y Kornegay of the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook disagrees,

NEWARK – With some uncertainty at the position, Dave Nonis took steps to address the Leafs strength down the middle, both now and in the future. Nonis sprung to acquire Game 6 hero Dave Bolland from Chicago on draft day, also selecting 6-foot-5 Rimouski pivot Frederik Gauthier with the 21st overall pick. The moves work to address a position of instability within the organization, most immediately with the acquisition of Bolland, a 27-year-old Toronto native who won his second Cup with the Hawks earlier this week. “It doesnt mean that were not [stilll] looking to try to shore up that area because from our standpoint, it still is an area of, I wouldnt say weakness, but were not incredibly deep down the middle and thats why it was important to get him,” said Nonis, minutes after the deal for Bolland was announced. Centre-ice had been, and still remains to some degree, a position of uncertainty. Tyler Bozak, the Leafs number one middleman in 2013, is on the verge of unrestricted free agency with the very real possibility looming that he moves elsewhere for more money than Toronto is willing to offer. With that in mind and some additional uncertainty in the contributions of Mikhail Grabovski and Nazem Kadri next season, Nonis looked for assurance in Bolland, who has one year remaining at a cap hit of $3.3 milion. “It wouldnt rule out signing Tyler at all,” Nonis said of Bozak, who is searching for a significant raise this summer. “If we can find a way of getting him signed then we will. Nothing has changed in that regard from our standpoint.” The injection of Bolland, the former London Knight, into a complement that already includes Grabovski, Kadri (restricted free agent) and Jay McClement, means the Leafs could theoretically be set down the middle for the fall; that is if Bozak departs and Nonis cannot land additional help through the trade or free agent markets. “Yeah, no question that was part of it,” Nonis concurred. “To make sure that we had some depth and we would be able to compete with the group that we had. We feel that if we get everybody signed and in, and now with David, wed be in a perfectly good position to start the season.” With Grabovski and Kadri (potentially) slotting in as the first and second line centres – in lieu of any other moves, which remain a real possibility – Bolland could line up in the all-important three-hole for Randy Carlyle, removing some pressure on Grabovski in defensive situations while injecting the potential for more offence than McClement may provide. Additionally, if Nonis and the Leafs opt to upgrade further down the middle, Bollands acquisition allows further flexibility to perhaps move someone else out or otherwise enjoy long-starved depth at the position. “He played behind some pretty good people [in Chicago] and I think Randy, he wont pigeon-hole him as a third-line centre,” Nonis said of Bolland, who dropped to the fourth line spot for the Hawks in the playoffs, behind the likes of Jonathan Toews, Michal Handzus and Marcus Kruger. “I think hell probably be put in maybe a more prominent role with us than he was in Chicago.” Formerly the head man in Anaheim, Carlyle had plenty of first-hand experience in the Western Conference with Bolland, who fits the gritty mold the Leafs coach seems prefers in his players. “I can tell you that Randy is very happy that we brought Dave Bolland in,” Nonis noted. “Hes the type of player that thrives under the way he coaches. And Randy moves people around the lineup and I think thats something that Dave Bolland has done throughout his career very effectively.” A force during the Hawks run to the Cup in 2010 – 16 points – Bolland was hobbled by injuries throughout the 2013 season – he sat out 13 games – even missing the first five games of the playoffs with a groin issue. Plugged further down the lineup than he had been in the past, Bolland totaled just a single point in series wins against Detroit and Los Angeles before breaking out with three goals and five points against the Bruins, including the Cup-clinching goal in Game 6. “I think its going to be great,” Bolland said of returning home to Toronto. “I think this is one team like the Blackhawks team thats coming up and is going to do great things – hopefully like we did [in Chicago].” Nonis said discussions with Chicago general manager Stan Bowman had been ongoing for quite some time, the Leafs general manager initiating the deal, which sent the 51st and 117th picks to the Hawks this year as well as a fourth rounder in 2014, shortly after the Cup had been awarded. Toronto now has 12 players under contract for the 2013-2014 campaign, still working on contracts for a restricted free agent class that includes Kadri, Cody Franson, Carl Gunnarsson, and newly acquired Jonathan Bernier. With upwards of $19 million available following the likely compliance buyout of Mike Komisarek, Nonis still has plenty of work ahead. “We think theres more things that we hope to do,” he stated, “whether we can accomplish those between now and September remains to be seen. But were going to try to remain active and see if theres more changes we can make.” In addition to Bolland, Nonis and his scouting staff looked to address the centre position long-term, settling on Gauthier with their first round pick, a big, defense-first centre from the Quebec league. Gauthier projects as a stable, low-risk option down the middle, a player who might line up in a shutdown role for the Leafs one day, though not anytime soon. “Were pretty comfortable that he should round out to a second-line centre top-end, but at least a third line guy that can be very responsible,” Nonis said of Gauthier, who remains a work in progress offensively, nonetheless totaling 22 goals in his first season with the Oceanic. “Hes the type of player that you need to eat up minutes, a big-minute crunching centreman that right now we were lacking.” Of those “indicators” which suggest NHL potential, Dave Morrison, the Leafs head scout, pointed to Gauthiers size, defensive savvy, and ability to process the game. “We just think theres some upside,” Morrison told TSN.ca, also emphasizing Gauthiers competitiveness and skill on the draw, “how much offensively remains to be seen. But were hopeful. Hes still a young guy, a big body thats still growing, still growing into that body.” Nonis said he and his management team looked seriously at the prospect of moving up in Sundays draft, the price-point just too high to justify a move. “The assets to move up didnt make any sense,” he said. “The temptation to try to do something is always there. I think as you get closer to the draft the temptation actually even increases. You have to make sure you check yourself because its pretty easy to do some pretty significant damage by moving pieces out that you think are going to be long-term pieces of the puzzle. “Were there options? There was a couple of options, but they werent going to help the Toronto Maple Leafs, they were going to probably set us back.” The Leafs went on to select Carter Verhaeghe, an Ontario native and centre from the Niagara IceDogs, in the third round, adding Swiss forward Fabrice Herzog in the fifth, P.E.I. Rockets goalie Antoine Bideau in the sixth, and smallish Swedish defenceman Andreas Johnson in the seventh and final round. Cheap Jordan Shoes Uk . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. Nike Air Jordan Uk Store . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. http://www.wholesaleukairjordan.com/ . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. Nike Air Jordan Shoes Uk . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Nike Air Jordan Sale Uk . With his new coach and six-time Grand Slam singles champion Boris Becker watching him during an official match for the first time, Djokovic appeared tentative early against the Slovakian player, who often appeared content to keep the ball in play. LAS VEGAS -- UFC 200 is Saturdays undisputed biggest betting event, the marquee attraction of a busy sports weekend that also includes the Wimbledon mens and womens finals and the Euro 2016 final.The card was dealt a blow when Jon Jones dropped out of the headlining match with Daniel Cormier, but the UFC was able to quickly fill the void as former champion Anderson Silva signed on to fight Cormier in an intriguing nontitle bout. The Miesha Tate-Amanda Nunes womens bantamweight title bout now takes over as the headliner, with popular heavyweight Brock Lesnar also taking on Mark Hunt -- and just like that, the buzz around the T-Mobile Arena is as electric as ever.The fact that this kind of change doesnt derail the whole show (and that one cant imagine a boxing card scrambling so effectively on short notice) shows how far the Ultimate Fighting Championship has come, especially since its humble beginnings as a niche sport in the 1990s. Weve come to expect the UFC to have exciting title fights and competitive cards from top-to-bottom for fans and bettors alike.That hasnt always been the case.UFC 1 was held on Nov. 12, 1993 at McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado, and was promoted by original owners Semaphore Entertainment Group (SEG). Early editions of these mixed martial arts events -- commonly referred to as MMA, which includes all the other organizations, although were focusing here on the history of the UFC -- were promoted as no-holds-barred bouts with no rules. There was no set number of rounds and there were no weight classes; contestants fought until the loser was knocked out or choked out, or tapped out.Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) famously referred to the fledgling sport as human cockfighting in 1996 and there were calls to outlaw it. The UFC had many other critics, and it wasnt able to get licensed in Nevada. Instead, it held cards all over the country in a wide variety of cities: Charlotte, North Carolina; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Casper, Wyoming; Buffalo, New York; Detroit, Michigan; Birmingham, Alabama; Augusta, Georgia; Dothan, Alabama; Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; New Orleans, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Lake Charles, Louisiana; and Atlantic City, New Jersey. The UFC also hosted events in Puerto Rico and Japan as its fan base grew.The UFC slowly made its way into pop culture and the mainstream, receiving a big boost in that regard when it was featured on the wildly popular TV show Friends on May 8, 1997. In an episode titled The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion, Monicas millionaire boyfriend Pete Becker (played by Jon Favreau) competes in the octagon and repeatedly takes a beating.John Avello, the director of race and sports at the Wynn Las Vegas, was at his former job at Ballys in the mid-1990s.This was 20 years ago, so I dont have specific recollections of conversations of UFC at that time, Avello says now, but the discussions were probably similar to what were seeing now with esports. I dont recall any meetings with the Gaming Control Board like were having already with esports, but we were keeping an eye on it and deciding how we would book it and how it would be handled by Gaming.Lets face it, it was a younger persons game -- just like esports is now -- but us old bookmakers know how to adjust, and when they cleaned up the sport, it made it OK for us to book it.While the no rules policy appealed to the desired demographic of 18-to-34 males, the UFC gradually outlawed eye-gouging, fish-hooking, hair-pulling, head-butting and blows below the belt to make the sport less barbaric. To appeal to state athletic commissions, they also added rounds and a scoring system to make it more like a sport -- more like boxing, but still decidedly different.The Fertitta brothers -- Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta III, who inherited the Palace Station Hotel-Casino from their father, Frank Jr., in 1993 and built the Station Casino empire here in Las Vegas -- bought the UFC for $2 million in 2001 (current UFC President Dana White, the Fertittas childhood friend, also owns a minority ownership stake). That was just after UFC 29, and they continued to legitimize the sport, which ultimately led to the UFC getting licensed in Nevada.Marc Ratner was the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission from 1992 to 2006 and is credited with helping the UFC get licensed in the state. Ratner later left the NSAC in 2006 to become the UFCs vice president of regulatory affairs, and he has helped the UFC get licensed in every other state -- capped off by New York making it legal in March. Thats a huge comeback from when 36 states banned no-holds-barred fighting in the 1990s.The first card held in Nevada was UFC 33, which took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Sept. 28, 2001. Hugh Citron was a sportsbook supervisor at Mandalay Bay, which was an independent book at that time, and jumped at the chance to set MMA odds.I followed UFC since its inception and was fascinated by it, Citron said, but we didnt book it until we hosted that first event in Las Vegas. The main reason was to give the fans going to the fights a chance to bet, but we found out right awaay that the UFC had very dedicated fans -- and they werent afraid to bet.ddddddddddddIn the following years, other books started booking UFC but would usually just do the main event. But we knew that any fights we put on the board would get tons of action.As Citron alluded to, the UFC became more popular with the sportsbooks in Vegas as MMAs popularity grew in the mainstream, and stars such as Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz emerged. Bettors also loved that most fights didnt go to the judges scorecards, so there were more clear-cut results rather than the kind of controversial decisions that have plagued boxing.The Vegas sportsbooks handle UFC mostly the same way as boxing, with odds on the two fighters and an over/under on the number of rounds. There hasnt been much in the way of prop betting, though there have been a few notable exceptions. When UFC 183 was held on Super Bowl eve in 2015, the Westgate SuperBook posted a prop on the number of completed rounds in the Anderson Silva-Nick Diaz fight vs. the number of made field goals by the Patriots and Seahawks; the FGs were -0.5 and a -150 favorite, but the Silva-Diaz bout went five rounds and only one FG was made in the Super Bowl.Another milestone event was UFC 51 on April 9, 2005, which featured the finale of The Ultimate Fighter reality show that aired on Spike TV. Avello -- who has become well-known outside Nevada for his odds on reality shows such as Survivor, American Idol, The Bachelor and just about any other reality show you can name -- said he remembers getting caught up in The Ultimate Fighter craze, which White, to this day, credits as the turning point when the UFC really went big-time. Avello points out there were other factors that helped the UFC become the force that it is today.There were big names, for sure, but UFC also benefited with the decline of boxing, Avello said. Boxing, which really made this town back in the day with so many big fights, started to fall apart with so few big names except for Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in recent years, and the heavyweight division has pretty much been nonexistent. UFC has pretty much just filled that void. If the sport of boxing had stayed strong, UFC wouldnt have had as easy of a time growing like it has.Citron marvels at how the sport has continued to increase in popularity, but says handicapping UFC hasnt changed too much.Back when we started booking UFC, it was easier to follow because there were maybe 10 fighters in each weight class, so it wasnt hard to know them all pretty good, he said from his Stratosphere office, where he has worked since 2012, and still enjoys putting up his UFC odds. Now, the UFC has hundreds of fighters, so that makes it more challenging. Its still not like boxing, where you can make a heavy favorite. In UFC, you never want to lay a really big price, because as weve seen with some of the big upsets, anything can happen. The fighters have to engage, unlike boxing, where a fighter might be able to dance around. When you have to engage, theres a lot more ways to lose.Avello agrees with certain public sentiments that the UFC has almost grown too much, and does question whether the product is getting to the point of overexposure. It took 16 years to get to UFC 100 in 2009, or an average of just over 6 cards a year, and now were at UFC 200 just seven years later -- an average of about 14 pay-per-view cards per year, to say nothing of the cards broadcast on TV.Even though Avello mentioned the decline of boxing several times, he stops short of saying UFC has surpassed boxing in the betting arena.Its still comparing apples and oranges, Avello says. Theres still nothing like a big title fight like we had last year with Mayweather-Pacquiao, but the problem with boxing nowadays is that you rarely get a card with good fights on the undercard. But if you take away those mega-boxing events, the UFC cards out-handle the lesser boxing events because theyre usually deeper with more good fights.However, Jay Kornegay of the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook disagrees, saying that the UFC out-handles boxing, at least at his book, and it comes down to that increase in volume.UFC out-handles boxing at a 2-to-1 clip, with boxing being skewed by a few marquee fights, said Kornegay, adding that an average UFC card takes in bets comparable to a solid NFL playoff game. This disparity is widening every year. UFC cards can offer up to 10 matches to wager on, while boxing only offers one to three at most. A lot of boxing undercard matches arent worthy for posting on betting boards.Despite losing the Jones-Cormier matchup, Saturday nights UFC 200 will still produce big lines at the betting windows at the sportsbooks in Vegas. As of 10 a.m. PT Friday, the consensus Vegas lines for the top fights were:Tate -240 over Nunes, a popular underdog play at +200Hunt -170 over the popular Lesnar at +150Cormier -450 over Silva at +375And a great matchup with a tight line, featuring Frankie Edgar (-115) vs. Jose Aldo (-105) ' ' '