Mammoth Blog

The Triple Crown of Golf? Yes, there really is a Triple Crown of Golf which is made up of golf's three oldest tournaments: the British Open, U.S. Open, and Canadian Open. Actually there are only two golfers who have won all three in one season. Lee Trevino accomplished this in 1971 and Tiger Woods brought home all three trophies in 2000.

Click here to view a slideshow of golf's Triple Crown Winners

The Canadian Open which held it's first tournament in 1904 has a rich tradition and this year's field is loaded with talent including nine tournament winners from 2009 and six golfers ranked in the top 30 of the world golf ranking.

A weather shortened first round kicked off on Thursday and play was later suspended due to darkness. Numerous players did not start their first round until early Friday morning. Kevin Na finished with a first round 63 and is sitting at the top of the leaderboard at 9-under. Na managed a bogey-free round and enjoyed the course conditions. "The greens are holding, so you can get aggressive with the irons, but off the tee you must put yourself in the fairway," Na said. "The rough is very thick."

Also in the hunt after day one is 2001 Canadian Open winner Scott Verplank who finished his day on Thursday with a 7-under 65. He was also okay with the weather delay. "I felt a little shaky on the first three holes where I had pretty decent looks at birdie," said Verplank. "And I got two or three hours of putting on the putting green (during the delay) and kind of got it worked out."

The crowd favorite is Canadian Mike Weir, who is aiming to become the first native Canadian to win the tournament since Pat Fletcher accomplished the feat in 1954. Weir nearly nabbed the trophy in 2004, but stumbled down the stretch on Sunday blowing a three shot lead and eventually lost to Vijay Singh in a sudden death playoff. Weir didn't enjoy the weather as much as other players in the field on Thursday as he finished with a 1-under 71. "I had a tough time finding my rhythm today for some reason," said Weir. "Maybe all the waiting around and getting warmed up and then getting pushed back another hour (caused trouble)."

Bad weather will be lingering for most of the tournament as there is a chance of rain on Friday and Saturday, so we could see this tournament finishing up on Monday depending on how much rain Glen Abbey Golf Club can handle. source>>>

Manny2.250 If nothing else, Manny Ramirez has a sense of the dramatic and an impeccable sense of timing. He picks Manny Ramirez bobblehead night at Dodger Stadium to hit one of the most memorable home runs in Dodgers history.

Pinch-hitting in the sixth inning, bases loaded, sidelined at the start of the game because his hand still hurt from being hit by a pitch the night before ... and he wastes no time at all, drilling the first pitch to him from Nick Masset to left field for a grand slam. Naturally, the line drive ended up in Mannywood.

Now a piece of that history is all over EBay. Right now, there are 198 Manny Ramirez bobbleheads on EBay, and bidding seems pretty brisk. Not all are the bobbleheads from the giveaway at Dodger Stadium.

Manny.140 The older collectibles don't seem to be drawing as much attention. But top bid as of about 1:15 p.m. PDT for the giveaway from last night is $57.00 for a single bobblehead, with most fetching somewhere in the $30 to $40 range. And if you're interested in a lot of 10, opening bid there is $529.

In May, the Dodgers had a Casey Blake bobblehead giveaway night. There are 15 listed on EBay right now. You can get one for about 20 bucks. source>>>

I am not a sports lawyer. Anything I could charge $1000/hour for is probably illegal. But there are two lawsuits pending that I felt you should know about: one, involving the NFL, is to decide whether the 32 franchises are 32 separate businesses or 1 business with 32 branches; the second, involving former UCLA star Ed O'Bannon, is to decide if the NCAA should be splitting their revenue with their former players who are no-longer-amateur.

I can't address the legal merits of either case, I haven't researched every Supreme Court Justice's voting record to determine who's likely to support the NFL, I don't have any prediction as to how these cases will actually turn out; but here's what I do know: the NCAA and NFL are missing HUGE opportunities by going forward with these cases.

The NFL's case.

At first glance it appears to be a typical frivolous sour grapes lawsuit- a company, American Needle Inc, sued the NFL because the NFL granted exclusive merchandise rights to Reebok. My first thought was 'what's next, an ex- suing you because you broke up with her?' It seemed natural to me that the NFL as a league could decide who to do merchandising through, just as it seemed logical that the league should be negotiating something like TV contracts as one body. It just wouldn't make sense for CBS and Fox to have to negotiate separately with 32 different teams, if that were the case we'd just end up with one team like the Cowboys on every week...oh we already do? Well either way there are just things that make sense for the NFL to act as one body on.

But those things were never really in danger; the NFL won both lower court decisions and their ability to grant exclusive rights to merch is generally accepted. For some inexplicable reason ANI decided to push this case up to the Supreme Court but their request would have been ignored had the NFL not drunkenly stumbled out of the bar and said 'Ill be your huckleberry.' Again, the NFL had won- game over, man, game over- but rather than take their chips and go home, instead they decided to push all their chips in and push for a Supreme Court decision on their rights as a monopoly once and for all.

And here's where the problem begins. If they Supreme Court says the NFL is 32 separate businesses then Merch and TV contracts go to hell. The NFL becomes messy; every team sets their own rules, every jersey is designed differently, etc. That "No" vote on the NFL's monopoly says Roger Goodell has no real power. But if the Supreme Court says "Yes", then we're all screwed. Fans, players, everyone but the owners. A high-court decision that gives the NFL full immunity means that free agency is gone, means that contract negotiations are gone. It means that the NFL is the all-powerful ruler and the players merely servants. I know the 'Millionaires-vs.-Billionaires' fight is a hard one to care about but think about this: since Reebok took over nine years ago the cost of a jersey has risen 60%. Monopolies aren't fair- there's a reason they're illegal. So if you're Matt Ryan and the NFL says 'here's what you're worth, take it or leave it,' what do you do?

Enter the UFL. 4 franchises, one of them run by Dennis Green. This would be a punchline were it not for two things- 1) Mike Vick and 2) this lawsuit. Vick will play in the UFL, mark my words. Maybe as penance, maybe as an audition, maybe just as a sideshow, but it is his best and only option. But what if the NFL, backed by 9 people in black robes, decides that as a monopoly they won't allow free agency or contract disputes? What if they become so power hungry that the UFL can pay players more than the NFL? The AFL is long gone but the lessons are lingering- if you pay, they will play. Since the merger, nothing has (or will) ever be able to challenge the NFL, unless the NFL forgets those lessons.

There needs to be a compromise- the NFL is one body for contracts with companies, but 32 bodies for contracts with players; and that compromise was sitting on the table. Instead the NFL decided to push for more power, and like something out of a children's fable, that quest for power could prove to be their undoing.

The NCAA

The NCAA too has allowed a lawsuit to pop up that they never should have allowed to happen. For years the NCAA has exploited student-athletes and we've made our peace with it- they get free college, the schools get millions and millions of dollars. But now there's a twist: what happens when they're no longer getting free college? What if you're a former college superstar, like say Ed O'Bannon, and for a decade-and-a-half the NCAA has still been making money off of you? Shouldn't you- with your amateur status long gone- be entitled to it? When Kevin Love got put on the cover of EA Sports after he left school, he got money; so when EA Sports puts you in their game after you too have left, shouldn't you too get paid?

There are some heavy hitters on this case- not one but two of the biggest law firms in the country are representing every former NCAA player in a case to get back money for the years of commercials, jerseys, games, etc. that they should get royalties from. Rest assured the NCAA is going to pay.

But here's what they're going to miss: turn this into an opportunity. This lawsuit is not about current players getting paid. That suit has come and gone repeatedly. This instead is about ex-players who are still being used. But who gets used, and how much, seems like such a difficult debate that no one- not the NCAA, not the players- no one wants that debate. So why not make this deal: we'll split the money evenly with every former player from now on. Yes it cuts NCAA revenue in half theoretically but it also allows them to come out and really use old players. Ed O'Bannon's character in EA sports isn't allowed to use his name, but if you settle this suit you can come right out and pimp every old player. Make more jerseys, make more stars. Make the NCAA relevant again.

And here's the real kicker- make the payments to players be based on how many years they played in college. Now more than ever you've got guys skipping college altogether in order to get paid. Well what if you were able to say to them: if you play in the NCAA for this year, you will then qualify for residuals for life. Heck stay your sophomore year and you have doubled your NCAA pension check. If you pull a Tim Duncan, you will now have 4 years of NCAA, and that means 4 times the paychecks ...for life! This only really effects NCAA football and basketball players, I'm not expecting swimming to get a check.

It settles the argument about them getting paid (they just aren't getting paid WHILE they're in college), it lures more players to the NCAA and keeps them there longer. Offering a settlement might also help avoid having to pay the back residuals, and considering how long they've been exploiting ex-players that back-payment could bankrupt the NCAA.

If you really want to keep your credibility, NCAA, you should be looking for ways to keep kids in school longer. Who knows, with this motivation you just might be helping more of them become lawyers, and the ways things are looking- you're gonna need 'em. Written by Ryan Thies source>>>

College baseball is getting ready to crack down on composite-barrel bats.

The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee this week proposed an indefinite ban on the bats after anecdotal evidence and research conducted during this year's Division I national tournament, which culminated with the College World Series, indicated many of the bats didn't comply with NCAA standards.

NCAA spokesman Cameron Schuh said the proposal is being sent to schools for comment and will be reviewed next week. A formal vote could be taken next month and, if approved, the ban would go into effect at the start of the 2010 season.

Aluminum bats have been used in college baseball since 1975 and remain the most popular choice.

Composite-barrel bats have been around since the late 1990s but have become more popular the past two seasons, said Jim Sherwood, director of the Baseball Research Center at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Sherwood's laboratory is in charge of the NCAA certification process, though it did not do the research at this year's tournament.

There are different types of composite bats, each with varying amounts of graphite, fiberglass and resilient plastic, Sherwood said. Bats with composite handles and composite transition areas - between the handle and barrel - would still be allowed under NCAA rules if the ban is approved, Schuh said.

The beef is with the barrel, which softens over time, creating a trampoline effect. This doesn't happen to factory-fresh bats - it's what happens later, after repeated use or after the bat is put through a process known as "rolling.''

Composite-barrel bats that are broken in or "rolled'' tend to have more pop and often violate NCAA limitations on the allowable speed at which the ball comes off the bat. The NCAA requires that this so-called "exit speed'' be no greater than that of its wooden counterpart, lest it become a safety hazard for infielders and pitchers.

"I commend this legislation and am just elated that this is going forth,'' Florida State coach Mike Martin said Thursday. "You just cannot imagine how far I saw a ball hit with an altered bat.''

He added: "If a guy took a bat and hit it a thousand times off a telephone pole, he'd likely bat better. That's not right.''

During the Division I tournament, 20 of the 25 composite-barrel bats selected for "Ball Exit Speed Ratio'' certification tests were not in compliance, the NCAA said. Because all bat designs must pass the test before mass production begins, the NCAA said, it was determined that the performance of those bats had changed, most likely because of repeated normal use or intentional alteration.

The committee said the ban should remain in place until manufacturers and the baseball community suggest ways that would allow composite-barrel bats to be used within NCAA guidelines.

There are a number of Web sites that offer to "roll'' bats for about $30 apiece. Rolling, which hastens the break-in time, flattens the barrel and stretches graphite fibers so the ball propels 10 mph to 15 mph faster and, theoretically, leads to more hits.

"While the committee does not believe tampering or altering of bats is widespread, there is evidence that it has occurred,'' said UC Santa Barbara coach Bob Brontsema, the rules committee chairman. "The larger issue here is that the performance of composite bats improves through repeated, normal use, and these bats often exceed acceptable levels. By removing these bats from competition, we believe all bats used will be at or below acceptable levels.''

Rick Redman, a spokesman for bat manufacturer Louisville Slugger, said the company's top three selling bats have aluminum barrels. He said composite-barrel bats represent a small percentage of Louisville Slugger's sales.

Officials at bat manufacturer Easton-Bell Sports did not return a phone message. source>>>

You can't promise something as big as a Garth Brooks/Shania Twain concert and get away with it. But Hiro Jamal Hariram tried. He's an event promoter from Houston who took $56,000 from the nice folks in Brownsville, Texas, because he told them he could put together the country concert of all country concerts. There were even faked booking contracts. I probably would've handed over $56,000, too. The judge on the case set the bond pretty high, either because this Hariram guy already has other criminal charges (including one for murder) pending against him in another county, or because the judge is a big country music fan and was just as disappointed as the rest of the Texans. source>>>

aylor Swift's "Picture to Burn" is one of 65 songs featured on a new video game, Band Hero, a pop-focused spinoff of the Guitar Hero series. No Doubt's "Just a Girl," Lily Allen's "Take What You Take," the All-American Rejects' "Dirty Little Secret" and the Jackson 5's "ABC" are among the songs revealed in a recent preview of the game. Other artists included in the game, which will be released in the fall, include Maroon 5, Fallout Boy, the Killers and Snow Patrol. source>>>

Kenny Chesney has issued a statement about the negative fan response to Sugarland's cancellations during his Sun City Carnival tour. The band dropped out of stadium shows in Dallas and San Francisco and will not perform with Chesney in Salt Lake City on Thursday night (July 23). On fan sites, message boards and blog comments on the Internet, Sugarland's lead singer, Jennifer Nettles, has been criticized for booking studio time in San Francisco on the same day as a concert. In a video message on the duo's Web site, Nettles later apologized for her voice problems and for canceling the shows. She also cited ongoing health issues and noted she was ordered to undergo vocal rest by her doctor. Chesney's statement read: "It was really sad to see the way some people reacted to Jennifer needing to cancel her appearance in San Francisco last weekend -- and it seems to me we should all be concerned about her long-term vocal health more than any single show that she may not be able to do. Naturally, I'm disappointed she's not out here with us -- because she is a friend as well as an act I know the fans enjoy -- but I think it's more important that she have the time to heal properly, rather than forcing herself to try and rush back onstage. I know she'll be back before the summer and can't wait to have her back out there. But it's about doing the right thing and we should all be supporting her in that." source>>>

Josh Turner performed Wednesday night (July 22) at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville during a fundraiser for the Nashville Songwriters Association International. The event was the premiere of the not-for-profit organization's "It All Begins With a Song" performance series. During an acoustic set, Turner invited some of his co-writers to the stage, including John Anderson, Shawn Camp and Pat McLaughlin, and spoke candidly about the songwriting process. Midway through the show he was awarded a lifetime membership with the NSAI before continuing on with his full band, performing hits such as "Firecracker," "Your Man," "Long Black Train," "Me and God" and "Would You Go With Me." The NSAI is a trade association that advocates the intellectual property rights of its songwriters. source>>>

Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley and Charley Pride brought country music to the nation's capital and apparently charmed the first family during a Tuesday night (July 21) concert in the East Room of the White House.

The performance, streamed live on the Internet, was the second concert in the White House's music series hosted by President Barack Obama and the first lady. Eddie Stubbs, the disc jockey from WSM-AM/Nashville who served as emcee, complimented the president by pointing out, "It only took you six months to get country music to the White House. God bless you, sir."

Following a brief welcome from the president, the hour-long event opened with Krauss singing "Let Me Touch You for Awhile." Backed by her Union Station band and Dobro player Jerry Douglas, their performance was perfect -- which is the norm for these particular musicians.

For the second song, Krauss put guitarist Dan Tyminski in the spotlight to reprise his vocal performance of "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow," the song he recorded as a member of the Soggy Bottom Boys for the film, O Brother, Where Art Thou? Krauss followed with "Ghost in This House" and closed with "Every Time You Say Goodbye."

Charley Pride, who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000, was up next, opening his three-song set with one of his No. 1 singles from 1970, "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone." With 28 other No. 1's to choose from Pride had plenty of choices, but he settled on "Kiss an Angel Good Morning" and "Mountain of Love."

Paisley emphasized songs from his new album, American Saturday Night. Beginning his part of the show with the title track, he performed his latest No. 1 single, "Then," suggesting it would sound particularly good on Air Force One. Krauss returned to the stage for the duet, "Whiskey Lullaby," before Paisley finished with "Welcome to the Future." With lyrics about the technological, social and political changes America has experienced, the song had an additional resonance Tuesday night because of the Obamas.

Earlier in the day, Krauss and Paisley were featured in a workshop and question-and-answer session for 120 middle and high school students. Some 40 students from Nashville's W.O. Smith Community Music School attended the session conducted by Jay Orr, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's vice president of museum programs.

The White House music series began in June with a jazz concert featuring Wynton Marsalis, his father Ellis and brothers Branford, Delfeayo and Jason. Also performing was saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera.

In Obama's introductory remarks, he demonstrated his understanding of country music.

"I know folks think I'm a city boy, but I do appreciate listening to country music because like all Americans, I appreciate the broad and indelible impact that country has had on our nation," the president said. "It's touched countless lives. It's influenced all genres of music. It's helped us make the American people more hopeful. It's captured our restlessness and resilience and told so much of our story in the process.

"After all, that's what country music is all about -- storytelling. It's about folks telling their life story the best way they know how -- stories of love and longing, hope and heartbreak, pride and pain. Stories that help us celebrate the good times and get over the bad times. Stories that are quintessentially American. After all, name me any other country that would have produced a Hank Williams or a Willie Nelson."
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Jeff Gordon has visited Victory Lane 82 times so far in his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career, but on Thursday Gordon was in a different type of lane.

Gordon hosted his eighth annual Celebrity Bowl to benefit Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. He brought together some of the NASCAR family to raise over $1.5 million for the hospital.

"I am extremely proud of our affiliation with Riley Hospitals," Gordon said. "Each year during my visit I am reminded of the undeniable level of care that is available to the children of Indiana. I am so grateful that my Foundation has the opportunity to help Riley Hospital's outstanding medical and support staff with funding from this event."

Some of the NASCAR drivers that joined Gordon were Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Sam Hornish Jr., Reed Sorenson, Clint Bowyer and Kurt Busch.

The bowling tournament was held on 54 of the 80 lanes at Western Bowl in Indianapolis. Each team consisted of four bowlers plus a celebrity.

RacingOne's Pete Pistone along with his Sirius NASCAR Radio "The Morning Drive" co-host Mike Bagley took part in the event.

"This was a great event for a great cause," Pistone said. "I can't wait to talk about it on the air tomorrow morning. Looking at the scores it looks like I beat Bagley, so that will make for some great conversation."

Patients from the Riley Hospital had the chance to attend, and the event brought smiles to their faces when they met with Gordon and bowled.

Prior to the event, Gordon spent the day visiting cancer patients at Riley.

As Gordon was leaving the hospital, he had a request from a child to play a game of foosball, one Gordon gladly accepted.

"He wore me out on that foosball," Gordon said. "It was pretty funny and it was a good time. He had a lot of fun. He won and his parents were really thanking me because that meant a lot to him."

Many sponsors came together to make Gordon's Celebrity Bowl possible led by presenting sponsors Nicorette and Village Pantry. source>>>

One race past the midpoint of its 36-race season, NASCAR visits Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend with story lines, good and bad, in abundance.

Indiana native Tony Stewart is authoring arguably the biggest story of the year in his first season as an owner-driver. He has won twice (plus the non-points all-star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway) and sits comfortably atop the Sprint Cup standings. Stewart-Haas Racing teammate and fellow Hoosier Ryan Newman is seventh.
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"If you go back to the beginning of the season, just saying that if we got both of these cars in the Chase, it was going to be a huge accomplishment for a first-year organization," Stewart said. "I don't know why at this point, leading the standings, we wouldn't feel like we (have a shot at the championship). I feel like we have just as good a shot as anybody else that's out there."

Among the challenges NASCAR faces over the second half of this season and beyond:

» Waning attendance and TV ratings, attributable to the economy and perhaps in part to the continuing on-track struggles of marquee star Dale Earnhardt Jr.

» Decreased promotion and financial support from its four participating auto manufacturers, two of which (General Motors and Chrysler) have gone through bankruptcy proceedings.

» The black eye from the drug suspension of driver Jeremy Mayfield, who continues to maintain his innocence.

After the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Sunday, just six races will remain before the 12-man field is set for the 10-race postseason Chase. A look at how the teams have fared thus far based on expectations:
Grade A

Stewart-Haas Racing: Score this one an A-plus as Stewart has virtually overnight put together a championship-caliber organization around himself and Newman.

Hendrick Motorsports: Earnhardt's problems notwithstanding, Rick Hendrick's bunch continues to set the standard as Jimmie Johnson pursues a fourth consecutive Cup title and Jeff Gordon goes after his fifth. Newcomer Mark Martin has been up and down, but his four wins lead the series. Grade B

Penske Racing: Kurt Busch has returned to championship form and former IRL and Indy 500 champ Sam Hornish Jr. has shown marked improvement in his second season. David Stremme has struggled to replace the departed Newman.

Joe Gibbs Racing: Kyle Busch has three wins but has stumbled of late and is no sure bet to join teammate Denny Hamlin in the Chase. Rookie Joey Logano, after a slow start, has a win and, at 19, looks to be a star of the future.
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Michael Waltrip Racing: David Reutimann scored the team's first win and is very much in Chase contention. The future looks bright as Waltrip, who is headed for semi-retirement, was able to lure a talented replacement in Martin Truex Jr.

JTG/Daugherty Racing: Australian Marcos Ambrose is doing a lot with a little for this first-year Cup team.
Grade C

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing: Juan Pablo Montoya seldom challenges for wins, but consistency is keeping him in Chase contention. Truex is playing out the string before heading to Waltrip's team.

Roush Fenway Racing: Carl Edwards is winless but solidly in the Chase. Not so for Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle, who could wind up fighting over the final spot. David Ragan has struggled and Jamie McMurray is likely to be gone when owner Jack Roush is forced by NASCAR to downsize after this season.

Richard Petty Motorsports: Team's recent improvement makes it less likely Kasey Kahne will seek to leave after this season. Elliott Sadler, A.J. Allmendinger and Reed Sorenson all face uncertain futures.

Team Red Bull: Brian Vickers has five poles and is on the edge of Chase contention, but Scott Speed has looked like the rookie he is.

Front Row Motorsports: John Andretti has kept the team in the top 35 in the standings, no small accomplishment.
Grade D

Richard Childress Racing: After putting three drivers in the Chase each of the past two years, RCR's Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick and newcomer Casey Mears all are on the outside looking in.

Hall of Fame Racing: Bobby Labonte has finished 20th or worse in 15 of the season's 19 races.

Robby Gordon Motorsports: Third place in rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 is Gordon's only finish above 15th.

Yates Racing: Paul Menard is yet to record a top-10 finish for a team that won the Cup championship 10 years ago with Dale Jarrett driving.

TRG Motorsports: David Gilliland just happy to have a ride.

Wood Brothers Racing: Rich past but bleak present for Bill Elliott and once-proud team.

Nemco Motorsports: Back with family-owned team, Joe Nemechek keeps plugging along.
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Furniture Row Racing: Running only a partial schedule, overachieving Regan Smith has made 51 career starts and finished them all source>>>

In the last season and a half, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch has won 11 Sprint Cup races and 16 Nationwide Series races.

His visit to Toyota of Warsaw Wednesday evening, where he and fellow driver Michael Waltrip signed autographs for hundreds of fans, was a victory for each and every person that stood in the rain to get close to the racing superstar.

While Busch, a 24-year-old from Las Vegas who speaks his mind and doesn't show remorse doing it, isn't the most popular driver on the circuit - that role belongs to Dale Earnhardt Jr. - there are few drivers that are more talented.

As a friend of mine likes to say, "Kyle Busch is the best driver not named Juan (Montoya) or Tony (Stewart)."

There was no Sprint Cup Series race last weekend, but Busch did win his sixth Nationwide Series race of the season, taking the checkered flag at Gateway International Raceway.

Busch is currently first in the Nationwide Series points standings, while he has won three Sprint Cup races this season and is 10th in points in that series.

Only Mark Martin, with four victories, has won more Sprint Cup races this season.

While Busch is ultra-talented and wins a lot of races, fans love to boo him during driver introductions.

I went to races at Texas and Talladega this season, and during pre-race introductions, two drivers' names drew more crowd reaction than any - Busch and Earnhardt Jr.

And for different reasons, I might add.

Like a good comic book, NASCAR has always had good guys and villians, and Busch is without a doubt stock car racing's newest bad boy.

And I think it's great for the sport.

That's right, I said it, I think Busch is great for NASCAR.

Let me also say this, I'm a proud member of Junior Nation. I've got plenty of Earnhardt Jr. merchandise. I've been to Mooresville, N.C. and toured what used to be known as Dale Earnhardt Inc.

And even though Busch has made plenty of remarks about my favorite driver in the media, basically saying Junior isn't as good as his millions of fans think he is, I can't force myself to hate Busch.

What hurts the most is that I don't think Busch is that far off.

In the last season and a half, Busch has won 11 Sprint Cup races. Earnhardt Jr. has one victory in that time and is 21st in points.

And it isn't like Busch's equipment at Joe Gibbs Racing is so superior to Earnhardt Jr.'s Hendrick Motorsports stuff.

I mean, Gordon is a four-time series champion in his No. 24 Hendrick ride. Jimmie Johnson has won the past three championships in his No. 48 Hendrick Chevy. Martin is the winningest driver on the tour this season, and didn't he retire like four years ago or something?

So go ahead, keep booing Busch.

And when you think the way Busch acts sometimes is bad for the sport, let's keep it in perspective.

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick served a 23-month jail term for funding a dog-fighting ring. And he was the face of the NFL.

Manny Ramirez, everybody's favorite L.A. Dodger, is just coming off a 50-game suspension for a failed drug test.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisbeger is now being accused of rape.

And there's NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield's drug suspension.

These athletes, in my opinion, cause a black cloud to hover over their respective sport.

But Busch, he's not really all that bad afterall.
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DeWalt is pulling the plug on its longtime sponsorship of NASCAR's Matt Kenseth.

The Towson power tool maker cited the "unprecedented decline in the construction industry" for ending its 12-year marketing deal with NASCAR. The deal with Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Ford Fusion, will end in November when the 2009 NASCAR season comes to a close. The announcement comes just five months after the driver won the sport's biggest race, the Daytona 500

DeWalt, a unit of Towson tool giant Black & Decker Corp. (NYSE: BDK) notified Kenseth's team at Rouse Fenway Racing of the news Thursday.

It's uncertain how much DeWalt spent annually on the sponsorship, but the company said it would redirect those resources.

John Howland, DeWalt's director of brand marketing, declined to disclose Thursday the value of the deal. In a conference call with reporters, Howland said NASCAR remains a prime demographic for the company to reach and it had no immediate plans to sign any new deals with other sports.

The sponsorship generated millions of dollars worth of exposure for DeWalt annually, especially following Kenseth's string of success during the current 2009 season.

During DeWalt's deal with Kenseth, he and his crew won the 2000 Rookie of the Year Award, two World Pit Crew Championships, the 2003 Series Championship, and qualified for the "Chase for the Cup" every year since its inception by NASCAR.

"Our decision to discontinue the sponsorship, while a difficult one, will help us to continue delivering value to our customers and end users, while managing our financial results," said Les Ireland, president of the North American Power Tools and Accessories Group for DeWalt. DeWalt will continue to have a presence in the sport through building and maintaining race cars and equipment, executives said.

Black & Decker has been hit hard by the building slowdown. Slumping sales drove Black & Decker's first-quarter earnings down 93 percent to $4.9 million.
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The back and forth between NASCAR and driver Jeremy Mayfield over drug allegations has gotten so bad that in Mayfield's latest statement he describes the humiliation of having to go to the bathroom while someone watched.

So what could bring it all to an end? It turns out it could come down to a piece of hair.

"It's like the bully in school," Jeremy Mayfield told NewsChannel 36 last week. "Every three to five days I go get tested."

Who ends up in victory lane may come down to the difference between urinating in a cup and pulling a hair.

"The drug that is incorporated into your hair -- it stays there. You get a record, basically, of drug use with the hair," said Dr. Ruth Winecker, the chief toxicologist for the North Carolina Medical Examiner's Office.

She says there's no messing with hair. But no one has tested Mayfield's hair, just his urine samples.

"There are techniques people can use to try to cheat the system," Winecker said.

That's exactly what both sides have accused each other of doing. NASCAR says Mayfield diluted his urine even before testing positive for meth, and Mayfield says NASCAR did something to his urine.

"It's for sure a spiked sample," Mayfield said.

Because 40 minutes after the alleged positive NASCAR test, a separate sample shows Mayfield came up clean.

"There are ways that an individual can also decrease the concentration of the drug in their urine by drinking excess water," Winecker said.

But she says that's not likely in just 40 minutes.

So we asked Mayfield's attorney if they'll be testing his hair as the judge in the case suggested several weeks ago. Attorney John Buric told us they are looking at the possibility, but right now they have been told Mayfield's hair is too short. source>>>

It has worked for aspiring models, chefs and fashion designers. So why not a reality TV series that chronicles the search for NASCAR's next minority or female star?

"Changing Lanes" is its working title. And through 10 hour-long episodes, this reality docu-drama, to be aired next year on Black Entertainment Television, will tell the back-stories of roughly a dozen African American, Hispanic and female stock-car racers chosen this fall to take part in NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program.

It's the brainchild of Max Siegel, an entertainment lawyer and former president of Dale Earnhardt Inc. whose marketing company took over management of NASCAR's on-track diversity effort earlier this year.

Siegel likens the concept to " 'American Idol' meets 'The Contender,' " a boxing-based reality show.

"The objective is three-fold," Siegel said. "To create awareness of the sport in the minority community, to give a marketing platform to these unknown drivers, and to celebrate the accomplishments of women and minorities in the sport currently."

It represents an entirely new tack in NASCAR's six-year campaign to make the faces behind its 800-horsepower racecars look more like that of America.

Launched in 2004, the Drive for Diversity initiative has sputtered more than succeeded.

-- More than 30 young racers have taken part, competing in 18 minor league races each season, but none has landed a full-time job in NASCAR's top three divisions.

-- None of the five drivers in its inaugural class is racing in NASCAR five years later. source>>>