2015 NASCAR Preview

At Daytona And Talladega We Have A Chance!

34. Ryan Blaney

            Blaney takes over for Trevor Bayne in the famous #21 Wood Brothers Ford. He’ll be running a partial schedule in Sprint Cup while running the full Xfinity Series slate for Roger Penske. The new alliance with Penske gives the #21 a better chance at respectability.

33. Casey Mears

            Keep cashing them checks Casey.

32. Justin Allgaier

            No Credentials really liked Allgaier when he was in Nationwide (now Xfinity). We’re bummed he never found a quality Cup ride.

31. David Reutimann

30. Cole Whitt

29. David Ragan

            It’s very strange that Front Row Motorsports was able to expand to three cars, while Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi only field two.

28. Danica Patrick

            In the last year of her contract with Stewart-Haas, Patrick is likely nearing the end of her NASCAR career.

27. Martin Truex Jr.

            He’ll be fast at the restrictor plate tracks, and field filler everywhere else.

26. Brian Vickers

            We’re pulling for Vickers after he underwent another heart operation during the off-season, but the troubles at Michael Waltrip Racing are likely to keep him mired in mediocrity.

25. Paul Menard

            Right along with Lake Speed’s win at Darlington in 1988, Menard’s 2011 Brickyard 400 victory ranks as one of the flukiest NASCAR results of all time.

Road Course Ringers (sadly, sans Ambrose and Montoya)

24. Sam Hornish

            For some reason Hornish is mentioned as a dark horse to win at a road course even though all of his Indy Car and Nationwide wins were on ovals.

           

23. A.J. Allmendinger

            Allmendinger delivered the moment of the year last year with his thrilling duel with Marcos Ambrose at Watkins Glen. He’s a good bet to notch another win at Sonoma or the Glen to make a second straight Chase.

Might Win a Race, Might Not

22. Tony Stewart

            We’re sticking a fork in the competitive NASCAR career of Tony Stewart.

21. Trevor Bayne

            It’s hard to believe Bayne won the Daytona 500, and even harder to believe that it took him four years to land a full-time Sprint Cup ride.

20. Kurt Busch

            If there were such an award for “Most Bizarre Legal Case”, crazy Kurt Busch against his physco ex-girlfriend would easily take top honors in 2015. 

19. Clint Bowyer

            No Credentials isn’t buying stock in MWR yet.

18. Kyle Busch

            We had Busch ranked second (mostly due to the changes in the Sprint Cup cars that make them more similar to Nationwide/Xfinity) before his brutal crash Saturday afternoon. There isn’t a great track record of success for guys that missed significant time due to injury, so this could be a lost year for him.

17. Austin Dillon

            Dillon was pretty vanilla in his rookie year, but we expect a slight rise to relevance at the super speedways in Dillon’s sophomore campaign.

16. Aric Almirola

            At times, Almirola was the most consistent Ford driver not employed by Roger Penske in 2014. We expect him to notch his first non-rain shortened victory this year.

15. Greg Biffle

            Biffle is the de facto leader of Roush Fenway Racing, which would be cool if Roush wasn’t a sinking ship.

14. Ryan Newman

            Newman nearly broke The Chase forever with his near championship winning run at Homestead last year. We don’t anticipate another remarkable run of consistency again, but we do predict Newman to return to victory lane.

13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

            Stenhouse was abysmal last year, but he stands to gain from the Cup cars driving like the cars he piloted to two straight Nationwide titles in 2011 and 2012.

Inconsistent Wildcards

12. Jamie McMurray

            With all the big races McMurray was won over the years, it’s crazy that he has never made The Chase. That changes in 2015.

11. Kasey Kahne

            Hendrick Motorsports least inspiring driver should thank his lucky stars Jeff Gordon is retiring after this season, otherwise Chase Elliott would’ve been driving the five car next year instead.

10. Kyle Larson

            The most logical bet for a break through season, we’d be shocked if Larson didn’t win at least two races this year.

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

            Dale Jr.’s early returns look good after a strong showing in his Duel race Thursday night, but the real test will come when he needs to communicate adjustments to his new crew chief at Atlanta next week.

8. Denny Hamlin

            No one has Danica’s back more than Denny Hamlin.

Championship Contenders

7. Matt Kenseth

            Kenseth should at least return to victory lane, but we’re not forecasting a dominant season.

6. Jeff Gordon

            The Gordon retirement tour will be fun, but swan songs rarely if ever end with titles in any sport.

5. Kevin Harvick

            Harvick has a great chance of at least making the Final Four at Homestead with how good he is at Phoenix. That gives him a punchers chance at earning back-to-back titles.

4. Carl Edwards

            After doubting the high profile moves by Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick the last two years, we’re all in on Edwards in his debut season with Joe Gibbs Racing.

3. Jimmie Johnson

            2015 might be the last time we see Johnson paired with Crew Chief Chad Knaus if they don’t recapture some of their past magic.

The Favorites

2. Brad Keselowski

1. Joey Logano

            Penske Motorsports was the only team in the same league as Hendrick Motorsports last year, and both drivers should adjust to the rule changes based on their success in the Nationwide series. We’re forecasting that both will be in the Final Four, and one will end up hoisting the Sprint Cup.

NBA All-Star Break Rankings

            Now that Marv Albert is done complaining about the lack of defensive effort in the All-Star Game, we are here to rank all 30 teams. In reverse order, we are listing the teams we feel have the best chance to win the title in June. Spoiler alert…it won’t be the 76ers.

Atrocious

30. Philadelphia 76ers

            Someone needs to tell Joel Embiid to take it easy on the junk food while he’s rehabbing.

29. New York Knicks

            We’re still trying to figure out which hallucinogenic drug Phil Jackson was on before the season when he thought the Knicks were a playoff team. At least they actually have the rights to their first round pick this year.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves

            Minnesota earns karma points for actually trying to win games in the brutal Western Conference this year, and after a slow start Andrew Wiggins is beginning to look like a future superstar.

27. Los Angeles Lakers

            Considering how atrocious Kobe Bryant was shooting from the field, it might hurt their lottery chances that he is on the shelf for the rest of the year.

Occasionally Frisky

26. Orlando Magic

            If they can keep the core of young guys they have together, Orlando might have the makings of a playoff team within two years.

25. Utah Jazz

            Quietly, Utah is giving up the fourth fewest points per game among Western Conference teams. No one knows that because they are scoring the fewest points per game among Western Conference teams.

24. Indiana Pacers

            They are a pain in the ass to play every night, but points have been incredibly hard to come by without Paul George. As far as lottery teams, they could have the greatest impact on the playoff picture depending on whether or not they decide to move some of their veteran players.

23. Sacramento Kings

            Here’s a short synopsis of the Kings’ season so far for those of you on the East Coast.

1. Got off to a promising start with Boogie Cousins playing like a MVP candidate.
2. Boogie contracted meningitis (which is bonkers), and the Kings went into a total freefall.
3. The Kings fired Mike Malone while Cousins was out sick.
4. Sacramento is now a team in utter turmoil, but at least Boogie is back healthy.

          We here at No Credentials love Boogie Cousins, and we fully support the Boston Celtics sending 8 future first round picks to acquire him.

22. Boston Celtics

            Boston has enough draft picks over the next few years to build a 53-man roster, which would be cool if they were an NFL franchise.

In Need of a Rebuild

21. Brooklyn Nets

            Fortunately for the Celtics, three of the picks they are owed will be coming from the dumpster fire that is the Brooklyn Nets.

20. Denver Nuggets

            Denver is living proof of what happens when you end up picking between tenth and twentieth every year in the draft.

Fatally Flawed, But in the Eastern Conference

19. Detroit Pistons

            The Pistons keep dropping inefficient shooters (Josh Smith was waived, and Brandon Jennings ruptured his Achilles), which probably means D.J. Augustin should be looking into how much his deductible is on his health insurance.

18. Miami Heat

            Miami runs the same plays they have for years, but they don’t as well when Lebron James isn’t in the lineup.

17. Charlotte Hornets

            Lance Stephenson has worked out so bad for the Hornets, they are actually considering flipping him for Joe Johnson and Joe Johnson’s ginormous contract.

16. Milwaukee Bucks

            Milwaukee has managed to stay afloat despite the loss of Jabari Parker (what a bummer) to injury and Larry Sanders to the love of marijuana. The Greek Freak is the real deal.

Destined to Be on the Outside Looking In

15. New Orleans Pelicans

            One year I renamed one of my fantasy football teams “Aaron Rodgers”, because he was the only reason my team was competitive. New Orleans should consider doing the same and going by “The Brow” the rest of the way.

14. Phoenix Suns

            Phoenix is losing its grip on the eighth seed, which is a problem when they still have the hardest part of their schedule ahead of them. Rumors that Goran Dragic is on the trade block smacks of desperation.

Flawed Contenders

13. Los Angeles Clippers

            In a loaded Western Conference, Blake Griffin’s staph infection is enough to drop the Clippers out of the playoffs altogether.

12. Washington Wizards

            Bradley Beal has been off all season while dealing with a variety of injuries, and that’s what will hold Washington back from being a contender in the East.

11. Oklahoma City Thunder

            Despite all of the games missed by both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and the handi-cap of having the worst coach in the league, the Thunder are only half a game behind Phoenix. Their title chances hinge largely on whether or not they can avoid Golden State in the first round of the playoffs.

10. Dallas Mavericks

            Rajon Rondo has delivered uneven results so far, but we’re guessing he will deliver value come playoff time.

9. San Antonio Spurs

            This San Antonio club remains me of the Spurs squad that was swept by the Suns in the first round of the 2010 playoffs. That’s not a good thing.

8. Houston Rockets

            James Harden has been playing out of his mind, but Houston’s title hopes hinge largely on whether or not Dwight Howard is back at full strength before the playoffs.

7. Toronto Raptors

            Remember last year when the Pacers got to the playoffs and suddenly forgot how to execute basic offensive functions? That’s our prediction for how the Raptors will look in April.

Legit Title Contenders

6. Portland Trail Blazers

            LaMarcus Aldridge deciding to play through his thumb injury was the turning point of Portland’s season.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers

            We’re already looking forward to the over analysis of Kevin Love shooting 25% from the floor in Cleveland’s first round playoff series. We’d bump Cleveland as high as second if they can add one more useful big man.

4. Memphis Grizzlies

            Other than the Spurs, there isn’t another team in the league whose players understand their roles and deliver consistently on a nightly basis.

3. Atlanta Hawks

            Atlanta has played beautiful basketball all season long, but too many times we’ve seen groups like this crumble in a conference finals. We’re not sure if Al Horford or Jeff Teague are capable of delivering a bucket when it really matters come playoff time.

2. Chicago Bulls

            To say Chicago’s play has been uneven is being kind, but assuming Joakim Noah can get to at least 80% effectiveness by April 1, there isn’t a deeper team in the league.

1. Golden State Warriors

            If it were medically possible, the Warriors would be wise to freeze Andrew Bogut in carbonite so he can be healthy in the playoffs.

Super Bowl XLIX Thoughts

            We’re going to list our Super Bowl observations in bullets, because why have organized, coherent thoughts in essay form?

-         Folks need to pump the brakes before anointing Super Bowl XLIX the greatest Super Bowl ever. It was certainly the most unbelievable ending I can think of (advanced metrics gave Seattle an 88% chance of winning when they had second and goal on the one yard line), but in terms of historical significance, others were more important. People don’t remember how big of a deal it was when John Elway won his first Super Bowl against Green Bay. Also, the Patriots were on their way to an undefeated season seven years ago when this happened.

-         I’m not sure what was more shocking, Seattle throwing on second and goal or Walter White showing up in a commercial. My jaw dropped for both events.

-         Speaking of commercials, I have a question for ad executives across America…

-         Off hand I remember four that emphasized fatherhood, a beer ad about a lost puppy, and the NFL’s too-little-too-late attempt to pretend they care about women with their “No More” campaign. None of those ads topped Nationwide Insurance’s critically panned ad where they had a ten year old say “BUT I DIED”. We need to bring back the Budweiser Frogs for Super Bowl 50.

-         Pepsi should’ve started slipping LSD into 20-ounce bottles so soda drinkers across the country could’ve better appreciated Katy Perry’s halftime show.

-         Lenny Kravitz was supposed to be Perry’s supporting act, and he was on stage for roughly 80 seconds. Weird.

-         The best decision of the night goes to NBC for deciding not to show a replay of Seattle cornerback Jeremy Lane snapping his wrist in half.

-         Speaking of that, that was what turned the game in favor of Tom Brady and the Patriots. The Seahawks don’t have the same depth at corner they had against Denver last year, and they simply ran out of guys to cover Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, and Shane Vereen.

-         Tom Brady is a damn good quarterback, but we’re still taking Joe Montana over him as the greatest Super Bowl QB of all time.

-         It will be very interesting to see how Russell Wilson bounces back from that ghastly interception. Plays like that ruin careers.

-    The dude that made the circus catch for Seattle was on his way to being remembered for making one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history until the Seahawks forgot they employed Marshawn Lynch.

-         We predicted the Patriots would be playing in the Super Bowl in August. No joke you can read it right here! That’s literally the last quality football prediction I made the rest of the season.

With all that said we bid a sad goodbye to the NFL for seven months. The league’s flaws were certainly exposed over the past 12 months, but a game like Super Bowl XLIX is a reminder of why America is so obsessed with THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. We look forward to offering up our season previews for 2015 this summer. Until then, hang out with your family (remember football fans, some of you have kids), watch other sports (the NBA is ridiculous right now), or do whatever it takes to fill the void left by the NFL season ending. 

Super Bowl Prediction

Seahawks over Patriots

Whether it's Marshawn Lynch or Russell Wilson carrying the load, Seattle's running game will be the difference.

Also, our money is on the under.

Enjoy the game, and don't drive drunk after it.