Mammoth Blog

Former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent is taking every opportunity to weigh in on the recent New York Daily News story that said current commissioner Bud Selig was "seriously considering" reinstating Pete Rose to the game.

Vincent, a strong critic of any potential reinstatement of Major League Baseball's all-time hit king, had this to say yesterday on ESPN's Jim Rome Is Burning:

"Selig's not going to be wobbly on gambling at this stage, especially with what happened in the NBA. This issue is not about Pete Rose. It's about the effectiveness of the deterrent."

High & Inside would like to see a panel discussion pitting Vincent and Selig against Rose backers such as Hank Aaron, Mike Schmidt, and Joe Morgan. Also, to add spice, throw in a few Hall of Famers who think Rose greatly tarnished the game with his admitted gambling. source>>>

So now that you saw Tiger Woods play like a mortal at the British Open, is he still your bet heading into this week's Buick Open?

Tiger heads to Michigan trying to gear up to take his run at the final major of the year. It will be interesting to see if he swings like he did in his three wins, or like he did in his three major losses.

Regardless, Woods is the favorite to win the Buick Open, listed at +137 when players teed off.

Looking for a reason to tune in other than Tiger? What about John Daly?

Daly's rebirth continues this weekend in familiar territory. If you recall, this is where he unleashed that infamous beer-can tee shot of last year.

It would be great to see him challenging on Sunday again, but at +15000 to win don't get your hopes up. source>>>

John Daly, former Hooters arrestee, purveyor of heinous knickerbockers and fat guy in a tiny bus tunnel, isn't leaving your lives just quite yet. No, sir. In fact, thanks to the Golf Channel, Daly is going to be all up in your face kid.

That's because starting in just a few months (or "early next year") Daly's going to get his own reality television show. But, really, um, of course he is.

It shouldn't be surprising at all, frankly -- and getting to see the train wreck that is John Daly appearing weekly on your teevee sets is something that should have never gone away. The surprising part is Daly's show is happening now ... after he's actually cleaned up his act.

Instead, the Golf Channel's show will focus on Daly turning his life -- they're calling it his "boring life" actually -- around and trying to make something of himself other than a bloated pile of Diet Coke and peanut M&M's. Frankly, I think it will be interesting; even at his most reserved, Daly is still pretty out there (see: fluorescent pants). Excellent example: the first part of the show will feature him finishing up practice for the Buick Open and then going to Kid Rock's studio to record a song. He will also iron his awesome pants.

Daly has, of course, turned to Twitter in order to get this puppy named; "Daly Planet" is out, and he's considering "Out of the Rough" which is obviously appropriate given the multiple meanings inherent there. Got a better idea? Hit him up. He'll probably answer and if it's good enough, he might even use it. (Personally, I think "Cinderella Story" with Bill Murray voice overs to pseudo-house beats would be pretty awesome, but I'm a weirdo. What? You do better.) source>>>

Adreamsoft PDF to Word Converter announced launch of an affiliate program, which provides 50% discount for affiliates and resellers. It is a good choice for software affiliates and resellers to join Adreamsoft and get benefit from Adreamsoft.

Adreamsoft PDF to Word Converter, designed as the most efficient and versatile PDF tool, empowers business users to convert any PDF documents into editable Microsoft® Word documents with higher accuracy, faster speed and better stability. Aiming to provide better service for non-English users, Adreamsoft PDF to Word Converter supports multiple languages creatively like English, French, Germen, Spanish, Italy and so on.

The benefit of joining Adreamsoft PDF to Word Converter affiliate program

100% guaranteed payment system
Adreamsoft partnered with RegNow, the global provider of trusted e-payment systems for affiliates. You can be 100% sure to get money from your sales tracked.

100% tracked custom build
Adreamsoft just brought out the robust and awesome affiliate engine which will automatically create a unique trial product for each affiliate to download, your affiliate ID will be permanently embedded in the program other than being included in the file name, thus ensure 100% of the leads drove by the affiliate will be recorded.

High commission
Earn 50% and even more commission for every sale through your affiliate link. If you can sell more than 30 licenses per month, you can get higher commission from Adreamsoft.

Best service
Adreamsoft provides 24 hours online technical support and is also glad to provide rich materials to help you promote products, like Promotion Description, Banner, User Guide, Review and any other things you need.

About Adreamsoft PDF to Word Converter Details: http://www.allpdftools.com/pdf-to-word-converter.html
About Affiliate Program Details: http://www.allpdftools.com/affiliate.html

About Adreamsoft
Adreamsoft, a professional software provider, provides you a variety of choices of PDF tools including PDF to Word Converter, PDF Editor and PDF password remover. These series of PDF tools make PDF conversion and PDF editing easily and efficiently. Besides, the high efficiency customer service provides gentle technical support to solve questions for customers within 24 hours. source>>>

Are you interested in becoming an affiliate and start generating recurring revenue today? Or are you a ClickBank Affiliate? N'deav[r] is giving you a new RECURRING REVENUE affiliate program. They will also send you many links so you can start promoting n'deavr for FREE! You can get $50 in free advertising on Microsoft Adcenter.
Their affiliate program is run by ClickBank. You can trust them as ClickBank is a renowned and trusted third party affiliate management company. It is sure you will receive your commission every time and on time. You can earn 55% RESIDUAL commission on every sale generated by you!!! Also their landing page converts at minimum 35% when marketed on major PPC networks. This is a Great product and there is no competition!! Their affiliate program is run by ClickBank. You can trust them as ClickBank is a renowned and trusted third party affiliate management company. It is sure you will receive your commission every time and on time. You can earn 55% RESIDUAL commission on every sale generated by you!!! Also their landing page converts at minimum 35% when marketed on major PPC networks. This is a Great product and there is no competition!!
Simply email to affiliates@ndeavr.com for a step-by-step guide filled with ideas, ads you can use, updated lists of keywords and ads you can use for your pay-per-click campaigns or newsletters.
Signup and start generating revenue right away!! 60 Day Money Back!!
For more details, please visit - http://ndeavr.com/affiliates.aspx

source>>>

Instamod Service Group, Inc. is pleased to announce the roll-out of two Affiliate Earnings programs to promote its Do-It-Yourself Loan Modification Request Submission Package engine called PerfectMOD.

This self-service web-based software system allows homeowners to create their own Loan Modification Packages easily and instantly, which they can then print, sign and submit to their lender.

"This is the first such product of its kind," says CEO, Scottie Sharpe. "Our system is unique in that it helps both homeowners AND banks/lenders with the tedious, but necessary process of loan modifications."

The Affiliate Program allows attorneys, loan modification firms, and other entrepreneurs to profit in this expanding industry by selling a non-regulated product that requires no user interaction from an Affiliate's staff. Delievered to affiliates as a web-based module, the Instamod product can be attached to an Affiliate's existing web site or it can be provided as a stand-alone site. The product can be rolled out flexibly; it can be hosted under an Affiliate's existing domain name, or the Affiliate may choose to host it under a new name. It uses the Affiliate's credit card merchant account to process orders. All revenue is deposited directly into the Affiliate's bank account. Instamod charges a flat transaction fee for the service. Because Affiliate's set their own retail price for the product, they can balance their profit against their marketing costs and demographics. At $399 retail price, 1000 units earns an Affiliate $349,050.00.

For Affiliates already involved in mortgage modifications, automated packages provide a great downsell opportunity. Instead of turning away sales, because an Affiliate has no product to sell in a prospect's price range, the Affiliate can offer an Automated Packages product which is a low dollar product and fairly easy to sell.

By helping homeowners create their own professionally prepared, complete and legible Request Packages, Instamod hopes help homeowners AND lenders work together to "Get America Back On Track To Financial Stability".

For more information, visit http://www.instamod.com or call 866-446-2920 Ext 4. source>>>

The Broadway production of 9 to 5: The Musical, with a score written by Dolly Parton, will close on Broadway on Sept. 6 due to disappointing ticket sales. However, a new touring production of the musical will be launched in Nashville on Sept. 21, 2010. The musical won a Drama Desk award earlier this year following a record-setting 15 nominations. "I couldn't have asked for a better experience on my first Broadway show," said Parton. "I've had the privilege of working with an amazing group of people who have become like family to me. I can't wait for this show to hit the road so people across the country can see why I'm so proud of everyone involved. And I'm so pleased that we'll be opening the tour in Nashville. Great things happen in Nashville." source>>>

Reba McEntire will perform at the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards in Vancouver, B.C., on Sept. 13. Other performers include George Canyon, Terri Clark, Doc Walker, Jessie Farrell, Martina McBride, Aaron Pritchett and Johnny Reid. McEntire will release a new album, Keep On Loving You, on Aug. 18. Her latest single is "Strange." CCMA nominations were also announced on Wednesday (July 29), with Reid getting six nominations and Canyon receiving five. Actor Jason Priestley will host the award ceremony. source>>>

Lady Antebellum earned its first gold digital single this week for "I Run to You." The certification recognizes 500,000 digital downloads. "When we write, we never know which of our songs will end up connecting with people," says band member Charles Kelley. "The minute we put 'I Run to You' in our show, we knew that people were starting to respond to it because the voices were growing louder every night. I still can't believe that 500,000 people even know who we are ... much less downloaded a song we wrote at the Loveless Café over lunch one day. It's crazy!" source>>>

On stage, Kenny Chesney is a prancing dynamo who draws his energy from applause and spotlights. But in most of his 30-plus videos, he's more like a casual observer of life, even when he's the guy with the guitar. Behold a few of the best examples.

"The Tin Man" (1994) -- Kenny in chrysalis. His resonant, reassuring voice is emerging, but at this early stage of image development, the singer is clad in a form-shrouding sport coat and wearing his hair longer in the back. The close-ups show a man who's keenly in touch with the emotions he sings about.

"That's Why I'm Here" (1998) -- Chesney throws himself into this one literally as he sprawls on a grimy restroom floor in a drunken stupor. The song is the cry of a man who's trying to kick his alcohol addiction while simultaneously pleading for understanding from his aggrieved wife or girlfriend. The video is permeated by dark, sickening, institutional colors that offer no ray of mental relief. Here, in the service of authenticity, Chesney exposes his receding hairline. After all, falling-down drunks rarely succeed in keeping their hats on.

"How Forever Feels" (1998) -- Welcome to the tropics. This video introduces us to Chesney's passion for sunny beaches and soothing waves, and it's the first to show his sculpted bare chest. In one scene, he even wears a parrot on his shoulder.

"The Good Stuff" (2002) -- After a dustup with his old lady, Chesney C-clamps himself to a bar and asks for some liquid relief -- the "good stuff." But the wise old bartender (played by Chesney's longtime manager, Dale Morris) knows what the kid really needs is some philosophical perspective on his debilitating self-pity. The drunker you are, the more profound this one will seem.

"There Goes My Life" (2003) -- Country songwriters love nothing better than taking a catchy phrase and working it into different and even contradictory contexts. Here, it's "there goes my life" because my girlfriend's pregnant, followed by "there goes my life" because my little baby girl is what I hold most dear. And, finally, "there goes my life" because my beloved grown-up daughter is leaving home. That's the story this video tells. Chesney relates the action but does not participate in it.

"Anything but Mine" (2005) -- Of all Chesney's beach-themed videos, this is my favorite. The scene is a seaside or lakeside amusement park near the end of summer. While Chesney and his band play off to the side, the two young lovers try to pack as much joy into their final day together as the imagination allows. Wistful and beautifully bittersweet.

"Who You'd Be Today" (2005) -- The poets Robert Frost and John Greenleaf Whittier each spoke of roads not taken and opportunities lost because of fear, caution or arbitrary choice. "For of all sad words of tongue or pen," Whittier wrote, "the saddest are these, 'It might have been.'" This video dwells on the theme of potential cut short by tragedy: the playground friend later killed in a war and the promising young life that's snuffed out in a car wreck. Again, Chesney sings on the periphery as the sad scenes unfold.

"You Save Me" (2006) -- The East Tennessee native does some fine understated acting here. He plays the weary, mysterious stranger who's coming home to his lover, the one person who truly understands and accepts his "gypsy soul." As he stares out the side window of the cab he's riding in, his face is a palette of dark and unexplained emotions. But all his pain is swept away when he's finally frolicking in the arms of his woman. (CMT.com also offers a director's cut of this video that goes a long way toward explaining the cause of Chesney's angst.)

"Don't Blink" (2007) -- After his interview with a 102-year-old man reminds him that life is fleeting, a TV newscaster begins to rethink his own hurried existence. Even if you do blink, you won't miss this didactic story line.

"Out Last Night" (2009) -- The only difference between this poolside panorama and Chesney seaside epics (e.g., "Old Blue Chair" "Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven," "When the Sun Goes Down," "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem," "I Lost It," "How Forever Feels") is that it features a lot more babes than drinking buddies. source>>>

1. Tony Stewart -- Stewart finished third at Indianapolis, his series-leading 12th top-five result of the year, and padded his lead atop the point standings. Stewart now leads Jimmie Johnson, who passed Jeff Gordon for the No. 2 spot in the standings, by 192 points.

"As an Indiana native," Stewart said, "this is the one race I really want to win. I've got two wins here already, but now that Jimmie Johnson has more, I can't say that I wasn't jealous watching him kiss the bricks."

"Not that I also didn't get a cheap, voyeuristic thrill watching, much like one would by viewing grainy footage of a naked ESPN reporter. But what Dr. Jerry Punch does in the privacy of his hotel room should be his business, and his business alone."

2. Jimmie Johnson -- Johnson won his second consecutive Brickyard 400, and third in his career, in an eventful race at Indianapolis that was rendered wide open when Juan Montoya was ticketed for speeding on pit lane on lap 127. Montoya had led 116 of the first 124 laps before the fateful infraction.

"You could say NASCAR gift-wrapped that one for me," Johnson said. "And you could say the package came not with a 'Colombian necktie,' but with a 'Colombian bow tie.' Man, talk about a champion's provisional."

"Besides, Montoya's stepmother said he was speeding, so it must be true."

3. Jeff Gordon -- Gordon finished a lackluster ninth at Indianapolis, collecting his 14th top-10 finish of the year at the track where he has four career victories. Gordon's No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet lacked the handling to challenge the cars of race winner Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, and Juan Montoya, but some timely passes as the laps dwindled salvaged the top 10. Gordon dropped to third in the points, 192 behind Tony Stewart and 15 behind Johnson.

"I'm happy for Jimmie and Mark," Gordon said, "and I'm happy for Rick Hendrick, as well. He spares no expense to provide this team with the best equipment. I wouldn't be surprised if Hendrick engineering played a part in the timing devices used to catch those pit lane speeders. But please don't buy into another one of Jeremy Mayfield's conspiracy theories."

"It looked like it was Montoya's race to win. The No. 42 Dodge was so dominant, I thought Juan would win going away. But things can change quickly in this sport. What was looking like a 'Juan-coup' finish became a '1-2' Hendrick finish."

4. Mark Martin -- Martin won the pole for the Brickyard 400 on Saturday, becoming the oldest driver to accomplish that feat in NASCAR's history. He nearly cashed in for victory, but was unable to pass Jimmie Johnson after an exciting 20-lap duel to the finish. With his runner-up finish, Martin moved up two places in the point standings to ninth, and holds a 42-point cushion over the 12th spot.

"Jimmie got by me on that final restart," Martin said, "and that was all she wrote. I gave it everything the No. 5 Car Quest Chevrolet had, but I couldn't catch him. I think it was Jimmie's way of sending a message that he's still the man to beat. It's good that he cleared that up, because most drivers, Tony Stewart and Jimmy Spencer among them, have always recognized Kurt Busch as the man to 'beat.'"

"Honestly, though, there's really no secret to my longevity as a driver. If you're looking for a 'Fountain of Youth,' there's not one, although the talent at a Tony Stewart hauler party comes mighty close."

"No, I attribute my success to hard work, but mostly the credit is due to the competitive fire coursing through my veins. Now, if I could bottle that up and sell it, I'm sure Aaron Fike and Jeremy Mayfield would be first in line to try it."

5. Kasey Kahne -- In his 200th career Sprint Cup start, Kahne finished seventh in the Brickyard 400, his second-straight top-10 and fifth-consecutive top-15. He held on to eighth place in the Sprint Cup point standings, and has a 53-point lead over Matt Kenseth in 12th.

"I'm really sympathetic to what Juan Montoya must be feeling," Kahne said. "He was pushing that car to the limit, with a 'checkered flag or bust' mentality. Well, he got 'bust'-ed all right, for speeding."

"Me? I can definitely relate to getting 'busted.' It happens to me quite often, actually, usually at meet-and-greets, when a comely female admirer 'busts' me. Luckily, it only costs me an autograph, and not a Brickyard 400 win."

"Anyway, I'm pleased with the team's performance. We've really come on strong in the second half of the season. I attribute that to hard work, a focused outlook, and some words of wisdom offered by 'The King' Richard Petty. He told me that there's no reason a driver with my talent should miss out on the Chase. I think his exact words were 'You know you don't have to be that guy, son.'"

"But right now, our Chase standing is in good shape. If I blow it and fall out of the top 12 in the next six races, it will be nothing less than a 'Kahne Mutiny.'"

6. Kurt Busch -- Busch was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop under green to tend to a wheel vibration on lap 33, and incident which left him a lap down. And, with a scant three caution periods during the entire race, Busch was never in position for the "Lucky Dog" free pass. He finished 27th, one lap down, but held on to fourth in the Sprint Cup point standings.

"Jimmie Johnson had everything working in his favor," Busch said. "A great car, a Juan Montoya speeding penalty, a timely caution, and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge nowhere near him. That's a heck of a lot of ingredients, but a recipe for success nonetheless."

"I'm still waiting for a good time to talk to Jimmie about the run-ins we've had on the track recently. With the Chase looming and Jimmie coming into form, he's kind of hard to catch nowadays. I asked him when would be a good time to talk, and he told me he could be reached anytime at 867-5309/Jimmie."

"When we talk, I'll expect an apology. If Jimmie doesn't oblige, the No. 48 Lowe's car can expect to 'Ride the Lite-ning' into a wall pretty soon."

7. Carl Edwards -- Hampered by a poor qualifying effort that gave him the 41st position of the starting grid, Edwards' prospects of success at Indianapolis were slim. But perseverance, determination, and a slew of other words used to indicate a slow car helped Edwards improve 26 positions and finish 15th in the Brickyard 400. He moved up one spot in the point standings to fifth, and trails Tony Stewart by 498.

"I think all of the guys are sympathetic to the plight of Jeremy Mayfield," Edwards said. "At Indianapolis, we all had an inkling of what he must be going through, because 'passing' was difficult out there."

"Now, if you're like me, you've had enough of the Mayfield versus NASCAR drug saga. I like my Sprint Cup filled with racing action, not urine. Lately, the Cup runneth over."

"And the drama shows no signs of slowing. NASCAR recently accused Mayfield of lying in federal court. It seems Mayfield said he didn't talk to a laboratory employee about submitting to a test when and audio recording indicated that he did. Is there a movie in the works? You bet. It's called Meth, Lies, and Audiotape."

8. Juan Montoya -- On his way to what likely would have been the most dominating Brickyard 400 victory in history, Montoya was nabbed for speeding on pit lane with 35 laps to go. Montoya had led 116 of the previous 124 laps and had built leads as large as five seconds, but the drive-through penalty assessed rendered those statistics irrelevant. Montoya finished 11th and dropped one place to tenth in the point standings.

"Jeremy Mayfield would agree," Montoya said, "that NASCAR obviously has a vendetta against drivers with the initials 'J.M' and 'speed' problems. I feel even more 'Target-ed' than normal."

"I'm proud to be a Colombian, but all too often, I'm finding that misconceptions about people of my nationality are apparently affecting the decisions of NASCAR. There's a misguided assumption that all Colombians have a cocaine problem, but that's still no reason for NASCAR to give me a 'snow' job."

9. Denny Hamlin -- Like his Joe Gibbs teammate Kyle Busch, Hamlin found the going tough at Indianapolis. Early in the race, a broken drive shaft forced the No. 11 Fed Ex Office Toyota to the garage. By the time repairs were completed, Hamlin was 16 laps down. He finished a game 34th, and fell one place in the points to sixth.

"Kyle and I both have been dealing with our share of adversity," Hamlin said, "most notably the fact that we're both being outdriven by an 19-year-old rookie."

"But that kid Logano is as talented as he is skinny. He has no shortage of talent, his greatest being the ability to exit his car without letting down his window netting."

10. Ryan Newman -- Newman finished 14th in the Brickyard 400, behind Stewart Haas teammate and fellow Indiana native Tony Stewart, who finished third. Newman is seventh in the points, 548 behind Stewart.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with controversy in NASCAR," Newman said. "At least it keeps people from talking about Kyle Busch."

"And controversy promotes discussion, and everyone's talking about Juan Montoya's speeding penalty. While it may not be of the magnitude of mysteries such as 'Who shot J.R.,?' the question on the minds of many in NASCAR circles is 'Who clocked J.M.?'" source>>>

For the second time since June 7th the NASCAR Sprint Cup teams will again be taking on the challenge of the mammoth Pocono Raceway for this Sunday's running of the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500. This unique track places a lot physical stress on engines and transmissions and it can be equally demanding on the drivers as well. It's also a severe challenge for crew chiefs. There is no one definitive car set up that will allow maximum performance through the trio of turns and straightaways. When it comes to pre race prep at Pocono a crew chief has to pick the one portion of the track where he thinks his car and driver is going to need the most help.

THE TRACK BREAKDOWN

The 2.5 mile Pocono Raceway's uniqueness lies in the fact that it's shaped like a triangle and features three virtually flat turns linked by three straightaways.

Turn one is only banked 14 degrees. Turn two, also known as the dreaded "tunnel turn" is extremely challenging because, with only 2.8 degrees of banking, it's almost as flat as a pancake. Turn three is also virtually flat with only six degrees of banking. SOURCE>>>

Lisa Mayfield is seeking damages against her stepson, suspended Sprint Cup driver Jeremy Mayfield, for public comments he made in regard to his civil case against NASCAR, according to court documents.

Lisa Mayfield is seeking compensatory damages in excess of $10,000, punitive damages in excess of $10,000 and any other "relief as the court may deem just and proper" in a civil suit claiming slanderous, false and defamatory statements.

The complaint was filed Wednesday in the Iredell County Civil court in Statesville.

Court documents refer to statements that Jeremy Mayfield made to ESPN.com and WSOC-TV in Charlotte, which came after NASCAR filed court documents that included an affidavit from Lisa Mayfield in which she said she had witnessed her stepson taking methamphetamine at least 30 times since 1998.

The testimony was part of NASCAR's argument that the temporary injunction lifting his indefinite suspension for violating the sport's substance-abuse policy should be overturned.

The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has since ordered that Mayfield's suspension be reinstated.

Lisa Mayfield's testimony also included accusations that Jeremy Mayfield was involved in the production of methamphetamine.

Jeremy Mayfield, responding during a phone interview with ESPN.com, said: "She's basically a whore. She shot and killed my dad."

He also accused his stepmother of accepting money from NASCAR in exchange for her testimony.

"It wouldn't take much money," he said at the time. "She tried to get money from me."

Jeremy repeated the accusations on a Sirius radio talk show that same day, and then a few days later made them again to WSOC.

Mayfield has since told ESPN.com that he has an attorney working on a wrongful death suit against his stepmother in the death of his father, and said he plans to file by Aug. 15 or earlier.

According to autopsy and police reports, the cause of death of Mayfield's father was suicide, and there were no signs of wrongdoing. The report included testimony from Lisa, who said her husband had been depressed for some time over the relationship with his son.

" ... Just came from Salisbury today with some stuff that I had an investigator on her for a while, she knows it, she's been running and basically either her, or conspired on killing my dad, shot my dad in the heart," Mayfield told WSOC, according to his stepmother's complaint.

Lisa Mayfield's complaint states that Jeremy Mayfield knew his legal case was heavily covered by the media and "knew or reasonably should have known that statements as set forth ... would be widely disseminated in the media."

The complaint added that the statements made by Jeremy Mayfield regarding his stepmom "were false and defamatory."

He was suspended by NASCAR on May 9 after a random drug test came up positive for methamphetamine. He has argued that the test was the result of combining Claritin-D for allergies with the prescription drug Adderall for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Officials who run NASCAR's drug-testing procedure have ruled that out as a possibility. Mayfield has since tested positive again for methamphetamine, the results of which were made public on the day Mayfield made his comments about his stepmother. source>>>

Roush Fenway Racing has made its decision, now Jamie McMurray must make his.

Less than a week after announcing Matt Kenseth's sponsor had decided not to return in 2010, Roush officials said Tuesday that Crown Royal, McMurray's sponsor this season, would move to Kenseth's No. 17 team next year.

That means Roush - which is required to move from five teams to four next season - will field cars for Kenseth, Greg Biffle, David Ragan and Carl Edwards in 2010.

McMurray, now officially, is without a ride at Roush, although team president Geoff Smith says he hopes to transfer McMurray's No. 26 team intact to Yates Racing next season.

Is that really the best move for McMurray?

He left Chip Ganassi Racing in a much-publicized move to Roush in 2006, but since arriving his tenure has been less than stellar. He's won one race with the No. 26 - the 2007 July race at Daytona - and has never finished better than 16th in points. He is currently 20th.

A move to Yates - which gets car chassis, technical support and the same engines as Roush teams - wouldn't really change the dynamic for McMurray. Granted, it's not the best time to be looking for new rides in NASCAR right now, but for whatever reason it's clear the Roush-McMurray pairing never blossomed.

In three full seasons with Ganassi, McMurray didn't win a race (he won as a fill-in for Sterling Marlin in 2002), but he never finished worse than 13th in points. He was a lot closer to competing for a championship with Ganassi than has ever been at Roush.

Just by chance, there is an opening at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing next season, the No. 1 Chevrolet being vacated by Martin Truex Jr.

Is it out of realm of possibility for McMurray to return to the team where his Cup career started? Sponsors would have to be located, of course, and contract negotiations held.

But in the end, McMurray's best hope of moving his Sprint Cup career forward may be looking back. source>>>

"No worries."

Spend much time around Jimmie Johnson and you'll hear that expression often. You won't meet a more down-to-earth, easy-going person making a 200-mph living than this 33-year-old San Diego native whose actually had to defend himself for being too nice of a guy.

But don't let the laid back demeanor deceive you.

In only his eighth season in NASCAR's premier Sprint Cup ranks, the three-time champion is quietly and methodically establishing himself not just among the best of his generation, but among the best in all of NASCAR history.

Just don't ask him about it.

"If I can keep that stuff out of my head, not think about what could be or what I could do for myself and my career and status, the better I'm gonna be,'' Johnson said this week, days after becoming the first stock car driver to win back-to-back races at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"Nobody will be offended if I dodge those questions and try not to let that stuff in my head. It's what I'm trying to do to stay focused on what I do best,'' Johnson added.

What he does best these days, is be the best.

Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet, is deservedly getting extra attention this week after earning his third win at Indy -- a feat only his Hendrick Motorsports teammate and good friend Jeff Gordon (four wins) has bettered in the stock car ranks. Only three other Indy car drivers whose names are racing royalty -- Mears, Foyt and Unser -- along with a Formula One driver by the name of Michael Schumacher, have won more than Johnson there.

It is significant because winning the big races distinguishes Johnson among a list of stock car greats -- the ability to win the big races and the championships.

In addition to Johnson's three Indy victories, he won the 2006 Daytona 500 and three consecutive Coca-Cola 600s from 2003-05 -- the Cup Series' marquee trifecta. The NASCAR traditionalists' favorite, Southern 500 at Darlington, S.C.? Johnson's won that, too -- part of a 2004 sweep at the track Too Tough to Tame.

Of the Cup champions in the past 20 years only Johnson, the late Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon have won the Brickyard 400, Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500.

Johnson has proven himself to be among the most diverse in NASCAR. With the exception of road courses -- where Johnson is winless but accumulated seven top-10 finishes in 15 starts -- he has spread his 43 victories out over short tracks, super speedways and his specialty, intermediate tracks.

Through his first seven and a half seasons, Johnson has a career average finish of 11.2. It's on par with the first eight seasons of seven-time champ Earnhardt (12.2), two-time champ Tony Stewart (12.3) and three-time champ Darrell Waltrip (10.9).

Jimmie JohnsonOf champions from the past two decades, only Gordon had more wins (54) in his first eight seasons than Johnson. In this category, the comparisons for Johnson aren't with his contemporaries, but with sure Hall of Famers.

Three-time champion Cale Yarborough had 55 wins in his first eight seasons. Waltrip had 51 wins, Earnhardt 20.

Of course, part of the difference from 20 years ago is that Johnson started his career with a superpower. And he'll be the first to say so. But there have been -- and still are -- others with successful teams that didn't produce the results. It's one thing to have opportunity. It's another to seize it.

"It's not one thing that makes Johnson so good, it's three things: Hendrick Motorsports, [crew chief] Chad Knaus and it's Jimmie Johnson,'' 1989 Cup champ-turned ESPN analyst Rusty Wallace offered this week.

"Pull any one of those three things out and they would not be as successful. Chad with another driver isn't successful. Jimmie with another crew chief wouldn't be this successful.

"He's got to be an odds-on favorite to win the championship four times in a row, I know I picked him to, and here's the thing, he's a second-half driver. He's only just about to really turn it on.''

Many don't realize that Johnson, who began his career racing motorcross and off-road trucks, didn't even start driving stock cars until 1997. His first full season was 1998. He spent a couple years in the ASA series then two more in the Nationwide Series before Gordon convinced Hendrick to give Johnson his big break.

Often Johnson gets criticized for being "too nice" for being that happy-go-lucky, kid-next-door. But anyone who still questions his grit should watch replays of Johnson's hard-nosed win at Texas in 2007 or the way he races his own teammates in the waning laps. He is as competitive as anyone ever was behind the wheel.

Only he's proven you don't have to be a jerk to be a winner. Or a champion.

The win at Indy has positioned Johnson to make a real run at history -- a fourth straight Cup trophy. He goes to Pocono, Pa., this weekend -- where he's won twice -- second place in the championship behind Tony Stewart with six races remaining before the 10-race Chase for the Championship.

If the rankings were reset for the Chase today, he'd still be in second place behind his teammate Mark Martin by virtue of Martin's four wins to his three.

As Wallace mentioned, Johnson's team has proven itself the class of the late season field. His performance in the intermediate-track heavy Chase races is a major reason why he will be the man to beat.

A fourth consecutive title would be unprecedented in this sport and one of the greatest accomplishments in sports.

And try as you might, it's still not something Johnson wants to consider. He's having too much fun.

"I don't think it's in my nature to think long about it or focus on that,'' Johnson said with a laugh. "The less I let in my head the better. I joke around with it a lot that I'm not good at thinking. I'm better when I strap myself in that car and go out there and do what I know how to do.''

No worries, Jimmie. source>>>