Daytona 500: Driver Breakdown

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Daytona Int'l Speedway

(AP) -- A look at drivers competing in the 2011 Daytona 500, in order of starting position:

No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

DRIVER: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

BORN: Oct. 10, 1974

HOMETOWN: Kannapolis, N.C.

CREW CHIEF: Steve Letarte

SPONSOR: Mountain Dew/AMP Energy/National Guard

NOTES: NASCAR's most popular driver won the Daytona 500 pole, then wrecked in practice on Wednesday. Now, he'll start Sunday's race at the back of the field. Earnhardt was a non-factor on the track for the fourth consecutive year in 2010. Earnhardt finished 21st in points. With teammates Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon also struggling, owner Rick Hendrick shook up most of the four-car team. Will another new crew chief and a shop change be enough to overhaul Junior's fortunes?

No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

DRIVER: Jeff Gordon

BORN: Aug. 4, 1971

HOMETOWN: Pittsboro, Ind.

CREW CHIEF: Alan Gustafson

SPONSOR: Drive To End Hunger/DuPont

NOTES: After a winless season, Gordon was one of three drivers shuffled at Hendrick Motorsports. He moved out of the 24/48 shop into the building now known as the 5/24 shop. The four-time series champion is paired with crew chief Gustafson.

 

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2011/02/20/dayton-500-driver-breakdown/

Mary Elizabeth Winstead Megan Ewing Megan Fox

Carey Price Defies Critics With Canadiens in Thick of Playoff Race

Filed under: Canadiens

Carey Price has stood up to the pressure.

In September, I waded into the Bell Centre for the Montreal Canadiens' first preseason game against the rival Boston Bruins.

Sitting in the stands, I watched as Price was vilified from the get-go and gave up four goals in half of the game as the Habs lost, 4-2.

"Oh, (shoot), it's going to be a long season," a fan in a Canadiens' jersey told me, chuckling sadly and shaking his head.

The trade of 2009-10 playoff hero Jaroslav Halak's trade to St. Louis was still fresh in fans' minds, and some local hockey scribes were touting backup Alex Auld as a replacement for Price. (Seriously? The same Alex Auld who was once considered Vancouver's future goaltending star but has now played for eight NHL clubs -- seven since he was shipped out of town to Florida in the Roberto Luongo trade in 2005?)

 

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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2011/02/22/carey-price-defies-critics-with-canadiens-in-thick-of-playoff-ra/

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Mark Wilson Leads Final Round of Phoenix Open, to Finish Monday

Filed under: PGA

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP)-Mark Wilson had a two-stroke lead in the Phoenix Open when play was suspended Sunday because of darkness.

Wearing a yellow visor and green shirt in support of his beloved Packers, the Wisconsin player broke a tie with Tommy Gainey with a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 12th. Gainey three-putted the hole for a bogey.

"I birdied some tough holes," Wilson said. "The 4-iron I hit on 12 was the best swing of the day and I rolled in that putt. Just felt good.

"Been a long ride. I mean, four holes the first day, 28 holes the next day and then four holes and now 31 holes, and we'll do five more tomorrow and see what happens."

Wilson and Gainey were facing 20-foot birdie putts on the par-5 13th when they decided it was too dark to finish the hole.

"I was thinking about putting it, but it's hard to read and it's a goofy little putt," Wilson said. "It'll be a lot easier tomorrow morning.

"Someone was screaming in my head saying, `Don't putt this tonight!' So, when I heard that voice, I said, `Let's mark it."'

Wilson was 18 under. Gainey was tied for second with Vijay Singh and Jason Dufner. Singh shot a 5-under 66, while Dufner had four holes left.

The start Sunday was delayed a half-hour because of frost. About nine hours of playing time has been lost to frost and frozen turf, forcing the Monday finish.

Wilson completed a 68 in the third round Sunday and was 2 under through 12 holes in the final round. On the amphitheater 16th in the third round, Wilson and caddie Chris Jones donned cheeseheads and led the rowdy fans in Packers chants.

 

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/02/06/mark-wilson-leads-final-round-of-phoenix-open-to-finish-monday/

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Andy Gray Fired Over Sexist Comments

Filed under: English Premier League, Sports Business and Media

LONDON (AP) -- One of British soccer's leading television commentators was fired Tuesday, a day after being taken off the air and temporarily suspended for making sexist remarks about a female match official.

Andy Gray, the face of Sky Sports' soccer coverage for the past two decades, was dismissed by the broadcaster after "new evidence of unacceptable and offensive behavior" that took place off-air last month.

The former Scotland striker and broadcast colleague Richard Keys had been reprimanded and removed from duty Monday for making derogatory comments about lineswoman Sian Massey, former referee Wendy Toms and West Ham executive Karren Brady.

"Andy Gray's contract has been terminated for unacceptable behavior," Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis said Tuesday. "We have no hesitation in taking this action after becoming aware of new information today."

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2011/01/25/andy-gray-fired-over-sexist-comments/

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NHL Trade Deadline: Toronto Maple Leafs

Filed under: Maple Leafs, Eastern, Trade Deadline

The Toronto Maple Leafs are staying true to form.

Brian Burke, the affable general manager of the storied team, got the jump on the trade deadline for a second straight year when, in the span of a week, he traded defensemen Francois Beauchemin and Tomas Kaberle, along with winger Kris Versteeg.

In return for three players that were significant parts of the Maple Leaf roster at the start of the season, Burke got back one roster player, Joffrey Lupul, along with two first-round draft picks, a third-round pick and a conditional pick.

And despite the odds of making the playoffs with his weakened back end, Burke would not concede the season is over.

"Getting in the playoffs by the skin of your teeth and getting your ass kicked in the first round is not my idea of building a championship team,'' said Burke after he traded Kaberle to the Boston Bruins. "We are trying to get into the playoffs the right way and we are not conceding that last spot. I think our players know we are not throwing in the towel."

Burke's philosophy in the trade derby is not complicated. He identifies players on his roster he feels can return a top prospect and/or a draft pick, and targets youth coming back. The Leafs' average age is now 25.8 years old. But that number is likely to drop when 33-year-old goaltender J-S Giguère becomes a free agent after the season.

Burke feels the prospects he's added will all be playing for the Maple Leafs within the next two seasons, and the plan is to bolster his ranks though free agency. Trouble is the free agent market hasn't been kind to Burke. Beauchemin was a heralded signing and he is gone. Then there's Colby Armstrong, another free agent signing who is a third liner.

 

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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2011/02/22/nhl-trade-deadline-toronto-maple-leafs/

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Real Madrid held to draw at Lyon, Chelsea rolls in UEFA Champions League

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SoccerByIves/~3/Ijkp2Sqbn7M/madrid-held-to-draw-at-lyon-chelsea-rolls-in-uefa-champions-league.html

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What Hath the King Wrought? A Wave of Panicky NBA Trades

Filed under: Cavaliers, Jazz, Knicks, Nuggets

One more day. NBA teams have less than 24 hours to take their franchises to Def-Con 1. Only until 3:00 ET Thursday afternoon to make sure they don't get LeBron-ified, to avoid becoming next season's Cleveland Cavaliers.

In hindsight, it appears that while "The Decision'' by LeBron James merely raked most NBA followers' last natural nerve, it scared team executives witless.

Maybe none of the trades completed and proposed as the deadline approaches will turn out to be as enormous overreactions as they appear now. Maybe Carmelo Anthony will be for the Knicks exactly as the Knicks expect him -- and, it seems, desperately needs him -- to be. It's possible, meanwhile, that the Nuggets, looking horrified by what they had to do to avoid Anthony walking away from them this summer, will be able to rebuild with the pieces from the three-way trade as it could have by simply dropping his contract off their books.

And maybe the Jazz really needed to part ways with Deron Williams as hastily as they did on Wednesday -- a season ahead of his potential free agency. And maybe the Nets' mortgaging of their future will help them realize their dream, whether it's escalating its arms race with the soon-to-be-borough-neighboring Knicks, or spending the resources they had saved up to throw at the Nuggets for Anthony, or satisfying their new owner's ego, or all of the above.

That's a lot of maybes.

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/02/23/what-hath-the-king-wrought-a-wave-of-panicky-nba-trades/

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