more than a handful of covers by laying off the pedal late, not to mention they were wildly overpriced in their first two road games in the SEC. I think some of it can be attributed head coach John Calipari and his emphasis on development and gearing his young teams for the postseason. Unlike other squads, he doesn't have multiple years to develop team chemistry and teach these kids the little things involved in being a champion. He's handed a ton of inexperience and little to no time to teach them how to win. And the learning process, which we are witnessing right now, is forced to take place in games, rather than in practice or the offseason. As a result, Kentucky is winning a lot of games on sheer talent alone, which is a big reason why they've faltered against the spread at such a high rate. And I've seen enough of Calipari to know that close wins and losses are almost a welcome sight as they better prepare his teams for a Final Four run. I think moving forward, the Cats are going to stumble upon a handful of ATS victories but their struggles are no fluke if you break down all of the factors involved. Tags: College Basketball Kentucky Wildcats Andrew Lange | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NCAA Basketball Betting Trends: 71% of Missouri Valley games have gone OVER the total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Submitted by Andrew LangeBuilding on the blog we posted the other day about the increase in scoring in the Missouri Valley Conference this season. The MVC has long been known as a grind-it-out league that on occasion sees a team or two willing to play up-tempo. Below is a chart of the team-by-team yearly pace rankings according to Ken Pom. As you can see, from 2008-10, the MVC's average rank was between 233 and 241. This season however, we've seen that number climb to 173 as half the league ranks 143 or higher. I think we'll see the overall pace numbers dip once these teams play more conference games which brings us to our next point. Amazingly, 25 of the MVC's 35 league games have gone over the total thus far. The only two teams to not trend towards the OVER in league play are ironically the league's two top offense, Creighton and Wichita State. And only one team (Drake, 6-9 O/U) has trended UNDER from a season long perspective.
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NBA Betting Alert: Bogut slated to return for Milwaukee Bucks today | |
| Submitted by Otto SportsMilwaukee at Philadelphia -9 O/U 185 Andrew Bogut returns to the lineup on MLK day for the Milwaukee Bucks after suffering from concussion symptoms. The starting center is so important to the Bucks from a defensive standpoint, something head coach Scott Skiles has discussed on more than one occasion during the season. Note the Bucks are 0-5 without Bogut to date. Here?s a quote from Skiles in a recent article: "In some of our better defensive stretches, it's because Andrew has erased some mistakes," Skiles said of Bogut. "And not just with a shot block but with his presence around the painted area. It brings out some of the flaws in our overall team defense when he's not out there." His return along with an increased effort on the defensive end after an embarrassing loss to Dallas last time out should see Milwaukee at their best. And they?ll have a willing partner in a defensive showdown. Philadelphia is the NBA?s top ranked defensive efficiency team, ranking No. 1 in field goal and three point percentage allowed and No. 2 in points per game allowed. Look for this game to be a low scoring tilt.? Tags: NBA Milwaukee Bucks Philadelphia 76ers Marty Otto | |
NBA Betting News and Notes 1-16-2012 | |
| Submitted by Teddy CoversWe're only three weeks into the young NBA season, yet we're already seeing teams morph away from how they looked earlier in the campaign. Let's take a look around the league, concentrating on key notes and quotes, the type of information that has the potential to make us some money in the weeks to come. Detroit ? Pistons starting forward Tayshaun Prince has had a fascinating career arc. He?s been on a championship team in 2004 and returned to the Finals again in 2005. Prince has helped his team reach the Eastern Conference Finals six times. He?s also played for six different head coaches in Detroit, including their current head honcho, Lawrence Frank. But with a 3-10 record to open the season including four consecutive non-competitive home losses, Prince has been vocal about his frustrations, just weeks after inking an extension to stay with Detroit for the next four years. Prince: ?We got to figure out a way to get in the paint a lot more. Right now, we?re confused on both ends and we?re settling for jump shots. I know myself in general, I?ve taken shots that really haven?t come in the flow. You?re kind of forced to take shots you really don?t want to take. They?re not rhythm shots. That?s when it becomes frustrating.? After the John Kuester coaching disaster led to a near player revolt last year, the change to Frank was supposed to be an easy, automatic upgrade. Prince doesn?t seem to think so, at least when it comes to Detroit?s on court improvement (or lack thereof).? ?At some point, even though you?re in a struggling process of trying to learn, you want to see consistent signs, and you?re not seeing those signs right now.? The hiring of Frank hasn?t resulted in any sort of attendance boost. When Detroit was competing for championships, they were selling out the 22,000+ seats at the Palace of Auburn Hills every night; a streak of 259 consecutive games. This year, the Pistons have averaged less than 12,000 fans per game, dead last in the NBA in attendance. And, as Prince alluded, the team is struggling mightily learning Frank?s systems on both ends of the court. The head coach raised some eyebrows with this quote: ?Not to be insensitive, everyone wants a baby, few want to go through the pregnancy. Guess what, this is going to be hard?. I?ve got the utmost respect for women, O.K. But my point is, there are going to be labor pains.? Golden State ? Watch out of the Warriors on their current East Coast swing. Golden State went on the road trip with high expectations, facing off against a quartet of bottom feeders: Charlotte, Detroit, Cleveland and New Jersey.? Forward David Lee on the eve of the trip: ?If we come back with a losing record from this road trip, it should be a huge disappointment. This is a road trip to places where we need to go take care of business and get three or possibly four victories. I don't see it any other way at this point." But Mark Jackson?s squad started the trip with a complete no-show in Charlotte, blown off the court by the lowly Bobcats. They were outscored 66-46 before halftime, and never came close to making up the deficit in the final 24 minutes of play. Forward Dominic McGuire: ?We took it for granted. We came out thinking this was an automatic win?.I don't think it was anything they did. They were hitting shots but ... 38 points for the Bobcats in the first quarter? C'mon." Coach Jackson: ?We didn?t show up. As a coach, that?s on me. Somehow my guys didn?t come out ready to play. We jumped on them early and took our foot off the gas. We thought it was going to be easy. ? This type of effort cannot be accepted.? The Warriors certainly played hard against the Pistons on Sunday, coming away with an eight point road win as a 4.5 point underdog. Coach Jackson: ?We defended, we didn?t make excuses, and we didn?t get frustrated. It was just a great performance overall?.. I think the guys felt challenged, and first and foremost we are a defensive-minded team. We started to get stops and it affected our offense.? Let?s see if that defensive effort carries over to the remainder of their trip. New York ? The Knicks enter the week on a run of six straight Unders, only reaching 100 and allowing 100 once apiece during that nine day span. The Knicks haven?t been known for playing any defense at all since Patrick Ewing left for Seattle and Jeff Van Gundy abruptly resigned 19 games into the 2001-2002 season. And head coach Mike D?Antoni hasn?t been known for coaching a defense-first style at any point of his decade long NBA career. As Vince Lombardi might say, ?What the hell is going on out there?? New York won a game last week against the 76ers when they didn?t make a single basket for the final nine minutes of the fourth quarter. They missed their last nine shots from the floor and committed nine turnovers; managing only seven free throws down the stretch. But they held Philly to 37 percent shooting for the game and gave up only ten assists on the Sixers 32 made baskets. Carmelo Anthony: ?We're not worried about our offense. That will come. Right now, we're focused on our defense. That's where we need to be. We're committed to doing it.? ?Melo, explaining how last year?s playoff sweep at the hands of the Celtics has left his team hungry for defensive improvement: ?I think that's in the back of our minds. For me personally, I was on a personal vendetta. I get tired of hearing it.? Anthony continued: ?I think most importantly that once we got Tyson [Chandler] everybody was saying he was the key to the defensive changes. But it was going to start with myself and Amare to help him out. We can't rely on Tyson to do everything out there. As long as I'm out there putting the effort forth, as long as Amare is doing the same thing, going for the loose balls, rebounding, talking, communicating, we'll be a great defensive team. I can see us moving in that path." Rookie point guard Iman Shumpert moved into the starting lineup just as the Knicks were transforming defensively. ?When I came in here, people were telling me that I was going to have to change the attitude of this team. But when I stepped onto the floor, it was Amare and Melo who came at me, telling me, 'You're going to have to defend.' So it was clear to me that those guys made the change in their minds at the end of the last year. Obviously, during the lockout, they made a commitment to themselves that they were going to play defense and they were going to make sure everybody on this team played defense. So I just came in and did what I normally do. Somehow, it seems like it's starting to click right now." 76ers head coach Doug Collins certainly noticed New York?s defensive improvement.? ?I thought what [the Knicks] did tonight was, by far, the best defense I've seen played all season long. They're big and strong. Their guards got into us. I take my hat off to them. Very impressive." Philadelphia ? If the playoffs started today, the 76ers would be the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference, behind only Chicago. Doug Collins team was a pointspread juggernaut down the stretch last year, consistently undervalued by the betting markets. With a 10-2 ATS mark so far this year, at first glance, it sure looks that the markets are still undervaluing the Sixers on a nightly basis. But when we dig underneath the surface, we see that Philadelphia?s SU and ATS records may be more than a tad bit misleading. First, we?ve got to look at Philly?s early season schedule. To say that it?s been a weak slate of foes is something of an understatement. The 76ers have beaten the Wizards twice, the Kings, Raptors, Pistons, Hornets, Warriors, Suns and Pacers for their nine wins. Of that grouping, only Indiana is a likely playoff team. So far, all we?ve seen Philly do is beat up on weaklings. And when we take a closer look at the weaklings Philly has been beating, their schedule looks even weaker. They beat Golden State without their best offensive player, Monta Ellis. Against the Hornets, New Orleans was without their best defensive wing, Trevor Ariza. They beat Detroit without Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and Rodney Stuckey in the lineup. The win over Indiana came when the Pacers were without Danny Granger and George Hill. Kings leading scorer Marcus Thornton was on the sidelines in street clothes in Philly?s win over Sacramento. Basically, the entirely of Philly?s red hot 9-1 SU and ATS run in their last ten games came against bottom feeders with significant injury concerns. There?s no question that Philly is pretty good, but there are real questions about whether the Sixers current status as the second best team in the East will leave them with any pointspread value as their schedule toughens up in the weeks and months to follow. Tags: NBA Detroit Pistons Golden State Warriors New York Knicks Philadelphia 76ers Teddy Covers | |
College Basketball Gambling Preview: Baylor Bears at Kansas Jayhawks | |
| Submitted by Fairway JayKansas and Baylor battle in a key Big Xll game Monday night with both teams 4-0 in conference play. They should put on a great show at raucous Allen Fieldhouse, where Kansas is 60-1 SU the last 3+ years. Baylor?s collection of big men may be the best in the nation with a long, athletic group of forwards and some top NBA prospects including sophomore Perry Jones lll and freshman Quincy Miller. Kansas counters with a 7-foot center and the league?s No. 1 rebounder, junior Thomas Robinson. I saw Baylor (17-0) play West Virginia in December at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The Bears? athleticism and length is impressive and they?remain one of just three undefeated teams in the country. Here is a statistical profile of tonight?s top game on ESPN. League stats show the following. ??Baylor leads the league in scoring at 79 ppg while Kansas has the league?s No. 1 scoring defense allowing just 57 ppp? Despite a rising total, let?s play this game under the total as a Free Fairway Forecast. Fairway Jay is a recognized leader and one of the sports industries insightful point spread prognosticators. He?s having another winning and profitable season in 2011-12 highlighted by 16-units of profit in December alone (1 and 2 units scale). Fairway Jay?s current top-play Big Drive run is an incredible bankroll-building 25-6 including 11-2 on his top-rated 20* Big Drive plays. Fairway Jay has won 68% of his top-rated Big Drive selections this college basketball season. Fairway Jay is a proven pro and performer in the college basketball game with a 5-year stretch of consecutive winning seasons and profits that placed him on the leaderboard among the nation?s top college basketball handicappers. With documented success and experience to battle with the best and beat the bookmaker, join Fairway Jay on the college basketball court and profit from his experience and well-rounded game. Follow on Twitter: @FairwayJay Tags: College Basketball Baylor Bears Kansas Jayhawks Fairway Jay | |
Sports Betting Podcast 1-16-2012 with Brent Crow and Teddy Covers | |
| Tags: College Basketball NBA Brent Crow Teddy Covers | |
NBA Handicapping: Bobcats go small ball with Augustine and Walker | |
| Cleveland at Charlotte -2 O/U 194 The Bobcats saw positive results in Saturday's 112-100 win over Golden State when they put DJ Augustine and Kemba Walker in the backcourt and moved Boris Diaw to the bench. Head coach Paul Silas noted the team played much faster and with more energy. Obviously it was just one performance (against the Warriors) and the Augustine-Walker duo could cause issues on the defensive end, but it was a rare bright spot in what has been a dismal season for the Bobcats. "We weren't just standing around with no energy level," Silas described. "(Saturday) we weren't just settling for jump shots. We were really passing it inside." "Defense can be an issue. We'll be dealing with larger" shooting guards, Silas said of his new lineup, which faces the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday in a 2 p.m. Martin Luther King Day matinee at Time Warner Cable Arena. "But Kemba is tough-minded; he's not going to back down. I thought he did a great job on Monta Ellis." Tags: NBA Charlotte Bobcats Cleveland Cavliers | |
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