Rounding Third: Linsanity would never happen in MLB
Baseball Betting Lines
02/13/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The whole sports world seems to be enamored with what's going on with the New York Knicks and Jeremy Lin. It's become a story that has transcended not only the National Basketball Association, but all of sports.
In case you've been living under a rock for the past week, Lin was the 12th man on the Knicks' bench, but was given a chance on Feb. 4 against the New Jersey Nets and since then has set the NBA world on fire. His inspired play has helped the Knicks win five straight games and have led some to amazingly question how Carmelo Anthony fits on the team now.
It's truly Linsanity.
Lin jerseys are flying off the shelves as quickly as they are put on. Time Warner Cable and MSG Networks, who have been feuding since the start of the NBA season, now have the added pressure of coming to some sort of agreement because New Yorkers want their Lin, who has already donned the cover of the New York Times three times.
It's an incredible story. A true rags-to-riches turnaround. But, unfortunately one that would never see the light of day in Major League Baseball.
At least not anymore.
You see MLB fans have become so jaded over the past 10 years or so that if someone like Lin burst upon that scene, he would immediately be subject to steroid speculation. Heck, baseball fans are wary of their biggest stars these days, let alone the 25th player on the bench.
Pitchers sometimes come out of nowhere. Not to this extent, but it happens. Can you imagine Ramiro Pena or Wilson Valdez or a Esteban German being the driving force offensively and changing the entire perception of their teams?
Actually, those three are 10 times more likely to do it than Lin. That's how big a long shot this was.
Thankfully, pitchers and catchers report in less than a week and we can get back to talking about-on-the-field issues.
YANKS, PIRATES DISCUSSING A.J. BURNETT DEAL
In some actual baseball news, the New York Yankees may have found themselves a sucker, er, a potential suitor, for right-hander A.J. Burnett. Apparently the Yanks are deep into talks with the Pittsburgh Pirates to send the underachieving pitcher to the Steel City for a ton of cash and a few minor leaguers.
Why the Yankees are even haggling at this point is beyond me? As soon as the Pirates said they were interested, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman should have agreed to the deal - any deal.
In a bizarre twist, the Yanks want to deal Burnett and are willing to eat a good portion of the $33 million owed to him to free up a little more dough to go and add a couple of bats.
Yes, that's right, the Pirates are taking some of Burnett's salary off the Yankees' hands so New York can free up a few million and go sign Raul Ibanez or Johnny Damon. Luckily there are teams like the Pirates to absorb some salary, so teams like the Yankees can get by.
Either way it's a no-brainer for the Yanks. Aside from the World Series title in 2009, one the Yanks don't win without Burnett by the way, he has been an utter disaster, putting forth two of the worst statistical seasons ever by a Yankees starter over the last two years.
If this deal goes down here in the coming days, Burnett would have been paid $1.45 million for each of his 34 wins in the last three years with the Yanks.
And poor Jeremy Lin was sleeping on a couch just last week.
Not bad work if you can get it.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Clippers hope to tie a bow on a successful road trip by securing their first win in over five years in North Texas when they take on the reigning NBA champion Mavericks. The Clips have lost nine straight in
<< Suns start tough stretch in Oakland vs. Warriors
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Phoenix will begin a grueling three games in three nights
stretch in Oakland tonight against the Golden State Warriors.
The Suns have won three straight on the road, including Saturday's 98-84 win
in Sacramento, and 11 of
<< Syracuse visits Louisville in pivotal Big East clash
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tied with top-ranked Kentucky for the best
overall record in the nation, the Syracuse Orange hit the road tonight to
clash with the Louisville Cardinals in a Big East Conference showdown at the
KFC Yum! Center.
<< Cyclones blow into Waco seeking upset of Bears
Waco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The tie for third place in the Big 12 Conference
Standings will be broken tonight, as the Iowa State Cyclones square off with
the Baylor Bears at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas.
The Cyclones have played Baylor
<< Jayhawks and Wildcats mix it up in Manhattan
Manhattan, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sunflower State rivals square off in
Manhattan this evening, as the Kansas Jayhawks pay a visit to the Kansas State
Wildcats in an important Big 12 Conference clash.
After a December 19 loss to Davidson, Kans
Foxborough, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New England Revolution announced on Monday that the club has acquired forward Saer Sene on a free transfer from Bayern Munich. Sene has spent the past two-and-a-half years playing with Bayern
Packers make changes to offensive staff >>
Green Bay, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy
announced a few changes to the club's offensive staff on Monday.
Jerry Fontenot will move from running backs coach to tight ends coach for
2012, while Ben
Speir completes Western Carolina coaching staff >>
Cullowhee, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Western Carolina first-year head football
coach Mark Speir has completed his coaching staff by adding defensive
coordinator responsibilities to linebackers coach Curtis Walker and naming
Steve Sisa the defensive
Randy Moss apparently planning a comeback >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Randy Moss is apparently planning a
comeback.
Moss decided to retire last August after 13 NFL seasons and told an audience
on UStream.tv Monday about trying to return for 2012. He just turned 35
Report: Garland headed to Cleveland >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians have reportedly agreed
to a minor league contract with veteran pitcher Jon Garland.
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the pact includes an invitation to
spring training if the
Police report: Terrell Owens hospitalized after attempt
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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