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Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Why Nate Kaeding should scare the hell out of Chargers fans
Nate Kaeding of the San Diego Chargers knows what I?m talkin? about. Don?tcha Nate? Of course he does, except for the fact that he doesn?t. Kaeding has been giving San Diegans fits since he arrived from Iowa in 2004. Now on a personal level, Nate?s a pretty likable guy and a solid stand up dude. If he wasn?t, we would be hearing daily reports of disgruntled Bolt fans pooping on his lawn, because for all his likable solid standupedness, he has cost the Chargers some of the best chances they ever had at bringing home the gold.
Hamlin's truly chasing title now
Intensity ramps up. Tension mounts. Second-guessing begins.
But not for Denny Hamlin.
The driver known to be hard on himself, to dissect past racing moments and to painfully relive the setbacks from time to time has been vanquished to the past. Nowadays a confident, renewed -- and on-fire -- version of Hamlin strides into the track. And into Victory Lane.
Taking the checkered flag for the fourth time this season with a late rally Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway, is Hamlin making a championship-sized statement to the competition?
"I don't say anything -- wins are all that matter," he said shortly after his win.
He's right.
Perhaps NASCAR has a new closer. Hamlin not only masterfully steals the win in the final laps these days, but his back-to-back victories vault him into the top spot when the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins following next Saturday night's race at Richmond. Hamlin can now do no worse than end up in a mathematical tie for the points lead when the standings reset by virtue of his four wins.
He's stepping up and taking command as those around him falter. Three-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart finished 22nd at Atlanta -- his best finish in three races and his fourth straight finish of 19th or worse. Jimmie Johnson crashed for his second unfinished race in the last three outings.
The men trying to break into the field and battle him for the title are faring even worse. Ryan Newman crashed for the second consecutive race. Carl Edwards had an engine failure. Jeff Gordon ran well and was second Sunday, but that doesn't put him in the Chase yet. And Kyle Busch keeps trying to make a move, but falling off late.
None of these wild-card contenders carries the kind of momentum that makes Hamlin take note, and they will battle for one last wild-card berth Saturday night as Kasey Kahne seems to have the first of the two slots in hand with his two victories.
Instead, it is Hamlin grabbing the attention of the competition. Sunday night his team gambled on an alternate pit strategy that was foiled by a caution. Then it took command when Jamie McMurray crashed on the frontstretch to set up the final green-white-checker finish. The leaders pitted as everyone was close on fuel and Hamlin's team put him in front after the field entered pit road with Martin Truex Jr. in the lead. Throughout the night he'd been racing hard. He led often. He made up ground with fresh tires after returning to the track well behind the leader on those offset pit stops.
But he just couldn't quite make the pass on those runs late in the race. He'd already led six times for 99 laps but this race was easily in the hands of Truex, who had led 40 laps and was more than two seconds ahead of Gordon when the caution came out. Then Hamlin, who was running third, took charge when his team got him off pit road ahead of the field. He then held off the charging Gordon to take his second consecutive win.
And to take command of the title race.
He also helped his teammate, as he kept Gordon from getting win No. 2 and moving past Busch into the final wild-card slot.
"We realize, we've been doing this a long time, this is not easy, so you have to really appreciate the wins and enjoy them, and I think it lays a great foundation for the Chase, and I think Denny knew it, too, when he held off Jeff Gordon, he knew that gave Kyle a chance next week to clinch that Chase spot," team president J.D. Gibbs said.
While Hamlin says that he needs a teammate in the Chase, the fact is that he might just enter it with yet another win instead. Perhaps making matters even worse for his fellow title contenders, the pre-Chase segment of the season closes out at Richmond, a track where Hamlin consistently runs well and has two wins.
Will he continue to steamroll his way into the title-determining segment there?
And how critical is this momentum -- and the lead -- once the Chase starts? While Hamlin celebrates it, drivers like Brad Keselowski, who finished third Sunday, work to downplay it.
"I know the three wins we have, they just make you feel good and give you something to beat your chest about, but at the end of the day you still have to perform in the Chase and be consistent," Keselowski said after chasing Hamlin on Sunday. "He's in great standing . . . but he's going to have to fight just like everybody else in the Chase, and so are we."
Hamlin's proven capable of doing just that.
Throughout the season, he's enjoyed some stellar runs intermixed with setbacks (such as the two accidents, engine failure and suspension issue that sidelined him in races).
Nowadays, he's enjoying more of the first.
Suddenly, is looking like a title favorite.
And he knows it.
Can he close the deal this time? Hamlin came close before, but he dismisses the idea that this run might be haunted by the past. Dejected after finishing as runnerup in the Chase in 2010, he then struggled through the 2011 season. Hamlin no longer seems to carry the scars of his close call, though.
These days, he's only looking forward.
"In 2010 it was a pressure situation," he said. "You take those experiences and you being experienced is something that you can never take away, and it never hurts you. . . . I did an interview at the beginning of the year last year, and I said, 'Just put me back in that same situation any years down the road, and I promise I'll win the championship when we leave Homestead.'
"All I can hope is that I get that opportunity again, and if I do, I'm going to live in the moment, and I'm going to focus everything I can do to win that race instead of worrying about the outcome. I'm going to have a lot more fun and enjoy it. This year the race at Homestead is on my birthday, so I can't think of a better present."
But not for Denny Hamlin.
The driver known to be hard on himself, to dissect past racing moments and to painfully relive the setbacks from time to time has been vanquished to the past. Nowadays a confident, renewed -- and on-fire -- version of Hamlin strides into the track. And into Victory Lane.
Taking the checkered flag for the fourth time this season with a late rally Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway, is Hamlin making a championship-sized statement to the competition?
"I don't say anything -- wins are all that matter," he said shortly after his win.
He's right.
Perhaps NASCAR has a new closer. Hamlin not only masterfully steals the win in the final laps these days, but his back-to-back victories vault him into the top spot when the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins following next Saturday night's race at Richmond. Hamlin can now do no worse than end up in a mathematical tie for the points lead when the standings reset by virtue of his four wins.
He's stepping up and taking command as those around him falter. Three-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart finished 22nd at Atlanta -- his best finish in three races and his fourth straight finish of 19th or worse. Jimmie Johnson crashed for his second unfinished race in the last three outings.
The men trying to break into the field and battle him for the title are faring even worse. Ryan Newman crashed for the second consecutive race. Carl Edwards had an engine failure. Jeff Gordon ran well and was second Sunday, but that doesn't put him in the Chase yet. And Kyle Busch keeps trying to make a move, but falling off late.
None of these wild-card contenders carries the kind of momentum that makes Hamlin take note, and they will battle for one last wild-card berth Saturday night as Kasey Kahne seems to have the first of the two slots in hand with his two victories.
Instead, it is Hamlin grabbing the attention of the competition. Sunday night his team gambled on an alternate pit strategy that was foiled by a caution. Then it took command when Jamie McMurray crashed on the frontstretch to set up the final green-white-checker finish. The leaders pitted as everyone was close on fuel and Hamlin's team put him in front after the field entered pit road with Martin Truex Jr. in the lead. Throughout the night he'd been racing hard. He led often. He made up ground with fresh tires after returning to the track well behind the leader on those offset pit stops.
But he just couldn't quite make the pass on those runs late in the race. He'd already led six times for 99 laps but this race was easily in the hands of Truex, who had led 40 laps and was more than two seconds ahead of Gordon when the caution came out. Then Hamlin, who was running third, took charge when his team got him off pit road ahead of the field. He then held off the charging Gordon to take his second consecutive win.
And to take command of the title race.
He also helped his teammate, as he kept Gordon from getting win No. 2 and moving past Busch into the final wild-card slot.
"We realize, we've been doing this a long time, this is not easy, so you have to really appreciate the wins and enjoy them, and I think it lays a great foundation for the Chase, and I think Denny knew it, too, when he held off Jeff Gordon, he knew that gave Kyle a chance next week to clinch that Chase spot," team president J.D. Gibbs said.
While Hamlin says that he needs a teammate in the Chase, the fact is that he might just enter it with yet another win instead. Perhaps making matters even worse for his fellow title contenders, the pre-Chase segment of the season closes out at Richmond, a track where Hamlin consistently runs well and has two wins.
Will he continue to steamroll his way into the title-determining segment there?
And how critical is this momentum -- and the lead -- once the Chase starts? While Hamlin celebrates it, drivers like Brad Keselowski, who finished third Sunday, work to downplay it.
"I know the three wins we have, they just make you feel good and give you something to beat your chest about, but at the end of the day you still have to perform in the Chase and be consistent," Keselowski said after chasing Hamlin on Sunday. "He's in great standing . . . but he's going to have to fight just like everybody else in the Chase, and so are we."
Hamlin's proven capable of doing just that.
Throughout the season, he's enjoyed some stellar runs intermixed with setbacks (such as the two accidents, engine failure and suspension issue that sidelined him in races).
Nowadays, he's enjoying more of the first.
Suddenly, is looking like a title favorite.
And he knows it.
Can he close the deal this time? Hamlin came close before, but he dismisses the idea that this run might be haunted by the past. Dejected after finishing as runnerup in the Chase in 2010, he then struggled through the 2011 season. Hamlin no longer seems to carry the scars of his close call, though.
These days, he's only looking forward.
"In 2010 it was a pressure situation," he said. "You take those experiences and you being experienced is something that you can never take away, and it never hurts you. . . . I did an interview at the beginning of the year last year, and I said, 'Just put me back in that same situation any years down the road, and I promise I'll win the championship when we leave Homestead.'
"All I can hope is that I get that opportunity again, and if I do, I'm going to live in the moment, and I'm going to focus everything I can do to win that race instead of worrying about the outcome. I'm going to have a lot more fun and enjoy it. This year the race at Homestead is on my birthday, so I can't think of a better present."
Source: http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/hamlins_truly_chasing_title_now/11614465
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Power Ranking the Week 2 College Football Games from Worst to Best
College football's Week 1 left something to be desired. Apart from one or two games per day on Friday through Monday, there were precious few games even worth checking the box score for.
If this season was a drag race, the second week is akin to the exhibition drags between the headliners. While there may not be a "Game of the Century" in Week 2, there are plenty of games that should be worth recording to watch more than just once.
From a D2 school to major conference openers that will answer a ton of questions, here are the 72 games of Week 2 in order from worst to best.
*Factors that went into game rankings: Conferences involved and quality of teams playing, whether a team is in the Top 25, team storyline and (in a couple of cases) information gained from Week 1.
*Bleacher Report's Top 25 was used for the purposes of this article.
*Kickoff times from ESPN.com and are all given in ET.
Schwartzel not sure if he'll go to Indianapolis
Charl Schwartzel of South Africa birdied the last two holes to narrowly get inside the top 70 in the FedEx Cup and advance to the third playoff event next week at Crooked Stick. The question now is whether he will show up.
Schwartzel has been coping with a rib injury since the U.S. Open, and it has flared up again. Schwartzel told one media outlet he was ''doubtful'' to play, and another group of reporters that the odds were 50-50.
The Deutsche Bank Championship was his seventh straight tournament because he needed to get in his minimum 15 events to maintain PGA Tour membership, and the former Masters champion is on the edge. That was never more clear on Sunday in a moment that was replayed endlessly on television.
He already had made three double bogeys for the day - courtesy of a broken driver - when he had a 3-foot birdie putt on the 18th. It caught the lip and spun away. He went to roll that one in and it caught another lip.
''That was enough for me,'' Schwartzel said.
He barely waited for the ball to stop rolling when he swatted at it left-handed, and missed badly. He finally cleaned up the four-putt for a double bogey and a 79. Asked about the putt from the left side, Schwartzel said, ''At that point it was a blur.''
Each shot counts in the FedEx Cup, especially since Schwartzel came into the Deutsche Bank Championship at No. 71.
Part of the problem was his driver. Schwartzel said the shaft began to wear, and when his caddie picked up the bag on the sixth fairway Sunday, the head topped over. He did not have a backup driver, and when a replacement was brought out to him, he tried it on No. 14, snap-hooked it into the trees and made double bogey.
Schwartzel said if he skips the BMW Championship - he would need a top finish just to get to the Tour Championship, anyway - he would take a month off to rest and not return until the Dunhill Championship in Scotland.
---
MOVING ON: Chris Kirk was No. 81 in the FedEx Cup, needing a solid final round to get into the top 70 and move on to the next playoff event. This was not the start he envisioned - six bogeys through 13 holes against only one birdie as he tumbled down the leaderboard and seemingly out of the playoffs.
What followed was just as surprising. He holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 14th, and Kirk was on his way. He birdied four of the last five holes to barely advance.
''A little shocked that I put myself in that position,'' Kirk said. ''And then very shocked that I managed to dig myself out. It just shows how crazy this game is.''
He wasn't alone.
Dicky Pride birdied his last two holes to advance to the BMW Championship, keeping alive his hopes of reaching the Tour Championship. He knew he was close, but tried not to look at a leaderboard so he could concentrate on his golf.
Pride turned to his caddie on the 18th when he stood over a chip for eagle and said, ''Do I need to make this?''
''He said, `No, let's just play.' Which is what I was trying to do,'' Pride said. ''He helped me get back to where I needed to be.''
John Merrick needed an eagle on the 18th to knock Pride out of the 70th position, but it came up short. Jonas Blixt finished in 71st on the FedEx Cup and goes home.
Oddly enough, Pride, Blixt and Merrick came into the TPC Boston at No. 96, No. 97 and No. 98 in the standings. Each of them had a 6-under 278. Each of them moved up 26 spots in the standings. It was Pride, however, who got the last spot.
---
LONG LOST BROTHER?: Louis Oosthuizen stepped onto the ninth tee and heard a fan screaming from the front of the box.
''LOUIS! LOUIS! I'M YOUR BROTHER! YOUR LONG, LOST BROTHER!''
The fan had a slight gap in his front teeth, was wearing a cap and was very, very loud - so loud that Oosthuizen couldn't ignore him. He turned to look and broke into a gap-tooth smile, and was laughing so hard he covered his face with his yardage book.
So, was he a real lookalike?
''My caddie said he looked just like me, so I don't know,'' Oosthuizen said.
Rory McIlroy sided with the caddie.
''He did have the gap in the teeth, which I thought was so funny,'' McIlroy said. ''He was following us the whole way around. I thought there were a few similarities there.''
Except for the golf. Oosthuizen has a swing that is the envy of the tour.
---
HOMEWARD BOUND: Jeff Overton closed with a 68 and tied for seventh, his best performance since the first week of April. It could not have come at a better time. Overton needed a big week to advance to the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick, the first time PGA Tour players go back there since 1991.
Overton grew up in Indiana, played for the Hoosiers and can't wait to get back.
''I really wanted to play Crooked Stick all year,'' he said. ''It's kind of been circled on the schedule of things to do.''
Overton set himself up by reaching 9-under par going into the last day. He was safe, unless he had a bad final round on Monday.
''It was hard looking at it last night knowing you've got to shoot 3 or 4 over, because that's the last thing you want to think about doing,'' he said.
Schwartzel has been coping with a rib injury since the U.S. Open, and it has flared up again. Schwartzel told one media outlet he was ''doubtful'' to play, and another group of reporters that the odds were 50-50.
The Deutsche Bank Championship was his seventh straight tournament because he needed to get in his minimum 15 events to maintain PGA Tour membership, and the former Masters champion is on the edge. That was never more clear on Sunday in a moment that was replayed endlessly on television.
He already had made three double bogeys for the day - courtesy of a broken driver - when he had a 3-foot birdie putt on the 18th. It caught the lip and spun away. He went to roll that one in and it caught another lip.
''That was enough for me,'' Schwartzel said.
He barely waited for the ball to stop rolling when he swatted at it left-handed, and missed badly. He finally cleaned up the four-putt for a double bogey and a 79. Asked about the putt from the left side, Schwartzel said, ''At that point it was a blur.''
Each shot counts in the FedEx Cup, especially since Schwartzel came into the Deutsche Bank Championship at No. 71.
Part of the problem was his driver. Schwartzel said the shaft began to wear, and when his caddie picked up the bag on the sixth fairway Sunday, the head topped over. He did not have a backup driver, and when a replacement was brought out to him, he tried it on No. 14, snap-hooked it into the trees and made double bogey.
Schwartzel said if he skips the BMW Championship - he would need a top finish just to get to the Tour Championship, anyway - he would take a month off to rest and not return until the Dunhill Championship in Scotland.
---
MOVING ON: Chris Kirk was No. 81 in the FedEx Cup, needing a solid final round to get into the top 70 and move on to the next playoff event. This was not the start he envisioned - six bogeys through 13 holes against only one birdie as he tumbled down the leaderboard and seemingly out of the playoffs.
What followed was just as surprising. He holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 14th, and Kirk was on his way. He birdied four of the last five holes to barely advance.
''A little shocked that I put myself in that position,'' Kirk said. ''And then very shocked that I managed to dig myself out. It just shows how crazy this game is.''
He wasn't alone.
Dicky Pride birdied his last two holes to advance to the BMW Championship, keeping alive his hopes of reaching the Tour Championship. He knew he was close, but tried not to look at a leaderboard so he could concentrate on his golf.
Pride turned to his caddie on the 18th when he stood over a chip for eagle and said, ''Do I need to make this?''
''He said, `No, let's just play.' Which is what I was trying to do,'' Pride said. ''He helped me get back to where I needed to be.''
John Merrick needed an eagle on the 18th to knock Pride out of the 70th position, but it came up short. Jonas Blixt finished in 71st on the FedEx Cup and goes home.
Oddly enough, Pride, Blixt and Merrick came into the TPC Boston at No. 96, No. 97 and No. 98 in the standings. Each of them had a 6-under 278. Each of them moved up 26 spots in the standings. It was Pride, however, who got the last spot.
---
LONG LOST BROTHER?: Louis Oosthuizen stepped onto the ninth tee and heard a fan screaming from the front of the box.
''LOUIS! LOUIS! I'M YOUR BROTHER! YOUR LONG, LOST BROTHER!''
The fan had a slight gap in his front teeth, was wearing a cap and was very, very loud - so loud that Oosthuizen couldn't ignore him. He turned to look and broke into a gap-tooth smile, and was laughing so hard he covered his face with his yardage book.
So, was he a real lookalike?
''My caddie said he looked just like me, so I don't know,'' Oosthuizen said.
Rory McIlroy sided with the caddie.
''He did have the gap in the teeth, which I thought was so funny,'' McIlroy said. ''He was following us the whole way around. I thought there were a few similarities there.''
Except for the golf. Oosthuizen has a swing that is the envy of the tour.
---
HOMEWARD BOUND: Jeff Overton closed with a 68 and tied for seventh, his best performance since the first week of April. It could not have come at a better time. Overton needed a big week to advance to the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick, the first time PGA Tour players go back there since 1991.
Overton grew up in Indiana, played for the Hoosiers and can't wait to get back.
''I really wanted to play Crooked Stick all year,'' he said. ''It's kind of been circled on the schedule of things to do.''
Overton set himself up by reaching 9-under par going into the last day. He was safe, unless he had a bad final round on Monday.
''It was hard looking at it last night knowing you've got to shoot 3 or 4 over, because that's the last thing you want to think about doing,'' he said.
Boise State cheerleader tackled on sidelines
This video is amazing on so many levels.
This Boise State cheerleader gets tackled on the sidelines as a Broncos receiver attempts to catch a ball thrown towards to the end zone.
After getting up pretty quickly the cheerleader signals to someone on the sideline that she is fine and then she starts laughing hysterically…and never stops. Sidenote:In the slow-mo replay you can even see the tan lines of the cheerleader.
My favorite part of the video is the guy holding the green-shielded microphone, who looks like the creepiest guy I’ve ever seen.
This Boise State cheerleader gets tackled on the sidelines as a Broncos receiver attempts to catch a ball thrown towards to the end zone.
After getting up pretty quickly the cheerleader signals to someone on the sideline that she is fine and then she starts laughing hysterically…and never stops. Sidenote:In the slow-mo replay you can even see the tan lines of the cheerleader.
My favorite part of the video is the guy holding the green-shielded microphone, who looks like the creepiest guy I’ve ever seen.
Joey Logano to sign with Penske
Jim Utter from ThatsRacin.com is reporting that 22 year old Joey Logano will be joining Penske Racing next season. Joey Logano has been uncertain of his future at Joe Gibbs Racing since it was rumored back in early July that Matt Kenseth was already signed to the drive #20 Home Depot Toyota for the 2013 [...]
Source: http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/joey_logano_to_sign_with_penske/11619310
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