Line of Scrimmage: Cushing saga leaves too much unsaid
Football Betting Lines
05/13/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian Cushing finally met the media on Thursday, one day after the Houston Texans linebacker was permitted to keep his AP Defensive Rookie of the Year honor following a much-publicized re-vote.
Cushing, who tested positive last September for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a non-steroidal banned substance commonly used to chase the evidence of steroids from the body, finally emerged from behind the curtain to face questions about the situation.
Surprisingly, Cushing argued that his positive test for a banned substance was flat-out false. He offered no apology or contrition, though he did trot out some bizarre nonsense about thinking he had tumors. Cushing also put up an easily-predicted front of defiance behind which the former first-rounder will now have to prove to the world he can be a great player without cheating.
Maybe, unlike Shawne Merriman before him, he'll emerge from his cloud of steroid suspicion as the same, high-level player. And maybe he'll be great without putting any performance-enhancing substances into his body, though I wouldn't bet on it. Because what Cushing couldn't say in that press conference is that if he really started replacing laboratory-produced substances with a Rocky-like diet of raw eggs and protein shakes, he'd be way cleaner than a good portion of the people he has to compete against every Sunday.
Not that the league, the union, or many of the fans seem to give a flip, but a sizeable portion of NFL players is on something. Ex-Redskins and Lions tackle Jon Jansen told HBO Real Sports last year that he thought 15-20 percent of players were using Human Growth Hormone (HGH). Former NFL lineman Dana Stubblefield pegged the number as closer to 30 percent, and Buccaneers running back Earnest Graham said he thought it was more like one-third of the league.
Jansen and Graham have reason to be conservative with their numbers - they're current players who don't want to incite the ire of the teammates that would rather keep this situation as their, and the league's, dirty little secret. So anyone who can apply logic to situations, looking at how the speed and especially the size of players has escalated in the past two decades, could surmise that the number is really closer to 50 percent.
The obvious proliferation of performance-enhancers in the NFL has to be making Cushing feel unfairly singled out in this case. What he couldn't have said before the assembled media at Reliant Stadium is that what he did is hardly unique in the NFL circa 2010, and that he just happened to get caught for it. He couldn't say that those AP voters who re-cast their ballots for someone else the other day just might have made their re-vote for another guy who was taking something else.
Of course, apart from John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, none of the voters who made their new ballots public said anything to the effect of, "They're all on something, why should we hold it against just Cushing?" Some banged their fist on the podium and voted for another player, not that they could ever say conclusively that Jairus Byrd, Brian Orakpo, Clay Matthews, or anyone else had a great 2009 due only to their time spent in the weight room and watching game film. Those who changed their vote from Cushing to someone else - and I accept that there are some really talented people in this group - either switched their vote because of the embarrassment Cushing caused them and the process, because Cushing was stupid enough to get caught and they wanted to penalize him, or because they're naive enough to think that Cushing's case really is an isolated one.
Even those who voted for Cushing the second time around, like Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (who did not vote for Cushing originally), failed to acknowledge the elephant in the room. They instead focused on defending the voting process, worrying about whether this situation would lead to other re- votes if past winners had their viability questioned. The process-defenders used Bill Belichick's 2007 Coach of the Year honor, won in the vast shadow of Spygate, as an example of one that could be revisited if we were to start really studying such honors.
In citing "the process," as if a bunch of writers and broadcasters taking all of 30 seconds to devise an email with their vote attached is akin to some kind of ultra-important government procedure, these voters have missed an opportunity.
What not nearly enough people are saying is that Cushing is being offered up as an exception when it's quite likely what he did was much closer to the rule. The league won't say it, the union won't say it, and sadly, most of the media members who played a major role in this tale haven't said it either.
And you have to believe that Brian Cushing, a 23-year-old young man who stared down a firing squad in Houston on Thursday, wishes someone else was willing to acknowledge the real truth.
Dover, DE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR driver Brian Vickers will miss this weekend's Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway after being hospitalized for an undisclosed medical condition, Red Bull Racing officials announc
<< Solid dozen for Preakness
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 2010 Triple Crown traveling carnival
takes up residence in Baltimore this Saturday for the 135th running of the $1
million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. The 1 3/16-mile race has
attract
<< England's Zamora explains World Cup omission
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fulham striker Bobby Zamora has revealed
his fears over breaking down through injury were behind the decision not to
include him in England's World Cup squad.
Zamora was a surprise omission from pr
<< Slovakia's Skrtel optimistic about World Cup
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Liverpool's Slovakia defender Martin
Skrtel is optimistic of his chances of being fit for the start of the World
Cup.
Skrtel has been sidelined since February with a broken metatarsal but was
<< Samaras committed to Celtic
Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Celtic striker Georgios Samaras has
dismissed reports of a summer move to Palermo.
The Italian side have recently admitted their interest in the Greece striker,
who found starting opportunities at
Amsterdam, Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Netherlands striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has admitted his international career is over following his World Cup snub. The 33-year-old Hamburg striker was hoping his move to the Bundesliga
Neuer starts in Germany's win over Malta >>
Aachen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manuel Neuer started at goalie for Germany
in Thursday's friendly against Malta, but the other goalies on the provisional
World Cup roster were not available.
Loew lost No. 1 goalie Rene Adler to a broken
NL West: D'Backs getting no action from Jackson >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Diamondbacks invested a lot of hope and plenty of dough
on Edwin Jackson this offseason, but all he's been able to do is lead his new
ballclub to just one win in eight starts.
Arizona (14-21) acquired Jackson along wi
Chelsea's Drogba would welcome Torres move >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Didier Drogba has given his blessing for
Chelsea to launch a potential summer swoop on Liverpool for Fernando Torres.
Torres has been linked with a $59 million move to Stamford Bridge following
the en
Bresciano set for Palermo exit >>
Palermo, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Palermo midfielder Marco Bresciano is set to
leave the Serie A outfit and team up with Saudi Arabia side Al Nassr.
The Australian, who is expected to represent his country at this summer's
World Cup f
American Idol Betting Odds: Season 6
The online gambling websites are in the process of deciphering each American Idol contestant and his or her chances of winning Season 6 to come up with the early American Idol betting lines.
Tim Dalton of MySportsbook.com has been locked away in a soundproof room coming up with all the latest tallies, we are told. "American Idol has become one of the most significant betting events of the year," claims Jack Black of MySportsbook.com. "Last year, millions were bet during the season across the globe, not just in America.It's tough early on since we really do not have a glimpse as to how well each of these individuals will perform solo on a week-to-week basis. It's like Week 1 of the NFL. Pre-season means nada!
We do know the 24 finalists however.
Sanjaya Malakar is the young man whose sister failed to make it into the Top 24. He's very low key but - unless he totally flubs - will probably win over the young girlie vote for a few weeks anyway. He's too young to go all the way, according to Payton O'Brien.
Brandon Rogers - Who?
Phil Stacy is the military guy who missed his daughter's birth because of the Memphis audition. He should go a good distance.
Chris Sligh - He's got the humor and in many ways he's the Anti-American Idol much like last year's winner Taylor Hicks was. And this is why he'll probably get pretty far in this competition. He's chubby, white with a big curly afro....but more importantly, a great voice! People love "real", not "real cute" to go all the way.
"Blake Lewis should go far because of his uniqueness and looks. He's the boy next store with a twist - he beat boxes. But on top of this, he's a great singer, and I adore him," Payton O'Brien relayed.
A talented beat-boxer Blake Lewis was a hit during the group sing in Hollywood but Simon explained that this is a singing contest just before he told him he was “in.”
Paul Kim has caught our own roving reporter, Jenny Woo's eyes.
"I love the fact that there is a Korean American on the show and he is bound to get more Asians tuning into the show," Woo said from her Miami Beach estate. "There has never been a major presence of Asian-Americans on American Idol in the past. He's a hottie with a nice voice so that should help to take him far. Expect heavy betting action from the Asian community."
Sundance Head - He's not perfect, but he's got the personality that will take him through a few weeks, plus he's got the lineage (son of Roy Head - whose 1965 single, "Treat Her Right," hit No. 5 in the charts)
And the others:
Rudy Cardinas
AJ Tabaldo - the 5th time is the charm
Nicolas Pedro
Chris Richardson
Jared Cotter
The girls
"Melinda Doolittle has one of the best voices," says MySportsbook.com Reporter and an acclaimed dancer in her own right, Destiney Lewis. "It is great to see a back up singer step out like she has. The girl needs to gain more confidence but that can also be a positive. I think she will go far."
Alena Alexander - Those tears (she never seems to stop bawling) should get her far.
"Single mom Lakisha Jones I suspect will be a pretty big favorite entering Week 1 of the competition," says Destiny Williams. Jones is an excellent singer and down to earth. "She'll have a wide appeal," echoed O'Brien.
Nicole Trellis - Seems to exert confidence.
Amy Krebs - a powerful singer.
Antonella Barba
Gina Glocksen
Hailey Scanardo
Jordan Sparks
Stephanie Edwards
Leslie Hunt
Sabrina Sloan
MySportsbook.com is offering a 20% signup bonus with an initial deposit (i.e. open your American Idol betting account with $300, receive another $60 in which to bet with).
Last two contestants will be?
1 Male/1 Female +100 (a $10 bet pays $10 plus your initial $10)
2 Males +170 (a $10 bet pays $17 plus your initial $17)
2 Females +130 (a $10 bet pays $13 plus your initial $10)
MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook accepts Visa Credit Cards and online sportsbook accepts Mastercard Credit Cards for easy American Idol betting lines.