07/04/2008 - Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Fire coach Denis Hamlett admitted after last week's 0-0 tie against the San Jose Earthquakes that his strikers "need to finish."
The Fire, who scored 20 goals in their first 10 games, failed to score in their third straight match. At least this time Chicago earned a draw, but its skid is starting to bother Hamlett entering Saturday's match at the Columbus Crew.
"Our strikers that we have are getting themselves in good spots and getting good looks, and if you're going to be critical," Hamlett said, "they need to finish those plays."
Chicago hasn't scored in a Major League Soccer match since 27th minute of 2-1 loss to D.C. United almost a month ago, a stretch of 243 consecutive minutes.
The Fire's four game winless skid - which includes three losses - has the club closer to the bottom of the Eastern Conference than the top.
"We aren't finishing on our chances - it makes it a lot harder to win games and I feel that we need to press more," Hamlett said. "Right now we are not getting goals and it makes winning games harder."
It's tough for Hamlett, in his first year as head coach of Chicago, because his club has so much offensive firepower. Chad Barrett - who scored the team's last goal - leads the Fire with five goals and has chipped in three assists.
Mexican icon Cuauhtemoc Blanco has four goals and six assists, John Thorrington has three goals and Chris Rolfe and Tomasz Frankowski each have two goals.
Blanco, who last scored on May 25, knows Chicago just has to "keep on working hard." Considering the Fire have allowed a league-low 11 goals, they may only need one goal to win most games.
"Things aren't going well," Blanco said. "We've got to look ahead into the next game and go from there."
That "next" match is at Columbus, which has rebounded from its own scoring skid - which lasted 370 minutes - to score eight goals during its current three-game unbeaten streak.
During the recent run, six players have scored, led by two apiece by Alejandro Moreno and Guillermo Barros Schelotto.
"You go through your scoring droughts, but we have so many offensive weapons." Crew defender Danny O'Rourke said. "We're a dangerous offensive team."
Columbus won at Kansas City, 3-0, and then earned a 3-3 draw at the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Crew extended their run last week at home with a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids.
The Crew's win over the Rapids was their fifth at home this year - which equals last season's total.
Columbus coach Sigi Schmid is pleased with the team's performances at home, and with eight more home games left believes success at Crew Stadium will determine if the team makes the playoffs.
"If my math's right, we have eight more games [at home], so we definitely want to beat what we had last year," Schmid said. "One of the things we talked about at the beginning of the season is if we had three more points at home, we would have been in the playoffs [last season].
"So now, it's a matter of going and getting those three points."
<< It's in the Cards: Cubs' Zambrano makes return
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano will
start Friday's matchup, the opener of a three-game set with the St. Louis
Cardinals, after a two-week stint on the disabled list with a strained right
shoulder.
Zambr
<< Clauson wins first Nationwide pole at Daytona
Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bryan Clauson captured his first career
Nationwide Series pole for this evening's Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona
International Speedway. The No.40 Chip Ganassi Racing driver circled the famed
2.5-mil
<< Leafs agree to terms with Grabovski
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Maple Leafs signed newly acquired
centerman Mikhail Grabovski to a one-year contract on Friday.
Grabovski, 24, was obtained on Thursday from the Montreal Canadiens in
exchange for the ri
<< Fisher protects European Open lead
Ash, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ross Fisher shot a four-under 68 on Friday to
remain in the lead after two rounds at the European Open.
Fisher, who scorched the London Golf Club for a course-record 63 on Thursday,
stood at 13-under 131 ov
Messi wants to play in Italy >>
Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barcelona ace Lionel Messi would like to
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the Camp Nou continues to rumble on.
The 21-year-old Argentina forward has bee
Bayern Munich banking on Podolski >>
Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann is
determined to bring out the best in Germany forward Lukas Podolski next season.
The 23-year-old impressed for his country at Euro 2008, having struggled to
m
Brewers light up Gorzelanny, Pirates in win >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - J.J. Hardy hit a two-run homer as part of
a five-run outburst in the fifth inning en route to a 9-1 Brewers victory over
the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a three-game set.
Hardy hit the home run
Boyle waives no-trade clause, headed to San Jose >>
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Sharks acquired defensemen Dan
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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
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Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.
Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.
NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.
"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.
The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.
But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.
The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.
Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.
The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.
The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.
The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.
Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.
Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."
Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.
"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."
Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.
It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.
"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."
Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.
"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."
At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.
According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.
Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.
Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.
He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.
Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.
Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.
Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.
While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.
"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.
Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.
Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
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