Bear Pascoe holding fort at tight end for Giants

Football Betting Lines

08/12/2010 -

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -Watching the New York Giants tight ends at training camp these days is pretty simple - there's Bear Pascoe.

With four of the five tight ends at camp sidelined by minor injuries, Pascoe has gotten almost all the work. Whether it's one practice or two, the second-year pro has been the main target for quarterbacks Eli Manning, Jim Sorgi and Rhett Bomar, and he is loving every exhaustive second.

The performance has impressed coach Tom Coughlin and put Pascoe on the road to earning a spot on the roster.

``I think anyone should welcome this,'' Pascoe said Wednesday between practices. ``It's a chance to get better and a chance to show how hard I can work and that I'm a guy who can last, that I have durability and toughness. I can take that pounding and keep going.''

Kevin Boss has the Giants' starting job nailed down despite ankle and hamstring injuries.

There are one or two other spots open, and second-year pros Travis Beckum (hamstring), Scott Chandler (hip flexor) and rookie Jake Ballard (hamstring) aren't doing themselves any good watching from the sidelines at the University at Albany.

``I feel terrible when I look out there and see just Bear out there,'' Boss said. ``I feel terrible for him. It's real hard to watch and sit back there and not be able to help him out.''

Surprisingly, Pascoe says he feels great. There might be a little tightness in his calves, but other than that, he's healthy and has improved with the added workload.

Pascoe expects a lot out of himself. He just missed making a diving catch in practice Wednesday morning. While he could have blamed fatigue, he didn't.

``It hit my hands, I should catch it, that's the responsibility as a wide receiver and tight end,'' Pascoe said. ``If it is in our area, we should come down with it.''

Tight ends coach Mike Pope teased Pascoe about his workload before practice.

Pascoe's real first name is McKenna, the name of a priest who married his parents. Everyone started calling him 'Bear' as a youngster because he was just a lot bigger than his friends.

Pope likes the idea of mixing up Pascoe's names.

``Coach Pope was playing around before practice when we were stretching,'' Pascoe said. ``He's like on one play I am going to call 'Bear' and on the next I'll call 'McKenna.' We'll fool the defense.''

Actually, Pascoe hasn't gotten all the work. Offensive lineman Herb Taylor took a snap or two at tight end and was told to run a 10-yard out. He ran a 20-yard seam pattern and remarkably had the ball thrown in his direction, but never came close to getting his hands on it.

Pascoe laughed about the play, noting Taylor does a much better job blocking than him.

Sorgi said the craziest thing is that Pascoe has not asked the coaching staff for a break. He just says he is ready to go, which is great for team morale.

``He is the kind of guy who will be out there every day, the kind of guy who will fight his butt off for you no matter the situation,'' Sorgi said. ``You need those guys. You want a guy like that on your team because you know if you need a play at the end, you can count on that guy to do the right thing.''

A Fresno State product, Pascoe spent most of last season on the Giants' practice squad. He got a chance to play four games late last season, catching one pass and getting a start when the team opened a game in a two tight end formation.

``If I can keep working and improving like I am and show Coach Coughlin my good work ethic, most definitely I think I can earn a spot on this roster,'' he said. ``I am planning on it.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies  

It's that time of year folks.  Betting on American Idol Season 9.  And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below.  With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.

No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.

Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.

Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.

Odds to Win

There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.

All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.

A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.

Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.

Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol. 

Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.

If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.

Elimination Props

Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.

Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.

Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups

The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.

Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.

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