Heat / Celtics Match Up: Eastern Finals

Image Courtesy Yahoo Images

If you were wondering what that strange noise Saturday Night was, It was the collective sighs of National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern, and the Television executives after The Boston Celtics put away the Philadelphia 76'ers in game seven of their semi-final Conference Championship. The last thing you, me or anyone wanted to see, was a 76'er, Miami Heat Eastern Final. That would be a little like watching grass grow.

Although the Boston Celtics struggled to close out Philadelphia, I think they will provide a formidable match up for King James and the Miami Heat, especially if Chris Bosh is still injured and not available for this series.

If Bosh is out, I think Miami coach Erik Spoelstra will have trouble finding someone on his bench that can defend Kevin Garnett. Even though Garnett is getting long in the tooth, he is a great jump shooter, and is tough to defend in the low post, and is a great defender and re-bounder.

LeBron James and D Wade will need to continue to play at the level they were playing since the game three dust up with the Indiana Pacers. They will need to retain that intensity as well as continue to get some points out of the back up cast in South Beach. As great as they are, they need for Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem to step up and make some shots. Some sign of life from Mario Chalmers wouldn't hurt either.

As far as the Celtics are concerned, the health of Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are always a concern. Although I think Rajon Rondo is a great point guard, I don't look for him to shoot the 3-pointers like he did in Game 7 of the Semi's. Without that scoring help, it will have to fall on Ray Allen to carry the load, and I'm just not sure his ankle is healthy enough to carry them through this series.

I think the Miami Heat will win this series, but it won't be a 4 game sweep like it should be, but I look for it to go six or seven games. If Bosh come back, the series will be over sooner. Bosh is the key to the whole thing.

Follow Me On Twitter @Spin_47

A Busy Month For Jason Dufner

If you were to ask Pro Golfer Jason Dufner what he has accomplished in the past month, he would probably shrug his shoulders and tell you, "nothing much". In reality, it has probably been the busiest month of his life, but you could never tell it by his demeanor.

The 35 year old golfer from Cleveland, Ohio has been a busy man, winning two Professional Golf  Tournaments, and getting married. The winning golf tournament part has seen him climb into first place in the Fed-Ex Cup points, and 3rd on the Money List. He is also ranked at 14 in the World Golf Rankings.

After wining the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on the last weekend of April, he won The Byron Nelson Championship two weeks later. He had a disappointing 68th place finish at the Players Championship sandwiched in between. Oh! By the way, that was the week he got married. I can't imagine my wife letting me play golf on our honeymoon, but I'm guessing the $19,000 check came in handy.

Image Courtesy Yahoo Images

The Marriage part interests me in that Dufner, being an Auburn grad and his new wife Amanda being a University of Alabama alum. I'm wondering how many Iron Bowls this new marriage can handle. In Alabama, this is considered an inter-racial marriage.

Jason Dufner has opened the Crowne Plaza Invitational, in Ft. Worth, Texas on Thursday with a 5 under par 65, one stroke behind first round tournament leader Zach Johnson, and tied with three other golfers. Dufner posted his score  in the afternoon session after the wind picked up. He will get an early tee time this morning, and Johnson will have to face the Texas sized breeze this afternoon.

So You Think You Want To Be A Race Fan

You're not sure how it happened, but after catching a race at a Sports Bar or your local Watering Hole, you have decided this sport interests you, and you want to become a fan. You're into Football, maybe the NBA, and you follow the Braves once in a while, and now you want to follow Nascar, but you're not sure how to become a real Fan.

Now the first thing that you will probably find out, is there are no home teams. If you went to college at the University Of Florida, chances are you are a Gator Fan, if you live in Dallas, you have to follow the Rangers or Cowboys. The thing with Nascar is, the races are like PGA Events, and race in a different area every weekend.

Image Courtesy Yahoo Images

So the first order of business when you decide you want to become a fan is, you have to have a driver to cheer for. You have be an Earnhardt Fan, a Jimmie Johnson Fan, or some people focus on a race teams and the drivers within that team. Once you have selected your driver, you are going to need a Tee Shirt with that driver and his number emblazoned on the front and back.

I want to caution you at this time! Make sure you spend some time deciding on who your driver will be. Nascar Fans won't put up with a lot of Bandwagon Jumping, plus if you change drivers for some reason, now you are going to have to buy new gear. This mistake can be costly with the price of memorabilia these days. The only way out from this commitment is when your driver retires or moves on to the Truck Series. If your driver moves to another team during silly season, you will need new stuff.

Your driver is now your driver. This means if he DNF's, misses the chase, or hits the wall, he or she is your driver. When you are totaly vested, you will have a Ball Cap, Die Cast of his car and probably an autographed poster. I sure hope I haven't scared you off by now, because we need you.

Just like Stick And Ball Sports, your driver comes with a team. Although he is the face of that team, he has role players who you need to know. As a new fan, you should know at a minimum, your drivers team owner, and crew chief, his sponsors will be all over your new Tee Shirt, making it easier for you to remember. As you become more familiar, you will get to know his tire carrier, jack man and spotter. You will have to do some digging for these names, as they can change without notification.

Now that you have your driver and his team set, you need to learn a whole new jargon. You need to become familiar with terms like Restrictor Plates, bump drafting, loose off, tight on and double file restarts. You can become familiar with this stuff by watching the broadcasts. Larry Mac and Jeff Hammond are always taking you to the cut-away car to show you all aspects while using and/or explaining this new jargon. Be sure to tune in to the Speed Channel where they will be discussing in detail, every aspect of what you are watching.

Last but not least, you need to know who your driver's arch enemies are. This is helpful in keeping up with the drama that usually surrounds this sport, and more importantly, who you need to boo during races. Don't worry, you and your buddies can have different drivers and still remain friends, even if your drivers are arch enemies. Nascar fans are the greatest fans in the world. They will share their beer and barbecue with you even if you like JJ and they are Dale Jr. fans.

Oh! One last fact. If you attend a race at your local speedway, your seat is only to be used during caution laps. Standing is required during all races. If this is a problem for you, you will spend your time at the track looking at a picture of  someone else's favorite drive plastered all over the back of their Tee Shirt.

I have been a Race Fan since 1955, and have enjoyed every minute of it. The rules for being a fan have changed since then, but the object of the game has never changed. I hope you have as much fun being a fan as I have. So come out join the few and the proud. Become a Nascar Fan today.

 Follow Me On Twitter @Spin_47

Matt Kuchar Wins At The TPC

Image Courtesy Yahoo Images

While eyeing a 15 foot birdie putt on the 16th hole, tournament leader Matt Kuchar heard the roar from the infamous 17th hole at the TPC Sawgrass Grass course. He didn't see the birdie that Rickie Fowler eased in from the 9 foot range, but he knew what the commotion was about. He dropped the putt and took the pressure off himself at 17, a hole he had bogeyed the day before.

Kuchar hit his tee shot on 17 left of the sand-trap, with the traditional front left, Sunday pin placement, and faced a 45 foot double breaking putt to save par. He would three putt for bogey, immediately giving back his cushion.

Fowler had a makeable birdie putt at 18, where he had gotten a read from playing companion Ben Curtis, but pushed it right and had to settle for par. This gave Kuchar the room to play 18 with a two stroke cushion.

Third round leader, and Kuchar's playing companion, Kevin Na shot his only round of the tournament not in the 60's, carding a 4 over 74 for 8 under par , and putting himself out of contention for the championship. Na was hurried all day with threats of being penalized for slow play.

Finally: 200 Wins For Rick Hendrick

Image Courtesy Yahoo Images

I know that with the "Lion's Share" of  the first 199 wins, Jeff Gordon would want to give Rick Hendrick Number 200, but the bad luck that has plagued the Drive To End Hunger Dupont Chevrolet this season, would continue on this night at Darlington. Jimmie Johnson, however, was on a mission Saturday Night in the BoJangles 500 to get that elusive 200th win for his boss.

The Racing world has been waiting since October to  have this celebration, that everyone knew was coming, and it couldn't have come at a better time, on a beautiful Saturday Night with all the Mom's in attendance at the place where modern stock car racing began. This was the perfect place at the perfect time. It was only fitting that The Lady In Black would provide the setting.

Jimmie Johnson, in his Lowes Chevrolet would not be denied in a race that started out to be a battle of tire management, and ended up being decided by fuel management. After a late race caution, Martin Truex who was a force to be reckoned with all night in his Napa Auto Parts Toyota, came down pit road for tires and a load of  Sunoco fuel, found himself back in the pack 10 places in back of the leaders who didn't pit. This is a mistake that took him out of contention.

During three subsequent cautions, The Lowes Chevrolet was deep in fuel management mode, turning his engine off and coasting, only starting it as necessary, to keep up with the pace car. This was necessary to hold off a hard charging Tony Stewart, who had not been a factor until late in the race. Tony would run out of fuel on the last lap, and finish behind Denny Hamlin in third place.  Smoke said in an interview after race that his fuel pressure was dropping during the one-to-go, which was evident as he pulled his Office Depot Chevy down on the apron, to keep his gas tank level. His presents occupied Denny Hamlin long enough to let Jimmie Johnson get a lead he would not relinquish.

Jimmie Johnson ended a win-less streak that went back to the Hollywood Casino 400 in October of  last year. After a controversial start at Daytona in February, where he was fined and docked 25 Driver Points, and a Lap 1 crash in the Daytona 500, rendered a 42nd place finish, JJ has been on a mission to get back into contention. His win Saturday night pushes him up three positions to share 5th  with Martin Trues Jr, only 39 points behind Leader Greg Biffle.

Car owner Rick Hendrick had to make two trips to Nascar,s arbitration board, where he pleaded his case, and got Jimmie Johnson's 25 points restored, as well as fines and suspensions reversed for his Crew Chief and Car Boss. This vaulted the Lowes Chevrolet back into contention, and Jimmie Johnson has done the rest.

The Victory Lane celebration included interviews from all who had contributed to the 200 win milestone, including Geoff Bodine who was the first, at Martinsville in 1984. The Speed Channel festivities included past Hendrick drivers Darrel Waltrip, Rickey Rudd and Terry Labonte. Nascars most successful owner was heralded by all who has been part of his storied career in this sport. Everyone to a man lauded the fact that when you work for Rick Hendrick, you become part of his family, and anytime you needed anything, you could always call, and he would be there.

Tiger In The Hunt At The TPC

I've been saying for a while to anyone who will listen, If Tiger Woods can get out of his head and back on the Golf Course, he would start playing competitive golf again. Tiger didn't play well at this years Masters and missed one of the few cuts in his career at Quail Hollow last week.

Tiger Woods needs to get the idea out of his head that he can be the golfer he was a decade ago. Injuries and personal problems have changed all of that. He needs to be all he can be in the now and just accept it.

After finishing two over par in the first round and getting himself in the position to miss a second cut in a row, which by the way he has never done, seemed to come alive at The Players Championship Tournament in Ponte Vedre, Florida . He got four consecutive starting on the Par 3 eighth hole, and showed one again he could flex his muscle and become a factor in this tournament. With birdie/bogey swaps on the front nine and again on the back nine, he would finish at 4 under par, only six shots back of  the leaders.

Tiger Woods got his driver and putter to cooperate on Friday and started to hit fairways and greens again. His errant tee shots and poor putting will win him nothing on this demanding layout. Precision shot-making to these demanding greens is crucial to  players wanting to score, including Tiger.

Derek Jeter's Year

Image Courtesy Yahoo Images

Just to think, Derek Jeter became a free agent for the first time in his career after the 2010 season and the New York Yankee's were see-sawing on whether to resign their Captain. At 37 years old, he had started to struggle with the bat and his power numbers were diminishing. He had also lost a step or two at Short Stop, and they were looking to maybe bring in someone else. Maybe move A-Rod back to his natural position.

The problem was that the Yankees didn't want to give Jeter a multi-year deal, fearing he would become a financial burden on the club. Jeter wanted three years with an option on year four. Because of the differences, they came close to losing him to free agency, but reluctantly re-signed him. After all, Jeter has became the face of the Yankees, has never been linked to steroids and never had any off the field problems or issues we see in sports today. He has just shown up everyday for 18 years and played baseball.

After a stint on the disable list in 2011 and some rehab time in Tampa, Jeter worked on his hitting. After a slow start, he eventually finished the year with a respectful .297 average with 6 home runs. In July of 2011, he also achieved his 3000th hit and surpassed Ricky Henderson on the all time Yankee list of stolen bases. Jeter is only the second Short Stop in history to have 3000 hits in a career.



Eighteen games into the 2012 campaign, Jeter is hitting a whopping .422 with an OPS of 1.084. He also has 4 Home Runs and 13 RBI, trailing only Nick Swisher in that category. Looks to me like the New York Yankees scored a home run by re-signing this guy and keeping him a Yankee for life.
The Yankees are going to need Jeters bat if they are going to contend in the American League East this year. They have questionable pitching in a division that is full of great pitching and hitting. Even with the Boston Red Sox having a slow start, the Baltimore Orioles are showing signs of being competitive for the first time in a decade.

Derek Jeter belongs on the long list of all time Yankee greats. He has 12 All-Star appearances, has won The New York Yankee player of the year award 5 times, won 5 gold Glove awards at Short Stop and 4 American League Silver Slugger Awards. His list of other awards are to numerous to list. If he continues 2012 on his current pace, he should be a lock for his 13th All-Star appearance as well he should be. When Jeter decides to retire, he will need a statue in center field alongside The Babe, The Yankee Clipper and the rest of the Yankee greats as well as a statue in Cooperstown.

The Little Track That Could

Image Courtesy Yahoo Images

I think Kasey Kahne had some unfinished business at Rockingham. In the last Cup Race at "The Rock" in 2004, he lost to Matt Kenseth by only .0010 seconds. I'm sure that was on his mind as he climbed into his Number 4 Turner Motorsports Chevy, and drove to the last row where he had to start due to not qualifying. Kasey finally pushed to the front on lap 155 and held off James Buscher , his Teamate, after a restart with 20 laps to go. The race wasn't as close as the 2004 ending, but gave Kahne his 4th Camping World Truck Series win in just five starts.

It was nice to see a race from The Rock again. From the looks of it on Television, new track owner Andy Hillenburg had the old track ready for this opportunity and had a pretty good crowd with just over 27,000 in attendance to witness the old tracks return to racing.

The Rock is a 1.017 mile D-Oval track with 22 and 28 degree banking in the corners and 8 degrees on the straightaways. It's rough asphalt surface tends to give crew chiefs tire management nightmares. For older Race Fans such as myself, who really enjoy short track racing, it was awesome.

During a time when Nascar was experiencing a rapid upward spiral in popularity, fans and Television support, the small 34,000 seat track was declining in attendance and viewed as old, too close to Charlotte and not up to date with all of the new safety features mandated after Dale Earnhardt's death at the 2001 Daytona 500. The venue wasn't worthy of the new higher end Nascar fans, so all racing was relocated to warmer weather cities that had other entertainment for the fan base on race weekends. Thus, with it's close proximity to Charlotte, became a good place to test. With Nascar's newer rules regarding testing, it was ideal for teams to have a track where they could go.

I am hoping Mr. Hillenburg can put together more racing at this track and convince Nascar they need this historical track back on the schedule. The one roadblock that I see, is Race Sponsorship. As in all events today, the Corporate Muscle behind an event can make or break it. Some of the old demons that plagued the track in 2004 are still present. It is still a small venue and not on peoples destinations for their entertainment dollars. It isn't enough anymore to just have great racing, we have to be totally entertained for the whole time we visit.

Who knows, with the decline of attendance and popularity that Nascar is experiencing now, maybe they will turn their attention back to the roots of stock car racing and get back to the loyal race fans they have always had. Here's hoping!