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.
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American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies
It's that time of year folks. Betting on American Idol Season 9. And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below. With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.
No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.
Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.
Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.
Odds to Win
There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.
All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.
A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.
Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.
Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol.
Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.
If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.
Elimination Props
Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.
Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.
Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups
The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.
Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.