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Busch
Whacked Kurt Busch can't help himself. It's the only conclusion that I can draw, after his latest controversial episode. After being put on secret probation by NASCAR for his issue in Darlington, Busch decided to push the envelope when asked a question by a Sporting News reporter in Dover. Busch didn't like the line of questioning and claimed, "Probation refrains me from not beating the s$!t out of you right now, because you ask me stupid questions...but since I'm on probation, I suppose that's improper to say, as well......." Well yes, Kurt......that was an improper thing to say. Especially after all the trials and tribulations you've been through going after media members, drivers and anybody else within earshot. I would assume that a guy would try to get professional help before he throws away millions of dollars and a career, but maybe I'm wrong. But maybe Busch can't help himself.....there are people that seem destined to let everything slip away. Perhaps Kurt Busch is one of those guys. If I were the owner of a car driven by Busch, there's no way I would have him represent me or my sponsors after this latest blow-up. Kurt Busch doesn't get it....and it looks like he's not going to get it. Now that the Charlotte Bobcats have lost out (again) with last week's lottery which would have secured Anthony Davis to the Queen City, the club has decided to concentrate their efforts on plan B. Forget about naming a new coach, or what player makes sense with the #2 pick....the team is tweaking their team colors. It's stupid stuff like this that makes the Bobcats the Bobcats. Who gives a damn what color the uniforms are? Who cares if you get the name "Hornets" back in Charlotte? All of that stuff is secondary and trivial. I'd rather have Anthony Davis and a bunch of other guys that can actually play the game of basketball. What a unique concept. I'd rather have an owner that wants to spend the right dollars for a collection of players that can play and win. The reason the team is 7-59 is because they are cheap and their original plan backfired with the ping pong balls last week. The team can still land a player that will contribute immediately....whether it's MKG or Thomas Robinson. But when you see stories about color schemes and nicknames, give me a break. It's about the basketball, fellas....look into it. I'd rather have the team dressed up like butterflies and sport a 62-20 record than the garbage we have witnessed the last few years in Charlotte. Let's hope MJ can land some talent....he's certainly botched up enough during his stint in Charlotte. Is Tiger Woods back? That question will be answered when he puts his hands around a major golf championship trophy....and that's assuming that he wins another major. For the record, I think he will. It was a great win for him at Jack's tourney, just like it was nice to see him win Arnie's event in March. Tiger is judged by what happens next week at the US Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. That's when you'll be able to make a call on his "official return" to the game of golf. But given how deep and unpredictable the major golf championships have been in recent years, it's hard to really pinpoint a favorite.....yeah, you can talk about Tiger and a dozen others, but the majors have been strange the last couple of years. There have been 14 different winners in the last 14 major golf championships played. That is crazy...nobody has taken over ownership of the sport since Tiger's slide...and that includes Tiger Woods himself. I'm looking forward to seeing the world's best tackle Olympic Club next week....more about that in next week's Ripe Gripe. I have written about the ACC's inability to close in the College World Series. I think it is the most remarkable streak in college athletics.....more so than Clemson's 0-for-life record in Chapel Hill, the SEC's 6-straight BCS titles or even South Carolina's amazing 19 straight NCAA Tournament wins in baseball. What makes the ACC streak so amazing is that the league has been excellent in baseball, but they have not won it all since 1955. When you consider that the ACC had the nation's #1 ranked RPI in baseball heading into the tournament and that the league placed 7 teams in the field of 64...maybe this is the year to end the ineptitude in Omaha. Well, after the first weekend of play in the regionals....the ACC has only two teams still standing....Florida State & NC State. The #6 national seed, North Carolina, was beaten at home by St. John's and kicked to the curb. Both Virginia and Miami hosted regionals as the top seeds and they are both enjoying the rest of the tournament from the comfort of home. Clemson and ACC Champ Georgia Tech were smacked on the road by SEC and national powers, South Carolina and Florida, respectively. Add it all up and you have another embarrassingly bad start for the ACC. The Noles and Wolfpack are the last chances for the league....and up next for FSU is Stanford of the Pac 12. Maybe Mike Martin can keep up the momentum from an undefeated regional and FSU can return to Omaha....unfortunately, it's been their personal House of Horrors in the Nebraska cornfields. The Pack gets the enviable task of playing the top ranked national seed, Florida Gators, in Gainesville. Eventually, the ACC is going to break through and have some success on the big stage. I don't count Boston College's hockey championship in this category, but for the ACC's sake, maybe I should. Everybody knows the ACC has been brutal in the BCS spotlight (2-13)...even in hoops this year, Duke lost to Lehigh in the opening round and co-favorite UNC fell short of a Final Four bid. The ACC is due....and that's as nice as I can put it. I close this week with a quick comment about a sport I know very little about.....horse racing. I for one will be watching on Saturday when "I'll Have Another" goes for the Triple Crown. The horse started out as a long shot at the Kentucky Derby and shocked the world....now the horse has a chance to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed back in 1978. 11 different horses since Affirmed have had the chance to close the deal by winning the Belmont Stakes....and they all failed. All-in-all, 19 horses have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, but couldn't close the deal at the Belmont. This weekend, there will be one fan in the Queen City rooting for history....I'd love to see it...and I have a feeling that I'm not alone. |
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