« May 2006 | Main | July 2006 »
June 29, 2006
Photo of the Day - Window
Cape Elizabeth, Maine, July, 2005.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:02 PM | Comments (0)
A Few Nascar Related Items
I don't have enough to say about any of these things to deem them worthy of their own entry...
*Turns out Mark McFarland's injury he received during the wreck in the Busch race in Milwaukee is indeed much more serious than it was originally thought. An MRI showed that McFarland suffered a dislocated shoulder, which caused some damage to the muscles in his shoulder. While his shoulder is back in it's socket, he can't raise his arm, which significantly limits his mobility, which is why he not only can't race this weekend at Daytona, but also the following weekend at Chicagoland. Martin Truex, Jr. will fill in for him in the #88 for both races. Right now they're saying that McFarland will be back in the car after that, but I'm not sure there's a guarantee that will happen. Some of the baseball players who have had dislocated shoulders, have needed a lot longer than two weeks to recover.
*I had been thinking that both of the cars that Red Bull Racing would be fielding in the Cup series would be sponsored by Red Bull. However, apparently only the car that Brian Vickers will be driving will be sponsored by Red Bull. The second car will be sponsored by an outside sponsor that is still undetermined, because apparently sponsors want to see who the driver is going to be before they sign on. That's a lot different from Domino's/Burger King, who stepped up to sponsor Michael Waltrip Racing's #00 car without knowing exactly who the driver would be. I wonder if the sponsor of that second car will be an existing Nascar sponsor who will move over to RBR or a sponsor new to the sport. Bill Davis Racing also needs to find a sponsor (and driver) for their second car for next season.
*Jeff Gordon announced his engagement to model and actress Ingrid Vandebosch at a croquet event he held in Sonoma for friends and family. Michael Waltrip said on Inside Nextel Cup that he and his family were at that croquet event. That probably comes as a surprise to some fans of Michael's since the prevailing opinion among some is that Jeff and Michael don't like each other. Obviously that's not the case if Jeff invited Michael and family to be there when he announced his engagement. I figured they were friendly on some level because Jeff was one of a handful of drivers who showed up at the Hootie and the Blowfish concert as past of the Operation Marathon festivities in Las Vegas last year. As busy as Jeff is, there were probably quite a few other things that he could have done with his time, but it really said something to me that he showed up to support Michael at that concert.
*Hall of Fame Racing is thinking about adding a second car. It doesn't sound like there's a solid time table but I would expect that they would try to get that second team going sooner rather than later. Single car teams have a really hard time being successful these days so I think it's essential for the future of HoF to add a second car as soon as they find sponsorship. It's also possible that they might make a driver change next season. I think Tony Raines has done a solid, if not spectacular job for HoF, but I imagine they might want to see what a driver with a more successful track record might be able to do once their program is established.
*Todd Kluever plans to race both Cup and Busch full-time next season. He will be taking Mark Martin's place in the #6, as well as continuing to race the #06 in the Busch series. I guess I would like to see Roush Racing keep Kluever in the Busch Series full-time and only make a few Cup starts in '07. I'm just not sure that he's going to be ready to race Cup full-time in '07 and the expectations for him will be very high considering who he's going to be replacing.
*Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s sister, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, is Junior's general manager at JR Motorsports. Does any other team have a female general manager? I couldn't think of anyone. If JR Motorsports continues to develop and expand, she could one day end up being a woman of power and influence in the garage area, more so than she is already. Nascar needs more females in high-level positions, in areas other than marketing, PR or events planning.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:12 PM | Comments (0)
Harrah's to Sponsor Brendan Gaughan at Kansas
I think this deal is somewhat curious. Why? Because the Gaughan family is heavily involved with the casino business in Las Vegas and normally the #77 truck carries a paint scheme advertising one of their own properties, The Orleans. But this week at Kansas Brendan Gaughan's #77 will sport a Harrah's North Kansas City Hotel and Casino paint scheme. Of course being that this particular Harrah's is in Kansas City it's not a direct competitor with The Orleans, but indirectly they do compete with each other. So to me that stikes me as odd that they would end up on Brendan's truck.
Of course as Brendan noted in the press release, he's long been good friends with Robby Gordon, who Harrah's regularly sponsors so there is somewhat of a connection there. Still, it's not lilke Robby drives for Orleans Racing. However, he did shake down a truck for Brendan during a practice recently, so perhaps there's a possiblity that he could race a truck for them at some point, though I had never gotten the impression that Robby was anxious to race in any truck races.
In the end, since the #77 truck has no primary sponsor perhaps it simply came down to a matter of money and that Orleans Racing needed some.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:56 PM | Comments (0)
In the News: Michael Waltrip (6/29)
Michael Waltrip is back in the #99 Aaron's Dream Machine for this weekend's Busch race, and based on the first practice, it appears he might have a pretty good car! Michael was second in that practice and since Daytona is a track where he is a master of racing there, I would say this means there is a very good chance that he will be up front for a considerable part of the race. If he's not going to have as much success as he would like on the Cup level, it sure would be awesome to see him at least be in a position to contend for a couple of wins on the Busch level. His Busch program also struggled last season but it sure does seem like they're turned things around this season. David Reutimann has been excellent in the #99 and Michael has had some decent races as well. I'm hoping this weekend will be better than decent for Michael - a top ten or better sure would be sweet!
Before he races at Daytona, Michael is going to be a part of a ceremony honoring past Daytona 500 winners tomorrow at Daytona USA. Michael will be among those past winners who will put their hands and/or feet in a slab of wet concrete and then sign it, as part of a permanent display. Some of the winning cars, including both of Michael's will also be on display. Other driver who will take part are Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon, Ward Burton and Dale Jarrett. I'd say I'd like to be there, but it will surely be quite a zoo! Michael is doing quite a few appearances this week around the Daytona area, I really wish I was down there to see him!
When it comes to the Pepsi 400, since he is still outside the top 35 in owner's points, Michael will have to qualify his way into the race. I think he should be able to make it in, but given what a huge disappointment it would be for Michael to miss a race at this track, I'm even more nervous than usual for him. Michael said,
“This track has become a part of me over the years. I jog around this racetrack. I think about driving through that tunnel. It becomes a part of you. When I won the Daytona 500 in 2001 it became a bigger part of me, and then again in 2003. I feel like my whole life to some extent has been woven around this place."
Michael's professional career has certainly been permanently bonded to Daytona. Three out of the four wins he has on the Cup level have come at Daytona. Additionally, I think a piece of Michael the person has been tremendously effected by Daytona considering he grew up watching his brother race there and also Dale Earnhardt, a very close friend died there, in the very first Cup race he (Michael) won. If the worst were to happen and Michael were to fail to qualify for this race, I'm sure he would stay up-beat publically, as he almost always is. But privately? I have to think it would be pretty upsetting. So I will have my toes, fingers and everything else crossed for Michael that he makes the race. Even though I probably won't be able to watch much, if any, of the race, I will be thinking of Michael on Saturday night and hoping he does well!
Posted by silverdsl at 04:16 PM | Comments (0)
Ward Burton to RYR a Done Deal?
Lastcowboys.com is claiming that an anonymous source has told them that Ward Burton to Robert Yates Racing in the #88 is a done deal. Now, I wouldn't be surprised to see Burton end up in the #88. However, there's a couple of problems with the Lastcowboys story. First, is that the article seems to say that Burton said in a recent satellite radio interview that he's just waiting for the okay from the team and sponsor before he can officially announce it. There's just one problem with that - I'm almost certain Claire B. Lang said this week on XM that Burton said that recent stories that he's close to a deal and talking to teams/sponsors is over-exaggerating how close he really is to something. It sounded like she was saying that dots were being connected by some members of the media where they shouldn't be. Maybe Burton spoke to or on Sirius, but based on what Lang was saying, it didn't sound like a deal for Burton was anywhere near done.
Also, the Lastcowboys article goes on to speculate about Burton and Tommy Baldwin, Jr. being reunited at RYR. Those two were paired together as driver and crew chief at Bill Davis Racing, from 1998-2002, including when Burton won the Daytona 500. However, if I remember correctly they didn't part on good terms. So I'm thinking that them working together again, unless they've mended fences or I'm not remembering right, might not be too likely.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:40 PM | Comments (0)
Post Office to Commemorate Chalfonte Hotel
This is pretty cool to someone like me who is a big fan of Cape May, New Jersey and especially it's old, historic buildings. Apparently the U.S. Postal Service is going to be honoring the 130th anniversary of the Chalfonte Hotel in Cape May with a special postmark that is a drawing of the sideview of the Hotel. Unfortunately, one can only get the postmark by going to the Chalfonte during certain hours tomorrow but I think it's pretty neat, even though I won't be able to get one.
I find it interesting that the Chalfonte has lasted so long. Not all of the 70 rooms of the hotel have their own bathrooms and none of them have air conditioning, TVs or telephones, which is very different than the norm, even in Cape May. But I guess the hotel has maintained a strong following of guests who don't mind being cooled by nothing other than an ocean breeze and are looking to get away from technology and modern conviences.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:31 PM | Comments (0)
I Want a Lobster Roll!
I love lobster rolls. Sadly, I don't know of any good places around where I live or work to get one. There are some places that have lobster salad sandwiches, but it's really not the same thing. That's one reason why I love going to Maine, other than the beautiful scenery, is because there are many places to get yummy, authentic lobster rolls. Unfortunately Maine is just too far to do in a day trip, otherwise I'd hop in the car one of these days and take a road trip!
I'd try to make my own lobster roll at home, but the best ones are with fresh lobster meat and I don't know of a source of lobster meat that's really fresh nearby either. I could try to cook a lobster but the thought of throwing a live lobster into a pot doesn't really appeal to me. Not to mention with my luck, it would probably bite me!
Posted by silverdsl at 02:19 PM | Comments (0)
June 28, 2006
Photo of the Day - Sculpture
Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ, May, 2006.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:49 PM | Comments (0)
Getting My Rant On
Every so often one of these rambling rants builds up...
I’m always bugged by driver (or player) bashing. As I’ve said before I think every fan has the right to like or dislike any driver they want or be negative and critical of the drivers if they so choose. Let me digress for a moment because it's my blog and I can, to say that being critical of a driver or not agreeing with something they say or do is NOT driver bashing. If you think it is, please take off your rose-colored glasses and learn a little more tolerance for other's opinions. My problem is in the delivery of said opinions - it's possible to say what you think and be negative without bashing. And don't expect that you're going to get a very good reception if you start lecturing people about how "rude" they are because they dare to speak in less than 100% glowing terms. It's actually quite laughable when you think about it because it's so hypocritical - don't criticize the driver, he should be put on a pedestal where he can do no wrong, but it's okay to criticize the fans when they aren't even doing anything wrong in the first place. Let's be clear - there are some things that go too far - bashing, name-calling, excessive negativity that is barely disguished insults, outright insults, offensive language, real rudeness, a lack of respect for the drivers or others, etc... Those are things that shouldn't happen and do nothing to encourage a productive discussion. But getting on people just because they happen to have a different opinion or say something you don't agree with? As wrong to me as driver bashing.
But back to what really prompted me to write this entry and that's driver bashing of the sort that focuses on supposedly how lousy a driver is, by fans of drivers who haven't exactly been setting Nascar on fire themselves. As much as it pains me to dwell on it, the undeniable fact of the matter is that Michael Waltrip’s season so far has been pretty stinky. I don’t expect people, especially those who don’t particularly care for him to ignore that. But it really irks me when I see fans talk about what an awful driver he is (he’s not!) when their own favorite driver has lesser results both in recent years or throughout their career. If anything fans of those drivers should understand how hard it is and how many challenges the drivers can sometimes face from lousy cars to a lack of manufacturer support to racing for teams with few resources. Yet often they don't. Their own driver gets the worst cars ever, their owner treats him unfairly, Nascar is out to get him, he has the worst luck of any driver, he has had many fine runs spoiled by mechanical failures and getting swept up in wrecks not of their own doing, yet it's like they can't imagine that this might be the case for Michael or other drivers as well. Of course those fans argue that Michael is undeserving of a full-time Cup ride on the basis of his career results, while arguing that their own driver is deserving of a ride with a top team, meanwhile his results are worse than Michael's! Michael is really just an example, and what people say about him tends to leap out at me because I'm such a fan of his - this kind of "logic" plays out all the time. For some fans every other driver besides their own sucks.
I really don't get any kind of driver (or player bashing) anyway. These guys have way more talent than the majority of fans do. They don't suck. No, not even Derrike Cope or Bubba Crosby. Fact is to be racing or playing professionally the players and drivers have to have an elevated talent level. Even the drivers who some feel bought their way in with Daddy's money, which is ridiculous because what driver doesn't get some sort of help from family or connections to advance their career? And if a driver does have a sponsorship or other connection to take advantage of, it would be insane not to. This is an extremely tough sport and there aren't many opportunities - drivers need to do whatever it takes to succeed. The driver bashing can be annoying but sometimes it's downright funny, it's so illogical.
And since we're headed to Daytona, what's with so many fans dismissing Michael's two Daytona 500 wins as nothing? Think what you like about restrictor plate tracks but the Daytona 500 is Nascar's equivalent of the Super Bowl. Every driver dreams of winning the overall Championship, but they also dream of winning the Daytona 500. Racing at a restrictor plate track is different than racing at other tracks but if winning the Daytona 500 is so easy, if your driver hasn't won one yet, what does it say about their abilities behind the wheel? Oh yeah, they must have been screwed somehow - by Nascar, by their team, by another driver. Fact is, Michael is a two-time Daytona 500 winner - there are only eight drivers in the entire history of the Daytona 500 being run who have won more than one.
A few other, somewhat related things that irk me, are when people hate a driver because of that driver's fans, when they hate fans just because they are fans of a particular driver or when they lump together all fans of a particular driver and judge them all on the basis of a few people's misbehavior. Of course this is not unique to Nascar - baseball fans often hate the fans of the teams they dislike and are quick to jump to the conclusion that all fans of some teams are miserable, unintelligent people because a few people are. But one reason why I am often careful about saying which drivers I'm a fan of right off the bat is because I want people to get to know me as a person before they start making assumptions and judging me because of their stereotypes about fans who cheer for a certain driver. I'm not ashamed to be a fan of the drivers that I'm a fan of but I don't want someone to assume I'm obsessive and stupid because they've come to the conclusion that all fan of that driver are.
Of course that's one reason why fan misbehavior bothers me so much is because it gives all fans a bad name. When a few fans act like stalkers, harass each other, or otherwise act inappropriately, it often sticks in people's minds a lot longer than the more positive stuff. That's unfortunate, but that's sadly the way things often work. I'd like to think that people will remember how a bunch of Steve Park fans raised $5,000 in his name for the Victory Junction Gang Camp a few years from now like some fans remember a few not-so-good incidents that have happened with some of Steve's fans over the years that are brought up on a regular basis, but I'm not sure that's going to be the case. And that's sad.
I could go on a huge rant right here about fan misbehavior and about some people's lack of respect for the drivers and their fellow fans, but it won't be anything different than what I've said in the past. I think I'll just stop here before I get any more negative and sour.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:09 PM | Comments (0)
Martin Truex, Jr. to Race for JR Motorsports in Place of Mark McFarland
In other injury news, because of a shoulder injury he received in a wreck last week during the Busch race at Milwaukee, Mark McFarland, a rookie this year in Busch racing, will be replaced in the #88 Navy car for JR Motorsports by Martin Truex, Jr. for this weekend's race at Daytona. Apparently McFarland didn't receive the necessary clearances he needed to be allowed to race. What's curious is that yesterday, Steve Crisp, JR Motorsports' Director of Racing was on XM saying that while McFarland had strained some ligments in his shoulder, he had received clearance to race. Suddenly, a day later, he can't race after-all - what's up with that? Just how serious is this injury? We've seen drivers get in the car after hard wrecks the week before, with broken bones, when they're sick with the flu, and essentially race through all sorts of conditions that might leave many others unable to get out of bed, let alone get in a car. Yet with McFarland, a strained shoulder is going to keep him out of the car? I guess it must be pretty badly strained.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:48 PM | Comments (0)
Robinson Cano On DL With Hamstring Injury
Another day, another injury to a key player for the New York Yankees. This time it's second baseman Robinson Cano, who suffered a pulled left hamstring running to second on a double during Saturday night's game. It was obvious then that Cano would likely have to make a trip to the disabled list and that is what has happened. Unfortunately the problem with hamstring injuries is that they can be unpredictable and linger. Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said,
Some [hamstring injuries] go quick, some don't go as quick. We'll see."
Indeed we will. The Yankees have been struggling as of late, and at the worst time possible since the Boston Red Sox are on a hot streak, having won ten games in a row, to put them 3 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees in the division. So losing another player who has been a solid contributor hurts, particularly when they will be facing another hot team in the form of the New York Mets this weekend. I hate to be all doom and gloom, but I'm not feeling particularly good about how the Yankees are going to fare this weekend.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:35 PM | Comments (0)
Islanders/Rangers to Play at Yankee Stadium?
Games between the New York Islanders and New York Rangers are big events as it is for fans of both teams considering the rivalry, but one game between the two teams may be even more of an exciting event than usual. Discussions are underway between the National Hockey League and the New York Yankees about the possibility of the Islanders and the Rangers playing an outdoor game at Yankee Stadium during the winter. There has only been one other outdoor game in NHL history, that one in 2003 in Edmonton between the Montreal Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers, a game which the Canadiens won 4-3. With 56,000 fans in attendance, that game featured the largest crowd ever to watch an NHL game. Yankee Stadium also holds somewhere in the neighborhood of 56,000 people, maybe even more, so taking that and the fact that New York is a major market where something of this nature would surely attract a lot of media attention, must make NHL quite anxious to replicate what they did in 2003 in Edmunton.
Apparently one problem might be whether the Yankees feel the stadium can handle an event in the winter when such things as the water pipes might not hold up to use as well as they do in the summer. Additionally, there is some concern over whether the rink could be constructed without damaging the field. So it's possible that this will never get out of the discussion stages, particularly if the costs are too great. But even though I'm not as big of a hockey fan as I once was, I think this is a pretty neat idea and I'm sure a lot of other fans do too, so I'm sure all parties will do everything they can to make it happen because it would surely bring a lot of publicity and excitment to a league that could use it.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:14 PM | Comments (0)
June 27, 2006
Ward Burton to Return to Cup Racing in 2007?
Apparently Ward Burton is negotiating with two established teams for a possible return to full-time Cup racing in 2007. Burton wouldn't indicate specifically which teams he's been talking to but he did say that they are both teams that have been struggling, and that he hasn't talked to any of the Toyota teams. Naturally most are assuming that one of the teams is Robert Yates Racing and that he would take Dale Jarrett's place in the #88. The article mentions that he could take Casey Mears place at Chip Ganassi Racing, but Burton said that "some dominos are going to have to fall to make it happen, " so I can't help but wonder if he might be a candidate to take over for David Stremme in the #40 if Ganassi runs out of patience with him.
At least one of the deals is dependent on sponsorship, as deals in Nascar often are these days. Ward said,
"One of the things we're working on is the sponsor. I'm working on a couple of things to try to bring something home.''
Of course RYR might be in need of a sponsor for the #88 if UPS opts to go elsewhere, but there may be other teams who are going to need a sponsor or additional sponsorship. One team who would likely be interested in a driver who could bring sponsorship with them is Bill Davis Racing, since I've not heard a word about a driver or sponsor for their second Cup team they are slated to have in 2007, but I think it's pretty unlikely that Burton would go back to BDR.
The one thing I'm wondering about is how well it would work out for Burton to get back in a Cup car without having raced since 2004. The article mentions that he thought he might have a ride for this weekend at Daytona but it fell through, and that he'd like to get into a car before the end of the season. I think that it would e a good idea for that to happen if Burton is going to race Cup full-time in 2007. He's not raced on any of Nascar's three highest levels in two years and while I'm sure Burton's racing ability is very much still there, he might have gotten a little rusty. In addition, there are some things that are different from even two years ago, such as the increasing aggressive driving style of some of the younger drivers and the new way that Nascar catches drivers speeding on and off pit road - that's something that got Ricky Rudd when he filled in for Tony Stewart a few weeks ago. I would think that any driver who's been out for an extended period of time might need a slight adjustment period of a few races to fully reaclimate themselves.
The problem is, who is going to have a car for Burton to jump into? He could probably get into a field-filler type car but that probably wouldn't be the best situation for a driver looking to reestablish himself, and quickly. Perhaps the current driver of one of the teams he's negotiating with will be released prior to the end of the season. I could definitely see that happening with DJ and the #88 - my impression is that there might be somef ill-will there. That way if that's the team that Burton goes to he can not only shake off any rust from not having raced for two years, but also get started on getting to know his new team.
What I think this shows is how thin the pool of available Cup drivers is if a driver out of the sport for two years is being courted by numerous teams. That's not to take anything away from Burton - he's an accomplished driver who will surely end up being an asset to whatever team he ends up with. But normally teams are looking to drivers who are currently racing to evaluate who might be the most successful for them.
I have to admit that Burton has never been high on my list of drivers that I like. But I know he has a huge amount of fans and a lot of people who are hoping that he works something out for 2007. For them I hope he does.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:06 PM | Comments (0)
June 26, 2006
Photo of the Day - Tree Bark
April, 2006. Nothing special, just the bark of a tree that caught my eye.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:59 PM | Comments (0)
Here's a Difference Between the Truck and Cup Series
Last summer when the rumor broke that Bill Davis Racing was talking to Michael Waltrip about giving him a ride for 2006, something that obviously ultimately happened, BDR's general manager, Mike Brown denied the rumor completely and said that they had "no talks at all" about Michael joining BDR. Of course it was almost exactly a month later that it was officially announced that Michael would in fact be racing for BDR in 2006, something I'm quite sure didn't first get discussed in the month between the denial and the announcement, particularly since BDR was helping Michael field the #00 for a few races last season.
Fast forward to this season, there's a rumor, which is most likely grounded in fact, considering the source is Steve Park's current team, that he's going to be racing for BDR in a truck at some point. Yet other than HT Motorsports removing the original item from their website, no one has issued any kind of denial or clarification about what the truth is, or what they want us to believe for now until they're ready to announce the deal offically. Other than, of course, the people who have popped up on fan sites to preach patience and confirm that there is a deal in the works but everyone knows about how reliable anything posted on a message board is.
It's interesting to me how two similar situations have thus far been handled differently. I imagine a big reason for that is how much less attention the Truck Series gets in comparision to the Cup Series. There is talk about the rumor of Steve going to BDR, but far fewer people seem to care than about some drivers in the Cup Series, such as Casey Mears or Brian Vickers, switching rides. If anything, there's more of a storyline when it comes to Steve going to BDR since there's the possiblity that a current BDR driver is losing their ride, and this is something that is goign to happen at some point this season, assuming the deal actually goes through. Meanwhile, Mears and Vickers still have to finish out their current season before they race for their new teams (unless either one gets released). But since the coverage by the media about most everything related to the Truck Series is so miniscule, and the amount of fans who care about what's happening in the truck series are far out numbered by the amount of fans who couldn't care less, I imagine that BDR might not feel that denying or clairifying the rumor is worth the time and effort.
I would love to be a fly on the wall over at the BDR shops, particularly if Steve as a teammate is news to the current BDR truck drivers. That's one reason why rumors need to be addressed so that the current drivers, and their crews, aren't looking over their shoulders waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe they're all completely aware that Steve is coming on board and under what circumstances, otherwise I hope BDR is addressing the rumor internally, if not publically.
The whole thing is fascinating to me as one who formerly worked in public relations full-time and still has an interest and dabbles in it from time to time presently. I'm always intrigued by the approach teams and drivers take towards announcing and managing news. So far this has played out in a most unusual way and I'm interested, but will probably never know, whether any of that is by design on anyone's part or not.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:05 PM | Comments (0)
I Guess It Was a Bit Humid at Infineon
Photo credit: Matt Thacker/ ASP, Inc.
And I thought my hair did crazy things in the heat and humidity!
Posted by silverdsl at 03:01 PM | Comments (0)
Mike Mussina Gets 2,500th Career Strikeout
This is a pretty impressive accomplishement for Mike Mussina - yesterday he became only the 28th pitcher to get 2,500 strikeouts. Just as good was the fact that Mussina rebounded from a couple of outings in which he struggled with seven strong innings to help lead the New York Yankees to a 2-1 win over the Florida Marlins in the first of two games the teams played against each other yesterday. By striking out Cody Ross in the 7th, Mussina became only the second Yankee, after my favorite former Yankee, David Cone, to get his 2,500th strikeout in pinstripes. There are a lot of fans who feel that Mussina has underachieved as a Yankee or that he's not as good as the amount of money he's being paid. But there are only 27 other pitchers who have as many stikeouts as Moose does. And at the moment Moose has a 9-3 record and an ERA of 3.28, even though he's struggled a bit prior to yesterday's game. So I think that the Yankees are very lucky, particularly in light of some of their other pitching woes to have a pitcher like Moose!
Posted by silverdsl at 02:26 PM | Comments (0)
Driver by Driver: Infineon
1. Jeff Gordon - Quite a weekend for Jeff. Got engaged and won his 9th road course race of his career, his 74th overall Cup win. This win shows that Jeff should never be counted out. Ever. Some, including myself wondered if Jeff would be in the Chase this season. This win propells him into 8th in the points standings and now that he's back in, I'm sure he and his team will do everything they can to stay there.
2. Ryan Newman - Best finish of the season for Ryan, and only his second top five of the year. This team really needed a strong finish and Ryan delivered. I don't think he's considered one of the better road course racers in the garage so he probably surprised a few people by finishing this well. Hard to believe that it did nothing for him in the points standings.
3. Terry Labonte - This team has to be beside themselves with happiness with the results yesterday. Not only did Labonte get this team its first top five ever, but he also led 17 laps. Crew chief Felipe Lopez gambled on fuel strategy and asked Labonte to conserve fuel as much as he could. Somehow it all worked out and Labonte got his first top five since 2003. This team is really doing everything right that a brand-new team should do. Some have been critical because they are using two different drivers and taken advantage of Labonte's Championship provisional, but I think they're just using every opportunity available to them to build this team into a successful one. I think eventually they will be exactly that.
4. Greg Biffle - Another driver I hadn't pegged as a really strong road course racer but here he is in the top five. Has now finished 8th or better in his last seven races and moves up one spot in the points to 9th. Exceptional job of keeping the momentum going by this team.
5. Kurt Busch - Kurt started on the pole and for a while it seemed like no one was going to be able to run him down. But as the race went along his car seemed to fade a bit. Still, a very strong race for Kurt and the #2 team which moves him up two positions to 14th in the points.
6. Carl Edwards - Seemed like he was always in the neighborhood when cars were wrecking but in reality I don't think he actually laid a bumper to anyone. Best road course finish of his career. Carl credited Boris Said, who coached Carl for two-days, with his success yesterday.
7. Jeff Burton - Jeff gets some air time, but in comparision to the other drivers in the top ten in points, sometimes it seems like he's an afterthought. I think a lot of people think he will drop out of the top ten eventually but I'm not so sure of that.
8. Elliott Sadler - Some good calls in the pits by crew chief Tommy Baldwin, Jr., untilizing a slightly different pit strategy than some other teams worked out extremely well for Elliott and his team. This is Elliott's first top ten since Martinsville back in April. It moved him up to 19th in the points, but this team still has a lot of work to do if they want to have a decent season.
9. Boris Said - Best finish out of all the road course specialists. I think that had a lot to do with the fact that Boris was racing for a team he co-owns, that is associated with Roush Racing. The other road course ringers were in cars that aren't among the best on the track at other tracks, why would they suddenly turn into contenders now?
10. Jimmie Johnson - Jimmie got lucky because he went for a spin at one point but managed to save it, hit nothing and keep going.
11. Kyle Busch
12. Denny Hamlin - To show how tight the competition is for the last couple of spots in the top ten in points, Denny finished 12th, which isn't bad at all, particularly for a rookie who was in a back-up car after a practice wreck and had to endure engine issues, a cut tire and being involved in a wreck to finish this well.
13. Mark Martin - Moved up a spot in the points to 4th. Like Jeff Burton, I think Mark Martin is sometimes undermentioned considering how well he's been racing this season.
14. Brian Vickers - A decent, but not spectacular finish for Brian. Almost anything he does for the next few weeks, maybe even the rest of the season, unless he wins, will be overshadowed by the news that he will be driving the #83 for Red Bull Racing next season.
15. Martin Truex Jr. - A good finish for a rookie on a road course and Truex has struggled to finish even this well at times. Still, we haven't seen what Truex or this team is truly capable of.
16. Clint Bowyer
17. Matt Kenseth - Only track where Matt has never gotten a top ten and that trend continues. The #17 never really seemed to be much of a contender and matters probably weren't helped when the car was damaged one of the many times that Scott Pruett spun.
18. Jamie McMurray - Qualified on the front row, but spun on the first lap and was involved in a couple of incidents after that. Another unimpressive race for the #26 team
19. Jeff Green - Gene Haas being arrested (and subsequently being released on bail) didn't seem to effect the operations of this team at all.
20. Casey Mears
21. Kyle Petty
22. Jeremy Mayfield - On the surface 22nd doesn't seem to be too bad, but I think Mayfield spend a lot of the race running in back and only finished this well because of problems experienced by some other drivers. What the heck is up with this team? At least Michael Waltrip and the #55 has the excuse of not having manufacturer support and being a new team. But crew changes or not, this is an established team that shouldn't be having such a poor season.
23. Michael Waltrip - Also benefited from other's misfortune, but I'm not complaining about Michael's second top 25 in a row. Hopefully soon this team will make cracking the top 20, and dare to dream, even the top ten a regular occurance.
24. Kevin Harvick - Had a lot of back luck to ruin his day. Kevin had a strong car and even led some laps but he had to pit under green for what he thought was a tire going down and turned out to be a loose wheel. Still managed to rally into the top 20 but eventually got black-flagged because of loose hood pins, which Nascar forced him to go to the pits to have his team repair.
25. Joe Nemechek - Went through the spin cycle a few times.
26. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Not a good race for Junior and his team. The car never seemed to be all that great, Junior spun twice - once with help from Scott Pruett - and also spun J. J. Yeley. The Junior Nation is wringing their hands because he dropped one position in the points standings, I'd be more concerned with this team doing a little more to look like a potential Championship team because right now I think there are stronger teams on the track.
27. Scott Riggs
28. Tony Stewart - Really shows how many teams had problems that Tony was able to finish in the top 30 considering his engine woes. Probably a huge disappointment for Tony and his team since he was running up front until the engine went south and he always has to be considered a threat to win on a road course. Boris Said was extremely displeased with Tony after the race because he felt that Tony raced him way to hard and made too much contact with him at several points during the race.
29. Reed Sorenson - The good thing is that Reed actually improved from his starting position to his finish by 12 positions. Otherwise, it was a rather poor race for him.
30. Scott Pruett - Spun four time! Four! And only once did he have help! David Stremme, the regular driver of the #40, surely could have done at least this well because Pruett probably couldn't have had a much worse race.
31. Kasey Kahne - I'm not really sure exactly what happened to cause Kasey to finish so poorly since he was racing up front for quite a long time.
32. David Gilliland - The hottest commodity in Nascar right now after his upset Busch win. Richard Childress has already expressed interest in signing him and David would be wise to talk to him and a few other owners. Because this car won't be the one for him to achieve greatness in the Cup series in.
33. J.J. Yeley - J.J. was spun by Junior and had very harsh words for him after the race. That surprised me because a while back J.J. was spun by Michael Waltrip and was much more calm about it, brushing it off as just one of those racin' deals. So I didn't expect that he would lash out at Junior, but I guess that's what happens when the drivers are interviewed so soon after they get out of the car before they have a chance to cool down emotionally or physically.
34. Dale Jarrett - Got wrecked but wasn't going to finish well anyway. I guess Yates has all but given up on this team in order to concentrate on Ellott Sadler, in the hopes that he will stick around.
35. Bobby Labonte - Got collected in the same race as DJ.
36. P.J. Jones
37. Ron Fellows - Boy, that $400,000 spent on a special car really paid off for Cal Wells and his #32 team? They actually finished worse in this race than they've been finishing recently with Travis Kvapil behind the wheel.
38. Brandon Ash
39. Dave Blaney - Seemed like he was able to race a little but mechanical problems ruined the race for Dave. Typical race for the BDR Cup teams - if the car isn't slow, then pieces fall off.
40. Robby Gordon - As always on a road course, Robby had high hopes that he might win this race but contact with Boris Said damaged the car, which eventually led to a flat tire which resulted in a broken tie rod, which put Robby out of the race.
41. Ken Schrader - First of three teams that won't receive any points for this race because they were collected in a lap one wreck which meant that they failed to complete even one lap.
42. Sterling Marlin - Just holding on to the last spot in the top 35 in owner's points. If any of the teams below them go on a sudden hot streak or they experience many more bad races, the #14 team could be in even more trouble than they're already in.
43. Tom Hubert
Posted by silverdsl at 10:10 AM | Comments (0)
June 25, 2006
Photo of the Day - Las Vegas
Las Vegas, January, 2005.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:23 PM | Comments (0)
Brian Vickers to Red Bull Racing in 2007
It was pretty much a given that this was going to happen, but Brian Vickers announced on Wind Tunnel on Speed tonight that he's signed with Red Bull Racing for 2007. I haven't heard any of the details yet, so it's hard to fully comment, but I think that this is a good fit for both Brian and RBR. Brian is a young driver who is going to be hungry to win, he will also represent Red Bull well. It also gives him the opportunity to help build a team into a Championship winning team from the ground up.
Last week on Inside Nextel Cup Michael Waltrip made a comment to Vickers about how he should announce the team he was going to sign with on INC and how Toyota would like that. At the time I think most assumed that Michael was just teasing Brian, but now I'm guessing that Michael might have known something. It's clear that Toyota does like announcements made on TV and with much hoopla given the way Michael has announced the signing of Dale Jarrett and who the sponsors of the #00 is. So it's not surprising that Brian would end up making his announcement on Wind Tunnel. If he was going to be on INC tomorrow (Martin Truex, Jr. will be on in his place) he might have even made Michael (and Toyota) happy by making the announcement then.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:48 PM | Comments (0)
Michael Waltrip Finishes 23rd and Other Infineon Thoughts
Michael Waltrip had an extremely loose race car all day today on the road course at Infineon Raceway in California but somehow he managed to hold on and finish 23rd. Some of that was due to other drivers encountering problems, but with how ill-handling he complained his car was at points, he could easily have found trouble himself. Instead, Michael was able to avoid getting swept up in any of the wrecks that occured in front of him to race his way to his second top 25 in a row. Considering how poor the results have been this season for the #55 team, that's something to be pretty happy about and indeed Michael mentioned on the radio at the end of the race that he was proud of finishing 23rd.
Though Michael did a nice job of not getting caught in any wrecks, he didn't completely avoid being a part of any incidents on the track. According to those who were watching the in-car camera via in-demand, Scott Pruett was really giving Michael a hard time as they were racing each other, beating and banging on him, so finally Michael bumped him out of the way. TV showed Pruett spinning, but because of how focused they were on Jeff Gordon taking the checkered flag and it wasn't a regular driver, they never went back to explain what happened. That's probably a good thing since the anti-Michael contingent doesn't need much these days to start ripping him to shreads. When it happened Michael's spotter said "What an a$$hole, good job!" and I would guess that's probably how a number of drivers and teams felt - Pruett was being a pest to many today.
Overall, none of the road course ringers who took the place of regular Cup drivers fared very well. Pruett wouldn't have finished very impressively in the #40 even if he and Michael hadn't tangled. P.J. Jones in the #4 DNF'd and I believe was involved in at least one incident. But perhaps worst of all was Ron Fellows in the #32. Cal Wells spent $400,000 getting a special chassis for the #32 car, arranged for Fellows to drive the #32 and arranged for the usual driver of the #32, Travis Kvapil, to race this weekend in the #78 for Front Row Racing instead. Wells figured that Fellows would contend for the win and that even if they didn't win, they would surely finish well, maybe even good enough to move them into the top 35 in owner's points.
Unfortunately for the #32 team nothing went according to plan. First, Kvapil failed to qualify for the race in the #78. I had a feeling that was going to happen because there were too many road course specialists in better cars that Kvapil would have to out qualify, so many that I wasn't sure that Michael, as excellent as he is on road courses, was going to make it himself. Fellows qualified well for the race, but it was all downhill from there. The car never handled as well as Fellows wanted it to and on top of that they experienced some sort of mechanical problem. The end result was that Fellows finished 37th, ten laps down. Wells might as well have flushed $400, 000 down the drain. I think a better use of his money would have been to leave Kvapil in the car, he certainly couldn't have done much worse than Fellows, and put the money into improvments to his team overall. The team has started to some together a little in the past few weeks, perhaps showing some confidence in Kvapil by letting him race this race might have helped them even more.
The thing of it is that yes, the road course specialists are capable of finishing extremely well in these races. However, they are still working with teams that are not as competitive as some of the larger, well-funded teams. In addition, these days I think there are quite a few regular Cup drivers who are strong on road courses. So I don't think it's a given that the specialists are automatically going to be up-front all race. Boris Said finished the best of all the road course specialists, in the top ten, but I believe his team is working with Roush Racing, which likely gives him an advantage. The same scenario will be in play at Watkins Glen, where teams will replace their regular drivers with road course specialists - I wouldn't be surprised to see it play out the same way, where the results aren't as great as those teams are hoping for.
Overall, I thought this was a pretty good race. I always look forward to the road course races because they're different from the norm and this one didn't disappoint me. Of course I would have liked Michael to have finish better, but it was great to see Terry Labonte up front and as a Jeff Gordon fan of course it was great to see him win too!
Posted by silverdsl at 08:53 PM | Comments (0)
June 24, 2006
The Plot Thickens...
Yesterday Harris Trucking posted an announcement on their website that the race in Milwaukee would be Steve Park's last one in the #59 truck because he was getting a new ride with Bill Davis Racing. HT later amended that statement to remove all mention of BDR. That chain of events was strange enough, but now it gets weirder. Today, HT updated their website to say that "Steve will run an 'encore' race for HT Motorsports in Kansas" and "6/24/06-Steve Park will drive the HT Motorsports No. 59 Melling Ford in July 1st Kansas race. We are excited that Steve has decided to remain with us for at least one more race," which seems to indicate that Steve may be in the #59 for a few races longer.
I think it's pretty obvious that HT wasn't supposed to say that Steve is going to be in a BDR truck, particularly since there's the possiblity that might mean that a current BDR driver loses their ride. But what to make of the rest of it? Is the BDR deal really as done as those who are "in the know" claim it is? If it's a done deal, why the delay? Why was Steve out of the #59 and now suddenly back in? If a BDR truck driver is losing their ride, and they might not be as BDR could be adding a 4th truck, does that driver know? Are Mike Skinner and Bill Lester (Johnny Benson ensured he won't be losing his ride after his second win in a row) suddenly afraid to check their mail, since BDR's preferred way of letting drivers know they've been released is by mail? Will BDR issue a denial that they have ever talked to Steve Park about a ride, followed by an announcement of Steve's new ride with BDR as they did with Michael Waltrip? Is Steve in the library, with the butler and a candlestick?
It will be very interesting to see how things play out in the coming weeks.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:00 PM | Comments (0)
June 23, 2006
Steve Park to Bill Davis Racing
As per an announcement on the Harris Trucking website, tonight will be Steve Park's last race in the #59 truck. Why? Because he will be getting into a truck for Bill Davis Racing. No details are given so I don't know if that is as of the next race, who the sponsor is, whether this is a fourth BDR truck or someone is losing their ride, but this is great news for Steve! The BDR trucks have a much greater chance of racing up front than the #59 does, and it means that Steve might actually be able to contend for some wins this season. I'm really happy for him!
The funny thing is that in retrospect this wasn't very well kept news. There were many rumors floating around that he has some sort of announcement planned, that he might not be staying in the #59, and someone on Ricky Craven's board posted that Steve would be in a BDR truck a few weeks ago. I didn't know whether to take that seriously or not, since I don't really put much into message board rumors but in this case it looks like that person had good information (which bodes well for Ricky Craven fans since he claims he knows what Ricky's next ride is going to be).
What's odd is that I can't say I can ever remember the news of a driver's new ride coming out in quite this way. Not via an offical press release by their new team, an announcement on their website or from a rumor on Jayski's, but by an announcement on their current team's website. I wonder if HT was supposed to say that much? It does steal a little of the thunder and take away some of the surprise factor from Steve's announcement. But that's okay - I'm not going to complain even if they did slip up because it's always great to hear awesome news like this!
Once an official announcement is made I'll have more to say - it's hard to know what fully to think when so much is still unknown. But for now I'm absolutely thrilled that Steve is apparently getting such a great ride!
ETA: Apparently HT mentioned the BDR ride in error. This is the original copy:
HT Motorsports would like to thank Steve Park for his dedication to our team and wish him well on his last race in the 59 HT Motorsports Ford. His professionalism and leadership will be missed. Steve will climb into at Toyota Tundra for Bill Davis Racing.We wish him much success in his future with Bill Davis Racing. We look forward to seeing Steve at the track and welcome the chance to compete with a true gentleman driver. We would also like to thank all of Steve's fans for their support.
It's now been changed to remove references to BDR. Too late! Not only has this been posted on Steve Park Central, but it's also on at least 3-4 other sites as well. Oops!
Posted by silverdsl at 09:28 PM | Comments (0)
Interesting Reading
Anyone who has visited this blog regularly might have noticed that I have a bit of an interest in issues that relate to fans and fandom. This isn't anything new - I've long been intrigued by the relationship between fans and the people/things they adore, and in later years, particularly how that plays out online. Had I gone into the academic world as a professor, I would have likely have gone into an area where I could have actually done some research on fandom. As such I do quite a bit of reading on related topics. So I came across a rather lengthy and fascinating account of what some will do in the name of fandom. Perhaps one reason it's so interesting is because of how often the same themes play out in other fandoms. The names may change but the games are all the same.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:46 PM | Comments (0)
June 22, 2006
Photo of the Day - Flamingo
Aruba, September, 2005.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:19 PM | Comments (0)
In the News: Michael Waltrip (6/22)
There's been a lot of discussion over the past week about the possibilty of Michael Waltrip fielding a third Cup car in 2007. But one other item in relation to Michael Waltrip Racing's plans for next season have also come to light. From Jayski's:
UPDATE 3: Ty Norris, vice president and general manager of Michael Waltrip Racing, said the team is under contract with Toyota to field four teams. The original plan had been to field two Cup and two Busch teams, but Waltrip decided three Cup teams and one Busch entry makes more strategic sense.(NASCAR Scene)(6-22-2006)
That means that David Reutimann in the #99 will be MWR's only Busch entry in 2007 and Michael will likely not race many, if any, Busch races next season. There's always the possiblity that MWR will have a second entry for Michael at some tracks where he likes to race but he will no longer be pulling double-duty on race weekends as much as he's been doing the past few years. Of course there are many reasons why this is a good idea - it enables MWR's Busch program to be soley focused on helping David win the Busch Championship, it eases Michael's busy schedule, which is sure to get even busier as the owner of four teams, and it allows the race car driver part of Michael to concentrate on his Cup efforts. However, many fans, myself included, will miss seeing Michael race all those Busch races. We'll just have to cheer extra-hard for David!
This weekend the Cup series heads to Sonoma to the road course track at Infineon Raceway. Michael actually holds two track records at Infineon. He has the record for most laps completed with 1,548 of 1,554 over the course of 17 starts. In addition, he holds the record for biggest improvment from qualifying to finish, which came in 2004, when he started 40th and finished 4th. That was a truly outstanding display of racing that day and I was incredibly impressed with not only how Michael raced his way through the field, but how he held off some very stiff competition to finish so well.
Michael enjoys racing at Infineon. He said about racing there,
“I’m very much looking forward to Sonoma. Infineon is a track where I’ve always done well. We’ve had the good fortune to race to a few top-10 finishes and we were close to capturing the checkered in 2004. Coming to Sonoma is almost like a weekend off. It gives the drivers a break from the ovals in a refreshing part of the country. I really enjoy coming to this part of the country and meeting NAPA Racing fans that I don’t see often and challenging myself on a road course. I’ve always had a knack for driving a road race, but not because of any particular reason. Part of being successful is not messing yourself up. I think there has only been one race when I didn’t finish on the lead lap and that was due to a big accident I got tangled up in."
Indeed it is a track he has always done well at. His average finish is 15.5, he has one top five and seven top tens. Those seven top tens place him third among all active drivers at this track. Pretty impressive for a guy who is considered by many (who are uninformed) to only be able to race well at restrictor-plate tracks. The fact of the matter is that Michael is an underrated road course racer, who is definitely capable of very strong results at this kind of track when he has a competitive car.
Of course the issue this weekend is going to be whether or not he has a car that's going to be fast enough to allow him to qualify for the race, let alone get as good of a result as he's capable of. Unfortunately, it's going to be difficult for the #55 team to qualify for this race since the competition is going to be even stiffer than usual since so many teams are going to be using road course specialists, including many of the teams that he's been beating to qualify for races recently. That doesn't mean that Michael and the #55 team can't do it - simply that qualifying may be even more of a challenge for them than it already has been. But Michael definitely knows how to get around this track so if they fail to qualify it won't be due to a lack of effort or ability on his part.
But before going to Sonoma, Michael had a few stops to make. Apparently there was golfing with executives from Remington at Pebble Beach, but also he and Macy delivered Domino's pizza in Oregon to the winner of the “Get the Door … It’s Michael Waltrip” auction on Ebay which raised money for the American Red Cross's Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. Based on the article it sounds like all involved not only helped raise money for a very good cause but had a lot of fun too!
Posted by silverdsl at 04:15 PM | Comments (0)
Six Cast Members from The Sopranos Remain Unsigned For Final Season
Apparently tomorrow is the "D-Day" for HBO in regards to salary negotiations with the six unsigned cast members from The Sopranos - if they can't agree to terms with Tony Sirico (Paulie), Steven Van Zandt (Silvio), Lorraine Bracco (Dr. Melfi), Jamie Lynn Sigler (Meadow), Robert Iler (A.J.), and Steven Schirripa (Bobby Bacala), then taping for the final season will go on without them. I think that would be deadly for the show. It might be plausible to write out a couple of the characters, but I think they would have a very difficult time writing around the loss of so many major characters. Supposedly, negotiations with Sirico and Van Zandt are going the worst of all. Both want to be paid $200,000 per episode, over $100,000 more than they each made per episode last season. I wonder how badly HBO wants them back?
Posted by silverdsl at 04:03 PM | Comments (0)
Scott Riggs Injured; Bill Elliott on Standby in Case He's Needed
In a freak accident, Scott Riggs was cut on both feet while on vacation with his family in Myrtle Beach, and had to recieve 12 stitches on his left foot and 8 stiches to the big toe of his right foot. The injury happened while he was unloading a personal watercraft and stepped on an oyster bed. As a result while he's going to make every effort to do so, there is a possiblity that Riggs may not be able to race this weekend. So Evernham Motorsports has asked Bill Elliott to be available on standby to get in the car, if Riggs can't. Hopefully Riggs will be able to be in the car all weekend, but since the cuts were on his feet, I can see how it might be pretty painful for him to race.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:45 PM | Comments (0)
Ozzie Guillen Calls Reporter a "Fag"
Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen has since apologized for calling Chicago Sun-Times writerJay Mariotti a "fag" but I don't think his apology in any way excuses his extremely poor and offensive choice of words, particularly considering Guillen's history. This latest incident occured this week when Guillen said to reporters, "What a piece of [expletive] he is, [expletive] fag," because he was upset with a recent column by Mariotti that criticized the way Guillen acted towards rookie pitcher Sean Tracey. (Guillen yelled at him in the dugout, not only in front of all of Tracey's teammates, but also in view of the TV cameras).
Guillen's excuses for the slur he directed towards Mariotti are weak. He said,
"I don't have anything against those people. In my country, you call someone something like that and it is not the same as it is in this country."
It's true that in different countries words can take on different meanings and that in Venezuela, while the word still has a negative connotation, it doesn't refer exclusively to homosexuals. But Guillen has been in this country long enough where he should understand which words are offensive and which aren't. That's especially true for someone in his position, who speaks with the media on a regular basis.
I also find it troublesome that Guillen refers to homosexuals as "those people." He claims he has gay friends, but one normally doesn't single out a group of people that you are completely comfortable with by referring to them as "those people." Even worse is that Guillen has a past history of using extremely poor judgement when it comes to "jokes" about homosexuals (as well as many of his overall comments, as he runs his mouth frequently). Last summer he made a "joke" equating a homosexual with a child molester and also referred to outfielder Tadahito Iguchi as "queer." When it was pointed out to him that some might be offended by his "jokes" Guillen had very much the same excuses that he did this time, in that he didn't mean it "that way." Well, then what way did he mean it?
I think some White Sox fans believe that Guillen was justified in insulting Mariotti because there's a long-standing dispute between Mariotti and the White Sox. Additionally some feel that when a reporter writes in less than glowing terms about a team or its players then they deserve to be abused. But being critical of a team, or writing articles that don't go over well, absolutely does not under any circumstances make it acceptable to insult, belittle, be rude, name-call, bash or any of the other inapprorpriate behavior that some fans feel that Mariotti deserves. In addition, a lot of fans don't seem to think there's anything wrong with making gay jokes. But the fact of that matter is that they're just as offensive as any other remark directed towards a racial, religious or ethnic group.
The sad part about all of this is that as they always have, the White Sox likely won't do much of anything to discipline Guillen. He's won a World Series for them and the White Sox are only one game back in the AL East - no team really wants to discipline a manager who is guiding the team to so much success. That's unfortunate because it sends a message that Guillen can do whatever he wants and get away with it. Perhaps there will be internal meetings with Guillen where he will promise to watch what he says, but if the White Sox aren't willing to take action against him, he really has nothing to fear and can continue saying and doing whatever he wants. And just to clarify for those who think the First Amendment applies here - it doesn't. The White Sox are a private organization and can, discipline their employees for things that they say if they deem them inappropriate.
Shame on Guillen, shame on the White Sox if they do nothing.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:11 AM | Comments (0)
June 20, 2006
Photo of the Day - Waterloo Village
Waterloo Village, Stanhope, New Jersey, May, 2006.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:29 PM | Comments (0)
Gene Haas, Owner in Cup and Busch Arrested
This will likely have no immediate effect on race operations, but Gene Haas the owner of the #66 Cup car driven by Jeff Green and the #00 Busch car driven by Johnny Sauter has been arrested after being indicted on charges that he orchestrated a tax fraud scheme that involved more than $20 million, as well as charges that he intimidated witnesses and federal investigators. Allegedly there was some sort of bogus invoicing scheme primarily involving Haas Automation, but also possibly one of the race teams, according to The New York Times, that created fake deductions. Naturally Haas claims that he's innocent, and blames everything on Haas Automation's former Chief Financial Officer, who went to the government in 2001 and sung like a canary about how Haas ordered him to cheat the government out of nearly $9 million in taxes. Haas was ordered to be held without bail because he was deemed a flight risk.
Haas's race teams will probably show up to the track each week and continue to function for the near future at least, as if nothing happened. However, if Haas is found guilty, I would imagine the government will be extremely interested in collecting that $20 million, and unless Haas has it elsewhere, they might look to get part of that money out of the race teams, particularly since at least one was named as being involved in one of the schemes. There have been some rumors that Haas was looking to expand to a second Cup car, and I would think that Haas being arrested might cause some sponsors and drivers to think twice about getting involved. The thing is that if the government doesn't seize the teams, even if he's found guilty and has to serve time, it might not spell the end of his teams or his involvement in Nascar. Rick Hendrick pleaded guilty to mail fraud charges, related to his Honda dealerships, and was sentanced to a year of house arrest before being pardoned by former President Bill Clinton. His teams continued to operate and have enjoyed a significant amount of success in the years since.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:23 PM | Comments (0)
More Rumors About Elliott Sadler Leaving Robert Yates Racing
Over the weekend, more rumors circulated that Elliott Sadler is unhappy at Robert Yates Racing, particularly since Dale Jarrett has announced that he is leaving at the conclusion of this season, and that Sadler would like to leave for potentially greener pastures. That rumor was swiftly denied by Robert Yates yesterday. He said,
"That's not what he's telling me. That's all I can really say. I guess the grandstand can start speculating anything. So far, he hasn't communicated that with me yet."
Problem is that I'm not sure that Sadler would tell Yates that he was looking around for a new ride. Apparently Sadler also said to fans at a recent fan club meeting that he was planning on staying at RYR, but what choice does he have but to say that? If he left RYR, especially before his contract ended, it wouldn't be a very popular decision. In addition, Sadler can't really tip off RYR that he might be entertaining other offers, particularly if there's a chance that in the end he will end up staying there. Just about all the drivers say that they would like to stay with their current organization because of how it would sound if they said that they wanted to leave, but plans change quickly - just ask Casey Mears.
In this sport denials are sometimes the first signal that there is truth to a rumor. I happen to think that with this many rumors about Sadler, there must be some truth there somewhere, even if he's just been listening to a few offers to see what's out there, as opposed to actively looking for a new ride. I think I said the last time that these rumors came up that it would be a good idea for Sadler to at least listen to what other teams are offering so he can make the decision that's best for him based on the most information possible and I still think that. Sadler might miss out on a really outstanding opportunity if he doesn't at least listen casually.
In addition, Sadler might not be seriously thinking about leaving Yates now, but that could change if the results this season don't improve. Subpar results week after week have a way of making a driver very unhappy. Elliott's plans could change even further if he doesn't like what RYR tells him about who his new teammate might be and what else RYR plans on doing to right their sinking ship. The organization isn't in great shape right now, and while I don't think they're so far off that their problems can't be fixed, there may be other organizations that are on the rise that mght be interested in Sadler's services where he might be able to get very strong results.
I think the M&Ms sponsorship fits Sadler very well, so for that reason I would hate to see him leave RYR. However, Sadler needs to make the decisions that are going to be best for him and his career. That may end up staying at RYR and helping that organization improve. Or that might be going elsewhere, if he feels another team might offer him more chances to get to Victory Lane and contend for a Championship, something he's not doing this season for RYR.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:01 PM | Comments (0)
June 19, 2006
In the News: Michael Waltrip (6/19)
Michael Waltrip made a big announcement this weekend about sponsorship for Michael Waltrip Racing's #00 car in 2007. Most people had guessed that Domino's would be sponsoring the #00 car given Michael's comment on
I think it's awesome for Michael and MWR that both of these companies will be so heavily involved. Domino's has done some great commercials and promotions with Michael and I think there are a lot of opportunities for Burger King to utilize Michael and whoever their driver ends up being in a similar way. It also shows that Michael and MWR must be doing something right if two more major sponsors have signed on - if they weren't confident that MWR was going to be a successful operation in the future, they wouldn't be willing to spend the millions that it takes to sponsor the car. That's a nice vote of confidence for sure!
The other significant piece of news that came out of this press conference is that it sounds like it's more likely than not that MWR will field three cars next season, regardless of whether UPS follows Dale Jarrett to MWR or not. Apparently UPS as a sponsor is still in play since if they weren't, DJ would probably have been announced as the driver of the #00. But based on what Michael said on Saturday, there are other sponsors that they are talking about who could potentiallly be on the third car. He said,
“There are a couple of companies interested in sponsoring this team and we set a deadline on ourselves on making a decision. We are building all the cars we possibly can for 2007 right now, so nothing will change at this point if we go to three cars. So mid-July is our personal deadline to decide if we will indeed have a third Cup team. I would say it is better than maybe that we will have it. We feel that that all the resources and synergies that we have by having more teams, we will make our cars faster because of that– which is ultimately the goal. To get to that this early would be a real bonus to our organization.”
From all indications, it sounds like having a third team is something that MWR very much wants to do and that they think that it will benefit their organization to field more cars that less. On one hand, I think that they are headed in the right direction with that goal since the more successful organizations have more than two teams. However, I have to admit that I'm a little concerned that having three full-time teams immediately for an organization that will be new to fielding one full-time Cup team completely on their own, let alone, three might present a lot of challenges. That's not to say that it can't be done successfully if they have a good plan - and if there's one thing that Michael is good at, it's coming up with solid plans for the future - but until I see the results on the track, I'm going to worry that it might spread their resources a little thin, as an organization newly expanded.
Of course if they do have a third team, the question is - who will drive the car? There aren't a tremendous amount of available drivers but I wouldn't be surprised to see MWR do the unexpected in terms of who they might put in their third car.
All in all, while the results on the track were once again not as good as what the #55 team would ideally like, the news for MWR was very positive this weekend!
Posted by silverdsl at 04:23 PM | Comments (0)
Driver by Driver: Michigan
Much as the Cup race itself in Michigan was a shortened one due to rain, this driver-by-driver entry may also be more compact than usual, given that the race fell short by 71 laps. Some have criticized Nascar's decision to call the race so quickly without waiting to see if the rain would stop and they could dry the track before it got dark, but I can't fault Nascar considering how much it was pouring when they made the decision, that the track has no lights and that the teams have a tight-time table this week since they have to head out to California.
1. Kasey Kahne - Fouth win of the season for Kasey! All other teams should beware when Kasey wins a pole - this was his third win from the pole this season. It wasn't an easy win either - on lap 47 debris on the radiator caused the engine to start overheating. Kasey had to come into the pits for it to be removed and subsequently lost a lap. However he got back on the lead lap thanks to the lucky dog and made his way back to the front. So to me this win was definitely earned by this team, even though some will complain that a win in a race shortened by rain isn't really a win.
2. Carl Edwards - The man who was probably most unhappy with the race being rain-shortened because he also had a good car and led some laps.
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - A third place finish moves Junior up two spots in the driver's points.
4. Greg Biffle - Greg and his team have to be commended because they worked extremely hard to overcome their early season bad luck to get back into contention for the Chase for the Championship. It all paid off because with a 4th place finish, Greg moves into 10th in driver points. I doubt he's going to give up his spot in the Chase easily.
5. Reed Sorenson - Best finish in Cup of his career. Came as a result of good pit strategy because Reed's team opted to get only two tires instead of four. That put them out front on the restart, and while he lost some positions, he got a much needed top five.
6. Jimmie Johnson - Also used good pit strategy - or rather not pitting when others did - to ensure that he finished in the top ten.
7. Casey Mears
8. Jeff Gordon - Another top ten at a track where Jeff races extremely well but it wasn't enough to get Jeff back into the top ten in driver points.
9. Kurt Busch - A cut tire forced Kurt to come in for an unscheduled pit stop, but quick work by his pit crew allowed him to get back on the track without losing a lap. However, Kurt had to come from a low of 40th at one point to finish 9th.
10. Kevin Harvick - I really don't remember much about Kevin or his RCR teammate who finished just behind him, Jeff Burton, during the broadcast. Yet here they are in the top ten.
11. Jeff Burton
12. Denny Hamlin - Good enough to keep him in the top ten in driver's points.
13. Matt Kenseth - What a day for Matt and his team! In a lot of ways they are very lucky to finish in the top 15. First there was a tangle with Bill Lester on pit road that damaged the #17, then a tire got away from the team during a pit stop which cost Matt positions, and finally an incident with Ryan Newman caused Matt to take a spin. None of this caused the team or their driver to give up, resulting in a fairly decent finish.
14. Kyle Busch - A lot of teams would happily take a top 15, but in Kyle's case it caused him to drop out of the top ten in driver's points. I'm not sure this team will have enough to get back in.
15. Ryan Newman - Of course it's hard to draw too many concrete conclusions when the race didn't go to it's scheduled finish but this is another so-so finish from a team that should be much stronger.
16. Martin Truex Jr. - Though the same as above applies, fans are still waiting for Truex to live up to his potential in Cup.
17. Brian Vickers - Brushing the wall damaged the fender and likely prevented Brian from finishing as well as he might have otherwise.
18. Robby Gordon - Lucky to have finished in the top 20 considering he took a spin early in the race.
19. David Stremme - This was actually Stremme's best finish of the season. If he can at least finish in the top 20 more often than not each race, he'll do himself a big favor.
20. Dale Jarrett - As has been par for the course for the #88 team recently, they were slow in practice and didn't qualify so hot. But DJ pulled out a top 20 which isn't too bad, all things considered.
21. Travis Kvapil
22. Elliott Sadler - Another finish beneath what Elliott and this team are capable of. There was another rumor circulating this weekend that Elliott wanted out of Yates which was quickly denied. But if his season continues to go down hill like this I can't blame him for looking around.
23. Jamie McMurray - Had a loose racecar, then got into J.J. Yeley and spun him. This team really needs to work on their consistancy.
24. Sterling Marlin
25. Michael Waltrip - A better finish than they've gotten recently, though still not wonderful.
26. Joe Nemechek - Got swept up in the Yeley/McMurray incident.
27. Mark Martin - A bit of a mini-slump for the #6 team. For the second week in a row they finish outside the top 15, only the third time all season that they've failed to finish 15th or better.
28. Bobby Labonte - Started 5th and seemed off to a promising finish but a tire loosing air precisely when the rain started to fall meant that Labonte had to fight to even finish 28th.
29. Scott Riggs -
30. Dave Blaney - Another race, another less than impressive finish for the #22.
31. Scott Wimmer
32. Bill Lester - Tangled with Matt Kenseth on pit road.
33. Jeff Green - Spun Tony Stewart, then claimed he doesn't race that way, meaning that he doesn't deliberately spin people. He might not have intentionally spun Stewart, but Michael Waltrip fans know that sometimes Jeff does in fact race that way.
34. Kevin Lepage - Not getting much better results than Brent Sherman did so far, but that's not surprising considering how few resources this team has to work with.
35. Kyle Petty - A cut tire ruined his day. Why does it seem at least once caution a race involves Kyle? It's often not of his own doing - cut tires, loose tires, blown engines, getting wrecked - Kyle has very bad luck.
36. Jeremy Mayfield - Another bad race for the #19, this time due to handling issues.
37. Mike Skinner - I don't think Skinner was mentioned once in this race.
38. Tony Raines - Had a tire go down.
39. Clint Bowyer - Couldn't avoid hitting a spinning Tony Stewart.
40. J.J. Yeley - Probably not too happy with Jamie McMurray after Jamie spun him.
41. Tony Stewart - Instead of ripping Jeff Green to the media, took out his anger with a sledge hammer on his ruined car. Well-done Tony!
42. Ken Schrader - Another innocent victim of the Yeley/McMurray incident.
43. Derrike Cope
Posted by silverdsl at 11:55 AM | Comments (0)
June 18, 2006
Photo of the Day - Kasey Kahne
Pocono, July, 2005. Kasey Kahne won today for his fourth win of the season, in a rain-shortened race - so awesome how well he's doing this season! I just wish he had his eyes open when I took this photo!
Posted by silverdsl at 10:48 PM | Comments (0)
Huge Upset: David Gilliland Wins Busch Race in Kentucky!
A lot of people who missed Saturday night's Busch race in Kentucky and just checked Nascar.com for the results were probably thinking "David who?" But after his Busch win in Kentucky, David Gilliland is an unknown no more. Racing for the unsponsored, part-time #84 team fielded by Clay Andrews Racing, Gilliland held off a hard-charging J.J. Yeley for his first-ever Busch Series win. This win has to be considered a huge upset, that no one could possibly predict, not because Gilliland isn't a talented driver - he is - but because the #84 team without an outside primary sponsor, only running a partial season, is the kind that most would assume wouldn't be able to compete against the full-time Busch teams, let alone the Cup-backed teams. But somehow they did it, and in very fine fashion!!
It's incredible really - Gilliland had finishes of 39th at Las Vegas, 29th in Texas, 33rd in Phoenix, and 30th in Richmond. Nothing to write home about by any means. But somehow this team showed up with a vastly more competitive car this weekend, qualified 4th and won the race! Gilliland said,
"You come into this, you're the lowest of lows -- the lowest on the totem pole you can be."
Indeed, before yesterday this team probably registered on no one's radar - not a problem now!! Some may say that it was "easier" for Gilliland than in some Busch races because there weren't as many Buschwackers as there have been in some other races this season. But there were enough. Gilliland still beat full-time Cup drivers such as Yeley, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick, as well as teams backed by Cup organizations such as Gibbs, RCR and DEI.
I think there's a lesson in Gilliland's win in that if this tiny Clay Andrews Racing team with no sponsor can go out and win, than any team can if the pieces all come together for them in the right way. As talented a driver as I think Steve Park is, given all the challenges that both the #31 Whelen team in Busch and #59 Harris Trucking team in the Truck have to face, I've been thinking that it's very unlikely that we will be seeing him in Victory Lane this season? But is it really that impossible? Steve got a top ten with the #59 truck once already, maybe one of these races the truck will handle even better, the engine will have even more horsepower, the pit stops will all be perfect and everything will come together in such a way that Steve will be the next David Gilliland, the next driver who no one ever thought had a chance to win but somehow did.
Gilliland was beyond excited in Victory Lane and his excitement was so contageous that even though I wasn't there in person, I couldn't help but smile. I think that was one of the best Victory Lane celebrations I've ever seen because of how genuinely overwhelmingly happy Gilliland and his entire team was. As I was seeing Gilliland bouncing up and down with excitment, I couldn't help but think of Steve and how thrilled he and his Orleans Racing team was last year when they won the truck race in California. I could picture Steve getting that excited again, with a huge smile on his face - how sweet it would be to see that. Or Michael Waltrip when he finally brings the #55 into Victory Lane, something I think will eventually happen at some point in the future.
What Gilliland represents is hope - the hope that drivers and teams have that they will be the lucky ones to win, the hope that keeps them going. It's the eternal hope that fans have that against all odds their driver will win - that hope that keeps them watching race after race, even if their driver hasn't won in a very long time, or has never won at all. I hope that other drivers who are completely under the radar like Gilliland pull out a few more upset wins this season to help keep that hope alive!
Posted by silverdsl at 09:33 PM | Comments (0)
Johnny Benson Wins at Michigan; Steve Park Finishes 31st
The big story from Saturday's truck race at Michigan is that it was Johnny Benson's first truck series win. Johnny now joins a small group of drivers who have won on each of Nascar's highest three levels - awesome! I knew this win was going to come sooner or later this season, likely sooner, because other than a 30th place finish at Martinsville, Johnny hasn't finished outside the top 15 all season. In past seasons Mike Skinner had the strongest Bill Davis Racing truck team, and it's still a good one, but I think that all the pieces have really come together for Johnny and his #23 team. They are almost always running up front and yesterday it paid off for them big time! Johnny had to battle a hard-charging Mark Martin for the win and considering how strong Mark has been in the trucks all season, beating him was no small matter. What made this win even sweeter for Johnny is that it came at his home-track, and with a large group from his fan club in attendance. In fact, Johnny acknowledged them from Victory Lane, which is a really awesome thing for him to do!
The other team that I was extremely impressed with in this race was David Reutimann and the #17 team. I was asleep for part of the race so I can't say for sure exactly what their issue was, but I believe they had a mechanical problem which led to them being two laps down in 31st position at one point. Some teams given up on any chance of a good finish, but not Reutimann and the #17 team. By ensuring that they were in position to get the lucky dog, not just once, but twice, they got back on the lead lap and astonishingly Reutimann finished 15th. By not quitting on this race, Reutimann was able to move up to second in driver's points because Ted Musgrave didn't have a good race. I think what the #17 team was able to do - not panic and keep pushing hard, is a sign of a team that could very well win the Championship should Todd Bodine slip up at all. I'm really excited that Reutimann is having such a great season!
Steve Park ended up finishing 32nd. I guess the team made an adjustment on the first pit stop which might not have been the change to make because according to someone at the race, it made the truck really loose and Steve wasn't able to do anything with it. Apparently on further pit stops they weren't able to make the truck any better. It's very unfortunate because the truck was likely a better one than a 32nd place finish so I'm sure it was very frustrating for Steve and his team. Sometimes a team is able to change the way a truck or car is handling, but other times there's no magic wand that can be waved to make things better. That makes for a very long day and losing laps makes things even harder.
Steve got a top ten in the #59 at Mansfield, so this team is capable of better results than they're getting at the moment. Problem is, as I keep harping on, it's really challenging when they don't have manufacturer support, a full-time primary sponsor or even the personnel to fill out a complete regular pit crew. What else can they do but keep working as hard as they can, just like Steve is behind the wheel, in the hope that one day it will all come together for them?
Posted by silverdsl at 04:56 PM | Comments (0)
Teresa Earnhardt Agrees to Give Dale Earnhardt, Jr. the Rights to His Name
Excellent news for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Although Marty Smith's article, phrases it as DEI agreeing to give Junior the rights to his name, in reality since Teresa Earnhardt owns those rights, she's the one who agreed to give them to Junior, the rightful owner, since afterall, it is his name. Smith wrote,
Essentially, it came down to trust. Once she (Teresa) trusted him enough to cherish what Dale Earnhardt means, she obliged the deal.
I think that's a very sad commentary on the state of things. Supossedly Teresa wanted to protect the way the Earnhardt name was used but if anyone knows what Dale Earnhardt means, it's his son. How could there be any doubt of that or that Junior might not know how to cherish the memory of his father? Maybe she and Junior differ in the way they view Dale, Sr.'s legacy, but there's no doubt in my mind that to both of them he was much loved and much revered. I also think that with how many people Junior has around him managing his business affairs, he should be trusted from a business perspective to make decisions about how his name is used. But then again, he did sign over those rights in the first place, which wasn't a wise decision.
I'm curious as to what the "terms" were that Junior and DEI agreed to in order for this to happen. Did money change hands? Did Junior have to make any promises, such as that he would stay at DEI for the remainder of his career? Not that it makes that he's getting the rights to his name any less of a good thing, but if there are terms Junior might not have gotten those rights completely for free, as I think he should, since... you guessed it - it's his name. Hopefully there really aren't any "terms" and that's just the way Smith wrote the article, because I think it would be unfortunate if Junior had to pay to get his name back.
In any event, this is a very good thing for Junior. It's essential that he owns the rights to his own name so he can fully decide for himself how it's used. I think it's extra-nice that this happened on Father's Day weekend - it's almost like it's a present from Dale, Sr. Of course the cynical part of me wonders if this agreement was announced this weekend by design. But I'm not even a very big fan of Junior and I'm happy for him that in the end this worked out as it should.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:36 PM | Comments (0)
June 16, 2006
Just One of Those Days...
... when I don't have much to say other than...
Yay for Michael Waltrip being 19th in 1st Cup practice - I hope that means good things for qualifying and the race!
Yay for Michael that he's making a sponsorship announcement on Sunday morning from Victory Lane!
Not-so-yay that Steve Park was only 28th in final practice for the trucks, but hopefully the truck will be better tomorrow!
Not-so-yay that Mike Mussina and the Yankees lost yesterday but hopefully they will fare better tonight in inter-league play against The Nationals starting tonight.
Lastly, a huge yay for great weather all weekend and cooking out on the grill tonight!
Posted by silverdsl at 03:32 PM | Comments (0)
June 15, 2006
Photo of the Day - Swan
Meadowlands, New Jersey, April, 2006. Yes, there is actually wildlife in the Meadowlands! I didn't expect to see any swans during our walk though the Meadowlands though.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:02 PM | Comments (0)
Derek Jeter Not Supportive of Alex Rodriguez?
It sure seems that way based on some of Derek Jeter's recent comments, or shall I say the comments he hasn't made. Alex Rodriguez has been getting boo'ed unmercifully by New York Yankee fans at Yankee Stadium while he fights his way through a slump at the plate. The booing has gotten so bad that fans don't even wait to see an outcome of an at-bat before they start booing him. So when Derek Jeter was asked to comment on the booing he said,
"It happens to everyone, man. We won the game. Come out and play tomorrow. I was getting booed, Mo [Mariano Rivera] was getting booed at the beginning of the season. Everybody goes through it. You've got to work your way out of it. It's not like this is the first time somebody's been booed. It happened to Tino when he came here. It happens to everyone."
On the surface I don't think Jeter said anything wrong. He's 100% right in that every player gets booed when they fail in the fan's eyes, especially when it's over an extended period of time. He's also right that players simply need to suck it up, deal with the booing and end it by breaking out of the slump. Those comments might be fine coming from another player, but Jeter is the team captain. As such, I believe that he should find a way to be supportive of A-Rod, as he's done with other players who have been booed in the past. Jeter can't tell the fans to quit booing A-Rod, because it makes it seem like A-Rod is weak and can't handle it, but he certainly can say something like, "Alex was the league MVP last season and he's an important part of this team. I have full confidence that he will break out of this slump and start hitting like he's capable of soon."
But Jeter opted not to go that route. It's particularly glaring when one considers that Jeter stuck up for Jason Giambi when he was getting booed after grand jury testimony that he used performance enhancers was leaked and he was slumping terribly. At that time Jeter said,
"The fans need to start cheering for him. If you're a Yankee fan and you want to win, you need Jason to do well."
Jeter can manage to tell the fans to cheer for Giambi, when he's the face of steroid use in MLB, something which is a lot more serious and a lot less forgiveable than a slump. So why not a similar comment in relation to A-Rod?
On the other hand, closer Mariano Rivera didn't have any qualms about stating his feelings on the fans booing A-Rod.
"It's a shame all the fans are booing a guy for nothing. Everybody goes through this."
Which is exactly what Jeter as team captain could have, no, should have, said. As captain, it's Jeter's responsibility to lead his teammates, but also to support them. Some say that Jeter never wanted to be captain, so therefore he doesn't have to live up to the responsibilites that goes along with that prestigious title. I don't agree. Like it or not, that is his role.
What this does is fuel the speculation that hard feelings still exist between A-Rod and Jeter, and that Jeter doesn't really like A-Rod very much anymore. If that's true, that's Jeter's right. Not every teammate is going to like each other. But I still say that a team captain needs to be publically supportive of all his teammates, whether he likes them or not.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)
Esteban Loaiza Arrested for DUI, Reckless Driving
As much as they've probably tried to forget about him, some New York Yankees fans may remember Esteban Loaiza, who the Yankees aquired from the Chicago White Sox for Jose Contreras. I'm just guessing that's a trade the Yankees would like a do-over on if given a chance. But a couple of teams later, Loaiza is in the news again because, ESPN is reporting, that he was arrested for DUI and reckless driving. The reckless part probably has something to do with the fact that he was caught doing over 120 mph in his Ferrari. Loaiza was supposed to start for the Oakland Athletics in today's game, his second since coming off the disabled list recently, but I'm guessing that after spending the night in jail, might not be up to taking the mound. I'm sure the A's are very displeased that he got arrested, but I'm sure they also aren't thrilled that he was out drinking the night before he was due to pitch.
I think the same things every time an athlete is caught driving under the influence. First I think - asshat! Same as I think about anyone who drinks and drives. But from there I wonder why they don't hire a limo for the evening? The majority of athletes have enough financial resources that they don't have to put themselves in that kind of a position because they can afford to pay for transportation for the evening. In addition, one would think that with as careful as most athletes are about their image, that they wouldn't take the risk of doing something that could get them a lot of negative publicity and do damage to their reputation.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:29 AM | Comments (0)
In the News: Michael Waltrip (6/15)
Let me talk about something really cool first before something that really made me angry. Michael Waltrip is going to be on the #25 Red Rocks Cafe Truck driven by Boston Reid this weekend in the truck race at Michigan. No, not in the truck - on the truck!! Yes, Michael's face will actually be on the #25 truck, along with the faces of the co-owners of Red Rock Cafe. I'm not sure how that all came about, though it's been said that Michael is friendly with the owners, but one thing is for sure - Michael is a frequent visitor to the Red Rock Cafe and there is a dish named after him, "Michael Waltrip’s Filet and Crab Cakes." Michael's filet - that just stikes me as funny for some reason!
At any rate, I think Michael being on that truck is awesome! Of course there have been other times that people, especially musicians, have been on cars and trucks, but I wonder how many times a driver themselves has been on a car or truck? I think it's so cool that they decided to put Michael on this truck, and I wish there was going to be a die-cast of it, but it's probably unlikely that's going to happen. I suspect this will drive some of the anti-Michael crowd absolutely nuts that he'll be featured on a truck like that! Makes it all the better! I can't wait to see how the truck looks and I hope it gets a lot of airtime on Saturday!
Nascar.com had a lengthy article about Tony Eury, Jr. yesterday, and while it gave some good insight into Tony, Jr., there was a comment in it by Tony Eury, Sr. that really bothered me. Naturally the topic of Tony, Jr. as Michael's crew chief came up in the article. Tony, Jr., not suprisingly considering his good relationship with Michael, had positive comments about his time as Michael's crew chief. Not the case for his father. Tony, Sr. said,
"As soon as Michael knew he wasn't coming back, his mind wasn't with his game. That's why they went downhill at the end of the season. Until that day we told Michael he wasn't racing there anymore, that was a good race team."
First of all, regardless of where Michael's head might have been, and I think it might be a tad bit hard to focus when one is concerned with finding a new team, the current team has been written off, and everything else Michael had to deal with at that time, I think it's ridiculous for Tony, Sr. to lay the problems of the #15 team at the end of the season at Michael's feet. Especially since Michael was caught up in two wrecks, there were two blown engines, DEI was doing R&D work with the #15, and as I remember it, there might have been a few cut tires too. But even if Michael did play a role in why the results weren't as good as they were in the beginning of the season, I think it's very unprofessional for Tony, Sr. to call him out like that.
In addition, the story has always been that Michael decided on his own to leave DEI. Supposedly there had been some discussion between Michael and DEI, but when DEI wasn't willing to commit to Michael having Tony Eury, Jr. as his crew chief, Michael got to thinking about things and decided it was best to explore his options elsewhere. Last summer, Marty Smith had a story that also said what Tony, Sr. is claiming, that Michael was informed by DEI that they weren't going to re-sign him, rather than Michael opting to leave on his own. It was striking how different the story was that Marty's source told him as opposed to what was said publically - I have to wonder if Tony, Sr. was Marty's source? Regardless, I think it's kind of lousy of Tony, Sr. to throw Michael under a bus and say that the decision wasn't his own. That makes Michael look bad, and there's no telling if Tony, Sr. is even right because sometimes he seems to get excited and say all these things, only half of which seem to be correct. Of course whether Michael left on his own or not, I'm sure that Toyota was dangling some pretty "toys" in front of him so that probably made leaving not seem so bad. In the end, as rough as this season might be, I think things are going to turn out much better in the future for Michael than if he had stayed with DEI.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:26 AM | Comments (0)
June 14, 2006
It's Official: Casey Mears Will Drive the #25 in 2007
All the speculation and rumor of the last week is correct - Casey Mears is officially going to take the place of Brian Vickers as the driver of the #25 for Hendrick Motorsports, starting next season. Mears's new contract with Hendrick extends through 2009, but as everyone knows these days contacts in Nascar are all but meaningless. However, Mears is very good friends with both Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, and Rick Hendrick had expressed interest in hiring him in the past. So he'll be in a situation where he is very much wanted, and will likely feel pretty comfortable fairly quickly.
Of course this does raise the question of whether or not Vickers actually asked Hendrick to be allowed to explore options for 2007, or whether he was informed that he was being released because they wanted to sign Mears. There's no telling how long Hendrick might have been negotiating with Mears. Sometimes it seems like these things happen very quickly and all involved parties act like they just started talking a short time prior to when the announcement is made. But I'm doubtful about whether that happens in most cases. For one thing, it's not just the driver and team who is involved in the negotiations, but also the sponsor. So that means that everything has to be discussed and signed off on by a variety of different people. In addition, the contracts are likely more complicated than they were in the past and they have to be gone over with a fine-toothed comb by lawyers for everyone involved.
The question is whether Mears will have better results in the #25 than Vickers did. I'm not sure he will. In the end, unless there's a shift in the way things are, the fourth car is still the fourth car.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:31 PM | Comments (0)
More on Dale, Jr. Not Owning the Rights to His Own Name
Last month, in an interview with The Charlotte Observer, Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed that he doesn't own the rights to his own name, instead his step-mother, Teresa Earnhardt does. At the time, I wrote that not owning the trademark to his name could have major consequences for Junior, because Teresa has final say over the ways that Junior can or can't use his name. Even worse for Junior, if he were to leave DEI, Teresa could prevent him from using and/or profiting for his name on merchandising, in advertising, for marketing purposes, etc... In essence for Junior, this is a very big deal and could have major ramifications for him for the rest of his life.
What surprised me is that no other media outlet picked up on this story, as would likely have happened if it involved an athlete as prominent as Junior in one of the other major sports. Until now that is. Darren Rovell, writing for ESPN.com, not only points out why this is such a big issue for Junior, but also how it came to be, something that I wondered about when this first came up. Apparently, much as I suspected, Dale Earnhardt filed the original trademark to his son's name. Rovell says that's because Junior wasn't very interested in the business side of things back then. When Dale, Sr. died, the trademark were transferred to his father's estate. That's where things get murky.
As executor of the estate Teresa then transferred the rights to a trust and then ultimately to herself. I had assumed that Junior had signed away the rights to his name when the original trademark was filed. But that's not the case. Rovell obtained a copy of a consent form that Junior signed, agreeing to the trademark to his name being transferred, in 2002, more than a year after his father's death. I'm no lawyer, but to me that indicates that at that time, Junior could have gotten the rights back to his name by refusing to sign the form, which is required of any living person who is signing the rights to their name away. Instead he voluntarily signed it. I can understand why he would agree to signing his rights to his own name away when it was his father putting it though. But why would he agree to sign the rights away to someone who isn't even a blood relative? That is really shocking to me. Whoever was advising him at that time gave him some extremely poor advice.
Some have said that Junior should just take Teresa and DEI to court. But it's not that simple. He voluntarily signed that consent form. Unless he can show that he was decieved or that he wasn't of sound mind when he signed the form, and I doubt that Junior would want to go that route, both for the potential uglyness factor and potential for scandal, I think he's probably out of luck. J. Scott Evans, a lawyer who has registered trademarks for several drivers said,
"It's hard to revoke your consent once you've given it. If Dale Jr. has a problem with it now, that's between him and DEI."
Really Junior's only option may be for Teresa to agree to give him back the rights to his own name, but how likely is that to happen? Especially when there's a good chance that she, and DEI, are making a lot of money off of it, perhaps more than they would if Junior owned the rights himself.
Sometimes it seems as if some fans shy away from thinking about or discussing the business side of Nascar too much. That this sport is very much a business and not just about cars racing each other on the track is very hard for some fans to swallow. Some even feel that issues like this are no one's business. I disagree - an issue like this has the potential to change the course of Junior's career, if Teresa were to use it as leverage to keep him at DEI, which is no small matter since Junior is one of the faces of the sport.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:58 AM | Comments (0)
Marty Smith to ESPN?
Speaking of rumors, Jayski's had the following item yesterday:
Smith to ESPN/ABC?: NASCAR.com's Marty Smith is rumored to be one of the commentators for ESPN's live race coverage when the cable network resumes live NASCAR broadcasts next year.(Ford Racing)(6-13-2006)
I happen to like Smith's work for Nascar.com. I think he's an excellent writer, who isn't afraid to give his opinions and he will sometimes tackle the tough subjects. However, as I've said before, my only issue with him is that he's close friends with Jimmie Johnson and friendly with other drivers including Dale Earnhardt, Jr. That raises questions in my mind about how objective he really is when he's writing stories that relate to the drivers he's friends with and whether any of them use their friendship with him to push an agenda in his columns. I would have the same concerns if he joined the ESPN broadcast staff. I think he would provide some excellent commentary - but is he really going to be able to give an unbiased opinion on Johnson, someone he does a weekly radio show with on XM?
Posted by silverdsl at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)
Leaks Can be Costly
There are a few reasons why people who are "in the know" keep quiet about what they know. First and foremost, most people who are priviledged to be a part of someone's inner circle don't want to do anything to lose the trust of the people who share the information with them. Most people also want to respect the privacy of the people involved. Beyond that, deals can be lost when information leaks because another player, team, sponsor, driver or organization could step in to steal the deal out from under the parties involved. Or it can cause a lot of trouble for a variety of reasons if people find out about certain information before it's ready to be made public. And if a deal doesn't go though, it saves the parties involved from potentially being embarassed.
I like to say that I know nothing but that's not true - I'm the furtherest thing from "in the know" that one can possibly get, but occassionally good information on the baseball or racing side does come my way. But on the rare occasions I do hear or see something that hasn't already been said somewhere else first that in any way involves sensitive information, you can be sure that it will NEVER show up in this blog or on a message board. That's true of most real insiders too - if they post online, they are extremely careful and almost never post even a hint of anything that would be considered confidential information that isn't common knowledge about deals being worked on or anyone's private life. Of course information does leak, otherwise there would be no Jayski's or Boston Dirt Dogs, but most organizations and individuals frown on this type of behavior so those that engage in it do so at their own peril.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:28 AM | Comments (0)
June 13, 2006
Photo of the Day - Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, Nevada, January, 2005. When we went to the Hoover Dam it was raining, I'd love to go back on a nice day and take the tour. It's huge!!
Posted by silverdsl at 10:02 PM | Comments (0)
In the News: Michael Waltrip (6/12)
The biggest news related to Michael Waltrip is that last night on Inside Nextel Cup he said that he will be making an announcement related to sponsorship for 2007 this weekend. When pressed for details, Michael claimed that everything isn't finalized yet, but made a reference to "Domino's Delivers" and according to Jayski's, though I didn't hear him say this myself, "Have it Your Way!" which is Burger King's slogan. There has been some previous rumors that Domino's and Burger King would share primary sponsor duties on the #00 Cup car for MWR next season, and there's no doubt that Domino's must be a key player in this weekend's announcement since they're based in Michigan, which happens to be where the Truck and Cup series will be racing this weekend. So the question is how much, if at all, is Burger King involved?
Another question is whether a driver announcement will also be made at the same time. That's important because if Dale Jarrett is announced as the driver of the #00 with Domino's/BK as the sponsor, it means that UPS is almost certainly either staying with Robert Yates Racing or going to another team. If DJ isn't involved with this weekend's announcement it means that the door is still open for UPS to join MWR. While I think it would be outstanding if UPS followed DJ to MWR, I also think in some ways it might be better off if MWR only had two cars next season, rather than three. That way they can concentrate on making their existing teams solid contenders, then expand. I don't think Michael is ever going to have problems finding sponsors to join his organization.
Yesterday I talked about David Reutimann being in the #99 at Kentucky. Apparently the door is still open for Michael to race there instead if the truck race doesn't end in time. What the plan is at the moment is for David to leave the track immediately as soon as the truck race ends to fly to Kentucky to race in the Busch race, but if it appears that he can't make it, Michael will leave the Speed booth, where he will be a part of the broadcast team for the race, to fly in David's place to Kentucky to race. So far there's no word on who will practice and qualify the #99, since I don't think either David or Michael will be able to do it, but I hope that person will also be on hand in Kentucky on Saturday night because it seems to me that there's a chance that both David and Michael might not be able to get there. Weather problems could certainly put a crimp in their plans, and I can see where David winning the truck race, as welcome as it might be, might also present a problem in terms of travel logistics.
Apparently a big reason for David racing the #99 in Kentucky instead of Michael is because of how well he did last week at Nashville. David said,
"After our Nashville run in the No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine, we have a some momentum and we would like to keep that going. It’s hard to get that sometimes. Even before the Busch race at Nashville, I was lobbying Bobby Kennedy (Director of Competition for Michael Waltrip Racing) to let me run the race at Kentucky Speedway. At first glance on paper, it’s something that we thought would logistically impossible to pull off. After we finished in the top-10 at Nashville, they started taking a closer look at the possibility of me running the race. I’m thrilled that we are going to be able to do that.”
Although a lot of Michael's fans in Kentucky will be very disappointed that he won't be racing there, especially considering he's from Kentucky, keeping David in the car probably is a good idea since he will be racing Busch full-time next season. The more experience he gets this season the better, and the more positive results he gets, the better it will be for his confidence. I am wondering if David continues to do well in the #99 whether they will try to put him in as much as possible for races that don't conflict with the Truck Series Schedule, thus reducing the amount of times Michael was originally slated to be in the car? I would be a little disappointed about that because I like to see Michael race as often as possible, but it's probably not a bad idea.
I can't let the following comment in the post-race report from Pocono go by without comment:
As the NEXTEL Cup Series approaches its halfway mark in the coming weeks, the NAPA AUTO PARTS team and Michael Waltrip refuse to give up. Each week more communication is heard over the radio and fewer problems arise with the No. 55 NAPA Dodge, giving Waltrip fans more reason to look forward to the future.
I know full well that Michael and the #55 team are working extremely hard to improve, and I know that there is no quit in Michael, especially when he has a goal he's trying to achieve. However, let's be real. The team isn't giving up because what other choice do they have? These men are all professionals and they are going to do everything in their power to solve the problems facing the team in the hopes of improving, just like most other teams in their position would. There is way too much on the line to do otherwise. In addition, while it's true that the communication over the radio is somewhat better, it sure doesn't sound like it's where it needs to be. Joe Shear sounds much more confident than Derrick Finley ever did and he seems to have an easier time handling Michael, but I think there is still room for improvement.
I also have to ask - who is the writer of this press release kidding when they refer to fewer problems arising? In this very race, Michael experienced brake problems, which are referenced in the post-race report! From what it sounded like over the radio, those brake issues prevented Michael from being able to race as well as he might have otherwise. In addition, the cars that Michael have been given each week are still slow - he is barely able to pass some of the slowest cars on the track - that's a pretty big problem to me! Adding Joe Shear and having Bobby Kennedy, Larry Carter and others take a more active role is a good thing, and there might be other things happening behind-the-scenes that are helping to take things in a positive direction. But even I, a huge fan of Michael's who wants nothing but the best for him, can see that there are still a lot of challenges and problems facing this team.
Having worked in public relations myself I understand what spin is all about, but sometimes it seems that Nascar PR people use a lot of creative license in how they describe the fortunes of their teams.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:49 PM | Comments (0)
Hating Players and Drivers Makes No Sense to Me
I'm really getting tired of some of my fellow fan's attitude towards some baseball players and Nascar drivers. There are many, many, many wonderful fans out there, but it seems like the amount of hateful, venomous fans is on the rise. It's okay to dislike players or drivers - there are definitely some that I don't care for. It's okay to criticize them and disagree with the things that they might say or do. It's okay to speak one's mind - I do it all the time in this space and elsewhere. But what's not okay in my mind are the fans who hate people they don't even know for frivilous reasons, spew insults, bash players and drivers, or rip them unmercifully for not living up to their lofty and impossible to attain expectations for performance and behavior.
Let's be clear about one thing - no matter how easy Derek Jeter might make playing baseball look or how simple it seems for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to jump in a car and race around in circles, it's not. Playing professional baseball or racing in Nascar is extremely difficult. It only looks easy because of the talent level of the people involved. The vast majority of fans who think that they can do what the players and drivers are doing - and do it better - are very much mistaken. To get to the major league level in baseball, or to one of the three highest levels in Nascar, takes a tremendous amount of hard work, dedication, sacrifice, passion, committment, focus, competitive drive, and yes, talent. Oh yes, there is not a single player or driver in either sport, as much as some would like to think otherwise, who do not have talent. Although the talent levels may vary between a Tony Stewart and a Tony Raines or between an Alex Rodriguez and a Bubba Crosby, the fact of the matter is that drivers and players do not get to this level of professional competition - and stay there - if they are not among the elite in their respective sports. As such I think that the players and drivers are deserving of some respect, not only for their abilities behind the wheel, on the mound or at the plate, but also because of how much they had to go though to get to where they are.
The reality is that no baseball player is always going to get a hit every time they go up to bat or isn't always going to pitch a shutout every time they are on the mound. There are some drivers who have to race lousy cars that are non-competitive because they are with teams that have very few resources and sometimes no manufacturer support. Players and drivers are going to say and do things that fans disagree with. None of these things mean that the driver or player is a worthless human being. It means that in an individual situation they didn't come through, the results weren't very good or that they did or said something disappointing. What we are exposed to as fans, via what happens on the field, on the track or even in interviews, is often a very, very, very small part of the person that the driver or player actually is. I guess because of how much media there is - TV, radio, print, internet - that cover all the sports so in-depth, it's easy to think that we know exactly who a player or driver is. But we don't know. Let me repeat - in the vast majority of cases, just like with everyone else we encounter in a casual way, we only know what that person chooses to share with us. Even if you've seen a player or driver at the track or at the stadium a bunch of times, even if they might recognize you and exchange pleasantries with you, often you have no idea who the real person is, unless you've spend a considerable amount of time with this person, really getting to know them. I say all of this because I'm completely amazed sometimes by the conclusions that some fans jump to and how personal their attacks are and how it fuels their hatred.
One reason I'm saying all of this is because I'm really sick of how many fans think it's okay to say vile and insulting things about Michael Waltrip, thinking that they know who he is based on his appearances on some TV shows or because of his results on the track. A lot of fans are taking issue with Michael right now because they don't agree with some of the things that he says or does - as I said above there's nothing wrong with that. No one has to like Michael. But some of the reasons why they not just dislike him, but downright hate him, border on the ridiculous.
It's really distressing to me that there's a huge backlash against Michael, and to a lesser degree Dale Jarrett, simply because they've choosen to align themselves with Toyota. I have no problem with those who don't like Toyota because they are fans of other manufacturers or other legitimite reasons. But I do take issue with it when a fan's hatred for Toyota and anything associated with it is simply because Toyota is a foreign manufacturer and they feel that this sport should stay all-American. That kind of intolerance really disturbs me. And I believe it's a big reason why Michael is taking so much flack right now - until Red Bull Racing and Bill Davis Racing announce some of their drivers and sponsors for 2007, Michael is the face of Toyota entering Cup so he's going to take all the heat. Which might be fine if that heat didn't come in the form of people bashing and booing him simply because Michael Waltrip Racing is going to be fielding Toyotas next season.
Of course a lot of Junior fans have turned on Michael as well simply because he no longer drives for DEI. There were Junior fans who were hating on Michael last season because at points he was doing better on the track than Junior, but the amount of Junior fans who dislike Michael has definitely increased. It seems like a lot of Junior fans (and fans in general) have trouble wrapping their minds around why Michael would possibly want to leave DEI, even though doing so is going to allow Michael to fulfill some of his dreams of having his own Cup teams. The thing is that all evidence seems to indicate that Junior and Michael are still on good terms, but it seems impossible for some of his fans to accept that. And don't even get me started on those who try to deny that Dale, Sr. and Michael had a close friendship - denying that is simply trying to rewrite history to suit the way you would like things to have been.
One thing that I've always liked about Michael is that he often says and does what he wants, as much as he can in an environment where the drivers always have to be careful about not offending sponsors, teams or fans. That is even more the case this season since he is racing for himself and no longer has to answer to DEI. That has given Michael the freedom to be even more candid in his opinions on both Inside Nextel Cup and Tradin' Paint. Well, there are a lot of fans who hate him for it. A lot of people think he's an arrogant, asshat who has no right to his opinions because his results on the track have been awful this season. It makes me laugh because Michael has been racing Cup for over 20 years - there is no doubt that he knows more about Nascar and racing than the vast majority of fans who are watching. Michael acts like he knows what he's talking about because he does! And why does poor results on the track negate someone's opinions? Michael, and Ken Schrader for that matter, are every bit as intelligent about racing running at the back of the pack as they are running up front.
I also find it really sad how things have evolved to where fans complain when drivers are too vanilla and speak like they've been handed a script by a PR person. Yet when a driver is candid and honest in their opinions, fans seem to hate that too. What it comes down to is that a lot of fans only want the drivers to speak thier minds when they're saying what the fans want to hear. Agreeing with Nascar is bad, and a driver should never do that lest they be accused like Michael of being a kiss-ass, never mind that when it comes to things like the fact that speeding penalities are black and white, he's right! Criticizing another driver is wrong in many fan's eyes no matter how mild it might be, unless it's saying how much the Busch Brothers suck - yet it's funny how the same fans have no problem ripping the offending driver and any others they don't like for their perceived faults. I do think that there are times when some drivers have on occassion been too harsh in their remarks - they should also have respect for their fellow drivers - but simply put, a driver can never win, and especially one like Michael who shares his opinions so openly.
I also have to say that just because a driver isn't getting very good results doesn't mean they suck. No, not even Derrike Cope, Carl Long, Mike Garvey, Kevin Lepage or any of the other "field-fillers." Fact of the matter is that those drivers are with tiny teams, few personnel, very little financial resources and the cars aren't very competitive. In fact in some cases, the drivers are lucky to be able to nurse the cars around the track for half a race without parts falling off. Michael suffers from some similar problems, in that the cars that he's getting from BDR are slow, the engines are weak, they have no manufacturer support due to the Dodge lawsuit, and half the time there's mechancial problems on top of everything else. Just like Steve Park is with a truck team with no manufacturer support, no sponsor, not many personnel and limited resources. What driver can succeed and race as well as they are capable of under those circumstances? Unfortunately many fans fail to take all the other factors into consideration - if a driver doesn't run up front, he's washed up, he sucks, he should retire. Well, let's look at Todd Bodine - so many fans felt that he was a worthless driver given his lack of success in Cup and I saw a few fans wish he was out of the sport. He goes to the truck series and now he can barely lose. Sometimes all it takes is good cars or truck and a team that believes in their drivers. And regardless of results, I believe every driver, crew chief and pit crew member is working their asses off to get the best finishes possible.
A-Rod is also feeling the heat these days, not just by those who dislike him, but by Yankee fans as well. I've discussed it before, but it truely boggles my mind. Last season A-Rod was the league MVP, but that wasn't good enough for many fans. In their eyes he was still a failure because he didn't carry the team on his shoulders through the post-season and to the World Series. And even though A-Rod has been one of the most productive players on the team, there are many fans who are convinced he never has big hits or comes through because he didn't get an RBI hit in every at-bat against the Red Sox in the games the Yankees have played against their division rival this season. A-Rod has been getting boo'ed like crazy by home fans at the stadium recently, because he's not so far been putting up MVP numbers this season. However, no player can produce like that all the time and especially when they're just getting over being so sick with the flu that they had to miss time.
I understand that some fans feel that they have to make their displeasure known in a way that they players can hear by booing. I also think that there are certain things, such as when a player doesn't run out ground balls, thus seeming to only be putting half-effort in, or if a player has been found to have used performance enhancers, that the booing is a lot more understandable. But when players are slumping or otherwise not coming though on the plate or at the mound, they don't need to be told that they aren't producing - they know. At this level of baseball, its not just the fans who have very high standards, the players do as well, and they are going to be just as disappointed, maybe even more so, when they can't come up with a big hit when it's needed. Booing a player isn't going to make a light bulb go on in their head and suddenly they're going to realize they stink and immediately be able to fix things.
Another thing that bothers me is when fans who don't like a driver or player question their sexual orientation, and accuse them of being "gay" as if it's an insult. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with what a player or driver does on the field or racetrack. But beyond that the gay jokes are nothing more than homophobia and it's vile. Of course that speaks to a larger problem in society as a whole that people are intolerant of those that are gay, lesbian or bi-sexual, but I think it's particularly troublesome how accepted it seems to be by some, that a good way to bash a driver is by making gay jokes. Or how many fans seem to think that they can tell whether a player or driver is gay by the way they sit or how they do their hair.
I think the bottom line for me in all this rambling is how disturbed I am by how far some fans take their dislike for players or drivers and how little it takes for them to start hating someone. A few years ago I read a fan's discourse on why she couldn't stand Steve Park and it came down to the way he smiled when he was posing for photos with fans. Not just why she disliked him, but why she just about hated him. Because of the way he smiled! How is that enough to start hating someone?
As I said at the beginning no one has to like every driver or player. There are some that I don't like, who have done or said things that I don't agree with or who just annoy me. I understand that just like all other human beings the drivers and players have faults and flaws. I understand that not every driver and player is going to have the same opinions or do things the way that I would. I accept that the world is full of all different kinds of people with all different personalities. But the narrow-mindedness and lack of tolerance by some fans is really hard for me to take sometimes. I see no reason to hate any driver or player, and especially when they've never done anything to me personally. Of course that might be the key - some fans have so much personally invested in the sports, teams and drivers that they follow that they take everything incredibly personally, which probably makes it easy for dislike to turn into hate. It's sad - I wish that everyone spent as much time commending the drivers when they do something positive d as they do spending time hating on them for even the tinest of flaws.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:04 AM | Comments (0)
June 12, 2006
Photo of the Day - Aruba
Aruba. September, 2005. The view from the hotel we stayed in - I really wish I was on that balcony looking down, debating whether I wanted to go to the beach.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:53 PM | Comments (0)
Ben Roethlisberger Seriously Injured in Motorcycle Accident
This afternoon, Ben Roethlisberger, the quarterback for the Super Bowl winning Pittsburgh Steelers, was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. Roethlisberger, who wasn't wearing a helmet, was riding his motorcycle when he collided with a car. There haven't been many details released about his injuries, which required surgery, but at the very least he was a broken jaw, broken nose, gashes on his head and some knee injuries. I imagine over the next few days more information will be released about the extent of his injuries and how they will effect his ability to play this season for the Steelers, as well as whether it could end his football career period. Any head injury for a football player is a very serious matter, considering how many blows to the head they take thoughout their careers.
First and foremost, I hope that Roethlisberger recovers completely and as quickly as possible, but I am amazed that he wasn't wearing a helmet. I understand that in Pennsylvania the law allows motorcyclists to choose whether they wear a helmet or not, but given the extensive studies that indicate that helmets prevent serious injuries and save lives, it seems like common sense to wear one's helmet. Even more so when your career is very much dependent on your health. Not only might Roethlisberger have screwed himself by not wearing a helmet, he might have very much screwed his team as well. A quarterback is the key player for any football team and top quarterbacks are not easily replaced. Roethlisberger's coach, Bill Cowher warned him about the importance of wearing a helmet and former Steelers player Terry Bradshaw criticized him for riding at all - perhaps he should have listened a little more carefully to their warnings.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:24 PM | Comments (0)
In the News: Michael Waltrip (6/12)
Off-topic, but a not-so-fun little fact, is that these days when I get Google news alerts for Steve Park, it's more often related to other Steve Park's than the Nascar driver who I'm such a big fan of. :(
Anyway, this weekend Michael Waltrip responded to some rumors that Michael Waltrip Racing is severing ties with FitzBradshaw Racing before the end of the season by saying that there is no truth to those reports. He said,
“I think a lot of people got confused when we took the opportunity to move our NEXTEL Cup operation down the road to Jimmy Spencer’s old shop. We saw an opportunity to give Larry Carter and his team working on the Burger King Chevrolets, a location that allows them to stay totally focused on preparing for our upcoming five Cup races with Bill Elliott in 2006. Our Busch Series program, along with our Marketing, Licensing and Business Affairs departments remain at Fitz-Bradshaw in Mooresville, NC. Last Fall we partnered with Armando Fitz for the entire 2006 season and that won’t change.”
Though it was rumored on Jayski's that FBR was being sold, something that was later denied, and mention was made of MWR moving into Jimmy Spencer's old shop, I don't recall it being said anywhere, that FBR and MWR were severing ties. And there have been other inaccurate rumors that have circulated that involved Michael or MWR that have never been addressed - why this one? All I can think of is that this rumor was circulating in the garage area or this is to help negate the rumors that FBR is in major trouble.
When I heard that they were buying Spencer's old shop, I figured it was because they needed a place to work on the Cup cars since Waltrip World, where all the MWR shops will eventually be located is still under construction. Someone on the forum on Michael's site said that they heard an additional rumor, that not only will MWR be building cars for Bill Elliott for later in the season for the five races he will be racing for MWR, but also as a contingency in case Dale Jarrett is released from Robert Yates Racing before the end of the season and they want to put him in a car. A few weeks ago when DJ was 12th in points and there was still a good chance that UPS was going to be staying with RYR, I thought it was unlikely that DJ would be released prior to the end of the season. But now that he's sunk to 19th in points and the rumor mill indicates that it's increasingly likely that UPS is leaving RYR, I think that it's possible that RYR will look to put someone else in the #88 before the end of the season. It seems like it might be a good opportunity to give their development drivers some Cup experience, especially if there's a chance that one of them might end up in that ride eventually.
Something else of note related to MWR, is that David Reutimann did an outstanding job in the #99 Aaron's Dream Machine this weekend in the Busch race at Nashville. The car was fast the entire day and Reutimann ended up finishing 6th, the highest finish for the #99 all season. I'm really interested to see how Reutimann can do over the course of an entire Busch season. Of course it's very hard for the Busch regulars to compete with the Buschwackers who are backed by their Cup teams, but if the cars are any good that he has to race with next season, I think he will do well. Currently, Reutimann is 3rd in the points in the truck series, it would be great to see him be able to eventually make a run at the Busch Series Championship, though that will probably be a tall order in his first season of racing Busch regularly.
The question is who is going to be in the #99 this weekend at Kentucky, while the Cup and truck races are being run in Michigan. Kentucky is Michael's home track so I think he usually tries to race this race, but given that Reutimann talked in his post-race report about not being able to race the #99 at Kentucky since the truck race is the same day, I'm guessing that Michael might not have been planning to be in the car either. Given all that he has to deal with this season from the struggles of the #55 team to building MWR for the future, I'm not surprised that he might opt not to travel between Michigan and Kentucky. So it will be interesting to see who ends up in the #99 this weekend - since it's Kentucky, maybe Michael will end up racing there after all.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:31 PM | Comments (0)
Driver by Driver: Pocono I
Y'know, for a Pocono race this one was pretty good. A lot of people complain about how boring the racing is at Pocono, but there did seem to be some decent racing at points yesterday.
1. Denny Hamlin - Where to begin? His first Cup win ever and he did it in fine fashion! Denny started on the pole, but disaster, in the form of a blown tire, struck while he was leading about 50 laps into the race. Somehow Denny was able to keep from wrecking, his team did an outstanding job of making repairs, and Denny rallied all the way from a low of 40th place at one point to win. Really shows the strength of this team, particularly as compared to last season when the results were so poor, and how much talent Denny has behind the wheel. He's now 10th in the points and as hard as it is for rookies to maintain their standings in the points, I think there's a decent chance he will stay there, especially since it may not be the last time we see him in Victory Lane. An interesting note is that Denny credited playing racing video games with helping him get this win.
2. Kurt Busch - Won at this track last season, so even though he's with a different team, it's not surprising that he was up front so often in this race. Kurt led 31 laps, and while I'm sure he would rather have won, I think he and the #2 team are very happy with finishing 2nd considering all the struggles they've had this season.
3. Tony Stewart - Didn't let a broken shoulder stop him from getting his 6th top five of the year.
4. Brian Vickers - Last week Brian announced that he was likely leaving the #25 at the end of this season because the performance by him and the team hasn't lived up to expectations. So naturally he goes out and races his way to his best finish in more than a month, and second best finish all year.
5. Matt Kenseth - Ninth top ten of the season, remains in second place in the points standings.
6. Greg Biffle - Continuing to show the naysayers who were writing him off that he's not done yet. What's impressive about this 6th place finish is that Greg had to overcome major brake problems and a cut tire to finish this well. I think the last spot in the Chase for the Championship is going to come down to a battle between him, Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin.
7. Kasey Kahne - Moved up to fifth in the points standings. A clutch problem resulted in a bad pit stop, which could have been costly, but Kasey was still able to finish in the top ten.
l
8. Scott Riggs - An oopsie! by Scott, when his car got loose, led to Casey Mears getting wrecked on lap one. Somehow Scott managed to escape with very little damage to his car and he ended up with a solid top ten, which lifted him another four spots in the points. Outstanding job by this team this season. Missing Daytona could have spelled the end to their season, but they kept working hard, knowing that they were a good team and the results have started to come.
9. Jeff Burton - Led some laps but if I remember correctly, Jeff is one of the drivers who was penalized for speeding on pit road which might have cost him a better finish.
10. Jimmie Johnson - Also penalized on pit road. I wonder how the conspiracy theorists are going to explain this away? If the #48 team really gets preferred treatment by Nascar, wouldn't they have overlooked the speeding penalty?
11. Ryan Newman - Turns out June 6 was Ryan Newman Day in Michigan - who knew? This team needed a strong finish but I don't think they're going to ultimately have enough to make the Chase.
12. Bobby Labonte - A tire going down necessitated an unexpected pit stop which kept Bobby from finishing as high as he might have otherwise.
13. Kevin Harvick - Handling problems were an issue for Kevin during this race. Not a terrible finish though.
14. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - On the surface this isn't a horrible finish by any means, but Michael Waltrip finished 6th in this same car, in this same race last season. Junior battled some handling problems and a late pit stop cost them some track position, which he was never fully able to make up.
15. J.J. Yeley - Overcame a cut tire to finish 15th. It shows the strength of Joe Gibbs Racing, that all three of their cars finished in the top 15.
16. Tony Raines - 16th might not seem impressive to some but it should have been worth some airtime because this is the best finish that the #96 team has ever gotten. This is only the first season that this team has been in existance and I'm sure they will face any number of challenges moving forward since the level of competition is so high on the Cup level, but I think one day the #96 will develop into a decent ride, particularly if they continue to be assoicated with Gibbs Racing.
17. Mark Martin - Was in 8th with only six laps to go, but the car was so loose that Mark wasn't able to hang on in the top ten. Only his second finish of the season outside the top 15.
18. Jamie McMurray - Another mediocre finish for the #26 team. I think some thought that when Jamie finished second last week, that it was a sign that this team was turning the corner, but I'm not convinced of that.
19. Travis Kvapil - Ties his best finish of the season. Enough to move the #32 team a spot up in the owner's points. It seems as if this team has made some improvments since they switched crew chiefs. The only thing is that I'm not sure the improvments are going to be enough to convince Tide to stick around into the future because the finishes for this team still aren't stellar.
20. Elliott Sadler - Was 9th on the final re-start, but the team gambled and stayed out on old tires which bit them because Elliott lost quite a few spots to finish 20th. It's really a shame how much the #38 team is struggling. The results this season for this team are really not a true reflection of his talents behind the wheel. Unless Robert Yates Racing makes a very convincing argument for how they are going to improve their organization, I hope Elliott gives serious thought to taking advantage of the "out" clause in his contract for his own good.
21. Clint Bowyer - Finished 2nd in the Busch race at Nashville the day before, but Pocono wasn't as good to him.
22. Kyle Busch - Also raced the day before in Nashville. I believe that Kyle was also busted for speeding off of pit road.
23. Jeremy Mayfield - Has not finished in the top ten once this season so far. That's pretty unacceptable at this point for a team that is associated with such a large, well-funded organization, with good personnel and has full manufacturer support. Jeremy claims that he has no interest in getting out of his contract early and going to another ride, but I don't believe him.
24. Martin Truex Jr. - Was up to 14th at one point but a cut tire towards the end of the race cost him. I'm both surprised and underwhelmed by the results by Martin in Cup so far. This is a two-time Busch Champion so the talent must be there. So either the cars that he's being given aren't that great, or there is some other issue on Martin's part. It's been suggested that off-the-track things such as buying a new house with his girlfriend have distracted him and kept him from spending as much time with his team as he should.
25. Carl Edwards - A former race winner at this track, Carl had a strong car for this race too. In fact he was leading the race when a problem with a jack during a pit stop ended any hopes he had for being a repeat winner at Pocono. It really shows that this is not just an individual sport, where only what the driver does determines how he finishes - races can be won or lost on the basis of what other team members do as well.
26.
27. Dave Blaney - Managed to gain a position in owner's points but yet another stinky race for the Bill Davis Racing teams.
28. Michael Waltrip - Another race, another iffy BDR car and yet another mechanical issue for Michael to deal with, this time a brake issue.
29. Joe Nemechek - Also had brake issues, plus a handling problem.
30. Ken Schrader - A blown tire caused significant damage to the #21.
31. Kevin Lepage
32. Jimmy Spencer - This week's driver not to be mentioned.
33. Chad Chaffin
34. Jeff Gordon - Scary wreck for Jeff when he lost his brakes with only ten laps to go. It's a testament to the safety advances in the sport from the head and neck restraints, to the seats in the cars, to the safer barriers, that he was able to walk away uninjured from this wreck. One of the worst looking wrecks that we've seen in a long time, Jeff said that it was one of the hardest hits he's ever taken. This wreck dropped Jeff out of the top ten in points, and given the iffy performance of the #24 team as a whole this season, I don't think there are any guarantees that they will climb back in.
35. Robby Gordon - Contact with the wall was Robby's first problem but the team then discovered a hole in the radiator which had to be repaired.
36. Reed Sorenson - Brake problems ruined his day.
37. Jeff Green Chevrolet
38. Dale Jarrett - Had a poor handling car and then he also had an issue with his brakes that forced him to the garage for repairs.
39. Terry Labonte - Another team with brake woes.
40. Kyle Petty - Loose lugnuts caused Kyle to lose a wheel and wreck.
41. Mike Garvey
42. Sterling Marlin - An engine failure is not what this team needed when they're trying to hang on in the top 35 in owner's points.
43. Casey Mears - A lap one wreck put him out of the race. Instead of ripping Scott Riggs a new one for causing it, Casey was very diplomatic about it - very well handled, especially considering I'm sure he was pretty unhappy about it.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:49 PM | Comments (0)
What Will Not be Found on This Blog
It's come to my attention that a number of people have been coming to this blog looking for shirtless photos of some of the drivers. I'm afraid you're going to be very disappointed with what you find - I have no shirtless photos of anyone on this blog, let alone Nascar drivers or baseball players. And, as I've said before, I also have absolutely NO information about who any baseball player or Nascar driver might be dating. Sorry, but those things will not be showing up on this blog. It might cost me readers, but I'm fine with that.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:38 PM | Comments (0)
June 11, 2006
Photo of the Day - Grounds for Sculpture
Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, New Jersey, May, 2006.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:20 PM | Comments (0)
Depressing Day for Michael Waltrip
Michael Waltrip finished 29th today, which is actually his best finish in a month, since he finished 25th at Talladega. Of course 29th really isn't much to get excited about, and especially in light of the fact that Michael had the pole for this race last season and finished 5th. Fast-forward a year, and Michael is stuck with a car that is pathetically slow, has brake problems and ends up finishing two laps down. This at a track that is one of his favorites to race at. Well, he certainly wasn't able to do much, if any, racing today, and that has to be a very depressing. He certainly sounded extremely down on the radio today - angry at points too about his brakes going out. But mostly down.
I found today's race pretty depressing too. Yes, I expected that Micheal wasn't going to have a car that would allow him to race anywhere near the front. It's really impossible for him to do that when the cars he's getting from Bill Davis Racing have engines that are down on power and there's no manufacturer support. But I vividly remember last year when he was on the pole and raced up front all race long. Seeing the smile on Michael's face when he won the pole - somehow he smiles a lot in spite of the problems facing his team, but I'd really love to see him smile big and bright like that again because of something that happens on the track. Week after week, Michael can do little more than ride around in circles because he has a car incapable of racing. That has to be difficult for him to deal with and especially on a track that is one of his favorites where he's been able to race so well at before.
I'm also less than pleased with the constant bashing that Michael has been getting lately. Oh, there's always been a lot of people who have taken issue with Michael, for a variety of reasons. Every driver that is highly visible has a lot of haters and most of the time I just ignore it. But I'm getting more and more irritated with reading the same nonsense over and over again. It's not just in relation to Michael. Some fans have some very frivolous reasons as the basis for their hatred of a driver. It's really depressing some times to read how passionately some fans hate certain drivers or how little they think of them. There's no doubt that Michael's season sucks, and it's unlikely to get any better, and I understand that his personality isn't for everyone. I also understand that some have a hard time with Toyota coming into the sport. But for the most part, the majority of fans don't know Michael, or the rest of the drivers, personally and it's almost scary how deep the dislike can be for people that they don't even know. I have a whole entry that I think I'm going to do tomorrow all about fans, drivers and respect because it's been bothering me for a long time.
In any event, as I say every week, I really hope that somehow things get better for the #55 team next race. Yes, realistically speaking it won't but fans never stop believing in or hoping for the best for their favorite drivers.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:50 PM | Comments (0)
Steve Park Finishes 21st at Texas
Steve Park qualified 16th for the truck race in Texas on Friday night and the #59 truck seemed to be good in practice as well. So I was thinking that Steve might be able to finish at least in the top fifteen. That didn't happen and in some ways I think he's lucky that he finished 21st. Based on what someone at the race posted on SPC, there were quite a few problems for Steve and his team. First a lugnut problem on the first pit stop put him back in 26th place, then he got loose and slid up into Joey Miller, then another problem(s) in the pits including a tangle with Mike Bliss, missing sheet metal and a very loose truck all race. So I guess all in all, it's impressive that Steve was able to hang on to finish 21st. It's just that after the truck seeming to be so good up until the race, it's a little disappointing.
What's really frustrating is how poor the flow of information is about Steve and this team. Of course Steve goes mostly unmentioned on Speed during the broadcasts of the races because very little is said about the small teams who aren't running up front, unless they're involved in a major incident. The media as a whole, says nothing about Steve, because let's face it - there's really nothing of note to talk about unless the "cat in the bag" turns out to be a shiny new ride with a really good team. On top of that, there are no pre- and post-race reports and nothing is ever said on Steve's site about what might have happened during a race. So unless there's a fan at a race who can post something on SPC, there's no way of knowing what's going on with the team. I'd really love to hear a quote on occassion from Steve about the race, about the team... about anything really. With all the improvements to Steve's website, I though it might turn into more of a source for news on Steve like most driver's websites are, but thus far that's not really been the case. Maybe once the Fanzone opens there will be more available there.
While I'm on the subject, I'm even starting to run into a problem writing race-related entries about Steve in this blog. I adore Steve, but I feel like I'm saying the same things over and over again. Both the #31 and #59 teams are small and suffer from a lack of resources in comparision to larger teams. It makes it hard for them to be competitive and run up front. How many times can I saw that in different ways as an explanation as to why the results are so unimpressive for the most part? How many times can I talk about Steve's bad luck? Michael Waltrip's season is even worse than Steve's, and will likely not get better any time soon. But at least with Michael there's plenty to talk about - there are always pre- and post-race reports, I can listen to Michael's radio communications via Trackpass, he has a lot going on in relation to Michael Waltrip Racing, and beyond that Michael always seems to be busy with some sort of project, such as "The Waltrip Challenge." So there's a lot more material to work with.
I'm not about to stop talking about Steve in this space any time soon... I hope. But I sure do wish that there was something more exciting to talk about!
Posted by silverdsl at 08:57 PM | Comments (0)
June 09, 2006
I Need More Proof
There's no doubt in my mind that many more players than have been publically named have taken performance enhancers. Especially when one considers that performance enhancers aren't just steroids and HGH, they're also amphetamines, AKA, "Greenies" which were commonplace in many clubhouses until recently. So given how widespread the use of performance enhancers likely has been through the years, it means that some are quick to jump to conclusions about which players might have used with little real evidence. Such is the case with the sports blog, Deadspin.com. Usually I think they do excellent work in covering sports issues both large and small, but I'm a little troubled by yesterday's entry which implies that St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols is a performance enhancer user on the basis of some very flimsy evidence.
According to Deadspin, one of the blacked out names in the Jason Grimsley affidavit is Pujols' trainer and close friend, Chris Mihlfeld. Allegedly, Grimsley names Mihlfeld as the trainer who game him the name of someone who could give him amphetamines and that person later provided Grimsley with steroids, HGH as well as the amphetamines. Apparently that's enough for those that write Deadspin to imply that Pujols is connected to the Grimsley mess and might use performance enhancers himself. Well, that's not enough for me, especially since there's some question as to whether Mihlfeld is actually the one named. There may very well be more to the story, but assuming for the moment that blacked out name is Mihlfeld, nowhere is it said that he gave Grimsley performance enhancers. Or that he gave Pujols any. All he allegedly do was give Grimsley the name of someone else who could give him what he wanted. How is this enough evidence to imply that Pujols uses performance enhancers?
Of course Deadspin was careful to say that they aren't accusing Pujols of using HGH, but the way the entry was written sure seems to indicate that's what they're implying. That by associating with Mihlfeld, Pujols must be guilty. Meanwhile no one even knows if Mihlfeld is guilty of anything! There's nothing wrong with speculating about what players might have used performance enhancers, but I think that care needs to be taken that players are directly accused as if it's a done-deal that they used, without any kind of proof. That's even more important when the people doing the acc... implying are writing for a blog that has a significant readership. A lot of people don't understand the distinction between blogs and other media outlets. Although Deadspin is more professional than many other blogs and does a good job of trying to be as factual accurate as possible, they aren't The New York Times where there are rules in regards to publishing stories with proper sourcing, fact-checking and other guidelines to ensure that a story is as accurate as possible before it is published. There are a lot of people who will see the Deadspin piece and assume that if they ran with the story, Mihlfeld must distribute performance enhancers and Pujols must use them, even though for now, there is no evidence to indicate that is true.
In fact, Mihlfeld denies that he's the one mentioned in the Grimsley affidavit, even though he was a member of the Kansas City Royals training staff when Grimsley was a member of the team, and is friends with him.
"I know Jason Grimsley very well. And I have only two statements to make. One, Jason Grimsley is still my good friend. And two, I've never been involved in any illegal steroids, amphetamines or HGH activity. Period."
If it turns out that not only was Mihlfeld never involved with performance enhancers, but also not even named in the affidavit, then Deadspin has done a major disservice not only to Mihlfeld but Pujols as well.
ETA: Deadspin has updated with a second entry related to Mihlfeld/Pujols, reflecting Mihlfeld's denial that he's named in the affidavit. Deadspin claims they have a reliable source who indicates otherwise. Also, probably because they don't want to be sued, they reiterate that they aren't claiming that Mihfeld or Pujols were involved with performance enhancers. But they go on to insist that a connect between Mihlfeld and Grimsley has been established, as well as one from Mihlfeld to Pujols, as if that's something very damning. Well, I've got news for this Deadspin writer - you can probably make a connection between any number of players and trainers to Grimsley, considering how many teams he played with. That doesn't mean any of them were involved with performance enhancers.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:14 PM | Comments (0)
Sheffield Needs Surgery, Out Until September
I pretty much expected that this was going to be the case given the New York Yankees poor luck when it comes to injuries this season. Unfortunately rest isn't going to cure Gary Sheffield's wrist - he will need surgery to repair a torn ligament. Brian Cashman, the Yankees general manager says that this doesn't mean that Sheffield's season is over because it's expected that he will return to the team in September. But I think that's assuming that Sheffield's wrist heals as expected and his rehab goes well. If there are any problems or setbacks, Sheffield could easily miss the rest of the season. Although the Yankees have been playing very well right now without him and Hideki Matsui, I think in terms of the big picture, this is a big loss for the Yankees. Sheffield has been a force in the lineup ever since he joined the team and I don't think his contributions will be so easy to replace, no matter how well some of the young kids the Yankees have called up have been playing.
The only question is how this is going to effect whether or not the Yankees pick up Sheffield's option. Cashman claims that it won't have any effect on it at all, but I'm not sure I believe that. How can the Yankees pick up a $13 million option on a player, who is no spring chicken, that was on the disabled list for the majority of the season with a major injury to his wrist? Sheffield's wrist problems could very well be an issue for him in the future as well. If he comes back early enough in September, maybe Sheffield will get the opportunity to show that he's completely healed and that he can still swing the bat just as good as ever. Of course there's a degree of risk any time a team picks up a player's option, but in this case, there might be even more risk involved. I can see the Yankees not picking up Sheffield's option but trying to re-sign him for less money, unless there's an outfielder who will be a free agent that they have their eye on.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:52 PM | Comments (0)
You Can Do Magic - America
For some reason this song keeps sticking in my head (that and "Fly Me Courageous" by Drivin' -n- Cryin'"
I never believed in things that I couldnt see
I said if I cant feel it then how can it be
No, no magic could happen to me
And then I saw you
I couldnt believe it, you took my heart
I couldnt retrieve it, said to myself
Whats it all about
Now I know there can be no doubt
You can do magic
You can have anything that you desire
Magic, and you know
Youre the one who can put out the fire
You know darn well
When you cast your spell you will get your way
When you hypnotize with your eyes
A heart of stone can turn to clay
Doo, doo, doo ...
And when the rain is beatin upon the window pane
And when the night it gets so cold, when I cant sleep
Again you come to me
I hold you tight, the rain disappears
Who would believe it
With a word you dry my tears
You can do magic
You can have anything that you desire
Magic, and you know
Youre the one who can put out the fire
You know darn well
When you cast your spell you will get your way
When you hypnotize with your eyes
A heart of stone can turn to clay
Doo, doo, doo ...
And if I wanted to
I could never be free
I never believed it was true
But now its so clear to me
You can do magic
You can have anything that you desire
Magic, and you know
Youre the one who can put out the fire
You know darn well
When you cast your spell you will get your way
When you hypnotize with your eyes
A heart of stone can turn to clay
Doo, doo, doo ...
Youre the one who can put out the fire
Youre the one who can put out the fire
Youre the one who can put out the fire ...
Posted by silverdsl at 01:04 PM | Comments (0)
June 08, 2006
Photo of the Day - Ocean Grove
Ocean Grove, New Jersey, 2002.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:18 PM | Comments (0)
Casey Mears Won't Be Back at Chip Ganassi Racing in 2007
I wasn't really all that surprised to hear that Brian Vickers will likely leave Hendrick Motorsports after this season and I'm not surprised to hear that Chip Ganassi informed members of the #42 team today that Casey Mears told him that he won't be back with Chip Ganassi Racing after this season. Mears had said that he hoped that he would work out a new deal to stay at Ganassi, but that's what every single drivers says. Fans would not be too pleased if a driver openly said "I'm not happy where I am, the team stinks and I can't wait to find a new ride!" As one of the few real free agents after this season, meaning that he was one of the few drivers whose contract expires at the end of the year, Mears has surely gotten a lot of phone calls from a wide variety of teams. So he likely knows that he can find a pretty sweet deal with another team that might offer him a better chance to win than if he stayed at Ganassi.
There's a lot of speculation about where he might end up. On XM there was talk that he could take over the #25 at Hendrick Motorsports. Not only is Mears is good friends with Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, but Rick Hendrick had expressed interest in signing Mears a number of years ago for Hendrick's Busch team, but they ultimately went with Vickers. The line of thinking is that now that Mears is available again, Hendrick will once again want to bring him on board. Of course there's also the #88 - Mears might be a good fit there. I'm sure he's gotten some phone calls from the Toyota affiliated teams as well. Another option, which is probably very unlikely, is Robby Gordon Motorsports. I heard Gordon do an interview on XM about a month ago in which he expressed interest in fielding a second Cup car in the future and said that Mears would be an ideal driver for that team. However, based on what Gordon said he wasn't very close to having that second team ready for next season.
I have no idea who might end up in the #42. Ganassi is really in a difficult position because all they'll be left with is Reed Sorenson and David Stremme, two rookies who haven't done all that much in Cup so far this season. I think Sorenson will likely blossom with more experience, as long as he's given competitive cars but Stremme seems to be over his head thus far in Cup. So I think Ganassi is going to have to get a veteran in that ride so that there's someone to help guide Sorenson and Stremme as they develop, as well as provide some veteran experience overall.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:41 PM | Comments (0)
Yes, He was Speeding
After last weekend's Cup race, Ricky Rudd, who relieved Tony Stewart in the #20 car, had harsh words for Nascar, claiming that when they busted him for speeding off of pit road, he wasn't really speeding and that they were out to get him. Well, yesterday on XM, Claire B. Lang interviewed Jason Shapiro, the car chief of the #20. I have bad news for Rudd - even Shapiro acknowledged that he was in fact speeding off of pit road. The problem was that somehow with everything else that they were trying to do the team never fully went over with Rudd where all the timing loops were on pit road, so he didn't know that there was one final one that was further than Rudd thought it was. So Rudd sped up in an area where he should have still been going pit road speed. Likely it's different from the way it was when Rudd last raced at Dover.
So no one is out to get Rudd. There's no Nascar conspiracy. And yes, he really was speeding.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:32 PM | Comments (0)
Brian Vickers is Given Permission to Look for a New Ride in 2007
Brian Vickers has been mentioned as part of the silly season rumor mill as a possible candidate to take any number of rides for quite some time now. As it turns out there is some truth to those rumors as Hendrick Motorsports confirmed today that Vickers, asked for, and was given permission to talk to other teams about possible opportunities for next season. A similar rumor to this effect showed up on Jayski's yesterday and when Claire B. Lang from XM followed up on it, someone on the business side of things who should be in a position to know, from Hendrick denied it, which should have been the first clue that there was some truth there since in this sport, the things that are denied quickest and loudest, often end up coming to pass. The statement from Hendrick stops short of saying that Vickers will not be in the #25 in 2007, since he has several years left on his contract. But they are apparently looking at potential drivers who could take his place and I'm sure Vickers won't have any problems finding a new ride. So I would say that Vickers's time at Hendrick is coming to an end and this is all parties way of trying to make it as amicable as possible. After all, Vickers was extremely close to Ricky Hendrick and out of respect to his memory I would think that no one wants things to turn ugly.
I think that Vickers will be better off with a different team. At Hendrick he's the #4 driver. I have no doubt that he is given decent cars but it's likely that Hendrick is more willing to experiment with his cars in ways that they wouldn't with the other teams. I would also guess that Vickers doesn't get quite the same level of support that his teammates get. That's to be expected when one teammate is a four-time Cup Champion and another is a favorite to win the Championship. So if he were to join another organization where he could be the #1 or #2 driver, he might not only get more consistantly good cars but he likely wouldn't be overshadowed as much.
The two teams that Vickers is rumored to be heading to are either to the #88 at Robert Yates Racing or to one of the new Red Bull Racing rides. There is some degree of risk at both organizations. RYR is in turmoil and the results on the track haven't been good. On the other hand they are an established team, they will be high enough in owner points to guarantee a starting spot in the first five races next season, and helping an organization that has been around for so long get better might appeal to Vickers. But what might appeal to Vickers about Red Bull Racing is the opportunity to help a new team and manufacturer succeed and really make his mark on a team right from the start instead of stepping into someone else's shoes, where there are already expectations to live up to because of the accomplishements, or lack of such, of the prior driver. I think that the Toyota teams might have a harder time at first in Cup than a lot of people are expecting, but I do think that the Toyota teams will field fairly competitive cars. Given the so-so results for Vickers in the #25, I don't think the car that Red Bull fields willl be that much worse - they could even be better.
I think Vickers leaving Hendrick will be hard for a lot of his fans to swallow because of the emotions tied in with the death of Ricky Hendrick. It probably isn't very easy for Vickers to think of leaving either. But he has to do what's best for himself and his career. He's still young enough that he could change the course of his career but if he waits too long he may end up with a few more mediocre years in the #25, which could eventually lead those in the garage area to assume that he's a mediocre driver, when it was the cars that might have been the issue.
Now the speculation starts as to who might take Vicker's place in the #25...
Posted by silverdsl at 03:25 PM | Comments (0)
June 07, 2006
Former Yankee Jason Grimsley at Center of Federal Probe into HGH
It was only a matter of time before there was another scandal involving performance enhancers on the level of Balco, and this may very well be it. Yesterday Federal agents raided the home of Arizona Diamondbacks reliever, Jason Grimsley, who played for the New York Yankees from 1999-2000, looking for evidence relating to the purchase, use and distribution of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and other performance enhancers, as well as evidence that might relate to money laundering. Apparently Grimsley was first busted by the Feds back on April 19, when he was caught receiving two packets of HGH at his house. When confronted, Grimsley initially agreed to cooperate, giving them in-depth information in interviews about his, and others, use of HGH, amphetamines and steroids, as well the sources from where they got the performance enhancers.
The biggest potential bombshell in all of this is that Grimsley named names of other players that he knows use or have used performance enhancers. Considering that Grimsley has played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Anaheim Angels, Kansas City Royals, and Baltimore Orioles, in addition to the Yankees and Diamondbacks, that means there's a considerable amount of players who will now fall under suspicion. While the names of the players that Grimsley named are blacked out of the affidavit that's been made available publically, I suspect that the names of those players will eventually be leaked, just like they were in the Balco case. That could have huge ramifications for those players, their teams and Major League Baseball as a whole.
While MLB has improved their policy as it relates to the use of performance enhancers such as steroids and amphetamines, they don't test for HGH. Grimsley said that once MLB started testing for the other performance enhancers he simply switched to using HGH exclusively. I would guess that a lot of other players did the same, so there's no way of knowing who or how many players might be using, though this case may tip us off to some who do. I think MLB has tried to ignore the whole HGH issue, but if specific players are named as HGH users, and especially if other players are investigated by the Feds, I think they will have to address this issue in a much stronger way than they have previously. I think not only has MLB tried to ignore the HGH issue but so have a lot of fans because unless MLB comes up with a way to test players for HGH, then any and all of them can continue to use HGH, as long as they don't get busted by the Feds like Grimsley did. I don't think a lot of fans want to consider the possibility that it might not be just Barry Bonds or Jason Giambi who used performance enhancers, but maybe their favorite players on their favorite team as well.
What this also does is throw the spotlight on the fact that it's not just hitters who use performance enhancers because Grimsley is a pitcher. He wasn't using steroids or HGH for increased strength, he was using those substances because it helped him heal. Those are benefits that any player might want to take advantage of regardless of the position they play. He also admitting to using Greenies, but that's certainly far from a surprise since it's well-known that their use is widespread thoughout baseball by both hitters and pitchers. But before now most fans have assumed that it's muscle-bound hitters who are the most likely to use performance enhancers. This however highlights that fans can't determine which players have or do use performance enhancers on the basis of which players have gained a lot of muscle since they first started playing. Just because a player is skinny, doesn't mean they aren't using.
More is sure to become known about all of this in the days to follow but it will certainly be interesting to see the response by MLB to these revelations.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:58 PM | Comments (0)
June 06, 2006
Photo of the Day
Old Westbury Gardens, Old Westbury, New York, 2002.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:05 PM | Comments (0)
What Was Ricky Rudd Thinking?
While substituting for Tony Stewart in the #20, Ricky Rudd was penalized during Sunday's race for speeding off of pit road. It was a very costly penalty because it put him down a lap, and he was never able to recover from it. Naturally he wasn't pleased about it and said the following after the race,
“Well, our biggest problem was that we got caught for speeding on pit road. I knew there was a reason I quit this sport. I wasn’t speeding. Somebody up there’s got something against me. I don’t know what it is. We came down pit road and left with the traffic and I’m the only guy that gets called back in for speeding, so that’s real disappointing. We missed the set-up on the car. I didn’t quite know what to ask for and late in the race Zippy started playing with the car a little bit and he got it much, much better. I think we were probably a seventh, eighth, 10th, 12th place car at the worst, but ended up way back. The extra lap really killed us. We couldn’t get it back.”
I was really astonished when I read what Rudd said. It's one thing to be upset, but it's something else entirely to start talking about Nascar having it out for him. In addition, it's not like it was back in the day when I believe Nascar officials depended on stop watches and their eyes to determine who was speeding. These days it's all done electronically - if a driver gets busted for speeding, they were speeding. I don't have a problem with Rudd expressing his opinion and being unhappy with the outcome of the race, but I'm disappointed that he opted to criticize Nascar. Fact of the matter is that the blame for the speeding penalty rests on his shoulders because he was the one behind the wheel and he was the one who gave it a little extra gas on his way off of pit road, not anyone from Nascar. Rudd claims that he left pit road with traffic and was the only one busted, but I would guess that on some part of pit road, he sped before he was with the rest of the cars and might not even realize what he did.
I recorded Inside Nextel Cup last night but I've not gotten a chance to watch it but I understand that Michael Waltrip had a strong response to the point of where he called what Rudd said B.S. and suggested that "maybe he should stay retired." In addition, Michael apparently also said that comments like what Rudd said is something he might expect to hear from a young driver, but not an experienced veteran like Rudd. Of course fans of Rudd, and those that don't like Michael, were up in arms - how dare he criticize saintly Ricky Rudd? Well, I also think Rudd's comments were ridiculous, and while I think Michael might have been able to phrase what he was saying a little better, I agree with most of what he said.
First of all, this is Nascar's playground. They can make any rules they choose and enforce them as they see fit, whether it's fair or not. If Rudd can't handle the way Nascar approaches speeding on pit road, something that's a safety issue, then he doesn't have to race, something that until now he's opted not to do this season. While I do think that Nascar doesn't always apply some of their rules evenly, I do think that when it comes to the speeding penalties because it's done electronically, it's pretty black and white. Either a driver was speeding or they weren't. And in Rudd's case, it really doesn't make sense that they would look to satisfy some sort of vendetta against him in that situation. If anything, Nascar would want Rudd to succeed in the #20 car because it would be a great storyline if he contended for the win in the #20 after Stewart had to step out.
Additionally, critcizing officials is a no-no in any sport. That is something that can bring penalties in its own right. In baseball, a player can be thrown out of a game and if the critcizing is done through the media and is directed towards the Commissioner, they might be invited to his office for a chat. In fact, in Nascar one of the rules is that if a driver is too harsh in their comments towards a Nascar official they can be penalized. That isn't something that Nascar made up on a whim to punish Robby Gordon. That's apparently an actual written rule that the drivers are aware of. Of course Rudd's comments didn't come during the race itself, so Nascar will probably turn a blind eye to what he said, but it's still something that I imagine they would frown upon. Again, I don't think there's anything wrong with Rudd expressing his disappointment, but ripping Nascar by accusing them of being biased against him is probably not the best way of doing it.
But Rudd should know all of this. As Michael pointed out, he's a veteran - he's raced in Cup for 31 years! Rudd knows the way things go, the way Nascar operates and he most certainly should be aware of what the rules are whether it relates to speeding or something else. I understand that Rudd wanted everything to go perfectly in this race and was probably dreaming of a top ten at the very least so he was disappointed, but I think his comments were over-the-top.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:28 PM | Comments (0)
Kevin Grubb Applies for Reinstatement
In March of 2004, Busch Series driver Kevin Grubb was suspended indefinitely from Nascar for violating the substance abuse policy. Between now and then not much was heard about him, other than some vague rumors that he was having trouble adhering to Nascar's requirements for him to follow to be reinstated and was doing very poorly. Apparently, he's since gotten his act together because he's applied for reinstatement. Not only that, but a preliminary entry list for this weekend's Busch race listed Grubb in the #56. After it came to light that his reinstatement hasn't been approved yet, a later version of the entry list from Nascar showed the driver of the #56 as TBA.
I'm very interested to see how Nascar handles this. Of course when it comes to substance abuse issues, every case is going to be different from what the violator tested positive for to how they conducted themselves during their suspension. The thing is that assuming Grubb is now clean and has followed all the requirements that Nascar laid out for him, I think they will have a hard time denying his reinstatement since they let Shane Hmiel back into the sport after he was suspended for violating the substance abuse policy. Of course Hmiel betrayed the trust that was given to him by testing positive for a banned substance for a second time, and then for a third time while he was under suspension for the second violation. That might make Nascar wary of reinstating Grubb, but the precendent has been set.
This may offend a few people, because there are strong opinions on all sides of the issue, but I feel that a driver who tests positive for a banned substance shouldn't be allowed back on the track. Racing is a dangerous sport and the drivers must be able to trust that those that they are racing with aren't using any banned substances, illegal or not, because their lives might depend on it. Grubb has already shown extremely poor judgement by using a substance he knew that he was prohibited from using - how does Nascar know that his judgement is any better now?
That doesn't mean that Grubb should be written off and never deserves a second chance. If he wants to remain involved with Nascar, I see no problem with him working for a team in the shop. Just because someone makes a mistake or has a substance abuse problem doesn't mean that they are a bad person or that they can't contribute to society. But I don't think they belong driving a racecar. And yes, I would feel the same way if it was one of my favorite drivers who was in this position.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:55 PM | Comments (0)
Random Thoughts on the New York Yankees
I figured I would do one big entry on some things related to the Yankees instead of spreading it out over a few small entries...
*I really try to avoid calling players names or otherwise personally insulting them but sometimes... I understand that players get upset and lose control sometimes but they make their living off of their physical abilities. So why then, do they do thinks that jeapardize their health or put them at risk for an injury? Such was the case for New York Yankees pitcher Scott Proctor, who punched a metal door after Saturday's game against the Baltimore Orioles, because he was upset about giving up a run and a miscommunication between himself and the bullpen coach. Idiot. I'm sorry, but punching a door/wall/any other object is sheer stupidity. Kevin Brown punched a wall when he was with the Yankees in 2004 and broke his hand. I think it's somewhat of a selfish thing to do, considering how much Proctor has been used out of the bullpen, if he had broken or otherwise severely injured his hand it could have been very costly to the team, especially since they're already dealing with a significant amount of injury woes.
*While we're on the subject of the Yankees injury woes, it's incredible how well they've been playing while missing some key players. Just over the past few days Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi missed time due to a stomach virus and Derek Jeter has been out with a bruised thumb. Yet the Yankees still managed to win eight of their last ten games, including last night, when they crushed the Boston Red Sox 13-5. Some of the replacement players have really stepped up, including Andy Phillips and Melky Cabrera. But I think the team as a whole has been playing some outstanding baseball lately. As a result the Yankees are in first in the division. Sure, it's only by a half game, but a lot of other teams that had to deal with this many injuries might have collapsed completely. Not the Yankees.
*Yesterday A-Rod was named the American League Player of the Month for May. So A-Rod was deemed the best of all American League hitters in May, yet many Yankee fans have been on his case because they feel that he's not been living up to expectations or coming up big. Meanwhile, A-Rod led the league with 28 RBI, hit .330, with eight home runs and a .416 on-base percentage, as well as hit safely in 25 games during May. This is a player who is a disappointment? I understand that some fans measure a player's worthiness against Derek Jeter, who always seems to be clutch, or decides if a player is earning their salary on the basis of how well they hit against hated rivals like the Red Sox or Mets, but the reality is that A-Rod is an exceptional and very productive hitter. The stats bear that out. Being AL Player of the Month reflects that. There are many teams who would love to have A-Rod on their team, it's too bad that some Yankee fans are unable to truly appreciate him.
*Mike Mussina pitched his way to another win last night, and now has a record of 8-1 with an ERA of 2.67. That's outstanding! After two years in which he's been inconsistent at times, I love seeing him pitch this well regularly! Some fans have noted that Mussina's contract runs out after this season and feel that he's pitching so well because he's deliberately turned it up a notch in his contact year. This upsets other fans, because the implication is that some players only give a half-assed effort until they have to prove their value to their team so they will either get re-signed by their current team or signed to a deal by a new team. I think the main reason Mussina is pitching this well is because there are no injury issues like there were the past two seasons.
But in general, I do think there is something to the idea that some players step it up in a contract year. I don't believe that this is really something deliberate, but rather something subconsious and part of human nature. Every person wants to do their best and never more than when they are being evaluated. A player's entire future might depend on what they do and there is certainly increased attention in a contract year. It's the survival of the fittest in a way because the competition in MLB among players is so intense so the players need to do whatever they can to ensure that there is interest in their services. I don't think it's anything for them to be ashamed of either, whether they do it purposefully or not.
*I'm really sick of the excuse that if someone wears the opposing team's logo on their person it somehow justifies vile things getting screamed at them, things thrown at them or even in some cases, being physically attacked. That kind of behavior is NEVER okay. Not for any reason, no matter what team the other person is a fan of. I know some people talk about the rivalries in terms of doing battle, but this is a sporting event, not a real war.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:30 PM | Comments (0)
June 05, 2006
Photo of the Day - Boats
Cape Porpoise, Maine, July, 2004.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:56 PM | Comments (0)
In the News: Michael Waltrip (6/5)
In 2004, Michael Waltrip raised $1 million for the Victory Junction Gang Camp, through a variety of appearances and events in conjunction with Operation Marathon, all of which culminated with Michael running the Las Vegas Marathon in January of 2005. But Michael isn't ending his charitable efforts there. Last week, "The Waltrip Challenge" was announced, in which Michael will be working with The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation to help raise funds for Alzheimer's research. Michael said,
“There is no cure for Alzheimer’s. Millions of people suffer from the disease and most families have been touched by it in some way or another. I know, through personal experience, the devastation and destruction this disease causes to our loved ones. It is a disease that strikes fear in my heart for those who are directly and indirectly affected by the disease.”
If I'm understanding correctly, other than ways for fans to donate and encourage others to donate, there will be items for sale and possibly some sort of Michael related events or promotions as well to raise money. The details in this initial press release, as well as on the official website, are somewhat skimpy, other than "Please donate money!" but I'm sure more details will become available over the next few months. Some of us on the forum on Michael's site have pledged to donate money this season on the basis of his finishes in Busch and Cup races, as well as various other things that he does or says. We were going to to donate the money to Operation Marathon, since they were still accepting donations for that cause, but perhaps we'll end up deciding to donate to The Waltrip Challenge instead.
Unfortunately, once this is publicized me I'm sure some fans will try to find fault with Michael for doing this, probably by accusing him of only doing this for publicity reasons because of the Toyota backlash. Inevitably, that happens every time any driver does something major for charity - there is a large segment of fans who believe there has to be an ulterior motive, rather than the driver believes strongly in a cause or wants to use their celebrity to help some charitable causes and do good for others. But as I've said before, one of the things that I like the most about Nascar (other than the racing) is how involved the drivers, teams, sponsors and fans are with trying to raise money for a variety of charities. I really admire Michael for how much he's done in this area and it's had a big influence on me. I've always liked to help people where I can but after seeing the things that Michael and those around him have done it's encouraged me to do even more. I also like that Michael isn't all talk in that he's not just saying "please donate to charity," he's actually going out and getting involved actively with a specific cause.
The uproar over Michael entering into a "partnership" with the #74 team to race in the Coca-Cola 600 when the #55 failed to qualify for the race continued through last week. I've got to say that while I'm sure all parties would rather that the publicity they get be due to racing up front and winning races, what Michael did got both himself and sponsor NAPA more exposure and visibility than they've gotten all season. Virtually every media outlet that covers Nascar did some sort of story on it and fans are continuing to debate whether Nascar should allow it. So on that basis alone, Michael did good by his sponsor.
David Poole, writing for The Charlotte Observer, had an outstanding opinion piece, in which he wondered why fans are getting so upset over issues like what Michael did, when there are much bigger issues to worry about. Poole wrote,
Waltrip made a business deal. He needed to get NAPA, his sponsor, in the race. So had and McGlynn Motorsports reached an arrangement. Nobody got hurt. Nobody held Derrike Cope's family hostage until the team that owns the No. 74 Dodge that Cope qualified agreed to let Waltrip drive. Waltrip got to race and McGlynn got a nice check. McGlynn got the owner points, leaving Waltrip in the same hole he's dug for himself this year.
Exactly. Fans are freaking out about what Michael did, even though the #74 team entered into this partnership willingly. Fans are ready to burn Michael in effigy, yet as Poole points out, there might be a few more pressing matters facing the sport.
What did fans get mad about?Busch's impetuousness and the mechanics of his throw when he hurled his HANS device at Mears' Dodge.
What should fans be upset about?
The fact that Busch got fined $50,000, twice as much as Chad Knaus, Jimmie Johnson's crew chief, did for breaking the rules before the Daytona 500.
Busch also lost 25 points and Johnson lost none.
Or, how about the fact Tony Stewart will start Sunday's race when he's obviously in no condition to go 400 miles?
I agree with Poole. I think it's ridiculous that Busch was penalized as much or more for infractions related to cheating or even those that relate to drivers using their cars as a weapon against each other. I also think that drivers racing while injured, and there have been many of them, is a very serious issue. For the driver's own good, and for that of their fellow competitiors, Nascar should take a look at what they can do to address this issue to ensure that drivers are behind the wheel only when they are as close to 100% as possible. I also think it's amazing that fans are so upset about what Michael did but don't seem to care all that much about some of the larger business related issues, such as what I mentioned in an earlier entry today, about the problems that are facing many of the truck series teams.
In a separate article, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which discussed the overall problems for the #55 team, Tony Eury, Jr., who was Michael's crew chief last season said,
"Any time you're looking at something else down the road, you're taking your focus off of now, so you don't have 110 percent. And that's what it takes to run in this series. There is no doubt that is playing a big part of it. But the biggest thing is they just have to get people in there who believe in each other and are willing to do whatever it takes."
I do agree that Michael is looking forward to the future - but I think he's always done that, perhaps more so than many of his fellow drivers. Michael sees the big picture, as opposed to having tunnel vision for just the here and now. I don't think that takes his focus away from racing though. I think that is simply the way he views things. What's very striking about Eury, Jr.'s comment though is about the importance of Michael having people who believe in each other and are willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. Eury, Jr. was that person for Michael. He believed in Michael 100% last season and worked exceptionally hard to help Michael do well. And Michael responded extremely well to that. There have been others who I think have had a big impact on Michael as a racer, from his brother to Dale Earnhardt. But I think that working with Eury, Jr. was huge for Michael as well because it showed some people what Michael could do with good cars and also what happens when people believe strongly that he can do succeed just as much as any other driver on the track.
In the same article Bill Davis said,
"I don't think it's a strange relationship. We certainly haven't done a good job for Michael; that's easy to see. We certainly would like to and would like to try to make it better before the end of the year."
I certainly hope that Davis finds a way to help make things better for both Michael and Dave Blaney by the end of the season but I'm not counting on it. I'm glad that Davis is acknowledging that his organization hasn't provided Michael with what he needs to suceed this year, but unfortunately in the end a lot of people are going to look at the final stats and assume that Michael (and Blaney) are the problem, as opposed to the cars. But no driver could do any better than Michael or Dave in cars that are 30th place cars week after week.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:00 PM | Comments (0)
Kevin Harvick Says KHI Truck Team May Fold If Sponsorship Isn't Found
Ron Hornaday, Jr. won a race last week in for Kevin Harvick, Inc. in the #33 but Kevin Harvick says that if they can't find sponsorship for the #33, they won't run the truck full-time next season. He said,
"The truck future is up in the air. We probably won't run it again next year if we don't have something on the side of it. We've made the commitment to run it this year and do the things that we need to do there to get it through the year and run it like a first-class operation as it has run the last three or four years. But we can't do that again next year."
I think this is a very bad sign about the health of the truck series. Hornaday is a two-time series Champion, who has 28 truck series wins, including last week. KHI is a strong organization that fields competitive trucks and is connected to a Cup driver, who is the owner. This team is also not one that suffers from a lack of attention, as Hornaday is often mentioned not only during race broadcasts, but also in other media as he is one of the most respected veterans of the series. Yet this team can't find a full-time sponsor?
Of course they're not alone. David Reutimann is third in the points, has only one finish outside the top ten this season, is a proven race winner, and is racing for Darrell Waltrip Motorsports, yet his truck also doesn't have an outside sponsor other than Toyota. Countless other teams are also struggling to find and keep primary sponsors. The fact of the matter is that the viewership of the truck races might be on the increase, but it's no where near what it is for the Cup or Busch series. Which means that sponsors find that they can get more exposure by being an associate sponsor on a Cup or Busch car, than they might for the same money on a Truck team.
What happens if this trend continues? First the divide between the have's and the have-not's is going to increase. To be competitive a team must have the financial resources to put into the truck in terms of personnel, equipment and other resources. Unsponsored teams that aren't willing to put money from their own pocket in will have a much harder time competing with the sponsored teams that have a much bigger budget to work with. I also fear that more teams will follow the lead of KHI, and if they can't find enough sponsorship will close up shop. That may include some top teams. There is only so long that even the most well-funded organization can keep a team going without much money coming in.
I really hope that somehow the #59 can find a full-time sponsor if the plan is for Steve Park to be in that ride long term...
Posted by silverdsl at 01:43 PM | Comments (0)
Driver by Driver: Dover
Overall, this race actually had some decent racing at points so it was better than some others recently.
1. Matt Kenseth - Nice battle for the win at the end of the race between Matt and teammate Jamie McMurray - it's too bad that we don't see more racing like this. The races where one guy pulls ahead and stays there often aren't too exciting to watch. I always wonder how it's going to go when there are two teammates battling each other for the win - will one give way to the other? Will they race each other like they weren't teammates because they're going for the win? In this case, Jamie was slowed slightly by lapped traffic which allowed Matt to overtake him.
2. Jamie McMurray - I don't really care for Jamie and I think he's somewhat overrated. But I have to admit I was pulling for him to win this race. For one thing it was his birthday this weekend and that would have been some present! But also he hasn't won since 2002 and I know we would have seen a genuinely emotion and exciting Victory Lane celebration had he won. But it was not to be. Still an excellent finish for a driver who really needed to step it up. Jamie is with a team that is probably one of the stronger ones in the field so although he likely still has some adjusting to do in terms of being with a new team, the results should be better for him this season than they've been. Maybe this is a sign that things are turning around for him.
3. Kevin Harvick - Kevin was in the midst of the battle for the lead at times but his car just wasn't strong enough to do what he needed it to so that he actually could led the race. Still, a great finish for the #29 team and it's Kevin's 5th top five of the season.
4. Jeff Burton - Jeff won the Busch race on Saturday so that was a sign that he would likely be running up front on Sunday - which he did. Most organizations talk optimistically at the beginning of each season about all the changes they've made, even if they're unlikely to actually improve the actual results on the track. But in the case of RCR, they've actually improved a lot from where they've been the past few years.
5. Kyle Busch - I was interested to find out that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. considers Kyle a friend and was one of the few drivers who stuck up for him after his most recent run-in with Nascar. Not only that but Junior said that he thought that the penalty assessed to Kyle was too harsh. Having Junior on his side could go a long way towards eventually winning over some in the garage area. It's also an interesting friendship because on the surface I'm not sure what they have in common besides racing.
6. Jimmie Johnson - An outstanding race for this team! Many fans were upset with how much attention Jimmie and the #48 team got during this race, but they absolutely deserved it. First of all Jimmie is the points leader but he had to start at the back of the field because of a spin during qualifying. On top of that he had to share a pit stall for part of the race with Scott Wimmer. To finish 6th he also had to overcome and iffy car at the beginning fof the race, a spin during the race and being two laps down at one point. How many teams could overcome all of that to finish in the top ten and remain on top of the overall points? I don't think that there are many. This team is definitely one of the best in the entire garage area - nothing causes them to panic or lose focus and obstacles seem to make them work even harder. They might not have ended up in Victory Lane, but I think their performance yesterday might have been the best on the track.
7. Kasey Kahne - Followed up last week's win with a solid top ten.
8. Greg Biffle - Don't look know but Greg is up to 12th in the points thanks to some really strong races and a win this past month. I think Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch (9th and 10th in the points) better start looking over their shoulders because Greg (and Denny Hamlin) are on the move and could very well overtake them to get into the Chase for the Championship.
9. Mark Martin - Led a bunch of laps but an "oops" in the pits, forced Martin to come back in because of a loose lugnut and cost him time on the track. Still, yet another fine finish for a team that has been extremely consistant all season. I think Mark eventually will end up in Victory Lane sooner or later.
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Not a bad race for the #8 team. But I think they will need to step it up and do more than hang around in the top ten if they want to really be a factor in the Chase. The win indicates that they are capable of a little more than what we've seen this season. Of course a lot of teams would be thrilled with the season that Junior is having but I think the expectations are higher for this team.
11. Denny Hamlin - Highest finishing rookie for the 4th week in a row and is 11th in overall points. Denny's having an outstanding rookie season. I don't think anyone could possibly be disappointed with what he's been able to do this season.
12. Jeff Gordon - There are many teams that would be very happy with a 12th place finish but the #24 team needs to do much better. Finishing 12th dropped Jeff another two positions in the overall points to 9th and my feeling is that unless they step it up soon, Jeff may miss the Chase again this season. I believe the talent and desire are still there as much as it ever was but I'm not sure that Jeff is surrounded by as strong of a team as he once was.
13. Bobby Labonte - Not a bad day for the #43 team.
14. Ryan Newman - Hard to believe that it took until Dover for Ryan to get his first pole of the season since he had four already by this time last year. Ryan ran up front for a good part of the race but a lugnut problem on a pit stop cost him track position that he was never able to get back.
15. Carl Edwards - 15th has to be a bit of a disappointment for Carl because he finished second in both the Truck and Busch races earlier in the weekend. Never had a great car.
16. Kurt Busch - Had all sorts of handling problems and went two a lap down. Probably lucky to finish as well as he did. I'd say that neither Penske team is going to be in the Chase this season.
17. Clint Bowyer - Finished in the top five in the Busch race and was in the top ten during this race but faded towards the end.
18. Jeremy Mayfield - For the second week in a row Mayfield starts on the front row and then can't do much with it.
19. Reed Sorenson - This is actually a pretty decent finish for this team considering that Reed started the race 39th and the car was loose thoughout the race. Highest finishing Ganassi car, so overall this wasn't a great day for the Ganassi teams.
20. Scott Riggs
21. Casey Mears - Last car on the lead lap. Never had a very good car and had a vibration to deal with towards the end of the race.
22. Martin Truex Jr. - Is it the cars? Is it Truex? Is he distracted by moving into a new house with his girlfriend? Is he struggling to adjust to racing Cup? I think some people's predictions for Truex this season were way too inflated but I expected him to be better than this. Only one top ten all season and I can't think of a single race where he was a big factor at any point. At this same time last season, Michael Waltrip, who Truex essentially replaced, was higher in the points and had more top tens and top fives. I think that Truex has more talent than he's been able to show so far but it will be interesting to see what direction his career takes.
23. Brian Vickers - I really think Brian needs a change of scenery. Either there needs to be some changes made to the team he's with or he needs to sign with another organization.
24. Dale Jarrett - The results have really been poor for the #88 team lately and Dale slipped to 17th in the points after this race. How is Yates going to convince UPS to stay on or a top driver to take Dale's place if the results aren't any good?
25. Tony Stewart/Ricky Rudd - Some speculated that once Tony got into the car he'd want to stay in, but he got out on the first caution on lap 38 and later said that he was never comfortable in the car due to his injury. Making the driver switch from Tony to Ricky went well, but Ricky was penalized for speeding off of pit road and the team was never able to recover from it. Finished two laps down.
26. Tony Raines - Brought out the first caution by spinning due to a loose condition.
27. Kyle Petty - I don't see how this team is going to attract sponsorship, something they are in need of, if the results don't get any better.
28. Jeff Green Chevrolet
29. Travis Kvapil - The good news for the #32 team is that they've been racing just slightly better than some of the others they've competing with in the owner's points to get into the top 35, but even that isn't that great.
30. Dave Blaney - Actually moved up one position in the owner's points because they finished ahead of Sterling Marlin but I think this team is likely to fall out of the top 35 by the end of the season. An embarassment of a season for Bill Davis Racing so far.
31. Sterling Marlin - Another team sinking in the owner's points, but not really all that unexpected considering their lack of good results this season, which also isn't so unexpected considering they don't have full sponsorship this season.
32. Michael Waltrip - At points Michael had a car that was a little better than what he's usually had to deal with this season as he was actually able to race a little and his speeds weren't so bad. It seemed like Michael was really doing a good job of hanging in and trying to get the most that he possibly could out of the car to at least hold his ground, even if he wasn't able to advance that far. But Michael decided that on the last pit stop they should come in and either the changes that were made to the car were the wrong ones or the tires that were put on weren't that great because the car lost something and Michael didn't finish as well as he might have had they stayed out. It's a continuation of a pattern that's been present all season - it's gotten a little better with the new crew chief but Michael ends up making many of the decisions when it should be the crew chief acting as quarterback and calling the shots with Michael only giving input.
33. Ken Schrader - Never had a good car all race. Kenny's best finish this season was a top ten at Daytona. Since then the team has had a lot of problems to deal with which has left Kenny 30th in points. I'm a little surprised because I thought that Kenny might do better in this car than he has.
34. Scott Wimmer - Had to share a pit stall with the #48 team to start the race and that really cost them. During a caution, the #4 team decided to let the #48 pit first, even though they didn't have to since they were ahead of the #48 when the caution flew. I'm guessing they might have done that in an effort to led a lap. Well, turns out that the #4 didn't have enough gas to make it back to pit road. Oops!
35. Joe Nemechek - There's a rumor that one of the Toyota teams is interested in Nemechek's services for next season. I guess it speaks to how few quality drivers there are available because while Nemechek has four Cup wins over the course of his career, the results haven't been too great lately.
36. Robby Gordon - Heading into this race, Robby got a lot of attention because he was also going to be racing in the Baja 500 in Mexico the same weekend. But nothing was said about him trying to pull that most unusual double during the race, probably because the results from the Baja 500 weren't very good either.
37. Derrike Cope - I don't know if it was because they recently got a new engine or because of the money that they had gotten from Michael Waltrip Racing last week, but this team was actually able to make it through an entire race without retiring early which is an accomplishment for them to be proud of.
38. Kenny Wallace
39. Kevin Lepage - This car seemed to blow up not just once, but twice. I'm not sure why they sent him back onto the track after the first time.
40. Elliott Sadler - Hard to believe Elliott finished so poorly in this race because he had one of the best cars of the field all weekend. When the race started he was able to race in the top ten and it looked like he was on his way to a much needed strong finish. But a tire going down was the first problem that put him back in the field and then he got into oil from the #49 car, which wrecked him out of the race. Elliott is a much better driver than 20th in the points indicates.
41. David Stremme - Made contact with the #48 car and that put a hole in the radiator. Stremme did led his first lap, under caution, in this race, so the day wasn't all bad for Stremme.
42. J.J. Yeley - A tire going down and then two hard wrecks ended his day early.
43. Hermie Sadler - If not for falling out of the race opening up a pit stall for the #4 team to use, so they didn't have to share with the #48 team any more, Hermie probably would never have been mentioned.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:44 AM | Comments (0)
June 04, 2006
Photo of the Day - Elliott Sadler
I went to the second annual Tom Baldwin Memorial Golf Open last week. I'll blog about it in more detail sometime this week but the highlight was definitely seeing Elliott Sadler - he was so awesome!
Posted by silverdsl at 09:52 PM | Comments (0)
Some Good and Some Bad for Steve Park at Dover
Steve Park did the double this weekend - raced in both the Truck and Busch races at Dover. Neither result was much to write home about but finishing 21st in the truck race was enough to move the #59 team up into 27th in owner points. That's awesome! Why? Because it guarantees them a spot in next week's race in Texas, as well as every other race after that if they can continue to race well enough to stay in the top 30 in owner's points. That way Steve and the team don't have to worry as much about qualifying and being fast enough to make the race. The past two races they've come close to not making it, so I think it will really be a big relief for Steve and the team to have one less thing to worry about.
Of course I'm assuming that Steve is actually going to be in the #59 truck past this weekend, since as of this evening that information hasn't yet been posted to his website. For all I know Steve has some other deal he's working on to race another truck, or the #59 team is going to opt to go with another driver. But Steve has said that he thinks that this team could eventually win races and they seem happy with Steve, so presumably they will continue to work together. I would think that South Padre Island might sponsor Steve at Texas so hopefully with a little extra financial resources, the team might be able to give Steve a truck like he had at Mansfield where he finished 10th. In four truck races at Texas Steve has finished no worse than 16th, so it could be a very good race for him if he has a competitive truck!
On the other hand, things continue to go poorly for Steve in the #31 Busch car. The car wasn't stellar at Dover, but Steve was hanging in, until he got loose, came across the front of Todd Bodine's car and ended up wrecked. Based on what those at the race said, Steve told the team not to bother to fix the car since they weren't racing for points. That makes sense - why bother going through all that work when they don't have much to gain from it? And no driver enjoys going back out on the track in a damaged car that's many laps down.
From what the replays on TV showed, Bodine was not at fault for Steve wrecking, as much as some fans might want to blame him. Bodine did have a hand in causing a multi-car wreck later in the race, but if what the TV broadcast showed us can be trusted, Steve got loose before he made contact with Bodine, if there was even any contact. Bodine is an easy target to blame because in the past he has been involved in many wrecks, but this one really didn't seem to be of his doing. Sometimes cars are going to get loose and as good of the driver behind the wheel might be - like Steve - they might not be able to save it. Or the driver might make a mistake that causes them to wreck themselves. Now, I'm not saying that Steve made a mistake and wrecked himself. I'm just saying that there isn't always someone else to blame when a driver wrecks. Sometimes things just happen.
Supposedly there's a "cat in the bag" that was supposed to be let out around now that I guess would be news about Steve's plans for the rest of the season and maybe even beyond. Really, I'm just assuming that. If there's going to be an announcement, it could be about anything from the opening of the Fanzone on his website, to staying in the #59 with a new sponsor for the rest of the season, to a new ride, to something in his personal life. That's how little information that's known and that's only because of a comment by a fan who had seen Steve a while back. Tonight another fan essentially said that there's a delay of a few more weeks before the "cat" can be let out of the bag because of a "thorn in its paw" and I can't help but think of what happened to Steve during the off-season when he thought he had a full-time ride in the truck series lined up only to have it fall apart because of sponsorship issues. Only time will tell how it all plays out, but I hope everything works out the way that Steve wants it to, no matter what the "cat" might actually be.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:10 PM | Comments (0)
June 03, 2006
Germain Racing and Wyler Racing to Go Cup Racing in 2007
It wasn't long ago that Jim Aust, vice president of Toyota Motorsports, was saying that Toyota had no plans to field any other Cup teams besides those that they were committed to for Michael Waltrip Racing, Bill Davis Racing and Red Bull Racing. Just a few weeks later, plans have changed. Last week it was announced that two Toyota affiliated truck teams, Germain Racing and Wyler Racing, are going to run a limited schedule of Cup races next season, also in Toyotas. Both teams are currently looking for sponsorship that would enable them to field a car at selected Car of Tomorrow races, with the hope of eventually racing Cup full-time. If I'm understanding correctly, the plan for now is that both teams would gradually expand the amount of races they would run each season as more Car of Tomorrow races are added, until they are finally racing a full schedule, around 2009 or so.
It appears that Germain Racing might be further along than Wyler Racing is since they made the announcement on Friday that Todd Bodine, who drives for them in the truck series, will be their Cup driver in 2007. On the other hand, Wyler Racing hasn't yet decided who will be their Cup driver, which opens the door to Steve Park possibly being involved with Wyler's Cup efforts.
Of course Steve has said that he doesn't have much interest in racing Cup again, but it seems to me that could be a really good opportunity. No doubt the going is going to be hard for any new team trying to establish themselves in the Cup series, but Wyler would have Toyota's full backing, presumably a decent sponsor so there would be outside money coming in, and it would be the chance to be involved with helping build a team into a competitive one from the ground up. That last item is the type of challenge that I would think might appeal to some drivers because it's an opportunity to really make their mark on a team. The cars might not race up front at first, but I think they will likely be somewhat decent since they are going to be eyeing being a full-time team in the future, and they will have some resources, financial and otherwise, behind them. The plan by Wyler and Germain to start off small and gradually expand seems like a sound one because they won't be looking for instant success - simply solid results that they can build on. Of course it might not end up being a situation that Steve will feel is right for him, and it's also possible that Wyler Racing won't be interested in his services, but this is the kind of thing that I referred to not long ago that I would be disappointed to find out that Steve wouldn't consider if it was offered to him. It's the type of situation that could lead to a full-time gig with a supportive team.
Nothing may come of it for Steve, since the only reason I'm speculating about Steve and Wyler Racing is that he has a long-term relationship with Wyler's, rather than his name has been mentioned in the rumor mill as a candidate for a Cup ride with them. Back when he was dumped from the #62, it was rumored that Wyler Racing was going to field a second truck for him but nothing ever came of that. I really wish that it had worked out, but they had a hard enough time finding a primary sponsor for Jack Sprague, let alone for a second truck. Steve in a Toyota truck - now that would have been sweet! I'm certain we would have seen him running up front quite a bit had anything had come of that. It's unknown how Toyota is going to fare in Cup racing, but I'm guessing that eventually they will enjoy some success - I would really love for Steve to be a part of that!
I'm sure there are quite a few fans who don't understand why Germain is sticking with Bodine when they move to Cup. After all, his stats are less than impressive on the Cup level when compared to other drivers and he picked up quite a reputation for causing wrecks. But it also appears that Bodine also had to deal with a lot of mechanical issues on the cars that he raced, so he might not have been getting very competitive cars and it's almost impossible for any driver to get good results with a lousy car. It's possible that with better cars he might get better results. Fact is, since 2004 he's won nine times in the truck series and he also has 15 Busch series wins throughout his career, so he does have talent behind the wheel, no matter how much some may not want to recognize that. I also think right now he's with a team that believes in him and that sometimes makes all the difference.
I'm interested to see how this plays out for both teams, but especially for Wyler Racing. As I've mentioned previously I've been intrigued by this team since they suddenly popped into existance one day last year out of nowhere. And now less than a year later, they're making plans to go Cup racing too. Clearly this is a team with ambitious plans and it will be interesting to see how successful they are.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:51 PM | Comments (0)
DEI and MB2 to Merge?
Rumors constantly fly in the garage area and one of the most recent is that DEI is going to buy MB2 motorsports. If that happened DEI would field teams for Dale Earnhardt, Jr, Martin Truex, Jr., Paul Menard, Joe Nemechek and Sterling Marlin. There's a couple of things that don't make sense with that rumor. One, is that MB2 gets their engines from Hendrick Motorsports so MB2 would have to sever their ties with Hendrick before any kind of merger with DEI were to be possible. On top of that Nascar plans on implimenting a new rules about how many teams one organization can field and five would be over the limit. So it doesn't make a lot of sense to me that DEI would buy an entire organization to expand, when they could simply add a fourth team.
It seems to me that if there's any truth to this rumor, it's that MB2 might be thinking about getting their engines from DEI instead of from Hendrick. That kind of loose partnership could benefit DEI because there would be more opportunities to gather information and possibly do some R&D work in a way that they wouldn't be willing to do with Junior or Truex's cars. Tony Eury, Jr. said earlier this season in an interview on XM that providing engines to Robby Gordon helps them in that way, so I can see why they might want to expand their efforts in that area even more.
There's also the rumor that Teresa Earnhardt plans on selling DEI to John Menard. I can see that one being more likely because he's already involved with DEI through the sponsorship of his son at DEI and I could see where he might want to take a more active role in Cup racing, particularly once Paul starts racing Cup. But will it actually happen? I'm not sure that a woman who is so concerned about the way that her husband's name is used that she won't let his son have the rights to his own name is going to be very likely to sell the company that bears his name.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:25 PM | Comments (0)
Penalties After Charlotte
Last week Nascar announced a few penalties because of rules violations during the Coca-Cola 600. For his temper tantrum, during which he threw his Hans device at Casey Mears, everyone's least favorite driver, Kyle Busch was fined $50,000, lost 25 driver points and placed on probation until Dec. 31. Rick Hendrick was also penalized 25 owner points. Additionally, the #19 of Jeremy Mayfield was found to be too low in post-race inspections. Crew chief Ted Andrews was fined $35,000, Mayfield was penalized 25 driver points and owner Ray Evernham lost 25 owner points. Lastly, Don Richardson, who is a crew member on Busch's #5 team, has been fined $5,000 and placed on probation until Dec. 31 because of the improper use of a NASCAR credential.
Apparently Nascar has threatened Busch with being suspended if he loses his temper in a similar way again. Busch said,
"There won't be a next time, because I know what the consequences are going to be. You just have to basically go the Carl Edwards route: 'Oh, gosh darn. We wrecked. We're just going to have come back and get 'em next week.' You're going to lose a fiery side, but basically that's what this sport has to endure right now.''
I think it's possible to still be fiery and not throw things at one's fellow competitors. Especially since Nascar's warning wasn't directed towards what Busch does on the track, only off-the-track tantrums like we saw on Sunday night. So he can continue to be aggressive on the track, as much as that might bother some fans and his fellow competitors. Many fans felt that Busch should have been parked for multiple races to teach him a lesson, but I can't say I agree with a driver being suspended for throwing equipment or blowing up like Busch did, as much as I don't like that kind of behavior. Nascar doesn't park drivers for using their cars as weapons against each other to retaliate, which I think is much worse than throwing a Hans device, so I think that suspending Busch for this would have been excessive. I don't agree with his behavior in any way, shape or form, but I think that drivers should be parked for truly severe rules infractions and I'm not sure that throwing a Hans device is that.
I'm astonished that the #19 failed post-race inspection. It's entirely possible that this was something accidental, but if the team was actively trying to skirt Nascar's rules, that boggles my mind. This team is barely holding on to 35th place in the owner's points and they can't afford to take any risks that might cause them to drop out of the top 35 in owner's points. Ray Evernham said that the problem was due to a mechanical issue and that they wouldn't appeal.
"The bottom line: It was low. We know why it was low. The front springs gave up. The thing settled too much. There's no appeal - you're either right or you're wrong, and there was red showing."
He may be right, but some would also say that it makes the #19 team look guilty of cheating if they aren't going to appeal to try to at least get the penalty reduced on the basis of it being due to something accidental rather than intentional.
What was interesting is that normally a car failing post-race inspection is something that is announced to the media immediately after the post-race inspections are complete following the race. However, in this case the news that the #19 didn't pass post-race inspection was only made known on Tuesday, two days later. Many in the media were clearly not pleased. Nascar's excuse was that the race ended late and the following day was Memorial Day. But Claire B. Lang said on XM that she stayed very late herself after the race and was in both the garage and media center but nothing was ever said. Associated Press motorsports reporter, Jenna Frye, speculated that perhaps Nascar didn't want to taint Kasey Kahne's win, since he is Mayfield's teammate. She wrote in a blog entry,
"Whatever NASCAR's reason is, its a practice that should not be repeated. Not announcing Mayfield's infraction when it was discovered looks suspicious, and raises questions about why it was such a secret to begin with. Was Kahne's car also low, and Mayfield used as a diversion? Probably not, but conspiracy theorists can have a field day with this one."
She is 100% right. It looks bad that Nascar kept the news that Mayfield's car failed post-race inspection for so long. It makes it seem as if they were trying to cover up the bad news. That might not have been the intent, as it's possible that there was simply a communication problem and Nascar forgot to convey the information on Sunday night to the media. But it sure does make it seem as if they were trying to keep something from the media as a way to possibly protect the #9 team. If they were trying to do that they may as well have just released the news on Sunday night because with the next day being Memorial Day most of the media wouldn't have done much with it anyway. But this way there was even more media scrutiny because everyone in the media is wondering why they weren't told about it sooner.
More than likely most fans didn't pay much attention to the #5 crew member being busted for using their credentials inappropriately. But this is the third time this season that a crew member has been caught for a rules infraction pertaining to credential use. Is this because Nascar is paying more attention to what is happening with the credentials, as I think they should? Or is there widespread abuse of credentials this season that didn't exist in the past? So far Nascar hasn't said a word on what might be going on but If this pattern continues, I'd like to see someone in the media do some followup to see if there's more to this than meets the eye.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:03 AM | Comments (0)
June 02, 2006
Got a Lot to Blog About But...
... I got into a car accident and though I'm okay other than a minor case of whiplash, my car most definitely isn't. :( Hopefully I'll be up to doing some blogging later or tomorrow.
Posted by silverdsl at 05:45 PM | Comments (0)