Posted 10:46 AM by logoshak
A sad day in Darlington this weekend. After running the Southern 500 at the Lady in Black for over 50 years on Labor Day weekend, this will be the last time it will be run on this traditional holiday. Chasing nothing more than the need for greed, NASCAR is moving the race to California in 2004. Oh, there will be a Southern 500 at Darlington next year, run in the dying days of autumn. NASCAR will not be satisfied until all the roots tracks are eliminated and moved to Texas, Kansas or Kentucky. Goodbye North Wilkesboro, Rockingham, Darlington and Martinsville. It's a shame that big money has made NASCAR a big muddy.
College football has cranked up its season. Miami, Florida ran roughshod over Louisiana Tech last light, while ACC schools Georgia Tech and Maryland were upset. Seems the college season starts earlier and earlier each year now. I guess it has to with some schools playing 12 game seasons. Pro football is winding down the pre-season and will be invading the tube on Sunday afternoons. Can't wait.
Prosecutors in the sexual assualt trial of Kobe Bryant will not appeal an order releasing some of the documents in the case. They say that release of this information will for impede Bryant receiving a fair trial. With all the negative ink coming out of the world of sports right now, I hoping this trial comes and goes as quietly as possible. Have a great holiday weekend!

Barry allsportsguides.com

Posted 10:24 AM by logoshak
Have to start out with Nascar. Saturday night at Bristol, Tennessee fight victim Kurt Busch banged his way to the front to claim victory. Who does he think he is, Dale Earnhardt? Busch was roundly booed by the capacity crowd and he later promised to become a changed man. He will have to be or get a good doctor to follow him around. On to Formula One, Renault driver Fernando Alonso became the youngest winner ever on the F1 ciruit and the first Spaniard to take a race. After Sunday's race in Hungary, there is 2 points seperating the top 3 drivers. F1 officials have to be smiling as the new rules this year seem to be making the competition closer.
It looks like the wild card race between Oakland and the Red Sox is what is garnering the most interest as the Major League Baseball season winds down. The Yankees seem to have enough offense to overcome their mediocre pitching. This is shaping up as a first class playoff run and World Series. The early favorite has to be the Atlanta Braves, who have played great baseball.

Barry allsportsguides.com

Posted 10:40 AM by logoshak
Well, they had a fight at Michigan Speedway Sunday and a race broke out. Mr. Excitement aka Jimmy Spenser took exception to the brand of racing that Kurt Busch practices. After the race Jimmy tapped the Rubbermaid car and out a few straight right into Busch's nose. For his effort, Spenser was suspended for the Bristol race this week and fined $25,000. Both drivers were placed on probation until the end of the year. I gripe about NASCAR and its safety record, maybe Mike Helton needs to call Everlast and order headgear and some gloves.
The Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors completed an epic nine player trade yesterday that basically sent Antawn Jamison to the Mavs and sent Nick Van Exel to the Warriors. The Mavericks continue to bulk up the team, as they believe this is the way to compete with the Spurs and Lakers. The Warriors beef up their backcourt with the deal.
Rumors persist that Major League Baseball and commissoner Bud Selig will reinstate Pete Rose after the post season. Its about time. Pete, hopefully has learned his lessons and has gone on past his post-playing wild oats days. A lot of people looked up to Charlie Hustle, during his career, including myself and hope he can return as a role model and credit to the game.

Barry allsportsguides.com

Posted 11:29 AM by logoshak
The NFL preseason is in full swing. It's like a preview of coming attractions. The only thing really worth watching is the border line players fighting for that last roster spot. Caught the Carolina Panthers-New York Giants game last night. The Panthers look to have improved with their off season wheeling and dealing. The Giants seem to be having trouble getting their play book figured out. By Labor Day weekend things should be falling into place.
As a long time Atlanta Falcons fan, I wasn't too thrilled with the new logo the team came up with. I withheld judgement until I got to see the new logo in action. It still sucks! The old Falcons logo was a classic and didn't need to be changed. A simple change back to the red helmet would have corrected the problem caused by the Jerry Glanville fiasco. I'll keep trying to like it.
Tiger Woods bogeyed two of the three final holes at Oak Hill in Rochester, NY to fall nine shots back in the PGA championship. Is Tiger in a slump or are the demands of being Tiger Woods finally catching up with his golf game? Golf is a fickle sport and if you are not on the top of your game, it will bring you down. Tiger has the option now of waiting until next year. Have a great weekend!

Barry allsportsguides.com

Posted 11:06 AM by logoshak
Well, the drivers are speaking out about the NASCAR method of providing safety crews at their races. Some drivers are even stating that they will pay for a permanent safety crew out of their own pockets. It would be sad if NASCAR had to spend some their billions of TV rights money on safety. Even the driver escape hatch that NASCAR is bragging about as a better way to remove injured drivers from their cars after accidents is getting criticism from the drivers. Many say that they will not run in cars equiped with it. Meanwhile, the softwalls installation is going at an extremely slow pace. Is NASCAR waiting for another driver to be killed before they pick up the pace of installation?
The last golfing major of the year begins today at Oak Hill in Rochester,NY. Will there be another first time majors winner? It is Tiger Woods last chance to extend his streak of winning at least one major every year to 5. This is a tough course and that could provide for a wide open field.
Mike Tyson, who recenty files for bankruptcy has put off the beginning of his civil case against promotor Don King. Tyson is suing King for $100 million. That would refill the Tyson coffers quite nicely, but won't bring back his vanished boxing skills.

Barry allsportsguides.com

Posted 10:31 AM by logoshak
NASCAR's safety policies again came in to view at the race at Watkin's Glen. NASCAR employs local medical and safety personnel at each venue. Ryan Newman was involved in a crash during a Friday practice. He claims that it took track personnel 10 minutes to reach him. On the last turn of Sunday's race, Jeff Gordon suffered a spin out and hit the guard rail. He said that traffic was so bad, that the ambulance couldn't reach the infield care facility in a timely manner. NASCAR needs to consider a permanent safety and medical team to travel to all venues and they need to do it now.
Congratulations to Duke University golfer Virada Nirapathpongporn who won the US Women's Amateur in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania. She said it was a bigger thrill than winning the 2002 NCAA title. Congratulations and continued success in your academic and golfing career.
Atlanta Braves' shortstop Rafeal Furcal pulled off only the 12th unassisted triple play in history yesterday in the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 win over the Braves. Furcal said it happened so fast, he didn't relized he had gotten 3 outs. One of the rarest accomplishments in sports, which really means being in the right place at the right time.

Barry allsportsguides.com

Posted 10:39 AM by logoshak
I hate to start this blog off with a negative, but shouldn't New York Giants tight end Jeromy Shockey seek employment with the World Wrestliing group. That's where his smart, uneducated mouth belongs. First he spouts off about Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells and then he makes a ass of himself on the Howard Stern show. Of course that's the barnyard there, Shockey should be right at home. This drip makes these comments and then doesn't have the guts to admit he had made them. This guy doesn't belong in the NFL, maybe drying Pontiac bumpers at the carwash.
Baylor University head basketball coach Dave Bliss resigned Friday, assuming resposibility for the problems with the Bears basketball program. Baylor president Robert Sloan also announced the athletic director Tom Stanton was leaving the school. This continues a disturbing trend in the NCAA. Coaches gambling, drinking with students, visiting strip clubs and now this mess at Baylor. The NCAA better take some of their billions in TV money and crank up the enforcement of these schools. The cat will never be able to guard the milk.
Chevrolet will introduce their Generation IV engine this weekend at the CART race at Mid-Ohio. This should provide an answer to whether GM can produce an engine as fast as a Honda or Toyota. Stay tuned and have a great weekend!

Barry allsportsguides.com

Posted 11:44 AM by logoshak
The Kobe Bryant sexual assault circus begins today in Colorado. I certainly don't believe that this case deserves the media attention that it is receiving. This is a serious crime and should be treated as such. Bryant seems to be even relishing in the attention. I wonder if Kobe was a releative nobody, would he still have alledgedly have commited this crime? Of course not, but I believe he felt that his millions of dollars would buy him out of any mess he got caught in. The victim in this case will be the young woman regardless the verdit of the trial.
I know that baseball season is getting into the interesting part of the season, but I'm getting football fever. The NFL has started the pre-season and college football practice starts this week. Fall is the best season of the year anyway, what with falling leaves and pigskins flying in the air. Cant' wait for the kickoff of the season.
Tough times for the US teams at the Pan Am Games in Santo Domingo. The men's basketball team lost 92-80 to Brazil in the semi-final game. The US hasn't won a Pan Am gold medal since 1983. The baseball team was beaten but the US foil team beat Cuba becoming the first team to knock off the Cubans in 34 years. The Pan Am Games roll on with the US leading in the medal count.

Barry allsportsguides.com

Posted 11:50 AM by logoshak
Annika Sorenstam's dream year just keeps on rolling along. She added the Women's British Open title to her list of career acomplishments yesterday and completed a career Grand Slam. In May she became the first women in 58 years to play on the PGA Tour. Annika says that her next goal is to win a calendar year slam.
NASCAR put on a pretty good show at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Brickyard 400 had its share of spins and crashes, but everyone walked away. Don't know if the soft walls technology used at Indy had any effect on the lack of injuries. Another great crowd to watch the stockers. Perhaps the only disapointment was the lack of a close finish.
What took so long for Hank Stram to make the Hall of Fame. The powers that be waited until Hank was 80 years old and in bad health to rightfully put him in the Hall. Stram's career began in the infancy of the American Football League and he made the Kansas City Chiefs a powerhouse. Len Dawson introduced his former coach for induction and said "I wear a Super Bowl ring on one hand and a Hall of Fame ring on the other and I owe it to Hank Stram". It was about time.

Barry allsportsguides.com

Posted 11:37 AM by logoshak
Evidently the brain trusts of the major league contenders feel that piching is the way to the World Series crown. The Yankees, after bolstering their bullpen, aquired Aaron Boone from the Reds, then shipped Robin Ventura to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Boston Red Sox added pitcher Jeff Suppan while the San Francisco Giants obtained Sidney Ponson. The dog days of summer should produce some great baseball and make the wait for football season a little easier.
Well it's good to see at least one legal proceeding not entirely influenced by big money. The judge in the Kobe Bryant sexual assualt case ruled that Bryant must appear in a Colorado courtroom next week for an initial appearance. Kobe should be like anyone else in this situation and face the music.
This weekend NASCAR visits the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400. Many would say that this race has surpassed the Daytona 500 as the biggest and most important on the circuit. With a crowd of 400,000+ fans and the media coverage, they may be right. Jeff Gordon who has a so-so year will be gunning for his 4th Brickyard trophy. Have a great weekend.

Barry allsportsguides.com