bet by the professional bettors in Vegas (traditionally, those are

Imagine being a classical clarinet virtuoso and finding out that everybody else auditioning for a job was hoping to tour with Parliament-Funkadelic.That was Tim Duncan, who came out of college in 1997 just as Allen Iverson, Latrell Sprewell, Stephon Marbury and a host of other NBA players were on the cusp of becoming counterculture heroes in mainstream America.He wasnt a product of the Adidas or Nike camp system, those cattle calls where college and pro scouts salivate over 15-year-old hoop phenoms. No one told him how special he was until he had spent four years in college, at Wake Forest University, which almost no one did anymore.Duncan played the game that time forgot.Read the full storyPaul Pierce Jersey . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. Kevin Mchale Celtics Jersey . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. http://www.celticssale.com/kids-jaylen-brown-celtics-jersey/ . The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends. Robert Parish Celtics Jersey . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. Bill Russell Celtics Jersey .J. -- Marshawn Lynch said Thursday it will be good to get back to football after the Seattle quiet talking running back wrapped up his final mandatory media session of Super Bowl week.Editors note: This column appears each week to give ESPN Chalk readers a first look at the next weeks NFL lines. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook also puts out the advance lines on the prior Tuesday (so Week 8 lines will be posted this upcoming Tuesday), and well examine how the weekend action affected those lines from the openers on the Don Best odds screen. Well also look at which lines were the first to be bet by the professional bettors in Vegas (traditionally, those are the bettors most likely to fire away on these openers, though its not the exclusive club that it used to be). LAS VEGAS - The marquee matchup of NFL Week 7 was expected to be the New England Patriots visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the game was conspicuously off the betting board at the Westgate SuperBook on Sunday afternoon.QB Ben Roethlisberger was injured in Pittsburghs 30-15 loss at Miami in the early games on Sunday and it was later learned that he had a torn meniscus and would undergo surgery on Monday. The game stayed off the board until Monday morning, and with oddsmakers certain that Landry Jones would be starting for the Steelers, the line was posted with the Patriots favored by 7 or 7.5 points depending on the sports book. The Westgate went with New Englland -7.dddddddddddd5 (EVEN) and it stayed there most of the day on Monday before being bet down to 7 late Monday afternoon.Its interesting to note that in the advance line at the Westgate last week, the game was set at pick em. After the Steelers loss (and before the full extent of Roethisbergers injury was learned, especially since he finished the game), CG Technology actually opened Pittsburgh -1 and early bettors took New England and bet the Patriots to -2.5 before it was taken off the board.Lets take a look at the Week 7 lines and how theyve been bet into place (lines in parentheses are from the Westgate SuperBook as of the kickoff of the Monday Night Football game):Thursday: Chicago at Green Bay (-9): The advance line at the Westgate last week was Green Bay -10.5, but after the Packers lost to the Cowboys, the Westgate adjusted the line down to 8.5 (the Bears also lost, but by just 1 point after closing as 2.5-point favorites, so that didnt affect the line as much). Most other books opened the Packers between -8.5 and -10 with CG Technology on the high end, and the line has settled in between at -9 or -9.5. ' ' '