Mammoth Sports Fan: May 2009

Friday, May 29, 2009

Balsillie pushes forward with NHL arena plans in Hamilton

As Canadian NHL fans continue to digest a Phoenix judge's decision to move up a hearing to discuss the possible relocation of the bankrupt Coyotes, prospective buyer Jim Balsillie spent part of Friday outlining an arena plan.

The co-CEO of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd., Balsillie has offered $212.5 million US to purchase the Coyotes on the condition he can move the franchise to southern Ontario, specifically Hamilton.

He unveiled plans for the new Copps Coliseum -- with a focus on fan-friendly cutting-edge designs -- that would include a soaring atrium-style entrance lobby, luxury boxes, new lounges and restaurants, food and bar amenities throughout and a seating capacity surpassing 18,000.

"A new team for the best new hockey market deserves spectacular new home ice, and that's exactly what the upgraded Copps Coliseum would offer," Balsillie said in a statement released by Toronto public relations firm Veritas Communications Inc.

The design for an upgraded Copps Coliseum, which is 24 years old, is aimed at improving fan experience -- bringing them closer to the players, while offering better sightlines and entertainment options.

BBB Architects and its subsidiary group, Stadium Consultants International (SCI), are leading the design. They are currently renovating Madison Square Garden and Nassau County Coliseum, the home of the New York Rangers and New York Islanders respectively.
Arena would be 'a jaw-dropper,' says mayor

The Copps Coliseum renovation cost was estimated at $150 million in 2007 -- the time of the last detailed construction estimate -- but it could vary based on timelines, approvals and access to the facility for construction purposes.

"When completed, the BBB renovation plan will transform Copps Coliseum into a first-class professional sports and entertainment facility," Chris O'Reilly, principal with BBB Architects, said in a statement.

Earlier this month, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty left the door open to using public funds for the project but said he would have to wait and see if "we get a sensible proposal."

"It'd be premature at this point to talk about funding for Copps Coliseum," McGuinty's spokesperson Karman Wong said Friday. "However, the premier continues to be supportive of bringing a hockey team to southern Ontario.

"We'll take a careful look at infrastructure proposals that come to us from the city, keeping in mind that through the Pan Am bid, the government is already committed to making investments in Hamilton to support sports infrastructure."

The province already plans to spend infrastructure dollars in Hamilton to help support Ontario's bid for the 2015 Pan Am Games -- funds McGuinty has suggested could be used to fix up Copps Coliseum.

On May 13, Hamilton city council unanimously approved a deal giving Balsillie until October to bring a team to Copps.

In exchange, Balsillie has promised to sign a long-term lease up to 32 years if he secures the Coyotes.

The revamped Copps Coliseum would have 50 mid-level private suites and 20 Bunker Suites with prime seats in the first six rows between the blue-lines; new home and visitor dressing rooms, new ice surface, ice plant and climate control systems; and new upholstered seating throughout.

"This would be a jaw-dropper of an attraction for Hamilton," said Mayor Fred Eisenberger. "It would be a tremendous new asset for our city, and a major part of the revitalization of downtown Hamilton."

All that remains is securing an NHL team, which starts -- or could end -- with the June 9 relocation hearing. U.S. bankruptcy court Judge Redfield T. Baum has moved up the hearing from June 22, and promised on Wednesday to render a decision "as soon as I can."

The NHL is against the move and instead wants to find a buyer who will keep the team in Glendale, Ariz.

Legal arguments from the NHL and Coyotes majority owner Jerry Moyes can be filed until June 5.

Moyes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 5 and declared his intent to sell the team to Balsillie and PSE Sports and Entertainment.

Depending on the outcome, an auction of the club could be held June 22 or no earlier than late August. The latter scenario would result if Balsillie's bid were unsuccessful, with the league supporting the Coyotes financially until the auction.

It is Balsillie's third swing at owning an NHL club. He previously attempted to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators, but negotiations broke down.

The Globe and Mail reported Tuesday that Moyes would like to expedite the process, so the winning bidder could move the Coyotes by the start of the 2009-10 NHL season.

Moyes has claimed to have lost more than $200 million in equity and added more than $100 million in debt since purchasing the Coyotes with developer Steve Ellman for $90 million in 2001.

Earlier this week, Balsillie told the Toronto Sun he would be open to the idea of naming the team Ontario instead of Hamilton if such a change made the franchise stronger and more marketable. source>>>

The NHL got its best possible finals matchup

There has been plenty of talk this spring about a widespread conspiracy in the NHL. Word in Philadelphia, Washington and Raleigh, N.C., is that the league wanted the Penguins to get to the Stanley Cup final and did everything it could to make it happen, going so far as to give beneficial calls by the referees to the sport's poster boy, Sidney Crosby. Well, I'm here this morning to dispute that vigorously. I don't think the NHL officials are nearly that smart.
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They're just lucky, that's all.

Lucky to have the incomparable Crosby and Evgeni Malkin under the bright spotlight on hockey's grandest stage for what figures to be a marvelous two-week run.

And lucky to have the defending champion Detroit Red Wings as the opponents in a blockbuster sequel to last year's entertaining Cup final.

"I guess the only way it could be better is if it was us and Washington," Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik was saying after practice yesterday. "But it's pretty good, isn't it?"

Pretty great, actually.

The Penguins-Washington series in the second round of these playoffs was indeed spectacular. For seven sublime games, Crosby and Capitals star Alex Ovechkin tried to outdo each other with Crosby getting the final edge with two goals and an assist in the clinching, 6-2 win. If you listened closely, you almost could hear the squeals of joy coming from the NHL office. They couldn't have dreamed up anything better to sell their game to an international audience.

The Penguins-Carolina series was next in the Eastern Conference final. The competition wasn't much -- the Penguins won four games in a row, the final three by lopsided scores -- but Malkin's performance was extraordinary. If you only Tivoed one game during this playoff grind, here's hoping it was Game 2 when he torched the Hurricanes for a hat trick. His third goal that night -- the spinning backhander that beat goaltender Cam Ward high -- was nothing less than otherworldly, prompting more hoots from the NHL suits. source>>>

Rampage, Evans will coach heavies in 'The Ultimate Fighter'

Former UFC champions Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans will coach heavyweight fighters in the 10th season of the mixed martial arts league's popular reality television show.

In a season dubbed The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, the show will follow two teams of the UFC's largest fighters for the first time since the show's second season. Jackson and Evans also will fight in December after the series concludes.

The show will be filmed this summer, premiering Sept. 16 on Spike TV.

Jackson and Evans both are former light heavyweight champions, with Evans losing the belt to Lyoto Machida last weekend. Jackson has recorded two impressive wins since losing the belt last year. He will be a coach on the show for the second time in four seasons. source>>>

Shogun Rua agrees to challenge Lyoto Machida

The Portuguese website Super Lutas is reporting that Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will be the first light heavyweight challenger to Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida's championship belt.

Using a language translation tool, the site claims:

The leader of the UDL Mauricio Shogun will be the first challenger to the heading of the half-heavy one of the Ultimate, in ownership of the also Brazilian one, Lyoto Machida. The confrontation was signed in this tuesday, Wools Vegas, when Shogun and its entrepreneur, Eduardo Alonso had waked up the renewal of the contract of the fighter and already they had made right accomplishment of the combat, foreseen for October. The news was confirmed by a on safe source the curitibano fighter. The first challenger to the heading of Lyoto Machida would be Quinton " Rampage" Jackson, but the fighter will assume the command of a teams in the tenth edition of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF-10), what he will postpone its possibility to dispute the cinturão. He is on in the SUPER site FIGHTS for bigger information on the dispute of cinturão between the two Brazilians.

Not the best translation, but you get the point.

According to Dana White's Twitter account, Dana and Shogun met earlier in the day.

The bout will probably take place at UFC 104, from the Staples Center in Los Angeles California. source>>>

Charles Barkley brings his D-minus game to LakeTahoe golf event

Charles Barkley has straightened out his swing, and the Tahoe oddsmakers have noticed. In previous years, he has been a 500-1 shot to win the American Century Championship. He is invariably the most popular and worst golfer in the field.

But now he has all those lessons from Hank Haney, Tiger Woods' swing coach, on the Golf Channel series "The Haney Project." All those days of hitting more than 1,000 balls. As a result, Harrah's has improved its outlook on Barkley.

He's listed at 499-1.

"I honestly have an idea of what I'm trying to do," Barkley said Thursday on a conference call. "Can I do it? No. But at least I have an idea of what I'm trying to do."

The three-round event runs July 17-19 at Edgewood Tahoe, with July 14-16 reserved for practice rounds and even more relaxed events. (Not that they're exactly putting on their Tiger faces for the tournament, but once the real competition starts, the celebs compete for $600,000, including a $125,000 top prize.)

Barkley knows he can't win -- it's always a quarterback or a hockey player, he notes -- but he has a goal in mind.

"The black guys, we joke around, we call it the Black Masters," he said. "One of these days I'd like to win the Black Masters. That's my lifetime goal as far as golf goes."

# Barkley is fast approaching cult status in Tahoe, largely because of his ambassadorship after the wildfires in 2007. He took a tour of the damage with NBC
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cameras, he hosted a party for the firefighters, and he has donated $100,000 each of the past two years.

"There's never been a player we've had in the 20-year history of the event who has given as much back to the community," NBC Sports V.P. Jon Miller said.

# Barkley has been in a few unfavorable headlines in the past year, first with the threat of felony charges for bad Vegas debts and then with his legendary New Year's Eve DUI arrest in Arizona. So what, we asked, does a guy do in Tahoe in the summer when he can't drink and he can't gamble?

"I like to drink. I have a fine time drinking," he said, and our apologies for the misunderstanding. "I haven't missed the gambling, to be honest with you. I needed to take a break from gambling because I was losing."

He later amended his statement to say he does miss calling his bookie on football weekends. But "as far as the casino goes, I haven't missed it. And I'm going to start gambling again whenever I get ready."

# Trent Dilfer has five top-10 finishes, including a runner-up in 2005, and is considered one of the favorites now that he is retired and plays more golf. He also has a new piece of hardware that hits closer to home. Dilfer is this year's winner of the Brodie Award, an especially fitting tribute since he and John Brodie are longtime friends and he persuaded the 49ers to take No. 12 out of retirement for him as a tribute to Brodie.

Dilfer recalled a golf tournament early in his career with Tampa Bay. "Everybody else goes up to the lounge to have drinks and hors d'oeuvres. And J.B. has me with my golf spikes taking drops and throwing the football because he wants to fix something in my football game," Dilfer said. "He's just invested so much into me personally over the years."

# The Lance Armstrong Foundation remains the event's official charity.

# Tickets are $15 per day for the pre-tournament rounds and $25 a day for the tournament. Visit www.tahoecelebritygolf.com for more information. source>>>

Derek Broes, Facebook, Efusjon, and the Matrix create a once in a lifetime opportunity

In alternative health, açaí is all the rage. While relatively new to the American consciousness, açaí has been around for centuries and has helped many people with its healthful qualities. In order to benefit completely from açaí, however, one must truly understand what it is and what it does.
(See the 59 benefits below)

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What are the 59 Health Benefits that Made Acai Berry So Famous?

Description

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Nutrition Facts

The Acai berry is super rich in antioxidants and has proven itself time and time again. The ingredients that make it so healthy include dietary fiber, lipids, amino acids, antioxidants, Omega 3,6,9, phytonutients, anthocyanins, protein, plus minerals like potasium, calcium, iron and phosphorus.

Polluted air, junk foods, even strenuous exercise produces free-radicals in our bodies. Heart disease, diabetes, and cancer as well as damage to our immune system are all caused in part by free radicals.

The Acai's antioxidants act as "free radical scavengers" to neutralize free-radicals, slowing and preventing the oxidative stress they cause to our cells.

Dr. Perricone's 10 Superfoods

No. 1: Açaí

Nature's Energy Fruit

It may seem odd to start this list of superfoods with one you've likely never even heard of. But studies have shown that this little berry is one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world! Açaí (ah-sigh-ee) is the high-energy berry of a special Amazon palm tree.

Learn the truth about Oprah and claims about açaí.

Harvested in the rainforests of Brazil, açaí tastes like a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate. Hidden within its royal purple pigment is the magic that makes it nature's perfect energy fruit. Açaí is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids. Although açaí may not be available in your local supermarket, you can find it in several health food and gourmet stores (often in juice form). A new product featuring the unsweetened pulp is now also available, and I

highly recommend that you choose this form of açaí.

What is Acai?

There is a lot of buzz about acai in the market place, but a lot of people don't know much about the fruit itself. Since Acai Roots ™ was started and is currently operated by Brazilians who grew up with acai with strong Roots in Brasil, they decided to share some of our knowledge about this wonderful fruit.

The Fruit - Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-eeh) is a Tupi (Brazilian indigena language) word that means "fruit that cries". This dark purple little fruit looks very similar to a jaboticaba (another very popular Brazilian fruit), grape or blueberry (very common in the US), with the difference that the majority of the fruit is seed (~ 95%), and only the skin around the seed is utilized to make acai juice or pulp.

Acai Benefits - Acai on the top of the chain when it comes to antioxidant concentration - the berry scores 67% more antioxidants than pomegranate, and over 500% more antioxidants than blueberry, as demonstrated on the chart below:

What are the 59 Health Benefits that Made Acai Berry So Famous?

1. Prolongs Your Life

2. Increases Your Energy

3. Increases Your Overall Strength

4. Helps you Look and Feel Younger

5. Helps You Maintain Healthy Blood Pressure

6. Prevents Cancer

7. Helps You Maintain Healthy Cholesterol Levels

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9. Enhances Sexual Function

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15. Inhibits Lipid Peroxidation

16. Improves Disease Resistance

17. Strengthens Your Immune System

18. Helps Your Body Fight Cancer

19. Protects Your Precious DNA

20. Inhibits Tumor Growth

21. Reduces the Toxic Effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation

22. Helps to Build Strong Blood

23. Helps with Chronic Dry Cough

24. Fights Inflammation and Arthritis

25. Improves Lymphocyte Count

26. Improves Menopausal Symptoms

27. Prevents Morning Sickness

28. Improves Fertility

29. Strengthens Your Muscles and Bones

30. Supports Normal Kidney Function

31. Improves Your Memory

32. Supports Healthy Liver Function

33. Alleviates Anxiety and Stress

34. Improves Your Mood

35. Improves Your Digestion

36. Helps You Maintain Healthy Gums

37. Fights Fibromyalgia

38. Prevents Allergies

39. Protects Children's Health

40. Promotes Overall Wellness

41. Increases workout recovery

42. Increases injury recovery

43. Helps to Reduce Physical Injuries

44. Relieves Arthritis Pain

45. Helps to Clear Skin of Warts

46. Reduces the Occurrence of Seizures

47. Helps Improve & Even Cure Leukemia

48. Fights General Depression

49. Supports Weight Loss through Fat Loss

50. Helps Slow Down the Aging Process

51. Provides all Vital Vitamins

52. Contains Several Important Minerals

53. Is an extremely Powerful Free Radical Fighter

54. Acai has very High Levels of Fibers

55. Cleanses and Detoxifies the Body of Infectious Toxins

56. Helps to Prevent Heart Problems

57. Improves Mental Clarity/Focus

58. Improves Circulation

59. Cures Osteoporosis

Join today!

Steve Stricker sets midway record at Colonial with Back to Back Rounds Of 63

From its Ben Hogan trophy room to its status as the longest-running event at its original site, the Colonial Country Club is among the most venerable stops on the PGA Tour.

This week, it's playing like a pitch-and-putt.

With the wind hardly blowing and greens pillow-soft, Steve Stricker followed an opening-round 63 with another Friday morning, giving him the 36-hole record and a comfortable lead at the Crowne Plaza Invitational.

Stricker's 14-under 126 total broke the previous mark by two strokes.

"I'd rather have the trophy," he said. "We're only halfway through. I'd like to keep making putts. That solves a lot of problems."

Kenny Perry set the midway record in 2005, on his way to a 72-hole record of 261. That, too, might fall unless the wind picks up or the sun starts baking the greens.

"I kind of like what's going on now," Stricker said, smiling.

Woody Austin and Tim Clark also shot 63s on Thursday, but only Stricker played in the afternoon. That meant he was among the morning groups Friday, and picked up where he left off with an opening birdie.

His first bogey of the tournament came at No. 15, but he closed with two more birdies and a score for all the afternoon starters to envy.

"It was a lot of fun - again," Stricker said.

Ryan Palmer also shot a second-round 63, putting him at 8-under 132. He's one stroke ahead of Luke Donald (65) and Paul Casey (67), who is in his first tournament since vaulting to No. 3 in the world rankings. source>>>

Tiger Woods to return at Memorial after break

Tiger Woods is returning to the Memorial, where he is a three-time winner. He has skipped the tournament two of the last three years because of family matters and knee surgery.

Woods has not won at Muirfield Village, where Jack Nicklaus is the tournament host, since winning his third in a row at 2001.

He did not play in 2006 because of his father's death. Last year, he was recovering from the first of two knee operations that ultimately caused him to miss the second half of the season.

The Memorial will be played June 4-7, with Kenny Perry the defending champion.

source>>>

Mr. College Football SEC headed to a big payday in 2010

the SEC is headed into a new, and better, era: Competitively it was another great year for the SEC with national championships in football (Florida), women's track and field (Tennessee), women's gymnastics (Georgia) and men's swimming and diving (Auburn). The league may pick up a few more championships before the spring sports are done.

The SEC has won three straight national championships in football and four of the last six. Florida, the defending champ, will be a consensus No. 1 when the 2009 season begins and gives the league a real chance to make it four straight titles.

But last night when the SEC held its annual awards banquet, Commissioner Mike Slive said that the conference, which a year ago celebrated its 75th anniversary, is headed "into a new and exciting era."

A big reason for that optimism about the future is the two new television contracts with CBS and ESPN which will begin this fall. Those two contracts alone will pump almost $3 billion (yes, that's Billion with a B) into the conference over the next 15 years.

Let me put that number into perspective: Later on today the SEC will announce another record for shared revenue from televised football, basketball, and bowl games. A year ago that figure was $127.2 million, or about $10.6 million per school. There will be nice little bump in that today.

But year from today, after the new TV contracts kick in, each school could be receiving in the neighborhood of $17 million or more each.

So while schools in other conferences are going to quit printing media guides and are asking employees to take furloughs, the SEC is going to get an unprecedented infusion of cash.

"Naturally our members are excited about the kind of opportunity this presents," Slive said. "But we also know that we have to be smart with the resources we have. Nobody is recession proof."

If you're a fan of the SEC all this means that the future looks good. If you're a competitor of the SEC, you know this league is not going to be backing down.

Utah, Boise State to the Rose Bowl? It could happen soon: Over the course of the week I found out that there is an interesting little nugget in the new BCS contract with ESPN, which will begin after the 2010 regular season.

In past contracts if the Rose Bowl lost one of its traditional partners, the Big Ten or Pac-10 champ, to the BCS championship game, it could simply fill with another Big Ten or Pac-10 team that qualified. That's how a 9-3 Illinois team got to Pasadena two years ago.

But in the new contract, I'm told, there is an interesting clause: The first time in the deal that the Rose loses one of its champions to the BCS title game, that opening will be automatically filled by a Coalition (non-BCS conference) team if one has qualified.

For example: Let's say Southern Cal wins the Pac-10 and qualifies for the BCS championship game in 2010. And let's say Utah or Boise State goes undefeated again the wins the Mountain West or WAC. That team, if it doesn't get into the big game, would automatically go to the Rose, where no Coalition team has played before.

What's the significance of this, you ask? It is another way that the BCS is increasing access of the five Coalition conferences to all of the games in system. Should the BCS get sued and hauled back before Congress, it is another way it can counter the claim that the Coalition schools don't have enough access.

Mark your TV calendars: The complete football television picture in the SEC won't be clear until the league's preseason media days on July 22-24 in Hoover, Ala. ESPN officials told me they will make a complete presentation then that will make it clear where you can find your favorite games on Saturday.

But just to review: In the new TV deals, CBS will get the first pick from the inventory of games on a given Saturday. The big change is that the rest of the games will belong to ESPN, which is paying the SEC $2.25 billion over the next 15 years for that right. ESPN will place those games on their various platforms (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN.360 on the internet). The games it cannot televise will go to other outlets such as CSS and FOX Sports South.

CBS has already locked in some dates and times. CBS will begin its ninth year with the SEC by televising Tennessee at Florida on Sept. 19 at 3:30 p.m. Given what has happened since Lane Kiffin got to Tennessee, there may be some interest in that game.

CBS has a pair of doubleheaders planned on Oct. 10 and Nov. 14. Nothing is set in stone but you can pretty much bet that the prime time (8 p.m. Eastern) game on Oct. 10 will be Florida at LSU. I'll be surprised if the early game (3:30 p.m. Eastern) isn't Alabama at Ole Miss.

As announced earlier, CBS has moved the Alabama-Auburn game to Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving. It did that in order to get wider exposure for the game and so that it could also broadcast Florida State at Florida on Nov. 28. If CBS had not made that move, one of those games would have gone to ESPN.

There are some special kids in this league: One of the things that never gets mentioned on the sports pages and sports blogs is that there some incredible kids playing college sports. When you become a mom or dad you start to notice these kinds of things. So bear with me a moment while I get off topic. After all, it is Friday and so I invoke by own rule to stray from the subject of football.

Last night the SEC honored 24 male and female athletes for academic excellence. Two received the Boyd McWhorter scholarships of $15,000 which will be applied to post-graduate study. The female winner was Tennessee swimmer Christine Magnuson, who won two silver medals in the 2008 Olympics while carrying a 3.68 grade point average.

The male winner was Ole Miss tennis star Bram ten Berge, who came to Oxford from his home in the Netherlands. "I knew I wasn't going to be a pro but I had a chance to get an education by playing tennis," he said. "We don't have that in my home country." Ten Berge graduated with a 3.97 GPA in the Classics and, based on his academic performance at Ole Miss, is headed to Michigan on a full fellowship that will allow him to get his Master's and Doctorate degrees.

Christine Magnuson made an interesting point to commissioner Slive last night. There were a bunch of Olympians from the SEC in Beijing. Had the SEC been a country, she said, it would have finished fourth in the medal count with a total of 51 behind only the United States (110), China (100), and Russia (72). source>>>

The NFL's flip-flopping views on gambling

The NFL has always been conspicuous in its silence over gambling. Even though the practice is popular both legally and illegally and points spreads are openly discussed everywhere, any talk of betting by the league or its network partners is taboo. So, it makes sense that the NFL would come out against a bill in Delaware that will legalize sports gambling this fall (a bill that was upheld by the state's Supreme Court today).

What doesn't make sense is that this opposition would come two weeks after the league allowed its teams to sign licensing deals with the most prevalant form of gambling in this country, state lotteries. (The rationale is that teams can make more money in the sinking economy.)

It's the essence of hypocrisy. Allowing teams to put their names on lottery tickets is a promotion of gambling. Why is it alright to spend $25 on scratch tickets but not to spend $25 wagering on the Patriots? (And to all those doubters out there, yes, lotteries are gambling. People in Gambler's Anonymous are not supposed to buy lottery tickets for a reason.) As Frank Deford points out today, one of those things is completely mindless, while the other at least "requires a smidgen of intelligence."

It's often assumed that the NFL is merely posturing in its anti-gambling stance. The belief is that the league thinks it has to oppose gaming on some moral grounds, but secretly feels beholden to the interest in the game that gambling creates. If that's the case though, why would the NFL sue Delaware? There's no ambiguity in paying a high-powered law firm to go to court over the new law. If that happens, it would sure seem that the NFL is actually against betting on games and not just "pretend" against it.

Either way, the league's ever-shifting stance on gambling is confusing and hypocritical. There should be no distinction between lotteries and wagering on games. I don't make any, but that's mainly because I never win either. source>>>

NFL will review Delaware ruling that enables sports gambling

Delaware Gov. Jack Markell welcomed a ruling by the state's Supreme Court that left intact a new sports gambling law expected to generate millions in revenue for the fiscally strapped state.

"This decision resolves the legal issues ... and provides a solid legal framework for our sports lottery," Markell said in a statement.

But the five justices' unanimous ruling probably won't be the end of legal action before Delaware can offer a form of legal sports betting that comes close to what is available only in Nevada casinos.

The NFL -- possibly joining forces with other pro leagues -- could try to compel the state's highest court to rule again on the issue via a lawsuit. The league sued 32 years ago after the state's first attempt at a sports lottery but lost when the court ruled "chance was the dominant, determining factor" in that betting system.

At the time the sports lottery required wagers that forced players to bet on multiple games to win.

As its lawyers did in front of the state Supreme Court this month, the NFL will probably argue that single-game betting against the line is more of a skill than multiple-game wagering.

"We will review the Delaware Supreme Court's advisory opinion on this matter," NFL spokesman Jeff Miller said in a statement. "We do not believe that promoting additional betting on college and professional athletes and games is healthy for sports."

Kenneth J. Nachbar, one of the lawyers who argued the NFL's position in front of the court, said all options are being considered.

Any kind of legal action could delay the start of the sports lottery, which Markell has said he'd like to have in place by the start of the 2009 NFL season.

While Markell hasn't openly said he'd prefer single-game betting, his spokesman, Joseph Rogalsky, said Thursday that the state was working with vendors to create "the most lucrative option." source>>>

Retired NBA great Charles Barkley still drinking and golfing but not gambling

Charles Barkley says he's still not gambling but might again someday.

The NBA Hall of Famer and TNT analyst also said he's still drinking, but not drinking and driving, since a DUI arrest on New Year's Eve. Barkley says he can't wait to get to Lake Tahoe in July to show off his newly retooled golf game.

In a conference call to promote his appearance at the 20th annual American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, Barkley said his DUI arrest after leaving a nightclub near Scottsdale, Ariz., turned out to be a "good thing."

He pleaded guilty, served three days in jail, paid US$2,000 in fines and attended an alcohol treatment program.

Barkley said it taught him it is "stupid of you to drink and drive." He told himself: "You can't do that again, that's unacceptable."

"You think about it and I've been in the NBA since 1984. ... 25 years. So let's say just going out to dinner or going out with your friends probably 100 times, 200 times a year, I've had something to drink and driven. So to never hurt myself or anybody and never get a DUI, I was very lucky," he said.

Barkley said he continues to drink, but not before he drives.

He said he hasn't gambled.

"I like to drink. ... I haven't missed the gambling to be honest with you. I needed to take a break from gambling because I was losing," he said.

"Nobody ever complains about gambling when you're winning. I've never heard a guy say, 'Hey, I'm winning too much money, I'm going to quit gambling.' But my gambling had gotten to be a problem.

"I said I was going to take some time off," he said.

Barkley said on the air during the NBA playoffs last June he wasn't going to gamble for "the next year or two" after he was sued by a Las Vegas Strip casino for failing to pay US$400,000 in gambling markers, or loans.

He repaid his debt to the Wynn Las Vegas casino along with a US$40,000 district attorney's fee.

Barkley said he has missed making bets during football season and likely would gamble again someday.

"I'm going to start gambling again whenever I get ready, to be honest with you. ... I like to gamble," he said.

If he does gamble, he might want to place a bet on himself to win the celebrity golf tournament July 17-19 at Edgewood-Tahoe Golf Course in Lake Tahoe.

Harrah's race and sports book has him at a 499-1 underdog, though he won't pay off as much as he has in the past. Barkley was a 500-1 longshot to win the 2008 tournament and routinely finishes last.

"You know what, I'm going down," Barkley said about the odds.

Barkley said his golf game has improved under the tutelage of his pal Hank Haney, who is Tiger Woods' swing coach.

Barkley said he has been hitting at least 1,000 balls two days a week while taping the Golf Channel's "Hank Haney Project/Charles Barkley."

"I don't think there is any other sport where you can do something that much and not get better quicker," said Barkley, an 11-time NBA all-star and MVP whose hitching, halting golf swing has his fans and friends alternately howling and shaking their heads.

"I think if you went out and shot 1,000 jump shots a day you would see more improvement at a quicker pace," he said.

He said the TV exposure with Haney helped bring him more golf tips from strangers "than any person in the world."

"When I go to the dry cleaners, those guys are trying to help me. When I'm walking through the supermarket, they wish me luck," he said.

"Everybody wants me to try something. Little old ladies walking the street want to give me advice. It's hilarious," he said. source>>>

Unidentified NASCAR official blaming "Digger, for NASCAR ratings dip

When it comes to the sport's declining TV ratings, Fox Sports chairman David Hill thinks some NASCAR executives are trying to make a mountain of a molehill.

Or, in this case, a gopher hole.

With NASCAR having solicited opinions from drivers and team owners in a "town hall"-style meeting Tuesday about reasons for this season's dip in Sprint Cup ratings (down 13%) and attendance, Hill says he received a recent e-mail from a high-ranking NASCAR official Hill declined to identify blaming "Digger," the animated gopher that has become a staple of Fox's coverage.

"It was because of Digger that people were turning off in droves because they couldn't stand it," Hill said. "I said, 'I'm so sorry. If I'd known, I never would have created him. I didn't realize how insidious he was.'

Digger was conceived during a rain delay last year as the mascot for Fox's camera embedded in the racetrack. He has appeared in a series of cartoon vignettes, and Hill says $500,000 of Digger-emblazoned items have been sold (the character has a 53-foot merchandise trailer at races and would rank among the top 15 in driver sales).

"People have described him as the Mickey Mouse of NASCAR, and that's flattering to have a brand as strong," Hill said. "To blame the downturn on Digger is a little head in the sand-ish."

Hill said NASCAR is going through a ratings correction that every sport endures and could be attributed to myriad reasons such as a wave of younger drivers, a new car and a lackluster season for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR's most popular driver.

He said NASCAR could shore up audiences with a consistent start time. Hill has lobbied for every Cup race to begin at 1 p.m. ET, "but they won't because that means starting West Coast races at 10 a.m. on a Sunday morning. But that's the logical way. Moving start times confuses people."

NASCAR declined to address Digger's ratings impact, but spokesman Ramsey Poston says the sanctioning body is "interested in a closer look at consistent start times."

Earnhardt Jr. will strap into his No. 88 Chevrolet Friday at Dover International Speedway with a new crew chief, but the immense expectations will remain the same. The sway of NASCAR's six-time most popular driver is so critical to drawing viewers to broadcasts or fans to racetracks, his success (or lack thereof this season) could be having an effect on the sport that's akin to Tiger Woods' impact on golf.

"I'm told by our research guys that if Dale won, more people would watch," Hill says. "I guess in a way because he hasn't, Elvis has left the building. I would love to see him win at Dover."

Fox will wrap up its 13-race section of the 36-race season with Sunday's Autism Speaks 400, and its NASCAR coverage could use a jolt. The first 11 races registered an average rating of 5.2, which is a 13% decline from '08.

It's prompted NASCAR to research the trend and solicit industry opinions about the quality of its competition. In the town hall meeting at its Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C., NASCAR Chairman Brian France and President Mike Helton led drivers and owners through a discussion of everything from the setup of its next-generation car to how drivers are marketed.

"There were no solutions but lots of great ideas," says veteran Mark Martin, 50, the oldest full-time driver. "The biggest thing we have to realize is we have the greatest thing going in sports. It may feel we've got a lid on us, but we're stronger than most."

Hill says Fox isn't panicking near the end of its ninth season with NASCAR, either.

"Nothing goes up forever," he says. "Every sport has a correction. We've had the most unbelievable run with NASCAR. Because of that, and maybe quite rightly, people think it'll keep going. If it had gone down 50 to 60%, there's something wrong. But 13% is no time (for) alarm."

Fox officials note Cup races still have averaged 8.7 million viewers a week, outranking the average network audience (5.3 million) for the NBA postseason. Fox's prerace shows have matched the rating (3.4) for NBA playoff games on ABC.

Hill says though Earnhardt's slump (he is winless in 33 races and ranked 19th in points) might have an impact, analyzing sports ratings "is like working out where a school of fish is. Every year is not a heady climb. You always factor in the rough with the smooth. If it goes on three years, then I'll start to squawk."

NASCAR is trying to anticipate discontent by garnering feedback through open-ended questions posed to a 12,000-member "fan council" on the Internet that is designed to be a scientific model of its fan base. France also has promised more open forums with drivers and owners, and Martin hopes NASCAR will form task forces to address issues.

"Everybody pulling together will make it better, but it takes time to implement those ideas," Martin says. "Sometimes you have to bring people together. source>>>

Tony Eury Jr. out as crew chief for slumping Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s deep slump this season reached the breaking point today as team owner Rick Hendrick replaced Tony Eury Jr., chew chief and cousin of NASCAR's most popular driver.

Hendrick named Lance McGrew, who has worked with several NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series drivers over the years, as Earnhardt's interim crew chief starting with the Cup race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway on June 7.
Brian Whitesell, manager of Earnhardt's No. 88 Chevrolet team, will call the race this weekend at Dover, Del., Hendrick said. Eury was reassigned to Hendrick Motorsports' research and development group.

Pressure on Hendrick to make the change had been building in recent weeks, but he didn't act until after Earnhardt finished 40th in the 43-car field Monday in the rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C.

"The frustration after Charlotte just reached a point with all of us that we said, 'Let's try something different,' " Hendrick said in a teleconference with reporters.

While praising the work by Earnhardt and Eury, "I just didn't feel like it was fair to our sponsors, to the fans and to those two guys to show up any more changing nothing."

Earnhardt and Eury moved to Hendrick from Earnhardt's family team with great fanfare at the start of the 2008 season.

Hendrick is arguably NASCAR's premier team, with eight Cup championships over the last 25 years, and his other drivers are four-time champion Jeff Gordon, three-time title winner and reigning champ Jimmie Johnson and veteran Mark Martin.

But since joining Hendrick, Earnhardt and Eury struggled to perform well with NASCAR's new Car of Tomorrow, even though Johnson and Gordon fared better with the often ill-handling race car.

Earnhardt and Eury won only once in 48 races with Hendrick and, before last weekend's Coca-Cola 600, Earnhardt had placed 27th in each of the prior two races.

In NASCAR's Chase for the Cup, in which the top dozen drivers in points after 26 races compete for the title over the final 10 races, Earnhardt is currently 19th, 203 points behind the 12th and final spot in the Chase.

Earnhardt made the Chase last season in hopes of winning his first championship, but finished the season 12th in points.

This year, "our goal is to make the Chase and we think we can do it," Hendrick said. "Some guys are going to have to have some bad luck and we're going to have to run a ton better."

Hendrick said Eury has "tremendous talent" and that "we want him to be part of our organization for a long time."

But Earnhardt's struggle created "probably the most pressure that I've felt in racing since I don't know when," Hendrick said. "Hopefully we're going to ease some of that. We just need a fresh start."

Earnhardt, 34, was scheduled to comment on the change Friday at Dover International Speedway.

Eury said in a statement that although he had "mixed feelings" about the change, he would "do whatever I can to help all of our teams and try to be a part of another championship." source>>>

University Of Kentucky sues Former Basketball Coach Billy Gillispie

The University of Kentucky countersued fired men's basketball coach Billy Gillispie on Thursday, claiming it doesn't owe him pay because he never signed a contract.

The employment dispute escalated when the university filed a lawsuit in Franklin Circuit Court in Kentucky, one day after Gillispie filed his own claim in Dallas, asking for $6 million in lost salary and undisclosed punitive damages, attorneys' fees and court costs.

Gillispie, who was fired March 27, was working under a seven-year memorandum of understanding but hadn't signed a formal contract during the two years he coached the Wildcats.

A call to Gillispie's attorney, Demetrios Anaipakos, was not immediately returned.

UK's lawyers are asking the court to rule that the two-page memorandum of understanding Gillispie signed after his hiring in 2007 was not the equivalent of a full contract. Gillispie says it is and that he is entitled to $1.5 million a year for four of the five years left on the deal.

"UK contends that the [memorandum of understanding] is not an enforceable long-term contract of employment, and that it owes no damages to Gillispie, having paid him for each basketball season in which he coached," the lawsuit says.

Gillispie's claim accuses the school of fraud and breach of contract, saying it never intended to sign him long term. However, the school claims the coach turned down at least six versions of a full employment contract, quibbling over the language involving what actions would constitute dismissal without pay.

University attorneys also argue that Kentucky, not Texas, is the proper place for any litigation between the two sides. They also claim that Gillispie's lawsuit wrongly targets the UK Athletics Association, which the school says is a "nonprofit supporting foundation that was not his employer."

"The decision to terminate Mr. Gillispie's employment was a university decision," UK's attorney Stephen Barker said in a statement. The athletics association "will vigorously seek the dismissal of the Texas lawsuit. The university is the proper party to any suit."

Gillispie's attorney, however, said on Wednesday there was a contract. "There's a public misconception that Coach Gillispie did not sign a contract with the University of Kentucky athletic association," Anaipakos, said. "He absolutely did. They drafted it. He signed it. They signed it and their board approved it. Whether you're in Kentucky or Texas, a deal is a deal." source>>>

Eury Jr. out as crew chief for slumping Earnhardt

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will have a new crew chief starting with this weekend's race at Dover.

The team said Thursday that Tony Eury Jr. was replaced as crew chief of Earnhardt's No. 88 team. The two are cousins and have worked together Earnhardt's entire career.

They left Dale Earnhardt Inc. last season to drive for Hendrick Motorsports, but they've yet to find consistency despite driving for NASCAR's top team.

They have one win in 48 races with Hendrick and are 19th in points. They hit rock bottom with Monday's 40th-place finish at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Team manager Brian Whitesell will be the crew chief this weekend. Lance McGrew will take over next week on an interim basis as team owner Rick Hendrick figures out a long-term plan for NASCAR's most popular driver.

After Monday's rain-shortened race, Hendrick's commitment to the pair had clearly waned. Following months of steadfast support, he was noncommittal about Eury's future with Earnhardt.

Earnhardt and Eury spent Tuesday and Wednesday testing on the road course at Virginia International Raceway. Hendrick told them he was splitting the pair upon their return.

Whatever route Hendrick takes, he's giving Earnhardt the full-time use of Whitesell and Rex Stump, the lead chassis engineer.

Earnhardt and Eury -- first cousins and the grandsons of Robert Gee, one of Hendrick's first employees -- have worked together in some capacity for Earnhardt's entire career. The two went through a rough patch that led to constant bickering at the end of the 2004 season when they raced for the championship at Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Earnhardt's stepmother, Teresa, separated them at the start of 2005, a move that led Earnhardt to finish a career-worst 19th in the standings. They were back together before the end of the season, but won just one race together in 2006 as Earnhardt's relationship with his stepmother rapidly deteriorated.

The next year, Earnhardt wrestled with the decision to leave DEI, then embarked on one of the most high-profile free agencies in NASCAR history. He settled on Hendrick Motorsports, and Eury went with him.

Although they opened their first season at Hendrick by winning the exhibition Budweiser Shootout and a Daytona 500 qualifying race, Earnhardt didn't win a points race until the 15th event of the year. That was at Michigan, his only victory all season.

Still, consistency put him at the top of the title contenders when the Chase for the championship began. But Eury and Earnhardt moved away from what got them into the Chase and finished last in the 12-driver field. source>>>

Eury Jr. out as crew chief for slumping Earnhardt

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will have a new crew chief starting with this weekend's race at Dover.

The team said Thursday that Tony Eury Jr. was replaced as crew chief of Earnhardt's No. 88 team. The two are cousins and have worked together Earnhardt's entire career.

They left Dale Earnhardt Inc. last season to drive for Hendrick Motorsports, but they've yet to find consistency despite driving for NASCAR's top team.

They have one win in 48 races with Hendrick and are 19th in points. They hit rock bottom with Monday's 40th-place finish at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

After Monday's rain-shortened race, Hendrick's commitment to the pair had clearly waned. Following months of steadfast support, he was noncommittal about Eury's future with Earnhardt.

Earnhardt and Eury spent Tuesday and Wednesday testing on the road course at Virginia International Raceway. Hendrick told them he was splitting the pair upon their return.

Whatever route Hendrick takes, he's giving Earnhardt the full-time use of Whitesell and Rex Stump, the lead chassis engineer.

As John Calipari Becomes King Of Kentucky, NCAA questions linger at Memphis

In Memphis' locker room shortly after its heartbreaking overtime loss to Kansas in the 2008 national championship game, forward Chris Douglas-Roberts tried to console teammate Joey Dorsey by telling him, "The Fab Five never won a title."

Douglas-Roberts' belief was that the Tigers were an iconic team, like Michigan's 1992 and '93 squads, that wouldn't be forgotten despite their lack of title rings. He most certainly wasn't expecting that the Tigers, like the Wolverines, might eventually have to vacate their title-game appearance. The irony in that analogy is now thick.

If the allegations brought forth by the NCAA on Jan. 16 (and made public Wednesday in a letter obtained by the Memphis Commercial Appeal) are true -- the most serious of which is that a player, which a source indicates is star point guard Derrick Rose, committed "knowing fraudulence" by having an "unknown individual" take his SAT -- then Memphis will likely have to vacate the entire '07-08 season for using an ineligible player. Douglas-Roberts' and Rose's missed free throws late in that '08 title game were widely considered to be karmic retribution for Calipari poo-pooing the media's obsession with Memphis' poor free-throw shooting on the season. But perhaps those misses were preemptive intervention by the basketball gods, in order to avoid having the first championship vacated by the NCAA. (There have been 10 Final Fours vacated due to violations, but never a national title.)

Beyond the record books, though, who gets hurt by these allegations, which also state that an associate of an '07-08 Memphis player was provided with $2,260 in free travel with the team?

Not Rose. His image is unlikely to be sullied in his hometown of Chicago, where he justified being picked No. 1 overall in the '08 NBA draft by leading the Bulls into the playoffs and being named Rookie of the Year. He won't be able to go back and get his degree at Memphis -- with three-plus years to go, that was improbable anyway -- and he'll be unfit for any endorsement deals with Kaplan or the Princeton Review. He'll always have Adidas, though.

The Memphis program is the most likely to face sanctions, but it has been going out of its way to distance itself from the situation. Athletic director R.C. Johnson said Wednesday night that no one in the current program -- especially new coach Josh Pastner, who arrived for the '08-'09 season as an assistant -- is involved, and that the Tigers don't expect to lose scholarships. Someone could lose an administrative job for letting the unnamed player's "associate" fly on the team plane without paying, but that someone would likely be a small fry. The NCAA's allegations didn't include the dreaded "lack of institutional control" label for Memphis, which is a good sign.

The man that matters most here is John Calipari, who left Memphis to become king of Kentucky. The alleged violations happened during his tenure, but it's doubtful he'll be penalized as a result. The NCAA's letter doesn't link Calipari to fixing the SAT (and a Chicago Sun-Times report indicated Kevin Johnson, a former teammate of Rose's at Simeon High School, is suspected of taking the test). Memphis has known about the allegations since January, but still offered Calipari a ton of money to try to keep him from leaving; and Kentucky said it knew, too, and still felt good enough to give Calipari an eight-year, $31.65 million contract. In a statement released Wednesday, Calipari said, "Even though I'm not at risk, I will fully cooperate with the NCAA hearing," which is scheduled for June 5-7 in Indianapolis.

Calipari was reaching God-like status in the Commonwealth despite having been on the job for barely more than two months. He was made the highest-paid coach in college basketball, and earning it in the eyes of Wildcats fans. He convinced a top 20 draft pick, Patrick Patterson, to stay in school for another season. He convinced two five-star big men, DeMarcus Cousins and Daniel Orton, to sign in his first recruiting class despite the possibility of Patterson's return. He convinced two five-star point guards, John Wall and Eric Bledsoe, to sign in the same recruiting class and compete for playing time. He started a Twitter account and in no time, amassed more than 100,000 followers. In a Tweet to them late Wednesday night, he addressed the situation by writing, "I appreciate your passion. More importantly, I appreciate the faith you have in me. No one said this would be easy, but we will get there."

The hard part for Calipari is that, despite all the adulation he's receiving in Kentucky, he may be forever known in the greater college hoops world for an infamous reason -- as the only coach to ever have Final Fours vacated at two different schools. Calipari was cleared of wrongdoing when UMass' '96 Final Four was voided by the NCAA (for improper benefits given to Marcus Camby by an agent), and the coach isn't accused of any specific wrongdoing in the case of Rose. But can the fact that this happened twice on Calipari's watch -- to his best two teams -- really be perceived as a coincidence? Only the most naive fans could believe Calipari was ignorant of both situations. If the Rose allegations are true, all the work Calipari has done to rebuild his reputation since the Camby incident will go for naught.

In Lexington, whatever dampening, if any, this has done to Calipari's honeymoon period will be cured by winning, and he has one heck of a team coming in next season. A No. 1-ranked team, possibly. Besides, most Kentucky fans would rather ignore his past -- Memphis is not their team, and Rose was not their star -- and focus on the future of the Wildcats: Wall. Bledsoe. Orton. Cousins. Darnell Dodson, a four-star juco phenom.

That crew is the consensus No. 1 recruiting class in the nation for '09-10. Calipari's first class is so good, it's been compared to the Fab Five -- on the basis of talent, of course. Wall is so good, he's been compared to Rose -- on the basis of talent, too. But given what's happened, should we be worried about the other parallels? source>>>

Stanley Cup Finals Predictions

Things to watch for as this series kicks off:

* The Red Wings are hurting, and with their win tonight, they won't get much of a rest going in to the Finals. While they were able to get by Chicago without Lidstrom or Datsyuk, the Penguins are much better equipped to expose the Wings backup defence. This will be a huge key for the Penguins.
* Hossa has turned it on lately, most likely knowing that he will be in under the gun against a Penguins team that he spurned because he wanted to win a cup. Look for him to raise it to another level.
* The Pens win the battle of vets without cups this year, which tends to be an advantage.
* Malkin Malkin Malkin

My prediction: Penguins begin a new era this year, winning in six, with Sidney Crosby taking the Conn Smythe trophy. source>>>

NHL to begin Stanley Cup finals Saturday and Sunday

The NHL's original plan was to start the Stanley Cup finals June 5 - barring sweeps in both conference finals.

But the league wisely has scrapped that idea. After the Red Wings dispatched the Blackhawks in five games Thursday, Games 1 and 2 of the championship round were moved up to Saturday and Sunday on NBC.

Games 3 and 4 will be Tuesday and Thursday on Versus. So it's possible the finals will be over before they originally were scheduled to begin!
source>>>

Adrian Gonzalez Hit his major league-leading 18th home run

Adrian Gonzalez belted his major league-leading 18th home run of the season and added an RBI single, as the San Diego Padres defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-5, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Chase Field.

David Eckstein finished 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a three runs scored for the Padres, who had a season-high 10-game win streak snapped on Tuesday. Jake Peavy (5-5) gave up four runs on eight hits and struck out five over 6 1/3 innings to get the win.

"I really didn't have nothing from the get go," Peavy said. "I just changed speeds a little bit and got quick outs."

After the game, the club announced that Peavy has a right posterior tibialis strain. They don't believe it should affect his next start.

Justin Upton collected three hits and knocked in two runs for Arizona, which has lost three of its last four games. Gerardo Parra went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, while Stephen Drew also drove in a run.

Billy Buckner (1-1) allowed five runs on seven hits in five-plus innings to absorb the loss.

San Diego grabbed a lead in the first inning on Gonzalez's two-run blast and extended it further in the sixth.

Brian Giles ripped a leadoff triple and scored when Eckstein slapped a base hit past the drawn-in infield. Clay Zavada took over on the mound after Buckner gave up a single to Scott Hairston. Gonzalez drove in Eckstein with a single to right, and Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a sacrifice fly for a 5-0 Padres lead.

Arizona, though, crept back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Peavy ran into some trouble, surrendering four consecutive hits to begin the inning. Parra doubled, and Miguel Montero singled to put runners on the corners for Upton, who followed with a stand-up triple to the gap in left-center and waltzed home on Drew's base hit.

"I didn't make any good pitches to start the sixth," Peavy added.

The D-Backs closed to within a run in the seventh on Parra's sac fly, but San Diego took advantage of Arizona's leaky bullpen in the eighth.

Leo Rosales remained in the game after tossing a 1-2-3 seventh, but issued a leadoff walk to Eckstein. Hairston then dropped down a bunt. Rosales fielded the ball, and his errant throw to first base allowed a run to score and Hairston to make his way to third.

Three straight walks forced in another run, and Rosales was lifted in favor of Esmerling Vasquez, who fanned pinch-hitter Drew Macias. A run-scoring single off the bat of Henry Blanco, though, stretched San Diego's advantage to 8-4.

"The eighth inning wasn't very kind to us this series," said Arizona manager A.J. Hinch. "To give them credit, when they scored, they scored multiple runs. We just had a hard time getting through later in the games. Certainly the free ones are the toughest ones with a few walks."

Augie Ojeda hit a two-out double in the ninth off Greg Burke and raced home on Parra's triple. Heath Bell entered from the bullpen and retired pinch-hitter Chris Young to notch his MLB-best 14th save of the season.

Game Notes

San Diego has won three of the five meetings with the D-Backs this season...Both clubs finished with 11 hits...Arizona left six men on base, while the Padres stranded five. source>>>

The Cincinnati Reds won their fourth straight Beating Huston 6-1

- Jay Bruce's two home runs and four RBI backed up a complete-game effort from Bronson Arroyo Wednesday and brought Cincinnati a 6-1 win over Houston.

Arroyo (7-3) went the distance for just the seventh time in his 10-year career, allowing a run on five hits. He struck out three and walked one.

Bruce hit a solo homer in the fourth and a two-run shot in the sixth, then tripled in the game's final run in the eighth.

The Reds won their fourth straight and handed the Astros their seventh consecutive setback.

Cincinnati's Jerry Hariston added a solo homer in the first to overcome an early deficit.

The loss went to Felipe Paulino (1-4), who gave up five runs on seven hits over six innings. source>>>

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Helps Make One Child's Wish Come True

He's way too young to handle the wheel, but Michael "Mikey" Jones Jr. recently met his favorite NASCAR race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Mikey, 4, the son of Mike and Angela Jones, was born with a serious medical condition called VATERL Syndrome, which affects his vertebral, cardiac, trachea/esophageal and renal systems, and limbs. Mikey's heart did not function properly.

As an infant, Mikey underwent a large intestine resection, and at just 4 months old he endured open-heart surgery.

But since the age of 4 months, Mikey has been delighted whenever NASCAR races showed up on television.

At the age of 1, he had his own toy car, a miniature of Earnhardt Jr.'s at the time.

That's why there was not much discussion about what he wanted to do as the wish of his life through the Kids Wish Network -- he wanted to meet Dale Earnhardt Jr.

After the initial call, "it all went so quickly," said Mikey's mother, Angela.

Mikey and his family found themselves headed off to South Carolina with tickets for a NASCAR race and tickets to Ripley's Aquarium.

The family stayed at The Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort and Spa and Grand Dunes.

With his tickets to the race, Mikey got to hang out in the special hospitality tent and was the only child allowed to sit in one of Dale Jr.'s race cars.

Mikey even got a guided tour of the pits.

But the highlight for Mikey was meeting the driver.

Mikey was tongue-tied at first and just kept handing Earnhardt items, including a wooden car that he had made for Dale Jr., and things to autograph.

At the end of the meeting, Mikey overcame his fears, grabbed Dale Jr. by the leg and gave him a big hug, saying, "I love you, Junior!"

Earnhardt smiled and patted Mikey on the back.

"I love you too, buddy," he said.

While watching the race, Mikey's mother Angela said: "I've never seen him smile like that -- it was the time of his life. He was on cloud nine the whole time!"

Kids Wish Network is a nonprofit organization that creates happy memories for seriously ill children ages 3 to 18. For more information, call (727) 937-3600, (888) 918-9004 or visit kidswishnetwork.org. source>>>

NASCAR Teams have Monstrous task ahead at Dover

ASCAR team reports as the Sprint Cup Series makes its first stop of the season at Dover International Speedway, home of the "Monster Mile":

Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

This week: Gordon takes a 44-point edge in the standings to Dover, where he has won four times, including three straight from September 1995 to September 1996. His other Dover win came in the June race in 2001. "Getting the car balanced right to maximize grip is pretty tricky here," Gordon said. "It's a one-mile track that is high-banked, fast and action-packed. And you're in the corners a lot here. That makes it unique, which also makes it a lot of fun to race."

Last week: Gordon finished 14th in Monday's rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600, which finally was called Monday night after only 227 of the 400 laps -- 340.5 miles.

Etc.: While the racing groove at Dover has not changed, there have been alterations to pit road since the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series last visited here. "I'm looking forward to seeing the changes that were made to pit road on Friday," Gordon said. "If I understand correctly, they have lengthened pit road and also widened it. It was always a tight pit road, so pit stall selection was crucial. It will be interesting to see how much more room there is for the teams now." continue>>>

Danica should make the move to NASCAR, now

Danica Patrick proved again Sunday that she is not just a pretty face who can sell sponsorships and star in commercials.

She can also drive an Indy car.

Jeff Owens (NASCAR Scene)

Patrick finished third in the Indy 500, her best finish on her sport's grandest stage.

Patrick has won an IndyCar Series race, and she has proven that she can contend in one of the two biggest auto races in the country.

Now she should take her pretty face, her powerful marketing machine and her considerable talent to NASCAR.

Now is the time for her to make the leap to NASCAR, the nation's most popular form of racing.

Why?

Because she has never been hotter. Not sexy hot -- though she is that, too -- but hot from a marketing and exposure standpoint.

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How many race car drivers this side of Dale Earnhardt Jr. get as much media exposure and commercial time as Patrick?

How many commercials did she appear in during Sunday's Indy 500? It seemed like at least one during every commercial break.

No other IndyCar driver, including three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves, gets a fraction of Patrick's exposure. She got as much commercial time during the Indy 500 as Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and other stock-car drivers get during NASCAR races.

NASCAR Scene and Sporting News magazine report that only Earnhardt Jr. and four-time champion Jeff Gordon have better name recognition according to the Davie Brown Index, which measures celebrity appeal and awareness for brand managers and marketers.

Patrick is a hot commodity off the track, and now is the time for her to take advantage of her tremendous appeal. It is also time for NASCAR and one of its top teams to step up and give her the opportunity to see if she can drive a stock car and become a star at the top of the American racing world.

Patrick has flirted with the move before, but now is the time to make it. Her contract with Andretti Green Racing is up after this season, and she has said she would make the move if given the right opportunity.

The right opportunity, of course, would have to be with one of NASCAR's top teams, presumably Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing or Richard Childress Racing.

Each of NASCAR's Big Four has, or has had, some sort of connection to Patrick and could make a deal work.

Gibbs could expand to a fourth Cup team while Hendrick, Roush and Childress would each have to find an open seat in the Cup series. Each would be wise to consider it, considering the sponsorship dollars Patrick would certainly attract.

Given her looks and popularity -- not to mention the widespread appeal she has already established -- she would likely attract one of the largest sponsorship packages in the sport and would become an instant star, regardless of her success on the track.

She would likely have to start by running a full season in the Nationwide Series, something she says she would reluctantly do as long as it comes with the promise of a Cup ride.

Can she do it? Can she make a smooth transition from open-wheel racing to stock cars and succeed in heavier, full-bodied machines? And can she adapt to close-quarters racing where contact is often the name of the game?

Danica on the brain
Move over: Danica isn't intimidated by boys -- and she's not the only woman to make it in male-dominated sports. Take a peek: Looking for more Danica? Check out a revealing look at the popular driver ... and her ride.

It is doubtful. The odds would be stacked heavily against her, and recent history is not on her side.

Juan Pablo Montoya, a star in both Champ Car racing and Formula One, has had only moderate success in NASCAR.

Sam Hornish Jr., a three-time IndyCar champion, struggled in his first few years in NASCAR and is only just now starting to show some promise in stock cars.

Others, including Dario Franchitti and Patrick Carpentier, also struggled but never got a fair shake.

The only driver in recent years to successfully make the transition is Tony Stewart, and he had one big advantage -- he started his NASCAR Cup career with a top team at Gibbs.

With two championships and 33 career wins, Stewart has proved that he is even better in stock cars than he was in open-wheel machines. But he is the exception rather than the rule.

Patrick has just one IndyCar victory and has had only moderate success, so her transition likely would be even more difficult.

Based on what we have seen from Montoya, Hornish and the rest, she will likely fail.

But that doesn't mean she shouldn't give it a try.

The incredible success both she and NASCAR will enjoy on the marketing front will be well worth it.

By switching to NASCAR, Patrick will attract even more sponsors and generate even more exposure than she is currently getting. Win or lose, she would become an even bigger star in the sports world.

That could have a huge impact on the sport, not to mention the organization she lands with. If she runs a full season in the Nationwide Series, her mere presence would give fans a reason to watch NASCAR's second-tier series.

She could run the full Nationwide schedule and garner more exposure than most Cup drivers. And with the backing of a top team, she would have a good shot at succeeding at that level.

Once she makes it to Cup, she will rival the sport's top drivers in terms of media exposure and marketing prowess. She may also help NASCAR build its base among female fans.

She will do that even if she does not succeed on the track. If she does succeed, she will be one of the biggest stars in not only NASCAR, but in the sports world.

If she fails and runs only a year or two, then at least she will have tried, and the sport will be better off for it.

And if it doesn't work out, there no doubt will be a place for her to return to Indy cars, where she will likely be an even better driver because of the experience of driving stock cars.

Though she may face a long, tough road, moving to NASCAR is a no-lose proposition for Patrick.

She needs to make the move, and she needs to make it now. source>>>

Joey Logano still has plenty of years to develop into NASCAR's next big thing.

For now, the Cup rookie is still learning his way around the tricky tracks. The former phenom absorbed some hits early in his first year on the circuit, but the teenager has started to show some of the promise that made him one of the most hyped prospects in years.

He's recorded two straight ninth-place finishes, and three in his last four races. All that early talk that he was a bust and those false rumours that he might be replaced at Joe Gibbs Racing have faded with each finish near the front of the pack.

The 19-year-old is starting to prove he can live up to some of the mile-high expectations that have followed him for years, long before he could to shave, vote, or even get a driver's license.

Logano returns this week to Dover International Speedway, where he made his debut in a Nationwide Series race last May, kicking off a whirlwind start to his NASCAR career that included his first Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire in September.

"It feels like it's been a lot longer than that," Logano said. "When you think of everything that happens in a whole year, holy smokes."

He's recorded two wins in the second-tier Nationwide Series, and sits in 25th place this season in the Cup standings driving full-time for JGR. Logano toured Darlington Raceway with former Cup champion Cale Yarborough, garnered praise from former teammate Tony Stewart, and has already earned nearly US$2 million in purse money this season.

The JGR driver with the squeaky-clean look was an instant hit with the fans, earning a spot in NASCAR's All-Star race after they voted him in.

Like a typical teen, Logano gushed over the honour, calling it "huge" and "awesome."

That's how Logano was described long before he was racing against NASCAR's big boys.

Veteran Mark Martin raved about Logano when he caught a glimpse of him years ago and stated "he can be one of the greatest that ever raced in NASCAR."

Logano has been on the fast track ever since, winning races at every level and beating some of NASCAR's top developmental drivers along the way. He earned the nickname "Sliced Bread," as in, "the greatest thing since ..."

Logano, who said only some close friends tease him with the "Sliced Bread" tag, said he's blocked out the hype and has focused on winning races.

He also refused to use his age and lack of experience as reasons for a slow start that included a last-place finish at the opening Daytona 500.

"I'm not going to use it as an excuse that I'm only 18, 19 and that's why things didn't go good that day," he said. "It never phased me that hey, you're 18 and you're doing all this. It never happened."

Logano was eligible to drive once he turned 18 and JGR put him in a car at Dover only days after his birthday. His goal was a top-five, but he finished sixth in his national-level debut. In the post-race interview, Logano said the finish wasn't "much in my book." Time has softened his stance on his performance on the Monster Mile concrete track.

"I remember going there, not really knowing what to expect and having a good solid run," he said. "For your first race, that was a really, really good finish."

He's navigated the tracks without the benefit of testing, thanks to rules changes implemented this season. That was one reason why he finished 30th or higher in five of his first seven races in the No. 20.

"I don't think you ever get the hang of it," he said. "I think I'm a lot closer to where I need to be.

"The cars are nothing like the Nationwide cars. It makes it quite a bit tougher, but it is what it is."

The lack of seat time at some of the upcoming tracks have prompted him to add some dates to his schedule. He'll take a spin at the ARCA race next week at Pocono Raceway, one track where he has yet to turn a competitive lap.

His slow start led Logano to gripe in April that his critics weren't being fair. Logano said he barely had a chance to prove himself in the Cup series when he was hearing or reading stories that he wasn't worth all the hype.

"Of course they weren't," being fair, he said. "No one realized it was going to be that much different than the Nationwide car.

"Look at who you're racing against, too. It's the best drivers in the world. It's not going to be 'bam!' and you're there."

The JGR team never pressured him, only wanting Logano to learn each time he hit the track. Now that he's recording top-10s, his next goal is a win or two and to build some momentum for next season - and the rest of what promises to be a lengthy career.

"I'm to the point now where I feel comfortable on the race track," he said. "All that stuff builds up your confidence." source>>>

Robby Gordon Penalized by NASCAR for rules violations

NASCAR has issued penalties to Gordon and the No. 7 team that competes in the Sprint Cup Series as a result of rules violations committed at Lowe�s Motor Speedway earlier this week, NASCAR.com reports.

Gordon's rear axle housing was confiscated by NASCAR and found to be illegal. He has been penalized 50 owner/driver championship points and Gordon's crew chief Kirk Almquist has been fined $50,000 for the infraction. This incident dulls what was otherwise a great run for the No. 7 team at Charlotte. source>>>

Dale Earnhardt Jr. NASCAR's Dover Sprint Cup Race Preview

In 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has recorded one win, four top-five finishes and seven top-10s. He has completed 98.9 percent of all laps he's attempted at "The Monster Mile" (7,123 laps of 7,204). The 34-year-old driver has led a total of 366 laps.

DALE IN DETROIT: Before heading to Dover, Earnhardt will make a stop in Detroit on Thursday to get fans excited about next month's race at Michigan International Speedway. Earnhardt, the defending race winner, will meet with the local media and hold a question-and-answer session with 1,500 General Motors employees and members of the Michigan National Guard.

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MONSTER MILE WIN: Earnhardt's single Cup Series win at Dover came on Sept. 23, 2001. The victory was the second of his sophomore Cup season and the first race for the series following Sept. 11 attacks. Earnhardt displayed the American flag during his victory lap to pay tribute to the victims. In that race he started third and led 193 laps.

CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, the No. 88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-526. This chassis ran at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, where Earnhardt rallied from the back of the pack to finish 14th. Earnhardt last raced this chassis at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and finished 27th after a late-race incident.

HENDRICK AT DOVER: In 48 events (151 starts) at Dover, Hendrick Motorsports teams have scored 10 wins, 37 top-five finishes and 65 top-10s. Hendrick drivers have led 3,780 laps.

FIRST WINNING CHASSIS: Dover is a special place for Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. On Sept. 20, 1992, Ricky Rudd drove the No. 5 Chevrolet to Victory Lane at Dover International Speedway, marking the first time a Hendrick Motorsports-built chassis had won a Cup-level event. Rudd started sixth and led 32 laps driving the No. 5 Chevy nicknamed "Midnight." The win also was the first for crew chief Gary DeHart and the 32nd for team owner Rick Hendrick.

TRADIN' PAINT: AMP Energy has launched Tradin' Paint, a new limited time only, Dale Earnhardt Jr.-themed energy drink. The beverage is a collision of three flavors -- orange, lime and berry -- with all the energy ingredients and great taste that consumers expect from AMP. Featuring the same paint scheme as Earnhardt's No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, Tradin' Paint also includes all the marks, dings and paint streaks that can show up on cars during a hotly contested race.

HENDRICK ON TWITTER: Hendrick Motorsports has launched its official Twitter page: www.twitter.com/HendrickInfo. Fans are invited to check out the page for daily updates about Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the rest of Hendrick Motorsports.

***** DALE EARNHARDT JR., DRIVER OF THE NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET (ON TOUGHEST PART OF DOVER.): "The concrete. It's just real bumpy and slick. It's gets kind of tough to hang on to. You look at the old races they run here on asphalt, and they looked pretty fun."

T.J. MAJORS, SPOTTER OF THE NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET (ON THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE AT DOVER.): "Watching in front of him. Dale Jr. likes to know what's going on almost a half a track in front of him. Dover is kind of like a Bristol. We got caught in a wreck last year and we missed the wreck but got hit from behind because the guys behind him didn't slow down quick enough. So it's my job to make sure Dale doesn't get caught up in stuff like that, but when you get hit from behind there's not a whole lot you can do. We just have to do the best we can and keep the nose on it."

MAJORS (ON WHERE DOVER RANKS IN DIFFICULTY TO SPOT.): "Dover is probably one of the most difficult because it's real narrow. And there's not a whole lot of room for him to get through wrecks so it's important for him to know what is coming up. You can give up a lot of time at that track racing people, and it's kind of like a Darlington because there's not a whole lot of room off the corners to race people, so you almost have to race the track more than other cars. It's my job to make sure he knows that and to give up more time than we have to to other cars."

MAJORS (ON WHAT TYPE OF INFO DOES EARNHARDT LIKE AT DOVER.): "I have to make sure he knows what is coming when he exits the corners. I have to make sure he's not surprised and doesn't have to make any maneuvers or decisions that would be unexpected so he can concentrate on running the best lap that he can, every lap, and not have to worry about what's going to be sitting there. There's not a whole of time to react at Dover, and I just have to make sure he knows what he is coming up on."

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Georgia Tech basketball guard D'Andre Bell has been cleared to play his senior year

Georgia Tech basketball guard D'Andre Bell has been cleared to play his senior year of basketball after making a visit to his surgeon last week in Los Angeles, head coach Paul Hewitt said Tuesday.

The 6-5 senior from Los Angeles, who had surgery in December to correct a congenital condition called spinal stenosis, sat out the 2008-09 season and took a red-shirt in order to be eligible in 2009-10 if cleared. Bell was allowed to begin strength and conditioning workouts and individual instruction following the Yellow Jackets' 2008-09 season.

"We're happy for D'Andre that his doctors have given him clearance to resume full activity," said Hewitt Tuesday. "It means a lot to him, and it means a lot to our team as well to have him back because of the defensive ability, reliable shooting and outstanding leadership he will bring to our group. We have an outstanding recruiting class coming in, but he might be the most significant addition to next year's team."

Bell, who averaged 6.6 points and 2.1 rebounds during the 2007-08 season and is recognized as one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's top defenders, visited his spinal surgeon, Dr. Robert Watkins, late last week and received his clearance after an examination.

"I'm an optimistic person, and I am huge on speaking things into existence," said Bell. "Though negative thoughts may have crossed my mind at times, I never uttered that I would never play again, and the end result is a second chance.

"I told my coaches over and over that I will be fine. Now the crucial part is preparing for next season. This all means a lot to me. All my life, I've played basketball, and it is a large part of who I am. My mindset has altered a great deal in preparation for basketball's departure. At the moment I am focusing on mental preparation more then anything. I refuse to let my Georgia Tech family down."

Bell's return gives the Yellow Jackets 11 returning letterwinners for 2009-10, five of those with significant starting experience. The senior has missed just four games in his career, all in 2006-07, and has started 33 games in three seasons, 23 of those in Atlantic Coast Conference play. He will remain in Los Angeles for the rest of the summer while working himself back into basketball condition. source>>>

The Exodus of University of Kentucky Basketball Players

The time has come to address the departures of current players in favor of the slew of highly-ranked recruits that John Calipari has brought with him to Kentucky.

Yesterday, A.J. Stewart, Jared Carter, Donald Williams and Landon Slone all announced their intention to leave the program and transfer to another institution. We all know that none of these decisions were likely to have been 100% voluntary on the part of the players. They were most likely assured that they would not see the light of day if they stayed (in the case of Stewart), or that the extra year of eligibility would not be required (in the case of Carter), or that the much-discussed one-year agreement for Williams would be exercised. Landon Slone is a separate case I will discuss later.

I am not happy with the way this has gone, and I do think Calipari could have handled the scholarship situation better. What he has done is effectively turn UK into an NBA franchise, and while that might be good for wins and losses and national championships, it isn't going to be welcomed everywhere. Some people are going to be very upset with how this is going down, and they have every right to be. UK has historically honored its scholarships, and has only rarely (if ever) done what is going on right now -- forcing players to transfer in order to make room under the "scholarship cap." I don't like it, but with that said, I am also not going to come down too hard on Coach Calipari for a couple of reasons, which I will now detail.

The first reason is that it is the responsibility of the UK athletics administration to set the policy for player retention during a coaching change. My understanding is that Coach Calipari had to agree not to force out any seniors who would be returning this year. So far, he has not done so, which leads me to believe that this agreement is real. That also indicates to me that Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart implicitly (and perhaps explicitly) agreed to let Calipari force out any players who were not seniors that the coach felt he could not use. So before I would blast Calipari, I would let Barnhart have it -- in my opinion, it is the Athletics Director's responsibility to set transitional scholarship policy, not the coach's, and the constraints of Barnhart's policy apparently did not include A.J. Stewart. Donald Williams had agreed with the previous regime not to seek scholarship renewal, so there is really nothing more to say about that.

The second reason that Calipari gets off with a mild scolding is that when UK decided to bring him here, they decided that it was in the best interests of the school and basketball program to pay him an unprecedented salary which demands immediate results. To do that and hamstring him by not allowing scholarship changes would most likely have been a deal-breaker. Calipari can't come in at 3+ million/year and not have an immediate impact. We just went through that, and the result was ... unfortunate.

Star-divide

There is no question whatever that Barnhart, Calipari and Dr. Lee Todd knew this day would come, and have agreed among each other that they will take the heat for this, and there is going to be some. And there should be. But it will pass.

John Calipari has, in the past, done some rather ethics-challenged things with scholarships. In particular, he once made a package deal for Kendrick Perkins (now of the Boston Celtics) and Keena Young, his high school teammate, to sign together, then reportedly tried to renege on his agreement with Young when Perkins decided to go straight to the NBA. In my opinion, that's not the proper spirit for amateur athletics, and my understanding is that after that particular episode, Coach Calipari has not done that again. I am willing, therefore, to chalk that up to experience.

But it's impossible to ignore the fact that Coach Calipari is effectively pulling player's scholarships, and I can't remember that ever happening at UK solely to make room for better players. It looks really bad, and even though it is strictly within the NCAA rules and couched as a mutual decision, we would be less than honest with ourselves if we thought that was actually so. The feel of this whole affair is very NBAish, and it makes me uncomfortable and unhappy.

I will not criticize Coach Calipari for his mix-up with Landon Slone, and I think others are off-base for having done so. Landon Slone is a fine young man and a Kentucky boy, two things we really like around here. He works as hard as anyone can, but he is in no way qualified to suit up as a UK Wildcat under the current regime. He was fine under Billy Gillispie's system, but Calipari's system is a complete non-starter for him and he is mature enough to know that. He is a walk-on, and as such he serves at the absolute discretion of the coach. I do think that Calipari should have sat down with him and would have eventually done so, but I also understand that he probably did not intend to slight Landon in any way. Calipari may have faults, but when it comes to the little guy, he appears to always be willing to sit down and talk even if it means brutal honesty. So criticize Calipari for non-renewing scholarships, but as far as I can tell, his handling of Slone is strictly above-board.

In the final analysis, UK and Coach Calipari will get criticized for this purge of the roster, and they should. It is a bad thing to do, and I am not going to sugar-coat that aspect of it. The best thing about it is that this is hopefully a one-time, transitional deal. Yes, I know that is an ethical compromise on my part, and I'll gladly take the heat for it. I don't advocate "ends justifies the means" opportunism a the expense of young athletes, and I won't excuse it here. What I will say is that I am a UK fan, and as such I am unwilling to blast the new coach for something that was well-known when his employment was being negotiated. The University of Kentucky abandoned these young men to their fate, and I think the blame properly belongs with the athletics administration. Yes, Calipari could have stopped at Cousins, but that was clearly never his intention, and that was no doubt communicated up front.

At the end of the day, what we have here are several young men who will continue their college careers elsewhere. The worst part of this whole affair is that they had to wait so long for it to happen, but in reality, the NBA draft and general attrition will open up spots for these players on other teams. It may not be the teams they would prefer, but let's face it -- as unfortunate situations go, getting a full ride at a school other than UK is not all that lamentable, and in the case of Stewart at least, the year served in residence is likely to do more to help him than hurt him. Williams still potentially has four full years of college eligibility since he did not play at all last year, and Jared Carter's situation is sad but was likely inevitable regardless of who the coach was.

There will be at least one more domino to fall, but I will have nothing further to say about this -- it is what it is, and if some of us are forced to live with a bit of shame, well, life goes on. Obviously if this becomes the norm and not the one-time exception, I will have much more strident criticism. But I don't expect that to happen. The Great Roster Purge of 2009 is a bitter pill to swallow, and I'm not convinced UK needed medicine this strong. But I am ready to swallow it, chased with a bit of my pride in the program, and move on. Becoming a relentless critic of my favorite college basketball team may be interesting to others, but not to me, and I have wandered too long in the desert of irrelevance to be hypercritical so early in a new coach's career at UK. source>>>

A closer look at Game 5 of the Western Conference finals

Situation: The Detroit Red Wings hold a 3-1 lead against the Chicago Blackhawks going into Game 5 of the best-of-seven Western Conference finals tonight in Detroit. Teams leading 3-1 in an NHL series have won 91.1% of the time.

Goaltending matchup: Chris Osgood (11-4, 2.14 goals-against average, .921 save percentage) vs. Cristobal Huet (1-1, 4.51, .844) or Nikolai Khabibulin (8-6, 2.93, .896). Osgood has the best numbers of any goalie still in the postseason, and Huet struggled in Game 4 as Khabibulin's injury replacement.

Injuries: Chicago, Khabibulin (undisclosed) and RW Martin Havlat (undisclosed) didn't practice Tuesday and were day-to-day. Detroit, C Kris Draper (groin) won't play; D Nicklas Lidstrom (undisclosed) and C Pavel Datsyuk (foot) didn't practice and were day-to-day.

Who's hot: Detroit C Valtteri Filppula has at least one point in five consecutive games.

What Chicago wants to do

1. Demonstrate more discipline and control than it showed in Game 4. Giving Detroit too many power plays is a recipe for failure.

2. Get into the shooting lanes and play hard on the puck, because keeping Detroit's shot total lower would help.

3. Remember how it played in Game 2 in Detroit. That game went into overtime and could have gone either way.

What Detroit wants to do

1. Get the Johan Franzen- Henrik Zetterberg- Dan Cleary line matched up against the Jonathan Toews-Kane line. It seems to be working.

2. Stay out of the penalty box. The Blackhawks have had a stellar power play throughout the playoffs, and the Red Wings have given up a power-play goal in 13 consecutive games.

3. Close it out, because they want to get to the Stanley Cup Finals without too much mileage on their engine.

Key stat: Dating to 1998, the Red Wings have won 48 consecutive playoff games when they have scored four goals. source>>>

NHL Betting Odds: great play in Blackhawks at Red Wings playoff

After a look at Wednesday's NHL betting odds we have uncovered a great play that returns a good chunk of cash.

The Detroit Red Wings (62-23-8-4) are out to a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Chicago Blackhawks (55-30-6-7) and it appears that many think that Detroit can close out the series with the NHL betting odds heavily favoring the home-team Red Wings.

You won't want to count out Chicago here, however, as Detroit is dealing with some injuries that could make a game 6 very possible. This series is far from over.

Bookmaker.com has the NHL betting odds giving the road-team Blackhawks a line of +200 with the goals scored total currently at 5.5. The money line has seen very little movement despite the betting public backing Detroit at close to an 80% ratio.

The reason that I'm giving Chicago a good chance of extending this playoff series has to do with all the injuries that Detroit is dealing with. Center Pavel Datsyuk (32 goals, 64 assists) and defender Niklas Lidstrom (16 goals, 43 assists) both missed the last game in this series and are currently listed as questionable to play in game 5.

Even if they go it appears they won't be at 100%. Two games in this series have gone to overtime so Detroit really needs to be at 100% if they expect to dominate like the NHL betting odds indicate they will.

Chicago's only real injury concern is goalie Nikolai Khabibulin (2.50 GAA) who is listed as day-to-day with a lower back injury that caused him to get some rest in game 4. Even if he misses the Blackhawks still have a reliable backup goalie in Cristobal Huet (2.59 GAA) so it's not that big of a deal.

The Blackhawks have to win and are the healthier team so getting 2/1 betting odds on this NHL playoff game makes a ton of sense.Get these NHL betting odds at Bookmaker.com. source>>>

Penguins sweep Carolina, advance to Stanley Cup finals

Sidney Crosby saved his most daring move for after the game: He spurned hockey superstition and hoisted the Prince of Wales Trophy.

If he keeps playing like this, it might not be the only prize the Pittsburgh Penguins' captain raises.

The Penguins are headed back to the Stanley Cup finals, clinching a return trip with a 4-1 rout of the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday in Raleigh, N.C., that finished off a sweep in the Eastern Conference finals. Pittsburgh lost to Detroit last year in a six-game final series.

"We didn't touch (the trophy) last year, and things didn't go the way we wanted," Crosby said. "I thought we'd change it up this year."

Max Talbot had a goal and an assist, Ruslan Fedotenko and Bill Guerin also scored, and Craig Adams added an empty-netter.

Crosby had two assists to extend his point streak to six games, and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped the final 30 shots he faced in shutting down Carolina.

The Penguins outscored the Hurricanes 20-9 in the series, netted at least three goals in each game and trailed for a total of only 20 minutes, 30 seconds.

"To be real honest, I don't think it felt easy at all," Pittsburgh Coach Dan Bylsma said.

Detroit, which leads Chicago 3-1 in the West finals, can advance to the Cup finals by winning today.

"For you (media) guys, there's a lot more story lines" with a Detroit rematch, Crosby said. "To go through last year was tough, but we've got a chance
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here and we want to make the most of it."

Eric Staal, who scored for the first time in the series for the Hurricanes, said: "It just doesn't feel very nice knowing that tomorrow we're all done."

# The Edmonton Oilers hired Pat Quinn as coach. Quinn has been out of the NHL since being fired as Toronto's coach after the 2005-06 season.

"If I think of leadership, I think of Pat," Oilers General Manager Steve Tambellini said. "If I think of the way you want to be treated as a player, I think of someone like Pat Quinn. If I think of someone who sets an example morally for an organization of how to go forward, I think of a man like Pat Quinn."

The Oilers will be the fifth NHL team coached by Quinn, who succeeds the fired Craig MacTavish. The two-time NHL coach of the year has 657 wins in 1,318 games with Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto.

"Hockey has been my life and I can't think of a better place to continue to work in what I consider to be the greatest job that a man can have," Quinn said.

# Peter Zezel, who played 15 NHL seasons, died in Toronto at 44. He struggled with a rare blood disease the past 10 years.

"Peter will forever be remembered as a great teammate and a wonderful individual who touched the lives of many both on and off the ice," Zezel's family said in a statement. "In his typical character of generosity, Peter donated his organs through the Trillium Gift of Life Network."

Zezel, a center, had 219 goals and 389 assists in 873 games with Philadelphia, St. Louis, Washington, Toronto, Dallas, New Jersey and Vancouver.

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Magic puts Cavs on life support

- The wonderfully-hyped, LeBron James Magical Ride to the NBA Finals is on life support now. His box of miracles may be empty.

The Orlando Magic have too many weapons to overcome. The 3-point shower is coming from all sides.

The Magic took an almost insurmountable 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals with a 116-114 overtime victory Tuesday night. The series resumes Thursday in Cleveland, but the prospects are not good for the Cavaliers.

In NBA conference final history, there have been 47 times in which one team has led a series 3-1. The team with the lead has prevailed in 44 of them. For Cleveland, it's only a matter of time now. "We've got to have the killer instinct if we want to win a championship," said Magic center Dwight Howard. "We're not done yet. We've got to finish it.''

While James had another brilliant game -- 44 points and 12 rebounds - he was a facing a myriad of scorers on the other side. As good as he is, it's like fighting off an army.

"The only thing we're thinking about now is Game 5," said Cavs coach Mike Brown. "That's the only thing that matters, the next game."

It was James who won Game 2 with an dramatic buzzer-beating 3-pointer, but this time he was too far away, launching another heave from almost half-court that barely missed its mark at the buzzer.

Howard closed the deal with 10 of his 27 points in overtime. He also blocked a James layup with :16 remaining. But throughout the game, it was others who were hurting him. Rafer Alston had a playoff career high 26 points, including six 3-pointers. Mickael Pietrus had 17 in a reserve role, including five 3-pointers.

Rashard Lewis had 17 points, including a huge 3-pointer near the end of regulation. Hedo Turkoglu had 15 and a pair of 3-pointers.
In the three Cavs losses, James has scored 49, 41 and 44 points, proving again that the One Man Show can't overcome better balance. The Magic launched an amazing 38 3-pointers, making 17.

The game went into overtime when Turkoglu's desperation in-bound lob to Howard at the buzzer failed to connect. Howard and Cleveland's Anderson Varejao went down in a heap as they jockeyed for position.

James tied the game with .5 in regulation when he hit a pair of free throws after being fouled on his final drive. Lewis, who struggled for much of the game, had hit a 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds remaining for the 100-98 lead.

The Magic led, 96-90, but they struggled to score in the closing few minutes of regulation, missing too many shots from long range.

Howard was called for a technical foul in the third quarter when he drove and dunked, despite being wrapped up by Varejao. Howard was called for glaring at Varejao after the play. It was Howard's sixth technical of the postseason, one short of triggering an automatic one-game suspension.

The Magic are expected to appeal that technical to the NBA office.

Alston scored the Magic's first 10 points of the second half. He had 15 in the period, yet the Cavs still led 79-78 when the fourth quarter began. source>>>

Jose Canseco in MMA debut lasts 76 seconds with Korean giant before tapping out

Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez and countless baseball players outed as steroid users by Jose Canseco were probably hoping for a fate worse than this. The 44-year-old risked life and limb for a big payday in Japan in his first professional mixed martial arts fight. The 1988 AL MVP took on a 7-foot-2, 330-pound Korean kickboxer. It went exactly as you'd expect. Canseco threw some wild punches and attempted a few kicks. Nothing of significance landed. Hong Man Choi waited patiently and then pounced. The 253-pound Canseco threw a kick to Choi's thigh that caused him to lose his balance. When he fell to the ground, Choi jumped on top of Canseco throwing 14 punches. Very few landed but it was clear the slugger was shot. The ref stepped in to stop the fight at 1:16 of the first round when Canseco tapped.

The fight was part of DREAM's Super Hulk Tournament. The entire event was a farce consisting of four fights that featured an average weight difference of 87.6 pounds. The Canseco-Choi fight was exactly the kind of matchup that would never be approved in the U.S. by any commission. Nevada nearly denied a license recently to 45-year-old Mark Coleman to fight at UFC 100. Coleman, who has 24 pro fights under his belt and was an NCAA wrestling champ, tired badly in his last fight at UFC 93. The fighters' safety is paramount in MMA where knees, kicks, elbows, punches, jiu-jitsu and wrestling are all fair game.

Canseco's approach to the fight was actually intelligent. He tried to throw big overhand rights and then scoot away from the giant. But in doing so, it looked like he was exhausted after just a minute of fighting. He attempted seven kicks to Choi's legs and body. The final right kick landed awkwardly on Choi's left thigh. Canseco's knee buckled and down he went. When he rose to his feet after the stoppage, Canseco had a noticeable limp.

Canseco had zero professional fighting experience before this freak show, but he did have two celebrity boxing matches to his credit. He was destroyed in his first try against former NFL player Vai Sikahema. The former Golden Gloves champ stopped Canseco inside of one minute. Canseco also fought former Partridge Family star Danny Bonaduce to a draw. Canseco outweighs Bonaduce by 70 pounds.

Choi, who is 12-6 in K-1 professional kickboxing, is now 2-2 in MMA. Choi had previously lost to Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, who is fighting in the UFC at UFC 99 on June 13. He also lost to Yahoo! Sports' No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Fedor Emelianenko. : Watch video of the fight, so long as it's available. source>>>

Coaches poll to be confidential beginning in 2010

Beginning in 2010, ballots in the final regular-season USA Today coaches' college football poll will be kept confidential -- one of a handful of changes on tap for the poll that helps decide who plays in the BCS national championship game.

The American Football Coaches Association had asked Gallup to study its poll and recommend how to make it more accurate and credible. The AFCA's board heard the

Gallup recommendations being considered for the future include reducing the number of teams ranked from 25 to 10 or 15, and evaluating the merit of a preseason poll.

Starting this year, the poll will also eliminate bonus voters given to some conferences based on how their teams did the previous year.

The most radical change, however, will to be to return to the policy in place before 2005, when coaches didn't have to reveal their final ballots. Coaches will be allowed to release their own ballots if they choose.

Revealing the ballots has made for some awkward situations. Former Florida coaches Steve Spurrier (now at South Carolina) and Ron Zook (Illinois), for instance, took some heat last year when they ranked the Gators second behind Oklahoma in last year's final regular-season poll.

Zook, meanwhile, got lambasted two years previously when he picked the Gators as No. 1 over Ohio State, which is in the Big Ten with Illinois.

Zook said whether the poll is confidential or not, his method remains the same.

"To me, I was always going to vote how I felt," he said. "I think that's why you have a poll. That's why more than one person is involved. So what I try to do is rank the teams where I really feel they should be. I'm not real into the political stuff."

The AFCA also decided to continue allowing coaches to vote for their own teams and to select voters on a random basis beginning this year. source>>>

Fighters are torn about kids in MMA

While many doctors, lawyers and Wall Street investment bankers -- at least those not in jail or being investigated by Congress -- would likely encourage their children to follow in their footsteps, what about mixed martial arts parents?

After all, the life of a fighter is a harsh one. The cream of the crop may earn salaries that rival -- surpass, even -- what the aforementioned white-collar professionals bring home, but most cage fighters live modest paycheck-to-paycheck lives with little or no job security.

[+] EnlargeBenji Radach
Jon Kopaloff/Getty ImagesIf his kids want to pursue MMA, Benji Radach will tell them "to get ready for a big pile of crap."

And there is the physical price. Could MMA parents stand to see their kids get the snot beaten out of them, knocked unconscious and suffer potentially life-altering injuries?

Former Icon Sport middleweight champion Frank Trigg, the father of two sons and a daughter, said he wouldn't want his kids following in his footsteps simply because they would forever be compared to him.

"My son, we had this conversation, he said he wanted to be a fighter; I told him to go play tennis," Trigg said. "Don't follow in your father's footsteps. Go do something else. Be better than your father, but do it in your own right. Follow your own path."

Trigg noted that Ken Norton Jr. could have been a great boxer like his father, but because he wanted to be his own man, he chose instead to play football. Norton won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers.

Trigg doesn't want his kids to have to try following in his footsteps. "How many NASCAR drivers do you know whose kids are NASCAR drivers?" Trigg said. "How many drag-racing drivers [are there] whose kids are drag-racing drivers? There are very few. Now, if the kid really has a passion for it and they really want to be an MMA fighter, that's cool. But are they going to be any good at it? Genetically, they should be, but who knows?"

Pioneering female MMA fighter Debi Purcell doesn't have any kids of her own, but her fiancé, Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Ronald Assumpcao, has a 14-year-old son who is, for all intents and purposes, her stepson. Having grown up around jiu-jitsu his whole life, the teenager has not surprisingly expressed an interest in becoming a professional fighter.

"He's been training since he was 5," Purcell said. "It's funny, because he told me he wants to be a fighter because he just wants to relax all day and then train. And I said, 'It's not like that.' So he doesn't fully understand what it's really about."

Purcell believes the teen's misunderstanding may come from "jiu-jitsu being an easier ... not an easier sport, but it's different than professional fighting."

Purcell conceded that if the boy wanted to seriously pursue a fighting career, she would support him -- as long as he earns a college degree first and has something to fall back on.

I was trying to be an MMA fighter when it was stupid. It was legal in three states. I made $750 my first UFC. There was no fame.
" -- Jens Pulver on his mother advising him to graduate college before pursuing MMA

"I'm all for it, but I say it with reservations because I want him to have a realistic idea of what it actually entails," she said. "It's a lot of hard work. It's not easy and fun. It's a job. If you're going to do it professionally, it has to be a job. You have to make a lot of sacrifices, and it's a very selfish sport" that leaves one little time for much of anything or anyone else.

Middleweight Benji Radach doesn't have children, but he plans to be a father someday. What if his kids want to follow his career path?

"I'd tell them to get ready for a big pile of crap," Radach said, "because the majority of what you get from the sport is just a bunch of hardship."

Radach is currently appealing what he considers an early stoppage of his last fight, a knockout loss to Scott Smith at a Strikeforce event in April.

"On the flip side, all the things you gain from those hardships and trials and tribulations, you can't replace," Radach said. "So I think I would definitely -- not push my kid into it -- but support them in everything they want to do. I wouldn't be against it at all."

Featherweight Jens Pulver said that if his 5-month-old son one day declares he wants to become an MMA fighter like his father, he -- like Purcell -- will point to college.

"You graduate college, you can do whatever you want," Pulver said. "That's what my mom said to me, and I was trying to be an MMA fighter when it was stupid. It was legal in three states. I made $750 my first UFC. There was no fame."

Pulver said he would insist that his son get a college degree first, not only as a backup plan but also to live away from home and gain some real-world experience. Only then, Pulver said, will his son be able to gauge whether he really wants to become a fighter or if it's just a passing fancy.

"You would think they would really start to figure it out then," Pulver said. "As you are figuring out who you are for the next five years going to school, if you still want to train MMA while you're getting your grades, for sure. You don't have to listen to me. You're over 18. You can do whatever you want."

But long before college, Pulver said, he would "absolutely" let his son start training in the gym as a child. That goes double, he said, for his 6-year-old daughter, for very personal yet pragmatic reasons.

"She has to train, at least in submissions," Pulver said. "Because think about the rape position. What position is that? Oh, you're in my guard. Think about the sport of jiu-jitsu. It's supposed to be a weaker, smaller person fending off a bigger, stronger person, so, absolutely, my daughter has to train." source>>>

Limp Bizkit Teaming Up with UFC for UFC 100 Weekend

The most historic event in UFC history just got bigger with the announcement that rap-metal pioneers Limp Bizkit are bringing the only performance in the U.S. of their "Unicorns N' Rainbows" tour to Mandalay Bay Beach on Friday, July 10th to perform in their first North American concert in eight years as a part of the UFC 100 weekend. The multi-platinum-selling group has picked the perfect time to return to North American stages, and you can be sure that once their hits "Break Stuff," "Rollin'" and "My Way" start blasting through the speakers, you'll have all the adrenaline you need for UFC 100 the next night on Saturday, July 11th.

"Music is one of the things that make the UFC experience so exciting, and I've always been a big fan of Limp Bizkit, so we are excited to have the group perform at UFC 100 event weekend," said Dana White, UFC President.

"We are proud that our first show in the USA with the original line-up in eight years will be in Las Vegas at UFC 100. The ultimate fighting music has finally found its home with the Ultimate Fighting Championship," said Fred Durst.

Tickets for Limp Bizkit, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Friday, May 29 at 10 a.m. for $35 at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com, or www.ticketmaster.com.

Doors will open at 7pm, BoneyB will perform at 8 p.m. and Limp Bizkit will go live at 9 p.m. The concert also will be streamed live on UFC.com.

As part of UFC Fan Expo, Limp Bizkit will appear and sign autographs on the UFC Fan Expo main stage Friday, July 10th from 2pm - 3pm, just hours before their U.S. concert premiere. Fred Durst, Wes Borland, Sam Rivers, John Otto, and DJ Lethal are gearing up to record their first new studio album with the original line-up since 2000's worldwide 12x-platinum Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water. Flip/Interscope Records will announce more details and a release date in the coming months. The band's first three albums have sold more than 20 million copies in the U.S. alone, and another 13 million in the rest of the world. source>>>

MLB: Cincinnati Reds Beat Astros 6- 4

Joey Votto hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning Tuesday, propelling the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-4 victory over the Houston Astros.

Laynce Nix also homered and Ramon Hernandez had a two-run single for the Reds, who have won three in a row.

Cincinnati starter Micah Owings allowed three runs on six hits and four walks in five innings. Nick Masset (2-0), who was activated off the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, pitched a scoreless seventh inning to get the win. Francisco Cordero pitched a scoreless ninth for his 13th save.

Roy Oswalt gave up four runs on seven hits in six innings for the Astros, who have lost six in a row. Tim Byrdak (0-1) suffered the loss after giving up Votto's homer.

Ivan Rodriguez hit a two-run double, Edwin Maysonet went 2- for-4 with an RBI and Jeff Keppinger hit a solo homer for Houston. source>>>

MLB ump Davidson says Cubs' Ted Lilly lied to media

As the Cubs await Major League Baseball's investigation into Ted Lilly's incident with plate umpire Bob Davidson, manager Lou Piniella said he only expects a fine to be levied.

Davidson sent his report to the league on the incident in which Lilly jumped over the dugout fence and onto the field to argue after being ejected for loudly disputing balls and strikes.

"He got over that fence quickly," Piniella said, laughing. "We had the steps guarded. We just didn't have the barrier control. It happened very quickly."

Davidson said Lilly was thrown out for yelling about his calls.

"He said I was embarrassing myself, so that's why I threw him out," he said. "Then he gave me a few [expletives]. ... He was, quote, 'trying to get his money's worth,' I suppose."

Lilly declined to comment.

Davidson said Lilly lied to the media afterward when discussing the incident. Did Davidson ever make contact with Lilly, as Lilly said Monday?

"There was no contact," Davidson said. "We never came close, on his part or mine. And everything he said to [the media] was bull. Everything I read in the paper that he said was untrue. He never said one of those words. What he said to me, you couldn't print in the paper."

Lilly said Monday he told Davidson to "concentrate."

"He never said that," Davidson said. "I just found out I scored just about a 96 [out of 100] on my plate job, so my concentration was pretty [darn] good in my opinion."

MLB umpiring supervisors grade umpires on a daily basis after reviewing videotapes.

Davidson said out of 215 pitches Monday, he was told he'd missed 10.

"Eight of them were pitches I called strikes that shouldn't have been," he said. "The other two, one went against Pittsburgh and one went against Chicago. My concentration was excellent." source>>>

Motor City Bowl set to return in Dec. 26 slot

Organizers say the Motor City Bowl will be held the day after Christmas at Detroit's Ford Field.

Bowl officials announced Wednesday the game will be played Dec. 26, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. The bowl features a team from the Mid-American Conference against a Big Ten team.

The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

Florida Atlantic defeated Central Michigan, 24-21, in last year's game. source>>>

Florida St. appeal to NCAA will have to wait another week

Florida State coach Bobby Bowden will have to wait a little longer to find out if he'll lose up to 14 victories.

The NCAA gave its Committee on Infractions another week until June 2 to respond to Florida State's appeal of sanctions resulting from an academic cheating scandal.

They include taking as many as 14 wins off Bowden's coaching record. That would make it impossible for Bowden to catch Penn State's Joe Paterno in their race for most victories among major college coaches.

The 82-year-old Paterno has 383 wins -- one ahead of Bowden, who will turn 80 in November.

Bowden is due to be replaced by coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher by the 2011 season. Fisher is Florida State's offensive coordinator. source>>>

Syracuse Men's Lacrosse repeats as NCAA champion

Syracuse scores last four goals of overtime game against Cornell: Kenny Nims of Syracuse scored with 4.5 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime and help the Orange beat Cornell 10-9 for its second consecutive NCAA men's title.

Cody Jamieson, a transfer from a Canadian junior college who didn't become eligible until April, scored the winning goal 80 seconds into overtime before a crowd of 41,935 in Foxborough, Mass.

Syracuse vacated its 1990 title and officially has a record 10 titles.

The Orange scored the last four goals after trailing 9-6 with four minutes left in regulation.

Nims, who was voted the tournament's most outstanding player, said, "Never count us out." source>>>

Mike Tyson's 4-Year-Old Daughter Dies after a treadmill accident

A day after she was badly injured in a treadmill accident, the 4-year-old daughter of Mike Tyson has died.

Multiple sources are reporting that Exodus Tyson was pronounced dead at 11:45 a.m. local time on Tuesday following a brief period on

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life support. The daughter of the former world boxing champion was injured on Monday at the family's home in Phoenix.

Tyson's daughter was discovered by her 7-year-old brother Monday with a cable from the machine wrapped around her neck. After the girl's mother took her off the cable and called authorities, she was transported to a local hospital. The 42-year-old Tyson traveled from Las Vegas to Phoenix on Monday to be with his daughter.

"We are grateful for the tremendous outpouring of love and prayers from all over the world," Tyson said in a statement released to the media. "There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Exodus. We ask you now to please respect our need at this very difficult time for privacy to grieve and try to help each other heal."

Although the youngest world heavyweight champion in history retired from professional boxing in 2005, Tyson has been quite visible lately. Currently in theaters is "Tyson," a probing documentary that aims to explore the troubled sports legend. He also has a high-profile cameo in the upcoming comedy "The Hangover," due in theaters next month.

While speaking with MTV News recently about the films, Tyson opened up about his relationship with his children.

"I look forward to having some grandkids one day," he said. "And I'm really trying to work into re-creating my relationship, rebuilding my relationship with my children. [In the past I was so wrapped up in being] this Mike Tyson, 'Iron Mike,' heavyweight champion of the world or whatever I was, that I neglected my children and people I was in love with at one time. And I'm bearing the brunt of it right now. At this stage in my life, I'm starting to feel the pain and the effects from it, and I would like to rekindle that relationship."

A heartfelt Tyson also said that even if the allure of fame came on as strong as it once did, his love for Exodus had changed his priorities. "I would give all that [fame] up if it caused me losing what I have now: That little condo with my girlfriend and my daughter and having a relationship with the rest of my kids."

Six quick fixes NASCAR needs to make

Since NASCAR is soliciting ideas, I've got a few to place in the hopper.

NASCAR officials had a bull session with drivers and teams Tuesday to discuss the state of the sport. What's wrong, and how can it get better?

Well, where shall we begin? My apologies to the memory of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, but allow me to tweak her poetic brilliance:

How do I help thee? Let me count the ways.

Here are half a dozen ideas worth considering:

1. More emphasis on winning

The Sprint All-Star Race proved how wild things can get up front when drivers don't have to worry about points. If winning is all that matters, they go for it.

I'm not suggesting NASCAR do away with its points system, but drivers need a bigger bonus for winning a race -- at least 50 more points for the guy who goes to Victory Lane.

And give more of the purse to the winner. If that means the rest of the field gets less, so be it.

Also, add a "win and you're in" component to making the Chase. Any driver who wins a Cup event in the first 26 races automatically makes the Chase if he stays in the top 20 in the standings.

You would have to add the top-20 addendum to make it fair. Otherwise, a driver could win the season-opening Daytona 500 and skip the rest of the regular season before the 10-race playoff begins.

NASCAR took a step in the right direction by seeding the Chase drivers based on race wins, but it isn't enough. And it wouldn't be needed if these ideas were added.

2. Allow adjustments to the new car

NASCAR has stubbornly refused to listen to the teams about things the new car needs to make it a better racing machine.

[+] EnlargeKyle Busch and Steve Addington
AP Photo/John RaouxWhat might Kyle Busch and crew chief Steve Addington cook up if they could really tweak their ride?

The car is virtually the same body across all makes. A generic design was implemented to try to keep the competition even. NASCAR wanted to eliminate team complaints about one model having an advantage over another.

The new car has fewer areas in which team adjustments are allowed. In other words: It is what it is; deal with it.

The idea was that racing would improve as the teams learned more about the car. But if you can't change it, how can it get significantly better?

The car still produces some snoozers on intermediate tracks, especially up front among the leaders. Minor changes are needed to increases downforce and make it easier to race side by side at some high-speed tracks.

3. Shorter races, shorter weekends

In the era of Twittering and other instantaneous messages, in which people can exchange information and change entertainment options in the blink of an eye, NASCAR greatly overestimates the attention span of the average American.

The majority of Cup events are just too darned long. Keep most races to three hours or less. Aside from the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, no race needs to go 500 miles.

Shorter races mean increased action on the track because teams feel more urgency to get to the front and stay there. And if NASCAR is serious about going green, using less fuel would send the right message.

NASCAR also should go to more two-day shows, Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday. Qualify and practice one day, race the next.

This would save teams money and lower the cost for fans who want to camp out and attend the entire weekend of activities.

4. Make qualifying meaningful

For the protected top 35 drivers each week, qualifying is a waste of time at most tracks. If it doesn't mean anything for the teams, why should it mean anything to the few fans who show up to see it?

The entire format needs changing, starting with the top-35 rule. Make your qualifying laps and take your chances. The 43 fastest cars start the race.

NASCAR is too concerned with protecting sponsors and drivers instead of trying to make qualifying interesting. Yes, you will be upset if your favorite driver fails to qualify.

[+] EnlargeKyle Busch
AP Photo/Terry RennaOne car driving in a circle with zero on the line other than bragging rights? Boring!

If we must have some protections, give drivers ranked in the top 30 two mulligans a season in case they hit the wall or blow a tire on a qualifying lap. This rarely happens, so that's plenty.

If Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Jeff Gordon uses up his two freebies and fails to qualify, too bad. But the added drama would put people in the seats to watch.

If NASCAR really wants to make it interesting, give the top three qualifiers championship points -- three for the pole, two for second and one for third.

But do something, because the way it is now isn't working.

5. Double-file restarts for lead-lap cars

After a caution, all cars on the lead lap should restart in front of the cars a lap down. The Sprint All-Star Race proved this adds excitement.

It isn't fair for a driver running 10th to restart the race behind 10 lapped cars on the inside line.

Stop allowing the lapped cars to restart up front on the inside. As long as NASCAR uses the Lucky Dog rule for a free pass back to the lead lap, lapped cars can restart in the back and still get back on the lead lap.

Allow the race leader to pick which line he wants and have the other lead-lap cars fall in place.

Cup director John Darby said last week that NASCAR is considering going to this plan.

6. Don't allow Cup drivers to compete for the Nationwide title

Tim Cindric, president of Penske Racing, has a reasonable suggestion.

"Any driver who competes in the Cup race that weekend cannot earn points in the Nationwide race," Cindric said. "I think that's a fair way to do it."

NASCAR isn't building stars for the future as well as it should because current Cup stars are dominating the Nationwide Series. The series has no true identity.

Allow only non-Cup regulars to race for the Nationwide title, which would build name recognition for up-and-comers and give them a fan following before they reach the Cup level.

Better yet, add a Chase format for the Nationwide guys to race for the title down the stretch.

If NASCAR implements a few of these ideas, there will be immediate improvement source>>>

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12

The win in NASCAR's longest race, which was postponed from Sunday because of rain, was the first for Michael Waltrip Racing -- now in its third season of Cup competition -- and the first for a Toyota team other than Joe Gibbs Racing. Reutimann led five laps, all under the final caution. He was running 14th when rain started falling on Lap 221.

He also became the sixth driver to win his first Cup race in NASCAR's longest event of the year, joining David Pearson (1961), Jeff Gordon (1994), Bobby Labonte (1995), Kenseth (2000) and Casey Mears (2007).

Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top 12, along with other notable drivers, going into the Autism Speaks 400 presented by Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips & Cheese at Dover International Speedway on May 31. (Note: Drivers listed below who are outside the top 12 are chosen based on past performances at the upcoming track and/or are within striking distance of the top 12.)

1 - Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
- Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 107.5
2009 Rundown
- One win, six top fives, eight top 10s
- Average finish of 10.1
- Led eight races for a total of 496 laps
Dover International Speedway Outlook:
- Four wins, 14 top fives, 20 top 10s; four poles
- Average finish of 11.9
- Finished seventh in September
- Led 19 of 32 races for 2,231 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
- Series-high 299 Fastest Laps Run

2 - Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet)
- Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 99.6
2009 Rundown
- Five top fives, eight top 10s
- Average finish of 10.2
- Led five races for 54 laps
Dover International Speedway Outlook:
- Two wins, nine top fives, 12 top 10s
- Average finish of 12.2
- Finished 11th in September
- Led 10 of 20 races for 1,061 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
- Average Running Position of 10.7, fifth-best

3 - Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
- Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 99.3
2009 Rundown
- One win, three top fives, six top 10s
- Average finish of 12.2
- Led seven races for 322 laps
Dover International Speedway Outlook:
- Two top fives, four top 10s
- Average finish of 21.4
- Finished 34th in September
- Led four of 17 races for 225 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
- Average Running Position of 10.0, third-best

4 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)
- Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.7
2009 Rundown
- One win, five top fives, seven top 10s
- Average finish of 13.7
- Led 10 races for 319 laps
Dover International Speedway Outlook:
- Three wins, five top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
- Average finish of 11.1
- Finished fifth in September
- Led nine of 14 races for 637 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
- Average Running Position of 10.0, second-best

5 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
- Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.0
2009 Rundown
- Two top fives, four top 10s
- Average finish of 12.4
- Led four races for 479 laps
Dover International Speedway Outlook:
- One top five, two top 10s
- Average finish of 23.8
- Finished 38th in September
- Led one of six races for 61 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
- Average Running Position of 10.3, fourth-most

6 - Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota)
- Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 107.1
2009 Rundown
- Three wins, four top fives, five top 10s
- Average finish of 15.8
- Led eight races for 789 laps
Dover International Speedway Outlook:
- One win, five top fives
- Average finish of 14.4
- Finished 43rd in September
- Led three of eight races for 270 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
- 236 Fastest Laps Run, third-most 7 - Ryan Newman (No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet)
- Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.5
2009 Rundown
- Four top fives, six top 10s
- Average finish of 14.0
- Led seven races for 137 laps
Dover International Speedway Outlook:
- Three wins, six top fives, eight top 10s; four poles
- Average finish of 10.5
- Finished 13th in September
- Led nine of 14 races for 813 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
- Has run 78.6% of the laps on the lead lap, 12th-best

8 - Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)
- Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.9
2009 Rundown
- Two top fives, five top 10s
- Average finish of 14.5
- Led two races for 67 laps
Dover International Speedway Outlook:
- One win, six top fives, 13 tops 10s
- Average finish of 16.3
- Finished ninth in September
- Led eight of 30 races for 127 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
- Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 66.4%, ninth-best

9 - Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
- Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 81.8
2009 Rundown
- Two wins, three top fives, five top 10s
- Average finish of 16.2
- Led five races for 171 laps
Dover International Speedway Outlook:
- One win, seven top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
- Average finish of 14.1
- Finished second in September
- Led seven of 20 races for 686 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
- 1,116 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most

10 - Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
- Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.5
2009 Rundown
- Three top fives, six top 10s
- Average finish of 16.0
- Led five races for 267 laps
Dover International Speedway Outlook:
- Two wins, five top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
- Average finish of 11.2
- Won September's Dover race
- Led seven of 13 races for 422 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
- 255 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

11 - Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
- Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.7
2009 Rundown
- Two top fives, five top 10s
- Average finish of 16.0
- Led five races for 42 laps
Dover International Speedway Outlook:
- One win, five top fives, six top 10s
- Average finish of 7.7
- Finished third in September
- Led six of nine races for 285 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
- Average Running Position of 13.3, seventh-best

12 - Mark Martin (No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet)
- Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 96.4
2009 Rundown
- Two wins, three top fives, six top 10s
- Average finish of 17.8
- Led five races for 215 laps
Dover International Speedway Outlook:
- Four wins, 21 top fives, 28 top 10s; four poles
- Average finish of 12.8
- Finished fourth in September
- Led 28 of 45 races for 1,719 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
- Has been passed 484 times, fewest in the series

13 - David Reutimann (No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota)
- Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.2
2009 Rundown
- One win, two top fives, three top 10s
- Average finish of 16.4
- Led four races for 47 laps
Dover International Speedway Outlook:
- Average finish of 20.7 in his three Dover races
- Finished 17th in September
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
- Average Running Position of 15.4, ninth-best

NASCAR holds town hall meeting with drivers

NASCAR chairman Brian France held two town hall meetings Tuesday with the sport's "stakeholders" to discuss everything from its toughened drug policy to the economy, competition and fan interest.

"I learned a long time ago if you get everybody involved, they can't complain," team owner Rick Hendrick said after exiting the morning session. "That's what happens in our sport, people don't feel like they get a voice."

So NASCAR gave everyone a chance to be heard, presiding over two open meetings at the research and development center located a few miles away from Lowe's Motor Speedway. Drivers, team owners and crew chiefs were assigned to one of two sessions, and the morning group of 53 participants needed a little over two hours to discuss the issues facing NASCAR.

The second group, which included three-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson, two-time series champion Tony Stewart and a large contingent from Roush Fenway Racing, met for two hours in the afternoon.

"Even though we've always had a pretty good open door policy and good approach, we just know we can do better," France said. "We can all gain more when we are sharing ideas and having an exchange on the issues that matter most to them. We had a lot of stakeholders here today, and they are central to the success of NASCAR."

France and NASCAR president Mike Helton opened the first session by encouraging candid discussion of any subject, spokesman Jim Hunter said. NASCAR had 10 top officials in attendance, including France's sister, Lesa, an executive vice president of NASCAR. The two have presided over NASCAR, a family run business started by their grandfather, since their father's death two years ago.

The late Bill France Jr. ran NASCAR for almost three decades as a benevolent dictatorship, where his word decided most issues. Brian France said times have changed, and there needs to be more input from the competitors.

"Things are more complicated, things are more complex," he said.

Hendrick lauded NASCAR for holding an open forum.

"I think today was a really great step, Brian, Lesa and all those folks answering questions and taking some criticism and explaining why some things are like they are and giving everybody a chance to speak up," Hendrick said. "I think if we can do more of these we can see that we all can work together to make this thing better. There's a lot of smart people in that garage area."

Drug testing was a main topic of the first session, which included Mark Martin and Ryan Newman, two drivers vocal with their concerns about the policy since Jeremy Mayfield's failed test. He received an indefinite suspension May 9 and, despite calls from drivers, NASCAR has not revealed the substance found in his sample.

The secrecy and lack of an official list of banned substances led many drivers to worry their careers could be put in jeopardy by a failed test for a simple prescription.

"If you're taking something as prescribed, I don't think you're going to lose your career," Martin said. "I feel much better now than I did before the meeting."

France was confident the issue had been adequately addressed in both issues.

"That was obviously something we covered very carefully. There were some questions still remaining and, hopefully, we cleared that up," France said.

The slumping economy has taken a toll on NASCAR, which this season is suffering through drops in both attendance and TV ratings. Smaller teams are struggling to find sponsorship opportunities, and there's been differing opinions on the competition since NASCAR switched last season to the full-time use of its "Car of Tomorrow."

Although NASCAR has been steadfast in its stance that no changes were forthcoming to the car, France said series leaders will take some of Tuesday's suggestions under consideration.

"Clearly, if there are some adjustments that we learned today that can be incorporated without changing the financial model for the team owners, we want to be open to that," France said. "We heard some ideas today that we're going to consider and weigh. And they heard some reasoning why our thinking was staying the course on the new car the way we have." source>>>

Rick Hendrick silent on future of Earnhardt's crew chief

After months of firmly backing Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief, car owner Rick Hendrick was noncommittal about Tony Eury Jr.'s future Tuesday.

Although Hendrick said no personnel changes have been made on Earnhardt's No. 88 Chevrolet, he declined to give Eury a vote of confidence a day after NASCAR's most popular driver was 40th in the Coca-Cola 600, his worst finish of the season.

Hendrick left open the possibility that Earnhardt could have a new crew chief this weekend in Dover, Del.

"Could it change?" Hendrick said following the sport's "town hall" meeting. "We're talking about things. We're meeting. We're going to make decisions as the days go by. But we haven't made any decision as of right now."

Earnhardt ran near the back of the pack Monday and was two laps down in the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600, his worst showing since last season's finale in Homestead, Fla.

Earnhardt wasn't involved in a wreck and didn't have mechanical problems at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His car handled poorly all afternoon.

When the race was over, Earnhardt was left with his third consecutive finish outside the top 25. He's also been 20th or worse five times in the last six Sprint Cup events.

"We just missed a setup," Hendrick said. "I can't explain why because basically we're the same, all four cars. They all fought a lot of the same problems early on. Probably as a group, we were off. We've been better at Charlotte than we were yesterday. I was disappointed; our teams were disappointed. We've got to go back and look at what we did.

"We just never could get (Earnhardt's) car adjusted back."

His teammates did.

Jimmie Johnson ran up front all day, but wound up 13th because of the final red-flag situation. Jeff Gordon finished 14th in what he called a "horrendous" car, and Mark Martin was three spots back after falling way behind because of a pit-road violation.

Earnhardt, who was testing on the road course at Virginia International Raceway on Tuesday and unavailable for comment, was way back all day. He's been in that position often in the last 11 months.

Earnhardt joined Hendrick before the 2007 season in what was arguably the biggest free-agent move in NASCAR history, and many believed getting the sport's most popular driver in the sport's best equipment would land Junior in Victory Lane early and often.

It hasn't happened.

He won once last season, at Michigan in June, but has been mostly mediocre in the 33 races since. He's finished outside the top 20 a telling 14 times during that stretch.

Some believe the problems have started to get in Earnhardt's head. Hendrick has said he was looking for new ways to get the team turned around. He said there had been several meetings and tons of information sharing with his other teams in hopes of finding some solutions.

But he's strongly backed Eury the whole way, insisting that Earnhardt's cousin and longtime crew chief is the right man for the job.

Until now.

Hendrick was asked specifically if Eury would be atop the pit box at Dover, but for the first time, did not give a firm confirmation.

"We're always concerned when we have a car that doesn't run well," Hendrick said. "We're always meeting and trying to figure what to do and how to make it better. That's just an ongoing situation. We've got to come up with a plan and we've got to work toward it." source>>>

Time is running out on John Daly

John Daly has seen this act before.

At two tournaments during his European Tour travels this month, Daly played the first two rounds with Alvaro Quiros, the big basher from Spain. Quiros hits driver whenever he can, sometimes when he shouldn't.

"We had a blast in Italy," Daly said. "When he got a hold of one, it was a good ways past me. On one hole, we both crushed it, and it was close. I think he was impressed the old man could get it up to him. I mean, I've only got him by what, 20 years?"

Quiros is 26, not that young. Daly is 43, and at times must feel much older.

For years, Daly was the epitome of the long ball. He introduced "Grip It and Rip It" when he won the U.S. PGA Championship at Crooked Stick as the ninth alternate. That was 18 years ago, and so much has transpired since.

Daly will return to the U.S. PGA Tour next month after a six-month suspension, the second time the tour has suspended him for unbecoming conduct. Two other times, he agreed to sit out to get his life in order. He has been to alcohol rehab twice and is going through his third divorce. He wrote an autobiography that was as much about drinking, sex and gambling as it was about his golf. He also managed to win another major -- at St. Andrews, no less -- and remains optimistic about his future.

For how much longer?

"As long as I can swing and breathe," Daly said.

But he is running out of time. At his age, he won't have many more opportunities. Daly has been around too long, and his act has worn thin with too many people.

Most players don't have a problem with Daly, beyond disappointment to see so little out of so much talent.

"I just walked through the range, and there's 50 people just standing behind, watching what he does," Paul Casey said last week from Wentworth. "I think it's great. It brings something to this golf course, brings something to every golf tournament he plays in."

One reason Daly continues to get exemptions is because few other players generate news.

The St. Jude Championship offered him a chance on June 11 in Memphis, Tennessee, near where Daly lives. He also said the Buick Open gave him an exemption at the end of July, and Daly is exempt at the British Open and U.S. PGA Championship as a past champion.

"The game is not just about talent, it's about confidence," he said. "And with my golf game, I've got to have confidence to play well. I don't think I wasted my talent. I just don't think I ever had the confidence to be consistent."

Even so, the time away from the U.S. tour might have sounded a few alarms.

When he first lost his tour card after the 2006 season, Daly had so many sponsor exemptions that he had to turn them down. Now, he goes through the list of tournaments wondering where he can get in.

"You get complacent when you think you've got all these years ahead of you," he said. "Now I know that I may not play the tour if something good doesn't happen. It's making me work harder."

The immediate appeal of Daly is that he was banned from the tour for six months. That makes him a novelty. He has lost 50 pounds (23 kilograms) through a lap-band surgery. He is wearing trousers from Loudmouth Golf that are, well, loud.

For someone with only five U.S. PGA Tour victories, Daly has managed to keep his name in the news for nearly two decades -- sometimes for his golf, usually for incidents outside the ropes. He says he is working hard and getting his life in order. Even those who want to believe him are not sure how long that will last.

For now, Daly must treat this next chance the way he did his first chance. Before he lets it rip, he needs to get a grip.

Because ultimately, only his golf can save him. source>>

Turkoglu the point man for Magic's success against Cavaliers

While Cleveland guard Mo Williams was guaranteeing a victory in Game 4 and in the Eastern Conference finals overall, the Magic were trying to create a similar sense of desperation. They've earned a 2-1 series lead while winning eight of the last 10 quarters, but a loss here Tuesday in Game 4 would undo all of those gains and restore home-court advantage to LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

The Magic understand they cannot afford the up-and-down level of play that marked their preceding series against Philadelphia and Boston.

"It is tough to get quite the same focus in approach coming off a win as there is coming off a loss,'' Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy conceded. "There's just something coming off a loss, when you feel you just have to win the next game. And that's something you've got to learn to overcome if you want to have any kind of prolonged success in the playoffs.

"What we try to do is get ourselves focused back on things we need to do a lot better. There's not a whole lot separating these two teams, so whether you win or lose, it shouldn't affect how much you focus and are able to make adjustments the next game. Because it's not like anybody has killed anybody and should feel like, Boy, we've got all the answers and we're playing tremendously.''

The pressure Orlando feels to continue building on its advantages can be recognized and measured in the play of small forward Hedo Turkoglu. Since a midseason shoulder injury to All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson robbed the Magic of their leader, the 6-foot-10 Turkoglu has taken on more responsibility at the point, especially in key sequences of the second halves.

The matchup problems created by Orlando have been the story of this series, and those mismatches multiply when Turkoglu is running the offense because it enables the Magic to replace the 6-2 Rafer Alston or 6-3 Anthony Johnson with 6-5 shooting guard Courtney Lee.

"Believe it or not, a lot of it is for defensive reasons,'' Van Gundy said of how he decides to put Turkoglu in charge. "Because then we're a little bit bigger on the floor with Courtney there, and it allows us to do some things defensively.

"But also it forces the ball into Hedo's hands -- we don't have to get it to him, nobody has to make a decision to get it to him, he's going to handle it. It makes sure the ball is in his hands, and if he's making good plays and decisions, that's usually when we're at our best.''

As the biggest basketball talent produced by his country, Turkoglu has been in some ways the Turkish LeBron, a scorer who also excels in creating plays for others. The European approach to developing players like Turkoglu is to school them in all aspects of the offensive game, and in this round the 30-year-old is averaging 16.3 points and a series-leading 8.3 assists.

In addition, Turkoglu has made a wholehearted effort to defend James. With one second remaining in Game 2, Turkoglu succeeded in taking away LeBron's first option by blocking his lane to the basket for a potential game-tying layup or dunk from an inbounds lob. James responded by bouncing off Turkoglu and setting him on his heels to create space at the three-point line for a catch-and-shoot game-winner that will keep Turkoglu in NBA highlights shows long after he has retired.

"I tried, man,'' Turkoglu said in his thick accent. "But good thing about the NBA, something always amazing happens.''

While James is putting together a terrific series statistically with 41.7 points and 7.3 assists, that isn't necessarily a winning formula for Cleveland. His teammates, led by Williams, are failing to exploit the opportunities and open shots that are created by sharing the ball with the league MVP, which explains why the top-seeded Cavs are in this predicament even as James is dominating individually.

The Magic, meanwhile, are sharing the ball despite Nelson's absence. One easy way to gauge this series is through the matchup of Turkoglu and James. As Van Gundy acknowledged earlier in the playoffs, Turkoglu can be "mediocre'' when he isn't playing aggressively. But that hasn't been a concern so far against Cleveland. Even though he shot 1-for-11 in Game 3, Turkoglu produced a near triple-double by going 11-of-12 from the free-throw line to get most of his 13 points in addition to leading the Magic with 10 rebounds and seven assists.

He is not lacking in confidence, either, in his matchup with LeBron.

"He tries to guard me and I take advantage of him, too, use him in as many pick-and-rolls as I can,'' Turkoglu said. "I just attack and just be aggressive.'' source>>>

Kobe, LeBron have performed as expected. But their help hasn't provided much

Kobe. LeBron. Kobe. LeBron.

They're such big stars that you don't even need to mention their last names. The game's two marquee players also have been the postseason's two most productive players, and Kobe Bryant and LeBron James own the top two regular-season player efficiency ratings among players remaining in the postseason.

And in the conference finals, they've stepped up their games to another level. Bryant is averaging 36.8 points and has taken 53 free throws in four games. James is netting 41.6 points and 7.3 assists while shooting 53.1 percent. At times, they have seemed to be waging a cross-country, mano a mano clash. When James hit a series-saving, game-winning 3 to steal Game 2 for the Cavaliers, Bryant responded the next night with a clutch 3 of his own to help the Lakers grab a crucial Game 3 win in Denver.

Because their teams own the league's two best regular-season records, and James and Bryant finished first and second, respectively, in this year's MVP voting, everyone even remotely connected to the television and advertising industries has been hoping and praying for an epic Kobe versus LeBron battle in the NBA Finals. The fact that conference finals TV ratings are through the roof is the latest sign of the drawing power of these two icons.

Daily Gems

Here are John Hollinger's top five NBA observations for Tuesday. Insider Insider

* New deal signal Yao to Cavs in 2010?
* Techs, flagrants becoming absurd
* Should Clips trade No. 1 pick?
* Is there a Hollinger Curse?
* Johnson on verge of suspension

It would be perfect, sure. But this is a team game. And despite their exploits, there might be room for only one "one-name star" in this year's Finals: Nene.

Cleveland finds itself trailing Orlando two games to one heading into Tuesday night's Game 4, while the Lakers are tied with Denver at two games apiece after Monday night's 120-101 rout at the hands of the Nuggets. Both teams have been outscored in the series, and neither has provided much encouragement to think that will change in the near future.

The fact that Kobe and LeBron have played so brilliantly while their teams have struggled so much underscores the main story of conference finals: the failure of either player's supporting cast to deliver.

Denver and Orlando don't have the star power of the Cavs and Lakers, but they are much more complete teams. Each has set up its defensive strategy to let Kobe and LeBron get theirs but take away most of the easy looks they provide for teammates. With both the Nuggets and Magic able to guard them somewhat competently with a single defender, we aren't seeing the type of scrambling double-teams that lead to wide-open looks for secondary players.

This is a familiar story to fans of both teams who saw the Boston Celtics employ a similar strategy during last season's playoffs. LeBron blew up for 112 points in the final three games of last year's conference semifinals against Boston, but his teammates produced only 143 as the Cavs dropped two of the final three games. Bryant's club had similar struggles against the Celtics, as his 25.7 points weren't enough to get the Lakers over the century mark in five of the six Finals games.

If Kobe and LeBron don't make it to the Finals, the blame won't be on them. It'll be on the other guys, in particular, one big guy and one guard for each side who haven't delivered.

L.A. came into the conference finals expecting to dominate thanks to size advantages held by Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Although Gasol has held up his end of the bargain -- he posted his seventh straight double-double Monday -- Bynum once again has proven to be a head-scratcher. Even in a somewhat encouraging offensive performance Monday, with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, his defense and energy were spotty enough to earn him a hook just 3 minutes, 26 seconds into the third quarter.

For the series, Bynum is averaging only 9 points and 4.3 rebounds despite starting every game, and he has picked up 14 fouls in 78 minutes. His lack of production is starting to impact Gasol, too. With Bynum ineffective, Lamar Odom hurting and no other Lakers big man earning Phil Jackson's confidence, Gasol has been forced to take on a huge burden. Before Game 4, he had played at least 40 minutes in five straight playoff games and had played at least 42 minutes in four of them. Go ahead, try to find another big man you can say that about.

Without any break for the Lakers between the conference semifinals and this series, the cumulative impact of those minutes is starting to show. Gasol seemed noticeably less zippy Monday, with the signature play being a tired shove of a cutting Chris Andersen after Denver's high-flying center beat L.A. to yet another offensive rebound. The push earned him his fourth foul late in the third quarter, and it was all downhill from there for the Lakers.

A productive Bynum would change that whole equation. He not only would let Gasol rest but also could wear down the Nuggets with his impressive size and reverse the fatigue equation that so greatly favors Denver. But he can't accomplish that if he's on the bench with two fouls faster than you can say "untradable base-year compensation player." So confident is Denver in its ability to match up with L.A.'s frontcourt that it is even trotting out small lineups with Linas Kleiza at the 4, something that seemed unthinkable when this series began.

For Cleveland, the man under the microscope is Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the 7-foot-3 center who inexplicably has spent much of the series launching 3s from the right corner. In fact, he has as many 3-point attempts (six) as free-throw attempts in this series despite missing all of his triples. Orlando often guards him with 6-10 Rashard Lewis and forces Cleveland to cross-match at the other end, creating mayhem in transition for the Cavs' defense and repeated early open looks for Orlando.

Ilgauskas has to punish Orlando's bold defensive strategy by posting up and scoring. Lewis is 5 inches shorter and not exactly renowned for his leaping ability. If the Cavs don't think he can score that way, he needs to come off the court so they can play small. But what's happening is that their third-best offensive player is spending the entire series doing something he has never done successfully. Although he has made a few more 3s this season than in the past, the fact that he has 20 for his entire 11-year career indicates this shouldn't be his go-to move.

In the backcourt, it's a similar tale. Mo Williams against Rafer Alston loomed as a huge edge for Cleveland entering the series, but that advantage has yet to materialize through four games. Williams guaranteed a Cleveland victory in Game 4, but the Cavs probably would have been happier if he had guaranteed he'll shoot 40 percent -- something he hasn't done in any of the first three games of the series.

Orlando's defense has taken away the clean looks that he and the other Cleveland role players have had for much of the season thanks to James' dominance, but in the case of Williams, there was supposed to be one key difference: his ability to create his own shot rather than having LeBron create for him. That ability has been weirdly absent in this series. Williams is averaging 17 points but shooting only 32.1 percent from the field and hasn't exactly stuffed the stat sheet. With Alston and Anthony Johnson combining for 14.3 points a game and supplying sturdier game management, the shocking result is that the Cavs are getting outplayed at the point despite a 1-0 advantage in healthy All-Stars at the position.

Of course, Williams looks like Magic Johnson compared to the production the Lakers are getting from the tandem of Derek Fisher, Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar. (The joke du jour is that when Denver fans were told to thank a veteran for Memorial Day, they immediately started thanking Fisher.) This now qualifies as dead-horse territory, but with every day, it gets more amazing. Since decking Luis Scola in Game 2 of the Houston series, Fisher has scored 35 points in eight games (4.4 per). He's 15-of-57 (26.3 percent), has averaged less than two assists from the point guard spot and has made two free throws. Two.

That Brown and Farmar haven't been able to unseat Fisher underscores how poorly they've played. Brown has cooled after a strong start to the postseason, shooting 6-of-19 from the field and struggling in his minutes against Chauncey Billups. Farmar has been the most active of the three offensively, but that's about as backhanded as a compliment can get. Plus, he continues to struggle mightily on D, and the Lakers don't dare put him anywhere near Billups because of the size mismatch.

So for these next two games, try to move your thinking to four other names. No, these conference finals aren't about Kobe and LeBron. In the West, they're about Fisher and Bynum, and in the East, they're about Williams and Ilgauskas. Kobe and LeBron won't reach the Finals without them, and so far, they haven't delivered. source>>>

Basketball Betting Cavaliers at Magic Game 4 - Magic Lead 2-1 in Series

The Cleveland Cavaliers are getting pushed around by the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA's best team during the regular season suddenly looks very beatable.

The Orlando Magic will try and take a 3-1 lead in the series as they host the Cavaliers in Game 4 on Tuesday night at 8:35pm EST on TNT.

The Cavaliers should be really concerned because they could easily be down 3-0 in this series if not for LeBron James' last second shot in Game 2 to cover the spread as -1.5 point underdogs in basketball betting odds.

James had 41 points in Game 3 but didn't shoot the ball well and his teammates were even worse.

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Orlando didn't shoot the ball well either but they did enough to win. And they also are winning the physical battle against Cleveland in a series dominated by fouls.

Basketball betting at SBG Global has the Cavaliers -1.5 point favorites on the road in NBA odds for Game 4 against the Magic with a betting total of 188.

"We just need to man up," James said. "Orlando is a very, very good team." The Magic made 19 of 23 free throws in the fourth quarter to hand Cleveland another loss in this series." We just kept fighting. That's what we got to do, we fight to the end," Orlando's Dwight Howard said.

"We can't worry about nothing, we can't worry about the calls, can't worry about nobody else. We just got to get out there and play."

The Cavaliers can't win this series now without winning a game in Orlando where they have lost six of their last seven.

"They create so many match-up problems for us," Cleveland's Mo Williams said. "I know it. They know it. Everybody knows it."

If you want to bet the Cavaliers as -1.5 point favorites in basketball betting odds for Game 4 against the Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals with up to a 60% deposit bonus, then visit SBG Global. source>>>

1-handed basketball star signs with Manhattan

- A basketball player missing his left hand has received a scholarship to play for Division I Manhattan College next season.

Kevin Laue is a 6-foot-10 center whose left arm ends just past the elbow. A California native, he played a postgraduate season for Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia this year hoping to impress college coaches. Laue averaged about 10 points and five rebounds competing against many Division I prospects.

Laue says he was wondering whether he would realize his dream of playing Division I basketball before Manhattan contacted him just over a week ago. He signed with the team Wednesday.

Fork Union coach Fletcher Arritt says Laue's shot-blocking skills and ability to run the floor will make him an effective college player. source>>>

Europe replacing college as basketball proving ground

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Europe replacing college as basketball proving ground

By Steve Walentik

Posted May 26, 2009 at 11:08 a.m.
AP photo
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First there was Brandon Jennings, the Arizona signee who was still struggling to achieve a qualifying test score last summer when he decided college wasn't for him and signed a professional deal to develop his point guard skills with Lottomatica Roma in the top Italian league.

Then came Jeremy Tyler, the 6-foot-11 San Diego high school phenom, who last month announced he was foregoing his senior season -- and backing out of his commitment to Louisville -- to sign a professional deal overseas. He's still shopping for a professional team that will get him ready for the NBA Draft as early as 2011.

Over the weekend, Florida's Nick Calathes, a 6-5 point guard, joined the growing list of top American players choosing to travel overseas on their way to the NBA instead of taking the more worn path that leads from college basketball to the world's top professional league.

Calathes' case is different than Jennings' and Tyler's in that he had already played two seasons for the Gators when he declared for the NBA Draft last month. He averaged 17.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists as a sophomore for a team that finished a disappointing 25-11 after losing to Penn State in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament. Regarded as a borderline first-round pick, he still had the option of returning to Gainesville, Fla., for his junior season to continue his development and try to lead the Gators back to the NCAA Tournament after a two-year hiatus. Instead, he's going to Greece after reportedly agreeing to terms on a contract to play for the Panathinaikos, the reigning Euroleague champion.

That Calathes would select Greece over other European leagues is easy to figure out. Though he was raised in Florida, he is of Greek heritage with dual citizenship and a Greek passport. He spent last summer playing for the Greek FIBA 20-and-under national team, and his older brother Pat, who starred at St. Joseph's, spent last season with Maroussi in the Greek Euroleague. That background should ease his transition and immediately make him a popular figure when he lands in Athens.

Seemingly harder to reason is why Calathes decided to sign overseas before he learned where he'd be drafted and despite the option of spending another year in college. But DraftExpress.com's Jonathan Givony explains why it shouldn't be:

The reasoning is pretty simple. It comes down to money.

Calathes' 3-year, 2.1 million Euro contract gives him an incredible amount of financial security, while still providing the opportunity to continue to get better on the most competitive team in the world outside the NBA. In addition, his very comfortable buyout situation means that he can return to the States as early as next year if he pleases.

Much of the criticism Calathes is receiving stems from the fact that he is considered by many to be a potential late-first round NBA draft pick. If there is anything we've learned from covering the draft over the past six years, it's that it is virtually impossible to project who will ultimately get drafted in the late first round and who will slip to the second. Calathes could very well have gone in the 30's and ended up with a non-guaranteed contract, only to get cut in training, as many second rounders often are.

If anything, Calathes may have improved his draft stock with this move. There are a number of teams in the late first round -- such as New Orleans, Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Chicago who either have multiple picks or may not be interested in adding another guaranteed contract/roster spot to their team at this point. The fact that Calathes will play for one of the most decorated coaches in the world in Zeljko Obradovic on someone else's coin and come back a much better player in one year has to look attractive. With Sarunas Jasikevicius reportedly on the way out of Panathinaikos, a decent amount of playing time will be opened up for him.

I think Calathes' move makes a lot more sense than Jennings' or, even more so, Tyler's. He's had the college experience, and the fact is, he can get better training in Europe while putting some money into his bank account. Besides, Greece seems to suit him. I've read several stories over the past year in which Jennings has complained about the difficulties being in Europe, even if his time there doesn't seem to have hurt his draft stock. I also wonder if Tyler, or any 17-year-old, is ready for the adjustment off the court and how happy he'll be giving up the experience of being a high school senior.

I'm certainly interested to see how both Tyler and Calathes do over sees and if more players will follow them in the years to come. source>>>

Jim Balsillie submits formal bid to NHL's board of governors

Jim Balsillie has formally asked other NHL owners to let him into the club.

The Canadian billionaire filed an application with the league's board of governors seeking a transfer of the Phoenix Coyotes ownership interest, one of his representatives confirmed Monday.

During a bankruptcy hearing last week, Judge Redfield T. Baum questioned why Balsillie was pursuing an antitrust suit against the NHL if his bid to buy the team hadn't officially been turned down. He's expected to file an application to move the team early next week.

If the board of governors vote down his $212.5-million bid or withhold a decision on it, court proceedings will continue with a scheduled June 22 hearing in Phoenix, where Baum is to hear arguments about whether the franchise can be relocated as part of a sale.

In the meantime, the parties will be back in court Wednesday to provide an update on mediation between Coyotes majority owner Jerry Moyes and the NHL over who currently controls the team.

There is still some work to be done on that front.

"There has been no mediation," deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in an email. "The parties have exchanged ideas. Nothing has been finalized to this point."

During last week's hearing, lawyers for the NHL said the league would be comfortable paying the Coyotes bills until a new buyer for the team is found.

Unless the board of governors takes the unlikely step of approving Balsillie's bid, the court will likely end up overseeing an auction for the team over the summer. source>>>

NHL fines Blackhawks coach 10,000 dollars

The National Hockey League fined Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville 10,000 dollars Monday for slamming the officiating in Chicago's loss to Detroit in game four of the Western Conference finals.

Quenneville was angry at a roughing call against defenseman Matt Walker as the first period ended Sunday.

The Red Wings scored on the ensuing power play 1:13 into the second period extending their lead to 3-0, and went on to win 6-1 and take a three-games-to-one lead in the best-of-seven series.

"I think we witnessed probably the worst call in the history of sports there," Quenneville said.

The Blackhawks will try to stave off elimination on Wednesday in game five in Detroit. The winner of the series advances to the Stanley Cup finals.

A statement issued by the league said Quenneville "has been fined 10,000 dollars for public comments critical of League officiating made following yesterday's game against Detroit." source>>>

NHL Sues Bleacher Report

Shortly after the announcement that Chicago Blackhawks' coach, Joel Quenneville, would be fined $10,000 for criticizing the officiating in Game Four of the Western Conference Finals, the NHL sued Bleacher Report.

The legal brief states that the writers of Bleacher Report "did irreparable harm to the reputation of the NHL, its officials and its commissioner... especially its commissioner."

The suit continued, "Gary Bettman has saved hockey for the enjoyment of many future generations of hockey fans in the United States of America. The NHL resents any and all accusations by writers of Bleacher Report that its officials are blind, are favoring one team over another, using the jumbotron to make calls, or that they suck."

The NHL is suing for an undisclosed amount of money as well as a typed, single-spaced letter of apology from every Bleacher Report writer to Gary Bettman, the NHL, each official of Game Four, and every official who has worked a game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year.

Reports indicate that the NHL is also seeking a blanket restraining order against Bleacher Report writers in order to keep them from making claims of conspiracy theories and speculating on the future location of the Phoenix Coyotes.

Legal pundits have dismissed the suit as frivolous and is sure to be dismantled by anyone who has read the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

A poll of many hockey fans indicates that they hope the disciplinary action against Quenneville will result in the NHL Officials Association taking responsibility for the improvement of their members' abilities on the ice.

The next week will be a litmus test to see if coaches, general managers, hockey broadcasters and sports writers will do anything or say anything about this latest ridiculousness from the NHL.
source>>>

Horse industry: Don't say 'neigh' to gambling

Horse owners are out of the gate with an advertising campaign intended to persuade Kentuckians, especially Kentucky lawmakers, to allow the state's racetracks to offer casino-style gambling.

The advocacy group Kentucky Equine Education Project contends in glossy brochures mailed to some 250,000 households last week that the state's signature industry is in danger. And in a radio ad that aired last week across most of the state, including the Louisville and Lexington metro markets, the group says Kentucky is at risk of seeing some racetracks close.

"Expanded gaming at tracks in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Florida and Indiana have given those states a competitive edge, luring away our owners, trainers and horses," a narrator warned in ominous tones. "Kentucky tracks are being forced to cut race days and some are on the verge of closing forever. Politicians in Frankfort have stood by for years as other states have put our signature industry in a competitive disadvantage. It's time for the legislature to level the playing field."

Patrick Neely, executive director of the advocacy group, said a new radio ad will begin airing next week. He declined to say how much money is going into the advertising campaign.

Opponents don't seem worried. Martin Cothran, spokesman for the anti-gambling group Say No to Casinos, joked that Neely and his organization would be better advised to put the money into purses at Churchill Downs if the financial outlook is as bleak as they contend. Say No to Casinos has staunchly opposed any expansion of gambling in Kentucky, fearing it would foster social ills, including increased crime and addiction.

Churchill executives, along with officials from several other racetracks, gathered in Louisville last week to plead their case for the proposed video gambling terminals. It has become a familiar refrain after two years of intense lobbying.

Gov. Steve Beshear, who centered a successful 2007 election campaign around a proposal to open the state to casino-style gambling, said last week the stakes for the state's $4 billion horse industry are too high not to take action. The industry, he pointed out, employs about 100,000 Kentuckians.

So far lawmakers have been unwilling to approve various versions of the plan to open the state to casino-style gambling.

A proposal to allow video gambling at seven race tracks died in the last legislative session without being brought up for a vote on the House floor. A broader plan to open up to 12 freestanding casinos died the year before.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo, who sponsored the video gambling terminal proposal earlier this year, said at the time that it lacked enough support to pass either the House or Senate. But it could be resurrected in a future legislative session, even a possible special session this summer if Beshear chooses to call lawmakers in.

Proponents say the measure would not only help the horse industry but also state government, because taxes on gambling proceeds could generate up to $300 million a year to pay for needed services at a time of huge budget cuts. The state faces a possible $1 billion revenue shortfall.

Beshear sees the move as vital for the horse industry, saying he doesn't want Kentucky "to be known as the former horse capital of the world."

Last week, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved Churchill's request to trim seven racing days from the spring meet -- a move that has symbolized the economic woes aren't reserved for just the small tracks.

Kentucky horse racing executives argue that racetracks in neighboring states have been able to boost purse sizes by supplementing them with proceeds from casinos and slot machines, which helps attract more and better horses. They contend that Churchill is losing business, while other Kentucky tracks, such as Ellis Park and Turfway, are struggling to survive.

While Kentucky-bred horses continue to dominate, winning 69 percent of all graded stakes races in the United States so far this year, many are now racing in states that offer purses fattened by revenue from casino gambling.

Cothran said, given the nation's strained economy, lawmakers need to be finding ways to help people struggling to survive financially.

"We have Kentuckians who are losing their jobs, who are being put on furlough by their employers, and who can't pay their mortgages," Cothran said. "The solution to that is not fattening the bank account of Churchill Downs. This is a millionaires' bailout."

Neely strongly disagrees.

"We're not asking for a subsidy," he said. "We're not asking for a bailout. We're not asking for tax incentives. All we're asking for is to be allowed to compete on a level playing field with our out-of-state competitors," he said.

Cothran said the proposal lacks support among lawmakers. And, even if they did pass a measure allowing video gambling terminals at racetracks, he said the matter would immediately be taken to court on a constitutional challenge. Although Kentucky has a long tradition of wagering at horse tracks, the constitution specifically forbids casinos.

Proponents argue that the casino-style gambling offered in the video terminals would be allowed under the same constitutional amendment that allowed Kentucky to begin a state lottery.

Neely and the horse group have sent two mailers so far this year. The first, which went out before the Kentucky Derby, reminds people that the horse industry provides jobs to a wide array of people, from farmers to truck drivers, accountants to veterinarians, tack suppliers to grooms.

"These people feed their family and support Kentucky's economy based on the success of the horse industry YEAR ROUND -- not just one day a year," the mailer said. "So while Kentucky Derby Day is rightfully celebrated as a day when the world focuses its attention on our home state, there are 364 other days in the year when people across Kentucky depend on the success of the horse industry."

The brochure sent out last week has a cover photo of a horse being loaded into a trailer. The headline accompanying it was an attention-getter: "The Horse Industry is Leaving Kentucky," it says. "The question: How will Kentucky Respond?"

Neely said it's important that Kentuckians know what the stakes are.

"We just felt that right now it is imperative for us to communicate as broadly and succinctly as possible what our industry is facing," he said. source>>>

Gambling OK with NASCAR; Drivers can't bet on races, but other forms of gaming allowed

- Many race fans are curious as to how betting on the NASCAR races at Dover International Speedway will play out if that scenario is eventually allowed by the state.
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However, NASCAR strictly prohibits officials, drivers and team members from placing a bet on a race in which they are participating.

"NASCAR competitors or officials are not to gamble on NASCAR events," said Ramsey Poston, managing director of corporate communications for NASCAR. "They can, however, enjoy legal gaming if they want.

"If fact, many drivers host poker tournaments for charity. Many of our fans have fun gambling at or near many of our races, including Las Vegas, Kansas City, Phoenix, Chicago and, of course, Dover."

Some fans are skeptical about how betting on NASCAR would work at Dover.

"I would have to see how it is run," said David Krauss, of Magnolia. "The odds would have to be pretty nicely set up since there are so many cars."

Krauss agreed that anyone involved with NASCAR should not be allowed to place wagers on the races.

"Just for the same reasons baseball and football players cannot," he said. "There's too many opportunities to throw a race or a position or two.

"Too many teammates could cause issues, including the most ridiculous lucky-dog rule. People could allow other drivers that spot and affect the wagering and outcomes."

Ed Sutor, executive vice president and COO of Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment, is looking forward to increased activity at his casino, particularly on NASCAR weekends.

"The state is pushing to get sports betting in operation before the football season," Sutor said. "There are several types of motorsports betting that are possible, including 'horse-racing style.' Fans could also bet on teams, makes of cars winning, etc. ..."

Tom Campbell, of Dover, said he would be interested in placing bets on the NASCAR races at Dover. Campbell has placed wagers in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, usually at the blackjack tables, and is excited about the expansion of the gaming industry in Delaware. A lifelong Eagles fan, he cannot wait for the introduction of sports betting in the state.

"I think being able to bet on the NASCAR races at Dover would be a win-win for everybody," Campbell said. "If you have some knowledge of the sport, you can make an educated wager that might pay off.

"It's not like just going up to a random slot machine and sticking a dollar into it, pulling the lever, and then going home mad because your dollar, or more realistically -- dollars -- are gone in an instant." source>>>

Is Danica Patrick coming to NASCAR?

First and foremost I would like to take some time to congratulate Helio Castroneves on his third Indy 500 win. A month ago Helio was looking at an extensive jail sentence and today he is a three time Indy winner. Without a doubt the biggest feel good story of motor sports so far this year.

Danica had a fine showing in the Indy 500 finishing 3rd. She has a shot, however big, to win the biggest American open wheel race. There is no doubt that she is a talented race car driver, and a marketing force. In a large respect she is the Dale Jr. of the IRL.

However I don't buy for a minute that she is going to jump ships to NASCAR. First and foremost is we have all witnessed this song and dance before. Danica uses the threat of jumping to Stock Cars to leverage herself into a contract with a premier IRL team. That is fine, that is what good business people do, but after awhile it gets a little redundant. Kind of like the Brett Farve saga sports fans have suffered through over the past few off seasons.

There are two big reasons why I think Danica will not make this move. The first is the lack of success the open wheel drivers have had in stock cars in recent years. NASCAR chewed up Dario Franchitti, broke his leg, and then spit him back to the open wheel ranks. Sam Hornish has struggled greatly until his team turned the corner this year, Juan Montoya won a couple of road course races but an oval win remains illusive, and Patrick Carpentier barely even got out of the NASCAR garage.

The only way a jump to NASCAR would work for Danica is if she could swallow her pride leave the premier open wheel series for a full time ride in the NASCAR Truck or Nationwide series. Of course she would be driving for an elite team, in elite equipment but not in an elite series.

That may be more than she is willing to swallow. Let us not forget racing in the Trucks or the Nationwide Series would also significantly affect her income level. Since these series offer less purse money than the IRL of NASCAR Sprint Cup series Danica would have to make less money for a season or so. source>>>

Five things we learned from the Coca-Cola 600

1. Reutimann was the best decision Michael Waltrip Racing ever made. Two and a half years ago, MWR left its Daytona debut under the black cloud of a cheating scandal. After jet fuel was found in Michael Waltrip's engine, most critics wondered if the team would even survive the season, much less win at the Cup level. And after failing to qualify 40 times in 108 attempts, it looked like they were about to be proven right.

But through the depths of despair came one shining light -- the then-rookie performance of David Reutimann. With the organization in shambles around him, Reutimann hung in there to score two top-15 finishes and earn rave reviews from garage observers. It was a small but solid foundation for MWR to build on, one that was turned into four top-10 finishes and a strong ending to Reutimann's sophomore season. Still, at the end of 2008 Waltrip had to make a difficult decision to keep his top driver or let him leave as a free agent. With sponsorship for just 18 races, he had to beg the chairman of Aaron's to back the No. 00 car for all 36 after major sponsor UPS chose to bolt for a younger, hipper talent in David Ragan.

Turns out it's Aaron's who's now getting the most for its money. Reutimann's gritty determination Monday kept him in contention on a day when a mental mistake could have left him 40th or worse at Charlotte. After slamming the outside wall on his own, he fought hard to stay inside the top 15, even inciting an argument with Tony Stewart over his aggressive driving style that involved a crew member labeled "Billy Bad Butt" by TV. But as it turns out, that hard-charging mentality gave the No. 00 the track position it needed when the rains came for seemingly the hundredth time. Crew chief Rodney Childers made the fateful decision to keep the No. 00 off pit road, putting Reutimann in the lead just before the red flag came out. When NASCAR called the race hours later, Reutimann became just the sixth driver to win his first career race at the track ... and perhaps its most unlikely victor.

Now 13th in points, Reutimann is the clear leader on a team that also includes first-year Australian sensation Marcos Ambrose. And with Martin Truex Jr. rumored to join the team in 2010 as a free agent, the future couldn't be brighter for an organization once lucky to have survived.

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. needs a change. This week, I had a reliable source tell me Tony Eury Jr. won't be the crew chief of the No. 88 as of Dover this weekend. Whether that actually happens or not remains to be seen, but the two weeks in Charlotte made it obvious both driver and team need a change. While four Hendrick-supported cars qualified in the top five, Earnhardt started 27th and was a moving roadblock right from the drop of the green. With his car so loose he could barely drive it, Junior slumped to 37th by the first rainstorm on Lap 73 and never rose higher than the top 30 the rest of the day. Finishing two laps down in 40th, the No. 88 and its unlimited resources wound up a lap behind underdogs like Joe Nemechek and Scott Riggs -- drivers who have been driving with so little backing they often park early to cut costs.

Finishes like these are clearly unacceptable for NASCAR's Most Popular Driver. It's no secret the Car of Tomorrow and its tendency to make a race car loose hasn't really fit Junior's driving style. But it's also the job of the crew chief to come up with a setup that helps out. For almost a year, Eury has had the dubious honor of making the No. 88 car worse than when it started the race. And for all the times Junior has made mental errors -- his crew held up two pit signs Sunday because he's been missing his stall so often -- it's Eury's mistakes of adjusting in the wrong direction that will ultimately cost him the job.

3. Team Red Bull needs to come together on pit road. Back in December, I had a chance to talk with Red Bull GM Jay Frye about what they needed to improve on in 2009. Without hesitation, he said his team needed to cut back on pit road mistakes; without them, he felt Brian Vickers could have won two or three races in the No. 83. Perhaps the biggest blunder that stuck in his craw was the Coca-Cola 600 last year, where loose lugnuts sent Vickers from the lead to a loose wheel, a vicious crash, and a last-place finish.

One year later, it was clear Vickers had the fastest car at Lowe's once again -- and again, he got snakebit on pit road. During the first three caution-flag pit stops, the team lost a total of 20 spots to consistently leave them stuck back in traffic. That meant that even though Vickers was the fastest car on the track, by the time he'd get in clean air the car was so far behind the leaders he wouldn't have a chance to catch up. A quick pit stop under the race's final caution bumped Vickers up to fifth at the finish, but the team knows they could have just as easily wound up in Victory Lane.

4. Richard Childress Racing ... we have a problem. In a year that's seen its Chevy rivals Hendrick Motorsports dominate the circuit, things at RCR are on the verge of falling apart. Twelve races into the '09 season, just one of RCR's four cars are in the Chase (Jeff Burton) while they've combined to lead just 94 laps. To put that in perspective, over a dozen drivers have led that many by themselves. Things hit bottom during an awful day at Charlotte, where the team scored finishes of 25th, 33rd, 36th, and 41st. Intermediate tracks have always been the Achilles' Heel for RCR, but this one was especially bad considering Burton won at Lowe's back in the fall.

It seems that expansion is part of the problem here, with Childress' new fourth team straining resources during a down economy. But that doesn't fully explain a winless streak for Kevin Harvick that stretches all the way back to the 2007 Daytona 500, or a miserable debut by new driver Casey Mears that's led to just one top-10 finish. The team has already swapped crews for the No. 29 and No. 07 cars to try and get them going -- but that's not the only fix needed in order to turn things around.

5. NASCAR can stop a race to honor the military... but not call one due to the weather. NASCAR's decision to stop the race at 3:00 for a moment of silence for our veterans was an unprecedented, classy move to honor the president's wish on Memorial Day. With strong ties to the military -- the Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard have all sponsored cars at one time or another -- it's no surprise the sport showed its support while racing for the first time in years on this holiday. But while it's hard to be critical of that move, the same can't be said for NASCAR's indecision regarding the weather. Within 30 minutes of the race's third red flag on Lap 227, everyone knew the radar left restarting the event all but impossible. For the next few hours, fans started leaving in droves while drivers changed into their street clothes -- knowing the answer everyone knew except apparently NASCAR itself. By the time the race was called at nearly 6:30 EDT, there was literally no one left to cheer Reutimann's first Cup victory, either in the stands or on TV -- and NASCAR was left embarrassed by waiting about two hours too long to make that call. source>>>

What if there wasn't an Earnhardt in NASCAR?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished a dismal 40th in the rain shortened Coca-Cola 600 on Monday.

It was another miserable finish in an entire season of misery for NASCAR most popular driver to this point.

After starting 27th, Earnhardt quickly faded while battling a nearly out of control racecar soon falling one then two laps down. He's 19th in driver points and will need a miracle to make the season ending Chase for the championship.

His fans, his fellow competitors and his critics have pointed out the many reasons they feel the No. 88 team has ridden in the gutter the entire season. From being given sub-par pickings of equipment at Hendrick Motorsports, to the lack of chemistry between himself and his crew chief cousin Tony Eury Jr., to even having the lack of a girlfriend, the reasons given by those who adore him and his detractors are many.

As many reasons that people give for his performance, there are just as many who give solutions to Earnhardt's woes. A new crew chief, a move to a different team, less on his already full plate are just some the solutions thrown on the table.

But what if the 34 year old decided to just quit? What if, perhaps borne out of frustration, Dale Earnhardt Jr., simply said 'I don't want to do this anymore.'

It's happened. In August 1973 during the middle of a Cup race at Talladega, Bobby Isaac, who had won the Cup cDale Earnhardt Jr., left, stands by his car during a rain delay in the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Monday, May 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) hampionship in 1970 and had 37 career wins, pulled into pit road got out of the car and just walked away.

Isaac said a voice in his head told him to stop and get out of the car and he obeyed. Isaac did attempt a few races starting the following year, but for all purposes, Isaac decided on that August day at Talladega that it was time to quit.

What if Earnhardt Jr. decided his time had come? That he just wanted to sit on top of a pit box, watch cars he owned race, and mentor younger drivers. Or owing to the fact that he has more money then some third world countries, he could decide to buy one of the Bahamian Islands, open a tiki bar and live happily ever after.

It would mark the first time since 1980 that the name Earnhardt would be absent from a Sprint Cup event. But it certainly would not be the end of the world as we know it.

No matter what happens, the Earnhardt name will always be legendary in NASCAR. Dale Earnhardt Sr. gave millions of fans reasons to cheer and engraved his name in the record books by winning seven championships. While his son Earnhardt Jr. may never come close to equaling his fathers success, like it or not, millions of fans who worshipped his father switched their allegiance after Earnhardt Sr.'s untimely death at Daytona in 2001.

Television ratings for this season have been down. And there are some who attribute this to the 'Dale Jr.' factor. Their theory is that the reason ratings are down is because Earnhardt Jr. is down. That theory may be a little hard to imagine or prove, but if Earnhardt Jr. did decide to leave, millions of fans would eventually find another driver to owe allegiance to.

During Richard Petty's glory days he had so many fans that if he dropped out of race it seemed that half the grandstands would empty. When he finally retired, there was some thought that NASCAR's fan base might actually shrink.

But it didn't get smaller. New fans came along and those that cheered for Petty found someone else to follow. The same would happen if Earnhardt decided to leave. Because just like when Petty raced, a 43-car field would still compete each week, a winner would be declared and a champion would be crowned at season's end.

So if Earnhardt Jr. decided to give it all up it's unlikely it would have a huge impact on NASCAR. Besides it won't be too long before Earnhardt Sr.'s grandson Jeffery moves into the Sprint Cup series so the Earnhardt name wouldn't be absent for long.

Of course the chance that Earnhardt Jr., will quit is about the same as the chance someone will get hit by lightning, in the middle of the desert, in the dry season.

If he can't find the reasons his performance has been so poor this year though, Earnhardt Jr. may just find himself wishing he could hear a little voice tell him its time to get out of the car. source>>>

Dallas Cowboys used ex-convict's input on reinforcing practice facility that collapsed May 2.

Consultant Galland incorrectly said he has a physics degree from Eastern Washington: The Dallas Cowboys used advice from a man who served federal prison time for drug trafficking to make major structural reinforcements last year to the practice facility in Irving, Texas, that collapsed May 2.

An investigation by The Dallas Morning News showed the consultant, Jeffrey Lawrence Galland, 42, falsified educational credentials by claiming he has a bachelor's degree in physics from Eastern Washington. School officials said Galland pursued a degree, but did not graduate.

Galland said Saturday he completed all required credits for the degree but did not receive it after Eastern Washington officials wanted him to take a class that "I felt was unnecessary."

A written summary of Galland's credentials said he has been working toward a master's degree in structural engineering at UNLV. Records show no sign he attended, UNLV officials said.

Galland was engineering director of Las Vegas company JCI even though he had no engineering license.

Galland, who runs a consulting firm, said he is not involved in investigating the collapse of the Cowboys' facility that injured 12 people -- including scouting assistant Rich Behm, who was permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

Galland pleaded guilty in federal court to using a firearm during a violent crime and conspiring to distribute cocaine and marijuana, records show. He was sentenced to about 4-½ years and released from federal prison in 2000. Court records describe him as a member of a group that moved drugs from Washington to Montana. source>>>

If Michael Vick Is Sincere, Give Him a Chance to Prove It

N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell has every right to be noncommittal on the reinstatement of Michael Vick. The potential fallout for the N.F.L. outdistances his responsibility for Vick's future by the combined length of 32 football fields, or the number of franchises over which he presides.

So during the week Vick was released into home confinement after serving 18 months at a federal prison in Leavenworth, Kan., for his role in bankrolling and participating in a dogfighting ring, Goodell shed little light on a very sore subject. He merely stated his intention to look into Vick's eyes and make a determination of what's inside his head.

Good luck with the Vulcan mind meld. And with convincing the hardened masses of animal lovers and Vick haters that his newly forged relationship with the Humane Society of the United States isn't more about his dire financial predicament that can only be salved by Goodell's lifting his suspension, and soon.

Whatever transformative signs Goodell will be looking for, how could he not come away with doubt? The last time he met with Vick, before details of Vick's role in the canine carnage emerged, Goodell was told that the government's allegations were a compelling work of fiction.

Vick will soon pay off his debt to society, which earns him freedom, not necessarily another slot in the N.F.L. What should his ticket back be? Many activists and pet lovers will never forgive. Others talk about proper expressions of remorse, whatever those may be. But redemption will be the truer, more meaningful accounting, and that can't happen in one month, six or even a year.

Assuming Vick is going to play sooner or later, he may as well be allowed back sooner, if there are teams willing to take him. Not because he is owed it, but because Goodell will learn a lot more about the person Vick is or has become when he has returned to the good life more than watching him scramble for forgiveness during additional time off.

How sorry Vick really is and for what are questions Goodell isn't going to have answered for him under these conditions. And for now, it doesn't matter.

"I think with athletes going through these situations, whether it's a Michael Vick or an Alex Rodriguez, we always get stuck and have the same debate -- how sincere is he or not sincere?" said Don Hooton, the antisteroid crusader. "Whoever knows?"

In 2003, Hooton created the Taylor Hooton Foundation, named for his baseball-playing son, who committed suicide at 17 after using steroids. In February, when Rodriguez held a news conference to address steroid revelations after reporting to the Yankees' spring training base, Hooton attended to reach out to the shamed slugger.

I wondered what, if anything, had happened as the spring evolved, Rodriguez had hip surgery and resumed losing baseballs over fences. In a telephone interview, Hooton said he remained "very optimistic that Alex will be joining us" to participate in educational youth programs.

Since the February news conference, Hooton said he had spoken with Rodriguez twice by telephone and they had one meeting.

"Is he clean? Not clean? Should we be dealing with him?" he said. "I've had people tell me I shouldn't let him use the foundation. But a couple of weeks after I met him, I went back to Florida, when they were training for the World Baseball Classic. I watched Alex come off the field, and there were literally hundreds of kids waiting at the gate. That drove home the point -- with all that happened, he's still a huge role model.

"So if he joins us, we hope he's sincere. If not, if he's just using us, it will be a mutual thing. But at least he'll be telling impressionable kids what we want them to hear, and if they don't listen to him, who are they going to listen to?"

That seems to be the approximate position taken with Vick by Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society, who calls himself a "participating skeptic." And this, by the way, is meant in no way to conflate the two players in terms of their transgressions.

Alex Rodriguez has had a trying time. Michael Vick did hard time. The point is that the process of redemption doesn't have to necessarily be limited to those bleeding from the heart. It can also be an assigned job, and if it gets done right, how much should we care about the motivation?

With reinstatement, Goodell should insist on an agreement for specific language in any Vick contract. Vick will have to make significant time to be the face of an N.F.L. campaign to bring disrepute to a barbaric sport that landed him in Leavenworth. Failure to comply will void the deal, and Vick's career.

Consider it a mutually beneficial business arrangement. And for the time being, a signature as a down payment on sincerity. source>>>

University Of Kentucky's John Wall could block North Carolina's march to all-time win mark

Word of God point guard John Wall won't just make Kentucky a national title contender this season. He could block North Carolina's bid to overtake the Wildcats as college basketball's winningest program, at least for as long as he stays in Lexington.

Over the last five seasons, UNC has raced to within striking distance of the Wildcats' all-time wins mark, securing two national championships and averaging 31.4 victories; Kentucky has averaged only 22.4 wins during the same time period, pushing past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament only once and settling for an NIT bid last March.

So the score to date:

UK 1,988, UNC 1,984 -- with the yearly showdown shifting to Rupp Arena this season on Dec. 5.

Carolina has narrowed the gap with the Wildcats by 45 wins since the beginning of the 2004-05 season.

"It's hard to make up that kind of number on a team like Kentucky,'' UNC coach Roy Williams said last December. "... The top three programs in college basketball on the all-time winning list are Kentucky, North Carolina and Kansas [1,970], and I've coached at two of the three, so I've been very lucky."

Wall might force Williams to be content with second place for the time being.

The early-entry NBA prospect brings to Kentucky what the Tar Heels -- who never officially recruited him -- will lack next season: a speedy ballhandler and backcourt depth.

New Wildcats coach John Calipari actually signed two star point guards (the other is Eric Bledsoe) and four other highly-touted recruits to join talented big man Patrick Patterson. In addition, NBA prospect Jodie Meeks, one of the top scorers in the country, has yet to hire an agent -- leaving the door open for his return.

UNC, meanwhile, is left with sophomore Larry Drew II (9.6 mpg last season), junior Will Graves (suspended for most of last season) and fifth-year senior Marcus Ginyard (who redshirted last season with a foot injury) as the only backcourt veterans to make up for the loss of ACC Player of the Year Ty Lawson, shooting guard and Final Four MOP Wayne Ellington and small forward Danny Green, who are all expected to be drafted by the NBA next month.

The Tar Heels return big men Deon Thompson, Ed Davis and Tyler Zeller in the frontcourt, plus have three talented recruits at forward.

But while UNC's multitude of post players might help Carolina pound its way to the round of 16, a 23-to-28 win season probably won't be enough to overtake the Wildcats. Not with Wall likely to push UK to its first 30-win season since 1998 and vie for its eighth national championship.

"There's a big tradition there,'' Wall said of Kentucky. "Hopefully I can just add on to it."

One consolation for the Tar Heels: at least Wall didn't choose rival Duke, currently fourth on the all-time winning list with 1,876 victories. source>>>>

University of Kentucky: Cats should be ranked behind Kansas

At the end of the 2008-09 basketball season, the Wildcats couldn't crack the nation's top 65 teams.

Could UK start 2009-10 as the nation's No.1?

Multiple college basketball writers last week listed the Cats -- who missed last season's NCAA Tournament -- as the top-ranked team in early preseason rankings, on the strength of the nation's No.1 recruiting class, the return of forward Patrick Patterson and the possibility that leading scorer Jodie Meeks will take himself out of consideration for the NBA draft and return for his senior season.

ESPN analyst Jay Bilas suggested those rankings might be too much, too soon.

"They're going to be very good," Bilas said of the Cats. "Is No.1 fair to them? Probably not. I'd probably put Kansas ahead of them, but (UK) would be a contending team, talent-wise."

What gives the Jayhawks the edge?

In a word: experience.

Kansas will return senior point guard Sherron Collins and junior center Cole Aldrich to a team that reached the Sweet 16 and adds a recruiting class ranked No.6 nationally by Rivals.com.

UK, meanwhile, will have six new players, many of whom are expected to contend for significant playing time, if not for starting positions.

And every player -- rookie and veteran alike -- will be learning John Calipari's dribble-drive motion offense, a significant departure from the high-low offense favored by former coach Billy Gillispie.

Bilas said UK has a roster of "smart kids" who will pick up the offense. But it will take time, he cautioned.

"It's not like John's trying to teach them how to play the violin, but he's not trying to teach them to play checkers, either," Bilas said. "There are nuances to that offense that the kids are going to have to learn, and you compound it with having freshmen." source>>>

Red Bull drink lifts stroke risk: Australian study

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Just one can of the popular stimulant energy drink Red Bull can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, even in young people, Australian medical researchers said on Friday.

The caffeine-loaded beverage, popular with university students and adrenaline sport fans to give them "wings", caused the blood to become sticky, a pre-cursor to cardiovascular problems such as stroke.

"One hour after they drank Red Bull, (their blood systems) were no longer normal. They were abnormal like we would expect in a patient with cardiovascular disease," Scott Willoughby, lead researcher from the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, told the Australian newspaper.

Red Bull Australia spokeswoman Linda Rychter said the report would be assessed by the company's head office in Austria.

"The study does not show effects which would go beyond that of drinking a cup of coffee. Therefore, the reported results were to be expected and lie within the normal physiological range," Rychter told Reuters.

Willoughby and his team tested the cardiovascular systems of 30 young adults one hour before and one hour after consuming one 250ml can of sugar-free Red Bull.

The results showed "normal people develop symptoms normally associated with cardiovascular disease" after consuming the drink, created in the 1980s by Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz based on a similar Thai energy drink.

Red Bull is banned in Norway, Uruguay and Denmark because of health risks listed on its cans, but the company last year sold 3.5 billion cans in 143 countries. One can contains 80 mg of caffeine, around the same as a normal cup of brewed coffee.

The Austria-based company, whose marketing says "Red Bull gives you wings", sponsors Formula 1 race cars and extreme sport events around the world, but warns consumers not to drink more than two cans a day.

Rychter said Red Bull could only have such global sales because health authorities across the world had concluded the drink was safe to consume.

But Willoughby said Red Bull could be deadly when combined with stress or high blood pressure, impairing proper blood vessel function and possibly lifting the risk of blood clotting.

"If you have any predisposition to cardiovascular disease, I'd think twice about drinking it," he said.

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Balkan war refugee achieves college football dream

t seems fitting that Ben Kahriman's passport will play a key role in his college football career. Recruited to play defensive end by multiple programs, the Woodside senior chose to play north of the border for the University of British Columbia.

"In the winter, it doesn't get that cold," Kahriman said. "It's very similar to the climate here, just a little cooler."

Kahriman and his parents are Bosnian refugees from the Balkan wars of the 1990s. When Ben was 2, they fled to Germany, where they stayed until 1997. A soccer goalie with tremendous upside, his coach tried to keep the family from moving again after Ben's club finished third in all of Germany.

But his parents dreamed of a better life for their son.

"At that point in 1997, the United States, Australia, Canada opened up their borders to refugees from those wars," Ben said.

The family moved to Boston, where Ben's now 11-year-old brother was born.

The next sport on the list was baseball, and again Kahriman was a natural. But the family moved to Nebraska and opened a restaurant. Ben's help was needed every day after school until closing, barely leaving time for homework, let alone sports.

By the time Kahriman had any free time, football season had rolled around.

"I didn't know any of the rules," said Kahriman, who began playing football in seventh grade. "I had never really watched on TV. I wasn't ever interested. I just thought it was guys running around,
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hitting each other for no reason."

Kahriman received a football crash course with the help of a flag football coach who played for the University of Nebraska. Soon enough he was a starter at tight end, showing promise as a blocker.

The family moved to the Bay Area in 2004, and Kahriman was enrolled in Woodside by the next year.

Following two seasons on the junior varsity squad, he was ready for his shot at Friday night lights. But Kahriman woke up with severe stomach pain following the fifth game of the season. Twenty-four hours later he was rushed to the hospital when the pain became unbearable. At one point, Ben asked his father to stop the car.

"I don't really know what happened after," Kahriman said. "Apparently I fainted."

Complications arose during the surgery for a burst appendix, and soon it became apparent the long recovery process would cost Ben the rest of the football season -- a disappointing 2-8 campaign for the Wildcats.

Worse for Ben, he lost 40 pounds after the surgery as his parents began to worry more.

"I felt pretty bad because they went through a lot to get me to the United States to give me an opportunity," Kahriman said. "And I felt I was disappointing them by not fighting. It was a really emotional thing."

Born in Montenegro, Ben is now a U.S. citizen -- his German passport a keepsake now that it's expired. Growing up in Germany, Kahriman was aware of the conflict that drove him away from his first home.

"I remember since I was little, like 3 or 4, at the dinner table there would be talk about the war and everything," Kahriman said. "My mom, she didn't want to hide anything from me. She wanted me to know everything that was happening and didn't want to shield us."

Still, it was hard to comprehend just what it meant for his father to lose half of his side of the family.

"When I got older, probably fourth or fifth grade, I developed a resentment against what happened and the fact that a lot of innocent civilians died like my grandparents," Kahriman said.

Hate was of no use to him. It wouldn't fix all of the buildings his family found burned to the ground when they visited 15 years after leaving.

"It was very emotional going back the first time," Ben said. "My parents came in with memories of what it used to be like."

When his family's home in Germany burned down months before they left for the U.S., the community rallied around them. It's one of the many reasons Kahriman volunteers to work with disabled veterans when he visits Bosnia.

"Ben overall is a great person, and sometimes that's more important than football itself," said Woodside teammate Jason Simpson, who will play football at San Jose State in the fall. "Our football team is really close, and Ben is someone you can rely on all the time."

Able to jog by last February, Kahriman joined the basketball team and entered into a rigorous offseason weight training program. He went from 165 pounds to 230 pounds, and his current 6-foot-3 frame supports 250 pounds.

"I've always been very aggressive in workouts," Kahriman said.

"He's a guy that I would definitely choose for my team," Simpson said. "You know you're going to get a guy who won't quit, who won't give up."

The Wildcats bounced back with an 8-4 season, falling in the playoffs 28-21 in double overtime to Menlo-Atherton in a championship-caliber game.

After playing soccer as a freshman, tennis as a sophomore and basketball as a junior, the 18-year-old decided to put in gym time and concentrate on academics as a senior.

"Obviously football is not going to be there my whole life, so getting an education and a diploma means a lot to me and my family," said Kahriman, whose scholarship to UBC is part athletics and part academics.

Ben plans to study political science, and he hopes the Thunderbirds follow through with a bid to become an NCAA Div. II school -- a proposal that is currently on hold.

Whatever the case, UBC could hope for no better ambassador than Ben Kahriman. source>>>

Even Obama Gets It, Notre Dame a Joke

College football reached a golden milestone this week. Barack Obama made fun of Notre Dame.

Hail to the Chief.

After giving the commencement speech at the school, Obama went to an Indianapolis fundraiser and addressed the controversy surrounding his visit. He said all that pro-life, pro-choice hubbub "paled in comparison to what to do about the football team."

"That's an issue we may not resolve within my four years," Obama said.

"Eight!" a spectator shouted.

"All right, well, maybe in eight we might get it done," Obama said.

How about never, Mr. President? Concentrate on saving the banks or GM or Rosie O'Donnell's career. We want Notre Dame to fail.

By "we", I mean anyone who believes you should earn your place in this world. The Fighting Irish have remained a member of college football's aristocracy. Could somebody please tell me why?

Yes, they were once an empire to be feared. So were the Ottomans, but you don't see them signing an exclusive deal with NBC.

You can't really blame the network for televising every Irish home game. As many people want to see them lose as watch them win.

I'd like to see them lose 219-0 every Saturday, which isn't very journalistic of me. We're not supposed to get emotionally involved with our patients. That objectivity is what separates us from fans who at this very moment are composing comments that I:

A) Don't know anything about college football.

B) Am hopelessly jealous of the Irish.

C) Am a moron.

I'll plead guilty to B and C. As for A, I know enough to know the Irish have never had to live by the rules governing the rest of football society.

This view started forming 1966 when unbeaten Notre Dame tied unbeaten Michigan State 10-10. The Irish actually ran out the clock instead of trying to win. For that they were awarded the national championship over the Spartans and 11-0 Alabama.

Then came 1977, when No. 5 Notre Dame beat No. 1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Third-ranked Alabama beat Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, but the Irish jumped all the way to the top and claimed another crown.

Think that would have happened if the roles had been reversed?

I recognize the Irish have "mystique," but just because Knute Rockne coached there and Ronald Reagan played The Gipper doesn't mean Notre Dame should be able to job more deserving teams.

Now along comes the Anti-Gipper. Notre Dame is a perfect comedic target for Obama, since he is out to redistribute the wealth and cut fat cats down to size. I don't expect the government to take over NBC, but it would be nice if Obama would impose a new rule:

In order to have your own network, teams must have more than one top-10 finish since the year "Cheers" went off the air. Notre Dame has just one cameo appearance in the AP top 10, in 2005, since finishing second in the last poll of 1993. continue>>>

The Good, the Bad and the Canseco, MMA Dream 9

So now it's official: Former baseball star Jose 'Can'seco will be making his professional mixed martial arts debut on Tuesday May 26. He'll be taking on 7' 2" gargantuan Hong Man Choi at DREAM 9 from the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.

Your average Japanese freakshow bout, right? Well almost, but not quite. This match up just doesn't sit right with me for an abundance of reasons.

Mainly because Canseco isn't a trained mixed martial artist. He's more of a civilian if you will. DREAM's obvious reason for having him compete is to boost the daunting ratings they've faced as of late. DREAM 9 will air primetime on Japanese broadcasting channel TBS so it's important that lots of eyeballs are glued to the set.

And it may pay off. The Japanese have a strong infatuation with the sport of baseball. And Jose's identical twin brother Ozzie had a short stint with Japan's Kintetsu Buffaloes and proved to be quite popular, though that was in the early 90's.

But still, I'm not sure that can justify this booking.

Canseco claims to have a background in a variety of disciplines, but I'm not convinced he should be fighting. I'm not saying he hasn't trained in what he claims -- just that I don't believe he has the adequate skill or efficient training to be competing at this level.

If his short lived boxing career was anything to go off at least, when he faced off against fellow "celebrities" in two bouts. After getting brutally knocked out by former Philadelphia Eagles return man Vai Sikahema in 2008, he then went the distance with putrid Partridge Danny Bonaduce earlier this year.

With that kind of resume, expect a gruesome ending in his squash match against Choi.

While Hong Man Choi is certainly no world beater and what skills he does have seem to be diminishing, he does have skills, more so than Canseco does. And couple that with his size and what does Canseco really have to offer?

Freak shows of this magnitude in the past have often consisted of an undersized but highly skilled fighter against a larger opponent but one who didn't rely too much on technical prowess.

This Jose Canseco vs. Hong Man Choi bout seems to have taken that premise but switched it up, which is my main issue with this fight.

It pit's the smaller, lesser skilled against the larger, higher skilled fighter and that to me is not going to be particularly entertaining to watch. Think of Kalib Starnes vs. Nate Quarry -- only ramp it up to the speed of a Benny Hill skit.

The result of this fight seems like a foregone conclusion, in fact I don't think Canseco himself thinks he really has a shot at winning, he's just turning up for the pay check.

What has made some freak shows in the past great viewing was seeing the smaller opposition use technique to overcome the size disadvantage they faced.

One of the most notably being when Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira triumphed over Bob "The Beast" Sapp at PRIDE Shockwave 2002, using superior technique to submit his foe with an armbar. It was made more enticing after witnessing Nogueira viciously piledrived and mercilessly beaten, only to come back, overcome the odds and claim victory much like he's done his whole life.

The interesting thing about that besides the underdog story was seeing the martial art (in this case Brazilian jiu-jitsu) on display for the world to see, demonstrating its effectiveness.

This freak show between the "Techno Goliath" and the "Steroid stool pigeon" at DREAM 9 doesn't offer anything like that. It's not going to be pretty, it's a train wreck waiting to happen though I could see why that would interest some.

But there's no competitiveness to it which I think is one of the main reasons we all watch mixed martial arts. Is it not? Canseco doesn't have anything to fall back on skill-wise like so many smaller opposition have when faced with the task of challenging a "Goliath."

Another factor is that Canseco is 44 years of age and unless your last name is Couture, that doesn't usually bode well for highly trained mixed martial artists, let alone a former baseball player without much fighting experience -- against a 7' 2" kickboxer.

And though Canseco isn't the most liked person in the world by any standards, I'm sure most of us wouldn't want to see him get seriously hurt (cough). If not for compassion for your fellow human being than at least for the black eye it could put on the sport we all hold dear.

With that the "Super Hulk" Tournament does have a couple of other intriguing match ups. One that should present an exciting showdown is Gegard Mousasi up against heavy handed kickboxer Mark Hunt.

Mousasi recently relinquished his DREAM Middleweight title because he desired a move to Light Heavyweight.

He's the favorite, but what does winning the DREAM "Super Hulk" Tournament really do for him? Certainly a step down from being DREAM Middleweight champion. He was considered by many to be one of the few who could pose a threat to UFC middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva, but them now ever tangling seems unlikely.

Also his opposition Mark Hunt, though tough, is 5-5 in mixed martial arts and on a four fight losing skid. A win over him won't really do much for his stature. And a loss to Hunt would be worse, and it's certainly a possibility with the weight advantage and the great stand up Hunt boasts.

Then after that, other likely candidates he'll be facing could be Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, who has recently fallen out of favor in the eyes of many fans with his recent poor performances seeing, him come out on the losing side three times out of his last four.

Then there's Ikuhisa Minowa, who could be a possible future opponent but is a middleweight, the likes of which Mousasi vacated his title to not face off against in the first place.

All this meaning Mousasi's involvement in this tournament doesn't make much sense, but it'll still be joy to watch him compete nonetheless.

However if freaks hows aren't your thing than no worries, that shouldn't stop you from tuning into HDNet on Tuesday, May 26 at 3:00am ET. The DREAM 9 card has a whole heap of other stellar fights to offer.

The card will play host to the promotion's featherweight Grand Prix Tournament.

The focal point of which will boast the long awaited return of 139-pound superstar Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto, who was offered a first-round bye in the tournament in hopes that he will have recovered from a previous injury in time to compete.

He's coming off a long 16-month layoff, but now he's finally ready to compete and will take on wrestling stud Joe Warren.

In non-tournament action will be highly regarded lightweight standout Gesias "JZ" Calvancante who is set to throw down with Japanese mainstay Tatsuya "Crusher" Kawajiri, in a bout that has 'Fight of the Year' potential written all over it.

And grappling phenom Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza is slated to once again do battle with the charismatic Jason "Mayhem" Miller, in a bout that will be contested for the vacant DREAM Middleweight title.

So come showtime, the good should outweigh the bad, hopefully.

Here is the official line-up for 'DREAM 9':

Featherweight grand prix quarterfinals:
Norifumi Yamamoto (17-1) vs. Joe Warren (1-0)
Masakazu Imanari (16-6-1) vs. Bibiano Fernandes (4-2)
Yoshiro Maeda (24-6-2) vs. Hiroyuki Takaya (10-6-1)
Abel Cullum (14-2) vs. Hideo Tokoro (21-16-1)

"Super Hulk" Openweight quarterfinals:
Ikuhisa Minowa (41-30) vs. Bob Sapp (10-3-1)
Jan Nortje (2-5) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-4)
Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1) vs. Mark Hunt (5-5)
Hong Man Choi (1-2) vs. Jose Canseco (0-0)

DREAM middleweight title:
Ronaldo Souza (10-2) vs. Jason Miller (22-6)

Non-tournament bouts:
Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (23-5-2) source>>>

New Orleans nets 2013 Super Bowl; Comcast, NFL Network strike deal

South Florida's bid to hold a third Super Bowl in a seven-year span ended Tuesday, when New Orleans was awarded the 2013 game over Dolphin Stadium and University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona.

''I'm disappointed,'' Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said. ``South Florida is the best place for the Super Bowl. In my opinion, it should be here permanently. . . . There is a little sentimental feeling toward New Orleans.''

At NFL meetings at the Ritz-Carlton in Fort Lauderdale, owners voted to award the Saints their first Super Bowl since 2002.

The fact South Florida had a recent Super Bowl (2007) and another one in 2010 ''might have been a factor'' in the region not getting the 2013 game, commissioner Roger Goodell said after his news conference. Also, Goodell said, ``there are things Steve Ross still would like to do with the stadium.''

The 2010 Super Bowl will be the NFL-record 10th in South Florida. The 2013 Super Bowl will be New Orleans' 10th.

The Saints and Louisiana recently reached a long-term agreement that will keep the Saints playing in a renovated Superdome until 2025.

The state would pay $85 million to reconfigure the lower dome and widen concourses.

Representatives of Miami, New Orleans and the Phoenix area gave 15-minute presentations to owners Tuesday, followed by five-minute pitches from the three team's owners. Goodell said Ross' ''passion for the community and what he wants to do with the stadium'' were evident in his speech.

The 2007 Super Bowl had a $465 million economic impact on South Florida, according to one study.

Former Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga previously pitched the NFL on awarding the Super Bowl to South Florida once every three years, but the league declined to make that a policy.

The 2011 Super Bowl will be in Dallas, and the 2012 game in Indianapolis. source>>>

Animal-rights activist meets with Michael Vick

As one of the country's leading animal-rights advocates, Wayne Pacelle never imagined he would be here -- eye to eye with Michael Vick, engaged in a heartfelt and productive conversation with the disgraced quarterback.

But Pacelle, president and chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States, made two trips in the last month to meet with Vick in the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan. Vick, who has served 23 months for his involvement in a dogfighting conspiracy, is expected to be released as soon as today to begin serving two months of home confinement. source>>>

Did Jon Gruden pull a reverse on NFL Network?

Please sit down for this news: It appears Jon Gruden might have been less than forthright with somebody.

On Sports Illustrated's Web site, Peter King reports that "the NFL Network is furious with Gruden for jilting the network after he'd verbally agreed to a deal to work there." According to King, Gruden's guest appearance on the network during the scouting combine and draft was such a smash that he got an offer to start working full time immediately and be the color analyst for the eight regular-season games beginning in November.

But ESPN swooped in with the "Monday Night Football" offer, Gruden took it, and the NFL Network found out just like the rest of us did because Gruden never called to back out of the deal.

Come on now. Does this sound like something Gruden or agent Bob LaMonte would pull?

The league channel has no backup plan. But Steve Mariucci is already on the roster. Maybe, seven years after Gruden's maneuvering screwed Steve Mariucci in Tampa Bay, Mooch could benefit from the double-dealing. source>>>

New Kentucky Coach John Calipari’s Agenda Under Way

New Kentucky coach John Calipari has grand plans for the Wildcats basketball program.

- Big Blue Madness at Commonwealth Stadium.
- A Chinese coach at the end of the bench as an assistant.
- A neutral-site series with Texas, or maybe Duke.
Calipari doesn't care if any or all of that is doable. That's not his problem.
``I let everybody else deal with all the hard stuff, I come up with the ideas,'' Calipari said.
He's got plenty of them to go around.

Bet Men's College Basketball
From having former Kentucky stars Scott Padgett and Tony Delk join the staff as ``coaches in training'' to 70,000 people at the football stadium for the team's first practice of the season to restarting a dormant rivalry with Notre Dame, Calipari has spent his first six weeks on the job revamping the program at ``warp speed.''
Has it been a whirlwind? Calipari has been too busy to tell.
``I think I have been here 40 days, it feels like 10,'' he said.
rogram can't be remodeled overnight, it hasn't taken long for Calipari to put his stamp on the team.
The Wildcats have already signed a pair of high-profile prep stars - point guard Eric Bledsoe and forward DeMarcus Cousins - since Calipari was hired on March 31 and could add a third if unsigned guard John Wall opts to join the program next fall. Forward Patrick Patterson is so excited about playing for Calipari he pulled his name out of consideration for the NBA draft without so much as going through a workout.
Throw in likely holdover Darius Miller and the possible return of Jodie Meeks - who is testing the NBA waters - and Calipari can understand why some pundits are already calling the Wildcats a national title contender next year.
He's just not buying it.
``Half of the team is going to be new players that have never played college basketball and the other half has never played this style,'' he said. ``So to say that we are going to be one of the best teams in the country'' is not fair.
Yet he knows it's part of the territory after Kentucky broke the bank to make him college basketball's highest-paid coach. He's done little to dampen expectations and done his best to embrace all the trappings that come with coaching the Wildcats.
nation's most ardent fan bases is in the works. He's reached out to former Kentucky players who have not yet graduated and encouraged them to return to school to get their degree. He's even talked about holding a fantasy camp for ``over-35 guys'' that could be coached by Kentucky legends like Dan Issel and Pat Riley.
It's all a part of restoring some of the luster to a program that hasn't reached the Final Four in more than a decade and missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in 18 years this spring.
``I want this brand to be back where it was,'' Calipari said.
Creating buzz and thinking big are part of the process. He's going to spend a week in China next month and says he'd like to eventually bring a young Chinese coach to Lexington and let him spend six months with the program.
Another plan - potentially - include holding the annual season-opening practice at Commonwealth Stadium in October. While he knows the weather could be dicey, he also has little doubt the stadium would be filled.
``I would like to do it on the football stadium and you get 70,000 people there and have the weather be perfect and have Ashley Judd come and Justin Timberlake and other celebrities come and you make it an hour and a half of fun,'' Calipari said.
e.
``We have a ways to go and this is going to be a step at a time. What you are going to be finding out is that in September and November, balls are going to be playing everywhere and they will be questioning how we are playing,'' Calipari said. ``All of a sudden it will hit January and we will have a couple of breakout games ... then by March you are playing your best basketball. If you asked me how my vision of what it will look like, it will look something like that.''
Some of those early season bumps will come against high-profile competition. While the 2009-2010 schedule isn't quite complete, the Wildcats will play games against Louisville, Indiana, North Carolina and Connecticut.
There's also the usual neutral-site game in Louisville against an undisclosed opponent. Calipari hinted that he'd like to start bringing in a national power to give the annual trip to Kentucky's largest city a little sizzle. Kentucky has played UAB and Appalachian State during its last two neutral site games at Freedom Hall.
``I like neutral-site games,'' he said. ``What I like to do is split tickets. You get half the tickets, we get half the tickets. The reason? It's an NCAA venue. That's what the NCAA (tournament) is.'' source>>>

Expectations for University of Kentucky Basketball realistically high, may be top 5 team

John Wall is coming to Lexington.

The coveted point guard from Raleigh, N.C., is going to play basketball at the University of Kentucky, joining a Big Blue galaxy of four-stars and five-stars in what might be the best collection of first-year talent college basketball has ever seen.

So let the high expectations begin.

Seriously.

This is normally the point where the voice-of-reason columnist jumps in and preaches patience and realism, and points out that great recruits don't always equate to great teams.

This is where the wet blankets feel compelled to issue admonitions to the overzealous about keeping expectations, and emotions, at a reasonable level.

Forget that.

This Kentucky basketball team should win every game. By double digits. It should win many more by much more than that. It should win division championships and conference championships and NCAA regional championships and, yes, NCAA championships.

All of that is not going to happen, of course. Kentucky will suffer losses next season, maybe one or two, and even experience a few closer-than-they-should-have-been wins. There will be missteps, and the 2009-10 Cats probably won't meet each and every one of their heady ambitions.

This great new Kentucky basketball class won't always keep the fans happy, or as happy as they are right now.

But after the tempered, if not tepid, expectations of recent UK basketball seasons, there's nothing wrong with a little over-the-top.

It just feels good.

To be sure, new coach John Calipari, the talent hunter whose trophy case now overflows, will throw up a caution light. He did it during his marathon news conference last week, arguing that half of next year's roster has never played a Division I college game before, and the other half has never played in his dribble-drive motion offense.

And, no doubt, there will be some chemistry issues, unless Calipari can sweet-talk the game's rules committee into a two-basketball exemption rule whenever the Cats are on offense. So be it. Watching the science project take shape figures to be more than half the fun.

But Coach Cal didn't go out and secure the gaudy likes of John Wall (ranked as the nation's No. 1 prospect by Rivals.com), DeMarcus Cousins (No. 2) and Eric Bledsoe (No. 23), along with coveted junior-college transfer Darnell Dodson, while talking holdover signees Daniel Orton (No. 22) and Jon Hood (No. 40) into staying on, just so the Kentucky coach could win guarantee games.

Calipari didn't convince Patrick Patterson to postpone his NBA leap of faith or speak of Jodie Meeks as if the senior-to-be sharpshooter was already preparing to stack 54 more points on Bruce Pearl's head, just because he wants to crack the top three in the SEC East.

On paper, anyway, this recruiting red-carpet list is the best Kentucky recruiting class of all time -- better than the 1974 class (Jack Givens, Rick Robey, Mike Phillips, James Lee and Danny Hall), better than the 1971 "Super Kittens" class (Kevin Grevey, Jimmy Dan Conner, Mike Flynn, Bob Guyette, Steve Lochmueller, Jerry Hale and G.J. Smith), better than the 1979 class (Sam Bowie, Dirk Minniefield, Derrick Hord, Charles Hurt and Tom Heitz).

There, we said it.

And if you sign big stars, you're going to be expected to shoot for the stars.

That's the way it should be.

High expectations? source>>>

What John Wall to Kentucky means for college basketball

It means that John Calipari is immediately living up to the hype in Lexington. It means that UK fans should be thrilled at the prospects of their 2009-2010 basketball team, and it means that college basketball has gotten some of its swagger back with an elite program returning to prominence.

Last week we heard that Wall had narrowed his choices down to the Wildcats, Duke and Miami, but we knew what was up. Today, Andy Katz reported that Wall had actually given the Hurricanes a verbal commitment, but had his heart set on playing for Coach Cal. The Blue Devils, of course, never really go for these presumed one-and-done players, and you have to think Coach K lost much of his interest after the alleged breaking and entering incident.

But all that aside, Wall is the piece of the puzzle that makes Kentucky a certain title contender. It's undoubtedly the best choice for him; just two seasons ago it was Derrick Rose who was groomed by Calipari into the top college point guard. They fell one game short of winning it all with much of the blame being placed on poor free throw shooting. Wall apparently does not have such a fear from the charity stripe.

As of now, Kentucky is a top five team -- and the most intriguing. Sans Jodie Meeks, who isn't about to show his hand just yet, and I still have to give the edge to Kansas. If Meeks returns though, the backcourt (with Eric Bledsoe too) will be as exicting as any in college basketball BEST Player In The Nation. (via Hoopmixtape) source>>>

Some think Time has come for NASCAR to shorten races

The final 10 laps of Saturday's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race were about as good as it gets.

You had a three-wide battle for the lead, daring moves, cars banging into the wall -- and one another -- and Jeff Gordon spinning out and crashing.

Jeff Owens (NASCAR Scene)

And it was all capped by Tony Stewart charging to the front in the final laps, stealing the win, his first victory with his new team.

That was the type of thrilling action you see often on short tracks or in restrictor-plate races, but rarely on the 1.5-mile tracks that dominate the Sprint Cup schedule.

The fantastic finish, of course, was a direct result of the 10-lap shootout for $1 million -- the highlight of the annual All-Star event.

Maybe the unique, quirky rules of the event were the reason for that grand finish, and maybe it was a bit contrived.

But it was still one of the most thrilling, dramatic finishes of the season.

It makes you wonder why NASCAR doesn't tinker with the rules of its points races to somehow make them a bit more thrilling.

For more news from the track and the shop, check out our NASCAR Scene headlines page.
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It could start by making them shorter, turning the 500-mile races into 400 miles and the 400-milers into 300 miles.

If you threw in a mandatory caution flag with 10 or 20 laps to go, thus forcing the field to line up for a double-file (lead-lap cars only) restart, it would set up a shootout similar to that of the All-Star Race.

And such a move would ensure that nearly every race had a dramatic finish.

The two May races at Lowe's Motor Speedway usually offer proof that more is not necessarily better.

The 100-lap All-Star Race typically offers plenty of action and close racing, usually capped by a wild finish. The Coca-Cola 600, by contrast, is a long, drawn-out endurance test that typically comes down to pit strategy instead of a final-lap shootout.

The sport is going through a tough time. Attendance is down, sponsorship is hard to come by and TV ratings have declined.

NASCAR is investigating the current trend, looking for ways to better engage fans and stem the tide.

But the easiest way to get fans to watch again is to produce better racing.

When asked why they are losing interest in the sport, the majority of fans cite two things: NASCAR's new car and the quality of racing.

NASCAR must quickly address problems with the new car, tweaking its rules to make it more adjustable for teams and drivers -- and more raceable.

But maybe NASCAR also needs to take a look at the format of its races.

Perhaps it's time to take a serious look at shortening all the Sprint Cup events.

A 400- or 500-mile race that takes three to four hours to complete may be too much for today's fan. Many admit that they watch the start of the race and then tune out for the next two to three hours, coming back only to catch the finish.

The 11 Sprint Cup races this year have taken an average of three hours and 17 minutes, with only three finishing in under three hours (and one of those was the rain-shortened Daytona 500).

Few professional sports events today take more than three hours, and most leagues are looking for ways to shorten their games. Even the popular National Football League, which often has more penalties than caution flags at Bristol, plays its games in about three hours.

NASCAR has had six Cup races this year that have taken nearly three and a half hours, including the four hour Southern 500 at Darlington.

This week's Coca-Cola 600 will take more than four hours, whereas the two upcoming races at Pocono will come close.

That's a long time to keep fans engaged. And when the finish is anticlimactic, there's little incentive for fans to watch again the next week.

For years, NASCAR has resisted shortening its 400- and 500-mile races. But maybe it's time to revisit the issue.

Both Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are proponents of shorter races.

"I think there's a very good argument to shorten all the races, especially the Dovers and Poconos that are just like pulling teeth," Johnson says. "For the better of the sport, we probably could shorten all our events."

Gordon even thinks the prestigious Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR's longest race, has outlived its rich tradition.

"I wish it wasn't 600 miles, to be honest," said Gordon, who has won the race three times. "I think it takes away from the race. It's not as exciting a race at 600 miles. In fact, 500 miles is too long to me. I think the 400-mile races are the most exciting we have."

Shorter events would likely lead to better finishes, keeping the drivers, teams and cars fresher at the end and reducing the chance of someone pulling away and dominating the race.

Drivers would likely race harder in shorter races instead of pacing themselves and saving their equipment and themselves for the end.

And shorter races would be more likely to keep fans engaged, enticing them to stick around until the finish.

As Saturday night's 10-lap sprint proved, less is sometimes more. source>>>

Tony Stewart stays on top of NASCAR Power Rankings for a million different reasons

Tony Stewart
If there were any doubt Stewart belonged on top of the power rankings after last week, he added a million reasons to justify his position on Saturday night. Capturing his first All-Star Race win in an 11-year career, Stewart took that first victory as owner/driver in part because of the new-found patience he's had all season. Not a contender early on, Stewart relied on crew chief Darian Grubb to fix the car during the 10-minute break before the final 10-lap Dash For Cash. Then, he watched as Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman took each other out, leaving Stewart with only Matt Kenseth to beat over the final few laps. And when the No. 17 car washed up the track, the race was Stewart's to lose. "[The car] was 'stuck' those last 10 laps," Stewart said. "Seeing those guys celebrating and smiling in Victory Lane when I got there, seeing how happy they were and the excitement on their faces...there's no check that you can write in any amount that's going to take the place of it."

2 Jeff Gordon
Last Week: 2

Jeff Gordon
Stewart's gain was Gordon's pain, as the No. 24 had perhaps the best car in the All-Star Race before becoming the biggest loser in a three-car sandwich gone wrong. Gordon fought hard with Busch and Newman for the lead on Lap 93, but all three couldn't stay stable side-by-side coming off of Turn 4 -- causing Gordon's hair-raising spin through the tri-oval. For a man with a bad back to begin with, Gordon had plenty more to be concerned about as his DuPont Chevrolet slid back through heavy traffic. Luckily, the All-Star Race was named that for a reason, as the best drivers in the world smartly maneuvered around him, keeping the carnage to a minimum. "It's the All-Star event," said Gordon, refusing to assign blame. "Everyone is going for it. There's a lot at stake. There's a lot of pride and money, and we're putting on a heck of a show for these fans." Boy, did they ever.

3 Ryan Newman
Last Week: 3

Ryan Newman
Newman's All-Star Race started out like total junk, with a bad shock giving him all he could handle in the No. 39 Chevy. The serious vibration put the car nearly two laps down to the leader, but with the four-segment format making caution flags a necessity, Newman not only earned his lap back, but had plenty of chances to come down pit road and adjust the problem. And once Tony Gibson got everything right, boy, did that car take off. Newman looked ready to snag his first All-Star win since 2002 until that late wreck allowed his teammate to steal the spotlight.

4 Mark Martin
Last Week: 4

Mark Martin
At 50, Martin was aiming to become the oldest winner in All-Star Race history. But Martin is at his best on long green flag runs, so the short segments weren't a very good format for him. But don't be fooled by Martin's one-week disappearing act. The Kellogg's Chevy showed the type of long-range handling that'll be perfect for Sunday's 600-mile marathon. And with just one finish outside the top 10 in the last two months, Rick Hendrick's oldest driver is still his hottest shoe heading into Memorial Day Weekend.

5 Kyle Busch
Last Week: 6

Kyle Busch
Last weekend's format was perfect for Busch's aggressive style, and in the last three years the youngster's clearly subscribed to the phrase "checkers or wreckers." It'd just be a whole lot better for him to choose the first option. In four career All-Star Race starts, Busch has been involved in three wrecks, and blown an engine in the fourth, leading to plenty of on-track excitement the fans love, but not the million dollar payday he seeks. Saturday night, it looked like Busch had the best chance yet to cash in, but the wreck with Newman and Gordon left him with just enough damage to fade in the race's final stages. It was the capper on a tough weekend for the 24-year-old, who was sent to the rear in the Truck Series race, not once, but twice before charging to a second-place finish.

6 Kurt Busch
Last Week: 5

Kurt Busch
Some might be surprised to see Kurt and Kyle flip-flopped in the rankings considering Kurt finished four spots higher than his brother in the All-Star Race. But while Busch-the-younger proved himself capable of charging to the front, Busch-the-elder never led on a night during which his Miller Lite Dodge struggled in shorter sprints. "Overall, I thought that we had the best car on a 20-lap run, but that doesn't pay the big bucks," Kurt said of a car that struggled on restarts. Honestly, I expected better from a program that built its early season strength on a win at another 1.5-miler -- Atlanta in March. And if history is any indication, Sunday will prove to be one of Kurt's most difficult races this year; he has yet to score a top-10 finish in eight 600-mile starts.

7 Jimmie Johnson
Last Week: 7

Jimmie Johnson
There's no better indication of how confusing the All-Star Race rules are than Johnson's inability to understand them. Open and honest about fully relying on crew chief Chad Knaus to carry him through, Johnson asked repeatedly about lap counts and other segment quirks throughout the night because he either got confused or simply didn't know. Let's put it this way for NASCAR: if the winningest active driver at Lowe's can't even figure out how to run this race, you might want to make things a little simpler to understand. As it is, the more Johnson learne

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