Harrington moves into contention

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08/10/2008 - Bloomfield Hills Township, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Padraig Harrington, the reigning two-time British Open champion, finished off a four-under 66 on Sunday to move into contention at the PGA Championship.

Harrington polished off his third-round 66 on Sunday morning at Oakland Hills after play was called for inclement weather on Saturday. The Irishman is in the clubhouse at one-over 211 and is tied with the man he beat in a playoff for his first major last year at Carnoustie, Sergio Garcia.

The European Ryder Cup stalwarts are currently four behind 2003 British Open champion Ben Curtis, who is three-under in his third round. The duo is fifth place.

Heavy rain and storms Saturday led to the suspension of play and softened up a nearly impossible Oakland Hills.

"They are a lot easier, the greens are soft," said Harrington. "Even though the ball is not traveling as it is cold, when you are in position you can fire at all the pins. They were reasonably easy and with soft greens, they are accessible."

Harrington made the turn at one-under for his third round and four-over par overall, but four consecutive birdies from the 13th got him back to even-par for the championship.

At the treacherous closing hole, Harrington could not save par from a bunker. The bogey dropped him to plus-one for the championship, but that should be no problem for Harrington.

In capturing the last two claret jugs, Harrington came from behind in the final round both times. Unfortunately, even though players are going off in threesomes, it doesn't look like Harrington will make it into the final group.

In that scenario, history will be against Harrington. The last 12 PGA champions have come from the final group in the final round.

"I'm four behind at the moment and I would take that, as long as there are not 20 guys between me and three-under," Harrington said. "You don't know what is going to happen in the afternoon.

"I caught six up in the Open in 2007 and as long as there are not too many bodies ahead of you, you can make up quite a big amount in the last round of a major."

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FOOTBALL BETTING

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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