Mammoth Blog

House of Heroes is offering another free download this week at iTickets. The song this time is "Friday Night," from their latest album, The End Is Not The End.

Head over to iTickets for your free download from House of Heroes. And here are the lyrics:

Friday Night

I don't want to spend this Friday night
Like I had to spend last Friday night
I don't want to spend this Friday night
Dying by the record machine

All day, cigarettes
All day, entertain the void
There are so many things I should be doin'
But I don't, and I don't change

All day, kerosene
All day, I play with matchbooks
I pushed them all away or burn them alive
In attempts to save me
Regret would require less arrogance

And I don't want to spend this Friday night
Like I had to spend last Friday night
I don't want to spend this Friday night
Dying by the record machine

I like myself on the following conditions:
That I'm better than the next guy at everything I'm into
And my looks are important if I'm less sophisticated
And my girlfriend's a bombshell now I'm all she's ever dated
And money's an object if it pays for my ego
Power's a drug and pride is the needle
And it rips through my skin, goes into my bloodstream
Oh, I feel like laughing
Ha! I feel like choking on it
Regret would require less arrogance

I don't want to spend this Friday night
Like I had to spend last Friday night
I don't want to spend this Friday night
Dying by the record machine

And I don't want to spend this Friday night
Like I had to spend last Friday night
I don't want to spend this Friday night
Pickin' fights by the record machine

True, but not quite, that I'm tired of the fantasy
And, I see the light, but the dark is so accomodating.
The worst mistake I could make
Is watching you walk away
Now that I know how to change
I do it just the same

I don't want to spend this Friday night
Like I had to spend last Friday night
I don't want to spend this Friday night
Dying by the record machine

I don't want to spend this Friday night
Like I had to spend last Friday night
I don't want to spend this Friday night
Pickin' fights by the record machine source>>>

Stephen Strasburg, the first player selected in this year's major league draft, led a slew of first-round picks who signed pro contracts.

The Washington Nationals reached a contract with Strasburg that various media reports pegged at more than $15 million for four years. The club didn't say how much it will pay the pitcher but if accurate, the amount would break the record $10.5 million the Chicago Cubs paid pitcher Mark Prior in 2001.

Strasburg, a 20-year-old who throws 100 mph-plus, went 13-1 with a 1.32 earned-run average in 15 starts this year for San Diego State. He struck out 195 batters, walked just 19 and was named the nation's top collegiate player.

Other first-round picks signed to major league deals ahead of the Monday night deadline included University of North Carolina first baseman-outfielder Dustin Ackley with Seattle, North Carolina right-hander Alex White with Cleveland, Missouri right-hander Kyle Gibson with Minnesota, Southern California shortstop Grant Green with Oakland, Georgia high school right-hander Zack Wheeler with San Francisco, California prep left-hander Tyler Matzek with Colorado and St. Louis left-hander Jacob Turner with Detroit. source>>>

There is a high-profile baseball program to coach and a national championship to defend next spring and summer for LSU's Paul Mainieri.

But he's got something else to tend to now.

Mainieri spoke out Tuesday on the Major League Baseball-mandated deadline that arrived Monday and turned into a dark day for Mainieri and the Tigers program.

Monday was the final day for players drafted in the 2009 MLB draft to either agree to terms or pass up the chance to turn pro for another year.

LSU lost two more players from its 2009 recruiting class on Monday's deadline, one expectedly and the other as he was standing in line to get his ID picture taken at freshman orientation.

That player, Brody Colvin of St. Thomas More-Lafayette, was the final piece of a recruiting class that took on a different shape in the last few weeks. Colvin was the fourth LSU signee who signed with the team that drafted him, joining Chad Stang, Zack Von Rosenberg and Slade Heathcott.

The two that hurt most are Von Rosenberg and Colvin, in-state players who spoke of their desire to play for the Tigers.

As late as Monday morning, Mainieri exchanged text messages with Colvin that indicated the player was set to play for LSU. Less than three hours later, Colvin was on his way back to Lafayette after agreeing to a $900,000 signing bonus from the Philadelphia Phillies.

"Those players chose baseball over the experience at LSU," Mainieri said. "I won't belittle anybody for taking a significant signing bonus and going into pro baseball.

"I am disappointed, but we're going to win and be successful with players who want to be at LSU. We have all the pieces in place to have an outstanding team."

The occasion Tuesday was designed for Mainieri to announce the incoming 13-man recruiting class that will fill out the Tigers' 2010 roster.

But Mainieri didn't pass up the chance to voice his displeasure about the current system and vow to find a way to change it.

"I'm going to spend the next year of my life trying to get Major League Baseball to change that date," Mainieri said, later saying he planned on speaking to MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. "I hope that my status as the coach at LSU and (as) the defending national champions that maybe we have some credibility with the people in Major League Baseball -- the decision-makers -- and I can rally some of my peers and we can petition Major League Baseball to change that date to July 15." Meanwhile, the Tigers will launch defense of their national crown next week when a 34-player roster finalized after Monday's jolt.

The 13 players in the 2009 class include six freshmen and seven junior-college transfers, six pitchers and seven position players. Five of the newcomers have been drafted at least once.

That group will blend in with 21 returning players.

"I'm extremely excited about this incoming group," Mainieri said. "The class is really an outstanding class. Despite losing three of our high school signees to the major league draft, this is still an outstanding group.

"The bottom line is we are going to play with the kids who want to be at LSU. I don't belittle anybody for going into professional baseball."

The influx of junior college players is a direct result of the uncertainty of the players who were drafted. Two of the transfers, Joey Bourgeois and Trey Watkins, signed just last week.

"It's a little bit more junior-college heavy than typically we would want it to be," Mainieri said. "It wasn't exactly the way we wanted it to be, but believe me, the sky is not falling in."

The affable Mainieri bristled at the notion that the late signees were LSU's Plan B and said he doesn't regret imposing his own deadline on Heathcott, Von Rosenberg and Colvin.

Mainieri's deadline was two weeks earlier than Monday and he said he asked the players to let him know if they planned on continuing to negotiate with the clubs that drafted them or if they were ready to give their word they would head to LSU.

"I was not going to let Major League Baseball determine the fate of LSU baseball," Mainieri said. "I told the three players that by Aug. 3 either they sign professionally or decide to come to school.

"Just because they had a deadline of Aug. 17 didn't mean I had to wait until Aug. 17."

He didn't, but Colvin did. Mainieri said late last week he thought Colvin was LSU-bound, and that feeling persisted until Monday when he got a phone call to the contrary.

"Part of the job of being a college coach is handling the risk of losing players to Major League Baseball," Mainieri said. "You recruit against other schools. Then, a Major League team drafts a player and can throw as much money as they can at him. It's a real issue." source>>>

The major championships are complete for the year, which to some will mean the golf season is over, too. Not so fast. Before even getting a chance to catch our breath, we've got the playoffs coming up.

For those who are snickering, your chuckles are understandable.

The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship have been considered the four biggest tournaments in the game for at least 50 years, and no season-ending corporate-sponsored playoff bonanza is ever going to change that.

But ... and this is a big but ... golf tournaments have never ceased being played after the year's final major, and if you are going to play them, you might as well try to attach some meaning to them.

The FedEx Cup playoffs have their detractors, and you can rattle off numerous flaws in the system.

But you have to remember what the PGA Tour was like after the major championships and before this FedEx Cup system was put in place.

It was basically a two-month run of tournaments nobody cared about, including many of the top players. They typically used that time to rest and gear up for the lucrative offseason events, while the tour's rank and file slugged it out hoping to earn their tour cards for the following year.

Several of the top names even skipped the season-ending Tour Championship, a boondoggle for the top 30 on the money list with no cut and a guaranteed payday.

Now, at least, the FedEx Cup brings nearly all the top players together for a four-week run of tournaments that crowns a season-long champion. It's never going to be as big as a major championship, but the fact that nearly every big name in the game will go from New York to Boston to Chicago to Atlanta over a five-week stretch suggests something must be right.

Adam Scott

Charles Baus/Icon SMI

Adam Scott is among a handful of players trying to solidify their spot for the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Sure, the money is outrageous -- $7.5 million purses with $1.35 million to the winner each week, and a $10 million bonus to the overall winner -- but nothing short of money was going to bring all these guys together like this. So you can't criticize the money and then criticize the weak fields that would be gathering until November if nothing had changed.

How big is the FedEx Cup, which begins next week at the Barclays? It coaxed Adam Scott and Sergio Garcia into teeing it up this week at the Wyndham Championship. You can bet they'd rather be anywhere this week but Greensboro. Yet neither wanted to take any chances. Scott (111th) and Garcia (115th) are barely inside the FedEx Cup bubble that invites the top 125 to the Barclays.

And even if they make it to New York, in order to advance to Boston, they'll need to move into the top 100. So earning some points this week is a good idea.

Several players, including Wyndham defending champion Carl Pettersson (151) as well as Stuart Appleby (138), Ricky Barnes (141), Rocco Mediate (142) and David Duval (149), are in Greensboro this week hoping to move into the top 125.

Even U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, who would be excused if he took the week off, is grinding in Greensboro. Glover is fifth in the FedEx Cup standings; if he manages to stay there through the BMW Championship, Glover would automatically win the FedEx Cup with a victory at the Tour Championship.

For the third straight year, the system has been tweaked, this time to avoid the disaster that occurred a year ago when Vijay Singh all but had the FedEx Cup clinched after winning the first two playoff events.

Now, that can't happen. The points players have earned through the regular season will not be reset until the Tour Championship. But instead of earning 500 points for a regular-season victory, players will earn 2,500 points for a win in a playoff event. That means anyone in the top 29 at the moment would be able to pass No. 1 Tiger Woods with a victory next week at the Barclays. source>>>

Syracuse's decision to name former Duke point guard Greg Paulus as its starting quarterback on Monday immediately turned a moribund football program into one of the most intriguing story lines of the 2009 season. Paulus, a fixture at Duke for four seasons, said in a conference call on Wednesday that winning the starting job for his hometown team was the first of many goals.
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"We want to come out and play well and win some games," Paulus said. "We really want to turn this thing in the right direction."

And that's the hard part, with Syracuse coming off the worst four-year stretch in school history. After athletic director Daryl Gross fired Coach Paul Pasqualoni at the end of 2004, the team went 10-37 in four years under Greg Robinson, including 3-25 in the Big East.

Paulus goes from playing at Duke, the perennial college basketball favorite, to a football program attempting to inch out of an abyss despite not playing the sport since his senior season at Syracuse's Christian Brothers High in 2004. He chose basketball and Duke when he graduated in 2005 before reversing course after finishing his basketball eligibility.

By naming Paulus as starter, first-year Coach Doug Marrone has now put a face on Syracuse's rebuilding effort.

"He's played, he's thrown a football, he's been an athlete, he's made quick decisions, and he's done a lot of things that correlate to the game of football for the last four years," Marrone said. "For the people who question it, they haven't been out on the field to see it."

Marrone has faced plenty of issues since being hired in December. A Syracuse official said Wednesday that the number of recruited scholarship players is around 70, well below the N.C.A.A. maximum of 85.

A school official said 17 scholarship players have left the program since Marrone took over. The school has denied that Marrone is cleaning house, but the turnover is a nod to how bereft of talent the program is.

Since the start of camp, two players projected as starters have left the team with little explanation. That leaves the Orange with a walk-on kicker and seven scholarship linebackers.

Paulus will also lead offensive coordinator Rob Spence's no-huddle spread offense behind an unproven offensive line. During Robinson's four-year tenure, the Orange line was consistently one of the nation's worst.

Paulus, 23, said the challenge was part of the appeal of the program.

"He's turning the culture," Paulus said of Marrone. "He's done a great job building. That's was one of the mains reasons I wanted to come back here. To have an opportunity to help build this program and put it in the right direction was something I wanted to be a part of."

The Paulus experiment is resonating from Syracuse to Durham, N.C., and beyond. Steve Wojciechowski, a Duke basketball assistant, said the Blue Devils staff and players have been tracking Paulus' progress.

"It's exciting for us and we're really pleased for Greg," Wojciechowski said in a phone interview. "But it's also not surprising given his commitment to the sport, his competitiveness and his ability to be a leader. It gives us all a reason down here to watch Syracuse football and cheer for Greg and follow his success."

Wojciechowski said the intangibles of Paulus's experience in the pressure cooker at Duke will carry over to playing quarterback.

"Greg is a natural born leader," Wojciechowski said. "I could imagine him getting in a football huddle and having his teammates' respect instantly. He's a gifted kid and a winner."

Whether that winning carries over to a new school and a different sport is now the central question. The Orange schedule is favorable, with eight home games, but it starts with a tough stretch: home against Minnesota in the opener, at Penn State and then home again to host a strong Northwestern team.

Paulus was asked about playing in front of nearly 100,000 fans at Penn State in the season's second week and said he had not looked that far ahead.

"I'm a little more concerned about some of the installation stuff we have tomorrow morning," Paulus said, referring to learning the offense. "That'll be the first focus."

Thanks to Paulus, Syracuse football has a hopeful outlook. Now his biggest challenge begins, continuing his feel-good homecoming on the field. source>>>

Rich Rodriguez recently said he thinks a one-game NCAA preseason might be a good idea to help get teams prepared. Do you agree?

I'm sure that most coaches in college football would love this. Except, of course, for the coaches of smaller programs who would love nothing more than to emulate Appalachian State in 2007 or Central Michigan back in the '90s and pull off a massive early season upset while the big boys aren't yet firing on all cylinders. So while this might get strong support from the coaches, I think most fans would just as soon throw this idea back.

First of all is the injury factor. At least once a year, some NFL player is lost for the entire season in training camp, whether it's James Stewart here in Detroit or Michael Vick back when he played for the Falcons. There is nothing worse in sports than seeing your team's season go down the toilet because of a play in a meaningless game. If the NFL seems so intent on cutting its preseason down to two or three games, then the NCAA should take note.

But the larger issue is the culture of college football. The BCS has watered this down a bit, but the beauty of the game is that every game is so important. You really can't afford to take a week off or you'll be punished, perhaps for the rest of the season. It used to be that the college football season started with the Kickoff Classic or the Pigskin Classic, and right off the bat, you had great intersectional games. This season, Florida State and Miami (Fla.) will play on Labor Day. This game may not have the luster it had a decade and a half ago, but it's still the type of opening-weekend game fans want.

The only, and I mean only, way that I'd endorse a plan for preseason college football would be if there were an agreement or a demand that teams would be required to play better nonconference opponents in the regular season. Maybe conferences could be matched up each year like the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in basketball. Or maybe the BCS could appoint a scheduler to make sure the powers play at least one other power and don't simply schedule Appalachian State (oops).

We all love college football for different reasons. Some of you simply blindly root for Michigan or Michigan State or Northwestern (present company included). Some love the indulgence of football Saturdays and New Year's Day. But honestly, one of my favorite parts of the sport are those Saturdays in September when you're not really sure how good your team is and it has to do battle with a program that is equal or better. I miss the Michigan-UCLA game or the Penn State-USC game.

Granted, this year (like last), we do get Ohio State against USC. But those games are becoming the exception, not the norm. source>>>

When your kids head off to college, it's important to make sure they're ready to start handling their own finances. How do you get them to stick to a budget? How do you stop them from getting into credit card debt?

Pam Krueger, host and creator of the PBS show "Moneytrack," shared on "The Early Show" Tuesday how you can get your college-bound student to become wise on money-handling matters.

As she puts it, parents always send their kids to school with care packages. The tools of money and credit management you are going to give your college-bound kids is a financial care package. Kruger said it will be the most important care package they can get.

Kruger shared these tips for helping develop that financial care package for your child:

BUILDING A SIMPLE BUDGET

This is going to be the MOST important thing in their financial care package. Sit down with your college bound student before heading them off to school. By doing this early and getting it set, you are going to set you and your kids up for success. This does not have to be intimidating-KEEP IT SIMPLE!

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: Maybe you as the parent do not have a budget. Maybe you have managed to get by without balancing your checkbook. That DOES NOT MEAN your kids should. You should instill all the right lessons even before they start to build credit. If you introduce the concept of a budget now, you will be giving them a good financial infrastructure for their entire lives.

Start with categories, and be realistic. First of all, which one of you is paying the tuition? Are you as parents covering all the books or should that be a part of your children's budget? How is your freshman going to get around -- bus, subway, or used car? What about internet access? What sort of extra food budget is your child going to need for dinners and lunches off campus? And finally, be aware that like it or not, your child is going to need a social budget -- beer, movies, a night out dancing, sorority and fraternity dues all of this is going to add up. Tell your children to be HONEST about what they want. You can always say no.

In fact, honesty is one of the most important aspects of this conversation. Be honest with your kids about what you do and do not have to offer. It might not be totally comfortable telling your son or daughter, "I am sorry, I simply cannot afford to pay your fraternity dues," or "I am sorry, we do not have enough to cover parking for your car on campus." But you have to do it. Finding out what you can't afford will give you opportunity to discuss what's really necessary, and possible alternatives. Perhaps there are fraternity scholarships, or you can supplement money for public transportation if the car is too expensive.

More Back-to-School stories

Another part of the discussion -- Are you going to give your kids a stipend of spending money? How much? Is that a monthly or yearly stipend?

How much in savings do I have to pay for all of this? Subtract all those expenses from the money you have coming in and you can see where the funding shortfall might be. The budget is nothing more than a snapshot that's going to show you whether or not you are on track with your spending. It's just a tool that will help avoid big surprises later!

Example - add up all the sources of funds you will have to tap for next 10 months, such as graduation gift money, savings from work, contributions from mom and dad, and divide that total by ten months. Let's say it comes to $400/month, that's what you know you have to work with. This puts the student in control and most likely you both will need to decide which expenses are going to get cut.

CREDIT CARDS FOR COLLEGE?
A lot of kids go to college and get themselves into massive credit card debt. This is a pretty big deal, as it will leave your college graduate with seriously bad credit before they have even had a chance to purchase anything important like a new house or a new car. TELL YOUR KIDS TO GET READY. They are going to be bombarded with credit card offers, as those companies know that college kids are vulnerable to big spending and bad money management.

Eighty four percent of college students have credit cards. However, the average balance by senior year is about $4,100. This is how your college bound kids can get into trouble.

First of all, say yes to ONLY two credit cards. The smartest one to get is a debit card. This type of card allows you to only spend what you have. It is tied directly to your checking in that you pay for something it comes right out of checking. It's very straightforward -- you either have the funds in your checking or you don't. The riskier bet here is the credit card. Whether it's a card you have to co-sign or one they can qualify for on their own, a good suggestion is to use a student credit card with no annual fee, and a very low student interest rate with a very reasonable credit limit. DO NOT give your child the opportunity to dig themselves into a hole -- request a limit no more than $1,000 and agree that's it. Most of the major banks offer student cards that offer miles for purchases of books but don't get carried away by the perks. Focus on the money and credit management mission -- to stay within your budget, build a great credit profile for the student in your life.

FYI -- NEW RULES: STARTING FEB 2010-YOU MUST BE 21 TO HAVE A CREDIT CARD IN YOUR CHILD'S NAME ALONE.

Our advice? For the first 3 months -- use only the debit card and keep the credit card for emergencies. Your bank statement will show you each and every expense you're making. After first 3 months, you're going to see what college life is really costing and you will need to revisit your budget if you find you're spending way too much on fancy coffee drinks for example.

MONITER COLLEGE SPENDING
If your child is college bound, chances are they are going to want to have complete freedom, including in the area of money. As a parent, this is very dangerous. Observe and watch your child's spending habits while they are away at college. Monitor spending to make sure spending isn't going off the tracks. That extra $3.50 a day adds up to $1,000 over the school year! It's much better to find that out ahead of time so you can adjust. TIP: Automate all the big predictable bills, put those bills on auto-pilot to avoid late payments!

Make a deal with your child that receiving a monthly or yearly stipend from mom and dad comes with one important condition -- you have to be able to see or hear what's going on. The best way to do this is to give your son or daughter an online bank account that you can access. Make it a deal breaker -- you must give us the password and account info. for your mom and dad stipend. If you feel this is too much, make a bi-monthly meeting to go over your child's statements and budgets. It will allow you to check on things and decide on adjustments based on your meetings.

Your bank may offer free or discounted student accounts and automatic bill pay. source>>>

School is just starting at many Mississippi schools, but dozens of kids are already staying at home sick with the flu.

According to the state Department of Education, the illnesses have arisen in school districts around the state in every grade level. According to the Health Department, it's likely that some of the cases are H1N1 flu, but officials are telling parents not to panic.

In Warren County, 20 children are out sick. Their parents reported to the district that the children have the flu or flu-like symptoms. The school superintendent said that's not an usually high number.

In Scott County, 12 children were home with the flu. In both cases, the school district hasn't confirmed any of the students have the H1N1 flu.

The Health Department said at least some of the cases will be H1N1 flu, and because of the nature of kids in school, the flu will spread to most schools around the state. Health and education officials are working together to get information about the H1N1 flu to parents and teachers.

The Health Department said it's unusual to have this many cases of the flu this time of year because this strain is new and people have yet to build up an immunity to it.

Even though it may sound scary to parents to hear the H1N1 flu will likely make it to local schools, health officials said parents should remain calm.

"The most important thing to remember is this type of influenza is very much like the influenza that goes around in the winter, except it's not in the winter. So, with most children and adults, it should be an illness that makes you sick, you feel rotten, but you recover from it within four or five days," said Dr. Mary Currier, the state's epidemiologist.

Currier said parents and schools should stress good hand-washing practices. She also stressed covering mouths when coughing.

In Warren County, the school district has planned to install motion-sensor soap dispensers on school buses.

If your child is sick, you should keep them home. Don't let them go back to school until 24 hours after their fever has broken.

Currier said most kids will not have complications if they get H1N1 flu, but if your child has a chronic respiratory illness, you should talk to your doctor. source>>>

Delaware exists for people to get from New Jersey to Maryland and back again. Other than a few nice beaches and tax-free shopping, Delaware is ostensibly a causeway for people trying to get to a more exciting place on the Eastern Seaboard.

Clearly, those in charge of Delaware wanted to change their image and make the state known for more than just their representative at the Continental Congress calling 'frontsies.' (I guess in the blog world, Delaware would be the ultimate "FIRST!")

Enter sports gambling. With Atlantic City just to the north and the increased number of casinos popping up in Pennsylvania, sports gambling would be a boon to Delaware's economy. Sports gambling won't just attract the locals to throw down five bucks on their way home from work for the Pick Six. Sports gambling is a tourism cash cow. Families will flock to Delaware for vacations, at the expense of New Jersey mind you, and while the kids hang out on the beach, daddy's in the sports book laying $200 on a three-team parlay. Everybody wins!

Why then, are professional sports leagues trying so hard to block this from happening? Late last week, there were reports that a federal appeals court will expedite a hearing on the litigation between Delaware and the entire American sports world, including the four major leagues and the NCAA. Originally set to be heard in December, an appeals court will review the case starting August 24.

Why would the leagues be so adamant about blocking Delaware from having sports gambling in the first place? You can make the case for the NCAA in that the organization, while making money hand over fist, claims to maintain an amateur, non-profit status. Add to the fact that Delaware has several universities and colleges that play NCAA-sanctioned sports and a clear conflict of interest arises.

But Delaware has no professional sports teams (save minor league baseball). And sports gambling is already legal in this country and has been a multi-billion dollar, taxable business. So what's the big deal?

I reached out to the NFL to understand why the league is so adamantly opposed to Delaware's attempt to legalize sports betting:

"We oppose further state-operated gambling on individual NFL games because it presents a threat to the integrity of those games and to the long-term relationship between the NFL and its fans," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told me via email.

"If you make it easier for people to gamble then more people will. This would increase the chances for people to question the integrity of the game. Those people who are upset will question whether an erroneous officiating call or dropped pass late in the game resulted from an honest mistake or an intentional act by a corrupt player or official."

The NFL's official position is that by legalizing something and making it a taxable revenue the state can regulate and profit from, it would create less integrity in their game?

It's the ultimate "don't ask, don't tell." The NFL has to know how much money is gambled at shady online casinos and shadier street corners every week. But as long as it's illegal in this country, the league doesn't have to worry about it infiltrating the sanctity of the game.

I brought up the fact that the NBA recently dealt with the Tim Donaghy situation, and MLB is still trying to crawl out from under Pete Rose's marker, which would explain, from a PR standpoint, why those leagues would take issue with anything gambling related. But the NFL has been gambling-related scandal-free for years.

"The cases you cite above are exactly why we work so hard to keep the public trust in our sport and why we oppose further state-operated gambling on individual NFL games. We have all witnessed the negative impact of those scandals or the numerous betting scandals in Europe or the periodic college scandals here in the U.S. These incidents and the subsequent fallout continue to remind us that the threat to the integrity of games is real. Just because we haven't had these types of incidents recently doesn't mean it couldn't happen to us. We have been fortunate to avoid these types of incidents and continue to work hard to ensure that fans trust our players and our game."

The case can be made that many of these scandals -- including a few in the distant past of the NFL -- were a product of illegal gambling outfits and may have been more easily snuffed out if the bets were made through legal channels. The scandals in Europe, namely tennis match fixing, were more easily snuffed out because betting on the games was legal, and the bets more easily traceable. And sure, you can give me a study in 1988 in which the state of New Jersey found that legalizing gambling did nothing to lessen the magnitude or frequency of illegal gambling in the state, but that only illustrates that while it may not impact the illegal gambling, legalizing gambling does create an entirely new revenue stream for the states, and in turn, the leagues who can charge the casinos more money for television rights and create league-themed restaurants and shops to attract the gambling sports fan.

We're never going to agree on this, are we NFL? I'm not asking for the league to endorse sports gambling -- to put Peyton Manning at a sports book taking the Colts and the over -- but it seems to make sense to quietly let this pass without a fight. After all, more gambling on sports means more interest in sports. So why wouldn't the leagues want more interest?

Delaware clearly hopes next week's ruling goes in its favor. Otherwise, legislators might have to turn to the next gambling-related money making venture: retrofitting the tollbooths on 95 into slot machines. And you thought traffic was bad now. source>>>

In the current economic conditions, it has become easy for individual state governments to become greedy. They are cutting financing to state projects, and are looking to dip further into the pockets of people who own businesses. That is certainly the case when it comes to bars that operate video gambling machines.

In Oregon, the state Lottery is preparing to discuss the option of dipping into revenue that bars and taverns are making on video gambling machines. What started as a smart business proposition back when the state allowed bar owners to keep thirty-five percent of winnings, has now become a burden.

The percentage that bar owners can keep has already dropped to twenty-three percent, and the Lottery is contemplating cutting it even further. The state is struggling for money, and that means that gambling revenue is the first area they attack.

"These bars thought they were getting a good deal when they fought to have the video gambling," said observer Harvey Frent, "but as the years have gone on, the state has taken more and more of their money, and it is getting to the point where it may not be worth the hassle to keep running the machines."

If the Lottery cuts the commissions paid to bar owners for these video gambling machine it would be the sixth time that it has happened since 1992, when the first gambling machines became legal. Still, some in the state believe the bars atnd taverns are making too much money.

"We've heard the same argument every time this comes up," said State Superintendent of Schools, Susan Castillo, "We've cut their commissions, and we have more bars and taverns with video lottery games than before."
source>>>

Many people in Los Angeles venture out to the yard and estate sales on the weekends looking for anything they could turn around and resell for a profit. This is a wonderful and easy home business that could be very profitable if you find the right items.

Before you venture out to the weekend sales look on eBay and get a feel for what people are buying. Therefore, when you venture out to the sales you will have a general idea of what to look for and will know what will sell.

Start looking in the newspaper for estate and yard or garage sales. Make a list of where they are located on Saturdays and Sundays. You will want to coordinate the two days so you will travel to each one in a certain order and not have to back track and use a bunch of gas. At the sales look for collectibles or clothes with tags on them. Anything unique and do not be afraid to negotiate more than likely the seller is willing to except a lower price as they do not want to lug the items back inside.

When you arrive home with your items, you can list them on eBay and turn a profit. Ebay is a great place to make some extra money or build a part-time or full-time business. Starting with things around your home or the weekend sales is a great way to get started with a home business. source>>>

An unemployed Arkansas woman trying to sell the naming rights to her seventh child on eBay is hoping her fifth try is a charm.

Lavonne Drummond, 36, says the bidding hit $26,100 before eBay removed her most recent auction, her fourth, on Monday. That's considerably more than the $15,000 she says she lost when eBay shut down her first auction because the company ruled the mother of six was soliciting donations.

She got no bids on her second auction, which eBay took down quickly due to a myriad of reasons.

And her third unsuccessful auction, posted on Aug. 10, garnered a top bid of $510.99, she said, but that, too, was shut down because an actual "item" was not offered for sale.

But Drummond, of Smackover, Ark., is very persistent -- not to mention broke and hoping to pay her bills. She posted the auction yet again, and this time, she said, representatives of eBay "said they pulled it down in error. They just apologized and told me they can't help me in any way. They just told me to re-list the auction."

"I'm just so stressed, I don't sleep, I don't eat," she said. "It's emotionally taking its toll. It's just terrible."

Representatives for eBay said the company collaborated with Drummond last week to develop a listing that met its policies.

"The revised listing was removed due to an internal communications oversight," the company said in a statement to FOXNews.com.

But Drummond, who is due to give birth on Sept. 16, says that won't bring back the $41,610.99 she "lost" in her first four auction attempts combined.

"I personally don't think it was a mistake," she said. "I think it was done on purpose. Maybe it was too much controversy."

Greg Kusch, who runs ebayexpert.com and teaches seminars on how to sell items on the online marketplace, said that's exactly what eBay was protecting itself from.

"They just protect themselves in any way possible when it comes to winning something of chance or a non-tangible type item," Kusch told FOXNews.com. "I'm sure they could pick four or five different policies that would stop that auction and bring it down."

A large part of the problem, Kusch said, is that once the auction is over, the winning bid must be paid to Drummond, despite the fact that her son will not have been born yet.

"There's so many possibilities that something could go wrong," he said. "When you win an auction, you have to pay. So that money would immediately go to her even if the baby is not born. What happens is the baby is not born?"

Kusch said such non-tangible items are frequently barred from eBay.

Drummond's first three auctions were removed for several reasons, including eBay's policy of prohibiting sales that promote "giveaways, lotteries, sweepstakes, random drawing, raffles, contests or prizes." Other reasons include soliciting donations.

Drummond, meanwhile, is apprehensive about her fifth -- and, she says, final -- auction try, but she desperately needs money to buy her family a new car and to pay past-due bills. Bids start at $150; there had been no bidders as of Tuesday afternoon.

"I am going to try one more time, but it's so overwhelming," Drummond said through tears. "To start all over again ..."
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To increase your back to school buying power, try shopping on Cragislist, Ebay, Overstock and other on-line sites. Currently teen clothing can be purchased on sale from major on-line retailers, many are offering free shipping on $50-75.00 or less.

Shipping costs can be eliminated if parents of teens use Craigslist. Currently, there are more than 98 advertisements for back to school clothes. Most sellers will arrange to meet in a public location, and most have pictures posted on the site. Craigslist also provides buyers with reasonable prices on desktops, desks, and other electronics.

If you are interested in an item listed on Craigslist, email the seller. Do not disclose your name, any contact information or your location in the first email. If the seller responds, and has positive comments, then you can arrange a meeting.

Using Ebay to purchase clothing, computers, coats and other school equipment can be challenging. The easiest method is to use the Advanced Search option. Using this option, you would enter a few keywords, like 'jackets', 'desktop', 'football pads', etc. Choose Search Title and Description; enter the price range you are looking for, and the buying format. Using Show Results, you may want to choose listing ending within a certain time frame, and you can choose Free Shipping or Local Pickup.

Ebay will list many results. Review these with your teenager and limit the choices. Depending on the price, and how soon you want the item, you may want to consider the Buy It Now option to eliminate the wait. Or, if you have a maximum price you will pay, have Ebay bid for you up to a set dollar limit.

No matter what site you choose for on line purchases, stay safe and protect your identity with a few simple steps.

Never disclose your full name, or any personal information in emails.

When picking up products, ask for a meeting location that is in a public place. If you must go to a person's home to pick up furniture or heavy items, make sure another adult goes with you. Before you go, write down the name, address and telephone number of the person you are seeing, and give this to a family member or neighbor. Let them know how long you plan to be gone.

When purchasing product at a meeting point, make sure the merchandise is in your possession before you pay for it, and use cash or a money order. A money order is the better choice if the purchase is more than $75.00.

Unless the site has PayPal or a safe connection, do not disclose your debit or credit card information.

When you have completed the purchase, delete the cookies that were created during the session.

By following these rules, you can shop safe, and save money using online shopping. source>>>

Online auction site eBay has long been home to people selling some of the oddest things. It might be even more unusual that there is almost a buyer for all of these weird items. Now if you ever wanted to sleep with a Hollywood icon then eBay is providing the chance. Ebay has an auction currently running for a burial plot atop one that is occupied by Marilyn Monroe. Long time Beverly Hills resident Elsie Poncher became a widow in 1986 when her husband Richard Poncher passed away. As part of his dying wishes Richard was buried face down in his crypt as he did not want to be upside down over Marilyn Monore. Elsie has now decided to move her Richard out and auction off the crypt which opened for bidding at $500,000 last week and as of 8:30 AM PST today it was just over $4,600,000 with about a week left to go. With her auction winnings, Poncher intends to pay off the mortgage to her home in Beverly Hills.

Marilyn Monroe may have never thought she would be as popular in the afterlife but celebrity seems to live on forever in our culture. Numerous online businesses strictly focus on selling celebrity related items memorabilia, and websites like TMZ.com make money from the content they create about the celebrities they film. Just to prove to you that this is not the weirdest thing auctioned off on eBay, we found a few other celebrity auctions to make you laugh. In 2000 Justin Timberlake's partially-eaten French toast sold for $1,025. In 2005 Britney Spear's chewed bubble gum sold for $511.04. Finally in 2004 Three tablespoons of water from a cup used by Elvis Presley sold for $455. source>>>

eBay has strict policy guidelines that prohibit the sale of counterfeit items, replicas, fakes, or "knock-offs." One of the most common counterfeit items sold on eBay are handbags. If you are caught listing counterfeit items on eBay, your account can be suspended or terminated.

Authenticity is important to eBay, although nearly impossible to police as sellers add millions of new listings daily. Why does eBay care that the items listed are authentic? For one reason, eBay must comply with the law - it is illegal to sell counterfeit products.

The underground economy is fueled and financed by the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit products. Organized criminal groups have emerged as the principal distributors, producers, and shippers of counterfeit goods. Trafficking counterfeit goods is a serious crime, punishable by fines and imprisonment. Counterfeit goods trafficking rings are often linked to organized crime, drugs, prostitution, gangs, and terrorism. eBay really wants no part of this situation.

If you are not 100% certain that your item is authentic, do not list it. You don't want to risk a suspension. For example, if you found a Coach bag at a thrift store for $3, it probably is not authentic. Click here to read tips for selling authentic handbags on eBay.

Click here to read eBay's policy on selling replicas, counterfeits, and unauthorized copies, and make sure you comply. If eBay has removed an item because you violated the VeRO (Verified Rights Owner) Program, click here to read how to appeal your case. source>>>