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03/06/2010 - Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics officially announced the signing of guard Michael Finley on Saturday.
Finley was waived at his request Monday by San Antonio after his playing time dwindled upon returning from a sprained ankle in late January. In 25 games this season, the 36-year-old has averaged career-lows of 3.7 points and 1.5 rebounds over 15-plus minutes per contest.
The two-time All-Star has appeared in 111 career playoff games and was a member of the 2007 championship Spurs team. Finley, who turned 37 Saturday, holds down career playoff averages of 13.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and a three- point field goal percentage of 39.1 percent.
Over 15 seasons in the NBA, which has included stints with Phoenix and Dallas, the University of Wisconsin product has averaged 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 1,082 games.
<< No. 25 Xavier downs St. Bonaventure to gain share of A-10 title
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jordan Crawford scored 22 points to lead
25th-ranked Xavier to a 93-72 win over St. Bonaventure in the regular-season
finale for both teams at Cintas Center.
Jamel McLean poured in 15 points for the M
<< BYU trounces TCU to end season on high note
Fort Worth, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jonathan Tavernari scored 23 points, as
14th-ranked BYU breezed past TCU, 107-77, at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
Jackson Emery and Charles Abouo each added 22 points for the Cougars (28-4,
13-3 MWC), who
<< Vols start strong in win over Mississippi State
Starkville, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - J.P. Prince scored 16 and grabbed seven
rebounds, and No. 16 Tennessee opened the game with the first 17 points to
conclude the regular season with a 75-59 win over the Mississippi State
Bulldog
<< Purdue downs PSU, captures share of Big Ten title
University Park, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - JaJuan Johnson finished with 21 points
and 10 rebounds, as seventh-ranked Purdue claimed a share of the Big Ten title
with a 64-60 victory over Penn State.
Keaton Grant added 17 points for the Boile
ETSU wins Atlantic Sun for second straight year >>
Macon, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Justin Tubbs led a balanced scoring attack with
18 points, and the East Tennessee State Buccaneers secured their second
consecutive Atlantic Sun tournament championship with a 72-66 victory over
Mercer.
Theodore, Caps blank Rangers >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jose Theodore stopped all 30 shots he faced
for his first shutout of the season, as Washington posted a defensive-oriented
2-0 victory over the New York Rangers at Verizon Center.
Eric Fehr and Eric Belang
Vokun stops 31 in win over Carolina >>
Sunrise, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tomas Vokoun's 31 saves set the tone for
Florida's 4-1 victory to snap the Carolina Hurricanes' seven-game win streak
at Bank Atlantic Center.
Kamil Kreps scored twice, including an empty-net goal,
Summit League Tournament Recaps >>
Sioux Falls, SD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Larry Wright scored 16 points, and the
Oakland Golden Grizzlies advanced to the semifinals of the Summit League
Tournament with an 85-70 win over UMKC.
Keith Benson and Derick Nelson each sco
Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.
"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."
Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.
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In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.
And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.
Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.
So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.
Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)
The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.
As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.
The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.
In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.
Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.
And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.
So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.
There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.
So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.
And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.
There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)
Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.
Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.
Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.
So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.
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