Bills lose more than a game in Week 1

Football Betting Lines

09/11/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron has a lot of work to do for this weekend's showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But that will take a back seat for now after the devastating injury to reserve tight end Kevin Everett.

The Bills lost Everett to a catastrophic spinal injury in Sunday's 15-14 loss to Denver after he collided with Broncos return man Domenik Hixon to start the second half. Everett went down like a ton of bricks after he lowered his head into Hixon's shoulder to make a tackle.

Everett, a 2005 draft pick out of Miami, was then attended to by Buffalo's training staff before being placed on a backboard and lifted into an ambulance. He had emergency surgery on his neck and spine, but may never regain full motion in his body. Everett, whose career is most likely over, remains in the intensive care unit at Buffalo's Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital following a four-hour operation performed Sunday night.

"When we came in here after the game the first thing we thought of was Kevin," said Bills wideout Lee Evans, who was held to five yards on two catches. "There are some things that are a little bigger than the game and that's certainly one example. Our hearts and prayers go out to him and we'll certainly be checking on him as soon as we can."

An examination performed about six hours after the surgery showed voluntary movement of Everett's legs, but such an injury can lead to respiratory collapse or other complications, including blood clots that can travel to the heart.

Everett had screws and plates inserted into his neck and spine, with small rods used to fixate the spine.

In related news, the Bills signed tight end Michael Gaines on Monday to solidify the position. Gaines is a four-year pro who spent his entire career with the Carolina Panthers, and his blocking presence is expected to help the Bills' ground game.

Buffalo was ahead the entire game on Sunday until blowing the lead in the final minutes, as the defense allowed a pair of fourth-down conversions that kept the Broncos alive.

The first fourth-down play should have never happened. Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, who is not known for his mobility, was able to scramble for seven yards on 4th-and-2 from the Denver 42-yard line with 1:31 remaining. Buffalo later gave up another fourth-down conversion, as the Broncos' Javon Walker caught an eight-yard pass to help set up Jason Elam's game-winning 42-yard field goal as time expired.

Defense was the straw that broke Buffalo's back on Sunday, as coordinator Perry Fewell saw his unit surrender 470 yards of total offense.

"I can't remember a more disappointing loss in a long time," defensive end Chris Kelsay said. "There may have been one in college or something, but since I've been in the league this is tough because we had such high expectations going into the season."

Those expectations will probably take a back seat for now after the Bills lost three starters on defense. Starting free safety Ko Simpson left the game in the first quarter with a fractured ankle, while linebacker Coy Wire tore the medial collateral ligament in his knee. To make matters worse, starting cornerback Jason Webster broke his forearm early in the second half. Defensive end Ryan Denney (broken foot) and linebacker Keith Ellison (ankle sprain) also did not suit up for the season opener.

It really makes the Bills miss Pro Bowl corner Nate Clements, who signed a mega-deal with San Francisco in the offseason.

Maybe the defections helped Denver move the ball with ease late in the game, although Bills linebacker Angelo Crowell feels otherwise.

"Those guys get paid, too," Crowell said. "They prepare themselves as starters and you never know when your opportunity is going to come. The opportunity came and those guys had to step up. Unfortunately we didn't get the job done."

Fewell's defense better got the job next week, when they take a trip to face Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Parker and the rest of the Steelers at Heinz Field.

One bright spot for the Buffalo defense was rookie middle linebacker Paul Posluszny, who recorded nine tackles in his regular-season debut. The Penn State product, selected early in the second round in April, has fans dreaming of another Shane Conlan in the middle of the field.

"To have your first NFL game come down to the wire like that was a great experience," Posluszny said. "You can't substitute practice or two-minute drills for live action like that. Obviously we would have liked the outcome to be different, but this will only help us later in the season."

Posluszny was the first rookie middle linebacker to start for the Bills since Conlan did it back in 1987.

ANOTHER ROOKIE SHINES FOR BILLS

The Bills knew they had to find a replacement after trading running back Willis McGahee this offseason. They landed their man with the 12th overall pick during the 2007 NFL Draft, running back Marshawn Lynch.

Lynch was good as advertised with 90 yards on 19 carries, including a 23-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He brings a strong mix of speed and size to the Bills,

Although happy with his impressive debut, Lynch said afterward that ultimately a win is more important than personal performance.

"My mama always told me there would be days like this," said Lynch. "It's something I got to deal with. But next week's a new week, a new game plan."

I'm sure somewhere a member of The Shirelles enjoyed that audio from the former California standout.

Lynch may be singing that song after next week's game against the Steelers. Pittsburgh's defense is a rough bunch coming off a big win over the inferior Cleveland Browns. The unit held running back Jamal Lewis to 35 yards on 11 carries Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

No matter what Lynch does next week in the Steel City, the Bills fell they have found their man to run the football.

UP NEXT: OFF TO THE STEEL CITY

The Bills will try to avoid losing their first two games of the season since dropping the first four contests of the 2004 campaign when they pay a visit to Pittsburgh on Sunday.

The Steelers opened the 2007 season with a big win at Cleveland and will have their home fans behind them at Heinz Field. It doesn't look good for the Bills, as Pittsburgh shut down Lewis and the Browns' running game with ease on Sunday.

Lynch will get a taste of one of the league's best linebacking corps in James Farrior, Clark Haggans, Larry Foote and James Harrison, while Buffalo's defense must tighten up in preparation for Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and Parker. Denver racked up almost 500 yards of offense, so it's important for Jauron's team to adjust.

The Steelers own a 10-8 edge in the all-time regular season series with Buffalo, including a 29-24 road win in Week 17 of the 2004 season. Pittsburgh has won the last five meetings played between the teams in the Steel City. That number will most likely be six, since the Bills are dealing with a myriad of injuries on defense right now.

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Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.

NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.

Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.

Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.

NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&amp;M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6

For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com

FOOTBALL TRASH TALK

NFL Football Trash Talk

Trash talk has a place in every competitive endeavor (except baseball; those stirrup-wearers are too busy chewing on their sunflower seeds and their supplements to worry about what their opponents are doing).

Fantasy sports is no exception. Any intelligent discussion of the subject would probably start with a thesis statement or a definition of terms. Thankfully, this wont be an intelligent discussion.

Let me just say that I am happy to take a place in this space alongside my talented colleagues, even our commissioner. (You should see how she bleats like a demented paper boy about league fees on our fantasy site).

Trash talking, I would argue, is primarily about amusing your friends, their sheeplike demeanors and sloping foreheads notwithstanding. The best place I have found for football trash talking is at www.SportsAlarm.com.

Beyond the entertainment factor, though, I would recognize that the sophomoric ritual has one advantage, when properly applied. It magnifies your fantasy triumphs and mitigates your fantasy failures by transforming the eventual point total into an afterthought. Winning makes it seem like your opponent really is a truss-owning, lapel-pin-wearing nitwit. And in defeat, trash talk can be the air bag to break the fall from your hyperbolic heights. The plug-necked yahoos on your team, you can say, will be sacking groceries by the end of the season.

The best trash talk, in my view, is layered and nuanced. And it doesnt focus only on your opponents team. It picks apart your opponent. The idea is to create a shock-and-awe-scale blizzard of nonsense, and the goal is to make your opponent drop his hands from his keyboard in exasperation.

What team does your opponent root for? Accuse a Giants fan of having a Joe Namath pillowcase. Wheres your opponent from? Give a look of concern no matter his reply, then say, I'll try to type slower for you next time. Is your opponent into politics? Label everyone a tax-and-spend corporate shill.

Cap all that with a liberal application of irrelevance. For instance, dont just conclude by saying your opponent is a twerp who drafts like my grandmother. Say that your opponent is a sweater-wearing, eyebrow-plucking twerp who drafts his team about as well as Zsa Zsa Gabor gave acceptance speeches at the Oscars. By the time your foe makes sense of that, his starting running back will have had puppies.

But what about you? Hmm? Recall a memorable slam? Have a tried-and-true technique? Know someone who seems impervious to insult? Take a moment and tells us about it. Put together some (fit-for-publication) thoughts. You wont be too busy returning phone messages from your friends, Im sure, to reply.

In addition to the trash talking, the Sports Alarm has a huge gallery of high resolution pictures of beautiful women and models in bikinis. The most popular models are: Lindsay Lohan, Carrie Underwood, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Paris Hilton.