Eagles bring back Avant; Vick next

Football Betting Lines

03/08/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Eagles and wide receiver Jason Avant have agreed to terms on a five-year contract, and it appears as though the team will pick up the 2010 contract option on quarterback Michael Vick.

Vick is due a $1.5 million bonus on Tuesday and a Philadelphia Inquirer report Monday said the Eagles will keep the former Pro Bowl star on the roster for now.

Avant, a restricted free agent, is coming off his best season in four years since the Eagles selected him with a fourth-round pick in 2006. He caught 41 passes for 587 yards with three touchdowns in 16 games, nine of which he started.

The 26-year-old Michigan product has 103 receptions for 1,299 yards with eight touchdowns in his career.

Vick, meanwhile, appeared in 12 games last season for the Eagles, who took a chance on the former Atlanta Falcons star after he missed two seasons because of a prison sentence stemming from federal dogfighting charges.

In limited action, Vick completed 6-of-13 passes for 86 yards with a touchdown and ran for 95 yards with two scores. He also threw a 76-yard touchdown pass in Philadelphia's playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

There has been speculation that Vick, or one of Philadelphia's other two quarterbacks -- Donovan McNabb or Kevin Kolb -- could be traded this offseason.

Usatodau Football Betting News

<< Kings try to bounce back against Blue Jackets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Kings will try to avoid a three-game losing streak when they host the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets tonight at Staples Center. The Kings won their first game following the Olympic break, pounding Dallas, 5-1

<< Mighty Caps host sliding Stars
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Capitals were struggling heading into the Olympic break but the NHL's point leaders seemed to regain their swagger last week. The Caps will shoot for a fourth straight victory tonight, when they host the Da

<< 2010 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Preview
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jackson State has played in the last three Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Championship games and the top- seeded Tigers have a strong chance to reach that point again in the 33rd- annual SWAC Tou

<< 2010 Southland Conference Tournament Preview
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Eight Southland Conference teams will gather in Katy, Texas this week to compete for a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The quarterfinal round, featuring all eight teams, will take place on Wednesday, followed

<< 2010 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament Preview
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 39th annual Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament will begin on Tuesday, and the Morgan State Bears will look to claim their second straight tournament title. Morgan State, which defeated Norfolk Sta

Di Maria continues to ponder future >>
Lisbon, Portugal (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Benfica winger Angel Di Maria has played down rumors linking him with a certain exit from the Portuguese giants in the summer. The 22-year-old Argentina international is attracting interest from a num

Fabregas to miss return leg against Porto >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas will miss the second leg of his side's Champions League Round of 16 tie against FC Porto due to a hamstring injury. The 22-year-old Spain international midfielder limped out

Mowbray hopeful of keeping Keane >>
Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Celtic manager Tony Mowbray retains some hope of being able to convince loan striker Robbie Keane to remain with the club beyond the end of the season. The 29-year-old has scored five times in sev

2010 Great West Conference Tournament Preview >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The inaugural Great West Conference Tournament takes place at the McKay Center in Orem, Utah from March 10-13. The champion of this event receives an automatic bid to the Collegeinsider.com Tournament, as the

Ribery close to decision on future >>
Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bayern Munich's French ace Franck Ribery has stated that he will make a decision about his future in the next few weeks. The 26-year-old forward is a target for most of Europe's top clubs, with h

Police report: Terrell Owens hospitalized after attempt

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

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your VISA Sportsbook needs.