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November 30, 2005

Photo of the Day - Path to the Beach

Cape May, New Jersey, September, 2005. I wish I was somewhere warm where I could go hang out on the beach for a while...

Posted by silverdsl at 10:49 PM | Comments (0)

B&H Photo and Video

B&H Photo and Video is a mega-store located in mid-town Manhattan that is a paradise for photographers. Anything and everything related to photography is available at B&H, either at their store on on their website. Any time I'm looking for a piece of camera equipment, big or small, I go to B&H first because usually their prices are better than anyone else's and based on my experience they are very quick to ship things out that are ordered online. In fact, 70% of their business comes from online purchases so I would guess that there are quite a few people who have also had as positive an experience ordering through their website as I have. Although I enjoy looking through all the photography books they have at the physical B&H store, I don't enjoy going in person as much as I do visiting their website because of how busy and chaotic everything is. To get something simple can turn into a lengthy process but it's still neat to occasionally visit the actual store and browse.

B&H was formed in 1973 and has grown into a huge company that employs 800-900 people, many of them Hasidic Jews. In fact the store closes on Friday afternoons and remains closed until Sunday in observance of the Sabbath. They are also closed on a variety of Jewish holidays as well. An interesting tidbit is that one story is that the B&H name means Baruch Hashem, or Blessed be God. Well, B&H certainly has been blessed because they have a tremendously profitable business.

Posted by silverdsl at 03:05 PM | Comments (0)

Playing the Denial Game: When Fiction is Really Fact

On more than one occasion I've complained about how frequent it is in Nascar that there's a denial of a rumor and weeks or days later it turns out that in spite of the denials the rumor is in fact true. Or how teams or drivers will say one thing about a situation and then once again down the road it turns out that the opposite happens. Or the amount of misinformation and half-truths that are routinely spouted by various talking heads to the point where it's sometimes impossible to know what the real story is about any given situation or trust that anyone is telling the truth. Of course it's unrealistic to think that any individual or entity is always going to be able to publically tell the full story or the complete truth about everything. That's just not possible. If Roush Racing thinks that Kurt Busch is an asshole who they regret ever signing in spite of his talents behind the wheel there's no way that they they can be that honest publically. Or if Jeff Gordon thinks that Pepsi, who is one of his sponsors, tastes horrible, he still has to smile big when he sips from a bottle of Pepsi and talk about how wonderful it is. Or if a team releases a driver not because of performance issues but because he was having an affair with his crew chief's wife, to avoid a scandal they're going to say something vastly different about the reasons for the release than what might have actually happened. (Note: so as to not start any rumors - these are only examples and not anything that is reality). Along with PR spin, I understand that there are a variety of situations in which the complete truth is simply not possible and I accept that. But sometimes it's appalling how casually some will indignantly deny a rumor, half the time with a dig at Jayski's if they're in Nascar, then not even offer up an explanation or apology when it turns out the truth is very obviously something different.

It's not just in Nascar that this happens either. It was widely rumored for months, maybe even for the entire time that they were married, that Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey were on the verge of breaking up. They did in fact announce a split last week after the rumors had reached a fever pitch. In today's New York Daily News, gossip columnist Lloyd Grove writes that Simpson's publicist, Brad Cafarelli spent seven months passionately denying the split between Simpson and Lachey despite all sorts of sightings that indicated that there was trouble in the Simpson-Lachey marriage. Grove writes that the kind of denials offered up by Cafarelli that later turn out to be false make it hard for he and his colleagues to believe what the celebrity publicists say. Of course Cafarelli says

"I stand by my past comments, based on what I believed to be true at the time."

Which is a stock answer for publicists and others who are caught with their pants down when it's revealed that they told an untruth, that there was more to the story or that a rumor was in fact truth despite a denial. Of course if there were problems for a while in the Simpson-Lachey marriage it's really no one's business but their own and I wouldn't expect them to confirm that they are thinking about splitting before they seriously decide to do it. So I can understand some degree of subterfuge. But on the other hand sometimes it's better to offer up a "no comment," an "I wouldn't know anything about that," or a "my client's personal lives is their business and no one else's" rather than deny, deny, deny in detail and look silly afterwards.

Grove hits upon the biggest problem when people routinely hide or don't tell the truth. It leaves people unable to trust or believe anything that any of these people say. It also makes people look bad - Cafarelli is likely just doing what his client wanted him to do but now it's been implied that he's a liar by Grove and that might effect how he is perceived. After all if he denied the Simpson-Lachey rumors and that came true, then what other rumors that he might deny might also in fact be true? It could also effect the way Grove or others cover Cafarelli's clients. The media appreciates hearing the truth and they don't like to be treated like idiots. Sometimes it's obvious when someone is trying to pull the wool over the media's eyes and that isn't appreciated. Again, sometimes it's impossible to tell the full truth all the time, but most members of the media will treat the subjects that they cover with more respect if they in turn are treated with respect.

Why I am ranting about this yet again? Well, the rumor about the #77 being dismantled because Kodak decided not to re-up with Penske Racing, the very same one that Penske took great pains to deny to the point of having signs up at the #77 merchandise hauler at Homestead that said that Travis and Kodak would be back with the #77 in 2006, has resurfaced. It's not just a Jayski generated rumor that he heard from "sources" but this time it's PRN (Performance Racing Network) reporting it. If this "rumor" is true then the folks at Penske Racing won't be looking too good when it's all said and done. I'll keep the rest of my comments to myself for now since there's been no official confirmation or denial but yet again it certainly wouldn't be surprising if this rumor was true after it was just denied.

Posted by silverdsl at 01:04 PM | Comments (0)

In the News: Michael Waltrip (11/30)

So the paint scheme for the #55 Napa Dodge that Michael Waltrip will be driving in 2006 for Bill Davis Racing showed up on Jayski already.


Not surprisingly the #55 looks a lot like the #15 did, only without the distinctive DEI "E" on the side and obviously with a new number. I really like the red swoosh on the side as I think that gives the paint scheme a little added omph. Based on this scheme, not only did NAPA and Best Western leave DEI for BDR with Michael but also Domino's as well. I wonder how often not only does a primary sponsor leave with a driver but most of the associate sponsors as well? I would think that doesn't happen very often. DEI might try to downplay that but when Michael left they lost a significant amount of financial revenue in the form of a major primary sponsor and several big associate sponsors considering Best Western is the official hotel of Nascar and Domino's is the official pizza of Nascar. But both of those sponsors have relationships with Michael though Michael Waltrip Racing so it's no surprise that they would opt to follow him to his new team. In addition, Michael picks up a new sponsor in the form of Sofa Express and I wouldn't be surprised depending on what companies BDR is affiliated with, a few more as well.

Otherwise, Michael took his family to the Bahamas for a vacation at the conclusion of the season. But before he did that he was at a private party that the newly single Nick Lachey hosted at the hot Miami hotel, The Setai. The article is quick to point out that Michael and about 30 others spent time at the courtyard bar drinking Grey Goose vodka. So I immediately have to wonder if that item was planted by the folks from Grey Goose - that the specific brand of alcohol is mentioned seems a bit suspicious. Or perhaps by the hotel. Everything to do with Lachey and what he might be up to now that he and Jessica Simpson have broken up is going to get a lot of attention so I'm sure there are plenty of places that are looking to um, latch on to his notoriety by positioning themselves as a hotspot where Lachey likes to party or the beverage of choice when he's drowning his sorrows. As unfortunate as it might be people's choices as consumers can be effected by the choices of high-profile celebrities.

Otherwise, there have been plenty of season in review articles and most of them don't contain much of note about Michael. Bob Margolis of Yahoo! Sports is pretty negative about Michael going over to BDR, saying that

"Davis isn't bringing Waltrip in for his driving ability."

There is a grain of truth to that because I think that one of Michael's biggest assets that has really helped his career tremendously probably more-so than most of what he has done on the track, as much as he might not like this to be the case, is that he is an outstanding spokesperson and representative for his sponsors. No driver takes care of his sponsors better than Michael does and there are some drivers who could learn a lesson or two from him. That's why all of his sponsors were so willing to follow him to BDR. But I also think that Michael has a tremendous amount of ability behind the wheel that he often hasn't gotten to show because he's been given lousy cars or the full support he needed in terms of personnel wasn't there. There's no way that Michael would be a two-time Daytona 500 winner if the ability wasn't there. In fact Margolis alludes to the need for a good supporting cast by saying,

"The younger of the Waltrip brothers says he's only as good as the rest of his team, and Davis will need to put a strong supporting cast around him."

I have to agree - Michael will have success at BDR if he's given a crew chief who believes in him as strongly as Tony Eury, Jr. did, with a strong crew that will work as hard as the #15 team did in giving Michael some exceptionally competitive cars and outstanding pit stops. Really it's true for all the drivers. Even the elite drivers need good cars, a strong team with a talented crew chief and a supportive organization for them to race as well as they are capable of. If any of those things aren't there the team performance can be hurt. Just look at Jeff Gordon - something went admiss on his team in 2005, perhaps between himself and Robbie Loomis, and he didn't make the Chase for the Championship. I don't know who Michael's crew chief or crew members are going to be but I hope it will be people who will give him the opportunity to race well next season. One thing's for sure though - he will do everything that he can do to get the best possible results from the cars that he is given.

Unfortunately an incident that Michael would probably rather forget made a few season in review highlight lists. That's the ugly incident with Robby Gordon in New Hampshire. Some think that kind of incident is so exciting that they wish there would be more like it but I think trying to retalitate after a wreck by backing one's car into on-coming traffic, helmet throwing and calling a fellow competitor a piece of shit on TV is childish and excessive. Michael and Robby have long since worked out their differences and smoothed things over but I would guess that there will be references to Robby throwing his helmet at Michael for years to come because it was so dramatic. What I'd like to see in 2006 is for Michael to make some season in review highlight lists for his on-track accomplishments, preferrably a win. The assumption is that he won't do much in 2006 at BDR, and I'm not expecting the #55 to be a dominant team by any means, but I'm optimistic that they will be capable of some good runs and hopefully Michael will be able to contend for a couple of wins.

Posted by silverdsl at 08:49 AM | Comments (2)

November 29, 2005

Photo of the Day - Aruba Sunset

Aruba, October, 2005

Posted by silverdsl at 10:33 PM | Comments (0)

Stanford University Auctions Off Official Photographer's Credentials For Football Game

Sports photographers over at Sportsshooter.com are outraged because Stanford University auctioned off official photographer's credentials for a Stanford vs. Notre Dame football game. The auction winner, who paid $2,425 for the opportunity, will spend the day with Stanford's team photographer, David Gonzales, and will get to visit the press box and then take photos from the sidelines during the game like any other credentialed photographer can do. Apparently, the auction raises money for Stanford University student athletes, though I'm not sure what the money will ultimately be used for.

The photographers at sportsshooter feel that only professional photographers who make a living off of taking these photos belong on the sidelines and that this auction will only be the first of many. So that soon photo credentials to sporting events will be made available to the highest bidder and professional photographers will have to deal with even more amateurs taking photos for personal use getting in their way while they're trying to do their jobs. On one hand I can understand why they're not thrilled with this auction. It's true that the more people there are on the sidelines, the harder it is for them to easily get the shots that they need. At every sports event there are definitely people who get access to areas that the general public doesn't who don't respect the privledge that they receive and get in the way of people who are trying to do their job. I've seen this myself in the garage area at the two races that I've been lucky enough to go to. It's also true that if just anybody can get a photo credential then there's a lot more people taking photos and it effects the bottom line of the photographers who are trying to make a living off taking photos at these games.

However, I don't see a problem with this particular auction. It's a one time auction where the proceeds will presumably benefit student athletics at Stanford. It doesn't seem like they have plans to auction off credentials on a regular basis. In addition, the auction winner is going to be accompanying the team's official photographer who will presumably lay out some guidelines for appropriate behavior on the sidelines. So it's not like this person is going to be allowed to do whatever they want as they will be taking photos under the supervision of someone who understands the importance of photographers operating in an official capacity being allowed to do their jobs unimpeded.

I look at it like when I won the Operation Marathon auction to be Michael Waltrip's guest at a race. Myself and the other auction winners last fall were around the #15 team for most of the day on race day when the teams are incredibly busy. We were in the #15 pit and I'm sure that the crews weren't thrilled to have an extra person there while they were trying to go about their business. But we weren't unchaperoned. Michael's PR person was with us at all times and while I can't speak for the other auction winners, Jim and I were very careful to stay out of everyone's way. Those auctions raised a lot of money for the Victory Junction Gang Camp through Operation Marathon, as do all the other similar auctions that race teams do thoughout the year. So as long as the winners of these various auctions behave appropriately I can't see how an auction that benefits a good cause, whether it's a charity or Stanford University is a bad thing.

Posted by silverdsl at 03:59 PM | Comments (0)

Slugger Labbe, Tommy Baldwin To Be Crew Chiefs of #88, #38 for Robert Yates Racing

I wonder if this was a package deal? Last season Tommy Baldwin was the crew chief for Kasey Kahne and Slugger Labbe was the crew chief for Jeremy Mayfield, both at Evernham Motorsports. In 2006 both are moving to Robert Yates Racing where they will also be crew chiefs, Labbe for the #88 of Dale Jarrett and Baldwin for the #38 of Elliott Sadler. I'd like to say that I think that both of these pairings will be fairly good ones but I have no idea what to think about how Labbe is going to do anywhere anymore. Granted he's been at Yates previously so they are familiar with him and he is familiar with them but it's been two seasons in a row that he's given up on the team he's been with and wanted out.

When he was released by Evernham Labbe said,

"We got in the Chase, and we've just been mediocre. I want to win and be in the top five every week."

Dale Jarrett is an excellent driver who is a two-time former Champion. However, the fates haven't been as kind to him in recent years. After being a multiple race winner from 1996-2002 Jarrett has only won two races over the past three years. In addition, he hasn't been a part of the Chase for the Championship either this season or last. So I have to wonder if Labbe is going to a team that will realistically be in the top five every week either on the track or in the points. He may very well make the #88 a stronger team but with how competitive things are in this sport I'm not sure they will be a Championship contending team which the #19 was. So will this end up being a third team in three years that Labbe leaves at the end of the season?

As for Tommy Baldwin I'm a little surprised that he's going to be Sadler's crew chief. When he left Evernham it was said that Baldwin was leaving to pursue his dream of having his own team, which he was going to do in partnership with Yates, possibly as soon as 2007. In fact, a press conference was scheduled, then cancelled to discuss those plans. Given the demands of having one's own team I would think that would make it difficult for Baldwin to also be a full-time crew chief so I figured that while they were getting the new team going he would function in some sort of consultant position at Yates. But he will in fact be on the #38 pit box each week so I'm not sure where that leaves his plans for a team. Which is probably a big disappointment to some Steve Park fans who were dreaming of a reunion for Steve with his childhood friend from Long Island.

I'd like to see Sadler have a little more success on the track. When he made the Chase in 2004 I was sure it meant that he was finally living up to expectations and I thought that he would build on that and be even better in 2005. That was not to be. After winning two races, getting eight top five's and fourteen top ten's, Sadler didn't win any races and had only one top five. He did have twelve top ten's and won four poles so it appears that the foundation is still there for the #38 to be a strong team. They just need to get back to the team they were in 2004 and hopefully Baldwin can help them do that.

Posted by silverdsl at 03:12 PM | Comments (0)

Mets Trade for Carlos Delgado; Sign Billy Wagner

While the New York Yankees have been relatively quiet, their crosstown rivals, the New York Mets have made a splash this off-season with two big additions to the team. In a trade, the Mets sent prospects Mike Jacobs, Yusmeiro Petit and Grant Psomas to the Florida Marlins for first baseman Carlos Delgado and $7 million cash. They followed that trade up by signing one of the best available relievers, Billy Wagner, to a four-year $43 million contract to be their closer. These are two moves that will definitely make the Mets a stronger team. That should be the goal of every team. Not just adding players and hoping that if they add enough big-time players they'll overpower opponents but making moves that make sense, will address needs and help the team win. There's no doubt that both Delgado and Wagner will help the Mets win. They are both excellent players.

Last off-season the Mets had pursued Delgado and he turned them down to play for the Marlins. This off-season with the Marlin's fire sale underway I suspect that Delgado is very pleased that the Mets had renewed interest in him. What's going to be interesting is to see the reaction that some fans have to him given how he would avoid standing on the field during "God Bless America" in the past. When he joined the Marlins Delgado said,

"The reason why I didn't stand for God Bless America was because I didn't like the way they tied God Bless America and 9-11 to the war in Iraq, in baseball."

Delgado says that now that he's with the Mets he will stand for "God Bless America" as the Mets have a policy that all the players should stand on the field for it, but he may hear some boos from some fans at first who haven't heard the news that he plans on standing.

I think a mountain was made out of a molehill on that issue. First, because I think that Delgado is entitled to believe as he chooses. If he wants to stage a mini-protest by not participating when his teammates stand for "God Bless America" then I think it should be his right to do so. In addition, while on the Mets there seems to be a policy that all players must stand on the field while that song is being sung or played, with other teams it has seemed that there are times when players use that break in the on-field action to go into the clubhouse. As long as the majority of players are respectfully standing on the field I don't have a problem with that. If a player has something that they need to take care of it seems to me that would be the time to do it when there's several minutes break rather than when the game is going on. Not to mention every single game features a rendition of "God Bless America." That's 162 times, plus post-season appearances if a player is lucky, that they hear "God Bless America." I'd guess that as much as they all want to honor their country, after hearing it that many times it might lose a little of it's meaning so some of the players themselves probably don't view it as a big deal to not stand on the field at that time.

As for Wagner he saved 38 games last season for the Phillies and good closers are always a hot commodity. However Wagner is 34 so at the end of this deal he will be 38 and the question is whether he will still be a top closer at that age as he is now. Those kinds of concerns is why the Phillies were willing to increase the amount of money they offered him but not give him more than a three-year deal. Wagner will earn more than $10.5 million a season making him have the highest average yearly salary of any reliever in baseball including Mariano Rivera. Of course the Mets had no choice but to throw all that money at Wagner because if they didn't give it to him then someone else would have but as good as he is, will Wagner pitch Rivera-like? I think he will be solid for the Mets but I'm not sure he will pitch like a $10 million man, particularly when he's 38.

With these additions I think the Mets will be much more of a force in the National League East this season than they were last, particularly if Carlos Beltran had a stronger 2006 than he did 2005 and the starting pitching is solid.

Posted by silverdsl at 02:38 PM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2005

Photo of the Day - Cape May Wave

Cape May, New Jersey, September, 2005. I don't know how this photo turned out so wacky. The horizon is completely crooked yet the wave is straight. The colors seem off too. Heck, everything about this photo seems off but that's not stopping me from posting it!

Posted by silverdsl at 10:45 PM | Comments (0)

Michael Waltrip Racing to Partner with Fitz-Bradshaw Racing in 2006

Apparently the big news that Michael Waltrip mentioned in relation to Michael Waltrip Racing last week on Inside Nextel Cup is that they will be entering into some sort of partnership with Fitz-Bradshaw Racing in the Busch Series. This was revealed tonight on NBS 24/7. The cars, perhaps as many as three, will be Dodges with Evernham motors and Aarons will be the sponsor. Hopefully Michael will be driving one of those cars and even better will be if he's a regular on 24/7, a show that he has often said that he loves. I guess he found a way to not just watch regularly but be on it! I didn't see the episode yet so I don't know what the details are and perhaps not much else was said but I think this could be something really awesome for MWR as they attempt to get back on track.

Posted by silverdsl at 10:16 PM | Comments (0)

Expansion at DEI

This item from The Sporting News via Jayski's amuses me:

More Changes at DEI: Dale Earnhardt Inc. [#1,#8,#15] is expanding and reorganizing its current campus to 160,000 square feet. DEI will house the #8 team with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. in the same building with rookie Martin Truex and crew chief Kevin Manion. The #15 Cup team will be combined with the Busch program and used for research and development with Paul Menard driving. Earnhardt and Truex will split Busch Daytona driving duties, Earnhardt driving the season opener, Truex the July race.(Sporting News)(11-28-2005)

Why? Because one of Richie Gilmore's reasons why he said that DEI might not be able to field three Cup teams in 2006 was because the DEI sewage system might not be able to handle an expansion. As it turns out DEI is expanding their physical buildings so I guess the sewage system will be able to handle it after all. But they won't be fielding three full-time Cup teams in 2006 because they don't have the physical capabilities to do so. That won't be happening because they don't have a driver or a primary sponsor now that Michael Waltrip and NAPA left for Bill Davis Racing.

What could benefit both Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Martin Truex, Jr. is having their respective teams working out of the same building. That is if there is any information shared between the two teams. In the past that's been a problem at DEI in that the crew chiefs and teams haven't worked together in terms of sharing much information. I think if DEI has any hope of keeping pace with Roush or Hendrick, the DEI teams must share information and work together. I firmly believe that's one reason why those organizations have so many successful teams. It's going to be especially important for Truex because no matter how talented of a driver he is, he will still be a rookie in Cup and as such he's going to need as much support as possible. I can't imagine Junior shutting him out considering what good friends they are but the question is whether Tony Eury, Jr. will be open to working closely with Kevin Manion. In the past it's seemed like both Eurys have been resistant to sharing information so it will be interesting to see where that goes.

As a whole the fortunes of DEI in 2006 will be an interesting story to follow. Many feel that there's no question that Junior will rebound from a subpar 2005 and will be a lock for the Chase for the Championship in 2006. I'm not sure it's going to be that easy for him. And what happens if Truex does better than Junior? That may not happen in year one because Truex will be a rookie but I think down the road that could happen. How will Junior react to that? And how will Junior deal with not having another veteran Cup driver at DEI, let alone one who is a 20-year veteran like Michael who is a lot more savvy about both on-track and off-track issues than most people give him credit for. How is Junior going to deal with not having him around? Eventually DEI will get back on track. I'm certain of that but it might not be in 2006.

Posted by silverdsl at 04:12 PM | Comments (0)

More on the Ryan Newman Sit/Stand Fiasco

There's currently three independent souces reporting that Ryan Newman did in fact stand in honor of his retiring teammate Rusty Wallace at the driver's meeting before the race at Homestead, contrary to published reports which claim that Newman remained seated when all other drivers stood. There's what I heard via Claire B. Lang on "Dialed In" on XM last week. There's the statement from Penske Racing. Finally there's a message that was posted in a member's only area of Newman's website. Despite all of this there are a large segment of fans who seem unwilling to believe that Newman stood.

Not only that but the message that was posted on Newman's site has been cut and pasted to numerous fan forums with a key line missing - the last one which says

PS: Ryan did stand up during the ovation to Rusty at Homestead. The article written by the Atlanta Constitution was incorrect. They will be contacted for a retraction.

Since the rest of the message is a rather harsh condemnation of Wallace's treatment of Newman, without that line it appears as if the message is a defense of why he didn't stand. I'd like to think that whoever has been spreading that message around without the key line accidentally left it out but part of me suspects that some are so wrapped up in the idea that Newman is a jerk, that someone might have left that line out on purpose in a deliberate attempt to make him look bad.

There are a lot of fans who believe that all of the statements that indicate that Newman stood is simply damage control and it's not really the truth. I would agree that it's damage control - any time there's bad or negative news, particularly of the untrue variety, there's going to be a response seeking to counter the damage. But this isn't a matter of talking about a parting of the ways between a driver and a team or another similar situation in which teams and drivers will give statements full of half-truths and PR speak. This is a factual statement - Ryan Newman and his crew chief Matt Borland stood at the driver's meeting to honor Rusty Wallace - which would be easy to prove or disprove. In this case, the original statement that Newman didn't stand has been proven to be false by three separate sources and there are certainly plenty of other witnesses who could come forward to disprove Newman saying that he did or didn't stand since the driver's meetings are always packed with drivers, crew chiefs, Nascar officials, media members and some guests of the teams.

Some are unwilling to believe those statements because they are claiming that all of them are biased. Now clearly the message from Newman's Fan Club is going to be biased in his favor, there's no doubt about that. But there are two sources who are saying that Newman stood. Penske Racing is the organization which employs Newman so some feel that they would be biased towards him as well. However, Penske is also the organization for which Wallace raced until he retired. So it seems to me that Penske isn't going to lie for Newman and take his "side" over Wallace who was a cornerstone of their operation. The third source, Claire B. Lang, isn't biased either. She takes great pains to pass information along to listeners, whether it's via interviews, press conferences, or simply telling listeners what she is told, without stating her own opinions. She wants listeners to make up their own minds about what they hear without her influencing them. So while she got the information directly from Newman that he did stand, I highly doubt that as she's trying to correct the record give information over the air she knows to be false.

It's a bit perplexing to me why some are so insistant that the story that Newman didn't stand must be true and that in general he's a horrible person. Maybe it's because the other party in the feud, Rusty Wallace, is so well-liked and some fans have trouble with the idea that perhaps all the animosity isn't all Newman's fault. That perhaps Wallace has treated Newman poorly is a very bitter pill for a lot of fans to swallow. Perhaps they are so unwilling to accept the concept that Wallace is ever anything other than an elder statesman of the sport who is deserving of everyone's respect that they feel the need to paint Newman in as unflattering of a light as possible.

There are all sorts of people coming out of the woodwork with stories about how Newman didn't sign an autograph for someone once or wasn't friendly enough so obviously he must be a bad person. Never mind that it's impossible to know from a single brief encounter at the track when there's so much else going on or at an appearance where there are so many other fans that a driver has to interact with what kind of a person Newman really is. Never mind that it's been said that Newman is a private person who isn't as outgoing as other drivers so when he doesn't fawn over fans like some other drivers do that might just be his quiet personality rather than that he's rude and doesn't think much of the fans. But each one of these incidents is being used as proof that Newman really didn't stand - because if he "dissed" a fan then it's not much of a stretch that he must have "dissed" his teammate too. Even though the reality of the situation is vastly different, since Newman actually did stand.

It's likely that there is blame to be spread around in terms of whose fault the feud between Newman and Wallace is. It's also likely that both parties haven't treated each other as well as they could have. We will likely never know the full story behind why the feud came to be and what made it continue. But one thing appears certain despite how much some fans want to believe that it isn't so - Ryan Newman did stand in honor of Rusty Wallace.

Posted by silverdsl at 11:39 AM | Comments (0)

Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey: It's Over

Ending months of rumors, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey formally announced last week that their three year marriage is over. Despite statements to the contrary by their publicists and appearances in public together word is that they separated perhaps as long as three months ago. Thus providing even more evidence that when it comes to those in the public eye appearances can be very deceiving and just because something appears to be one way doesn't mean that it really is that way. Image is extremely important to most celebrities and in the case of Simpson and Lachey the appearance of a lovey-dovey marriage was a key part of their image and one reason why they became so famous thanks to MTV's reality show, Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica.

Of course reality is always a relative term in regards to any "reality" show because everything is so edited and cheoregraphed. Often the cast members end up playing up certain characteristics and acting for the camera. So I never knew whether Simpson was actually faking it or not when she confused "Chicken of the Sea" tuna for real chicken. Nor did I know whether the way Simpson and Lachey acted was real or for the cameras. But it might be interesting to revisit some of those old episodes and watch them with this bit of news in mind.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:55 AM | Comments (0)

November 27, 2005

Photo of the Day - Cape May

Cape May, New Jersey, September, 2005.

Posted by silverdsl at 10:53 PM | Comments (0)

Boom in Mall Development in Las Vegas

Yet another reason to like Las Vegas - there are at least three major mall projects under development over the next few years. When I went to Las Vegas in January there seemed to be plenty of malls and shopping areas but many of them were connected to casinos. So I can see how there might be the need for some more stand-alone malls. Many of the malls also seemed to feature very high-end stores, catering to high-rollers, or touristy stores so there wasn't a lot of places for everyday clothes or household shopping. There was one mall which we didn't go to in the downtown area and one outlet mall which we did go to and weren't impressed by. So it seems like another big mall with a little of everything might be a good thing for the Las Vegas area.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:46 PM | Comments (0)

Red Sox Trade for Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell

I'm definitely quite a few days late on this one but last week the Boston Red Sox traded for starting pitcher Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell from the Florida Marlins. As much as New York Yankee fans would like to down play this trade and pick out all the negatives I think it's an excellent one for the Red Sox and there's a good chance that it will make them a stronger team if Beckett pitches like he's capable of. Of course there's never any guarantees that a player isn't going to go down with an injury or suddenly fall off a cliff production-wise, but Beckett is 25 and was the MVP of the 2003 World Series, when the Marlins beat the Yankees. Beckett has had to deal with recurring blister problems and his shoulder was bothering him last season but he says he's healthy now. So if that's the case then he potentially could be the ace of the Red Sox pitching staff.

Essentially the Red Sox were forced to take Lowell if they were going to trade for Beckett. What a difference a few years makes. It wasn't too long ago that Lowell, a former Yankee prospect, was thought of as one of the better third baseman in the game. But 2005 was an extremely poor season for him at the plate and he's owed $18 million in 2006 and 2007. That's a huge amount of money for a player who might not be an offensive force at the plate any more. However, Lowell is still outstanding in the field and he won a Gold Glove this season. So while he might not do enough to justify the $9 million that he will be earning next season he could still be useful, at least defensively. And one never knows - perhaps Lowell will rebound in a new setting and put up better numbers in 2006. I've always liked him so I'd like to see that happen, except of course when he's playing the Yankees. Then I hope he goes o-fer.

To get Beckett and Lowe the Red Sox traded their best prospect, Hanley Ramirez, plus a few minor-league pitchers in the form of Harvey Garcia, Anibal Sanchez and Jesus Delgado. I don't know much about Garcia, Sanchez or Delgado but I did see Ramirez play in person over the summer at a Portland Seadogs game. While some in the Red Sox organization have been down on him for not progressing as much as expected, I thought he looked very good, both at the plate and in the field, especially in comparision to some of his teammates. I'm not sure he will be a superstar but I'd guess that he will be useful to the Marlins or some other team on the major league level at shortstop eventually.

Of course many Yankee fans are eager for what move the Yankees are going to make to respond to the trade the Red Sox made. Some are impatient that nothing much has happened yet other than the Yankees re-signing Hideki Matsui. I'm glad that the Yankees are taking their time and aren't rushing into anything. Instead of worrying about what the Red Sox are doing the Yankees need to worry about making sure that the moves they make address what their real needs are - centerfield and the pullpen. If they make the overall team as strong as possible they will match up well with any team, not just the Red Sox.

Posted by silverdsl at 12:45 PM | Comments (0)

Been a Few Days...

Unfortunately due to the chaos at Thanksgiving plus a illness in Jim's family I've been unable to update this blog the past few days. Not that there's been a whole lot going on anyway other than a few baseball trades. Other than the illness, Jim and I had a nice time on Thanksgiving at his Uncle's apartment in Manhattan. Good food and fine company.

Yesterday morning I took my annual trip to the Woodbury Commons Outlets in Central Valley, NY. Usually I go with my Mom but due to circumstances I could only make it a brief trip by myself. I make such a point of going there at least once a year not only because of the good sales around this time but because it's the only place in the entire country where there's a Betsey Johnson outlet store. I always get at least one thing there and this year was no different as I got a very nice skirt which is a greenish-blue material with a black lace overlay. I also got a great fitted black top which I will get a lot of use out of and a velvet beaded belt. Otherwise I mostly got presents for people, though I did get a nice shirt in Calvin Klein for myself. I would have liked to have gotten a velvet skirt but everything I tried on was, as always, too big.

Swarovski Crystal also has an outlet store up there and that was where I got the majority of holiday gifts. They really had some beautiful things. Some things were still a little pricey but much less than full price in one of their regular stores. I also got myself a star pendent - I think it's actually meant for hanging on a Christmas tree but it's small enough that I was able to put it on a chain and it looks really nice!

Posted by silverdsl at 12:13 PM | Comments (0)

November 23, 2005

Photo of the Day - Michael Waltrip at Dover

Dover, Delaware, September, 2004. In keeping with the Nascar theme around these parts...

Some day I have to do an entry about my awesome adventure at Dover just so I won't forget...

Posted by silverdsl at 11:32 PM | Comments (0)

The Truth: Ryan Newman DID Stand

On Monday it was reported that Ryan Newman refused to stand in tribute to his teammate Rusty Wallace when he stepped to the microphone during the driver's meeting on Sunday. Apparently that was a completely false report. According to Claire B. Lang on "Dialed In" on XM this afternoon, who talked to Newman directly, Ryan did in fact stand when everyone else did. However, Newman didn't stand as long as everyone else did so it's possible that by the time the reporter looked over at Newman he had already sat down so an incorrect assumption was made that Newman had never stood, when in fact he actually did. What should have happened is that the reporter should have approached Newman or his public relations representative for a comment as to why he didn't stand and at that time the record could have been set straight as to what actually happened. Instead the reporter ran with the story and a tremendous amount of damage has been done to Newman's reputation.

On message boards all over the 'net fans are ripping Newman to shreds and calling him the worst names possible because he supposedly didn't stand. Only thing is that judgement is being passed on the basis of something that is erroneous. That's why I try my best to stay away from insults and name-calling no matter how much I might disagree with something that someone might have done. Often what we hear intitially is incorrect or not the full story. So while I have no problem with discussing how I might disagree with something someone's said or done, sometimes even strongly, since I almost never know the parties involved personally I don't feel that I have a basis for judging what kind of a person someone is on the basis of what I hear in the media. Nice people with good hearts can sometimes do wrong things or do things that I don't agree with. Likewise, bad people can sometimes do the right thing and do things to help other people. Often things aren't black and white.

I'm reminded of what happened with Kurt Busch. On the basis of initial media reports most fans assumed that Busch had been driving drunk when in fact he was below the legal limit. I can't quite blame the media completely for that one because I think that the Sherriff's office contributed to that mess by releasing conflicting, confusing and incorrect information at first. But the fact remains that fans ran with what they thought to be true and passed judgement on Busch because of it when in reality only part of the story was actually true. Busch definitely did wrong in terms of his attitude towards law enforcement but wrong was done to him in terms of how many people jumped to conclusions about his level of intoxication when he was behind the wheel.

What's most unfortunate is that many fans will never hear that the reporter was mistaken about Newman. There's only a limited segment of fans who have XM and even if a correction is made in the Journal-Consitution many fans will never see it given that it's Thanksgiving. Fans have long memories so it's likely that Newman will hear boos at Daytona in Febuary unless his people do an exceptional job of hammering home the point that Newman did in fact stand in tribute to Rusty.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:02 PM | Comments (0)

Michael Waltrip: Season in Review

2005 was a strange season for Michael Waltrip. At one point he was racing the best he ever had over the course of his 20-year career in Cup. At other times it seemed as if nothing ever went right for the #15 team. Ultimately Michael finished the season 25th in points which is incredible to me because at one time he was a contender for the Chase for the Championship. I wasn't sure that Michael would be able to make it into the Chase considering how much competition he was up against but I was certain at one point that he wasn't going to finish the season too far out and had a great shot at the 11th position. Unfortunately due to a variety of factors completely out of his hands, all of Michael's high hopes for a fine season were dashed and if that was tremendously disappointing to me, I can only imagine how Michael must feel about that.

In fact Michael had this to say in the pre-race report prior to the race at Homestead,

“Honestly, I am disappointed in it. I started off so enthusiastic about the year because of my association with Tony Jr. and my new team. We won our first race together, the 150 at Daytona, and led the Daytona 500 until late in the going. I felt like I we could win every race. I was that confident in what we had and what we were doing. Then we blew up at Daytona, blew up at California and things kind of went stagnant for a while. We bounced back with a nice little sixth-place run at Texas. A second at Phoenix and third at Talladega put us a handful of points out of the top-five in the standings. While running in the top-10 at Charlotte I got wrecked by my teammate, then just had wrecks here and there, mechanical failures, and had my crew chief switched on me. There was a lot of positive energy at the start but it just didn’t work out. It is sad, but I am thankful that I had my time with Tony Jr. and these guys. It opened my eyes to a lot of things and I think it will help me to be a better driver next year.”

What Michael didn't mention is that in many of the races where he was wrecked by others, experienced some sort of mechanical failure or had cut tires, he was racing extremely well. So many great runs were ruined by factors out of his and his team's hands. That has to be incredibly frustrating for all parties. All that hard work in the shop, at the track and behind the wheel wasted. But despite the way that 2005 turned out for Michael and the #15 team I think there were some definite highlights and one huge positive.

That's Tony Eury, Jr. As Michael mentioned, working with Tony, Jr. and a new crew had a tremendous effect on him. At the start of the season I had misgivings about how that pairing would work out. Tony, Jr.'s father. had clashed with Michael the previous year and I wasn't sure how Michael and Tony, Jr. would be able to communicate and work together. But boy, was I wrong! Almost right from the beginning things clicked between Michael and Tony, Jr. - it truely seemed like they had a terrific partnership based on mutual respect and friendship. In addition, Tony, Jr. gave Michael some of the best cars he's ever had to race with. Even more than that, and perhaps most importantly, is that Tony, Jr. seemed to believe in Michael's abilities as a driver 100%. It was obvious how much more confidence Michael had behind the wheel than he ever had and I credit that to Tony, Jr.'s support and encouragement. Yes, every driver has to believe in themselves and their ability to race up front and win but having a crew chief who is solidly in their corner, who doesn't doubt their abilties can give that driver an even bigger boost. Which is important for a driver like Michael who has had to endure so much bad luck and doubters over the years. Michael is a far better racer than he's ever given credit for and it was great that he had someone on his team who truly seemed to believe that as strongly as Michael's fans do.

I could rehash all the ups and downs of Michael's season but I've already gone into great detail about much of it in previous entries. But there are a few big moments that stick out in my mind. The first is Michael's second place finish at Phoenix. I was tremendously impressed by what Michael did on the track that day and he gave everything he had towards chasing Kurt Busch down, only to come up just a little bit short at the end. That race should have opened a lot of people's eyes about what Michael is capable of doing when he is giving a competitive car that allows him to race up front. Not only that but Michael battled for the win at a non-restrictor plate track. That should also say something to those who feel that Michael's only talent is at restrictor plate tracks. Absolutely not so. He is also a good road course racer, though a fine run at Watkins Glen this season was ruined when he was run over by Kasey Kahne and if I remember correctly they might have had a minor mechanical issue at Infineon so he didn't really get to show what he could do this season at that kind of track.

That race at Pheonix was in sandwiched in between two other outstanding finishes for Michael as he mentioned in his comments above. He finished sixth in Texas and third at Talledaga. His finishes in those races made for the best three-race stretch of his career and I was so happy for him! I guess some will say, perhaps even Michael included, what does it matter if the overall results of the season are so poor? But it was just one more indication that if Michael had always been given cars like the ones that Tony, Jr. gave him this season, his career and the way he is looked at as a driver might be vastly different.

Another highlight for me is when Michael took the pole at the June race at Pocono. That was completely unexpected because it's always seemed like qualifying is the one area in which Michael might not be as strong. In fact his last pole was fourteen years prior. But on that day in June he did it and I'm not sure I've ever seen him look as happy as he did then. To see that huge smile and the way he was absolutely busting with pride, joy and confidence was a wonderful sight, even more so that it came because of something on the track. Michael laughs and makes a lot of other people laugh on Inside Nextel Cup and other shows on a regular basis. But as much as Michael seems to enjoy what he does off the track, every racer wants attention for what they do on the track. Ultimately Michael led some laps and finished fifth in that race and I think just like at Pheonix he got some people's attention about just exactly what he's capable of when he's surrounded by the right people and has the right equipment.

I would be remiss if I didn't touch upon when Michael and Dale Earnhardt, Incorporated decided to part ways. It's always a major event for any driver when they leave one organization for another. But in Michael's case perhaps even more so since close friend Dale Earnhardt personally selected him for the #15 prior to his death. That means that his connection to DEI is a deep one and my guess is that leaving DEI might not be as easy as some fans might think. In addition, he got his first four Cup wins at DEI and there have likely been plenty of good friendships that have developed over the years. Martin Truex, Jr. will be in the #1 for DEI next season and it's likely that the #15 will return in 2007 with Paul Menard behind the wheel. Both men are excellent drivers but they aren't the veterans that Michael is and DEI may suffer in the short-term because of that. Michael is extremely intelligent and has a lot to offer beyond his ability to be a good spokesperson for his sponsors. Of course DEI is already suffering in one area because of Michael's departure - $15-20 million worth of sponsorship walked out the door when Michael left which hasn't been replaced so far which necessitated the #15 being parked as a full-time ride next season.

Over the course of the 2005 season I've gained even more admiration for Michael not just as a racer but as a person, than ever before. What Michael did for Operation Marathon is nothing short of incredible. He spent the second half of 2004 into 2005 doing an unbelievable amount of apperances and events to raise $1 million for the Victory Junction Gang Camp via Operation Marthon, culminating in the running of the Las Vegas Marathon in January. I'm not sure people truly really realize how much effort Michael, Brooke Hondros, his publicist and others at Michael Waltrip Racing and elsewhere put into reaching that goal in the early part of 2005.

I've heard so many stories about how incredibly fan-friendly Michael is and in 2004 and 2005 experienced for myself how willing he is to reach out to his many fans. He makes sure that as many of them as possible have as memorable of an experience as possible when they are around him. Every fan thinks their favorite driver is the most fan-friendly but after this year I really think Michael and those around him rank among the absolute best when it comes to dealing with fans.

But something else about Michael this season has really impressed me and that's his determination during races. In the past it's been said that Michael sometimes gives up when his car isn't handling well or something goes wrong. However, based on listening to him, and his entire team for that matter, over the radio, he's kept on battling for good finishes, kept on working with his team, kept on trying to make the best of things even when things went wrong. No one should ever doubt this man's desire to win because the competitive fire burns in him just as strongly as it does in any other driver. I think sometimes people don't take Michael very seriously because he's so quick to make jokes, sometimes at his own expense. But once he's in the car he's just as focused and has just as strong of a will to succeed as anyone else on the track.

In 2006 Michael and NAPA will join Bill Davis Racing. My hope is that Michael will be surrounded by people there who believe in him as much as Tony Eury, Jr. did. I don't think realistically he will get cars as good as what Tony, Jr. was giving him but I don't think being at BDR will be the disaster that some are predicting. If there's one thing that Michael seems to be able to do it's get as much out of the cars that he's given as he possibly can. So hopefully 2006 will bring some good runs for Michael and a lot less of the bad luck that hurt him so badly this season.

Posted by silverdsl at 10:27 AM | Comments (0)

Things I'm Thankful For...

With Thanksgiving just around the corner I figured I'd mention a few things I'm thankful for...

My wonderful husband, Jim.
Friends and family and that they are all healthy.
Our sweet and adorable pug, Bailey. A year ago we had to rush him to the vet for emergency surgery and I'm very glad that he's been healthy since.
Having a job, a place to live, and a car when so many others lost everything they own in Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters this year.
For a few people who have gone out of their way to be nice and do things for me and others when they had no obligation to do so. Their example has inspired me to do even more to help people when I can.
For being able to go to some really cool places this year - Las Vegas, Maine, Aruba, and the July Pocono race among others.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:21 AM | Comments (0)

November 22, 2005

Photo of the Day - B&W Flowers

Posted by silverdsl at 10:30 PM | Comments (0)

Interesting Quote by Brendan Gaughan on the #62

In Scott Lynch's post-race report teammate and Orleans Racing general manager Brendan Gaughan had the following to say:

“We wanted to give Scott a chance to show what he’s capable of out on the track,” said Gaughan. “Unfortunately we didn’t give him anywhere near the equipment he needed to do that. If other owners out there knew what he was driving they’d as impressed as we are --- he’s a heck of a little race car driver.”

So if the #62 was a piece of junk while Scott Lynch was driving it to the point where he couldn't show that he's a heck of a little race car driver, what was it like when Steve Park was driving it? Probably not much different. So why then is Brendan being nice enough to admit to the failings of Orleans Racing and the #62 on Scott's behalf but not Steve's? Not that it wasn't obvious. When bad luck wasn't befalling the #62, the truck didn't seem to be as competitive as it should have been to allow Steve to race up front more often than not.

I guess Brendan figures that it's not as important to keep up appearances now since unless something radical happens, and I'm not completely convinced that it won't, the #62 team will be dissolved and the only team that Orleans Racing will field is Brendan's #77. There's no sponsors to woo, no SParkies to keep happy, no promises of giving Steve all the resources that he needs to compete for a Championship and no promises that this season Orleans Racing will give Steve better trucks than they did last. Obviously that didn't work out too well.

Steve will likely get another truck ride from an owner who can see beyond the stats and realize that Steve is a much better racer than the #62 allowed him to show. Unfortunately there's also a lot of people who won't look beyond Steve's 22nd place finish in the points and will assume that because he was released the fault for both of those things lies with him. So I think it's unfortunate that Brendan choose to make those comments in relation to Scott but not Steve. Brendan has good intentions in mind in that he's trying to speak well of a young driver who he is fond of but Steve could also have used someone from Orleans Racing making those kinds of comments about his time in that ride as well.

As happy as I am that Steve got his first truck series win this season, that Orleans Racing gave him a ride in the truck series in 2004 and most of 2005 and for how supportive the Gaughans have been of Steve as a person, Orleans Racing perplexes and disappoints me.

Posted by silverdsl at 03:52 PM | Comments (0)

Steve Park to Race Second Truck for Wyler Racing in 2006?

Word is that Wyler Racing might be fielding two teams in 2006 with Jack Sprague in the #60 and Steve Park in the #67. *sarcasm on* What a huge surprise that would be!! */sarcasm off* In reality that would be more expected rather than surprising as that was the rumor that was making the rounds immediately after Steve and Orleans Racing parted ways and it makes a lot of sense since Steve and Jeff Wyler, the owner of Wyler Racing have been friends for some time. In fact Wyler Racing was a sponsor on the #62 for the two years that Steve was in that ride.

Steve joining Wyler Racing would be a win-win for both parties. Wyler Racing would surely benefit from having a second truck on the track, particularly one driven by another veteran, since they are a relatively new organization that just started up in June of this year. Of course Steve also has a very enthusiastic fan base who will heartily support his sponsors. Steve would be in a good situation at Wyler Racing since his friend owns the team and would surely make every effort possible to field the best truck possible for him. Also, Toyota seems to put a lot of resources into trying to support their teams so I think Steve would benefit from being in trucks that might be better than the ones he got at Orleans Racing. In addition, being aligned with Toyota could provide opportunities down the road as Toyota expands in the Busch and Cup series.

Of course there is one drawback to joining Wyler Racing and it's what I mentioned previously in that they are very new to the truck series. Obviously Wyler Racing is capable of fielding strong trucks as evidenced by Sprague's second place finish in the race at Homestead this past weekend. However, there will surely be some speed bumps and growing pains in an organization that is less than a year old as they expand. In some ways there's the risk that the situation at Wyler Racing will be similar to the situation at Orleans Racing where they were not capable of fielding two competitive truck teams. Of course it might be an entirely different story at Wyler Racing if that's where Steve ends up but fans may have to have patience because of how new to the truck series this team is.

A lot might depend as it does at virtually every team on the sponsorship situation. That has to be a concern as well. The primary sponsor for Sprague's #60 has been some variation on the Wyler Automotive Group or Wyler.com. So essentially it's similar to Orleans Racing and the #62 in that there hasn't been an outside sponsor and the money is coming from the owner. If Wyler Racing is fielding two teams I assume they will need to find an outside primary sponsor for at least one of the trucks, preferrably both, lest they run into the same situation that Orleans Racing did in that due to a variety of circumstances it eventually isn't feasible any longer to have two truck teams. I would hate to see Steve jump from the fire into the frying pan in that he jumps back into a similar frustrating situation to what he experienced at Orleans Racing. Now I'm sure a lot of people are thinking I'm being too pessimistic but again there are some times more challenges for newer teams than there are for already established teams. There is always more security, or at least as much as is possible in a sport where things can change at a moment's notice, when a team is financially stable through funding from an outside sponsor.

What's funny is that a lot of Steve Park fans dislike Sprague because he's been involved in some on-track incidents with Steve. In addition, I've heard a number of less than flattering remarks about him as a person after people have met him at appearances. Apparently he has been known to be sour and unfriendly to fans. Drivers who are fan-friendly, and there aren't many who aren't to some degree, are the drivers that I like the most. So it doesn't thrill me to hear that Sprague might be one of the few who doesn't always deal well with fans. But that has no influence on how he would be as Steve's teammate at Wyler Racing. I've seen photos of Steve and Sprague chatting before races so it doesn't look like there's too much ill will between them so likely they would work well together. In tha end that's what's most important - how Steve gets along with a potential new teammate.

When Michael Waltrip was looking for a new ride I said that it didn't matter much to me where he ended up as long as he was happy. And the same is true for Steve. I definitely have some opinions about different organizations, otherwise this entry would be much shorter, but as with Michael, I trust that Steve knows what he's doing and will make the best choice for himself, both on a personal and professional level. I'd like to see him in a competitive truck that will give him the opportunity to race up front as often as possible but above all I'd like to see him enjoy himself and have fun at the track. Regardless of where he ends up racing in 2006, I would like Steve to be happy.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:09 AM | Comments (0)

New Restaurant in Perkins Cove Sounds Yummy!

Back in April, the highly-regarded restaurant Arrows, in Oqunquit, Maine, announced that they would be opening another more casual restaurant in Perkins Cove in the space vacated by Hurricane's. The restuarant, MC Perkins Cove, has been open for a while now. In fact when I was in Oqunquit over the summer I thought about eating there, though I never got around to determining whether it was definitely open or not at that time. At any rate, based on the review of their Sunday brunch it sounds like MC Perkins Cove is definitely worth a visit the next time Jim and I are up in Oqunquit. Even at 9 a.m. hearing about Smooth Clam Chowder, Maine Peekytoe Crab Parfait, Swedish pancakes with Maine wild blueberries, Huevos Rancheros and all sorts of other yummy stuff is making me hungry!

Posted by silverdsl at 08:55 AM | Comments (0)

November 21, 2005

Photo of the Day - Brrrrrrrrrrrr...

High Point State Park, High Point, New Jersey, January, 2005. It's starting to get cold out the deeper into November we get. But luckily not this cold... yet.

Posted by silverdsl at 11:16 PM | Comments (0)

Random Thoughts on Inside Nextel Cup

*Michael Waltrip announced tonight on Inside Nextel Cup that there would be big changes upcoming at Michael Waltrip Racing that everyone should be on the lookout for. I have no idea what that might entail but given the struggles at MWR this season I can definitely understand why Michael might want to make some radical changes. That could be anything from personnel changes to the manufacturer that they are aligned with. He indicated when asked on his site that he wasn't sure what manufacturer they would be going with so there's some speculation that it could be Toyota. That would be Toyota's first entry into the Busch series and I have no idea how realistic that is that they might be able to do that - last I heard I thought they didn't even have a car approved yet but I have no idea what the status of that might really be and how quickly they could get that done if they decided to go that route. That would certainly be huge news for Michael, MWR and Toyota which would probably put MWR back on the right track so I'd love it if that were what was going to happen. It's possible though that the big changes are just a new crew chief and a possible full-time second team with David Reutimann. I guess we'll find out in the coming weeks.

*Normally I stay away from commenting on the driver's physical appearances but Michael's hair is always a hot topic of conversation everywhere else so why not in this space too? Michael's hair is getting so crazy long... and I love it! It looked a little kooky with the way it was blowing around in the wind on tonight's Inside Nextel Cup so Jim joked that Michael is starting to look like Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons:

Without a shirt and without the grass skirt and hatchet of course! At any rate, the longer and wilder it gets the more I think it suits him - he's a little bit off-center (in a good way) so why not have hair that reflects that? I think he looks better with the longer hair too. He's had so many different hair styles through the years though so I'm not sure how long this one will stick.

*When will Speed realize that the show is so much better when the panel isn't forced to sit in that stiff studio setting? Tonight's show was taped today at Homestead-Miami Speedway on the Speed stage and I thought Brian Vickers, Michael and Dave Despain all seemed so much more relaxed and comfortable behind the desk in normal chairs rather than on the high chairs. When the panel is more relaxed, the discussion flows a lot easier and the show as a whole comes off a lot better.

*Of course if there isn't going to be an 11th season of INC then I guess Speed doesn't have to worry about what the set is going to be like. For some reason I can't shake the feeling that INC might not return in 2006. It's always been my favorite show and I like hearing Michael's insights each week so I would miss it. But I wouldn't miss it as much as I would have in the past since I think the new format has really hurt the show and made it less enjoyable to watch.

*It's too bad that Ken Schrader wasn't on this week's show but I can understand why he didn't want to stick around an extra day in Florida. Based on what Michael said Schrader has a full week planned with his family and given how little time the drivers have with their families that's certainly more important.

*I didn't hear anything mentioned about the crash of the two helicopters on tonight's show. I might have missed it but since Michael was a witness and someone lost their life I would have thought it would at least have been mentioned in passing. Maybe Michael asked not to discuss it as I would guess that it is something that was difficult for him to see. But that incident made national news and as much as Nascar and the Speedway might not want it discussed it happened and it was big news. It's only by some very good luck that no one directly associated with the sport was injured.

*As critical of the new format as I've been the past few months, I will still miss INC in the off-season. I will miss seeing Michael each week, miss him cracking jokes and talking about each week's race. I'll also miss Schrader and those looks that he shoots Michael. Maybe they'll show re-runs during the off-season - preferrably ones of the show before all the changes.

Posted by silverdsl at 10:16 PM | Comments (0)

Most Deadliest Catch To Return For Second Season!

There aren't many shows that I watch religiously on TV anymore these days but when Discovery's Most Deadliest Catch was on Jim and I caught every episode. We were fascinated by watching the crews of the various boats fish for Alaskan Crab under some very extreme conditions. Turns out we must not have been the only ones watching because fillming is currently underway for the second season of Most Deadliest Catch. The new episodes will air in the Spring and I can't wait! Especially since word is that the Northwestern, featuring the Hansen brothers (no, not the singing ones!), will be participating once again this year. Now if only I can find a few more shows to watch, particularly since both baseball and Nascar are in their off-seasons right now.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:35 PM | Comments (0)

Everyone Stands to Honor Rusty Wallace... Except His Own Teammate

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution via Jayski's:

Standing 'O' for Rusty at drivers meeting, except.... Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, invited Rusty Wallace to the microphone within the first five minutes of the weekly prerace drivers meeting at Homestead on Sunday. Wallace, who went on to finish 13th on Sunday evening, drew a standing ovation from the drivers in the room. Everyone stood, with the exception of Penske Racing South teammate Ryan Newman, who has been at constant odds with the 1989 Cup champion."It's been a great ride," Wallace told his fellow drivers. "I can remember when I came in, it was [Cale] Yarborough, [David] Pearson, [Richard] Petty and [Dale] Earnhardt. Now those guys are all gone and you guys are all here. I'm looking forward to life after racing. And if I've roughed anybody up along the way, I'm sorry. I didn't really mean it, unless it paid more."(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(11-21-2005)

What Ryan Newman did during the driver's meeting on Sunday highlights how ridiculous and childish the feud between Newman and his now retired teammate Rusty Wallace was. Teammates don't need to be best friends or even like each other much but they do need to work together, even if it's just on the most basic of levels, but bad blood has existed between those two dating back more than a year and that's led to the two not even being on speaking terms. It's been said that the ill will can be traced to an incident at Martinsville last fall but my suspicion is that there's much more to it. I've always thought that the two needed to suck it up and put their personal feelings to the side for the overall good of Penske Racing. But instead of getting better over time things seemed to get worse between Newman and Wallace.

Which led to Newman not standing to honor Wallace at the driver's meeting like the rest of the drivers. I think that out of respect to a man who has been a huge part of the sport for so long Newman should have just stood and clapped. But then again, the animosity between the two is far from one-sided. Neither man seems to think well of the other and that Newman didn't stand highlights how bad things really must be between them. It boggles my mind that Penske never stepped in to try and broker a truce or maybe they tried and were unsuccessful. I think that's very unfortunate because everyone benefits when teammates and teams work together and share information.

Posted by silverdsl at 08:55 PM | Comments (0)

Police Bust Huge Drug Ring in New Jersey Run Out of Restaurant

Months ago Jim and I went with some other people to a restaurant out in Randolph, New Jersey just after it opened. In fact we ended up there accidentally as we were looking for the restaurant that had been in that space previously. I don't remember the food being particularly memorable, though apparently as time passed, the restaurant became pretty popular with the locals. Well, as it turns out fine dining wasn't the only reason why Cerilli's was drawing so many customers. Allegedly one of the cooks and one of the co-owners were two of more than a hundred people in a cocaine dealing ring spread out over four counties that was based out of the restaurant. The ring was thought to be the main source for much of the cocaine in Morris County and was a million dollar a year operation. One would never have suspected when we ate there that night that anything criminal was going on.

Posted by silverdsl at 10:47 AM | Comments (0)

Helicopter Crash Outside Homestead-Miami Speedway Kills One

I had heard sketchy details about a crash between two helicopters outside Homestead-Miami Speedway after the race last night before I went to sleep but it wasn't until this morning that I heard a little more about what happened and this had to be incredibly scary for everyone who saw it. What happens after a race is that many of the drivers, team owners, sponsors and others take helicopters from the tracks to avoid the brutal post-race traffic. So the helicopters line up waiting to come in one after the other to ferry all these folks to the airport so they can get on planes back home. Last night I didn't realize that the crash had happened so close to the end of the race so I had thought that all the drivers and team members were probably gone at that point. But as it turned out not only were they all there but quite a few drivers and presumably their family members saw the helicopters crash. Worst of all is that the pilot of one of the helicopters died from the injures he sustained - just awful to hear.

I feel really sick to my stomach this morning because not only did Michael Waltrip see this crash happen but the Miami Herald says that one of the helicopters was going to be picking him up. I don't know if that's true or not as there were a lot of drivers waiting in the same area to get picked up but that just makes the hair on the back of my head stand up because Michael, his family and others associated with him could have been on that helicopter when it crashed or injured if the helicopters had crash landed in a different area or broken apart. Thank god the fates dictated that didn't happen.

Everyone in the garage area flies on a very regular basis all around the country. The drivers are in helicopters and planes not just to get to the races each weekend but also to go to appearances, events and for personal business as well. To see a wreck in which someone loses their life is terrible to begin with but I can't imagine how difficult it is for everyone who saw these helicopters crash to know that they can't avoid flying no matter how much that wreck might want to make them do so. In fact, Reed Sorenson, another driver who was about to get on a helicopter said,

"I was the next one in line to go," Sorenson said. "I saw them hit. One went straight down and the other tried to land in the grass nearby. It took off part of his landing gear.

"I took off running because I thought parts were going everywhere. After seeing that, I don't think I'll ever fly a helicopter again."

I'd say he might have a hard time avoiding that but he's probably not the only one who saw this crash who is probably having second thoughts this morning about getting on a helicopter quite as casually as they once did.

Just a really, really sad, tragic and unfortunate way for the season to end.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:00 AM | Comments (0)

November 20, 2005

Photo of the Day - Top of the Rock

Looking towards Central Park from the top of Rockefeller Center, New York, New York, November, 2005

Yesterday Jim and I met his Mother in Manhattan and did a lot of cool things including going to the Museum of Modern Art. But even better was our visit to the recently re-opened observation deck on the 70th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The observation deck has been closed to the public since 1986 but since November 1, the public has been able to visit once more. It costs $14 for adults, $9 for children to visit "Top of the Rock" but it is well worth it because the views of the city are outstanding! We were lucky and visited on a clear day so we could see a considerable distance all around on every side. The Top of the Rock is open 365 days a year from 8:30 a.m. to midnight. I'd love to go back at night to see the city all lit up and I'd also love to go at sunset - that must be incredible!

Posted by silverdsl at 10:21 PM | Comments (0)

Michael Waltrip Finishes 29th at Homestead; Tony Stewart Wins the Championship

With today's race at Homestead-Miami Speedway the 2005 Nascar Cup Season has come to a conclusion. As expected Tony Stewart won his second Championship. Stewart didn't have a dominant car but he stayed out of trouble and finished well enough to clinch, in spite of strong runs by two other Championship contenders - Greg Biffle, who eventually won the race, and Carl Edwards who had the strongest car early on. Jimmie Johnson was never much of a factor and his day ended prematurely after a tire blew.

I've never been a fan of Tony Stewart. While I admire his immense racing talent and the fine work he does for charity, I've always found the past incidents he's been involved with troubling. Once it became clear that Stewart might win the Championship there was a huge push to show how much of a changed man he is. That may be so, or perhaps he's just learned not to act out in public as much as he used to. In some ways I don't think Stewart is that much different than Kurt Busch. That may shock some people but I suspect in a few years Busch may be viewed in the way that Stewart is - as a talented driver who has matured and grown as a person, who no longer lets his temper get the best of him. Whether that happens will be up to Busch, as his destiny in terms of the direction in which his career goes is in his hands. But back to Stewart, while I try to be very accepting of the drivers as human beings who aren't perfect and will make mistakes, there are some things that I have difficulty with and repeated physical confrontations, like the ones that Stewart has been involved with in the past, make it difficult for me to be a fan of Stewart's.

As for Michael Waltrip it was yet another disappointing race weekend for him to cap off what has turned out to be an exceptionally disappointing season. I'll do a separate entry which wraps up his season as a whole but needless to say at one point it appeared that Michael would be a Chase contender and then suddenly his entire season fell off a cliff. Michael wrecked his primary car during qualifying on Friday which forced the team to go to a back-up and start the race from dead last. Despite attempting to make some changes it seemed as if they were never able to give Michael a car that handled well and he finished the race in 29th place, two laps down. I had really hoped that Michael would be able to get a good finish in his last race for DEI and obviously that didn't happen. Not only that but things didn't go so well on the Busch side of things either as he failed to make that race in his #99 Aaron's Dream Machine. The other car Michael Waltrip Racing was fielding in the Busch race, the #98, also sponsored by Aaron's and driven by David Reutimann, did make the race but only finished 26th. So unfortunately it was a weekend to forget for Michael and despite some definite bright spots, perhaps a season to forget as well.

I got sad at the start of this race when I heard Michael thank his crew and DEI for everything that they did all season long for him and how hard they worked. Many fans were counting down the days until the season ended and Michael would no longer be affiliated with DEI. I don't think that DEI always gave Michael the support and resouces that he needed to succeed but I think there were some bright spots too - his first four Cup wins, the partnership this season with Tony Eury, Jr., what driving for Dale Earnhardt's company had to mean to him, and how joining with NAPA when he came to DEI has paid huge dividends for Michael in terms of his future. So while I'm looking forward to seeing what Michael will accomplish at Bill Davis Racing, I will miss him in the #15 NAPA Chevy at DEI. I would have loved to have seen him racing the #15 up front today, creating one last great memory for Michael and all his fans of his time with DEI. It's a shame that was not to be.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:15 PM | Comments (1)

November 18, 2005

Orioles Pitcher Charged With DUI, No One Cares

When Kurt Busch was suspended for the final two races of the season after he was involved in an ugly incident in which law enforcement suspected him of drinking while intoxicated, though it turned out that in reality Busch was well under the legal limit, the outcry and media attention was tremendous. Let's compare that with the case of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Todd Williams, who was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of drunk driving after a three car accident. No one seems to care, though surely Williams friends, family and fans do as well as the Orioles management. But where's the outrage? Granted as far as we know Williams didn't mouth off to police and he's not a high-profile player but I think it speaks to the degree that the Busch incident has been blown out of proportion.

In some ways there are a few similarities between Williams' case and Busch's. In both cases police suspected that each man was driving drunk on the basis of the odor of alcohol, behavior and appearance. Williams failed a field sobriety test but like Busch Williams tested below the legal level for intoxication on a breathalyzer test. In fact, Williams had zero alcohol present in his system. Both men were involved in incidents where they needed to stop - Williams at a traffic light, Busch at a stop sign. Both men said that they were distracted - Williams says he took his eyes off the road for a few seconds, Busch says he was in the midst of an argument with his fiancee. The big issue for Williams is that he admitted that he had taken a perscription pain-killer which might have effected his ability to drive.

Yet in spite of some similarities and two major differences - Busch wasn't charged with DUI and his attitude was as much of a problem as the possiblity that he was drinking and driving - the Williams incident has raised barely a peep. There are plenty of just-the-facts type articles but from what I can find there are no opinion pieces on what a disgrace Williams is, no outraged posts on fan forums - even a thread on the Orioles site preaches patience until all the facts are known. One might wonder what the Orioles are doing. Apparently nothing more than monitoring the situation. Contrast that with Roush Racing who suspended Busch for the final two races of the season.

Of course Major League Baseball and Nascar are vastly different. There are far fewer incidents of this nature that involve drivers in comparison to MLB and other sports. Yet it seems to me that if it's outrageous what Busch did and he wasn't even charged with DUI then it's even more outrageous what Williams did given that he was arrested on suspicion of DUI and that he smashed into two cars.

Posted by silverdsl at 03:06 PM | Comments (0)

Closing Time in Homestead

Closing time - time for you to go out, go out into the world.
Closing time - turn the lights up over every boy and every girl.
Closing time - one last call for alcohol, so finish your whiskey or
beer.
Closing time - you don't have to go home but you can't stay here.

I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
Take me home...

Closing time - time for you to go back to the places you will be from.
Closing time - this room won't be open 'til your brothers or you sisters
come.
So gather up your jackets, and move it to the exits - I hope you have
found a
friend.
Closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginning's
end.

Yeah, I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
Take me home...

Closing time - time for you to go back to the places you will be from...

I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
Take me home...

Closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginning's
end...

-"Closing Time" Supersonic

Indeed it is "Closing Time" this weekend. Not just for the 2005 Nascar season but for a few driver's careers as they retire, as well as for a few drivers in their current rides. New Champions will be crowned in all three divisions so for some teams there will be much happiness and celebrations. For some teams there will be sadness as drivers and other personnel move on. For other teams there will be disappointment over what could have been. For most in Nascar the off-season will be a time to relax, though not as much as they might like since in many cases the off-season is almost as busy as mid-season. For some it will be a time to reflect on their 2005 season and think of ways to improve their fortunes in 2006. For others it will be a time to hustle for a new ride or a new sponsor.

Rusty Wallace and Ricky Rudd will race for the last time on Sunday as full time drivers in the Cup series. Rudd announced that he's stepping away for a "break" but I would guess that we won't ever see him full-time in Nascar again. I could go into a whole tribute about both drivers and tout all of their virtues but in all honesty I've never been a big fan of either one. In fact some days I'm not sure I even like Wallace all that much. So to wax poetic about both men as so many others elsewhere are doing would ring hollow for me. Instead I will say that for them and their fans I hope that will both finish well in Sunday's race. A few months ago most thought that Mark Martin would be another driver who would be retiring but instead the "Salute to You (Please Buy a lot of Merchandise)" will continue on into 2006.

Most fans are already handing the Championship trophy to Tony Stewart and I say not so fast. I do think it is likely that Tony will be the eventual Cup Champion but there are quite a few scenarios in which another driver might win the Championship. The #20 has been outstanding for much of the second half of the season and I expect them to have a strong car on Sunday as well. But so many times in racing something out of the team's hands can ruin what seems like a certain fine finish. A cut tire, a mechanical failure or getting caught up in someone else's wreck in combination with another driver's win or good luck could result in the the Championship trophy slipping away from Tony. So it's imperative that the #20 team remain on their game this weekend and not take anything for granted.

At the conclusion of this weekend Michael Waltrip will have raced the #15 for DEI for the last time. I will go into that in much greater detail after Sunday's race but as much as I look forward to a new beginning for Michael at Bill Davis Racing, I feel sad that he's leaving DEI as well. Jamie McMurray, Ken Schrader, Jeff Green, Bobby LaBonte, Mike Bliss and Sterling Marlin are a few of the other drivers who will leave their current rides for new teams in 2006. Unless it's a Kurt Busch situation where there is bad blood, I think that it's probably harder than most fans think the final race weekend with an organization. Friendships are made and drivers gain a certain comfort level where they are. Suddenly they will be starting over - some by choice, some by necessity. Some are probably extremely excited, others not so much.

There are other drivers who will have to find new rides for 2006. Steve Park is one of those drivers and as much as I know that there is a good possiblity that he will be in a truck either for Bill Davis Racing or Wyler Racing, I can't help but feel the slightest bit nervous about whether he will find the kind of ride he's looking for next season. A lot of rides on all three levels have already been filled and there are other talented drivers who are also still looking for rides. Dave Blaney, Ricky Craven and Scott Wimmer are three of those guys. With Silly Season starting earlier and earlier each year it seems as if many rides are filled well before the conclusion of the season, whereas in the past there was more driver movement during the off-season. Maybe that's just my imagination but I feel as if other than Blaney who is likely going to be Michael's teammate in the #22, drivers without rides heading into the off-season are going to have slim pickings in terms of quality rides. The #32 Tide ride is likely to be available, although no formal announcement has been made that Bobby Hamilton, Jr. is leaving that team, but that's not exactly a great car.

So at the end of this weekend we will see dreams achieved, hopes dashed, many endings but above all it is likely to be a captivating weekend for Nascar fans.

Posted by silverdsl at 02:06 PM | Comments (0)

November 17, 2005

Photo of the Day - Tony Stewart

Pocono, July, 2005. The next Cup Champion?

Posted by silverdsl at 10:42 PM | Comments (0)

When Did Michael Waltrip Admit that He Deliberately Wrecked Robby Gordon in Anger?

I'm talking about the ugly incident in the Sylvania 300 up in New Hampshire of course when Michael Waltrip and Robby Gordon tangled on the track and Robby proceeded to throw a massive temper tantrum. Maybe I missed it somewhere but I can't remember Michael ever taking responsiblity for that wreck, let alone admitting that he deliberately wrecked Robby in anger. But John Story, President and CEO of Robby Gordon Motorsports says that Michael did in fact do that the day after the incident which is why they were able to smooth things over with thier sponsors. Story says,

"We did get calls from sponsors with questions as to what happened. But when Michael came out and admitted that he, in fact, wrecked Robby out of his own anger, it made things a little more easier to understand. And quite frankly, the fan reaction was overwhelmingly positive. And that was not lost on our sponsor."

Now it's quite possible that on Monday Michael called Robby personally and admitted to him that he wrecked him purposefully out of anger. But publically I can't remember Michael making any kind of statement in which he admits to anything even remotely like fault in that incident. In fact I seem to remember Michael on Inside Nextel Cup on Monday evening making comments to the effect that he was the victim in that incident and that he wasn't at fault for the wreck. Maybe I'm just not remembering correctly or Michael said something somewhere that I missed but I've been racking my brain to come up with something that remotely sounds like Michael accepting blame and talking about wrecking Robby in anger and I'm coming up empty. I even went back and looked through old blog entries and the archives on the forum at Michael's site because I think Michael admitting that he wrecked Robby in anger would surely show up somewhere. Nothing.

I can't imagine Story making that comment to a reporter if there wasn't at least some truth to it. So with that in mind I emailed the reporter for clarification to see if he knew if Story was referring to a comment that Michael made publically or a private conversation between Michael and Robby or someone else at Robby Gordon Motorsports. I probably won't hear back from the reporter and he might not know the answer anyway but I'd kind of like to know the answer. Because in a lot of ways it does put the incident in a different context if Michael admitted that he deliberately wrecked Robby in anger. That would certainly make the extremeness of Robby's reaction, while still not in any way appropriate in my opinion, a little more understandable if in fact Michael did deliberately wreck Robby.

That's not to say that I'd view Michael any differently. Racing is an emotional sport and it's not unusual for drivers to get angry or frustrated. And Michael has certainly had plenty of reasons to be angry and frustrated this season. So it's not unbelievable to think that he might have not been too pleased with the way Robby was racing him and that he might have let his overall anger at the way his season was going get to him. Every man has his breaking point and that could have been Michael's. However, with that said, it seems to me that Michael made quite a few statements publically in which he defended himself and stated that he didn't intend for the outcome of that incident for Robby to be wrecked. So it seems to me that until I hear something differently I would tend to go with Michael's version of events and chalk up Story's comments to him misunderstanding something that Michael said.

This is probably one of those things that I will never know the full story on but I sure would like to.

Posted by silverdsl at 04:16 PM | Comments (1)

Speaking of Rumors that Become Reality...

For a few seasons now BAM Racing and Ken Schrader have had to deny rumors that Ken Schrader is going to leave the team for greener pastures elsewhere. In fact earlier this season a rumor was widely circulated that not only was Schrader going to leave BAM but that he was going to retire. Turns out that at least part of the rumor was true in that it's been confirmed that Schrader and BAM Racing are parting ways at the end of this season. It's expected that Schrader and the Wood Brothers will announce on Friday morning that Schrader will be in the #21 in place of Ricky Rudd next season and BAM announced yesterday that Brent Sherman will take Schrader's place in the #49. I'm not really familiar with Sherman so for all I know it's predicted that he has a bright future ahead of him. However, he is incredibly inexperienced when it comes to racing at Nascar's highest level.

Beth Ann Morgenthau, owner of BAM Racing spoke yesterday in an interview on XM about looking at the stats when they choose Sherman. Well, clearly they weren't looking at his stats in Nascar's three highest divisions. Sherman has never started a race in either the truck or Cup series and has only 26 Busch starts over the past two seasons. This year he's made 23 starts for two teams and only has one top ten. Sherman could go on to contend for rookie of the year next season and be a top driver after that but his inexperience would concern me if I was a car owner. How can BAM put him in a Cup car full-time when he's not even run a single Cup race? It seems to me that a wiser course of action if they really think he could be something special is take the time to develop him. Run him full-time in the Busch series next year and let him make some spot starts in Cup. In the meantime hire a veteran driver like Steve Park or Dave Blaney to race the #49 for a season. Then in 2007 put Sherman behind the wheel when he's got more experience.

Posted by silverdsl at 01:08 PM | Comments (0)

Rumor Denied: Travis Kvapil's Ride is Safe

From Jayski's:

UPDATE: been told this is NOT true..and that Penske Racing worked things out to keep Kodak and that Travis Kvapil will drive the #77 Kodak Dodge in 2006.(11-17-2005)

Good news for Travis Kvapil and his fans that he will be in the #77 in 2006 with Kodak as his sponsor. Of course in Nascarland denials frequently are followed two weeks later by a confirmation of the rumor that was being denied but for now it appears that everything is status-quo for the #77 team. I still have to wonder for how long. I saw it said this morning somewhere that as I've speculated before some of the higher-ups at Kodak have some concerns about sponsoring a race car, something that costs multi-millions, when they are eliminating huge amount of jobs and overall the company is on shaky ground. I also find the wording of the above interesting as it seems to indicate that there might in fact have been some doubt about Kodak coming back if they had to work things out in spite of years remaining on Kodak's contract with Penske. Kodak has been involved in the sport for a long time, not all of it with successful teams so it's probably hard to just walk away. But I think that Penske really needs to give some additional support and resources to the #77 team so that Kvapil can really show what he can do behind the wheel and Kodak will remain happy and be more likely to stick around.

Posted by silverdsl at 12:57 PM | Comments (0)

Syracuse University Objects to Student Including Photos Taken at Athletic Events in Online Portfolio

Sportshooters.com is an online resource and community geared towards sports photographers and other photojournalists. Many of the the members are professional photographers who make a living from their photographing, including more than a few who work for large, well-known organizations such as Major League Baseball, The New York Times, USA Today and Sports Illustrated to name a few. In addition, there are also a lot of student photographers who, by interacting with the veteran photographers on the site, gain valuable insight into being a better photographer as well as constructive criticism on their photography. I've been visiting the site for a year or two myself and I've learned a significant amount about sports photography, as well as the business of photography and working for a newpaper or magazine myself. In short, sportsshooter.com is a professionally run website which is an extremely valuable resource for anyone involved in sports photography, photojournalism or just has an interest in either of those fields as I am.

So it was with some surprise that I read that Syracuse University objected to two members of sportsshooter.com including photos that they had taken at Syracuse sporting events in their portfolios on the site. Both members, Kirk Irwin, who is a graduate student who takes photos for the independant student newspaper, The Daily Orange, and Niko Kallianiotis, who is a staff photographer at The Watertown Daily Times, a local paper, took their photos down immediately upon being threatened with a loss of credentials to photograph games. Apparently Syracuse feels that sportsshooter.com is some sort of commercial venture and that posting the photos on the site constitutes a commercial use. Well, all these two photographers were doing was including them in their portfolios to show to other members. Though an argument could be made that they were using them to sell their photography skills, the photos themselves aren't being sold or otherwise used for commercial purposes. So it appears that Syracuse might not be clear about what the purpose of the site is.

What amazes me is that Syracuse University just like every other college or university is an educational institution. Their main purpose is to teach students and help them reach their educational goals. While I fully support Syracuse University's attempt to ensure that their trademarks are protected and that the photos are used appropriately it boggles my mind that they would interfere with a student's attempt to educate himself about photography and learn from professionals in the field. I suppose Syracuse doesn't view a website as a valid way to educate one's self but with that site that notion couldn't be further from the truth. One of the biggest ways that students learn about the professions they want to go into is by interning and interacting directly with the people who are already in that field they are interested in. In fact according to Irwin's portfolio on sportsshooter, he is interning at the Syracuse Post Standard. His presence on sportsshooters also provides him with an avenue to learn. Now, Irwin and Kallianiotis didn't have to take down their portfolios completely but it seems to me that Syracuse should be a wee bit more supportive of a student's efforts to educate himself and seek opportunities in a field he is interested in.

Apparently Syracuse had meetings with the involved parties and there is an on-going discussion in an attempt to resolve the issue. But I hope that it is resolved in such a way that photographers can include photos from Syracuse athletic events in their portfolios.

Posted by silverdsl at 10:08 AM | Comments (0)

November 16, 2005

Photo of the Day - Aruba

Aruba, October, 2005

Posted by silverdsl at 10:37 PM | Comments (0)

Does Travis Kvapil Need to Look For a New Ride?

From Jayski's:

#77 Team....to be dissolved? hearing Penske Racing South with dissolve the #77 Kodak team at the end of the 2005 season as Kodak is leaving as sponsor. No word on where Kodak will go or where Travis Kvapil will drive. Supposedly Penske will not be a two car [#2-Kurt Busch and #12-Ryan Newman] team for long they are going to develop another young driver in the same ABC [ARCA, Busch, Cup] format that was successful with Newman.(11-16-2005)

This rumor might be totally false but I would not be surprised in the least if there was truth to it because Kodak is experiencing a lot of problems finacially and otherwise so given that the results for the #77 haven't been very good lately I can see how they might be re-thinking their involvement with the team. Back in July I wondered how it might look to Kodak employees and investors that they were eliminating more than 25,000 jobs but continuing a multi-million dollar Nascar sponsorship for a team that has only two top tens this season, is currently 32nd in points and wasn't much better last season despite being at one of the stronger organizations in Nascar. So I think it's very much in the realm of possiblity that in spite of being in the midst of a multi-year deal with Penske that Kodak might look at possibly downsizing their involvement in Nascar or leaving all together.

Of course the poor results the last two seasons for the #77 team haven't been the fault of either Travis Kvapil or Brendan Gaughan. It's never seemed like that car has been given the support and resources that the other Penske teams get. It's almost as if the #77 is an afterthought and that doesn't make for an environment condusive to running competitively on a regular basis. So while it's never easy or good when a driver loses their ride if there's any truth to this rumor it might be for the best for Kvapil in the long run to be able to look for a ride that would allow him to show what he's truly capable of on the Cup level.

Posted by silverdsl at 02:29 PM | Comments (0)

New York Yankees Re-Sign Hideki Matsui

Hideki Matsui has a lot to celebrate today as the New York Yankees re-signed him to a four-year, $52 million contract which includes a no-trade. At this morning's press conference Matsui stated that remaining with the Yankees was his first choice rather than signing with another team. But he indicated that a big factor in his decision was that Joe Torre didn't quit as manager like it was rumored that he might do. That's interesting because I can't help but wonder if the shift in attitude by George Steinbrenner and some of the other Yankee higher-ups towards Torre was because they knew that if he left they might lose Matsui as well and he might not be so easy to replace.

I was pretty sure that the Yankees would come to terms with Matsui on a new deal and as much as I don't like huge contacts, especially those with no-trade clauses, I think Matsui is one player that I don't mind the Yankees spending the money on. The whole time he's been in pinstripes Matsui has been solid and I think he was extremely important to the team the past two seasons in particular. While he goes into slumps just like any other player, he's one of the Yankees I have the most confidence in when he comes to bat in a big situation that he's going to come through. Matsui isn't flashy and he doesn't look for attention, he just tries to do the best that he can to help the Yankees win every single game. From the Yankees perspective aside from what he contributes on the field, they probably very much enjoy the extra revenue and attention from Japan that comes because Matsui is a Yankee. So I imagine that might have played a role too in why they were anxious to re-sign him.

Posted by silverdsl at 02:10 PM | Comments (0)

November 15, 2005

Photo of the Day

Aruba, October, 2005.

Posted by silverdsl at 11:06 PM | Comments (2)

In the News: Michael Waltrip (11/15)

This is the last week that Michael Waltrip will be racing the #15 NAPA Chevy for DEI so it seems fitting that on the 15th of November I do an "In The News" entry about him. Luckily, there are a few items to highlight.

Last week Michael made a very well-attended appearance at a NAPA store in Arizona in advance of the race at Phoenix International Speedway. Naturally fans were thrilled to get up close and personal with Michael, so thrilled that he even made some of the women in attendance swoon. Go Michael! Just don't let Buffy find out! But seriously, there were a couple of members of the online fan club from Michael's offical site in attendance, otherwise known as "Mikey Members" and they had an outstanding time. Both of them won a drawing to meet Michael and have their photo taken with him. But he also signed for countless other fans as he took part in a question and answer session. Among tidbits from the Q&A is confirmation that his car number will be #55 next season and that he will be in a Toyota in 2007. The last item regarding Toyota's entry into the upper levels in Nascar I had thought was a closely guarded secret but I guess Michael figured that 300 people could surely keep it to themselves! Not since the advent of the internet!

Reading the official post-race wrap-up from Phoenix, I felt bad for Michael once more. As he said,

"This was a different car than what we had in the spring, which didn't work out. To run as well as we did in the spring and then to have the trouble we had today is disappointing."

Disappointing is probably an understatement because I'm sure at one point Michael was entertaining thoughts of possibly contending for the win again. That is until he found out that the car that he raced so well with in the Spring was being taken away from him and given back to Junior. It had to have been very difficult for Michael to have to deal with such a poor car on Sunday, the two blown tires and then whatever it was that the DEI engineers were experimenting with on his car that hadn't been cleared first with his crew chief Tony Gibson. Michael's silence on the radio for most of the race spoke volumes about how unhappy he was. I just hope the final race of the season in Homestead goes much better for him.

Speaking of the races this weekend at Homestead Miami Speedway, all three of Nascar's top series will be in action and Aaron's will be sponsoring at least one car or truck in every race. Carl Long will run an Aaron's scheme on his #80 and I guess this is one of those deals where Michael Waltrip Racing is working with another organization to field a Cup car. There will be two Aaron's Dream Machines in the Busch race - Michael will race the #99 and David Reutimann will race the #98. In addition, Johnny Benson will have Aaron's on his #23 truck in the truck race. So Aaron's will get a huge amount of visibility this weekend which I'm guessing is exactly the point. The ratings and attention for the final races of the season should be tremendous and it makes sense to capitalize on that, particularly since Aaron's missed out on some exposure each of the times that the Dream Machine unfortunately failed to make the race this season in either Cup or Busch. But this weekend should more than make up for it.

Posted by silverdsl at 05:35 PM | Comments (0)

Stronger Steroids Policy for MLB: The Good and the Bad

It took them long enough but finally Major League Baseball, team owners and the player's union came up with a policy on performance enhancers with some teeth to it. Now a first positive test for steroids will result in a fifty day suspension, not the weak ten day suspension that it was this season. A second offense results in a hundred day suspension and a third offense, and I can't imagine how any player could be so stupid as to continue to use steroids after they've been caught twice, will result in a lifetime ban. In addition there will now be testing for amphetamines, otherwise known as greenies. That's huge because it's been said that the use of greenies is wide-spread in baseball. The first time a player tests positive for amphetamines they will have to undergo mandatory further testing, a second offense a twenty-five game suspension, a third offense an eighty game suspension and a fourth offense the punishment is at the Comissioner's descretion.

I applaud all the involved parties for significantly increasing the plenalties for players who test positive for steroids. A ten day suspension is a joke and in the long-run has little effect on the player or their team. They simply sit out for ten days, which might only be a couple of appearances for a pitcher, and return to their team. On the other hand being gone for fifty days is about a month and a half which is a big amount of time to be gone for any player. That could have a major impact on a player's season, not to mention make things extremely difficult for their team if they are a key player. I'd guess we won't be seeing too many second and third positive drug tests. Because then we're talking about players throwing away half a season or even their entire careers and surely the vast majority of players are smarter than that. Right?

There are two areas that I would have liked to have seen the agreement be tougher. One is in relation to amphetamines. I'm glad that they are addressing the abuse of greenies because there might be a significant amount of players who are using them. However, players who test positive for the first time get little more than a slap on the wrist and a warning to quit because they will be tested further and run the risk of a twenty-five game suspension. Since there is no suspension I doubt that fans and the media will ever even know which players test positive unless they continue to use. I would have liked to have seen some sort of suspension for even a first offense because as much as people shrug off greenies as no big deal the players are still abusing a drug and using a performance enhancer. However, it's likely that given how many players use greenies, the player's union wouldn't have agreed to a policy with a harsh penalty for a first offense as it relates to greenies. But unlike steroids where the punishment will be quite harsh for multiple positive tests I think we may see some players who test positive for greenies more than once if it's true how dependant some players are on amphetamines to get them through the rigors of a long baseball season.

The other area where I would like to have seen MLB get tougher actually isn't addressed at all. That's human growth hormone (HGH). The players can still continue on their merry way using HGH without fear of any kind of penalty what-so-ever because MLB doesn't test for it so no one will ever know if they use or not. I know that addressing HGH is a tricky situation because from everything that I've heard the test for it involves taking blood rather than a urine test. That definitely complicates matters. Still it seems to me that the use of HGH must be dealt with since HGH is a performance enhancer just like steroids and greenies.

The only question that remains is which players will test positive next season and how fans might react if one of their favorites has to sit out fifty games. I didn't say if a player tests positive for steroids or amphetamines I said when because I have no doubt that in spite of the increased penalties there will surely be players who either think that they can beat the system, and with designer steroids maybe they can, or those that think that the edge they might gain from using performance enhancers is worth the risk of possibly getting caught.

Posted by silverdsl at 04:00 PM | Comments (0)

Predictable: Media and Fans Questions A-Rod's Selection as MVP

As I predicted yesterday, even winning the American League Most Valuable Player Award isn't enough to silence all of Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez's critics. There's a slew of negative A-Rod stories in the local papers this morning but it's really not unexpected. There are countless fans who can't stand A-Rod and many of them root for the very team that A-Rod plays for. So reporters reading and hearing all the criticisms of A-Rod are really only giving the people what they want - articles that debate A-Rod's worthiness as a player and as winner of the MVP award.

I think A-Rod is very much worthy of the MVP and I think it's laughable to question him receiving that award. It's not like A-Rod posted inferior numbers - he was outstanding throughout much of the regular season. Some fans are pointing to A-Rod's shortcomings in the post-season as evidence that he's undeserving but that's why baseball is a team sport. If the Yankees as a team can't overcome A-Rod not being productive at the plate or his error in the field then they aren't worthy of advancing to the next round in the post-season in my opinion. Yes, that error was big but what player hasn't made errors, including the sainted Derek Jeter? Yes, A-Rod should have hit better and if he did the Yankees might have had an easier time against the Angels. But A-Rod was far from the only player who didn't do much at the plate. It's absolutely impossible for even the greatest of players to come through in every key moment or make every single play in the field. That A-Rod didn't have a good post-season is disappointing but in no way do I think it takes away from his accomplishments during the regular season.

Posted by silverdsl at 01:32 PM | Comments (0)

Kurt Busch: Not Drunk

Let me start off this entry by making the kind of comment that I rarely do - I think Kurt Busch is an asshat. His behavior on Friday night is completely unacceptable for anyone let alone a Nascar Champion. There is no excuse for reckless driving - as a race car driver he of all people should understand why that's dangerous. Being uncooperative, rude and cursing out law enforcement is also intolerable in my book. He has got to conduct himself in a respectful manner. However, I'm starting to have a major problem with the perception that Busch was drinking and driving because according to the new information that is now coming to light that is entirely false. There's a lot of conflicting information but one thing that is clear is that Busch took a roadside breath test and was well under the legal limit of .08 at .017. He was apparently also given an eyemovement test which he also passed. At that point, according to an interview I heard with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio yesterday on XM there was no evidence to further investigate or charge Busch with an alcohol related offense. Arpaio compared the amount of alcohol that Busch had ingested to perhaps one beer.

Let's think about that for a moment. One beer. How many people reading this entry have had a beer or a glass of wine with dinner and then gotten behind the wheel? I'm guessing that the majority of people have done exactly that. So there are countless fans, members of the media and those at Roush Racing who are condemning Busch for doing something that they themselves have done. In no way is Busch's behavior excused because he wasn't drunk. In fact I can completely understand why the deputies assumed that he was driving drunk. Speeding, erratic driving and being belligerant - they probably encounter drunk drivers all the time who do exactly those things. However, what I do take issue with is that there are a lot of people who seemingly jumped to a lot of conclusions, probably myself included, about Kurt Busch and what he did that night on the basis of some incomplete and possibly faulty information.

Roush Racing removed Busch from the #97 car and cited alcohol as one of the reasons. Geoff Smith, President of Roush Racing said the following among other comments,

"It was very offensive to us that he chose to take on the arresting office the way he did verbally, and then the fact that there was alcohol even in the smallest way involved in the whole circumstance was another element."

I think that Smith and Jack Roush are lucky that so many of their comments focused on Busch's behavior with the deputies, plus the embarassment that he caused to the sponsor. Because the fact of the matter is that the level of intoxication that Busch displayed was apparently almost nil. Another fact is that Roush acted admittedly without ever having seen the police report which is due to be released in the next few days. Now regardless of how much of an asshat Busch was to the officers who detained, not arrested him, just exactly how fair is that? Particularly since as we've seen it appears that there is a considerable amount of confusion and misinformation circulating about exactly what happened. What disturbs me the most is that Jack Roush admits to having never talked to Busch to have gotten his side of the story. So if he didn't have an official police report and he didn't talk to Busch, whose word and version of events was he going on? I'd like to think that he talked to some of the law enforcement personnel who were present, then made a decision but did he? Or did he just want to sever ties with Busch so badly in the face of the public backlash against Busch that he made some assumptions about certain things, some of which are surely correct as it relates to how Busch treated the deputies he dealt with, but wasn't aware of the totality of the facts of what happened?

That possiblity bothers me. It's human nature to make assumptions and speculate about things. And given what we knew of the incident it wasn't so crazy to think that Busch had to have been drinking before he got behind the wheel. But that he was only ticketed for reckless driving and not any kind of alcohol related offense should have made some people, particularly those in the media, stop to think - why? Especially after Busch's statement in which he denied that alcohol was involved why were so few people willing to give Busch the benefit of the doubt? One immediate answer is that his overall behavor that night was horrendous. It's easy to assume the worst when someone behaves in such an inappropriate way.

But I think another answer is that Busch has never been popular with the fans. In fact there are many people who down-right hate him. So everyone who has already disliked him to begin with aren't going to be too willing to cut him any slack. In fact a lot of those people are probably going to assume that Busch was in fact driving drunk and that there's a cover-up underway. Personally, until some evidence comes out to indicate that is actually what happened I'm not comfortable accusing law enforcement of failing to do their jobs properly because of who Busch is. If a different driver had been involved what would the fan reaction have been? What if it was Kasey Kahne or Dale Jarrett? Those are two drivers with excellent reputations for the most part who are well-liked. I think most fans would be a lot more forgiving and understanding and there would be no talk of a cover-up. Even Tony Stewart who has a past littered with incidents fueled by his inability at times to keep his temper under control would be forgiven far more easily than Busch. "It was just a mistake!" Well, if it would be just a mistake that should be forgiven for another driver than why not for Busch as well?

In some ways I hate to be in a position where I'm defending Busch to a degree because as noted I have a problem with his behavior that night and I wasn't a big fan of his to begin with. But just because I don't like someone doesn't mean that I won't speak out if I think that wrong is being done to them and I think that might be the case with Busch, at least in terms of the perception that he was driving under the influence. Some might be saying in light of everything else that Busch did, what's the big deal if some believe that he was driving drunk too? Well, since Miller Light is going to be his sponsor in the #2 car next season it's huge for Busch, for his sponsor and for Penske Racing if fans think that he doesn't drink responsibly.

Of course Busch has already failed when it comes to representing his sponsor well to begin with but what Busch does in relation to alcohol goes to the heart of what Miller Light does since they are a beer company. But aside from that in general Busch's already tattered reputation is taking a major hit and I don't think all of it is deserved. Yes, he acted in a completely inappropriate and unacceptable way with law enforcement. He made his bed in that area and he has to deal with the consequences of the choices he made that night. But based on what we know now he did not get behind the wheel when he was intoxicated. And unfortunately with the way things work many people will never hear the follow-up stories in which it's said that he passed a roadside breath test way under the legal limit. So incorrect information is going to damage Busch and potentially his career, hurt his family, his friends and his overall reputation. Many people won't care about that because they don't like Busch, and there are definitely many reasons not to like him, but it doesn't feel right to me.

So the bottom line appears to be that Busch is guilty of acting like a jackass but innocent of driving drunk contrary to popular belief.

Posted by silverdsl at 10:58 AM | Comments (0)

Why ask why?

Posted by silverdsl at 10:03 AM | Comments (0)

November 14, 2005

Photo of the Day

Aruba, October, 2005

Posted by silverdsl at 10:54 PM | Comments (0)

Alex Rodriguez Wins American League Most Valuable Player Award!

For the second time in three seasons Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriquez has won the American League Most Valuable Player Award, voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. I couldn't be more thrilled! A-Rod's first season in pinstripes didn't live up to anyone's expectations for what one of the best players in baseball should have achieved but he definitely made up for it during the 2005 regular season. A-Rod hit .321 with an AL-high 48 homers and 130 RBIs and those 48 jacks were the most by a right hander for the Yankees since Joe DiMaggio. With this MVP win A-Rod becomes the first Yankee MVP since Don Mattingly in 1985 and only the fourth player overall to win for two different teams. His last MVP win was in 1003 for the Texas Rangers who then traded him to the Yankees.

Of course this won't quiet some of A-Rod's most vocal critics who don't view his selection as AL MVP as any big deal because they believe that he should be able to win the MVP every single season and anything less is a failure. There are also some who think that because A-Rod didn't hit well in the post-season that negates everything that he did during the regular season. Well, without A-Rod being such a strong offensive force and solid defensively during the regular season the Yankees might not have made it to the post-season in the first place. There is no way that any player can come through all of the time - A-Rod will not be able to hit well in every post-season nor will he win the MVP every season either, despite being one of the best players in the game. It's simply unrealistic to think that he will always be able to put up huge numbers in every situation.

I think that the only way for A-Rod to further quell some of his critics is if the Yankees were to win the World Series. Correction, if the Yankees were to win the World Series and he were to play a big role in that championship. Otherwise, there will be some fans who will continue to find reasons to criticize him. But the problem is that getting to the post-season and winning a World Series is a team effort. A-Rod needs all of his teammates to play to their abilities and work together for that goal that every baseball player wants more than anything. He can't do it on his own no matter how much some fans seem to think that he can. As much as some players can be big contributors or their absence can hurt a team no one player is soley responsible for a team's collective success or failure over the course of a season.

But back to A-Rod's MVP win - David Ortiz from the Boston Red Sox also had a terrific season so I wouldn't have been surprised if voters had chosen him over A-Rod. Sometimes it seems as if every time he comes to bat he does something huge in a big situation to hurt the other team. But Ortiz is a designated hitter while A-Rod is a position player so that probably helped A-Rod. Overall, both the Yankees and A-Rod should be very happy today with his selection as MVP!

Posted by silverdsl at 02:54 PM | Comments (0)

The Magnet and the Churn - William Cullen Bryant

The Magnet and the Churn - By W illiam Cullen Bryant

The moon is at her full, and, riding high,
Floods the calm fields with light;
The airs that hover in the summer-sky
Are all asleep to-night.

There comes no voice from the great woodlands round
That murmured all the day;
Beneath the shadow of their boughs the ground
Is not more still than they. -

But ever heaves and moans the restless Deep;
His rising tides I hear,
Afar I see the glimmering billows leap;
I see them breaking near.

Each wave springs upward, climbing toward the fair
Pure light that sits on high-
Springs eagerly, and faintly sinks, to where
The mother-waters lie.

Upward again it swells; the moonbeams show
Again its glimmering crest;
Again it feels the fatal weight below,
And sinks, but not to rest.

Again and yet again; until the Deep
Recalls his brood of waves;
And, with a sullen moan, abashed, they creep
Back to his inner caves.

Brief respite! they shall rush from that recess
With noise and tumult soon,
And fling themselves, with unavailing stress,
Up toward the placid moon.

O restless Sea, that, in thy prison here,
Dost struggle and complain;
Through the slow centuries yearning to be near
To that fair orb in vain; -

The glorious source of light and heat must warm
Thy billows from on high,
And change them to the cloudy trains that form
The curtain of the sky.

Then only may they leave the waste of brine
In which they welter here,
And rise above the hills of earth, and shine
In a serener sphere.

Posted by silverdsl at 10:33 AM | Comments (0)

November 13, 2005

Photo of the Day - Ogunquit Flowers

Ogunquit, Maine. July, 2005. Flowers in Perkins Cove in the early morning light.

Posted by silverdsl at 10:59 PM | Comments (0)

Two Blown Tires Spoil Phoenix Race for Michael Waltrip

I don't have a heck of a lot to say about today's race in Phoenix. Michael Waltrip's #15 was one of the slowest cars on the track during qualifying yesterday meaning that he qualified at the back of the field for today's race. So my expectations for how Michael would fare today weren't very high. And he sure didn't sound happy with the car as the race started. But I never expected that Michael would be forced to deal with two blown tires that would mean that he could finish no better than 33rd, two laps down. Maybe I should have expected something to happen since it seems like every single race brings more bad luck for Michael and the #15 team but I figured that having to drive a bad car was more than enough for him to be saddled with for this race. But no. The racing gods decreed that his day would have to go from bad to worse, not just once but twice. I have no idea how Michael manages to deal with it but if how non-verbal he was during the race and his tone of voice when he did talk over the radio is any indication, he was not a happy man. And that makes me feel terrible for him.

Kyle Busch won today's race. While I don't really care for him in the least I did gain some measure of respect for him for stating his support of his brother, Kurt. I don't think anyone would have blamed Kyle if he had deflected questions about his brother or choosen not to address his situation but right there in Victory Lane when all he should have been doing is celebrating his win his thoughts were with his brother. To me that shows how much Kyle cares about his brother and that he understands that family is more important than anything. That is something to admire and respect. I don't agree with what Kurt did but I can't fault Kyle for sticking up for Kurt.

Next week is that last race of the season and it's almost certain that Tony Stewart will be crowned as Champion. The relentless push to depict Stewart as a completely changed man who no longer acts out or lets his temper get the best of him continues, the latest effort being the pre-race piece that was all about that exact subject. Look it's gentle Tony with his teeny-weeny doggie! Look it's Tony with the kids for charity! Look it's Tony being all mature and grown up! I imagine this is being done since it's almost certain that he will be Champion and they don't want any lingering negative publicity from the earlier incidents that Tony had been involved with tainting the Championship like it has with Kurt. But as I said a few months ago when I first noticed this PR campaign in full effect, Tony might be doing a better job of controlling himself publically it's unlikely that he's become a completely different person and in fact there is some evidence that he hadn't. It remains to be seen how long the "new" Tony sticks.

What I hope for next week is that Michael can finish the season on a good note. Not for his fans or for DEI but so that he can feel good about himself. There's been a lot of bad races for Michael and the #15 team this season and a tremendous amount of great runs spoiled by so many things completely out of their hands. I would really like to see Michael leave DEI on some sort of a positive note.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:15 PM | Comments (0)

Nikki Sixx Discovers Photography

Best known as the bassist of Motley Crue, Nikki Sixx has a new passion besides music and that's photography. But he's doing more than just taking photos and putting them up on his website. He will also be diving head first into photojournalism, taking a trip to Bangkok, Thailand to shoot for National Geographic. Based on what he has up on his website Sixx appears to have a talent for photography. I especially like his abandoned building photos. But how did he end up with the assignment for National Geographic? There are so many talented photojournalists out there and an assignment for that publication with such a high level of photography seems like it would be kind of difficult to get for someone who isn't among the elite of photojournalists.

Posted by silverdsl at 06:07 PM | Comments (0)

Kurt Busch Suspended for Final Two Races of the Season

On Friday night Kurt Busch was held by the Arizona Sheriff's Office on suspicion of drunk driving and he was ultimately charged with reckless driving. Today he has been suspended for the final two races of the season by Roush Racing. I have zero tolerance for drunk driving and I strongly support any organization taking a stance against driving under the influence. I don't feel sorry for Busch in the least as he made an exceptionally foolish decision to get behind the wheel after he had been driving and further made matters worse by getting into a confrontation with law enforcement. He's going to have to deal with the consequences of his actions, some of which may have a major effect on his career in Nascar. What boggles my mind is that with all the people that every driver has around them on race weekends from PR people to motorcoach drivers to other team members, not to mention friends and family, there is no shortage of people who can act as a designated driver. On top of that Busch has enough financial resources that he has no problem parking his car for the night and taking a cab or hiring a car or limo. There is no reason why he had to get behind the wheel after he had been drinking but unfortunately alcohol clouds one's ability to think clearly. The bottom line is that Busch did something that he should be ashamed and apologetic for and thus far his apologies have fallen far short of what they should be.

However, I've got a few problems with Roush suspending Busch for these final two races. As always I have no doubt there is much more to the story than what's been revealed publically - I hope that with a story this major a few media outlets will do a bit more investigative reporting than what normally happens in Nascar. My feeling is that there are some pieces to the puzzle missing and I can't help but think that it's not so much that Roush wants to take a stance against drinking and driving or getting into it with law enforcement as they want to screw Busch who they feel screwed them. The fact is that Busch hasn't yet been charged with any kind of alcohol related offense nor has he been found guilty of anything thus far. All he's been charged with is reckless driving and I don't see that as a basis to suspend a driver. Additionally, when Scott Wimmer drove drunk, flipped his truck and hid from the police Bill Davis Racing didn't suspend him. In fact Nascar didn't suspend him either, even after he was found guilty. So it seems to me that this incident is being used as an excuse by Roush to wash their hands prematurely of a driver they are angry with and no longer want to be associated with. Of course I can't fully fault them for that because I think that Busch has done some things that are immature and inappropriate.

What makes Busch's actions so stupid in this particular instance is that his sponsor is Crown Royal and they have a responsible drinking platform as part of their message. I'm quite sure that Miller Light, Busch's sponsor in 2006 with the #2, probably also has a responsible drinking message. So it looks exceptionally bad for their driver to be busted for an alcohol related incident even if he's not been charged with anything in relation to that. Part of Kurt's job when he represents his sponsor is to support that responsibly drinking platform so for him to disregard that is an embarassment that really doesn't reflect well on his decision making ability. Nor on his ability to represent his sponsor in the way that they might like but that won't be Crown Royal's problem any more.

What amazes me is that in an interview this morning during the pre-race show Jack Roush made comments that led me to believe that they thought that the incident might blow over but that the public outcry was so great that they re-thought things. So if word didn't travel about this incident and fans didn't get upset they might have just swept things under the rug and kept him in the car? I'd guess that they realized that they could give Kurt the boot and fans would accept it whereas without this incident fans would have wigged out on Roush had they taken him out of the car prior to the end of the season.

Now some are saying that there is no way that Roush would have taken the defending Champion who is in the Chase once more out of the car prior to the end of the season but there were definitely hints that the relationship between Busch and Roush had soured significantly to the point where all parties couldn't wait to sever ties. In fact Roush made a comment last week that he hadn't talked with Busch since the day that Busch informed him that he was going elsewhere for 2007. There have also been little comments here and there that reflected ill will between both parties from Busch's merchandise being put on clearance to my sense that Roush's priorities in terms of their drivers in the Chase might be with their other drivers. But because Roush was working out all the complicated issues related to Busch going to Penske, Jamie McMurray coming to Roush as well as certainly dealing with issues related to the sponsors of the #97 they couldn't just release Busch. But this incident sure does give them an excuse to stick it to him.

Unlike some fans I don't find this incident to be funny in the least - reckless driving and particularly driving under the influence is a serious matter and Busch is lucky that he didn't kill someone. I'm not a big fan of his and I really don't care for a lot of things that he's done, this included. But on the other hand the drivers are human beings who experience the full range of human emotions, have good days and bad days and make mistakes. Sometimes very serious and stupid mistakes such as in the case of Busch. Good people can make bad mistakes that's for sure. Busch may be an asshole or he may be misunderstood but one thing I know is that despite some fans desire to put their own favorite driver on a pedestal and think that they will never do anything wrong there is always the possiblity that they might. That doesn't mean I wouldn't be disappointed or disapprove, simply that I accept that one of my favorites could some day be involved in a incident just like any other driver could. As much as those in Nascar, fans included, like to talk about their sport in lofty terms as if they are immune to the problems of other sports that simply isn't true. I'd like to think that everyone in the garage area behaves appropriately in all situations all the time, but that simply isn't true. If there's any doubts just look at the current rumor on Jayski's about how a member of a truck series team might have been busted for pot possession.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with drinking and I have no doubt that the majority of drivers drink alcohol. Why wouldn't they? The drivers are entitled to have a good time and enjoy some adult beverages if they want to. The problem is when they choose to get behind the wheel after they've been drinking or otherwise act out when they're under the influence. My hope is that other drivers will be a little smarter than Busch when it comes to the choices that they make when they've been drinking.

Posted by silverdsl at 03:44 PM | Comments (0)

November 11, 2005

A Few Articles From Yesterday

Former President Bill Clinton defended his presidency yesterday at the first day of the 11th presidential conference at Hofstra University, William Jefferson Cinton: The "New Democrat" From Hope. After being introduced by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Clinton spent about an hour discussing the eight years that he was President in front of approximately 4,000 students, faculty, staff, scholars, distinguished conference guests and the general public. Clinton didn't shy away from discussing the impeachment, though he called it "egregrious abuse" of the Constitution. The first day of the conference was definitely a huge success!

Posted by silverdsl at 07:34 AM | Comments (0)

November 09, 2005

Busy...

We have a huge event at work starting tomorrow which I am working extended hours for so blog entries will be sparse for the next few days. Hopefully I'll have a chance to write a little though... Maybe at least some links to the media coverage of our event if all goes as planned.

But in the midst of all the craziness today a few simple words of appreciation totally unexpected and unnecessary really made me smile. :)

Posted by silverdsl at 07:56 PM | Comments (0)

November 08, 2005

Photo of the Day - Red Rock Canyon

Red Rock Canyon, Nevada. January, 2005

Posted by silverdsl at 10:50 PM | Comments (0)

Yankees Decline Option on Tino Martinez

Tino Martinez has always been one of my favorite Yankees but when the Yankees declined the $3 million option they had on him for 2006 they made the right decision. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman cited the Yankees need to get younger and reduce payroll and I fully agree. Tino is 38 and although he was awesome in May for the Yankees, his skills have been on the decline the past few years. In addition, $3 million is too much for a back-up first baseman. From Cashman's initial comments it sounds like they are considering Andy Phillips who is younger and cheaper as Giambi's back-up.

At one point Tino had said that the Yankees would be the last team he played for and once they no longer wanted his services he would retire. Now Tino is saying that he's not sure what the future holds for him and that he hasn't ruled anything out. I'd guess that he might get a nibble or two for his services for next season as a back-up but it's likely that his days of getting regular playing time, even as much as he got with the Yankees this season as Giambi's back-up are over. Tino is a classy guy, a great asset to the Yankees on the field and in the clubhouse, and was a big part of the Yankees success in 1996-2001. No matter where Tino's journey in life takes him I wish him all the best and much success.

Posted by silverdsl at 10:28 PM | Comments (0)

For Crying Out Loud!

Doesn't anyone know how to make their photos private/hidden on webshots? I'm pretty sure it's possible and if it's not and you're at all in the public eye, related to or dating someone in the public eye and might not want someone stumbling across your private photos, for crying out loud hide them from view! Someone is lucky that when I came across a group of photos while I was innocently searching for something else that I a) didn't poke around more than what I saw initially b) didn't copy any for my own use and c) won't be sharing what I came across with anyone because I don't think that kind of thing is cool. It's not that what I saw was bad by any means but it's obvious that these are not for public consumption - if you want it to stay that way, make them private. I'm sure others have come across those photos and at some point someone probably will post the link somewhere and there will be quite a few more visitors to those photos than the person who uploaded them wants.

Posted by silverdsl at 04:35 PM | Comments (0)

Yet Another Concussion for Wayne Cherbet May Force Him to Retire

After suffering what might be his seventh concussion of his 11-year NFL career, in addition to two concussions he suffered as a college student, it's likely that New York Jets reciever Wayne Cherbet will be forced to retire. There's no doubt he's done for the season as the Jets didn't even wait for medical tests before putting him on the injured reserve list. Cherbet's head slammed back hard onto the turf when he landed on his back after making a catch during Sunday's game. He possibly lost consciousness for a few seconds after the hit, was slow to get up and needed help in the locker room getting undressed.

It's very difficult for athletes to be able to admit to themselves when it's time for them to walk away but this is likely Cherbet's time. Some thought that Cherbet was taking a risk by playing this season and now that he's likely suffered another concussion I can't see how he can return to the field as much as he might want to. He's got two young children and the more head injuries he gets the greater the chance that he won't be able to enjoy his time with his children in the way that he would want. That many concussions is nothing to fool with. Cherbet has fought hard to make the Jets and to continue his career even when his role was greatly reduced. He's accomplished a lot, much more than many ever though he would, and he's got a lot to be proud of. Apparently Cherbet raises race horses on the side and he's still involved with Hofstra University where we both graduated the same year so while nothing will probably ever compare to playing football on the NFL level, he does have other ventures that he can involve himself with outside of football. If he really did suffer another concussion I hope he opts to devote more of his time to those things than football for his own good.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:26 AM | Comments (0)

Unbelievable

I usually avoid discussing politics (and religion) like the plague on this blog or anywhere publically but I have to make an exception in this case. This past Saturday night, Jon Corzine, currently running for Governor of New Jersey, participated in a debate against his opponent Doug Forrester. In the course of the debate Corzine was asked a question about possibly lowering the drinking age in New Jersey from 18 to 21. Which is when Corzine made a huge mistake by saying that he thought the drinking age was already 18. I'm just incredulous that he didn't know the drinking age. And if he didn't know the drinking age what other important details or laws might he not be aware of in the state that he's running for Governor? Of course after the debate Corzine tried to claim that he did in fact know the drinking age but it will be interesting to see whether that mistake will hurt him at the polls today.

Posted by silverdsl at 08:12 AM | Comments (0)

November 07, 2005

Photo of the Day - Sunset

Aruba, October, 2005.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:59 PM | Comments (0)

Tremendously busy day at work... way too tired to blog about anything much tonight...

Posted by silverdsl at 09:57 PM | Comments (0)

Official: Kurt Busch to the #2, Jamie McMurray to the #97

Casey Mears to the #42

In a surprise to no one Roush Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing worked out a deal to allow Jamie McMurray to join Roush in 2006 which then frees Kurt Busch to join Penske Racing in the #2. Apparently much of this was contingent on Ganassi being able to come to an agreement with the sponsor of the #42 car, Texaco/Havoline, which will allow Casey Mears to become the driver of that car in place of McMurray. Mears had been slated to driver a fourth car for Ganassi Racing in 2006 with Home123 as the sponsor but that sponsorship agreement has been terminated. I'd guess that a significant amount of money changed hands to allow all of this to happen and that Ganassi might have ended up with a lot of it if they were able to sever ties by mutual agreement with a sponsor. Usually teams are doing everything they can to hang onto sponsors, not decide that they don't need them anymore.

I think this is best for all parties. McMurray made it crystal clear that he badly wanted out of his contract at Ganassi so I couldn't see how it was going to work with him racing for them for another season. Busch has been a lot more careful about what he says publically but there have been some hints that he was unhappy at Roush and that Roush wasn't too pleased with the way things went down with him. So I don't think that partnership would have worked too well if it had continued past this season. This way both drivers can go to their new teams and leave behind all the ill will and bad feelings. The real winner in all of this is Casey Mears who goes into a strong ride without having to change organizations. The #42 has been a Chase contender the past two seasons and has possibly gotten more of Ganassi's resouces than the #41 that Mears was in. So I think this could help Mears post some better results than he has previously. He can race up front - that much is obvious just by looking at yesterday's race where he finished fourth, he just needs the car to be able to do it with.

The only losers in all of this might be Ricky Rudd and his fans. Apparently Rudd was slated to drive the #2 next season if a deal couldn't be worked out to free Busch from his ride with Roush. Now that his services will no longer be needed it is likely that he will retire from Cup racing. That's very unfortunate for his fans since at least right now, it appears that he might just go away quietly into the night and that they won't have a chance to salute him. I'm not big on the huge farewell tours this season that Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace did, especially given that as it turns out Martin isn't retiring after all, but I do think it would have been nice for Rudd's fans across the country to have had the opportunity to say goodbye to him at each track.

The only piece of the puzzle that still remains unknown is where Bobby LaBonte is going to end up. Earlier today he officially announced that he will not be returning to the #18, despite having three years left on his contract. It appears likely that he will end up either in the #43 for Petty Enterprises or the #22 at Bill Davis Racing. I'd like to see him be Michael Waltrip's teammate over at BDR because I think those two would work well together but I suspect that LaBonte is more likely to end up at Petty. With Robbie Loomis joining that organization at the end of the season and the potential for an influx of new sponsorship money if Petty finds a sponsor to replace Georgia-Pacific, I think the results on the track for both the #44 and #43 cars could be somewhat better next season than they've been this season. It would be risky to join Petty but there is some risk in joining BDR as well since the #22 hasn't exactly lit the track on fire this season either.

Posted by silverdsl at 04:38 PM | Comments (0)

November 06, 2005

Photo of the Day - Cactus

Aruba. October, 2005

Posted by silverdsl at 10:39 PM | Comments (0)

Blown Engines Bite; Michael Waltrip Finishes 41st at Texas

Carl Edwards Wins

Yet another decent run ruined for Michael Waltrip by circumstances out of his control. This time a blown engine put him out of the race and relegated him to a 41st place finish. It's really a shame because Michael and the #15 team came from starting 31st to put themselves in position to get at least a top fifteen if not better today at Texas Motor Speedway. Especially early on the car was great and Michael was running in the top ten. That didn't last but his crew was certainly doing their part to try and get him back up front. The crew had at least one stop that was under thirteen seconds and their other stops seemed extremely quick as well. So the whole team from driver to crew chief to crew were really giving it their all only to see it literally go up in smoke when the engine gave up the ghost. Poor Michael, I really wanted the last few races of the season to be good ones for him.

At the end of the race when Michael was thanking everyone on his crew for all their hard work he said that there is always a place for people with talent and it sounded a lot like he was trying to recruit them. I don't know if he's looking to lure them over to Bill Davis Racing with him or to Michael Waltrip Racing but given that the #15 team will cease to exist as a full time team in 2006, there might be a few guys who are looking to go elsewhere next season. Despite what some fans think, it's always seemed to me that Michael's crew has worked hard for him this season. So I wouldn't mind at all if some of those guys went to BDR with him. Even better would be if his spotter Joey, were to go to BDR with him but I highly doubt that's going to happen considering Joey is also one of DEI's pilots.

Otherwise this race was extremely boring. I feel like I've said that a lot this season and that's unfortunate. I wonder if the race was as boring as it seemed on TV for the fans in the stands or the drivers behind the wheel? If they weren't able to do any passing I imagine it was pretty boring for the drivers too. There were some lead changes but I didn't get a sense that there was a tremendous amount of racing for position through the field. Maybe NBC was just doing a lousy job of covering the race but it really wasn't very exciting to this fan.

Carl Edwards won for the second time in a row and did yet another backflip. Yawn. Yeah, it really was that kind of a race. I can't even remember too many highlights.

Yawn.

Yawn.

Yawn.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:23 PM | Comments (2)

In the News: Michael Waltrip (11/5)

Of course today is race day and I'm hoping that in spite of starting 31st Michael Waltrip will be able to pull out a good finish at Texas Motor Speedway in the Dickies 500. I was just talking about solid foundations in the last entry and I'd like to see Michael finish out this season on a positive note even though he's not going to be with the #15 team in 2006 because I want him to feel good about himself and what he might be able to do at Bill Davis Racing. I'm sure he has confidence that he will do well there anyway because otherwise he wouldn't have signed with them but it would be nice if he had something positive from 2005 to carry over with him into 2006 beyond what he was able to achieve while Tony Eury, Jr. was still his crew chief.

One of the things that I admire the most about Michael is that he does nice things for others around him not because he has to but because he wants to. Almost every driver is fan-friendly and does a lot for charity but it seems like Michael often goes the extra mile. He does little things that never get any attention unless someone mentions it so it's apparent that he's not doing these things for publicity purposes, simply because he feels that these are the right things to do. So it's with no suprise that I read that Michael is one of the celebrities that visited Spc. Dave A. Thomas and likely other soliders who were injured in Iraq who are currently in Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital in Washington, D.C. Of course there are other drivers who have surely visited injured soldiers as well as children who are in the hospital but it's just one more thing that Michael does to reach out to others and hopefully put a smile on their face.

Last week a few drivers tested the Car of Tomorrow. Michael wasn't among them but one benefit of the Car of Tomorrow for him is that it will be much roomier inside which should help him and some of the other tall drivers like Elliott Sadler and Boris Said feel less cramped inside the car. More room should also help Michael get out of the car in a hurry in case he ever needs to do that. What I'd like to see is the return of the escape hatch in the roof that he had on his car in 2004 because that would really make it even safer for him. But there apparently is a cost factor involved with putting the escape hatch in the current cars and I don't know if it's something that's possible with the Car of Tomorrow.

In another article about Best Western's Ebay auction to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims for Michael to deliver pizza to one lucky winner's house, the Best Western President and CEO, David Kong says that he's so excited about the auction that he too might go along to deliver the pizza. I suspect that there will be lots of suits along from both Best Western and Domino's when Michael delivers pizza so there could be way more than just 25 people at that pizza party!

Posted by silverdsl at 03:57 PM | Comments (0)

Steve Park Finishes 16th in Texas

Todd Bodine Wins

In his second start for Bill Davis Racing in the #67 South Padre Island Toyota Tundra Steve Park finished 16th on Friday night in the Silverado 350 at the Texas Motor Speedway. I think that was pretty good considering the circumstances. Early practice wasn't great until after they resolved a mechanical issue and it was apparent that the truck wasn't as good as all parties might have liked considering there were a few points during the race when Steve kept sliding backwards through the field. In addition, this team was pretty much thrown together at the last minute for Steve and the crew features a mix of Michael Waltrip's Busch crew and friends of Steve's. So they've only worked together for about two weeks or so and the race prior they didn't even get to do a single pit stop in Atlanta before the truck was wrecked. That wreck is another challenge they had to overcome since they were expecting to be able to bring the same truck from Atlanta to Texas. Instead they had to get a new truck ready for Steve in just two days before they had to hit the road to get it to the race on time. On top of all of that BDR was already fielding three other trucks in the race so resources were probably spread pretty thin. So taking all of that into consideration, while I would have loved to see Steve finish better, I don't have many complaints about a 16th place finish. If Steve was still in the #62, a team which has had plenty of time to gel and work on problems over the past two seasons, it would be a different story but not with the #67, a completely new team.

But it appears that Steve might not be very happy with a 16th place finish. Of course no racer is going to truly be happy unless they're in Victory Lane. But Steve was apparently telling people last week that anything besides a top five or a top ten finish was going to be unacceptable. While it's great that Steve isn't going to be satisfied with subpar results like he had to deal with week after week in the #62, I hope that for his own good he's being realistic in the short-term about what he's going to be able to do, even in a truck that is obviously better than the #62 was. With a team that has just been put together in the past month I think that he might be expecting too much to think that he's going to be able to jump into that truck and immediately get top fives and top tens let alone wins. Of course he's very capable of running up front and winning and BDR is very capable of providing him an excellent truck but it's very difficult for new teams to have that kind of success immediately, especially when they're running only a few races. And I just don't want to see Steve get disheartened or get down on himself because the finishes that he wants aren't there right off the bat.

Last week I listened to the press conference from Hall of Fame racing when they were announcing that Terry LaBonte and Tony Raines were going to be their drivers. One thing that struck me is that HoF has an extremely realistic approach towards what they are going to be capable of. In spite of the fact that they are aligned with Joe Gibbs Racing, that they have a strong sponsor who is probably giving them a lot of money, that they have a good crew chief and two excellent drivers, they are keeping their expectations low to start. Of course they want to win races but they acknowledge how difficult it is for a new team to make in-roads in the sport at first and it sounded like they have a long-term plan towards how they are going to achieve that success that isn't dependant on winning immediately. While I'm sure they would like to get those top fives and top tens on a regular basis, they are talking about wanting to get top twenty finishes every week and then build on that.

Now Steve's approach has to be different because he's looking for a new ride for 2006 and even if he wasn't I wouldn't except or want him to be satisfied with just top twenty finishes each week. But I think the idea of being realistic and creating a solid foundation to build on is a good one. This past race Steve finished 16th, better than either Orleans Racing truck, and unless there's something we haven't heard about yet his crew performed well in the pits. So that is something that he can build on for the future, either if he races the final two races of the season for BDR which appears to be a possiblity or if he's with BDR or another team in the future. Yes, I'm sure he wanted to finish in the top ten, top five or even win a race to show those who might be interested in either giving him a ride or sponsoring him in 2006 what he's capable of. But I don't want to see Steve set himself up for disappointment or feel that he's disappointing others by setting the bar too high for himself and for the team over the short-term. Over the long-term it's a different story - Steve should want to get those top fives, top tens and wins and he should expect that from his team as well. I'm just not sure that's a realistic expectation in the short-term for a team as new as the #67 is.

Todd Bodine won this race, his third win of the season, and while I'm not a fan of Todd's I have to admit that as I've mentioned previously it does give me some satisfaction to see him win. I'm not sure there's any driver whose talent level gets belittled more than Todd's does. But there's no question in my mind that a driver who won two races in 2004 and three races so far in 2005 can race and does have talent.

Posted by silverdsl at 03:06 PM | Comments (0)

November 04, 2005

Photo of the Day - Off-Roading

Aruba. October, 2005. On the road again...

Posted by silverdsl at 11:27 PM | Comments (0)

Oh boy, I've come across some interesting items while innocently doing a few internet searches today....

*Runs to get bleach for brain*

Posted by silverdsl at 04:52 PM | Comments (0)

Jason Giambi Truely Makes a Comeback

Selected as Player's Choice for Comback Player of the Year

Signs Deal with Reebok

In December of 2004, Jason Giambi's testimony to the Balco Grand Jury in which he admitted that he used steroids was leaked. Fans, the media and Congress were outraged. Many called for Giambi to hang his head in shame and leave baseball forever. But my have things changed since. At first Giambi was the poster boy for steroid use in baseball and many fans, as well as those in the media, were calling for the Yankees to get rid of him, particularly after the first two months of the season during which Giambi hit so poorly that the Yankees asked him to accept a demotion to the minors in May. But Giambi refused, insisting that he was still capable of being the player that he once was and said that he would show the Yankees and everyone else who doubted him what he could do in the majors where he belonged. And he most certainly did prove that he is still one of the better hitters in baseball. Once he got going he was on fire at the plate for much of the remainder of the season to the point where some wondered if he was back on steroids again because he was almost as impressive at the plate as he was during his MVP years. As a Giambi fan, I was absolutely thrilled beyond belief to see how much Giambi contributed to the Yankees success this season. Without him I'm not sure they would have gotten back to the post-season and I loved seeing him play a big role in that.

It wasn't just Giambi fans who took notice of his ressurgance. Last month Giambi was voted American League Comeback Player of the Year by fans, and in a greater honor, he was just voted Comeback Player of the Year by his fellow players in both leagues. So not only have fans recognized how hard Giambi worked to overcome his issues, both medical and steroid related, but his peers have as well. I can't even begin to imagine how good that has to make Giambi feel. It's like when Steve Park won the Most Popular Driver Awards. There's the one voted on by the fans but even better than that is the one that is voted on by his fellow drivers - to get the fans award is great but to be recognized by your peers has to be an incredible feeling. As much as the drivers and players value and appreciate the fans, I would guess that the opinions of the people who are on the field or in the garage area with them mean even more to them.

After being connected to the use of steroids, Giambi lost endorsement deals with Pepsi, Arm & Hammer and Nike. I never thought that another major company would want to be connected to him because of the negative publicity that might arise from having a player who is so closely connected to the use of steroids endorsing their products. But Reebok thought otherwise and has signed him to a deal, the terms of which were not disclosed. John Lynch, Reebok's vice president of sports marketing said,

"Being named this year's American League Comeback Player of the Year is a true testament to Jason's determination and work ethic."

Which is very true - Giambi was determined in the face of a tremendous amount of criticism to work as hard as he could to show that he could still be a hitter to be feared at the plate and he did it. That is something to admire. But more than that Giambi has remarkably become a feel-good story.

Everything could have gone so differently for Giambi given the backlash he recieved when his testemony was leaked. But Giambi handled things exactly right. He addressed the media and apologized, though he didn't specify exactly what he was so sorry for. But fans are much more sympathetic to those who show remorse rather than those who act like they did nothing wrong and have nothing to be sorry for. In addition, Giambi made an effort to reach out to fans who attended spring training, singing autographs on a regular basis. Fans always appreciate the players who are fan-friendly just a little bit more. But more than that Giambi helped his team to win. Whenever that happens almost every sin can be forgiven.

I don't know what kind of a season Giambi is going to have in 2006 but I hope he builds on what he did in 2005 and shows the remaining doubters that it wasn't a fluke, that he is just as good of a player now as he was when he was using steroids.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:38 AM | Comments (0)

Arrested Development

I don't watch much TV unless it's news, sports, some sort of documentary type show or The Simpsons. But the one show that I really love is Arrested Development. That show just cracks me up! Jim and I got season one on DVD so we've been watching some of the old episodes recently. I just about pee my pants while I'm watching it I laugh so hard. There are some who have a hard time getting into the show because there's no laugh track and it can be hard to follow if you haven't watch prior episodes but it deserves all the critical acclaim that it's gotten. Both the writing and acting is outstanding and I'm glad that the show has survived.

Posted by silverdsl at 08:41 AM | Comments (0)

November 03, 2005

Photo of the Day - Ocean Grove at Sunrise

Ocean Grove, New Jersey, 2002. There were great sunrises each morning in Ocean Grove with all sorts of beautiful pinks. I'm reminded of those sunrises because each morning this week as I've been driving to work around 6:30 a.m. I've seen some truly amazing sunrises. The Manhattan skyline has been silhouetted against a beautiful pink sky with the sun rising slowly behind. I wish I was able to pull over and take some photos but unfortunately since my commute is so long these days and I don't want to take the risk of being late I really can't. Maybe some morning...

Posted by silverdsl at 10:51 PM | Comments (0)

Random Notes Around Nascar

-Steve Park qualified 13th for tomorrow night's truck race. Once again Steve will be in a Bill Davis Racing Toyota sponsored by South Padre Island. All the BDR trucks look like they will be strong tonight since Mike Skinner is on the pole, Bill Lester qualified second and Johnny Benson qualified sixth. It would definitely be sweet if Steve at least got a top ten tomorrow night. Many fans are already penciling him in for a win but there is going to be some stiff competition, including from his own teammates. Of course I'd be thrilled with a win but I'd be just as happy with a top ten or top five. The Orleans Racing trucks didn't qualify well - 31st for Scott Lynch and 38th for Brendan Gaughan so it appears that the fourth truck at BDR, which was just put together in two days since they thought they were going to be using the now-wrecked Atlanta truck this week as well, might very well be better than the primary truck at Orleans.

-Slugger Labbe joined Robert Yates Racing as a consultant to all their teams. I guess there really might be something to the rumors that he could be Elliott Sadler's crew chief. Labbe cited a lack of chemistry with Jeremy Mayfield as why he left the #19 team and chemistry gone bad with Michael Waltrip as the reason he left the #15 team. Unfortunately I suspect that Labbe isn't going to find the chemistry he's looking for with Sadler, who has always seemed to me to be a lot more laid-back than Labbe. Perhaps RYR thinks that Sadler could use someone to push him hard but I'm not sure that Labbe will last any longer with Sadler than with Mayfield before getting restless and leaving.

-The new driver for Hall of Fame Racing is.... well, it's not one driver, it's two. Terry Labonte and Tony Raines are the two drivers. LaBonte will race in the first few races of the season, presumably so they can take advantage of his Champion's provisional to ensure that they have a spot in those races. That will unfortunately make things harder for other teams fighting to make those races because that's one less spot. One of those teams who might have to qualify on time for the first few races is Michael Waltrip's #55 for BDR. There's been some talk that BDR will transfer the points from the #22 to the #55 so that Michael will be guaranteed a spot and I really hope that's what happens because I'd rather he not have to worry about that. But I applaud Hall of Fame Racing for figuring out a way that won't have to worry about that problem.

-I heard the first chunk of the Hall of Fame Racing press conference live via XM. It had to have taken them at least 20-25 minutes or more through at least 5 different speakers before they got to the news the majority of people are most interested in which is who the drivers were going to be. That it would be LaBonte and Raines was already rumored so it wasn't that much of a surprise but it still seemed to me that there was way too much unnecessary chatter before they got to the official announcement. I know they need to acknowledge and promote the sponsor as well as let the owners have their say but it seemed as if that part of things lasted too long. Even the reporters had to have been getting restless.

-Michael has Carl Long in the Aaron's Dream Machine in the Cup race this weekend via working with McGlynn Racing. It's very confusing as to exactly how it all comes about but for a lot of the recent races instead of Michael Waltrip Racing fielding the cars directly they have worked with a variety of other teams as far as their Cup efforts go. I'm not sure exactly how it all works, perhaps it's just as simple as money changing hands to get the sponsor on the car, but as long as Aarons and everyone else is happy I guess it's all good.

Posted by silverdsl at 10:10 PM | Comments (0)

This Female Fan Has No Interest In Nascar Romance Novels!

Nascar and Harlequin Enterprises Enter Into Liscensing Agreement

Last week I was complaining about some of the stereotypes about female sports fans that are widely held by some (usually) male fans. Much to my dismay it appears that it's not just some of my fellow fans who subscribe to such outdated ways of viewing female fans. The belief in those offensive stereotypes appears to reach all the way to the top. Nascar has just entered into a liscensing agreement with Harlequin Enterprises, which will result in a series of Nascar themed romance novels. Mark Dyer, Nascar's Vice President of Licensing said,

"NASCAR continues to attract more and more female fans. They are an enthusiastic and loyal group who possess a unique intensity in regards to the sport. The new NASCAR Harlequin titles should be a real attraction for this segment of our fans."

Yes, I'm sure there are female fans who read romance novels. But this female fan happens to think that they're a complete waste of ink and I can remember very few times when a discussion about books has taken place amongst racing fans that many said that they like to read romance novels. I have to wonder if Nascar did some sort of research to indicate that a lot of female Nascar fans like to read romances. Or are they just assuming that if a fan is female she must like romance novels? It's just like the ridiculous "Sexiest Driver" poll that Fox did. Yes, there is unquestionably a segment of female fans who choose the driver they support on the basis of who they think is cute. But that's not true of every female fan and I don't like things that cater to and encourage that kind of a stereotype.

The sad thing is that in reality there is nothing wrong with a female fan finding a driver attractive. It's human nature for women to find men attractive and for men to find women attractive (unless of course someone is attracted to someone of the same sex). But the way that it's used to demean and belittle the opinions of female fans and the way that it is sometimes used as a basis for sweeping generalizations of female fans means that I become very uncomfortable when those kinds of discussions spring up. Because I know that there are many male fans reading and listening who are jumping to conclusions and maybe some folks in Nascar as well who are making some assumptions about what female fans are interested in.

Is there really a widely held belief that among the powers-that-be that female fans are only fans because they want to see the drivers we find attractive or that all that we're interested in is romance and the driver's lives off the track? This fan couldn't care less who the single drivers are dating, I'm watching because I love racing and I'm way more interested in what happens on the track than anything that the drivers do in their free time. I'd like to say that these Nascar themed romance novels are a terrible idea and that they'll be a big flop but I fear that won't be the case. I say I fear because I worry that if they're a success it will further reinforce the stereotypes that some already hold about female fans.

Posted by silverdsl at 02:01 PM | Comments (1)

November 02, 2005

Photo of the Day

Aruba, October, 2005. This weird branch reminded me of a dragon's tail.

Posted by silverdsl at 10:27 PM | Comments (0)

In the News: Michael Waltrip (11/2)

As I mentioned the other day, Michael Waltrip, Best Western and Domino's are teaming up for a charity Ebay auction to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims via the Red Cross. One lucky winner will recieve a pizza party for 25 people with the pizza delivered by Michael himself. It's only the second day of the auction and it's already over $3,000 so hopefully that means they will raise a lot of money for a very worthy cause. I'd bid on it but I think that by the end of the auction it will be way more than I can afford no matter how good of a cause it's for. I have another charitable fund I'm thinking of donating some money to anyway.

This weekend the Cup series heads to Texas Motor Speedway for the Dickies 500. I'm feeling pretty good about this race for Michael because he finished sixth at Texas earlier in the season. However, Michael won't be racing the same car that he had at that race. Instead he'll be using chassis 39 which he last raced at Charlotte. That was definitely an outstanding car and Michael led 31 laps before being caught in a wreck thanks to Nascar forcing the #15 team to make air pressure changes that they didn't want to make. Michael will be busy this weekend at Texas since he will presumably be in the booth on Friday night for the truck race and will also be racing the #99 Aaron's Dream Machine in the O'Reilly Challenge 200 Busch race on Saturday.

Sandy Mullins from Bellaonline, seems to like the new Inside Nextel Cup. Apparently she is especially fond of Ken Schrader, who she feels explains things in a very easy to understand way and clarifies what Michael has to say. I think Kenny is very intelligent when it comes to racing but I also think that one of the biggest assets that he brings to the show is his sly sense of humor and the rapport that he has with Michael. As I've noted more than once in this space though, as much as I like Michael and Kenny, unlike Mullins, I'm not really enjoying the revamped INC.

Mark Spoor has a great column on Nascar.com, "We Wonder..." in which he ponders different questions that spring from each week's race. For example, this week he wondered about whether drivers ever "play out the string" or give less than 100% effort as the season winds down and they're in a subpar car that they know they won't be in the following season so the results don't really matter much. But Spoor also ponders whether the mini-turnaround for the #8 team is due to Tony Eury, Jr. being back on the pit box as Dale Earhardt, Jr. thinks or because DEI has finally adjusted to Nascar's rules changes this season as Michael stated on INC. I tend to lean towards Michael's explanation because it seemed as if there were times, particularly in the first few races, that all the DEI teams struggled. I think that DEI is going to have to do a lot of work during the off-season to keep up with any additional changes that Nascar mandates otherwise it won't matter much in 2006 if Tony, Jr. is back with the #8.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:46 PM | Comments (0)

Matt Lawton Suspended for Steroids

12th Player to Test Positive

Matt Lawton wasn't a Yankee for long, only about two months, but during that time he managed to test positive for steroids. Now a free agent, Lawton will have to serve a ten-day suspension for steroids at the start of next season. Lawton was ineffective at the plate and not much better in the field for the Yankees when he was aquired via trade with the Chicago Cubs on August 27. In fact Lawton was so bad that he was left off the post-season roster entirely. So it's almost incredible that it turns out he was using steroids, though perhaps he was desperate to improve his performance since he's a former All-Star and at some point this season decided to try performance enhancers. That was apparently a poor decision as they not only did absolutely nothing for him (or maybe he would have been even worse as a Yankee without them) and will have an even harder time finding a new team with the steroid user tag and the suspension he will need to serve hanging over his head.

To his credit, unlike virtuallly every other player who tested positive for steroids, Lawton isn't trying to claim that he didn't know what he was taking. He said,

"I made a terrible and foolish mistake that I will regret for the rest of my life. I take full responsibility for my actions and did not appeal my suspension. I apologize to the fans, the game, my family and all those people that I let down. I am truly sorry and deeply regret my terrible lapse in judgment."

'd like to see a few more players who test positive take responsiblity for their actions. Is it possible that some of them accidentally ingested something in a poorly labeled suppliment? Yes, it is. But all those players? No way. Some of them, like Lawton apparently, were surely taking steroids knowingly and willingly.

Unfortunately for Yankee fans there are a lot of current and former Yankees who have either tested postive for steroids or been linked to steroids. Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield are the most notable, due to their connection to the Balco case. But the last three players to test positive, Lawton, Felix Heredia and Carlos Almanzar are all former Yankees. I'm sure that's just coincidence but it is interesting to note. Fans of other teams shouldn't gloat too much though. I'm quite sure that every single team has players who still use performance enhancers despite the increased testing. They either haven't been caught yet, are using designer steroids or are using performance enhancers that MLB doesn't test for like HGH and amphetamines.

I'd say that I hope no other players test positive but I think that's unrealistic. As long as there's pressure to perform, players will be looking for an edge and will be willing to take a risk to perform better. And what's ten days anyway? Not much. I'm just surprised that there aren't more prominent players testing positive but either they all weren't using in the first place, quit using or just have better access to designer steroids than some of the fringe players that have been caught so far.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:15 PM | Comments (0)

Alex Rodriguez and Gambling

Report: Yankees Tell A-Rod to Stay Away From Illegal Poker Clubs

Gambling is never a non-story in baseball. The Black Sox scandal of 1919 and Pete Rose are the reasons why. So when Alex Rodriguez, one of the most popular and most well-known players in baseball started getting media attention for playing poker in illegal poker clubs that were later raided by the New York City Police Department it should be no surprise that it might have attracted the attention of both the New York Yankees and Major League Baseball. There is absolutely nothing wrong with A-Rod playing poker. Nor is there anything wrong with gambling, as long as he's not gambling on himself or the game of baseball. I'm quite sure that there are numerous players who play poker and gamble on a regular basis just like many non-athletes do. However, the vast majority of those players are extremely low-key about it because they realize that MLB takes an extremely dim view on anything that might look inappropriate in relation to gambling, even if in reality they aren't doing anything wrong.

Scott Boras is denying that the Yankees ever had a chat with A-Rod about gambling or playing poker in illegal poker clubs but I wouldn't be surprised if they did. There has to be some concern about the way it looks to MLB, to the media and to some fans who might not be so inclined to look at playing high-stakes poker in an illegal poker club as innocent fun. In addition, there has to be some concern about who A-Rod might associate with while he's there and what those people could claim down the road. It's similar to the chat that Nascar might have had with Brendan Gaughan about his admission that he bets on himself as well as some of the discomfort that some at Penske Racing expressed in relation to the Gaughan family's involvement with the casino business. I'm certain that Brendan has done absolutely nothing wrong, the same with A-Rod, but if great care isn't taken there can be an appearance of something improper.

What I don't understand is why A-Rod felt the need to go to these illegal poker clubs in the first place. Perhaps he didn't realize that they were unlawful, though after the first one was raided and got some media attention he should have paid some attention. But A-Rod could go to Las Vegas to gamble and play poker, not to mention he can play poker as much as he wants with his friends in a variety of other locations just as everyone else does. A-Rod is extremely image conscious and it seems strange that he would put himself in a position where he's doing something that might and has resulted in negative publicity. He should feel free to enjoy himself playing poker and gambling, but be low-key about it. Just as since Nascar has no rule about drivers gambling on themselves, Brendan should go ahead and do that if he wants, but he doesn't need to announce that publically because it raises questions in people's minds.

This will not be popular with my fellow Yankee fans but I completely understand why MLB and the Yankees might take a look at exactly what A-Rod does when he goes to those illegal poker clubs and what other gambling related activities he might be involved in. This isn't some sort of anti-Yankee conspiracy, especially since the Yankees might have had a chat with A-Rod. As I said, A-Rod is doing nothing wrong. But the integrity of the game is extremely important to MLB as it relates to gambling considering past scandals. So they need to make sure that everything is above board. In fact, I don't think it's a bad thing if MLB takes a look at A-Rod's activities because they would be in a position to publically clear him of any wrong-doing.

Odds are from here on out A-Rod will be a lot more careful about where he plays poker and with whom whether or not the Yankees or MLB has had a discussion with him. As well he should because if there was one scandal that would overshadow the steroids scandal it would be a gambling scandal.

Posted by silverdsl at 05:13 PM | Comments (0)

It's Been That Kind of Day...

Yesterday I was wondering what irked Michael so much that he might have made this face:

Today I've seen some version of that face any number of times...

"You want me to do WHAT?"

"WHO is going to pay for it?"

"I need to know the answer NOW!"

And on, and on, and on... I should have known what kind of day today might be when I almost fell down the stairs this morning....

Posted by silverdsl at 04:06 PM | Comments (0)

R.I.P. Delana Harvick's Father

From Kevin Harvick's site:

"After a long and courageous fight, John Paul - DeLana's dad - has lost his battle with cancer. He passed away on Tuesday, November 1, 2005.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, we are asking that donations be made to Victory Junction Gang Camp in memory of John Paul Linville. Donations should be sent to:

Victory Junction Gang Camp
4500 Adam's Way
Randleman, NC 27317

We ask that your thoughts and prayers be with Kevin and DeLana - and all of John Paul's family and friends - during this difficult time."

Posted by silverdsl at 10:20 AM | Comments (0)

Conductor Skitch Henderson Dies at Age 87

Founded the New York Pops Among Many Other Accomplishements

I just saw that Skitch Henderson died yesterday at his home in New Milford, Connecticut from natural causes. I had the pleasure of meeting him at an event here at work a few years ago. I got to spend some time with him and he was extremely nice so I'm sad to hear that he passed away. Henderson founded the New York Pops and was the first bandleader for The Tonight Show but he also worked with Frank Sinatra, as his musical director, and Bing Crosby, who was his mentor.

R.I.P. Skitch Henderson.

Posted by silverdsl at 09:50 AM | Comments (0)

November 01, 2005

Photo of the Day - Rocks

Aruba, October, 2005

Posted by silverdsl at 10:40 PM | Comments (0)

In the News: Michael Waltrip (11/1)

The first photo of Michael Waltrip on "Ten Questions With..." on Nascar.com sure is a little scary! Looks like Michael's thinking about having a chat with someone about something that's irking him and I don't think I'd want to be around when hurricane Waltrip came a calling! A few comments on his answers....

It's so true what Michael says about dogs:

"He stays at home but he's always happy to see me. He never asks me how I run, or what the weekend was like. He just has love for me."

Bailey is always happy to see me and Jim no matter what. It always makes me smile how enthusiastically Bailey comes running to the door to greet me when I get home - tail wagging, running around in circles and trying to get me to pet him all at once.

I have to laugh about the way Michael talks about being so laid back when he's driving on the street as compared to the constant "road rage" of being in a race. That seems to be the case for a lot of drivers. It's been said that Delana Harvick doesn't like to drive with her husband because he's like a "grandma" behind the wheel. There are definitely some drivers who like to go fast both on and off the track. But it seems for many they get out all their aggression on the track. I've always wondered if not having all those safety devices that they have in a race car in their street cars might also play a role in why some drivers are cautious and laid back when they're driving on the street.

I really liked this answer:

"If you had to choose, would it be being honest, or being nice?

Waltrip: If you had to choose? Well, fortunately, you don't have to choose, so I'm not. I like to try to be both."

As some might have noticed from my recent rants on how it seems like a lot of folks in Nascar have trouble being up-front, honesty is very important to me. So is being as nice to people as I can. Human beings are not honest 100% of the time, that's just the way that it is. We tell white lies to spare people's feelings, say half-truths, inflate our virtues, etc... Everyone has their own comfort level for what they feel is the right way of being. But in general I try to be as honest as I can even when it's not always the easiest route. Being nice to people is very important to me as well. I try to treat people the way that I'd like to be treated - with kindess, with consideration for their feelings and when I can I try to help people out. Not because I have to or because I'm going to get something out of it but because I think that's the right thing to do. I'm not perfect but I really do try to be as nice as possible and as honest as possible.

The other interesting thing which I thought was kind of suprising is that Michael's not big on practical jokes. With his great sense of humor I would have thought that he might play jokes on people sometimes but apparently not. I'm actually not always comfortable with practical jokes myself as I think that sometimes they are mean-spirited and that might be what Michael is thinking of as well since he commented on one joke that was played on him as being funny, not mean. I suspect that even if he's never plotted to carry out any jokes on anyone that he might have thought of a few good ones.

Going back to the honesty thing for a moment, I have to say that I appreciate that usually in the pre- and post-race reports from the NAPA team, whoever writes them doesn't try to hide misfortune that befalls the team even if it's at their own hands. Of course those reports as spun just as much as any other team's but some teams might leave out the lap 229 miscue in the pits that caused Michael to lose several positions which luckily didn't prove to costly to Michael. A lot of fans probably had no idea that anything even happened in the pits unless they were listening to Michael's radio on Trackpass like I was, and I don't recall it being mentioned on the TV broadcast. So they probably could have left it out and a lot of people would probably have never remembered that it happened. But to their credit they didn't gloss over that aspect of Michael's day. Michael's crew is almost always extremely solid in the pits so I expect that next week in Texas they will have a problem free day in the pits.

Posted by silverdsl at 04:12 PM | Comments (0)

Correcting the Record on Ryan Moore

Turns out Ryan Moore wasn't released after all as was reported on October 21. From Jayski's:

UPDATE: It was reported a week ago that Ryan Moore was released from his development program contract by Dale Earnhardt Inc. Now it appears that is untrue. According to a pay article on daleearnhardtinc.com, Ryan will remain with the team and attempt to qualify for the season-ending Busch Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.(DSM) NOTE: Moore is scheduled to test the #81 Chevy at Homestead tomorrow and Wednesday. Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Kevin Hamlin, and Reed Sorenson are also scheduled to test their Busch cars.(BGNRacing.com)(11-1-2005)

So apparently Moore still has his development deal after all. I did think it was curious that he got released for doing something that countless other drivers have done and kept their rides for. What I can't quite understand is why it took DEI over a week to deny this rumor and when they did it was via a mention in a column by Tim Packman, the webmaster of DEI's website. When it comes to something as big as a driver being released it seems to me that an official denial would have been the way to go to ensure that the word gets out as far and wide as possible that this rumor is false and that they are still on good terms with Moore.

Posted by silverdsl at 12:19 PM | Comments (0)