Fire burning to "exact a little revenge" on Revs

Soccer Betting Lines

11/07/2007 - Foxborough, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two days before the New England Revolution clinched their Major League Soccer record sixth-consecutive berth in the Eastern Conference final - to be played at Gillett Stadium on Thursday - the Chicago Fire booked their spot by knocking off top-seeded D.C. United.

Immediately after that game at D.C. the Fire let it be known who they were rooting for in the other Eastern semifinal series between the Revs and Red Bull New York.

"I think we will do well, regardless of what team we play," said Fire attacker Chris Rolfe, who scored two of Chicago's three goals in the 3-2 series win vs. United. "Obviously it would be nice to play New England because they knocked us out (of the playoffs) last year and they knocked us out my first year, too. So it would be good to get some revenge on them."

"I personally kind of want to play New England," Fire forward Chad Barrett said. "Exact a little revenge."

After New England, which has advanced to the MLS Cup final the past two seasons - both losses - squeaked out a 1-0, aggregate series win over the Red Bulls, the Fire got their wish while giving the Revs some bulletin board material, which was played off by captain Steve Ralston.

"It's nothing," he said of Barrett and Rolfe's comments. "We are not going to post that up in the locker room and say, 'look at what these guys are talking.' It makes no difference to us, we will be ready to play. They are a good team, we will be ready to play. It's the semifinals of the Cup, we are at home, we are going to try and be the aggressor of the game and whatever, it doesn't bother us either way."

The teams have a long history with this being their fifth all-time playoff matchup with New England holding a 3-2 lead. Most recently the Fire were edged by the Revs in penalty kicks in last season's Eastern semis. New England also eliminated Chicago from the playoffs three of the last five seasons while the Fire earned a 2003 conference final win over their rivals. To add more fuel to the rivalry, New England's win over Chicago in the regular season finale in 2004 kept the Fire out of the postseason for the first, and only time, in team history.

"I think the rivalry comes from meeting and playing each other in important games," Chicago captain Chris Armas said. "It's not because we play each other on opening day every time. It just seems so many times we meet in the playoffs, conference finals, (U.S.) Open Cup games and the games have been close. It is a healthy competition. I think it's mutual respect, players to the coaches on both sides and I think both sides are looking forward to the match."

The Fire are the hottest team in MLS, unbeaten in their last 10 league fixtures, including a win and a draw against D.C. in the semis. There have been a number of players who have contributed to the run, but attackers Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Chris Rolfe and the defense's ability to hold opponents to just eight goals during the streak are the main reasons for the club's top form.

"I think the biggest threat (Rolfe) possesses is in and around the box," New England coach Steve Nicol said. "The goal he scored (in the second leg) against D.C. (a 2-2 draw) was just a great striker's goal, instinct inside the box. He got there first and put it past the goalkeeper before he even thought about it."

"The most important thing is to be aware with where he is at on the field," Ralston said of Blanco. "If you give him time he is going to be dangerous. He finds holes, little gaps and tries to make room for himself. If we allow him to turn and face the goal he can play some great balls."

The Revolution will count on their previous playoff experiences to cool down the red hot Fire in the game.

"We've been here before and probably been in every situation that's possible over those five (previous conference final) games so that makes you more than well equipped to face whatever comes along," Nicol said.

The Fire will count on their tough schedule down the stretch, needing to go on the impressive unbeaten streak to even make the playoffs, which they did on the last day of the regular season.

"We have been in very tough matches in the last two months and it has helped, especially our young players, to become more mature and dealing with those huge games and dealing with games that really mean a lot," Fire coach Juan Carlos Osorio said. "For me, I have seen signs from my players that they are a lot more comfortable with those tough games and hopefully we can show that on Thursday night."

The Fire will have to be at their very best once again to advance past a veteran Revolution team that has been together for awhile.

"They have two very good finishers in (Taylor) Twellman and (Pat) Noonan. Noonan more crafty, Twellman has that natural goal (scoring ability). He can score any type of goals," Osorio said. "They have very good service from the flank. (Khano) Smith (has) long strides and can outrun you. (Wells) Thompson (is) more like a pinching player, coming inside. Ralston has control and (Andy) Dorman coming from midfield. (Shalrie) Joseph and (Jeff) Larentowicz are very good central midfielders. Joseph more like a distributor and Larentowicz more like a box-to-box midfielder. (They also have) a good goalkeeper (in Matt Reis) and very solid defenders (led by Michael Parkhurst)."

The Fire's form aside, they may regret what they wished for in this Eastern clash against a very talented and driven New England side.

"I feel great personally. More importantly, as a team we are excited about this opportunity, playing at home, playing against the Fire on Thursday, a team we have a lot of respect for," Ralston said. "The past few weeks they have been playing as good as anybody, they have been on a good run, but we feel like we are up to the task and like (Nicol) said, we are biting at the bit to get this game going."

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Police report: Terrell Owens hospitalized after attempt

Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.

The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.

Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.

NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.

"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.

The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.

But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.

The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.

Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.

The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.

The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.

The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.

Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.

Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."

Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.

"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."

Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.

It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.

"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."

Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.

"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."

At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.

According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.

Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.

Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.

When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.

He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.

Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.

Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.

Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.

While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.

"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.

Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.

Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com

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