ESPN and HRTV recognized with Media Eclipse Awards

Horseracing Betting Lines

12/29/2011 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Media Eclipse Award in the Television - Live Racing Programming category has been given to ESPN for its live coverage of the 2011 Breeders' Cup Classic. This is the third straight year that the network has been honored in the Live Television category.

"To win this award three years in a row is a great testament to our overall production," said Mike McQuade, who is Vice President of Event Production for ESPN and coordinating producer for the Breeders' Cup Classic telecast. "We treat the Breeders' Cup as a big event and we produce it as a big event. This year's Classic had a number of captivating storylines and our group did an excellent job telling these stories and bringing the audience right to the action."

November's $5 million Classic featured leading thoroughbred Havre de Grace, a four-year-old filly taking on male runners. The 1 1/4-mile race was won by 14-1 longshot Drosselmeyer whose jockey, Mike Smith, had won the event two years earlier aboard the mare Zenyatta.

ESPN won the award last year for its Breeders' Cup Classic telecast and in 2009 for the telecast of the Belmont Stakes, shown on ABC.

The Media Eclipse Award for Television-Features goes to HRTV for the documentary "Inside Information: Randy Romero." The program was broadcast on December 26 of last year.

"Because of the subject matter - physical and emotional abuse, severe burns, the horrific breakdown of Go For Wand - this was a show that was emotionally hard on everyone who worked on it, but no more so than for the man who lived through the events," said Amy Zimmerman, executive producer of HRTV and the co-writer of the documentary. "Everyone at HRTV is very grateful to Randy Romero for his honesty and assistance in letting us to tell his story."

HRTV has now won Media Eclipse Awards four times. Last year it was honored in the Television-Features category for "Inside Information: Swale" the 1984 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner. Earlier the network picked up an award for best Feature in 2006 for the Pony Highway production of "On the Muscle" and in 2008 for the Hennegan Brothers' documentary "The First Saturday in May."

The Eclipse Awards are voted upon by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters. The 41st annual Eclipse Awards will be presented on Monday, January 16 in Beverly Hills, CA.

Myspirtsbook Horseracing Betting News

<< Redd signs with Suns
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Suns have signed 11-year veteran guard Michael Redd, they announced Thursday. Redd had spent his entire career with the Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists i

<< Houston acquires Sturgis from Toronto FC
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Dynamo acquired midfielder Nathan Sturgis from Toronto FC on Thursday for a conditional pick in the 2014 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. Sturgis, 24, appeared in 14 matches in his first season w

<< Union's Adu to train with Spanish club
Chester, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia Union midfielder Freddy Adu will train with Spanish La Liga side Rayo Vallecano for two weeks. Adu signed with the Union in August and played 11 games, including six starts. He had two goals and

<< Wolverhampton's Milijas has appeal denied
Wolverhampton, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wolverhampton Nenad Milijas' appeal for a red card against Arsenal on Tuesday was denied Thursday by the English FA. Milijas was issued the red card for serious foul play in the 1-1 draw against

<< Wigan's Sammon has red card reversed
Wigan, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wigan striker Conor Sammon had his red card received Monday against Manchester United reversed Thursday by the English FA, and he will avoid a mandatory three-game suspension as a result. Sammon was sent of

Philly-NYC rivalry adds to Classic excitement >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Long before there was an NHL or even a Stanley Cup, the rivalry between the cities of Philadelphia and New York existed. New York is the obvious heavy in the matchup; a gigantic, world-class metropolis th

Bordeaux set to add Brazilian defender Mariano >>
Bordeaux, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bordeaux agreed to sign Brazilian defender Mariano Ferreira Filho from Fluminense, and he will complete his switch to the French club pending a physical and official signing of a contract. Mariano, 25, wil

Thoroughbred Times honored with Media Eclipse Award >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For its coverage of this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred Times has received the Media Eclipse Award in the Audio/Multi-Media Internet category. The honor was for "Breeders' Cup - On the

Seattle signs Swedish defender Johansson >>
Renton, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seattle Sounders FC signed Swedish international defender Adam Johansson to a multi-year contract Thursday. Johansson, 28, has spent the last seven years with Goteborg in Sweden. He made 129 appearances, and sco

Gulfstream Park Derby debuts on Sunday >>
Hallandale Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The first of the year also means the beginning of the Triple Crown trail to the Kentucky Derby. The first stakes on that road is Sunday's Gulfstream Park Derby, a new race on the calendar. The 1 1/1

FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million

Football Betting

In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.

And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.

Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.

So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.

Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)

The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.

As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.

The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.

In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.

Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.

And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.

So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.

There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.

So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.

And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.

There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)

Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.

Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.

Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.

So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.

MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds

With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.

Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season.  Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money. 

This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy.  A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.

Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:

Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame)
Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma)
Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State)
Michael Bush (RB, Louisville)
Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia)
Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville)
Chris Leak (QB, Florida)
Mike Hart (RB, Michigan)
Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State)
Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame)
Drew Tate (QB, Iowa)
Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal)
Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn)
Chad Henne (QB, Michigan)
Kyle Wright (QB, Miami)
Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State)
Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama)
JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU)
Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State)
Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina)
Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech)		 5-2
7-2
7-1
10-1
10-1
12-1
12-1
18-1
18-1
20-1
30-1
35-1
35-1
40-1
50-1
50-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1

For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.