Canada's youth movement
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07/21/2010 -
Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cast in the shadow of the Open Championship
which finished this past weekend at St. Andrews, the 2010 installment of the
RBC Canadian Open is all set to tee off at the historic St. George's Golf and
Country Club in Toronto, ON from July 22 - 25, 2010.
The renowned Stanley Thompson-designed course, which first opened in 1929, has
been the host of the Canadian Open on four occasions, but none since 1968. St.
George's has also been the host of the LPGA Classic on five occasions and most
recently the du Maurier Champions, also known as the Canadian Senior Open.
Well regarded as a course that demands accurate ball striking, spectators will
be treated to an exciting finish across the club's signature final four holes.
The 2010 PGA season has been an unpredictable journey to say the least, deemed
by many as the start of the Tiger Woods post-scandal era. With Tiger yet to
play up to the standard he's repeatedly set for himself since first joining the
PGA back in 1996, more and more tour pros are getting a taste of being the last
man standing come Sunday. In 2010, there have been 10 first-time winners on
the PGA Tour, most notably Graeme McDowell at the U.S. Open, and last weekend
Louis Oosthuizen at the Open Championship.
This growing shift in power from one player to the rest of the field offers
inspiring hope to the Canadian contingent vying for Canada's top golfing trophy
and a tournament purse worth $5.1 million USD. With only four players out of
the top 20 in the World Golf Rankings playing this week, the trophy is very
much up for grabs which bodes well for the deep Canadian team.
Led by the recently inducted Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Mike Weir, Canada's
hopes rest with a mix of young guns and proven veterans who make up fourteen of
the 156 total competitors in this year's Championship.
TEAM CANADA
2003 Masters Champion Mike Weir has had a rough year so far posting only one
top-10 finish this year, coming at the Bob Hope Classic. Considered a long shot
to win, Weir has struggled this year due to his poor ball-striking, ranking
189th of 190 players on tour. Since losing in a playoff to Vijay Singh at the
2004 Bell Canadian Open, Weir has yet to contend on a Sunday for his nation's
most coveted golfing prize. Meanwhile, if there is one player in the field not
to discount before teeing it up on Thursday, it's Weir. As he has done so many
times in the past, Weir will be carrying the weight of a nation as the most
popular and successful Canadian golfer of his generation.
Canada's second most well-known golfer, 2009 Players Champion Stephen Ames, has
experienced an up and down season thus far recording only one
top-10 and six top-25 finishes. Ames, an outspoken fan of St. George's,
likes the chances of a Canadian contending come Sunday based on Canadian
players' familiarity of the tight layout. It may be Ames who likes his own
chances best on a course that rewards players who can hit a high percentage of
greens in regulation and follow with a birdie putt. These are coincidentally
his two best statistical categories on tour this year.
The future of Canadian golf has emerged during the 2010 season and his name is
Graham DaLaet. The 28-year-old PGA Tour rookie is coming off the round of his
career last Saturday at the Reno-Tahoe Open after carding a bogey-free 62 that
tied the course record. DaLaet has enjoyed a consistent season boasting nine
made cuts and a third place finish at the Shell Houston Open making him the
logical pick for the low Canuck this week at St. George's.
Joining DaLaet in competition are six other Canadian golfers under the age of
30.
"They are among the best young golfers in the world and we are certain to see
exciting play from them as they compete with the PGA TOUR's biggest and best
names at St. George's in July," said Scott Simmons, Golf Canada's Executive
Director and CEO, in a recent press release.
The standout of this promising group is Canada's best amateur golfer - Nick
Taylor. The 2007 Canadian Amateur Champion and recent recipient of the 2010
Ben Hogan award as the nation's top collegiate golfer, is expected by many to
capture multiple Canadian championships before his career is out. The
University of Washington senior will be turning pro after the U.S. Amateur in
August, and will offer us a glimpse of what to expect for many years to come.
Other notable Canadians competing in the 2010 RBC Canadian Open: Ted Brown,
Ben Boudreau, Dave Bunker, Cam Burke, Matt Hill, Barrett Jarosch, Eugene Wong,
Stephen Ames, Graham DeLaet, David Hearn, Jon Mills, Nick Taylor and Mike Weir
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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
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Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.
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After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."
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