http://www.sportsbooks.com/ Sportsbooks - Pro and College sport headlines and stories on the NFL, NBA, NCAA, NHL, MLB, football, baseball, basketball, World Series, Super Bowl. en-us jackblack@sportsbooks.com http://www.sportsbooks.com/ Players making their first deposit with Sportsbooks.com will automatically receive a Tournament Ticket to the $500 Welcome Freeroll. http://www.sportsbooks.com/news/sports_betting/966633.html The San Francisco 49ers have extended the contract of general manager Trent Baalke through 2016. 49ers president and CEO Jed York announced the move via his Twitter account on Friday. Baalke, who was promoted to the GM spot in January 2011, turned around a San Francisco squad that had not had a winning season since the 2002 campaign. The 2011 49ers posted a 13-3 regular season record, took the NFC West division title, and won their first http://www.sportsbooks.com/news/sports_betting/966590.html The Tennessee Titans signed wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins to a multi-year contract on Friday. Hawkins caught 47 passes for 470 yards and recorded his first career touchdown last season. He ranked second on the Titans with 17 third-down receptions. Over four NFL seasons, all with Tennessee, Hawkins has totaled 66 receptions for 709 yards in 45 career games. http://www.sportsbooks.com/news/sports_betting/966550.html New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski reportedly underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle. Comcast SportsNet New England confirmed the procedure took place on Friday morning, reporting that recovery time is expected to be 10 weeks. The 22-year-old sustained the injury, called a high ankle sprain, during the third quarter of a 23-20 victory over Baltimore in the AFC Championship Game. He was limited t http://www.sportsbooks.com/news/sports_betting/966363.html The Oakland Raiders released cornerback Stanford Routt on Thursday, just one season after he signed a three-year contract extension. The deal guaranteed Routt $20 million over the first two years and was potentially worth $31.5 million overall. Routt, who was a second-round pick of the Raiders in 2005, played in 16 games in 2011, starting 15 and registering 49 tackles and four interceptions. The move comes under the watch of http://www.sportsbooks.com/news/sports_betting/966153.html The Buffalo Bills have released safety Jon Corto, who missed the entire 2011 season with a shoulder injury. Corto, who had signed a two-year contract extension prior to the 2011 campaign, was a solid special teams contributor during his three seasons with the Bills. The Orchard Park native missed the first five games of the 2010 season due to a broken wrist, but he appeared in the final 11 contests and finished tied for fifth on the te http://www.sportsbooks.com/news/sports_betting/965791.html The Indianapolis Colts have promoted Tom Telesco to vice president of football operations. Telesco, who spent 14 years in the personnel department, was promoted by new general manager Ryan Grigson. The announcement was made Wednesday. With the Colts since 1998, Telesco spent the last six years as the team's director of player personnel. Grigson called the promotion "well deserved" and said Telesco has a "bright football mind, conve http://www.sportsbooks.com/news/sports_betting/965613.html The Carolina Panthers signed long snapper J.J. Jansen to a four-year contract on Wednesday. Jansen, 26, has played all 48 games in his three NFL seasons with the Panthers and went without a mistake this past season. The Panthers also signed linebacker Jason Phillips to a one-year contract. The deal was announced Wednesday. http://www.sportsbooks.com/news/sports_betting/965533.html Betting the underdog in the Super Bowl is never a sure thing as evidenced by Green Bay's win and cover as the favorite in the 2011 contest. However, with the Giants victory as 2.5-point underdogs last Sunday, the team getting points has now covered eight of the last 11 Super Bowls. That translates to a 73% winning percentage. For my money, it doesn't get better than that. Whoops, it does get better than that, as the under in the Super http://www.sportsbooks.com/news/sports_betting/965270.html New York Giants tight end Jake Ballard suffered a torn knee ligament in the Super Bowl, the team said Tuesday. Ballard tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the fourth quarter of Sunday's win over the Patriots. Fellow tight end Travis Beckum went down with a torn ACL in his right knee in the second quarter. Replays on TV showed Ballard trying to run and cut on the sideline, perhaps hoping to get back in the game, http://www.sportsbooks.com/news/sports_betting/965266.html The New Orleans Saints officially hired Steve Spagnuolo as their new defensive coordinator on Tuesday. Spagnuolo spent the last three seasons as head coach in St. Louis, but was fired on January 2 after the Rams finished the 2011 season with a bleak 2-14 record. He finished his brief tenure with a mark of 10-38. The Rams were 1-15 in his first year, then took a big step forward at 7-9 in 2010 before regressing this past season. His