November 29, 2010 by Jonathan Lowe • Print Story •
The Thanksgiving weekend has now come and gone, and, for one, I certainly am grateful for the chance to express my opinion to be read by thousands ... um, hundreds ... okay, a couple of people. That's why I'm going to veer this column to two different areas. The first deals with a fact of sporing life that has reared its head yet again.
For all that has occurred this season around college football, the major players in the hunt for the BCS championship have all had something go in their favor. No matter how large the student body, everyone had something put in place to keep them alive to this point. So to those left after Saturday's leftovers, what are they thankful for?
Pac-10 Champion Oregon — Cal Offense and Giorgio Tavecchio
The Ducks have speed for days, and that's been too much to overcome for their foes in the Pac-10. The offense is one of the most potent in the nation, and their defense seems to stiffen more as the game goes on. However, Cal found something out. The Bears were undefeated at home going into its showdown two weeks ago, but that didn't make up for the fact that they were 5-5.
Somehow, though, Cal held Oregon to 15 points. They only allowed one offensive touchdown. And for all that ... the Bear offense couldn't take advantage. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Tavecchio lined up for a 24-yard field goal. He made it. But ... there was an inexplicable illegal motion penalty. Tavecchio missed the ensuing 29-yard attempt, and, three drives later, the Ducks ran the final 9:25 off the clock. I'm not saying that Oregon would have ultimately lost had they gone down 16-15, but it would have been interesting to find out how they played under extreme pressure.
SEC West Division Champ Auburn — Lightning in a Tank
No matter what comes to light surrounding the Tigers' quarterback, Cam Newton has been this year's Tim Tebow. The team's uncanny ability to come back from several deficits (including Friday's 24-point difference against Alabama) has been solely based on the play of Newton. Although this may come back to bite the program he plays for later on, he has been close to unstoppable in the present time. South Carolina gets another shot at him this coming Saturday. But hell, the way things go in this sport, who's to say the Tigers don't get their shot at the crown with a loss.
Mountain West Champion TCU — Nevada
What Boise State loses, the Horned Frogs gain. Over the last two seasons, the resurgent Dallas-based program has been one of the most consistent in the country (along with said Broncos). It appeared, though, as if a Boise win would have put the Smurf Turf Boys slightly ahead in the battle of "first team out." Now, the Frogs are clearly in that position. If something were to happen to Auburn or Oregon, Andy Dalton and his crew might just get their chance on the biggest stage.
Pac-10 BCS contender Stanford — A Lucky QB
The Cardinal were a team on the rise last season, but the loss of all-everything running back Toby Gerhart made some wonder if there would be a slight drop-off. However, that just brought out the skills of an all-everything quarterback in Andrew Luck. His stats (2,746 yds, 24 TD, 7 INT, 70.2 comp. %) have kept him in the minds of some of the Heisman voters that hailed him in August.
Big Ten Co-Champs Wisconsin and Ohio State — University of Iowa
Both teams had to visit Iowa City for their showdown with the Hawkeyes this season. Both teams won by very slim margins (the Badgers by 1 and the Buckeyes by 3) on short runs with under two minutes left in the game. Because of this, both teams ended up with identical records. But for this co-champ thing to work, both squads needed one more thing from the Hawkeyes.
They got it when the Black and Gold trounced Michigan State on the Spartans trip to Kinnick Stadium. Not only did this keep Sparty from running through an unblemished season, but it knocked them far enough down the totem pole that they will certainly end up the third wheel in this 11-1 (7-1) trio. Now, with Saturday's results, it appears Bucky will by Rosy and Buckeyes will fill another one of the BCS bowls. Michigan State? I've heard Orlando is lovely this time of year.
Big 12 Co-South Division Champ Oklahoma — Revisionist History
Saturday night, the Sooners continued their dominant ways over Oklahoma State, basically denying the Cowboys a shot at their first Big 12 Championship Game appearance. It also set up a three-way tie between OU, OSU, and blazing-hot Texas A&M. Do you guys remember when the last three-way divisional tie was? Try the Big 12 South, circa 2008.
That year, OU benefited from Texas' last-second loss to Texas Tech, which ended up creating the logjam between the Sooner, Longhorns, and Red Raiders. That year, Texas beat Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry contest. However, it was early enough for Boomer Sooner to recover.
This year, Texas A&M beats Oklahoma three weeks ago, but it was early enough for them to recover since Oklahoma State started a stretch (on Sept. 30th) that pushed the Aggies under the radar. In the end, it appears that the team that vanquished Oklahoma dreams of sneaking into the Championship Game won't get the chance to realize any BCS dreams of their own.
For teams such as Boise State, LSU, and Oklahoma State, their offerings of thanks were all rebuffed this weekend, even though all will have another game to prepare for. Now, I'm going to invoke the intro to the column, because it's time to give up the feeling of graciousness for a bit.
As pretty much anybody that follows college football knows by now, Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee talked about how teams such as Boise State and TCU don't deserve a shot at the national championship. If you missed the quote, here is a portion of it.
"I do know, having been both a Southeastern Conference president and a Big Ten president, that it's like murderer's row every week for these schools. We do not play the Little Sisters of the Poor. We play very fine schools on any given day.
"So I think until a university runs through that gauntlet that there's some reason to believe that they not be the best teams to (be) in the big ballgame."
First of all, I get it. The man has had the experience of working with these BCS power conferences for years now. I'm certain that most, if not all, of the Presidents of these Universities feel the same way. Personally, I'm a fan of Missouri and an alma mater of Iowa State, two examples (although not the best ones) of teams from a power conference.
However, when you start parsing schedules and pointing to the fact that a tradition or a name means practically everything, then you have to take a second to think. I understand that there may not be as many potholes to navigate in the WAC, or the MAC, or the Sun Belt. But how can you blame them for playing in their own conference, then signing up to supposedly get pummeled by your conference?
After last summer's carousel called Conference Realignment, it's apparent that geography doesn't particularly drive the bus anymore in this sport. In this process, schools sought out the chance to "relocate," but they couldn't just go out and claim that they were shifting to a new home.
Mr. Gee, do you feel these teams need a tougher schedule? Do you believe they wouldn't have an undefeated run through your conference foes? Prove it. Unless you can come up with a new configuration that excludes the lesser conferences, invite tell the Pac-10 to invite Boise State to join. Tell the SEC or Big 12 to sign TCU up. Hell, go tell Jim Delaney to open your conference's doors to Ohio or Temple. All this is doing is inviting these programs to the party and not letting them in the door. You don't think someone would eventually complain or smash a window to get in? Wouldn't you be insulted if you were in that position?
Do I expect you and your buddies to do this? No. That would mean giving up too much of the pie for you guys. But until you extend a solution, might I advise that you please refrain from talking out of both sides of your mouth, sir. It just isn't as well arranged as that bow tie of yours.
Maybe that's why I'm truly grateful for college basketball.
More NBA Sports Commentary11.29.10By Jonathan Lowe end moreSportsCommentary --
View the Original article
Saturday, December 11, 2010
The Five Biggest Things Wrong in MMA
November 29, 2010 by Brad Oremland • Print Story •
I'm a huge NFL fan. Football isn't perfect. There are a lot of rules, strategies, and league policies I hope will change. Most of them probably won't, but some of them will. I'm also a big MMA fan. In this sport, though, I have less confidence that what needs to change will do so.
Organized professional football has been around for about 90 years. Over that time, the game has changed dramatically. Not just with regard to strategy and skill, but to the rules, which are dramatically different than they were in the sport's infancy. In fact, the rules are still changing today; almost every season, there's an important new rule or "point of emphasis."
Go back 20 years in the NFL, and we had six divisions instead of eight, 10 teams in the playoffs rather than 12, no such thing as illegal contact, far less stringent unnecessary roughness regulations, wedges permitted on kickoffs, the current replay and challenge system wasn't in place, so on and so on. The NFL recognizes that problems arise even in a healthy, popular sport, and when those problems arise the league takes action to address them. MMA needs to start doing the same thing.
:
1) Sub-standard judging.
2) Out-of-date rules, particularly those adapted from boxing.
3) Boring fights with little obvious action.
4) Poor officiating.
5) Match-making handcuffed by reluctance to cross-promote.
Sub-Standard Judging
There are three reasons we see immediate rematches in MMA: (1) freak stoppages due to injury, (2) upset of an outstanding champion, (3) bizarre decision by judges or referee. Last weekend at UFC 123, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson won a controversial split decision victory over Lyoto Machida. Rampage was visibly surprised by the verdict, and admitted in a post-fight interview that Machida probably deserved an immediate rematch. UFC commentator Joe Rogan enthusiastically agreed, as did the partisan Detroit crowd, which had supported Jackson throughout the evening.
Earlier on the card, Nik Lentz won a stunning decision over Tyson Griffin. I didn't see the fight, but I haven't seen anyone defend the decision, either. Nothing — nothing — will destroy a sport faster than lack of legitimacy.
View the Original article
I'm a huge NFL fan. Football isn't perfect. There are a lot of rules, strategies, and league policies I hope will change. Most of them probably won't, but some of them will. I'm also a big MMA fan. In this sport, though, I have less confidence that what needs to change will do so.
Organized professional football has been around for about 90 years. Over that time, the game has changed dramatically. Not just with regard to strategy and skill, but to the rules, which are dramatically different than they were in the sport's infancy. In fact, the rules are still changing today; almost every season, there's an important new rule or "point of emphasis."
Go back 20 years in the NFL, and we had six divisions instead of eight, 10 teams in the playoffs rather than 12, no such thing as illegal contact, far less stringent unnecessary roughness regulations, wedges permitted on kickoffs, the current replay and challenge system wasn't in place, so on and so on. The NFL recognizes that problems arise even in a healthy, popular sport, and when those problems arise the league takes action to address them. MMA needs to start doing the same thing.
:
1) Sub-standard judging.
2) Out-of-date rules, particularly those adapted from boxing.
3) Boring fights with little obvious action.
4) Poor officiating.
5) Match-making handcuffed by reluctance to cross-promote.
Sub-Standard Judging
There are three reasons we see immediate rematches in MMA: (1) freak stoppages due to injury, (2) upset of an outstanding champion, (3) bizarre decision by judges or referee. Last weekend at UFC 123, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson won a controversial split decision victory over Lyoto Machida. Rampage was visibly surprised by the verdict, and admitted in a post-fight interview that Machida probably deserved an immediate rematch. UFC commentator Joe Rogan enthusiastically agreed, as did the partisan Detroit crowd, which had supported Jackson throughout the evening.
Earlier on the card, Nik Lentz won a stunning decision over Tyson Griffin. I didn't see the fight, but I haven't seen anyone defend the decision, either. Nothing — nothing — will destroy a sport faster than lack of legitimacy.
View the Original article
Jean-Christophe Baheback Profile
Jean-Christophe Bahebeck is a huge prospect - France Football Federation website Paris Saint-Germain striker Jean-Christophe Bahebeck is one of the most sought-after young strikers in European football. View the Original article
Friday, December 10, 2010
A Beautiful Game Trapped in a Horrible System
November 26, 2010 by Joshua Duffy • Print Story •
I've got to admit I'm at a crossroads with college football right now.
To be frank, the sport is corrupt. This is not a new thing. Cecil Newton allegedly trying to pimp out his kid for 200 grand is only the latest example. Anybody who watched the ESPN documentary on former Oklahoma running back Marcus Dupree knows that the exploitation of young athletes has been a core cultural value in big time college football for a long, long time.
Really, this transcends college football, and even sports in general. Any time you have adults making money off of kids, you will have corrupt individuals serving their own financial interests. These kids aren't kids anymore to these people. They're raw materials to be used in the making of a billion-dollar product. They're a chance at some free cash. And anything else that gets in the way is ancillary to the goal of getting paid.
Compounding the issue is the complete hypocrisy surrounding the NCAA. While boosters and agents and runners flood the sport with cash, the kids themselves are upheld to impossibly high standards. Southern California running back Dillon Baxter was suspended last week for accepting a ride in a golf cart. Granted the school is on ultra high-alert for any signs of impropriety on the heels of the Reggie Bush fiasco, but when catching a ride in a golf cart constitutes an illegal extra benefit, the system is dumb.
Of course this is nothing new to any of you. We all know the issues. We all see the hypocrisy. And yet we tune in anyway. Why? Because the game is great. Just as there is no questioning the seedy underbelly to big time college sports, there is also no questioning the greatness of college football.
From spring ball through the bowl games, hundreds of thousands of fans cheer their guts out from the Deep South to the Great Lakes to the coasts of the Pacific. These people aren't stupid. They aren't just being tricked by a fancy media campaign to dig into their wallets. College football is as much a fabric of the American culture as baseball, and even more so depending on geography. And it's great. It is truly great.
And so this is where my crossroads comes in. I am disgusted by the exploitation that goes on in big time football. Really, it's sickening the way these adults take advantage of kids who have no clue what's going on. These grown men and women don't give a damn about the kids. They just want to serve their own interests, whether it's school prestige for the boosters, a new contract for the coach, a free car for a friend or cold hard cash for the uncle "with influence." It's grotesque, and it makes me want to turn away and never look back.
At the same time, I have to keep reminding myself that the stories we hear are such a minor part of the actual college football landscape. We have a tendency in today's media culture to take an anecdotal story and blow it up into a national trend. Now the anecdotes are adding up in big time college football. Something is definitely rotten. But that doesn't devalue all of college football.
When Army and Navy kick off on December 11, money will have nothing to do with anything. It will be just a bunch of kids playing for their school, their legacy and, most importantly, their teammates. It will be the same all over the country. Most of these kids didn't get offered a nickel beyond scholarship, room and board to go their schools, and many of them not even that. And most of them will never play a down of professional football. Their college careers exist solely for the experience of strapping on the pads, lining up with their teammates and seeing what they can do.
And that's the beauty of sports. When the kids get on the field, everything else disappears. Cam Newton may still be embroiled in the middle of a nasty controversy he likely had nothing to do with creating, but when Auburn faces Alabama on Friday, it will just be 22 kids on the field at a time, fighting for one another. And no matter how nasty the rest of the world gets, the purity of the game can never be truly tarnished.
And so like most of you, I'll continue to hold my nose and tune in. I may hate how college football is run. I may hate the greedy vultures who line their pockets at the expense of mostly poor unsuspecting kids. But I love the game. And on this Thanksgiving week, I'm grateful that love endures.
More NBA Sports Commentary11.26.10By Joshua Duffy end moreSportsCommentary --
View the Original article
I've got to admit I'm at a crossroads with college football right now.
To be frank, the sport is corrupt. This is not a new thing. Cecil Newton allegedly trying to pimp out his kid for 200 grand is only the latest example. Anybody who watched the ESPN documentary on former Oklahoma running back Marcus Dupree knows that the exploitation of young athletes has been a core cultural value in big time college football for a long, long time.
Really, this transcends college football, and even sports in general. Any time you have adults making money off of kids, you will have corrupt individuals serving their own financial interests. These kids aren't kids anymore to these people. They're raw materials to be used in the making of a billion-dollar product. They're a chance at some free cash. And anything else that gets in the way is ancillary to the goal of getting paid.
Compounding the issue is the complete hypocrisy surrounding the NCAA. While boosters and agents and runners flood the sport with cash, the kids themselves are upheld to impossibly high standards. Southern California running back Dillon Baxter was suspended last week for accepting a ride in a golf cart. Granted the school is on ultra high-alert for any signs of impropriety on the heels of the Reggie Bush fiasco, but when catching a ride in a golf cart constitutes an illegal extra benefit, the system is dumb.
Of course this is nothing new to any of you. We all know the issues. We all see the hypocrisy. And yet we tune in anyway. Why? Because the game is great. Just as there is no questioning the seedy underbelly to big time college sports, there is also no questioning the greatness of college football.
From spring ball through the bowl games, hundreds of thousands of fans cheer their guts out from the Deep South to the Great Lakes to the coasts of the Pacific. These people aren't stupid. They aren't just being tricked by a fancy media campaign to dig into their wallets. College football is as much a fabric of the American culture as baseball, and even more so depending on geography. And it's great. It is truly great.
And so this is where my crossroads comes in. I am disgusted by the exploitation that goes on in big time football. Really, it's sickening the way these adults take advantage of kids who have no clue what's going on. These grown men and women don't give a damn about the kids. They just want to serve their own interests, whether it's school prestige for the boosters, a new contract for the coach, a free car for a friend or cold hard cash for the uncle "with influence." It's grotesque, and it makes me want to turn away and never look back.
At the same time, I have to keep reminding myself that the stories we hear are such a minor part of the actual college football landscape. We have a tendency in today's media culture to take an anecdotal story and blow it up into a national trend. Now the anecdotes are adding up in big time college football. Something is definitely rotten. But that doesn't devalue all of college football.
When Army and Navy kick off on December 11, money will have nothing to do with anything. It will be just a bunch of kids playing for their school, their legacy and, most importantly, their teammates. It will be the same all over the country. Most of these kids didn't get offered a nickel beyond scholarship, room and board to go their schools, and many of them not even that. And most of them will never play a down of professional football. Their college careers exist solely for the experience of strapping on the pads, lining up with their teammates and seeing what they can do.
And that's the beauty of sports. When the kids get on the field, everything else disappears. Cam Newton may still be embroiled in the middle of a nasty controversy he likely had nothing to do with creating, but when Auburn faces Alabama on Friday, it will just be 22 kids on the field at a time, fighting for one another. And no matter how nasty the rest of the world gets, the purity of the game can never be truly tarnished.
And so like most of you, I'll continue to hold my nose and tune in. I may hate how college football is run. I may hate the greedy vultures who line their pockets at the expense of mostly poor unsuspecting kids. But I love the game. And on this Thanksgiving week, I'm grateful that love endures.
More NBA Sports Commentary11.26.10By Joshua Duffy end moreSportsCommentary --
View the Original article
Parker Needs More Style When He Cheats
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Thursday, December 9, 2010
NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 36
November 24, 2010 by Jeffrey Boswell • Print Story •
Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
1. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson finished second at Homestead, easily overcoming Denny Hamlin's 15-point lead entering the race, to capture his fifth-straight Sprint Cup title. Johnson handily outdistanced Hamlin, who finish 14th, by 39 points, and Kevin Harvick, who finished third, by 41.
"It's 'one for the middle finger,'" Johnson said, "as opposed to Kyle Busch's '25,000 for the middle finger.'
But my fifth title is one I'll certainly remember, as well as one that others will find it hard to forget. Five championships is a lot, but I want to remain humble, as well as hungry. Therefore, when people ask me how many Cups I've won, I'll simply say a 'handful.'"
2. Denny Hamlin — Hamlin found trouble early at Homestead, making contact with Greg Biffle on lap 23 and sliding through the infield grass. With his splitter damaged, Hamlin was forced to make numerous pit stops for repairs, and never completely recovered. He finished 14th, and ended the season second in the points, 39 behind Jimmie Johnson.
"I wasn't the only Joe Gibbs driver to slide through the infield grass," Hamlin said, "and see his hopes go up in flames. But there's always next year. Unfortunately, Johnson says the same thing, and as we know, with five titles under his belt, he's always next year."
3. Kevin Harvick — Harvick appeared to have the race lead after pit stops during a lap 187 caution, but NASCAR officials nabbed him for speeding on the entry to pit road. He was sent to the back of the field, but quickly made his way back to the front. However, with Jimmie Johnson's second-place finish, Harvick's third was little to no consolation. Harvick ended the year third in the points, 41 out of first.
"I sent one Joe Gibbs driver and one Kasey Kahne crewman to the infield care center," Harvick said, "and barely turned heads. Yet I'm penalized for exceeding a snail's pace entering the pits. Sounds like I wasn't the only one who got screwed."
4. Carl Edwards — Edwards won the Ford 400 at Homestead, dominating with 190 laps lead on the way to his second straight win. He finished fourth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 229 behind Jimmie Johnson.
"That's what I call ending the season on a high note," Edwards said. "The high note, that is, of the fat lady singing, because as soon as I crossed the line, it was 'over' for everyone but Jimmie Johnson. Now, I hesitate to call myself the favorite to challenge Johnson for next year's Cup. That was the consensus in 2008, when I won nine races and was anointed the next Cup champion. I followed that with a winless 2009 with Aflac as my primary sponsor. Maybe the duck on the hood of my car explains the egg laying."
5. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth finished ninth in the Ford 400, his 15th top-10 result of the year. He finished fifth in the point standings, 328 behind Jimmie Johnson.
"Congratulations to Johnson," Kenseth said. "The 'Drive For Five' is complete. And for all those conspiracy theorists who think NASCAR favoritism helped Johnson to the Cup title, they'll be saddened to know that Johnson's quest in 2011 has unofficially been titled 'The Fix For Six.'"
6. Greg Biffle — Biffle finished 10th at Homestead, posting his 19th top-10 finish of the year. Biffle and Denny Hamlin made contact on lap 23, sending Hamlin's No. 11 FedEx Toyota spinning through the infield grass.
"I vowed at the beginning of the year that I would have an impact in the Chase," Biffle said. "Well, Jimmie Johnson isn't the only one who can say 'mission accomplished.'"
7. Kyle Busch — Busch, seeking his second consecutive weekend sweep of winning all three series races, came up short at Homestead, crashing when Kevin Harvick bumped him into the wall on lap 243. Busch's No. 18 M&Ms Toyota burst into flames, and Busch directed some heated words towards Harvick afterwards.
"Harvick is a reckless buffoon," Busch said. "He's a menace to notoriety. We all know M&Ms melt in your mouth, but it's obvious he wanted to find out if Kyle Busch melts in the M&M's car. I don't. I just boil."
8. Tony Stewart — Stewart scored his first top-10 since winning at California on October 10th with an eighth in the Ford 400. He improved two places in the points to seventh, and completes the season a distant 401 behind Johnson.
"Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson," Stewart said. "He may deserve a hand, but he'll probably need two to indicate Cup titles 6 through 10."
9. Jeff Gordon — Gordon blew his engine on lap 199, ending a disappointing 2010 season with even more disappointment. He was winless this year, his second winless season in the last three, and tumbled three places in the points to ninth.
"Last week," said Gordon, "my attack on Jeff Burton showed just one of the many ways I can 'lose it.' This week, I lost an engine, and another race. But there's a silver lining to Jimmie Johnson's fifth Sprint Cup title. His championship allowed me to reach a milestone, as now I've become the only active four-time Cup champion. Thanks, Jimmie!"
10. Clint Bowyer — Bowyer came home 12th at Homestead, finishing the season tenth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 467 out of first.
"I can certainly share in the disappointment that my teammate Kevin Harvick must be feeling," said Bowyer. "NASCAR obviously has it out for Richard Childress Racing. First, I win in New Hampshire, and the next thing you know, my car has failed inspection. At Homestead, Harvick takes the lead, and boom! Here comes a penalty for speeding. Jimmie Johnson may not, but at least NASCAR recognizes us as a threat to his reign."
More NBA Sports Commentary11.24.10By Jeffrey Boswell end moreSportsCommentary --
View the Original article
Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
1. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson finished second at Homestead, easily overcoming Denny Hamlin's 15-point lead entering the race, to capture his fifth-straight Sprint Cup title. Johnson handily outdistanced Hamlin, who finish 14th, by 39 points, and Kevin Harvick, who finished third, by 41.
"It's 'one for the middle finger,'" Johnson said, "as opposed to Kyle Busch's '25,000 for the middle finger.'
But my fifth title is one I'll certainly remember, as well as one that others will find it hard to forget. Five championships is a lot, but I want to remain humble, as well as hungry. Therefore, when people ask me how many Cups I've won, I'll simply say a 'handful.'"
2. Denny Hamlin — Hamlin found trouble early at Homestead, making contact with Greg Biffle on lap 23 and sliding through the infield grass. With his splitter damaged, Hamlin was forced to make numerous pit stops for repairs, and never completely recovered. He finished 14th, and ended the season second in the points, 39 behind Jimmie Johnson.
"I wasn't the only Joe Gibbs driver to slide through the infield grass," Hamlin said, "and see his hopes go up in flames. But there's always next year. Unfortunately, Johnson says the same thing, and as we know, with five titles under his belt, he's always next year."
3. Kevin Harvick — Harvick appeared to have the race lead after pit stops during a lap 187 caution, but NASCAR officials nabbed him for speeding on the entry to pit road. He was sent to the back of the field, but quickly made his way back to the front. However, with Jimmie Johnson's second-place finish, Harvick's third was little to no consolation. Harvick ended the year third in the points, 41 out of first.
"I sent one Joe Gibbs driver and one Kasey Kahne crewman to the infield care center," Harvick said, "and barely turned heads. Yet I'm penalized for exceeding a snail's pace entering the pits. Sounds like I wasn't the only one who got screwed."
4. Carl Edwards — Edwards won the Ford 400 at Homestead, dominating with 190 laps lead on the way to his second straight win. He finished fourth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 229 behind Jimmie Johnson.
"That's what I call ending the season on a high note," Edwards said. "The high note, that is, of the fat lady singing, because as soon as I crossed the line, it was 'over' for everyone but Jimmie Johnson. Now, I hesitate to call myself the favorite to challenge Johnson for next year's Cup. That was the consensus in 2008, when I won nine races and was anointed the next Cup champion. I followed that with a winless 2009 with Aflac as my primary sponsor. Maybe the duck on the hood of my car explains the egg laying."
5. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth finished ninth in the Ford 400, his 15th top-10 result of the year. He finished fifth in the point standings, 328 behind Jimmie Johnson.
"Congratulations to Johnson," Kenseth said. "The 'Drive For Five' is complete. And for all those conspiracy theorists who think NASCAR favoritism helped Johnson to the Cup title, they'll be saddened to know that Johnson's quest in 2011 has unofficially been titled 'The Fix For Six.'"
6. Greg Biffle — Biffle finished 10th at Homestead, posting his 19th top-10 finish of the year. Biffle and Denny Hamlin made contact on lap 23, sending Hamlin's No. 11 FedEx Toyota spinning through the infield grass.
"I vowed at the beginning of the year that I would have an impact in the Chase," Biffle said. "Well, Jimmie Johnson isn't the only one who can say 'mission accomplished.'"
7. Kyle Busch — Busch, seeking his second consecutive weekend sweep of winning all three series races, came up short at Homestead, crashing when Kevin Harvick bumped him into the wall on lap 243. Busch's No. 18 M&Ms Toyota burst into flames, and Busch directed some heated words towards Harvick afterwards.
"Harvick is a reckless buffoon," Busch said. "He's a menace to notoriety. We all know M&Ms melt in your mouth, but it's obvious he wanted to find out if Kyle Busch melts in the M&M's car. I don't. I just boil."
8. Tony Stewart — Stewart scored his first top-10 since winning at California on October 10th with an eighth in the Ford 400. He improved two places in the points to seventh, and completes the season a distant 401 behind Johnson.
"Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson," Stewart said. "He may deserve a hand, but he'll probably need two to indicate Cup titles 6 through 10."
9. Jeff Gordon — Gordon blew his engine on lap 199, ending a disappointing 2010 season with even more disappointment. He was winless this year, his second winless season in the last three, and tumbled three places in the points to ninth.
"Last week," said Gordon, "my attack on Jeff Burton showed just one of the many ways I can 'lose it.' This week, I lost an engine, and another race. But there's a silver lining to Jimmie Johnson's fifth Sprint Cup title. His championship allowed me to reach a milestone, as now I've become the only active four-time Cup champion. Thanks, Jimmie!"
10. Clint Bowyer — Bowyer came home 12th at Homestead, finishing the season tenth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 467 out of first.
"I can certainly share in the disappointment that my teammate Kevin Harvick must be feeling," said Bowyer. "NASCAR obviously has it out for Richard Childress Racing. First, I win in New Hampshire, and the next thing you know, my car has failed inspection. At Homestead, Harvick takes the lead, and boom! Here comes a penalty for speeding. Jimmie Johnson may not, but at least NASCAR recognizes us as a threat to his reign."
More NBA Sports Commentary11.24.10By Jeffrey Boswell end moreSportsCommentary --
View the Original article
NFL Weekly Predictions: Thanksgiving Games
7)
Thanksgiving in Detroit gets underway when the 8-2 Patriots pay a visit to Ford Field to face the 2-8 Lions, who have lost three straight and haven't won on Thanksgiving since 2003. Last week, Brady and the Patriots out-dueled Peyton Manning and the Colts, 31-28, and Brady tied Brett Favre's NFL record of most consecutive home starts won by a starting quarterback, at 25.
"I have a lot for which to be thankful," Brady said. "My health, my hair, impeccable jaw lines, domineering supermodels, frumpily-dressed coaches, ambiguous NFL rules defining pass incompletions, unheralded white teammates, timely Manning interceptions, and Thanksgiving games in Detroit. I've been known to benefit from the 'Tuck Rule'; on Thursday, I plan to benefit from the 'Turk Rule,' which says Detroit can't win on Thanksgiving.
Shaun Hill will start again for the Lions, again filling in for injured quarterback Matthew Stafford, whose shoulder injuries have shelved him for seven games this year.
"Luckily," said Jim Schwartz, "Stafford won't need surgery on his shoulder. Matthew's had a ton of MRIs of his shoulder this season, making it the most photographed joint in the NFC North, well ahead of Brett Favre's.
"But does it really matter who's throwing, as long as Calvin Johnson's catching? The simplest play in our playbook is the one in which our quarterback throws the ball up for grabs in the direction of Johnson. We call it the 'Calvin and Lobs.'"
Schwartz is right. It doesn't matter who's throwing for the Lions, particularly when Brady is throwing for the Patriots, and psychotically raging when his teammates don't perform to his expectations. The Lions take a quick 7-0 lead, but the Pats, behind 341 yards passing and 3 touchdowns from Brady, finish off the Lions.
New England wins, 38-21.
New Orleans
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Thanksgiving in Detroit gets underway when the 8-2 Patriots pay a visit to Ford Field to face the 2-8 Lions, who have lost three straight and haven't won on Thanksgiving since 2003. Last week, Brady and the Patriots out-dueled Peyton Manning and the Colts, 31-28, and Brady tied Brett Favre's NFL record of most consecutive home starts won by a starting quarterback, at 25.
"I have a lot for which to be thankful," Brady said. "My health, my hair, impeccable jaw lines, domineering supermodels, frumpily-dressed coaches, ambiguous NFL rules defining pass incompletions, unheralded white teammates, timely Manning interceptions, and Thanksgiving games in Detroit. I've been known to benefit from the 'Tuck Rule'; on Thursday, I plan to benefit from the 'Turk Rule,' which says Detroit can't win on Thanksgiving.
Shaun Hill will start again for the Lions, again filling in for injured quarterback Matthew Stafford, whose shoulder injuries have shelved him for seven games this year.
"Luckily," said Jim Schwartz, "Stafford won't need surgery on his shoulder. Matthew's had a ton of MRIs of his shoulder this season, making it the most photographed joint in the NFC North, well ahead of Brett Favre's.
"But does it really matter who's throwing, as long as Calvin Johnson's catching? The simplest play in our playbook is the one in which our quarterback throws the ball up for grabs in the direction of Johnson. We call it the 'Calvin and Lobs.'"
Schwartz is right. It doesn't matter who's throwing for the Lions, particularly when Brady is throwing for the Patriots, and psychotically raging when his teammates don't perform to his expectations. The Lions take a quick 7-0 lead, but the Pats, behind 341 yards passing and 3 touchdowns from Brady, finish off the Lions.
New England wins, 38-21.
New Orleans
View the Original article
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