Rookie Dee Brown back after scary neck injury
Basketball Betting Lines
05/18/2007 - SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -With 260 pounds crashing down on his head, Dee Brown's neck stretched so far the Utah Jazz rookie wondered whether he would play basketball again. Brown had fallen while playing defense and was sitting in the lane when Mehmet Okur, Utah's 6-foot-11 center, fell directly on Brown's head, forcing his chin to his chest. ``It's a pain I can't really explain,'' said Brown, the point guard who missed two games after the frightening injury but is back with the Jazz as they prepare for the Western Conference finals. The injury occurred May 9 in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against Golden State. Brown hadn't played much in the seven-game series against Houston in the opening round, but the Jazz needed his quickness to try to keep up with the Warriors' up-tempo offense. And when starter Deron Williams went out with two quick fouls and Derek Fisher was still on his way back from New York because of a family illness, Utah needed Brown even more. Brown tried to take a charge from Golden State's Matt Barnes and fell under Okur, who couldn't avoid landing on his 6-foot, 180-pound teammate. Brown stayed down after the whistle and it took several minutes before he was helped back to his feet. He knew his neck was hurt, but didn't want to be taken off the court on a stretcher, so he walked gingerly - with some help - to the locker room. ``I wanted to see and make sure everything was still operating,'' Brown said. ``I was just a little nervous - a little shaken up. It was something that I just wanted to do.'' Brown had X-rays taken and went to the hospital as a precaution. The diagnosis was a sprain. He knew it could have been much, much worse. ``I was thinking about basketball,'' Brown said. ``It really hit me. That may have been my last basketball game.'' It wasn't. Six days later, Brown returned to the lineup and looked as spry as before while helping the Jazz beat the Golden State Warriors and clinch the Western Conference semifinal series in five games Tuesday night. ``He's a tough guy. I figured he was going to get up that night,'' said Williams, Brown's college teammate at Illinois. ``It turned out to be a little more serious.'' Brown played 9 minutes, 18 seconds in his return, getting called on again when Williams was called for two quick fouls. Brown finished with two points and two assists and one big deflection that kept the Warriors from an easy basket as Brown went full-speed into the front row. Brown had received a warm reception from the Jazz fans when he entered the game and another that was much louder when he left it. ``It was an extra-hustle play. That's my job. That's my role - to get out there and provide the extra-hustle plays and provide energy,'' Brown said. ``I take pride in doing that for my team.'' Brown put a heating pad on his neck when he went back to the bench. He said it is still stiff, but not enough to keep him out of the conference finals. The Jazz took Brown in the second round of the draft last summer. He played in 49 games during the regular season, averaging 1.9 points and 1.7 assists. He finished with 83 assists with just 31 turnovers, giving the Jazz a dependable backup for Williams. Utah coach Jerry Sloan has a reputation for not playing rookies much, but started giving Brown more time late in the season. Brown had 13 points and eight assists in the regular-season finale against the Rockets. ``My time will come. I'm very understanding and very grateful. I know I'm blessed where I'm at,'' Brown said. ``Every time he called my name, I was ready to play and I was excited.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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IP H BB SO W L ERASampson Hou 43 49 12 25 4 3 3.56BSheets Mil 56 51 12 34 4 2 3.86DLowe LAD 57 60 24 36 4 4 3.90Wolf LAD 53 54 14 62 5 3 3.91Webb Ari 69 64 27 55
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Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.
While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.
For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.
1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.
2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of online football betting possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.
How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.
Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.
Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.
How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).
Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.
Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.
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Bonds nearly hits HR 751, SF wins
4 and drove in
a pair of runs, and Barry Bonds nearly hit homer No. 751 as San Francisco beat
1, in the middle contest of three at AT&T Park.
6) allowed five hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings, fanning
eight and walking three.
game slide.
Bonds, who came within five homers of Hank Aaron's record on Friday, went
1 with three walks, an RBI double and scored twice. The double ...
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