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In the FCS Huddle: Bigger playoff field is betterNCAA Football Betting Lines05/04/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The expansion of the FCS playoffs from 16 to 20 teams only increases potential storylines for the upcoming 2010 season. Consider these possibilities, for starters: - As the Big South and Northeast Conference gain automatic bids for the first time, the two champions become matched in the first round, with the Big South champ (Liberty's strong squad?) hosting the meeting. - In the second round - now the Round of 16 - conference rivals square off, with, say, defending FCS champion Villanova or 2008 kingpin Richmond hosting fellow CAA Football members New Hampshire or James Madison, respectively. - The final at-large bid is determined not in November but in September, with the winner of the Big Sky matchup of Eastern Washington at Montana State being the difference. No matter how you slice it, more playoffs teams means more intrigue. The possibilities are endless. The growth of the FCS has triggered playoff expansion for the first time since the field grew from 12 to 16 teams in 1987. The action, as usual, kicks off Thanksgiving weekend, but with only eight of the 20 qualifiers. Twelve teams will gain byes into the second round, to be played the weekend of Dec. 3. The quarterfinals follow the weekend of Dec. 10 and the semifinals are set for the weekend of Dec. 17. The finalists will then have a three-week break before meeting in Frisco, Texas, in the national title game Friday, Jan. 7. It's the first of a three-year commitment to Pizza Hut Park, home of the MLS franchise FC Dallas, and the first time there is such a layoff between the semifinals and national championship game. "It depends on your point of view," John McCutcheon, who chaired the committee that brought expansion, said of the post-holiday title date. "I think there are some that will embrace that and that it gives the student-athletes a while to recover, take care of finals that take place during that time period, and for coaches to organize and prepare for the tournament and that kind of thing. It will create some additional expenses for some teams if they're keeping their teams on campus during a non-session time period. There will be some differences, and with anything there are some positives to that and there are probably some new challenges or issues to deal with." The Big South and NEC champs bring the number of automatic qualifiers to 10, and the number of at-large qualifiers also has increased by two to 10. The NCAA allows for one-quarter of the field to be seeded, so there will be five seeds (up one from previous years), although behind the scenes the field basically will be ordered 1-20 to determine which teams will play in the first round and which will have byes. Although the first round won't have meetings between conference rivals, it can happen beginning in the Round of 16. Southern Illinois-South Dakota State, anyone? "I think any time you have a situation where you can give additional teams and additional student-athletes the opportunity to play in an NCAA tournament and championship, it's a great thing," said McCutcheon, the director of athletics at the University of Massachusetts. "It's a great thing for them and their fans to follow them. I think we're all pretty excited about that. The expanded field does create some new challenges to the tournament in terms of bracketing and that kind of thing. At any time that you have (something) a little bit new, it causes a little angst with some folks. But, all in all, I think it's a great thing. We'll see in the coming seasons; it will be a very competitive situation." The Southland Conference, based in Frisco, will serve as the host conference. QUARTERBACK BATTLES All four of The Sportsbook Betting Lines's 2009 All-American quarterbacks have to be replaced after they moved onto NFL teams. Here's a rundown on the spring competition at their schools: Appalachian State (replacing first-team All-American Armanti Edwards) - DeAndre Presley, who will be a senior this fall, and Jamal Jackson, who will be a redshirt sophomore, will take their neck-and-neck battle into fall camp. There were enough encouraging signs during the spring, amid an injury-plagued offense, that veteran coach Jerry Moore should have both a solid starter and backup. Eastern Washington (replacing second-team All-American Matt Nichols) - SMU transfer Bo Levi Mitchell earned the No. 1 job heading into fall camp. He was 24-of-36 for 352 yards and three touchdowns (all to wide receiver Nicholas Edwards) during spring scrimmages. He always wears a glove on his throwing hand after enjoying success with it as an SMU freshman during a cold, wet game at Navy. Jacksonville State (replacing co-third-team All-American Ryan Perrilloux) - The job belongs to Marques Ivory, who has flashed excellent skills behind Perrilloux and performed well in last season's season opener at Georgia Tech, when Perrilloux served a school suspension. In his first two seasons, the junior-to-be is a combined 46-of-72 for 442 yards and six touchdowns against one interception. Ivory, 48-0 as a starter in high school, is a cousin to former Pro Bowl running back Priest Holmes. Holy Cross (replacing co-third-team All-American Dominic Randolph) - Season- ending injuries stunted the maturation of Ryan Taggart and Kevin Watson last season, and Crusaders head coach Tom Gilmore didn't name a starter after spring practices. The junior-to-be Watson had been No. 2 to Randolph at the start of last season, and possesses a stronger arm. The senior-to-be Taggart runs the ball better and completes short passes well. In the spring game, Taggart was an efficient 11-of-13 for 102 yards, while the 6-foot-4 Watson was 3-of-8 for 25 yards and a touchdown. NEWS AND NOTES -This year's MEAC/SWAC Challenge is a matchup of Delaware State of the MEAC and Southern of the SWAC and will take place Sunday, Sept. 5 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla. Kickoff is noon for the sixth game in the series that matches teams from the two conferences of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Southern, now coached by former NFL player Stump Mitchell, owns the only series win (33-27 over Florida A&M) for the SWAC, which trails 4-1. -Fresh off being the highest NFL draft choice of any FCS player, Massachusetts offensive lineman Vladimir Ducasse was named the UMass Senior Male Athlete of the Year while also sharing the Inspirational Athlete of the Year award. The New York Jets second-round selection, and a 2009 first-team All-American by The Sportsbook Betting Lines, made a remarkable rise after arriving in the United States in 2002 at the age of 15, having never seen a football game and not speaking English. He has been involved in helping to raise relief funds and awareness for efforts in Haiti following the earthquakes in January -If you didn't follow the saga of New Hampshire All-American tight end Scott Sicko turning down post-draft free-agent contract offers from six NFL teams, a lot preceded his impressing the Dallas Cowboys during a five-practice rookie camp this past weekend. Disappointed about going undrafted, Sicko told teams that he had decided instead to pursue a masters degree in history. The overtures of Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and his older brother John, the tight ends coach, then convinced the 6-4, 251-pound Sicko to sign with the team. He impressed with his sure hands and route running, as well as an ability to be a long snapper. Now Sicko probably has latched on to this concept: it's worked out pretty well with the Cowboys for quarterback Tony Romo (Eastern Illinois) and wide receiver Miles Austin (Monmouth), who entered the NFL as undrafted free agents.
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Police report: Terrell Owens hospitalized after attemptTerrell 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 To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your VISA Sportsbook needs. |
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