In My Wheelhouse From Where I Sit ….
It feels like the dead of winter and not much is happening in the world of sports. I don’t want to go on a political rant as that wouldn’t solve anything at present. Isn’t it enough that we’ve got two political parties at present that are bout as much use as a fart in a thunderstorm. ?
Less we forget also that the members of Congress would seemingly make the members of the Colombian and Mexican drug cartels seem like mild mannered businessmen . To say that they’re not devious or corrupt would be to suggest that Paris Hilton would have some credibility if we were to call her talented. Which of course no one would ever suggest that the “celebutante” was indeed talented !
Interesting read ___ “dwindling attendance” for NASCAR events ………who knew ? Shouldn’t really come as a surprise to anyone who’s a keen follower of the sport to begin with. NASCAR President Mike Helton and CEO Brian France over the past five years seem to have forgotten about the fans while they’ve chased after corporate sponsorship dollars the way that a “hooker” chases after her “John “ in order that she’ll always be well rewarded for the services rendered. Never mind the fact that the race events themselves are now becoming about as exciting to watch as seeing two pachyderms mate ! Suffice to say seeing Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards dog each other out after their little tête-à-têtes on the track makes them appear about as masculine as Richard Simmons would be deemed to be, if he were still dancing and sweating to the oldies.
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Courtesy of Yahoo Sports & Associated Press
Edwards, Keselowski put on probation by NASCAR
By Will Graves , AP Sports Writer
NASCAR docked star Carl Edwards 60 Nationwide Series driver points, fined him $25,000 and placed both Edwards and Brad Keselowski on probation through Dec. 31 following their last-lap antics at Gateway International Raceway.
Jack Roush, owner of Edwards’ No. 60 Ford, was also docked 60 owner points after the latest run-in between the feuding drivers ended with a chain reaction accident that left Keselowski’s No. 22 Dodge in tatters and another nine cars sustaining damage last weekend.
Edwards and Keselowski were battling for the lead on the final lap when Keselowski nudged Edwards out of the way coming out of Turn 2. Edwards returned the favor a few seconds later, sending Keselowski into the outside wall coming out of Turn 4. Keselowski slid toward the inside wall before being struck by several opponents, his car a shattered mess as it crossed the finish line in 14th while Edwards celebrated his second win of the season.
Though NASCAR has publicly encouraged drivers to police themselves by encouraging a “boys, have at it” philosophy, director of competition Robin Pemberton said Keselowski and Edwards took things a little too far even though Edwards maintained afterward he was not at fault. NASCAR disagreed.
“We felt like at that time they had stepped over the line of what we would consider to be good, aggressive, healthy hard racing,” Pemberton said.
That’s nothing new for the two Cup and Nationwide regulars. Keselowski and Edwards have a long-simmering rivalry dating back to the spring Cup race at Talladega in 2009 when Keselowski nudged Edwards out of the way—and into the catch fence—to collect his first Cup victory.
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Now as the sport tries to pick up the pieces after the debacle of the travails of the domestic automotive industry. We’ve seen each of the domestic manufacturers cut back to some extent on their commitment to NASCAR . Albeit, that they’ve still a presence there but given the health of all three companies Chrysler ,__ Ford and GM no one can really say that they’re all out of the woods as of yet. As to the Sprint Cup season within the sport well once again Dale Earnhardt . Jr continues to disappoint and no mount of excuses can now be made for his poor showing overall . But his most ardent fans as always will continue to stick with him come what may. If his last name wasn’t Earnhardt one seriously doubts whether or not the press , TV media or fans like would be the slightest bit concerned. But Earnhardt Jr has a “family legacy” to uphold. One of which he hasn’t proven to be successful at in the highest echelons of NASCAR and that‘s with him now being a driver with perhaps one the most powerful teams in the Sprint Cup Series , Hendrick Motorsports .
Baseball and its owners are a proud bunch but inherently “the owners” are now coming cross like a bunch of buffoons given their unprecedented wealth couldn’t manage lemonade stand much less run a professional sports franchise ! Now with the death of New York Yankees’ owner George Steinbrenner the legacy of running the storied franchise is now left to his sons Hank and Al Steinbrenner to keep in tact and the keep the success going. No tough task given the resources to be had within the ball club. But the same can’t be said for at least 28 other teams around MLB. Who other than the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have such vast revenue streams whereby they can literally spend at will ? Luxury tax revenue sharing or not it hasn’t stopped either of the baseball behemoths from doing as they please.
Come the trade deadline __(31st July) both the Red Sox , Yankees and several other teams with a chance to make their presence felt in the postseason will be looking to acquire the players needed to put them over the top. Think of it in large part as renting a player for the short term in order to attain the success sought.
Courtesy of Dallas Morning News
Nolan Ryan testifies: Rangers could lose Josh Hamilton, prospects
By Barry Schlacter / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
Fort Worth _Tx,. – Rangers president Nolan Ryan testified at a bankruptcy hearing Wednesday that financial pressures are hurting the club and could prevent it from keeping slugger Josh Hamilton, whose contract is up this season.
“I don’t know that I want to be there [if] Josh Hamilton doesn’t come back next year,” Ryan testified.
Ryan said the cash shortage is affecting the team’s trades and its need for a new video board and forced it to close a summer-league farm team in the Dominican Republic.
He wants the court to keep the Aug. 4 date to auction the team, while lenders want the date put off to allow rivals to put together a higher bid than the $575 million offered by Ryan and Pittsburgh sports attorney Chuck Greenberg.
Under cross-examination, Ryan said he was unaware that U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Lynn could order Major League Baseball – on which the bankrupt AL West leader has been dependent – to loosen its purse strings.
“I want you to know,” Lynn later assured Ryan, “this team is going to get through this season, win the pennant and the world championship – and the bankruptcy is not going to interfere with that.”
Hamilton, an all-star outfielder, could see his $3.25 million earnings rocket to $8 million to $10 million if he goes to salary arbitration bearing such awards as American League MVP and the Triple Crown, Ryan testified.
The bankruptcy put a “very expensive cost” on the recent trades for pitcher Cliff Lee and catcher Bengie Molina, Ryan testified. Though the deals also brought in $4 million in cash, this didn’t compensate for the loss of minor league talent, Ryan testified.
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While this has been happening the ongoing saga of the ongoing sale of the Texas Rangers seems to be taking a nasty turn for the worse. The preferred choice of the league hierarchy is that the team be sold to a consortium led by former Rangers’ player Nolan Ryan and noted sports attorney Charles “Chuck” Greenberg. The fact the current ownership led by senior partner Tom Hicks is unwilling to sell the ball club in order to meet the team’s and his own debt obligations to his creditors has me wondering why the hell hasn’t Bud Sleig and his office intervened in the ongoing fiasco ? Bluntly put Bud Selig is no more a businessman than George W Bush could be considered to be a noteworthy politician, much less a Head of State. But somehow both have been lauded as being good for their respective endeavors. Pray , do tell what either has achieved that has been noteworthy much less of benefit to either fans of the sport or that of the country that can be viewed as being tangible and having a lasting effect that will be of benefit to everyone ? Don’t take too long in coming up with an answer mind you ?
Come what my the situation now rearing its ugly head in Texas will go a long way in telling us not only about the health of the game from financial standpoint but also how weak a leader Bud Selig has been as baseball’s commissioner. In Selig, to my mind he can’t retire from his post quick enough as far s I’m concerned ! The game needs someone with authority and who at least has a great deal of business acumen rather than a blithering idiot who continues to hang his head out in the wind just to see which way it is blowing before he can come to a decision !.
The Summer League in basketball (NBA) gives a number of undrafted players to shine ,blossom and prove to the GM’s who overlooked them that they made a mistake in not drafting those players. It also gives several players who’d spent time recuperating from injuries to prove that they’re now back and ready to show their worth to their respective franchise with regard to the rigors of the upcoming season. Thankfully, while this is going on the talk of the “newly anointed trio “in Miami can perhaps take a back set? There hasn’t been this much talk bout three human beings since the three wise men went in search of Jesus Christ prior to his birth. Now there’s no star in east nor has God commanded the trio of Bosh , __ James and Wade to go forth and do good deeds. But the way that the three are now being fawned over you would guess they were placed in their present situation through divine intervention.
For the sake of the Miami Heat fans I just hope that God loves this because as we all know he doesn’t like ugly. Things could actually turn out this way should “the team” fail to live up to expectations. Winning seventy plus games in the NBA season is nothing if you can’t land the brass ring of winning an NBA title at the end of it ll. And that is what is expected of this team and I’m not just talking about winning a single championship multiple ones over the years to come. That’s the least that is expected of this Heat team and of the architect who created this grand scenario, team President Pat Riley . They screw this up and about the only thing the fans of the Heat and NBA are liable to say bout the trio ……… and that would be to question their manhood , parenthood and anything else that’s possible without seeking to be overly personal in their criticism.
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So this has been my little view of the sporting landscape at present . What if anything has you keenly looking over that specific scenery at present ?
Alan Parkins aka tophatal ……………….. 🙂
Marvin Gaye ………………… ” What’s Going On/ What’s Happening Brother”
tophatal's blog 
Of the six parties said to be interested in purchasing the Rangers not one has their full financing in place . But an idiot such as Bud Selig still favors the Nolan Ryan, Chuck Greenberg bid ? Greenberg and his consortium tendered a bid that wasn’t totally acceptable to Hicks’ creditors as it in no way covered debt owed by the incumbent owner Tom Hicks .
So who in effect is actually proving to be the real asshole here as of now ? The potential buyers , Bud Selig, MLB or Tom Hicks ? My thoughts all of the above !
Six potential bidders for the franchise and not one has their complete financing in place . No wonder I’ve never taken Selig seriously. He’s about as much a commissioner much less businessman as Sarah Palin could be considered a legitimate politician !
Selita Ebanks Victoria’s Secret lingerie model
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Katie Price aka Jordan
tophatal …………. 🙂
I’m just keeping my eye on the Rays as they try to stay in the race for the playoffs.
I’m hoping they make a deal for a hitter to help bolster that offense. What do you think?
aero
The talk is that the Rays will make a play for the Phillies’ Jayson Werth to add some “pop” to the team’s offense. If anything all they’d have to give up would be someone off their farm system rather than a desired player.
🙂
Jayson Werth
🙂
Alan aka …… tophatal
I hope the Rangers financial crap doesn’t spill onto the field. They are rolling right now, and it would be a shame if it effected their outcome this season in anyway…
What are the chances Wade and Bosh get hurt!?! Or what if all three party too much and don’t win games!?! That would be hilarous!
chappy
Let me ask you this how can Selig favor one consortium’s bid over the others when they (Nolan Ryan & Chuck Greenberg) don’t even have the full financing in place to launch full bid to begin with ? As a matter of fact of the six parties said to be interested in purchasing the team not one of them has the money in place as of yet to launch a full scale bid . How fu_ked up is that ?
All the team can do is to ply to their heart’s content and just let things fall where they may .
The less said bout the Heat at present the better off we’ll be ! It’s become sickening to hear all of the crap to begin with .
🙂
Alan aka …tophatal
🙂
Nice article…but I did bid on the nice ladies you have pictured…they were better than the write…uh uh uh LOL
al clements
Can’t wait for the NFL season to start because baseball at present seems so dull ’til the playoffs !
Two thumbs up ….. way up from Katie Price aka Jordan
Less is more they say .
🙂
Alan aka …tophatal
Well, at least we know now for sure that Brett is retiring.
Yeah, right.
Chris Humpherys
I thought ESPN said Brett is running for high office in Mississippi ? Ah well you can’t win ’em all or wish for something better to be happening in the NFL while Brett is around ! For fu_k’s sake when will this sh_t end ?
tophatal …….. 🙂