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08/30/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The biggest decisions most 16-year-old boys have to make involve a choice of which car to buy, which girl to ask to the dance, or what their Facebook status will be.
But Theo Walcott was not your typical 16-year-old.
Instead of facing such life-altering decisions, Walcott's biggest concern involved which English soccer powerhouse he would allow to pay him millions of dollars.
He had teams like Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United among others clamoring for his services, and in the end he completed a move from Southampton to Arsenal to begin a a five-year period of great highs and equally significant lows.
At 17, Walcott got to experience the euphoria of being a shock inclusion in former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson's 2006 World Cup squad, despite the fact that he had yet to start a Premiership match for the Gunners.
Although he failed to see any time in Germany at the World Cup, Walcott made his first big impression in a World Cup qualifying match for England at Croatia in September 2008, scoring a hat trick in England's 4-1 win.
But those three goals remain the only three that he has scored in international competition, and after suffering through an injury-plagued season for Arsenal that saw him limited to only 15 starts because of shoulder, back, knee and hamstring problems, Walcott was left off of Fabio Capello's 23- man World Cup squad this past summer, marking a low point in his career.
Walcott admitted that the decision left him in tears, but once he got past the initial disappointment, it was time to look forward to this season.
"I had a good think about it, didn't blame anyone. I had a nice break and went away and relaxed," Walcott told Sky Sports. "I've had a great preseason, I wanted to get playing and show what I can do.
"I had a lot of injuries last season. This season is more to push on and get on the goal sheet a little more often."
And Walcott has done nothing to disappoint, scoring four goals in two starts so far this season, while also displaying an improved ability to finish.
Walcott has found a home on the right wing in a talented Arsenal attack, and Gunners manager Arsene Wenger believes that he used his World Cup snub as motivation heading into this season.
"He is a guy who keeps his feet on the ground," Wenger told the Telegraph. "He takes life in a positive way. The glass is half-full, not half-empty. So he took that as another challenge. That's what's amazing about Theo.
"He is 21, he is now at an age when players normally start. He is not at the peak of his game. He has to keep his attitude right. And he has to avoid injury."
That last part is one of the main things that has defined Walcott's young career so far, with injury problems limiting him to just 28 starts over the past two seasons for Arsenal.
When he signed with the Gunners as a precocious 16-year-old, the club certainly had to hope for more return on its investment over the first three years than the nine goals in 86 appearances that Walcott delivered.
But Wenger is right to remind everyone that Walcott is, after all, just 21, and that his best years are still to come.
It will be interesting to see if Walcott can maintain his high level of performance over the course of the season, since staying healthy and being consistent have been two things that have so far eluded him in his career.
Following a disastrous World Cup, England fans will no doubt be looking for any signs of progress as the team begins its Euro 2012 qualifying campaign on Friday with a match against Bulgaria.
Capello himself is in a similar position as Walcott, with both looking to prove themselves all over again and trying to turn the page from this past summer.
So it was no surprise that Walcott found himself included in Capello's team, with another chance to prove that he is anything but ordinary.
<< Does NHL have something to Fehr?
Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The revolving door to the president's office
at the National Hockey League Players' Association is once again in motion and
the punditocracy is foaming with rumors that former baseball players' union
boss Don
<< NHL: Five burning Central Division questions
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With training camps opening Sept. 12,
there is no better time than the present to begin asking the single-most
important question for each of the 30 NHL teams.
The first of six installments begins in
<< First-place Rangers, Royals square off in KC
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The first-place Texas Rangers can get their road record to
.500 and maintain a stranglehold on the American League's West Division
tonight, when they visit the Kansas City Royals in the opener of a three-game
series
<< Rays host Jays in series opener at the Trop
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Youngster Wade Davis makes his second start since returning
from the disabled list tonight, when the Tampa Bay Rays host the Toronto Blue
Jays in the opener of a three-game home series at Tropicana Field.
A soon-to-be 25
Arena to extend schedule to 18 games >>
Tulsa, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arena Football League will extend its
regular-season schedule from 16 to 18 games next season.
A 16-game schedule had been in effect since 2003.
"There has never been a better time for the Aren
Van Persie suffers minor ankle injury >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arsenal and Netherlands striker Robin van
Persie is set to miss a few weeks because of an ankle injury, according to the
Dutch football federation.
Van Persie missed five months last season because of
Arizona Cardinals 2010 Season Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With Kurt Warner having ridden off into the glorious sunset
of retirement, the Arizona Cardinals were planning on once again handing Matt
Leinart the keys to the Porsche.
But as he has done twice before, Leinart is already
Ronaldo to miss three weeks with ankle injury >>
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is
expected to miss the next three weeks because of an ankle problem, the club
confirmed on Monday.
The 25-year-old Ronaldo sustained the injury in Real's 0-0 dr
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It’s time to see how the biggest NFL free agent signings will perform for their news teams. Some will work out and could be the difference that makes a difference in the win column.
We look at the best off-season signings and if they should influence your NFL betting this season. Julius Peppers – Peppers was the biggest prize available on the 2010 NFL free agent market and the Chicago Bears opened the bank to bring his talents to the south side.
Peppers is explosive, he can get around blockers and cause quarterbacks to lose their minds. We all remember the classic Peppers game last year against the Vikings where he hounded Brett Favre into his worst game of the season. Peppers joining the Bears could be the reason Favre retired for good Tuesday morning. In addition to Peppers, the Bears added Chester Taylor to back up Matt Forte, Forte didn’t have the same intensity in 2009 compared to 2008 and bringing in Taylor will challenge Forte to bring it every game or he’ll risk losing carries to Taylor.
Betting on the Bears is a good option this season because of Julius Peppers and to a lesser extent Taylor. Antonio Bryant and Terrell Owens – The Cincinnati Bengals signed two former number one wide receivers to line up with Chad Ocho Cinco. Antonio Bryant had a huge season in 2008 catching 83 passes for over 1200 yards but regressed last season. Playing for the Tampa Bay Bucs last season was a large part of the regression, everyone was bad in TB last season.
Bryant should have a bounce back season if he can win the number two spot from Terrell Owens. If Bryant wins the number 2 WR spot, it will open up a completely new set of problems for the Bengals. If Owens is forced to the bench in favor of Bryant, his attitude will create trouble for Carson Palmer and head coach Marv Lewis. If Owens is the number two receiver, it means Bryant can’t live up to his past numbers and the Bengals are still limited in the passing game. NFL bettors should be wary of laying their money down on what could potentially be the biggest gong show in the league in 2010. 2010 football betting lines for this can be found at this top online sportsbook. Karlos Danby – The Miami Dolphins have a great running back tandem in Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, a good young QB in Chad Henne and now the Bill Parcells regime is building a solid defense.
NFL bettors should be wary of laying their money down on what could potentially be the biggest gong show in the league in 2010. Karlos Danby – The Miami Dolphins have a great running back tandem in Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, a good young QB in Chad Henne and now the Bill Parcells regime is building a solid defense. They signed away the Arizona Cardinals top linebacker Karlos Danby. In the past two seasons, Danby has totaled 228 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles. The Dolphins are the forgotten team of the AFC East with the second longest odds to win the division but with the addition of Karlos Danby and a trade for WR Brandon Marshall makes the Miami Dolphins legitimate contenders in the AFC East and in the NFL’s Eastern Conference.
The Dolphins will make NFL wagering fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
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