Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 727 of 1503)

      You’ve never experienced NASCAR until you’ve been driven around a track at 160 mph

      September 7, 2009 /

      I had never been to a NASCAR race before this past weekend. So you could imagine how blown away I was when I got to ride around Atlanta Motor Speedway at 160-plus mph with driver Brad Keselowski, watch Nationwide’s Degree V12 300 from the pits and then take in the Sprint Cup’s Pep Boys 500 from the grandstand.

      When I was first invited to Atlanta as a guest of Degree V12, I didn’t know what to expect. When I told friends and family what I was about to embark on, the reactions ranged from excitement, to jealously, to flat out hatred that they didn’t have the same opportunity. (I’m pretty sure that one of my family members won’t be speaking to me at Thanksgiving dinner this year.)

      On Friday, along with three other media members, I was taken to Atlanta Motor Speedway via a party bus. When we got there (the track seemingly appeared out of nowhere, which played into the ambiance of the experience), we were driven to the infield and immediately shown the media center. From there, we went to the pits and got suited up for what would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

      The people from the Richard Petty Driving Experience helped us get into our flameproof suits and helmets, which was definitely one of those moments in my life when I questioned what the hell I was doing. Brad showed up shortly thereafter and immediately asked with a smile, “Is anyone scared?”

      Continue reading »

      Auto Racing

      Fired coordinator takes shot at Jauron

      September 7, 2009 /

      Following his firing over the weekend, former Bills offensive coordinator Turk Schonert took a parting shot at head coach Dick Jauron.

      From ESPN.com:

      “He wants a ‘Pop Warner’ offense,” Schonert said in a phone interview with WIVB. “He limited me in formations, and limited me in plays. He’s been on my back all offseason.”

      Both quarterback Trent Edwards and receiver Lee Evans supported the move after the team returned to practice Sunday to start preparing for its season opener at New England on Sept. 14. Both indicated players had voiced their concerns about the offensive sputters to coach Dick Jauron, who ultimately made the decision to fire Schonert on Friday.

      “I think everybody had concerns about it,” Evans said. “I think the basis of it was that things weren’t getting done the right way. And that was the cause of the change.”

      Well that’s a good way to get yourself hired by another team, Turk – burn down bridges. The Bills offense has been anemic this preseason and if the players support the move, then it’s hard to criticize Jauron for his decision to let Schonert go.

      NFL

      Broncos lift Marshall’s suspension

      September 7, 2009 /

      According to a report by the Denver Post, the Broncos have lifted disgruntled receiver Brandon Marshall’s suspension.

      The Broncos formally turned in the paperwork to the league office Sunday to lift wide receiver Brandon Marshall’s suspension.

      Marshall was at the team’s Dove Valley complex for meetings and took part in a practice as well.

      We’ll see if Marshall can turn this issue into a positive one and get his career back on track. It’s a shame for a player to have that much potential and waste on such a horrible attitude.

      Of course, Marshall could have gone into training camp after his hip healed and been a model citizen in order to avoid all of this. But he didn’t – he decided to act like a child and sink his trade value to an all-time low.

      Time will tell if the light bulb went off in his head.

      NFL

      Patriots ruin Richard Seymor’s life, trade him to Oakland

      September 7, 2009 /

      The New England Patriots obviously have no soul.

      There’s just no other explanation as to why they traded defensive end Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a first round pick in 2011.

      From the Boston Globe:

      The stunning trade came just eight days before the Patriots open their season against Buffalo on “Monday Night Football.’’ The trade of the five-time Pro Bowl defensive end leaves just four players that have been with New England for all three of its Super Bowl championship seasons (2001, 2003, and 2004) – Tom Brady, Matt Light, Kevin Faulk, and Stephen Neal – while, in the short term, weakening the team’s pursuit of another title by breaking up one of the NFL’s elite defensive lines.

      This was the final season of the lucrative, $30-million-plus contract extension Seymour received in 2006, the last time he was entering the last year of his contract. He was set to make $3.685 million in base salary and carry a cap charge of $9.79 million this season.

      While my joking in the intro of this post would make it seem like I disagree with this move, I actually think it’s a brilliant trade for the Patriots. Seymour is still incredibly effective, but he can’t seem to stay healthy and his play has fallen off in recent years. Plus, he’s in the final year of his contract and there was no guarantee that a) Seymour would re-sign with the Pats and b) New England would even want him back at an inflated price.

      For as bad as the Raiders have been since their Super Bowl trip in 2002, the Pats could wind up picking in the top 10 come 2011. So not only did New England wind up getting a first round pick in exchange for Seymour, but they also found a trade partner that is notorious for picking high in drafts. (I realize there’s no guarantee that the Raiders will be bad in 2011, but if recent history is any indication, they should be picking near the top of the draft in two years.)

      For Oakland, Al Davis definitely upgraded his talent on the defensive side of the ball. But Seymour won’t be a difference maker on a team that is incredibly devoid of defensive playmakers outside of Nnamdi Asomugha and Kirk Morrison.

      NFL

      Bradford sprains right shoulder in Oklahoma’s loss to BYU

      September 6, 2009 /

      Oklahoma’s 2009 season got off to a disastrous start on Saturday as the Sooners were defeated 14-13 by BYU and quarterback Sam Bradford had to leave the game early after spraining his throwing shoulder. The defending Heisman winner could miss up to a month with the injury.

      The injury was announced as a sprained AC joint. He was scheduled to undergo an MRI exam on Sunday to determine the severity of the sprain. The junior was in his white football pants and a gray T-shirt as he watched his teammates play the second half.

      Bradford put his left hand on his right shoulder, sending athletic trainers rushing to him. He was first checked on a sideline table, then taken into the locker room. The Sooners kicked a field goal on the next play to take a 10-7 halftime lead.

      One of the concerns for the Sooners entering the season was that they would have to play with four new starters on the offensive line. Granted, injuries happen in football. But it’s interesting that the offensive line was the biggest worry for OU coming into the new season and now Bradford is out for an extended period of time because he was hurt after a blitzer came in almost unblocked.

      This is the worse case scenario for Oklahoma. While the Sooners are still a good team, Bradford is the key to how far they’ll go this season and OU already has one loss. That said, if a team is going to lose a game in college football, it’s better to have it be early in the year. Maybe the Sooners can bounce back, but they need Bradford to come back soon.

      College Football

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑