As the last few days and weeks have rolled by in the world of sports, I have made two observations.  The first is that some of the most amazing things have been happening.  Things that a true sports fan lives to see.  We've had fantastic finishes, great team and player stories, as well as historically significant individual efforts.  There has also been things that have dominated headlines that are nowhere near "newsworthy".  The crime in this is that many fans' attentions are being diverted to this garbage, and missing these wonderful events in sports. 

As a teacher, I always assume that when people behave inappropriately it's because they don't know what the appropriate action is.  Therefore you, the fan, will no longer need to miss the unmissable.  I, XEA76, will help you navigate your way through the trash and find the treasure.

Worthy:  Derek Fisher

This guy flies 2/3 of the way across the U.S. to pray for his potentially dying child, support the mother of his child, and be there when a man needs to be there most.  When he knows all is safe, he flies back to Utah, suits up, and inspires his team to a huge OT win. 

Not Worthy:  Racially biased NBA officiating

You have to ask what the agenda is of any organization that would even support such a study.  Anyone who actually saw the raw numbers knows that the illedged discrepency of calls of officials to players of another race were not statiscally significant.  Translated, this is why all polls have a "margin of error".  The statistics were not so skewed that there appeared to be a problem, but there was a SLIGHT descrepency.  If you really want to help the racism problem, don't make it the issue everytime people that don't look the same are in the same room.

Worthy:  Barry Bonds

I started this blog over a year ago because of this man.  Barry is a jerk.  Barry MAY be a cheater (probably).  Having said that, Barry is the greatest baseball player I've ever seen, BAR NONE!  Baseball fans live their whole lives wanting to see records broken.  He's already broken the big one.  Now he's going for the #2 record in all of baseball, the all-time HR mark.  Don't miss this because of a stupid grudge.  This is what you want to tell your kids about.  If you ignore him, you make him a mystery to the next generation. Educate yourself about him.  Teach the kids why he's so good.  Explain why cheating is bad.  However, do not miss one of the most amazing feats by one of the five greatest baseball players of all time.

Not Worthy:  Curt Schilling

Speaking his name in public is difficult to do.  This is a guy who gives the media the quotes they want, so he gets a pass on being an ####.  He is not a Hall of Fame player.  That's right, being an outspoken member of the 2004 Red Sox doesn't make you one.  Sorry Kevin Millar.  I'm not sure any person in sports is less socially significant while being oblivious to that fact at the same time.  He thinks he's important.  He speaks for political candidates.  He's a social commentator.  And frankly, all the Beanbrains want him to do is get people out.  That's right Curt.  If you make the country less dependent on oil and have an ERA over 5.00, then Boston will hate you.  I promise.

Worthy:  Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Jr. is leaving the company his father founded.  NASCAR's biggest star with it's biggest sponsor is officially a free agent (at the end of the year).  This event really has no other worthy comparison.  There is no other athlete more popular, in his prime, and about to be persued by about 15 Nextel Cup teams, the idea of starting his own team, or even other racing outfits like the IRL or Formula One.  Junior is the biggest free agent in the history of American sports. 

Not Worthy:  Car of Tomorrow

NASCAR made it.  NASCAR uses it now.  NASCAR wants it full time in 2008.  That settles it.  Shut up and drive it.

Worthy:  Tiger Woods

Tiger is on another dominating run.  He's winning almost every tournament he signs up for.  He's back to his dominating form with his 15th different swing.  He got to the point in 2000 when he decided to compare himself to himself, and not to the other players.  Now he's back to being so far ahead of the field it's almost laughable.

Not Worthy:  Mike Vick

He's the biggest bust since Ryan Leaf.  He's a punk who's popularity so far supercedes his accomplishments that it's obsurd.  He's a great athlete who can't play QB.  He's a spoiled brat who has robbed me of the 60 seconds of my life that it took to write this blurb.  I'm out!

Philosophers say that we live in the post-modern era.  Post-modernism is a belief that the only absolute truth that exists in the world is that there is no absolute truth.  Despite the glaring philosophical contradiction that Stevie Wonder could see, many people endorse this way of viewing the world.  "What you do is up to you, and what I do is none of your business" they say.  If this is your world-view, that's fine with me (hints of relativism are all over that statement), but its amazing at how relative we are with our morals in sports.

NASCAR found that Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, and Michael Waltrip all qualified with illegal cars on Sunday.   The punishment for the crimes of Kahne and Kenseth's teams were reported by the Charlotte Observer as suspensions for each team's crew chief.  It amazes me that NASCAR refuses to park cars and teams for races.  I'm not sure that these violations would warrant such a punishment, but the bottom line is that such a punishment isn't even an option.  Sure, they say it is, but Kasey Kahne would have to attack and kill Dale Earnhardt Jr. to ever be suspended from a race.  NASCAR has gotten neck-deep with these sponsors to the point that they run the show.  You will NEVER see a race without a Home Depot, Dupont, Lowe's, Budweiser, or Dodge sponsored car.  At least not because NASCAR made that decision.  That fact doesn't even consider the star power of the former champions and superstars that carry the corporate torch for the aforementioned companies.  It's amazing that so many fans turn the other cheek to rules violations in NASCAR.  The unspoken motto of most crew chiefs in the sport is, "If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'".  Everyone seems to be fine with that, even when the large portion of the fan base resides in the "morally conservative" South of the U.S. 

Then, of course, there is baseball.  A sport in which anyone who has ever touched a bottle, vitamin, beer, or even baby, is under tremendous scrutiny and su####ion.  Why?  Are they both cheating?  Yes.  It amazes me that steriod use is considered the ultimate form of cheating in sports.  The steriod rule reminds me of what Jerry Seinfeld says about the helmet law.  He finds it humorous that we would have a law that functions to protect a brain that is functioning so poorly that it doesn't protect itself.  I agree.  When race cars are too fast, they put lives in danger of more than just their drivers.  When athletes juice, who are they really harming?  Your post-modern mind should now kick in and say, "They aren't hurting me, so what they are doing is fine."  However, it doesn't say that at all.  You want to be noble.  You want to be the helmet law.  You want to protect that athlete that is so starved for money and fame, that he/she will literally kill himself/herself to get it. 

I don't feel cheated by Barry Bonds.  I don't feel cheated by Kasey Kahne.  If Kasey Kahne's team deems it necessary to bend the rules to make him more competitive, then install rules that discourage that.  NASCAR does that.  If Barry Bonds wants to use a substance that, until recently, wasn't even banned by MLB and hurt himself, so be it.  He can be the Homerun King, while suffering through health problems and a lower quality of life.  That's his choice.  My question to you is.  If Barry is only hurting himself, and Kasey, Matt, and Michael are putting others at risk as well as not risking nearly as much from a personal, physical standpoint, who has committed the greater crime?  Barry will be tarnished physically, emotionally, and publically for the rest of his life.  Kahne and Kenseth won't even miss a race.  What gives? 

Is there anyway that Jr. ends up at DEI at season's end?  It seems like Jr. woke up and finally realized that he is the biggest star and NASCAR and has more leverage than any athlete in the history of professional sports.  Jr. is the man in NASCAR.  What makes that more amazing than anything is that this popularity has come with a moderate amount of success.  The NBA equivilent would be if Jeffrey Jordan, Michael's son, entered the league and played at a Paul Pierce level, but got LeBron James endorsements and attention.  Don't get me wrong.  Paul Pierce is a great player, but he's no LeBron, D-Wade, KG, or Tim Duncan.  Much like Jr. is great, but he's not Stewart, Johnson, or Gordon.

Having said all of that, with the addition of Toyota, who seems to be willing to pay any price to make a major splash in the sport, Dale is NASCAR's first A-Rod type free agent.  Anyone will pay anything to have him as the face of their team.  Anyone except maybe his jealous stepmommy. 

Here are Dale's 2008 options:

1)  Stay at DEI as the majority owner of the company and remain the face of NASCAR as we know it.

2)  Join a team like Hendrick or Roush with the proven ability to win championships with multiple teams and drivers.  This way, he can begin to build a legacy outside of his father (if that's even possible).

3)  Join a Toyota team, take Budweiser with him, and create a major shift in the power and influence of the newest and most controversial manufactoring brand in NASCAR history.

Whatever Dale chooses, he brings a marketability and economic power with him that no human being has ever had in any sport.  Good luck in the negotiations Dale.  The sport anxiously awaits.

What do you think he'll do?  What would you do?

As Sunday's turn from touchdowns and turnovers to drafting and driving, there is only one thing I know for sure. . .This is not your father's NASCAR.  Of course, we've gotten used to that by now.  We've changed from Winston to Nextel.  We've gone from the race for the championship to the race for the Chase.  We've gone from southern drivers who like to drive fast to sophisticated advertising agents who are well groomed, well spoken, and well. . .less rough and tough.  Not just anyone who can turn a wheel can be a NASCAR driver anymore.  Not only that, but now the best driver may not be able to win the championship anymore.

The Winston Cup was always about consistency.  Most Cup champs have a few things in common.  The first is that they won races.  They didn't always have the most wins, but they won their share.  Second, and most importantly, they were consistently good.  Very good.  The year end resume would have three or four wins, but 20-25 top tens.  The key to winning was always not only winning, but having the opportunity to win.  This new point system puts so much of an emphasis on winning, that it may turn its back on the Alan Kulwicki's of the racing world. 

It's ridiculous to add points for wins to driver's totals AFTER the points have been reset for the Chase.  I started watching NASCAR in 1992.  My favorite driver, Davey Allison, had won the Daytona 500 so I was hooked!  I watched Bill Elliott proceed to win the next four consecutive races.  I watched as Davey and "Awesome" Bill won five races each that season.  I also watched a consistent and determined Alan Kulwicki break my heart and win the championship with his measly two wins.  However, I understood that my guy finished third in the standings because he wasn't consistent enough to be a champion.  Why do we want to change that?  Is it because NASCAR is desirous of its new glamour boy, Kasey Kahne, to win the title?  Is it because we don't want the no-names like Kulwicki to win titles ever again?  Some teams don't have what it takes to win five races per season.  However, they do have what it takes to consistently put their car in the top 10.  That deserves something.  If it leads to them scoring more Nextel Cup points over the course of a season than any other team, then it deserves a championship.

Winning a race is a lot about luck.  If you don't believe me, ask Derrick Cope!  Consistently putting your car in the top 10 is a lot about skill.  Sure, luck is still a factor, but great cars, great drivers, and great teams consistently run up front.  There is a reason why Matt Kenseth is a champion and Ryan Newman is not.  Consistency is that reason.  Please NASCAR, don't fall so in love with the win that you stop rewarding consistency!

The lasting image in my mind from Saturday night's race in Charlotte wasn't Kasey Kahne's impressive victory. It wasn’t the dejection of Jeff Gordon facing the reality of his fifth championship having to come in another season. Not even Jeff Burton's strong run and increased point lead was the major story from Saturday. The lasting image to me was hearing Mark Martin confess to the world that him ever being a Nextel Cup Champion just isn't "meant to be".

As J.J. Yeley swerved down toward pit road from the middle of the track, he potentially and probably ended the championship hopes of NASCAR's Dan Marino. Being the greatest championship-less competitor is the absolute last thing an athlete wants to be in any sport. The reason: Forgetability! In football conversations, the names Elway, Montana, and Favre roll of the tongue as if they belong in the pantheon of great NFL quarterbacks. Any of us who witnessed Dan Marino play know that no one, not even those three threw the ball any better. No one has ever been more tenacious than Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. However, why are they so easily dismissed in these conversations? You know.

It would be a true shame if the same happens with Mark Martin. To argue that Matt Kenseth or Bobby Labonte are greater drivers than he would be a farce. However, they do have a "Cup" in their trophy case unlike Martin. Sure, Mark is not completely out of the Chase yet. He currently sits in fourth place in the standings, 102 points behind former teammate and admitted understudy of Martin's, Jeff Burton. However, the odds are certainly against Martin.

The word that best describes Martin and his career is certainly "consistency". However, maybe the word should be changed to "class". I cannot remember Mark ever getting out of his car without thanking the fans first. He, of course, thanks his sponsors, teammates, crew, car owner, etc., but its always the fans first. Not only is Mark a great human being, but he's also a great driver. Mark has finished second in the driver's standing an astounding four times and has finished in the top five in points 12 times. He has won 35 races in his Nextel Cup career as well as being the winningest driver in both the Busch Series and IROC series. Mark has won the most IROC championships and was an ASA legend before hitting the big time.

Mark has agreed to a part-time contract next year with MB2 racing, and who knows what will happen with his career after that. The sad truth is that this season is probably Mark's last true shot at a championship in NASCAR's highest level. Mark may have fallen short of the ultimate goal of his racing career. Mark may never be a Cup champion. However, I will watch the last five races of this season with both sadness and pride as the red, white, and blue #6 turns it's final laps with Mark behind the wheel. No matter what any stat sheet says, I know I'll be watching the essence of a champion. I'll be watching a true champion. I'll be watching the incomparable Mark Martin.

Memorial Day weekend is a special weekend to all Americans, especially those who have served or have family members that have served in the armed forces.   For sports fans, it’s also as prime a time can be without football.  The NBA and NHL playoffs are into their most exciting stretches.  Baseball is starting to hit the dog days of summer.  However, there was once a time when all of those events took a backseat on Memorial Day Sunday.

The Indianapolis 500 will be run this Sunday, like it has every year since 1911 (with a few exceptions because of little things called WWI and WWII).  “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” was once one the biggest events in the American sports landscape.  I remember being a child and having a huge class of milk with whoever won each year.  It was great, and like many others, it was the only race my family and I ever watched.   I still remember being 6 years old and watching Danny Sullivan win.  I was so excited because my best friend at school was also named Danny!  I’ve drank milk with Bobby Rahal, Rick Mears, and Al Unser just to name a few.

Of course, like all sports organizations and events do, the “500” got a little too big and rich for its britches.  In 1994, Tony George created the Indy Racing League to compete with the already formed CART series.  This did not become the “death blow” to the “500” until he announced that most of the starting spots in the race would be reserved for the IRL drivers.  Of course, most of the bigger named drivers (Fittipaldi, Rahal, Mears, etc.) were still under contract with CART teams.   

Then the boredom began.  People like Jacques Villanueve, Kenny Brack, and Juan Pablo Montoya were kissing the bricks.  I don’t want to drink milk with those guys.  I didn’t when they won, and I definitely don’t now!  Sure, CART tried the U.S. 500 at Michigan to compete with Indy, but everyone knew that was not going to be successful.

Tony George’s quest for more power and money has not only damaged the popularity of the “500”, but it has made it the second most popular race on Memorial Day Sunday!  NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte is now a much more popular event.

NASCAR historians will look back at the mid to late 90’s as the time when NASCAR leaped into the mainstream.  They will hypothesize that it was the style of Dale Earnhardt that led the stock car revival, or the young upstart Jeff Gordon that ushered the circuit into superstardom.  If they want the real answer, the answer they’ll never admit, look no further than the CART/IRL split.  NASCAR does not owe its success to the Intimidator or the Rainbow Warrior.  NASCAR owes it all to the greed of Tony George.