NFL - Sports Rumors

Based on how the 2007-08 NFL season played out, one would think that the New York Giants would finally get some respect from Las Vegas oddsmakers after they rocked the betting world with their upset over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Think again.

This week, NFL over/under total win bets for the 2008-09 season were released and the Giants' mark is listed at 8.5 victories, which is two fewer than the Dallas Cowboys and the same as two teams that missed the playoffs last season in the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints.

According to Sportsbetting.com, a wager of $100 on the Giants (-140) going over 8.5 wins next season would pay $71.43. A bet on the Giants (+110) finishing with less than 8.5 victories would pay $110. The over at 8.5 wins for the Vikings is listed as even and the under is -130. For the Saints, the over is -150 and the under is +120.

While the Giants, who finished 10-6 last season, have a moderate win total projected for next season, the Patriots have the league's highest over/under total to work with at 12. But considering that New England ran the table in the regular season and finished 16-0, 12 victories seem manageable this season. That's why the over is -130 and under is even for the Patriots.

Source: Los Angeles Times

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Cedric Benson should know by now the eyes of Texas will be on him at all times and that he should avoid situations that carry the slightest hint of trouble, a fellow Longhorns legend says. Earl Campbell, the 1977 Heisman Trophy winner from Texas, basically agrees with Bears general manager Jerry Angelo that Benson is responsible for putting himself in the wrong place at the wrong time before being arrested May 3. Campbell told the Austin-American Statesman in Thursday's editions that Benson, facing misdemeanor charges of boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest, made a "dumb mistake."

"I think at some point you have to stand up and take responsibility and realize that you not only represent Cedric Benson and the Chicago Bears and your family," Campbell told the newspaper. "It's bigger than that. You represent the university family. You as a man should have some pride in what you do."

The comments came at a private golf tournament in Texas at which Campbell appeared with another former Texas Heisman winner, Ricky Williams-a player to whom Benson often is compared. Williams also told the paper Benson had invited him to spend that day on his boat on Lake Travis near Austin with the group of 15 friends that included Benson's mom, Jackie.

Source: Chicago Tribune

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Officially, the New York Jets' quarterback competition between Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens began Monday, when offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer flipped a coin before the first offseason practice.

Pennington called heads — and heads it was, meaning he got to be the "starter" on Day 1. The two QBs will alternate through 15 practices, culminating next month with a minicamp. That they resorted to a coin toss says everything about the quarterback situation — dead even.

Cynics might call it a dead end, considering the way both quarterbacks played last season, but it won't lack intrigue the New York Daily News reported.

Source: New York Daily News

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Michael Strahan doesn't appear to be close to announcing his future plans, but there is something the Giants could do to push things along. They could give him $8 million. That's the amount Strahan hopes to get from the Giants for what would likely be his final season with the team — and possibly in the NFL — if he decides to return to play in 2008, two sources familiar with his situation told the New York Daily News.

That would be double the $4 million salary he's due this season in the final year of the seven-year, $46 million deal he signed in 2002. In a meeting with Giants' officials in March, Strahan was told, "We'll take care of you" financially, according to a source, but the Giants weren't specific about those plans. According to one source, Strahan has been told the team is willing to go as high as $6 million for one season.

Strahan's agent, Tony Agnone, said money has not been discussed. It's not clear whether Strahan is willing to play for less than $8 million, nor is it clear whether he'd be willing to come to training camp as a condition for getting that much. Strahan, according to a source, has not yet been given permission to miss camp again this year without the fear of being fined. That could factor into whether he decides to return, too.

Source: New York Daily News

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For the first three games of the series, the referees could have given the Philadelphia Flyers 2 minutes for politeness. After making life miserable for the opposing goalies in the first two rounds, the Flyers seemed to treat the Penguins' crease as if it were being guarded by Martha Stewart watering petunias. Until Thursday night.

In the crucial first period of their 4-2 win, especially, the Flyers put shots on net, set up screens and made life much more difficult for goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Joffrey Lupul scored off a defenseman's stick. Danny Briere and Jeff Carter scored off scrums. For a second there, it looked like the Montreal series.

Lupul's goal gave the Flyers their first lead since the first period of Game 1. Briere's goal came off a fat rebound from a Randy Jones shot. Carter's goal also resulted from traffic in front. These were things that were not happening in the series' first three games. Going hard to the net is largely what got the Flyers through the first two rounds. They harassed Washington's Cristobal Huet throughout the seven games of the first round and won the series with an overtime goal off a broken play. But against Pittsburgh, they were unable to get to the net. A big reason was the Penguins were just about always playing with the lead and were able to apply the defensive clamps.

Source: Philly.com

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Angry? Upset? Oh, no. Quarterback Carson Palmer is neither. He had plenty of wide receivers to work with Tuesday, May 13, during the first in a series of on-field coaching sessions at Paul Brown Stadium.

It's just that none of the guys here are named Chad Johnson or T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Houshmandzadeh is working with a personal trainer in California. Johnson is holding out with a trade demand.

"My frustration level? I'm at zero right now," Palmer said. "I'm not frustrated at all. I'm happy and excited to be back on the field myself, whether they're here or not. I'm excited to be back with these guys, the guys that are here. We're definitely missing valuable time. We'll get to work whenever they get here. But timing and rhythm is something you build over time with repetition.''

Source: Dayton Daily News

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Source: The Province

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Michael Strahan has made his decision about whether or not to play again in 2008. He's just not ready to say it. The future Hall of Famer said Wednesday night that he's "pretty much" made up his mind whether to retire or to continue his NFL career. And without dropping any hints about which way he's leaning, he said he won't make any announcements until he's absolutely sure.

"I'll be honest with you, I pretty much know what I'm going to do right now," Strahan said Wednesday night at Cipriani in Manhattan, where he was a presenter at the Dreams in the City fundraiser for the Diabetes Research Institute. "But you know what the thing is? If I say it, I can't change my mind. So I would rather wait until I know I'm 100% sure that when I say what I'm going to do, I'm going to do it."

Strahan originally had promised a decision by early April, or at least before the NFL draft on April 26, but he said Wednesday night he regretted ever declaring a timetable. He also said he hasn't thought at all about whether he'll be at the Giants' mandatory three-day veteran minicamp, which begins on June 11. The 36-year-old also insisted money won't be the determining factor. He's due $4 million in salary in 2008, and according to an NFL source he met with Giants officials in March and they promised they'd increase his salary, at least a little. But Strahan has broadcasting options that would pay him well, too according to a report in the New York Daily News.

Source: New York Daily News

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The Cincinnati Bengals' first offseason practice Tuesday had a familiar look with a full-sized Rudi Johnson and fleet-footed Chris Perry on the field at the same time. Both tailbacks, key performers for the 2005 AFC North division-winning team, are making comebacks.

Perry's is more dramatic. The Bengals' first-round draft pick in 2004, Perry had not stepped foot on a football field as an active player since fracturing and dislocating his right ankle in a November 2006 game at Cleveland.

Johnson, the team's featured back who smashed his way to more than 2,900 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns in 2004 and 2005, missed five games last season and finished with just 497 yards because of a hamstring injury. He had changed his diet and played, he said, at 212 pounds last season, and his running style changed, too. Johnson, a between-the-tackles bruiser, tried to dance. Now he's put on 12 to 13 pounds of muscle mass in his chest and shoulders and said he weighs in the neighborhood of 225 pounds — his desired playing weight.

Source: Cincinnati Enquirer

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