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Sudden
Ending I'm not a huge follower of the IndyCar Racing Series, but like most folks, I keep up and watch the Indy 500. I still think about my trip to the Indianapolis 500 a few years back, and how much I enjoyed the extravaganza. It was more than racing; it was a cultural experience. The fans, the celebrities, the size of the track, the speed and the awesome museum inside the IMS. It was a first class deal, and I'd love to go back someday. This past year, Dan Wheldon won the historic race for the second time in his career. It was an amazing comeback story and I still remember the tears of joy spilling down his face as he sipped from that cold glass of milk in Victory Lane. Dan Wheldon passed away in a horrific wreck this past weekend in Las Vegas. The men and women that strap themselves into race cars are a different breed....they have a different spirit than the rest of us. People that don't think they are athletes or skilled are simply out of their minds. They have more guts than any of us could imagine. When I saw the highlight of the 15-car crash in Vegas, I couldn't help but think back to a drive-along I had with Mario Andretti at the Charlotte Motor Speedway a few years ago. It was a thrill of a lifetime to ride along with the legendary driver in an Indy open-wheel race car, going 190 mph on the banks of CMS. I'd be lying if I told you that I didn't cringe as we approached the first turn at that speed. I truly thought the car would go right up the bank and we'd be going around the Earth's orbit. The sensation in an open-wheel car is completely different and much more intimidating than the one you experience while participating in a stock car. When I saw the video of the cars flying in mid-air during the crash, I could only think and wonder what those drivers must go through with their thought process. I know the wreck happens in seconds, but it must feel like hours watching everything self-destruct around you. My thoughts and prayers go out to Dan Wheldon and his immediate family and friends. Speaking of racing: I also had a weird vibe, watching some of the highlights of the NASCAR race in Charlotte over the weekend. In case anybody cares, Matt Kenseth was the winner and the points race is still wide-open at the halfway point of the Chase. However, watching Jimmie Johnson wreck at CMS was scary. The way his car dove to the bottom and shot straight up the track and hit the wall reminded me so much of the wreck that took the life of the late, great Dale Earnhardt. For Johnson's benefit, the safer barrier walls, cars and other precautions allowed the 5-time winner to walk away from the wreck. Unfortunately for Johnson, his car was ruined and probably so are the chances of a 6th consecutive championship. I can't imagine many schools having a more bizarre week than the University of South Carolina. Last week, Steve Spurrier decided to unload on sports columnist Ron Morris of The State newspaper. The Head Ball Coach called him out and threw him under the carpet, the bus, or anything else he could get his hands on. It was a terrible mistake by Spurrier. I don't care how pissed off you might get from an article that was written 7 months ago; the way he handled it was terrible. While this circus was taking place, Stephen Garcia was being shown the back door and kicked to the curb for supposedly failing a test involving alcohol and marijuana. Evidently, it's "6 strikes and you're out", in Columbia. While all this nonsense dominated the conversation around Palmetto state water coolers all week.....the Gamecocks took to the road where they defeated Mississippi State, but lost all-world RB Marcus Lattimore to a season-ending knee injury. Unreal. All of that happened to the USC football program in a span of 5 days. If there was ever a team that needed a break, it's South Carolina. The Ball Coach has some work to do during the "downtime", as his club hits the road to Tennessee and to Arkansas after the open date. The first BCS Poll has been released. The only thing that matters right now as it pertains to the national championship is that Bama, LSU and Oklahoma all control their own destiny. Forget the computers, polls, opinions or anything else....if two of those three teams win out, they are playing for the big cheese. It doesn't matter what Wisconsin, Boise State, Stanford, Oklahoma State, Clemson or anybody else does between now and kick-off in New Orleans. Is the system fair? It doesn't matter....because that's the deal. No need to argue about the rankings....it's all up to Bama, LSU and Oklahoma to determine. On Wednesday, I'm hanging out at ESPNU to conduct one-on-one interviews with each of the 12 ACC basketball coaches. I'm looking forward to the interviews on SiriusXM, and it's a chance to get a feel for the good, the bad and the ugly that awaits this year's version of ACC basketball. With all the coaching changes in the league, I hope some of these guys are wearing their name tags. One thing is certain....both UNC and Duke are going to be loaded. I'm also curious to see what other teams emerge during the year and help bolster a conference that could use some help from outside the blue shades of dominance on Tobacco Road. But if you want to win a bar bet, here's one for you....Name the only two ACC schools that have made it to each of the past four NCAA Basketball Tournaments? If you said UNC and Duke...you'd be wrong. It's Duke and Clemson. You can thank me later....but be sure to leave a nice tip. The Panthers lost again. While Charlotte seems to be giddy over the play of Cam Newton.....and they should be excited.....one thing has been lost in the euphoric celebration. The team is not very good. They make basic fundamental mistakes every week. Turnovers were a killer in ATL. The Panthers aren't good enough to give away points, the ball, or anything else for that matter. The team lost the turnover battle 3-nothing and was outscored 17-zip in the 4th quarter. In the meantime, their record now drops to a putrid 1-5. Spare me the "moral victory" crap; this is the NFL....it's professional football. The team has now lost 19 of their last 22 regular season games, since the start of the 2010 season. Let me spread the misery: In that same time period, here's how the other bottom-of-the-barrel NFL clubs have performed:
Teams like Cleveland, Miami and Minnesota have 7 wins during that span. (That doesn't include Minnesota's Sunday night game or Miami's Monday game vs. the Jets.) It's time to start executing and winning some games.....enough, with the sloppy play and execution. |
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