Can't have it both ways, kids

What do you want, NASCAR fan? Seriously, what is it you really want?

Why is that an important question? In the big picture, it isn't. However, I am tired of the whining about NASCAR not being as good as it used to be.

We saw a prime example of that Sunday in the Daytona 500. Brian Vickers shuts off the daylight in front of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Jr. ducks towards the grass, moves back in, hooks the car of Vickers, and causes the big one.

Vickers is pardoned for making the block, but Earnhardt is being lit up like a Christmas tree.

Some play the "it's not safe" card, others say it was all Dale Jr's fault.

Turn back the clock 20 years. What would be said then? An unheralded driver blocks a name of the time. The big name, intentionally or not, clips the unheralded driver, causing a pile up. Does the name driver get ripped? The unheralded driver pardoned?

The answer is none of the above. The final assessment is, "just one of them racin' deals."

If you, the fan, want it to be the way it once was, then you have to accept the fact the Dale Jr. wasn't trying to wreck the field, he wasn't trying to intentionally spin Vickers. He was trying to get back onto the track. Sure, the evidence would suggest revenge on the #88's part. Consider the following:

1-Daytona is the track that claimed the life of his father.
2-The speeds at Daytona are ridiculously high.
3-Perhaps, no driver is more aware of what that track can do to a car and driver when it gets hairy.

Do you honestly think Dale Jr. was trying to wreck a car he KNEW was:

A-on the inside part of the track?
B-capable of sliding into a large chunk of the field?
C-capable of harming other drivers (forget about them winning the race)?

Your answers to all of those questions should be "no."

Easiest way to say it--it was one of them racin' deals.

Let's move on to California this week, huh?

Mike Solarte

Monday Morning Java

Normally, I do have a cup of coffee with this blog entry, but today, I'm sans-cafe. Random thoughts from the weekend:

• Loved the Daytona 500, until the rains came and washed out the remaining 48 laps. Enjoyed watching the Cup series drivers slice and dice through the traffic. Plenty of folks are creaming Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for his role in the lap 124 wreck that wiped out 9 cars. If you haven't seen it, a brief synopsis. Brian Vickers and Jr are a lap down, battling to be the first to get the free pass when a caution comes out. Jr. has a huge run on the #83 (Vickers), and Vickers slides in front of him to block, forcing the #88 (Jr.) towards the infield (but not to the grass). Jr. keeps the handle on his car, moves back towards the field (back inside the double yellow line), clips Vickers car, and sends him spinning into the field. Ripping Jr. for it is one thing, but there is blame to be shared by Vickers, too. Vickers has to recognize that a car is simply faster than he is. He can try to block all he wants, but at the base of this is that both cars were a lap down, with 75 laps to go. That's an eternity at Daytona. Maybe that was payback for a wreck at Talladega a few years ago (when Vickers drove for Hendrick Motorsports). Not likely, but it's kinda fun to think about. Bottom line--both are to blame, so stop trying to find fault with only one guy. Vickers should have been able to recognize the situation, and Dale Jr. should have been more careful when getting back in line. In the end, that's racin'.
• The clock is ticking on the Panthers and their franchise tag. I don't know what the hold up is, and GM Marty Hurney isn't talking. So we won't know until he, and the team, actually does something. Perfect scenario: Lock up LT Jordan Gross with a long term deal, franchise DE Julius Peppers and then trade him for picks. Gross wants to remain in Carolina, Peppers wants out. Horrible move by Peppers and his agent by vocalizing their desires publicly. They handcuffed the Panthers big time by doing so, and now it will be tough for Hurney and company to get fair compensation. Peppers is a gifted and talented player, and Carolina will be hard pressed to get full value for him once a trade (which I think will happen) goes down. There will be some movement on this soon as the Panthers have to have the tag in place by Thursday.
• The folks at Davidson are breathing a bit easier this Monday morning, as x-rays on G Stephen Curry's left ankle were negative on Sunday. Curry rolled the ankle Saturday night against Furman--it looked ugly. The negative x-rays mean Curry could be back sooner than expected, but with the Wildcats out to a comfortable lead in the Southern Conference, I wouldn't expect him to rush back. Get him healthy, and ready for the conference tournament. Davidson isn't exactly an at-large lock for the NCAA Tournament, so they need to guarantee their spot with a conference tourney win. He is most valuable there, not in their final 5 games of the regular season.
• Charlotte 49ers baseball boss Loren Hibbs will join us in -studio for Sports Night tonight. Among the 49ers many diamond accomplishments in recent years, I throw this stat out for you to chew on. Since 2006, the 49ers have the 4th highest winning percentage in D-1 baseball, behind these schools: Rice, Florida State and North Carolina. 3 perennial powers. Coach Hibbs is a super nice guy, and fun to be around--should be a fun interview.
  

Mike Solarte

Happy Friday

About 7:30 pm as I post this, with just some random sports musings, heading to the weekend.

• Night with the Knights was a wonderful time. Cal Ripken, Jr. is a wonderful speaker, and had loads of great baseball stories to tell following dinner. Best part of the night: Ripken relaying the story of how his streak was nearing 2,00 games, his wife pregnant with his son. Due date on the baby: July 26. Cal pleading to his wife he will be there for the birth, streak be damned in one breath, then thinking to himself (and saying to the crowd), "Oh sh!t, now what do I do?" He then told her that he would be there, but the streak would end on their son's birthday, and would that be fair to do that to him? The crowd got a kick out of that, but even moreso during the question and answer session. A child asked Cal if he had any other nicknames besides "Iron Man." Ripken, clearly caught off guard by the presence of a minor replied, "Sorry about the cuss word earlier, kid." Laughter took about 5 minutes to subside. Congrats to the Knights on a wonderful evening.
• Daytona 500 runs on Sunday with Martin Truex, Jr. 0n the point. Don't look for him to be around long, however. The Hendrick cars have enjoyed a nice Speedweeks, with Jeff Gordon winning a 150 race on Thursday. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. starts 14th, Jimmie Johnson starts 7th, and then there is Mark Martin....on the outside of row 1. I called the #24 car to win it, and I stick by that, but a better story is Martin taking the checkered flag. I would love to see that.
• Bobcats enjoying some down time, although it seems a bit of snub for Emeka Okafor to be home instead of in Phoenix. Okafor has had a solid season, averaging a double-double thus far. I don't know if it's a sign of the Bobcats not getting respect throughout the league, of if it's just that Okafor doesn't have that "star" quality that the game desires. Whatever the case, Okafor has been dependable every night for Larry Brown this season, so he deserves the R&R he'll get.
• Speaking of the Cats, how about Vladimir Radmanovic? From pine-rider to averaging 17 points in his 2 appearances so far. He took a bit of a shot at the Lakers following the Cats win over Washington on Wednesday night, basically saying, if I get the chance, I can contribute. He hadn't even practiced with the Bobcats before facing the Clippers on Monday, scored 13. One workout later, he drops 21 on the Wizards. Imagine what he can do with an entire training camp under his belt? Ok, I'm kidding, because he's only a starter right now, due to injuries. Gerald Wallace should return after the All Star break, along with Raja Bell (although, I don't know the timetable for his return). Juwon Howard is still nursing a toe injury, but with so many years in, he can take extra time to rejuvenate his legs. This might be a team to watch in the 2nd half. They'll have to overcome a road-heavy schedule, but they've got pieces now, something they didn't necessarily have earlier.
• Had the chance to chat with Charlotte 49ers AD Judy Rose on Friday (an interview that can be seen on news14.com this weekend). Talked about the progress of the new football endeavor, and what a job they have in front of them. Seems to be the right people in place to make it happen. One thing that will certainly help the process would be an economic turnaround--like the opposite of what we are in right now. I am not sure they can pull it off, but I'll say this: I'm rooting for them

Hope you have a great weekend, and we'll take a look back at the weekend that was in sports on Monday. Thanks for checking out the blog!

Mike Solarte

Daytona Primer

The Duel 150 races roll off in a few hours (it's noon as I type this), so just a few tidbits to keep in mind as we embark on the 2009 Sprint Cup season.

It would be wise to write down (or print this blog), and store away, the changes of drivers to teams, and number switches. Like this:

• Tony Stewart out of the #20, and into the #14
• Joey Logano into the #20
• Bobby Labonte out of the #43 and into the #96
• Ryan Newman out of the #12 and into the #39
• David Stremme into the #12
• Mark Martin out of the part time #8 and into the #5
• Casey Mears out of the #25 and into the #07
• Clint Bowyer out of the #07 and into the #33

Yeah, my head is spinning too. There are more changes out there, but those are the biggies (that come to mind).

ISC announced Wednesday that Daytona is getting re-paved in 3 years. that's nice to know, but watching the cars bounce around on that track (which hasn't been re-surfaced since 1978), it makes you wonder if those bumps contribute a little to the "big ones" we see there. Yeah, the restrictor plate plays is own part, but in those tight packs, one big wiggle can set off the chain reaction. We'll see...

I love how they set the field for the 500, but making it take nearly a week, well, that's a bit much. Set the front row in qualifying on one day, then set the rest of the field with the 150's the next. This can all be done starting Thursday with the front row qualifying, Friday duels, Saturday practice, Sunday race. If NASCAR wants to help the fans save money, that's the way to do it.

Going out on the limb (which worked for me before UNC-Duke when I said Duke by 3, lol), Jimmie Johnson is the pick to win his 4th straight title, but he will be under heavy fire this year from these drivers: Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, and Jeff Gordon.

My Daytona 500 winner pick is Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Scrapbook notes:

Congrats to the Charlotte Bobcats on picking up back-to-back wins before the All Star break. This is a fun team to watch now, and they actually have some "players." They might be the biggest sleeper in the Eastern Conference, when you talk about playoff teams. A big 2nd half puts them in. They can do it, but they have to stay healthy.

UNC-Duke, Act I was wonderful, but I didn't give UNC enough credit for being THAT much better. Listening to both coaches after the game, I got the sense that Duke realizes this just might not be their year, after facing the Heels. Mike Krzyzewski was honest when he said that UNC was just better than Duke is right now. I don't know how much that changes between now and the end of the regular season. Duke played well, UNC played better. They were in a different place last night, and it showed. Still, UNC has shown they are not invincible with earlier losses. March is gonna be fun.

Tim Baier takes you through the night on Sports Night, as I will be attending Night with the Knights. Blog at you again on Friday!

Mike Solarte

UNC-Duke, Act I

Rather than wax poetic on how amazing the UNC-Duke game will likely be, I'd rather just say this: no matter who you root for, sit back and enjoy the pure beauty of a rivalry at its best. Both teams in the top 6 (UNC in at 3, Duke at 6), a tremendous college basketball venue in Cameron Indoor Stadium, packed to the rafters--awesome. Having covered these games for a number of years, I can tell you that being in either Cameron or the Smith Center for these games is as close to heaven as you can get as a sports fan.

For the record (and because you, the loyal reader would demand it), my pick for Wednesday night is Duke in a close one, like 3 points. No disrespect to UNC, but Duke has a chip on their shoulder coming into this one, having dropped 4 of 5, and 3 straight at home. This is a proud Duke team, and they will want to do all they can to try and reverse that trend.

News 14 Carolina will have live coverage of all the post-game happenings--from coaches press conferences to locker room reaction. Jim Connors will be in Durham, while Ryan Welch will be staffing the NC State-Wake Forest game at the RBC Center as well. Sports Night kicks off at the normal 10pm slot, and then we'll jump back on air at the conclusion of UNC-Duke, so get out your "Watch and Switch" shoes!

* Coming up Thursday on the blog, I'll take a look at the Gatorade Duel 150's in Daytona. Great stuff with Martin Truex, Jr. on the pole, and Mark Martin locked into the outside pole for the Daytona 500. Former DEI teammates took care of business last Sunday, but how will they run when the race gets going? More on that on Thursday.

* Late add for tonight--the Bobcats-Pacers trade talk. Apparently, Bobcats co-owner (and Managing Member of Operations) Michael Jordan held a conference call with some writers (and TV didn't get invited to listen in?). He apparently didn't dismiss trade talk, but did say (according to reports) that he hopes to extend Felton to a new deal at the end of the season.

The trade talk involves Felton to Indiana for Jamaal Tinsley. Incase you missed it, Tinsley hasn't played for the Pacers this season. Not due to injury, but due to the team telling him to stay away. Yeah, he's not welcome with the team. So why would he be wanted in Charlotte? Dealing Felton because of a fear of not getting something in return is one thing, but getting Tinsley could be the equivalent of Felton leaving without compensation. Hopefully, Rod Higgins, Jordan, Larry Brown and anyone else involved will realize that Felton, while not the best PG in the NBA, brings a certain degree of grit and toughness this team needs. I like Felton, and I can see wanting to get something for him if he will cost too much in an extension. Still, taking on a player that has worn out his welcome with his current team isn't exactly the way to go.

Mike Solarte

The ACC-Back to Normal

Yep, all is right with the world once again, as the ACC is the top conference in college basketball.

Sorry Big East, Big 12, or any other conference you may deem worthy--the ACC smokes all of you.

There are great teams in those other conferences, but you don't see what you saw Wednesday in other conferences. 7th ranked Wake Forest blown out in Miami. 4th ranked Duke dismantled in Clemson. The Tigers are no flash in the pan--they were 10th in the coaches poll going into Wednesday play. It just the kind of parity that the late Pete Rozelle dreamed of for his NFL. Only this thing happens a couple times a week in the ACC.

It's heaven. It's unpredictable. It's awesome...with a capital "A" (sorry Dickie V.).

Miami shot lights out, Clemson just buried Duke, never gave the Devils a chance to breathe.

Poetry.

Elsewhere in ACC hoops, UNC has shut down the hopes of Marcus Ginyard returning to the team this season. Smart move, and I hope Ginyard can get another year of eligibility as a result. He's a nice young man, plays hard, and is what UNC hoops should be about. Tough break for him, but when an injury doesn't respond to treatment after this much time, it's time to find out what is going on.

On the same night they shut down Ginyard, UNC also closed the 2008-2009 books on Will Graves. According to head coach Roy Williams, "Will did not maintain the standards we expect of a Carolina basketball player. He will remain a part of our program and participate in practice and all other team activities. His status for 2009-2010 will be determined prior to next season."

I ask--what do you have to do to go from reserve guard as a sophomore on one of the top ranked teams in the country, to a player without a country? Seriously, how do you get booted from this team? It's too early in the semester to think grades or missing classes. The school will not release details as to why Graves was shown the door, but it doesn't bode well for his return to the team next season. UNC has another dynamite recruiting class scheduled for 2009-2010. If they all show up, Graves could be odd man out. We'll see.

Mike Solarte

Superl Bowl 43-Wow!

Quick hitter this Monday:

* Props to Pittsburgh & Arizona for a dandy Super Bowl 43. I never envisioned that game having as many twists as it had. Of course, the mile or so of penalty yardage hurt the game a bit, but Arizona hung tough while Pittsburgh controlled the game, battled back from James Harrison's record setting interception return, then turn up the heat in the 4th, taking the lead....I have to catch my breath just thinking about it.

I did pick Pittsburgh to win it, so I was happy about that, but now that the smoke has cleared, Arizona was better than I wanted to give them credit for. Carolina gets a shot at them next season, so they had better be prepared.

* Panthers owner Jerry Richardson has undergone his heart transplant (coverage can be seen on News 14 Carolina), and according to the team it went well. Here's to a speedy recovery for the Big Cat.

* ACC hoops has been, to put it mildly, interesting. UNC, Duke, & Wake have all been #1, and all 3 lost that ranking in Winston-Salem. Weird, huh? February should be a great month for hoops when you factor in what the conference schedule holds for the Big 4--NC State needs some wins to get themselves feeling better, but I'm not sure they have the horses. They've got some good young players, but overall, that program is missing something.

* Charlotte Bobcats meet Utah Monday night (9pm). Cats ended January with a nice record, but still need to do some work to get into that 8th playoff spot. Thing is, there aren't as many teams to climb over to get there. It is certainly within reach.

More in the days ahead, and just think, race fans, Daytona gets fired up THIS WEEK!

~Mike Solarte