2011 Record: 4-12

Predicted Record: 7-9

Head Coach- Pat Shurmur

OFFENSE
West Coast Offense, coordinated by Brad Childress

Quarter Back

Jason Miller/Getty Images

1st. Brandon Weeden (R)
2nd. Colt McCoy
3rd. Seneca Wallace
4th. Thaddeus Lewis

Brandon Weeden is now the starting QB. I like him. Great arm. He can play. I think he’ll be a Matt Schaub-level QB.

Colt McCoy will be the backup…probably. If they keep him, which I think they should/will. He’s better than Wallace, and has more room to grow.

If they don’t keep McCoy, Wallace will take over. He has plenty of experience.

It wouldn’t shock me if they dump one of them in favor Lewis.

Running Back

1st Trent Richardson (R)
2nd Montario Hardesty
3rd Brandon Jackson
4th Chris Ogbonnaya
Fullback: Owen Marecic, Brad Smelley (R)

Trent Richardson obviously has serious potential. I’m in the crowd that didn’t like taking a back with the 3rd pick, but he can play. Marecic will likely be his blocker despite a disappointing  rookie year.

I’m not ready to give up on Hardesty. He played last year after a torn ACL. He lost a lot of speed. I think he can get back to his potential.

Chris Ogbonnaya will take his spot if he doesn’t improve.

Brandon Jackson returns after missing all of last year. He was Green Bay’s RB in their 2010 Super Bowl campaign. He’s still not very good though. T-Rich is the only lock to make the team.

Wide Receiver

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

1st. Greg Little
2nd. Josh Gordon (R)
3rd. Mohamed Massaquoi
4th. Josh Cribbs
5th. Travis Benjamin (R)
6th. Jordon Norwood
7th. Carlton Mitchell

The wide receivers have potential to definitely improve after a really bad 2011 season. Going into last season, Massasquoi and Brian Robiskie were the projected top two WR’s, now Massa is 3rd, and Robiskie is out of the league.

I think Greg Little has a great year. He can play ball. He didn’t play at all his last year at North Carolina. He still put up solid numbers fetching the ball from Colt McCoy. Just needs to catch the ball.

Josh Gordon is a good athletic rookie taken in the Supplemental Draft. I think he’ll put up similar numbers Little did last year. He didn’t play last year, but he did practice with the Utah squad.

Nobody else will do much though. Benjamin is the fastest player on the team. It’ll be interesting to see how they use him. Cribbs had a career year last year at WR (which isn’t saying much). Norwood will play.

Tight End

1st. Benjamin Watson
2nd. Jordon Cameron
3rd. Evan Moore
4th. Alex Smith

The tight ends are mediocre. Watson is a middle of the road player. Cameron is a former basketball player project going into his second year.  Hopefully he’ll show something. Evan Moore can’t block worth anything, but an okay receiver. Alex Smith is an okay blocker.

Nothing impressive.

Offensive Line

LT- Joe Thomas
LG-  Jason Pinkston
C- Alex Mack
RG-  Shawn Lauvao
RT- Mitchell Schwartz (R)

Depth: John Greco, Ryan Miller, Oniel Cousins

Should be one of the strengths of the team. The depth is….pretty inexperienced. We’re banking on them staying healthy, which was an issue last year with losing Eric Steinbach for the season, and a nagging injury with RT Tony Pashos.

Joe Thomas is an elite LT. Not much needed to be stated. Has been to the Pro Bowl in each season in the league.

Alex Mack is also a dependable center, making the Pro Bowl in 2010.

Mitchell Schwartz is the promising rookie RT taken with the 37th pick. Started each game all four years.

Lauvao and Pinkston will hopefully open up enough holes for Richardson.

DEFENSE
4-3 defense, coordinated by Dick Jauron

Defensive Line

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

LE- Jabaal Sheard
DT- Ahtyba Rubin
DT- Scott Paxson (filling in for injured Phil Taylor)
RE- Frostee Rucker

Depth: DT John Hughes (R), DE Juqua Parker, DT Billy Winn (R), DT Brian Schaefering, DE Marcus Benard

Solid, but like the O-line, needs depth. Having a major injury to promising second-year DT Phil Taylor  didn’t do us any favors.

Jabaal Sheard has major potential after finishing his rookie year off strong. Rubin is also very dependable. Paxson is projected to start, but the rookies Hughes and Winn will potentially get major time.

Linebacker

LOLB- Chris Gocong
MLB- D’Qwell Jackson
ROLB-  Scott Fujita

Depth:  Kaluka Maiava, James-Michael Johnson (R), Quinton Spears, LJ Fort (R)

Our linebacking core is bad, and they should feel bad. D’Qwell Jackson is really good though. Had an excellent 2011 season after being mired with injuries.

Gocong and Fujita aren’t anything to write home about. Fujita will miss the first 4 games due to suspension from his involvement with Gregg Williams and the Saints. Maiava is projected to start for him, but the rookie James-Michael Johnson could take that away.

Defensive Backfield

CB- Joe Haden
CB- Sheldon Brown
FS- Eric Hagg
SS- TJ Ward

Depth: CB Dmitri Patterson, CB Buster Skrine, S Usama Young, S Ray Ventrone, CB James Dockery

Joe Haden’s an obvious stud. The best player on  the defense.

Sheldon Brown is still pretty good. Probably his last year as a starter. I don’t think Patterson or Skrine will take much away from him this year.

TJ Ward is a beast. Eric Hagg has potential. A 7th round pick out of Nebraska last year. Has been a good value.

Usama Young is bad, but he went to Kent State, so he deserves a spot on the roster.

ST

Matt Sullivan/Getty Images

K- Phil Dawson
P- Reggie Hodges
LS- Christian Yount
KR- Josh Cribbs
PR- Josh Cribbs

Phil Dawson returns for his 14th season with Browns. Will likely be his last. Doesn’t have the distance that he once had, but is still as dependable as you’d hope for in a kicker.

Reggie Hodges returns after a season ending injury in camp last year. A pretty solid punter. He’s a punter, so who cares.

Josh Cribbs has stunk the last two years, being nowhere near worth of his contract. With that said, it’s the last year of his deal. That might help his productivity. Travis Benjamin will be his backup if he misses time.

Christian Yount will be the snapper after cutting former 2007 Pro Bowl snapper Ryan Pontbriand midseason last year.

How the tracks should be set up for the NASCAR Chase in proper order. Chase Order: SHORT TRACK RUN: 1.) Bristol- Hopefully the new pavement will be an improvement. I like Richmond more, but it’d be silly to have two Chase races in Virginia. Starts the season on primetime tv (on ABC for that matter, which is a plus).

Photo by Getty Images

2.) Martinsville- Awesome short track. One of the most exciting to watch.

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

EASTERN STRETCH: 3.) New Hampshire- Assures a track up north. Even though I like Dover more, I want two larger flat tracks.

Photo by Gregg Ellman-Pool/Getty Images

4.) Darlington- Because it’s awesome. Ultimate skills test.

Photo by Rainier Ehrhardt/Getty Images for NASCAR

5.) Charlotte- In NASCAR’s capital. This is a no brainer.

Photo by Tyler Barrick/Getty Images

WESTERN STRETCH: 6.) Texas- Too big of a market to pass on. Eddie Gossage has done great job making Texas into a mainstream track that stands out from other 1.5 mile tracks.

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway

7.) Sonoma- Road course racing. Awww yeaaahhh.

Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images

8.)Fontana- I’m the only one that likes this track. I don’t care either. This is a track where it takes a fast race car, and it takes a good race car driver. There’s multiple lines that can be run. Really the only track where you run 5-wide. Great race track. It’s also a warm weather track.

Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images

9.) Phoenix- Another flat track.

Photo by Getty Images

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SEASON FINALE- Daytona: “Where the season starts and ends” 10.) Daytona- Restrictor plate racing. Unpredictable entertainment for all.

Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

What  do you think? What should or shouldn’t be included in the Chase?

Daytona 500 prediction: Matt Kenseth wins 

1. Jimmie Johnson #48-Lowe's (Chevrolet)
Crew Chief: Chad Knaus

Won five of the last six championships. That's pretty much
money. Same team, no major changes. They'll be back
strong in the 2012 season. People forget that they were
good in 2012. He was the points leader going into the
regular season finale in Richmond. Had two wins, along
with a dominating performance in the Spring Dover race
that was lost on a missed strategy call on the last pit.
It's silly to consider any other driver the favorite.

2. Carl Edwards #99- Fastenal (Ford)
Crew Chief: Tom Osborne

One point away from breaking the tie-breaker and winning the 2011 Spring Cup Championship. Very good
at 1.5 mile tracks. Was elite in the Chase; never finishing worse than 11th. Lead all of NASCAR in
Top 5's and the highest driver rating. If he drives as good as he did in last year's Chase, he should
win the title.

3. Kyle Busch #18- M & M's (Toyota)
Crew Chief: Dave Rogers

If he races like does in the first half all year, he'll win the championship. He just hasn't delivered. Only two
Top 10's, and missed the Fall Texas race due to suspension. I don't think he'll be as bad. When he's on it, he
absolutely dominates. 4 wins in the season. He's no longer racing truck series, and only running part-time in
Nationwide, so his focus will be on winning the Sprint Cup title. That's enough for me to put him fourth. 

4. Jeff Gordon #24-AARP Drive to End Hunger (Chevrolet)
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

First multi-win season since 2007. Alan and Jeff went together like peanut butter and jelly. 3 wins in the
season, and had the potential to win more (Kansas, Indy, Bristol, Richmond). A lot to like with a year
under their belt. Very strong on flat tracks like Pocono and New Hampshire. Just need to improve on 1.5
miles. Need to step it up in Chase if they want to win a title.

5. Tony Stewart #14-Office Depot (Chevrolet)
Crew Chief: Steve Addington

Tough to believe I'm putting him this far down. Just the question mark of a new crew chief in Addington.
With that said, I actually like them more with the change from Darian Grubb. They lagged all year. They
figured out something in the Chase that only they and 99 team saw. Addington has tremendous success with
Kyle and Kurt Busch. I think they'll work very well. 

Probably belong higher, but just the uncertainty of it all. Heavy competition plays a factor too. Could
very well repeat.

6. Matt Kenseth #17-Best Buy (Ford)
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig

Like Edwards, was very good at 1.5 mile tracks, which are the biggest bulk of the schedule. Were title
contenders after the first five races of the Chase. I like this team a lot. Kenseth and Fennig work
really well together. Underrated team going into 2012. They can win the title. 

7. Kevin Harvick #29-Budweiser (Chevrolet)
Crew Chief: Shane Wilson

Most "experts" have him in their top 3. I like him. He's finished very strong for two years straight
(finishing 3rd in 2010 and 2011). With a new crew chief in Shane Wilson (Bowyer's former CC), you don't
KNOW that he'll perform that high. With the heavy competition this year, that's a lot to hang on.

He finds ways to win. Was very clutch in the Spring of last season. The potential's high. They could
make a run for it. They could fall a little. They need make that last small step if they want to win
the title.

8. Denny Hamlin #11-Fed Ex (Toyota)
Crew Chief: Darian Grubb

Huge drop off after almost winning the championship in 2010. Obtains Darian Grubb from the 14 team. I think
it'll bring stability. They're now out of the radar. I think they'll be good. I expect them to be more
consistent than hit/miss like they were with Mike Ford in the box.

9. Brad Keselowski #2-Miller Lite (Dodge)
Crew Chief: Paul Wolfe

After a slow start, absolutely went off on the competition, winning three races. Had a strong Chase as well,
finishing 5th. Bad Brad returns with the same team and CC as the leader of Penske Racing. If he can find the
same rhythm he found, he'll be a force. He could take tumble with the high expectations as well.

10. Kasey Kahne #5- Farmers Insurance (Chevrolet)
Crew Chief: Kenny Francis

Now with Hendrick powerhouse. The potential's high. He also doesn't have a losing streak lurking over him as
he won at Phoenix with Red Bull late last season. Would have finished high had he made the Chase last
season. We're going to find out how much of his struggles was equipment. He'll finally have the chance to
prove his talent in 2012. 

11. Greg Biffle #16-3M (Ford)
Crew Chief: Matt Puccia

I think they'll rebound back into the Chase. Usually a safe bet. 2011 was the worst season he's had since
2007. Was pretty strong at flat tracks. Just needs to get back on track elsewhere. 1.5 tracks are Biffle
strong spot on most seasons.

12. Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88-Diet Mountain Dew (Chevrolet)
Crew Chief: Steve Letarte

Rebounded after two back-to-back seasons of missing the Chase. Much to the success of new crew chief
Steve Letarte. I expect him to get back to victory lane this year, even if just once. It will likely
happen early in the season as Letarte has a habit of fading as the season wears on.

Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR

We’re sitting sixteen races in, nineteen to go in the 2011 season.

Before the season, I wrote a preview article on the best drivers of 2011:

http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/02/03/top-20-nascar-drivers-of-2011/

It was pretty popular. I got more hits on that article than any other. It was also fun to write. So here’s a sequal.

You’re going to find fast that my preseason picks had some big misses. But what can you do? The Logano pick was a nightmare. As was Burton and Reutimann. At least I accurately predicted that McMurray would be a waste this year.

The following 12 cars are in my eyes the top cars this year. Some have had bad luck, and their standings don’t show their rankings. I also see many of these cars moving up the next few weeks.

Enjoy.

1.) Kyle Busch #18

Preseason projected season finish/wins: 2^nd/5

Current # of Wins: 2

(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Just looking at the standings, you wouldn’t know it; but Kyle Busch is easily having the best season so far. He is far and away the driver with the most laps lead with 935 (Johnson is second with 473). He also has the best average position of all the drivers (9.240, by three track spots). This might not sound that special, but Jimmie Johnson was also the run-away winner in both these stats last year. A very good indicator for a team’s actual strength.

Biggest concern is if he can have a strong Chase. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t, but it’s been a struggle for him.

2.) Carl Edwards #99

Preseason projected season finish/wins: 6^th/3

Current # of Wins: 1

The points leader for much of the season. Is a strong contender to take the title. Tied with Busch with nine top-5 finishes. Has missed some good opportunities at tracks like Pocono and Phoenix where he’s had very strong cars but bad luck. Great average position.

3.) Jimmie Johnson #48

Preseason projected season finish/wins: 1st/7

Current # of Wins: 1

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)

It’s been an insignificant start to the season so far for Jimmie. His one win was at Talladega, which is no indicator toward how a season is going. He was the dominant car at Dover, which he deserved a win at. He also missed out on a win in Fontana late in the race. He’s second in laps lead with 473; 207 of which came at Dover, which is a great track to be good at, being that it’s an oval and a Chase track.

They’re still lagging more than last year. His average position is only seventh among drivers. Only Jeff Gordon had anywhere near as good of an average as he did last year. Last year: 9.500 This year: 13.552

There should be some worry in the #48 camp. There not the best team right now. A lot of belief that they’re vulnerable this year. A lot more so than last year actually. With that said, he’s still Jimmie Johnson.

4.) Kevin Harvick #29

Preseason projected season finish/wins: 8^th/2

Current # of Wins: 3

He’s running very similar to last year. Has closed very well. Among his three wins, he only lead 9 laps in them. Take that as you want. He’s only lead 130 laps this year, 13^th of all drivers. That’s not very good, but it was like that last year and it didn’t stop him from finishing a very strong third. He’s run well in the races. He’s also the points leader, so they must be doing something right.

He can win the title, but they could use a little more speed. Could use better qualifies. Only started in the top-10 three times, the best at 7^th.

5.) Kurt Busch #22

Preseason projected season finish/wins: 11^th/1

Current # of Wins: 1

Kurt Busch??? I thought they stunk all year? Actually, no. He’s lead over 400 laps, and consistently running well on the track (second in AP). Had a dominating win at Sonoma. Three consecutive poles in June. The team has missed big at times as well though; Richmond and Darlington especially. When they’re on, they’re on. Only four top-5’s worries me though. I don’t know if it’s Penske, Kurt, or his specific team; but they need to be more consistent.

6.) Matt Kenseth #17

Preseason projected season finish/wins: 13^th/0

Current # of Wins: 2

(Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Has picked it up this year after missing the Chase for the first time last year. A dominant win at Texas got him his first checkers since the February race at Fontana in 2009. Also stole a win in Dover. Solid stats all around. Could be stronger. I don’t see them as a championship threat, but they’ve finally found a groove after all of the crew chief swaps.

7.) Clint Bowyer # 33

Preseason projected season finish/wins: 9^th/1

Current # of Wins: 0

Fourth in average position, which is very good. Had a great Chase last year. Could again this year. Similar to his RCR teammate Kevin Harvick, he could use a little more speed. Has lead 257 laps this year.

8.) Jeff Gordon #24

Preseason projected season finish/wins: 4^th/2

Current # of Wins: 2

Good news is that he has two wins so far this year. Feels soooo good to say that. Both strong wins. The 24’s strength has been flat track courses. Crew chief Alan Gustafson was strong at them in 2009 while with Mark Martin. The unfortunate part being that they’ve been very poor at short and oval tracks. Sometimes downright awful. They need serious improvement at tracks such as Texas and Dover.

I like them a lot at New Hampshire and Indianapolis coming up.

9.) Denny Hamlin #11

Preseason projected season finish/wins: 3^rd/4

Current # of Wins: 1

Statistically, they’re doing fine. They’re average position is stronger than last year. They’re not winning as much, but that was expected. Joe Gibbs cars have had some mechanical issues, which has contributed to him being back in 11^th. He’ll make the Chase though. I don’t think they’ll split Denny and Mike Ford either. That would be a huge mistake.

10.) Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88

Preseason projected season finish/wins: 18^th/0

Current # of Wins: 0

He’s back. He’s had much more success in Letarte’s cars. Statistically they’re not that good though. Only 43 laps lead (18^th in NASCAR), and only 13^th in AP. Still need more speed. They’ve benefitted from fuel-mileage races. He’s still greatly improved from the last two years. Not a lock to make the Chase. He’s 39 points ahead of the current 11^th place car, so he’s in good shape. But I am concerned if they’ll hang on and not fade.

11.) Tony Stewart #14

Preseason projected season finish/wins: 12^th/4

Current # of Wins: 0

(Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Not the same Stewart that we’ve seen in his career. They’re not awful though. Chase-worthy stats. They’ve been unimpressive nonetheless. It’ll be interesting if he’ll still be with crew chief Darian Grubb next year. My guess is no. He might even be able to get Greg Zipadelli back in his team.

12.) Kasey Kahne #4

Preseason projected season finish/wins: 10^th/2

Current # of Wins: 0

Should be much higher in the standings. Has similar stats to Gordon and Stewart. Has had some bad luck though. I still think he can get a win. Once he does that, he’ll likely have to pass Ragan, which I definetly think he will. He’ll need a win at this point. Only nine races left of the regular season. He’ll be in greener pastures next year on 4400 Papa Joe Hendrick Blvd.

ON THE BUBBLE:

Juan Montoya-Good tracks at Watkins and Indy coming up soon

Greg Biffle-Sitting solid in the third

David Ragan-Have that precious that might pay dividends. Other than that, they’re okay

Paul Menard-Doing solid

Long shots to pay make the Chase, but are much better than their standings: Truex and Keselowski

Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images North America

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Daytona-Budweiser Shootout (non-points)
February 6, 2010

On the green-white-chechers, Jeff started 6th. He was stuck behind Greg Biffle who took only two tires. Ended up spinning him and ending under caution. Kevin Harvick wins.

6th place finish

Las Vegas-Shelby American
February 28, 2010

Very fast car. Kurt Busch was the pole sitter, and he didn’t even lead the first lap before the #24 went by him. Would lead the race for 219 laps, a track record. The win was in the bag until they took two tires with about 30 laps remaining. The rest of the field took four. Jimmie Johnson would take the lead with 18 laps remaining and win it.

3rd place finish

Martinsville-Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500
March 29, 2010

Was leading with two to go. Kyle Busch got spun and the officials wave the yellow just prior to the white flag so they could should show off their new green-white-checker finish system. Jeff ends up getting slowed on the restart by Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin takes home the Granfather Clock. Gordon would slam the #17 into the wall and he end up finishing 18th.

3rd place finish

Texas-Samsung Mobile 500
April 19, 2010

The #24 leads for 124 laps in another commanding performance. Drove the same car as the one at Vegas. Jimmie and Jeff had been the leading cars the whole day, and both opted for 4 tires in the last caution, putting them fairly deap in the field. The #24 and #14 would end up making contact, putting them out of the race. Denny Hamlin would win.

31st place finish

Richmond-Crown Royal Presents the Health Calhoun 400
May 1, 2010

The #24 was leading at the end of the race with a 144 laps led performance. Sam Hornish caused a couple late cautions, forcing Gordon to beat the 18 on the restarts. The final caution, Busch would take the lead and the checkered flag.

2nd place finish

Darlington-Showtime Southern 500
May 8, 2010

The #24 led the most laps with 110. On the last green-flag pit stop as the leader, the yellow came out, putting them back in the field.
Denny Hamlin would again win it.

4th place finish

Martinsville-Goody’s Fast Relief 500
April 3, 2011

Dale Jr. Takes the lead late in the race. Harvick ends up taking the lead from him with 7 to go and taking the checkered flag.

2nd place finish

Charlotte-Coca-Cola 600
May 29, 2011

The granddaddy of fuel-mileage finishes. Green-white-checker finish; Junior and Kahne starting up front. Kahne runs out at the green. Junior takes the white flag and runs out of fuel on turn 4. Harvick swoops by to snag it. Letarte throws his headset and probably says to himself, “Ahhh, **** my life!”

7th place finish.

I’m not really into gaming, but I have been suckered by EA Sports in my lifetime. I might be alone in saying this, but I can’t stand their games.

I’ve only owned three of EA’s NASCAR titles: NASCAR 2005, 2007, and 2009. I actually just bought 2009 a week ago for $5. Because ’09 is the most recent, I’ll talk about that one.

Complaints:

-Every time there’s a caution, nobody pits unless they’re in the fuel window. Why would the 43rd place car not pit? What track position does he have to lose?

-You have to turn the caution flags off. You can barely go a lap without debris getting on the track and bringing out the yellow. It’s like watching a real life NASCAR race.

-The qualifying is completely random. It’s not the matter of the best driver managing a good qualify. If they qualify 36th, they’ll likely finish 30th or back. So it takes the competitiveness out of it. You know it’s bad when Dario Franchitti and Michael Waltrip finish 1st and 2nd.

-The damage is ridiculous. Flip the car over and the pit crew fixes the thing right up. I’d love to see that happen.

-Too easy. On the hardest level, I always skip qualifying to make it a challenge.

Most of the games had problems similar to these. I can probably think of plenty more, but those are the most basic. This one wasn’t awful, but it still had so many fixable problems. The games never got much better over time, which is the standard theme for EA.

My favorite NASCAR game is probably Dirt to Daytona, made by InfoGrames. It had its flaws, but then again it came out in 2002. That game was awesome.

Although it’s considered one of the worst, I do love me some Days of Thunder on the NES.

As we all know, EA discontinued their NASCAR gaming franchise. But it’s just so hard to believe that their games were so bad. How can you so badly screw up a racing genre?

I don’t understand why the Madden series is popular either. I find that it’s the same game every year. The last one I bought that I thought was worth the purchase was Madden 2005. I haven’t bought one since the year Vince Young was on the cover. I might write an article on that too eventually for my football blog.

Picks for Fontana: 

Winner: #48 Jimmie Johnson

found via Yahoo! Sports, by Jeff Gross/Getty Images

1.) Jimmie Johnson- Five wins with a 5.3 average finish. Yes, please

2.) Jeff Gordon- Bound for a bit of a rebound

3.) Clint Bowyer

4.) Matt Kenseth

5.) Carl Edwards- Red hot. Doesn’t hurt to have 10 top ten finishes out of 13 races

————————————–

Typo on the back of NASCAR 09

Jimmy Johnson?

The Daytona 500

It’s Daytona 500 weekend! One of the best times of the year. It’s nothing but beauty. Have something to be excited for on Sunday afternoons for the first time in a month and a half (at least if you’re a Browns, Bills, or Lions fan). Spring time is right around the corner. With that said, nobody is more anxious than Junior Nation.

I always admire Junior fans. They’re tortured for all but the four restrictor plate races each year, yet they stick with him year after year. There’s that glimmer of hope that with Steve Letarte in the box, Junior will become competitive again. Although as I mentioned in my Top 20 drivers of 2011 article (which can be found to the right), I seriously doubt that’ll happen.

He’ll clearly be a favorite tomorrow though. They should be pumped. He’s still a stud at Daytona. I don’t anticipate the “two-car tango” style of driving to hurt his chances either. It hasn’t hurt him at Talladega the last couple years where this style’s already taken affect. He could definetly win.

It doesn’t stop the mainstream media from kicking Junior fans and the sport of NASCAR while they’re down. As you’ve probably stumbled across, Tony Kornheiser of ESPN’s  Pardon the Interuption argued that Junior getting the pole came off as rigged.

Obviously, I don’t need to go into details into why it’s not, but briefly: 1. Having the pole at Daytona is about as useless as they come. The record of lead changes for Daytona will likely be broken. Over half the field will lead a lap. Being up front for the first 2.5 miles won’t help any. 2. You can’t give the car much of an advantage at a restrictor plate anyway. Too much strategy, and especially now, the need for help up to the front from another driver.

But his comment does show how the sport is perceived, from fans and non-fans alike. Many fans will complain about the Chase and the CoT. People will say how they miss old days of racing. Non-fans will always say how it’s a bunch of rednecks watching a bunch of rednecks go in circles.

The way I see it, it is what it is. NASCAR’s still one of the best sports to watch. In my opinion, it’s as good as it’s ever been. As for outsiders trashing the sport, whether it’s a claim that it’s rigged. It like the old line, “haters’ gonna hate.”

It’s one of the best weekends of year. There should be nothing but excitement for Sunday. To top it off, you don’t have to worry about flipping through the channels  to find such an awful show like PTI on either.

Daytona Picks:

Winner: #83 Brian Vickers

1st: Brian Vickers: Why not live a little? One of my favorite drivers. It would make an amazing comeback story. Picking Daytona is mostly luck anyway. This would be awesome.

2nd: Jeff Burton: Has looked ridiculously good at the Shootout and Duel. Expect Harvick to be right there pushing him the way.

3rd: Kevin Harvick: Has been the top restrictor plate racer the past few years.

4th. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: A restrictor plate stud. Read above.

5th: Denny Hamlin: Gut pick. Almost won the Shootout though.

Also like these guys’ odds:

Mark Martin, Tony Stewart

Don’t like this week:

Jeff Gordon: Still struggling with restarts. There will almost certainly be a caution within the last ten laps. Probably more than one. He hasn’t been too good at restrictor plate tracks since ’07. Of course I hope I’m wrong.

Jimmie Johnson: He’s not that good at Daytona.

Photo: IconSportsMedia.com

1. Jimmie Johnson

Crew Chief: Chad Knaus

Primary Sponsor: Lowe’s

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 7

Really gutsy pick in my part, right? Last year was an off year for them, and yet they still won the championship. There’s no reason they won’t make it sixth straight.

2. Kyle Busch

Crew Chief: Dave Rogers

Primary Sponsor: Mars/Interstate Batteries

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 5

Consistency has always been Kyle’s Achilles’ heel. He’s due for a strong Chase one of these years. Since 2006, Kenseth, Gordon, Edwards, Martin, and Hamlin have been the drivers giving Jimmie a run for his money. He’s a fitting name to be next in line. Absolutely dominant on his good days. I expect him to gain more consistency this year. He’s too good not to.

3. Denny Hamlin

Crew Chief: Mike Ford

Primary Sponsor: FedEx

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 4

So close last year. It’s going to be difficult to get that level again this year. Coming that close and not getting the championship is draining. They’ll still be good. Hamlin and Ford are an excellent combination. I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s again the one people are counting on to dethrone Jimmie.

4. Jeff Gordon

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

Primary Sponsor: AARP (Drive to End Hunger)

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 2

Finally separated from Steve Letarte after five years together.  Never could recapture the magic of 2007. Had a fast car at Las Vegas and Texas (same car), but rarely had the speed to compete at the very front. Gustafson should be an upgrade. He’s due for at minimum a win. Should be a strong 2011 season.

5. Tony Stewart

Crew Chief: Darian Grubb

Primary Sponsor: Office Depot

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 4

I look for them to rebound after a mediocre 2010 season. They were great in the first year of Stewart-Haas racing. They just kind of had a sophomore slump. Kind of felt like they raced the way they should have raced in ’09. They should be up front much more this year.

6. Carl Edwards

Crew Chief: Bob Osborne

Primary Sponsor: Aflac

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 3

Hit or miss pick here. I think I’m cautiously buying into the Carl Edwards that we saw in the last two races. They were very mediocre most of the year though. He can drive with the best of them. I’m gambling on a slightly lesser version of the 2008 Cousin Carl.

7. Greg Biffle

Crew Chief: Greg Erwin

Primary Sponsor: 3M

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 2

Ultra consistent. Will find his way to victory lane a couple times. Has had some strong Chase performances too.

8. Kevin Harvick

Crew Chief: Gil Martin

Primary Sponsor: Budweiser

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 2

He was so good last year. Having the consistency he had last year will be difficult. I still give him two wins, which is a lot for a guy who doesn’t win much. He’s been hot at restrictor plate races. He could win the Daytona 500 for second time. That would make his wife in the pit box happy.

9. Clint Bowyer

Crew Chief: Shane Wilson

Primary Sponsor: General Mills

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 1

Was strong in the Chase, especially considering how many points were deducted. He just needs to make the Chase. That’s not a given. But he’s still underrated.

10. Kasey Kahne

Crew Chief: Kenny Francis

Primary Sponsor: Red Bull

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 2

Much better team. Finally some stability. He’ll have a chip on his shoulder. I’d be stunned if he missed the Chase and didn’t win a race. The talent’s always been there. Now he has guys around him.

11. Kurt Busch

Crew Chief: Steve Addington

Primary Sponsor: Shell/Pennzoil

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 1

Will win at least a race. Make the Chase. Not do anything in the Chase. Maybe finish fourth like he did in ’09 if he’s lucky.

12. Joey Logano

Crew Chief: Greg Zipadelli

Primary Sponsor: Home Depot

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 0

Breakout season? He quietly had a great second half. He could make the Chase.

13. Matt Kenseth

Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig

Primary Sponsor: Crown Royal

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 0

Hasn’t done anything since his last win in Fontana. Came close to winning at Martinsville last year. Hasn’t had much speed since Reiser left. I don’t really think he’ll be much better this year. He’s still a talented driver and consistent. So could easily make the Chase. He’s only missed it once.

14. Jeff Burton

Crew Chief: Todd Berrier

Primary Sponsor: Caterpillar

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 1

Had some strong performances last year. I have him finally ending the losing streak this year. I’m going weak on him for picking him at 14^th.

15. David Reutimann

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Primary Sponsor: Aaron’s

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 1

Rooty Tooty can drive. The media never gives the guy any credit. He outdrove the whole field at Chicagoland last year though. The ability is there. I wish he was younger. Great talent. Might even make the Chase. Might.

16. Mark Martin

Crew Chief: Lance McGrew

Primary Sponsor: GoDaddy.com

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 0

New crew chief might take time to adjust. I think he got treated unfairly losing Gustafson. I don’t like the situation there. He’s also getting up there in the years. I know he’s fit and he was great in ’09, but he’s got to wear down eventually.

17. Juan Pablo Montoya

Crew Chief: Brian Pattie

Primary Sponsor: Target

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 0

Overrated. Too much of a loose cannon. Always has been. That’s not going to change. Good road course driver. I think he’ll do about the same.

18. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Crew Chief: Steve Letarte

Primary Sponsor: Amp Energy

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 0

Steve Letarte couldn’t win with Jeff Gordon. Dale’s not as good as Jeff Gordon. I think you can see the problem here. I am intrigued in some aspects though. They’re personalities might work well together. This was probably the worst thing for Stevie though. He finally gets out a situation where a strong fan base runs him out, and now he has to fix a big mess with the pressure of an even bigger fan base. It could work, I’d be surprised though.

19. Brian Vickers

Crew Chief: Ryan Pemberton

Primary Sponsor: Red Bull

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 1

Much better teammate. Hungry to get back behind the wheel. A good talent. Could make the Chase again. I have him winning his third career race this year.

20. Ryan Newman

Crew Chief: Tony Gibson

Primary Sponsor: US Army/Tornados

Projected 2011 Wins Total: 0

I like Stewart-Hass this year. I like him more than McMurray. Not much else to say about him.

*Nobody will remember these picks luckily. A lot of them will completely bomb. Did anybody see Kyle Busch missing the Chase in 2009 coming? Or Carl Edwards to go that long without a win? That would be cool if I did call all 12 drivers to make the Chase though.

Pat Shurmur Hiring

Well the Browns finally have that offensive guy that they were looking for. Like expected, he’s a West Coast guy. Someone familiar with general manager Tom Heckert from his days with the Eagles. The hiring makes sense in that aspect.

Nonetheless, I think this coaching search was poorly orchestrated. Only three coaches were interviewed. Whatever happened to this “wide search” that Holmgren promised? This early hiring reminds me of when owner Randy Lerner quickly hired Eric Mangini to get the coaching search over with in 2009. Similar to Mangini, nobody was likely to hire Shurmer, so why not at least interview other guys and explore the options?

Another question is whether Pat Shurmer is even qualified for the position. In his two seasons as Rams offensive coordinator, his offense ranked only 26th and 29th. How much of Bradford’s development is on him we don’t know. That seems to be their selling point though, that he was the guy behind his success. He also worked as an assistant in Philadelphia for ten seasons. Again, how much of their offensive success did he contribute? They have had lots of other good offensive minds there including head coach Andy Reid, former offensive coordinator Brad Childress, and current offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinwheg.

Former players of the Eagles that played on his team like Donovon McNabb and Sheldon Brown have endorsed the hiring. Then again, what are they going to say? They’re not going to throw a former coach in front of the bus.

This could work. He might be a golden gem that was hidden on the Rams coaching staff. Hopefully the result will be similar to Mike Smith and Sean Payton. Our only option is to just trust Holmgren on this and hope it works. None of us know what we’re getting. I just question his credentials.

It’ll be interesting to see how this pans out. The pressure will be on Holmgren. I think if we’d kept Mangini, we would have still been a playoff contender next year. Two years from now, will us fans in Cleveland be calling Holmgren the “Big Show?” Or the “Big Disappointment?” This decision will likely be his defining point.

Dave Wannstedt?

There are talks that we’ll bring in former Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt as defensive coordinator. I wasn’t a fan of his as an NFL head coach, although I think he did fine the last couple years with the Pitt Panthers. It would be interesting though to see if he can contribute success as a coordinator again. He was great with the Cowboys back in the nineties. I’d welcome it. I don’t think he’d do any worse than Rob Ryan.

Final Note

This will be my last Browns article until probably April. I’ll be back to write for all of next season. Until then, I’ll be writing articles for the NASCAR Sprint Cups Series. Hope you get the chance to check them out.

Go Browns! Hopefully somebody stops the Steelers…

This article should be taken as a Christmas present for Ravens fans. Browns fans are going to hate it.

Once again, Art Modell will be up for Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. Is it time? Will there be a time?

We already know the credentials:

- An NFL owner for 43 years
- Former NFL President, (1967-1969) and the only elected. Lead the development of the first players’ collective bargaining agreement.
- The first chairman of NFL Films
- Contributed greatly in the development of Monday Night Football, helping make the NFL a must-watch primetime event
- Two-time champion owner. (1964, 2000)

We also know what’s preventing his induction: moving the Browns to Baltimore.

I was young when it happened, so it didn’t bring me the amount of heartache that older fans had back in ’95. But I still remember it. It was a slap in the face to the fans. The move was a result of failures of Modell, and also failures of the city of Cleveland, yet the fans were the ones screwed in the end.

I do support his induction. He has the credentials. Al Davis and Lamar Hunt are already in, and they also moved their franchises. It doesn’t mean I like him.

I’d also point out that I don’t think he was a great owner. Actually, his credentials are far more for what he did for the NFL than the Cleveland Browns. By the nineties, his active management had turned into a joke. The Andre Rison signing always comes first to mind.

Assuming we had a good ownership the last ten years, won some division titles, and maybe throw in a Super Bowl: the bitterness would be long gone. Sure he’d still be hated when inducted. Of course. Then again we’d look back on it with a smile of when Cleveland got a rid of the awful owner, and rebuilt the new one into a winner. Instead they hired Dwight Clark, Butch Davis, Phil Savage, and George Kokinis to be general managers. Instead of building a winning program, Randy Lerner just threw money at it, while devoting most of his efforts toward his soccer team, the Aston Villa. Of course, just another one of those things that’s out of our control, but the fans were the ones screwed in the end. Although I think the current Holmgren regime has potential, it took ten years of terrible decisions to get where we are.

I know this is a simplification. I’m awar we got the screwed with the awful expansion draft. The point is that the Lerner ownership deserves more resentment.

I don’t expect him to get in. It’s not something that I care that much about anyway. But I understand why he belongs. If the Hall was located anywhere else, he’d already be in.

With that said, I’m prepared for some hate mail.   
Sunday Prediction:

Browns 20 Ravens 31

I’m really kicking the Browns in this article. I like McCoy in this game. He looked as sharp as ever coming off the injury. My concern is the rushing defense. That’s two weeks in a row that we’ve really struggled against the run. Ray Rice is also much better than Fred Jackson and Cedric Benson. I’m expecting a big game from him.

Some optimism comes from the fact that we usually play better against good opponents. I think we can win. It all depends on the rushing defense. It’ll help if Hillis gets going again. The offensive line needs to step up as well.

Go Browns. Merry Christmas. 

(Sorry for such a depressing topic. I meant to post this ealier in the week.)