Wednesday was the day of engine troubles at Daytona, with the strongest team in the paddock suffering the most. Hendrick Motorsports, which is home to Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Casey Mears, suffered engine problems that will force all four of its drivers to start at the rear of their respective Daytona 500 qualifying races, which take place this afternoon. Other drivers that suffered engine troubles include 2-time champion Tony Stewart, as well as his fellow Toyota drivers, A.J. Allmendinger and J.J. Yeley. This problem is much more significant for Allmendinger and Yeley, as they have to race their way into the race. The top 35 drivers, by owner points, from last season are guaranteed a place in the race.

(Photo by Army’s Soldiers Media Center (SMC))

Shaq’s much anticipated debut with the Phoenix Suns looks to be delayed until after the All-Star break. Their first game after the break is against the Lakers, so, it only seems fitting for Shaq to make his debut against the team that he had so much success with, only a few years ago. “Physically, I feel OK,” O’Neal said on Wednesday night, after a pregame workout at Oracle Arena.

(Photo of Shaq by Jeramey Jannene)

It seems like there are trade rumors every year about Jason Kidd. But, it finally looks like those trade rumors have finally come true, as Jason Kidd has agreed in principle to a deal with the Dallas Mavericks. This deal would send Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, and other players, as well as cash to the Nets. Dallas hasn’t had the form that we have been accustomed to seeing them over the past few seasons; so, the addition of Kidd will surely be a welcome one.

Photo by Amy Mingo

edit: Devean George has exercised his right to block the trade. He reportedly did this because he would have had to give-up leverage in the free-agent period, this summer, in order for the transaction to be made. There is still a chance, however, that George could have a change of heart and the deal could go through.

It was obvious last season that the Minnesota Vikings had major QB issues, as their starting qb Tarvaris Jackson seemed like he just couldn’t get the job done. However, it looks like the Vikings may sign Trent Green, who was released earlier this week by Miami. I wouldn’t expect this change to completely solve their issues at the position, as Green isn’t getting any younger. But, it would be a welcome change as Green would almost surely play better than Jackson had for a good portion of last season. 

Earlier today, Jimmie Johnson won the pole for the Daytona 500. This is no surprise being that Johnson is the 2-time defending champion in the newly named Sprint Cup series and over the past few seasons, Johnson has adapted well to the craziness that is restrictor plate racing. The Hendrick cars looked very strong in qualifying, as did many of the Toyotas, and in particular, Michael Waltrip. Waltrip qualified just behind Johnson on the grid and concluded an incredible comeback from an embarrassing season that began at this time last year, when his team failed a post-qualifying inspection and were never competitive for the rest of the season. Both Waltrip and Johnson’s spots on the grid are set; but, everyone else’s starting positions will be set by their finish in the Gatorade Duels, which take place on Thursday.

(Photo of Jimmie Johnson by Kim Phillips)

Powered by ScribeFire.

The figure skating season will soon come to a close and with only two major competitions left on the schedule, I decided to show my five favorite programs of the season. Each and every year it seems like there are those few programs that are simply incredible. It takes an amazing combination of choreography, music, costume, and of course, a skater that can pull all of that together into an exquisite performance. So, without further ado, here are my favorite programs of the year!

1) Stephane Lambiel: Long Program to “Poeta” by Vincente Amigo (Shown from the 2008 European Championships)

2) Domnina and Shabalin: Free Dance to “Waltz Masquerade” by Aram Khatchaturian (Shown from 2008 European Championships)

3) Johnny Weir: Long Program to “Love is War” by Yoav Goren (Shown from 2007 Cup of China)

4) Mao Asada: Long Program to “Fantasie Impromptu” by Chopin (Shown from 2007 Grand Prix Final)

5) Evan Lysacek: Long Program to “Tosca” by Giacomo Puccini (Shown from 2007 Grand Prix Final)

On Wednesday night, the Hornets defeated the Suns when Peja Stojakovic sank a 22-foot shot in double-overtime. The game was extremely entertaining and the Suns newest player, Shaquille O’Neal, seemed to enjoy the show, as he watched from the stands. Unfortunately for the Suns, they have struggled the entire season against the Hornets. But, a 132-130 loss to New Orleans is nothing to be ashamed of. No, its not a win; but, they are definitely improving and Shaq will surely help to bring an inside presence to the fast pace squad. “Obviously, it was a great game,” Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni
said. “I thought we played as hard as we could play and made some big
shots and could have in certain circumstances won the game, but we
didn’t.”

Powered by ScribeFire.

The 2008 NASCAR season doesn’t officially begin until next week; however, the series’ best drivers will be strutting their stuff tomorrow night in the Budweiser Shootout. Hendrick Motorsports comes in to the season looking great as its four teams can all be considered serious title contenders. Jimmie Johnson has won the previous two championships and will be looking to make it three-in-a-row, which hasn’t been done since 1978. But, he will get much competition from his own teammates, which include 4-time champ Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Casey Mears. The Hendrick stable isn’t the only team with talent. Gibbs racing, with such drivers as Tony Stewart, Denny Hamil, and Kyle Bush, will surely be nipping at their heels; but, the effects of them swithing from Chevy to Toyota is yet to be seen. The dark horses of the series will be the Ganassi racing team. Juan Pablo Montoya was impressive last year, which was his first full-year in NASCAR, and he will look to race his way into the chase this year. His teammate Reed Sorenson had a few impressive outings last season; but, he will need to find some consistency if he wants to have a chance at making the chase this season. Even though this week’s race is just for show, it will be a time to see who looks to have early success and who may be finding themselves in an early hole. NASCAR at Daytona: Expect the unexpected.

Image Taken By Timothy Vogel

Prediction for 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Title:

1. Jimmie Johnson: Simply put, they are the best team in the series, by far.

2. Dale Earnhardt jr.: He had some impressive finishes last year with DEI; but, he should now have the consistency that he has been looking for and the confidence to get some race wins.

3. Denny Hamlin: He is the real deal and will have a chance at several race wins this year.

4. Jeff Gordon: Same story as always…consistency. This team will be finish in the top ten more than anyone else.

5. Tony Stewart: He had a few years where he was a serious title contender; but, his team just hasn’t been the same team as he was in the past.

6. Kurt Bush: He may not be the most likeable driver in the paddock; but, he’s got talent. You can’t deny that.

7. Kyle Bush: He will finish just below his older brother and will definitely be missing the Hendrick cars that he had driven since the beginning.

8. Juan Pablo Montoya: Not many people expected his transfer from F1 to NASCAR to be this smooth. Montoya will again display his talent as he easily makes it into the chase.

9. Matt Kenseth: He is the master of top-5 finishes. He may not win many races; but, he always finds a way to finish near the front.

10. Casey Mears: Hendrick Motorsports will be dominant this year having all four of their drivers in the top-10. Yes, they are that good.

Of course, the ATP’s first major of the year, Australian Open, ended last week with world number 3, Novak Djokovic taking the title. But, other than Djokovic winning his first major, what were some of the top stories of the tournament and more importantly, what does this mean for tennis?

There is no doubt that the top story of the tournament was the Semifinal shockers that saw the world number 1 and 2 players sent packing. Rafael Nadal has never done particularly well on the hardcourts of Melbourne; but, seeing that he could make it into the semifinal of a hardcourt grand slam made many believe that he could go all the way. On top of that, the Spaniard hadn’t even reliquished a set to anyone before he lost to Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, in straight sets. What was more suprising than just the score-line, however, was the fact that the raging bull that is Nadal looked nothing like the player that we have become accustomed to seeing. In fact, Tsonga made Nadal look a bit ordinary. On the other side of the draw, Roger Federer lost to Novak Djokovic. Of course, most people would expect Federer to make it to the final of the Aussie Open; but, over the past year or so, a rivalry has begun to develop between the two players and seeing Djokovic defeat Federer wasn’t as suprising as the Nadal-Tsonga result.

 This year’s Aussie Open can tell us a few things. First of all, Federer is no where near as dominating as he has been in the past. But, this should not be a suprise to many as even last year, Nadal scored more ATP points than Federer. So, he hasn’t necesarily been playing the best tennis on a consistent basis; however, he typically plays the best tennis when it matters…in the Grand Slams. But, the different dynamic of this year is that Federer doesn’t have just one rival to look out for; because, both Nadal and Djokovic could easily take-over Federer’s number one position if he just bobbles slightly in the rest of the majors. On the other hand, will Djokovic’s first grand-slam win lead to him contending in every major. Well, don’t count on it. His victory in the Aussie Open was a fantastic result and I fully expect him to be a top contender in the U.S. Open. However, I just can’t see Nadal and Federer loosening their grip on the French Open and Wimbledon, as the two players have by far been the top two contenders at both tournaments over the past two years. Also, look for Nadal to further pressure Federer at Wimbledon this year, if not finally take the title away from Federer.

All things said, the Aussie Open showed us who’s stock is rising and who’s is falling. Just look at Andy Roddick. It’s hard to believe that just a few years ago he was holding the trophy at the U.S. Open as the number 1 player in the world. Now, he is struggling just to make it into the second week of the grand slams. Roddick’s best days are behind him, as are Federer’s. The only difference is that Federer’s decent days are still better than most.

Over the past few years, the Chinese have dominated pairs figure skating, which is a streak that I see coming to an end this year. It will be close between the German team of Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy and the Chinese team of Dan Zhang and Hao Zhang. However, I see the German team coming out on top. Savchenko and Szolkowy recently won the Grand Prix final, by capitalizing on the Chinese teams’ mistakes and they are a stronger team, having won 3 Grand Prix events, including a win over Zhang and Zhang team at the Grand Prix Finals. They also have the highest overall score of the year, which they recorded at the Grand Prix finals. The combined total was nearly three points more than the next highest score recorded during the season. While the Chinese teams may not win, they will definitely win medals. Other than the team of Zhang and Zhang, the other Chinese team of Pang and Tong are also medal contenders.

Expected Results:

Gold: Savchenko and Szolkowy (Germany)

Silver: Zhang and Zhang (China)

Bronze: Pang and Tong (China)

4th: Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov (Russia); 5th: Jessica Dube and Bryan Davison (Canada)

(Photo of Pairs Figure Skating by Bryan Allison)