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08/14/2007 - Huntersville, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - One of the worst kept secrets was made official when Joe Gibbs Racing announced on Tuesday that it had signed 22- year-old Kyle Busch to a contract. The younger brother of 2004 Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch will get behind the wheel of the No.18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet beginning in 2008.
"It just felt right...they have a great track record," said Busch.
"Kyle could have gone to almost any team he wanted to," said Team President J.D. Gibbs.
Kyle Busch will join two-time Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart and budding superstar Denny Hamlin to make up a formidable team. Busch replaces J.J. Yeley. Yeley was 21st in points after finished 29th in the standings last year.
Busch has driven the last three and-a-half years for powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports, but was the odd-man out when Dale Earnhardt Jr. agreed to drive for the team earlier this season. He is currently eighth in the standings and preparing for the "Chase for the Nextel Cup" which begins in just a few weeks.
In 100 career Nextel Cup starts, Kyle Busch has earned four wins, 43 top-10s and two poles.
<< Blue Jays sent Halladay to hill versus Angels
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim target their fourth
straight win this evening when they open a three-game series with the Toronto
Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre.
Los Angeles, which will be starting a seven-game road trip
<< White Sox kick off road swing in Oakland
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox begin a week-long West Coast road
trip tonight with the first of three consecutive meetings with the Oakland
Athletics at McAfee Coliseum.
Chicago took two of three games from the A's at the Coliseum
<< Mariners, Twins continue set at Safeco Field
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After coming through with another thrilling victory on
Monday, the Seattle Mariners will attempt to continue their recent roll in
tonight's middle test of a three-game set with the struggling Minnesota Twins
from Safeco Fiel
<< Lester returns to Fenway as Red Sox continue series with Rays
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jon Lester returns to the Fenway Park mound for the first
time in nearly a full year when the Boston Red Sox resume a three-game series
with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays this evening.
Lester hasn't pitched in Boston since a s
Padres begin key series with playoff-hopeful Rockies >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff Francis will try to keep his unbeaten streak intact
when he takes the mound this evening for the Colorado Rockies in the opener of
a three-game series with the NL West-rival San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
Francis
Downtrodden Dodgers continue home set with Astros >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to stop a three-game slide
when they resume a four-game series this evening versus the Houston Astros at
Chavez Ravine.
Los Angeles, which has lost nine of 11 and is 4-14 over its last
Jacobs Field no longer a safe haven for the Tribe >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Once upon a time, the Cleveland Indians could turn to
Jacobs Field to ease their troubles.
The Indians spent much of the season with the top home record in the majors,
but lately they've been getting hammered pretty good i
Cardinals in must win situation >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Cardinals have done everything they can to
stay within striking distance in the race for the National League Central.
However, the Cardinals' poor start has made it difficult for the team to make
any real headwa
In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.
And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.
Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.
So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.
Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)
The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.
As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.
The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.
In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.
Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.
And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.
So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.
There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.
So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.
And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.
There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)
Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.
Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.
Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.
So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
Brandon Roy Favorite to Win 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year
Portland TrailBlazer’s guard, Brandon Roy, is MySportsbook.com’s overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year odds.
Despite missing 20 games due to an injury earlier this season, Roy has definitely put up the best numbers of his 1st year peers. In 32 games, Roy is averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 boards and 3.5 assists in over 33 minutes of play per game. While most rookies breakdown as the season progresses (see Morrison), Roy is only getting stronger as his playing time and scoring average has increased each month.
With 30 or so games left in the regular season, Roy isn’t a lock for the award by any means. Other rookies are putting together some pretty impressive campaigns and a few could give Roy a run for the award with increased playing time. Heading the list is first pick, Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors. Even though he has started only two games all season, Bargnani is averaging 10.3 PPPG while shooting 35% from deep.
Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves could be set to give Roy the best competition NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines. With the benching of Mike James, Foye looks like he could be the starter in the T-Wolves backcourt for the rest of the season. So far, Foye has averaged 9 PPG and 2.4 assists in just under 21 minutes per game. With his new role of starter, Foye’s numbers will definitely increase. In his first game as the new starting guard this past Sunday, Foye had 10 points; five rebounds and 8 assists. More importantly, he logged 34 minutes of playing time; his third highest run of the season.
Adam Morrison, of the Charlotte Bobcats, was the favorite early on in the season after averaging 15+ PPG through the first month of the season. Ever since his torrid start, Morrison’s point production has declined each month. This really isn’t surprising, considering at 6’8” he only weighs 205 lbs. Obviously he will need to hit the weights big time during the off-season in order to keep from breaking down in the future.
Be sure to log on to MySportsbook.com to bet on the NBA. With the regular season about to hit the homestretch, it is important to point out that MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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