Nets sign Frank to extension

Basketball Betting Lines

07/23/2007 - East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Nets signed head coach Lawrence Frank to a multi-year extension. Per club policy, financial terms were not disclosed.

"We are pleased to announce this contract extension, which will keep Lawrence on the Nets sidelines for the foreseeable future," said New Jersey president Rod Thorn. "Lawrence has done an outstanding job, and we feel confident that he will continue to provide the leadership so invaluable to the success of our team in the future."

Frank was named the Nets' head coach on June 21 of 2004 after first being chosen as the interim head coach in January of that year.

The Teaneck, New Jersey native began his NBA coaching career with 13 consecutive wins, an NBA record for most consecutive victories by a head coach to begin a his coaching career.

Since then Frank has become the Nets' all-time winningest head coach and has amassed a 157-129 record during his three-plus seasons as the team's mentor.

The Nets have also reached the postseason in each of the last four years under Frank's watch.

"I would like to thank principal owner Bruce Ratner and the other Net owners, president Rod Thorn, and general manager Ed Stefanski for this contract extension," said Frank. "I am truly fortunate for the support from this first class organization. I would also like to express my appreciation to our coaching staff and players for their effort, sacrifice, and dedication over the past three and a half seasons. I look forward to continuing and improving upon the winning tradition of Nets Basketball."

Wwwbullysports Basketball Betting News

<< Minor league coach dies during game
North Little Rock, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines ) - Tulsa Drillers coach Mike Coolbaugh died Sunday after being hit in the head by a line drive while he was serving as the team's first base coach against the Arkansas Travelers. Tino Sanchez hit a line

<< Report: former NBA ref receives death threats
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who is under investigation by the FBI for allegedly betting on and fixing games that he worked during the past two seasons, reportedly called local police t

<< Report: Florida lawmen called to home of NBA ref being investigated for betting on games
NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who's being investigated by the FBI for betting on games he worked, had local lawmen at his Florida home Sunday because of threatening phone calls he's received, according to The New York Post.Three squad cars from the Manat

<< Indians rip Rangers
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Barfield went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI to lead the Cleveland Indians past the Texas Rangers, 8-3. Casey Blake also had three hits, including a pair of doubles, for the Indians, who h

<< Cards use long ball to down Braves in extra innings
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Albert Pujols' two-out home run in the eighth tied the game and Skip Schumaker and Scott Rolen both went deep in the 10th inning, as the St. Louis Cardinals rallied past the Atlanta Braves, 7-2, in the fin

Isles re-sign Simon >>
Uniondale, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Islanders re-signed veteran forward Chris Simon to a one-year contract Monday. Simon played in 67 games for the Islanders in 2006-07 and had ten goals with 17 assists for 27 points. Last

Santana, Twins open set with Blue Jays >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Standout left-hander Johan Santana looks to begin another win streak tonight when the Minnesota Twins visit Rogers Centre for the first game of a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays. A 19-game winner last season,

Mariners hope to shake offensive woes in Texas >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Seattle Mariners hope a visit to hitter-friendly Rangers Ballpark in Arlington will enable them to cure their recent offensive struggles as they open up a four-game series with fellow American League West member Texas thi

Bombs away: Power-swinging Yanks charge into Kansas City >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees bring their powerful bats into Kansas City for a four-game series with an improving Royals club that begins this evening at Kauffman Stadium. After enduring a disappointing 14-4 loss to Tampa Bay on Fr

Slumping Angels host struggling A's >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of struggling American League West teams start up a three-game series tonight in southern California, where the division-leading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim welcome the reeling Oakland Athletics. Oakland comes in

Horse Betting

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.