Green Bay Packers - Super Bowl Champions!

Last night was amazing for Packers fans across the nation!  It has been 14 years since our last Super Bowl win, and it was great to return to the title game and take the trophy home again!

I have been a Packers fan for as long as I can remember.  My grandfather has always been a Packers fan, and I picked it up from him when I was a kid.  I still remember the Super Bowl win in 1997 and the close game in 1998, but it was nothing like last night.  I am lot older now, more interested in football.  I understand the game so much more than I did 14 years ago (because I was just a kid then).  So this win was so special!  Couple that with the fact that two guys from my hometown and high school play for the Packers, Chad Clifton and Justin Harrell, and it was the set up for a great moment! 

The road to the Super Bowl was not easy this year.  Although we were a pre-season favorite, and the team was confident that they could make it to Texas, injuries killed us in the opening weeks.  We lost several of our key players in the first few weeks of the season, like Justin Harrell, and we all began to wonder if it would slip through our fingers yet again.  We were 3-3 at the end of Week 6, and with losses within our division, we knew we would have to fight to stay alive.  Knowing our backs were up against the wall, we came out with a streak of wins and helped lead to the firing of 2 coaches... oops!

But injuries were the story of the season, and after his second concussion, Aaron Rodgers was out for half of the Lions game and all of the Patriots game.  Both resulted in a loss, but one key to this season is that we never lost by more than 4 points.  In fact, we never trailed by more than 7 in any of the 20 games!  At that point, we were in playoff mode.  Although we were not in the playoffs yet, we had to win out, beating both the Giants and the Bears (the big rival)!  And we did!

So the playoffs began, and we were at the bottom of our conference.  We had to take the long road, and beat the 3 best teams in the NFC: Eagles, Falcons, and Bears, which we did.  That set us up to play the toughest team from the AFC, the Steelers, placing the NFL's top 2 defenses in the biggest game of the season.  That match-up led to an epic Super Bowl, and as expected, some of the games key moments were results of big defensive plays.

But the Packers could not have made it without #12 Aaron Rodgers!  He put up numbers in the playoffs that were out of this world.  He was calm, focused, and had his eyes on one prize.  Nerves did not get to him.  The hype of the game never bothered him.  He went out last night, as he did throughout all of the playoffs, and played his game!  He led the team to victory and earned his first Super Bowl... along with the "Championship Belt!"

Last night was epic, amazing, and one night Packers fans will never forget.  Championship #13, Super Bowl #4, belongs once again to the Green Bay Packers, and the trophy is back home where it belongs!  The 2010-2011 season is one that I will not soon forget.  There were some amazing plays, amazing moments, and it all culminated in one last amazing game!

Matt

Dooley Time!

Well last weekend was the start of the NCAA College Football Season, and I started it off by going to Knoxville! We went to the season opener at Neyland Stadium and watched the Vols take on UT Martin. It was one of the most exciting games I have ever been to, not because of the competition level, but because of the significance of the game. I've seen Tennessee beat Florida, Alabama, and Arkansas (in 6 or 7 overtimes). I have seen Tennessee blow out teams in season openers before, and those go down as some of the best games that I have seen. I watched Peyton Manning, Chad Clifton, and several others play football at Tennessee. But this game was neat because it was my favorite football team (Tennessee) playing my hometown college (UT Martin).

Now no one really expected UTM to come away with a win, although it would have been quite a story if that had of happened, but most people expected a pretty good game. I honestly expected UTM to score at least once and possibly put up a fight in the first half. Just 2 seasons ago, UTM gave Auburn quite a game, almost winning the game. But Tennessee came out fighting and although they had their share of rookie/first game mistakes, they put on a good show. No one really knows what to expect from Tennessee this year. We are a new team, with a new quarterback, and several first time players. There is also a new coach, Derek Dooley. Although we still do not know what to expect for the rest of the season, the first game went off well and gave Tennessee fans hope for the season. The true test will come this Saturday when we play Oregon. It could end ugly, but with it being in Neyland Stadium and with people not knowing what to expect, Tennessee could pull off the upset.

Also this weekend, the NFL season begins. Tonight is the season opener. The Saints will take on the Vikings, and although I am not a Saints fan and was not pulling for them in the Super Bowl last season, I hope they beat the Vikings tonight. I want Favre to start this season off with a loss. Then if the Packers can win on Sunday, we will have a 1 game lead on them. It should be an exciting weekend of football with the NFL opener, the Packers game on Sunday, and 2 Monday Night Football games. Plus Tennessee plays in a big game, and the end of the regular season for NASCAR is Saturday night at Richmond. This weekend will be all about sports for me.

Matt

When Will It Stop Snowing?

So we are going on 3 weeks here in Jackson with snow still on the ground. A day has not gone by yet this semester without some snow on the ground. It got close Sunday, with almost all of the snow gone, but Sunday night another system came in dumping another inch on us. But I guess the good thing about the snow is that it gets us in the mood for the Winter Olympics!

I have been watching the Olympics all that I can for the last few days, and am actually about to see what is on right now. I am not sure why I am always so fascinated with the Olympics other than they are sports. I know that I cannot do any of the events that I see on TV. It is so neat to see our nation go out and win each night. I am glad that there are about 2 more weeks left! The sad thing is that once they are over, we will not get to see an Olympic game for another 2 years.

Other than the Olympics, NASCAR has also started back up. The first race of the season, the biggest race of the season, the Daytona 500 was this past Sunday. Gordon did not do so well in the race, wrecking in the last few laps (which were "overtime"). But history shows that your performance in this race has no bearing on the rest of the season. The race is all about prestige, and everyone takes chances in this race that they would not normally take just to win it. Due to this fact, some of the top drivers wreck out or finish in the back whereas some of the drivers who finish well might eventually fall back in the standings in just the next few weeks. But now that the biggest race of the season is over, drivers will be setting their eyes on the championship. Strategy changes from here on out, and it will be interesting to see who can post the most wins and who can be the most consistent between now and November.

I wish I could tell you that I am in the middle of some really good book for I have not posted a book review in quite some time. But between school and other things I am involved in this semester, the only books I am reading are textbooks. I'll let you in on some of the textbooks that I read later on in the semester. But for now I will do my best to keep you updated with what is going on with me in my last semester at Union, and I hope to continue posting a daily writing on what I am reading from the Bible each day.

Matt

Derek Dooley

After 3 days of watching ESPN and surfing the internet for information, it is official. Tennessee has confirmed that the new head coach for UT Football is Derek Dooley. He is from Louisiana Tech, which may not seem great at first, but it appears to be a good hire for UT. At least I hope so. His record isn't real impressive at Louisiana Tech, but he is said to be a good recruiter. He has also been in the SEC before, which will be helpful. Only time will tell whether Dooley is a good hire, but as Tennessee fans, we must stick behind him and believe that he can take us to another winning season in 2010. Of course, it will take time to build a solid team, getting good recruits back to Knoxville, but we cannot give up on Dooley. Hopefully, this will work out for the university.

This weekend is also the next round of the NFL playoffs, and let me list who I want to win (not necessarily who I think will win):

• Colts vs. Ravens --- Colts
• Chargers vs. Jets --- Jets (although I think it will be the Chargers)
• Saints vs. Cardinals --- Cardinals
• Vikings vs. Cowboys --- Vikings

This may or may not happen, but I am hoping that these will be the four teams playing in the AFC and NFC championships. Ultimately, I want it to come down to the Colts and the Cardinals. I absolutely do not want to see the Vikings or Cowboys in the big game! There is still a lot of football to go, and it is the playoffs, so anything could happen.

Matt

Green Bay and Tennessee

What a horrible weekend this has been. I had all of my hopes set on Green Bay making it to the Super Bowl. Now I realize that was probably a little far fetched, but a true fan always believes that. I always support the team and believe they are capable of going all the way. Honestly, we had a great shot at making it through Wild Card Weekend. Having beaten the Cardinals the week before, I felt we were a shoe-in this weekend. But that all changed when we turned the ball over in our first two possessions. Arizona got a lead that was going to be hard to catch. But we did! The game was finally tied up in the 3rd quarter at 38-38. I thought we stood an excellent chance at that point. But we just could not seem to pull it together in the end. Now granted, I feel there was an awful call at the end of the game. Like many others, I fell there should have been a face mask call on the final play which would have left us with the ball. But those things happen.... I guess. The point is, we should have kept control of the ball earlier in the game so that we would not have been in that situation in the end. But that is why football is so exciting. You never know what is going to happen, and the unexpected might just take you by surprise in the end. So the Packers are out and now I do not really know where to go for the rest of the NFL season. I will support the Colts the rest of the way, but who knows, they may be the next team to be knocked out.

Speaking of the unexpected... what about Lane Kiffin? The coach that Tennessee fans were so excited about getting has just betrayed us all. Now granted, he had no clue this job opportunity would arise when he took the job at UT a year ago, but a true coach dedicated to the program will not leave no matter the call. After a year of big talk, adequate performance, and a promising future, Kiffin has left all that he promised and the big promise that his future held to start from scratch yet again. Is it a wise decision? Only time will tell. But he has lost respect from the entire Volunteer State, and when football season comes around, there will be a lot more USC haters in the Southeast.

So after all the disappointment that the last few days has brought, I guess I am left with only one hope in the sports world... NASCAR. In a little over a month, NASCAR returns with the Daytona 500. At this point, I cannot wait. The Playoffs were supposed to keep me occupied long enough to make it until then. Now I will anxiously be awaiting the Daytona 500.

Matt

Weekend of Losses

In the world of sports, it was a hard weekend. As I was trying to get some things done this weekend and get ahead on a few projects, I spent most of time in front of the TV. The fall seems to be the best time to watch sports. The NFL and college football start in and continue through the fall, and the NASCAR Chase is in the fall. This weekend in particular was especially exciting.

Tennessee vs. Florida (epic rival); Chase race #1 (start of the championship); and Packers vs. Bengals (a chance to be 2-0).

But things did not turn out so well. First off, Tennessee did end up losing to Florida, which was expected by most people. I had hope though, thinking that we could very well pull out an upset. Although we did end up losing, it was not a slaughter as most people had predicted. We actually scored on Florida (touchdown and field goals), and we caused Florida to end a few of their streaks. Losing is never good, but when it is compared to last season, it does not seem quite as bad.

The Packers had a close game as well. We only lost by a touchdown in the end, and much of the game was spent tied. Although I did not get to see the game live, I saw highlights, and the end was exciting. They were down by 10, and they had the ball. The Packers ended up getting a field goal out of the drive and did not have much time left on the clock. So the only option was to go for an onside kick, which they did. They then won the onside kick and had possession once more. Now all they needed to do was to capitalize on that play. However, things did not work out so well. They could not go for another field goal; it had to be a touchdown. Although we did get back into the red zone, they could not capitalize and we ended up gaining a 1-1 record. Hopefully next week will change things.

Finally, the race was not good either. Gordon had a dominant car at the start, but once they made a small adjustment in the first pit stop, things went down hill. I am not sure what happened or why Gordon could not get back to the front, but once he got further back in the pack, he was unable to pass. Part of this was due to the fact that he brushed the wall and the side of Johnson's car. But I thought he had a chance at winning the race and working his way to the lead in the Chase. With 9 races left, he is not out of it, but now it will take more work to get that 5th championship.

Matt

The Chase is Coming

The Chase for the Sprint Cup is almost here! There is now only 1 race left before the cutoff for the 2009 Chase in NASCAR. And it is already setting up to be an exciting 10 race shootout.

Last night was the Atlanta race, and it was the first Atlanta race under the lights. No one really knew what to expect. Never before had an entire Atlanta race been run at night. So no team had an advantage as to knowing how the car needed to be set up. And that inexperience showed in several race teams. But it was not this one factor that made last night's race so crucial.

The fact was that only 3 out of 12 drivers had secured a spot in the Chase, leaving 14 drivers racing hard for those last 9 spots. As the race progressed, the points continued to change. At one moment Kyle Busch, who was only 34 points out of being in the Chase had secured a spot on up in the standings. But due to some late race mishaps, he found himself 37 points out once more. His brother Kurt had once been 4th in the points standings, just points from locking himself into the Chase as well. But after 2 bad races, he now finds himself in 7th (still in the chase, but barely holding on).

Story lines such as these filled the race, and with many double-file restarts and constant lead changes, the first Atlanta night race set the stage for another exciting Richmond race. This Saturday night, the Chase will be set. The question is who will fill those last few spots. Hamlin secured his spot at Atlanta, leaving only 8 remaining. The problem is, there are 10+ drivers fighting for those positions.

Matt

Brickyard 400

As the 16th Brickyard 400 began...

Jeff Gordon went for his 5th win at the Brickyard.
Jimmie Johnson looked for his 3rd win.
Mark Martin desired to become the oldest Brickyard winner.
Juan Pablo Montoya wanted to add a Brickyard win to his Indy 500 win.
Tony Stewart tried to get the 14 back into victory lane.
Rookie Joey Lagano ran his first Brickyard race of his career.

With so many story lines, this race promised to be exciting, especially since last year's race was ruined due to bad tires. Goodyear brought much better tires this year, and the cautions were drastically reduced, causing many green flag runs today.

The race began with Gordon, Johnson, and Lagano way back in the pack. But as the race continued, these 3 began working their way back to the front, where they belong. But no one had anything for Montoya's 42 car. With less than 30 laps left it appeared as if Montoya would pull off the win of his dreams. But in the last pit stop, Montoya was penalized for speeding through pit road. This sent him to the back of the pack, and when Jr. blew an engine, Montoya got one last chance.

However, with only 24 laps to go when the race restarted, Montoya did not have enough time to work his way back to the front, leaving Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson to fight for the win. Johnson got the lead on the restart, and despite Martin's attempts to run him down, Martin had nothing for Johnson.

Johnson held him off in the final turn and won the race, making it two in a row for Johnson at the Brickyard. Johnson also became the first to ever win the Brickyard back-to-back, marking his wins up at 3, only 1 behind Gordon's 4 Brickyard wins. All in all, this was an exciting, non-controversial race. I can only hope that Pocono is just as exciting next Sunday.

Matt

NASCAR Update

NASCAR has not stopped just because my blog did. And I do not feel like I can adequately catch you up on what has happened since mid-May. But I can fill you in on some of the highlights so far.

This season has been filled with first time winners. Brad Keselowski won Talledega due to a last lap maneuver that was completely legal. David Reutimann and Joey Lagano have also won a race due to rain. Just because of these exciting finishes, the 2009 season has been one that will be remembered.

But there has also been hot-head Kyle Busch who has shot his mouth off on more than one occasion and received much ridicule over the things that he has said during and after a race. He cannot lose graciously, and he never finds fault in himself. He has destroyed a trophy and been caught up in a horrible wreck (which left him soar for a few days). But that is not surprising. The surprising part of his 2009 season is the fact that he is less than 15 points from being left out of the chase. If his luck does not turn around soon, he may find himself outside the top 12 in New Hampshire.

Then there is 50 year old Mark Martin who has made a tremendous comeback, winning 4 races already this year. But due to some bad luck early on in the season, he barely sits inside the top 12 with Kyle Busch. If he can just hold on to the chase (which I am hoping he doesn't, even though I do like him), he will be the leader when we get to New Hampshire.

Hendrick has once again been the story of 2009. Mark Martin has the most wins, Jimmie Johnson is the 3-time defending champ, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has flopped most of the season but may be on a comeback, Jeff Gordon has won a race already and is poised to make a run at the cup, and Tony Stewart's new team (along with Hendrick's help) is at the top of the points. Stewart has won on more than one occasion this season, and his new team took off in 2009 with no problems.

So who will win in the end? Hopefully Jeff Gordon. It is almost certain that he will make the chase, and if he does, I believe he has a good shot at winning it all. But first, he must get past the "old man," the "hot-head," the "teammate" at Stewart-Haas, and the "3-time defending champ." It will take a lot to win championship number 5, but if anyone can do it, Jeff Gordon can.

Matt

The Lady in Black

The Lady in Black is the Track that is Too Tough to Tame... Darlington.

This year marked the return of the Southern 500 at Darlington Motorspeedway. A track that has had many memorable wins. Darrel Waltrip crossed the finish line and blew up. Bill Elliot one the first Winston Million over 20 years ago. Jeff Gordon won a Million Dollars as well over 10 years ago, accumulating wins at certain tracks that put him in position to win that million at Darlington.

But in 2004 history came to a stand still when the last Southern 500 was raced there. But now, 5 years later, NASCAR has brought the Southern 500 back, and they raced it last night, under the lights, with their moms present at the track. The walls were repainted to look like the old walls from many years ago. This was also the old colors of the sport when Winston sponsored the Cup series. The race was already set up for a historical night.

In the race, Jimmie Johnson started 42nd and raced his way to 1st, finishing 2nd. Some clever pit strategy, along with overcoming being 1 lap down put him at the top. Jeff Gordon started 2nd, had a loose wheel, went a lap down, and was able to recover as well, finishing 5th. Many of the drivers who started in the front fell to the back through wrecks, penalties, and bad setups. The young guns, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski raced their way to the top 10, hanging out there for the majority of the race. And Mark Martin, the oldest driver on the track charged to the front, winning his second race this season.

Hendrick Motorsports is dominating this year. They have now won 5 out of the 11 races so far, almost 50%. Last night they took home 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 7th. They also got 3rd and 4th with cars that they supply engines for. 6 out of the top 7 is not too bad. It seems like they are on their way to securing another championship. But the question is... who will it be? Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, or Jeff Gordon? They all have a great chance at bringing it home in 2009. We are now 15 races from the chase. Who knows what will happen next.

This Saturday is the All-Star race, what is always a memorable night!

Matt

Gordon's Streak of Bad Luck

Since breaking the streak a few weeks ago, Jeff Gordon has had two weeks full of bad luck on the racetrack. First there was Phoenix. Now this is another one of those tracks that Jeff has not typically done well at. But over the last few years, he has improved, gaining a victory there two years, his first and only win at Phoenix. It was that race that tied with him with Dale Earnhardt on the all time wins list. He has since added to that total. But this year, Phoenix was not good. The track transitions from day to night, making the race be split into three different "segments." Gordon's car was decent at the beginning of the race, but he had to make some changes as the race progressed. Right when it seemed as if improvements had been made, he had an incident on the track. Denny Hamlin rubbed against the side of his car, messing up the left front finder. This sent Gordon to the back, and then in the midst of repairing the car, a lug nut was dropped, causing Gordon to receive a penalty. So the race did not end well. But he still maintained the points lead at the end of the race.

So Talledega was next on the schedule, and it seemed to be a great opportunity for Gordon to add another win and stretch out his points lead. But due to an early incident, Gordon finished in the back of the pack. Through some shuffling around in the field, partly Matt Kenseth's fault, partly other drivers' fault, Jeff was caught up in the first big wreck of the race. And in the process, he lost the points lead to Kurt Busch, now 5 points behind in the standings.

But the big news coming out of this week's race is the crash on the last lap. And here is my take on the controversy. Keselowski drafted with Edwards to become the top two cars, nothing wrong with that; it put them in the lead. Keselowski tried to make a move at the end of the race to win; nothing wrong there. Edwards blocked him, starting the wreck. Again, Edwards is not really at fault either because that is just the way restricter plate racing works. What Edwards did not realize was that Keselowski already had the position. And Edwards even admitted to that. But he did not expect the crash that would occur as a result, sending him into the fence. But the new car did its job. If you watch a replay slowly, the car goes up in the air at the start of the wreck and is coming back down before Newman hits him. If Newman had not been that close, the car would have landed and only slammed into the wall instead of the fence. The fact that Newman was so close when the wreck happened, made the situation seem so much worse.

So should Keselowski, Edwards, or Newman be blamed? In my opinion, no! It was just racing. Keselowski made a move for the win. Edwards tried to block so that he could win. Newman was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The fact is that this is Talledega. These things happen on occasion. But no one should freak out. No car has flown into the fence like that since the 1980's when a wreck very similar to this happened at Talledega. This is a rare instant. But the fact is that it happened and fans were injured. That is why it has received so much attention. I pray that those fans heal from their injuries. But in the end, to me, it was just racing.

Matt

Jeff Gordon Wins Again

47 races ago, Jeff Gordon sat in Victory Lane in Charlotte. It was October of 2007, and I was sitting in my dorm room anxiously watching the race. He was in the heat of the Chase at that time, running up against his teammate, Jimmie Johnson for the championship. They battled it out for the next few weeks, and Johnson won the championship. It was heartbreaking, but after a solid, record breaking season in 2007, I never expected the next win to come 47 races later. To put this in perspective for those of you who know me, I was sitting in my old dorm room, pre-tornado.

..

So I never thought that 2008 would be a winless season for Gordon. I expected him to go out and win again easily. I expected him to make another run for the championship. He did make the Chase, but that was about it. Then, at the end of the season, he began running well again. The team began making some gains, and they figured some things out about the new car. I knew then that the 2009 season would be different. I knew that Gordon would eventually find his way back to Victory Lane.

..

But 2009 has started out better than I expected. Gordon has been the points leader for most of the season. Out of 7 races, he has led at least 1 lap in all 7. He has finished in the top ten 6 times and in the top five 5 times. And now he has 1 win on top of all that while he still protects the points lead. The season is looking good for him, and he is ready to make yet another run at the championship this year. Will 2009 be the year that the "Drive for Five" is complete?

..

About this win, Gordon has never been good at Texas. He has never one there, and Texas was only 1 of 2 tracks that he was winless at, the other being Homestead. In fact, he has only finished 43rd a handful of times, and 2 of those have come from Texas, one being last spring. When the race started he took the lead in the first lap and led for a while. But then I watched him slowly go backwards. I feared that this was just going to be another Texas race for Gordon. The team made some changes, and they made an over correction on the car. I thought that it might be over. But as the race progressed, they began to get the car in line. And in the closing laps, Gordon was back up front. For the first time ever at Texas, I felt like Jeff actually had a chance to win. And then he pulled it off!

..

In one race, Gordon broke a 47 race losing streak, but just as amazing, he broke his winless record at Texas. It took him 17 attempts, but he finally posted a win in Texas. So is Gordon back? My answer is yes. He has been good these past few years, and 2007 looked to be a promising season. But this 2009 season is looking even better. In fact, it reminds me of the late '90s when Gordon dominated. So maybe, just maybe, this will be the season that Gordon gets that 5th championship.

..

Matt

Fill Out Your Bracket

It is March Madness, finally! Thursday is the first day of the tournament, and I will be in front of my TV all afternoon/night. Have you filled out your bracket yet? I have. This time of year is great. Basketball is on TV 4 days out of the week, pretty much non-stop. But what is it that gets us so excited about the tournament? I think part of it is the fact that an underdog has the opportunity to shock the nation by going far in the tournament. We all like to pull for the underdogs, unless it is going to upset our bracket or knock off our favorite team. But there is something special about rooting for the team that should not win. We can connect with those teams, and everyone loves a good "Cinderella Story."

So who is going to win it this year? What is your vote for the winner? My bracket is filled out and ready for the tournament. No changes will be made to my bracket. Leave your thoughts and we will see if anyone chooses the champion. But make sure you place your bets before the tournament begins!

As for NASCAR, this week is Bristol, and I will not get to watch the race. I will be in Kansas, away from a TV probably. But after Bristol comes Martinsville, for which I will be back. These are the 2 shortest tracks on the circuit, and they can cause many drivers to lose their cool during the race. Maybe you do not care for NASCAR. Maybe you think it is stupid and pointless. Well give these 2 short tracks a try. They are normally filled with wrecks and "almost" fights. They may be 2 of the most exciting races of the year. Now only if Jeff can come out of them with a couple of wins.

Don't forget to fill out your bracket... we will see who picks the winner, if anyone decides to comment and place their bet. To start things off I will go ahead and reveal my overall winner. My choice is North Carolina. I did not consult the experts. I went with my gut when filling out the bracket and did not look for statistics or who has the advantage. I just looked at the teams and picked; it is a new strategy for me. So I picked North Carolina to win the tournament.

Matt

California, Vegas, and Atlanta

3 races have been run since I last posted about NASCAR, and these 3 races have pushed Jeff into the points lead for the current 2009 points. At California, Jeff had a solid run throughout the entire race. But with a minor adjustment in the pits and a tenth of a second slower pit stop, he came back out on the track in 2nd and could not pass Matt Kenseth for the win in the end. That second place finish however, put him 2nd in the points at the time.

Then came Vegas, where he had yet another good car. But a pit stop once again altered the finish of the race. In fear of not getting onto pit road slow enough and realizing that cars behind him did not realize he was pitting, Jeff narrowly missed the pit road entrance, which caused him to blow the front left tire when he began to race back around the track. This almost fatal mistake should have cost him not only the win but many positions on the track. However, Jeff salvaged a 6th place finish and took control of the points leaving Vegas.

Just 2 days ago, the drivers headed to Atlanta. And once again, Jeff had another dominant car, although he did not dominate the race. This time it was Kurt Busch that he battled, and he even led part of the race. This puts Jeff as the only driver this season who has led a lap in all 4 of the races. And once again, a mistake in pit road might have cost him the win. A dropped lugnut put Jeff back in the pack on a restart, and although he got back up to the front of the pack, he could not beat Busch in the final turn. So he once again settled for a 2nd place finish.

In 2 weeks, the drivers will head to Bristol and try to tame the world's fastest half mile. Jeff has had many good races in Bristol, including a win in the Fall of 2002 (a race that I attended). So hopefully he will snap his 45 race losing streak and come out with a win in Thunder Valley. Jeff Gordon is back this year, and right now he is definitely a contender for the championship.

Matt

Daytona 500 - 2009

The long awaited "Great American Race" finally arrived earlier this afternoon. All during the off season, teams were not allowed to go to tracks to practice, including Daytona. There were no testing sessions, and many wondered how this would effect the new season of NASCAR. But surprisingly, it seemed to just increase the anticipation. The drivers had been out of their cars for weeks, so when Speed Weeks began, they were finally allowed to race again.

They had their practice sessions and qualifying (with the Duals) leading up to the big race today. And today's race started the 2009 season well. It was shortened by rain, but the drivers were able to complete 151 of the 200 laps. All the great aspects of Daytona were present today. There was great passing, the draft worked well, there were penalties (which is common in every race), and the "Big One" happened near the end of the race.

And the 2009 season has begun with controversy as well. Who caused the big wreck this year? Some will say Dale Jr. while others will point fingers to Brian Vickers. They were both involved, and no one will ever know who was truly responsible, but when it was over, 10+ cars were damaged. This changed the race, and with rain on the way, even more drivers raced harder. They took big risks when passing, and more wrecks occurred as a result. It became crucial each lap to gain the lead, and that is just what Matt Kenseth did prior to the final caution. During that caution, the rain came. When NASCAR saw that the rain was there to stay, and that they would not be able to get the track died until late into the night, they decided to call the race. So this year, Matt Kenseth is the Daytona 500 champion!

Jeff Gordon had a good start to the season. He had a dominant car, but through the serious of wrecks, he was shuffled backwards. If there had been one last restart, he would have probably surged to the front. But he did not have the opportunity to show his dominant car again, and he ended up finishing 13th. Jeff stands 12th in points, and with 25 races to go until the Chase, Jeff needs to remain consistent, win races, and work hard. I expect to see the 24 car in the chase for the cup come September.

Matt

NASCAR 2009

NASCAR is back, and for the next 10 months, there will be 36 races, all leading up to who will be crowned the Sprint Cup Champion of 2009. Many changes have come to NASCAR in recent years, beginning with the "car of tomorrow," which is now the "car of today." Teams are more alike than ever, with almost identical cars. With the shape of the economy, many teams have undergone layoffs, and NASCAR even banned testing during the off season. All of this has been in an effort to save money, and although things looked dim at first, 2009 promises to be a good year for NASCAR.

Along with those changes, many drivers and sponsors have been swapped around as well. Starting with Hendrick, Mark Martin joins the ranks as Casey Mears heads over to RCR, giving them 4 cars. Also, Tony Stewart left Gibbs Racing after 10 years and formed his own team, pulling Ryan Newman with him. This allowed Joey Lagano, an 18 year old, to fill the spot at Gibbs Racing. Richard Petty's team went under financially, but Gillett-Evernham Motorsports pulled him in and joined forces, keeping the Petty name in NASCAR. And with all of these changes, NASCAR is still going.

So what does 2009 hold? After the manufacture dual at the Bud Shootout Saturday night, 2009 looks exciting. And Daytona is right around the corner. The Gatorade Duals are Thursday afternoon, and the 500 is Sunday. And early projections say that Jimmie Johnson will not win the championship this year. Instead, they predict Carl Edwards to be on top come November. But that is all speculation. There are 43+ drivers, 36 races, and 10 months of racing to go. And no one will know who the champion will be until that final lap at Homestead, Miami.

Matt

NFL Championship Weekend 2009

As I write, the NFC championship is underway, and the Cardinals are back on top as they battle it out with the Eagles. This has been a well fought battle as the Cardinals had the Eagles down, almost giving them the victory by the 3rd Quarter. But the Eagles came back on 19-0 run and went ahead the Cardinals by 1 point. They made a great comeback, but now the Cardinals once again stand on top while the Eagles have the ball. I do not care which team ends up winning this game. I have no problem with either team being in the Superbowl. But I do think it would be neat to see the Eagles come from a 24-6 defecit and reign over the Cardinals. After their performance against the Cowboys and Vikings (2 teams that I do not care for), I would love to see the Eagles go all the way.

In just a few minutes, the Steelers and Ravens will play for the AFC championship. That promises to be a great game as well. It could go either way of course, but I see the Steelers winning out tonight. If that happens and the Eagles end up pulling off this victory, there could be a Pennsylvania Super Bowl. But that is just a bunch of "if's." So we will have to wait and see what happens. There are still 4 teams left in this post season. But in a few short hours we will know who will match up against one another for this year's Super Bowl.

On another note, NASCAR is right around the corner. February 15th is the 51st running of the Daytona 500. The 2009 NASCAR season will be underway. Join in on all the action as another great year of NASCAR begins in less than a month.

Matt

Football is Over

Football may still be going, but for me, I no longer have a team left in any of the leagues. The Packers never made it into the playoffs, and that was a great disappointment this year. But I guess we can look at this year as a rebuilding year of sorts. Next season may be better now that we have one year of experience after the departure of Favre. But for the '08-'09 season, the Packers are done. So I moved to the Colts for the playoffs. I have followed them some ever since Peyton Manning joined the team, and I thought that they had a good shot at going far this season. But that too came to an end last night when the Chargers knocked them out as well. So now the NFL season is pretty much over for me. I will continue to watch the games, and of course I will be in front of a TV the night of the Super Bowl. But now I am getting ready for next season.

On the college side of things, Tennessee never made it to a bowl game. We had a really rough year that ended in the firing of the head coach. But there is hope for the new year, and maybe the '09 season will be better. The bowl games have been fun to watch these last few days, and I am ready for the National Championship game Thursday night. It should be a pretty good, and hopefully close, game.

Now that football is over, I guess I will shift on over to college basketball. I do not care too much for the NBA, but I have always like to watch college basketball. I have kept up with the Vols these last few months, but now that conference play will be beginning, I will be watching more of their games. And March Madness will be here before we know it!

And in just a little more than a month, NASCAR will resume. I am hoping that this season turns about better than last season for Gordon. The 24 car will have a new paint scheme this year, so hopefully that little change will also help turn the 24 team around for the '09 season. Daytona is only 5 or 6 weeks away now!

Matt

Saying Bye to Phil

The end of an era. No longer will Fulmer be the head coach of Tennessee. And this truly is a sad day up on Rocky Top. Despite all the negative remarks that have been made throughout the season, seeing Fulmer go is sad. He has meant a lot to the Tennessee football program, leading them to 2 SEC championships and 1 national title. But since those great years in the late 90's, things have been going down hill for the Vols.

For me, Fulmer is the only coach I can remember being at Tennessee. I was 4 when he began his career, and for every ballgame that I remember sitting through, he has been the man on the sideline leading his team to victory. But that all ended tonight, and Tennessee will now head into a new era, a new page in the history books.

It has been reported that Kiffin will take the head coach job for the 2009 season, but that has not been officially announced yet. We will have to see what comes from Knoxville on Monday. But until that day, Fulmer will be the man in the spotlight as everyone reflects on his accomplishments over the last 17 years at Tennessee.

Maybe he deserves a little bit of ridicule over this season (which has not been good, finishing 5-7). But do not let this 2008 season overshadow all the other ones. He did have some great accomplishments that we must remember. But just like in all football programs, sometimes it is time for the coach to go. They have done all that they can do, and with them staying the team would only be hurt. And sadly, I feel that is what has happened to Fulmer. He truly loves Tennessee, but if he stays, we may just continue the downward spiral. There may not be anything else he can do. But it is nice to end a great career on a win.

He will be missed. But this ending is also the start of a new beginning for the Vols. 2009 will be a great year for Tennessee football.

Matt

Jimmie Johnson - 3-Peat

When a sports team wins 3 consecutive championships, do you consider them a dynasty?

In the case of Jimmie Johnson, I think that this must be true. For the past 3 seasons (including this latest 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series), Jimmie Johnson has been the victor at Homestead.

When the season started this year, all eyes were on Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, because of their great success at the end of last season when they battled for the championship in the final race of Homestead. But things changed very fast when Ryan Newman won the first race, Daytona, and Jimmie Johnson finished further back than normal. This cause Jimmie to start the season very low in the points.

Then, Kyle Busch, after switching to a new team, became a very dominant driver, winning race after race. It seemed as if he was the one that would be in contention for the championship when the season came to an end. Summer began, and Jimmie Johnson slowly made his way up the points standings. He was nowhere close to Kyle Busch, who would start with a great advantage in the chase, gaining 80 bonus points for his 8 regular season wins. But that would not stop Johnson.

The Chase began, and shockingly Kyle Busch had 2 bad first races, putting him at the bottom of the Chase standings (from 1st to 12th). This opened the door for Johnson, who took over the points lead just a few weeks into the Chase. And once he got on top, no one could touch him. His only major competitor was Carl Edwards, and Edwards battled him to the very end. But at Homestead last Sunday, Johnson had a substantial lead on Edwards, and the only way for Edwards to win was for Johnson to wreck out of the race. Johnson pretty much had things wrapped up, and by the end of the night, he won his 3rd consecutive championship in NASCAR's top series.

So in 3 seasons he has won the championship in different ways, showing his strength in new avenues. Is this a dynasty? I would argue yes. Jimmie Johnson is the one every driver better watch out for in the 2009 series that starts next February.

Matt