Giants' Coughlin still whistling past the critics
Football Betting Lines
02/02/2012 -
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Some of the NFL's greatest coaches were unmistakable in
presence.
Hear a gruff voice while watching a 1960's era NFL Films marathon: It's Green
Bays Vince Lombardi. See the outline of a hat atop an angular and
expressionless face: It's Dallas' Tom Landry. Notice a jutting chin at the end
of a powerful jaw line: It's Pittsburghs Bill Cowher.
And come Feb. 5 in Indianapolis, another signature look joins the honor roll.
But no, it's not the somber-looking chap in the navy blue hooded sweatshirt.
Instead, welcome New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin to the fraternity for
his own go-to facial expression: Middle-aged man with Type A personality with
a look resembling someone smelling raw sewage.
Of course, if things go well for Big Blue over 60 on-field minutes at Lucas
Oil Stadium, Coughlin resume will have a new line that reads a lot sweeter
than his face might project:
Two-time Super Bowl champion.
Perhaps a fitting reward for a sturdy 16-year veteran of the league's short-
term sidelines, complete with 142 regular-season wins, nine playoff
appearances in two cities and as improbable as a championship run as there's
been -- the one that ended with the 10-6 Giants defeating the 16-0 New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII four years ago.
And surely a far cry from the epitaphs flung in Coughlin direction as recently
as two months ago, when a 6-2 start crumbled into a 6-6 crevasse and prompted
some to boldly forecast an imminent demise.
"Tom Coughlin has no choice but to reconnect with his team this week, and find
something, anything, to restore its credibility," ESPNNewYork columnist Ian
OConnor wrote in late November. "If he fails, Coughlin is not going to lose
only his cool or his mind. He is going to lose his job."
The piece ran under the hindsight-unfortunate headline of "Coughlin can't
weather another collapse."
"For winning that epic Super Bowl, and for standing among the best coaches in
franchise history, Coughlin will always have the memories," O'Connor
continued.
"Those will be his parting gifts."
But if anyone expected the 65-year-old native of upstate New York to channel
North Jersey stadium co-habitant Rex Ryan and mock the media for getting it so
far wrong on him yet again -- they don't know Coughlin.
Because it's simply not his style.
"Staying the course, never saying never," he instead said when asked for the
mental mantra that propelled him through the latest bout of tough times.
Trying to encourage at every point throughout the season, whether it was good
or bad, not denying the facts, but nevertheless seeing that we had a talented
team and believing in that team.
"Thinking that if we could only get all of these pieces together, maybe we
would have a chance to make ourselves recognized. I felt like we were always
in contention to win the division, even when things weren't going as well as
we'd have liked them."
As it turned out, while Ryan's self-promoting talk petered out as the
crosstown-rival Jets crumbled from 7-5 to 8-8, Coughlin steered the Giants to
three wins in their last four regular-season tests while capturing a chaotic
NFC East and parlaying it into a New England rematch in Super Bowl XLVI
following January defeats of seeds No. 5 (Atlanta), No. 1 (Green Bay) and No.
2 (San Francisco), respectively, in the conference.
The Giants' present run is at least vaguely reminiscent of 2007, when while
the Patriots were laying waste to foes in record-setting fashion, Coughlin's
team trudged along under the spotlight in losing their first two games, then
winning six straight and splitting the final eight en route to a 10-6 finish
and an NFC Wild Card berth.
That time around, they strung together road playoff defeats of fourth-seeded
Tampa Bay, top-seeded Dallas and No. 2 Green Bay -- an NFC Championship Game
noteworthy as Brett Favre's final one as a Packer -- before beating the
Patriots at Arizona's University of Phoenix Stadium on Eli Manning's fade-
route touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress with 35 second left.
It was a nice celebration to a surely epic comeback. But when the Giants
failed to replicate their postseason success a year later, then missed the
tournament altogether in successive seasons in 2009 and 2010, the keyboard-
wielding jackals returned.
While composing a 2011 preview for the Giants, ESPN columnist Dan Graziano
fired this verbal warning shot:
"Coughlin survived the collapse of 2009, and the fact that the team won 10
games [in 2010] certainly helped him survive last season's lack of a playoff
appearance. But if these Giants bottom out (as their lack of depth could lead
them to do), one must wonder if the team will go in another direction at
coach, or even if Coughlin might decide to go in a different direction
himself.
A bad year in New York could bring about change at a number of spots for the
Giants."
Again, well...let's just say reports of the demise were a bit premature.
And the whole debate is enough to make Giants defensive end Justin Tuck laugh.
"This might be the defining career season for him," Tuck said of Coughlin. "I
don't see why he wouldn't be the top candidate for Coach of the Year
considering the pressure that's on him in New York. It is definitely the type
of city that's about 'what have you done for me lately'? And it just seems
every year Coach Coughlin's job is up for grabs.
"I know it's a lot of pressure on him and he's always not really wavering
either way. You really couldn't tell if he's a coach that has won four Super
Bowls in a row or a coach that is on the hot seat all season. He stays even-
keeled and kind of stuck to his guns, and believed what this team was going to
be about. And I think that has trickled downstairs and trickled throughout
this entire franchise."
For his part, Coughlin insists the constant tumult has brought his team
closer. In fact, he claimed this week that the unit that captured the NFC
title with a 20-17 overtime win against the 49ers at Candlestick Park on Jan.
22 was as galvanized as any he's been a part of. That victory, incidentally,
came exactly 77 days after New York beat New England by a 24-20 verdict at
Gillette Stadium in Week 9 of the 2011 regular season.
"I understand young people and all that goes with that, but these guys have
been able to really create a very strong business-like approach to what
they're doing," Coughlin said. "Whether you use the word fellowship or
whatever word you want to use, there's a strong, strong feeling among this
group. It's been a great source of pride for all of us as coaches."
The Giants' aforementioned Super Bowl win over the Patriots, by the way, came
exactly four years ago on the Friday prior to this year's championship game.
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Elite 8 NCAA Tournament Betting at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
In what should be an outstanding Saturday of March Madness betting action, the top four teams in the South and West Regions square off in what should be extremely close match-ups. Three of the four teams are coming off extremely close games on Thursday evening, only UCLA won semi comfortably over Pitt 64-55.
Ohio State is coming off their second game in a row where in all reality they should have lost. Of course that doesn’t matter now since the name of the game is “survive and advance” but as the tournament continues, they can’t afford to keep getting down to their opponents early. Kansas also avoided a scare by holding off a scrappy Southern Illinois squad. In the third thrilling game of the evening Memphis pulled off the minor upset (+3.5) despite being the higher seed to Texas A&M.
Although the spreads are fairly small for Saturday’s games, MySportsbook.com continue to bet against the underdogs. Despite OSU’s two scares, 86% of the “betting public” feels the Buckeyes (-1.5) have what it takes to make the Final Four. In fact, so much of the early money is on OSU that the line has already moved from -1 to -1.5. In the second game of the doubleheader, Kansas and their high-powered offense are 2 point favorites as they take on UCLA and their effective defense. About 63% of the early money thus far is once again backing the favorites. If those percentages stay that high, don’t be surprised if this line moves as well. If you like Kansas (-2) you might want to jump on it early.
Memphis vs. Ohio State
Both squads were involved in thrillers on Thursday evening and should come out fired up. OSU can ill afford to get behind early like they did versus their previous two opponents (Xavier, Tennessee). Greg Oden needs to stay out of foul trouble; the Buckeyes are a completely different team when he is on the court. Memphis definitely has the athleticism and length to match-up with OSU. Of Memphis’ five leading minute earners, the shortest of the bunch is 6’5”. Each team has a very effective defense; Memphis surrenders 62.3 PPG whereas the Buckeyes give up only 61 PPG. With those type of numbers, it isn’t surprising that Memphis covered the UNDER almost 69% of the time this season. As a favorite, OSU has covered the UNDER almost 66% of the time over the last three seasons. The major concern for Memphis which is magnifies this time of the year is their brutal foul shooting (62%). This season, OSU is 17-11 ATS versus teams with a winning record and 7-2 ATS in all tournament games. Memphis has been an extremely reliable cover in tournament play in recent years with a 23-8 ATS record over the last three seasons.
UCLA vs. Kansas
In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, UCLA will play in a role which they are very unfamiliar with that of the underdog. Only twice this season have they been getting points from the handicappers and both times they covered. Over the last three seasons UCLA is a reliable 23-7 ATS in this unfamiliar role. UCLA has not fared well against Big 12 opponents recently going 1-7 ATS since 1997. Giving up only 59.6 PPG, UCLA will definitely look to do what they do best: keep this game as low scoring as possible. Their defense has been especially tough during the tournament. UCLA opponents have been able to muster up only 48.7 PPG while shooting a combined 34.5% from the field. UCLA definitely has a challenge at hand with a Kansas team that is capable of putting points on the board in bunches. As a team, they average 79 PPG and shoot an impressive 49.6% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc. During the tournament Kansas has been “lights out” from the field having shot 56.2%.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards
NCAA Football Betting
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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Bonds nearly hits HR 751, SF wins
4 and drove in
a pair of runs, and Barry Bonds nearly hit homer No. 751 as San Francisco beat
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6) allowed five hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings, fanning
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