Thomas hits all right notes for Texas

NCAA Football Betting Lines

01/05/2010 -

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) -If Earl Thomas says he's jazzed up to play, he not might be talking about football.

Texas' All-American safety is also a pretty mean musician. These days he plays piano in a jazz band that jams in clubs around Austin.

Back in high school, Thomas played saxophone in the band and sometimes marched at halftime of games in which he played.

``It was kind of embarrassing,'' he said Monday.

Starting as a redshirt freshmen last year provided some moments that Thomas would like to forget, too. Like any first-year starter, he learned on the job.

This season, Thomas has hit all the right notes, helping No. 2 Texas go undefeated and earn a spot in Thursday's BCS national championship game against No. 1 Alabama.

The 197-pound sophomore set a school record and ranked second in the nation with eight interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. He was also second on the team with 71 tackles.

The development of Thomas, along with fellow sophomore safety Blake Gideon, was a huge reason why Texas' pass defense improved from 104th in the nation in 2008 to 25th this season.

``Earl and Blake have progressed tremendously,'' defensive end Sam Acho said. ``They were both really good players last year, but now they're great players. They're hard workers. It's a testament to their hard work and their dedication to the game.''

With Thomas leading the way, the Longhorns are tops in the nation in interceptions with 24.

``Last year we had a lot of opportunities, we just couldn't catch it,'' he said. ``This year we worked real hard in the summer, just finishing plays, running full speed through ball drills. It's just paying off for us. They're coming in bunches.''

Like football, music has always come easily. Thomas got his first drum set when he was about 5.

When he was about 12, his uncle, who played piano at his grandfather's church in the small town of Orange, Texas, went off to college. Thomas' grandfather, also named Earl Thomas, decided if his grandson could play drums, he could probably play piano.

``My grandpa just kind of threw me up there,'' Thomas said. ``My grandpa told me to 'go up there, son, and make some music, go bang on something.'''

In Thomas' senior year at West Orange Stark High School, Hurricane Rita destroyed his family's home and church.

``When you see something like that, it was devastating,'' Thomas said. ``We stayed in a hotel room my whole senior year.''

But it didn't interfere with his budding athletic career. He played running back, receiver and defensive back in high school. He also ran track and played baseball and basketball.

And, yes, he even marched in the band.

He'd take off his shoulder pads at halftime, grab his alto sax and play while still wearing his football pants. Now that's versatility.

Football got Thomas a scholarship to Texas and he brought his love for music with him to Austin. He still plays piano in church and a friend got him hooked up with a jazz band called Bad Bones.

``I'm the youngest guy by far in the band,'' he said. ``It's an old-school band,'' by which he means the rest of his bandmates are in their 30s.

He plays for his teammates when he gets a chance, too.

``It's amazing,'' defensive lineman Sam Acho said.

But Thomas never mentioned his time in the marching band to the other Longhorns.

``I didn't know that,'' Acho said, ``but now that I know I'm going to give him a hard time.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds

The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.

Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”

“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”

MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:

Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:

Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1

Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17

Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1

Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1

Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:

Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1

Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1

Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5

Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1

Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1

Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1

Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50

Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1

Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1

Best Animated Feature Film:

"Cars": 1/3

"Happy Feet": 2/1

"Monster House": 20/1

Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:

"Water" – Canada: 22/1

"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2

"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1

"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1

"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10

Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:

"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5

"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2

"Helmer & Son": 5/2

"The Saviour": 6/1

"West Bank Story": 7/2

Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:

"Babel": 7/4

"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1

"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20

"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4

"The Queen": 5/4

Best Motion Picture of the Year:

"Babel": 11/4

"The Departed": 1/2

"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2

"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10

"The Queen": 20/1

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10

Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1

Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1

Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5

Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:

Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1

Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1

Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1

Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8

Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1

Film To Win Most Oscars:

Dreamgirls: 2/3

Pans Labyrinth: 6/5

The Departed: 6/1

The Queen: 11/1

Babel: 15/1

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1

Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1


Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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