A sad, tragic end in Memphis
Basketball Betting Lines
07/29/2010 -
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A body riddled with bullets was found in
Southeast Memphis Wednesday afternoon in a thickly wooded area near FedEx's
world headquarters.
It was just another sad ending in a city that has become notorious for its
gang problems and ever-increasing homicide rate.
But, Lorenzen Wright was the last person they should have been caught up in
the underbelly of Memphis.
Wright spent 13 years in the NBA after being selected seventh overall by the
Los Angeles Clippers in the 1996 draft.
Raised near Oxford, Miss., the River City would become a constant in Wright's
short life. The 6-foot-11 power forward played his high school and college
ball in Memphis, and eventually ended up with the Grizzlies in 2001-02 when he
was traded by the Atlanta Hawks along with Pau Gasol and Brevin Knight to the
Grizz for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Jamaal Tinsley.
Although he never lived up to the billing of a top 10 pick, Wright carved out
a niche that enabled him to make over $55 million dollars over his NBA career,
and he never hesitated to give back to his hometown.
During his first of three NBA stints in Atlanta, Wright, Penny Hardaway and
two other Memphis-area NBA players (Todd Day and Elliot Perry) furnished
$10,000 to Travis Butler, a 9-year-old boy who lived with his mother's corpse
for a month out of fear he would be put in foster care if anyone found out she
was dead.
He also founded the Sierra Simone Wright Scholarship Fund designed to award
students for academic achievement and heavy involvement in their school or
community after the death of his infant daughter in March 2003.
Now, all that's left of Wright's legacy is for police to figure out what
happened to him in the early morning hours of July 19.
The 34-year-old Wright was last seen alive on July 18 and was reported missing
by his family four days later. A 911 call was received from Wright's cell
phone at 1:00 am on the 19th and the caller, presumably Wright, was speaking
with the dispatcher when several gun shots rang out.
According to 730 Fox Sports in Memphis, Wright was shot at least a dozen times
and possibly as many as 18 times, a fact that most investigators will tell you
points away from a random act of violence.
By Wednesday night, local media reports had nearly 200 people gathering in the
area Wright's body was found as investigators combed the area for evidence and
brought in a mobile command center.
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Lorenzen Wright," Grizzlies
owner Michael Heisley said in a statement. "We lost a member of the Grizzlies
family. Lorenzen delighted fans on the court with his passion and off the
court with his generosity in a Memphis community that watched him grow
throughout his playing career at Booker T. Washington High School, the
University of Memphis and the NBA."
Family and friends, meanwhile, are having a difficult time coming to terms
with Wright's tragic end.
"Lorenzen's family has come together to mourn his loss and honor his legacy,"
his family said in a statement issued through their cousin, Camella Logan. "We
appreciate your thoughts, prayers and condolences as they are comforting at
this very difficult time. Additionally, we ask that you please respect our
privacy as we try to cope with his sudden loss."
"I cried, the emotions hit me immediately," Hardaway told Eyewitness News in
Memphis. "It's sad because we lost a good person and a brother."
Wright leaves behind six children and a mystery for Memphis to solve.
"To end his career and his life like this here in some woods, that's not
good," friend Stan McKinley said. "You don't do a dog like this. It's just a
really sad day for the city as a whole."
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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.
Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.
According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).
Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.
''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.
Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.
''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''
Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.
”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.
For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds
With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.
Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season. Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money.
This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy. A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.
Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:
Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame)
Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma)
Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State)
Michael Bush (RB, Louisville)
Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia)
Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville)
Chris Leak (QB, Florida)
Mike Hart (RB, Michigan)
Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State)
Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame)
Drew Tate (QB, Iowa)
Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal)
Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn)
Chad Henne (QB, Michigan)
Kyle Wright (QB, Miami)
Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State)
Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama)
JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU)
Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State)
Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina)
Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech) |
5-2
7-2
7-1
10-1
10-1
12-1
12-1
18-1
18-1
20-1
30-1
35-1
35-1
40-1
50-1
50-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1 |
For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.
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