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State College, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joe Paterno, the legendary coach of Penn State who was ousted from his job in November, has succumbed to lung cancer. He was 85. The family announced his death Sunday morning.
Jacksonville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - He might have played at a non-scholarship program, but Jacksonville University quarterback Josh McGregor showed quite a bit to the scholarship players in the first Battle of Florida All-Star game Saturday in Boca Raton. Better yet, pro scouts took notice, too.
"It's weird," said McGregor, who also caught a 7-yard pass in his one quarter of work. "I was MVP from a small school (Belle Glades Day) in my high school all-star game and now in college."
Kerwin Bell, McGregor's head coach at Jacksonville, which plays in the non- scholarship Pioneer Football League, was the North's offensive coordinator. The head coach was Bobby Bowden, the legendary former Florida State mentor.
Providence, RI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Among the many people in college football mourning the death of legendary coach Joe Paterno are those at Brown University, his alma mater. Paterno, who died from lung cancer at age 85 Sunday morning in State College, Pa., is a 1950 graduate of Brown and a member of the Ivy League university's athletic Hall of Fame.
"Joe Paterno was a great mentor for all of college football. I have considered him my role model for my career here at Brown," Estes added. "I had several opportunities to talk with Joe about football and Brown University, and will cherish those memories. Coach Paterno has been an important part of our football tradition and we will continue to celebrate his storied career and life."
Paterno was a standout quarterback and defensive back at Brown. Under head coach Rip Engle, Paterno blossomed into the heady quarterback of the Bears' 8-1 squad in 1949.
Paterno also returned punts and kickoffs, posting career averages of 8.8 and 20.1 yards, respectively.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Before deciding on which university I wanted to attend, and believe me it was few and far between thanks to an SAT score comparable to Babe Ruth's slugging percentage, my father said something that still resonates with me today. The youngest of three, I knew I wanted to attend Penn State not just because my older sisters did but for the simple fact that I was a sports junkie who admired the Nittany Lions and their white helmets, plain uniforms, black shoes and winning tradition. My father said to me in the mid 90s, "Geez, I hope Joe Paterno is still head coach when you get there."
Paterno was no spring chicken at that moment and he was certainly a selling point to be a part of that Penn State tradition. I graduated in the fall of 2000, granting my father's wishes that my stay in Happy Valley coincided with Paterno's tenure as head coach. I was fortunate enough to work with great minds such as former PSU publicist Bud Thalman and SID Jeff Nelson, talented players and an intelligent coaching staff during my time in State College. However, I only had once chance to meet Paterno face-to-face and it was during a media event outside the practice facility of Holuba Hall.
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Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.
Seriously.
The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.
The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.
Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."
The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.
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