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07/29/2007 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cuauhtemoc Blanco era with the Chicago Fire got off to a perfect start Sunday.
Blanco, a Mexican icon, had an assist in his Major League Soccer debut as the Fire snapped a six-game winless streak and won for just the second time in 13 games with an impressive 3-0 victory at Toronto FC.
Ivan Guerrero scored his first goal in more than two years, Calen Carr had a goal and an assist and substitute Floyd Franks also scored as Chicago earned Juan Carlos Osorio his first win as head coach.
"We played well in both ends of the field," Osorio said. "Toronto is a tough place to play. I'm very happy with the performance."
Chicago (5-8-4) pulled even with Toronto FC (5-9-4) in the Eastern Conference with one game in hand and both teams are just 11 points behind first-place New England.
"We are very close to everyone (in the standings)," Guerrero said. "We have to get better, we have to do it game to game."
Chicago took control of the match early, notching its first shot on goal just two minutes in and getting its first good scoring chance just four minutes in on a shot from Chad Barrett.
Barrett had another scoring chance denied by Toronto goalie David Monsalve in the 11th minute when his header was pushed over the bar.
Toronto FC had its best chance of the first half in the 17th minute when Danny Dichio put a header toward the upper right corner of the goal, forcing Chicago goalie Matt Pickens to make one of his three saves.
Chicago finally broke through in the 37th minute when Guerrero scored off a perfect assist from Blanco. The Mexican international made an accurate pass down the left side to a streaking Guerrero. The defender touched the ball two times as he moved into the box, then buried a shot inside the near post.
Guerrero, who hadn't scored in the regular season since June 29, 2005, smiled when told about his long scoring drought.
"We are very happy," he added. "It's a very important (win)."
The Fire nearly extended their lead late in the half when Barrett settled a pass in the box, turned and launched a shot into the upper left corner. But referee Jair Marrufo gave Barrett a yellow card for playing the ball with his hand - which Barrett argued - to erase the great finish.
Chicago still took a 1-0 edge into half, which was a good sign for the club. The Fire were 4-0-1 when leading at half this season while Toronto was 0-5-3.
The season-long trend held for both teams, but Chicago didn't sit on the one- goal cushion. The Fire added two more goals to score three goals in a game for just the second time this season. The last time Chicago scored three goals was also the last time it won - on June 3 against Columbus.
Carr put Chicago up 2-0 in the 58th minute with his second goal of the year. After the Fire controlled the ball in Toronto's end, a loose ball settled at Carr's feet just inside the box. He took a shot toward the left side of the net that deflected off a defender and into the right corner.
Toronto nearly got back into the game in the 64th minute when Todd Dunivant lofted a shot over Pickens, but Fire defender Dasan Robinson headed the ball off the line.
Carr continued to frustrate Toronto FC, getting another solid scoring chance midway through the second half. He took a short pass from Franks at the top of the box and had a hard shot deflect off Monsalve, the crossbar and the post.
Chicago finally put Toronto away in the 75th minute when Carr picked up his first assist of the year on the first goal this year for Franks. Carr had the ball on the right side of the box and crossed it in front of the goal where Franks just had to tap it inside the left post.
The Fire nearly added a fourth goal in the 82nd minute, but back-to-back shots were denied by Monsalve and a defender. Toronto followed with a counter attack that resulted in a shot from Joey Melo, but Pickens made the save to preserve his fifth shutout of the season.
"I think all the hard work paid off. We've had 12 (training) sessions since I've been around and we've demanded more of each player," said Osorio, who lost his MLS debut on July 12. "Our defense was excellent ... Offensively, we capitalized on our chances and could have scored more goals."
Monsalve, 18, was making his debut for Toronto. The Canadian under-20 national team player became the youngest goalie to start a game in league history. With Greg Sutton likely done for the year due to a concussion, Toronto is searching for a full-time goalie.
Toronto - which is winless in its last four games, has just one victory in its last seven and is 1-8-3 against the East - was without regular starters Jeff Cunningham, Ronnie O'Brien and Marvell Wynne. . Note: Guerrero had two goals in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2005 against D.C. United.
<< Thatcher wins Cox Classic by a shot
Omaha, NE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roland Thatcher closed with a scrambling par at
the 18th hole Sunday to win the Nationwide Tour's Cox Classic.
Thatcher shot a six-under 65 in the final round to end at 24-under 260, edging
talented youngster Jas
<< A-Rod still at HR 499 as Yanks top Orioles
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johnny Damon went 3-for-5, drove in two
runs and scored four times as the New York Yankees outslugged the Baltimore
Orioles, 10-6, in the finale of a three-game set.
Alex Rodriguez went 0-for-2 and w
<< Padres outlast Astros in slugfest
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Cameron, Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin
Kouzmanoff each hit two-run home runs and had three RBI as San Diego scored 11
runs in the first inning and outlasted Houston, 18-11, in the finale of a
four-ga
<< Tampa Bay uses long ball to down BoSox
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dioner Navarro hit a solo home run to
break a scoreless game during a five-run seventh inning as the Tampa Bay Devil
Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox, 5-2, to salvage the final game of a three-
game se
Marlins beat Giants as Bonds goes homerless >>
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Miguel Cabrera went 4-for-5 with a solo
home run, three RBI and two runs scored as the Florida Marlins downed the San
Francisco Giants, 8-5, in the finale of a three-game set at AT&T Park.
Barry Bonds
Stewart wins Allstate 400 at Indy >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tony Stewart won Sunday's Allstate 400
at the Brickyard. The No.20 Home Depot Chevrolet driver took the checkered
flag 2.982-seconds ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya.
The victory was Stewart's second
Rain halts play in Washington >>
Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Czech Tomas Zib and American Kevin Kim
completed the only match in the first round of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic
Sunday, with Zib advancing in straight sets.
After Zib ousted Kim, 7-6 (7-2), 6
Chipper, Braves crush D-Backs >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chipper Jones drove in five runs and Tim Hudson
scattered three hits over seven shutout innings as Atlanta trounced Arizona,
14-0, in the finale of a three-game set.
Hudson (11-5) fanned five and walked on
MySportsbook.com: NBA Championship Odds
With the playoffs about two months away, the top two teams in the Western Conference are the clear cut leaders to win the NBA Championship. The Dallas Mavericks have the best record in the NBA (44-9) and have been absolutely scorching since the second week of the season. What makes the Mavs’ record more impressive is the fact that they dropped their first four games of the season. Currently they have won 17 out of their last 18 and are MySportsbook.com’s favorite (2-1) to win it all. Right behind the Mavs are the Pacific leading Phoenix Suns (39-13). Last season, the Suns lost in the Conference Finals to non-other then the Mavericks four games to two. Of course the Suns were without center Amare Stoudemire who has is averaging 19.9 PPG and 9.5 RPG since coming back from his knee injury. Unlike the Mavs, the Suns have struggled a bit lately having lost their last three and four out of their last seven. Of course the main reason for their three straight loses is due to the absence of two time MVP Steve Nash, who is out with a shoulder injury. Heads-up, the Mavs have beaten the Suns in both of their meetings this season.
In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons (32-19) are the favorites to win it all at 6-1. The addition of Chris Webber seems to have been a good move for the Pistons. Since coming over from the 76ers, Webber has averaged 13.1 PPG and 7.3 RPG and the Pistons are 11-4. Even though the defending champion Heat are currently on the playoff making cusp, they are the Eastern Conference team that is getting the most action to win it all (9-1). The fact that Shaquille O’Neal is back in the starting lineup after missing 39 games probably has something to do with this. No doubt, Shaq makes a difference when in the lineup as their winning six out of their last seven would indicate.
Just because it is the All-Star break doesn’t mean that you can’t bet on NBA hoops this weekend. Be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com to bet on who you think will cut down the nets this July. Also, be sure to check out all of the lines and props for All-Star weekend. With the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry, there are plenty of ways to cash in on the NBA this weekend.
MySportsbook.com’s NBA Championship odds:
Atlanta Hawks 1000-1
Boston Celtics 5000-1
Charlotte Bobcats 5000-1
Chicago Bulls 20-1
Cleveland Cavaliers 20-1
Dallas Mavericks 2-1
Denver Nuggets 25-1
Detroit Pistons 6-1
Golden State Warriors 250-1
Houston Rockets 12-1
Indiana Pacers 60-1
Los Angeles Clippers 45-1
Memphis Grizzlies 5000-1
Miami Heat 9-1
Milwaukee Bucks 1000-1
Minnesota T-Wolves 200-1
New Jersey Nets 50-1
New Orleans Hornets 150-1
New York Knicks 150-1
Orlando Magic 75-1
Philadelphia 76ers 1000-1
Phoenix Suns 5-2
Portland TrailBlazers 1000-1
Sacramento Kings 250-1
San Antonio Spurs 9-1
Seattle Sonics 5000-1
Toronto Raptors 35-1
Utah Jazz 20-1
Washington Wizards 25-1
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Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.
Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.
NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.
"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.
The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.
But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.
The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.
Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.
The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.
The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.
The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.
Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.
Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."
Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.
"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."
Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.
It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.
"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."
Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.
"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."
At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.
According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.
Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.
Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.
He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.
Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.
Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.
Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.
While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.
"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.
Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.
Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
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