12/01/2008 - Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gus Frerotte connected with former Bear Bernard Berrian on a franchise-record 99-yard score, and the Vikings posted a pair of touchdowns in the final five minutes of the first half to beat Chicago, 34-14, and take over first place in the NFC North.
Frerotte completed 16-of-25 passes for 210 yards and also ran for a score for the Vikings (7-5), who won for the fourth time in five games. Adrian Peterson rushed 28 times for 131 yards and a touchdown, and Berrian had four catches for 122 yards.
Kyle Orton connected on 11-of-29 throws for 153 yards and two scores but was picked off three times for the Bears (6-6), who fell out of a first place tie with the Vikings. Orton threw a 65-yard TD pass to Devin Hester. Chicago, which lost for the third time in four contests, is also a game ahead of Green Bay in the division. Matt Forte ran 22 times for 96 yards and caught a touchdown pass in defeat.
The Bears were threatening to expand their lead to 14-3 late in the second quarter, but the Vikings came up with a huge goal-line stand. Forte's 26-yard run put the ball at the one, but the Vikings denied the Bears on four straight plays from that distance, including stopping Forte on a try up the middle on fourth down with barely under five minutes left.
On the next play, Berrian, who played his first four seasons (2004-07) for the Bears, got behind cornerback Charles Tillman to catch the bomb on the left side of the field and coasted to the end zone for the longest offensive play in Vikings history.
The play tied the longest from scrimmage in NFL history, with this being the 11th time it's been accomplished.
Minnesota then expanded its lead to 17-7 with 48 seconds left in the half on Frerotte's one-yard push across the goal line. Frerotte hit tight end Jim Kleinsasser on a 21-yard pass that was originally ruled a TD but later reversed. Frerotte scored on the following play.
Chicago got within 17-14 on Orton's two-yard TD pass to Forte with 8:53 left in the third quarter. The Bears needed to move just four yards thanks to Kevin Payne's 36-yard interception return.
Orton then fell into trouble and was picked off three times in a seven-pass span. Darren Sharper came up with the first one, rumbling 12 yards to the Chicago 35. That set up Chester Taylor's 21-yard TD run with 4:27 remaining in the third.
Linebacker Ben Leber picked off Orton and fumbled the ball out of bounds at the Chicago 22 three minutes into the fourth quarter. Bears tackle John Tait tried to knock the ball back in play, and Chicago was originally ruled with the recovery, but Minnesota challenged, and replays showed when Tait swiped to hit the ball back in bounds, it hit the sideline.
The Vikings won the challenge, and Peterson scored on a one-yard run with 8:25 left for a 31-14 difference.
Benny Sapp then picked off Orton, leading to a Ryan Longwell 27-yard field goal.
Hester caught a short pass over the middle and raced 65 yards to the end zone nearly seven minutes into the game, but Longwell hit a 23-yard field goal with 12:45 left in the half. On the previous play, Frerotte was hit late from behind from defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, but no penalty was called.
Game Notes
The Bears host Jacksonville on Sunday, while Minnesota plays at winless Detroit...Minnesota has won three of the last four meetings, but the Bears won, 48-41, at home on Oct. 19 this season...Minnesota's previous longest play in NFL history was 89 yards from Fran Tarkenton to Charley Ferguson on Nov. 11, 1962...Home teams went 2-10 on Sunday in the NFL.
<< Harden helps Sun Devils cruise past UTEP
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - James Harden exploded for a game-high 40 points
to go with eight rebounds, as No. 14 Arizona State cruised by Texas-El Paso,
88-58, in the third place game of the 76 Classic.
Ty Abbott picked up 12 points for
<< No. 1 UConn blasts fourth-ranked Oklahoma
Storrs, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Renee Montgomery scored a career-high 30 points
and equaled the Connecticut record with 13 assists, as the top-ranked Huskies
blasted the fourth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in a 106-78 rout.
Maya Moore added 27 po
<< 'Melo hurts elbow, but Nuggets beat short-handed Rockets
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chauncey Billups scored 28 points and dished
out 10 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 104-94 victory over the
shorthanded Houston Rockets.
Houston was without Tracy McGrady (knee) and Brent Bar
<< Gray leads Bulldogs over Volunteers
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steven Gray scored 19 points to pace ninth-
ranked Gonzaga to an 83-74 win over 12th-ranked Tennessee to capture the
Old Spice Classic championship.
Matt Bouldin tallied 17 points and Josh Heytvel
Wake Forest beats Baylor in Anaheim title game >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - L.D. Williams scored 15 points and pulled down
10 rebounds as 19th-ranked Wake Forest ran past Baylor, 87-74, in the title
game of the 76 Classic.
Jeff Teague had 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists
Swinney will continue as Clemson coach >>
Clemson, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dabo Swinney, who served as the interim head
coach for Clemson's final six games of the season, will reportedly get the job
on a full-time basis.
Swinney, who was the assistant head coach and wide recei
Report: Japanese P Tazawa and BoSox agree to contract >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Japanese pitcher Junichi Tazawa has reportedly
agreed to a three-year contract with the Boston Red Sox.
The Boston Globe, citing a source in baseball, said the 22-year-old will
arrive in Boston later t
Friedel has no plans on retirement after setting EPL record >>
Birmingham, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aston Villa's veteran goalkeeper Brad
Friedel has no plans to retire just yet, having set a new record of 167
consecutive Premier League appearances at the weekend.
The 37-year-old American sur
Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament odds
As of February 9, MySportsbook.com has released its coveted 2007 Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament betting odds. “March Madness betting ” only a month away, the top ranked Florida Gators are favorite at 7-2 to win it all. The defending champs have not disappointed at all this season and currently have a 22-2 record and are undefeated (9-0) in SEC play. The Gators’ thrive off of their extremely balanced, experienced and versatile attack. All five starters started in last seasons National Championship game. What is most impressive with this group is their balance; the five starters all average between 10.7 and 13.6 PPG. The Gators have been on an absolute roll having won 15 straight by an average of 16.4 PPG.
Right behind the Gators are the 5th ranked UNC Tar Heels at 9-2. The Heels (21-3, 7-2) are absolutely loaded with top notch talent and are as deep as any team in the country. A concern for the Tar Heels might be inexperience. Of their top four scorers/ minute earners, three are freshmen and the other is a sophomore. The rest of the regular season, the Tar Heels play only one team that is currently ranked (Duke). Their remaining opponents do combine for an impressive 107-58 record though.
Other teams that the MySportsbook.com members seem to believe will win it all include the west coasts’ top team #2 UCLA (6-1), #3 OSU behind man-child Greg Oden (8-1), and #4 Wisconsin (10-1) behind their defense which has given up 70+ points only three times all season.
Below is a list of some of the favorites to win the 2007 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship lines. For the full list of teams and March Madness odds be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com. If you want to use your credit card to bet on college hoops or any other event, MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.
Arizona 20-1
Butler 20-1
Duke 30-1
Florida 7-2
Georgetown 30-1
Indiana 35-1
Kansas 15-1
Marquette 25-1
Maryland 40-1
Memphis 50-1
Nevada 50-1
UNC 9-2
OSU 8-1
Oregon 30-1
Pittsburgh 15-1
Texas 30-1
Texas A&M 18-1
UCLA 6-1
Wisconsin 10-1
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook betting needs.
Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.
Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.
NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.
"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.
The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.
But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.
The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.
Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.
The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.
The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.
The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.
Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.
Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."
Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.
"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."
Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.
It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.
"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."
Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.
"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."
At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.
According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.
Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.
Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.
He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.
Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.
Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.
Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.
While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.
"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.
Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.
Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
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