Daytona 500 Crisis

 Hey All,

 Last night was the rescheduled Daytona 500, and man did sparks fly. Between a rain delay, which caused the race to be moved to Monday night, all the wrecks, and believe it or not the track catching on fire, the race didn't even get over until 1:30am. Let's get right into the think of things and find out how the biggest race of the year, made history last night.

The NASCAR Super Bowl if you will went off with a bang from the get go. All the drivers amped up to get the season under way, caused a lot of high expectations for this years race at Daytona. After the first lap was completed, we had our first wreck of the NASCAR season. Five time series champ Jimmy Johnson was taken completely out of the race when being pushed from behind caused him to get loose and sent him into the wall. He took out five other drivers with him, including rookie Danica Patrick. This caused a lot of drivers to get upset over the fact that they've waited 36 hours to run this race, and couldn't even complete one lap with out there being a caution. This wouldn't be last of the cautions, or the delays.

The 500 always brings out the best and the worst with everyone wanting to win this race. This years 500 would be known for rain and fire. The race had one of its most frightening and dangerous situations when Juan Pablo Montoya lost control of his car under caution and slammed into the back of a jet dryer, causing it to explode in flames. Montoya's Chevrolet was destroyed, forcing him out of the race, while the driver of the jet dryer escaped a serious situation. He was transported to a hospital across the street from Daytona International Speedway for further evaluation. He ended up being alright and would spend the night in the hospital just to do safe.


And that was just the prelude to the real drama and fireworks as Matt Kenseth scored his second Daytona 500 victory in the last four years, taking the checkered flag at 1 a.m. ET to end the longest Speedweeks in Daytona history. "I have to give a lot of credit to Doug Yates and the guys at the engine shop -- we had great horsepower," said the driver, whose car was in front of the field two times for a total of 50 laps, including the final 38. "I have to thank Greg [Biffle too]. We worked together really good all day long. He had a really fast car all day as well. It feels good. We had a really fast car and have had fast cars in the past and I figured out a way to mess it up. I am thankful everything worked out on the restarts and I am glad it all worked out."


Kenseth's Ford defeated Earnhardt's Chevrolet by 0.210 seconds in a race that featured 25 lead changes among 13 drivers. It was also slowed for 10 caution periods spanning 42 laps, including the two-hour, five-minute and 29-second red flag period after the fire. Earnhardt finished second for his sixth second-place finish since his last Cup win at Michigan in 2008. Earnhardt Jr. has been on a 130 race win-less streak and is still hunting for victory lane. To read more about this historic race please check out the link at the bottom of the post.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.



Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/racing/02/28/daytona-500/index.html#ixzz1nj9mu0Dn

Back to Back Champions

Hey All,

 A big day in D3 Hoops for a small school in the back woods of West Virginia. Bethany College a school known more for it's academics, rather than it's athletics, flexed its muscles last night at Hummel Field House. The Men's Basketball team did what they have done all season long, Win. Last night was the biggest game for the Bison as they played in the PAC Championship game, and Bethany College hosted this event being the #1 seed in the PAC, and #25 in the Nation this season.

The Bison were taking on Thomas More and were looking to repeat as Champions. They did just that in a hard fought victory last night, Feb. 25 2012. The Bison were lead by junior  Reece Mabery who scored 16 points and sophmore Leslie Addy who had 15 points in last night game. This was a hard fought victory for the Bison as Thomas More wouldn't go away without a fight.

The first half was highlighted by a stifling Bison defense, which limited Thomas More to just 19 percent shooting (5-26). The Saints’ Phil Feinberg hit a lay-up with 10:22 left in the half and it would be the final field goal of the opening stanza for the visitors. Leading 17-15 with 5:22 to go in the period, Bethany rolled off a 13-2 surge to build a 30-17 lead going into halftime. Addy, who buried a three for the final points before the break, dropped in 10 before halftime. In addition to holding TMC to just 17 points, the Green and White converted eight turnovers into 11 points on their end.

The opening points of the second half was a lay-up by Thomas More’s Colt Stafford, but another trey by Addy highlighted a 9-0 run that took Bethany’s lead to 39-19 with 16:32 to play. Just when it looked like BC was in position to put the game away, the Saints heated up from the outside and Bethany went cold. Three-pointers by Todd Krohman and Daniel Whelan helped the Saints chip into the deficit, but when Bison junior James Barton (Bethel Park, Pa.) hit a lay-up with 10:09 to go, it was still a 45-31 BC lead. However, that proved to be the final field goal of the contest for Bethany, who would have to win it with defense and free throw shooting. Thomas More climbed back into the game with a 14-3 run to chop the Bison lead to 48-45 with 5:19 to play. A couple missed free throws helped keep the Saints in it and when Ryan Hamm cashed in a three-pointer with 38 seconds left, BC held the slimmest of leads at 52-51.Bethany would finally secure the victory and their sixth PAC Tournament championship in 11 years by hitting clutch foul shots. Addy stepped up first by swishing a pair with 37 seconds left. Mabery then made a steal on the other end, one of his five thefts on the night, and was fouled. He buried both of those attempts and two more with five seconds to play following a TMC bucket to provide the winning margin. Once the final buzzer sounded, the raucous student section stormed the court to join the celebration with the record-setting Bison.

The difference makers were: Addy stepped up by setting a new career-high with 15 points, while Barton rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10. Senior British Alexander recorded nine points and seven boards before fouling out and junior Nick Wilcox scored eight points and matched his career-high with 13 rebounds.

With the win, the Bison repeat as PAC champions and win their 14th conference crown, the most in PAC history. Now with a 25-3 overall, BC has broken the single-season school record for victories previously set in 2004-05. Thomas More finishes the season with a 20-8 record. The victory and conference title also gives Bethany the PAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It will be the program’s eighth overall trip to the Big Dance and second in a row after last year’s loss in the opening round to Manchester. The NCAA Tournament pairings and locations will be announced Monday at noon.

I will be informing you with whatever happens with the Bison and their run for now a NCAA title. I will also be updating you via Twitter (@michaelbonaven3). So if it's College Hoops you want, then be sure to check back in for updates as they happen.

Until next time reader,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports

Ryan Braun Wins Appeal

Hey All,

 With baseball season quickly approaching there has been a few major stories. One of the big ones, as of late, is that Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun won his appeal of his 50-game suspension. Now it might not sound like much, but this is the first time that a player got a suspension lifted, as of Thursday. Braun is scheduled to report to spring training on Friday. According to ESPN Braun released a statement say:

"I am very pleased and relieved by today's decision. It is the first step in restoring my good name and reputation. We were able to get through this because I am innocent and the truth is on our side. We provided complete cooperation throughout, despite the highly unusual circumstances. I have been an open book, willing to share details from every aspect of my life as part of this investigation, because I have nothing to hide. I have passed over 25 drug tests in my career, including at least three in the past year."

Major League Baseball is livid over this ruling. Chief executive officer Travis Tygart went on record saying the fallowing; "a real gut-kick to clean athletes."To have this sort of technicality of all technicalities let a player off ... it's just a sad day for all the clean players and those that abide by the rules within professional baseball." What makes this decision even more surprising is that the Players Association didn't supply a reason to Thursday's decision.  "Today the arbitration panel announced its decision, by a 2-1 vote, to sustain Ryan Braun's grievance challenging his 50-game suspension by the commissioner's office," a statement from the players' association said.

I for one can't believe that the MLB let Braun get off. They say that there may have been a problem with the arrival of his sample, but that shouldn't matter. Just because it took a couple extra days to get to where it needed to go, doesn't affect what is in it. If the test found testosterone in it, that means that Braun was taking testosterone and should have been hit with a fine as well as the suspension. This couldn't have come and a better time for the Brewers. With the lose of Fielder to the Detroit Tigers, they are going to need Braun's offense, and are really going to need him at training camp to get back into baseball shape. I am with the MLB on this one, livid, there is no reason for him to get off. Now I know that Braun is said to be a good guy, and a clean player, but hey you broke the rules and should have to pay for it. If Braun produces better numbers this year I think he should be tested again, during the season as well as after, just to be safe. Now I know there's nothing I can do about this, but if the right people see this then maybe justice will be served.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports

Luck vs Griffin III

Hey All,

 As I'm sure all of you know, the NFL Draft is slowly approaching. All the buzz is about the two top Quarterbacks entering the draft, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Now everyone is assuming that Luck will be the first pick in the draft by the Colts, with Griffin coming in closely behind him. Now all the hype is about how the draft and how both players will live up to the big stage of the NFL. Both players are strangely similar; Both are 22, exactly five months apart, both were recruited by Stanford. Now most didn't know this  but the offensive coordinator tried really hard for Griffin, while Luck was already in house. Though Griffin preferred Baylor because he knew he would have a better chance to play early and often. The next similarity between Luck and Griffin is that both were high school football stars in Texas, Luck was at Houston Stratford, Griffin at Copperas Cove. Both declared for the draft with a year of college eligibility left. Both were academic stars as well. Griffin had a 3.67 GPA in political science. Luck was a academic All-American in architectural design and engineering. Now the most obvious similarity is that they both are athletic. Even though it's clear that Griffin is more of an athlete.

ESPN's Peter King spoke with both coaches on how they will far in the NFL. Shaw, on Luck: "You saw the USC game this year. Andrew threw an interception in the fourth quarter that they returned for a touchdown to put them up, and then we had to respond. He went to everybody on the offense on the sideline. His message was the same up and down the sideline: 'We have no choice here. We're going to take the ball downfield and score, and we're gonna win.' He drove them to the tying touchdown, and we won in overtime. That's who he is. He will not accept failure, in anything. Wherever he goes, he will have a drive to succeed. And when he gets picked, all the extraneous stuff, he'll do what he has to do.But all the stuff he can't control, I guarantee you he won't worry about it. He's a guy who will have faith in his coaches. I can't tell you how smart he is. I used to tell him, 'OK, take the stuff you don't want out of this game plan. Kill the plays you don't like.' He hated that. HATED it. The way he knows football, the coach coaches, and he plays. So wherever he goes, he's going to master what is in his control, and he's going to forget everything else. It's not his job.

"One other thing: I remember early on at Stanford, I told him one time, 'Andrew, this is your huddle, take charge of the huddle.' He looked at me and said, 'Coach, before that can be my huddle, I have to earn it. I don't want it handed to me.' That is how he will approach the NFL -- like whatever he gets, he'll earn. The position is about finding completions, about moving the offense. You watch how he played, how he checked down, how he always found the open receiver. He will have no ego about throwing the ball deep or throwing it short. He'll be throwing for completions.''

Briles, on Griffin: "The thing about Robert is he's a football player. Some of his happiest times are not when he's done something great himself, but when he's done something for a teammate. You ask him about our bowl game against Washington this year, and he'll tell you the play he loved was making a block downfield to spring our ballcarrier. That's what his new team will realize about him. It's not about the stats, or the fame. It's about elevating the team any way he can.

"I believe with Robert that going to a team that isn't very good will be inspiring to him. Because he'll realize he has to elevate that team any way possible. If you allow people responsibility, you'll soon find out if they have the capacity to handle it. Robert always could handle as much as you gave him. And I don't mean to keep coming back to this but a leader on a team is one who cares for everyone else before he cares for himself. And the excitement and gratitude he has for others on his team ... it's something I saw every game he ever played. That's going to translate to the NFL. This is a great team player.''

If you would like to know more, please be sure to check out the full report by ESPN's Peter King by the link below

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/peter_king/02/19/king.free.agents/index.html#ixzz1n4F6RnJv

As always readers, you keep doing what you do,

And I'll keep you up to date with everything sports

Moss Back To The NFL?

Hey All,

Seeing how tomorrow is Valentines Day I will be posting today instead of tomorrow. So let's get down to business.

Now Nothing really going on sports wise today, except for the coming out that Randy Moss will be making a return to the NFL next season. If anyone will be willing to take a chance and pick him up. Now almost every analyst is saying that the only good pick for him would be to return to the Patriots. Now I couldn't agree more. The Pats need that deep threat, Tom Brady has a better chance to actually win the Super Bowl, and Randy Moss gets another shot at the big time. Moss is still a very explosive player, who shouldn't have retired last season. But I can see where his mind was, nobody wanted him that had a chance at a winning season, he wasn't getting offered the money he deserves, and no matter where he went he wouldn't of had anyone like Tom Brady throwing to him. When the two, Brady and Moss, were on the same team they broke countless records, and can do the same if they re-connect and the Pats do sign Moss. Honestly if anyone can think of a better pick for Moss, I'm willing to listen, but I don't think there is a better fit for Moss. Moss hasn't played football since 2010 when he played for the Pats, Vikings, and Titans, so he should be well rested. With being out now a full season, Moss should have gotten the motivation to get back into the NFL and get back to football.

The only way I see Moss coming back is if he gets an offer from the Pats. If they don't offer him a deal, then I see him staying retired. It will be the only place where, he and the Pats, can get back to a winning style that they are use to, with putting up 45 points a game. All in all for Moss it's Pats or nothing. I'll be interested in seeing how this all plays out, and will keep you guys up to date with any news that I get.

Until next time readers,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything Sports

Deja Blue

Hey All,

Sorry for the late post but, here is what I got out of Super Bowl XLVI.
This game was meant to be a great one from the get go. The New York Football Giants and the New England Patriots, a heated rivalry that goes back years in the making. With the Yankees and Red Sox and all the great sports teams, New York and New England just don't like each other. So you know this game was going to be a battle from the sound of the first whistle. The Giants came out and got the ball to start the game and their offense looked good from the start of this game. They were able to put a good drive together and show that they were able to move the ball against the Pats. Their D showed that the Pats weren't going to be able to move the ball easily on the Giants D, and their outstanding pass rush. Justin Tuck, on the first play of the on D, was able to put the pressure on Tom Brady, and force him to make a bad pass which ended up being a safety to put 2 more points on the board for the G-Men. Making the score an outstanding 9-0 in favor of the Giants. The Pats would answer back though, getting a few more scores on the board to bring them the lead 14-9 going into the half. The Pats got the ball to start the second half and were able to drive down the field to put 3 more points on the board, and things weren't looking food for the Giants. But that Defense for the Giants weren't ready to give up hope, and the Offense did their part as well. The Pats would be stuck at a score of 17 for the remainder of the game. The New York Football Giants would make some big plays through the air to bring the game within a winnable margin. With 2 minutes to go in the game the Giants had the game within 2 points, were going into score, and only needed a field goal to win the game. With Nicks picking up a key first down to keep their drive alive on a wide receiver screen, everyone thought he made a huge error in not staying in bounds to keep the clock moving. The Giants were trying to not leave enough time on the clock so that Tom Brady would not have the time to put a winning drive together. On the first play inside the 10 yard line, Eli Manning handed the ball off to Ahmad Bradshaw and screamed "DON'T SCORE!" But Bradshaw's momentum was too much for him to stop and carried him into the end zone with 57 seconds left on the clock. More than enough time for Brady to make his move down the field, and put a W on the board for the Pats. This is were disaster would strike New England as their receivers would just forget how to catch the ball. Brady made some good throws, but the Pats receivers would drop balls that any other time, they make with ease. The Pats yet again fell short to the Giants in the big game. It happened 4 years ago and this year looked strikingly similar.
All in all this game came down to the Giants make fewer mistakes in the clutch then the Pats did. Tom Brady and his Offense just had no answer for the Giants Defense. No one can argue that the Giants just seemed to want it more, and had the right game plan to get the job done. Now that football is over everyone is wondering what will happen now, and what will people watch. Need I remind you that we are right in the middle of 2 major sports seasons, the NHL and the NBA are right in the heart of their seasons, and the excitement is outstanding. I also would like to remind everyone that I correctly predicted the outcome of Super Bowl XLVI to a T. I said it was going to be a close game, and it was. I said it was going to be the Giants coming up with a late game rally to win the game in the fourth quarter, and they did. I want to congratulate both teams on making this far, and a bigger congratulations to the New York Giants on winning against the New England Patriots yet again in a Super Bowl.

Until next time reader,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sprots