Henry to New York exactly what MLS needs
Soccer Betting Lines
07/12/2010 -
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In one of the worst-kept secrets in soccer, French striker
Thierry Henry will be announced as Red Bull New York's second designated
player at a press conference on Thursday at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.
What does the signing of the former Arsenal and Barcelona star mean to New
York and Major League Soccer?
Everything.
Not only will signing the 32-year-old star add a big name to help Red Bull and
MLS gain some long-term traction in the New York market, but it will
immediately put MLS in the news cycle after the dramatic World Cup exploits of
the United States national team put soccer's popularity in America at an all-
time high.
The fact that New York is able to add one of the top scorers in English Premier
League history, a player only three years removed from being Arsenal's captain,
is a major coup for MLS.
Don't believe me? Ask Henry's buddy, Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash, also
part-owner of the 2011 MLS Expansion Vancouver Whitecaps.
"He's played at some of the biggest clubs in the world," said Nash at Red Bull
Arena on Saturday. "He's had a fantastic time at Arsenal, a fantastic time at
Barcelona and when you've been a professional soccer player at the highest
level with all those expectations since you're 17, sometimes you welcome a
change."
Nash went on to talk about how much Henry loves New York and the United States,
and how much he can add to MLS.
"I think we're lucky, too, because Thierry's still a world-class player," he
said. "We've seen players come over before who've shown how great they were
but not necessarily every night. I think he's still capable of playing at the
highest level of this game. It's amazing that he's willing to come over here
at this stage of his career, to be honest."
Not since the Los Angeles Galaxy signed David Beckham prior to the 2007 season
has MLS scored such an international star.
In a league where the Galaxy have cornered the market in both points and
headlines (even with the long-term Achilles injury to Beckham), New York now
has an opportunity to balance out the spotlight with its own star, in the first
year of its brand-new soccer-specific stadium.
Prior to the 2010 MLS season, New York's other designated player, striker Juan
Pablo Angel, told The Sportsbook Betting Lines he was "excited about [opening Red Bull
Arena] because I'm sure it will change the perspective of the game in this
region."
Now with Henry, and the Red Bulls reportedly closing in on a third DP, that
perspective should continue to evolve.
"Getting top-quality, experienced players is obviously going to help us
continue what looks like a decent year for the club," New York general manager
Erik Soler told media on Saturday. "We're going to get a good player in and
we'll have to take it from there and see. It will lift the whole team and make
everybody even sharper and better, and it will be a great experience for us."
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MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South
In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South. Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC. The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game. For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft. Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.
1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign? New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1. Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT. Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.
Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami
2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round. LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems. If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season. The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach. The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub. High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career. With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson.
Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season. The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age. It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot. This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.
Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season. On the clock: the NFC North
Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2
Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1
Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
To visit this sportsbook get to MySportsbook.com for all your online sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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