Last Thursday the Indiana Pacers coach, Frank Vogel, expressed some unflattering views about Miami Heat in front of his players and the media, calling them “the biggest flopping team in the NBA”

“It’ll be very interesting (to see) how the referees officiate the series and how much flopping they reward”, Vogel went on to say. “Every drive to the basket, they have guys not making a play on the ball, but sliding in front of drivers. Oftentimes they’re falling down even before contact is even being made.”

The Miami team didn’t seem very fazed by the comments. Most of the players didn’t respond to the accusations and the few that did didn’t seem particularly concerned with denying them. Dwayne Wade simply offered, “I don’t care. That’s not our focus. We’re focused on our game plan. We’re trying to win game one.”

Power forward, Udonis Haslem, went as far to say that, as far as he was concerned, it was just a strategic way to upset the opposing team. “I don’t pay it no mind,” Haslem said. “It’s part of the game of basketball. If a guy’s driving down the lane and you have the opportunity to step in front of a guy, take a hit and obviously get a foul on a guy, get a turnover, maybe the next time he thinks twice about driving to the basket and you step up and you take advantage of your opportunity.”

Coach Erick Spoelstra was slightly more articulate when refuting the claims, “We’re a physical team,” he said. “Part of our defensive philosophy is to put our bodies in front of offensive players and that’s what we’ve done now for years and years.”

Still, Vogel certainly raises a valid concern. Is flopping getting out of hand in the NBA? Many seem to think it is.  And while Miami isn’t the only team guilty of doing it, they’re definitely the most frequent offenders.

Rick Carlisle has publicly stated that he’s sick of Wade’s and Lebron James’ flops.  His frustration is understandable, during the first half of Thursday’s game the Miami Heat stars flopped every time an India Pacers offensive player got near them. NBA games are turning into soccer affairs, where flopping is regarded as a skill.

But flopping in basketball is a far more recent phenomenon, and it can be traced to the Chicago Bulls of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. It might seem odd to accuse one of the greatest lineups in basketball history of such unsportsmanlike behavior. But the truth is that they kicked the pebble that would later become an avalanche.

Think about it; Jordan, Pip, and Dennis where top notch defenders, who thrived not only on one on one situations, but also played the angles like geometry gods. This allowed them to beat ball carriers to the spot and cause offensive fouls. While they were never blatantly faked injuries or exaggerated a foul, they did, in essence, create a new style of defense that was incredibly effective. It was only a matter of time before it started to be abused.

Flops are a tough thing to regulate but unless the NBA commissioner comes up with an effective way of discouraging players from engaging in it, it won’t be going away any time soon.

The Laker’s Center, Andre Bynum, apparently decided that beating the Denver Nuggets would be cinch since his team had taken a 3-1 lead over them.

“Closeout games are actually kind of easy,” Bynum said the day before the game. “Teams tend to fold if you come out and play hard in the beginning.

It looks like that was all the motivation that the Nuggets needed to get into action and play like their lives depended on it. Which, in reality, was a viable motivator seeing as how the team was facing elimination. But whatever the reason, Denver brought their A-game and achieved a surprising 102-99 victory on game 5. It looks like closeout games weren’t so easy after all.

“A lot of players are arrogant, man,” Nuggets guard Ty Lawson commented. “That was an arrogant statement. That definitely did give us fuel and motivation to win this game. We don’t like people saying stuff about us. We all looked at each and other and were like, ‘All right, let’s go.’ ”

The recently acquired Nugget center piece, JaVale McGee, thoroughly outplayed Bynum throughout the entire game. He finished the game with a total of 21 points and 14 rebounds. Bynum, on the other hand came across as sluggish and lazy during the match with only 16 points scored and 11 rebounds. It might not seem like a vast difference in terms of points but there definitely was a wide chasm between the level of play that each of them showcased that night.

“Usually I am nowhere near the playoffs,” McGee said. “My last game is usually like in the regular season in April. I definitely didn’t want tonight to be my last game.

Even Kobe Bryant was impressed by his performance; so much that he went on to say that Denver center was “blossoming in this series.”

It seems that this wasn’t lost on Bynum, who showed a total lack of gamesmanship by committing two brutal fouls against McGee that could have easily resulted in an ejection from the game. This was just one more notch in a series of antics that the 24 year old has been pulling for a while now. Coach Mike Brown benched him during a game for shooting 3-pointers. More recently, he was fined for not showing up to a meeting with general manager Mitch Kupchak who wanted to discuss the player’s immature behavior.

The Lakers still have a good shot at winning the series, either during game 6 or in their hometown for game 7. Their team, as a whole, has played consistently better than Denver and they still have one of the best closers of the league in Kobe Bryant. But will Bynum improve his attitude as well as his game? The first seems unlikely. After the game he publicly commented that he didn’t regret his statement.

“We didn’t get off to a good start and we lost, so I guess the same holds true”.

Remember to check out our NBA lines and make sure to take advantage of Game 6 only at SportsBetting.ag.

The Talladega Superspeedway is one of the most exciting courses in NASCAR and any time there is a race that takes place there, it’s considered an event. But Sunday’s race promises to be a special one, not only for motor sports fans, but also for our clients.

As most of you know, this could be the race where Dale Earnhardt Jr. smashes his losing streak. It’s been a rough couple of years for the racecar driver, who since 2008 has been riding a 138 long race track losing streak. Incidentally, his last victory was at the same track where he will be racing on Sunday. Adding more pressure to the outcome, is the fact that winning this race would give his team, Hendrick Motorsports, its 200^th victory.  Undoubtedly, Earnhardt has a lot riding on his shoulders.

One thing that he does have going for him is that this race will not follow the two-car tandem style of racing, which he clearly hates. Over the past two years, he has publicly stated how much he dislikes the fact that the outcome of the race is partly is in the hands of a driving partner.

“I feel like the style of racing we had in the Daytona 500 this year suits me better; I feel more confident in that style than I do the tandem,” Earnhardt said. “The tandem is difficult to really commit with someone all day long. Knowing if you are going to work together and you are going to be going for the win off the corner, you are going to have to split it between the two of you one way or the other. You are going to run second or you might win.”

And while he hasn’t won any races this season, he certainly seems to be slowly coming out of his funk. In 7 out of 9 races, he has finished in the top 10 positions, 2 of these were second place and another two were third place. His team certainly seems to believe he can pull it off and are providing him with top notch cars, as well as a great crew chief, the famous Steve Letarte.

To commemorate this special occasion SportsBetting.ag has created an exclusive prop. This prop has been specially made for this race and you will find it exclusively on our site. Don’t miss your chance at winning big while witnessing NASCAR history!

Junior Seau was found dead in his home on Wednesday morning. The 43 year old former NFL star’s body was discovered with a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. According to police reports Seau’s girlfriend was the one who found him lying on the floor and already unconscious. Paramedics were immediately summoned but their efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. Police reports say that the case appears to be a suicide. However, no suicide note was found and it’s still unsure who the gun is registered to.

“I’m sorry to say, Superman is dead,” commented San Diego Chargers chaplain, Shawn Mitchell.” All of us can appear to be super, but all of us need to reach out and find support when we’re hurting.”

Since news of the incident broke out many have speculated on whether taking repeated hits to the head for over 20 years could have been a contributing factor. Several of Seau’s friends and family members have expressed suspicions that a degenerative disease know as Chronic Traumatic Disorder could have been the cause of his untimely demise.

Mitchell stated that as defensive linebacker, Seau played “the most havoc-ridden position on the team. He suffered many concussions, so there is a strong sense that it played a role. Him taking the shot to the chest makes sense that he would want his head examined”.

The chaplain went on to say that Seau’s family had already been contacted by researchers who wanted to study his brain for traces of the diseases.

The player’s mother, Luisa Seau, appeared before the press in tears and made a few brief comments while attempting to control her emotions.

“I don’t understand … I’m shocked,” she cried out.

When asked if her son had giving any indications of being depressed when they last spoke she exclaimed, “He’s joking to me, he called me a ‘homegirl’ “.

The Chargers’ general manager, Bobby Beathard, also expressed his shock at the linebacker’s demise “It’s a sad thing. It’s hard to understand. He was really just a great guy. If you drew up a player you’d love to have the opportunity to draft and have on the team and as a teammate, Junior and Rodney (Harrison), they’d be the kind of guys you’d like to have.”

Seau was the fifth pick overall during the 1991 draft out of Southern California. He played for the chargers until he was traded to the Dolphins in 2002. After his retirement he made a few appearances with the Patriots in an effort to win the Super Bowl. He played with them during 2007 when they came close to actually winning. His last season was in 2009.

More than 100 people gathered outside of his home after his death was announced to mourn him. Whole families showed up with flowers and charger jerseys and waited outside to give the family their condolences. Seau was widely beloved in his community of San Diego and by his teammates.  He will be deeply missed.

A crowd of over 150,000 people is expected to show up to Churchill Downs on Saturday for the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby. The famous Louisville track plays host to a talented and deep 3-year old crop of colts this year, with several realistic possibilities to win as 20 horses will be entered. But how did the “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” come to be? We have the whole story!

The race was initially organized by the Louisville Jockey Club. The club was founded by Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., grandson of the famous explorer William Clark. Clark received his inspiration for the event while visiting England in 1872. During his trip he attended the Epsom Derby, a prestigious race that was held annually. After leaving Great Britain, Clark went to Paris where he witnessed another famous the race: The Grand Prix De Paris. After returning to Kentucky he started the club in order to raise money for building a track. The club was successful in their fund-raising and finally a track was built. This track was named Churchill Downs in honor of John and Henry Churchill who donated the land.

The first Kentucky Derby Race took place in 1875 in front of 10,000 people. Back then the course was 1.5 miles long and only 15 horses raced. All of the horses were 3 years old and thoroughbred. The winner of this historic race was a colt named Arstrides, who was trained by Ansel Williams. Later that year Artrides would come in second in the Belmont Stakes.
Although the race was considered a success by the press and by racing fans, the Louisville Jockey Club found themselves in a bad spot financially. The club refinanced and changed their name to the New Louisville Jockey Club, however their situation did not improve. Finally a syndicate of businessmen acquired the racing tracking in 1902. Under the new management the track flourished and the Kentucky Derby became of the most prominent horse races in the country.

During this time owners of winning horses started to send their winners to participate in the Preakness Stakes in Maryland and the Belmont Stakes in New York. In 1930 the press started calling the three races the “Triple Crown” when a horse named Gallant Fox won all of them. After this the three races would follow a specific schedule: First the Kentucky derby, followed by the Preakness Stakes and finally the Belmont Stakes. The first national live coverage of the event took place in 1952 when the CBS affiliate WHAS aired it. In 1954 the purse reached a record high of $100,000.

From there on the Kentucky Derby only grew in popularity. In 2001 over 154,000 people attended the event. For the 2007 Derby, Churchill Downs announced an $11.3 million stakes schedule. During that same year Queen Elizabeth II visited the track in order to watch the races.

This year promises to be one of the most exciting ones for the Kentucky Derby. With crowd favorites like Bodmeister and Union Rags competing, it certainly looks like this will be a close race. Millions are expected to be watching NBC for the coverage on Saturday afternoon; post time has been set for 6:23 p.m. EDT. In the mean time, make sure to check out all the interesting props that we are offering for the bet as well as the odds for the winners. See you at the race track!

The New Jersey Nets bid a sad farewell to their hometown on Monday night when they faced the 76ers for the last time in the garden state. The 76ers won the game 105 to 87, which left them tied with the New York Knicks for the 7^th seed. A fitting end, some say, for the Nets who have been on a losing streak for the last 5 years. After this week’s game in Toronto the team will officially be known as the Brooklyn Nets and their new home will be the Barclays Center in New York. For the past two years of their 35 year existence the Nets had called the Prudential Center Arena in Newark their home.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was typically blunt in saying that he, for one, would not miss the team.  “My message to them is, goodbye,” he commented during a news conference at Newark Beth Israel Hospital where he signed a bill to promote organ and tissue donation. “They want to leave here and go to Brooklyn? Good riddance. You don’t want to stay, we don’t want you.”

From the looks of it, the feeling is mutual. The team has launched a new campaign simply called “#HELLOBROOKLYN” in an effort to get fans ready for their move to the city. The artwork is pretty straightforward: a blank crest with the hash tag #HELLOBROOKLYN below it.  The new logo will be revealed at the NBA Draft during the ceremony. The slogan is also the title of a song off of Jay-z’s new album. The famous Hip-Hop artist is a part-owner of the team and apparently had a hand in deciding the team’s new logo.

“It’s an emotional time for the fans,” Nets guard Anthony Morrow commented, “It’s exciting, but at the same time it’s bittersweet.”

While many fans are saddened by this move, it isn’t exactly news for those in the know. The team’s owners had originally tried to relocate the team from the Meadowlands to Newark during the 90’s but were unable to get the financing for a new arena. After trying for several years they eventually ended up selling the team in 2004 to real estate developer Bruce Ratner. What most people don’t know is that Ratner’s plan was to move the team to Brooklyn all along. Newark was just a temporary home while the Barclays center was completed.

A closer look at the Nets’ finances sheds some light on why the team wasn’t exactly thrilled with their previous home. During the last season the team generated $31 million in arena revenues, a record low for the NBA where the average is $74 million. This translated into a $24 million loss for a franchise that had been losing money since 2003. Undoubtedly frustrating when teams like the Knicks and the Lakers are making more than $100 million a year from their arenas.

And therein lays the problem. Most teams make good money simply from renting out their facilities for special events. But the Nets were just tenants in a building owned by the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, a team that isn’t exactly financially stable to begin with. It’s impressive that they stayed as long as they did to begin with.

Things will be much different at the Barclays Center. The new arena will hold 225 events every year; everything from basketball to boxing, to circuses, concerts, hockey and much more. The building can hold up to 18,000 people and will include 100 luxury suites (some are rumored to be priced at $55,000 a year) and top-notch amenities. There’s no doubt that the new season will be a far cry from their previous ones, at least financially. Hopefully they are able to trade some better players to fill that new court with.

This weekend’s fight was the conclusion of a yearlong grudge between two ex-training buddies turned contenders. The long-awaited event was supposed to have taken place more than a year ago, but due to injuries on both sides and scheduling conflicts the match kept getting delayed.

The outcome was determined by the judge’s decision, which meant that the fight lasted 5 grueling rounds. But in the end, the judges unanimously voted in favor of reigning champion Jon Jones.

The fight, however, was not an easy one by any means. The two opponents were cautious throughout the entire match, always mindful of not giving the other man an easy shot.  Jones ultimately ended doing more damage than Evans; getting several good punches in throughout the 5 rounds. Despite his best efforts Evans was unable to get his opponent on the ground or get enough hits to achieve a victory.

Now Jones has to defend his title against Dan Henderson, who has already won championships in Strikeforce and Pride. The 41 year old seems confident in his shot at the championship:

“You’ve really got to get inside and fight with him and end up in the clinch with him a lot,” He said during an interview. “Jones is better than most guys in the clinch. … (But) that’s where I’m most comfortable. At the same time I need to be real careful with catching one of those goofy elbows that he throws.”

Henderson also commented on how he felt that Evans missed several good opportunities to take his opponent down. Still, even though he might present a bigger challenge than Evans, he will have his work cut out for him. Many other fighters have gotten in the ring thinking they had a good strategy to defeat Jones only to find themselves getting knocked out.

For now, Jones is maintaining a winning streak that is uncommon for UFC fighters, if he wins his next match he could find himself setting a new precedent for the sport.

A few days ago we talked about how the Boston Red Sox had been off to a less-than-great start at the beginning of the season. Now it seems that their troubles were just beginning.  Bobby Valentine has been manager of the team for less than two weeks and he has, somehow, already managed to alienate players and fans alike by making disparaging comments about Kevin Youkilis during an interview with Channel 7.

“I don’t think he’s as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past for some reason”, Valentine commented. “But [Saturday] it seemed, you know, he’s seeing the ball well, got those two walks, got his on-base percentage up higher than his batting average, which is always a good thing, and he’ll move on from there.’’

Granted, Youkilis has been off to a slow start. So far he’s only hit .200 with eight strikeouts, no homers, and only three RBIs in his first 30 at-bats. He’s also had to sit out a game due to a groin injury.  Still, many who heard Valentine’s remarks were offended that he would call into question Youkili’s commitment to the game. Some were quite outspoken about their disapproval, such as second baseman Dustin Pedroia who came to his teammate’s defense.

“Maybe [that works] in Japan or something, but over here in the US we’ve got a three-game winning streak and we want to feel good and keep it rolling. We feel we have a good team and we’ve just got to get each other’s backs and play together. If you don’t do that, I don’t care what sport you’re playing, you’re not going to win”, Pedoria argued when asked if perhaps Valentine was simply trying to motivate Youkilis. “We’ve got Youk’s back. He’s played his ass off for us for a long time. I don’t know what Bobby’s trying to do, but that’s not the way we do things here.’’

Finally, general manager Ben Cherington ended up mediating between all the parties involved.

“I think, as with many things in baseball and life, the more you get a chance to talk about it and understand what people’s [meanings] were and how they perceived something, that’s what allows you to get past it,’’ the GM said. “Kevin and Bobby spoke. I spoke to Bobby, I spoke to Kevin. What needed to be said has been said and we’ll move forward.’’

Cherington said that he spoke to Youkilis and Valentine separately and together to ensure that any issues between the two had been resolved. He also weighed in on the situation by saying that it would be appropriate for Valentine to apologize Youkilis, even if his intention was never to offend him. He also praised players like Pedoria who stepped up to defend their teammate.

“I was surprised to see the quote,’’ Cherington commented. “I was surprised, because that’s not something Bobby had expressed to me. And we’ve all seen Kevin play for a long time and never wondered why he wasn’t into the game. He plays hard every day. That’s why it’s important to talk about it. I understood better what happened and we were able to talk through it.”

While the issue appears to have been resolved on the surface the real questions is: What will happen now? The team can’t be too happy with their new manager when he appears to be blasting them gratuitously in front of the media. It’s hard to imagine that the Sox will be very motivated if even their management doesn’t believe in them. Add to the mix the fact that Valentine was booed by the crowd for leaving Daniel Bard in the game too long and you can see how things might be getting uncomfortable for the manager.

On the other hand, Valentine was hired in hopes of seeing a change from the way things were being run during Francona’s final months. Back then it looked like the players were the ones running things, with beer being served in the clubhouse and takeout food being ordered during games. The point being that it was expected that Valentine would come to shake things up. But are his methods working?

Alexander Gustafsson proved to anyone paying attention to Saturday’s UFC match that he was a contender worth keeping an eye on. The 25-year-old, 6-foot-4 fighter from Stockholm, gave quite a show for his UFC debut in his homeland in front a sold out crowd. Gustafsson faced seasoned veteran Thiago Silva in what was the biggest match of his career.

“All I can say is I’m proud to fight here in my home country, in my home town. It’s a big honor.” Gustafsson shared with members of the press in the cage after minutes after the fight.

The outcome of the match was determined by the judges who scored it 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 unanimously for Gustafsson. Probably not what the Swedish fighter was looking for but not any less impressive. This is, after all, only the second time that he didn’t win a fight via submission or knockout. Gustafsson has now won five straight fights and six of seven in the UFC. The young fighter has clearly improved exponentially since his last loss back in 2010 when he submitted against Phil Davis.

Most notably, his foot and hand handwork have gotten much faster. He has gotten better at using his long frame to quickly do heavy damage on much larger opponents without letting them catch him or hit him back. According to Compustrike, Gustafsson had an 83-47 total-strikes advantage over his opponent.

Gustafsson came close to winning the match during the first round when he landed an uppercut on Silva and then dropped him with flurry. Once on the ground he came dangerously close to polishing him off the mat.

“I couldn’t feel my legs,” Silva admitted.

Silvia proceeded to try and catch the Swede for the next two rounds but, aside from a few good kicks and blows, he was mostly unsuccessful. By the third round he was bleeding heavily.

Originally, the fight was slated to be Gustafsson against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, however Rogerio had to cancel due to an injury and was replaced by Thiago Silvia. This was the first fight for Silvia (14-3 with one no contest) since he was suspended for attempting to tamper with a urine test back in January 2011. The 29 year old Brazilian fighter admitted to taking steroids to help with his back injury and then attempting to cover it up. As a result of this scandal Silva’s victory against Brandon Vera was nullified and the six-foot-one fighter was fined US$33,750

“I tried to push as much as I could,” Silva commented after the match. “I couldn’t find my consistency. He’s a tough guy, he deserved the victory.”

And so, Alexander Gustafsson, has joined the ranks of former champions Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans (possibly Gustaffson’s next opponent) as the only fighters to beat the Brazilian fighter. In doing so he continues to climb in the light-heavyweight category. While he might not be quite ready to face against the likes of say, Jon Jones yet; he is certainly getting close. A few more fights under his belt and Gustafsson jut might find himself at the top of the UFC. He certainly seems to be up for the challenge:
“I just want to take the fight UFC gives me. Do what I have to do – fight.”

For all of our UFC fans remember to check our lines for this week’s fights.

This Saturday Gerry “Bubba” Watson became a household name as he achieved a victory that is sure to be etched in the History of Golf, for years to come. Watson went on to win the 2012 Master Championship when he defeated opponent Louis Oosthuizen during a sudden death playoff that was nothing short of legendary. This victory also elevated him to a career high position, fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking and placed him as the current highest ranking American golfer.

            But the real charm that Bubba emanates is his youthful and exciting take on the sport. For years golf has been considered an activity for older, stuffy rich men. Not anymore. Long before his victory “Wacky Waston”, as he has been affectionately dubbed, was already an internet phenomenon. His famous YouTube videos showed the 33-year-old doing everything from smashing vegetables and fruits with wooden clubs, to dressing up in flashy costumes, to jumping into hot tubs.

Of course, since his last game his following on social media sites  has skyrocketed. He currently has over 65,000 likes on Facebook and more than half a million followers on twitter. Bubba still doesn’t boast the amount of followers of, say, Tiger Woods. But he is rapidly getting there. An appropriate analogy, some say, to his exuberant style of play is starting to take over the golf world.

“Golf has always been seen as a safe game. It’s not overly flamboyant and I think it’s still largely viewed as an elitist sport,” commented Christian d’Ippolito, group head of Unruly Media. “The fact that there is this guy who is quite an eccentric individual — everything from his name, his dress sense, his pink driver — certainly sets him apart from the crowd.”It’s great because much like snooker, golf desperately needs that attention from a younger audience. And social media is an effective way of getting it. Every sport should have its personality, and football has been very good at that. I think Bubba is golf’s answer to that personality.”

Bubba certainly showed his creative spark on Sunday’s game when he drove into the woods on the second hole. For many golfers this could have spelled the demise of their game but “Wacky Watson” saw an opportunity most would have missed. He used the crowd as a reference to start the gap wedge from 155 yards. He chipped the ball straight to the fairway, just low enough to avoid a large branch, and finally a wild hook toward the green. This placed him at a two-putt par from 10 feet, enough to beat Oosthuizen who chipped 12 feet by the hole and two-putted for bogey. But to hear him say it, the golfer was just enjoying a regular day on the field.

“I got in these trees and hit a crazy shot and I saw it in my head and somehow I’m here talking to you with a green jacket on,” he commented afterwards. “Hooked it about 40 yards, hit about 15 feet off the ground until it got under the tree and then started rising. Pretty easy.”

Sure, he was laughing when he said this, but his unique style of play makes you think there might be some truth to it. It’s a stark contrast from a player like Tiger Woods who is famous for his methodical and calculated swings. Bubba is all about being creative and trying new things. It seems that even hitting straight balls can get a little dull for him.

“I can do it,” he offered. “It’s just not something I really want to do. It’s easier in the trees like I did on the last playoff hole. I just play golf, I attack. I always attack. I don’t like to go to the center of the greens. I want to hit the incredible shot; who doesn’t? That’s why we play the game of golf, to pull off the amazing shot.”

And he just might have pulled it off, even if he is too humble to admit it.

“I don’t really want to be famous or anything like that,” he offered after the game. “I just want to be me and play golf.”

For all of our Golf fans remember to check out our Maybank Malaysian Open odds and don’t miss any of the action.