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Rise of the National Football League
2010-10-12

The national football league was founded in 1920 on August 20th. The current commissioner Roger Goodell, who was born in 1956, was by surprise selected the commissioner in 2001 after the then commissioner resigned.
It is currently made up of 32 teams from various regions in the US. During its initial days, it was composed of only eleven teams and by then the NFL was called American Professional Football Association until 1922 when the current name was founded. Just like any other emerging group, there was a management problem at the beginning and this made many teams to join and leave the league annually. However, this did not make the management lose hope. Dallas Texans in 1952 was the last team to turn back and most of its members formed another team, the Baltimore Colts.
There was a second chance. The reason why you should smile is that, today the national football league is one of the most stable associations in sports in the whole world. The member teams form what is described in America as major or professional sports leagues. The term was first used in 1921 referring to the most top level professional players. Apart from football, major sports leagues are also identified in hockey, golf, tennis and basketball.
For this reason, other major leagues are National Hockey League or NHL and National Basketball Association, famously known as the NBA, among others. The three leagues are considered the richest and professional clubs that goes for worldwide competitions and are therefore crowned the name cultural icons both in Canada and U.S because they enjoy a bigger place in what is called pop culture. The NFL is however ranked at the top of the three.
The league exists into two major conferences which are: The National Football Conference or NFC, and the other one called American Football Conference or AFC. Each of these conferences has sixteen teams grouped into fours. From research findings in the US, the NFL in relation to other domestic sports in the world is attended to by very many people. On average, the attendance per game was slightly above 67500 in 2009.
The NFL has attempted to partner with other organizations and currently it is in partnership with a number of media in the US including CBS, NBC, NFL network and ESPN. It has also risen to a level that it runs its own website, nfl.com.
In the year 2007 there was some scandal among some of the NFL players' actions away from the field and this saw the emergence of another NFL Personal Conduct Policy which was announced by Goodell. Earlier in 2006 following rumors alleging that the NFL would expand outside the United States, the commissioner, Goodell, replied about it being a reality by saying the possibility was there.

NFL: NY GIANTS at DALLAS (8:20 PM ET, NBC)
2009-09-21

The NFC East looks just as projected after Week 1 results, with a 3-team logjam at the top of the standings. Two of those clubs, New York & Dallas, will go head-to-head in Week 2 in a Sunday night NBC affair. Betting at Sportsbook.com has been brisk for this game, on everything from the side and total, to the numerous Sunday night weekly prop options offered. Most bettors are leaning to the Giants as the 3-point underdog and OVER the total of 44.5. See the latest breakdown on the BETTING TRENDS page.

Home teams have generally had the upper hand in this head-to-head series, boasting a 22-12 SU & 21-11-2 ATS mark since ’92, but the Giants own a 6-3-2 ATS edge in the L11 meetings. Ten of the L14 games in Dallas have gone UNDER the total. HC Wade Phillips’ team is a small 2-1/2 point favorite and that could be key, as he owns an 8-1 ATS record in games with lines in the +3 to -3 range. However, the Cowboys are looking to improve their recent 6-14 ATS record vs. divisional foes. The Giants have been outstanding under HC Tom Coughlin vs. NFC East rivals, 20-12 ATS.

No T.O.? No problem. Forget the question marks, because Tony Romo put an exclamation mark on how the Dallas offense would respond without its biggest playmaker, throwing for a career-high 353 yards in a 34-21 win at Tampa Bay. But all isn’t so happy for a franchise getting set to play its first regular-season game in the new Cowboys Stadium, the one with the largest high-definition scoreboard in the world. At 25,000 square feet, every mistake is magnified, and the Dallas defense had plenty of them as the Bucs totaled 450 yards of offense, including 174 on the ground.

The Giants also find themselves making up for the loss of a Pro Bowl receiver (Plaxico Burress) and are doing so with a largely unproven cast. Top draft pick Hakeem Nicks is currently running fourth on the depth chart, behind Mario Manningham, Dominick Hixon and Steve Smith.Quarterback Eli Manning has had his ups and downs much like Romo, and the fact that both teams feature punishing, multi-player ground attacks nearly guarantee someone from the group of Jacobs, Bradshaw, Marion Barber or Felix Jones will be the deciding factor.

Both franchises boast defenses reliant on an explosive pass rush, but it was Dallas that brought the house last season, sacking Manning 12 times, including eight in the rematch, won by the Cowboys, 20-8.

PREDICTION
Like this game needed anything other than the two teams in pads and helmets to add to the hype. Throwing in the opening of the Cowboys new stadium is just an added bonus between two hated rivals. DALLAS 24, N.Y. GIANTS 17

NFL: Indianapolis at San Diego (8:00 PM ET, NBC)
2008-12-31

San Diego won its last four games to finish 8-8, rallying for the AFC West title. As such, the Chargers are granted a home playoff game against a team that finished 12-4 and comes in on 9-game winning streak, the Colts. Indianapolis is rightfully the favorite, laying 1-1/2 points to open. San Diego boasts some huge offensive numbers though, averaging 6.2 yards per play. The Chargers are 19-8 vs. AFC foes under Norv Turner, including 3-1 ATS in the playoffs. Indy head coach Tony Dungy is 19-4 record vs. teams exceeding 6.0 YPP. These teams have become familiar foes, playing five times since 2004, all decided by 9-points or less, including a 28-24 win by the Chargers in the playoffs a year ago. In those games, San Diego holds a 3-2 SU & 4-1 ATS edge overall.

About 51 weeks ago the Chargers took the road and beat the Colts in an AFC divisional round playoff game at the recently leveled RCA Dome, 28-24, as a double-digit underdog. This Saturday night, Indianapolis gets a chance to avenge the loss when it travels to San Diego for the second time in six weeks.
The Chargers, who entered December with a record of 4-8, won their last four regular-season games to capture the AFC West crown for a third straight year and enter the playoffs as one of the most dangerous .500 teams in NFL history. Last Sunday night they took a winner-take-all game against visiting Denver, 52-21, behind quarterback Philip Rivers’ 33rd and 34th touchdown passes and LaDainian Tomlinson’s three rushing scores. Two of Rivers’ touchdowns and 288 of his 4,009 yards came in San Diego’s 23-20 loss to the Colts in Week 12.

Indianapolis rolls into the playoffs winners of nine in a row. The Colts, 12-4, took advantage of a weak schedule down the stretch, beating Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit and Jacksonville in the weeks following their victory over the Chargers. Quarterback Peyton Manning emerged as a leading MVP candidate and surpassed 4,000 yards with 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and it’s unlikely the visitors will escape with a win without a huge performance from him.

Manning is getting little help from the running game. Only Arizona managed fewer yards on the ground than Indianapolis, which averaged less than 80 yards per game rushing and 3.5 yards per carry. Joseph Addai scored only three times over the last 12 games (he missed four with injuries) and may not get his number called as much as backfield mate Dominic Rhodes, who had nine touchdowns. The Colts had 91 yards on 23 attempts in the regular-season meeting and Rhodes caught a one-yard scoring toss from Manning, who completed 32 of 44 passes—the last of which went for 14 yards to Marvin Harrison on fourth-and-inches from the San Diego 48-yard line and set up Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning 51-yard field goal.

Similar plays might be necessary if the Indianapolis defense struggles like it did against the Lions and Jaguars. San Diego’s passing offense ranked seventh, and there’s always the threat of Tomlinson and elusive backup Darren Sproles.

PREDICTION: While Manning picked apart the Chargers’ defense for 730 yards and five touchdowns in two games a year ago, he was intercepted eight times. The Bolts are lucky to be here, but they’ve gone toe-to-toe with the Colts more than once and will be a tough out. SAN DIEGO 24, INDIANAPOLIS 20

NFL: Sunday Late Afternoon NFL Kickoffs (4:05 PM ET, FOX & CBS)
2008-10-24

Of the four late afternoon games in the NFL, only one is between teams that figure to be playoff contenders. That game features New York making its first trip to Pittsburgh in over 16 years. Of course, for those of us betting, all the games are important. With that thought in mind, here’s is a look at three the four games to choose from with kickoffs in the 4 o’clock hour.

(217) CLEVELAND at (218) JACKSONVILLE, 4:05 PM
Jacksonville and Cleveland each began the season with playoff aspirations. However, inconsistency has plagued both in the early, making their head-to-head meeting important for both teams. The Browns are 2-4 after the tough loss at Washington, and they continue to struggle offensively. Take away the 35-point, 454 yard outburst vs. New York and Cleveland has scored just 12.4 PPG in its L8. The Jaguars are 0-4 ATS as a favorite, 2-0 ATS as an underdog. Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, they are the chalk here, laying 6-points. As former divisional rivals, these franchises have met just once since ’02, that game coming in ’05, a 20-14 Jacksonville road win, part of a 5-0 SU & ATS stretch by the visiting team in the head-to-head series.

(219) NY GIANTS at (220) PITTSBURGH, 4:15 PM
Sunday’s showcase matchup pits powers of the NFC & AFC together, as the defending Super Bowl Champion Giants travel to Pittsburgh. Both teams are 5-1 after six games, but New York will be looking for its first ATS win over the AFC North in three tries this season, having struggled to beat Cincinnati and being throttled at Cleveland. The Steelers look to extend an incredible 9-0 SU & 7-2 ATS run vs. the NFC at home. Their average winning margin in those games is 15.3 PPG, and only one team has surpassed the 21-point mark. Amazingly, this will be the first time since prior to ‘92 that New York has traveled to Pittsburgh for a regular season game. It is also the first time the Giants will play as a dog in ’08. They are on a 10-2 ATS run in that role overall.

(221) SEATTLE at (222) SAN FRANCISCO, 4:15 PM
Another road game for Seattle. That isn’t good news for Mike Holmgren’s club. So far in three away games, the Seahawks have mustered up just 26 points, while yielding 98. Even struggling San Francisco, losers of four straight games both SU & ATS, has to be looking optimistically at this contest. Not to be outdone, Seattle has lost three straight itself. Another trait both teams share of late is their recent struggles in the month of October. HC Mike Nolan’s team is just 3-11 ATS in their L14, while Holmgren’s crew is 8-28 ATS in this crucial football month. This is the second meeting between these NFC West rivals of ’08. The 49ers escaped Seattle with a 33-30 win in September, as the road team is now 3-1 SU & ATS in the L4 of the series.

NHL: Philly goaltender swings edge
2008-04-28

A hot goaltender can turn a hockey playoff series upside down in no time and be the great equalizer against what otherwise could be interpreted as one team having a decided edge against another. Philadelphia goalie Martin Biron’s Game 2 performance vs. Montreal was dominant. Game 3 is on tap for Monday, with the Flyers a -135 home favorite.

Three weeks ago, Biron had more children in his household (two) than career playoff wins (zero). With a Game Two upset at Montreal as +150 underdogs, Biron is up to five postseason wins and counting.

Biron was sensational in Philadelphia’s 4-2 win over Montreal in Game 2 with 34 saves, and evened the series at 1-1. Biron’s best stop might have come on a nifty glove save that denied Tomas Plekanec late in the second period on a breakaway attempt. “You feel like you take over the whole net,” Biron said Sunday. “When the guy comes down to shoot, he’s not seeing anything. The way the guys play in front of me allow me to make my reads, challenge when I have to challenge, stay deep when I have to stay deep, and I think that’s been one of the differences in the playoffs.”

Montreal took 16 shots in the first period and 13 more in the second, which dwarfed the Flyers’ game total of 23. “To play a game like last night (Saturday) and come out on top is definitely rewarding and it’s fun,” Biron said. All it took to get to this point was 10 years of NHL hockey without facing a playoff shot on goal. Biron was stuck on the bench in Buffalo and never got to experience the thrill or the pressure of playing with the season on the line. Now that he’s here, Biron’s made up for lost time.

The goalie and his teammates return home where they have won seven of eight and will attempt to take command of Montreal in Eastern Conference semis. Biron believes he is the man up to the challenge to help the Flyers advance. “There’s eight teams competing for the Stanley Cup, so why not us?” Biron said. “It’s the same thing for me. There are two goalies playing. Why shouldn’t I be the guy to win the game.”

Biron, 5-4 with a 2.73 GAA in the playoffs, never had the chance to throw up his arms in celebration with the Sabres. Oddly, watching from the bench only made Biron more nervous than he’s ever been before a big game with the Flyers. “You get jitters when you’re starting, but when you’re on the ice, you actually feel like you control something,” Biron said. “You’re so focused on what you’ve got to do that you don’t have that feeling like you want to throw up every time there’s a shot on the net.” If he knew Philadelphia was only 19-37 ATS in home games against offensive teams like Montreal scoring three goals a game, Biron might become even more jittery.

Biron hasn’t been perfect—the Flyers wasted a two-goal lead in each of their Game 1 losses this postseason. Alex Kovalev scored with 28.6 seconds left in the third to force overtime, then Tom Kostopoulos ended it 48 seconds into the extra session in the Canadiens’ 4-3 victory on Friday. “We saw in Game 1 there were a couple I didn’t control the way I wanted to and you can’t have that happen in the playoffs,” Biron said.

Kostopoulos antagonized the Flyers again in Game Two when he intentionally threw a blindside punch at defenseman Kimmo Timonen after R.J. Umberger scored for Philadelphia. Kostopoulos, reacting to Timonen smiling at him as he skated away after the goal, was given a roughing minor.

“I thought it was a little bit cheap,” Flyers coach John Stevens said. Flyers center Mike Richards called the play “gutless.” Timonen said he didn’t say anything to provoke Kostopoulos and didn’t want to discuss the incident Sunday. “I said something after (the skirmish), but I don’t want to repeat it,” he said.

What is noteworthy and be worth repeating is the Canadiens record on the road after allowing four goals. Montreal is 10-3 ATS in this exact visitor situation. (Repeating optional)

Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau watched the replay and called the punch a normal reaction to the Flyers’ taunting. “I think he deserved it,” Carbonneau said. “That’s why they didn’t call any (major) penalties on it.”

Montreal has opened as +115 road underdogs at Philadelphia, with total of Ov5.5 at Sportsbook.com. The Habs are 11-3 ATS in road games after playing two consecutive home games this season and are 7-2 ATS in last nine when not favored.

The Canadiens are 7-1 OVER revenging a home loss versus opponent of two goals or more this season. The Flyers are 17-7 OVER against good starting goalies like Carey Price – saving 91.5 percent of shots against over the last two seasons.

This is pivotal contest for both teams. Each has performed well with day off between games, with combined 20-6 ATS record. Montreal could have the edge with 9-3 ATS record after scoring two or less goals in last outing and Flyers are 4-9 ATS as home favorites in -110 to -150 price range.

The action begins at 7 Eastern on Versus, with the Habs posting 5-1 ATS mark in Philly the last three seasons including three in a row.

StatFox Take – Philadelphia -116, Total- 5.8