Resting 12th in the standings with two races left before NASCAR begins the Chase for the Championship, Bowyer says he isn’t feeling the pressure. Why would he? It’s familiar ground for a driver that finished third in the Chase a year ago.
But in reality, Bowyer’s happy-go-lucky attitude just may be a disguise. He’s never fared well at California Speedway and finished 12th in last year’s regular season finale at Richmond last year. Then, Bowyer was a lock for the Chase. Now, he’s only 12 points ahead of steady David Ragan for the final spot.
If this season is any indication, positions will juggle before the playoffs start. The latter half of the standings has been as consistent as the Yankees lineup.
Case in point: Two weeks ago, Denny Hamlin bashed everyone but himself for a horrid 39th at Michigan. Hamlin dropped to 12th in the standings and looked as if his bubble was bursting. But finishing third at Bristol Saturday night put him in the vulnerable 11th spot. It’s just that kind of season.
“The way we see it, the good runs reflect how good we are, and that makes the bad runs that much harder to take and increase our frustration even more,” Hamlin said. “The Chase is so tight that there really isn’t room for error anymore – but the Chase also rewards consistency and gives any team that gets on a roll to make some noise.”
Sounds like the company line. But for Hamlin or Bowyer to make the Chase, consistency in the next two events will play a major factor, especially for Bowyer. He has just one top five finish in five tries at Fontana.
“I think we’ve learned a lot since we were there in February,” he said. “We’re still struggling on that type of race track. We’re looking at some things that will hopefully pay dividends out there. That’s going to be such an important track for us.”
Perhaps it’s more important for Richard Childress Racing. Last year, Bowyer, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton all made the Chase, evidence of the resurgence of Childress after the unfortunate and untimely death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. All three drivers would make the Chase if it began today. But that can change quickly in these unstable standings. Stay tuned.

It’s preposterous to question Griffey’s credibility. Roger Clemens, yes. Griffey, no. The man with the most-pure swing since Darryl Strawberry donned a Mets uniform has had his share of injuries. Well, more than his share. As oft-injured as Griffey was, it’s hard to fathom that he is at 600.

In the eight seasons prior to 2008, Griffey missed 453 games because of a plethora of injuries. He’s missed almost three full seasons, but he still performed when he was healthy. He isn’t Andy Pettite, who used HGH as a catalyst to a speedy recovery. If he was, we would be talking about him passing Barry Bonds, another cheater, rather than watching him hit 600.

But what makes Griffey so great is his loyalty. He could’ve gone anywhere after his contract in Seattle expired. Anywhere, even New York, where the Yankees played in as many World Series as his home run count. But he didn’t want that. He opted for Cincinnati, the place where his father left an undying legacy. And Griffey Jr. has been to the playoffs just twice.

If Griffey stayed healthy, this blog would be arguing that he was the best power hitter in baseball history. Alex Rodriguez is and it will go down on record when he is all finished. So, here’s the comparison, even with Grif’s injuries: A-Rod, who has stayed out of the steroid controversy barring schlep Jose Canseco’s accusation, homers every 14.23 at-bats. Griffey goes yard every 15.075.

The comparison is close, considering that Griffey has close to two thousand more plate appearances. But we will never know who was actually better, which pounds home the statement: Leave Griffey alone. He’s one of the good-guys in baseball.

Friday

10:30 a.m. — The Gasman purchases tickets to the Craftsman Truck Series race that evening and later gaffled the scalper for extremely cheap Sunday Sprint Cup tickets. The scalper was obviously disheartened by the lack of fans in town yet. He’s right. Surging gas prices did indeed leave the Monster Mile with a ton of open seats all weekend.

1:30 p.m. — The new Miles the Monster Monument (check last posting) that rests behind the front stretch of the one-mile, high-banked oval is really, well, a monster. Piercing the sky six stories high, the monument is an enormous replica of the trophy that race winners receive. And for those old-school fans, plaques surround the base with former Dover winner’s names. It’s a nice finishing touch in the speedway’s project to create a more fan-friendly track.

Truck Race, lap 96 — Kyle Busch, not a fan favorite, hears the boos from the thousands in attendance after smoke billows out of his No. 51 Toyota. The Las Vegas native led every lap at the time, and Busch finished 27th.

Saturday

12:15 p.m. — The buffet inside Dover Downs Hotel and Casino has some tasty and phenomenal food. But it also offers more than most restaurants can. The seating inside is on the base of the track and it’s a great atmosphere for the final Sprint Cup practice.

12:17 p.m. — Rain begins to fall, hard, halting practice and putting the Nationwide Series event in question. So much for the previous paragraph.

Later that day — Denny Hamlin wins the rain-delayed Nationwide event to give Joe Gibbs Racing its seventh series win this season. Hamlin’s teammate Joey Lagano, who was making his NASCAR debut, finished sixth. Not bad.

Sunday

1:45 p.m. — Fans sitting in section 120 of Turn 3 continue to heckle Kyle Busch during pre-race driver introductions. Relentless as can be, they also booed Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Dale Earnhardt Jr. even got some boos.

Lap 17 — A five-car crash, which involved Hamlin, Junior, Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne, coming out of Turn 2 makes it feel like a good race is ahead. Not the case. It was boring with ungodly green-flag runs throughout. Well, that was except for the supposed debris caution for a gum wrapper on the track. Yes, a gum wrapper.

Lap 126 — A drunken fan sitting a row up crashes to the ground and continues to lay there for a half hour. Wow.

Lap 128 — Drunk fan No. 1’s relative must be sitting a few rows down and to the right. Standing and fist pumping relentlessly, no one could figure out who he was rooting for. Again, wow.

Lap 400 — Kyle Busch flies to the victory, ending perhaps the most boring race in quite some time at Dover. The green-flag runs combined with only six drivers finishing on the lead lap made for a mundane afternoon. It did. Perhaps the Car of Tomorrow isn’t the answer for NASCAR. Check Wednesday’s posting for more on that.

Friday

MLB: Braves at Reds — Unbelievably talented youth vs. washed up and aging. Hmm? Edinson Volquez continues to surprise this season with 7-2 record, 76 strikeouts and 33 walks. Throw him against an aging Tom Glavine, and you have a Texas-sized beating. The pick: Volquez and the Reds, 6-2.

Saturday

NHL: Sidney Crosby may have broken out Wednesday night. But the Red Wings are too experienced for a one-game intravenous. Detroit, no matter who scores, will win. It’s been on this posting since the opener. The pick: Octopi all over, 4-1.

Sunday

NASCAR: Dover International Speedway — Who else: Jimmie Johnson. This guy is a maniac at the one-mile, high-banked oval. A few years ago, he spun his car during qualifying, keeping it off of the wall, then finished in the top 10 during the race. That’s racing. He’s been as quiet as Eliot Spitzer these days. The pick: Silence no more. Johnson wins.

Logano is the jewel that owners and crew chiefs seek throughout the rough that is this country. He’s young, fast and provides another hot commodity when the Young Gun movement seemed to be fading. Fans will finally get to see him Saturday, when Logano takes over the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Toyota in the Heluva Good! 200 at Dover International Speedway.

The No. 20 is accountable for six wins in 13 Nationwide events this year, all with three different drivers. Calm, cool and collective, climbing NASCAR’s ranks and jumping into a good situation haven’t swelled his head.

“I’m just your average Joe and a typical teenager despite all this stuff,” Logano said. “I’m a racer. I wouldn’t do anything different, ever, in my life. I wouldn’t trade this for anything. All my friends are the same way. Racing is their life and that’s the same way for me. A lot of people don’t realize how much work it really is, but I’m having a blast and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for this, and I finally get to make my Nationwide Series debut at Dover.”

Logano is already acclimated to the high-banking and ludicrous speeds of the Monster Mile, having dominated the field while clinching the Camping World Series East Series (formerly the Busch North) title there last September. He continued that type of performance since, even thrashing the rest at the ARCA RE/MAX Series Carolina 500 at Darlington a few weeks ago.

Then, Logano was 17. Saturday, Gibbs Racing and the Connecticut native were celebrating his 18th birthday in Charlotte with a 150-pound cake in the shape of the Toyota he will pilot at Dover. He’s now legal by NASCAR’s standards to compete in any of its three circuits.

“It’s the same thing. It’s just bigger, better and a tougher challenge,” Logano said. “You have more guys and bigger tracks. That’s going to be the biggest difference. It’s still a race car with four tires and a steering wheel. You have to be confident. If you’re not confident, then you’re kind of wasting your time. There’s a line between confident and cocky. You definitely have to be confident going into any kind of sport like that. It’s a head game.”

So are NASCAR’s off-track happenings. Gibbs said he wants to keep Tony Stewart in the stable and create a new team for Logano. Stewart, rather, has said he wants to start his own team. Regardless, Lagano can finally show the sport what some have already forecasted. And it’s time for him to live up to the hype, run well and gain the respect at such a ripe age.

“It’s (respect) definitely an important thing,” Logano said. “You have to go out there and race people the way you want to be raced. If they’re going to run you clean, then I’ll run them clean. But you better run them clean before they do anything to you. I think it is a real big thing to gain respect, whether it’s on or off the race track.”

Friday

NBA: Spurs at Lakers — One word: Kobe. Bryant displayed MVP-type patience during Wednesday’s Game 1 win Wednesday, waiting until the Lakers were down a supposed insurmountable amount until igniting. Then, he showed signs of Jordan. Will it carry over in this series? No. It will go the distance. The pick: Spurs, 98-94.

MLB: Giants at Marlins — This blog will continue picking on Barry Zito until he finally wins a game. The former crafty lefthander, and one of the richest pitchers, used to have one of the best curveballs in baseball. Now, he’s relegated to being one of the biggest chumps on the hill. Perhaps the Barry Bonds situation has him concerned? It doesn’t matter, because his losing streak won’t end here. Florida always seems to get it done with youth. The pick: Marlins, 5-2.

Saturday

NHL: Penguins at Red Wings — It took Barry Melrose all week to pick a Cup Finals winner. The Gasman needs no such time. The Red Wings will raise the Cup and it will be rather easy, considering Pittsburgh’s youth and unfamiliarity with the finals. Detroit had only one hiccup during the regular season. But that geared them to demolish teams this playoffs. The pick: Red Wings, 4-2.

MLB: Rangers at Indians — Cliff Lee finally looked human when he finally lost to the Reds last week during interleague play. Perhaps that’s his kryptonite? Lee is the story of the American League so far. Having been demoted to the minor leagues last year, Lee looks as dominant (and carefree) as Randy Johnson in his prime. This is his rebound effort. The pick: Indians, 6-1.

NASCAR: Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway — The longest race on the circuit hits when most of America is at a barbecue. Kyle Busch, who else, is on the pole, which makes for an intruiging event. Who will be able to endure the day-night transitions? Will it be a Toyota? How about a Chevy? The pick: Kyle’s brother, Kurt, who has been absent this season will win.

Sunday

MLB: Twins at Tigers — Justin Verlander couldn’t be figured out last year. He was as dominating as one of Eliot Spitzer’s hookers. But this year, Verlander can’t find his curve, fastball or changeup. He’s become the resident shell artist. Luckily, he’s pitching against a rookie with three starts under his belt. Verlander, one would believe, has to come around. The pick: Tigers, 6-5.

Busch is the next villain in the drama that is Sprint Cup, whether he likes it or not. His on-track antics have perturbed fans and other drivers, though it’s provided exciting racing, wins and a spot atop the points standings. The bad-boy tag has followed, which he isn’t quite comfortable with, well, yet.

“As far as being the most hated guy in NASCAR, I don’t think that’s necessarily fair,” Busch said, responding to a question during a conference call to promote next week’s race at Dover International Speedway. “I’m out there to do a job, and my job is to win races.”

Sound familiar? Long before Busch, Dale Earnhardt Sr. used the same approach and tested the boundaries and patience of other drivers while taking home seven championships. The Intimidator paraded around the circuit like he owned every track, often getting in other driver’s grills and bumpers. It’s something we are starting to see out of Busch. And it’s something the sport hasn’t seen in quite a while.

Tony Stewart was supposed to have taken the torch after Earnhardt’s untimely and unfortunate death in 2001. But Stewart eased out of that role as America fell in love with the man who climbed fences after wins. Go figure.

Busch, rather, is enjoying every moment of the limelight. His hard work, which he’s raced in the sport’s top three series, is resulting in success at every level. He’s donned himself as a triple threat at some tracks, like Dover, where he will race the Friday Craftsman Truck Series race, the Nationwide event on Saturday and Sunday’s Sprint Cup extravaganza.

Not many other drivers can pull the trio off, and Busch has been for years.

“You know, I’ve been pretty used to it going back and forth and switching between all three,” he said. “You just have to remember what your marks are in each different vehicle. You got to remember where you brake, you got to remember where you gas, you got to remember how much brake and everything. It’s just a matter of having a good memory I guess, which I don’t have a very good memory.”

Cute. But I’m sure he does.

Three weeks ago at Richmond, Busch knew exactly what he was getting into when he bumped into Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the final laps of the Crown Royal Presents the Dan Lowry 400. Earnhardt, who was in the lead, crashed and Busch finished second. Everything would’ve been peaceful if Earnhardt hadn’t won in more than 70 races and Junior didn’t take his ride at Hendrick Motorsports. But that is what continued Busch’s reckless attitude, and sparked media interest.

The blitzkrieg of questions hasn’t phased either Busch’s mentality or results. He comes from a pedigree that includes his Cup champion brother, Kurt, and being teammates with four-time Cup winner Jeff Gordon and two-time champ Jimmie Johnson. Championships have surrounded him. So, is he ready to take the next step?

“I’d say being able to be around champions in general anytime is obviously a great help,” Busch said. “For me to work with as many as I’ve worked with and to be associated with all of them that I’ve been with it’s definitely pretty cool. To learn some of the things that they’ve been able to teach me and tell me, on-track stuff more so than off-track stuff, but some off-track stuff, just knowing how busy you are when you’re a champion. I really just admire those guys when they are champions in the following years for how good they still run and how much stuff they have to do.”

5 — Kasey Kahne. Sportswriters and commentators waited and waited for Kahne to come around last year, especially since he made the Chase in 2006. Once June hit, they waited. July, the same thing. Guess what they did in August? Waited, right. Saturday, though, Kahne showed signs of ‘06 after he was voted into the Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and snatched the $1 million purse. Not bad for someone who seemed to be as forgotten as Gerardo. Better yet, Kahne said the win, not the money, was a confidence boost for his team.

4 — Geovany Soto. It did happen Monday night. But inside-the-park home runs are rare. So, it will appear on this posting. Soto’s shot looked like a conventional dinger after smacking the concrete wall in centerfield at Minute Maid Park. It caromed off, bouncing into center and it counted as the Cubs catcher’s ninth homer of the season. He’s also hitting .321 (prior to Monday’s game).

3 — Pittsburgh Penguins. This is the story of the nice guy finishing first. Nice guy Mario Lemieux bought the franchise, almost went bankrupt and watched it almost dismantle. The city and Lemieux endured tough times and the Pens gave Lemieux the perfect present for his induction into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame — a Stanley Cup Finals appearance.

2 — Paul Pierce. Prior to Kevin Garnett’s arrival, Pierce was the Celtics. He bled green and Sunday he showed he still can carry a team. Scoring 41 points in the deciding Game 7 against the Cavs, Pierce had perhaps his best game in Boston, leading the Celtics to the Eastern Conference finals. But it wasn’t just Pierce’s scoring that led Boston to its eighth postseason win at home this year. He grabbed a crucial jump-ball away from LeBron James to close the game.

1 — Big Brown. His name is becoming a regular on this site. And it’s deserved. The 3-year old colt certainly opened eyes with late-stretch kicks to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He arrived in his home state of New York on Monday to begin some rest and preparing for the biggest race of his short life. Only the Belmont Stakes, and perhaps supreme competition from Casino Drive (a Kentucky-born who has trained predominantly for Belmont), will keep Brown from securing the Triple Crown. We’ll see in three weeks. Let the hoopla begin.

Bonehead of the week — Bob Davidson. The umpire admitted to making a mistake Monday after he jumped in and switched third-base umpire Mike Reilly’s call from an apparent home run to a foul ball during the Mets 11-2 win over the Yankees. Davidson was wrong. Carlos Delgado should’ve been awarded the homer. But what’s worse was the time ESPN, especially color commentator Joe Morgan, wasted on talking and displaying the error. The network made an instant celebrity out of fan Christopher Rom, who sat next to the foul pole that the ball ricocheted off. And it benefited neither the Mets nor the thousands of viewers.

Friday

MLB: Mets at Yankees — The Subway Series rekindles its excitement for the final time at the Stadium. And the New York reporters are salivating over Friday night’s game worse than Arlen Specter’s jones for the Patriots. Rightfully so. The Mets perfectly placed Johan Santana on the mound in the opener after the Yanks failed to bring him to the Bronx. The Yankees, rather, are opting for rookie Darrell Rasner, who is 2-0 and has looked like a veteran. Intrigue? Yes. Contest? No. The Yanks can’t hit. But the Mets aren’t that good either. The pick: Yanks, 6-4.

NBA: Celtics at Cavaliers — Kevin Garnett was an absolute beast Wednesday night. No one could stop him in the second half, even through telegraphed passes in the paint. It disturbed LeBron James’ return to reality and it should continue. After all, this is why he was brought to Beantown. The pick: Boston moves on, 94-83.

Saturday

NHL: Stars at Red Wings — This series is still going on? It won’t be after Saturday afternoon. Detroit has scored from all areas inside the opposition’s blue line and only Bret Hull lacing up the skates could save the Stars. Too bad he’s sitting upstairs in a suit. The pick: Red Wings roll, 4-1.

Horse Racing: Preakness — Big Brown. Big Brown. Big Brown. Anything else?

MLB: White Sox at Giants — This is a battle of declining pitchers. Chicago’s Mark Buehrle is 1-6 after winning 16 games during the White Sox championship season in 2005. San Francisco’s Barry Zito is as lost as Elliot Spitzer. The battle of dead arms has begun. The pick: Zito has to come out of his shell soon. Giants, 5-4.

NASCAR: Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway — This free-for-all, but not worth watching race results in only a ton of cash for the winning driver. And it precedes the worst race on the circuit — the Coca-Cola 600. Yes 600 miles. Three years ago, that race lasted until the the early morning. But the all-stars get on the track first. The pick: A sentimental moment for Dale Jarrett as he wins after retiring earlier this year.

It wasn’t the best week in sports. But there were some notable moments like the one above.

5 — Kobe Bryant. Did anyone catch the move the MVP performed Friday night in Utah? Bryant hop-stepped through traffic, tossed the ball off of the backboard and then slammed down a thunderous dunk in a loss to the Jazz. Descriptions can’t do this play justice, only visuals.

4 — Mike D’Antoni. Several NBA coaching changes have been made so far. But D’Antoni’s was the most significant. Seemingly headed to Chicago on Friday, D’Antoni opted to go for the money and head to New York. The money is good, though, D’Antoni might need an extra supply of Excedrin with the hapless Knicks.

3 — Kyle Busch. The Las Vegas native continued his hot streak and made the Gasman look like a genius Saturday night (Gasman picked Busch to move everyone out of the way for the win. Check last week’s Weekend Watching). Busch dropped a lug nut during a pit stop of Saturday’s race at Darlington. He fell back, but through quick pit stops and banging off of the wall and several other cars, Busch remarkably took his third checkered flag of the season and still leads the points standings. He’s on fire, both on the track and with fans.

2 — Sergio Garcia. With Tiger Woods home rehabbing, the Spaniard rallied Sunday to win The Players Championship at Sawgrass. He forced a playoff hole (the infamous 17th) after Paul Goydos missed a putt on the final hole in regulation. Goydos shanked his tee shot into the water on the playoff and Garcia nailed the subsequent drive en route to his seventh tour win. Afterward, Garcia said, “I want to thank Tiger for not being here.” The $1.71 million Garcia brought home must have brought out his sense of humor.

1 — Rick Ankiel. The former pitcher still has an arm. Last Tuesday night, Ankiel, who started his major league career as a pitcher but is now employed as an outfielder, made two exceptional throws from the warning track. First, he tossed a 330-foot rocket from the center field wall at Coors Field to gun Omar Quintanilla out at third. Moments later, he launched another missile to get an out at third. He’s throwing strikes from the outfield instead of the mound, which he couldn’t do during his first stint in the league. He’s also hitting .287 with six homers and 19 RBI.

Bonehead (or Boneheads) of the week — The USC athletic department. ESPN blew up O.J. Mayo’s spot when it announced that Mayo received thousands of dollars and gifts before and during his time on the Trojan men’s hoops team. This comes after Reggie Bush was alleged to have received $300,000 while he starred on USC’s football team. What is going on in Southern Cal? Can’t they watch their players? The NCAA can’t let this go unnoticed.