10. No Fans Died After Horrific Last Lap Nationwide Crash For all my years of watching auto racing, I don’t
recall a time when a tire got into the seats and didn’t kill at least one person. We’ll
discuss this event, and the public perception of the top story on our list,
later this week.
9. Caution Flag Gives Johnny
Sauter Truck Series Win at Daytona
10. Rick Grimes Keeps Seeing His Dead Wife I
watch “The Walking Dead” to see zombies, not a dude going bonkers and making
out with a ghost.
9. Rafael Nadal Wins First Tennis Tournament Since
Returning From Injury
Tennis
is way more interest when Nadal is in the mix. That’s your Troy
Aikman-esque comment of the day, sponsored by “You’re Absolutely Right Joe”.
8. Lionel Messi Scores 300th Career Goal For
Barcelona
Here’s
your obligatory mention of futbol in the weekly top 10 to soak up some cheap
page hits from Europe.
7. Terrance Ross Wins
the Worst Dunk Contest Ever
Want toget some stars into the dunk contest? Let’s offer a $1 million (after taxes) to the
winner. You’ll get some name guys to particpate for that prize.
6. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Admits He Lost 1-on-1 Game
Against Michael Jordan
I’d make fun of Kidd-Gilchrist more, but I once got
up-faked by a dude in his sixties a couple of years back.
5. #2 Duke Gets Upset By Maryland Here’s this week’s installment of the “Big Time College
Basketball Upset That No Credentials Doesn’t Give A Shit About”, sponsored by
Apple Cider Vinegar.
4. Kyrie Irving Takes Home 3-Point Shootout Championship
3. Kevin Harvick Starts Lame-Duck Season With Sprint Unlimited Win We won’t put too
much stock in this win as the majority of the top teams were knocked out early in the race,
so don’t look for Harvick to be ranked very high in this week’s NASCAR season
preview.
1. Richard Petty
claiming his 200th and final career win with Ronald Reagan in
attendance at the 1984 Firecracker 400 (Petty was, and still is, a diehard
Republican, so this victory turned into a glorified campaign stop for Reagan
while he was running for his second term in office).
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
winning the Pepsi 400 just five months after his father died in a last-lap
crash in the 500 (as someone who watched the whole race live, I don’t care
about the conspiracy theory. That was the most memorable NASCAR victory by
anyone of the entire decade). 3. Danica Patrick
winning the pole for this year’s Daytona 500.
You might think I’d come down negatively on this, but
you’d be mistaken. Qualifying at Daytona is in the discussion of most boring
things you could ever watch on television. Furthermore, qualifying means very
little at a restrictor plate track where cars zoom from the back to the front
in less than a handful of laps. If NASCAR did anything to “encourage” a
pole-winning run by Patrick, I’d call that some damn good marketing.
1.Chris Paul Quarterbacks West Win in NBA
All-Star Game
Paul was the MVP, Kevin Durant was the best scorer,
but it was Kobe Bryant’s two blocks of Lebron James
that will go in the books as the most memorable moments of the game.
10. Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Announce That They
Are Dating I
have high hopes for Stenhouse, so hopefully this doesn’t derail his career.
9. Juan Montoya Clinches Another Rolex 24 Win For Chip
Ganassi
I’m
not emotionally invested in sports car racing (the cars are
cool, but they get to spread out for my liking), but mentioning Montoya is the
perfect excuse to show what happened to him last February at Daytona.
8. Lebron Celebrates $75,000 Half-Court Shot With a Fan
1.Celtics Outlast Heat in Double Overtime, Then Find Out Rondo
Has Torn ACL A potentially season saving win was marred by
the news that Rajon Rondo blew out his knee in Friday night’s double-overtime
win over the Hawks.
The Daytona 500 was on really, really late last night. Much later than most racing fans are used to staying up. My Dad was asleep before Jimmie Johnson's crash, and that was the second lap of the race. Here's a review of all the noteworthy events that happened during the race.
Juan Pablo Montoya Crashed Into a Jet Dryer
The odds of Montoya’s suspension
breaking, and then consequently forcing his car to slide directly into a jet
dryer, must’ve been 1,000,000 to 1. When Darrell Waltrip says that a crash is
the most bizzarre event he’s ever seen, that means something.
Jimmie Johnson Gets Knocked Out 2 Laps Into the Race
As soon
as it was confirmed that there were no serious injuries, the 2012 Sprint Cup
season officially got off to the best start possible (for No Credentials
anyway) with the elimination of the five-time champion. Elliott Sadler made the
most of his one-off appearance in the 33 car.
The Jet Dryer Exploded
I
had never given much thought about what could happen if a car careened into the
back of a jet dryer, but I supposed if I had to list the five most possible
outcomes of such an event, explosion probably would’ve made the list.
Danica Patrick and Trevor Bayne’s Suspensions Ruined By
Wet Grass
To
get rid of the 48, I guess we also had to give up two of the fan favorites. On
a sunny day both Bayne and Patrick would’ve been fine, but their cars sunk so
low into the wet grass that their suspensions actually dug into it. It was a
real shame for Bayne, who had a car fast enough to win the race.
Seriously, It Was a Fucking Inferno
I just
watched this video 10 more times. I could watch it 500 more.
Jeff Gordon’s Engine Blows Up
Gotta
hand it to ol’ Gordo. Even when his engine blows, he still gets praise for
alerting his fellow competiters to get away from him.
My Wife Thought Dave Blaney’s Name Was “Dave Baloney”
Blaney
was the number one supporting actor to the gigantic fireball in turn 3, because
if the track was too damaged to race, he was in position to win the race. He
generated so much interest in the Muir house that we researched the specifics
of the company that sponsored his car. Even more importantly, Blaney was
trending on Twitter.
Brad Keselowski Tweets From His Car During the Red Flag
I
don’t think I will ever hear a good reason why Keselowski felt the need to have
his cellphone on him during the Daytona 500, but it proved to be tremendous
foresight. Keselowski tripled his Twitter followers by the end of the race.
Tide?
It’s
easy to forget that NASCAR used be a country bumpkin affair (with all the
corporate sponsorships and all), but the fact that laundry detergent was used
to wash off 200 gallons of jet fuel was a great reminder of the sport’s old
school roots.
Matt Kenseth Wins, Dale Jr. Ends Up Second
At
roughly 12:51am Tuesday morning, Kenseth held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Greg
Biffle (Biffle may or may not have been dragging his break so Dale Jr. wouldn’t
be able to pass Kenseth, but we’ll leave that for the Junior Nation conspiracy
theorists) to earn his second career Daytona 500 win.
36. Robby Gordon - #7 Dodge – Robby Gordon Motorsports
“They
should just name thirty-sixth place “Robby Gordon Place”. He owns it.” – my
wife on Robby Gordon.
35. Joe Nemechek - #87 Chevrolet – NEMCO Motorsports
Joe
Nemechek is to “Start-and-Park” what Kenny Loggins was to theme songs for
movies in the 1980s.
34. Casey Mears - #13 Geico Toyota – Germain Racing
It’s hard
to believe that Mears spent his first seven years driving for Chip Ganassi,
Rick Hendrick, and Richard Childress, and somehow only finished in the top-5 12
times. He could very well of been the worst driver of the ‘00s.
Part-Timers That Could Win a Plate Race
33. Danica Patrick - #10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet –
Stewart-Haas Racing
Danica will
get her feet wet in Sprint Cup with 10 starts this season while running the
full Nationwide Series schedule. Skipping the Indy 500 this year shows that
she’s serious about stock-car racing. She’ll take her lumps (her Twin 150 Crash a prime example) running in Cup, but
I expect her to win a race this season in Nationwide.
32. Elliott Sadler - #33 Kroger Chevrolet – Richard
Childress Racing
Sadler will
at least run in the Daytona 500 thanks to the guaranteed starting spot the #33
car has based on owners points from last season. Richard Childress fielded the
strongest restrictor plate cars last season, making Sadler the best long-shot
bet to win the 500.
31. Ricky Stenhouse - #6 Eco Boost Ford – Roush Fenway
Racing
The
defending Nationwide Series Champion will get his feet wet in Sprint Cup
driving the unsponsored #6 car, which is guaranteed a spot in the field for the
first five races. I wouldn’t be surprised if some strong runs at places like
Phoenix early in the season earn some sporadic sponsorship for the #6
throughout the season.
30. Trevor Bayne - #21 Motorcraft Ford – Wood Brothers
Racing
Bayne
already proved he can get it done on the plate tracks with his shocking Daytona
500 win last season, but needs to demonstrate more consistency everywhere else
to prove that he is a future star in the series. His Sprint Cup success is
mostly irrelevant, but I’d like to see him win 3 races and a championship
running the Nationwide Series this season.
Many Moons Past His Prime
29. Bobby Labonte - #47 Kroger Toyota – JTC Daugherty Racing
Much like
the last decade of both Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip’s careers, Labonte
looks like a guy who is just out there for a paycheck. NASCAR fans under the
age of 15 might not even realize that at one time, Labonte was one of the five
best drivers in the sport.
How Are They in Sprint Cup Again?
28. David Gilliland - #38 Ford – Front Row Motorsports
27. Aric Almirola - #43 Smithfield Ford – Richard Petty
Motorsports I really
don’t have anything insightful to write about these guys. You’re just going to
have to look for your Gilliland and/or Almirola discussion somewhere else.
Kicked to the Curb
26. David Ragan - #34 Ford – Front Row Motorsports
I’m not
sure who had a worse winter, Ragan or anyone who owned a ski resort in the
Northeast. First, his team at Roush Racing was “shut down” because of a lack of
sponsorship, only to then announce that they would start the season with Ricky
Stenhouse while the car is guaranteed a spot in the field. Then he lost out on
not one, but two job openings with Penske Motorsports and Phoenix Racing. At
least the team he ended up with is a level above start and park caliber.
Just Wants to Thank the Fans
25. Mark Martin - #55 Aaron’s Toyota – Michael Waltrip
Racing
Martin will
be sharing the Aaron’s Dream Machine with Michael Waltrip this season. If nothing
else, expect him to have the same impact he had when drove the 01 Army care
back in 2007. He won’t contend for wins, but look for the performance of Clint
Bowyer and Martin Truex to improve because of his leadership.
Could Steal a Win With Pit Strategy
24. Regan Smith - #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet – Furniture
Row Racing
The most
underrated moment of the 2011 season was Regan Smith’s shocking upset victory
at Darlington last May.
23. Jamie McMurray - #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet – Earnhardt
Ganassi Racing
No
Credentials’ most accurate 2011 prediction was that Jamie McMurray would
struggle to finish in the top-20 in points. His 2010 campaign will go down as
the most out of the blue seasons a Sprint Cup Driver has ever had.
22. Paul Menard - #27 Menards Chevrolet – Richard Childress
Racing
Menard’s
theft of last seasons Brickyard 400 from Jeff Gordon transformed him into the
greatest trust fund child to ever win a Cup race.
21. Joey Logano - #20 The Home Depot Toyota – Joe Gibbs
Racing
Logano is
exhibit A of No Credentials case that drivers were rushed to quickly into
Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup over the last decade. There’s a chance he’ll be out
of a gig with Joe Gibbs after the season, and he just turned 21. If Logano was
a stock, I’d buy low to reap the benefits of his championship-winning season in
2021.
20. Jeff Burton - #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet – Richard
Childress Racing
Burton is
over the hill, but he’s called “The Mayor” of NASCAR, which gives him some
street (oval?) cred.
Master of Right Turns
19. Marcos Ambrose - #9 Stanley Ford – Richard Petty
Motorsports
The top
road racer in the series started to flex his muscle at ovals last season,
registering a career high ten top-10 finishes at tracks that only require left
hand turns. If Ambrose sweeps Sonoma and Watkins Glen, and then steals a win at
one of the restrictor plate tracks (he looked solid in the Bud Shootout), it’s
not out of the realm of possibility that Ambrose could steal a spot in The
Chase.
Fringe Chase Contenders
18. Kurt Busch - #51 Chevrolet – Phoenix Racing
Busch’s
path to an unlikely Chase berth is similar to Ambrose, with the advantage of
superior performance on short tracks. Expect Busch to struggle at the mile and
a half tracks, but he’ll be a contender everywhere else. It’s just a matter of
how well his equipment will hold up. Either way, expect Busch back in a
championship contending car in 2013.
17. Martin Truex Jr. - #56 Napa Toyota – Michael Waltrip
Racing
After a
mostly mediocre first two years driving for Michael Waltrip, Truex posted four
top-10s in the final five races of 2012. Normally that would be a sign of
optimism, but the addition of Clint Bowyer to the MWR lineup gives No
Credentials reason for concern. Truex is no longer the lead driver, which isn’t
a good situation when you’re on a team that hasn’t even proven it can field one
championship contending car, much less two.
16. Juan Pablo Montoya - #42 Target Chevrolet – Earnhardt
Ganassi Racing
I have Juan
Pablo ranked about five spots higher than I should, but I’ve had a fantasy
basketball team named after him for five years now, so I’m a little biased.
Chip Ganassi has fielded competitive cars every second or third year, so don’t
be surprised to see Montoya have a solid bounce back campaign.
15. Ryan Newman - #39 Army Chevrolet – Stewart Haas Racing
Newman is
amazing. For the last four years I think I’ve been predicting the end of
competitiveness for the Rocket Man, but somehow he always seems to find a way
to wiggle his way into The Chase. At least this year I’m predicting he’ll wind
up in the top 20 (last year I ranked him at 24 before the season…oops!) so I
won’t look as bad when he inevitably ends up with one of the 12 tickets to The
Chase.
14. Clint Bowyer - #15 5-Hour Energy Toyota – Michael
Waltrip Racing
My wife
pronounces Bowyer’s last name “Bauer”, like Kiefer Sutherland’s character in
“24”. That has no relevance to anything, but just thought I would note it. Bowyer
brings tons of credibility to MWR. He’s the first A-list driver to leave a
top-flight team to join them (although it should be noted that he’d still be
driving for Richard Childress is the sponsorship package was more secure last
fall). I think a year of adjustment will result in Bowyer just missing The
Chase this season, but look for big things in 2013.
13. A.J. Allmendinger - #22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge – Penske
Racing
I had
Allmendinger ranked pretty high in last year’s preseason poll when he was
driving for Richard Petty, so naturally No Credentials is all-in on Allmendinger
and his move to Penske. Joining an organization that put two cars in last
season’s playoffs is a big deal. Allmendinger will have his growing paints
initially, but expect him to be a contender to crack The Chase (either via
wildcard spot or by being in the top 10 in points during the regular season)
all year long.
12. Greg Biffle - #16 3M Ford – Roush Fenway Racing
Biffle
hasn’t put together a serious championship contending campaign since 2005, and
No Credentials sees little reason to believe he’ll be able to do it this
season. Cutting the #6 car may allow Roush to field stronger cars for him, but
he’s still the third banana behind Edwards and Kenseth. Expect a few poles,
quite a few laps led, and lot of finishes between 15 and 20.
The People’s Champ
11. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - #88 Amp Energy/National Guard
Chevrolet – Hendrick Motorsports
Call me
crazy, but I think it’s a benefit that Danica Patrick has stolen most of the
media attention from Earnhardt during Speedweeks. Junior has never been under
the radar at any event in his life, and while plenty of his loyal fans are
desperate for him to win for the first time in almost four years, at least the
national media is off his back. All of NASCAR would benefit if Dale Jr. visits
victory lane this Sunday.
Legitimate Title Contenders
10. Kyle Busch - #18 M&Ms Toyota – Joe Gibbs Racing
Busch
answered a few questions about how he would bounce back after almost getting
his walking papers at the end of last season during his performance in last Sunday’s
Bud Shootout. However, Busch’s disturbing trend of pulling a Tony Romo in The
Chase needs to change. For as many wins as Shrub has collected in all three of
NASCAR’s major series, he’s only won once during The Chase.
9. Tony Stewart - #14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet –
Stewart Haas Racing
The last
time Stewart was in line to defend a championship, he responded by missing The
Chase. No Credentials won’t forecast that result, but I do expect there to be a
championship hangover for Smoke before he catches fire in the summer.
8. Kasey Kahne - #5 Chevrolet – Hendrick Motorsports
There isn’t
a harder driver to forecast than Kahne, who makes his long awaited debut for
Rick Hendrick in the Daytona 500. How you think he’ll fair this season largely
depends on what type of equipment you think Kahne has been dealing with his
entire career. If he could put Red Bull into victory lane last season two races
before the entire team shut down, what sort of work can he get done driving for
the most powerful team in NASCAR? No Credentials will hedge a put and stick
Kahne hear, but don’t be shocked if NASCAR’s prettiest driver (just ask the
ladies) is a serious championship threat come November.
7. Kevin Harvick - #29 Budweiser Chevrolet – Richard
Childress Racing
I like the
move by Harvick to shut down his Nationwide and Truck teams to focus on Sprint
Cup and raising his soon to be born son. I’m not sold on the strength of
Richard Childress Racing at this point in time (look at his two
teammates…woof), but Harvick is talented enough to will the Budweiser Chevrolet
into The Chase.
6. Jeff Gordon - #24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet –
Hendrick Motorsports
Gordon’s 2012 didn’t start the way
he drew it up, but things can only go up from that right? If crew chief Alan
Gustafoson can will more efforts out of Gordon like the one he made at Atlanta
last fall, a fifth championship is within reach.
5. Matt Kenseth - #17 Best Buy Ford – Roush Fenway Racing
Want to
know what the biggest sponsor downgrade of 2012 is? Without question, it’s Matt
Kenseth going from Crown Royale Black to Best Buy. This won’t have any impact
in his on track performance, but No Credentials wouldn’t be No Credentials
without making some worthless commentary.
The Media’s Contenders
4. Jimmie Johnson - #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet – Hendrick
Motorsports
It’s
fantastic to go into a Sprint Cup season without Jimmie Johnson as the
defending champion, but secretly it might be better for Johnson than anyone
else. No longer burdened with keeping up a historic streak, Johnson and Crew
Chief Chad Knaus seem looser than ever. The history of the sport says it’s
unlikely that Johnson will ever win a championship again (the only drivers to
win a championship after a run of consecutive championship? Petty, Waltrip, and
Earnhardt) but no one has The Chase figured out like the 48 team. He’ll be a
threat this season.
3. Brad Keselowski - #2 Miller Lite Dodge – Penske Racing
A year ago
at this time people were wondering aloud whether Keselowski should’ve bypassed
earning Sprint Cup points to defend his Nationwide championship. Now he’s the
popular dark horse pick to win the 2012 title. What a difference a year makes.
The Media’s Champ
2. Carl Edwards - #99 Aflac Ford – Roush Fenway Racing
Cousin
Carl’s attitude and demeanor seem just fine after last season’s devastating
championship loss to Tony Stewart. Expect Carl to be more aggressive this year,
and significantly increase his win total from last year.
No Credentials Championship Pick
1. Denny Hamlin - #11 Fed-Ex Toyota – Joe Gibbs Racing
I don’t have
any tangible reason to expect a return to his 2010 form, other than the
addition of last year’s Championship Crew Chief, Darian Grubb. However, I’m
going to look at the career track of Carl Edwards to justify a return to
championship form for Hamlin. Edwards
was a popular pick to win the 2006 title after his breakout 2005 campaign.
Edwards responded by going winless, missing the chase, and finishing twelfth in
the standings. Carl was again the favorite after his 9-win 2008 season, and
responded by posting another winless season. Last year, Hamlin was a preseason
favorite amongst most media outlets (not No Credentials though. Big ups to us
on that one), but responded by winning only once and limping to a ninth place
finish in the standings. What does this all mean? Just because Hamlin had a
down year (down is being generous actually. Hamlin’s average finish was the
worst he posted in any of his full Sprint Cup seasons) doesn’t mean he can’t
rebound to contend for a title this year. That’s why Denny Hamlin is No
Credentials pick to win the 2012 Sprint Cup Championship.
Patrick was running 17th with 53 laps to go in Saturday’s Nationwide Series race when Ryan Truex bounced off the wall and into Patrick’s car, causing this vicious crash.
9. NFLPA Accuses Roger Goodell of Lying
In related news, NBA players called NBA Commissioner David Stern “a big pooh-pooh head”.
8.Kyle Busch Sweeps Weekend at Bristol
Busch is about as popular at Bristol as Gadhafi is in Libya, but that didn’t stop him from winning both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series this past weekend.
7. Jimmer’s 34 Points Lead BYU to Sweet 16
I was participating in a fantasy draft during the BYU-Gonzaga game. I must’ve typed “JIMMER!” in the league chat room 12 times, because the guy just kept burying 30-footers. Unfortunately, no one else in the fantasy league likes college basketball, so no one knew what I was talking about. Nevertheless, it’s always fun to type Jimmer.
6. Michigan Misses Last Second Three Against Duke
It was fitting that these two schools played a competitive game after the mild controversy that emerged after “The Fab 5” documentary aired on ESPN last week. I’m surprised Jalen Rose didn’t come in for the last 30 seconds.
5. Late No-Call Gives Arizona Win Over Texas
This is more of a personal entry, because it effectively destroyed my already putrid bracket.
4. Morehead St. Pulls Off Massive Upset Over Louisville
3. San Diego St. Survives Double-OT Against Temple
This game was an absolute slugfest, with Temple holding the Aztecs to 18 points in the entire second half. I wonder how much better San Diego St. could be if they had someone more competent than Steve Fisher coaching the team (remember, Fisher was somehow able to not win a National Championship with the Fab 5).
2. Butler Stuns #1 Seed Pittsburgh
Two ridiculous fouls will be what this game will be remembered for, but at least the fouls were split between the two clubs. Fortunately for the officials involved, they did get the calls right.
10. Owners and NFLPA Extend CBA Negotiations a Week
I can appreciate the owners and players agreeing to talk longer, but here is a novel concept…instead of negotiating a new deadline, why not just NEGOTIATE A DAMN DEAL SO FOOTBALL ISN’T CANCELLED NEXT FALL (sorry for the capital letters. The possibility of no NFL in September gets me riled up)? Both sides are arguing about three basic things. How to split $9 billion (what a terrible problem to have), the length of the season (owners want 18 games, players want to stay at 16), and longer health benefits for players after they retire. I know there’s a lot of money, but cant we get a few heads in a room together and hammer out a deal? The NFL is coming off its most successful financial season ever. You’d think petty differences would be thrown aside for the sake of growing the brand.
9. Mark Cuban in Talks to Develop TV Show With Charlie Sheen
I think Cuban should spend more time running the Mavericks than trying to bring a playoff system to college football, or even worse, trying to create a TV show for a crackhead.
8. Danica Patrick Finishes 4th in Nationwide Race at Las Vegas
Critics will say that Patrick’s first top-5 finish in NASCAR only happened because of great fuel
strategy by her crew chief, but she was running in 10th before fuel affected the outcome of the race (ironically, Patrick’s crew chief was the same man who made a similar call to put Dale Earnhardt Jr. in victory lane at Michigan in 2008). Patrick has come along way since her first races in a stock car in 2010. I’ll be stunned if she doesn’t make the jump to NASCAR full-time in 2012.
7. NCAA Investigating University of Oregon Football Program
I’ll start this by saying I have nothing against the University of Oregon, and wish no penalty or sanctions on their football team. I just feel it’s noteworthy because the majority of scrutiny this past season was on their opponent in the BCS Championship Game (Auburn), but now they are beginning to come under fire.
The NCAA has begun investigating Oregon after a $25,000 payment to Willie Lyles, a trainer based out of Texas. There are whispers that Lyles was paid by Oregon in exchange for prized recruit Lache Seastrunk (not to pick on the dude, but Lache Seastrunk is one of the craziest names for a runningback I’ve ever seen), who committed to the Ducks last January. Oregon has told the NCAA that Lyles is a scout who works for a recruiting service (all major colleges pay between $5,000 and $15,000 to recruiting services for game-tape of high school prospects), but Seastrunk’s mom has said that she was under the impression Lyles was just a trainer. Lyles had a mentor-like relationship with Seastrunk, and certainly was in a position to influence which school he chose to play for. Even more troubling for Oregon is the fact that Lyles is also linked to LaMichael James, another Texas recruit who finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting last December. The NCAA wants to know what sort of services Lyles was providing for such a high fee. Oregon can certainly explain how they were able to pay for such an expensive scouting service (as written about by me here after the BCS Championship Game, there’s tons of Nike money flowing through Oregon), but the real question will be the level of services provided by Lyles (who if you talk to a player’s mom, was a trainer, but to Oregon, he’s a scout. Sounds sketchy huh?). If Lyles is discovered to be nothing more than a private contractor that directs players to certain schools for a fee, Oregon will be staring at a stiff penalty from the NCAA.
6. Tim Tebow Supports BYU’s Brandon Davies
I’ve stayed away from the BYU “Honor Code” issue because the BYU Honor Code has been there for over 70 years. If you sign up to play for BYU, and you get caught doing anything that breaks the code, you should expect punishment. I mention it here only to praise Tebow for speaking out and wondering aloud whether or not the penalty was too harsh. Perception wise, Tebow is regarded as having very strong morals. For him to step out and speak on behalf of Davies, even though the transgression Davies committed goes against Tebow’s faith, was noteworthy. Even though this has nothing to do with running a 2 minute drill, I would feel better as a Broncos fan knowing I have a quarterback who’s unafraid to voice an opinion and lead.
5. Lakers Flex Muscles in San Antonio
Los Angeles has been sleepwalking most of the year, but they woke up for this one just to remind the league who the king of the west still is. San Antonio earned the right to take a game off after the #2 item on this list.
4. Carl Edwards Steals Las Vegas Win From Tony Stewart
3. North Carolina Beats Duke, Wins ACC Regular Season Title
I watched all of this game, which sadly, doubled the amount of college basketball I had actually viewed live this season. If Duke isn’t hitting their threes, they have a very hard time generating offense. I’d be very surprised if this team made it past the sweet 16 (unless the tournament selection committee sets them up with a powder puff bracket like last season). North Carolina is a different story. Freshman Kendall Marshall’s ascension to the starting point guard position has brought the best out of Harrison Barnes, and North Carolina is one of the few teams that seem able to attack the paint when they need a bucket. This club reminds me a lot of the 2002-03 Syracuse club that was led by Carmelo Anthony.
2. Spurs Blast Heat By 30 Points
After an epic collapse at home against Orlando the previous night (epic is the only word that can be used to describe blowing a 24-point lead on your home floor), Miami came out totally flat at San Antonio. The most fun part of this was New Hampshire native Matt Bonner scoring 9 points in three minutes (watch the first minute or so of this video to see the 1st quarter assault). Apparently Miami was very concerned about defending the paint, because that’s where all five of their players ended up on every play. That’s a great defense to set your team up in if you’re coaching an elementary school basketball team, but not so great against one of the best three-point shooting teams in the NBA.
1. Heat Players Cry After Loss to Bulls
Tom Hanks famously screamed in “A League of Their Own”, “THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!” I think Erik Spoelstra needs to call Hanks in to give his players a pep talk. Personally, if I were a Heat fan, I wouldn’t mind hearing that Lebron and Bosh shed a tear or two after this game, because it shows they actually give a crap about what’s going on (Spoelstra essentially says that in the first minute of this clip). I’m starting to get the sense that the Heat’s big three (oops, I meant “The Big 2 Featuring Chris Bosh”) have finally realized that there talent alone isn’t going to carry them to the NBA title. Miami needs to come up with a half-court offense that doesn’t involved one of the big three dribbling with the ball and jacking up a shot while the other four guys on the court stand around.
10. Justin Bieber Voted MVP of All-Star Celebrity Game
I caught a few minutes of this game Friday night. At one point, Scottie Pippen blocked a Bieber jump shot without even leaving his feet. Beliebers must have missed that play (the MVP of this game was determined by fan vote. Who knew 13-year-old girls liked celebrity basketball games).
9. Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche Swap Starting Goalies
I love trades where teams swap mediocre players that play the same position. Colorado shipped Craig Anderson and his 3.28 GAA to Ottawa for Brian Elliott and his 3.19 GAA. Essentially, both teams were so sick of their goalies that they were willing to bring in another crappy goalie to replace them. Anderson did pitch a 47-save shutout in his first game for Ottawa, so perhaps a change of scenery will be good for both of these guys.
8. Tony Stewart Edges Out Clint Bowyer to Win Nationwide Race
More notable than Stewart edging Bowyer by a bumper was Danica Patrick running up front before eventually finishing 14th. NASCAR would love nothing more than to see Patrick run well in her 12 Nationwide Series races this season. Good finishes would go a long in way in convincing Patrick to make the jump to NASCAR full-time in 2012.
7. Calgary Flames Destroy Canadians in Heritage Classic
If an outdoor hockey game happens in Canada, but no one in America knows about it because of the NBA All-Star Game and the Daytona 500, did it really happen? In this case, it did.
I only caught part of this game on accident while flipping through channels before the NBA All-Star Game. I understand that this event was geared towards Canada (the Canadian teams have been pissy about not being included in the New Year’s Day Winter Classic), but wouldn’t it make a little sense to stage the event on a quieter sports weekend? This morning on ESPN.com, the Heritage Classic was the ninth story listed on their homepage. It would make a ton of sense for the NHL to schedule this sort of event on a weekend with less competition.
6. Rookies Beat Sophomores Thanks to John Wall
None of Wall’s record 24 assists were as impressive as this bounce pass to Blake Griffin. Griffin should’ve borrowed Wall to help him out with the dunk contest.
5. New York Knicks Get Desperate in Pursuit for Carmelo Anthony
New York is reportedly willing to send Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, and Wilson Chandler to Denver in exchange for Carmelo Anthony. In other words, they are willing to part with their second, third, and fourth best players. That’s an awful lot to give up for a guy who scores a ton, but no much else.
4. St. Johns Beats #4 Pittsburgh With Last Second Lay-up
St. Johns is somehow only 17-9, but it seems like every week they are pulling off a mammoth upset. They already smoked Duke, and this past weekend it was #4 Pittsburgh. I’m pulling for St. Johns to end up as an #8 or #9 seed in the NCAA Tournament so they can pull off a win over a #1 seed in round 2.
3. Blake Griffin Jumps Over a Car, Wins Slam Dunk Contest
I don’t want to spend too much time ranting about the Dunk Contest, but I need to write a couple of sentences about Serge Ibaka. His first dunk (where video evidence clearly shows he took off a couple of inches behind the foul line) should’ve been scored a 65 out of 50. For him to be given a 45 was ridiculous. Julius Erving (who is credited with being the first man to successfully make a foul-line dunk, but actually took off while his foot was halfway over the line) should’ve walked out on to the court and kissed Ibaka’s shoes.
Moving on from a stupid rant about a forgotten dunk (if you ever see me at the grocery store, don’t bring it up. It’s still a sore subject), I’ll simply post links to the epic dunks of the night.
Serge Ibaka Foul Line Dunk – This video is extra fun because Charles Barkley says “that kid has a great body” about Ibaka like he was talking about Brooklyn Decker.
Demar Derozan Makes "The Showstopper"– This video is creepy because who ever edited it decided to add somber music and play the clip in slow motion. Kind of weird, but strangely rewatchable.
Javale McGee Double-Dunk – For my money, the best dunk of the night. The degree of difficulty to pull that dunk (or two dunks I guess) was off the charts.
Griffin Jumps Over a Car– The actual dunk itself wasn’t all that impressive, but the production value was unintentionally comical.
2. Kobe Bryant Goes Bonkers, Leads West Over the East
Kobe’s 37 points trumped Lebron James’ triple-double. Speaking of Lebron…I didn’t think he could’ve done anything to make Cavalier’s fans hate him even more, but his impassioned speech to fire up his teammates might’ve done it (I tried to find a leak to this, but unfortunately couldn’t locate one at this time). All of a sudden a guy who mailed it in during the last three games of the playoff series against Boston gives a crap about an exhibition game?
1. 20-Year Old Trevor Bayne Wins Daytona 500
I’m not sure what you were doing when you were twenty years old, but most of my time was spent playing video games and searching for a place to party (I write searching for a party because more often than not I was either unable to locate a party, or my buddy and I were to lazy to go to a party and played Madden instead). What was Trevor Bayne doing the day after he turned 20 years old? You know, just winning the biggest auto race in the United States.
