When Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys, he was thinking big. So it was no surprise when the legendary owner decided that America’s team would need the largest domed stadium in the entire world. Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texasis the largest domed stadium in the world, and it has the largest column-free interior as well as the fourth-largest high definition video screen, which reaches from one 20-yard line across to the other above the field. There is no denying that the team has gone through its share of highs and lows over the years, but that takes nothing away from Cowboys Stadium, which is the mecca of sports betting venues.

According to the seating capacity, Cowboys Stadium ranks third in the NFL with 85,000 seats. However, that is just beginning of ways that 5Dimes players can take in a game, concert, or other sporting event, as the capacity reached to 105,000 with the inclusion of standing rooms areas, including the party platforms that are built connected to the stairways. The $1.3-billion venue is everything that Jones could have envisioned when thinking about building a massive platform for his team to play, and everything about Cowboys Stadium is what Jones wants reflected by his club. Cowboys Stadium isn’t just home to an NFL betting sports team, it is a symbol of sports in North America that will continue to make history as more events take place at it, whether it is a championship run byDallas’ football team, or any of the other sports that Jones and his ownership group envisioned taking place.

Most sportsbooks reviews (read official book reviews here) would tell you that the NFL is no longer just a sport, but an entertainment juggernaut that brings in billions of dollars to teams, owners, players and companies that advertise with the biggest league in the United States. A lot of teams, if not all, will feature mascots as a way to keep the crowd entertained during times like television timeouts, when there isn’t a lot going on. But do they serve a purpose?

One of the first sports mascots that sports betting online players may remember came from the Chicago Cubs in 1908 and it has since been adopted by the other sports. There are only a handful of teams in the NFL that currently don’t have a mascot: the New York Jets and Giants, Oakland, Green Bay and Washington are mascot-less, and it hasn’t seemed to hamper the Giants, who have won two Super Bowls in the last four seasons. The Packers are arguably the most storied franchise in the league and they’ve managed to be fine without them. In fact, every franchise that doesn’t have a mascot has won a Super Bowl.

However, that doesn’t mean that mascots aren’t useful. They are there to keep people, mainly young people, occupied and busy while there are lulls in the game and they love to play tricks on fans. Mascots are like cheerleaders in that they look to spark the spirit of the fans, although they aren’t scantily clad.

Overall, mascots are there for entertainment value, but they won’t boost a team’s sports betting value.

Most BetOnline players know that a good announcer can make a world of difference when it comes to taking in a game, and these three men have given us years of entertainment; two are still going strong.

Al Michaels

Michaels is one of the most versatile voices in the business, but his longest job came with ABC stalwart Monday Night Football, where he served for 20 years. You can still hear Michaels on the airwaves, this time on NBC’s Sunday Night Football and he hasn’t lost a step at 67 years old; you could make the argument that Michaels is the best announcer in the business today, in any sport.

Pat Summerall

Summerall, like Michaels, also worked with football legend John Madden as the two helmed broadcasts over the 1980s and 1990s for CBS and Fox. Summerall, who has since retired, played an excellent straight man to Madden’s colorful personality and it may surprise some online sports betting players to know that he was a decent kicker for three NFL teams.

Gus Johnson

Johnson is known more for his college basketball calls during March Madness, but he quickly made his mark in the NFL when CBS moved him to football broadcasts. In 2009, Johnson was working a game between Denver and Cincinnati in which Brandon Stokley won for the Broncos on a last-second improbable touchdown. His frantic call will be remembered by everyone from casual fans to players that frequent football betting sites (which you can find here).

Most 5dimes players are well aware of how important homefield advantage is in the NFL, and for decades, some of the most historic stadiums have come from the biggest league in American sports. Here is a look at the top three.

Lambeau Stadium

Green Bay’s field is well known to online NFL betting (find more online NFL betting information here) players as the “frozen tundra of Lambeau Field”, a soundbite from NFL Films, is known by all diehard fans. Lambeau was opened in 1957 and it now holds 73,128, which is basically all of Green Bay and it is famously difficult to get a ticket.

Soldier Field

Green Bay’s rivals from Chicago have the smallest stadium in the league with a capacity of 61,500, and the current stadium is a rebuild of the original, but it still holds all the charm of a place that has been around since 1924. Soldier Field may be one of the coldest places in the league to watch a game, but that is part of the mystique.

The Superdome

The Superdome in New Orleans has been open since 1975, but in 2005, it served a different purpose as it houses thousands of citizens that were displaced during Hurricane Katrina. The stadium was closed for the 2005 season while it was being fixed as it suffered a lot of damage, and the Saints would use their return to play for the city, going on to win the Super Bowl in a campaign remembered by many sports betting online players.

Baseball betting players may stick to their sport, but there are a few things that could get them to switch over to a football game, and we’re guessing that cheerleaders would be on the list. Cheerleaders have been around the NFL since the late 1950s when Green Bay started using them (we’re also guessing that there were no bikinis because Lambeau Field isn’t the warmest spot in the world), and now 26 of the 32 teams in the NFL have a cheerleading team (although last year’s meeting between Green Bay and Pittsburgh was the first time that the Super Bowl had two teams with no cheerleaders). Here is a look at the top five squads in the game and if there was a league, these would be their sports betting odds.
Dallas (+100): The Cowboy cheerleaders are a brand and they’re so far ahead of the pack it’s not funny.
Miami (+500): Of course the Dolphins are on the list. Have you SEEN the women in Miami?
New York Jets (+600): The Jets Flight Crew make sure that you have a comfortable ride when the Jets are on the field.
Cincinnati (+800): The Ben-Gals are the sports betting darkhorse on this list and you probably didn’t even know they exist. Go check them out.
Atlanta (+1000): Finally, the Falcons are in the mix and the only team on this list to play in a dome, which means the cheerleaders can be dressed, let’s say, rather scantily. They may even boost the Falcons’ odds in your best online sportsbook.

Even those who play US poker sites know that it’s a risky proposition to wager against Indianapolis in the NFL’s AFC South, but can you pull the trigger in 2011 on a wounded Colts team?

The Colts (-180) are still holding out hope that Peyton Manning will be ready for the start of the regular season due to neck surgery, and it doesn’t matter what the MVP vote says each year: no player means more than Manning does to the Colts, who will hope to avoid a rash of receiver injuries like last year, and no one knows what the defense will do. Houston (+180) needs to only stop people some of the time, because they have one of the best offenses in the league, but that defense can’t be as bad as they were 2010….or can they? Jacksonville (+800) and Tennessee (+800) have to sort out a lot of things before they can challenge the top two, but you have to think that snagging Matt Hasselbeck gives the Titans an edge, which tells you something about the Jaguars’ David Garrard. This will also be Tennessee’s first year without Jeff Fisher coaching the team since 1994, although Mike Munchak has been in the franchise since 1992 as a Hall of Fame player and coach.

This will boil down to Indianapolis and Houston again, and it’s tempting to take the Texans, but their secondary is still very young and Manning is still one of the top three quarterbacks in the league. Their Week 1 sports betting matchup in Houston is huge in so many ways, but the Colts are the smart play in your sports book.

When it comes to NFL betting lines, the best race of the season could come from the AFC East, where New England is favored as they’ve dominated the division over the last decade, but the New York Jets are coming in a hurry.

New England (-140): The Patriots rolled through the East, winning the crown for the eighth time in 10 years, and they’ll be back again as long as Tom Brady is at the helm. But the defense is still improving, and the Patriots still don’t have a deep threat.

New York Jets (+135): The Jets have a top-three defense and that will take you a long way, but they also have a quarterback in Mark Sanchez that is gaining in big-game experience and a solid game to run down the clock, as well as minimize mistakes, which boosts their sports betting odds.

Miami (+700): The Dolphins have quarterback issues and Chad Henne may not be the starter when the season starts. Miami also has to replace Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams, maybe both as they’re free agents. The defense is good, but not better than the Jets.

Buffalo (+1800): The Bills bring up the rear and again, they’re not going to go anywhere with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, but they have bigger offensive worries, such as C.J. Spiller not getting many touches, a lack of receivers (although Stevie Johnson emerged last year) and a suspect offensive line.

Prediction: The Jets offer better value, and it’s their time to knock the Patriots off their perch, especially after last year’s upset postseason win in New England. It’s no betonline com scam, take the Jets in your online sports betting picks.

Even MLB betting players are starting to think about the NFL season, as some seem to think that we’re close to a conclusion of this lockout situation, and that means it’s time to start thinking about Super Bowl odds. Here are the top five quarterbacks that could take their team to the promised land.

Tom Brady, New England

If you needed one guy to win a Super Bowl, wouldn’t you take Brady? He would be even more efficient with a deep threat, but the New England quarterback still puts fear into the heart of opposing defenses.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay

The defending Super Bowl winner has to prove that last year was no fluke, but he has the tools, including mobility, and he has a slew of weapons that make him look even better. You may not find a more naturally talented pivot in the league.

Peyton Manning, Indianapolis

This guy is a one-man coaching staff, and that Manning had the type of season he did with no running game and all of his receivers outside of Reggie Wayne getting hurt, shows that he’s still one of the best in the game.

Philip Rivers, San Diego

Speaking of injuries, Rivers had to deal with a ton last season; name another receiver outside of tight end Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson, who missed a lot of last year with a contract dispute. Rivers may be the grittiest quarterback in the NFL.

Michael Vick, Philadelphia

Vick’s mobility adds a different aspect to this danger, but he’s also improved a lot as a throwing quarterback. If the Eagles can keep him upright and improve their offensive line, watch their odds soar in your sports betting book.

Later this week, NHL betting online sites will be taking wagers on which of the league’s top free agents will be signed for the most money. Each year, the NHL free agency period helps the 30 teams discover whether or not they stand a chance at making the playoffs for the upcoming season. With a few big name betting free agents already off the market, here is a look at remaining stars.

Brad Richards C – If there was ever a need for a top line center in today’s NHL; Brad Richards would define the center teams are looking for. At 31 years of age, Richards is scoring at a point a game pace, as he quarterbacks the power play and takes key face offs. Richards has had a history with concussions; however that shouldn’t intimidate teams from taking a run at him. Expect Brad Richards to receive an increase from his current $7.8 million deal. With teams such as Philadelphia, New York Rangers, Toronto, and even Florida and Tampa Bay in the mix, Richards could earn close to $10 million over the next eight years.

Christian Ehrhoff D – After quarterbacking the Vancouver Canucks power play and defense corps for the last couple of years, Ehrhoff will be seen as a hot commodity for many NHL teams heading into next season. Ehrhoff has both, an absolute cannon from the point and good vision on the ice, making him a deadly number one defenseman in the NHL. With rumors that the Canucks can only keep one of he and partner Kevin Bieksa, Ehrhoff may be sought after by close to 10 teams.

Brooks Laich C/W – The versatile second center for the Washington Capitals will have many suitors this off season. While he has yet to break out and score at a point per game pace, Laich offers intangibles, like the versatility to play all over the ice, along with excellent penalty kill skills. Look for up to 15 teams to try and acquire the speedy star’s services.

PayPerHead.com, an online sportsbook service provider for local agents, today unveiled a new campaign featuring Vince Curatola, Johnny Sack of The Sopranos fame.

The campaign leads with Vince asking “Five bucks per head, that’s what I wanna pay…” and the website, featuring video and voice overs by Vince, walks you through the product, the process and the competition.

“Five bucks a head is really an industry first given our level of service,” a spokesman from PayPerHead.com explained. “And we very carefully and in great detail delineate on the website exactly what you get and at what price level at PayPerHead versus the other serious players, such as ABC Per Head.”

You get a great deal of sports betting services, including not only the traditional online sportsbook but an optional casino, live poker, in game live betting, mobile betting, tools for managing players and their funds, layoff and scalp accounts, even a “sharp check.” “We have the sharpest lines out there and one of the most experienced stages anywhere offshore,” the spokesman said, “so if we start seeing sharp action from one of your players, we can give you a heads up. What you want to do with him is up to you.”

The choice of Vince Curatola was an interesting one. “We always liked Vince’s character on The Sopranos, as John “Johnny Sack” Sacramoni,” the PayPerHead spokesman said. “He had a certain style, classy, but not over the top; there’s a calmness and authority about him that we really admire.  He brings that serious business demeanor to PayPerHead.com, the first sportsbook-service to EVER feature any kind of celebrity in its marketing.”

With post-up books like BetUS, Sportsbook.com and SportsInteraction stopping taking US players, Bodog and others struggling with “Ecom” processing problems, the street scene is heating up and players are posting daily in forums looking for a “local out.” Most players want the huge selection of markets, including live in-game betting, and the convenience of anytime betting online or via a mobile device, but more and more, we hear players say “they want to bet online but want to settle in cash on Monday.”

Many in the industry think this is the future of online sports betting – and it very well could be. And with firms like PayPerHead.com investing in marketing in an unprecedented way (celebs, who’d have thunk it?!) and in product (they also offer live poker, casino and in-game betting), expect to see this sector grow significantly this season.

For more information, see PayPerHead.com.