NFL odds: Browns bank on Rogers in middle

The Cleveland Browns think this is the year their storied but eternally punished franchise could make a Super Bowl. And no one seems to question their offense behind Derek Anderson, Jamal Lewis, Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow.

What many question is the defense that got pushed around last season, to the tune of 30th overall in the league. That’s why defensive tackle Shaun Rogers could be the key to this season for Cleveland.

Rogers, acquired from the Detroit Lions, was considered to have a bit of a motor problem with the Lions – i.e. he only played hard when he wanted to, which wasn’t enough for someone with his talent. But he showed up for workouts this spring in great shape and looks motivated to have a big season.

"Shaun is a physical specimen," coach Romeo Crennel said. "He's got good size, good strength. I think he'll be hard to handle one-on-one, which will force some double teams. … His attitude has been good. He’s been working.”In fact, Rogers thinks adjusting to a 3-4 defense is just the challenge he needs; he was. primarily a 4-3 tackle with one-gap responsibilities in his seven seasons with the Lions.

"I'm excited to be here learning my new role,' Rogers said.”It's different going between the 4-3 and the 3-4 to be a noseguard. Being a noseguard takes a lot of the aggressiveness away when you are making your first step getting off the ball. There is a more 'read and react' feel to it. You have to be patient and unselfish in this defense, so I'm working on a few character flaws.'

"I think it's been better than expected," Browns general manager Phil Savage said of Rogers' conversion. "He's done some good things on the field.'

With the addition of fellow defensive tackle Corey Williams from Green Bay, the Browns have more size up front than they have in years. This club ranked 30th, 29th and 30th in run defense the past three years, but that seems unlikely this season barring injuries.

Rogers and Williams also will be asked to tie up linemen to help free up pass-rusher Kamerion Wimbley. The third-year pro finished his rookie year with 11 sacks, but saw his production dip (five sacks) in his second season as teams paid more attention to him.

Will the Browns win the AFC? Bet at WagerWeb.com

NFL odds: Vikings need Jackson to be Super

Everything seems to be in place for the Minnesota Vikings to finally return to the Super Bowl – well, everything seems to be in place except for possibly at the most important position: quarterback.

Yes, the weight of the franchise is on third-year QB Tarvaris Jackson

After all, the Vikings have arguably the best running tandem in the league in Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor, they added Bernard Berrian from the NFC North rival Bears to provide a deep threat, and Minnesota traded for pass-rushing stud Jared Allen and added safety Madieu Williams to put on a defense that already was awesome against the run.

Vikes coach Brad Childress points to last season’s finale as to how much potential Jackson has.

"I'd go back to the last five or seven minutes of the Denver game," Childress says, "when we were down 16 points, and we go into a no-huddle, and he kind of wills us down the field — by moving, by scrambling, by hitting people, by stepping up in the pocket and putting one up on the flag, by running for (32) yards. Just the best of Tarvaris Jackson. How good can he be? He can be this good."The Vikings lost, but in that stretch Jackson passed for 175 yards, two scores and a pair of two-point conversions. An optimist like Childress sees nice momentum heading into the offseason. A pessimist might say that Jackson had the fewest TD passes of any quarterback in the league (9) and threw 12 interceptions, completing a little more than 58 percent of his throws.

With defenses stacking up to slow Peterson and Taylor, Jackson will need to hit the deep ball and not turn the ball over. Basically, do enough not to lose the game.

"Knowing when to let go of that deep ball and give a guy a one-on-one opportunity, or when it is better to bring it down and go to a 4-yard check-down," Childress said of making sound decisions.

But did Minnesota make a sound decision in not bringing in a backup better than Gus Frerotte in case Jackson struggles?

“People are going to say what they want to say. It's their job to analyze things and to give their opinion of our team," Jackson said. "My job is to go out there and prove them wrong. That's how I look at it. It's just extra motivation. That's all it is. Things like that kind of help me out, get me over the top."

Bet on Vikings futures at WagerWeb.com this season in the Twin Cities as the Vikes look to end a 32-year conference championship drought.

College football odds: MSU' Croom gets new deal

The coach residing on one of college football’s hottest seats last year now has the comfort of a new four-year contract after leading Mississippi State to a surprising 8-5 record (4-4 in the SEC) in 2007.

Sylvester Croom, the first black football coach in SEC history, got his new contract late last week, which starts at $1.7 million for this season. Four-year contracts are the maximum allowable under Mississippi state law. Salary figures of the other three years were not disclosed.

"We've come a long way in the last four years in terms of making a commitment of making a championship program and doing things the right way," Croom said. "We're not where some of the other schools are but I think we've made a huge, huge improvement and I am totally satisfied with the financial package for myself and for my assistant coaches as well, and the commitment that the university has made."

Croom originally agreed to a two-year extension through the 2011 season in January, shortly after he was named the SEC Coach of the Year for leading Mississippi State to regular season wins over rivals Ole Miss and Alabama and a Liberty Bowl victory over Central Florida, MSU’s first bowl game since 2000.

He seemed a strong candidate to be let go entering 2007, as the Bulldogs were 9-25 under him in his first three seasons, including a 4-20 mark in the SEC.One unique part of his new deal is that one of Croom’s future pay incentives will be based on Academic Progress Rate numbers, the NCAA's new academic measurement tool that penalizes programs that fail to meet outlined standards.

It is believed the 53-year-old Croom is the first collegiate head coach to have a contract with incentives based on APR numbers.

"We are excited that Coach Croom's contract is signed," new athletic director Greg Byrne said in a release. “He has brought our football program back to the level of play everyone anticipated when he was hired in 2004.”

The Bulldogs, who were taken off probation by the NCAA earlier in June, begin practice on Aug. 3.

With Houston Nutt now at Ole Miss, football might be on the rise in Mississippi.

MSU’s 2008 schedule
8/30 @ Louisiana Tech
9/06 Southeastern Louisiana
9/13 Auburn
9/20 @ Georgia Tech
9/27 @ LSU
10/11 Vanderbilt
10/18 @ Tennessee
10/25 Middle Tennessee
11/01 Kentucky
11/15 @ Alabama
11/22 Arkansas
11/28 @ Mississippi

Bet on who will win the SEC at WagerWeb.com

NFL odds: Crumpler fills missing piece for Titans

Tennessee quarterback Vince Young has led his team to two solid seasons since entering the NFL, but his passing numbers have been below average.

Much of that has been blamed on the Titans’ weak receiving corps and run-first mentality, but Young will need to do better than a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 9-to-17 as he had last season.

So while the Titans ignored receivers in the draft, they did bring sign former Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler, who should finally give Young the big target he has been lacking. Crumpler was Michael Vick’s safety valve in Atlanta, and should be Tennessee’s most reliable tight end since Frank Wycheck. Crumpler was a four-time Pro Bowler with the Falcons, and he’s thrilled with the connection with his new quarterback so far.

"It has been a match made in heaven,” said Crumpler, who had five TD catches last year. "I am excited about it, and I know Vince is excited about it, too.”

The seven-year veteran did his homework and chose Tennessee because he felt the Titans are a contender."I thought coming in here would be a good situation for me, and it's (done) nothing but met my expectations, above and beyond my expectations thus far," he said.

Crumpler is coming off some knee trouble that caused him to miss a few games last year, but he still had 42 catches for 444 yards in a bad Atlanta offense, and those five TD catches would have led Tennessee. And he says the knee feels great.

Young likes the big target he has in the 6-foot-2 Crumpler, who sees everything the quarterback finds at the line of scrimmage.

“Crump is a big target; he is smart. At the line of scrimmage, we kind of give each other the eye before we snap the ball because he is seeing what I am seeing,' Young said. "I really feel like he is going to help me out a whole lot because he is a vet and he knows what to do out there. He is going to be a good guy for me.'

Bet on the Titans at WagerWeb.com

MLB odds: Mariners look to sweep Mets

The money line on Wednesday night’s Mariners-Mets game in New York has moved about 10 percent toward the heavily favored Mets since it opened, and some of that certainly can be attributed to Mariners pitcher Erik Bedard’s start being skipped tonight.

While Bedard (4-4, 3.97 ERA) hasn’t been worth the haul of players that Seattle sent to Baltimore to get him in the offseason, he has been Seattle’s second-best starter behind Felix Hernandez. But he is out tonight and possibly headed for the disabled list with back spasms he first suffered last Friday in Atlanta. The lefty has had one DL stint already this season, from April 8-26 with hip soreness.

Miguel Batista (3-9, 6.26 ERA) will start for Bedard on Wednesday. Batista has been pitching in relief since he was removed from the rotation after his June 7 start against the Red Sox. And he wasn’t much better as a reliever, going 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA, including giving up two runs and blowing a save Saturday vs. Atlanta without retiring a hitter. In his career against the Mets, the right-hander is 4-3 with a 3.67 ERA in nine games.The Mets figure to be quite motivated tonight as well, coming off back-to-back losses to the team with the worst record in baseball, including 11-0 on Tuesday night, a game in which manager Jerry Manuel and center field Carlos Beltran were ejected.

The victory improved Seattle to a still AL-worst 13-25 on the road but to 7-1 all-time against New York. Seattle has yet to sweep any team so far in 2008, and you know the Mets don’t want to be the first.

John Maine (7-5, 3.78 ERA) takes the mound for New York, which has lost Maine's last three starts at Shea as he has posted a 6.23 ERA. The Mets have lost three of four overall, averaging only 1.5 runs per game.

Bet on Mariners-Mets at WagerWeb.com

College football odds: 2008 Tulane

The Green Wave have to replace arguably the best runner in school history, but things appear to be looking up in New Orleans.

Coach: Bob Toledo

2007 record: 4-8, 3-5 C-USA

Returning starters: 17 (Offense: 8, defense: 7, kicker/punter: 2)

Top returners: LT Troy Kropog, LG Michael Parenton, WR Jeremy Williams, DE Reggie Scott, LB Evan Lee, CB Josh Lumar, LB David Skehan

Key losses: RB Matt Forte, C Aryan Barto, DT Antonio Harris, DT Avery Williams, S Joe Goosby

2008 schedule

Sept. 6 @ Alabama

Sept. 13 East Carolina

Sept. 20 Louisiana-Monroe

Sept. 20 SMU

Oct. 4 Army

Oct. 11 @ UTEP

Oct. 25 Rice

Nov. 1 @ LSU

Nov. 8 @ Houston

Nov. 15 UAB

Nov. 22 @ Tulsa

Nov. 29 @ Memphis


Key game: For sentimental reasons, it would have the Oct. 4 homecoming matchup against Army. Tulane will play that game at Tad Gormley Stadium for the first time since 2004. Previously, the Green Wave played three straight (2002-04) homecoming contests at the stadium and the 2005 game was scheduled to be there as well, but Hurricane Katrina changed all that.2008 overview

The Green Wave will have a big hole to fill in replacing the nation’s second-leading rusher from 2007, Matt Forte, who likely will be starting in the NFL for the Chicago Bears. Andre Anderson will take that role. He averaged 7.2 yards per carry in the spring game and convinced coach Bob Toledo: "He's got to carry the load as a running back next fall," Toledo said.

Tulane also likely will be replacing 2007 starting QB Anthony Scelfo. Toledo allowed Scelfo to skip spring practice to concentrate on baseball, and he emerged as one of C-USA's top players, getting drafted in the eighth round of this year’s draft. He could return in the fall, but it’s unlikely.

“Obviously, Anthony had a chance last year to show what he could do. And we know what he can do. He's involved with baseball now, and this summer he's going to be involved with baseball. He's missing a lot of football. It's one of those things where we need someone to come in here and throw the football efficiently and effectively. And if it is Scelfo in fall camp, then it may be him. But right now, it is down to basically two people — (Kevin) Moore and (Joe) Kemp," Toledo said.

Moore, a sophomore, shared the job with Scelfo last year, so that may give him a leg up, but Kemp shined even though he’s only a freshman. Whoever takes the snaps will be protected by a line that returns four starters. And whoever wins the job will be throwing often to receiver Jeremy Williams, who had 46 catches, 773 receiving yards and five TDs last year but was much improved this spring.

On defense, the strength should be up front. With the decision to move senior David Skehan from strong safety to outside linebacker, the front seven returns six starters, although it must replace the combined 10 sacks of departed Antonio Harris and Avery Williams. Watch for sophomore Tony Bryant to step in and make a name for himself this year.

Bet on NCAA futures at WagerWeb.com

College football odds: 2008 UAB

The good news: The Blazers return 19 starters from last season. The bad news: UAB only beat one Division I team (I refuse to say Football Bowl Subdivision) in 2007.

Coach: Neil Callaway (second year at UAB)

2007 record: 2-10, 1-7 C-USA

Returning starters: 19 (Offense: 8 defense: 9, kicker/punter: 2)

Top returners: QB Joe Webb, WR Frantrell Forrest, C Jake Seitz, FS Will Dunbar, LB Joe Henderson, CB Kevin Sanders, PK/P Swayze Waters

Key losses: G Adam Truitt, TE David Sigler, QB Sam Hunt

2008 schedule

Aug. 30 Tulsa

Sept. 6 @ Florida Atlantic

Sept. 13 @ Tennessee

Sept. 20 Alabama State

Sept. 27 @ South Carolina

Oct. 2 Memphis

Oct. 11 @ Houston

Oct. 18 Marshall

Nov. 1 @ Southern Miss

Nov. 15 @ Tulane

Nov. 22 East Carolina

Nov. 29 @ UCFKey game: Aug. 30 vs. Tulsa - Let's be honest here: The Blazers aren't going to contend in Conference USA this year. But maybe UAB can upset a Tulsa team that will be breaking in a new quarterback to replace Paul Smith. Win that game and perhaps the Blazers could be 3-2 heading into full conference play in hopes of finishing .500 overall. Yeah, probably not. Facing three consecutive bowl teams to start the season will be rough on this club.

2008 overview

After splitting time between receiver and quarterback last season, junior Joe Webb has the full-time job under center. Webb beat out Anthony Speight in the spring, capping it with 173 yards passing and two touchdowns in the first half of the spring game. In three scrimmages, Webb went 51-for-83 for 706 yards with six touchdown passes and two interceptions.

"We know what Joe can do. He's an outstanding player and we're excited about him. We just have to correct some of the lapses and work on the consistency part of it, but he's definitely a guy who can make plays," coach Neil Callaway said.

Frantrell Forrest will no doubt be Webb's top target. As a freshman, Forrest had 49 catches for 563 yards and five touchdowns, and he was the No. 1 option in the spring, tallying 14 receptions for 238 yards and four touchdowns in three scrimmages, and then two TDs in the spring game from Webb.

But who will run the ball? That's likely to come down to either Dexter Barnett or Justin Brooks. Barnett was impressive in the spring game with 26 yards rushing on six carries and four receptions for 53 yards and a TD. Webb also will be a running threat; he was the leading rusher in the spring game. UAB was 104th in I-A in rushing last season, so there's really nowhere to go but up.

The defense returns nine starters, but the Blazers are still young and small in a front seven that included 10 freshmen and sophomores in its two-deep last fall. The strength of the team might be a secondary that returns four players with starting experience, led by all-conference safety Will Dunbar, who led C-USA in tackles last year with 12.2 per game. Two returning starters at outside linebacker, senior Joe Henderson and sophomore Mike Tashman missed significant time in the spring with injuries but are expected to be ready to go by camp.

Senior PK Swayze Waters is a weapon any team would like to have: He was all-conference and a Lou Groza Award semifinalist last year after making 22 of 28 field goals and averaging 41.4 yards per punt.

Bet on NCAA futures at WagerWeb.com

Soccer odds: Russia vs. Spain

The second semifinal of Euro 2008 is Thursday and a rematch of group play, where Spain handled Russia easily, 4-1.

However, in that match, Russia was without Andrei Arshavin, who has been arguably the best player in the whole tournament since he got back on the pitch from a two-match suspension, and he makes Russia a different club than that first meeting. He has two goals and two man-of-the-match performances since coming back.

"We tried of course to improve," Russia coach Guus Hiddink said Tuesday. "If we play as we did before, then we don't even have to start this game. We can hand over our wallets to Spain."

David Villa was dominant in that first match, netting a hat trick. But he has only added one goal since and Spain has struggled to play as well again, while Russia has improved with each match, culminating in its 3-1 win over tournament favorite the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.

"The team has learned in a very short time a lot. We hope to continue that," Hiddink said.Hiddink has some injury worries, with midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, forward Ivan Sayenko and Alexander Anyukov all carrying minor injuries from the quarterfinals. Bilyaletdinov and Anyukov did some light running at training Tuesday, while Sayenko trained but finished earlier than the rest of the squad.

While they may be fit for Thursday's semifinal match in Vienna, Hiddink will be without defender Denis Kolodin and midfielder Dmitry Torbinski, who are both suspended after picking up their second yellow cards of the tournament against the Netherlands.

Yet the Spanish, in their first final four appearance since 1984, are no doubt riding high and are the slight money line favorites on WagerWeb.com. They are the last group winner left standing and just ended an 88-year legacy of losing to the Italians.

Yet Spain midfielder Xavi knows Russia is a new challenge.

"The difference between our first game and this encounter is the fact that Russia have gained a lot of confidence having beaten Holland," he said. "Now they believe in themselves, having knocked out one of the favorites for the title and they are highly motivated."

Cesc Fabregas says Spain will need to pay special attention to Arshavin on Thursday.

"I saw him [against Holland], he's a good player" Fabregas said. "I didn't know him before but he looks good so we have to be careful. We know it will be a completely different game. They have quality, they are competitive, young, and I think it will be very tough."

Bet on Russia-Spain at WagerWeb.com

Soccer odds: Germany vs. Turkey

Certainly the most unlikely of the four Euro 2008 semifinalists is Turkey, which has pulled off some truly amazing comebacks in this year's tournament.

Yet it's hard to see the Turks upsetting powerhouse Germany in the first semifinal, which is Wednesday afternoon in the U.S. Turkey will be down to only 14 eligible players and will be missing several of its top ones, so it's little surprise that Germany is a big -245 money line favorite on WagerWeb.com.

Starting goalkeeper Volkan Demirel will be serving the second game of his two-match ban, while Arda Turan, Tuncay Sanli and Emre Asik each picked up their second yellow card in the quarterfinal win over Croatia and will miss Wednesday's contest as well. Injuries have also hit Turkey hard, with Nihat Kahveci (thigh), Emre Gungor (calf), and Servet Cetin (hip) out, while Tumer Metin and captain Emre Belozoglu are only available for light training and are doubtful.

UEFA on Monday denied Demirel's appeal of his two-game suspension."We have to deal with it, but we are still not afraid of any opponent," defender Gokhan Zan said. "Of course, Germany is the favorite to beat us because they always do better and better when a tournament advances. We must rely on the same courageous football that has brought us this far."

After being dismantled by Croatia in group play, the Germans were in disarray and called a private team meeting sans coach Joachim Low was called. Out of that came a refocused team and a new formation for the Germans, who switched to a lone striker (Miroslav Klose up top) and built around the talents of midfielder Michael Ballack, who's been given more freedom with the addition of two defensive midfielders to support him.

Yet it's Lukas Podolski who has been Germany's best player so far. He has been the Germans' most consistent player on the attack and has three goals in Euro 2008.

Turkey has never reached the finals of the European Championships, while Germany is no stranger to this stage of the competition, having reached either the final four or the last two on seven occasions (including this one) since its first appearance in the competition back in 1972.

Since German reunification the sides have met on four occasions. Turkey won the first two 1-0, the third was drawn 0-0, and the fourth - the only match played this century - saw Turkey oust Germany 2-1 in Istanbul in a friendly.

Bet on Euro 2008 at WagerWeb.com

NFL odds: Smith leader for 49ers' QB job

According to the San Jose Mercury News, former No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith will likely be penciled in as the 49ers' starting quarterback when the team reports to camp on July 24.

But that's definitely not to say that Shaun Hill or J.T. O'Sullivan can't win the job in camp, although it's likely just a race between Smith and Hill.

"The pleasing thing to me is that we have three guys who can win a game for us," coach Mike Nolan said, but then added: "At some point, you have to decide who is going to take more reps. You have to do that in fairness to the other players who are out there."

He cautioned against reading too much into who takes the most snaps with the first unit, however. The job will go to the player who performs the best at practices and in the preseason games.

Smith is in his fourth season with yet another offensive coordinator. But perhaps he can thrive under Mike Martz as he did under Norv Turner.

Martz and Nolan noted that Smith's biggest improvement in the offseason work has been getting the ball to receivers more quickly in blitz situations rather relying on his protection to save the play.

"Alex is very athletic," Nolan said. "He probably has the strongest arm of all the guys. He's really intelligent. Now he's got to go in there and put in four quarters and move the ball consistently and make plays he should make."Hill is a career third-stringer who got his chance late last year and was quite good: He completed 54 of 79 passes for 501 yards, five TDs and an interception - a QB rating of 101.3. Smith, meanwhile, completed only 48.7 percent of his passes with two TDs and four interceptions for a rating of 57.2. Niners quarterbacks were sacked a franchise-record 55 times last season and San Francisco had the worst offense in the league.

You'd think the team would want some return on its huge investment in Smith, but Hill thinks the job is truly wide open.

"I feel like it's definitely a fair competition," Hill said. "I've got nothing to make me think otherwise. ... It's going to be an exciting offense, for sure, and we definitely have the players for it. Everybody is excited to get in the offense and see where it takes us. We're a lot further along now than we were a year ago at this time."

Bet on the 49ers at WagerWeb.com

NFL odds: Chargers' Rivers says he's ready

Many oddsmakers, such as at WagerWeb.com, list the San Diego Chargers as the AFC's second favorite to reach the Super Bowl this season, but all of that optimism assumes that quarterback Philip Rivers is fully recovered from offseason ACL surgery.

Rivers suffered a tear of his right ACL in the Chargers' AFC divisional upset win at Indianapolis and played through that in the close AFC title loss to New England. And while he is reportedly well ahead of schedule, these things generally take almost a full year to fully heal, meaning he could be a bit immobile for much of the season.

The one concern for Chargers fans is that Rivers, despite throwing the exact same number of pass attempts in both his seasons as a starter, had fewer completions, fewer yards, one less touchdown, and six more interceptions in 2007 than he had in 2006.

But he did get better late last season. In the final six games, he had a quarterback rating of over 100 in four of those games. From Week 12 until the AFC Championship Game, Rivers threw for 14 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.

"We were explosive," coach Norv Turner said. "We were one of the top two or three offenses in the league over that stretch. I expect him to keep building on that."Rivers, who is 25-7 in the regular season, took nearly every snap in offseason workouts, so there's no doubt he will be under center on Week 1, although he likely will be handled cautiously through training camp and the exhibition season.

"I've certainly come a long way," Rivers said. "I remember that first week, feeling like 'This is bad.' Just the whole thing. The first week or two was really miserable. Just hurting. I can't sleep. Just getting situated. It hurts to straighten it out. Is it ever going to feel good?

"It's amazing now. There are some times when I don't realize that I ever had anything. Out here, you have a brace and you're a little bit more conscious of it. But just around the house and stuff, there are times when I can go hours and not even think about."

Rivers admitted there is a sense of urgency felt around the organization and said there is no reason why the Chargers can't take the next step forward. He will have receiver Chris Chambers for a full year, a second season under Turner and, last but not least, still arguably the best back in football in LaDainian Tomlinson (who also is recovering well from injury).

No matter what happens, Rivers is now the unquestioned leader of the team after playing through injury in the AFC title game.

"That he played at all was amazing," Chambers says. "He really proved a lot."

Bet on the Chargers at WagerWeb.com

MLB odds: Friday's hot/not pitchers

WHO'S HOT FOR FRIDAY

C.C. Sabathia, Cleveland Indians (5-8, 4.06 ERA) vs. Reds: The left-hander's trade value (and future free agent contract value) is going up as he continues to put a bad early start to the season behind him. His last start, against the Dodgers, was one of his best of the year, as he allowed only one run in seven innings while striking out 10 at Los Angeles, although Sabathia got a no-decision.

Sabathia is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 25 strikeouts (only two walks) in 24 innings spanning his last three starts. He's 2-0 with a 2.68 ERA in seven career games (43 2/3 innings) against Cincy.

Seth McClung, Milwaukee Brewers (5-3, 3.79 ERA) at Twins: McClung, a former closer who was awful in the role and dumped by Tampa Bay in 2006, has been a pleasant surprise for the surging Brewers this season. The righty beat Baltimore in his last start, allowing two runs in 6 2/3 innings. Walks used to kill him, and he did give up five to the Birds, but he has walked one or none in four of his six starts since joining the rotation and hasn't allowed more than two runs in five of those six starts. He's 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in his past three starts overall and has beaten the Twins once already this season, allowing two runs in six innings.WHO'S NOT FOR FRIDAY

Jose Contreras, Chicago White Sox (6-6, 3.96 ERA) vs. Cubs: The Cuban right-hander appears to finally be showing his age (whatever that really is). Contreras was tagged for a season-high nine runs in an 11-7 loss to the Cubs on Saturday and sees them again on Friday. After going 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA over a six-start stretch from May 9-June 5, Contreras has lost each of his last three starts with a 10.13 ERA in those games. In addition, Friday's game is during the day, when Contreras is 1-3 with a 6.37 ERA this season. He has similar numbers career against the Cubs: 1-3 with a 6.39 ERA.

Brett Myers, Philadelphia Phillies (3-9, 5.51 ERA) at Rangers: Myers could be pulled from the Philly rotation if he doesn't turn things around quickly, and he faces a Texas lineup Friday that is one of the best in the majors. Said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel: "There comes a time where, if you have options, you want to do what's best for your team. You want to win. We're here to win. We're not here to experiment. We'll get to a point where we won't have time to put up with things." Myers is 0-2 with a 7.11 ERA in his last three starts, and he hasn't won since May 30. His opponents' batting average is a whopping .345 on the road.


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NFL odds: Panthers' fate hinges on Delhomme

Perhaps no coach-quarterback tandem in the NFL has a future more closely tied together than Carolina's John Fox and Jake Delhomme.

Delhomme went down in Week 3 last season to eventual season-ending elbow surgery, and the Panthers went down with him, to the tune of missing the playoffs for a second straight season.

Without Delhomme, who is 37-26 as Carolina's starter since 2003, the Panthers were forced to trot out 23-year-old undrafted rookie Matt Moore, former No. 1 overall bust David Carr and 21-year veteran Vinny Testaverde. No wonder the offense was ranked No. 29 in the NFL.

Thus Fox said fixing the quarterback position was his top priority after the season. But the good news is that Delhomme has recovered quickly from Tommy John surgery. He has been throwing since April and is on track to be nearly 100% when training camp starts next month.

In fact, he says his rebuilt arm might be in better shape now than in several years. He got all the work with the first team in minicamp.

"The ligament is great," he said.Fox agreed, to a cautious point: "His arm is strong; it's as strong as ever. He's rehabbed it well, and I think he'll be as good as new when we start camp.

"(But) we'll be cautious," Fox said. "We don't want to go through what we did last season, so we'll be cautious. Again, it's in medical people's hands. They understand it a lot better than us coaches. They'll give us the go-ahead, and we'll do things as they tell us he's capable of doing them."

Carolina will need a healthy Delhomme, because team owner Jerry Richardson, without actually saying it, has made it known that an overhaul will be coming if the Panthers miss out on the playoffs again. And the
team didn't bring in any veteran QBs to back up Delhomme, meaning Moore will be the likely No. 2.

Carolina did, however, bolster the receiving corps by bringing back Muhsin Muhammad and signing free agent D.J. Hackett away from the Seahawks.

"We needed more than just Steve (Smith)," Delhomme said. "We got some more weapons."

Bet on the Panthers at WagerWeb.com

Horse racing odds: Big Brown headed for Haskell

After originally aiming their horse for the Aug. 23 Travers Stakes, Big Brown's handlers now have said the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner will run instead at the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Aug. 3.

That's not to say that New York officials are giving up hope of Big Brown then running 20 days later at the Travers at Saratoga.

New York Racing Association officials said at a news conference Monday that it's possible Big Brown can appear in the Travers if he runs well in the Haskell. Many horses that do well in the Haskell make the trip to Saratoga for the Travers.

"If he does run in the Haskell and wins, I think it is feasible that he comes back in the Travers," said P.J. Campo, is NYRA's vice president and director of racing. "It's a big race for the connections, a prestigious race, and I think it means a lot to him when he goes out to stud."

Big Brown's trainer, Rick Dutrow, has always favored the Travers, but the final decision is up to the owners, who seem dead-set against that race.

Minority owner Paul Pompa Jr. said last week that the Travers "would not be the move at all."

Co-owner Michael Iavarone said he chose the Haskell over the Travers mainly for the timing."The Haskell makes a lot of sense for us," he said. "Timing-wise, running there will give us the opportunity to get one more prep in before the Breeders' Cup Classic. Spacing the races this way makes the most sense."

The nine-furlong Haskell is expected to serve as a stepping stone to Big Brown's ultimate objective, the Oct. 25 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

"We're ecstatic to see that Big Brown plans on running in the Haskell," said Dennis Dowd, senior vice president of racing for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. "He's a tremendous horse with a ton of talent."

NYRA president and chief executive officer Charles Hayward said if Big Brown doesn't make the Travers, he's still hopeful the colt can run in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Sept. 27.

Campo mentioned Da' Tara and Denis of Cork, who finished 1-2 in the Belmont Stakes, as probable starters in the Travers. Another possible entry is Macho Again, who was second to Big Brown in the Preakness before coming in fifth at the Belmont.

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Soccer odds: Spain vs. Italy

The Euro 2008 quarterfinals conclude on Sunday with easily the most anticipated match of the four: Spain vs. Italy.

While everyone considers Spain a powerhouse, its record in major tournaments actually is not very impressive. In fact, Spain's only two main tournament wins on the big stage came at the 1964 European Championship and 1992 Olympics. What did both of those tournaments have in common? They were in Spain.

So while the Spaniards were an impressive 3-0 in group play, they haven't beaten Italy in an international competition in 88 years.

"If you look at history, I am sure that Italy are the favorites because since 1920 they have always beaten us in official games, but we are doing well now and the squad is convinced that we can continue winning and reach the final," said Ruben De la Red, who scored his first goal for Spain during Wednesday's 2-1 win over Greece. "We are in very good form, with a potent attack, a skilful midfield and a strong defense."

No less than the Spanish Prime Minister has called on the team to "break the curse" in international competitions and against the Italians, predicting that Spain would beat Italy 3-2 on Sunday.

"We have to break the curse that seems to hang over the Spanish national team," José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero said. "We are good at football, but in international matches our team has always had a problem of self- onfidence. At the moment our national team is better than Italy's, and I believe that we will win 3-2."Spain forward David Villa leads the tournament with four goals. None of Italy's seven attacking players have scored yet, with center forward Luca Toni missing numerous chances.

Yet Spanish fans have noted the date this match falls on: June 22. It was on that date when Spain was eliminated in a penalty shootout by Belgium at the 1986 World Cup. The Spaniards also were defeated in penalties by England in the 1996 European Championship and lost to the South Korean team in the 2002 World Cup - all on June 22.

Injured Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro says his side has found its form after a 3-0 rout by the Dutch to open Euro 2008.

"Sometimes you get off to a false start in tournaments, but now we've got it together again and have rediscovered our team spirit," Cannavaro said. "The great high we experienced at the World Cup can be repeated again. Spain have an excellent side which we respect, but we are confident we can win."

Meanwhile, Italy defender Andrea Barzagli is out for the rest of Euro 2008 after surgery on his left knee. He hurt his meniscus in training Thursday. The World Cup champions will also be without key midfielders Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso due to accumulated cards - not to mention Cannavaro to injury.

It seems everything is lined up for Spain to end the drought on Sunday.

Soccer odds: Netherlands vs. Russia

The Netherlands has been the most impressive team of Euro 2008

The Dutch have beaten World Cup champ Italy 3-0, World Cup finalist France 4-1 and then Romania 2-0 - in that match the Dutch rested most of their regulars with a spot in the knockout round assured. So they will be rested.

Russia, meanwhile, lost 4-1 to Spain before beating Greece 1-0 and then Sweden 2-0 to reach the quarterfinals, which could mean a tired club.

"If we didn't have to play the Netherlands, we would feel much better, because I think they are the best side here," said Russia's Andrei Arshavin. "But fate has it that we have to play the strongest team in the tournament in the last eight. I hope we will be able to match them."

Arshavin returned from a two-match suspension to pose a constant threat against Sweden. He set up the move for Russia's first goal and scored its second in a man-of-the-match performance. He will need to be an extreme playmaker on Saturday for Russia to have a chance.

Russia coach Guus Hiddink has said he will put out the same starting lineup he used against Sweden. Hiddink, incidentally, is a Dutchman and led Holland to the semifinals of the World Cup in 1998.

Hiddink says his team's performance against Sweden shows it can compete on the highest level."If a team proves it can play great football you must absolutely not be afraid, you must embrace that," Hiddink said.

Netherlands defender Khalid Boulahrouz, who lost his prematurely born daughter days ahead of the quarterfinal match, will playing, telling coach Marco van Basten he is available for the match despite the pain.

"You can count on me," Boulahrouz said.

The Dutch are led by Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has been stellar during this tournament. Yet the Dutch team's strength may be its versatility. Despite nine goals, no player has more than two, making it hard to focus on any one player.

But similar to the Netherlands, Russia plays an attacking brand of football underpinned by solid defense and quick passing.

"We now play a bit Dutch style," Russia captain Sergei Semak said. "Both sides like to attack."

Bet on Netherlands-Russia at WagerWeb.com heading into its quarterfinal match Saturday against Russia.

NFL odds: McCown could be Bucs' No. 2 QB

The Buccaneers brought former Bears quarterback Brian Griese back to Tampa Bay assumingly to be Jeff Garcia's backup, but it appears that Luke McCown could beat out Griese as the No. 2 QB.|

And when your starter is a brittle 38-year-old, being the No. 2 quarterback could really mean you are 1A.

Let there be no doubt, Garcia is the starter and will stay so if he stays healthy. He made the Pro Bowl last year and led the Bucs to the NFC South title. And that nonsense about possibly retiring without a new contract is just that - nonsense.

However, coach Jon Gruden wants to develop a quarterback of the future, and that's not Garcia or Griese. The club drafted Josh Johnson this year, but he's a fairly long-term project. That leaves McCown possibly in the catbird's seat.

"Luke McCown is a guy who can play, and really play, and he deserves a lot of reps this time of year," Gruden said before the Bucs closed their minicamp.

And it may be now or never for McCown in Tampa, as he is in the last year of his contract. He has been a Buc since 2005 but went two seasons without taking a regular-season snap. Last season, he was thrust into action in five games, making three starts.He completed 67.6 percent of his attempts, including an impressive 29-of-37, 313-yard performance at New Orleans in December while Garcia was sidelined with a lower back injury. His QB rating was a good 91.7.

"The promise of McCown is real," Gruden said.

McCown has been fine-tuning his game this offseason in expectations of more playing time. He generally has been the second quarterback to receive reps after Garcia during offseason workouts.

"I'm being hard on myself about the sacks, about holding onto the ball (too long) and pushing myself to get better in those areas," he said. "Call it trust, timing - whatever you want to call it. I just wanted to really see every¬thing I was throwing into. The more you play, the more you trust that the guy is going to be where he's supposed to be. . I'm anticipating things a little bit better."

So while Gruden has a history of turning to veteran quarterbacks first, don't be surprised if McCown beats out Griese and is a big factor in the Bucs' season.

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NFL odds: Denver's Scheffler battles foot issue

Denver's Tony Scheffler is one of the up-and-coming tight ends in the NFL, coming off a season where he caught 49 passes for 549 yard and five touchdowns. Thus his absence would be a blow to the Broncos' offense, but Scheffler says he will be ready for training camp despite not participating in any offseason work since May 19 with a recurring foot problem.

It was at that quarterback camp that Scheffler broke his left foot, which wouldn't seem to be a big deal except that it's the same foot he broke in May 2007 and had a problem with last season. But the former Western Michigan Bronco says he will be at training camp and healthy in late July.

"There's no doubt in my mind," Scheffler said. "I missed training camp last year and it was obvious to me that I need to be there and have to participate."

He had been limited to walking around in a boot (although that is off now) and getting fitted with new shoes and foot protective equipment. He did practice lightly last week, albeit limitedly. He's mostly concentrating on conditioning."I thought it was better, January through March, and thought I was finally past that point," Scheffler said. "It took another running of a route and twisting it the wrong way to realize stuff happens. It's part of the game."

To get through last season, Scheffler wore a steel shank on the bottom of his sole. He said he has new shoes and orthotics, which he hopes will prevent any further problems. But he has reinjured the foot twice now since originally breaking it (saying he had a relapse sometime last season), and there's a chance it could happen again.

"It was extremely uncomfortable but it got me through the games pretty well," he said, admitting it might be two more years before the foot is pain-free. "It's always in the back of your head, but you try to forget about it and play each day."

Scheffler's lone backup is Nate Jackson, who has all of 16 career catches for 156 yards and one touchdown.

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MLB odds: Curt Schilling's career likely over

Boston Red Sox right-hander Curt Schilling announced in a radio interview on Friday morning that he will have shoulder surgery on Monday and will miss the 2008 season - one in which he has yet to pitch.

And being that Schilling is 41 years old, it stands to reason his possible Hall of Fame career is also over.

"My season is over and there is a pretty decent chance I have thrown my last pitch forever," he said. "If you use a scale of 1-10 and 10 is pitching in the big leagues, I'm at about 3 right now. I'm going in to make it not hurt anymore."

Schilling said that he is leaving open the possibility of coming back late next season if his shoulder responds but that it would be unlikely.

"I don't want it to end this way but if it has to end this way, I'm OK with that," he said.

He first experienced pain in his right shoulder and biceps area over the winter. The injury was revealed just before spring training and Schilling had spent months trying to rehab it. The Red Sox weren't expecting anything from Schilling until well after the All-Star Break - if at all.Schilling actually threw his first side session on June 3 and was able to throw from the bullpen three more times after that. But a disappointing session on June 13 was when Schilling started to get an idea that he had experienced a setback. Apparently because of the shoulder tendon problem, Schilling could throw off flat ground, but not from the mound. His arm had been getting stronger other than the tendon.

If the surgery is limited to fixing the tendon, the usual recovery time is about six months, but Schilling says he has labrum damage and maybe damage to his rotator cuff.

Schilling ended last season, his 20th, with 3,116 strikeouts, 14th most in baseball history, and was 9-8 with a 3.47 ERA in 24 starts. If Schilling never pitches again, his last start will wind up being Game 2 of the 2007 World Series, when he led the Red Sox to a 2-1 victory over the Rockies. He has been dominant in the postseason with an 11-2 record, the best of any pitcher with at least 10 decisions. And there's the famous 2004 bloody sock game that will live in Boston infamy.

He has a career record of 216-146 with a 3.46 ERA, and was co-MVP of the 2001 World Series with Randy Johnson for Arizona.

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NCAA football odds: 2008 Memphis preview

Coach: Tommy West (41-44 at Memphis)

2007 record: 7-6, 6-2 C-USA (lost in New Orleans Bowl)

Returning starters: 18 (offense: 7, defense: 9, kicker/punter: 2)

Top returners: WR Duke Calhoun, WR Steven Black, LG Dominik Riley, DT Clinton McDonald, FS Brandon Patterson, CB LeRico Mathis

Key losses: QB Martin Hankins, RB Joseph Doss, RG Andy Smith, LB Jake Kasser, S Dontae Reed

2008 schedule

Aug. 30 @ Mississippi

Sept. 6 Rice

Sept. 13 @ Marshall

Sept. 20 Nicholls State

Sept. 27 Arkansas State

Oct. 2 @ UAB

Oct. 10 Louisville

Oct. 18 @ East Carolina

Oct. 25 Southern Miss

Nov. 8 @ Southern Methodist

Nov. 22 UCF

Nov. 29 Tulane

Key game: That Sept. 13 game at Marshall. The Thundering Herd should be much improved this season. Memphis should certainly beat Rice in its second game, so a win over Marshall would give the Tigers a 2-0 start in the conference and a huge potential tiebreaker in C-USA East.2008 overview

The good news is a defense that has been a weak spot the past two seasons returns nine starters (wait, is that good news?) but under new coordinator Tim Walton. The former Miami defensive coordinator is the team's third in as many seasons.

"We're better defensively," Memphis coach Tommy West said. "We're much more aggressive. We're still learning. We're still giving up a few too many big plays right now, but as far as the everyday play, it's been good."

That unit forced five turnovers in the spring game. Linebacker Terrence Thomas returned a fumble 28 yards for a touchdown, and defensive end Corey Mills and cornerback Michael Grandberry shared defensive MVP honors.

The biggest question will be who replaces two-year Martin Hankins at quarterback. The Tigers brought in junior college QB Arkelon Hall, and he may have the inside track on the starting job after sophomore Matt Malouf left the program after spring practice.

"I'm really surprised because I thought Matt had a good spring," West said. "And he's someone who has been in our system for the past two years. I was looking forward to the competition between him and Arkelon in the fall.

"But things change. I wish Matt the best, no matter what he decides, and I hope he has a good career."

Also in the mix for the starting job will be senior two-sport athlete Will Hudgens, who was recently drafted in the 23rd round by the Cincinnati Reds and is currently playing rookie ball for the Billings Mustangs. However, Hudgens, who threw for 587 yards and five TDs (with no interceptions) and ran for two touchdowns last season, should be able to take part in fall camp.

Junior college transfer Curtis Steele looks to be the man at running back. He capped a strong spring with 94 rushing yards in the spring game, including a 38-yard touchdown dash. He gives the Tigers a breakaway threat they haven't had since, well, probably DeAngelo Williams.

"The running game last year was basically chain-moving," offensive coordinator Clay Helton said. "Curtis can be a guy that can create explosion plays. He brings the capability of having 20-yard runs and changing the field."

In addition, West said that former Miami running back Charlie Jones could join the club in the fall. West said Jones, who started three games at Miami as a junior, is expected to graduate from the school with one season of eligibility left. If Jones transfers, he would be eligible this fall. "We are expecting Charlie to be a back here next year," West said.

Lastly, the Tigers went through the spring without top wideout Duke Calhoun, who sat out while rehabbing a knee injury. Calhoun was limited by the injury through most of the 2007 season but he still managed to catch 62 passes for 890 yards and five touchdowns. Assuming he returns healthy, Memphis will have a strong group of receivers.

MLB odds: Indians just can't get healthy

As the Indians await word on an elbow examination of designated hitter Travis Hafner comes more bad news: Right-hander Fausto Carmona, who was originally slated to make his first minor league rehab appearance Friday, will instead be shut down for the next three days because of a recurrence of the inflammation in his left hip.

Carmona threw a three-inning, simulated session Monday in what was expected to be his last step before an actual rehab start. But after some throwing sessions afterward, Carmona felt soreness in his hip Tuesday.

"He didn't have any symptoms while throwing the sim game," trainer Lonnie Soloff said. "His presentation [afterward] surprised us."Carmona will be reexamined after the three-day shutdown period.

Carmona was injured on May 23 against the Rangers when he fielded a ground ball. The team was 23-26 on May 24 -- the day Carmona was placed on the 15-day DL – and 3½ games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox. Since then, Cleveland has gone 10-13 and lost four games in the standings, to fall 7½ games behind Chicago entering Thursday.

Carmona was 4-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 10 starts before landing on the 15-day disabled list.

Meanwhile, Hafner went to see to Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., to get a second opinion on his sore right shoulder. Hafner has been on the disabled list since May 30.

"Travis has not responded as we would have hoped," said Soloff, adding it was "unlikely" Hafner would need surgery. There was no word of Andrews' assessment as of this writing.

The bad news doesn't end there for Cleveland. Second baseman Josh Barfield, who went on the DL last week with a strained ligament in his left middle finger, underwent surgery Tuesday and will miss six to eight weeks. Jamey Carroll will stay the starting second baseman for the foreseeable future.

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Tennis odds: Skeptics abound on Federer at Wimbledon

Isn't it funny how respect can be fleeting in sports?

Take, for example, Roger Federer. He's still the clear No. 1 player in the world and has reached at least the semifinals of both tennis majors so far this season. And he can break Bjorn Borg's record of five consecutive Wimbledon titles by winning this year's tournament at the All England Club, which begins Monday.

Yet the sharks are out as to Federer's chances at Wimbledon, and first among those is No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic, who beat Federer in the Australian Open semifinals in January. The Serbian player thinks
Federer's blowout loss in the recent French Open finals is a bad omen for the Swiss star.

"Some things are changing. I think he's a little bit shaken with that loss and mentally he has been struggling in the last couple of months," Djokovic said. "It's normal to have ups and downs after four years of absolute dominance on the men's tour.

"New names are coming, fresh talented players who believe more they can win against him and I am one of them. Suddenly he is worried a little bit."Djokovic certainly is a threat to win Wimbledon: He reached last year's semis but was forced to withdraw against Rafael Nadal with a bad toe and a bothersome lower back. And that Aussie Open title early this year has given him confidence, even though he lost to Nadal in the Queen's Club tournament last week in a grass court warm-up.

"Of course Federer and Nadal still dominate, but coming to Wimbledon as a Grand Slam champion gives me much more reason to believe I can challenge the top two players ... It's a matter of mental ability if you can hold on."

Even Borg himself thinks Federer is only the third favorite this year despite being the No. 1 seed.

I pick Rafael Nadal as winner and my second choice is Novak Djokovic, my third is Roger," Borg said.

"For (Roger) to beat those guys at Wimbledon he needs to play much better than he did last summer. He knows he will have to play some unbelievable tennis to win again. This is the most open Wimbledon for years."

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NFL odds: Pacman shining with Cowboys

For once, seeing Pacman Jones' name in the newspapers and on the Web is a good thing: He has been a model citizen and is showing his vast talent to his new club, the Dallas Cowboys.

In fact, he practiced with the first-team defense on Wednesday alongside Terence Newman. However, that fact did make one player unhappy: starter Anthony Henry, as it cut into his repetitions.

"I've been playing in this league for eight years. I'm not blind to it," Henry said, referring to the trade for Jones from Tennessee. "I knew what time it was when the transaction happened at the draft. I already knew what time it was. It's just a matter of when. And maybe when is now."

Henry eventually could move to safety and got some work there covering tight ends, but he is not expected to lose his starting cornerback job anytime soon. The Cowboys are working on some dime packages that include Henry at safety, but coach Wade Phillips said he doesn't expect Henry to move much from cornerback.

"Right now, we don't have any depth charts," defensive coordinator Brian Stewart said.Jones is getting kudos from just about everyone in camp other than Henry.

"He's come in here and picked up the system pretty quickly," receiver Patrick Crayton said. "I haven't heard anybody repeat a whole lot to him. I think he's going to step in, and he's taking care of his responsibilities."

Cowboys secondary coach Dave Campo has compared him to Newman and lauded his conditioning.

"He kind of reminds me of (Terence) Newman," Campo said. "They're very similar type players, they're aggressive, they've got good feet, they're quick. He's that kind of a player, and I think Newman's pretty darn good, so that's a good compliment.

"When he walked out on the field, he was ready to start playing," Campo said. "And the coachability part of it, I was not so much surprised, but happy with it. He listens and he's hungry."

It seems everyone is talking about Pacman besides himself - other than letting the media know that he would like to ditch the nickname and be referred to simply as Adam from now on.

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Olympic odds: Phelps in 9 events at U.S. Trials

Michael Phelps has made no secret that he wants to break Mark Spitz's 36-year-old record of seven gold medals at a single Olympic Games, so to give himself the best chance to do that, Phelps is entered in nine events (adding three more than normal) at next week's U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, Neb.

The six-time Olympic gold medalist from the Athens Games (he also won two bronze) is entered in the 100- and 200-meter freestyles, the 200 and 400 individual medleys, the 100 and 200 backstrokes, the 100 and 200 butterfly and the 400 free. He is the world-record holder in the 200 free, 200 IM, 200 fly and 400 IM.The only events the 22-year-old superstar hasn't entered are the breaststroke events and the shortest and longest freestyle events. The top two finishers in each event book a berth for the Beijing Games, which start Aug. 8.

Phelps is unlikely to swim nine individual events in Beijing even if he qualifies for them all but should also be on the three U.S. relay teams.

In fact, Phelps is likely to drop one of the qualifying events at the trials. But he and his coach, Bob Bowman, are keeping their options open.

"No. 1, it just keeps us from having to justify what we're doing, over and over," Bowman said. "But I guess there's something to be said for having a competitive edge, and not letting our competitors know what they should be prepared for. So there's a little bit of gamesmanship, I suppose."

For instance, the 400-meter individual medley and 400 freestyle are both on June 29, and the 400 IM is one of the events Phelps won at the 2004 Games. Both also are scheduled for the same day in Beijing. The trials schedule nearly mirrors the Olympic schedule. The only difference is that no relays are contested at the trials.

Phelps won seven golds at last year's world titles in five individual events and two relays. He was denied an eighth when the U.S. was disqualified from the medley relay.

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NFL odds: Bears say they're set at RB

Once the Chicago Bears cut loose Cedric Benson, many thought it was a foregone conclusion that the team would sign a free-agent veteran to compete with rookie Matt Forte for the starting job.

Yet coach Lovie Smith dismissed that notion, saying the likes of Shaun Alexander, Travis Henry, Ron Dayne, LaMont Jordan (expected to be cut) or Kevin Jones are not on the team's radar at the moment.

"We don't have any plans to do that," Smith said. "From Matt to Adrian Peterson to Garrett Wolfe, to P.J. Pope, Matt Lawrence, we like all of our players and those are the ones that we're going with."

Peterson and Wolfe averaged a combined 3.3 yards per carry last season as Benson's backups, Pope spent last year on the practice squad and Lawrence is an undrafted rookie out of powerhouse Massachusetts (yes, that's sarcasm).That's not to say that the Jones, the former Lion, is giving up hope. He sent a personal workout CD to the team to show he is fully recovered from an ACL injury.

"Maybe that's their plan right now, but things happen; changes are made all the time," Jones said. "I'm still open-minded. No team shows all its cards. We'll see what happens in the future."

Forte, a second-round pick out of Tulane who rushed for 2,127 yards in his senior season, has been touted as an every-down back and reportedly has looked great during offseason workouts - but that's quite a different animal from the NFL regular season.

"We liked (Forte) coming in," Smith said. "He hasn't disappointed us at all. We feel real good about where he is. I feel like he'll meet the challenge."

That the Bears are considering going with a rookie running back to go with two new starting receivers and the best of two unproven quarterbacks in Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton . Well, let's just say many don't expect Chicago to improve upon its No. 27 offensive ranking from last year.

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Horse racing betting: Curlin not likely for Breeders' Cup

That Curlin vs. Big Brown matchup that horse racing fans and bettors were eagerly anticipating? Now it's unlikely to happen.

Curlin, the reigning horse of the year and the defending Breeders' Cup Classic winner is not expected to participate in the 2008 Classic on Oct. 25. After the 4-year-old easily won the $1 million Stephen Foster Handicap on Saturday at Churchill Downs, trainer Steve Asmussen said a turf campaign is in Curlin's future.

"We first must decide how fit he is and how he came out of the race," principal owner Jess Jackson said. "Then he'll tell us when he's ready and we'll decide where we'll go after that."

Curlin is being considered for the prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe turf race in France in October. Before that, he is being aimed toward a turf race July 12 or 13. The possibilities during that weekend are the $500,000 Man O'War at 1 3/8 miles at Belmont Park and the $200,000 Arlington Handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Arlington Park in Illinois.Asmussen said he's been discussing running the Arc with Jackson since Curlin won the Breeders' Cup Classic last fall. The horse has won nine of 12 starts and third on the all-time North American earnings list.

If all goes according to plan, Curlin could run the Arlington Million on Aug. 9, followed by a trip for Longchamp in France for a prep race, followed by the Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 5.

The plans could change if Asmussen determines Curlin doesn't care for turf, but the trainer has made it clear he's not a fan of synthetic main tracks.

The Breeders' Cup Classic is scheduled for Oct. 25 at Santa Anita, which now features a synthetic track surface.

Big Brown's owners have said their horse would likely run twice more in his career, at the Travers Stakes and then the Classic.

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