Weekend Sports Open Thread

By NB Staff | April 26, 2008 - 10:33 ET

What's on your sports mind this weekend?

Topics:

Comments Policy

All comments are owned by whoever posted them and are subject to our terms of use. They should not be assumed to represent the views of NewsBusters.

Viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

the Draft starts at noon

April 26, 2008 - 10:47 ET by botg

the Draft starts at noon PDT baby!

the Stars won in OT last night exciting stuff--i haven't watched hockey in years till i found this web link for all kinds of sports not on TV http://www.channelsurfing.net/ (the Bruins pushed the Habs to the brink)

watching some basketball

   “i am the quixotic botg and i approved this message”   

So who's #2?

April 26, 2008 - 11:56 ET by americaneagle

So, who do you think the Rams take at #2, or do they trade down for more picks? If the keep the pick, I put my money on Chris Long...you can never have enough good pass rushers, and a good pass rush makes the secondary better. 

espn has reported as

April 26, 2008 - 13:19 ET by botg

espn has reported as such

 here's some analysis from the Pats

   “i am the quixotic botg and i approved this message”   

Synchronized

April 26, 2008 - 11:02 ET by Clear thinker

Synchronized Swimming.

;-) 

"Abstain from McCain"

Noel

April 26, 2008 - 11:42 ET by shawn228

Good luck to Brandon. Are you here at home or did you fly out to see him compete.

You son is a good looking muscular guy. I bet he is has college girls hitting on him all the time. Ah to be young again.

Shawn

April 26, 2008 - 11:48 ET by Noel Sheppard

Shawn,

No, I'm at home watching it on the Internet. Unfortunately, they're only showing the running events. So, I have NO idea what's going on right now in the high jump pit. :-(

VERY cold day there. Only in the low 40s. Last year, it was in the 70s. NOT high jump weather. ns

Shawn,

April 26, 2008 - 12:22 ET by Noel Sheppard

Shawn,

It's also windy there. The side judges are holding the bar on the standards as the jumper approaches. NOT a good day for high jump. :-(  ns 

Noel

April 26, 2008 - 12:26 ET by shawn228

Too bad it isn't here in Danville. Suppossed to be a warm gorgeous"windess' day today.

I will keep my fingers crossed for Brandon :-)

Shawn

April 26, 2008 - 12:35 ET by Noel Sheppard

Shawn,

Well, they just said the bar is currently at 6-10, but they didn't say who's still in. REALLY horrendous coverage. I'm very disappointed. ns

Shawn

April 26, 2008 - 17:27 ET by Noel Sheppard

Shawn,

BTW: Enjoy the nice day today, for it's going to cool off AGAIN tomorrow, and we're expecting highs in the 60s next week with rain possible.

If we only had a little global warming. :-( ns

I told the wife to go

April 26, 2008 - 12:09 ET by Roger the Shrubber

I told the wife to go shopping this afternoon. The draft is one of my favorite days of the year, and is not to be missed!!!

Anyone watch my Penguinis beat those dastardly Ranger last night?

Should be a great series. It's a little bittersweet watching ex-Pens Marty Straka and Jags playing against us, though...

 

My Day

April 26, 2008 - 14:07 ET by Uphill

The NFL draft - The Lions have a hard enough time making a decent high first round pick.  I doubt they can handle the 15th pick overall.

The NBA playoffs - Go Pistons.

The NHL playoffs - Go Red Wings.

Baseball - Go Cubbies.

Is Lorena Ochoa more dominating than Tiger? - No.  But she looks better in shorts.

Can Danica make it two for two in Kansas on Sunday? - No.  But only because she's a woman.

Will Brandon Sheppard fly high at the currently chilly Drake Relays? - Of course.  He is the man.  Am I correct NS?

Uphill et al

April 26, 2008 - 15:43 ET by Noel Sheppard

Uphill et al,

Well, my negative premonition regarding the weather was accurate, as Brandon only cleared 2.00m. So did Hamilton, and this is a terrible showing for him.

Windy and cold is not what high jumpers like. However, two people tied at 2.15m, so the weather didn't negatively impact everyone.

Not what we wanted today. I just hope global warming kicks in at some point this year so that my born and raised in sunny California son can perform the way he's capable.  :-) ns

Sorry to hear about Noel :-(

April 26, 2008 - 15:47 ET by shawn228

When will the next competition be? Maybe the global warming will kick in then.

Shawn

April 26, 2008 - 16:20 ET by Noel Sheppard

Shawn,

Next Saturday at K-State. Hope it starts warming up. ns

 

K-State, huh?

April 26, 2008 - 16:32 ET by Blonde

Manhattan, KS....the Little Apple.

Best of luck to Brandon next week then. 

David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive

 

B

April 26, 2008 - 17:16 ET by Noel Sheppard

B,

Thanks. He's running out of time to make the NCAA tournament. :-( ns

I will remind you, NS

April 26, 2008 - 17:24 ET by Blonde

It's the doing that is the thing....the results are merely icing on the cake, if it works out.

Will you be able to attend?

This time of year, it should be quite nice. 

David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive

 

B

April 26, 2008 - 17:34 ET by Noel Sheppard

B,

No. I've done too much traveling already this month. Also, Brandon wants me to wait until he clears 7 feet. He doesn't need the added pressure of me being there. ns

Darn it.  I took the over

April 26, 2008 - 18:32 ET by Uphill

Darn it.  I took the over at 2.10.  Congrats to Brandan, though, as 2.00 is about 1.80 more than I could clear.

Up

April 26, 2008 - 20:52 ET by Noel Sheppard

Up,

Well, he told me it was about 30 degrees (wind chill) when they started the event. He's never jumped in anything like that before. Interesting that the two jumpers that did well are BOTH from Iowa. I guess they jump in this stuff.

To give you an idea about how bad a day this was, Brandon was the lowest seed qualifying at 2.09. This means that everybody has done better than 2.09 this year. Yet, seven people no-heighted, meaning they couldn't clear the opening height of 2.00. Wow.

On the flipside, even though it warmed up later in the day, Brandon's teammate, Dusty Jonas, won the invitational event with a jump of 2.30. Wow.

On the downside, last year's NCAA champ, Scott Sellers, only jumped 2.20, as did four-time NCAA champ Jesse Williams. This is WELL below what these two guys normally do. WELL below!

Despite the great performance by Dusty -- congratulations definitely!!! -- this was not a good day for high jump.  ns

Noel, maybe you are being a tad hard on Brandon here?

April 26, 2008 - 22:57 ET by R D Helm

Yet, seven people no-heighted, meaning they couldn't clear the opening height of 2.00.

LOL-Heck, at a wind chill of 30 degrees F, what is left of my 44yo muscles would lock up like beef in a freezer.

Those are rather harsh conditions.

Theme for Election '08: Who cares?

RD

April 27, 2008 - 10:26 ET by Noel Sheppard

RD,

Too hard on Brandon? I don't know. The reason I brought up all the no-heights and how poorly Jesse and Scott did in the invitational was to point out how horrid the conditions were. Also, Brandon cleared the opening height of 2.00 on his first attempt. That's a tough opening height for someone who's PR is 2.09. So, he was very pleased with that, for he was worried he'd NH.

As such, tough on Brandon? I've been living high jump with my son for five years. It's almost all we talk about. "We're" both hard on him, because he wants to be amongst the best in the world in this event, and he's not there yet. So, we analyze every meet, and sometimes every jump, to figure out how to get him to the next level. As a result, he doesn't want me to be easy on him, or blow smoke up his butt. He wants the brutal truth from me, and it's my job to give it to him.

It's tough being the parent of a serious athlete, although it's gotten easier as he's matured, for now he realizes that everything I'm doing and saying is for his benefit. He didn't get that a few years ago, nor does my 14-year-old daughter now. :-) ns

Noel, I think Brandon will do just fine in this sport.

April 28, 2008 - 00:28 ET by R D Helm

This is just his first year of competition at the collegiate level. He will improve as time goes on.

After all, he has much going for him. :-)

Theme for Election '08: Who cares?

RD

April 28, 2008 - 00:35 ET by Noel Sheppard

RD,

Well, he's a redshirt freshman, so this is year two. Anyway, he's going to widen his approach this week, and see whether that improves things.

Apparently, the coach told him yesterday that he's the fastest jumper on the team, and faster than all those that competed in yesterday's invitational. But, they changed his approach a few months ago by cutting four feet off the distance from the right standard. As a result, he's slowing down before his takeoff because he's just not comfortable with his speed in the turn.

So, I suggested he add the four feet back to see if he gets back his final takeoff speed. We'll see. For now, he's lacking confidence, and that's the death knell for a high jumper or pole vaulter.

Only two meets left before the Big 12 championship. He's going to have to clear 2.10 to get there. We'll see. ns

Well, "they" need to give him back his four feet.

April 28, 2008 - 01:23 ET by R D Helm

Noel, I'm no track and field guy, as I was a hoop and baseball player, but shaving four feet from a run-up in what is to me, somewhat of a timing event, would disconcert me to no end.

I see the high jump as being very similar to pole-vaulting, or vaulting, in a gymnastics competition. Routine, as well as timing, is important.

To me, altering the run-up to this is much like changing a place-kicker's routine late in the fourth quarter with a tied score.

You don't screw with the recipe in the middle of the stew, IYKWIM.

Theme for Election '08: Who cares?

RD

April 28, 2008 - 15:04 ET by Noel Sheppard

RD,

Well, remember, there are two components to the approach. The first is perpendicular distance from the bar, and the second is parallel distance from the side you approach from. What they did was shave four parallel feet so that his arc would be tighter.

The theory behind tightening the arc is that it gives you a stronger velocity vector into your takeoff. However, I believe Brandon is so fast that he doesn't feel he can hold the turn so to speak, and, therefore, slows down at the end.

To put it in perspective, a driver going around a turn heading too quickly will do one of two things: either move "outside" or slow down. A high jumper can't move "outside" because that would be away from the bar. So, I think what's happening is Brandon's mind is just telling him to slow down as he approaches the bar. Not good. ns

Lousy weather at Drake Relays

April 26, 2008 - 23:03 ET by nkviking75

"Interesting that the two jumpers that did well are BOTH from Iowa. I guess they jump in this stuff."

Doesn't Brandon represent Nebraska? Things aren't that different. This is pretty crappy weather for late April in Des Moines. Of course, the Iowans may have grown up here, which means that they've probably dealt with these conditions before.

When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.

NKV

April 27, 2008 - 10:32 ET by Noel Sheppard

NKV,

Yeah, he represents Nebraska, but grew up in a valley east of San Francisco that typically sees temps in the hundreds as early as April and May. The coolest temps he probably ever competed at prior to yesterday were likely in the 50s.

Last year when he was a freshman, spring came early to Lincoln, and cold weather wasn't a problem. However, as you know I've been reporting for months, 2008 so far has been a very cold year. Last year, temps at the Drake Relays were in the 70s. This year, temps were 30 to 40 degrees cooler. He's NEVER jumped in such temps regardless of who he currently represents. Make sense? ns

On behalf of most Nebraskans

April 28, 2008 - 02:49 ET by RDW

“Yeah, he represents Nebraska, but grew up in a valley east of San Francisco”

Noel: It’s likely this will be the only time I correct one of your comments.

I speak confidently on behalf of most Nebraskans, being born and raised
on this “land of plains”, like it or not, we claim your son as one of
our own. It’s sort of like joining the United States Marine Corps. Once
a Nebraskan always a Nebraskan, we are loyal if nothing else.

Many of us can rattle off the names of athletes who came from every
part of the country and became endeared to our state when they embraced
the tenacity, perseverance and a hard eyed stare of those who settled
here in sod houses or took from the land what it gave, our spirit comes
from learning to spit in the face of adversity. And yes we smile when
people call us the Bug Eaters. If my intuition is right, and after
reading, it seems hundreds of your essays, your son is probably a
preverbal chip off the block, and I can assure you he’s at the right
place.

And I am saying these things knowing that I’m barely a sports fan, relatively speaking.

Representing Nebraska is more than just representing an abstract State;
it’s a culture, of fiercely devoted fans. I hope that I’ve not been too
hard on you and that you have your frequent mileage accumulated because
if we have anything to do with it, your son will eventually make
Nebraska his home, if not, I hope he at least thinks of Nebraska as
his second home.

Make no mistake; as far as Nebraskans are concerned, he is one of us.

RDW

April 28, 2008 - 15:06 ET by Noel Sheppard

RDW,

Gotcha. Now I understand better. :-) ns

Still up on the tire about

April 26, 2008 - 15:26 ET by Gary P Jackson

Still up on the tire about Danica. Really aggravated me that the IRL claimed she was the first woman to win a "major race". And of course a lot of the drive-bys picked up on that. Even Greta got it wrong!

For the record, the NHRA had it's first female National Event winner in 1966! Fourty-two freakin' years ago!

Since them many women have won "major races". We've had Shirley Muldowney, who drove the fastest wheel driven cars on the planet, who won her first World Championship in 1977, and won her second and THIRD Top Fuel World Championship before anyone, male or female, had won more that one!

Currently Ashley Force is leading the points in Funny Car (the first woman to do so) and is in a battle with Melanie Troxel to be the first female winner in Funny Car. Ashley has made the final round at the last two events. Ashley was rookie of the year last year in . She was competing for that honor against men and women rookies from all of the pro classes. She's also won big as a sportsman racer, including Indy. Ashley and Melanie (who previously drove in Top Fuel) drive cars that run over one hundred mph faster than Danica! Top Fuel and Funny Cars run 330 mph.

There are four ladies in Atlanta this weekend trying to qualify in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Angelle Sampey, who has three World Championships, and is the winninest woman in drag racing (if not all of racing) is only 3 races wins from being the winningest Pro Stock Bike racer, male or female. These things run 190 mph, almost as fast as Danica, on two wheels!

Anyhow, if anyone is interested, here is a primer on women in drag racing: http://www.nhra.com/...

Scroll down to the April 20th entry: http://nhra.com/insi...

Anyhow, thanks for letting me rant! The Atlanta qualifying show is on ESPN2 today at 5 pm central time, with eliminations tomorrow at 6 pm central.

Tony Stewart on the pole for the Nationwide race today. Should be killer. Especially with rain forecast, no one will play around. Tomorrow's cup race should be awesome also.


 

Well Said Gary

April 26, 2008 - 15:41 ET by ricklail

I once wrote a letter to the editor about the same thing. You forgot Peggy Llewelyn. She is a black female.

Patrick's win was sort of like the time that Brett Bodine won at Martinsville in the Quaker State car-one tough motor oil.  He only won that once. Even a blind hog will find an acorn once in a while.

How about Front Row Joe snatching the pole for the cup race from Tony Stewart? Joe lost his brother John in a truck race several years ago. It is just as tragic as the loss of Adam Petty, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison but you don't hear about the Nemechek family.  

 

 

"A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself." A.W. Tozer (Pharisee=modern day liberal)

Yeah, I forgot Peggy, who

April 26, 2008 - 17:24 ET by Gary P Jackson

Yeah, I forgot Peggy, who is a really sweet gal. Not sure what happened with her and Klement. It's never been said. Angelle is driving for them now, and Peggy is not competing. I met Peggy's dad years ago, they are from San Antonio, he has a bike shop, and used to race with us. I hope someone picks her up, she's someone who deserves a ride. But when Angelle lost her ride with Schumacher, after the Army pulled the sponsorship, Bryce talked her into coming over to Klement. Angelle and George Bryce have 3 World Championships together. If you remember, Angelle's "cousin-in-law" Antron Brown, who also raced on the Army team quit the bikes and got Whit Bazemore's Top Fuel ride. Brown, who is also black, has already won as a rookie in Top Fuel, and is consistently quick and fast.

The Nemecheck family is really neat, I remember when they lost John. Sad deal. I sure like Joe. It would be cool to see him win or finish well. He and his family are just very likable folks.

They just had an insane wreck that took out many of the leading cars. Jason Lefler just pulled out in front of the field. Carl Edwards drove right over him, literally! It's amazing someone didn't get killed in this deal. Really bad wreck, and a real bonehead move.

As far as Danica goes, I can't stand her. When she first showed up in the Indy car, I was a fan. But she is one of the best at taking a top 5 car and making it a back marker. I've seen her start up front, and without taking off your shoes, you can count off the laps before she is in the middle of the pack, advancing backwards!

Then you have her personality. Chip on her shoulder all the way. Japan was a fluke. If she can win one against a full field I'll be impressed.

The other thing that gets me is Danica has to pose pretty much naked to get any recognition. She's tiny anyway, but her swimsuit in the SI pictures was smaller! Ashley Force on the other hand, won the AOL Hottest Athlete poll. She took out Danica in the first round! All of the hot women in sports were in this deal too. Many of them were dressed skimpy, while Ashley was in her firesuit, uniform, or T-shirt. After she wore the girls out, she took out the male winner, Tom Brady.

And Ashley has already won a lot of "major races" and a championship with her A/Fueler. Those cars run 260-270 mph, again a heck of a lot quicker than Danica, and NHRA doesn't even class these cars as professional! (although they should) Ashley's two younger sisters are driving A/Fuelers this year. You can only own four cars in one class, and John Force is full up in Funny Car, so they're looking to put Brittney and Courtney in Top Fuel after they spend a couple of years where they are.

Man, sorry to keep ranting on, but as you can tell, I never tire of talking drag racing! :)

Gary

April 26, 2008 - 19:12 ET by ricklail

I know that you are big on drag racing. Do they really drive the PS bikes or just aim them? At about 200 MPH looks like if they did any steering they would lose them. Those riders have guts. There is nothing to protect them.

Sure would be nice to see Ashley walk out of there tomorrow with a Wally.  

"A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself." A.W. Tozer (Pharisee=modern day liberal)

Yes, you actually drive a

April 26, 2008 - 22:27 ET by Gary P Jackson

Yes, you actually drive a motorcycle down the track. I've had several that were a real handful, especially off the line. Now my last ride, you could pretty much aim it and just watch the tach for shift points. It was the quickest I owned, and yet the smoothest.

Quite a few riders were having issues today. There's a bump in the left lane about 150' out and it will get you crossed up pretty good if you hit it wrong. If you watch Angelle, you will see she has problems on that Buell she's riding this year. She's having to put a lot of english on the bike. V-Twins tend to torque the bike in one direction, so you have to hang off the other side to keep it straight. Those Harley Top Fuel bikes are so bad, that you will see a rider almost hanging completely off of the thing at times. (and they are going over 200 mph!) That's also how you steer a bike at speed, by leaning the way you want to go.

It's tough on a Pro Stock or Top Fuel bike (actually a lot of the quicker ones) because they have a car type tire that is "square" instead of rounded at the sidewalls like a road race tire, or for that matter stock bike tires. I've only ridden a bike with a square tire a couple of times, they get your attention!

I hope Ashley gets her first win tomorrow too. I'll tell you what though, Tim Wilkerson is on a roll. In a class full of two, three, four car teams, the guy is on fire this year!

Gary & Rick

April 26, 2008 - 22:37 ET by Blonde

I am a bit of a car junkie..and ran across SpeedTV a while back.

Barret Jackson....and this show called "Pinks"....am I nuts, or is this kind of a really, really cool thing?  I've become addicted to Pinks...not that I'd ever do it, but I would love to see it.

It's kind of the ultimate...put up, or shut up!  LOL. 

David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive

 

Just one word!!!

April 26, 2008 - 18:45 ET by pbthinker

Just one word, y'all, Talladega. 

Democrats: Stuck on Stupid since 2000.

UVA and BC

April 26, 2008 - 19:08 ET by ricklail

When was the last time that UVA or BC had 2 first round draft choices. Even as sorry as my Heels were they had first rounder. The ECU Pirates had a first rounder. I'll have to listen to that for several days from the local sports readers.

"A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself." A.W. Tozer (Pharisee=modern day liberal)

Falcons chose BC QB Matt Ryan.

April 26, 2008 - 22:49 ET by R D Helm

Not sure if that is a good thing or bad.

Guess we'll see what we'll see.

Theme for Election '08: Who cares?

Well, I'd be watching my

April 26, 2008 - 23:41 ET by Lord Elicani

Well, I'd be watching my Astros play, but I have to work - so I'm listening to my Astros play.

Wainwright shoulda been ejected for throwing behind Ausmus. The idiot looked surprised when Ausmus started yelling and walking towards the mound, as if he didn't expect it.

 

Murrow turning over in his grave
Murrow turning over in his grave
Ed Murrow had a child and the damn thing went wild
- Lindsey Buckingham

Nat'l Day of Prayer car claims pole at Talledega

April 27, 2008 - 00:05 ET by nkviking75

A car marked with the logo and colors for next Thursday's National Day of Prayer has captured the pole at Talledega this weekend. You can draw your own conclusions...

If you're interested, it's the #78 car driven by Joe Nemechek.  

When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.

Yeah, I love SPEED. The

April 27, 2008 - 13:44 ET by Gary P Jackson

Yeah, I love SPEED. The Barret-Jackson is really cool. Lots of neat cars. Not a big fan of PINKS though. The arguing gets pretty tiring, and my goodness, flag starts, went away in 1963, when the "Christmas Tree" was first used. It's been called that since the beginning because of the red, green, and yellow lights. If I was doing the show, I'd let them make three practice runs, then have them pick their "dial in" like every bracket racer does in the country. Let them run their two out of three race, and be done. But that's me.

If you like PINKS though, The same bunch has a new deal: 1320X. It's a "lifestyle" event. But there will be some actual head-up racing, with some really fast cars. Here's the Website: http://www.1320x.com...

Also check out the National Hot Rod Association: www.nhra.com They are the largest motorsports sanctioning body in the world, and sanction most of the dragstrips in America, as well as some in Mexico, Canada, and overseas. Don't forget to watch the finals from Atlanta today at 6 central, after the Indy car race. If you TiVo it, factor in the IRL race may run long, so factor in 45 minutes to an hour after 9 pm end time. NHRA shows are taped delayed and 3 hours long, as there are sportsman races that run at the same tame, and the actual Sunday finals take all day to run off. Also, it keeps NHRA from having to draw fans away from other racing, like NASCAR or the IRL. That also puts NHRA in a prime time slot!

You may also want to check out the International Hot Rod Association. The are a lot smaller than NHRA.They sanction around 100 drag strips in America and Canada. In fact the track here in Temple is IHRA sanctioned. I have worked some IHRA races as an announcer. They're nice folks. They are very sportsman orientated, but run Top Fuel and Funny Car, as well as their version of Pro Stock, but instead of the 500 cid engines in NHRA, IHRA cars run 800 cid engines, and of course are quicker. www.ihra.com

Also check out the American Drag Racing League. The ADRL is really unique. They run an "outlaw" program for door cars, and fast motorcycles. Outlaw means no rules, other than safety. They run the 1/8 mile, and the cars run in the high 3 second zone, at over 200 mph. It's an incredible show, and they pack the stands at every track they race at. They set an attendence record in Houston this year, and Houston runs an NHRA national event! The way they do it? They give tickets away! The ADRL is sponsored by Flowmaster mufflers, and the National Guard, who underwrite the tickets. No one else has ever done this, but Kenny has built a serious national touring series with his concept. Not sure how close you are to one of their races, but if you are remotely close to one, by all means, check it out! www.adrl.us

(No subject)

April 28, 2008 - 01:51 ET by RDW