Football News, Notes, and Storylines – June 6 Edition

Eric GalkoJun 6, 2010

News and rumors have been a plenty in the past week. Las Vegas puts out their updated 2011 Super Bowl Odds, rumors of “Extreme Makeover: College Football Conferences Edition” to appear in 2011, NFL execs and players starting to feel the heat about lockout, and the UFL starting to make waves and gain some respect as a football league.

Colts, Jets Feeling the Heat About Probable 2011 Lockout
With top notch starters, like Darrelle Revis, Nick Mangold, Reggie Wayne, Robert Mathis, and even Peyton Manning all looking for new deals, it’s puzzling to evaluate why teams like the Jets and Colts , with excess money and being known for taking care of their players, haven’t given these guys their raises.

With the possible exception of Mathis, who has Jerry Hughes behind him and likely being groomed to replace him, all of these guys are underpaid, and although fans don’t support it, they deserve upgraded contracts. So why haven’t they gotten them?

The looming lockout in 2011 may be closer to a reality than sports fans are giving it credit for. The NFL has become so much of our American culture that we think it’s a routine, not a privilege. I’ll admit that I haven’t done my homework on this lockout yet, but if Bill Polian and other extremely smart personnel are taking measures, life without football may exist in 2011.

Pac -16? Big Ten plus Two? Big 12 Done? College Football’s 2011 Extreme Makeover
We’ve been hearing Big Ten expansion rumors for almost a year now, and so far, we haven’t seen or heard anything other than rumors. However, as of now, it’s seems like the likely scenario will be Nebraska and Missouri to the Big Ten for two reasons. One, both schools have ties to what the Big Ten likes: Nebraska has the history, Missouri has the rivalries. And two, both teams are in the AAU , which is a select group of academics schools that are exemplary.

However, these Pac-10 expansion rumors are gaining some legs now, and it looks be much more impactful than the Big Ten adding two to four teams. The Pac-10 has been talking for some time now about Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Colorado joining the Pac-10 to form one hell of a “Super Conference." Both conferences were looking for their own version of the highly successful “Big Ten Network," and with powerhouses like USC, Texas, and Oklahoma all together, it seems like anyone would be willing to pick them up.

But what happens to the Big 12? Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, and Iowa State are left out in the cold. My guess? These four teams would try very hard to lure BYU, TCU, Utah, and Houston into a minor conference that the BCS might still consider worthy of a BCS bid. If they can’t get all four, look for Kansas and Kansas State to look to the Mountain West, and Baylor and Iowa State in the C-USA.

Things Looking Very Bright For UFL with Their 2010 Draft Last Week
Most fans of football I’ve talked to aren’t looking forward to the UFL becoming a more integral part of the professional football world, and some are skeptical about the league, saying that it will fail in a few years.

However, I have spoken and worked with a few of the people throughout the league, and I can say that I’m excited to see where this league goes from. Without getting into too much detail, the owners and executives of the league are understanding that it’s going to be a losing effort for a few years, but the games and overall setup is very fan friendly.

The UFL had it’s 2010 draft last week (for results, check HERE (http ://www .ufl -football.com/news/ufl -teams-continue-build-rosters -through-2010-ufl -draft)), which was a mix of former NFL starters and college football studs that didn’t get their crack in the NFL. There were some notable names like Andre Dixon from UConn, Shawn Andrews from the Philadelphia Eagles, Ronald Curry from the Oakland Raiders , Tony Parrish from the San Francisco 49ers , and Hollis Thomas from the New Orleans Saints.

Unless you’re a major NFL enthusiast or you’re a close draft follower, you may not know most of the players and, therefore, won’t get excited. However, with the 2011 lockout looming in the NFL and the UFL adding more and more former NFL players, coaches and front office people, it might be worth your while to give them a chance.

Triple Crown Over, Odds Makers Pick NFL Super Bowl Horse
With the Belmont Stakes wrapping up the Triple Crown, horse racing becomes a minor part of the gambling world until the Breeders’ Cup.

However, don’t worry, gamblers out there. There are much more fan-driven , intriguing, and tempting odds out there for you to consider. The odds makers in Las Vegas have updated their odds for the 2011 Super Bowl. After the past Super Bowl, the odds were released for the following year. Now, after teams upgraded their rosters through the draft and free agency, the odds have changed, some for the good and others for the not so good.

You can find all the odds here (http://sports.bodog.com/sports-betting/football-futures.jsp). Keep in mind, when these odds are released, they are not who Vegas thinks have the best shots, they are looking for fans to bet their favorite teams and sexy picks, so you’ll see a lot of big market teams in the mix. However, I have a few odds that I’d take if I were a gambling man:

Baltimore Ravens at 14:1 – My Super Bowl team
Atlanta Falcons at 30:1 – My NFC winner (If Favre does NOT play for Minnesota)
Miami Dolphins at 30:1 – They need good health and a great season by Chad Henne