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gton straight will suit.Defcon has to concede weight all-round, is yet to win on the anticipated soft going, and is terrible value at
MILWAUKEE -- Larry Drew could have sulked during his last season in Atlanta, complained to anyone who would listen about being a lame duck despite a winning record and three straight playoff appearances. He never did. "When you stay in this game as long as I have, the most important thing is you dont take a negative situation and keep it negative," Drew said. "I thought I would get something positive of it." That came Monday, as Drew was introduced as the new coach of the Milwaukee Bucks six days after his awkward tenure with the Atlanta Hawks ended with the hiring of his replacement. Drew has a three-year deal with the Bucks, and the team has an option for a fourth season. "I am very, very excited about being here, I really am," Drew said. "Im going to do everything in my power to put this group together as fast as possible, to making us competitive, to making sure these guys are in tune with each other. If I do that, chances are were going to be a pretty good basketball team." If not, hell have to answer to his uncle. Drews uncle, Norman Johnson, has lived in Milwaukee for 49 years, and he joined the coach, his wife and the couples two younger sons for Mondays news conference. "Ive been a Bucks fan ever since the Bucks have been here," Johnson said. "Im very proud of him," Johnson added. "I hope he continues his good work. I think he will." Drew was 128-102 in Atlanta, and the Hawks reached the post-season in each of his three seasons. His first year, they upset Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in the first round and then took the Chicago Bulls to six games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. They reached the playoffs again last year despite having Al Horford for only 11 games. And he did perhaps his finest job this season. Despite knowing he would be out of a job at the end of the year as new general manager Danny Ferry remakes the team, losing All-Star Joe Johnson to an off-season trade and seeing Lou Williams and Zaza Pachulia go down with season-ending injuries, Drew led Atlanta to a 44-38 record. The Hawks took Indiana to six games before losing in the first round of the playoffs. "I feel very good about who I am as a coach," Drew said. "You give me some guys who are willing to play hard every night, who are committed to playing for one another, who are committed to playing for the city, I guarantee you Ill give you a group you can be proud of." Drew repeatedly stressed the importance of building relationships with his players, a quality general manager John Hammond had made a priority after Milwaukees late-season collapse. The Bucks lost 12 of their last 16 games to finish with a losing record for a third straight season, then were swept by the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, losing all four games by double digits. Teaching Xs and Os is no longer enough, Drew said, and one of the things he was most proud of during his time in Atlanta was that his players always knew he had their backs. In fact, as Drew was flying to Milwaukee on Sunday, he got a congratulatory text message from Atlanta guard Kyle Korver. "Thats not going to change. Im going to do the exact same thing coming here to Milwaukee," Drew said. "Were going to become buddies. Were going to become good friends." He plans to start reaching out to his new players immediately, starting with John Henson. The rookie had planned to be in Milwaukee later this week, but re-arranged his schedule so he could be here in time for Drews news conference. "You get on the coachs side right away," Drew joked, drawing laughs. "I think hes going to be a real good fit," Henson said. "Hes just what we need. Hes a player relationship guy and the players are going to know their roles." Drew said hes not committed to a specific offensive style -- "Im not a big fan of predictability. Offensively, I think thats very easy to defend." -- but Milwaukees two young big men, Henson and Larry Sanders, will have big roles. Sanders made huge strides in his third season, more than doubling his scoring average (9.8 points) and grabbing more rebounds (672) than he had in his first two years combined. Henson, a rookie, showed his potential with a monster game April 10 in Orlando, flirting with a triple-double with 25 rebounds, 17 points and seven blocks. "This team has really good young talent. Young talent that Im excited about developing," Drew said. "The big guys are going to be a big part of the future. Their development is going to be very important, but you cant teach height, you cant teach length." As strong as Milwaukees frontcourt is, its backcourt is just as unsettled. Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings, who led the Bucks in scoring, are both question marks to return next season. Jennings is a restricted free agent while Ellis has until June 20 to exercise an $11 million player option. That kind of uncertainty doesnt faze Drew, however. "I wouldnt call it a challenge," he said. "I would just say theres some uncertainty and thats part of the NBA." Though Drew came to Milwaukee as a child to visit his uncle, its been a long time since hes spent any time in the city. On most of his recent trips, all hes seen is the airport, the hotel and the arena. But Hammond made it a point to show him around during the interview process, and Drew came away impressed. That just makes his new job even better. "Its absolutely beautiful here. Absolutely beautiful," Drew said. "Im really excited about being here and being the new coach of this team." Cheap Seahawks Jerseys . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. Cheap Custom Seahawks Jersey . Rousey will put her perfect 8-0 record and hardware on the line against another undefeated fighter, 7-0 Sara McMann in the main event of UFC 170, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Nevada on February 22nd. http://www.customseahawksjersey.com/ . Barcelona also left injured defenders Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba out of its squad for the trip to Glasgow. That means that Marc Bartra will probably start again in the centre of the defence alongside Gerard Pique. L.J. Collier Jersey Large . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. Wholesale Custom Seahawks Shirts . But now that hes in the NHL, the Calgary Flames centre showed big improvement in that department by scoring the winner in the eighth round of a 5-4 shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. Golden RoseSince being elevated to Group I status seven years ago, the Golden Rose has been transformed into something of a stallion-making event. So its little surprise that fillies have struggled against colts whose connections are hell-bent on locking in their futures at stud.What is odd is their frankly abysmal record.Remove Forensics from the argument -- her win came in the autumn of 2008 when Equine Influenza wiped out the 2007 renewal - and 32 fillies have tried and failed to win the Golden Rose since the races inception in 2003.Followers of this years favourite, Omei Sword, currently $3.70 with UBET, will hope this gender-based trend is no more than an anomaly. The filly, trained by champion NSW handler Chris Waller, shot to the top of the markets with an impressive first-up win in the Group II Silver Shadow Stakes over 1200m at Randwick.Omei Sword, by High Chaparral out of former top racer Irish Lights, should relish the rise to seven furlongs, but its unlikely she beat much at headquarters and her one attempt on rain-affected going, in the Group I Sires Produce Stakes, was the worst run of her four-start career.The favourite looks no value at the current quote, and it might be prudent to look to the races traditional lead-up, the Group II Run To The Rose, to find this years winner.That race was won by Astern, who showed he had trained on when overwhelming the fitter and more-fancied Star Turn a fortnight ago over 1200m. There was three-and-a-half lengths back to stablemate Impending, who reopposes on Saturday, giving the form a rock-solid look.Astern is unbeaten on soft tracks -- in fact his one and only defeat came in the Group I Golden Slipper, when legitimate excuses could be offered -- and barrier 12 mightnt be so bad if the rain comes and the fence becomes a no-go zone.Cases can be made for El Divino, Winxs half-brother, and Divine Prophet, but Godolphin has an enviable record in the Golden Rose, and Astern can become the operations fourth winner in the past eight years.Recommended bet: Astern to win @ $4.40 with UBET.Makybe Diva StakesThe Group I Makybe Diva Stakes might be named after the mare synonymous with the Melbourne Cup, but the 1600m event is anything but the domain of the two-mile brigade.Jeune, back in 1994, was the last Melbourne Cup winner to come through the old Craiglee Stakes; since then, Shocking is the only Cup winner to have won the Makybe Diva (the entire claimed the races in different years).A quarter of this years edition hold an entry to the Melbourne Cup, including reigning champ Prince Of Penzance, but its the sprinter-milers who feature at the head of betting, with Darren Weirs Black Heart Bart the $2.25 favourite with UBET.The former WA galloper was a dominant winner of the Group I Memsie Stakes on resumption, and is the races rightful favourite.BBut the gelding has never won beyond 1400m, and its likely hell encounter going softer than he wants on Saturday.dddddddddddd. What is more, favourites have an indifferent record in the Makybe Diva, so Black Heart Bart is worth opposing.In a race that lacks depth for a Group I, Tony McEvoys Alpine Eagle appeals at a decent price.Alpine Eagle was just fair in the Memsie, but 1400m is not his trip and that was just the comeback gallopers second run in a year. Rewind to his three-year-old days, and Alpine Eagle was running Wandjina to a lip in the Group I Australian Guineas, while as a raw four-year-old he finished a close-up sixth in last years Makybe Diva.The history of the race reads well for five-year-olds second-up from a spell, and at $12 with UBET its worth taking a punt that Alpine Eagle will make up for lost time and announce himself a new spring player.Recommended bet: Alpine Eagle each-way @ $12 with UBET.Over The OddsFlemington Race 1, No.9 Authoritarian. $20 with UBETLast years VRC St Leger winner, Authoritarian is one-from-one at Flemington and should not be such a big price if -- and that is if -- the forecast rain arrives.Authoritarian has a good record on rain-affected going and can give value hunters a good sight from the front in a race that doesnt possess an abundance of pace.Rosehill Race 7, No.3 Vashka. $15 with UBETFlopped when first-up, and in the market, in the Show County, hence his generous price in Saturdays Theo Marks.It would pay to ignore Vashkas failure at Randwick. The Godolphin gelding returns to his favourite venue -- hes won five from six at Rosehill -- is a winner second-up, and beat subsequent Stradbroke Handicap winner Under The Louvre last prep.Under The OddsFlemington Race 5, No.1 Defcon. $4 with UBETImpressive first-up win in the McNeil Stakes, but the Danehill Stakes has more depth and its unlikely barrier one down the Flemington straight will suit.Defcon has to concede weight all-round, is yet to win on the anticipated soft going, and is terrible value at the $4 mark.Best BetRosehill Race 6, No.1 Astern. $4.40 with UBETAs outlined above, fits the profile of a Golden Rose winner. Should simply be too good for his rivals.Lay of The DayFlemington Race 6, No.2 Xtravagant. $4.60 with UBETMuch-hyped Kiwi who is one start for one flop in Australia. Undoubtedly a fine talent, but is meeting some very handy straight-track horses in the Bobbie Lewis Quality and should be watched only until his New Zealand form translates across the ditch.Multi of The WeekendRosehill Race 6, No.1 Astern - PLACE @ $1.76Flemington Race 4, No.11 Bon Aurum PLACE @ $2.90Flemington Race 6, No.1 Under The Louvre - PLACE @ $1.95Multi price: $9.95 with UBET ' ' '