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03/10/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A concussion is serious, and the NHL may finally be waking up to the fact. Anyone who has had a serious knock will tell you that the effects can be scary. While the league has spent years dancing around the subject of hits to the head, it is an issue that has become more pressing than ever.
It makes you wonder if the suits in the front office have been suffering from the same confusion and blurry vision as the players who seem to be dropping like flies around the league.
Hockey's alleged top brains will be concluding a three-day summit Wednesday, where the topic of shoulder hits to the head is being discussed. As it stands, the shoulder blow is still a legal part of the game, meaning that no penalty can be assessed for the goon-like offense.
"The managers in their heart of hearts feel something's wrong here, but it's not against the rules. That's what we're trying to attack," said Colin Campbell, the NHL's principle disciplinarian.
Last Sunday, Boston Bruins all-star Marc Savard became the latest victim of an unsuspecting shoulder to the head by the Pittsburgh Penguins' Matt Cooke. Seeing him motionless on the ice was a troubling scene, but a scene that has been repeating itself like a bad Hollywood script.
Savard will likely be forced by team doctors to miss multiple weeks of action, as the medical community has made it clear they won't treat these injuries like a joke.
Young Florida Panthers sniper David Booth missed three-quarters of this season with medically diagnosed post-concussion syndrome, and was only allowed to play after rigorous baseline testing.
Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron can attest first-hand to the after- effects of a brain injury. A grade-three concussion almost stripped the young star of his career in October of 2007 as he ended up missing the better part of the season.
"I couldn't do anything. The light was bothering me, the noise was bothering me. Everything was," Bergeron said in reference to the concussion. "It was giving me headaches, making me dizzy."
"I was pretty much trying to go through the day, trying to sleep and rest and feel better."
Luckily Bergeron was able to get back on track after a long and difficult recovery. He was even fortunate enough to win Olympic gold with Team Canada in Vancouver.
But, not all players are so lucky.
It's no surprise that around the sport these hits are called "career-enders", just ask Eric Lindros.
Termed the "Next One" in the 90's, Lindros was supposed to be the second coming of Wayne Gretzky. A true superstar during his short NHL career, he would miss significant time due to concussions and eventually retire thanks to the elbow of bruiser Scott Stevens.
What did the powers that be tell us then? They said it was part of the game. They said it takes toughness to be a hockey player, like Eddie Shore and Bobby Clarke.
Sorry gentlemen, but the game is light years ahead of where it was back then. It's faster, more violent, and the players are stronger.
Players must be forced to respect the head and the only way to do that is to asses a penalty for the infraction. There should be, at minimum, a five-minute major and an ejection from the game for the dangerous blow. The same punishment has been effective in reducing hits from behind, and hits to the head are no less an epidemic.
It is embarrassing that the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), Canada's premier junior hockey organization, has already figured out a way to deter these dirty hits while the NHL has stood pat.
In doling out a season-long suspension in January to high-profile player Patrice Cormier for his blindside hit of a fellow player, the CHL sent a strong message that these types of plays would not be tolerated. Captain of the Canadian world junior team and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League standout, Cormier was not allowed to escape the rule of law due to his star status. The same hard-nosed approach must be taken in the NHL.
"Clearly the blind side of an unsuspecting player is what we're talking about," said Dallas Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk. He also added that he thought stiffer suspensions could be used more frequently in extreme cases.
Unfortunately, any rule change proposed at the summit needs approval by the competition committee, which includes players, and the league's board of governors. Hopefully, the recommendations that are made don't fall on deaf ears.
It would be regrettable if another career was put in jeopardy before action was taken.
<< Bryant's heroics lift Lakers past Raptors
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kobe Bryant played hero again, sinking the
winning jumper from the right baseline with 1.9 seconds left, and the Los
Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game skid with a 109-107 victory over the
Toronto
<< Garon solid in net as Blue Jackets down Ducks
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mathieu Garon was strong with 36 saves to lead
the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center.
Fedor Tyutin, Jakub Voracek and Antoine Vermette all recorded a goal and two
assi
<< Blazers hold off Kings
Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brandon Roy scored 19 points and pulled down
eight rebounds as Portland beat Sacramento for the fifth straight time, 88-81,
at the Rose Garden.
Nicolas Batum and Andre Miller each tallied 14 points for the
<< Kelly, Senators handle Oilers
Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Kelly registered a goal and an assist to
lead the Ottawa Senators to a 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall
Place.
Mike Fisher, Matt Cullen and Milan Michalek also scored for the Senators, w
Hoyas and Bulls collide in Big East Tourney >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Big East Tournament continues today, as
the ninth-seeded South Florida Bulldogs tussle with the 22nd-ranked and
eighth-seeded Georgetown Hoyas in second-round action at Madison Square
Garden. The winner of th
Montana and Weber State duke it out for Big Sky title >>
Ogden, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A trip to the NCAA Tournament is on the line
tonight, as the Weber State Wildcats and the Montana Grizzlies do battle in
the championship game of the 35th annual Big Sky Conference Tournament at the
Dee Events Cente
Grizzlies take road winning streak to Boston >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Memphis Grizzlies will attempt to keep the longest road
winning streak in franchise history intact when they visit a place they've
historically struggled over the years, Boston's TD Garden, for tonight's
matchup with the
Nuggets visit Wolves without Karl >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Without their head coach patrolling the sidelines, the
Denver Nuggets will start up a four-game road trip tonight against a Minnesota
Timberwolves team hoping to end a string of six straight losses when it takes
the Target Ce
MySportsbook.com Favors Fighting Irish to win College Football betting odds
According to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, on January 8, the Fighting Irish faithful may be toasting their 14th national title in Arizona – Notre Dame’s first national championship in close to 20 years.
Although MySportsbook.com has listed Notre Dame as the 5-1 favorite to win thecollege football College Football betting, fans in Columbus do not need to cancel their tickets to Glendale just yet. The Ohio State Buckeyes, listed right behind the Irish at 7-1, are also heavy favorites to win college football’s most coveted prize, while West Virginia, USC and the 2007 National Champion Texas Longhorns - all listed at 8-1 – are strong contenders as well.
MySportsbook.com has also posted gambling odds on the conference championships for the ACC, Big 12 and SEC. In the ACC – it could be anyone’s title, particularly for the two schools from the Sunshine State. Florida State and Miami, both listed at 2-1, are favored to win the ACC Championship Game odds, with the ‘Noles hoping to finish in the nation’s top 10 for the first time in five years, and the ‘Canes looking to avenge their 10-7 loss against FSU in last year’s ACC Championship betting.
Moving west to the Big 12, MySportsbook.com has betting lines listing Texas as 7-5 favorites to repeat as conference champions, even though the Longhorns lost their national championship-winning quarterback Vince Young to the NFL. In the south, the Auburn Tigers – led by Heisman-hopeful senior running back Kenny Irons – have been given the best odds to win the SEC Championship odds at 5-2.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
| Notre Dame Ohio State West Virginia Texas USC Florida California Auburn Oklahoma Iowa Louisville Florida State Michigan Miami (FL) LSU Penn State Virginia Tech Nebraska Tennessee Georgia Arizona State Oregon Clemson Texas A&M Texas Tech Alabama Arkansas Boston College Michigan State Maryland South Carolina Colorado Purdue Georgia Tech TCU UCLA Arizona Pittsburgh Iowa State Wisconsin North Carolina State Virginia North Carolina Fresno State Hawaii Northwestern BYU Oregon State UNLV Field (Any Other Team) |
5-1 7-1 8-1 8-1 8-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 18-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 25-1 40-1 40-1 50-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 70-1 70-1 100-1 100-1 100-1 100-1 100-1 150-1 200-1 200-1 200-1 200-1 200-1 250-1 250-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 400-1 500-1 500-1 500-1 500-1 1000-1 1000-1 40-1 |
| Miami (FL) Florida State Virginia Tech Clemson Georgia Tech Boston College Maryland Virginia North Carolina State North Carolina Wake Forest Duke |
2-1 2-1 3-1 7-1 15-1 15-1 15-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 50-1 500-1 |
| Texas Oklahoma Nebraska Texas Tech Colorado Iowa State Texas A&M Kansas State Missouri Kansas Baylor Oklahoma State |
7-5 9-5 9-2 12-1 14-1 15-1 15-1 30-1 30-1 35-1 100-1 100-1 |
| Auburn Florida LSU Georgia Tennessee Arkansas Alabama Mississippi South Carolina Mississippi State Kentucky Vanderbilt |
5-2 11-4 4-1 6-1 7-1 7-1 9-1 20-1 28-1 75-1 100-1 300-1 |
For complete NCAA football odds please visit Mysportsbook.com.
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