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6th Time is the Charm Jimmie Johnson just finished off another championship season as the driver of the 48 car for Hendrick Motorsports. It's getting rather routine for the low-keyed Johnson....but there is nothing easy about winning a championship in any sport. It's always a team effort, whether it's a ball and stick sport or racing. I've stated for many years that Jimmie Johnson is the most under-appreciated and underrated superstar in all of sports. Some people scoff at that label, but when you think about his dominance on the track, and his class off of it.....I think it's an easy call. You never hear about any nonsense surrounding the guy and how he lives his life. All you hear about Johnson is what his peers say on the track.....and it usually involves the terms, "the best". I don't need the Dale, Jr - Danica hype machine or the ubiquitous commercials......all this guy does is win races and championships. I'm sure the discussion will start immediately about Johnson's attempt to win #7 next season, which could put him in the company of Richard Petty and the late, great Dale Earnhardt. There will be plenty of time to judge where Johnson places in that discussion.....but to do it while he's still on top of his game is a waste of time. It's like ranking Nick Saban's accomplishments vs. the ones reached by Bear Bryant. Give it some time....and enjoy one of the greats of all-time......and that goes for both Johnson and Saban. Congrats to Johnson, Chad Knaus and the entire crew......well done. As far as college football goes, it's safe to kick Stanford out of the BCS title talk.....and that's thanks to a great effort and win by Southern California. The Trojans snapped their four-game losing streak to the Cardinal in dramatic fashion and in the process took Stanford not only out of the BCS title discussion but also control of the PAC-12's Northern division. While there was drama in LA-LA land, it paled to the ending of the Auburn-Georgia game. You gotta be kidding me, right? The Tigers won compliments of a 4th down heave that ricocheted off of two Bulldog defenders right into the hands of a streaking Ricardo Louis for an improbable, impossible 73 yard score. Touchdown, Auburn. The win sets up insanity in a state that is insane about its college football. The Iron Bowl on November 30th between Bama and Auburn is for more than just bragging rights.....it's for the right to play in the SEC title game and perhaps a national championship game. I can only imagine how crazy the scene will be at Auburn for the traditional bloodletting between those two rivals. While I'm on the subject of college football.....how about Duke? The Blue Devils have cracked the Top 25.....they control their own destiny in the ACC's Coastal division....and they look good doing it. The Blue Devils battered "The U", winning 48-30. For everyone that chimed in that Miami was back.....well, they are. The "U" is no longer ranked. I remember the days when Steve Spurrier used to give Duke a vote in the Top 25 poll....the voters finally told the HBC that they wanted him to take the polling seriously. Now, Spurrier can rank 'em as high as he wants.....Duke has earned the attention. Can you imagine a Duke - Florida State game for the ACC Championship? It could happen. The San Francisco 49ers didn't do the Carolina Panthers any favors by rolling over and playing dead down the stretch in their loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Panthers will have to deal with N'awlins later in the season, but first up is a Monday Night Football appearance against Tom Brady and the Patriots. Charlotte is fired up....and it's cool to see. I did see a stat this week that blew me away about Brady & Co. Since the 2010 season, the Patriots have a 2nd half of the season record of 24-1, and that includes a perfect 11-0 on the road. I don't care who you are; that is an amazing stat. I'd love to see Carolina put a dent into that number on Monday night. I know it's too early in the season to worry about it.....but I've been watching some college hoops and one thing really jumps out at me. Nobody can shoot free throws. The doubleheader last week in Chicago showcased four of the top 5 teams in the country, and I never saw such abysmal free throw shooting from supposedly really good teams. On Sunday, I watched North Carolina lose to Belmont in Chapel Hill. The loss snapped the Heel's 66-game winning streak vs.non-conference teams.....in the process, UNC was 22-of-48 from the line. 22 of 48. My dog, Chester, can make 22 free throws in 48 tries. College hoops does have a great collection of dynamic freshmen. That was obvious watching Kentucky's Julius Randle, Duke's Jabari Parker and Kansas' Andrew Wiggins. The same can be said for Arizona's outstanding guard, Aaron Gordon....these kids are fantastic. Enjoy them while you can.....they'll all be drafted early in the next NBA Draft. |
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