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Welcome back Nellie: Coach plans to make Warriors win again

Basketball Betting Lines

08/30/2006 -

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -Don Nelson relaxed in Maui, opened a bar in Dallas and just couldn't get comfortable in his cushy life after basketball.

The NBA's second-winningest coach simply had to get on the sideline again - and the Golden State Warriors were thrilled to welcome him back.

Nelson officially returned to the Warriors on Wednesday night, vowing to return excitement and respectability to the club he led to its best seasons in the past three decades.

Many of the players on Nelson's previous Golden State teams - Chris Mullin, Rod Higgins and Mitch Richmond - are club executives now, and the 66-year-old Nelson said he jumped at a phone call from Mullin.

``The main reason I came back was I had some real good friends that asked me to come,'' said Nelson, who left the Dallas Mavericks' sideline 18 months ago. ``They asked me if I would come back and get back some of the magic that used to be here, when this arena used to be rocking.''

He formally accepted the job at the Arena in Oakland in front of several hundred fans who still remember the club's better days, when Nelson coached Tim Hardaway, Richmond and Mullin - who is now Nelson's boss as the Warriors' executive vice president of basketball operations.

Nelson was the last coach to lead Golden State to the playoffs in 1994. The Warriors have endured 12 straight losing seasons since his departure, and they failed to make any significant personnel improvements to last season's 34-48 club under Mike Montgomery, who was abruptly dismissed Tuesday.

But Nelson saw an opportunity in Golden State big enough to lure him out of a comfortable routine at his home in Hawaii and his sports bar in downtown Dallas. With his unorthodox coaching methods - and a vow to improve his team's defense, just as he promised every season with the high-scoring Mavericks - he's ready to fix another moribund club.

``I still have the passion, and I think we have the talent here,'' Nelson said. ``I like this team. ... There's nobody better at playing small-ball than me. I know how to do that. There's a lot of positives here, and many of them happen to be smaller players.''

Jason Richardson and Mike Dunleavy attended the press conference along with Richmond and Higgins, who teamed with Hardaway as the core of the Warriors' still-beloved ``Run T-M-C'' clubs with their plain blue uniforms and exciting style.

They made three of Golden State's four playoff appearances under Nelson, who went 277-260 in his first 6 1/2 seasons in Oakland. Nelson has never reached the NBA finals as a coach, but has revitalized three losing franchises in his coaching career.

``The change is great,'' said Richardson, who had minor knee surgery earlier in the month. ``To have a coach of that caliber is going to help this team out a whole lot. Monty is a great guy, but Nellie has experience.''

Nelson, a three-time NBA coach of the year, has 1,190 victories in a career that includes stops in Milwaukee, New York and Dallas, where he led the Mavs' revival.

``I am excited that Nellie is back coaching,'' said Avery Johnson, Nelson's groomed successor who won the NBA's coach of the year award while leading Dallas to the NBA finals last season. ``We knew he could not stay away very long. With him at the helm, it gives the Warriors a great chance to get back to the playoffs. I want to thank him for all the ways he has helped me.''

The move represents a change in course for Mullin, who promised big offseason moves and repeatedly said Montgomery would be back this fall after his second straight 34-48 season in Golden State. Mullin, who hasn't made any significant personnel changes, even laughed at suggestions he was unhappy with the longtime Stanford coach.

``The major change was Nellie's availability and his desire,'' Mullin said. ``Once those things changed, I thought there wasn't a better person for the job. I can't think of a person I'm more confident in, that would be better to lead this team, than Nellie.''

Warriors owner Chris Cohan sat in the front row Wednesday night, smiling at the return of the coach he sued when Nelson accepted a job with the Knicks after leaving Golden State in February 1995.

``It was never bitter,'' Nelson said with a laugh. ``I had some of Chris' money, and he wanted it. (The dispute) ended with that, and it's been a great relationship ever since.''

Nelson agreed to a three-year deal, though he could see himself coaching the Warriors even longer. He's still working on his coaching staff, though it won't include his son, Mavericks executive Donnie Nelson.

Nelson also was the Warriors' general manager during his first tenure, and he controlled the Mavericks' personnel decisions for much of his tenure in Dallas. But Mullin will stay in charge this time around.

``I'll coach, and I'll stay out of the personnel matters,'' Nelson said. ``A healthy relationship has communication, but I'm not here to do anything other than coach.''

Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies  

It's that time of year folks.  Betting on American Idol Season 9.  And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below.  With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.

No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.

Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.

Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.

Odds to Win

There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.

All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.

A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.

Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.

Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol. 

Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.

If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.

Elimination Props

Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.

Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.

Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups

The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.

Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.

MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South


In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South.  Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC.  The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game.  For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft.  Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.

1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign?  New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1.  Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT.  Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.

Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami

2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season.  With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round.  LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems.  If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.

Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU

3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season.  The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach.  The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub.  High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career.  With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson. 

Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season.  The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age.  It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot.  This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.

Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas

It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season.  On the clock: the NFC North

Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2    

Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1

Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1

To visit this sportsbook get to MySportsbook.com for all your online sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.