Articles By Jess K

This is a great time of the year to be a sports fan. The March Madness betting is really heating up, and the NHL playoffs are just around the corner. In the last 10 games of the season for each NHL team, it is inevitable that 5dimes hockey fans will come across a desperate battle for the eighth and final playoff spot in a conference.

For over 40 years the National Football League has been America’s sports league. Each year from late August to early February, millions of sports junkies from across the globe sit at home Sunday’s watching their favorite teams battle it out at the football stadium.

It was only three years ago in February of 2008 that former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress was on top of the world. His team had just won the Super Bowl after defeating the undefeated New England Patriots, and Burress had won the Super Bowl MVP award.

With Super Bowl 45 betting lines coming to a close last night, it is time to look ahead and create new expectations. In less than nine months, football betting handicappers will be front and center again, as the NFL returns for a 46th season.

As college football season is now nearing the stretch run, the BCS polls were initially released two weeks ago.

Forgive the pun in the title. It appears, though, that there has been a clear shift of the balance of power in terms of who is considered the best quarterbacking prospect in the nation in college football. We can write Case Keenum, the Houston quarterback, out of the discussion.

More often than not in the game of football, even before a season starts a team typically has a good idea of who it’s starters are going to be. While there are always a few positional battles, typically the base of a team will remain somewhat unchanged. However, every now and then a major surprise comes along, taking a team by storm and leaving them no choice but to give him the job. That is exactly what has happened with the Texas Longhorns, and their running back position.

The Albert Haynesworth saga with the Washington Redskins seems to be the never ending story. In the latest chapter, however, we have another twist and turn, one that cannot be blamed on the player. With Haynesworth’s threatening to hold out from camp earlier, followed by his struggles to pass a mandated conditioning test, there were numerous reasons to lambast one of the richest players in the National Football League.

Following the scandal of Damon Evans, the former Georgia athletic director, the Bulldogs have their new man, effective September 1st. Evans was forced to resign on July 5th, following a DUI arrest on June 30th. Further soiling his image, he had a woman in his car at the time who was not his wife. The scandal was enough for him to leave his high ranking position at Georgia. The Bulldogs, however, went for a little bit of home cooking on their signing, inking Greg McGarity to become the new athletic director.

While we are all aware of the New England Patriots successful air game, and their revamped defense, it is the running game that may make or break the season. Even in 2007, when Tom Brady and Randy Moss were breaking NFL records, the running game, and most notably Lawrence Maroney, have struggled to find the consistency to make them a true threat, to take eyes off of Brady and company. According to Maroney, that is all going to change.

While it appeared for quite some time that there were not any serious candidates for the services of potential Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens, we now appear to have a severe two team race for the free agent wide out, who spent his last season with the Buffalo Bills, a year in which Owens posted some of the worst stats of his career. It appears as if he will have a chance at redemption in the 2010 season.

While the New York Yankees have the best record in the major leagues, a blow to their starting rotation is something that they did not need to see. Particularly with A.J. Burnett struggling, the Yankees could ill afford to lose anyone for an extended period of time.

The up and down career of former Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Mike Williams has taken another turn for the worse, as it is expected that the now Washington Redskins offensive guard is going to miss the entire 2010 campaign, and perhaps the rest of his career, due to blood clots that have been found near his heart.

The Dallas Cowboys are an odds on favorite to appear in the Super Bowl. I want to take a look at their three headed running attack, and make a little change in the program, of which I feel will greatly benefit the Cowboys, and the three players, Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice.

Steve Yzerman was the heart and soul for a Detroit Red Wings franchise that won numerous Stanley Cup betting titles. Yzerman played for 23 NHL seasons, and was the captain of the Red Wings for two full decades. Stevie Y, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009. Yzerman was just named the new general manager for one of the NHL’s struggling franchise, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The general public is awaiting the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao mega a fight, but true boxing fans are also awaiting the dream fight between Paul Williams and Amir Khan.

On Wind Tunnel on Speed a few weeks ago, Dave Despin implied a potential oval championship in addition to the IZOD IndyCar Series championship. He mentioned that he was betting that this was a Danica Patrick conspiracy as they want their top driver to be in the game. What if this is true?

A preview of round 2 NHL series between the Habs and the Pens.