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Thousands of fans cheer Lakers in tributeBasketball Betting Lines06/21/2010 - LOS ANGELES (AP) -Thousands of fans cheered the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers during a victory parade Monday that players promised to repeat next year with a third consecutive title. Police reported a largely well-behaved crowd. Nine people were arrested for various minor offenses and two children were reported missing, police said. Authorities did not provide a crowd estimate. Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Andrew Bynum and Ron Artest waved to the throngs from a flatbed 18-wheeler as fans yelled and snapped pictures. Many people along the two-mile route waited hours for a glimpse of their heroes as they rolled past in a convoy that also included double-decker buses and fire engines. ``We saw them for three minutes, but it was worth every minute,'' said Trisha Siqueiros, 29, who drove two hours from Indio with her father, Ron Nieto, 51, for the parade. ``The only thing is they should have driven a little slower.'' The hour-long parade capped a season that ended with an 83-79 Game 7 victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday and a 16th NBA title for the Lakers. Team members vowed to play hard for a 17th championship next season. ``When next season starts, we'll be ready, that's for sure,'' Bryant told reporters. He added that of his five titles, ``this is the best one by far because it was the hardest one to get.'' Artest, who donned a top hat with purple and gold feathers and sported an unlit cigar during the ride, also said the team plans to buckle down. ``We have to party for another week, then start putting in the work and write history again next year,'' he said. The parade, which took the Lakers from Staples Center downtown to the Galen Center at the University of Southern California, started with the purple-spangled-clad Laker Girls, who received choruses of wolf-whistles. The tribute also included past Lakers greats Earvin ``Magic'' Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The crowd screamed ``Ma-gic! Ma-gic!'' when they spotted the player-turned businessman. Missing from the parade was coach Phil Jackson, who had to attend previously scheduled medical checkups, said team spokesman John Black. Jackson has said his health will determine whether he will return as coach. ``This is the highest priority for him and for us in determining whether he's going to come back and coach for us again next year,'' Black said. Artest said he wished Jackson could have been there. ``He's my favorite coach of all time,'' Artest said. ``I enjoyed it for him.'' Diehard fans wore all manner of Lakers attire and colors, from sneakers to purses to Mexican-style ponchos. Some waved huge flags and held up signs, like a foam tombstone reading ``RIP Boston'' and ``Back to back without Shaq.'' Many fans took a day off work to pay tribute to their team. Window washer Jimmy Baskom, 58, said he forewent the day's pay to drive in from Palmdale because he wanted to see his longtime basketball heroes up close after watching every game this season on TV. ``I've been a die-hard fan all my life and I watch every game but this is my first opportunity to see them in person,'' he said. Electrician Orie Stewart of Los Angeles said he took a day off to bring his 14-year-old granddaughter to the event. ``We've been longtime fans,'' he said. ``I'm raising my grandchildren to be Lakers fans.'' The police presence was heavy around the parade route with helicopters overhead and officers on foot, horseback, motorcycle and in cars to deter would-be vandals. After last Thursday's game, people started fires, rocked cars, smashed windows and threw objects at fans and officers. At least 42 people were arrested. The Los Angeles city attorney's office said Monday that 10 people will be prosecuted on misdemeanor charges including inciting a riot, unlawful assembly after being told to disperse, throwing flammable objects and assault. In one case, a man was accused of setting fire to a Celtics jersey, said senior assistant city attorney Chuck Goldenberg. Another man was arrested for throwing a bicycle at a police officer and other charges resulted from people throwing rocks at police and other offenses. Cabbie Abraham Teferi, whose taxi was attacked and burned by the mob, was given a $10,000 check by Staples Center owner AEG. AEG president and CEO Tim Leiweke said the taxi was covered by the cab company's insurance so AEG decided to cover the personal expenses of Teferi, 41, an Ethiopian immigrant who has been in the United States for nine years. ``This isn't about a car, this is about a life,'' Leiweke said. Fans left no doubt they were looking for a third title next year. ``I'm just as excited this year because it's the second time in a row,'' said Teresa Howe, 42, of Simi Valley. ``I'm looking forward to a three-peat. And I'll be here next year.'' --- Associated Press Writers Christina Hoag and Thomas Watkins contributed to this report.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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Betting the NFL preseasonRule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games." When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night. The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine. “I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.” The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark. “We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.” The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long. “It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.” Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play. “You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt." So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps? “Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says. Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins. Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet. Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter. “If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says. Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider. The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason. “We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003. Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards. |
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