Tennis Star's Landmark Anti-Doping Trial Starts

Tennis Betting Lines

06/19/2007 - Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A Boston law firm has gone to court today to clear the name of Guillermo Coria, a top-ranked professional athlete who was suspended from the national tennis circuit in 2001 after testing positive for steroids. Coria, the former No. 3 tennis player in the world, is suing a vitamin maker for allowing traces of steroids to contaminate the multivitamin he was taking, causing him to fail a drug test at the height of his career. After failing the test, Coria was suspended from play and lost millions of dollars in sponsorships, appearance fees and prize money. If successful in court, Coria will be the first world-class professional athlete to prove that a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs was caused by product contamination.

The landmark lawsuit, Guillermo Coria vs. Universal Nutrition a/k/a Universal Protein Supplement Corp. and G.E.N. Tech, LLC, accuses New Brunswick, NJ-based Universal Nutrition of negligent manufacturing of its Gaspari Nutrition multivitamin and seeks financial compensation. A jury in the Superior Court of New Jersey begins hearing the case this morning and the trial is expected to last two to three weeks. Coria is represented by Nystrom Beckman & Paris LLP, a litigation firm based in Boston, MA that specializes in complex litigation and trial work.

In February 2001, Coria, a native of Argentina, began taking regular doses of multivitamins manufactured by Universal and distributed by Gaspari. In April of that year, a urine test issued through the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Anti-Doping program revealed trace amounts of nandrolone, a known steroid, in Corias system. The minute traces were inconsistent with steroid usage and did not have any performance-enhancing effects, but they were enough to generate a positive test result. At the time of the 2001 drug test, Coria was 19 years old, at the top of his game and pegged as the next tennis phenom. The positive test results led to a two-year suspension, removing Coria immediately from the national circuit and denying him key sponsorship monies under his endorsement contracts.

In todays proceedings, Coria alleges that Universals negligent manufacturing practices allowed residue from other products containing steroids to mix with the multivitamins, ultimately causing the failed drug test. In 2001, Coria was able to prove his case to the ATP and his suspension from professional tennis was reduced from two years to time served (seven months). But by that point, Coria had already dropped from the top 30 to No. 200 in the ATP standings.

"Corias suspension could not have come at a worse time in his career. He was in his prime teenage years - key to a young stars development - and breaking into the highest levels of the professional tennis rankings," said Gavin Forbes, senior vice president of tennis for IMG Worldwide. "Though his original suspension was reduced to seven months, that seven months translates to years of damage in the tennis world."

"Guillermo not only wants to clear his name, but also wants to ensure that no other athletes experience devastation and career destruction as a result of manufacturing companies negligence," said William C. Nystrom, Esq., the lead attorney on the case. "Though he can never reclaim the time he lost, he can achieve financial compensation and a restored international reputation."

About Nystrom Beckman & Paris LLP

Based in Boston, MA, Nystrom Beckman & Paris LLP is a boutique litigation firm that specializes in complex litigation and trial work. Founded in 2004 by three experienced attorneys from national law firms, NBP has steadily grown to become a "go-to" firm for major corporations, entrepreneurial companies and individuals. Its team of associates, paralegals and support staff are dedicated to handling matters of any size and complexity, achieving outstanding results and exceeding clients expectations.

Mertocasino Tennis Betting News

<< Indiana coach Hoeppner dies
Bloomington, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Indiana University head football coach Terry Hoeppner died Tuesday morning following a lengthy illness. Hoeppner, who was 59 years old, twice underwent brain surgery in the last 18 months. "Coach

<< Tiger becomes a father
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tiger Woods became a father Monday when his wife, Elin, gave birth to a daughter. Sam Alexis Woods is the couple's first child. "Elin and I are delighted to announce the birth of our daughter, Sam Alexis Woods,"

<< Figgins goes 6-for-6, knocks in game-winner as Angels outlast Astros
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chone Figgins' sixth hit sent everybody home, a triple driving in Reggie Willits with the winning run, capping a rally from five down, as the Angels edged Houston, 10-9, to kick off a three-game interle

<< Gomes, Harris lead D-Rays over D-Backs
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jonny Gomes and Brendan Harris both homered as Tampa Bay continued its mastery over Arizona with a 10-2 win in the opener of a three-game set at Chase Field. The Devil Rays are now a perfect 7-0 all-time a

<< Devil Rays' P Jackson leaves game with injury
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tampa Bay Devil Rays starting pitcher Edwin Jackson left the team's 10-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth inning when he suffered cramping and fatigue in his right index finger tendon.

Mets aim to stay in win column against Twins >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-handed surprise Jorge Sosa can get back on the winning track tonight when the New York Mets host the Minnesota Twins in the middle contest of a three-game interleague series at Shea Stadium. Sosa, a 30-year-old Domin

White Sox hope to put win streak together against Marlins >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox try to string back-to-back wins together for the first time in nearly a month this evening when they continue their three-game series with the Florida Marlins at U.S. Cellular Field. In the opener of

Dodgers head north for key series with Blue Jays >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Last year's National League All-Star starter Brad Penny takes another step toward another berth on the mound in the Midsummer Classic tonight, when the Los Angeles Dodgers visit Rogers Centre to open a three-game interle

Wells tries to avoid 12th loss as Cards battle Royals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kip Wells tries to avoid his major league-leading 12th loss of the season this evening when the St. Louis Cardinals continue their three- game set with the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium. Wells is coming off a horrifi

Orioles sail into San Diego with new skipper >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dave Trembley era in Baltimore kicks off tonight, when the slumping Orioles open a three-game interleague series with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Baltimore became the first club in the 2007 season to fire it

MySportsbook.com is a must-have for the smart veteran sports investor who enjoys following the odds almost as much as betting them. Simply put, no one offers more betting options and offers them faster than MySportsbook. This football sportsbook is known for its ability to set the early market odds on events without having to worry about weak lines. Professional players are well aware that getting a crack at the early betting line is worth as much as, and sometimes more than, huge bonuses or reduced prices. MySportsbook's fearless, yet smart bookmaking style is what keeps everyone watching, including most other sportsbooks.

This is also a great choice for those who just want to have a worry free, fun experience. The ownership’s motto is “Sweat the game, not the payout”. These are not just decorative words used to fill space on the homepage. MySportsbook aims to give their customers the fastest withdrawals in the industry. Payouts are processed within 24 hours by an online sportsbook that carries our A+ financial rating.

Those who enjoy proposition and future wagers consider MySportsbook.com a top choice. Smaller players who seek large bonuses would do better at their sister book, Sportsbooks.com.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your betting football needs.

Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting

So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance.

Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it?

If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.)

Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa).

In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech.

Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.

The Bubble Breakdown
CONFERENCE LOCKS SHOULD BE INS AT-LARGES TAKEN
(assuming no auto bid outlier)
ACC Betting Odds 6 0 5
Big East Betting Odds 5 0 4
Big Ten Betting Odds 2 2 3
Big 12 Betting Odds 3 0 2
Pac-10 Betting Odds 5 1 5
SEC Betting Odds 4 0 3
MVC Betting Odds 1 1 1
MWC Betting Odds 2 1 2
TOTAL 28 5 25

As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down.

(Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28)

If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech

The ACC moves to six locks as BC, Va Tech and Virginia all got their 10th ACC wins, which should be more than enough this season, and Maryland rallied past North Carolina to get the final piece the Terps needed. After that? It could end there unless FSU, Ga Tech or Clemson picks things up in a hurry.

 

Work left to do:

Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's.

Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win).

Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT.

For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com

Additional basketball lines can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.