NCAA prospects fast tracking to the NHL

Hockey Betting Lines

08/16/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With the decision to forego college, Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Jerry D'Amigo and Montreal Canadiens first rounder Jarred Tinordi have joined a growing list of NHL draft picks to put down the books in favor of opportunism.

Although there is still immense talent throughout the college system, the repercussions of losing some of the brightest up-and-coming stars could have damaging long-term effects on hockey programs across the United States.

D'Amigo, a sixth-round pick in 2009, signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Leafs on Wednesday in the hopes of cracking the big squad out of training camp this fall.

As a result of D'Amigo's aspirations, he lost his NCAA eligibility and cannot return to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) where he posted 10 goals and 24 assists in 35 games en route to being named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) rookie of the year.

If the 19-year old fails to impress in camp, his options include taking a trip down the road to suit up for the Toronto Marlies, or opt for the OHL and join the Kitchener Rangers, the owner of his junior rights.

While it is unlikely D'Amigo abandoned his fellow Engineers at RPI to play in the OHL, riding the bus in the American Hockey League is a different story, especially with the parent club in the same city.

Regardless of where the speedy winger starts the season, NHL action seems to be in the cards at some point this year, a mind-boggling revelation considering his development and expectations only a year ago.

Unlike D'Amigo who gave it the old college try (for one year, anyway), Tinordi changed course only a few weeks before he was slated to head off to study and play at the University of Notre Dame.

Instead, the hulking 6'6" defenseman will pack his bags and join Dale Hunter and the London Knights in the OHL.

Tinordi, the 22nd overall in this year's entry draft, is a bruising stay-at- home defenseman with a booming shot and good mobility. He also displayed his leadership qualities this past season as the captain of the U.S. National Development team.

Studying the game in the ultra-competitive OHL while honing his skills under the reigning coach of the year will do wonders for his progress, and was likely a major reason for the move.

Unfortunately for the NCAA, the current economic climate in the NHL, combined with the advanced development regiments of the OHL and the U.S. national team has allowed for a quicker transition to professional hockey.

In the salary cap world, players on entry-level deals become invaluable and opportunities arise sooner than they have in previous years. Thus, committing to four years of college has become a less attractive option for many.

Besides Tinordi, fellow draftees Cam Fowler and Jack Campbell also revoked their commitments to Notre Dame and Michigan, respectively, and fled to Windsor to join the Spitfires.

Dropping out of college and passing up thousands of dollars worth of scholarship money does not usually equate to success in the real world. But in the NHL, when ample opportunities call for younger, cheaper players, the math speaks for itself.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million

Football Betting

In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.

And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.

Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.

So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.

Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)

The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.

As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.

The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.

In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.

Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.

And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.

So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.

There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.

So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.

And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.

There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)

Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.

Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.

Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.

So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.

NFL Betting Lines

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