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Running
to Glory Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson. He became the first driver in the past thirty years to win three consecutive Cup championships. Cale Yarborough was the last and only driver in this category before Johnson's heroics on Sunday. Unfortunately, I'm not sure anybody watched the race, since Johnson lulled everyone to sleep during the entire Chase for the Championship. His non-descript fifteenth place finish at Homestead was enough for the title, and while Johnson and his Hendrick crew celebrate, hundreds of NASCAR Cup crew members will immediately be looking for new jobs as the sport gets engulfed in the recent economic slowdown. It's not surprising that Johnson won his third consecutive championship. Face it, he is an incredible driver on a fabulous team. What is shocking is that crew chief Chad Knaus was never caught for cheating during the 2008 season. Despite the oversight by NASCAR officials, it's hard to dispute the fact that the Johnson-Knaus team is the best we've seen since the Jeff Gordon-Ray Evernham tandem dominated the sport a decade ago. The two are supremely talented, smart and for the time being...better than everyone else. Nobody in NASCAR can touch these guys...and picking against them next season would be a mistake, too. I thought it was amazing that Hendrick teammates, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., combined to win a single race this year. It is apparent that Johnson has stolen the spotlight with his third consecutive title and his place in history...it makes you wonder what the guys and drivers in the #24 and #88 cars are thinking as they gear up for the 2009 season. Speaking of running smoothly, the Carolina Panthers ran all over the winless and hapless Detroit Lions by rushing for a team record 264 yards. In the process, they now find themselves with an NFC South-leading 8-2 record and a tough schedule ahead. The remaining six games come against teams that are .500 or better....and it starts with a pair of road trips to Atlanta and Green Bay. It's a good thing the Panthers are running the ball well, because Jake Delhomme has had two lousy weeks back-to-back. It also helps that the teams the Panthers defeated the past two weeks have combined for two wins all season. Jake and the rest of the gang will have to play much better...immediately. But when you look at the NFC landscape as we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, you've got to like the Panthers' chances at more than just a playoff berth...only the New York Giants are playing better football. But I will also tell you, the next couple of weeks on the road will tell us more about the Panthers...while the 8-2 record is solid, the team has yet to play a complete game in quite some time. As I'm typing the latest Ripe Gripe, I have 60 Minutes on in the background, and I could've sworn that I just heard President-elect Barack Obama declare that he is going to put his weight behind establishing and supporting a college football playoff. My God...is the world coming to an end? I'm all for anything that eliminates the BCS...but surely Obama has a few more things to address on his "Wish List" before we establish an eight-team college football playoff. Of course, after seeing Obama bowl during the election process, I think the chances of him creating a playoff system during his four year regime are about the same as me voting for a Democrat for President....or Sarah Palin. Does anybody want to win the ACC football championship? My goodness, every week the team with the inside track shows up and gets beat. This week, North Carolina, Wake Forest and Florida State all choked all over themselves. In the process, Maryland, Boston College and Miami now have control over their destiny. Many people have forgotten that the Canes still play football, much less compete in the ACC. They have been a complete afterthought, since joining the league. Randy Shannon's young squad has found their legs and confidence since losing their first two conference games of the season. Of course, the way the ACC works, they will probably get trashed this week by Georgia Tech. The Tar Heels had it right in their grasp...all they had to do was beat Maryland on the road, and they would've had a golden opportunity to make it to Tampa. That dream lasted one soggy weekend in College Park. While Butch Davis' team heads home to take on arch-rival N.C. State (Southern Fried Football™ Tour stop this week), UNC fans can only wonder what they need to do to win an ACC title. The last one took place in 1980, with Lawrence Taylor on the sidelines. It's starting to look like a Big XII - SEC national title game in Miami. Granted, we still have some big rival games ahead, along with the conference title games which could change everything...but these two leagues have been the dominant forces in college football this season. So, do you like offense or defense? In the latest NCAA stats, the Big XII has six teams ranked in the Top 10 in total offense. The SEC has Georgia (23rd) and Florida (25th) in the Top 25 of this category. The highest ranked Big XII team in total defense is Oklahoma, which is ranked 55th. There are 11 SEC teams ranked higher than Oklahoma. It will be all about match-ups in the bowls...and the national title game should be fascinating. |
Packman
on Sports Commentary
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