Source: Babby to head Suns basketball operations

Basketball Betting Lines

07/19/2010 -

PHOENIX (AP) -A person with knowledge of the situation says the Phoenix Suns have hired agent Lon Babby to head the team's basketball operations.

The person, who asked not to be identified because the official announcement has not been made, told The Associated Press that Babby will be introduced at a news conference at US Airways Center on Tuesday.

Until his move to the front office, Babby represented the Suns' newly acquired Hedo Turkoglu and is the former agent of Phoenix's other recent addition, Josh Childress.

Babby emerged in recent days as the leading contender in Suns owner Robert Sarver's search for a replacement for general manager Steve Kerr, who stepped down at the end of June and has returned to his previous role of NBA analyst for TNT.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Wallstretsports Basketball Betting News

<< GM: Trade market quiet for White Sox
SEATTLE (AP) -General manager Kenny Williams says he doesn't see any deals on the horizon for the Chicago White Sox because the current market is limited.Williams spoke in the visiting dugout before Monday night's game at Seattle, 12 days before bas

<< Fish eases into second round in Atlanta
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sixth-seeded Mardy Fish advanced into the second round of the Atlanta Tennis Championships with a straight-set win over Britain's James Ward on Monday. The American, who brings some momentum into the t

<< Clippers agree on deal to bring back Craig Smith
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Clippers have agreed to a contract with free agent forward Craig Smith. Smith averaged 7.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 16.4 minutes of action in 75 games last season for LA while hittin

<< Suns reportedly set to add Babby to front office
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Suns have called a news conference for Tuesday morning, when it is expected Lon Babby will be named president of basketball operations. Phoenix indicated only that a "major announcem

<< Nowitzki re-signs with Mavs
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nine-time All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki signed his contract with the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. The deal, which is reportedly worth $80 million over four years, allows Nowitzki to remain with the team

Rangers' Nippert takes line drive off head >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Texas Rangers reliever Dustin Nippert was drilled on the side of the head by a line drive off the bat of Austin Jackson during Monday's game versus the Tigers at Comerica Park. The right-hander tried in

Tigers lose 3B Inge for 4-6 weeks with hand fracture >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Detroit's Brandon Inge was hit on the left hand by a pitch in Monday's game versus Texas and suffered a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal bone. He's expected to miss the next 4-to-6 weeks. Rangers

Pujols, Cardinals charge past Phillies >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Albert Pujols crushed a two-run homer as part of a five-run fifth inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals overcame an early deficit to beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 8-4, in the opener of a four-game series

Donnie Murphy homers in ninth to lift Marlins over Rockies >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pinch-hitter Donnie Murphy hit a two-run homer off Huston Street in the bottom of the ninth, as the Florida Marlins edged the Colorado Rockies, 9-8, in the opener of a four-game series at Sun Life Stadium

Seven-run third inning propels Rays to win over O's >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wade Davis threw eight strong innings and was backed by a seven-run third inning, as the Tampa Bay Rays crushed the Baltimore Orioles, 8-1, in the opener of a three-game series at Camden Yards. Davis

SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting

NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.


That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.

A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."

It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.

The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.

So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."

Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.

Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Seriously.

The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.

The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.

Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."

The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.

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