Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots: Monday Night Football Showdown

The Indianapolis Colts vs. the New England Patriots is the Week 9 game everybody is looking forward to and sports bettors are licking their chops.--football gambling--

Miami Beach, FL (PRWEB) November 7, 2005 -- It is perhaps the most single anticipated game of Week 9 of the NFL. In fact, this could be the most looked forward to game of the 2005/2006 NFL season. --football gambling--

An undefeated Indianapolis Colts team plays in New England against the Super Bowl champion Patriots."This is one of those rare times when the New England Patriots opened as a +3 dog at home," commented former Indianapolis Colts cheerleader turned Sports Analyst for Gambling911.com, Lisa Perry. "The Patriots will definitely be the toughest team Indianapolis faces thus far this season. Outside of Jacksonville, none of the teams Indianapolis has faced are over the .500 mark."Lisa Perry was 7-4-1 with her Week 9 NFL plays going into Sunday night's game and she believes the game will be very close with a win by the Indianapolis Colts, but New England covers what is now a +4 1/2 line.--football gambling--

Lisa will be going against the general betting public which overwhelmingly had Indianapolis beating the spread at Sportsbook.com entering into the weekend. The online bookmaker reported 82% of all wagers were placed on the Colts. The Patriots have gone 6-0 against the Colts since 2001. In New England, Peyton Manning has never won. For the Colts, who ended their season in Foxborough in each of the last two years, a victory would mean a four-game advantage over the Patriots in the race for home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs. --football gambling--

The Patriots (4-3) have alternated wins and losses every game since opening the season with a victory over the Oakland Raiders. The toughest stretch of their schedule has been a five-game span against teams that were .500 or better entering Sunday -- four of them on the road. They went 2-3 in those games. Sports bettors and enthusiast alike are encouraged to read www.gambling911.com regularly and bookmark the web site as one of their favorites. --football gambling--

Gambling911.com features Free NFL picks, predictions, analyses, forecasts and vital line moves (provided by PinnacleSports.com) in addition to now showing which team side the majority of action is being taken on (care of Sportsbook.com). --football gambling--

Gambling911.com through its Sports911.com arm is also the first to news outlet to provide full results on the early Sunday afternoon NFL games each week.Check out www.gambling911.com and see more of sexy former Indianapolis cheerleader Lisa Perry in addition to all the top sports handicapping information available free at your fingertips. --football gambling--

About Gambling911.com: Gambling911.com is recognized as the global leader in gambling news as it relates to entertainment, sports and politics. The web site was mentioned in The Wall Street Journal and featured in numerous other publications and media outlets including the Miami Herald, Canadian Business Magazine, Winnipeg Free Press, Las Vegas Sun, The Hartford Courant and Fox Television. The web site will also be mentioned in Canadian Business Magazine this coming month. Gambling911.com is owned by Twenty-One Holdings, LLC.# # #--football gambling--

NFL Roundup

Quarterback-thin Niners sign former Giant Palmer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- The San Francisco 49ers signed Jesse Palmer on Tuesday after losing their top two quarterbacks to injuries. -NFL Football-

Palmer, a fourth-round pick out of Florida by the New York Giants in 2001, was released before this season. Used primarily a backup in New York, he completed 63 of 120 passes for 562 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. -NFL Football-

"I'm just looking forward to coming in and working hard and trying to pick things up as quickly as I can," Palmer said. "I'm ready to do whatever they ask me to do, and whatever I can do to help this team win." -NFL Football-

The 49ers made the move after No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith went down with strained knee ligaments and backup Ken Dorsey hurt his ankle. Cody Pickett, the fourth-stringer at the start of the season, is expected to be San Francisco's fourth starter in five games Sunday against the Giants. -NFL Football-

The Niners earlier traded Tim Rattay, their opening day starter, to Tampa Bay. -NFL Football-

"It's difficult in my position because you are just waiting on injuries and that's often when your opportunity comes at this point into the season," Palmer said. "You never wish anyone ill health, but that's the reality of the business." -NFL Football-

To make room on the roster for Palmer, the 49ers waived free safety Jeremy Thornburg. The team also waived linebacker Roger Cooper from the practice squad. -NFL Football-

Cowboys release Thomas, put Singleton on IR

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- The Dallas Cowboys released running back Anthony Thomas on Tuesday and placed linebacker Al Singleton on injured reserve, ending his season. -NFL Football-

Thomas, signed in the offseason to provide depth behind starter Julius Jones, became expendable with the emergence of rookies Marion Barber and Tyson Thompson. He had two 1,000-yard seasons in four years with Chicago before signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys. -NFL Football-

Thompson caught the attention of coach Bill Parcells with a strong training camp and preseason. Barber has 222 yards and two touchdowns in two games as a replacement for Jones, who is battling an ankle injury. Thompson, an undrafted free agent, is the first Irving native to play for the Cowboys, and Barber is a fourth-round pick out of Minnesota. -NFL Football-

Singleton broke a collarbone in Sunday's 34-13 victory against Arizona. -NFL Football-

The Cowboys also placed defensive end Jay Ratliff (ankle) on injured reserve, and they signed safeties Tony Dixon and Lynn Scott, both former Cowboys. -NFL Football-

Lions sign well-traveled LB Wayne

DETROIT (AP) -- The Detroit Lions on Tuesday signed linebacker Nate Wayne to a one-year contract. -NFL Football-

Wayne signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars on May 16 after he was waived by the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Jacksonville released him in September. -NFL Football-

In 85 games over seven NFL seasons, the 6-foot, 237-pound linebacker had 545 total tackles, including 352 solo tackles and 16 sacks. Before playing with the Eagles, Wayne played in Denver and Green Bay. -NFL Football-

The Lions also signed wide receiver Glenn Martinez to the practice squad and released wide receiver Adam Herzing from the practice squad. -NFL Football-

Martinez has been active for two games with the Lions this season and caught one pass for 11 yards. -NFL Football-

Packers add three to practice squad

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Linebacker Atari Bigby was among three players added Tuesday to the Green Bay Packers' practice squad. -NFL Football-

The team released wide receiver Craig Bragg and linebacker Zac Woodfin. -NFL Football-

Bigby, a native of Jamaica, had signed with Miami as a non-drafted free agent out of Central Florida before being waived and then signing with the New York Jets. The Jets waived him Sept. 4. -NFL Football-

Also signed to the practice squad were two other rookie free agents -- fullback Greg Hanoian, out of Syracuse, and wide receiver Reggie Harrell, from Texas Christian. -NFL Football-

Cardinals re-sign Newhouse, release Carter

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- The Arizona Cardinals re-signed wide receiver Reggie Newhouse on Tuesday and released cornerback Dyshod Carter. -NFL Football-

The Cardinals released Newhouse on Sept. 3 in the team's final roster cut. He played in three games for Arizona last season, with one reception for 5 yards. -NFL Football-

The move coincides with the uncertain status of wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Boldin left Sunday's loss in Dallas with a right knee injury. An MRI showed it was a bone bruise, rather than a more serious injury the Cardinals had feared. It's not known whether he'll play Sunday against Seattle. -NFL Football-

In another move, the team released safety Adrian Mayes from injured reserve. -NFL Football-

Browns release TE Miller

CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland Browns on Tuesday released veteran tight end Billy Miller, who did not catch a pass in three games with the team. -NFL Football-

Miller was signed by the Browns one week before the start of the regular season because Steve Heiden was the only healthy tight end on the roster. Aaron Shea returned from a strained chest muscle last month and Miller has seen little action since. -NFL Football-

Miller had 114 receptions for 1,212 yards and seven touchdowns in six seasons with Denver and Houston. He was Houston's leading receiver in 2002, catching 51 passes for 613 yards and three touchdowns. -NFL Football-

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

NFL can’t allow Saints to relocate

Ben Smith

OK, I get this now. This is where Paul Tagliabue unleashes his inner Corleone, right? This is where he tells Tom Benson he’s comin’ to New Orleans for a little “chat.” -NFL Football-

This is where he tells San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger they need to reach an “accommodation.” -NFL Football-

This is where he shows up on both men’s doorsteps, unannounced, and suggests they go for a ride. Just the three of them. Clemenza will bring the canoli. -NFL Football-

OK, OK. So it’s a stretch to see the distinguished, bespectacled Tagliabue as a mob boss, putting the arm on unruly associates. But whatever hammer the man wields as commissioner of the National Football League, he needs to pick it up now. -NFL Football-

Heard the latest from the NFL, aka Now For (some) Larceny? -NFL Football-

The Raiders are having a hell of a year. -NFL Football-

Published reports in the San Antonio Express-News say Benson, the owner of the New Orleans Saints, plans to void his lease with the Louisiana Superdome, claiming that Hurricane Katrina has made it unusable. He’s already informed Louisiana officials he plans to abandon the Saints’ training facility in Metairie, La., claiming the damage caused by FEMA’s use of the facility for disaster relief has rendered it unusable, too. -NFL Football-

All of this is an alleged attempt to bail on New Orleans, whose storm-ravaged economy suddenly looks a lot less appealing than, say, that of San Antonio or Los Angeles. The first opened its arms to the Saints after Katrina, offering the use of training facilities and the Alamodome for three games. The second has had the Saints on its radar for years as a candidate for relocation. -NFL Football-

I don’t know what the standards are for vile behavior in the NFL these days – Bob Irsay’s moving violation and Art Modell painting the Browns purple used to be the benchmark – but clearly they are not what they used to be. They are far worse. -NFL Football-

What can you say about two cities openly taking advantage of a horrendous human tragedy to steal a piece of ravaged New Orleans’ civic identity? That perhaps I was too hasty in saying it was a good year for Raiders? That perhaps it’s more accurate to say it’s a better year for vultures – and that these days, when lunch is served in San Antonio and Los Angeles, carrion flambé is the preferred dish? -NFL Football-

At least in L.A. officials have displayed a little squeamishness about the propriety of all this. The general manager of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Pat Lynch, told Alan Abrahamson of the Los Angeles Times there’s no “time or place to ever bring up” the subject. And Bill Chadwick of the Coliseum Commission said it “clearly would be bad form for the commission to reach out to New Orleans.” -NFL Football-

In San Antonio, on the other hand, Hardberger has no such qualms. And apparently no conscience, either. -NFL Football-

He’s openly discussed what sort of improvements to the Alamodome would have to be made, and announced over a week ago that he expects negotiations between San Antonio and the Saints would begin early next year. All this appeared in an Express-News piece devoted to Hardberger’s “Saints relocation efforts.” -NFL Football-

Saints relocation efforts? -NFL Football-

What’s Hardberger’s next act, seducing the woman whose husband’s in a coma? -NFL Football-

That’s essentially what he’s doing here, and Benson – for all his poormouthing about keeping the Saints in New Orleans – is apparently amenable to it. This despite the fact that he’s given New Orleans little except years of lousy football. This despite the fact that New Orleans has given him 36 straight sellouts anyway. -NFL Football-

Even Paris Hilton would blush at this sort of crassness. -NFL Football-

Tagliabue, meanwhile, needs to do more than blush. He’s already pledged the league’s help to New Orleans; now he needs to sit on the vultures. He needs to remind L.A. that the reason it doesn’t have an NFL franchise is that it’s a serial failure as a pro football town. He needs to tell Hardberger that if he ever wants to see the Alamodome graced by an NFL logo, he needs to stop accessorizing his wardrobe with an eyepatch and a cutlass. -NFL Football-

Tags’ NFL is so obsessed with image it comes close to being pathological about it, what with all the fines for wayward shirttails or wearing the wrong socks. But nothing that’s happened in the last decade approaches this New Orleans business for tarnishing that image. Nothing – not Janet Jackson’s flashdance, not Terrell Owens’ dalliance with the “Desperate Housewives” – comes close to being this tawdry. -NFL Football-

Time to unleash the inner Corleone, Tags. Time for a little “accommodation.” Time to bring down the hammer on certain unruly associates, because suddenly it’s not about keeping that shirttail tucked in. It’s about owners and potential owners who can’t keep their ethics tucked in. -NFL Football-

Somewhere, Bob Irsay is chortling. He’s off the hook at last. -NFL Football-

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Ben Smith has been covering sports in Fort Wayne since 1986. His columns appear four times a week. He can be reached by e-mail at bensmith@jg.net; phone, 461-8736; or fax 461-8648 or at the "Ben Smith" topic of "The Board" at . Ben Smith has been covering sports in Fort Wayne since 1986. His columns appear four times a week. He can be reached by e-mail at bensmith@jg.net; phone, 461-8736; or fax 461-8648 or at the "Ben Smith" topic of "The Board" at .


© 2005 Journal Gazette and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.fortwayne.com

Week Seven game previews
By PFW staff Oct. 20, 2005
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Tennessee at Arizona
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The Cardinals have had no stability at quarterback since Denny Green took over the team, and after injury-prone Kurt Warner hurt his groin vs. Seattle, there is more controversy surrounding the position. --- nfl ---
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Josh McCown has played like the quarterback Green thought he had before passing up Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger. McCown has quickly established a rapport with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, who have each racked up more than 100 yards receiving the last two games with McCown throwing to them. McCown is more elusive than Warner and better able to stay off the ground behind a makeshift offensive line. --- nfl ---
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The Cardinals’ run game has been abysmal, so they will have to air it out to have a chance. They should be able to effectively isolate Tennessee’s --- nfl ---cornerbacks, with former first-round picks Pacman Jones and Andre Woolfork both struggling. Arizona’s cornerbacks, with rookie starters Antrel Rolle (knee) and Eric Green (shoulder) hurting, are not in much better shape, but defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast finds ways to bring pressure with his fast --- nfl ---linebackers and solid bookends in Bertrand Berry and Chike Okeafor. --- nfl ------ nfl ---
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Also working in the Cardinals’ favor is Steve McNair’s inability to establish a rapport with his young receivers and the continuation of Travis Henry’s four-game suspension for substance abuse, leaving fragile RB Chris Brown to carry the workload by himself. WR Drew Bennett is sidelined with a hand injury, meaning the Titans will likely start two rookies at wide receiver.--- nfl ---
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One positive for the Titans has been the ability of their defense to pressure opposing quarterbacks, led by DLE Kyle Vanden Bosch’s 6½ sacks.--- nfl ---
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Surgery ends season for Falcons' Hartwell

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (Oct. 10, 2005) -- Atlanta Falcons linebacker Ed Hartwell had surgery to repair a torn right Achilles' tendon and will miss the rest of the season.

Coach Jim Mora said the Falcons also expect to lose backup cornerback Chris Cash for the season with a broken arm. Hartwell and Cash were injured in Atlanta's 31-28 loss to New England on Oct. 9. - NFL Football -

Cash filled a key role in the secondary when he was signed after a season-ending injury to Kevin Mathis. But the loss of Hartwell could cause the most dramatic adjustments to the defense.

"We'll recover as a football team and Ed will recover, but we will miss his presence," Mora said.

Hartwell, the team's most significant free-agent acquisition of the offseason, was expected to lead the defense as a run-stopping middle linebacker. He was viewed by Mora and general manager Rich McKay as the missing piece from last year's team, which lost in the NFC championship game. - NFL Football -

Mora said the coaching staff was still discussing how to replace Hartwell. He had 30 tackles and a pass deflection before the injury.

Options include moving four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Keith Brooking from the outside to the middle spot, where he has significant experience. Ike Reese, playing behind second-year starting outside linebacker Demorrio Williams, could move into the starting lineup.

Another option is rookie Michael Boley, a fifth-round pick who has made his biggest contribution as the team's leader in special teams tackles.

"Having a guy like Ike gives you some flexibility," Mora said. "We have to decide as a staff what gives us the best combination of players to help us win games. We have to take into account special teams, and Ike is a big part of our special teams package. - NFL Football -

"I want to talk to Keith and talk to Ike, and then we'll decide and we'll go forward."

Reese finished the game at middle linebacker.

The Falcons also were without quarterback Michael Vick, out with a sprained knee. Mora said it's too early to predict Vick's status for their Week 6 game against New Orleans in San Antonio.

"I've got to believe Mike will make progress," Mora said. "We'll see. We should have a good feel Wednesday." - NFL Football -

Backup Matt Schaub passed for 298 yards and three touchdowns -- season highs for the team -- without an interception.

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC.

Court sides with Pats in season ticket dispute
NFL.com Wire Reports

BOSTON (Sept. 30, 2005) -- A Connecticut company that sued to have its season ticket privileges restored by the New England Patriots after a male ticket holder was caught using a women's restroom has lost its appeal. - NFL Football -

Southington, Conn.-based Yarde Metals had appealed an earlier decision by the Suffolk Superior Court that found the Patriots had the right to rescind the season's tickets. - NFL Football -

The tickets were revoked after one of Yarde's guests used a women's restroom during an Oct. 13, 2002, game against the Green Bay Packers at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

Yarde Metals sued to regain its six seats. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Thomas Connolly ruled that the team was not out of bounds, although he called its decision "Draconian."

Yarde pursued the case, but the state appeals court also sided with the team. - NFL Football -

Although the court agreed that the team's decision was "harsh," it ruled that purchasing a season ticket doesn't constitute a contract guaranteeing the ticketholder the right to purchase seasons tickets indefinitely. - NFL Football -

"The annual 'automatic and unsolicited' offer from the Patriots to purchase season tickets may not thwart the Patriots' right to revoke ticket privileges for cause which the ticket holder agreed to as part of the season ticket package," the court ruled. - NFL Football -

The Patriots had offered Yarde a refund for the remaining tickets for the season.

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC.

Ex-NFL QB heads USD turnaround

BY ALEX GOLDBERGER

Jim Harbaugh was born with a football in his right hand. Forty years later, after 15 seasons as an NFL quarterback, he did what his father did -- and what his brother and brother-in-law do -- he turned to coaching.

"My dad's a coach," said Harbaugh, now head coach at the University of San Diego, which will host the Bulldogs Saturday. "He's been coaching for 43 years. I sort of grew up around coaching -- games on Saturdays. So I knew I'd play as long as I could and then start coaching. It's such a great profession. I was always so proud of him growing up. He coached at Michigan and he was a celebrity almost. Stems from him, my mom, the relationship they had, the relationships he had with other coaches. Personally, as an adult, it's the way I'm wired. I need competition."

Indeed, the coaching bug bit Harbaugh even before his playing career was over. Over his final eight seasons in the NFL (1994-2001) -- including 1995, the year in which he finished runner-up in the MVP voting -- Harbaugh was an NCAA-certified unpaid assistant coach under his father, Jack, at Western Kentucky University, serving as offensive consultant, scout and recruiter.

When he finally took the reins of his own team, at San Diego before the 2004 season, coaching did not seem to come as naturally for the son as it had for the father. The Toreros lost four of their first six games, including a 61-18 thrashing at the hands of Pennsylvania (lowly Princeton also edged USD a week later, 24-17).

"We did have a tough schedule," Harbaugh said. "But the one thing about the west-coast offense is it takes some time to learn." - NFL Football -

It takes five games, it turned out. In San Diego's final loss of the season, quarterback Todd Mortensen carved up the Drake defense for 347 yards passing.

He, Harbaugh and the Toreros never looked back. After the team reeled off five consecutive victories to close out the season, Mortensen was named Pacific Football League co-Offensive Player of the Year and was signed by the Detroit Lions and Harbaugh -- the former Heisman finalist, first-round pick and Pro Bowler -- was one of the hottest names in Division I-AA coaching. - NFL Football -

"I take pride in the entire team," Harbaugh said when asked if he favored quarterbacks over his other players. "Quarterback is an important position, probably the most important on offense because he handles the ball every play. Maybe I'm a little biased for having played it, and since I coach the quarterbacks, but it's the head coach's responsibility for the success of the whole team, and I take great pride in wins and losses."

This season, with new starters at running back and quarterback, the Toreros (2-0) picked up right where they left off, vanquishing Azusa Pacific and Southern Oregon by a combined count of 81-6. - NFL Football -

Still, Harbaugh is quick to point out that Yale might just be in another class than San Diego and the rest of the PFL, widely regarded as second-tier within I-AA.

"We definitely welcome the competition with a team with the tradition of Yale," Harbaugh said. "Watching them on film, I think it's a great football team and should be a great challenge for our team."

It might please the Eli coaching staff to hear that Harbaugh was most concerned about Yale's wideouts, a major source of consternation for the Bulldogs since a preseason injury to receiver Chandler Henley '06 left the team without any starting experience at the position.

"They have playmakers on both sides of the ball," Harbaugh said. "I'm really impressed with their receiving corps. They're really athletic at that position." - NFL Football -

The upcoming battles in the trenches have also cost San Diego's coach sleep this week.

"They have such great size and strength," he said. "They're really big in the lines. That'll be a key matchup for us. It's sort of a David and Goliath thing."

Nevertheless, despite an 0-2 mark against Ivy League foes, Harbaugh is not worried about making a statement to the choice world of northeastern football. - NFL Football -

"Do I feel extra pressure? I don't feel any pressure. I don't have to block anybody or tackle anybody." - NFL Football -

Copyright © 1995-2005 Yale Daily News Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved.