A sad, tragic end in Memphis
Basketball Betting Lines
07/29/2010 -
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A body riddled with bullets was found in
Southeast Memphis Wednesday afternoon in a thickly wooded area near FedEx's
world headquarters.
It was just another sad ending in a city that has become notorious for its
gang problems and ever-increasing homicide rate.
But, Lorenzen Wright was the last person they should have been caught up in
the underbelly of Memphis.
Wright spent 13 years in the NBA after being selected seventh overall by the
Los Angeles Clippers in the 1996 draft.
Raised near Oxford, Miss., the River City would become a constant in Wright's
short life. The 6-foot-11 power forward played his high school and college
ball in Memphis, and eventually ended up with the Grizzlies in 2001-02 when he
was traded by the Atlanta Hawks along with Pau Gasol and Brevin Knight to the
Grizz for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Jamaal Tinsley.
Although he never lived up to the billing of a top 10 pick, Wright carved out
a niche that enabled him to make over $55 million dollars over his NBA career,
and he never hesitated to give back to his hometown.
During his first of three NBA stints in Atlanta, Wright, Penny Hardaway and
two other Memphis-area NBA players (Todd Day and Elliot Perry) furnished
$10,000 to Travis Butler, a 9-year-old boy who lived with his mother's corpse
for a month out of fear he would be put in foster care if anyone found out she
was dead.
He also founded the Sierra Simone Wright Scholarship Fund designed to award
students for academic achievement and heavy involvement in their school or
community after the death of his infant daughter in March 2003.
Now, all that's left of Wright's legacy is for police to figure out what
happened to him in the early morning hours of July 19.
The 34-year-old Wright was last seen alive on July 18 and was reported missing
by his family four days later. A 911 call was received from Wright's cell
phone at 1:00 am on the 19th and the caller, presumably Wright, was speaking
with the dispatcher when several gun shots rang out.
According to 730 Fox Sports in Memphis, Wright was shot at least a dozen times
and possibly as many as 18 times, a fact that most investigators will tell you
points away from a random act of violence.
By Wednesday night, local media reports had nearly 200 people gathering in the
area Wright's body was found as investigators combed the area for evidence and
brought in a mobile command center.
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Lorenzen Wright," Grizzlies
owner Michael Heisley said in a statement. "We lost a member of the Grizzlies
family. Lorenzen delighted fans on the court with his passion and off the
court with his generosity in a Memphis community that watched him grow
throughout his playing career at Booker T. Washington High School, the
University of Memphis and the NBA."
Family and friends, meanwhile, are having a difficult time coming to terms
with Wright's tragic end.
"Lorenzen's family has come together to mourn his loss and honor his legacy,"
his family said in a statement issued through their cousin, Camella Logan. "We
appreciate your thoughts, prayers and condolences as they are comforting at
this very difficult time. Additionally, we ask that you please respect our
privacy as we try to cope with his sudden loss."
"I cried, the emotions hit me immediately," Hardaway told Eyewitness News in
Memphis. "It's sad because we lost a good person and a brother."
Wright leaves behind six children and a mystery for Memphis to solve.
"To end his career and his life like this here in some woods, that's not
good," friend Stan McKinley said. "You don't do a dog like this. It's just a
really sad day for the city as a whole."
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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.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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