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02/15/2007 -
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -If team captain Shane Doan finishes his new five-year, $22.5 million contract with the Phoenix Coyotes, he could be one of the few professional athletes to spend his entire career in the same organization.
It's a franchise, though, with scant success throughout his 12 years with the team.
After peppering team officials with questions at a long dinner Monday, Doan said he came away satisfied that the Coyotes were making the right moves, and that the last prime years of his career won't be wasted in a losing cause.
``I guess it's a little bit of trust because I would have left if I didn't think it was possible, I didn't think it was capable of turning it round and going in the right direction,'' he said Thursday at a news conference announcing his new contract.
``I truly want to win, and I want to win sooner rather than later,'' Doan said, ``because I know how short the window is and how quickly it's closing for me personally.''
The 30-year-old right wing from Halkirk, Alberta, was the first-round pick of the then-Winnipeg Jets - the seventh choice overall - in the 1995 draft. He ranks third in games played in franchise history (775), fifth in goals (191), second in game-winning goals (33), fifth in power-play goals (55) and sixth in assists (261).
Since his rookie season, the franchise has reached the playoffs six times, most recently in 2002, but never has advanced past the first round.
Coach Wayne Gretzky said that ``10 or 15'' teams would have tried to acquire Doan if he had decided to leave, most of them NHL contenders. But Doan said it would mean more to him to succeed with the Coyotes.
``This is my home and I want to win here,'' he said. ``I really don't want to go somewhere else and just be a player that's brought in to win. Here I know I could be a part of something special.''
With the Coyotes 15 points out of the West's final playoff berth, Gretzky said the team needs more offensive speed to help Doan succeed.
``We need to get guys who first of all play at as consistent a level as Shane does, work-ethic-wise and effort-wise.'' Gretzky said. ``Defensively, we have a pretty good core back there, especially our young guys. We need to get people up front who are going to help guys like Shane become a better hockey team.''
Doan, a member of Canada's 2004 Olympic team and 2003 gold medal world championship squad, is the only player on the Phoenix roster who was with the franchise when it moved from Winnipeg in 1996. His decade in Arizona was a factor in his decision.
``I've got four kids that love it here. My wife loves it here,'' he said. ``I wanted to stay here. I don't want to move. I felt that it was important to know that for the next five years this is their home. They don't know any place else.''
Gretzky said it's an example of the kind of player Doan is that he wouldn't tell anyone about his back problems early this season because he felt he needed to play through the pain for his team.
Finally, Gretzky sat Doan down and basically ordered him to get his back checked by doctors. Doan was out for several weeks but has returned to play, in Gretzky's words, ``the best hockey I've seen him play.''
``That just shows you the character of the person he is,'' Gretzky said. ``He takes care of his teammates. He's very protective of his teammates, and more importantly, he's really well respected by his teammates.''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.
<< For Morrison, no place like road
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -Adam Morrison headed to Las Vegas on Thursday to take part in All-Star weekend festivities as the second-leading rookie scorer in the NBA. He might be leading the league if not for those home games.Morrison prefers playing on t
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<< Torre to Bernie: We want you
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -Joe Torre spoke to Bernie Williams and the message from the New York Yankees manager was clear: Come to spring training.Williams, feeling slighted by the only major league team he's played for, has thus far refused to accept a mino
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Yankees general partner arrested >>
LARGO, Fla. (AP) -George Steinbrenner's son-in-law and designated successor to run the New York Yankees was arrested early Thursday for suspicion of driving under the influence.Yankees general partner Steve Swindal was arrested by the St. Petersburg
Hardaway won't represent NBA at All-Star game after anti-gay remarks >>
The NBA banished Tim Hardaway from All-Star weekend in Las Vegas because of his anti-gay remarks.Hardaway, who played in five All-Star games during the 1990s, was already in Las Vegas and scheduled to make a series of public appearances this week on
'There's no walking in baseball': Acta keeps Day 1 crisp >>
VIERA, Fla. (AP) -``There's no walking in baseball.''Day 1 on the job, and Manny Acta coined a phrase.The Washington Nationals' new field boss conducted his first spring training workout as a major league manager Thursday, and when he noticed some o
Michael Vick is back, Brett Favre isn't and the NFC East remains the best division in the NFC, maybe in all of football.
As players start to gather for the start of another season, some things change and some stay the same in the world of the NFL.
The NFC East has been the dominant division in the National Conference for a while, despite limited playoff success, save for the New York Giants surprise Super Bowl win two seasons ago.
Hell, there's a generation of kids in Texas who have never seen the Cowboys win a playoff game (last win was in 1996).
But collectively, the Giants, Eagles, Cowboys and Redskins (well, maybe not so much the Redskins) are as good as a division gets in an NFC conference that has struggled to stay competitive with the AFC side.
Sports bettors have both acknowledged the NFC East's dominance, as one glance at the NFL future odds menu will show.
Looking over the NFL betting odds at online sports book MySportsbook.com we see the top three teams listed to win the NFC Championship are all from the NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys - 7 - 1
Philadelphia Eagles - 13 - 2
New York Giants - 9 - 2
Slotting in behind these three are two teams from the NFC North: the Minnesota Vikings (15-2) and the Chicago Bears (10-1).
Again, despite the lack of recent playoff success, the Dallas Cowboys are popular with the sports betting community, as they hold 14% of all the money wagered on who will win the NFC Championship.
So far, the New York Giants are the bettors' favorite to represent their conference in the Super Bowl, as they have 24% of the overall NFC Championship betting volume.
And what about the Philadelphia Eagles? For the most part, the Eagles had a very productive offseason, the kind that could bring them back to the top.
They had a good draft adding the likes of WR Jeremy Maclin and RB LeSean McCoy.
Unfortunately, the team received a blow when long-time defensive coordinator Jim Johnson passed away on Tuesday.
But this team will make a real run at the division title this year. Going into the regular season, Philly is listed at +240 to win the division.
Last season the Eagles were 9-6-1 SU and 10-6 ATS.
Teams from the NFC East will play teams from the AFC West in the regular season and the Eagles haven't really been a good bet in the last 20 games against the likes of San Diego, Oakland, K.C. and Denver, only going 8-12 ATS.
Two seasons removed from that Super Bowl title, the New York Giants see themselves listed as the odds-on favorite in NFC East championship futures at +162.
Plaxico Burress is gone and with him all the bad publicity surrounding the gun in the sweatpants incident, but can they replace him in the offense?
Last season the Giants were a very reliable bet going 12-4 ATS.
In the Giants' last 20 games against fellow teams from the NFC East; they are 13-7 ATS.
Dallas is listed at +240 to win the division.
Dallas went 9-7 SU and 7-9 ATS last season and with the amount of talent the Cowboys have, a similar performance won't do.
The Cowboys have been atrocious against divisional rivals, going 6-14 ATS in their last 20.
The Washington Redskins are longshots to win the division at +550.
Visit MySportsbook.com for free sportsbook odds RSS feeds go to MySportsbook.com for all your betting football needs.
Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
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