RCS Blog Network

Sundays Will Never Be The Same Book Review

2012-02-10T22:25:48Z

Although you come for the 2001 Daytona 500 when reading this book you stay for the rest of Darrell Waltrip and his life growing up mainly starting with his high school years, his early years in NASCAR on up to his final years as NASCAR driver and finally the tragedy and happiness that occurred in the 2001 Daytona 500 while he started out as a broadcaster for FOX.

This is the second autobiography book looking at his driving career by Darrell Waltrip. His first was DW: A Lifetime Going Around in Circles.

This book though starts and ends with that 2001 Daytona 500. The triumph of younger brother Michael who was driving for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated at the time winning the race to the tragedy and the aftermath of Dale Earnhardt crashing and then dying at the same race, the rest of the book though is a solid read.

Throughout his NASCAR years as a driver in the book he gives good insight into NASCAR and then goes into dramatic detail in the final and most important chapter of the book. His pre NASCAR years saw him in trouble with the law numerous times due to his driving problems. It certainly showcased a part of who he was back then and continued to be while he was a NASCAR driver.

The final chapter though is a very sad one, but Darrell does go into vivid detail before the race with the pre-race interview and then the aftermath of him at the Halifax hospital learning about the death of Dale Earnhardt. I fully say pick up this book, it is a totally enjoyable read.

Landon Cassil And More News

2012-02-10T22:07:24Z

Landon Cassil has picked up a full time Sprint Cup ride in the #83 car with Harry McMullen as the General Manager in an unnamed team that now has the points that Red Bull Racing.

The rumor mill has Brian Vickers or Travis Kvapil in the #93 which is going is going to be the second car for the unnamed team.

The NASCAR Foundation is moving to Daytona Beach.

John Wes Townley has been picked up by the cops for DWI so RAB Racing has benched him indefinitely.

So long, Ricky

2012-02-10T06:12:09Z

It wasn't quite as shocking as the first time he retired, but it was surprising nonetheless to hear Ricky Williams finally call it quits after it had been rumored he was returning to Baltimore.

]]> Williams retired as one of 26 running backs to crack the 10,000-yard barrier, but he'll probably best be remembered for the all the strange instances that were a part of his career, most of his own doing.

It started when he was drafted by the Saints in 1999, when then-coach Mike Ditka traded his entire draft for the rights to Williams.

He had only one 1,000-yard season in New Orleans, then was traded to the Dolphins as what Dave Wannstedt thought was the final piece he needed to build a championship team.

Right out of the box, Williams had the finest season in team history, running for 1,853 yards, and earning his only Pro Bowl appearance. But after rushing for 1,372 yards the following year, he abruptly retired without much explanation, though he faced a four-game suspension for failing a drug test. He returned in 2005, was suspended again the following year, then went to the CFL where he broke a bone in his arm and missed the rest of the season.

When he returned in 2007, older but wiser, he was simply a contributor in a backfield he shared with Ronnie Brown, and no longer the man. He seemed to relish the role, that of selfless worker to that of team star, and apart from 2009, when he rushed for 1,000 yards again, he was never the impact player he had been before his first retirement.

I wrote in a previous post that Ricky was about more than football, and ultimately, his odd career will be remembered more for what happened off the field than for the fact that when he was at his best, Williams was one of the best backs in the game.

Manning saga continues
I think it's safe to say that after a publicized tiff with Colts owner Jim Irsay and after an Indanapolis columnist said Peyton Manning doesn't have the arm to play in the NFL anymore, Manning's time with the Colts is probably over.

I've seen several media reports that say the Dolphins are high on the list of teams expected to go after Manning. If the news about his arm trouble is true, obviously, he won't do much good wherever he goes. It would also be a sad ending to one of the greatest careers in league history.

Manning seemed like such a lock to break all of the career records owned by Brett Favre, but if he walked away now, he would retire with 399 touchdown passes, 21 short of Dan Marino for second on the all-time list, and more than 100 behind Favre.

Here's to hoping Manning does return, no matter if it's with Miami or not. He's earned the right to walk away on his terms. But when I hear about his neck woes, I remember Marino's own neck injury in 1999 that esentially ended his career. He never had the same arm strength when he returned that season, and he finished with his worst campaign in a 17-year career. That was when he decided to retire. Now, it's Peyton's turn to make the call.

Sixers All-Star Moment

2012-02-10T03:47:53Z

Finally, after seven seasons, Andre Iguodala has made an All-Star team. This is not his best statistical season, he is third on the team in scoring, so clearly the selection committee has rewarded him based on the Sixers fantastic team success. At 18-8, only Miami, Oklahoma City, and Chicago have better records than Philadelphia.

Iguodala still makes spectacular plays dunking over people or throwing an alley oop to himself off the glass, but his "less is more" approach on offense I think has directly contributed to the teams improvement.

Andre truly does lots of things well so naturally he wanted to carry the load on both ends of the floor season after season. The results were .500 records and first round exits. Now, he may be the third or fourth option on offense thanks to two other guys who could have been All-Star selections, Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday, and the team keeps winning. Williams could still be the sixth man of the year and Holiday will have plenty of more chances to get the All-Star nod.

The true snub for the Sixers on All-Star weekend would be if Jodie Meeks is not in the 3 point contest.

Iguodala's All-Star selection is a great achievement for him after being a consistent part of the franchise for almost a decade, but his presence on the Eastern squad says more about the big strides the Sixers have made as a team than Iguodala as an individual.

Watch the Sixers host Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and the Clippers tonight.

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Previews Part 4

2012-02-10T00:13:35Z

This is my 4th part of many for Sprint Cup Driver Previews. Sponsorship can change at any time. Up next will part time Sprint Cup Teams/Drivers.

47--Bobby Labonte--JTG Daugherty Racing
Bush's Baked Beans, Little Debbie, and other cars will sponsor this team again in 2012. Booby though only finished 29th place in the points with two top ten place finishes. He will get no more than five top ten place finishes in 2012 and do 26-28th place in the points at the end of the season.

48--Jimmie Johnson--Rick Hendrick
Lowe's will be back again to sponsor this car that finished sixth place in the points with two wins and 21 top ten place finishes. I see him getting no more than three wins in 2012 with 20-22 top tens and finish 5-8th place in the points.

49--J.J. Yeley--Robinson Blakeney Racing
This is a brand new team. J.J. though finished 35th place in the points last season with no top ten place finishes. Sponsorship has not been announced yet. I see this car getting no top tens and finishing 30-35th place in the standings.

51--Kurt Busch--Phoenix Racing.
Kurt takes over a car for only one season that finished 30th place in the standings with no top tens. Kurt though had 2 wins in 2011 with 16 top tens to finish 11th place in the points. I say Kurt only gets a couple top tens in 2012 and finishes 23-26th place in the standings.

55--Michael Waltrip, Mark Martin, and ???--Michael Waltrip Racing
This car was the 00 car that David Reutimann had that only had 3 top tens and finished 28th place in the points. Michael Waltrip was only in three races in 2011, but had one top ten. Mark Martin though had a full season of racing last year, but had no wins and ten top ten finishes. Michael gets the car for five races while Mark gets 25. The rest is supposed to be filled by some other driver. Aaron's is going to sponsor this car. I say Michael gets one top ten in 2012, Mark gets more than 25 races and pulls in only 10 top ten finishes. The car will finish 27-29th place in the points.

56--Martin Truex Jr.--Michael Waltrip racing
Finishes 18th place in the points with 12 top ten place finishes and no wins. I say he pulls off one win in 2012 and 13-15th top ten place finishes. He will finish 13-15th place in the points. NAPA will be back to sponsor this car.

78--Regan Smith--Funiture Row Racing
Regan had five top tens in 2011 with one win to finish 26th place in the points at the end of the season. Funiture Row will be back to sponsor this car in 2012. I see him with 8 top tens in 2012 with a shot to win another race, but will finish 22-25-th place in the points at the end of the season.

88--Dale Earnhardt Jr.--Hendrick Motorsports
Dale finished the year seventh place in the points with only 12 top tens. Diet Mountain Dew will be back to sponsor this car. I see him with a win in 2012 and making the chase. He will have 12-15 top tens in 2012 to finish 6-9th place in the points in 2012.

99--Carl Edwards--Roush Fenway Racing
Carl finished second place in the points with one win and 26 top ten place finishes. Best Buy, Kellogg's,Fastenal, and more will sponsor this car in 2012. I say Carl gets three wins with 24-26 top tens to finish 1st place in the standings at the end the season.

Daytona News Galore, Jason Bowles, And America Israel Racing PR News

2012-02-09T22:02:05Z

Jayne Lynch and Kate Upton have been named the grand marshals for the Daytona 500.

Lenny Kravitz has been named the Daytona 500 Pre-Race show musical entertainment.

Little Big Town are going to do pre and post race concert duties at the Budweiser shootout.

Jason Bowles is going to be the driver for the #81 MacDonald Motorsports car in 2012.

America Israel Racing Unveils Unique Paint Scheme for the Daytona 500

Car will prominently display both the United States and Israel flags

CHARLOTTE, NC (February 9, 2012) - With under a month to go before the green flag drops on the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, America Israel Racing (AIR) has unveiled its unique paint scheme for the No. 49 Robinson-Blakeney Racing Toyota that will be driven by JJ Yeley at the Daytona 500.

Inspired by AIR's mission of promoting the importance of America supporting Israel, the design prominently displays both the United States and Israel flags as well as a striking image of a bald eagle holding both nations' flags in its claws and an olive branch in its beak on the hood.

"We wanted to ensure our car design was not only eye-catching, but properly conveyed the mission and values of America Israel Racing," said AIR co-founder Rich Shirey. "The eagle in particular contains a great deal of symbolism - it has a determined look on its face, because we are determined to voice the importance of America's support of Israel.

"However, we wanted to be sure to include the olive branch, because it is a universal sign of peace and above all else, America Israel Racing's message is a peaceful one."

Images of the No. 49 America Israel Racing Robinson-Blakeney Toyota is attached. Additional photos are available on America Israel Racing's Facebook page at facebook.com/AmericaIsraelRacing or by request.

American Israel Racing has teamed with Robinson-Blakeney Racing of Monroe, North Carolina, to place a car in the 2012 Daytona 500 field on February 26 at Daytona International Speedway in Florida. AIR hopes to continue its partnership with Robinson-Blakeney Racing beyond Daytona, and with the support of like-minded individuals AIR will spread its message of American Israeli support by placing a car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup field for the entire 2012 season. Anyone wishing to support America Israel Racing and its cause can make a donation online at AmericaIsraelRacing.com.
About America Israel Racing
America Israel Racing was formed to raise awareness of the importance of America supporting Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East, as it stands against its enemies. The North Carolina-based race team, founded in 2011, is in the process of fundraising to field a car in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starting with the Daytona 500. Through strategic partnerships and joint ventures with other organizations, America Israel Racing hopes to spread the message throughout the world that the United States supports Israel.

AmericaIsraelRacing.com facebook.com/AmericaIsraelRacing twitter.com/AmIsraelRacing

'Surgery' Makes Duke Better Immediately

2012-02-09T19:14:06Z

Maybe yanking the combined hearts out of 20-thousand odd sky blue clad fans and the 5th ranked Tarheel basketball team doesn't technically count as surgery. On the other hand, the 85-84 victory in the DeanDome as a result of Austin Rivers' buzzer-beating sixth trey of the night (season high 29 points) over UNC's 7-foot center Tyler Zeller clearly makes a whole lot of Blue Devil worshippers breathe a whole lot better.

As powerful an addition as Kansas' 32-4 run while thumping Mizzou or Syracuse's OT victory over Georgetown might have been to ESPN's Rivalry Week, you won't convince too many highlight watchers that "another unbelievable finish!" in this Tobacco Road series didn't provide enough chest-pounding enthusiasm to give the recent Super Bowl a run for any 'Best Game of...' consideration.

]]> How much better could you have expected anyone to have played? Except for Zeller's attempted block of a Duke shot winding up as a goal late in the game, a fairly clear but uncalled walk on a Curry three and UNC hitting only 8 of 15 free throws in the second half, it was textbook basketball. Carolina dominated most of the second half as Harrison Barnes (25 points), Henson (12 points, 17 rebounds) and Zeller (23 pts./11 rebounds) were almost unstoppable in the paint.

Only 14-3s kept Duke afloat, and while ANY victory over their arch-rival is desirable, having lost two straight at Cameron Indoor Arena (in OT to Miami, and a buzzer shot by Florida St. on 1/21) and having Coach K feeling his charges weren't listening well enough was cause for concern. That they came from 10 down with 2:30 left and finished the game with a 13-2 runfor the victory is exactly the sort of jolt they needed. While it doesn't mean they're THAT Duke type team again, and getting pasted by UNC's bigs might be a harbinger of future events, its never a bad thing to climb into the conference lead with a gut check win.

Coach K undoubtedly gave his kids and Roy Williams' charges all kinds of credit for hanging in there and believing and executing. Syracuse, which gave coach Jim Boheim his 880th career win, moving him past the venerated Dean Smith into 3rd place in D-1 victories, will take the W as it counts down its Big East season before moving to the ACC and joining the basketball frenzy here.

No Style Points for Syracuse

2012-02-09T07:30:00Z

The bad news is Syracuse played the game the way Georgetown wanted it to be played. The good news is they won. The bad news is they still have a serious rebounding problem. The good news is...still the same...they won. It wasn't pretty but that ugliness gets swept under the rug with a win against their arch rival.

Georgetown slowed the pace down and made Syracuse work in the half court set. They limited the Orange on the glass and held them to under 35-percent shooting. That's a recipe for a Georgetown win. But Syracuse was no slouch on defense either. Combine that with their offenses looking as ugly as those neon yellow laces the Hoyas were wearing and if you were colorblind you would've thought this was a game between Wisconsin and Illinois (you could really pick any two Big Ten teams).

]]> The Hoyas played a lot of zone, and, while you would think a team known for playing almost exclusively zone would know how to beat it, the Orange always struggle against it (this irony isn't lost on Syracuse fans). The Hoyas did a tremendous job challenging shots both in the paint and on the perimeter. The Orange were forced into some poor shots late in the shot clock and were cold all night long.

While the offense was sub-par, Syracuse's defense held its own. The Hoyas shot just 33-percent for the game, including 5-of-21 from long distance. Much of the credit goes to the big man in the middle. Fab Melo recorded 6 of the Orange's 11 blocks and held Henry Sims to 1-of-12 shooting. As for that lone basket? It was when Melo was sitting on the bench and Sims got a layup on Baye Keita.

But it wasn't all orange-colored roses on the defensive end. Syracuse had been struggling rebounding the ball prior to Fab's return but it seemed like that problem went away with Melo back. Against St. John's, Syracuse held a plus-13 edge. But it turns out that was just because St. John's is even worse at rebounding than Syracuse. Last night the Hoyas out-rebounded the Orange 48-30 including 20 offensive rebounds.

How can the defense be so aggressive on the ball and so passive on the glass? I understand that the zone is not conducive to rebounding but it certainly doesn't account for that type of disparity. Announcers always talk about the length of Syracuse. Don't even attempt to play a drinking game during an SU game where "length" requires you to drink. So where is that length when it comes to rebounds? This isn't a small team. There is no excuse for not finding a man and boxing out.

Aside from Melo's play, the only saving grace from last night was Kris Joseph having a career night. He had a career-high 29 points. He nailed 6-of-11 3-pointers including the game-winner with 26 seconds remaining in OT. But don't confuse this with Joseph becoming the Orange's "go-to-guy." I've seen too many games to expect some sort of consistency out of him. A wise man once said, 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me for two and a half year and I'm not gonna be fooled again.'

But maybe Joseph has turned the corner. Maybe his most recent 3-point shooting woes were all just practice. 0-2 against St. John's? Practice. 0-for-3 against West Virginia? Practice. 3-for-27 in his last 7 games? All practice leading up to this one. What it does illustrate yet again though, is why Syracuse does not need a 'go-to-guy.' This unprecedented depth means it could be one of many on any given night. Is it more dangerous having one player you know you have to shut down or knowing that anyone on the court could make the key play?

It wasn't a pretty game and Boeheim let everyone know that in his post-game press conference. He laid into his team for its horrendous rebounding. It looks like someone is cranky ahead of the UConn game on Saturday. But Boeheim is right that this team can't continue to win with effort like this. Expect some brutally physical practices before Saturday's showdown.

Pat Tryson, Crown Royal PR, And More News

2012-02-08T22:01:23Z

Starting on Monday at 3pm on ESPN2 the NASCAR Now show is coming back. A.J. Allmendinger has been picked up by the network for a segment on the weekend shows.

Pat Tryson has been named the crew chief for David Gilliand.

Maximum Human Performance (MHP) is going to be a primary sponsor for Front Row Motorsports.

I got this in an email:

Crown Royal® Kicks Off Nationwide Call for Heroes

Whisky Brand to Honor an American Hero with Naming Rights to the Brickyard 400 at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. Feb. 7, 2012 - There are certain people who go above and beyond to change people's lives. From protecting our country to serving as leaders in the community, Crown Royal is looking to pay tribute to those who are making a difference. The whisky brand is encouraging adult fans to nominate their personal heroes (21 or older) for naming rights to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the Crown Royal Presents the "Your Hero's Name Here"TM 400 at the Brickyard.

The race, to be held on July 29, 2012 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, represents the ultimate celebration of heroes and will mark the sixth time Crown Royal has awarded race naming rights to an adult fan. For the past two years, Crown Royal accepted nominations for military and service members exclusively. Not only has the 2012 race moved to the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the annual program--now called "Your Hero's Name Here"--has been expanded to accept entries for all of the unsung heroes who make a difference in their communities, from firefighters and police officers, to first responders and local volunteers.

"The expansion of the nomination category gives adult fans the opportunity to honor all men and women who truly make a difference in their day-to-day lives," said Yvonne Briese, VP Marketing, DIAGEO North American whisky. "We've been given the opportunity to shine a spotlight on those who unselfishly commit themselves to giving back, and we look forward to seeing one of our heroes kiss the bricks in Indianapolis this summer."

To nominate a hero for consideration for naming rights to the race, fans are encouraged to visit the Crown Royal Facebook page (Facebook.com/CrownRoyal), where they will be asked to describe a heroic act by the nominee in 100 words or less. Nominations will be accepted until April 30, 2012 and the five finalists will be announced in May. Once the finalists are announced, fans will be provided the chance to cast a vote and determine the winner. The winner will be revealed in a special ceremony leading up to the race.

As part of the prize package, the grand-prize winner will travel to Indianapolis for the race, where he or she will be provided an once-in-a-lifetime experience, which includes waving the green flag to signal the start of the race and delivering the trophy bearing his or her moniker to the race winner in Victory Lane.

The race is the culminating event of the Crown Royal Heroes ProjectTM, an ongoing commitment to recognize everyday heroes and give back to their communities. As part of the project, special commemorative CAMO Crown Royal bag stuffing events were held across the country throughout the fall, resulting in thousands of Crown Royal care packages being sent to American troops overseas, with the help of Packages from Home. The Project benefits the brand's two national charity partners, Honoring Heroes and Operation Patriot Foundation.

Crown Royal's ongoing effort to identify deserving individuals kicked off this weekend in Indianapolis, along with various military bases across the country and will continue throughout the entry period. Former NFL standout Warrick Dunn made a special appearance around the big game to call attention to the program and encourage adult fans to nominate their heroes. Dunn has partnered with the whisky brand to honor his own hero - his late mother - a former police officer who was killed during an off-duty security shift 19 years ago.

About Crown Royal
Crown Royal Canadian whisky is the number one selling Canadian whisky brand in the US by value and has a tradition as long and distinctive as its taste. Specially blended to commemorate a grand tour of Canada made by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain in 1939, Crown Royal Canadian whisky's smooth, elegant style reflects its aristocratic origins and is considered the epitome of Canadian whisky. For more information visit www.crownroyal.com. Crown Royal encourages all fans to please enjoy responsibly.

About Diageo
Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE).

For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

About Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been the worldwide leader in motorsports entertainment since it opened in 1909. The facility has hosted the Indianapolis 500, the world's largest single-day annual sporting event, since 1911 and also is the site of the Crown Royal Presents the "Your Hero's Name Here" 400 at the Brickyard and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. The NASCAR Nationwide Series and GRAND-AM Road Racing also will make their IMS debut with races in 2012.

IMS is the world's largest spectator sporting facility and is the only venue to stage annual races in the IZOD IndyCar Series, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, GRAND-AM Road Racing and MotoGP.

About Operation Patriot Foundation
The mission of Operation Patriot Foundation, Inc., is to pay tribute to those who protect us daily - fire fighters, law enforcement, emergency responders and our active and veteran military forces, and to raise money for organizations representing these men and women who protect us. Our intentions are simple. To pay tribute to and help those who risk their lives for us daily and provide support to these people and their families through fund raising and ceremony in their honor. Operation Patriot Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information, please visit www.operationpatriot.org.

About Honoring Heroes
Honoring Heroes, also known as The American First Responder Institute of Heraldry, has created nationally recognized awards for valor and heroism in the service of the First Responders' life saving mission. No federal, state or local funds are required because the First Responder Institute prioritizes using locally donated dollars to honor local first responders. Prior to the work of the Institute, there was only one nationally recognized award for First Responders; the Medal of Valor. We have created complimentary awards for heroism and exceptional service "above and beyond the call of duty." Awards are also given for direct participation in significant events, for improving security of the homeland and for exemplary service. For more information, please visit www.honoringheroes.com.

About Packages From Home
Packages From Home is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to send care and comfort packages to deployed American military heroes who are stationed in active duty theaters around the world, as well as to facilitate activities that elevate morale of all veterans. Packages From Home was founded in 2004 by Kathleen Lewis and has sent over 130,000 individual care packages and thousands of pounds of bulk mailing to deployed military troops overseas since its inception. You can make a donation and learn more about Packages From Home by calling 602.253.0284 or by visiting us at www.packagesfromhome.org.

Caption: NASCAR drivers Kasey Kahne, left, Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch, right, fill out postcards for troops at the Crown Royal Heroes Tailgate Party, on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, in Indianapolis. The drivers stopped by and stuffed a bag in support of the "Your Hero's Name Here" program, which will award naming rights to the Brickyard 400 to a hero. Crown Royal sends the camo bags to troops overseas. (Jack Dempsey / AP Images for Crown Royal)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Previews Part 3

2012-02-07T23:15:32Z

This is my third of many for 2012 driver previews and as always sponsorship can change at any time.

30--David Stremme---Inception Motorsports
This is a brand new team with no sponsorship listed yet. David though only had 18 starts in 2011 with no top tens. This team is expecting to run all but the road course races, but I think they will run them. I see no top tens for them and finish 30-35th place in the points at the end of the season.

31--Jeff Burton--Richard Childress Racing
Finished a disappointing season with no wins and only five top ten place finishes to finish 20th place in the points. Caterpillar will be back to sponsor this team. I say he has a shot at a win, but I do not think he will do better than 10 top ten finishes in 2011. He will finish 16-18th place in the points.

34--David Ragan--Front Row Motorsports
The 34 car finished the season with two top ten place finishes and a 31th place in the points. Taco Bell will be back to sponsor this car. David Ragan is the driver for this car though and p=icked off win and eight top tens to finish 23rd place in the standings in 2011. I say he does not better than 23rd place in the points with five top tens and no wins.

36--Dave Blaney--Tommy Baldwin Racing
The car had only one top ten in 2011, but finished 33rd place in the points. Accell Construction is one sponsor for this car. I do not see any top tens for this car and it may not even run a full season.

37--Josh Wise--Max Q Motorsports
This is a brand new team that is expected to go the full season. No sponsorship has been announced though. He mainly did Nationwide Series racing in 2011. He had 31 starts with 3 top tens to finish 16th place in the points.I see no top tens and a 30-35th place finish for this car at the end of the season.

38--David Gilliand--Front Row Motorsports
The 38 car had no top tens and a 35th place in the points. Long John Silvers will be back to sponsor this car. David Gilliand is the driver of the car this season and last year he finished 30th place in the points with no two top tens. I say he finishes 27-30th place In the points with no more than 4 top top tens in 2012.

39--Ryan Newman--Stewart Haas Racing
Ryan had one win in 2011 with seventeen top tens to finish tenth place in the points. Quicken Loans, U.S. Army and more will sponsor this car in 2012. I say he gets one win in 2012 with 17-20 top top tens to finish 7-10th place in the points.

42--Juan Pablo Montoay--Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
Juan had only 8 top ten place finishes to get 21st place in the standings in 2011. Target will be back as a sponsor. I say he has a shot at a win in 2012. I say he gets no more than ten top ten place finishes and get a 15-17th place finish in the points.

43--Aric Almirola--Richard Petty Motorsports
The car finished 15th place in the points with ten top ten place finishes. Aric though comes from the Nationwide Series last year where he finished 4th place in the points with 18 top ten place finishes. I say he gets 9-11 top ten place finishes in 2012 and gets a 16-18th place finish in the points in 2012.

WWE Superstar John Cena Has Been Named

2012-02-07T22:59:48Z

the honorary starter for the Daytona 500.

Column Awards of the Week (1/31-2/6)

2012-02-07T13:30:00Z

By updating RealClearSports I read hundreds of articles every week but sometimes there are particular passages that need highlighting. And to make these passages more palatable I'm doing them in award form! The awards are completely random and will change weekly.

Eli Manning now ranks among the best QBs of all time. He is now in the same class as Tom Brady, who failed to enter into the conversation with Joe Montana as the best QB ever. Eli Manning out-dueled Brady and is clearly the better player at this point in time.

That's apparently what we learned from the Super Bowl. The media has to bring it down to the simplest terms and declare the winner the best and the loser something along the lines of the worst. Tom Brady's legacy is ruined and Eli Manning's is skyrocketing. Can we cool it with the legacy talk? Tom Brady is being unfairly criticized and Eli Manning is being unfairly praised. There is more to who is the better player than who won the game.

Tom Brady had one of the greatest regular seasons of any quarterback ever. Even in his worst game he completed 57-percent of his passes and had as many touchdowns as he did interceptions. He finished the year with 39 touchdowns and 12 picks while throwing for a career-high 5,235 yards. He did this all without a deep threat wide receiver. He did it with a possession receiver and two tight ends as his top threats and no running game. Let's not look past those amazing accomplishments just because he fell short in the final game.

And let's discuss the circumstances in the final game. Rob Gronkowski played but was clearly not 100-percent due to that ankle injury. He looked slow and if he was healthy there is no way he allows linebacker Chase Blackburn to intercept that pass. In addition to not having one of his top targets, the Patriots had awful field position. Brady was forced to go nearly the entire length of the field in order to score. The 3 scoring drives from the Pats went for 60, 96 and 79 yards.

It's not as if Brady had a bad game. He was 27-for-41 for 276 yards with 2 touchdowns and the 1 interception I mentioned earlier. He completed a Super Bowl record 16 consecutive passes. If the Patriots defense had been able to stop the Giants on their final drive, Brady wins the MVP hands down.

I have to agree with Gisele Bundchen. Who would've thought that sentence would be uttered in a sports article six years ago. After the game the supermodel wife to Tom Brady got into an argument with a Giants fan and said, "My husband cannot (bleeping) throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can't believe they dropped the ball so many times." Wes Welker's drop has been the most publicized but the Patriots also dropped the first two passes on their final drive. His throws weren't perfect but they were good enough and any wide receiver would agree they should've been caught.

Eli Manning also had an incredible season and his penchant for fourth quarter comebacks this season was amazing. He looks like he might be turning the corner in his career. That might sound strange since he just won his second Super Bowl but he hasn't exactly been an elite quarterback up to this point. The year he won his first Super Bowl, he led the league in interceptions as he also did last season.

Manning is very lucky to have an amazing receiving core. Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham is probably the best wide receiver trio in the league. All three made huge plays to propel Eli and the Giants to this win.

Nicks led the way with 10 catches for 109 yards. Victor Cruz scored the first touchdown of the game. Mario Manningham made the catch that's being compared to David Tyree's helmet catch. Nicks is the type of big-play wideout Brady has had only briefly in his career with Randy Moss. That Cruz touchdown? If Jerod Mayo had actually been watching the ball he would've at least knocked it down and probably picked it off. Manningham's catch was just ridiculous. But I will admit it was a very well thrown ball to one of the only places he could place it to give him a chance to make the grab. That's where the comparisons to the helmet catch break down. That pass to David Tyree was horrendous. He should've never thrown it. But no one remembers the poor decision and instead we remember the fantastic grab that helped Eli to his first Super Bowl title.

It's also not fair to compare Manning to Brady because they weren't exactly going up against the same defense. The Patriots gave up nearly 300 passing yards a game in the regular season whereas the Giants were peaking at just the right time.

Unfortunately, none of this really matters. In just a few years the arguments will boil down to how many Super Bowls these quarterbacks won. Most fans won't look at the circumstances. They won't look at the individual plays or the luck involved. But maybe even that's a bit optimistic. Based on some of the things I've read many have already forgotten about the circumstances and anointed Eli the king of all QBs and Brady as an also-ran now past his prime. On to the awards!

]]> Under the Radar Like a Bieber at an All-Girls Middle School
Andy Glockner of Sports Illustrated just blew the lid off the biggest secret of this college basketball season: The curious case of the Ohio State Buckeyes continued on Sunday when they slowly and methodically pulled away from a solid Michigan team to win 64-49 at home. Lacking much drama or many signature moments, it's the latest in a long string of comprehensive performances that will draw a collective "ho hum" from the masses. Instead, it should be considered the latest piece of evidence that the Buckeyes are one of the biggest threats to take down this season's NCAA title. ... All of that is a shame and shows the foolishness of polls, because so far this season, Ohio State may be the best team in the nation.

That's right folks. The third ranked team in the nation is flying WAY under the radar. The team that had the third best Vegas odds to win the title just gets no respect, huh? You can argue that they are the best team and that they have the best chances to win the title but to say they are under the radar is insane.

Best Comeback
Brandon Marshall passive-aggressively criticized his QB Matt Moore when he talked about how great it was to play with such high-caliber QBs at the Pro Bowl. Greg Cote of the Miami Herald doesn't think Marshall should be the one complaining: Marshall alluded to accuracy. I would note that of the three QBs who threw to him Sunday, Ben Roethlisberger had a 63.2 completion percentage last year, Philip Rivers had 62.9 and Andy Dalton 58.1. Moore's was 60.5. It would have been 64.6 had 14 dropped passes been caught, by the way.
Moore's agent declined Tuesday to offer a comment from his client about Marshall's comments. (But I did hear Matt is in remarkably good shape for a man who had just been thrown under a bus).

Oh snap. He called you out with stats, bro!

Do That Math Again
Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald might need a refresher on basic math: With first place in the Eastern Conference up for grabs on Wednesday, the Heat dropped to 0-2 against Milwaukee this season with a 105-97 loss at Bradley Center. Amazingly, nearly 10 percent of the Bucks' victories have come against the Heat's dream team. ... There is little doubt that the Heat's worst two performances this season have come against Bucks.

Either the Bucks are on pace to break the Bulls record for best winning percentage in a season or his math is just a bit off here. 2 wins equaling 10-percent of their win total would mean the Bucks would have 20 wins...the Bucks had played 21 games on the season and were 10-11. Soooo 20-percent of their wins had come against the Heat.

Great Minds Think Alike
After the Raptors lost, 100-64 to the Celtics last Wednesday I wondered if Kentucky could give them a run for the money. And just like that Jeff Goodman of Eye on College Basketball was thinking the same thing: The Raptors backcourt was Spanish point guard Jose Calderon and athletic freak DeMar DeRozan. The frontcourt: James Johnson, Ed Davis and Aaron Gray.
Pitiful.
I understand Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are just freshmen, but it's not like Davis and DeRozan are grown men, either. Both are just 22 years old. Johnson is 24 and Gray is 26.
I'd take Davis over Gray in a heartbeat. Yes, today. I'd also go with Gilchrist over Davis -- today, tomorrow and every day thereafter.
Calderon blows away Marquis Teague at this juncture and we'll give a slight nod to Johnson over Terrence "Mr. Enigma" Jones, but not if Jones' head is actually into the game.
Then there's the matter of DeRozan vs. Doron Lamb. DeRozan is a terrific athlete and virtually a non-shooter. Lamb is a big-time shooter. Completely different players, but I'll go with DeRozan.
So maybe Calipari's current edition down in Lexington wouldn't come out on top against the Raptors, but they'd certainly give them a run for their money.

It's a debate that is raised every year and I'm intrigued by it every time it comes up.

Cramming a Square Peg in a Round Hole
Reed Albergotti of the Wall Street Journal believes this year in the NFL, the organizations were as important as ever: But by the time the conference championships were played, three of the final four teams vying for a trip to the Super Bowl were the New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots, a trio of famously stable organizations that are widely known as pillars of prudent roster management and principled talent acquisition. The fourth team, the San Francisco 49ers, had struggled on the field in recent years and had a first-year coach, but have a successful pedigree going back decades.

The first 3 teams make sense, but the 49ers? Don't try to include them by pulling the successful pedigree card. This team hadn't made the playoffs since 2002 and hadn't been to the Super Bowl since 1994. Don't try and claim their pedigree is why they succeeded this year. Just admit they were an anomaly in your thesis and move on.

Interesting...But Unnecessary
Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post explains the origin of the term underdog: The original underdogs, they really did face impossible odds. These were actual dogs, taking part in the actual blood sport of bear-baiting, an especially charming event in 16th century England. A bear would be captured, knocked out, tied up, and two dogs would be sent in to finish him off.
The overdog would go for the bear's jugular vein. He had a higher winning percentage than the IRS. The underdog would go for the bear's middle section, and that would present a problem if the bear wasn't yet dead because, well, the bear's claws would practically pulverize the poor underdog into a pulpy puppy mess.

Well, that was something I didn't want to read. And now I've forced it upon you. You're welcome.

How Convenient
Gil LeBreton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is one of Eli Manning's biggest fans: The list of NFL quarterbacks who have won at least two of these is a relatively short one. Among them are names such as Starr, Griese, Staubach, Bradshaw, Montana, Aikman, Elway and, yes, Tom Brady.

He listed 8 quarterbacks. 8 of the 10 other QBs that have won 2 Super Bowls. He conveniently left out Ben Roethlisberger and Jim Plunkett. The thing is Eli Manning doesn't deserve to be in a class with those first 8 and fits in much better with the two left off the list. And this illustrates just how ridiculous it is that we put so much emphasis on Super Bowl wins.

Don't Take Gambling Advice From This Man
Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News was juuuuust a bit off in his Super Bowl prediction: Brady and Belichick, one of the best quarterback-coach combinations in NFL history, are due to beat the Giants, after losing the Super Bowl to New York four years ago. ... I think that the older Giants defense was better than this one, and I cannot realistically envision Brady losing in consecutive Super Bowl trips. ... The Giants, who have played a series of tense, nearly perfect playoff games, are due to catch a few bad breaks. ... I like the Patriots by more than 10 points because I think they match up well against New York and because the Super Bowl is due for a blowout. ... Prediction: Patriots 34, Giants 20.

So who do you like to win the NCAA Tournament? And is there a way to bet AGAINST that?

Random Piece of Unnecessary and Unrelated Information
Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe wrote this after the Patriots' loss: It was there. Everything was in place. The Patriots were favored in Super Bowl XLVI and we were ready to anoint Bill Belichick the best coach ever, while boosting Tom Brady to the top of the all-time quarterback list.
But then it all came apart under the man-made sky of Lucas Oil Stadium, 6 miles from the magic gym where "Hoosiers" was shot.

Does every sports story that takes place in Indianapolis have to mention Hoosiers? Is that like a rule? I also don't even get the context. This isn't basketball. Is he comparing the FAVORED Patriots to the underdog story in Hoosiers? I'm looking forward to hearing about Rocky when they play the Eagles and The Rock when they play the 49ers.

The Sky Is Falling (or the Stupidest Column You'll Probably Read All Year)
Eric Wilbur of the Boston Globe believes Tom Brady is to blame for the Super Bowl loss. That's just the beginning of his diatribe against one of the greatest QBs ever. I could break this down but I'm not sure I'd do nearly as good of a job as Stephen Douglas of The Big Lead did (his commentary in bold): What an embarrassment for the Patriots organization and Bob Kraft.

Brady practically killed his wife!

So now the Giants have taken Lombardi from you twice, and you haven't looked this bad in a playoff game since...well, two weeks ago against the Ravens.

The Patriots would have won if Joe Flacco was their quarterback. That is science!

Maybe that moment will actually hit you as you're whittling down water slides in South America looking like Prince Valiant this spring.

The fact that Brady isn't going to spend the off season in a living room with the shades drawn disgusts me too.

There's a lot more in his post and I implore you to check it out and see how truly awful that article was.

Ryan Pemberton And Racing Dreams Trailer Link

2012-02-06T21:42:49Z

Racing Dreams is the upcoming documentary that you will be able to see later this month looking at some young driver who want to be in NASCAR. To see the trailer click me.

Ryan Pemberton has been hired as the crew chief for Dave Blaney this year.

Marshall's comments, Super Bowl pick

2012-02-05T17:55:49Z

It's Super Bowl Sunday, but before I get to my pick - and my annual Madden simulation - first I'd like to get to some Dolphins tidbits.

Last week, Miami wide receiver Brandon Marshall had an epic day in the Pro Bowl, catching six passes for 176 yards and a Pro Bowl-record four TDs, then decided to take a shot at Dolphins starter Matt Moore by saying his performance came easily because of the caliber of quarterbacks he played with in the game.

]]> The local media made a firestorm of those comments in the days following the game, and I don't think it was unwarranted.

For Marshall to call out any quarterback after leading the league in drops last season was unfair, but he does have a point in that neither Moore, nor anyone on the Dolphins roster at the moment, is a quarterback who scares any team in the league.

Moore can't be happy about Marshall's remarks, because it was a clear swipe he was taking at him, Chad Henne and the other Qbs Marshall has had to deal with in his brief time here. Yes, Marshall is the pot calling the kettle black, but he also went public with what everyone knows has been Miami's biggest weakness since Dan Marino retired, and the main reason the Dolphins have gone nearly 30 years without a Super Bowl appearance.

As for the two teams in Sunday's game, the Dolphins lost to both a combined three times in 2011, and two of the losses were eerily similar.

In Week 7 in New York, an 0-6 Dolphins team got off to a fast start, leading the Giants 14-3, only to let the game slip away in a 20-17 defeat. In the final regular season game, Miami blew a 17-0 lead in New England, falling to the Patriots 27-24.

This game is being billed as the rematch of Super Bowl XVLII, which New York famously won 17-14.

Now, it worries me that even though the Patriots are a 2.5-point favorite, everyone I've seen or read seems to be picking the Giants. They are a better team than the one that beat New England four years ago, as Eli Manning has more weapons around him and a greater command of the offense than at any time in his career.

And the Patriots are clearly not as good defensively, and may not be as good offensively without the deep threat of Randy Moss and a hobbled Rob Gronkowski.

I think the Gronkowski injury is huge. During the regular season, opponents couldn't cover both Patriots tight ends and Wes Welker, so inevitably one or the other would dominate.

But with Gronkowski limited (and no, I don't think he will have much of an impact Sunday), New York now only has to defend against Welker and Aaron Hernandez.

I think the Giants can do that, and their pass rush has been playing at the 2007 level this postseason. Also, like the Jets, I don't think this is a team that fears Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, and those types of teams always play well against the Patriots.

Belichick can only come up with so many schemes to stop the Giants' attack, but the fact of the matter is the Pats got lucky against Baltimore two weeks ago, and probably should not be in this game.

I think New England loses another Super Bowl since SpyGate, and hopefully we've heard the last about Brady being as good as Joe Montana.

Giants 24, Patriots 21.

As for the simulation, each year I run one on my PlayStation 3, and this year, in a wild and exciting Super Bowl, the Patriots triumphed 30-27 on, get this - a field goal by Stephen Gostkowski with no time left. Sound familiar?

New York took a 10-0 first quarter lead behind two New England turnovers.

Kenny Phillips intercepted Brady at the Patriots' 31-yardline, leading to a Lawrence Tynes field goal for the first score of the game.

Then, on the very next possession, Barry Cofield sacked Brady and he fumbled, and Chris Canty recovered at the New England 11. Two plays later, Manning hit Mario Manningham in stride in the end zone for a 10-yard TD.

The second period belonged to New England though, as the Patriots scored 20 unanswered points to take a 20-10 lead into halftime.

After a rough opening quarter, Brady got on track, completing three straight passes for 48 yards to move the Patriots into Giants territory.

From the 15, he hit Deion Branch with a screen pass that Branch turned into a TD. Branch, who tormented the Giants all day, was the game's leading receiver with 124 yards on 11 catches.

Then came the turning point of the game. The Giants were driving again following the New England TD, and were threatening to tack on more points. But a Vince Wilfork sack of Manning pushed the Giants back nine yards and out of field goal range.

On the very next play, Manning hit fullback Henry Hynoski in the flat. The ball was jarred loose, and safety James Ihedigbo returned the fumble 52 yards to give the Patriots their first lead.

When New England's defense forced a punt, Brady drove the offense into scoring position, and Gostkowski kicked a 46-yard field goal to increase the lead to seven points.

On third-and-3 from near midfield, Manning hit tight end Jake Ballard - his leading receiver on the day - for a quick completion in the flat. But Brandon Spikes tackled Ballard inches short of a crucial first down, and the Giants had to punt.

Brady made quick work of the defense, hitting Branch for a 44-yard pass down to the 12, and four plays later, Gostkoswki kicked a 24-yard field goal to make it 20-10.

On their last possession of the first half, Brady again drove the Patriots into scoring range, but Gostkowski missed for the only time today from 56 yards to end the half.

New England had taken firm control of the game, but just as things had turned so suddenly from the first to the second quarters, the third quarter offered another big momentum change.

A Brady pass over the middle was intercepted by Giants linebacker Jonathan Goff, who rumbled 60 yards for a TD that cut the lead to 20-17 with 3:43 left in the quarter.

The score ignited what had been a dormant Giants offense, as Manning guided New York to its first first down since early in the second quarter. When the drive finally stalled, Tynes kicked a 43-yard field goal to tie the score going into the fourth.

Form seemed to hold in the fourth quarter, as Brady, unfazed by the sudden tie, moved his team methodically into the Giants' half of the field.

On third-and-9 from the New York 22, he hit Tate over the middle for 15 yards and another first down.

But on second-and-goal, Brady's pass intended for Julian Edelman in the end zone was intercepted by Phillip Dillard, Brady's third interception of the game.

However, the Giants offense, as had been the case since the first quarter, could do nothing with the ball, and New York was forced to punt it back to Brady and the New England offense.

But the New York defense was now swarming, and Brady was sacked on the first two plays from scrimmage, losing 23 yards to the Patriots' 17. It was third and an unfathomable 33, but Brady dropped back, calmly stepped to his right, and heaved a ball deep that Welker somehow caught between two defenders for a 49-yard gain to the Giants' 34.

New England was in business, but just two plays later, Brady was crushed by Giants defensive lineman Jason Pierre-Paul, and he fumbled the ball. Greg Jones picked it up, and with a convoy running with him, scored on a 64-yard TD to give the Giants their first lead since early in the second quarter.

That meant all 27 of New York's points were scored off of turnovers.

Just six minutes remained, and it looked like the Patriots were beaten. But, as he has done so many times before, Brady brought his team back.

He moved the offense to the New York 44-yardline, where it was third-and-8. Then, he dropped a perfect pass on the sideline to Hernandez for 33 yards to the Giants 11, setting up a six-yard scoring pass to Gronkowski two plays later that tied the game.

Just 3:23 remained, and Manning tried to rally. But on third-and-5 from his own 31, he was sacked by Jerrod Mayo, and the Giants were forced again to punt it back to New England with 1:51 left.

The Giants held New England to minus-2 yards on the first two plays from scrimmage. But on third-and-12, Brady hit Welker quickly over the middle, and he outraced two defenders to the marker, just getting a first down.

After moving past midfield, Justin Tuck sacked Brady for an 8-yard loss, setting up third-and-8 from the New York 45 with 1:02 remaining.

Again, Brady made the big play, this time hitting Branch over the middle for just enough for another first down.

Then it was BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who gashed the Giants for 126 yards on 30 carries, running for eight more before a timeout was called with 49 seconds left.

Green-Ellis appeared to end it on the next play when he broke free for a 26-yard TD run, but Welker was called for clipping. So, he ran for 1 on the next play, then ripped off a 15-yard run to the New York 9. With no timeouts left, the Giants couldn't save themselves, and Gostkowski kicked the game-winner from 21 yards - his fourth field goal of the day - as time expired.

Brady was named the MVP after completing 36-49 passes for a Super Bowl-record 416 yards, two TDs and three interceptions.

Welker added 110 yards on seven receptions, as New England outgained New York with 415 yards to the Giants' 161, and the Patriots amassed 26 first downs to New York's seven.

The Giants were also just 1-14 on third downs, while New England was 8-18.

Victor Cruz caught just two passes for seven yards, and Hakeem Nicks two for 22. The team leader was Ballard, with six catches for 59 yards.

Manning completed 14-25 passes for 131 yards and a TD.

Melo Makes Immediate Impact in His Return

2012-02-05T08:30:00Z

With the Super Bowl today in Indianapolis, this whole week has largely focused on one quarterback in particular: Peyton Manning. He's not playing in the Super Bowl and he didn't even suit up this season and yet the focus was on his future with the Colts. In Syracuse circles it was Fab Melo's future that has been the big question mark in recent weeks.

So what else do these two athletes have in common? Well, during this year there have been a few columnists that have brought up the idea that perhaps Peyton Manning should be the MVP because his team went from going 10-6 last season with Manning to a league-worst 2-14 this year without him. It's an absurd idea and those that brought it up were certainly doing it just to garner attention but Peyton's absence clearly demonstrated just how important he was to the Colts. Similarly, Fab's 3-game absence and subsequent return has shown just how valuable he is to the Orange. On a team with so much talent there has been a lively debate about who exactly is the Orange's MVP and Melo's name would definitely be in that discussion. But what appears obvious now is that he's the player the Orange can least afford to lose.

]]> Melo just makes everything better. Maybe it's that goofy smile. Maybe it's the positive energy he brings to the team. Or maybe we should just skip right to the obvious and look at the fact that he's 7-feet tall and an absolute menace in the paint on both ends of the floor. It looked like the 3 games off had little effect on his game as he went 5-for-6 and scored a career-high 14 points while also adding a couple blocked shots and drawing a charge (of course).

But what he does goes beyond his personal stats. He makes everyone better on both ends of the floor. On defense, he protects the paint and allows the zone to extend knowing that if a man drives through the first line of defense that he is there to block or alter shots. On offense, he runs the pick and roll much better than Baye Keita or Rakeem Christmas and has great hands for a man his size. He's a huge target in the paint and he gets his points without many plays called in his direction.

Take a look at a few stats in the 3 games Melo was out compared to his most recent game back:

Obviously, this is an extremely small sample size and St. John's isn't exactly a rebounding machine (13th in the Big East in rebounding) but the Orange look like a dramatically different team with Fab on the court.

His return could not have come at a better time. Syracuse enters the toughest part of their schedule with 3 games in 6 days against Georgetown, Connecticut and Louisville. This is where the Orange's depth can really come in handy and again, illustrates Melo's value. Without him in the lineup against West Virginia, Christmas and Keita both got into foul trouble and Syracuse was forced to go small. The result was a huge rebounding disparity. Against St. John's, that depth meant no one played over 30 minutes and that should mean the team will be well-rested to start this brutal stretch at home Wednesday against the Hoyas.