text:
Carmen is having her boyfriend over for the weekend to do some major studying. Her step mother Jenna is also around but Carmen doesnt like her much. Jenna is hitting on the boyfriend behind her back the whole time. While shes studying hard in the room, her man is at the window checking out the step mom flashing him from the pool. That night, Jenna snuck into the room and started yanking on his crank until he woke up startled. She grabbed him and took him to her room for some after hours fun. Eventually Carmen stumbles in shocked to see her sucking him off. Jenna calms her down and convinces her to watch her so she can learn something new. Its not too long before Carmen is joining in all the steamy action. You dont want to miss this sex ed class, its hot.
"Lesson Learned"
Rio Lee
"Lusty Exchange"
Lola Foxx
"How Its Done"
Riley Reid
"Booty Call"
Alli Rae
"Loving Lucy"
Lucy Tyler
"Dirty Minds"
Vanessa Cage
"Good Love"
Miranda Miller
"Luvv To Love Ya"
Sara Luvv
"The Blow Show"
"A Bad Romance"
Cassandra Nix


text:
Articles By Athlon Sports
The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race isn't a typical all-star event.
Unlike the stick 'N' ball all-star "breaks" that feature lackadaisical effort and are more celebrated for the parties that supplement the fan activities rather than the actual contests, the Sprint Cup Series version of an all-star event pits recent race winners and champions in a race comprised of dash-style formats which has a $1 million carrot dangling on the end of a stick. It's wild, unpredictable and in no way resembles a normal NASCAR race.
It also doesn't have much bearing on the following week's Coca-Cola 600, which, like the All-Star Race, takes place at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
3 in 13 Dating back to 2000, a span of 13 races, the All-Star Race winner has gone on to win the next week's Coca-Cola 600 just three times.
Though they take place at the same facility, the two races don't actually coalesce. The 600 not only requires a car capable of thriving on extended green-flag runs, but also a team that has built a setup to survive in both day and night conditions. The All-Star Race simply requires a setup for short runs, making the drivers and teams that excel at such a thing instant favorites.
3.2 Matt Kenseth has the highest average race rank (3.2) among all drivers in speed early in green-flag runs.
Kenseth, who also ranks first in the series in speed on restarts, has been a juggernaut at the drop of the green flag and for the ensuing 25 laps. While the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 team has been stellar on intermediate tracks this season — two of its three wins came at Las Vegas and Kansas — it will be its affinity for immediate speed that separates it from the rest of the field in Saturday night's event.
6 in 13 In the last 13 All-Star Races, six were won by drivers that had visited victory lane at an intermediate track in one of the prior races that same season.
The fact that Kenseth has captured two 1.5-mile (intermediate) track victories this season provides no guarantees for Saturday. It doesn't take numbers — just common sense — to understand that this race is its own beast. A stout intermediate program like the one JGR is currently flaunting is always good to have, but the varying formats of the race don't lend it to easy prognostication. If Kenseth becomes the victor, it will be because of the combination of car strength and short-run ability.
The Southern 500, while no longer held on Labor Day is still looked at as one of NASCAR's biggest races. Darlington remains the place where, in 1950, an egg-shaped, awkward-looking asphalt track gave birth to superspeedway competition. Thirty-five years later, a million-dollar Chase by a man named Awesome Bill was another notch in the sport's belt that wrapped the racetrack into our national consciousness. Like golf's Masters, purists regard it as one of the sport's crown jewels.
"I don't know that I've had a win that feels bigger than this at this moment," said Matt Kenseth on Saturday night. Keep in mind, the former Sprint Cup champ has had plenty of 'em; well over two dozen, including two of the last five Daytona 500s. "There's a lot of tradition here. This is one of the most storied and historic races anywhere, not just in NASCAR."
To those Kenseth's age and older, that will always ring true. The key is getting a new generation to embrace it. Overnight ratings at Darlington, for the 18-to-49 crowd according to zap2it.com lost out to the NBA Playoffs on ABC. "The Lady In Black" can tear a Chevrolet apart, but the Knicks' Carmelo Anthony? He slam dunks right in her face.
It's a shame, as an initial marketing push for Darlington's May date designed to keep the seats filled has faded through the years, leaving the "Track Too Tough To Tame" a "Track Too Easy To Forget." For one of the most important races on the schedule, getting tucked into Mother's Day weekend on a Saturday night makes the race now seem lost, not loved. The importance of the Chase has diminished its overall worth on the schedule; right now, it's just another event, with no Winston Millions or even an extra $100 bill attached to the trophy. Having a track-position yawner of a race Saturday didn't help, either, as Goodyear seems like it's missing the mark here more often than not.
People say NASCAR has been losing its place on the national sports landscape for several years. Perhaps it's because of simple decisions like this one, making a race its most dedicated supporters love just another notch on a long, monotonous conveyor belt. While Kasey Kahne feels like he deserves an apology this Monday, Darlington is looking for something much more simple: attention.
FIRST GEAR: Gibbs vs. Hendrick, anyone?
The brief moment sparks flew at Darlington between Hendrick's Kahne and Gibbs' Kyle Busch could be a sign of things to come down the road. In virtually every category you could come up with, their two organizations — totaling seven cars — have put a whooping on the 2013 Sprint Cup field. Kenseth's win, earned when Busch had a right-rear tire go bad down the stretch, was his third in 11 races, a series high. Busch has tacked on two additional victories for JGR, as the teammates have combined for a series-leading 1,521 laps led – more than the next eight drivers on the list combined. Kenseth has been especially impressive, seizing opportunities (Las Vegas, Darlington) late in the race where others have dominated. And he did it this time with a temporary crew chief in Wally Brown, as Jason Ratcliff serves out a downgraded NASCAR penalty after an appeals court turned his Kansas engine issue into a blip on the radar screen.
Hendrick has countered with Jimmie Johnson, fourth on Saturday night and on virtual cruise control on top of the point standings. Winning twice, Johnson has just one result outside the top 20, remains a contender at every type of track and, this season, has avoided the sting of NASCAR's inspection process. Teammates Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon all look strong enough to make the Chase on points meaning 50 percent of the postseason field, at minimum, will be comprised of these two multi-car giants.
How dominant have these teams been? Just three of 11 races this season have been won by other organizations, and each can easily be explained away. Carl Edwards took Phoenix for Roush Fenway Racing in the second Gen-6 race, where rock hard tires meant no passing and track position roulette. Kevin Harvick captured Richmond for Richard Childress Racing, but he led just three laps in a bizarre, roll-the-dice green-white-checker ending. And David Ragan's Talladega triumph last week? We know how much that race acts like your state's lottery number machine.
So it's clear that on the Chase tracks where handling, horsepower and head wrenches actually make the difference, HMS and JGR stand head and shoulders above the rest. With the season nearly halfway complete, it's time for everyone else to start stepping up.
1. Darlington celebrates a pair of 10-year milestones, good and bad
Darlington Raceway is the first place NASCAR ever raced on pavement, all the way back on Sept. 4, 1950. That event, the first Labor Day Weekend Southern 500, saw Johnny Mantz win his only NASCAR race as he beat Fireball Roberts and 73 other competitors by at least nine laps.
Saturday night's race will also be known as the Southern 500, but it'll mark the 10th season of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing at Darlington without the race being held on the traditional end of summer weekend. NASCAR's shift of that race initially to a November date in 2004 and then completely off the schedule in favor of a second Auto Club Speedway race in 2005 remains one of its most controversial decisions of the past decade.
The race name returned to Darlington for the now-annual Mother's Day weekend race, but much of a the tradition hasn't. The Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend carried a certain swagger thanks to its holiday weekend placement and typically unforgiving daytime temperatures. It was a race every driver wanted to win thanks mostly to the cachet it awarded.
Saturday night's race also marks the 10th season since Darlington produced arguably the most riveting finish in the last decade, if not further. During the 400-mile 2003 spring race, Kurt Busch and Ricky Craven bounced off one another for much of the final three laps. Their tires worn and their cars growing ever more damaged, the pair came together for a final time exiting Turn 4 on the final lap.
Craven nipped Busch at the line by .002 seconds — a mark tied for the closest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finish in history.
2. Denny Hamlin's big return
Denny Hamlin's return to the driver's seat of his No. 11 a week ago at Talladega Superspeedway was short-lived, a bit contrived and ultimately unsuccessful in helping him claw back toward Chase for the Sprint Cup competition. Friday at Darlington, however, should mark the return of a full-time Hamlin to the series following his back injury at Auto Club Speedway on March 24.
He couldn't return to a better track, personally. Hamlin has a sterling average finish of 5.9 on the egg-shaped oval, and has led more than 50 laps in three of his seven Darlington starts. To follow up his career-worst 13th-place Darlington finish in 2009, Hamlin responded with his only win there in 2010.
Last year, Hamlin led 56 laps before falling to Jimmie Johnson by .781 seconds.
Saturday night's start marks the beginning of a critical stretch for Hamlin if he wants to bounce back from missing four starts so far in 2013 and qualify for the season's title fight. He's now 31st in points, 76 points behind 20th place and a possible wild card birth.
Should Hamlin nab a couple of wins and get inside the top 20 by Richmond in September, he'd be in excellent position to continue his seven-year streak of Chase qualifications.
"There is a formula," Hamlin said. "When this happened and we started figuring things out of missing races, if we just did what we did last year we would make it. But nothing is a given."
The 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit heads to venerable Darlington Raceway for the Bojangles' Southern 500 on Saturday evening. To help guide you through the 2013 Fantasy NASCAR season, Athlon Sports contributor Geoffrey Miller will be offering his best predictions for each race. And because Yahoo's Fantasy Auto Racing game is arguably the most popular, he'll break down the picks according to its NASCAR driver classes — A-List, B-List, C-List.
So, without further ado, Geoffrey's fantasy predictions for Darlington ranked according to each driver's likelihood of taking the checkered flag — or at least surviving an evening of dancing with the Lady in Black.
1. Jeff Gordon
The four-time champ survived two wrecks at Talladega to squeak out an 11th-place finish. In Darlington, he hits a track where he leads all active drivers with seven wins and 18 top 5s. In the last eight Darlington races, Gordon has a series-high average position of 8.3.
2. Jimmie Johnson
How will Jimmie screw up Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s race this week? He could do it by replicating 2012 at Darlington when he led 134 laps and took the checkered flag. His two other Darlington wins came back-to-back in 2004.
3. Kasey Kahne
Kahne has yet to score a Darlington win, but he's done something nearly as impressive: Kahne has finished all 10 of his Darlington starts. We'll see if Kyle Busch has anything to say about that statistic Saturday night.
4. Matt Kenseth
All 19 of Matt Kenseth's Darlington starts have netted him a mediocre average finish of 17th, but those were also in Roush Fenway Racing cars. How will the Joe Gibbs Racing setups treat one of the strongest drivers on the circuit?
5. Denny Hamlin
He's been better than Gordon in the last seven Darlington races, but it's still not clear if Hamlin will finish Saturday night's race. That makes you wonder if he can grab top 10 No. 7 at Darlington — a feat he's accomplished in 85 percent of his starts there.
6. Kevin Harvick
NASCAR's self-proclaimed lame duck has averaged 223 laps per race in the top 15 in his last eight Darlington starts, but has just two top-5 finishes and zero wins.
7. Brad Keselowski
Keselowski's never led a lap in his four Sprint Cup starts at Darlington. That's probably legitimate because he hasn't taken to Twitter to blame another competitor for the lack of performance.
8. Clint Bowyer
Bowyer's average Darlington finish is worse than drivers like Ambrose, Bliss, Montoya, Ragan and Sadler. His 11th-place finish last season was his first lead lap Darlington result since 2008.
9. Tony Stewart
Smoke has 20 starts at Darlington since 1999, completing 6,567 laps. He's never won, though, and has led a total of only 20 laps in that period. Combine that with his No. 14's performance in 2013 and … well, you get the point.
Denny Hamlin's much-discussed return to the seat of his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry became an afterthought at Talladega once Brian Vickers climbed into the seat and provided Hamlin with a paltry 10 points thanks to a crash-caused 34th-place result. Ouch.
Hamlin's actual return comes at a racetrack which he's enjoyed a fair share of success. His go-to tracks are commonly considered Martinsville and Richmond — rightfully, so — but Darlington Raceway has been a fixture in Hamlin's career, rooted in significance. The driver made his first NASCAR Nationwide Series start there in 2004 when, as an unknown aspiring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racer, he finished eighth. He's had the attention of the stock car industry ever since.
This weekend, it will provide another key moment in the career of a potential champion. Just the return from serious injury in any sport is a monumental occurrence, but in Hamlin's case, the track that he has chosen to make his full-race return might have bigger aspirations in store, so says this week's numbers.
5.100 Welcome back, Denny Hamlin. The driver of the No. 11 is returning from injury at a track where he ranks first in driver production with a 5.100 PEER (Production in Equal Equipment Rating).
The storybook ending is entirely possible, and no, NASCAR doesn't have to "rig the playing field" to make it happen. Hamlin is staggeringly adept at the 1.366-mile track. He is the only driver to score top-15 finishes in each Darlington race of the CoT era. This also gives him the highest average finish (5.8) in the series during that time frame.
27.58% Think Denny Hamlin can't make the Chase? Think again. He currently has a 27.58 percent probability of qualifying into the Chase via an automatic top-10 spot, which is the 16th-best percentage among 33 eligible drivers.
Yes, he's six spots out of a desired top-10 position, but it's unlikely, based on relevant past averages, that he'll qualify for the Chase in this manner (he is currently 31st in the point standings). His entry into NASCAR's playoff would be by way of a wild card spot. In order to land one of these two golden tickets, a driver must first be in the top 20 in points (which the probability suggests he will be by the conclusion of Race 26 at Richmond). Then, the driver has to have the most or second-most wins out of drivers that meet the prerequisite. Hamlin will have to compile wins and that realistically could start as soon as this weekend.
322 Kyle Busch has led 322 laps, the most in the series, in the last five Darlington races.
Leading just over 17.5 percent of the laps through a five-race span usually results in winning. It did for Busch, who put on a spectacular display of car control in the 2008 race. It's normal for Busch, who ranks second in Darlington-specific PEER (4.800), to lead a large quantity of laps, but he is strong in the finish column as well. He is one of two winning drivers to have earned three top-10 finishes during the CoT era.
RELATED: Fantasy NASCAR Picks for the Southern 500 at Darlington
Since it opened in 1969, Talladega has been NASCAR's racetrack of extremes. When right, the sport's decision to slap restrictor plates on brings out maximum excitement, the best opportunity for 43 teams to compete on a level playing field. Feel-good stories emerge, like the case of Bob Jenkins, a restaurant owner who has filtered more money into his three-car team just to run 25th, than most will make in a lifetime. Since 2005, he has toiled — once suffering through a season with more than 30 DNQs — and posting only two top-5 finishes in 403 starts prior to Sunday. The dream was to pursue a Sprint Cup victory, but a look at the stat sheet would point one towards financial self-destruction … or a man in need of mental help.
Now, Jenkins can point right back at his critics and towards a trophy that is rightfully his. Jenkins' Front Row Motorsports drivers Ragan and David Gilliland produced the first 1-2 finish in team history in the Aaron's 499, outclassing the Goliaths they race against through smarts and speed. At no other track — even Daytona, with NASCAR's handling package — would such a victory be remotely possible. (Previous best finish for this team in 2013: Ragan's 20th at Richmond.) It's the type of victory that brings attention to the sport, giving executives something to sell, potential new car owners justification to compete and the backside of the NASCAR garage a reason for hope. No one will change the way these men feel about plate racing now; heck, you could strap a parachute to the car at Daytona and they'd be happy based on the parity that gives them a chance.
On the other side of the fence sits Ryan Newman whose season, if not more, was mere feet from being cut tragically short on Sunday when an entire car landed on the windshield of his No. 39 Chevrolet. As chaos unfolded in front of him, Kurt Busch's Chevy entry landed, then rolled over Newman's car in the midst of a 12-car melee that's become all too common at Talladega. It's not the first time the driver has been in physical danger; four years ago, this nasty flip (LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxE1_VZkQKI) left the roll cage bent mere inches from his head.
"We had a race here in the spring, complaining about cars getting airborne," Newman said then. "I wish NASCAR would do something. That's not what anyone wants to see."
Four years later, he's saying the same words again, this time more viciously after not feeling that NASCAR has lifted a finger on the rules. No one will change the way Newman feels about plate racing now, he just doesn't want himself or a competitor to end up dead.
Talladega. The land of extremes, where guilt, grief, miracles, merriment, disaster, disgust, rage and redemption come together as one. It's why everyone is pushing for change, but as they do human nature makes it impossible to look away – keeping us in the same cycle forevermore.
FIRST GEAR: Two Davids snookered the field
Make no mistake, Ragan's slice 'n' dice to the front of the pack would not have been possible without two things. One: Teammate David Gilliland, sitting on his back bumper and not letting go until the two cars were sitting out front. Those feeling like the "push" of tandem drafting was completely dead need to take a second look on how these cars were stuck together like superglue down the stretch.
"I know he wishes that he was sitting in my shoes right now," said Ragan of his teammate, now winless in 232 Cup Series starts. "I kind of wish that he would have had a chance to win the race, too."
I'm not sure Gilliland cared much, though. His whole family was in attendance to watch Ragan's post-race presser, a sign of the teamwork atmosphere this underdog organization has pushed since the beginning. Fact: Ragan now has as many wins with this team (one) in just 15 months as he did in five full seasons driving for Roush Fenway Racing. Turns out all the money in the world can't buy that all-important chemistry needed for those moments when people need to bring out the best in each other.
"He was driving for a top-tier team, had UPS as a sponsor and when he left, he bought into what we were trying to do at Front Row," said Jenkins. "His expectations of himself and his team never changed. He didn't look at it as if, 'Hey, I'm taking a step down here, I realize I'm going to be a back marker.' He continues to expect a lot out of himself and a lot out of his team, and I think what happened is people bought into that and they followed behind him and we've seen results."
That belief system brings me to point No. 2: it wasn't shared by his Sprint Cup competitors. Go ahead, you have my permission to review that final lap. Notice how Matt Kenseth drifts up on the backstretch to draft with Carl Edwards as if he needs to stick with the No. 99 to have a shot. Had he stayed in the middle, the FRM duo would have been blocked and we'd be talking about a different winner today. As for Edwards, he just didn't see the freight train until it was too late, taking a prime opportunity to win a plate race away from a man who's been victimized far too often there.
"David just got us," Edwards said. "He did his job. As long as I'm not upside down, in the fence, it was pretty clean."
For an organization who, just a few weeks ago stated they needed extra sponsorship for several races the outcome at Talladega was nothing short of incredible.
SECOND GEAR: Is it all getting to Brad Keselowski?
One driver, though, was crying foul over Ragan's miracle moment. Brad Keselowski, in several tweets after the race, felt his rival lined up in the wrong lane for the final restart. Several photos showed the cars trying to pass each other for position on the backstretch under yellow before NASCAR made the final call as to where Keselowski, Scott Speed and Ragan would line up. The verdict was Speed eighth, Keselowski ninth and Ragan 10th based on where they were at the last scoring loop when the caution came out. Were they right? Judge for yourself at the 2:42 mark of this clip. My take is that's it's far too close to call.
Either way, Keselowski was presumptuous to predict one change in lane would have earned him a victory – or cost Ragan one. Plate races are so unpredictable that you'll get 1,000 different endings per 1,000 green-white-checker finishes. I just wonder, after a disappointing 15th-place finish, whether pressure is starting to get to the reigning champ. The final appeal for his Penske team is Tuesday, where 25 points and suspensions of his top four crew members appear imminent. Winless this season, he's also posted back-to-back finishes outside the top 10 for the first time since Michigan and Sonoma last June. Every superstar, no matter his or her mental strength, goes through adversity; now might be Keselowski's time, sitting fifth in points with just a single lap led over the last six events.
He just didn't have to drag David Ragan into his own psychological hell.
THIRD GEAR: The racing was … what it was
I know. It sounds like a copout. Well, if you ask Newman, who joined Busch in the ranks of "Big One" Demolition Derbys, NASCAR racing here needs to be thrown in the trash bin:
"I am doing this interview to let everybody know I'm alright," said Newman, who if NASCAR has any consistency (Denny Hamlin, anyone?) will be fined for the comments that follow. "They can build safer race cars, they can build safer walls. But they can't get their heads out of their asses far enough to keep them on the race track, and that's pretty disappointing. I wanted to make sure I get that point across. Y'all can figure out who 'they' is. That's no way to end a race ... I mean, you got what you wanted, but poor judgment and running in the dark and running in the rain."
To be fair, most didn't share the driver's sentiment about the conditions of the track itself down the stretch. Only sprinkles could be felt in the final minutes and, while dark, the race ended earlier than the Nationwide Series event the day before. It's the other part of Newman's diatribe — the plate package — that would be under greater scrutiny if not for Ragan's headline-saving win. I felt like Dale Earnhardt Jr. put it best:
"I don't really know," he said. "I don't know – I thought it was alright, I guess."
A classic "C, C+" type of response, and clearly not what NASCAR wants out of one of its fan-favorite facilities, especially after Earnhardt raved about the racing in Daytona. But that's the truth. 30 lead changes were the least since 2002, when Earnhardt laid waste to the field. The draft, while handling multiple grooves unlike its sister track, had a tendency to "stop 'n' start." There would be times when drivers would get stir crazy, and others — like for 30 laps after the rain delay — where they fell in line and passed the time.
It still seemed like, apart from the final lap, the line that had the most cars could make a difference, with the outside groove still holding a substantial edge. There's work to be done here, although different rules can only do so much. Drivers are smarter. They know nothing matters at these races until less than 20 laps to go. Trying to force them to stay aggressive in the wake of what happened to Newman and Busch is like throwing them in the lion's den and asking them to play.
1. Should Denny Hamlin really return this weekend?
Denny Hamlin will likely start Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway, his first since his back injury in March at Fontana. He's not expected to finish, much less make it past lap 20. Still, he's hoping it will help his Chase for the Sprint Cup odds.
Simultaneously, the idea is both genius and insane.
Hamlin only received clearance from both his personal doctors and NASCAR officials Thursday to actually get in the car this weekend. He and the No. 11 team initially plan to take advantage of the NASCAR scoring rule that awards championship points only to the drivers who actually start the race. In a Joe Gibbs Racing perfect world, a caution will wave inside the first five laps and Hamlin can come to pit road and hop out in favor of a relief driver. Hamlin will then be credited with the points earned by wherever the relief driver finishes.
Hamlin, who has been injured in a crash at Talladega before, doesn't want to further his injury at one of NASCAR's most wreck-prone racetracks. It's a line of thinking that makes perfect sense in NASCAR's point structure. But it also makes zero sense when factoring in how unpredictable that both racing and race cars can be. Even if Hamlin dropped a half-mile behind the pack at the race's start, there's still plenty that can go wrong in a hurry.
Because of that, it seems incredibly questionable as to why NASCAR would clear Hamlin to participate when he's fully acknowledged he's not prepared to run the whole race. Points about the strategy making a mockery of the sport aside, Hamlin seems to face some legitimate danger of only making his back injury worse.
Talladega, after all, isn't simply a morning commute.
2. Talladega style of racing still an unknown commodity for NASCAR's new car
What can we expect to fill Talladega's 500 miles on Sunday? As of now, it seems pretty wait-and-see.
Much like Daytona in February, Talladega brings another first for NASCAR's new car. At Daytona, the over-hyped machine produced largely flatline racing for much of NASCAR's signature event thanks to myriad factors like cool temperatures and tires failing to show signs of wear. By and large, drivers were fine with the aerodynamic package — many felt more in control at Daytona than in years past — and only wanted to mix it up at the end when the money bell was ready to sound.
Talladega could easily bring more of the same, if only because these teams have learned that leading a lap for one bonus point isn't quite enough to get aggressive early in the race. The result of such actions is often abundantly clear at Talladega and Daytona and it takes the form of the "Big One."
Sunday's weather forecast also has the implication that it could limit the show's total product. Cool temperatures in the mid-60s are expected, meaning the track will have more grip in every lane. That reduces tire wear over a run and makes it less likely for handling to factor while racing in a pack. When handling is an issue, drivers often have little choice to start passing and getting a bit more daring.
One thing does seem sure for Sunday, however: Tandem racing has been largely abolished in the Sprint Cup Series thanks to the new car design with irregular front and rear design assemblies. If you're looking for that, check out Saturday's Nationwide Series race.
3. Harvick buoyed by Richmond success just wants to finish
Kevin Harvick was one driver who ultimately left Daytona Speedweeks in February disappointed with his luck in the Daytona 500. The No. 29 had seemed to assert itself as a pre-race favorite with commanding performances that became wins in the Sprint Unlimited and a Gatorade Duel qualifying race.
Instead he finished a lowly 42nd after being swept into a multi-car crash on lap 47.
"I like restrictor-plate racing, but our luck hasn't been that great lately on that style track. Last season, we thought we were going to have a chance to win coming to the checkers during the second races of the season at Daytona and Talladega, but we wound up coming in on a wrecker," Harvick said. "We just haven't gotten the finishes we thought we would at those tracks, even though we've had good runs."
Harvick followed Daytona with several races of mediocre to decent racing, but never looked like a contender to win. The late-race yellow changed that last week at Richmond International Raceway when Harvick benefited from a good final pit stop and a solid car to steal a win on a green-white-checker finish. He led just three laps all night.
Now inside the top 10 in Sprint Cup points for the first time in 2013, Harvick could continue his upward swing at a track where he's fared pretty well. Harvick's rate of finishing at Talladega is over 93 percent, easily the highest among active drivers with more than 10 Talladega starts. He otherwise has a win, six career top-5 finishes and 10 career top 10s at Talladega. You can also bet he'll find the lead at some point Sunday: he's led a lap at Talladega in seven straight races.
4. Puzzle pieces starting to fit for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing
Don't worry, you're reading this right: Juan Pablo Montoya dominated the closing stages of a NASCAR short track race.
Yes, Montoya, the road racing expert and otherwise decent if unlucky oval racer finally seemed to show some flashes of what we really expected from him in this, his seventh year of full-time Sprint Cup racing. Montoya ultimately led 67 laps and wound up with a third-place finish for his efforts after a late caution flag threw last Saturday's night's race into a dizzying finale of pit stops and track position.
It was Montoya's best finish since a third-place run more than two seasons ago at Las Vegas. For Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing, the finish was its fourth of the season inside the top 10 after a 2012 campaign where it collected just five. Montoya's teammate, Jamie McMurray, may be the best candidate to tie the team's 2012 performance Sunday at Talladega.
Last fall, McMurray led a race a race-high 38 laps. A crash with just a handful of laps to go then took him out of the race and pushed him to a disappointing 34th-place finish. Still, McMurray has built a bit of name for himself on restrictor plate tracks in recent years. The 2010 Daytona 500 winner has a win at Talladega and five top-5 runs.
A win or decent finish for McMurray — he's now 12th in points — could have him pretty close to (if not in) the top 10 in the series point standings. A year ago, McMurray never was higher than 16th in points and finished in 20th.
The 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit heads to the Deep South this weekend to big, bad Talladega Superspeedway for the Aaron's 499. To help guide you through the 2013 Fantasy NASCAR season, Athlon Sports contributor Geoffrey Miller will be offering his best predictions for each race. And because Yahoo's Fantasy Auto Racing game is arguably the most popular, he'll break down the picks according to its NASCAR driver classes — A-List, B-List, C-List.
So, without further ado, Goeffrey's fantasy predictions for Talaldega ranked according to each driver's likelihood of taking the checkered flag — or at least finishing toward the front:
1. Matt Kenseth
Kenseth has the most laps in the top-15 during the last 16 Talladega races of any driver (63 percent) and he's the defending track winner. Of course, that was before the whole "three grams" incident.
2. Clint Bowyer
No one has scored more points at Talladega in the last 10 races than NASCAR's favorite Kansan. Seven career Talladega top 10s with two wins in 14 starts isn't shabby, either. He might even stop by your Talladega infield party.
3. Brad Keselowski
Two wins, three top 5s and six top 10s in his last eight Talladega races. Oh, and he's back in that familiar Blue Deuce instead of that bad luck red Richmond car.
4. Kevin Harvick
Don't sleep on how good Harvick and that No. 29 were at Daytona. Talladega's a great place to continue his anti-lame duck crusade.
5. Jimmie Johnson
Johnson basically has a whole race on the rest of the field in the point standings and, after Richmond, an angry Chad Knaus. Doesn't have a top 5 at Talladega since his win in 2011.
6. Jeff Gordon
Six-time Talladega winner seems to have gotten really good at making the wrong move just in time for the checkered flag at restrictor plate tracks. Still, how much can you bet against the sport's active Talladega wins and top-5 finishes leader?
7. Tony Stewart
He'll certainly block someone on Sunday, causing a stink thanks to his outspoken anti-blocking crusade of late. It's a bit hard to believe Stewart has just one top-15 finish at 'Dega since leaving Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008.
8. Kasey Kahne
He might have an average Talladega finish of 20.3, but his last three Talladega races have produced a slightly better average of 7.3.
9. Denny Hamlin
Even if starts the race, he's not finishing it thanks to the back issues. Still, if you pick Hamlin, he starts the race, and then his substitute driver pulls off a miracle, you'll get full points Sunday. Of all the places it could happen, Talladega is it.
Let's say you're a gambler. Parading across the casino floor, you feast your eyes on the roulette wheel. It's noted next to the wheel that the last five spins have landed on black. Your chips are now burning a hole through your pocket because you know that the next spin is due to land on red. You throw your chips down, bet on red and as the wheel once again lands on black, you're filled with confusion. What just happened?
You're a sucker. That's what happened.
Each individual spin of the roulette wheel is independent of all other spins, meaning what happened in prior spins has no effect on the current spin or future spins. Trusting previous spins is fool's gold. You know what else is foolish? Trusting previous races to determine when cautions come out and how many cars get collected. This is actually something that crew chiefs do, but it is flawed logic. A caution-filled race one year can be a green-flag feeding frenzy the next, at the same track … unless we're discussing Talladega Superspeedway.
The 2.66-mile restrictor plate track is its own behemoth. Watching races on television don't do the beast any justice. It's wide, fast and scary as hell. It's Daytona if Daytona took performance-enhancing drugs.
5 of 9+ Dating back to 2010, there have been five crashes that included nine cars or more in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega.
This is probably the best running definition of "the big one." In the last six races at Talladega, there have been five big ones. The numbers are sort of deceiving, though. The crashes aren't spread out; those five crashes spanned just three races, meaning half of the races in that time frame didn't have a crash that wadded up the majority of the field. Contrary to what you'll hear on television this weekend, a giant field-cutting wreck isn't a matter of when. The big one is a matter of if.
18 of 2 to 6 In the last six Talladega races, there have been 18 multi-car crashes consisting of six cars or less.
We'll call these the ankle biters. The big one has given away to a plethora of mini multi-car crashes that swoop in and eliminate around 12 percent of the field at any given time. Want to know why the big one hasn't been a big concern the past three years? It has to do with these types of crashes, the ones that systematically eliminate the competition to a point where there aren't enough cars remaining to actually have a giant crash.
Now, let's be careful here. This isn't a trend. A crash is something that occurs when a driver error or mechanical malfunction happens. A trend would read as follows:
"Driver A is going to become aero loose, overcorrect himself, crash, and take out 12.7 cars."
That thought is wrong in so many ways. At Talladega, where large pack racing is on the menu, a mistake could occur at any point in the race, triggering an accident. The magnitude of the accident is based on the radius and reaction time of the cars around the trigger. It's also based largely on luck. The best thing to do in avoiding accidents is to be out ahead of them, as we saw last year in Matt Kenseth's restrictor plate race efforts.
One of the knocks on NASCAR in recent years has been that it's too predictable Well, not anymore. Try telling that theory to Las Vegas bookies this week while they're busy recovering from heart attacks. In the final 10 laps at Richmond, you had a driver with 75/1 odds out front as well as a man who's never won a race on an oval and without a top-10 finish for 10 months. Moments later, the lead was surrendered to the equivalent of a 15 seed in the NCAA tournament — 100/1 odds, no laps led to that point in the season and no victories in nearly five years. Add in three types of tire strategies and a green-white-checker finish and you had a double-file restart where one of about 15 different drivers, many of them underdogs, had a chance at the win.
It's the perfect snapshot of why Richmond is one of NASCAR's best facilities, worshipped by both fans and drivers alike. In the end, that was the only predictable part after a wild week off the track; this .75-mile oval, every time out, forces us to focus on nothing more than what happens on it.
Once the dust settled, Saturday's winner could certainly relate to that theory as well. We delve into his shocking upset while shifting "Through the Gears" on Richmond storylines …
FIRST GEAR: And it's Harvick for the steal
There's a reason Kevin Harvick's nickname is "The Closer." Just two years ago, he won three races early in the season by leading a total of just nine laps. Saturday night's trip to Victory Lane was another classic example of how Harvick has a knack for stepping up late. Starting 17th, his No. 29 Chevrolet was a 10th-place car through lap 300. It took a little strategy — pitting off sequence than other frontrunners for four fresh tires along with one final tweak — to loosen the car up that gave them an extra boost of speed.
"We probably made more adjustments on the car than we've made in any race in a couple years," said crew chief Gil Martin. "But it was right when it needed to be."
So was the luck. While shot out of a cannon, climbing up to second during the final 50 laps, Harvick would never have passed Juan Pablo Montoya unless a final yellow flag, flown for Brian Vickers' wreck, to set up a free for all green-white-checker finish. The leaders, sitting ducks on old tires, were forced to pit in a move that jumbled the field. When the dust settled, after choices ranged from staying out to full-service stops, Harvick found himself on the inside line, seventh with four fresh tires while Montoya was stuck on the outside. That made the difference; when the cars came up to speed, "The Closer" had the room to throw his fastball, darting through traffic on the inside while Montoya wound up cornered by the wall.
"We were fortunate to have it all line up," Harvick said. "I drove it in there, hoped for the best. Figured four, eight, 12 … whatever was on the outside tire-wise would be plenty to lean on and by the time we got to the backstretch, everything had cleared out."
By the white-flag lap Harvick had moved up six spots, disposing of teammate Jeff Burton, and darted off to the win. His three laps led, total, tripled his total output in that category after a miserable first eight races of 2013.
That's why this win is so big. Harvick, for all his bravado about dumping the "lame duck" status, is moving on from Richard Childress Racing at the end of the season. Outside the top 10 in points for much of the year, his No. 29 team has been little more than a top-15 car — six of his ninth finishes, in fact, are between 12th and 14th. Making the Chase was far from a guarantee, especially when considering his pending departure. Now, he and a penalized Matt Kenseth may be forcing struggling veterans like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and the injured Denny Hamlin to capture at least two victories should they use up those "wild card" spots.
There are hundreds of pictures of totally insane and gross bodybuilders around the Internet. Some of them are real, some of them are fake, and all of them are ridiculous. Here are our favorites.
1. I wonder if he shops at "Big and Tall...And Insane."
2. Is it a good sign when your giant bicep is bleeding? (Short answer: No.)
3. Remember these scene in Men In Black whent he alien's head weas shrunk? Now look at the guy on the right.
4. Pretty sure he has that dog for protection.
5. "Does this bandana make my body look retarded?"
6. "Must...always...clench...everything."
7. Do you think he's looking in the mirror thinking "My arm is awesome." or "I've ruined my life."
8. I bet he was arrested by the GNC police for "forearm negligence."
9. I bet the guy in this ad for steroids is staring at his crotch and wondering where his testicals went.
10. According to Karl Lagerfeld, balloon arms are so 2011.
11. Just one question: How does he sleep?
12. Bubble man!
13. That's as far as he can turn his head.
14. Hey, wait, is that him sleeping? Question answered!
15. May want to chillax on the tanning spray, Chief. No amount of iron-pumping can take away your freakish face.
1. Beaten down Joe Gibbs Racing should come out swinging
Matt Kenseth suffered perhaps the most crushing penalty NASCAR has ever assessed that isn't a driver suspension. Kyle Busch has a strong memory of team mistakes killing his chance to qualify for last year's Chase for the Sprint Cup. And Denny Hamlin, the best Richmond International Raceway driver by advanced statistical measure in the last five-plus seasons, won't even get to suit up for Saturday night's race.
Joe Gibbs Racing hasn't had a good week, and it will be extremely interesting to see how it responds. Because it's Richmond, thinking that JGR will fold under the pressure seems almost impossible.
Since Busch joined the team in 2008, JGR six wins at RIR, just under half of the laps led (1,945 of 4,010) and 15 total top-5 finishes. It's figured something out in the .75-mile track seemingly beyond other teams. It might have to do with Busch and Hamlin sharing similar demands from a race car at the short track, unlike other Cup venues.
"We do like similar setups there, unlike other mile-and-a-half tracks or two-mile tracks where we don't run very similar setups," Busch says. "Richmond is one of those places where we both know what it takes to get around and we're both similar to one another in that we both run well."
Expect JGR to continue a streak more than a decade old Saturday night: having at least one car lead a lap. The last time that didn't happen? The fall of 2001.
The 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit up the road to Richmond, Va., on Saturday for the Toyota Owners 400. To help guide you through the 2013 Fantasy NASCAR season, Athlon Sports contributor Geoffrey Miller will be offering his best predictions for each race. And because Yahoo's Fantasy Auto Racing game is arguably the most popular, he'll break down the picks according to its NASCAR driver classes — A-List, B-List, C-List.
So, without further ado, Goeffrey's fantasy predictions for Richmond ranked according to each driver's likelihood of taking the checkered flag — or at least finishing toward the front:
A List
1. Clint Bowyer
Fourteen career Richmond starts. Two wins. Eight top 10s. Thirteen lead lap finishes. Don't tell me you're gonna pick against Clint freakin' Bowyer — in anything — on a Saturday night.
2. Tony Stewart
Smoke has the most points scored in the last four races at RIR, and is the only driver with four top 10s. One would think, because it's not a 1.5-mile track, that Stewart won't continue his early season stink.
3. Kevin Harvick
Harvick, twice a winner at Richmond, has led two of the last four races there. But he's only got one top 10 this year, and a grand total of one lap led. His 15 career top 10s at RIR are the most of any track on his Sprint Cup resume — even with Ricky Rudd stealing one away prior to a hood stomping in '03.
4. Jeff Gordon
In 40 career starts, he boasts the best average starting spot (7.9) of any current driver and the most Richmond top 5s (16) of all current full-time drivers. Oddly, he hasn't won there since Bill Clinton was president (2000).
5. Jimmie Johnson
Led just three laps at Richmond last season and his last win at RIR was in 2008. Most widely celebrated Richmond moment was when he wrecked Kurt Busch intentionally in 2011. More people have him on their Richmond roster than any other driver, though.
6. Kasey Kahne
Held off Stewart for his first career victory at RIR in 2005 before performing a miracle at the .75-mile track in 2011: earning a top-3 finish in a Red Bull Racing car. Average finish of 8.5 last year in Hendrick equipment, and potentially still has Richmond beef with Marcos Ambrose.
7. Brad Keselowski
As long Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans — still angry about him "causing a caution" that hosed the No. 88 at Kansas — don't run him out of town, Keselowski figures to be average in Richmond. Two top 10s last year were his best yet, but he's still never led a lap at RIR.
8. Matt Kenseth
One top 5 since 2006 at Richmond for Kenseth doesn't make Saturday night's race look promising. However, he did race unusually well at Martinsville, so perhaps the JGR equipment can help him again. Don't expect that advantage to come from the engine, though.
9. Denny Hamlin
Not racing, but still has a better chance to win at Richmond than most. Obviously, take a pass this week.
Size, speed, stats and awards don't matter if a prospect is Physically Unable to Perform. Here are biggest health concerns in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Matt Barkley QB, USC (Shoulder)
After suffering a sprained AC joint in his right (throwing) shoulder on Nov. 17, Barkley missed USC's final two games of the season and was unable to throw at the NFL Scouting Combine in late February. Arm strength was already an issue for Barkley, whose draft stock has plummeted from the preseason projected No. 1 overall pick to that of anxious prospect just hoping to hear his named called on Thursday night.
Jarvis Jones OLB, Georgia (Neck)
Jones was a freshman at USC when it was discovered he suffered from spinal stenosis — an abnormal narrowing of the spinal column. The Trojans' medical staff refused to give Jones medical clearance, going so far as to suggest he retire from football due to his condition. He was among the SEC's most feared defenders after transferring to Georgia. Now NFL teams must decide just how far they're willing to stick their neck out with Jones' medical risks.
Marcus Lattimore RB, South Carolina (Knee)
After missing half of the 2011 season with an ACL tear in his left knee, Lattimore suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his right knee on Oct. 27 last fall. Despite a decorated high school and college career — as well as the recent rehab success of runners such as Adrian Peterson — there is still cause for concern when drafting a back who has had devastating injuries to both knees in consecutive seasons.
Star Lotulelei DT, Utah (Heart)
A routine medical test at the NFL Scouting Combine uncovered an abnormally low ejection fraction for Lotulelei, whose left ventricle of the heart was pumping blood at a reported 44 percent, compared to the normal 55 to 70 percent. Rapid weight loss has been the rumored cause of the problem. Before drafting the versatile Lotulelei, teams will need to feel certain that the 320-plus-pounder has a healthy heart.
The NFL is interested in expanding its presence internationally, and the world is reciprocating by providing talent for league teams. Kansas City Pro Bowler Tamba Hali (Liberia), standout Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski (Poland) and Giants end Osi Umenyiora (England/Nigeria) are just a few of the many imports found on NFL rosters last year. Expect that number to swell in 2013, thanks in part to these four top prospects.
Every year the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series hits a stretch of the season in which it is premature to judge the championship hunt, but cogent enough to pinpoint problems with underperforming drivers and teams. It's an odd stretch, for sure. Through eight races we have seen some unexpected strong performances from non-household names, while also getting much of the same from the usual title-contending suspects, some of which you will read about below. It's been a crazy, competitive year that has provided plenty of statistical fodder.
As usual, that's why I'm here. Use this knowledge to increase your understanding of the sport, to strengthen your fantasy roster or to look the like the smartest NASCAR fan at any race-watching party you attend. I prefer the third option, but warning: you'll be perceived as annoying after a while. Resort to chips and dip if that happens.
For PEER and other metrics with which you may be unfamiliar, I refer you to my glossary of terms on MotorsportsAnalytics.com.
4.5 Busch's 4.5-place average finish in the last six Richmond races is the best in the series by three whole positions.
He also has three victories and five finishes of sixth or better in those six starts. He has twice led over 50 percent of the race (spring 2010 and spring 2011) and his lone win in a lean 2012 season for the No. 18 team came on the .75-mile track. With hometown favorite Denny Hamlin potentially still sidelined due to injury, Busch is Richmond's heavy-footed favorite.
15.7 Kyle Busch's No. 18 team holds the most inconsistent finish deviation (15.7) in the Cup Series.
In a season thus far bookended by finishes of 34th at Daytona and 38th last weekend in Kansas, Busch has scored five top-5 finishes which include two victories. The winning is good; never knowing when the fickle No. 18 will flip from Jekyll to Hyde isn't. After five consecutive top-5 runs, two crashes prompted by an ill-handling car highlighted his afternoon at Kansas. It's a good thing Richmond is next on the schedule, considering Busch ranks as the track's most productive driver, with a 6.250 PEER there in the last 12 races.
I'm wondering if there is a Major League Baseball player that played on a championship Little League World Series team and a championship College World Series team and a championship Major League Baseball team.
Which of my three favorite golfers — Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus or Tom Watson — has the most holes-in-one?
Two years ago, J.D. Gibbs came within a front bumper of stealing Carl Edwards away from Roush Fenway Racing. Then Ford's hot young star, Edwards would have bumped Joey Logano out of the No. 20 ride to the tune of a reported $10 million.
Turns out, that could be the best money Gibbs ever saved.
What happened? Edwards got a sweeter deal, including stock options from Ford, to remain at RFR, then came within a whisker of the championship (losing to Tony Stewart in a tiebreaker). But he's won just once since, stuck in rebuilding mode after losing longtime crew chief Bob Osborne, and hasn't found a full-time sponsor to replace AFLAC, causing multiple companies — and occasionally Ford itself — to foot the bill.
In the meantime, the money thrown at Edwards, combined with patchwork sponsorship for Matt Kenseth's No. 17 effort, made the latter ripe for the taking. JGR, with Logano still struggling a year later, grabbed Kenseth for an undisclosed amount – but likely a fraction of the Edwards price — saving backer Home Depot from potentially jumping ship completely. In the meantime, Gibbs' outgoing driver won once more before handing the keys to a car that desperately needed a veteran's help.
Where are we now, eight races in? Kansas' Victory Lane offers a clue as we go Through the Gears:
FIRST GEAR: Matt Kenseth could be Joe Gibbs Racing's missing piece.
Observers felt that Kenseth, looking for a fresh start after 13 years with Roush Fenway Racing, would click with the No. 20 team. But no one expected this type of start: two wins and six races led in eight starts for a team that's been downright dominant at times. A driver known for consistency as opposed to controlling races, Kenseth already has led more laps this season (482) than he did throughout all of 2012. And it's not like he was off the pace in his last year with RFR; Kenseth captured three victories, including the Daytona 500, and landed seventh in series points.
"I think it can always go better but things have been pretty good from a performance standpoint," was his comment on Sunday concerning 2013. "I'm really, really happy. I think as an organization one of our cars — if all the stars would have aligned — could have won every race this year if everything would have worked out."
Compare that to Roush Fenway Racing, which has half the wins and just 207 laps led thus far. How ironic was it that Kenseth's final on-track pass for the lead came at the hands of his old car, the No. 17 driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr.? Clearly, JGR got itself the better end of the deal, one it feels includes a leader within its stable of high-profile drivers.
For Kenseth, it's more that the pressure's off, with sponsorship secure and no mentoring needed for teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. The 2003 Cup champ has 10 times the experience than Logano, and add in top-15 finishes so far this season at every track that also hosts a Chase date (even Martinsville, once kryptonite), and it's clear this addition could bring not just the 20 team, but the entire JGR organization into serious title contention this fall.
SECOND GEAR: Kyle Busch is cursed by Kansas.
Everyone talks about Kyle Busch's newfound maturity. But the one person Busch still needs to see, fresh off an Anger Management appearance with Charlie Sheen, is a wizard. Kansas Speedway has been Busch's Achilles Heel, the one track where he has yet to score a top-5 finish and a place where he's been cursed for two-plus years. The spell was in full effect this weekend, as Busch wrecked three times — from practice through the race — en route to destroying two cars and winding up in 38th place.
"Spun twice on our own," he quipped after the race-ending incident. "Just don't know what to do with Kansas."
Maybe one extra apology to David Reutimann would be a start. That driver, angry over the way Busch bumped him out of the way at Bristol in 2010, chose to get his revenge at Kansas later that season — at a crucial point in the Chase — which proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back on Busch's title run. The Las Vegas native was wrecked by Reutimann, ran 21st and has done no better than 10th at the 1.5-mile oval since.
That remnant of "Old Kyle," along with the mental frustration attached to it, still comes out on The Plains. That needs to stop, considering this track's second date remains smack dab in the middle of the Chase.
THIRD GEAR: There is such a thing as too fast.
While Kansas put on a far better race compared to Texas a week ago, both experienced the same set of problems that hindered side-by-side competition. Average speeds in both cases were well over 190 miles an hour; straightaway speeds at Kansas approached 210. If NASCAR saw that high of a number at Daytona — considering what happened in February — restrictor plates would be replaced with parachutes attached to each car's rear end.
So why didn't NASCAR even blink at Kansas? For now, its answer to "slowing the cars down" is providing a safe, rock-hard Goodyear tire compound so that if a driver spins, it's his or her own fault — sort of a weird way to deflect blame. But considering that's exactly what's happening — half-a-dozen cars spun out on their own Sunday — isn't the risk failing to provide a reward? With the current compounds, cars can run upwards of 200 laps on left-side tires and have little to no falloff. That makes a car like Kenseth's the best all day unless you can nip it through pit strategy to gain track position, which limits passing and excitement for fans.
The Gen-6 car, when provided a softer tire compound, has proven to be racier than the Car of Tomorrow. Restarts at Kansas showed its true potential, with cars four-wide at times in the desperate battle to gain positions before everyone bottomed out at the same speed. The pieces of the puzzle are there, NASCAR just has to find a way to slow the cars and pair them with a softer compound tire so the drivers can actually use them to their advantage.
1. NASCAR honors victims, heroes of Boston Marathon explosions
Just as it did after the large-scale attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, NASCAR will serve in the role of honoring those affected by Monday's horrific events at the Boston Marathon. Beyond the expected emotional pageantry of Sunday's pre-race ceremonies at Kansas Speedway, two Sprint Cup teams with unique ties to Boston and its annual road race have even made plans to recognize and support the victims and heroes in various ways.
Roush Fenway Racing, the NASCAR venture tightly partnered with Boston's Fenway Sports Group, will carry a unique "B-Strong" decal on each of its cars this weekend. Team owner Jack Roush has also pledged to donate $100 per lap led by his team to relief efforts in Boston. Fenway Sports Group, of course, owns the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park and other Boston sports enterprises.
Meanwhile, Michael Waltrip will recognize his personal tie to the Boston Marathon by having each of his Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota's sport car numbers this weekend in the same font as the marathon's bib number system.
"The news coming out of Boston this week was very personal to me," said Waltrip. "When I ran the Boston Marathon in 2000, I remember thinking about what a privilege it was to be able to participate and all the hard work it took to be there. When you can see those international flags flying in Copley Square, you know you are about to complete your journey. I know the joy those runners were feeling at that moment when their worlds changed."
Undoubtedly, expect many in the garage to be sporting Boston Red Sox gear, too.
2. Streaking Kyle Busch hopes to avoid 2012 mistake
This season, when Kyle Busch has found the lead, there's been at least two times in seven races when he hasn't looked back. In three others — now good enough for a career-best streak — Busch at the very least hasn't fallen from the top 5 when the checkered flag fell.
A top 5 for Busch on Sunday would push that top-5 streak to six and, more importantly, overcome a major gaffe he had at Kansas just last fall. It'd also mark his first top 5 at the 1.5-mile track.
Busch was just about to assume the lead of last October's event on Kansas' newly-repaved surface when he lost control exiting Turn 4. He made slight contact in the process, but the damage was enough to steal any good handling from his No. 18. A later crash sealed his fate for the day in 31st.
"Hopefully, we have a good car like that this time around and I don't make a mistake like that," Busch said.
Busch, of course, wasn't the only driver to fall prey to a tricky Kansas track. The caution flag waved a track record 14 times in October — good for a series high among all tracks in 2012.
3. Martin Truex Jr. has had enough second fiddle
If you didn't sense his disappointment after Saturday night's race at Texas Motor Speedway, let's make one thing abundantly clear: Martin Truex Jr. is straight tired of finishing second. It happened again at Texas, and it happened twice last season at Kansas.
Truex was by far more dominant in the spring race last season before the re-pave, leading 173 laps. The Texas runner-up meant it has been 210 races since Truex won his only career Sprint Cup race at Dover in 2007 for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. If you'll remember, Truex's win that day came in a Monday race after a Sunday washout and was overshadowed by antics between Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart that left both wrecked and Busch parked by NASCAR.
See why Truex might be a bit tired of playing back-up?
"We had a good run in (Las) Vegas, and ran well at Texas," Truex said this week, more removed from his disappointing Saturday night. "It seems like our mile-and-a-half, big track program is pretty good and kind of like Kansas, so (I) look forward to going there."
4. Almirola returns to site of best career Sprint Cup run
Predictions for Aric Almirola to run well in the season's first 1.5-mile track race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway fell way short, but a very solid seventh-place finish last weekend at Texas should bode quite well for the No. 43.
Leading 69 laps in last fall's Cup return to Kansas, Almirola fell out of contention from the lead when he began suffering tire issues. Eventually, despite turning the race's second fastest laps and proving to be a top-5 car by speed both early and late in green flag runs, a tire exploded on Almirola and put him in the Turn 4 wall.
He finished 29th.
It was both a glimmer of hope and a knotting defeat for the underdog Richard Petty Motorsports team. Almirola, still searching for his first career win and just his third career top-5 finish, admittedly hasn't stopped thinking about a return.
"I've been looking forward to Kansas since last October when we left there. We were so good last fall. To have it all taken away with some blown tires really stung," Almirola said.
A solid run at Kansas would be extra nice for Almirola due to sponsor Farmland being headquartered nearby. He'll do battle in a brand new chassis built by RPM.
Brad Keselowski and Paul Wolfe traveled to The White House recently, as part of the recognition for winning the 2012 Sprint Cup championship. As it is, it might be the last time Keselowski and Wolfe do much celebrating for a while. NASCAR found the rear end housings in both the No. 2 and No. 22 Penske Fords to be "not within the spirit of the rules" – whatever that means. Actually, what it really means is both Keselowski and Joey Logano are docked 25 points and will be without their crew chiefs (each fined $100,000), car chiefs and team manager for the next six weeks – pending their appeal. While crew chiefs bear the brunt of being put across NASCAR's knee, drivers are not immune as well. Let's take a look at the 10 most memorable NASCAR driver punishments.
10. Dale Earnhardt Sr. – Coca-Cola 600 1993 – Held 1 lap for rough driving
There was a time when even "The Intimidator" got a little too rowdy for NASCAR's liking. As this clip shows, Earnhardt got a little close to Greg Sacks on the 1993 Coca-Cola 600, causing him to spin off Turn 4. Earnhardt was held one lap for rough driving, much to the chagrin of an animated Richard Childress. Check out the tint job on that No. 3 car. Just what does Lumina mean anyway? Loosely translated, it means 1993 Champion and eventual winner of the Coke 600 despite spotting the field a lap. For Earnhardt, this penalty wasn't so much a punishment as it was a slap on wrist.
9. Kyle Busch – AAA 500 – Held 3 laps for speeding on pit road/unsportsmanlike conduct
Kyle Busch and the No. 18 team put a hurtin' on 'em last Saturday night at Texas, but it was a different story during the 2010 Chase. Recovering from a spin in the AAA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, Busch was penalized a lap for speeding for what NASCAR took as him keeping from going to go a lap down. After initially refusing to come in, then going Walter Sobchak and invoking Constitutional rights, Kyle gave the official working his pit double No. 1's — and earned himself an additional two laps in the Hole. Earmuffs …
8. Greg Biffle – 1999 Truck Series Championship – Intake manifold, 125-point fine
The Biff has been with the Cat in the Hat ever since the late Benny Parsons told Jack Roush he needed to take a look. During the 1999 Truck Series season, Biffle was in a tight points battle with Jack Sprague and Dennis Setzer, with Biffle having just won his ninth race of the season at Las Vegas – the biggest payout race of the season. He came into the race with a 125-point lead and left with a 10-point deficit to Sprague. The reason? An issue with the intake manifold – one Biffle and crew chief Randy Goss maintained was an off the shelf part they had been using all season long. The fine proved costly, as Biffle lost the championship by a scant 8 points. Biffle would rebound to win the Truck Series title in 2000, and his nine-win '99 season remains a record in the series to this day.
7. Robby Gordon – 2007 Pennsylvania 500 – Suspended one race for disregarding a black flag
I've always said that NASCAR would be a better place if it had more drivers like Robby Gordon. He's a throwback if there ever was one, leaving the comfy confines of RCR to start his own team in 2005. You'd be hard pressed to find a better driver when right turns are permitted, and such was the case when NASCAR went north of the border in 2007. Gordon was running the Busch Series NAPA 200 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal when he got into it with Marcos Ambrose in the final laps, nerfing Ambrose and earning a black flag in the process. Instead of heeding a black flag, Robby kept his foot in it and assumed he had one the race. It was an awkward sight, seeing two cars perform victory burnouts – Kevin Harvick the official winner, and Robby Gordon who maintained that he won after the race. The next day, NASCAR suspended Gordon, not allowing him to drive in the Cup Series race at Pocono.
6. Kyle Busch – 2011 AAA 500 – Suspended one race for rough driving
What is it with Kyle Busch in Texas? It literally is checkers or wreckers with Kyle in the Lone Star State, and this incident with Ron Hornaday in 2011 is a perfect example. Truck regular Hornaday was in the midst of a title fight while Busch was running a truck for the team he owns with M&M's sponsorship on the tailgate. On lap 15, Hornaday gets loose going around a lap truck, and forces Busch up into the wall. The caution comes out and Busch retaliates, driving Hornaday head-on into the wall, ending his night and title hopes. NASCAR parked Busch for the Cup race two days later in the middle of the Chase, was fined by his own team and received a final warning from sponsor M&M's. Irony of ironies, Hornaday lost it and did the exact same thing this weekend at Rockingham to rookie Darrell Wallace Jr. who was driving the No. 54 Toyota that is normally Busch's for Nationwide duty – but was a Joe Gibbs Racing truck. Oops.
5. Kurt Busch – 2012 Pocono 400 – Suspended one race for disrespecting media while on probation
What would a top 10 list of anything be without the best sound bite in NASCAR history? Kurt Busch had an up and down 2012 season. He was out at Penske and signed on with Phoenix Racing before the season started. They had decent equipment at Daytona, but wiped out four cars in the process. He had a top 10 going in the Southern 500 only to be felled by tire going down late — then engaged in a shouting match with Ryan Newman's pit crew. That incident landed him on probation, which is when this incident with Bob Pockrass of The Sporting News occurred following a Nationwide race at Dover. Kurt was seated for the next race at Pocono. I know Kurt hates to dwell on the past, but this is top 10 material.
4. Carl Long – 2009 Winston Open – $200,000 fine/Banned from competition until paid
They say you can't fight City Hall – and Carl Long is living proof. In 2009, Long was fined 200 points and $200,000 for an engine that was .17 cubic inches over the 358 limit – and down over 50 horsepower to the contending teams. The engine lasted all of three laps before Long was out of the event. Long was initially suspended for 12 weeks but was then reduced to eight; however since he has been unable to pay the four-year-old fine, he is not allowed to compete in the Cup Series in any capacity. He currently is a crew member in the Nationwide Series, but is still locked out of the Sprint Cup garage until he can pay the fine for his long deceased engine.
3. Jeremy Mayfield and Aaron Fike – Suspended indefinitely for drug use
Two of the sadder stories of the past decade involve two drivers who were once considered rising stars. Jeremy Mayfield was one of the up and coming drivers for Ford in the late 1990s before defecting to Dodge to help establish the groundwork for its 2001 return. After public criticism of team owner Ray Evernham's personal affairs got him booted from the No. 19 Dodge midway through the 2006, he made a handful of starts for Bill Davis and tried to start his own team. In '09, Mayfield was suspended for testing positive for methamphetamine. He has endured a host of legal and financial woes since, but maintains his innocence.
After Aaron Fike was working his way through the Truck and Busch series in the mid-2000s, and was sitting eighth in points in 2007 when he was arrested at an amusement park with his girlfriend, cooking up heroin in their car. He later admitted to having competed under the influence.
2. Curtis Turner – 1961 – Banned from competition for four years after supporting a driver's union
Curtis Tuner is one of the most legendary figures in NASCAR history – more for the way he lived then for gaudy records or highlight-reel finishes. He was a lumber baron who drove cars because he liked to, not out of necessity. His parties were the thing of legend, often taking a break just long enough to go run the race – and then return to the house to get back at it. In 1961 however, he was seeking to protect his fellow drivers by attempting to organize a driver's union along with fellow 2013 Hall of Fame nominee Tim Flock. This did not sit well with Big Bill France, who essentially banned both for life. The ban was rescinded after four years, during which time Turner built the Charlotte Motor Speedway – with the help of some creative financing and a Smith & Wesson to get the bulldozers rolling again.
1. Mark Martin – 1990 Winston Cup Championship – 46-point fine, Richmond
Under the new Chase points system, anything that happens in the first 26 races is often long forgotten by the time the final 10 events roll around. Under the system used from 1975-2003, it was a cumulative season-long fight with race No. 4 holding just as much value as race No. 30. In 1990, it would be the third race of the season that proved pivotal. A technical bulletin was issued that weekend with regards to welding and bolting a spacer plate to the intake manifold. Mark Martin's No. 6 Ford passed inspection on three occasions that weekend without incident. It wasn't until he won the race and Richard Childress phoned Bill France Jr., who was at home nursing a broken leg, protesting the win. As Jack Roush recounts, Childress made the claim to France, who was unaware of the bulletin and promised him that action would be taken. This was at a time when NASCAR was still leery of outsiders, and a Ford engineer who won championships in drag racing and SCCA road racing would meet that criteria — and Livonia, Mich., isn't exactly North Wilkesboro, N.C. Martin and his Roush Racing team were fined 46 points and $30,000. He would ultimately fall short in the championship by 26 points to — who else? — the No. 3 Goodwrench team of Dale Earnhardt and Richard Childress.
by Vito Pugliese
Follow Vito on Twitter: @VitoPugliese
RELATED: 11 Most Epic NASCAR Moments at Richmond
Kansas Speedway was the site for one of the weirdest races of the year in 2012. On a newly paved surface with an unfamiliar tire compound, the race offered drama (Jimmie Johnson crashing), comedy (Danica Patrick attempting to wreck Landon Cassill, but wrecking herself instead) and action (Matt Kenseth stormed to the front late in the race – there is more on this below – to scoop up the surprise win).
Statistically, one race is really, really tough for information-gleaning purposes, but we can try. There are a few hot drivers leaving Texas, one under-the-radar performer last year at Kansas and a driver with a lot to lose, desperate for a sound Sunday run.
For PEER and other metrics with which you may be unfamiliar, I refer you to my glossary of terms on MotorsportsAnalytics.com.
56.29% Kyle Busch is the most efficient passer in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with a 56.29 percent passing efficiency.
The winner in two of the last three Cup Series races is Busch, who also happens to be the most adept navigator through traffic in the new Gen-6 car. Ironically, Texas, the site of his most recent win, served as the only reliable race in which his pass efficiency was negative — 44.12 percent — but he started on the pole and averaged a 1.58-place running position en route to a fairly easy victory. Two of his three best single-race efficiencies, 56.25 percent at Fontana and 55.91 percent at Las Vegas this season came large intermediate tracks on which high horsepower matters, not totally unlike Kansas.
42.5% Martin Truex Jr. led his first laps of 2013 at Texas, pacing the field for 42.5 percent of the race (142 laps).
He didn't get the victory, but it was a strong showing for Truex, who has had a forgettable season thus far, finishing 24th or worse in three out of seven races. He heads to Kansas Speedway this weekend with two consecutive runner-up finishes, coming on both old and new pavement iterations of the track. There's a caveat to that, though…
10.09 He finished second, but Truex only averaged a 10.09-place running position in last fall's race at Kansas.
Truex is going to receive a lot of attention this week as a win favorite and a fantasy pick, but is the hype to be believed? He wasn't nearly as polished on the freshly paved Kansas surface as he was on the old track. That 10.09 was the sixth-highest average running spot in a race that was caution-filled and as jumbled as your run-of-the-mill restrictor plate race. He might very well be a contender for the win on Sunday, but he isn't nearly the lock as many will suggest.
128 Last fall's Kansas race winner, Matt Kenseth, didn't take the lead until lap 128. He led 78 laps on way to earning his only non-restrictor plate win of 2012.
I don't think anyone expected Kansas to be a 1.5-mile version of Darlington. There were 14 cautions for 66 laps, meaning 24.7 percent of the race was run under caution. Patience was key and Kenseth's approach to the race proved brilliant. None of the drivers that led in the first 100 laps of that race finished in the top 15. It's not a guarantee that this kind of craziness will repeat itself, but understand that early leaders clearly aren't impervious to adversity on this fast, frantic track.
It's hard to believe that last year Kyle Busch went a whole season and won just once in NASCAR's top three series: Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Trucks. Why? Two months into 2013, he's on pace to win 28 times across the board, lead over 2,000 laps in Cup and shatter any Nationwide Series record he hasn't already.
But it's the average start for Busch this season, on the Cup side, that's making the biggest difference. Armed with a league-leading 5.4-place average start, his latest pole became the crucial difference in a tit-for-tat battle with Martin Truex Jr. at Texas. That first stall, a huge advantage on any stop, got him out first on the race's final caution and made the last few minutes a coronation for a man who's come full circle. It was at this 1.5-mile oval one and a half years ago when a wreck with Ron Hornaday Jr. in the Truck Series got Busch parked, left sponsor M&M's questioning it's commitment and left one of the sport's most aggressive drivers at a crossroads with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Now? As we awaken this Monday morning, it's Hornaday involved in the middle of a Truck Series mess, accused of deliberately wrecking another competitor while Busch is sitting on top of the NASCAR world. Funny how things come full circle, right?
Let's go "Through the Gears" on what we learned from a weekend in Fort Worth …
FIRST GEAR: Texas + Gen-6 = Tough Sledding
You know when the biggest story of a race weekend is a sponsorship issue that is raised before the start of the event, you've got a problem. Texas, while giving us some decent racing back in the pack, was every bit the snoozer Fontana was not. The Gen-6 car, credited for improving racing at intermediates in 2013, seemed to take a time machine that morphed it back into the Car of Tomorrow. The second a driver claimed clean air, it was all she wrote, as Busch and Martin Truex Jr. combined to lead 313 of 334 laps. The aero advantage was so pronounced, Truex admitted afterwards that dropping back to second was too much to overcome.
"The race was over when we got beat out of the pits," Truex said. "The bottom was so fast for a couple laps and I was really worried, honestly, that I was going to lose second because Carl (Edwards) was on the inside of me. I was just somehow able to run (turns) one and two wide open and get him cleared. Just the guy that gets clean air is hard to get. It's hard to catch (them) in 10 laps."
Others, like Greg Biffle, used dreaded race-killer terms like "track position" and "aero" Sunday night on SPEED's Wind Tunnel when describing their struggles to move through the field. Even a flurry of cautions for what seemed like nothing — only three of the seven were caused by accidents — did nothing to tighten a field that, at the 450-mile mark, had only 15 cars on the lead lap. It's the latest reminder that the Gen-6 is not an automatic miracle worker; week-to-week, there will be some tracks where improvement takes time.
Texas is certainly one of those, which is unfortunate, considering its grandstand capacity produces a six-figure crowd. Goodyear would be prudent to hold a test there before the fall event in the Chase, to come up with a tire that has more pronounced falloff, produces slower speeds and helps reduce aero dependency. Too many drivers were running the same speed, lap after lap, with little chance of being able to gain on anyone else. That produces the single-file parade witnessed Saturday night that hopefully, fans won't be victim to much more.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Property to rent in Longbridge Deverill
£600 pcm (£138 pw)
2 bed barn conversion to rentThe Marsh, Longbridge Deverill BA12
A unique opportunity to let this 2 bedroom stable conversion/annexe set in quite no through road village location giving good access to A350 Poole/ Salisbury/ Bath road. More details
Note: Distances are straight line measurements
- Warminster (2.9 miles)
- Dilton Marsh (5.8 miles)
Marketed by Tab Lets, BA14. Call 01225 288307
Latest Longbridge Deverill property to rent
Zoopla is one of the UK's leading property portals, helping you to find property for sale and to rent and make smarter decisions when buying and renting homes in the UK. Discover information on homes in Longbridge Deverill by researching Longbridge Deverill property values, Longbridge Deverill house prices paid, our Longbridge Deverill property market overview and find Longbridge Deverill agents.


text:
Bewertet mit 4 von 5 Sternen
URL Link is a useful extension that works as described, however, it's use would be greatly improved by simply making text URL's appear and act as regular links. Yes there are other extensions that already do this, but I would love to see this functionality in Thunderbird as well, and with that additional function, this would be a great Add-on. Either way, thanks for making it available to the community.Diese Bewertung wurde für eine vorherige Version des Add-ons (2.03.3.1-signed) abgegeben.


text:
- 800.878.7323
New Hardcover
Ships in 1 to 3 days
More copies of this ISBN
This title in other editions
War of the Whales: A True Storyby Joshua Horwitz
Synopses & Reviews
Publisher Comments:
and#8220;Intimate and urgent storytellingand#8221; (andlt;iandgt;Chicago Tribuneandlt;/iandgt;), a and#8220;ripping real-life yarnand#8221; (andlt;iandgt;Tampa Bay Chronicleandlt;/iandgt;): The remarkable account of two principled men who stand up to the worldand#8217;s most powerful navy, in defense of whales. Winner of the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award and a andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestseller.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;I andgt;War of the Whalesandlt;/Iandgt; is the gripping tale of a crusading attorney who stumbles on one of the US Navyand#8217;s best-kept secrets: a submarine detection system that floods entire ocean basins with high-intensity soundand#8212;and drives whales onto beaches. As Joel Reynolds launches a legal fight to expose and challenge the Navy program, marine biologist Ken Balcomb witnesses a mysterious mass stranding of whales near his research station in the Bahamas. Investigating this calamity, Balcomb is forced to choose between his conscience and an oath of secrecy he swore to the Navy in his youth.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;When Balcomb and Reynolds team up to expose the truth behind an epidemic of mass strandings, the stage is set for an epic battle that pits admirals against activists, rogue submarines against weaponized dolphins, and national security against the need to safeguard the ocean environment. Waged in secret military labs and the nationand#8217;s highest court, andlt;I andgt;War of the Whalesandlt;/Iandgt; is a real-life thriller that combines the best of legal drama, natural history, and military intrigue.
"In March of 2000, on Abaco Island in the Bahamas, a group of volunteers surrounded Ken Balcomb and his wife and research partner, Diane Claridge, eager to learn more about the Cuvier's and Blainville's beaked whales of the Great Bahama Canyon. Panic ensued as one of Balcomb's assistants delivered news of a stranded whale nearby. Although the volunteers were able to free this whale and push it back to deeper water, they learned of numerous strandings on several islands, and the mystery, along with Balcomb's quest to solve it, began. In this gripping detective tale, science writer Horwitz recreates a day-by-day account of the quest to find the reasons for the mass strandings; their discovery of the probable cause — the U.S. Navy's use of high-intensity active sonar; the Navy's resistance and cover-up of their use of sonar in the area; and the drawn-out struggles between Balcomb, Joel Reynolds of the Natural Resources Defence Council, and the Navy. In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled that public interest lay in 'securing the strongest military defense rather than in enforcing marine mammal protection,' yet five years later continued research further solidified the position of various parties within the environmental movement that noise pollution poses grave threats to whales. Horwitz's riveting story illuminates the many challenges continuing to face environmentalists working with marine mammals. (July)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Joshua Horwitz is the coauthor of two books of nonfiction, andlt;iandgt;Wrestling with Angelsandlt;/iandgt; (with Naomi Rosenblatt) and andlt;iandgt;If I Get to Fiveandlt;/iandgt; (with Fred Epstein, MD), as well as a young adult novel and several childrenand#8217;s books. In 1990, he co-founded Living Planet Books, an environmental small press and nonfiction packaging firm specializing in books by thought leaders in science, medicine, and psychologyandlt;iandgt;.andlt;/iandgt; In 2000, Horwitz co-founded AuthorsOnline, a website featuring the homepages of award-winning and bestselling authors.
What Our Readers Are Saying
Be the first to add a comment for a chance to win!
Product Details
Other books you might like
Related Subjects
Business » Business Law


text:
To understand what the aftermath of a disaster like Hurricane Sandy can do to a credit union look no further than the $1.8 billion Municipal Credit Union. In the difficult days following the super storm, MCU members became increasingly frustrated and furious, sharply criticizing the New York credit union for...
Experts discuss lessons from MCU's issues. MCU President/CEO Kam Wong discusses what his credit union has learned not to do next time.
Experts discuss lessons from MCU's issues. MCU President/CEO Kam Wong discusses what his credit union has learned not to do next time.
New branches.
The Army's Golden Knights presented the ceremonial baton to Service Credit Union President/CEO Gordon during the recent 2012 Service Credit Union Boston-Portsmouth Air Show.
He was the credit union's first active duty military member when membership was expanded to include military as well as civilians in 1960.
Credit union-sponsored event attracts nearly 15% of Long Island population to beachfront event over Memorial Day weekend.
Kennedy already president, will assume CEO post from retiring Marshall Ellison on July 1.
The AFN deal will expand BizKid$ reach to military bases in 175 countries and to 140 U.S. Navy Ships.
Military installations in Germany and Kuwait also will have credit union-sponsored runs this weekend, all for the Children's Miracle Network.


text:
He just can't 'splain it
He just can't 'splain it
For the secomd year in a row I want to say Congrats to the Tigers and their fans fans here.(Sigh) Sucks for me but what are you going to do. 90% of the pro Tiger posts here during the series were classy and just fun ribbing. Only a couple were eye rollers and only one acted like a jerk. He enjoyed Jeter's injury and hoped more Yankees got hurt. Only backtracked when rational Tiger fans were like "WTF dude." Anyway, go represent the American league well. I'll be going into football only mode now.
its hard not to get emotional right now...
im gonna weep if we win 4 more.
I love me a Dan Dickerson AL pennant call.
Unfortunately the 2012 Tigers couldn't do this in Game 4...would have been cool to win again on a walk-off. NY just laid down tonight.
I'm rooting for the cardinals to the tigers can BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF THEM this time
World Series!!!!
Feels right:
Man, do I wish I knew how it feels.
SWEEP! TIgers headed to their 11th world series. Loving it! Eat 'em up, Tigers!
Say what you want about Leyland, but he's still enough the shit to stand there with his hand down his pants on national TV.
Fire Leyland!!! Lol.
Dang....Mr. I looks every minute of 82 years old. We better win this one.
He has had heart problems for years.
looks to have one foot in the coffin, better win it this year.
Oh no.....if Leyland turns on the waterworks I'm gonna, too.
Glad Leyland proved me wrong! Go get em tigers
always has been, people need to get off this guys back and realize what a great manager he is.
Jimmy Smokes has won 20 playoff games (and counting). Unreal.
Gats Win!!!!!!!!!!!!
Delmon Young Most Valuable Tree! MVTREE MVTREE!
I was hoping I wasn't the only one who caught that. If Mr. I is knocking on the door then the trophy presentation lady isnt far behind.
Congrats to the Tigers. Two straight years in the ALCS, and in the World Series again
Good luck in WS
Great win. I walked by a couple of bars on my way home from work and people have basically resigned themselves by the 4th inning. Tigers look really solid, and unlike in 2006 they'll know what to expect going forward. I kind of want St. Louis to win out so that they get the same rest/rust from the wait.
Series should be interesting - Verlander, Fister, and Scherzer have been dominant this second half of the season, and if Sanchez keeps it going I can't see how St. Louis keeps it going given the mediocre pitching numbers some of their guys have sported. And don't get me started about San Francisco, which inexplicably won that division despite, IME, not looking remotely dominant for most of the year.
We should get Muppets!
Now I need my young college friends to take care of unfinished business on Saturday.....
Jim Leyland has weird Sunday lineups. WEIRD. SUNDAY. LINEUPS. He must be fired immediately.
Hopefully this will be the start of a great weekend of sports. I'm flying tonight out of Vegas to go to the Saturday's game.
Best. .GIF. Ever!
Man, something must've happened off camera to really piss him off. Good thing Laird is there to calm him down or that could get ugly.
Here's to the beginning of a great sports weekend!
Growing up in the 90's, I never thought I'd see the Tigers be in the playoffs, much less in the World Series. Here's hoping we can come through this time
of the reason for your first post.
This game reminded me of game 7 between the Wings and Avs in 2002 and loved every second of both!
One of my favorite moments as a Wings fan. Sticking it to Roy and the Aves like that was a blast.... But Go Tigers!
Just got home from the game, it really seemed like the game was over after the 1st inning and the HR's were just icing on the cake. A special day to be downtown, I made sure to wear my "Fergodsakes" shirt underneath my Polando jersey.
I am flying back from the East Coast for games 3 and 4. Let's go Tigers!
Let's roar like '84 !!!!!!!!!
I missed the game but had a blast coaching the last game of the season. I'm a JV football coach and we put on a clinic tonight in a blowout. Good night all around.


text:
Status and Security in Southeast Asian State Systems
Routledge Studies in the Modern History of AsiaSoutheast Asia serves as an excellent case study to discuss major transformations in the relationship between states. This book looks at the changing nature of relationships between countries in Southeast Asia, as well as their relationships with other states in Asia and beyond. A diverse region in many areas, open to outside influence in many fields, but not without dynamics of its own,
Lost Debates, Forgotten People, Intractable Challenges
Routledge Studies in South Asian PoliticsIndia's explosive economic growth and emerging power status make it a key country of interest for policymakers, researchers and scholars within South Asia and around the world. But while many of India's threats and conflicts are strategized and discussed extensively within the confines of security studies, strategic studies and conventional international relations perspectives, many less visible
$49.49This is the first explanation and evaluation of Taiwan's defence forces and infrastructure. It examines not only Taiwan's armed forces, but also its Ministry of National Defence, personnel issues, and civil-military relations. This book provides crucial base-line data and evaluation of one of the major participants in an ongoing crisis across the Taiwan Strait that has the potential of involving
China, Europe and International Security
Interests, Roles, and ProspectsThis book examines the roles played by China and Europe in the domain of international security in the 21st century. Bringing together Chinese and European expertise on the Sino-European Security relationship , this book positions Europe - both the EU and the major national actors - and China in a global security context. It offers not merely an elaboration of the theme of bilateral security
Security Community in South Asia
Routledge Studies in South Asian PoliticsThe security relationship between India and Pakistan is generally viewed through a neo-realist approach of International Relations.. Treading on a different path, this book explains the rivalry of these countries by looking at the socio-cultural norms found at two levels, elites versus popular. Furthermore, it also conceptualizes a hypothetical India-Pakistan security community that could result
US-Japan-North Korea Security RelationsThis book examines the major security and related issues between the United States, Japan and North Korea (officially, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - DPRK). Although focusing mainly on current issues, this book also provides sufficient historical background to enable readers to appreciate the many nuances that have been ignored by policymakers, analysts and the media. Where
Globalization and Security Relations across the Taiwan StraitThis book presents an interdisciplinary examination of cross-Taiwan Strait relations and the complex dynamics at play in the region. Since the election of Ma Ying-jeou as Taiwan's president in 2008, the relationship across the Taiwan Strait—long viewed as one of Asia's most volatile potential flashpoints—has experienced a remarkable détente. Whether the relationship has been truly transformed,
Understanding Security Practices in South Asia
Securitization Theory and the Role of Non-State ActorsThis book explores the ways in which non-state actors (NSAs) in South Asia are involved in securitizing non-traditional security challenges in the region at the sub-state level. South Asia is the epicentre of some of the most significant international security challenges today. Yet, the complexities of the region's security dynamics remain under-researched. While traditional security issues, such
Rethinking Japanese Public Opinion and SecurityIn this book, Paul Midford engages claims that since 9/11 Japanese public opinion has turned sharply away from pacifism and toward supporting normalization of Japan's military power, in which Japanese troops would fight alongside their American counterparts in various conflicts worldwide. Midford argues that Japanese public opinion has never embraced pacifism. It has, instead, contained
Indian Foreign and Security Policy in South AsiaThis book examines Indian foreign policy and security relations in its eastern regional neighbourhood. Indian Foreign and Security Policy in South Asia conducts an in-depth analysis into India's foreign policy towards the three main countries in India's Eastern neighbourhood – Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh. In particular, it deals with India's role in the final years of the civil war in Sri


text:
Wounded Warrior Project Participates in Demonization of Firearms
Those who treasure our priceless Second Amendment liberties need to be very careful where we donate, lest we shoot ourselves in the foot. Anti-Constitutional moonbats can be found behind even the most seemingly benevolent enterprises, including the Wounded Warrior Project, as Tom Gresham of Gun Talk Radio reveals:
We were disappointed when the Leslie Coleman, PR director for WWP, said they couldn't come on the show … because we "are related to firearms."
"While we appreciate the interest in having a WWP representative on your show on Veterans Day we are not able to participate in interviews or activities with media/organizations that are related to firearms," said Ms. Coleman in her email.
Coleman pules that returning vets have used guns to commit suicide. Apparently they would prefer suicides to fling themselves off bridges or the tops of buildings.
WWP also disapproves of knives, refusing to "co-brand" with manufacturers. Vets might cut themselves.
Keeping guns and knives company on the no co-brand list are alcohol and pornography.
Despite the great work WWP does, the gun issue is not trivial, especially in light of the firestorm of anti-gun propaganda the media has whipped up in response to Sandy Hook. Gresham has a "No Shrug" policy that entails never doing business with any outfit that labels gun-owners as undesirables, because to shrug and take the abuse is to participate in a campaign of demonization intended to result in the denial of our right to bear arms.
Good thing WWP doesn't have a monopoly. There is no shortage of organizations that help vets.
On a tip from Chris W. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.
Also see...
Facebook62.5kTwitter74Email1 Considering how often we see horrific stories of animals being abused and murdered by sadistic monsters, it's a nice break to see the often unnoticed acts of kindness towards...Read More
Dave Blount
Related Articles
VIDEO: Pay Soldiers More Not Fast Food Workers Who Can't Get Drive-Thru Orders Right
FacebookTwitterEmail Eric Bolling has a message for the "liberal goon squad" of Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, and Bill Maher: let's
Vancouver Man Cites "The Biden Rule" Over Shooting
FacebookTwitterEmail As Obama once said "just words", meaning that words can have a big impact. (KOIN) A Vancouver man who
The Muslim Brotherhood Calls For "A Long, Uncompromising Jihad" In Egypt After Meeting With US State Department
FacebookTwitterEmail NoisyRoom.net It couldn't be more obvious to me that Obama and his Administration are in bed with the Muslim


text:
All about T'Pol
View Single Post
July 28 2012, 08:09 PM
Hugh Mann
Re: All about T'Pol
Yes, I know the women were overtly sexualized in the Original Series. However, if I'm not mistaken, the outfits were a concession to the network, and in the original pilot (The Cage), the women were dressed in pants that were the same as those worn by the men. Gene Roddenberry had no choice but to "sex up" the women if he wanted his series aired. Even still, by the standards of the time, the Original Series was quite groundbreaking in its treatment of women (Uhura on the bridge, for instance), and in the movies the women wore the same uniforms as men.
He aspired to a world of gender equality, and later incarnations of the franchise should have taken that further and made good on the ability to do what he could not, instead of selectively confining themselves to the boundaries set by 60's network executives whenever convenient.
Hugh Mann
View Public Profile
Find More Posts by Hugh Mann