This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the capital of NASCAR, Charlotte, for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Served slow-cooked, with hickory-flavored BBQ sauce and corn on the cob. Enjoy!
THE GOOD
Jeff Burton: as the winner of this race, he automatically gets first billing. He stated before the race that he needs to win races in order to have a shot at winning the championship. Tonight was an excellent start. Additional props go out to his pit crew; they were ON tonight. On every pit stop, they gained at least one position. And on three stops alone, they opted for gas only. Pit stops like that throughout the race WILL get it done. They also gained two positions in the points and now are less than 70 markers behind Jimmie Johnson. Great job, Jeff and the #31 crew!
Kasey Kahne: after the very last pit stop, his car came to life and he rapidly moved through the field. He just didn't have enough laps left to catch Burton. Still, second place is nothing to sneeze at.
The Busch Brothers: Kurt finished third and Kyle finished fourth. Like Kahne, Kurt Busch's car got stronger as the race went on. Kurt got as high as second before settling for third. Kyle started 11th and immediately charged to the front. He led 14 laps and got out of the Chase basement with that strong run. While I'm not normally into pink, Kyle's pink M&M's paint scheme was SWEET.
Jamie McMurray: he rounded out the top 5 and for once didn't have idiots surrounding him. When he has a strong car, and he did tonight, he knows how to run up front. A lot of his bad finishes are due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time and getting caught up in someone else's mess. Props to McMurray for not overdriving the car and knowing what kind of car he had.
Jimmie Johnson: he led the most laps in the race, 67, but faded a bit down the stretch as he was racing with Burton for the lead after the last caution. He used up too much of the car and faded from second to sixth. Still, he didn't take a major hit.
Mark Martin: not bad for a part-timer. He still knows how to run up front and still is competitive. Now that he'll be driving for Hendrick Motorsports in the #5 full time next season, look for him to win a race and make the Chase. He spent almost two-thirds of the race in the top 10.
Paint Schemes: Kyle Busch, Bobby Labonte, and Elliott Sadler sported pink paint schemes for breast cancer awareness. For further information, go to Susan G. Komen For The Cure.
Honorable Mention: Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, David Ragan.
THE BAD
Carl Edwards: he had ignition issues that kept him on the pits for an extended period of time. When he returned to the track, he was 16 laps down in 40th place. A sub good to Edwards for gaining seven spots through attrition. While he took a major hit in the points, dropping from second to fourth, it could have been MUCH worse.
Casey Mears: he was the Field Filler of the Day. Zero laps led. Zero laps in the top 10. He finished three laps down.
Bill Elliott: I admire that he still has the fire in the belly to race, but the Wood Brothers are no longer among the top owners in NASCAR and haven't been since Kasey Kahne was in diapers. He was competitive as recently as 2003, but he's no longer competitive. With the Wood Brothers being a single car operation, it's much harder to be competitive in today's NASCAR. A sub good to Elliott for finishing eight spots higher than he started.
Dave Blaney: he narrowly misses winning the Field Filler of the Day because of his higher finish than Mears. Plus, he finished higher than he started. Like Mears, zero laps led, zero laps in the top 10.
THE UGLY
AJ Allmendinger: that was a doozy of a wreck he was involved in early in the race. He had a one-race deal with Michael Waltrip Racing and the race ended VERY early for him. He did lead one lap early on, a sub good for that.
Mike Skinner and Ken Schrader: the two veteran drivers tangled in a wreck in which neither gave the other position. It all started when Michael Waltrip made contact with Skinner as they were three wide down the stretch. As Skinner was regaining control, he made contact with Schrader, who wasn't yielding his position. Had Schrader yielded, there wouldn't have been a wreck.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: he cut a tire just before he was about to pit anyway, wrecked, and caused major damage to the #88 Chevrolet. While he didn't lose a position in the standings, he lost MAJOR points due to his 36th-place finish.
Matt Kenseth: he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got tangled up in a five-car accident on lap 194 that caused major damage to his #17 Ford. He finished 41st and dropped to 11th place in the standings.
Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!
It's been four days since Carl Edwards made the Bonehead Move of the Year at Talladega. No doubt, it's been one of the most talked-about moves in recent years. We all know that Edwards has taken full responsibility for the wreck. While I give him credit for that, it doesn't erase the fact that Edwards' move all but eliminated Harvick from title consideration. That is something that I as a Harvick fan still irks me.
Yeah, the Roush Camp isn't upset at Edwards. Of course not. They're his teammates and they'll cover his #### at any and all costs. Biffle isn't upset; he's still in the thick of the title hunt. Kenseth isn't upset; he was already pretty much out of the title hunt going into Talladega. And he knows what it's like to get on the wrong side of Edwards, as per what happened after Martinsville late last season.
Now look at it from Harvick's perspective. He stood to gain ground in the Chase. He had the best car in the field while Edwards was content to ride in the middle of the pack. Then with 16 laps to go, Edwards decided to make his move. Bad move. Edwards had a 20th place car at best and got too aggressive. HE BUMP DRAFTED IN THE FREAKING CORNER! WHAT AN ####! But that's the modus operandi of Edwards. When he doesn't have a good car (and he didn't at Talladega), just bully all the other drivers and cause a wreck that takes out half the field! Seeing that reminds me of a similar incident involving Biffle and Harvick. Harvick had a race won several years ago when Biffle punted him with less than 10 laps to go. After that race, Harvick and Biffle engaged in a heated pushing and shoving match.
It's okay if you realize that you don't have a good car and you do the best you can to get the best finish possible. Perhaps gamble on getting track position on your last pit stop by getting two instead of four tires. If you finish 20th, the last car on the lead lap, fine. BUT DO IT CLEANLY. Edwards, and to a lesser extent Biffle, are NOT clean drivers. They're also not SMART drivers. Last week, Edwards nearly took out Jimmie Johnson on the last lap, nearly denying him a victory.
Going back to the Edwards-Harvick scuffle. When Edwards grabbed Harvick by the shoulder to turn him around, Harvick took that as, "You want to go? Let's go." Harvick then shoved him. In my opinion, it was in sel####efense. First of all, you don't go into Harvick's garage area unless you WANT to fight, unless you're LOOKING for a fight. I think Edwards was spoiling for a fight, and Harvick stood up to him. Good for Harvick. Again, Edwards didn't show himself to be very smart.
The right thing for Edwards to do would be to request a private meeting with Harvick on NEUTRAL ground, away from each other's garage areas. Just the two of them, one on one. Let them hash out their differences. Perhaps in NASCAR's offices at Lowe's Motor Speedway. In my opinion, justice would be for Edwards to finish 40th or worse and Harvick getting a win at the same time. If it came down to Harvick vs. Edwards for the win, I wouldn't put it past Edwards to punt Harvick into the wall; he nearly did it to Jimmie Johnson.
When you think of Talladega, what comes to mind? Here are a few things: The Big One, pedal to the metal racing, Junior Nation. I present to you The Good, Bad, and Ugly, spaghetti western style, with a Southern twist.
THE GOOD
Kyle Busch: as the winner of the Aaron's 499, he gets first billing. Came back from a lap down. Good job Rowdy!
Juan Pablo Montoya: best-ever finish on a restrictor plate track. Runner up to Rowdy is nothing to sneeze at. Montoya's car got stronger as the race went on. Any doubts about Montoya not belonging in NASCAR were (or at least should be) erased.
Travis Kvapil: the #28 finally had some sponsorship (Northern Tool & Equipment) and he rewarded his new sponsors with a very solid Top 10 finish. Just missed a Top 5 due to the caution coming out on the last lap.
Denny Hamlin: a solid Top 5 finish. Had a very strong car all day. Was better known for pushing drivers to the front.
David Ragan: I'd be remiss if I didn't put him in this category. A very good fourth place finish.
Reed Sorenson: blew an engine just four laps into the race. Then had to watch his teammate Juan Pablo Montoya nearly steal a win.
Matt Kenseth: a bad year got worse. He hit the wall early and had to go to the garage for major repairs. He finished in 41st, 38 laps down.
Carl Edwards: had tire issues all day due to his crew missing on the set-up BIG TIME. How do you miss a set-up at a place like Talladega? The negative on the camber was too much, putting unneeded pressure on the right front tire. The third time his right front blew, it ended his day early.
Ken Schrader: had a surprisingly strong qualifying effort in his first race in the #70 Hunts Brothers Pizza Chevrolet. Even led a lap under caution. Unfortunately finished 47 laps down.
THE UGLY
The Big One: happened on the last lap of the race and collected several cars, including Kevin Harvick's #29. Cost Juan Pablo Montoya a possible win.
Fox's Coverage: on more than one occasion, they went to commercial and a caution came out during the commercial. I was listening to Kevin Harvick's radio on TrackPass and more than once the spotter relayed to Harvick that the yellow flag was out. Time to implement the split screen used ONCE by NBC, in the 2000 season finale at Atlanta.
That's all I have for this week. Come in with your nominations!
Crappafoni Pictures presents to you your weekly spaghetti western but this time with a southwestern flavor. Sit back and enjoy!
THE GOOD
Jimmie Johnson: played a HUGE high stakes poker game on fuel mileage and won. As the winner (ugh!) he gets first billing.
Clint Bowyer: finished second to Johnson and like Johnson stayed out while everyone else had to pit.
Hendrick Motorsports: all four of its cars finished in the top 15--Johnson (1st), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (7th), Casey Mears (11th), and Jeff Gordon (13th).
Mark Martin: good finish for the wily veteran, but is left wondering what could have been.
Carl Edwards: started 34th and finished fourth. He passed a LOT of cars during the course of the race.
Joe Gibbs Racing: all three of its cars finished in the top 15--Denny Hamlin (3rd), Kyle Busch (10th) and Tony Stewart (14th).
THE BAD
Ryan Newman: very uncharacteristic last place finish. Had a strong car before mechanical issues retired his car early.
Matt Kenseth: his team totally missed the setup and an early accident compounded his bad day.
Gillette-Evernham Motorsports: had two cars drop out of the race after both Elliott Sadler and Kasey Kahne were running in the top 10. Their best finisher was Patrick Carpentier, who finished in 33rd, four laps down.
Chip Ganassi Racing: aside from Juan Pablo Montoya's solid top 20 finish (he finished 16th), both Dario Franchitti (32nd) and Reed Sorenson (42nd) had days both would like to forget about. At least Franchitti has a hot wife he can come home to and commisserate with.
THE UGLY
J.J. Yeley: he was the victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was running strong when he was caught up in an accident that wasn't of his doing. Tough break for Yeley, as he stands 36th in points and now has to qualify on time at Talladega.
Kevin Harvick: was running in the top 5 for much of the second half of the race when he ran out of gas as he entered pit row for his final stop of the race. Then he stalled exiting his pit and ended up going two laps down. He finished a lap down in 19th, costing him three spots in the standings.
Those are my selections. Feel free to chime in with yours!
This particular blog took last week off due to Easter. It returns this week with a vengeance. I'm sure you, Joe Six Pack sports fan, have two weeks' of wrath stored up to throw that player, coach, team, owner/executive, league, fans, and even fellow bloggers that has so pissed you off Under The Bus (Jerome Bettis Limited Edition, 850 hp). I know I have a few. Let's get started!
NASCAR
Matt Kenseth: today was when I yearned for Carl Edwards to teach Kenseth a lesson. Doing the punt and run on David Gilliland was reprehensible and bush league. If NASCAR really wanted to teach Kenseth a lesson, they would have parked him for the remainder of the race for rough driving. David Gilliland will drive the bus that Kenseth is to be thrown under (by Carl Edwards).
Michele Rahal: last week I was sick and couldn't sleep, so I happened to go online to hear Race Day On Fox. His anti-Kevin Harvick rant made me even more sick. Harvick WASN'T EVEN THE SUBJECT OF THE CONVERSATION. Yet Rahal went out of his way to bash Harvick. Rob D'Amico (his co-host) did his best to steer Rahal away, but Rahal would have none of it. For Rahal's anti-Harvick negative rant, I'LL throw Rahal under the Bus that Harvick will drive.
NBA
Shaquille O'Neal: the Big Mediocre lashed out at his former Heat teammates and Heat head coach Pat Riley. What Shaq did was reprehensible. Under The Bus YOU go, Shaq. Your ex-teammates will throw you under that Bus driven by Riley. Shaq, enjoy your one and done in the playoffs.
Los Angeles Lakers: I am as big a Lakers honk as you'll find. This is why it pains me to do this. Losing to Memphis and Charlotte, two of the NBA's bottom feeders, will get you thrown Under The Bus every single time.
MLB
MLB: they get thrown under the bus for three reasons.
For selling out their souls for mo money mo money mo money. They now are offering apparel in GANG colors and styles. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, here comes Mr. Milquetoast aka Bud Selig gives a wink and a nod to gang activity. MAY YOU ROT IN HELL BUD SELIG!!!!!!
For opening the season in Japan. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY MLB?? WAS IT TAKEN OVER BY ALIENS FROM OUTER SPACE??? Why doesn't the season open the first Monday in April in Cincinnati at 12 noon EDT?
The schedule makers. Why are there not doubleheaders scheduled? Why do the schedule makers in their infinite wisdom ALWAYS schedule home games for Cleveland in the first week of the season, when they KNOW it snows in Cleveland until late April? Remember the Seattle Mariners-Cleveland Indians series last April? The ENTIRE series was SNOWED OUT, forcing both teams to scramble for the remainder of the season. The Cleveland Browns vs. Buffalo Bills was played in better weather than the Indians-Mariners series. For these reasons, MLB gets thrown under the Bus.
NFL
The League: they want to ban players from wearing long hair. Why? Put your emphasis on cracking down on the bad seeds of the league, e.g. Michael Vick, Pacman Jones. This proposed rule serves NO purpose. To put it bluntly, IT SUCKS. This rule and the guy behind it gets thrown under the bus.
This blogger: I throw myself under the bus for picking Georgetown to go to the Final Four. Georgetown was the biggest fraud of the NCAA Tournament.
Those are my nominees for these two weeks. Come on in with your nominees!! All are welcome!
Now that the race in Martinsville is in the books, it's time to present the spaghetti western edition of this race. Brought to you by Crappafoni Pictures.
THE GOOD
Denny Hamlin: since he won the race, he gets first billing. His car was great the whole race. Good win for Hamlin. Enjoy the grandfather clock.
Hendrick Motorsports: for awhile, I thought they would sweep the top four positions, much like RCR did with the first three at Bristol two weeks ago. All four cars solidly in the top 10.
Richard Childress Racing: once again, all three of their cars finished in the top 15. And they have the top two points leaders in Jeff Burton (leader) and Kevin Harvick (2nd). Clint Bowyer is in 12th place in points.
Michael McDowell: gotta give a shout out to this Cup rookie. In his Cup debut, he was on the lead lap for almost the whole race, finally falling off the lead lap with less than 10 laps to go due to a flat tire. If this race is any indication, he has a bright future.
Jamie McMurray: FINALLY, he has a good week. He qualified very well (third) and finished with a solid top 10. He needed it, now he's solidly in the top 35 in points.
THE BAD
Matt Kenseth: he was the antithesis of McMurray. He deliberately dumped David Gilliland into the wall, earning a trip to NASCAR's Oval Office for his naughty behavior after the race. Earlier in the race, he served a one-lap penalty. For this act of dump and run, he was penalized two laps.
J.J. Yeley: he had the day from hell. I didn't know whether to pity him or yell at my TV to get him off the #### track.
THE UGLY
Transmission failures: it happened to several drivers, most notably Kyle Busch. Ken Schrader had the most heartbreaking, his occurring while he was running in the top 15.
Matt Kenseth: I don't know what he ate for breakfast or if someone pissed in his Wheaties, but he appeared unusually surly. Dumping Gilliland deliberately is very much unlike Kenseth.
Throughout the world of sports, there are enough dolts, idiots, and general miscreants that just totally tick off you, the Joe Six Pack fan. I know I get ticked off by some of these dolts and miscreants. Here is your forum for you to throw these miscreants and ingrates Under The Bus. And away we go!
MLB
New York Yankees: they are thrown under the Bus for TWO reasons: Shelley Duncan and Billy Crystal. Duncan is the genius that decided to pay back the Tampa Bay Rays for a smart, physical play one of the Rays' reserve OFs made when he bowled over the Yankees' reserve catcher, breaking the catcher's wrist in the process. He decided a little payback was in order, so he went up high on Akinori Iwamura. Problem is, Duncan was thrown out by 20 FEET. Duncan spiked Iwamura in the groin, sparking a bench-clearing brawl. If you're going to exact payback, do it with a good, hard, CLEAN slide, such as breaking up a double play attempt. Don't go bush league and go in spikes high. Crystal is a fading comic that wanted one last blaze of glory. So the Yankees accommodated him. What, Richard Mulligan wasn't available? (He played Crystal's stepfather in the 1970's TV series "Soap") There were a NUMBER of ways the Yankees could have done this right, sending him to their FANTASY camp and being a guest in the owner's box for the first Yankees-Red Sox series being two ways. DON'T turn a spring training game played by REAL players into some aging comic's fantasy camp. For mocking spring training and Shelley Duncan's bush league play, the Yankees get thrown Under The Bus TWICE.
MLB: for scheduling a couple of spring training games in China featuring mainly AAA ballplayers with the major league managerial staffs of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. I wonder if the Chinese REALLY think these are the best players the Dodgers and Padres brought to China? The Dodgers only brought a handful from their major league roster. They left the rest of the major leaguers in Florida. I'm fine with a traveling all-star team going to Japan or China or South Korea after the season. MLB gets thrown under the Bus for false advertising, particularly to a new and potentially explosive market.
NASCAR
Jamie McMurray: this guy can't seem to get out of his own way. He's reverting to the early 2007 Jamie McMurray. It's not like he's forgotten how to drive. And with the early season success of teammates Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards, even more pressure is on him. He's not even a top 35 car now. He's a GOGH driver, and if he doesn't qualify for Martinsville in two weeks, he'll have dug a hole he cannot get out of. He would make Jack Roush's decision to cut one team a whole lot easier. The pressure is really on McMurray at Martinsville. If he does end up qualifying for the race, and has a strong finish, he'll safely be in the top 35. Dust yourself off from being thrown under the bus, qualify strong at Martinsville, and have a good solid finish. (I HATED to do that to a good guy like McMurray!!)
Tony Stewart's spotter: after the wreck (and subsequent apology) of Stewart, Kevin Harvick apologized, and his spotter apologized to Stewart's spotter. Stewart's spotter was wanting to kick some ####. Spotter should take FULL responsibility for telling Smoke that Happy was coming right behind him. He fell asleep. Smoke's spotter goes under Smoke's bus.
That's all I have for now. Come in with your nominees!
All around the world of sports, there is no shortage of figures that just totally #### you off. I know I have a few. Here is your forum for venting by throwing the object of your ire Under The Bus (Jerome Bettis Limited Edition 850 hp version). The figure could be a player (or race car driver), team, executive, owner, league, commissioner, or fans of teams/drivers.
NASCAR
Juan Pablo Montoya: this genius wrecked Clint Bowyer for NO reason when Bowyer was leading the Daytona 500 late in the race. He punted Bowyer, causing him to spin out and taking him from first to 24th place, thereby costing Bowyer a possible Daytona 500 win. I got my Schadenfreude later when Montoya went backwards at the next restart and got freight trained. He ended up 32nd. (Ha ha!) I'll give Clint Bowyer the keys to the Bus that I'll throw Juan Pablo under.
David Ragan: normally, I wouldn't throw a driver under the bus for causing an accident, except in this case, he took out his teammate Matt Kenseth. Kenseth was running in the Top 5 at the time of the accident. I wonder if Ragan took lessons in causing accidents from Montoya, because if he did, he's a damn good student. Kenseth gets the keys to the Bus that Ragan is to be thrown under.
Jeff Burton: this pains me greatly to do so, as he is part of the RCR stable and is one of my favorite drivers. He had the Daytona 500 in his sights; all he had to do was get a good restart on the final caution. He had a horrendous restart that dropped him from first to 13th.
NBA
Devean George haters that are drinking Haterade: I give George's agent props for including a no-trade clause in his contract with the Mavericks. BECAUSE George has a no-trade clause, he has EVERY right to exercise it, and that he did when he learned he was going to be traded to the New Jersey Nets as part of the Jason Kidd deal. The Mavericks were DUMB to include a no-trade clause to a journeyman. And since WHEN does Kidd DESERVE to be on a contending team? He was on a New Jersey team that made the Finals in successive seasons in 2002 and 2003. He had his chance, and came up short. I throw the Devean George haters AND the Dallas Mavericks Under The Bus.
New York Knicks: enough said.
MLB
Bud Selig: where were his comments after the Clemens deposition hearing before the House Reform and Oversight Committee? Oh yeah, there were NONE. In baseball's darkest hour since the 1994 players' strike, Selig needed to be front and center and SHOW SOME LEADERSHIP. Oh yeah, he has no leadership. Since Selig became commissioner thanks to a coup d'etat, baseball has become a laughing stock. Under the bus goes Selig.
Roger Clemens: even by his standards, he has the largest ego in the history of baseball. He has backed himself into a corner that he may not be able to get out of. He came off as a greasy, sleazy liar.
NCAA BB
Kelvin Sampson: what is it with this guy and cell phones? And what is it with this guy and LYING about it? IF he had come up front and become accountable to his transgressions, perhaps he wouldn't be on the firing line at Indiana. It was a BAD match to begin with. IF he does get the ax, who takes over starting next season? Randy Wittman and Mike Woodson have both been mentioned. Kelvin Sampson therefore gets thrown Under The Bus.
NFL
Washington Redskins: Jim Zorn? Is that the BEST you can do? Little Lord Danny Boy has turned this once-proud franchise into a laughing stock. And why did you interview Gregg Williams FOUR times, only to ultimately WHACK him? WTF? Why didn't you do that the Monday AFTER the regular season ended?
Willie Gary (ex-Rams receiver): c'mon, Willie, DON'T cry sour grapes because your Rams couldn't get it done in Super Bowl 36. What's with this $100 MILLION lawsuit against the New England Patriots, Robert Kraft, and Bill Belichick? Just because you were a benchwarmer for the Rams, doesn't give you the right to clog up the judicial system further. Willie, shut up and know your freaking role. Under The Bus you go.
Speedweeks is upon us, and with it the beginning of a new NASCAR season. The Car of Tomorrow will be run full-time starting this season. Some teams ran well with the COT, while others struggled and used the offseason to catch up. Currently, Hendrick Motorsports is the Gold Standard for the COT. With that being said, here are my 12 drivers that I predict will make the Chase this season:
Ryan Newman: he ran much better towards the end of the season. Look for Flyin’ Ryan to return to his 2004 form. Predicted finish: 12th.
Carl Edwards: if he can rein in his temper, he’ll be a threat to win the championship. Unfortunately, I think he'll be involved in an incident that will throw him off for a few races during the Chase. Predicted finish: 11th.
Greg Biffle: like Newman, Biffle ran better in the last third of the season. Now if he can only acquire Carl Edwards’ equipment, he’d be a threat to win the title. Should he win the title, he would be the first driver to win championships in the Truck Series, Busch (now Nationwide) Series, and Cup Series. Predicted finish: 10th.
Jeff Burton: has made the Chase the last two seasons. Unfortunately, has faded down the stretch in those two seasons. While I think he'll avert that fade this season, the field is just too strong this year. Predicted finish: 9th.
Matt Kenseth: very steady and unflappable, but with a new crew chief, one has to wonder about chemistry issues that may crop up during the Chase. Predicted finish: 8th.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: he no longer has to worry about being The Man. He can just focus on racing. And he will. He'll win a few races this year. Could contend for his first Cup championship. Predicted finish: 7th.
Jeff Gordon: will win his share of races this season. Will be in the hunt for the title up to the final race of the season. Will finish short. Predicted finish: 6th.
Tony Stewart: new make of car, same old Smoke. Could win his third title with his third different make of car, but will fall short. Predicted finish: 5th.
Clint Bowyer: will prove that last season was no fluke, as he will stay in contention until the final race of the season. He'll win a couple of races this season. Predicted finish: 4th.
Kurt Busch: always a threat to win anywhere, anytime. Look for him to be very strong the whole season, perhaps win it all with a few breaks. Predicted finish: 3rd.
Kevin Harvick: I look for him to be much stronger this season. The tire issues and plain bad luck has to and should go away this season. This is the season that the #29 team breaks through and truly becomes a serious contender for the Cup title. Predicted finish: 2nd.
AND YOUR 2008 SPRINT CUP CHAMPION:
Jimmie Johnson: the #48 team is as close to perfection as a team can get. They are the New England Patriots of NASCAR. Johnson matches Cale Yarbrough's record of three straight Cup championships. Give him another decade of dominance and he could win another 6 to 8 Cup championships. When it's all said and done, he could end up with double-digit championships and triple-digit victory totals (surpassing David Pearson in the process in wins). When we see Johnson race, we are witnessing a part of NASCAR history.
I almost didn't write this blog due to it being Thanksgiving week. But as I saw a lot of college and pro football this weekend, I saw numerous teams and coaches that deserved to be thrown under the bus. I'll give you a few of mine that deserve to be thrown under the Bus (Jerome Bettis Limited Edition, 800 hp)
NFL
Carolina Panthers: will you guys PLEASE make up your mind on who's going to be the QB for the rest of the season? (Hint: it SHOULDN'T be David Carr) And will you guys SHOW SOME HEART AND NOT MAIL IN THE SEASON? Pathetic effort you guys showed out there today!!
Kansas City Chiefs: you guys lost to the woeful Oakland Raiders at HOME? Granted, the Raiders played well and earned that win, but the Chiefs treated this game and the Raiders very lightly, rather than like a playoff game.
Tennessee Titans: what in the HELL was that effort? It was VERY Pantheresque! Your offense scored ONLY six points against one of the WORST defenses in the NFL? Granted, the Bengals still have one of the league's better offenses, although they have struggled lately. SIX points against a PATHETIC defense?? UNDER THE BUS YOU GO!!
St. Louis Rams: they came from ahead to lose to a bitter division rival in the Seattle Seahawks. Then they fumbled away one last chance with precious few seconds left in regulation and the ball on the Seahawks' ONE YARD LINE.
NCAA
LSU Tigers: why they didn't beat Arkansas by at least two TDs is beyond me. Maybe they are who we thought they were: a good, but not great, team. Maybe the rumors of Les Miles going to Michigan WERE a distraction to the Tigers' preparation.
Kansas Jayhawks: on the biggest stage perhaps in the school's history, they were flat for the first three quarters. By the time they realized they were the 2007 Kansas Jayhawks and not the 1987 Kansas Jayhawks, it was too late.
NASCAR
Carl Edwards: in an interview shortly after the season ended, he laid out his plans for 2008, which included cutting back his Nationwide Series schedule to devote more time to Sprint Cup, and he included this gem: "to bully and intimidate Matt (Kenseth) more." I'm getting tired of this guy's act. He showed his true colors when he threatened to punch Kenseth as Kenseth was giving an interview over an incident WITH EDWARDS that happened A MONTH PRIOR. I have lost a LOT of respect for him. I hope Jack Roush gets tired of his act, too. UNDER THE BUS YOU GO, CARL! Don't let the door hit you in the #### on the way down, YOU S.O.B.!!
I am from Central California. I am passionate about sports, particularly the NFL and NASCAR. My favorite teams are: Panthers (NFL), Lakers (NBA), Flyers (NHL), and Dodgers (MLB). I am also a Kevin Harvick fan in NASCAR. I am a Fresno State honk. (I'll admit it!) And I am also a fan of MMA. Jackie Robinson to this day represents what is right about baseball. I also enjoy discussing the relevant (and sometimes irrelevant) issues of the day pertaining to sports. I will never understand why televised poker is so popular. Who wants to see a bunch of people sitting around a table, muttering to themselves? I do my best to keep politics out of my sports discussions. That is why I recently created a nonsports blog, cencalscribe. blogspot.com. That is where I post my nonsports topics.
