Inside the CFL: All or nothing

Football Betting Lines

02/21/2012 - Hamilton, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's a quote that can come back and bite you.

"The (Hamilton) Tiger-Cats are on the threshold of being the type of team to win the Grey Cup."

Those words came from Hamilton general manager Bob O'Billovich at a news conference Tuesday to unveil the biggest free-agent signing in the CFL offseason. The Tiger-Cats, who made it to the Eastern Final in Winnipeg last season, went halfway around the world to get the player they wanted.

Last Friday, they announced the signing of slotback Andy Fantuz to a four-year deal worth a reported $180,000-plus per year.

Fantuz established himself as one of the league's top receivers during his six seasons (2006-11) with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. In 77 regular-season games, he has 289 receptions for 4,311 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Fantuz, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound native of Chatham, Ontario, was on vacation in Tanzania when new coach George Cortez made the initial call at the start of the free agency window.

Fantuz admitted it was a tough decision to leave Saskatchewan.

"You never know if the grass is greener on the other side or not," he said. "Having something that was very stable made it tough to leave. But, I've always wanted to come back home and play here in Southwestern Ontario."

He also seemed surprised that some Riders fans, and some members of the media, wondered why he'd leave the continent during the start of the free agent process.

"It was just an opportunity where I could get away for a few weeks," he explained. "The timing didn't have to do with the free agent deadline. I wanted to maximize my trip there. When you're going halfway across the world, it happened to be at the same time. I spoke with my agent about it, and he said it's OK, it's not a big deal, and we'll be able to get it done. We'll have a phone, we'll have e-mail. I was next to my phone the entire time."

The 2010 season was Fantuz's most productive. He was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian that season, after catching 87 passes for 1,380 yards and six touchdowns.

In 2011, Fantuz played in four games with the Riders after attending training camp with the NFL's Chicago Bears.

Fantuz helped the Roughriders reach three Grey Cup finals in the first five years of his career and was named Most Valuable Canadian in Saskatchewan's 2007 championship win over Winnipeg, catching four passes for 70 yards and one touchdown.

The 28-year-old was selected by the Riders with the third overall pick in the 2006 CFL Canadian Draft after a record-setting CIS career at Western. He was the recipient of the Hec Crighton award as the top player in CIS football in 2005.

He said he can't wait for the season to start.

"I definitely feel this team has a shot at the Grey Cup. I know Saskatchewan is rebuilding, and I'd love to meet them in the Grey Cup to be honest with you." he said with a laugh. "But, this team has a lot of good pieces, and they've been strong for a few years, but just couldn't get over the hump."

On Jan. 3, the Tabbies picked up quarterback Henry Burris from Calgary in a trade, sending quarterback Kevin Glenn, offensive lineman Mark DeWit and a conditional draft pick.

Burris and Cortez have worked together previously, most recently between 2007-2009 when Cortez served as offensive coordinator and associate head coach of the Calgary Stampeders.

The Stampeders offense had a banner year under Cortez in 2008, with Burris earning the West Division Most Outstanding Player award after throwing for 5,094 yards and 39 touchdowns. Burris also was named the Grey Cup MVP after totaling 443 yards of offence in Calgary's championship win over the Montreal Alouettes.

One day later, the Tiger-Cats announced the signing of three more free agents, non-import linebacker Kevin Eiben, import defensive end Greg Peach and non- import offensive lineman Tim O'Neill.

Eiben, a 6-1, 216-pounder, joins the Tiger-Cats after 11 seasons with the Toronto Argonauts. He's been an East Division All-Star four times and a CFL All-Star three times, and was named the East Division's Most Outstanding Canadian in 2004.

Peach, a 6-3, 255-pound native of Vancouver, Wash., had 94 defensive stops and 13 quarterback sacks in the previous three seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos. The Eastern Washington graduate and 2008 Buck Buchanan Award winner, played in 12 games with the Eskimos last season, making 21 defensive tackles and three sacks in 12 regular-season games before adding six tackles and two sacks in two playoff games.

O'Neill, a 6-3, 305-pound native of Victoria, British Columbia, spent the last four years with the Calgary Stampeders, suiting up in 68 games as a guard and center. Last season, he dressed in all 18 regular-season games, starting 15 at center.

A 2005 third-round selection of the Edmonton Eskimos, O'Neill captured a Grey Cup championship with the Stampeders in 2008.

With a new coaching staff, and new players added to the lineup, the feeling around the CFL is the Tiger-Cats may have done more than any other team to bolster their lineup in the offseason.

The question now is ... will it be good enough?

SCHEDULE NOTES

The CFL has released its 2012 schedule. In an ironic twist, the Tiger-Cats open up the regular season, on Friday, June 29, when they host Fantuz's former team, Saskatchewan at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

Because Ivor Wynne Stadium is being torn down and renovated at the end of the 2012 season, don't be surprised if the Labour Day Classic between the Argos and Tiger-Cats is played at the Rogers Center in Toronto in 2013.

Ted Michaels is a news and sportscaster on AM 900 CHML in Hamilton, Ontario.

Comments? Criticism? Applause? ted@900chml.com.

Moneyplaus Football Betting News

<< Johnson to sit next two games for Atlanta
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson will miss the team's next two games because of a knee injury. The Hawks had initially stated Tuesday that Johnson would be listed as doubtful for Wednesday's game at

<< CSKA stuns Real Madrid with late equalizer
Moscow, Russia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid was left stunned in Moscow as CSKA Moscow struck with a late equalizer to come away from the Luzhniki Stadium with a 1-1 draw in Champions League play on Tuesday. Cristiano Ronaldo th

<< Top Shelf: 'Overrated' Canucks on cruise control
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - As if losing Game 7 of last year's Stanley Cup Finals on home ice wasn't enough to motivate the Vancouver Canucks, the rest of the NHL has given the team another incentive to reach the top of the mountain.

<< Blue Jackets place Boll on IR; activate Nikitin
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed forward Jared Boll on injured reserve because of a foot injury. Boll was hurt during a February 9 game against Dallas and has already missed four games. He is listed as

<< Datsyuk out two weeks following minor knee surgery
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk underwent minor arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday morning and will miss at least two weeks. General manager Ken Holland said on the team's Twitter account

West Brom signs Dawson to new 3 1/2-year deal >>
West Bromwich, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - West Bromwich signed defender Craig Dawson to a new 3 1/2-season contract Tuesday with a club option for a fourth season. The 21-year-old Dawson joined West Brom in 2010 from Rochdale, but was loa

Kehl extends contract with Dortmund >>
Dortmund, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Borussia Dortmund captain Sebastian Kehl signed a one-year contract extension Tuesday with an option for a second year. The 32-year-old Kehl's contract was set to expire after this season, but has now

Above the 49: No big names expected to move north on deadline day >>
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NHL trade deadline on Feb. 27 promises to be one of the most compelling deadline days in years, but not so much if you happen to be a fan of one of the seven teams north of the border. Among the big names

Georgia State to study potential move to FBS >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Georgia State is moving from independent status to CAA Football membership this season. The university may have an even bigger move in the future. Georgia State announced Tuesday it has commissioned Collegiat

Cesena names Beretta new coach >>
Cesena, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cesena named Mario Beretta its third coach of the season Tuesday, one day after Daniele Arrigoni was fired. Cesena is last in Serie A and seven points from safety after Sunday's 3-1 loss to AC Milan, which c

MySportsbook.com: NBA Championship Odds

With the playoffs about two months away, the top two teams in the Western Conference are the clear cut leaders to win the NBA Championship. The Dallas Mavericks have the best record in the NBA (44-9) and have been absolutely scorching since the second week of the season.  What makes the Mavs’ record more impressive is the fact that they dropped their first four games of the season.  Currently they have won 17 out of their last 18 and are MySportsbook.com’s favorite (2-1) to win it all.  Right behind the Mavs are the Pacific leading Phoenix Suns (39-13).  Last season, the Suns lost in the Conference Finals to non-other then the Mavericks four games to two.  Of course the Suns were without center Amare Stoudemire who has is averaging 19.9 PPG and 9.5 RPG since coming back from his knee injury.  Unlike the Mavs, the Suns have struggled a bit lately having lost their last three and four out of their last seven.  Of course the main reason for their three straight loses is due to the absence of two time MVP Steve Nash, who is out with a shoulder injury.  Heads-up, the Mavs have beaten the Suns in both of their meetings this season.

In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons (32-19) are the favorites to win it all at 6-1. The addition of Chris Webber seems to have been a good move for the Pistons.  Since coming over from the 76ers, Webber has averaged 13.1 PPG and 7.3 RPG and the Pistons are 11-4.  Even though the defending champion Heat are currently on the playoff making cusp, they are the Eastern Conference team that is getting the most action to win it all (9-1).  The fact that Shaquille O’Neal is back in the starting lineup after missing 39 games probably has something to do with this.  No doubt, Shaq makes a difference when in the lineup as their winning six out of their last seven would indicate.

Just because it is the All-Star break doesn’t mean that you can’t bet on NBA hoops this weekend.  Be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com to bet on who you think will cut down the nets this July. Also, be sure to check out all of the lines and props for All-Star weekend.  With the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry, there are plenty of ways to cash in on the NBA this weekend.

MySportsbook.com’s NBA Championship odds:

Atlanta Hawks 1000-1

Boston Celtics 5000-1

Charlotte Bobcats 5000-1

Chicago Bulls 20-1

Cleveland Cavaliers 20-1

Dallas Mavericks 2-1

Denver Nuggets 25-1

Detroit Pistons 6-1

Golden State Warriors 250-1

Houston Rockets 12-1

Indiana Pacers 60-1

Los Angeles Clippers 45-1

Memphis Grizzlies 5000-1

Miami Heat 9-1

Milwaukee Bucks 1000-1

Minnesota T-Wolves 200-1

New Jersey Nets 50-1

New Orleans Hornets 150-1

New York Knicks 150-1

Orlando Magic 75-1

Philadelphia 76ers 1000-1

Phoenix Suns 5-2

Portland TrailBlazers 1000-1

Sacramento Kings 250-1

San Antonio Spurs 9-1

Seattle Sonics 5000-1

Toronto Raptors 35-1

Utah Jazz 20-1

Washington Wizards 25-1

About MySportsbook.com:


MySportsbook.com  is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best online Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.

MySportsbook.com is operated by Sportingbet, a UK gambling company which is publicly traded on the AIM on the London Stock Exchange.

Sportingbet easily forms the world's largest Internet gaming company, with a truly global outreach. This also provides added transparency and accountability to this online Sportsbook and thus provides more safety and security for our customers. MySportsbook offers betting lines on all major sporting events. Our staff of almost 400 people includes clerks ready 365 days a year, 24 hours a day to care for your needs.

MySportsbook's competent, experienced managerial staff and personnel are backed by a state-of-the art sports wagering software.

We offer a 15% sign-up bonus to new customers who use Neteller for deposit and 10% bonus for all other deposit methods. Casino clients can take advantage of a 5% cash back monthly. Clients are also eligible for a 5% re-up bonus on subsequent deposits and 10% cash back on NFL losses.* Our instant-play flash casino is no-download, just click and go to a wide range of games including online Blackjack, 3-Card Poker, Craps, Baccarat, Roulette and Pai-Gow Poker, as well as a variety of slots and video poker games for the complete online casino Las Vegas experience.

My Sports book accepts all credit cards, online checks, Neteller, Firepay and bank wires. MySportsbook guarantees prompt, hassle-free payouts, as well as unparalleled individual attention from its acclaimed customer service department.

To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.