Online Gambling: Purdue Boilermakers at a Price
written November 10, 2009 by John Kelly
A 30-1 LONGSHOT....
I've always enjoyed Purdue basketball. From the days of Rick Mount to the days of Glenn Robinson to the current crop of Hummel, Moore, Johnson and Kramer, Purdue is known for hard-nosed basketball.
Purdue alum Matt Painter ('94) inherited the head coaching job after Gene Keady retired in 2005. Like Keady, Painter preaches defense and rebounding. Unlike Keady, Painter will allow his team to push the ball in the open court and improvise on the offensive end.
Purdue's core group is ready to blossom.
Painter's best recruiting class, led by juniors Robbie Hummel, E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson, is primed to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. Hummel is cut from the mold of Larry Bird, a player whose contributions are appreciated by basketball purists. Hummel's all-around floor game is reminiscent of the crafty legend from the Hoosier State.
Moore, the team's leading scorer the last two seasons, is an athletic wing who can score and distribute. Johnson, a 6'10" athletic forward, is a match-up nightmare for opposing coaches. Johnson is too quick for power forwards and too long for small forwards. The trio of juniors is joined by senior guards Chris Kramer and Keaton Grant to form one of the most talented groups in the country.
The Boilermakers were 27-10 last season, won the Big Ten tourney but lost to Connecticut in the Sweet 16.
Purdue has extra motivation to win at least four games in this season's NCAA tourney. The 2010 Final Four will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, less than a one-hour drive (67 miles) from the West Lafayette campus.
The bet: Purdue to win the national championship at odds of 30-1, a price currently available at Coast Casinos locations in Las Vegas.
STEROID SPECULATION.....
I love baseball. I always have and I always will. But steroid speculation has lessened my enjoyment of the sport.
For the past decade, I cannot help but think about the suspect careers of Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, poster boys for the Steroid Era.
Watching the World Series last week, I focused on the best player on the best team. The question I kept asking myself:� Did Alex Rodriguez compete drug-free?
Rodriguez went from "A-Roid" at the start of the season to "A-God" by season's end.
The 34-year-old Yankees third baseman began spring training with a public confession of steroid use in 2003. Rodriguez ended the season by capturing his first World Series title after 16 big-league seasons, the last six with the Yankees.
It's no surprise New York sports fans are ignoring the slugger's past transgressions. The influential New York media is hailing "A-Rod" as a baseball hero.
I'm not so quick to forgive the lawbreaker. For me, the shadows will remain forever.
WEITZNER ON A ROLL.....
"The Shrink" is two wins away from defending his title in the Fifth Annual Money Talks Invitational, a high-end football handicapping contest in Las Vegas. This past weekend, Ken Weitzner, owner and operator of Eye on Gambling (www.eog.com), finished 5-2 from his seven contest selections to eliminate Vegas Insider's Paul Bovi, who managed only three wins from his seven plays.
On December 4, Weitzner will meet the winner of this Friday's quarterfinal round match between professional sports bettors "Fezzik" and Tim Trushel.
RACHEL WHO.....
The great Zenyatta, now 14-for-14 lifetime, was the star of the 2009 Breeders' Cup. She became the first female horse in the 26-year history of the Breeders' Cup to win the Classic. The John Shirreffs-trainee closed from last to first to capture the $5 million race at Santa Anita before a vocal crowd of 58,845.
Zenyatta has the star quality to be considered among the greatest female horses of all-time. Her late-running style is not only effective, but thrilling.
Zenyatta's accomplishments last Saturday will unseat super filly Rachel Alexandra as the 2009 Horse of the Year.
Horse racing is often described as the Sport of Kings. This season, the Sport of Kings witnessed a pair of Queens dominate the scene.
MONDAY'S BEST BET.....
L.A. CLIPPERS -1 OVER NEW ORLEANS
Something's wrong with the Hornets. Point guard Chris Paul is unhappy with his team. Paul could be seen shouting in disgust at his teammates last night during a 104-88 loss to the L.A. Lakers. New Orleans returns to the Staples Center tonight and now meets the building's other NBA tenant.
The Clippers have improved dramatically this year after their 19-win debacle last season. Baron Davis, helped in the backcourt by the young legs of Eric Gordon and Sebastian Telfair, will negate the efforts of Chris Paul while Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby should dominate the paint, now that Tyson Chandler is no longer patrolling the middle for the Hornets.
I predict the Clips, after opening the season 0-4, will gain their fourth straight victory Monday night to move to .500 on the year.
THE LAST WORD.....
It's only a gambling problem if you're losing.�
Feel free to interact with others about this topic in our popular message boards below...