Monday: Hot tempers in Phoenix; K-State leads BCS
TEMPERS FLARE:
The penultimate Sprint Cup race turns into a circus, as the crews of Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer brawl in the pits after Gordon retaliates for what he considered a season’s worth of frustration. You can see video of the fracas here.
‘SPRINT’ CUP: The most bizarre part of the incident to me was seeing Bowyer hop out of his car and start sprinting toward…well, I guess wherever he figured Gordon would be. Cameras caught the entire dash, but you knew there was no way he’d reach his destination unencumbered. It was a real “Hold me back!” moment.
" I do think there's a squatch in these woods."
OH, BY THE WAY: Kevin Harvick won the race.
EVERYTHING ZEN? I don’t think so. The Lakers hire Mike D’Antoni instead of Phil Jackson, who apparently “was asking for the moon.”
NFL SKINNY
-Michael Vick suffers a concussion as the Cowboys rally to beat the Eagles.
-Houston improves to 8-1 with a win at Chicago.
-New Orleans hands Atlanta its first loss, 31-27.
-Peyton Manning and the Broncos move to 6-3 with a road win over Carolina.
-Baltimore sets a team scoring record in thrashing Oakland 55-20.
-Rams and 49ers tie 24-24.
-The Dolphins suffer their worst home loss since 1968, and it comes at the hands of a 4-6 Titans club.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
-Kansas State now leads the BCS standings after the weekend loss by Alabama, which falls to fourth. Oregon is second and Notre Dame third.
-Saturday’s Tech game at BC will start at 12:30 p.m.
-W&L will travel to undefeated Hobart in Geneva, N.Y., for its playoff opener this weekend.
NAME THAT TUNE
Suck it in suck it in suck it in
If you’re Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn
Make a desperate move or else you’ll win
And then begin
To see what you’re doing to me this MTV is not for free
It’s so PC it’s killing me
So desperately I sing to thee of love
Sure, but also rage and hate and pain and fear of self
And I can’t keep these feelings on the shelf
I tried, well no in fact I lied
Could be financial suicide but I’ve got too much pride inside
To hide or slide…
November 12, 2012 - 8:51 AM
It was really solid of Keselowski to make the comments he did about the Gordon/Bowyer debacle and the refusal by NASCAR to call a caution when there was oil obviously apparent all over the track. It brings to mind the allegations that NASCAR has a little bit of WWE in it – when they call so many cautions for ‘debris’ and not a single driver can spot any ‘debris’, yet for this one, NASCAR couldn’t see the huge trail of oil on the track.
If Keselowski avoids a finish at Homestead similar to Johnson’s in Phoenix, then he’s got his championship. Nothing is ever a given in NASCAR, though.
The return of Phil Jackson to the Lakers would not have been good. Jim Buss is determined to undercut Jackson at every turn. It’s pretty obvious Buss had control over the hiring of D’Antonio, who is a good coach, but NOT a defensive minded coach. The Lakers weakness was all about defense, not the Triangle offense. It will be interesting to see how their season plays out anyway, as Kobe Bryant is the most self-absorbed player in the league in… about a decade or two. His last 2-3 years will be painful for the franchise.
Blues Traveler, Hook…good song, and good group.
looks like barring shenanigans, five-time won’t take home the title this year…but just as wuickly as JJ has his hopes blow up like that tire, Keselowski could see the same happen next week.
I was glad to see the Hokies get a nice season-opening win against ETSU. I think they’ll still struggle to get more than 10-12 wins, but it’s about building for the future…and I think there’s a lot of growth potential there.
As for the NFL, I think the Lions are done for the year. At 4-5 and with a horrendously difficult schedule ahead, they;ll have a hard time finishing better than 6-10 now, even though 5 of their last 7 are at home. They have taken a step back this year.
Forgot to mention: Hokies and Cavs both at home in hoops tonight. Tech faces Rhode Island; Cavs face Fairfield. Tip at 7 p.m. with both games on ESPN3.com.
Rhode Island is now coached by Danny Hurley, with his brother Bobby as an assistant. Yes, those Hurleys. Nice coaching pickup for RI, as Danny Hurley is a rising star in coaching. Amazing, he wasn’t a member of the Rhode Island ‘family’ at all, had no connections from his days at Seton Hall, either. He was just a good young coach available for not that expensive of a price tag. Funny what you find when you look off campus, Jim Weaver.
Wanted to say in earlier post but forgot – Phil Jackson needs to stay retired. Don’t do what so many athletes & coaches constantly do – keep trying to hang on. Ask Michael Jordan about his days as a Washington Wizard. Ask Lance Armstrong if it was worth coming back – and losing his entire reputation. Ask hundreds of other athletes & coaches. Phil, you’ve got the money, your time is done. Enjoy life & stop trying to work a deal where you’ll coach 60 games out of a full season. Just stop it.
I read where Jackson wanted control of the player signing and he wanted the right to not attend away games when he didn’t feel like going. That would have been nuts. The coach should be there no matter what unless he’s ill or has a family emergency.
As for Homestead, I’m predicting a JJ win and Keslowski will have trouble and finish 25th. I like Keslowski and I hope he wins but I just have an off feeling about this.
I also predict Bowyer and Gordon will get probabtion and somebody from Bowyer’s team will be suspended for jumping Gordon in the pits. Again, I’m not saying this is what I want to happen or what I think should happen but given NASCAR’s history, this is what I think will happen.
The king is dead! We have Johhny Manziel to thank. Gutsy performance for a freshman quarterback and for the entire Aggies team. First time all season I rooted against Satan’s adopted son, Nick Saban, and it was so delightful to see him with the puke look on his face. His last comment to the ref, “That’s effed up.” Priceless.
Who cares about the ego-driven Lakers? I hope they flame out.
Loved how well UNC is doing in basketball. Some jittery youth, but once they jell, they will be a good team.
Hat’s off to UVA. That safety was a bad call. He was grounding for sure but we was not in the end zone. Plus, that safety probably contributed to the UVA win as they had to go for a TD instead of playing for OT with a field goal.
Are you watching VT? UVA did what it had to do to win the ball game at the end. Take note of it, please…..
It’s interesting how close the Gordon/Bowyer fiasco came to wrecking Keselowski. I think that is a major part of why he made his comments. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some phantom cautions & other ‘odd’ things happen at Homestead. The number of coincidental occurences in NASCAR races that create memorable finishes is very high.
Especially interesting to see Kevin Harvick break his two year no-win streak the week he announces he’s leaving RCR, for example. Just like the high number of GWC finishes for ‘debris’ on the track, when the cameras never seem to find it.
I expect that JJ will finish in the top 5, and Keselowski in the 10-15 spot, somehow keeping the NASCAR faithful glued to their TVs for the whole broadcast.
Looks like NASCAR is back to the “good ole days”.
Got a chance to go to the ODU, W&M game Sat. What an entertaining game. ODU was not as sharp as they normally are but still put 41 points on the board. You think Oregon’s offense is fast, ODU runs their offense faster. Run a play, players go to position while QB gets play from sideline and as soon as he’s in position, they go. They have an all-american punter and I don’t know how he got the honor, they never punt. 6 times they had 4th and 2 to 4th and 5 around mid field and went for it. Made it 5 out of the 6 times. Punter avg’s 45 yds a punt so that’s not the reason. QB’s arm is not extremely strong but extremely accurate plus he runs well. A simple but very effective offense. Fun to watch and root for. Of course being in the corporate VIP tent before the game didn’t hurt any. Their game is not built on defense, it’s just effective enough to make some plays at the right time to get a turnover or stop when needed. If you ever get a chance, go watch them. I also noticed that ODU and W&M’s roster had a state flair but was much more diverse than Tech’s. Both teams had players from Calf. & Texas to Pa., Md., Fla, Ga.. Their recruiting base is nationwide, much wider than Techs.I found that interesting. It also appears UVA got more benefit from their week off than Tech. I think Tech has locker room problems. Having been in many locker rooms, I’m sure there have been some contentious comments made about whose holding their end up and whose not. They’ve just been kept under wraps.
AM had VT aske you not to cover their game against UVA? Seeing as how you seem to be the good luck charm for the Cavs, I think the Hokies will revoke your press pass!
Trevor, the heels are looking decent. McAdoo is a beast. I see him as a potential number 1 pick next year. He did the right thing by coming back. I wish Marvin Williams had came back for one more year before he left. Marshall could have benefitted by another year too.
Haha, not yet but it wouldn’t be a bad idea. Hoos 0-6 when I don’t show up; 4-0 when I do. If you viewed their season solely through my eyes they’d be in the BCS title hunt!
I know that’s why I’m worried about Thursday night. If the Cavs beat UNC Thursday night I would be expecting a call from Beamer if I were you!
To whoever said “Nascar is back to the good ole days”, I might point out that while the crews were fighting in the pits, Jeff Gordon was not in the brawl at all —- he snuck away and hid in his hauler, and refused to confront Bowyer like a man at any point in time.
Personally, I hope that Gordon gets suspended for Daytona next year. Homestead means nothing to him or his team, but Bowyer was one of 3 cars who were mathematically alive for the championship and Gordon ended their chances. Further, Gordon used his car as a deadly weapon, and could have singlehandedly ended Keselowski’s chances if the 2 car had gotten tangled up in the incident with Bowyer.
Of course it won’t happen, but I hope Nascar makes it hurt.
NASCAR has always seemed to have a love affair for little Jeffy. Many of us recall the invisble frenchman (debris) on the track for a caution right after Jeffy would get back on the lead lap to help him out.
I learned all I need to know about little Jeffy down in Martinsville back in the 90′s. Somehow I had scored a pass for Terry Labonte’s hospitality tent (and I can tell you, that is a really good deal!) when he was driving the #5 Kellogs car for Hendricks. Little Jeffy’s tent was right next door. His van pulled up, 2 inches from the fence and he entered right in where no other fans could have any contact with him. Later when they left to race, fans were asking him to wave to look their way and he could not even be bothered to do that.
Meanwhile, guys like Kyle Petty and Mike Wallace (or whatever Rusty Wallace’s brother was that used to race) walked around to other tents to meet with fans and sign and pose for pictures. Kyle was very nice and was vocal about how important the fans were to him.
Little Jeffy could care less. I have not cared for little Jeffy since.
No comments about the BCS? Personally, I think Oregon would smoke Kansas State and I think the computer weightings for the Big 12 Schedule are out of line. Oregon isw the best offensive team I have ever seen in college football, period. Ma7ybe the Hokies need to look there to find some coaches for their staff.
OG, liked McAdoo a lot when he filled in for Zeller, but he is going to be dominat. I think UNC need to make it a point to attack teams in the low post where they have plenty if active rebounders. Paige really struck me as a solid guard, not sloppy, nor fancy, just a solid guard who gets things done. I agree on Marhall. If he had returned to polish his game a bit, then Marshall and Paige would have form a dynamic backcourt duo. Strickland will become a force. I just hope he stays healthy. It also appear to me that UNC’s bench is solid.
It’s going to be an interesting race in January. Nc state is making huge stride to return to prominence. The battle of the triangle has returned to the 1980s root. Good times are here.
I don’t think Jeff Gordon snuck away, he was pinned by his crew against a wall while Clint Bowyers crew was running down to jump him. I dont think he is scared to fight. Just look a couple years back when he walked up towards Jeff Burton and attempted to punch him in the face.
Tom L., you touched on locker room. Here’s a YouTube video that’s going viral about Marcus Davis. I haven’t seen it yet, but judging from the reaction on twitter, it’s not good. http://www.youtube.com/v/GeY0-uKcWqk
Trevor,
That video of Davis both appalls me and gives me a slight chuckle of “yeah, I can see that.” Truth be told, I almost got into a fight with another Tech fan on Thursday over Davis. He was about six rows behind me and kept yelling “Throw it to 7″ all game. By the end of the second quarter I finally shot back “They don’t throw it to 7 because 7 can’t catch!”. That then stirred a debate between he and I about Davis and Roberts (“I said 7, not 11!”) to which he was ready to fight over. I just shrugged him off and laughed every time he said “Throw it to 7!” after, while commenting about Fuller’s hands every time he caught the ball and how he probably has the best hands on the team. After one of Davis’ drops in the second half, he tried to blame it on Logan Thomas and everyone around us just laughed since it was clear that Davis dropped the ball. When Dyrell Roberts caught a pass in the 4th (?) quarter, I looked back at the guy and he just shrunk back into his seat.
That is what frustrated me last year. I remember complaining repeatedly on this very blog, long before I found my calling in Twitter, that Logan kept targeting Davis who reward him with more drops than a cough syrup in a bottle.
Dryell Roberts just makes me scratch my head. He is a speedy receiver who made a splash in the ECU game with Glennon, and he snared a pass while leaving the ECU secondary in the dust, but since he broke his arm, I think he has gotten apprehensive about contact. In the UNC game, he caught that ball while getting leveled, and somehow held onto the football. I just think Roberts hasn’t been the same for some reason.
Knowles and Fuller have been the brightest spots in the receiver corps, and how does Beamer reward them? Elevating them to co-#1 spots in the Miami game! Madness.
Meanwhile, here’s a link to a Tony Franklin rumor. He has been linked as a OC to an ACC school. I have no idea were. http://247sports.com/Board/59457/Tony-Franklin-13769453/1
Trevor, wow. You know when Danny Coale was in Bburg he laid some beautiful blocks on the opposing defenders. VT needs another guy like him who plays with heart and doesn’t give up on the play even if he doesn’t get the ball thrown his way. Blocking has killed the offense this year. Oh how I miss Danny Coale.
Gosh Crooked Road I don’t know what’s going on? I agree with all that you have posted today.
Danny, glad to see you finally coming over to the good side. J/K, of course.
Jeffy got a $100K fine (petty cash to him), 25 points docked (he wasn’t going to win the cup anyway) and probation until 12-31 (there is only 1 more race left in the season).
I am shocked that nascar dealt with this so “harshly”.
The points deduction for Jeff Gordon is pretty ridiculous, as is the ‘probation’. There’s one race left in the season. If NASCAR dealt with issues fairly – and they virtually never have in their history – the superstar would get the same treatment as the non-superstar. Jeff Gordon’s built up a lot of goodwill, so NASCAR just let him get by with it essentially. The only negative for him was the $100K fine, but even that means little when he’s making around $25 million annually.
The real problem would have been if they had slid down into Brad Keselowski, who barely slipped underneath the cars during Gordon’s revenge. That was how close Keselowski came to losing his shot at the championship, all because of Gordon’s anger. Also, Joey Logano is acknowledged as trying to save his ride during these races, and Gordon’s action just damaged his hopes in that. That’s an impact on Logano’s career, his livelihood, because Gordon was angry at Bowyer.
Jeff Gordon ‘chucked a rock in the lake’ and the ripples have effects. He should know better.