UCLA coaching legend Wooden dies at 99

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

06/04/2010 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Legendary UCLA men's basketball coach John Wooden passed away Friday at the age of 99.

Wooden coached the Bruins from 1948-1975 and claimed 10 national championships over a 12-season stretch, including a record seven straight from 1967 to 1973. The Bruins also put together an incredible streak of 88 straight victories from 1971-1974. He also had four perfect 30-0 seasons and at one point won 38 consecutive games in the NCAA Tournament.

During his time with the Bruins, Wooden provided guidance for future NBA talent such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Jamaal Wilkes, Sidney Wicks and Marques Johnson.

A long and successful coaching career for the Indiana native began back in 1932 at Dayton High School in Kentucky. He moved on to a bigger profile high school job at South Bend Central High School in Indiana, where he also coached baseball and tennis. His first foray into the college ranks came with Indiana State.

Yet, his legacy remains the Wizard of Westwood.

He was the first person to become a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach. He amassed 620 victories and his teams won 19 conference championships during his decorated tenure.

Born in Martinsville, Indiana on October 14, 1910, Wooden went on to graduate from Purdue University in 1928. As a player, he helped lead the Boilermakers to the 1932 national championship. He came to be known as the "Indiana Rubber Man" for his suicidal dives and ability to bounce back after a physical play on the court.

He also spent many years playing professional ball while teaching and coaching at the high school level. Wooden, who played in the National Basketball League, was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1960 and as a coach in 1973.

Wooden was a lieutenant in the Navy from 1943 to 1946. He then taught at Indiana Teachers College, now called Indiana State. He coached for two seasons at the school and incredibly never had a losing season there or at UCLA.

Wooden concluded his 40 years as a head coach, high school and college, in 1975 with an 885-203 overall record (a percentage of .813), which is unmatched. He went 620-147 at UCLA. Even more amazing, UCLA won 149 of 151 games in Pauley Pavilion during his Bruin tenure.

Wooden's "Pyramid of Success" is still used by several coaches across the country and also in business. Wooden identified 25 behaviors he believed were necessary to achieve his idea of success, building from loyalty, cooperation and enthusiasm, all the way to the top of the pyramid - competitive greatness.

Wwwaesop NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< Mets hold off Marlins
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - R.A. Dickey threw into the seventh and added two hits, a run scored and an RBI at the plate, guiding the Mets to a slim 4-3 victory over the Marlins in the opener of a three-game series. Francisco Rodriguez

<< Flyers maintain two-goal lead after two periods in Game 4
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Goals from Mike Richards, Claude Giroux and Matt Carle in the first period and 23 saves from Michael Leighton have helped the Philadelphia Flyers hold a 3-1 lead over the Chicago Blackhawks after 40 minutes o

<< Bautista homers twice as Blue Jays handle Yankees
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jose Bautista homered twice and Brett Cecil pitched a solid eight innings, as Toronto beat the Yankees, 6-1, to kick off a three-game set at Rogers Centre. Bautista came in tied for the major league-lead

<< Mariners P Fister to miss one start
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seattle Mariners pitcher Doug Fister will miss his next scheduled start with what is being called shoulder fatigue. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Fister is expected to start next Thursday in Te

<< Broncos give OL Kuper six-year deal
Englewood, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Broncos made a number of moves on Friday, including giving offensive lineman Chris Kuper a six-year contract. Kuper, a fifth-round pick of Denver in 2006, has started 42 games in his career.

Boston and Buchholz spoil Samuel's Orioles debut >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Clay Buchholz threw his second career shutout to help the Boston Red Sox rout the Orioles, 11-0, in Juan Samuel's managerial debut on the Baltimore bench. Buchholz (8-3), who threw only his third career comp

Halladay doesn't duplicate perfection, but Phils still top Padres >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roy Halladay wasn't perfect, but the Phillies' ace still threw seven solid innings and was backed by Shane Victorino's productive night in a 3-2 win over the Padres. Halladay (8-3), in his

Mackenzie moves in front at Times Colonist Open >>
Victoria, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - American Brock Mackenzie fired a six-under 64 on Friday to move atop the leaderboard after the second round of the Times Colonist Open. Mackenzie finished 36 holes at 10-under 130 to move two strokes

Wainwright baffles Brewers for first career shutout >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adam Wainwright was sensational on the mound, allowing just two hits and fanning eight batters en route to his first career complete game shutout, as the St. Louis Cardinals dominated the Milwaukee Brewers

Desmond, Nationals rally to beat Reds >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ian Desmond singled in the winning run as part of a two-run seventh inning rally that lifted Washington to a 4-2 win over Cincinnati in the opener of a three-game series at Nationals Park. Desmond, C

Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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

MySportsbook.com Releases World Series Championship Lines

New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox early favorites to win 2008 World Series
The Major League Baseball season starts this weekend and MySportsbook.com, a leading online sportsbook for over 8 years, is the first to offer baseball sports betting lines on who will win the 2007 World Series.

"The World Series is the biggest baseball event in the sports betting world and MySportsbook.com is excited that we are first to market with betting lines on every team," says Tim Dalton, Marketing Director, MySportsbook.com. "We are getting things ready for a great baseball season and our members are looking forward to our Player Payback Bonuses, as well as Dime Lines, all season long."

Going in to this weekend, MySportsbook.com's favorites to win the World Series are the New York Yankees at 7-2 and last year’s winners the Chicago White Sox at 9-2.

"These betting lines are ripe for the picking," Dalton added, "baseball fans know that the season is long and many factors, including players staying healthy, will affect these Future odds as the baseball season progresses. Betting on your favorite team in the beginning of the season could prove quite lucrative. We are seeing examples of this right now in the NCAA College Basketball Tournament with a lucky few that placed pre-season bets on George Mason to win it all. Anything can happen."

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

About www.MySportsbook.com
MySportsbook.com is the foremost online sportsbook offering Internet wagering to its worldwide customers. Fully licensed and regulated in St. John’s, Antigua since 1997, MySportsbook.com offers a complete range of online casino games, sports betting lines, poker tournaments and horse racing offtrack betting daily through its portfolio of companies and managed services. With over 7 years of experience, MySportsbook.com has become one of the most respected companies in the gaming industry by providing unparalleled 24/7 customer support and timely payouts. MySportsbook.com is part of the SportingBet PLC group of companies that is publicly-traded on the London Stock Exchange ( LSE ) under the symbol SBT.L. MySportsbook.com provides a secure environment for sports and casino wagering and has been featured in numerous media outlets, including MAXIM Magazine, Cigar Aficionado, and CNN’s Paula Zahn Now among others.