Jones, Henry, union leaders all meet with Goodell

Football Betting Lines

04/03/2007 -

NEW YORK (AP) -NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and league officials met with Adam ``Pacman'' Jones Tuesday as the Tennessee Titans' cornerback attempted to avoid a long suspension following a series of arrests.

Goodell and his staff also met with Cincinnati wide receiver Chris Henry and members of the NFL Players Association executive board as he prepared a tougher policy on NFL players who violate the law.

Goodell has said he will announce his decision on suspensions or other disciplinary action before the draft on April 28 and perhaps in the next 10 days.

The NFL had no comment and lawyers for the players had no immediate response. The meeting with the players was held away from the NFL offices where six television cameras stationed themselves with no one to interview.

Goodell also met with Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFLPA and other union officials as he tried to get a consensus for his policy. Upshaw also has been critical of player misbehavior.

Henry is one of nine Bengals who were arrested last season, leading to calls for a crackdown on player behavior. But Jones has become the focus for Goodell, who took over as commissioner in September and has been preoccupied by the issue almost from the start of his tenure.

``It went pretty good, to have the chance to meet the commissioner face to face,'' Henry told The Cincinnati Enquirer. ``I just wanted to explain my situation to the commissioner and move on. I told him I was learning from my mistakes and how to handle myself in a better manner.''

Since being drafted in April 2005, Jones has been arrested five times and questioned by police in 10 episodes. Last week, Las Vegas police recommended he be charged with a felony and two misdemeanors for his role in a Feb. 19 strip club fight that led to a triple shooting.

His lawyer, Manny Arora, did not return calls or e-mails from The Associated Press. However, he told the Nashville Tennessean on Monday: ``I fully expect him to be part of that team when the season kicks off in September.

However, Jones' former agent, Gary Wichard, told the AP that he thinks Goodell could be hard on Jones. ``In the commissioner's mind, he's trying to make a statement because the league needs this,'' Wichard said.

That seems to be the general consensus around the NFL - that the problems have gone too far. Henry, Jones' teammate at West Virginia, was suspended by Goodell for two games last season and could face more discipline after serving two days in a Kentucky jail for letting minors drink in a hotel room he had rented.

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AP Sports Writer Teresa Walker in Nashville contributed to this story.

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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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

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"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

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17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

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