Why Is It OK To Fight and Threaten in NASCAR?

Why are NASCAR drivers allowed to make threats against other drivers without interference from the sponsors, or higher ups?
There is a race tomorrow at the Martinsville Speedway in Virginia and everyone, from the media to the other races are saying or suggesting that Joey Logano is a marked man. Marked as in other racers will intentionally  try to stop Logano from finishing the race. How can I say this more clearly?

Tony Logano

They will try to make Logano crash his ride. If you do that to someone who is driving more than 200 miles and hour, aren't you saying you're going to try to kill the driver? Tony Stewart even said he'll "take him out."

Stewart already tried that following the last race, the Auto Club 400 in Fontana, CA. Stewart charged after Logano and scuffuled with him. Stewart was mad that Logano cut him off in an attempt to prevent a pass. Isn't that what you're supposed to do? Prevent other racers from getting ahead of you?
I will try to spare you the details about what happened at the Fontana race, but other racers are blaming Logano for every bad thing that happened. According to one published report, the man who Logano hit towards the end of the Fontana race, Denny Hamlin,  isn't even mad at Logano for the fractured spine and other injuries that will cause Hamlin to miss five races, he's mad that Logano has not exhibited proper contrition. Hamlin is made because Logano is not sorry enough! These MF's is crazy! Hamlin can't race but knows that other races are gunning for Logano. Hamlin even joked that Logano should swap sponsors with Juan Pablo Montoya, who is backed by Target, because Logano will now have a bull's-eye on his car for the next few weeks. Ha, ha, ha.

As for the incident itself, NASCAR Chairman Brian France said it was just the kind of throwback racing he expects out of his drivers and he would issue no fines. NASCAR also said no penalties were warranted  against Tony Stewart for scuffling with Logano after the race. And what about the whole Stewart-Logano dust-up following the race. We have no problem, and frankly encourage drivers to go up to one another to discuss whatever they think they need to that happened in the race," said France.

David Stern

Roger Goodell

When is the last time you heard any chairman of anything encourage two parties to get in each others faces following a highly emotional contest? Can you hear David Stern, or Roger Goodell saying that?

Can you image what the media, and league reactions would be if players in the NBA or NFL were saying, "I'm going to take him out," or joking that another player has a target on their back?

In the NBA you can be fined $30,000 for flopping, or making it look like you got shot in the chest and falling backwards. A player can be fined $35,000 for a flagrant foul, defined as unnecessary and excessive contact committed by a player against an opponent. 

In the NFL, an excessive celebration is cause for a 15 yard penalty, and $100,000 for a logo violation.

Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough

Fighting in NASCAR pre-dates this 1979 photo picturing Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough, but this one was a dusey.

The 1979 Daytona 500 was the first 500-mile race to be broadcast in its entirety live on national television. It was coming out party for the sport, and it turned into a hot mess. It's unclear if there was any fine or punishment associated with this fight other than putting a bottle of Jack and can of crew into the ten gallon fine hat. Why is it that fighting on Basketball, football and baseball must be stopped at all costs, but in NASCAR, the chairman is encouraging drivers to go up to one another to settle differences. Judging from what France said about the Fontana incident, that it was the kind of throwback racing he expects, he wants to see more of Allison Yarborough and less of Stewart Logano. 

Does Iverson Really Spend like he serves in the Navy and has too much to drink

The media loves to rip athletes and they'll take advantage of any excuse to build an archive.

Today, Yahoo Sports, citing a TMZ report, said Allen Iverson is in financial difficulty and suggests "The Answer" has a spending problem which has lead to a revenue problem. The information about his finances was obtained from public records filed in connection with divorce proceedings. (Now that he ain't playin' and makin' millions, she wants to leave his ass. "I ain't sayin' that she's a golddigger, but she ain't hangin out with no broke nigga." Ah, Fiddy Cent)

The documents reveal expense claims made by Iverson. For instance, $10,000 a month on clothes and another $10,000 monthly on grocery and house items. Add that to $1,000 a month on dry cleaning, $5,000 a month on entertainment and $5,000 on restaurants.

Never been divorced, but have done the news for a number of years. What I have learned by covering these stories is sometimes the person on the hook for alimony and/or child support might try to lower the amount owed to the spouse by claiming an exaggerated amount of personal expenses. The Yahoo Sports account reads like it was written by a person with no life experience. Does Iverson really spend this much on those things or is it easier to believe that Iverson spends money like a pimp and everyday was the Player's Ball?

Auburn Players Test Positive For Faux Pot. It may be called Pol Pot

ESPN is reporting that a dozen Auburn University football players tested positive for drugs during the team's 2010 championship season, and a dozen more used durgs but were never caught by a drug screen. (that thing keeps the flies out too) The drug found in the players system is called "spice." Its a synthetic form or marijuana.

Michael Dyer

ESPN thinks they're so smart. They say they uncovered the information during a six month investigation. Really?! ESPN interviewed Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs, and he TOLD ESPN what was up! Some investigation: we asked the guy and he told us. Freshman tight end Dakota Mosley, tested positive for the drug seven weeks in a row. So why didn't anything happen? "Spice" was not part of the schools drug testing policy, and was not banned at the federal level until 2012. The school said it couldn't punish the players. Don't ask me what they mean by federal level? You'd think the writing would be better in these stories. The funniest part of this story is "the report suggests the 2010 national title team was under the grip of synthetic marijuana use." UNDER THE GRIP? LOL. It's not heroin or crack. If the players were under the grip of anything it was Cheetos and Funyons. Get a grip.
Yesterday ESPN reported members of the same team were getting cash payments. Good for them!

Reaction from a Black Babershop about Black EJ Johnson

Coming out as gay is passe. So why are some people having a problem, mixed feelings, unexplained emotions, about EJ Johnson. Earvin Johnson III probably came out long before this video did. But until now, we didn't know HOW gay he was. LOL!!! 

After showing them the video, the reaction I got from some of the brothas, and a suster today at an Oakland Black Babershop was unanimous. The cutter's and a customer or two said they weren't bothered by EJ being gay. They were having trouble balancing Magic Johnson, having a gay son with their non-homophobic feelings. I'll let them explain what that means. Some were disappointed and some down right salty. 

Warriors/Hornets

The Warriors play the New Orleans Hornets tonight at Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA. The Hornets aren't "going quietly into that goodnight." Although the team has long since been eliminated from the playoffs, Nahlens is coming off a 4-3 homestand with wins against three playoff bound teams, including the Memphis Grizzlies, a team that gives the Warriors fits!

Stephen Curry Reacts to Sports Illustrated Cover

There is such a thing as a Sports Illustrated cover jinx. Golden State Warriors Guard Stephan Curry is on the cover of the latest issue. However, because this issue did not come out just before Curry's rookie season or just before the playoffs, history says Curry can escape the dreaded jinx. The magazine has even acknowledged the legend of the cover jinx and tried to have fun with the issue itself.

I guess they figured if they addressed the issue as a joke the whole thing would, from then on, be treated as a joke. Nope.

*Just about a week ago, Indiana Hoosiers forward Victor Oladipo was featured on the cover. In their next game, Indiana fell to 4th-seeded Syracuse Orange in the sweet sixteen.

*December 2012: Deron Williams of the Brooklyn Nets struggles and gets injured soon after being on the cover of Sports Illustrated in the off season. This was one of the worst streaks of his NBA career.

*November 13, 2012: Kansas State University quarterback Collin Klein is featured on the cover, the week after Kansas State reached #1 in the BCS standings for the first time in school history.

November 18, 1957: Oklahoma Sooner Clendon Thomas appeared on the cover, along with others on the Sooner sideline, with the headline "Why Oklahoma is Unbeatable." The next game of that season Oklahoma lost to Notre Dame, ending their NCAA Division I record 47-game winning streak.

And there's a lot more.

If the Warriors, who hold a three and half game lead for the last playoff spot with just eight to play, miss the post-season we'll know who to blame.

Right now Stephen Curry says he flattered by the attention to himself and the team.

Alex Smith gives Harbaugh no credit for the QB's sudden sucess.

Alex Smith is delusional. If what he told media in Kanasa City is to be believed, then here's to hoping he comes out of his "Family Guy" inspired side gag in time to seek the lineman coming for his head.

Alex Smith

CBS is reporting what Smith said, but didn't do a good job of telling the readers, to whom Smith was  addressing at the time.
He is quoted as saying the Chief's "can win now." That's fine. If I'm his coach or a KC fan, if I don't here that from Smith, then we have a problem. Smith should have stopped there, but didn't/couldn't. From 2010- to 2011, the '9ers went from 6-10 to 13-3. How did they do that? Did Alex Smith get better? Alex doesn't seem to know what it was?
"I felt like we had a very talented team that underachieved the year before for whatever reason. New stock came in and there was a lot of turnover and change in culture, and we saw a group of guys buy in and saw what could happen."
"For whatever reason? Really dude? For whatever reason? Could Jim Harbaugh have been the reason?

Jim Harbaugh

In 2009, Smith stated 11 games  completed 60.5% percent of his passes for 2550 yards, 18 TD passes, 12 int's for an 81.5% QB rating.

The Niners went 6-10.

Then they hired Jim Harbaugh. The team went 13-3. Smith completed 61% of his passes, threw for 3144 yards, 17 TD's, 5 int's for a rating of 90.7%

Whatever happened?!

Smith came into the league in 2005. He started 7 games, threw for 875 yards, one touchdown, and, count 'em, 11 interceptions. Smith's QB rating was 40.8%.

The next season, Smith started all 16 games. He threw 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions and the team finished 8-8.

After that, Smith's career in San Francisco was only marginally better. He got injured in 2008 and didn't play in a single game. Local reporters were already packing Smith's bags.

"Alex Smith's rocky career with the 49ers apparently is over, little more than three years after he was the top pick in the NFL draft." Tom FitzGerald of the SF Chronicle wrote that, but can you blame him? This is what the GM said about Smith at about the same time.
The 49ers can't afford to bring him back next year at his scheduled $9 million, with an expensive salary-cap hit, unless he was the clear-cut starter.

I'm getting to why Smith should thank and acknowledge Jim Harbaugh, but first let's all admit that Smith was as good as gone in 2008. Why shouldn't he have been? Smith completed just 48.7% of his passes in 2007, threw two touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Colin Kaepernick

                                                                  

What did Colin Kaepernick do in his second season? He started 7 games completed 62.4% of his passes for 1814 yards AND 415 yards rushing, 10 TD passes, 3 int's for a 98.3 QB rating.

So while Alex is still figuring out whatever happened we know what happened, Jim Harbaugh happened, and its time Smith started giving him the credit.