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03/15/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Some people may describe David Beckham as overrated, others might call him spoiled or pampered, but one thing that is very evident when it comes to Beckham is that he is persistent.
How else to explain why Beckham was running around the pitch at the San Siro in Milan on Sunday at the age of 34, when he should have been basking in the California sun halfway around the world?
Beckham simply lives to play for England's national team, and the only way he would get another chance to play for the Three Lions in this summer's World Cup was to pull on the red and black jersey of AC Milan.
All of which makes the sight of Beckham hobbling off the field in the dying minutes of Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo on Sunday with a torn Achilles tendon so hard to watch.
The injury will rob England's most-capped outfield player of a chance to join the team at this summer's World Cup in South Africa, which would have made him the first England player to take part in four World Cups.
Beckham's England career appeared to be over after the 2006 World Cup when he voluntarily stepped down as England captain, and was not in the plans of new England boss Fabio Capello.
He appeared well on his way to retirement when he left Real Madrid and headed off to California to play in Major League Soccer for the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007, like an elderly U.S. citizen moving to Florida or Arizona to live out their final years.
The Englishman would get to enjoy the sunny weather and would be right at home in Hollywood, while also collecting a decent paycheck for his efforts.
But a funny thing happened to Beckham as he crept closer to retirement; he realized that he needed to play for England again.
He had a past history with Capello at Real Madrid, as the Italian manager banished Beckham to the reserves, only for Beckham to earn back a place in the team.
And he pulled off a similar reversal after a successful loan spell at AC Milan, which gave the former Manchester United standout the opportunity to earn his 100th cap for England .
Many felt that Capello allowed Beckham to reach the milestone as a favor, and that he wouldn't have a chance to earn a seat on the plane to South Africa this summer.
However, Beckham returned to Milan again this past January with only one thing in mind.
"It's the only reason I am choosing to be away from my family for six months," Beckham told Fox Sports Radio about his desire to play at the World Cup. "Being in the World Cup squad is not guaranteed, even if I go to Milan it is not guaranteed, but I need to do everything possible to give myself a chance.
"It's always a roller-coaster in my career ... and it is going to be like that for the next six to eight months, but I am looking forward to it."
Little did Beckham know that his ride would be cut short just a few months into his England adventure.
After being kicked in the face in the opening minutes of Sunday's game, which left a nice little gash on the right cheek of one of the world's most recognizable faces, Beckham took a pass in midfield with no player near him late in the second half.
He took a step, but immediately grabbed at his left ankle and indicated to the bench that he was coming off.
He was examined on the sidelines for a few minutes and ultimately taken to the dressing room on a stretcher, but as tears streamed down his face he appeared to already know his fate.
To be fair, Beckham wasn't guaranteed a spot on the World Cup roster, but he appeared to be on his way to accomplishing what at first seemed a very unlikely goal.
He was not a player who would crack the starting 11, but was at peace with that fact and was prepared to contribute whatever he could to the team, whether it was to drop a pinpoint cross on the head of Wayne Rooney, or bend home one of his trademark free kicks.
Beckham's career as an England player has had plenty of ups and downs, from his red card against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup that saw him receive death threats, to his free kick goal against Greece that allowed England to qualify for the 2002 competition.
He has always been a magnet for attention, leading some to view him as more of a celebrity than a soccer player, but his desire to win back a place on England's team over the past couple of years has been inspiring.
His absence won't dramatically alter England's hopes of ending a World Cup title drought that dates back to 1966, but it provides a sad ending to an otherwise storybook career.
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ending
American Idol odds : Blake Lewis the Early Standout
An important American Idol betting lines recap from February 20 Guys episode. The 12 men came out flat overall with Blake Lewis appearing to have the early edge after the first hour and a half.
Rudy - was quite good singing "Free Ride" to start off. Randy was not impressed though. Paula thought he started off fantastic. "Never had anyone stop off so lively" said Paula but Simon (who does not like Rudy) does not feel he has a distinct voice and was not impressed either.
Brandon was a little pitchy according to Randy and Paula agreed. Simon said he was a good singer but the song was "too safe" and he needs to make an impact. He was listed at +1200 odds or $1200 paid out on a $100 bet should he win the competition.
Big favorite Sundance came in with a flat version of "Knights in White Satin" and the judges let him have it, including Paula. Randy claimed the song was out of pitch throughout.
Korean American - and a Jenny Woo favorite - Paul Kim was up next. Another pitchy flat one but Randy said he still liked his potential. Kim at +3000 odds was said to have sung a "third rate version of that (George Michael) song" according to Simon Cowell. He sang "Careless Whisper".
22 year old Chris Richardson was up next. He was listed with +1100 odds coming in. He got the best response from the judges though Simon did not believe the vocal was that great.
Nick was boring and pitchy. Simon didn't think he was that bad though and predicted he would be back next week. Nick Pedro was a big +3000 dog coming into this competition.
Beat boxer Blake Lewis was listed with early +1000 odds or $1000 payout on a $100 bet if he were to become the next American Idol winner odds . These of course were the early odds. He was considered original for picking an "odd song". He did not beat box and the judges felt it was the best vocal of the night.
Sanjaya came in as the second biggest favorite after Chris Sligh but his performance Tuesday night was not very good.
Chris Sleigh was the early favorite at +450 odds. Great voice and a great sense of humor. He's a real standout. Randy felt it was on point but maybe ahead of the chorus a little bit. Simon Cowell said he felt like he was in some "sort of weird student gig".
Jared Cotter followed. He was listed with +2000 odds early on to win the competition. The judges felt he needs to take more risks but looked good.
22-year old AJ Talbado, who has tried out for American Idol five times, was up next. "Kind of a theme park performance" said Simon. Though the judges felt he performed okay. Simon did feel AJ might be better than he originally thought.
Phil - this season's military favorite - came into this competition with +1200 odds to win the competition. He was the last to perform. He was certainly strong enough to get through this stage of the competition and perhaps the best one after a shaky start.
Tomorrow night, the ladies perform and I sure hope they do a better job than the boys. Check out all the American Idol betting odds here.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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