10 Awesome Things That Happened This Past Weekend (12/17-12/19)

10. ESPN Fires Employee Responsible For Offensive Jeremy Lin Headline
            It’s very disconcerting that such a headline could make it all the way to being publicly viewed. You’d think an organization like ESPN would have better forms of checks and balances.

9. Jimmie Johnson’s Car Fails First Tech Inspection at Daytona

            It’s great to see that Chad Knaus vacation this off-season didn’t change his devious ways too much. There hasn’t been a more hate-able crew chief in the history of NASCAR.

8. Seeds Are Planted For Rick vs. Shane Showdown on “The Walking Dead.”

            No Credentials would like to hear from the readers. Who do you want to see survive, Rick or Shane? My vote is for Shane. If you’re willing to have your response posted (get it to me via e-mail at c_muir@hotmail.com, twitter @nocredatall, or on Facebook) I’ll run them in a post before next week’s episode.

7. Carl Edwards Win Pole for Daytona 500, Roush-Fenway Sweeps Front Row

            Qualifying at Daytona means about as much as a politician’s guarantee to lower taxes, but Edwards should be pumped to start 2012 on a high note after the disappointing end to last season.

6. Beckett and Lester Acknowledge Lack of Judgment Last September

            We can file this news bulletin in the “better late than never” department. Perhaps the need for redemption will empower both Red Sox pitchers to reaffirm their status as aces.

5. Lionel Messi Scores Four Goals in One Game
            For those of you not in the know, four goals is a lot.

4. Spurs Nearly Blow Lead, Defeat Clippers in Overtime

            It was impressive feat for San Antonio to win it’s tenth straight game in the Clipper building, but they paid a heavy price to do it. Manu Ginobili, who was making his fourth start after missing 22 with a broken wrist, suffered a strained oblique after a hard screen by Kenyon Martin. San Antonio also lost backup center Tiago Splitter to a strained right calf. For a team that has been trying to baby Tim Duncan through this condensed regular season, that’s a big deal.

3. Tim Wakefield Retires

            I’m just going to list all of the memorable (for better or worse) players Wakefield was teammates with during his run in Boston that I can type from memory in five minutes.

Roger Clemens

Mo Vaughn
Jose Canseco
Tim Naehring
Scott Hatteberg
Jason Varitek
Heathcliff Slocumb (unofficially, his trade was the catalyst for the foundation of the 2004 Red Sox, along with steroids)
Derek Lowe
Pedro Martinez
Troy O’Leary
Trot Nixon
Nomar Garciaparra
John Burkett
Hideo Nomo
Johnny Damon
Manny Ramirez
David Ortiz
Curt Schilling
Mark Bellhorn
Rich Garces
Orlando Cabrera
Dave Roberts
Kevin Millar
Lou Merloni
Jacoby Ellsbury
Matt Clement
David Wells
Jonathan Papelbon
Hideki Okajima
Kevin Youkilis
Clay Bucholz
Jon Lester
Josh Beckett
John Lackey (woof)
Dustin Pedroia
Dante Bichette
Aaron Sele
Adrian Gonzalez
J.D. Drew
Carl Crawford
Bronson Arroyo
Daniel Bard
PAPELBON (still a little distraught he’s no longer with the Sox)
Keith Foulke
Jared Saltalaicantspelltherestofhisname

            Playing with all those guys (and the many more that I forgot, like Todd Walker, Tom Gordon, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Carl Everett, ect.) is an accomplishment on it’s own. I’ll remember Wakefield for being the most fun Red Sox pitcher to watch (after Pedro) for how quickly he worked. I’ll remember him for his quirky knuckleball, which usually led to either 8 innings of one run ball or 2 innings of 9 run ball. I’ll remember him doing whatever was asked of him (remember him getting 15 saves in 1999? Crazy). I’ll remember him for bouncing back after giving up the series clinching home run to Aaron Boone in the 2003 ALCS (most pitchers would’ve been destroyed by that moment). It’s more likely that baseball fans will see another Pedro Martinez before we ever see another Tim Wakefield.

2. Linsanity Continues Sunday Against Dallas

            Linsanity is just like Tebow Mania, with the only difference being that the player at the center of the craze is actually pretty good.

1. Kyle Busch Nearly Wrecks Twice, Wins Wild Bud Shootout

            Classic NASCAR fans can rejoice. Pack racing is back (at least until the last two laps anyway). Kyle Busch put on one of the best displays of driving in restrictor plate history with two brilliant saves, and then his slingshot move to nip Tony Stewart at the finish line. Folks should be looking forward to a great Daytona 500.