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08/26/2010 -
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -Nick Saban is all about efficiency, even when it comes to capitalizing on the positive publicity from a national championship season.
Instead of hunkering down and writing a book like he did at LSU, the Alabama coach allowed cameras into his professional inner sanctum for a one-hour behind-the-scenes ESPN special filmed early in fall camp. Now, a documentary on the 2009 season is set to appear in theaters near you - well, if you live in certain cities in a four-state area.
For Saban, it's free publicity with minimal time siphoned from the other parts of his job. Like coaching and generally running a team.
That's what he was doing Tuesday evening during the Birmingham premier of the documentary ``Nick Saban: Gamechanger,'' though his family and athletic director Mal Moore attended.
``I haven't seen it, so I can't tell you what it's about,'' Saban said. ``It was a whole lot easier to do than write a book.''
That's what he did after LSU won a national title in 2004, mixing in some of biographical material with leadership principles in ``How Good Do You Want to be?''
``Gamechanger'' was produced by Flashlight Media Group of Memphis, Tenn. The company said it is set to air in nearly 30 theaters starting Friday in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.
Producers Trey Reynolds and Grant Guffin, who had done a DVD set of Alabama football's greatest moments, approached Saban's Memphis-based agent, Jimmy Sexton, about the project just before last season. They started shooting after the season, traveling with Saban to film an ESPN commercial with Texas coach Mack Brown in California and to his home state of West Virginia.
``He's portrayed as somebody who is almost robotic in his drive and his commitment toward football,'' Guffin said. ``I had the perception before we had the opportunity to observe him and get to know him that he was football 24-7, 365 days a year.
``He's a guy who has learned how to keep things in balance. He's a guy who clearly knows how to have a good time and who enjoys time with his family and enjoys time with his friends. He's got a really sharp wit. We had the opportunity to hear some stories from friends of his of things that they have done in the past. He certainly has a mischievous streak as good as the next guy. He's much more three-dimensional to me after being around him and getting to know people who know him.''
It's just the latest example of Saban's multimedia presence. He was on the cover of Forbes magazine two years ago as the ``most powerful man in sports.'' He appeared as himself in the movie ``The Blind Side.''
Now, there's the ESPN special and documentary back to back.
Alabama tailback Mark Ingram was a big presence on the TV program, even doing handstand pushups after one of the crew members challenged him to a pushup contest of the regular variety.
``I haven't seen that much of it,'' Ingram said, ``so I need to catch somebody who Tivo-ed it.''
He said he didn't know anything about the documentary.
Might it be Saban's choice for the Friday night team movie before the opener next Saturday against San Jose State?
``That's always coach's decision,'' Ingram said, ``but I doubt he'll pick that.''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.
<< Villanova's Bell out indefinitely
Villanova, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Villanova freshman guard James Bell will
be out indefinitely, the school reported on Thursday.
Bell, an Orlando native, was diagnosed with stress fractures in the tibia of
both legs. He will not part
<< Spurs bring Ferry back to San Antonio
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs have named Danny
Ferry the Vice President of basketball operations.
Ferry played for the Spurs from 2000-03 and was the team's director of
basketball operations from 200
<< Ex-Cavs GM Ferry returns to Spurs front office
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -Danny Ferry is returning to the San Antonio Spurs.The former general manager for the Cavaliers will be vice president of basketball operations for the Spurs. He will be reunited with coach Gregg Popovich and general manager R.C. Bu
<< Freshmen to watch in the Big 12
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -If Bob Stoops had his way, the practice of redshirting incoming freshmen to save them for later would be scrapped at Oklahoma.He'd rather have his freshmen contribute right away for the seventh-ranked Sooners.``I believe that the
Giants center O'Hara may miss remainder of preseason >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Giants center Shaun O'Hara is likely
to miss the remainder of the preseason with a nagging ankle injury.
The New York Post reported Thursday that O'Hara, who was suffering from a
sprain, tendini
In the FCS Huddle: An uplifting return and a season in doubt >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Amid the many wins and losses of a season
- any season - we're so often reminded that the results take a bad seat to the
people playing the game.
That has been demonstrated in the Football Championship Sub
Stars sign D Grossman >>
Frisco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Stars have agreed to terms on a two-
year, $3.25 million with defenseman Nicklas Grossman.
The 25-year-old Swede registered seven assists and 32 penalty minutes in 71
games with Dallas last season
Wozniacki wins U.S. Open Series >>
New Haven, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Caroline Wozniacki clinched the U.S. Open
Series points title on Thursday without event lifting her racquet at the
$600,000 Pilot Pen Tennis event, a final hardcourt U.S. Open tune-up.
The top-seed
“You play to win the game!”
Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.
The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.
The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.
Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?
Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.
Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.
Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.
Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.
The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.
Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.
Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.
This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.
First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”
The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason.
Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.
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The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
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