Sports betting in Delaware is expected to bring in nearly $50 million for the state, money the governor says is crucial in today’s times. Delaware is the only state east of the Mississippi to allow any form of sports betting, joining Nevada, Oregon and Montana as the only states with legal sports betting.

Delaware was grandfathered in back in 1992 when a federal law was passed that banned sports betting. Since Delaware, Nevada, Montana and Oregon had all previously had some form of sports betting, they were all excluded from the federal ban.

On of the interesting topics to follow still is just what kind of betting will be allowed. For months, it was said that only parlays will be legal (two or more games on the same ticket), but now there is word that they will attempt to make it legal to wager on individual games.

The bill was passed in the senate on Tuesday, meaning that only the governor’s signature is required to make it law, a signature he has been promising for some time.

While leagues like the NFL and NCAA vehemently oppose sports betting in any way, make no mistake about it that this is a good thing for the people of Delaware (and the surrounding states), and is actually a good thing for the very sports that oppose it. Well regulated sports betting does more to police game-fixing and point-shaving than anyone else, and unless the NFL and NCAA feel that they are going to stop ALL gambling, they need this regulation.

Well done, Gov. Jack Markell. Let’s hope the federal ban is overturned and all states can enjoy some of this money, as well as the federal government with online betting.

With the potential to bring the state up to $100 million per year in additional tax revenue, the hope is that sports betting can start to chip away at the $700 million hole that the state is in.

Markell had hinted at legalizing sports betting during his campaign for Governor in 2008, and is getting busy with it right away. The deal would not legalize sports betting in the same way that Las Vegas has it, but it’s a start.

The betting that would be allowed would only include parlays, and only be available at the states racinos (racing + casino = racino). This is leading other states with forms of gambling in place to perk up their ears, hoping to be next in line.

The only problem is that under current federal laws, only Nevada, Montana, Oregon and Delaware are eligible to legalize sports betting, since they had laws on the books prior to the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which put the kibosh on everyone else getting into the act.

But Delaware’s use of sports betting as a shovel to dig their way out of financial woes may be the inspiration that other states need to challenge the current laws. New Jersey has been trying to get sports betting for years, either just in Atlantic City or statewide. Currently, they are having enough trouble getting the folks in Atlantic City to get on board with turning some of their various racetracks into racinos. Between the local toughs in A.C. and the wise-guys that make millions under the table, N.J. has been fighting this uphill battle for a long time. Perhaps Delaware initiating the conversation nationwide is what it will take to allow the Garden State to join the game.

Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass) is hoping to introduce legislation in the next month to overturn the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act of 2006, which essentially made sports betting online nearly impossible in the U.S. Overturning that law, which crippled the ability of banks to make transactions with overseas gaming companies, would be the first step in legalizing online gaming here in the Colonies.

Estimates from PricewaterhouseCoopers have said that the United States could pull in $52 billion per year by legalizing, regulating and taxing online gambling. You’d have to be politically retarded to pass on that.

And last I checked, online gambling is neither in the Bible, nor damaging to the environment, so both parties can jump on board.

Online gambling would likely only be for poker and sports, games that are considered skill games, not games of chance. It’s something that needs to be done, and should be done, and thanks to Delaware, perhaps will be done in the next few years.

Hopefully this goes through and starts a ball rolling that will yield millions and billions of dollars in tax revenue at the state and local levels. That’s never a bad thing.

Quick summary:

• CollegeHumor is a humor Web site, aimed at the college aged folk.
• CollegeHumor includes a cat named Amir, and another named “Streeter.”
• They are engaged in a prank war.
• Apparently there were five parts prior to this, but you don’t need them to appreciate these.

To get the most recent awesomeness, you must see and appreciate the awesomeness that took place two years ago.

Part One:

So after that bit of fucked-up-ness, Streeter obviously had to get Amir back. Fast forward two years.

So what if it’s not “technically” sports. That’s just some funny shit.

Roddick stepped up this week by withdrawing from the Dubai Tennis Championships, declining to defend his title, in support of Israeli women’s player Shahar Peer.

Peer was denied a visa by UAE authorities, citing security fears when she attempted to travel there for the WTA event in Dubai last week.

The WTA fined the organizers of the event $300,000 — the largest ever fine issued by the organization, and they financially compensated Peer for her lost potential earnings.

So in support of his fellow athlete, Roddick boycotted the tournament.

“I really didn’t agree with what went on over there,” Roddick was quoted as saying. “I don’t know if it’s the best thing to mix politics and sports, and that was probably a big part of it.”

Roddick is getting support from Israel as well, as a columnist for the Jerusalem Post also praised Roddick’s move, even if it meant agreeing with Ehud Olmert.

Said Allon Sinai:

Roddick has set an example to us all by sacrificing personal gain for a higher value and he deserves all the praise in the world for showing once more that sports maintain their status as a platform for the promotion of positive social change.

Being a global sporting icon doesn’t just give you the right to a life of riches, but also comes with the responsibility of acting as a role model to the young and old alike.

Most athletes conveniently cast this notion aside, but thankfully there are still true sporting heroes likes Roddick around, who understand their role in the world and use their celebrity not just for their own benefit, but for the greater good.

While this story may not seem big in the United States, it is big in the rest of the world. Dubai kind of lives in their own little world, and more than likely, this little stunt is going to cost them sponsors at next year’s event. Dubai’s economy relies very heavily on tourism, and losing sponsors for an event like this will speak very loudly and clearly.

Roddick’s decision to boycott could be the push sponsors need to not return to this theocratic nation, which could in turn hurt their tourism and economy.

I’m not saying Andy Roddick took the first step towards crippling Dubai’s bound-to-fall-apart economy, but perhaps he did.

This story will be fun to look back on in five years, when we’re all asking “remember Dubai?”

Yes, I was sick of hearing about his “comeback” as much as the next guy. Jeez, it’s just a knee injury. You know how many athletes are currently recovering from knee injuries? Neither do I, but it’s more than one.

Tiger’s return is not the most anticipated return in sports history, despite what the Worldwide Leader tries to tell you.

But having said all that — it’s great to see Tiger on the course again. Watching sports in the daytime can be painful. Do you watch the really bad ESPN talking head show, or the extremely bad ESPN talking head show?

Having some live sports competition to leave on in the background all afternoon is just what the doctor ordered to get me through until baseball starts. But what I’m enjoying now I’m sure to pay for later with even more coverage of an event that really shouldn’t be getting so much coverage.

Example: When was the last time somebody “live-blogged” a golf event? Jason Sobel is doing it for Tiger’s return round. Money blog entry:

1:57 p.m. ET: Interesting look from the stands behind the first tee, as a phallic cactus is sticking straight up from the bleachers.

As one PGA Tour media official told me in the line of the week so far, “Even the cactus is excited about Tiger’s return.”

This, of course, followed about seven entries on what Tiger was eating at the moment — banana, trail mix, another banana…

I’m not trying to sound like I don’t get it — I do. This is a huge story at a time of year when sports is about as boring as it ever gets. Hell, I did three NFL Combine articles this week.

After the A-Rod saga, this is a breath of fresh air to most journalists. As his only peer in the world, Roger Federer, falls from the top, watching Tiger remain is the sports story that never ends.

I’ll watch every match Tiger is in this week, but please don’t make me watch other people talk about it, and don’t make me read about it in every article all weekend long.

It’s great to have Tiger back on the links, now let’s all stop talking about it and just enjoy it.

By the way, PGA Tour commercial writer — very well done:

Come on, who didn’t just enjoy that?

While watching the ESPNews, the anchor (don’t remember which one but it was at 9:59pm PST) teased coverage of Tiger’s return by saying that his return is “perhaps the most anticipated comeback in sports history”, trailing maybe only Michael Jordan.

Excuse me? You’re kidding, right?

First of all, let’s get this clear — Tiger is returning from a serious, but not life or career threatening injury. He missed a total of 254 days. That’s eight months, and nine days. Tom Brady will miss longer than that recovering from his knee injuries. Tiger missed a bunch of time, but if anyone thinks that his return to golf is the second most anticipated return in sports history, they’re crazy.

So what was bigger?

Here are my five biggest comebacks in sports history, based on the size of the story and impact on the sport. Three of them are boxing, but I don’t care.

5 – Sugar Ray Leonard

After beating Thomas Hearns in 1981, Leonard was on top of the boxing world, but it was all derailed by an eye injury that many thought would end his career. In 1982, Leonard retired for the first time. He planned a comeback in 1984, but after one fight, hung the gloves up again.

When he came back in 1987, the world couldn’t have been happier. Leonard had fought just once in over five years when he stepped into the ring to face Marvelous Margin Hagler, and they produced one of the first major successes of pay-per-view boxing.

Leonard would go on to retire and come back several times through his career, but his return to fight Marvelous Marvin Hagler was as big an event as you could make in 1987.

4 – Muhammad Ali

How about spending your prime fighting a legal battle for refusing to enter the Army to go to Vietnam. In 1967, Ali refused to join the Army and was convicted of a felony for refusing to be inducted. He spent four years fighting legal battles before having his conviction overturned.

In October of 1970, Ali returned to the ring to face Jerry Quarry. His win in that fight led to his first fight with Joe Frazier five months later. The disappearance of Cassius Clay and the return of Muhammad Ali was a far bigger story, and more impactful event than the return of Tiger.

3 – Mario Lemieux

After trying to play through Hodgkin’s lymphoma for parts of two seasons, health issues froced Lemieux to walk away from the game when he was the best in the sport. At that point, many had placed Lemieux above Gretzky in the hockey debate, and Lemieux was still on his way up. At his peak, he was hit with a deadly disease. He tried to play through it, but ultimately had to walk away from the sport.

Two years later, Lemieux returned, and he was once again one of the best in the game. The return of the best player in the game from a deadly disease after two years of fighting for his life is bigger than, and more anticipated than a return from knee surgery.

2 – Mike Tyson

After defeating Donovan “Razor” Ruddick in back-to-back battles, Tyson served in jail. Four years and two months after his second win over Ruddick, Tyson returned to the ring against Peter McNeeley. It was an event far bigger than Tiger’s return to golf.

As per Wikipedia:

Interest in Tyson’s first comeback fight since his incarceration was high enough that it grossed more than US$96 million worldwide, including a United States record $63 million for PPV television. The fight was purchased by 1.52 million homes, setting both PPV viewership and revenue records for that time.

I got a hunch that Eldrick’s return to the links isn’t drawing 1.52 million pay-per-views.

1 – Michael Jordan

After nearly two seasons away from the game in “retirement,” Jordan returned with the simple phrase “I’m back,” and his comeback game was the highest rated NBA game in 20 years. Jordan’s return would be like if Tiger “retired” for two years, failed at another sport, then returned to golf, all while still staying in his prime. Eight months off for an injury doesn’t compare.

Jordan would comeback again later in his career, but his return to basketball after messing around in minor league baseball for a while was huge. The sports world came to a halt, and when he dropped 55 at MSG a few games into his comeback, we all realized just what we’d been missing.

Honorable Mention

• George Foreman - Wasn’t bigger right away, but as it grew it was bigger.
• Lance Armstrong - returning for 2009 Tour de France. Just wait.
• Brett Favre - seriously, compare Tiger’s comeback coverage to Favre’s. Do you really think Tiger’s a bigger story?
• Ted Williams - While it wasn’t a big story then, since everybody was doing it, baseball’s best player coming back from the war and picking up where he left off is pretty big.

I understand that you have to cover the biggest news story of the day, but you must remember that it’s only the biggest story of the day — not of all time.

Overreacting to Tiger’s return just over saturates viewers when there are real comebacks or major news stories.

I’m a big Tiger Woods fan, and like many of you, I’ll be watching his comeback round of golf. But don’t you dare put his comeback from an eight month injury timeout in the same discussion as Jordan, Tyson, Leonard, Ali or Lemieux.

The defending champion of the Snooker Welsh Open, Selby was apparently taken off his game, as he lost the match after getting served.

Now, I don’t speak British or Welsh very well, but he appeared to serve him with bankruptcy papers. Ouch.

Apparently, from the confused look on his face, Selby was not aware of what to do in the even of being served.

.

I suppose Selby just wasn’t prepared for it to be “on”.

Peer is the 45th ranked player on the WTA Tour and was set to play in the Barclays Dubai tournament which begins on Monday. The men’s events start next week, and there is still no word on what the treatment will be in that case.

According to tournament officials, there was fear that allowing an Israeli player into the tournament could antagonize the fans, and she was not allowed in for security reasons.

From ESPN.com:

A statement from the tournament organizer, Dubai Duty Free, said Peer’s “presence would have antagonized our fans” because of the attacks in Gaza, which left about 1,300 Palestinians dead, at least half of them civilians, according to Gaza health officials.

Thirteen Israelis were killed, including three civilians, before a tentative cease-fire halted fighting on Jan. 18.

The tournament statement said there was concern about protests, boycotts and threats to Peer’s “well-being.”

Of course, knowing that in all likelihood Dubai won’t really exist as we know it in a few years, these sports are better off just moving on now, rather than take the money for events that hurt their sport. The money is drying up very fast in the UAE, and overpaying for sporting events will be one of the first cuts. Why subject your players to treatment like this? Just get the hell out.

The Tennis Channel announced that they are canceling all coverage of the tournament this week based on what happened with Peer.

Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal is the tennis equivalent to getting to see Kobe vs. Lebron play for the NBA Championship in a one-on-one game — four times a year. Or seeing Tiger Woods against himself. Or prime Barry Bonds facing prime Greg Maddux — every time was a treat. Roger and Rafa bring it every time they step on the court together, and every time they leave us in awe.

At 27, Federer is the old man of the tennis world, but the guy is still so good it’s ridiculous. The shots he pulls off, in matches at the highest level of competition are just stupid. In the middle of his biggest match of the year, he always seems to throw an Eefus, or toss up a left-handed hook shot.

Federer and Nadal may be the best sports rivalry of this generation — and I mean that. Better than Duke/Carolina. Better than Bird/Magic. Better than Yankees/Sox. It’s that good. If you don’t care for tennis, then you can’t argue against me, but if you watch tennis at all, you can’t disagree with me.

Since I’m writing this as I watch yet another amazing tennis match, I can’t tell you who wins the 2009 Australian Open. I’ll tell you in an hour or two. They are currently tied at one set each, entering a third set tiebreak. It could not be more tied. It could try, but it would not be successful (/Russed).

In the meantime, enjoy two great videos of these two playing.

The final set of Wimbledon 2008, perhaps the greatest tennis match ever played:

A crazy half-grass/half-clay matchup, putting the two masters at play against each other on their best srufaces:

So I’ve been watching the Australian Open nightly for the last week and change, and envying the warm weather they are having this time of year. But after the last two days, I have come to the conclusion that the people in charge of the Aussie Open need some seriously help.

Temperatures have been up and down this week, with some days being mild and others being hot, but on multiple occasions, thermometers on the court have read over 115 degrees. Serena Williams advanced to the quarterfinals when her opponent, Victoria Azarenka was unable to continue in the second set. While there is no proof that the weather hurt her in this match, since she was sick in the morning, the weather there all week may have been a factor.

Second, defending champion Novak Djokovic retired in the third set of his match with Andy Roddick, clearly suffering from the heat as temperatures on the court soared to nearly 140 degrees. Roddick won when Djokovic couldn’t continue.

Earlier in the week, it seemed that every match featured multiple trainer time-outs being called due to cramps from the heat. The heat was the story of the whole week.

This isn’t boxing. This is tennis. Surviving the heat shouldn’t be an issue. And since you can’t change the weather, what can you do?

How’s this: CLOSE THE FUCKING ROOF!!

That’s right, Rod Laver Arena has a retractable roof for rain and extreme heat. So when Novak Djokovic was suffering from the extreme heat, what did they do? They left the roof open.

Why ruin the fan’s wonderful day in the sun when you can just ruin Novak Djokovic’s tournament?

Why would you spend $94 million (AUD) to build a retractable roof stadium, then leave the roof open while players in your marquee event quit matches due to the heat.

This is not (or at least shouldn’t be) an endurance test. Sure, you should get rewarded for being in better condition than your opponent, but you shouldn’t win only because your in better condition than your opponent.

Perhaps none of these results would have been any different with the roof closed, but there is no excuse for this happening even once.

The Australian Open needs to take a long, hard look at this for next year. Protecting the players is your top priority, creating the best atmosphere for everyone else is your second priority.