Sunday, May 29, 2011

Bogies, penalty kicks and tradin' paint

It's the Great American Race day and those of us who love watching guys turn left will get our fill. The Indianapolis 500, trying to regain its statue as the great U.S. race, will begin at Noon E.T. followed by the Coca Cola 600, NASCAR's second most popular race (after the Daytona 500), at 6:00 p.m. E.T.

Let's throw it around a bit, shall we?

- Odyssey has a new D.A.R.T. putter, selling for a cool $179, which is advertised as a club which more easily provides a way for golfers to visualize the line from putt to hole. However, sports psychologist Gregg Steinberg said, "The person visually completes the line, not the putter." So, THAT's what's wrong with my putting!

- Danica Patrick starts 25th today in the Indy 500. Patrick has yet to fulfill the promise of her 2005 Rookie of the Year award at the Indy 500 or her third place finish in the 2009 race.

- In case you missed it, we now know what Kyle Busch can do behind the wheel of a passenger car. Busch was recently cited for going 128 MPH in a 45 MPH zone in a Lexus in North Carolina. Let's see if he left it all on the streets between Troutman and Mooresville or if he's got something left in the tank today at Charlotte.

- Speaking of Charlotte Speedway, don't bet against Jimmie Johnson today--Johnson has six victories at the track.

- Lionel Messi's brilliance was on display early in yesterday's UEFA Cup final against Manchester United. Messi deftly put the ball on the boot of a streaking teammate, resulting in a corner kick for Barcelona. The Catalan club beat Man U 3-1 yesterday in Wembley, England--their third Champions League title in six seasons. Messi had both a goal and an assist in the match.

- There's a lot not to like in the NBA Finals--LeBron, Mark Cuban, Miami's beautiful people crowd--but my hope is that Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd can finally bag a title for the Mavericks.

- What's the closest finish in the Indy 500? In 2006, Sam Hornish Jr. won by 0.635 of a second over Marco Andretti.

- A recent edition of ESPN The Magazine focused on "the most scandalous year in sports." One section was devoted to "The Guide to Not Getting Caught." Former local stars Aldon Smith (DE, Missouri) and Brandon Rush (SG, Kansas) were featured. Smith had this to say about breaking curfew, "If curfew is at 10, you might think 11 is a good time to head out. But, you should play it safe and wait until 12." Rush commented on the technique of stepping on toes to get a jump under the boards when rebounding. "I thought was an accident at first but the guy did it twice to me in one game, so I know he was doing it on purpose," Rush said. "It does work because most refs look for fouls from the waist up; they hardly ever check what's going on with the feet."

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