FanNation

Darlington Race Weekend Preview

Here we are ready for another weekend of exciting racing at one of Nascar's most infamous tracks, "The Lady In Black," Darlington Raceway.  No matter if you're headed there to see one of the races in person or plan on reserving your seat on the couch with favorite beverage at your side, here's a few things you can expect from the "Track Too Tough To Tame."

If a car is tight, look for the cars left side tires to go to the bottom line at the apron, or even just below it to loosen it up some.  Once the cars hit the apron, they'll shoot up the track to inches or even centimeters off the retaining wall.  Some cars can get a run under a guy in the turns and make the pass.  If that lower line car gets in the turn too hard, they'll complete the pass, but the other car can swing low off the turn and make the pass down the backstretch. 

Instant Replay In High School

A controversial ending to the South Carolina high school basketball game has prompted a call in the Palmetto State's legislature to propose instant replay in high school games.

The play that started the controversy was from the SCHSL (South Carolina High School League) Class 4A boys championship game between Spartanbug and Summerville.  Summerville held a two point lead with 1.7 seconds left and at the free throw line.  A missed free throw was rebounded by a Spartanburg player who made a couple of dribbles and launched a 70 foot shoot that rattled the rim and fell in for an apparrant game winning three pointer.  The officials huddled and discussed what took place.  After consulting with each other, the officials ruled the shot came after the final buzzer, nullifying the game winning basket.  That decision sent Summerville into a frenzy celebrating their first basketball championship.   Here's a link to a video of that shot.  You can decide if it was made in time.  http://videos.thestate.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=1755440

Sports Announcers

I was listening to the Braves game a few days ago and was enjoying listening to the radio crew do the game.  It brought back memories of days when Curt Gowdy, Tony Kubeck and Joe Garigiola did the NBC Baseball Game of the Week.  Days when announcers actually announced the games and described the action.  Not who they went to dinner with, what they ate and what they talked about.  Which sometimes didn't pertain to anything about the game or teams they were broadcasting.  

Greatest Practical Joke Ever - Memphis River Raiders

A simple conversation with a friend over lunch about the NFL and exapansion turned into one of the funniest, and perhaps greatest practical jokes in history.  During lunch one day a couple of years ago in February, we were discussing NFL expansion and where they would go if they did expand.  The city of Memphis, TN. came up.  I didn't think the NFL would put a team there, but thought an owner might move there.  "Who would move a team to Memphis?"  I thought that Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders would be a logical choice since Al has moved from Oakland to LA and back a couple of times. 

Best Sports Nicknames

I was watching the NFL network the other day and they were talking about nicknames of players from 20 to 30 years ago.  They said you don't have nicknames of players today.  They just use initials.  If you have any nicknames today, it usually has some kind of rapper connotation. 

They talked about Rocky Bleir of the Steelers whose nickname within the team was Prunjuice.   They said he was the anti O.J.   Ken Anderson was nicknamed Candlelight by his Bengal teammates.  The reason - one blow and he was out.  We had Billy "White Shoes" Johnson of the Houston Oilers because he wore white shoes in a black shoe era.  Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson of the Cowboys.  We know all about Mean Joe Greene of the Steelers.  The defense nicknamed the Iron Curtain.  The Dolphins D nicknamed the No Name Defense.  The Four Horseman.  Murder's Row.