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Jackson announces return to Lakers benchBasketball Betting Lines07/03/2009 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson, fresh off a record 10th NBA Championship as a coach, announced on Friday he will return to the bench next year for a 10th season in LA and 19th as an NBA head coach. There was some speculation that Jackson would either decide to retire or coach an abbrevaited schedule based on health concerns. Jackson discussed those scenarios late last month in an ESPN radio interview but later came to a decision along with general manager Mitch Kupchak to be all in or step away. "After consulting with Lakers team internist Dr. John Moe, I feel confident that I can gainfully pursue an NBA season with another long playoff postseason. All things point to go!," Jackson said through a team release on Friday. Jackson, who turns 64 in September, had cited health concerns as the sole reason behind any decision that would have had the Hall of Fame coach unable to fulfill the final year of his current contract. He agreed on a two-year extension in November, 2007 but since has felt the rigors of the road following a pair of hip replacement surgeries. The "Zen Master" specifically has addressed continued discomfort in his lower legs and cited longtime assistant Tex Winter's stroke last year as another reason to give pause to what will be a 19th year of coaching. For Jackson, his 10th championship surpassed the legendary Red Auerbach for the most in history. Coaching his 300th career playoff game, Jackson also passed Bill Russell (11) for most titles won by a player/coach as LA finished off Orlando in Game 5 of the Finals last month. It was his fourth championship in Los Angeles, having previously guided Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to six titles in the 1990s. The announcement comes less than 24 hours after free agent forward Ron Artest reached a verbal agreement to join the Lakers next season. Artest announced on ESPN's SportsCenter in Los Angeles late Thursday that he is leaving the Rockets for LA and would play for the mid-level exception. The Los Angeles Times has reported the pact is for three years at close to $18 million. No deal can be officially announced until July 8, per league rules.
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NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super BowlThe AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East. Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around. The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win. To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs. |
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