Another week has come, gone and left boatloads of snow in certain places. But you, the Internet, have risen to the challenge of picking the People's Pitstop lineup for this week's adventure in fantasy racing, the Shelby American, aka the Las Vegas race (gratuitous Wayne Newton appearance not included). Here are the results.
A List. There was a clear winner for the starting spot: Jimmie Johnson. For the bench spot, we had a tie between Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon. Using season point totals as the tiebreaker, Busch gets the spot.
B List. Another clear-cut winner for this poll: Kevin Harvick. Unfortunately, that's where the clarity ends. As you can see from the poll results at the bottom of this post, we have a conga line behind Harvick. Again, we'll use season points as the tiebreaker. That means the other starting spot goes to Clint Bowyer, while the bench spots go to Jamie McMurray (yes, him again) and Joey Logano.
C List. Here we have a change. The winner of the coveted starting spot this week is Scott Speed. He'll be joined by this week's bench warmer, A.J. Allmendinger.
While you enjoy Friday's qualifying session and prepare for the race itself, here's a poll on the folks who call NASCAR races on the boob tube. Please vote.
[polldaddy poll=2739973] [polldaddy poll=2739995] [polldaddy poll=2740006]
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The People's Facts: Shelby American
There's still time to vote on the People's Pitstop lineup for this Sunday's race in Las Vegas. The polls will close Thursday night, so we can get the lineup set in time for Friday's qualifying. In the meantime, here is some information to whet your appetite.
Track basics: Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile tri-oval with progressive banking. Oh, and by the way, it's a short trip from the track to the famous Las Vegas Strip. In fact, if you're staying in a Strip casino...er, hotel, and you want to go to the race, the city sends out buses to take you there. To get from the Strip to the track, the buses take you through (yes, I said through) Nellis Air Force Base. For a more extensive race preview from Yahoo, click here to download a PDF.
Recent winners: Kyle Busch (2009), Carl Edwards (2008), Jimmie Johnson (2007).
Who wins a lot here: The pickings are slim on this front. Johnson has won here three times. Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth have two wins each. No other active driver has more than one win here.
So what's with that Shelby thing? Welcome to the world of NASCAR race sponsorship. If you're a race, unless you're the Daytona 500, there's a good chance you've had more title sponsors than Larry King has ex-wives. In late 2008, Shelby American Inc., a maker of high-end cars and auto parts, signed a one-year deal to put its name on the Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As a result, the 2009 version of this race was called the Shelby 427. Last year, Shelby agreed to extend its sponsorship for another year.
Stay tuned. Next year's sponsor could be the People's Pigskin (if we get enough ad revenue to purchase the ... wait, there are no ads? Darn.)
We'll be back late Thursday with the poll results. In the meantime, don't forget to vote. (Once again, you're picking two drivers from the A List, four from the B List and 2 from the C List.)
Track basics: Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile tri-oval with progressive banking. Oh, and by the way, it's a short trip from the track to the famous Las Vegas Strip. In fact, if you're staying in a Strip casino...er, hotel, and you want to go to the race, the city sends out buses to take you there. To get from the Strip to the track, the buses take you through (yes, I said through) Nellis Air Force Base. For a more extensive race preview from Yahoo, click here to download a PDF.
Recent winners: Kyle Busch (2009), Carl Edwards (2008), Jimmie Johnson (2007).
Who wins a lot here: The pickings are slim on this front. Johnson has won here three times. Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth have two wins each. No other active driver has more than one win here.
So what's with that Shelby thing? Welcome to the world of NASCAR race sponsorship. If you're a race, unless you're the Daytona 500, there's a good chance you've had more title sponsors than Larry King has ex-wives. In late 2008, Shelby American Inc., a maker of high-end cars and auto parts, signed a one-year deal to put its name on the Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As a result, the 2009 version of this race was called the Shelby 427. Last year, Shelby agreed to extend its sponsorship for another year.
Stay tuned. Next year's sponsor could be the People's Pigskin (if we get enough ad revenue to purchase the ... wait, there are no ads? Darn.)
We'll be back late Thursday with the poll results. In the meantime, don't forget to vote. (Once again, you're picking two drivers from the A List, four from the B List and 2 from the C List.)
Monday, February 22, 2010
Fontana Results and Vegas Polls
What do the People's Pitstop results and the attendance at Sunday's race at Fontana have in common? Both leave a lot to be desired.
The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team scored 217 points during this week's Sprint Cup race in southern California. This leaves us with a two-week total of 453, good enough to be tied for 178,085th overall in Yahoo Fantasy Auto Racing and tied for 185th in the Fans of From the Marbles League. Here's a breakdown of the results.
Jeff Gordon: Started 28th, finished 20th, 62 fantasy points. Gordon gets 10 bonus points for leading 11 laps during the race.
Kasey Kahne: Started 4th, finished 34th (29 laps behind leaders), 25 fantasy points. Kahne got 1 bonus point for qualifying 4th, but he lost a lot of ground when he tried to turn his car into an all-terrain vehicle.
Matt Kenseth: Started 20th, finished 7th, 78 fantasy points. Any time you get a top 10 finish from a B List driver, it feels like a bonus.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 29th, finished 25th (1 lap behind the leaders), 42 fantasy points. This C List driver performed like one, though he did gain 4 spots during the race.
(By the way, the People's Pitstop did get 10 bonus points for having the pole sitter, Jamie McMurray, on the bench. And we'll ignore the fact that for the second week in the row one of our bench spots went to the eventual winner.)
Anyway, it's time for you, the Internet, to pick our lineup for next Sunday's race in Las Vegas. The polls are open and will close Thursday night to allow us to set our lineup for Friday's qualifying session. Please vote now. The results for our Sprint Cup championship poll appear below.
[polldaddy poll=2697565]
The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team scored 217 points during this week's Sprint Cup race in southern California. This leaves us with a two-week total of 453, good enough to be tied for 178,085th overall in Yahoo Fantasy Auto Racing and tied for 185th in the Fans of From the Marbles League. Here's a breakdown of the results.
Jeff Gordon: Started 28th, finished 20th, 62 fantasy points. Gordon gets 10 bonus points for leading 11 laps during the race.
Kasey Kahne: Started 4th, finished 34th (29 laps behind leaders), 25 fantasy points. Kahne got 1 bonus point for qualifying 4th, but he lost a lot of ground when he tried to turn his car into an all-terrain vehicle.
Matt Kenseth: Started 20th, finished 7th, 78 fantasy points. Any time you get a top 10 finish from a B List driver, it feels like a bonus.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 29th, finished 25th (1 lap behind the leaders), 42 fantasy points. This C List driver performed like one, though he did gain 4 spots during the race.
(By the way, the People's Pitstop did get 10 bonus points for having the pole sitter, Jamie McMurray, on the bench. And we'll ignore the fact that for the second week in the row one of our bench spots went to the eventual winner.)
Anyway, it's time for you, the Internet, to pick our lineup for next Sunday's race in Las Vegas. The polls are open and will close Thursday night to allow us to set our lineup for Friday's qualifying session. Please vote now. The results for our Sprint Cup championship poll appear below.
[polldaddy poll=2697565]
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Some Light Weekend Reading
As you get ready for Sunday's Auto Club 500, here are some links for you to peruse.
Spoiler alert: Imagine what would happen in fantasy football if the NFL announced that this fall wide receivers would be allowed to wear a certain type of glove in the early part of the season, but sometime in mid-October they would have to switch to another type of glove.
That's what happening in NASCAR. The same league that adopted a new green-white-checkered rule days before the Daytona 500 is "transitioning" the Sprint Cup cars from a rear fin to a rear spoiler. What do the drivers think? Here's Jeff Burton's take: "I’m in the minority in this, but I believe that when the spoiler comes, it’s going to be a new ballgame. I just think that’s a major change and a major difference and some people are going to adapt to that quicker than others."
It's official...you can have fantasy anything. There are those who think fantasy auto racing is a bit--how to put this--out there. And if you've read this far in this blog, you probably already know about fantasy football, fantasy baseball, fantasy basketball, fantasy hockey and fantasy soccer.
Now, can we interest you in fantasy fishing?
The weekly reminder that we cover fantasy football, too. Last week we told you about the Sporting News releasing its lists of top NFL players by position for next year. But why limit your offseason thoughts to players already collecting a National Football League salary? Our friends at Bleacher Report offer us the results of "our last mock draft until after the combine." That's a major commitment on their part: The NFL Scouting Combine will begin Wednesday.
We'll be back with results from the Auto Club 500. Until then, enjoy the race, and remember to root for the members of the People's Pitstop.
Spoiler alert: Imagine what would happen in fantasy football if the NFL announced that this fall wide receivers would be allowed to wear a certain type of glove in the early part of the season, but sometime in mid-October they would have to switch to another type of glove.
That's what happening in NASCAR. The same league that adopted a new green-white-checkered rule days before the Daytona 500 is "transitioning" the Sprint Cup cars from a rear fin to a rear spoiler. What do the drivers think? Here's Jeff Burton's take: "I’m in the minority in this, but I believe that when the spoiler comes, it’s going to be a new ballgame. I just think that’s a major change and a major difference and some people are going to adapt to that quicker than others."
It's official...you can have fantasy anything. There are those who think fantasy auto racing is a bit--how to put this--out there. And if you've read this far in this blog, you probably already know about fantasy football, fantasy baseball, fantasy basketball, fantasy hockey and fantasy soccer.
Now, can we interest you in fantasy fishing?
The weekly reminder that we cover fantasy football, too. Last week we told you about the Sporting News releasing its lists of top NFL players by position for next year. But why limit your offseason thoughts to players already collecting a National Football League salary? Our friends at Bleacher Report offer us the results of "our last mock draft until after the combine." That's a major commitment on their part: The NFL Scouting Combine will begin Wednesday.
We'll be back with results from the Auto Club 500. Until then, enjoy the race, and remember to root for the members of the People's Pitstop.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Fearless Predictions - Fontana
The NASCAR edition of our forecasts did not get off to a strong start. The only driver projected to finish in the top 10 who actually finished in the top 10 was Dale Earnhardt Jr. We begin the Sprint Cup season with a record of 1-9. Here's hoping this week's picks are better.
1. Matt Kenseth. Yeah, I heard that he switched crew chiefs. However, remember what we said earlier this week about Kenseth winning three of the last four versions of this week's event? That seems relevant.
2. Kevin Harvick. He's one of several drivers for whom Fontana is the "home track." He also has a pair of top 10 finishes here in the last couple of years.
3. Jimmie Johnson. Another driver from this part of California. He has four wins here. Oh, and did I mention the FOUR STRAIGHT SPRINT CUPS?
4. Jamie McMurray. Think he used up all his good luck at Daytona? Keep in mind that last year's Daytona 500 winner (Kenseth) was also last year's Auto Club 500 winner.
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Say what you will about his exposure versus his results, but he did find his way to the front of the pack on that second green-white-checkered last week. Could it be the beard?
6. Carl Edwards. Ford drivers (particularly those working for Roush Fenway) have dominated this race in recent years. Edwards won it in 2008.
7. Tony Stewart. In his 17 starts on this track, Stewart has finished 9 times in the top 10.
8. Mark Martin. He clearly has a fast car. In the practice before Friday's qualifying session, Martin had the top speed (182 miles per hour and change).
9. Kyle Busch. He has a Fontana win under his belt, and he is secure enough in himself to launch his own brand of sunglasses. Read into that anything you like.
10. Greg Biffle. Another former winner (2005) and the guy who quietly finished third in last week's race. (Yes, apparently, it's possible to finish third at the Daytona 500 and still be "quiet.")
We'll be back later with more thoughts.
1. Matt Kenseth. Yeah, I heard that he switched crew chiefs. However, remember what we said earlier this week about Kenseth winning three of the last four versions of this week's event? That seems relevant.
2. Kevin Harvick. He's one of several drivers for whom Fontana is the "home track." He also has a pair of top 10 finishes here in the last couple of years.
3. Jimmie Johnson. Another driver from this part of California. He has four wins here. Oh, and did I mention the FOUR STRAIGHT SPRINT CUPS?
4. Jamie McMurray. Think he used up all his good luck at Daytona? Keep in mind that last year's Daytona 500 winner (Kenseth) was also last year's Auto Club 500 winner.
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Say what you will about his exposure versus his results, but he did find his way to the front of the pack on that second green-white-checkered last week. Could it be the beard?
6. Carl Edwards. Ford drivers (particularly those working for Roush Fenway) have dominated this race in recent years. Edwards won it in 2008.
7. Tony Stewart. In his 17 starts on this track, Stewart has finished 9 times in the top 10.
8. Mark Martin. He clearly has a fast car. In the practice before Friday's qualifying session, Martin had the top speed (182 miles per hour and change).
9. Kyle Busch. He has a Fontana win under his belt, and he is secure enough in himself to launch his own brand of sunglasses. Read into that anything you like.
10. Greg Biffle. Another former winner (2005) and the guy who quietly finished third in last week's race. (Yes, apparently, it's possible to finish third at the Daytona 500 and still be "quiet.")
We'll be back later with more thoughts.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The People's Choice - Fontana
You, the Internet, were given a short week, and you came through. You were asked to pick the People's Pitstop lineup for Sunday's Auto Club 500. Here's who you picked.
A List: Your choices on this one were clear. You picked Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
B List: This one is a little trickier. There were two clear front-runners: Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne. They get the starting spots. As for the two bench spots, you gave us a four-way tie between Jamie McMurray, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brian Vickers. We will break this tie (and all future ones during the NASCAR Sprint Cup season) with driver points. Since McMurray and Earnhardt finished first and second in last week's Daytona 500, they are first and second in points. That's good enough to get them on our bench.
(Got it? Good.)
C List: For the starting spot, we have A.J. Allmendinger. For the bench spot, we have another tie, this one between Paul Menard and Sam Hornish Jr. Again, we use the points as the tiebreaker, and Menard gets the spot on the bench.
Thanks for voting. Remember that the poll on this year's champion is still open. The lineup poll results appear below.
[polldaddy poll=2704723] [polldaddy poll=2704744] [polldaddy poll=2704785]
A List: Your choices on this one were clear. You picked Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
B List: This one is a little trickier. There were two clear front-runners: Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne. They get the starting spots. As for the two bench spots, you gave us a four-way tie between Jamie McMurray, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brian Vickers. We will break this tie (and all future ones during the NASCAR Sprint Cup season) with driver points. Since McMurray and Earnhardt finished first and second in last week's Daytona 500, they are first and second in points. That's good enough to get them on our bench.
(Got it? Good.)
C List: For the starting spot, we have A.J. Allmendinger. For the bench spot, we have another tie, this one between Paul Menard and Sam Hornish Jr. Again, we use the points as the tiebreaker, and Menard gets the spot on the bench.
Thanks for voting. Remember that the poll on this year's champion is still open. The lineup poll results appear below.
[polldaddy poll=2704723] [polldaddy poll=2704744] [polldaddy poll=2704785]
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The People's Facts: Auto Club 500
There's still time for you, the Internet, to cast your vote on which drivers will be part of the People's Pigskin lineup in this week's episode of Who Wants to Win the From the Marbles Fantasy Racing League. Please remember that you're picking 2 drivers from the A List poll, 4 from the B List poll and 2 from the C List poll.
In the meantime, it's time to offer some basic information about this Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Race: the Auto Club 500.
Track basics: Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, is a 2-mile oval, so it's slightly slower than Daytona. Jeff Gordon holds the record with an average speed of 155 miles per hour in 1997, the year the track was finished. However, since this speedway is also much younger than Daytona, it's had less time to develop potholes.
Recent winners: Matt Kenseth (2009), Carl Edwards (2008), Matt Kenseth (2007).
Who wins a lot here: According to this Yahoo race preview (PDF), among active drivers, Jeff Gordon leads the way with 4 wins at Fontana. Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth are right behind him with 3 victories apiece.
Have you driven to Victory Lane lately? The last 5 versions of this race were won by Ford drivers, including Kenseth, who has won 3 of the last 4.
We'll be back Thursday night with the poll results.
In the meantime, it's time to offer some basic information about this Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Race: the Auto Club 500.
Track basics: Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, is a 2-mile oval, so it's slightly slower than Daytona. Jeff Gordon holds the record with an average speed of 155 miles per hour in 1997, the year the track was finished. However, since this speedway is also much younger than Daytona, it's had less time to develop potholes.
Recent winners: Matt Kenseth (2009), Carl Edwards (2008), Matt Kenseth (2007).
Who wins a lot here: According to this Yahoo race preview (PDF), among active drivers, Jeff Gordon leads the way with 4 wins at Fontana. Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth are right behind him with 3 victories apiece.
Have you driven to Victory Lane lately? The last 5 versions of this race were won by Ford drivers, including Kenseth, who has won 3 of the last 4.
We'll be back Thursday night with the poll results.
Monday, February 15, 2010
The People's Damage Assessment
The drivers in the Daytona 500 weren't the only ones dealing with potholes on Sunday. (And we'll leave aside for the moment the question about how the folks in NASCAR allow a structural problem to affect the biggest race of the season on the most storied track in stock car racing.)
The People's Pitstop racked up a grand total of 236 fantasy points during Sunday's running of the Great American Race. That leaves the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team tied for 129th in the From the Marbles league. Here's the breakdown of our performance.
Jimmy Johnson (A List): Started 3rd, finished 35th (23 laps behind the leaders), 22 fantasy points. Rough starts are nothing new for the four-time defending Sprint Cup champion. But there's never a good time to break an axle.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (B List): Started 2nd, finished 2nd, led 4 laps, 98 fantasy points. Earnhardt gets the 10 bonus points for leading at least one lap, and he would have won it all if he had one extra lap.
Kevin Harvick (B List): Started 5th, finished 7th, led 41 laps, 98 fantasy points. Harvick got 10 bonus points for leading a lap, plus 10 more bonus points for leading more laps than anyone else. None of it makes up for the fact that under the old "one green-white-checkered attempt only" rules, he would have won the race.
Sam Hornish Jr. (C List): Started 36th, finished 37th (48 laps behind the leaders), 18 fantasy points. Oh, well. These drivers are on the C list for a reason.
(By the way, our bench drivers, including eventual winner Jamie McMurray, scored no points for the People's Pitstop, but they're still eligible for nine starts each.)
Now it's time to turn our sights west to Fontana, California, the site of next Sunday's Auto Club 500. This week, Yahoo will start awarding bonus points for qualifying well. In a related development, Yahoo also will start forcing fantasy players to turn in their lineups before the Friday qualifying session. Therefore, the lineup polls are up now and will close Thursday night. Please vote now.
The People's Pitstop racked up a grand total of 236 fantasy points during Sunday's running of the Great American Race. That leaves the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team tied for 129th in the From the Marbles league. Here's the breakdown of our performance.
Jimmy Johnson (A List): Started 3rd, finished 35th (23 laps behind the leaders), 22 fantasy points. Rough starts are nothing new for the four-time defending Sprint Cup champion. But there's never a good time to break an axle.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (B List): Started 2nd, finished 2nd, led 4 laps, 98 fantasy points. Earnhardt gets the 10 bonus points for leading at least one lap, and he would have won it all if he had one extra lap.
Kevin Harvick (B List): Started 5th, finished 7th, led 41 laps, 98 fantasy points. Harvick got 10 bonus points for leading a lap, plus 10 more bonus points for leading more laps than anyone else. None of it makes up for the fact that under the old "one green-white-checkered attempt only" rules, he would have won the race.
Sam Hornish Jr. (C List): Started 36th, finished 37th (48 laps behind the leaders), 18 fantasy points. Oh, well. These drivers are on the C list for a reason.
(By the way, our bench drivers, including eventual winner Jamie McMurray, scored no points for the People's Pitstop, but they're still eligible for nine starts each.)
Now it's time to turn our sights west to Fontana, California, the site of next Sunday's Auto Club 500. This week, Yahoo will start awarding bonus points for qualifying well. In a related development, Yahoo also will start forcing fantasy players to turn in their lineups before the Friday qualifying session. Therefore, the lineup polls are up now and will close Thursday night. Please vote now.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
The People's Choice - Daytona
Another NASCAR Sprint Cup season is about to begin, and you, the Internet, have spoken about who gets spots in the People's Pitstop lineup for Sunday's Daytona 500. Here are the results for the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team.
A List. You were asked to pick two drivers, and you selected Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch. Since Johnson got more votes, he'll get the starting spot, while Busch will get the bench spot.
B List. Here you were asked to pick four drivers. Your choices: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne and Jamie McMurray. Earnhardt Jr. and Harvick will get the starting spots. Kahne and McMurray will get the bench spots.
C List. The people of the Internet were asked to vote for two drivers. They chose Sam Hornish Jr. and A.J. Allmendinger. Hornish gets the start, while Allmendinger gets the bench position.
Thanks to all of you for voting. Our new poll is a pretty basic one, but one that needs to be asked: Who do you have winning this season's championship? We'll be back Monday with some results. Until then, enjoy the race, now with reduced gopher. (Carl Spackler will be pleased.) The poll results appear below.
[polldaddy poll=2671501] [polldaddy poll=2671519] [polldaddy poll=2671532] [polldaddy poll=2664722]
A List. You were asked to pick two drivers, and you selected Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch. Since Johnson got more votes, he'll get the starting spot, while Busch will get the bench spot.
B List. Here you were asked to pick four drivers. Your choices: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne and Jamie McMurray. Earnhardt Jr. and Harvick will get the starting spots. Kahne and McMurray will get the bench spots.
C List. The people of the Internet were asked to vote for two drivers. They chose Sam Hornish Jr. and A.J. Allmendinger. Hornish gets the start, while Allmendinger gets the bench position.
Thanks to all of you for voting. Our new poll is a pretty basic one, but one that needs to be asked: Who do you have winning this season's championship? We'll be back Monday with some results. Until then, enjoy the race, now with reduced gopher. (Carl Spackler will be pleased.) The poll results appear below.
[polldaddy poll=2671501] [polldaddy poll=2671519] [polldaddy poll=2671532] [polldaddy poll=2664722]
Friday, February 12, 2010
Random Pre-Daytona Thoughts
There's still time to vote in our polls on who gets into the People's Pitstop lineup for the Daytona 500. The polls will close Saturday night. In the meantime, here are some thoughts to tide over fans of fantasy racing.
Green, white ... oh, wait, start over. NASCAR may be the only body in professional sports that changes its rules in the week before its regular season starts. The latest change involves the "green-white-checkered" format for overtime racing. Instead of giving the drivers only one chance at a "green-white-checkered" finish, NASCAR now will give them up to three chances to get it right.
Drivers and crew chiefs are less than pleased; Jeff Gordon said, "All you're going to do is set yourself up for another wreck. You give us two laps out there under green and we're going to find a way to wreck." Right, like drivers need an excuse to wreck at Daytona.
If it's Wednesday, this must be Showtime. NASCAR has listened to the complaints of folks who said Michael Waltrip wasn't getting nearly enough camera time. This season Showtime will air the weekly show "Inside NASCAR," featuring one talking head (Chris Myers), one reporter (Randy Pemberton), one team owner/former NBA All-Star (Brad Daugherty) and one driver (Waltrip).
Two things struck me as I watched the initial episode Wednesday. First, having no crew chief, active or otherwise, on the set is a bit like having an NFL pregame show without a former coach. Second, given Waltrip's 33rd-place finish in last year's Sprint Cup standings, shouldn't he be spending a little more time working on his cars and a little less time in the television studio (especially if they are going to tape your show in Charlotte while you're qualilfying in Daytona)?
The weekly reminder that we follow fantasy football, too. It's been less than a week since the New Orleans Saints shocked a good portion of the football world by winning the Super Bowl. But that doesn't mean it's too early for fantasy football players to start thinking about their drafts this summer. In fact, the Sporting News has already published rankings to help you decide important things like, say, which receiver you should draft in the fifth round.
We'll be back tomorrow night with results from our polls. Vote now, please.
Green, white ... oh, wait, start over. NASCAR may be the only body in professional sports that changes its rules in the week before its regular season starts. The latest change involves the "green-white-checkered" format for overtime racing. Instead of giving the drivers only one chance at a "green-white-checkered" finish, NASCAR now will give them up to three chances to get it right.
Drivers and crew chiefs are less than pleased; Jeff Gordon said, "All you're going to do is set yourself up for another wreck. You give us two laps out there under green and we're going to find a way to wreck." Right, like drivers need an excuse to wreck at Daytona.
If it's Wednesday, this must be Showtime. NASCAR has listened to the complaints of folks who said Michael Waltrip wasn't getting nearly enough camera time. This season Showtime will air the weekly show "Inside NASCAR," featuring one talking head (Chris Myers), one reporter (Randy Pemberton), one team owner/former NBA All-Star (Brad Daugherty) and one driver (Waltrip).
Two things struck me as I watched the initial episode Wednesday. First, having no crew chief, active or otherwise, on the set is a bit like having an NFL pregame show without a former coach. Second, given Waltrip's 33rd-place finish in last year's Sprint Cup standings, shouldn't he be spending a little more time working on his cars and a little less time in the television studio (especially if they are going to tape your show in Charlotte while you're qualilfying in Daytona)?
The weekly reminder that we follow fantasy football, too. It's been less than a week since the New Orleans Saints shocked a good portion of the football world by winning the Super Bowl. But that doesn't mean it's too early for fantasy football players to start thinking about their drafts this summer. In fact, the Sporting News has already published rankings to help you decide important things like, say, which receiver you should draft in the fifth round.
We'll be back tomorrow night with results from our polls. Vote now, please.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)