11/30/2008 - Singapore (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Annika Sorenstam made her last appearance in an LPGA Tour sponsored event a memorable one.
Sorenstam, the International team captain, defeated Asian team captain Se Ri Pak, 3 & 2, as the International team won the Lexus Cup, 12 1/2 - 11 1/2, on Sunday.
"There is nothing like a team event and when you pull it all together, the atmosphere and camaraderie is one of a kind," Sorenstam said. "It's great to finish on a high like this."
Sorenstam is slated to play one more event in Dubai before stepping away from the game.
The International squad even the series history at 2-2.
Sorenstam led off in the first match, but it was two players later in the matches that sealed the win for the International team.
Katherine Hull downed Jeong Jang to give the International team an 11-10 lead. Angela Stanford, who has five top-five finishes in her last six starts, rolled past Seon Hwa Lee, 4 & 3, to give the Internationals 12 points.
Candie Kung closed the Asian squad within 12-11 when she downed Nikki Campbell, 3 & 2.
The final match on the course decided the final margin. Christina Kim took a 1-up lead with a birdie on the 13th, but Namika Omata responded with a birdie at 15 to square the match.
The duo halved 16 and 17 with pars. At the last, both players made birdie giving the International team the title for the first time since 2005.
"The entire tournament, down to the wire, it's great to have it come down to one match, the last hole where everyone was," said Kim. "When Namika hit that fantastic second shot, there were two goals in mind: one, don't shank it and two, I wasn't letting Annika go down without a win."
Sorenstam and Pak played each other for the first time in this event. Pak struggled with three bogeys over the first four holes to fall 3-down at Singapore Island Country Club.
Pak birdied the sixth and Sorenstam tripped to a bogey on No. 8 as her lead dropped to 1-up. Pak made another bogey at 12 to slide 2-down, then they matched birdies on 13 and 14.
Sorenstam moved 3-up with a birdie on 15 and closed the match at the next when both players made par.
Helen Alfredsson dispatched Inbee Park, 3 & 2, to give the International team an 8-6 cushion.
Sarah Lee bested Nicole Castrale, 1-up, and Na Yeon Choi took care of Paula Creamer, 3 & 2. Those two wins for the Asian team squared the match at 8-8.
Pettersen was 2-down to Yani Tseng, but managed to halve the match thanks to an eagle on the 18th.
Song-Hee Kim fended off Cristie Kerr, 1-up, to give the Asian team a one-point lead at 9 1/2 - 8 1/2.
Karen Stupples was conceded an eagle at the last and that gave her a halve against Eun Hee Ji in a match in which Ji's 2-up lead on the 13th was the biggest of the match.
Natalie Gulbis was 2-down after 10 holes, but rallied for a 2 & 1 win over Mayumi Shimomura to square the match at 10-10 and set up the thrilling finish.
<< Pampling topples Fraser in Australian Masters playoff
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rod Pampling needed three extra holes
Sunday to defeat countryman Marcus Fraser and win the Australian Masters.
Fraser got into the clubhouse first after posting a stellar seven-under 65.
Pampling card
<< Clippers manage to squeak past Heat
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Zach Randolph and Al Thornton scored 27
points apiece to help the Clippers edge the Heat, 97-96.
Baron Davis scored 15 points and doled out nine assists for Los Angeles, which
saw its four-game slide
<< Flames sweep series from Canucks
Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David Moss and Matthew Lombardi scored third-
period goals as Calgary slipped past Vancouver, 3-1, at Pengrowth Saddledome.
Daymond Langkow netted the other goal for the Flames, who swept the home-and-
home
<< Sharks extend winning streak to seven in Phoenix
Glendale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joe Pavelski scored twice and the San Jose
Sharks rallied from a two-goal deficit for a 3-2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes
in a Pacific Division battle.
Rob Blake also scored and Milan Michalek tallied tw
Nets close out trek at Phoenix >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Nets will wrap up a four-game road trip out
west tonight with a showdown against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center.
New Jersey is 2-1 on the trek after back-to-back wins, including Saturday's
105-88
Rockets try to stay hot on the road in Denver >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Rockets shoot for their fifth straight road win
tonight when they take on the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center.
Houston has won four in row away from home and is 7-3 as the visitor this
season. In Satur
Sixers aim to snap skid versus Bulls >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers will try to snap a three-game losing
streak Sunday when they welcome the Chicago Bulls to the Wachovia Center for
the opener of a home-and-home series.
Philadelphia dropped its third consecutive ga
Blazers open trip against Pistons >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers will kick off a five-game road
trip this afternoon against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Portland is 4-6 away from the Rose Garden this season and will also visit New
York
The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.
While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.
For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.
1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.
2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.
How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.
Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.
Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.
How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).
Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.
Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.
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The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.
New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).
The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.
Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.
Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.
The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.
Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.
The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.
Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.
However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).
The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.
Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.
In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.
Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.
Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.
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