Henry not the solution as MLS seeks legitimacy

Soccer Betting Lines

07/22/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Soccer has long been hoping to acquire a sense of legitimacy within the soccer world. The acquisition of players with marketing appeal has long been a tenet the league has used in order to gain such acceptance.

Thierry Henry is the latest high-profile player to be brought into the league in order to give it a better chance at such legitimacy. The problem in this philosophy, however, is that the players being brought in are long past their prime and are shadows of their former selves talent-wise, Henry fitting right into that mold.

The former Arsenal great managed only four goals for Barcelona last year, and at age 32 is in the twilight of his career. What he does bring to the New York Red Bulls and the MLS is the reputation as one of the all-time great soccer players but one only needs to look at the recent past to see how this has worked out before.

In 2007, the Los Angeles Galaxy brought in publicity magnet David Beckham in hopes of boosting the team's profile and that of soccer in North America. The long-term results have been underwhelming to say the least, with Beckham's extraordinary jersey sales numbers being the most positive aspect thus far, and his play being well below par.

Much like Beckham, Henry could provide a boom when it comes to merchandise but the likelihood of him having a lasting effect on the game in North America is a moderate one at best. A new philosophy is needed by the MLS to grow the game, and the options are vast if implemented properly.

Acquiring younger players with potential, over former stars that are over the hill, could lead to a change in the mindset about the MLS throughout the world. With players like Henry and Beckham seemingly making the MLS their final stop in their playing days, the perception of the MLS as a retirement home for former star players is growing.

The likelihood of the MLS being able to draw the likes of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to the league at this point are slim, but nothing stops teams in the league from searching the globe for young talented players that have yet to become established stars.

This is the model of many of the smaller soccer leagues in Europe, and allows them to be competitive while maximizing their assets when cash-laden teams from bigger leagues come calling.

To date, MLS teams have had very few players that have garnered interest across the bigger leagues such as the English Premier League, Italian Serie A and the Spanish La Liga. The most notable player to come out of the MLS and make a strong impression on the top tier in Europe is American Landon Donovan, who has seen time with Bayern Munich and Everton on loan over the last few years.

Though his stint at Bayern Munich saw mixed results, his stint at Everton was much more successful and that, perhaps more than the Beckham signing, made people take note that the MLS does indeed have some world-class players in their midst.

With such success outside the MLS, the league should be branding Donovan as its poster boy, and not the likes of Beckham or the incoming Henry. Though Donovan was originally discovered by Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, he has played the majority of his career in the MLS with San Jose and Los Angeles, as a key contributor to both teams success.

Donovan was only 19 when he made his debut, and the model by which he became a star in the MLS, and a widely-known soccer player, should be used more often in the league to give it the legitimacy it so desperately needs at this point in its existence.

Though not having reached the success of Donovan as of yet, fellow American national team member Jozy Altidore possesses a vast amount of skill that was first honed with the Red Bulls. He has yet to leave his mark in Europe after being sold to Villarreal, but provides yet another example of a young player groomed for success. At only 20, should Altidore return to the MLS in the near future, he could become the long-term heir apparent to Donovan on the North American soccer scene.

The signing of Thierry Henry by the Red Bulls seems to be an attempt at a short-term solution to a long-term problem. Trying to capitalize on the fading star of a recognizable player is nothing new to the MLS, though succeeding with that approach is foreign territory.

Thebigbok Soccer Betting News

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Super Bowl XLIII Betting - Super Bowl 2009

Super Bowl 2009, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Let’s take a look at the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds and the betting line and figure out where they’ve been and where they are going to go.

MySportsbook.com put up the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds late on Sunday night with the Pittsburgh Steelers favored by 6.5 points and a total betting line at 47.5 points.

Since then, however, the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds have seen a good deal of movement and you’ll want to be on top of where they are likely to move to make sure you get the best line value for the big game.

Since opening, the Super Bowl 2009 betting lines went to Steelers -7 in the span of roughly 3 hours but were quickly bought back down just minutes later to 6.5 again.

After that is took about 5-6 more hours before the betting line went back to -7 where it has sat for a while now and is likely to remain. The opening betting total of 47.5 was bet down right after the line became available and went to 47 within minutes.

Roughly a day later it has been bet even further down to the 46.5 tally it currently is set at.

Roughly 60% of gamblers seem to be on the Cardinals here so the point spread will be bet down and a 7.5 would not last very long at all with many taking the early 6.5 in hopes of finding a potential middle in the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds.

If you like Arizona and see a 7.5, I’d take it as soon as possible because it’s unlikely to last. For Pittsburgh backers, the -7 might be the best you’ll be able to find but a 6.5 is definitely possible close to game time.

Regarding the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds for the total, most tracked gamblers are already on the over and with those who took the under 47.5 already securing a middle on the over 46.5, the only way I see it moving is back up to 47 so if you like the over, I’d recommend betting now.

Get free Super Bowl XLIII Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting with credit cards

Pacific-10 Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Stanford

Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.

Should be in:

Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.

Southeastern Conference odds
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State

It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.

Work left to do:

Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney.

Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable.

Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile.

For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com

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