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SEATTLE -- Ken Griffey Jr. strode out from beyond the center-field wall, walked deliberately between the 2 and 4 emblazed on the Safeco Field grass, kissed his fingers and reached to touch the spot of the field he once patrolled.There was one more honor for The Kid this summer, and Griffey soaked up every moment.Griffeys No. 24 was retired by the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night with an emotional outpouring from fans that had the new Hall of Famer fighting back tears. The Mariners retired the number throughout the organization, and the final time it was worn came during batting practice when every member of the roster and coaching staff took the field with No. 24 on their jersey.The nearly hour-long program included former teammates, special Hall of Fame guests from other sports and an eloquent five-minute video narrated by Grammy Award rapper Macklemore that brought the stadium to its feet and left very few dry eyes.It also included a video message from Willie Mays, who chided Griffey for not returning Mays call after Griffeys Hall of Fame induction was announced in January. So Griffey pulled out his cellphone and called Mays -- but had to leave a message, he said.Griffey entered the stadium, appropriately, through center field, stopping along the way in the sun-drenched outfield to acknowledge the roaring ovation. It was an opportunity for those who didnt make the trip to see Griffey inducted in Cooperstown to give their thanks for what Griffey meant to baseball in the Pacific Northwest.I cant really explain what the last two weeks have been like. Its been unforgettable, Griffey said. The fans, the people, I walk down the street and Im getting high-fives like I just scored again. Thats a tribute to you guys here, the way that you treat baseball players, basketball players, football players like people. You make us feel like part of the community, and I want to thank you guys.Griffey managed to maintain his composure until it came time for the unveiling of his retired number. The Mariners quietly pulled his daughter, Taryn, from the on-field ceremony and repositioned her in left-center field to pull the curtain that was covering the No. 24, placed right next to Jackie Robinsons No. 42.Griffey couldnt hold back the tears at that point, dabbing his eyes with his tie.Its only fitting from here forward Kens No. 24 will be displayed next to Jackie Robinsons No. 42, Mariners president Kevin Mather said.Mather also announced that the team will construct a statue of Griffey outside of Safeco Field to be unveiled in 2017.Griffeys speech was nearly 20 minutes shorter than his Hall of Fame induction speech, and he was able to keep the emotions in check as he cracked on former teammates and honored the city where he broke in as a 19-year-old in 1989.Ive had so many great memories in this city. Its been an unbelievable ride, he said.The Mariners pulled out all the stops, including the presence of Hall of Fame players from other Seattle professional franchises. Steve Largent and Cortez Kennedy represented the Seattle Seahawks, adorned in their gold Hall of Fame blazers, while Spencer Haywood and Gary Payton represented the Seattle SuperSonics. Payton, nicknamed The Glove, presented Griffey with a bronzed glove created by the same group that made Griffeys Hall of Fame plaque.And the Mariners brought in a pair of No. 24s in the Baseball Hall of Fame with a special connection to Griffey: Rickey Henderson, a teammate in Seattle, and Tony Perez, a teammate of Griffeys father in Cincinnati. Henderson also was the punchline of the parting shot to Griffeys speech.Rickey, you were the greatest, Griffey said. Today, I am the greatest. Darren Woodson Cowboys Jersey . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. 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RIO DE JANEIRO -- The odds are good the U.S. will win the gold medal count once again in the Olympics.The odds are even better this year that there will be some money bet on it.Bookmakers in Las Vegas are making the U.S. the favorite to defend the gold medal crown from the London Olympics, with an over/under of 43.5 gold medals for the Americans. China is the only other country close to the U.S., with bookies putting that countrys gold medal line at 36.Its the first time since the 2000 Olympics in Sydney that bettors in Nevada have been able to put money on the games. So far, they havent exactly caught Olympic fever.Weve probably had 10 people come to the counter to bet it, said Jimmy Vaccaro, who sets odds at the South Point hotel sports book.Bookies who can usually pick the spread for an NFL game within a point or two off the top of their head have had to educate themselves on some unfamiliar sports that in any other year would not even attract the attention of bettors looking to make a score.Its easy enough to make Michael Phelps a favorite in most of his races, and for Usain Bolt to add three more golds to his growing collection. Not terribly difficult to pick the home country, Brazil, in both mens and womens volleyball, either.But making a line on things like Hyvin Jepkemoi of Kenya to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase (shes an even money favorite) is a little tougher. So is figuring out that Germanys Thomas Rohler should be a 5-4 favorite in the javelin.And with real money at stake, there is little room for error.If you put up something thats a weak line or make a mistake the sophisticated guys will be all over it, said Johnny Avello, who runs the sports book at the Wynn. They turn into good bettors if you have something wrong.Its pretty much a foregone concluusion the U.ddddddddddddS. mens and womens basketball teams will romp their way to gold. The U.S. women are so dominant that they are a staggering 57.5 point favorite to beat Senegal in their opening game, and you would have to wager $200 to win just $10 if you like either team to win the gold.Just as dominant is American gymnast Simone Biles, who could be the biggest star of the Rio Games. Biles is a 2-1 favorite to win the balance beam and the floor exercises, a co-favorite along with North Koreas Hong Un Jong to win the vault, and a big favorite to win the all around.She and her teammates are also whopping 22-1 picks to bring home the womens team gold.Since most sports rarely appear on an oddsmakers radar, they wont risk the house by taking huge bets. Avello said he would take a couple of dimes ($2,000) on most bets, while most books limit bets to half that.Betting on the Olympics is nothing new. Betting parlors in Britain did good business four years ago for the London Olympics, and have posted odds for years on both big and obscure events at the games.But bettors in the U.S. have been shutout since the 2000 Olympics because of an agreement Nevada gaming authorities made not to offer betting on amateur sports. The prohibition was lifted in Nevada last year, though, and bookies were quick to post odds.So far, though, the action has been minimal, mostly what Kornegay calls grocery store bets of $10 and $20.If America gets into the hype of the coverage maybe it will be more, he said. But I think people watch the Olympics more than they bet them. If Serbia plays Croatia in volleyball or something like that I dont think well get any bets. Cheap Jerseyshink people watch the Olympics more than they esale Basketball Jerseys[/url] Wholesale Baseball Jerseys ' ' '