Sports Quote of the Day:
Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We. ~ Phil Jackson, Legendary NBA Coach
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? We're still in the celebration faze of winning the Stanley Cup and will be for some time to come. Not to worry, Mr. Bowman is constantly working on improving the team. He's keeping the core but at the same time working around the salary cap to make the Blackhawks the best team they can be!!! We'll bring you any and all updates as they become available to us.
Chelios, Niedermayer, Shanahan elected to Hockey Hall of Fame; Shero finally gets call.
By Greg Wyshynski
The Hockey Hall of Fame announced a five-person Class of 2013, as first-time candidates Chris Chelios and Scott Niedermayer joined holdover Brendan Shanahan as player inductees; Canadian women’s legend Geraldine Heaney; and Fred Shero, the legendary (and legendarily Hall of Fame snubbed) coach of the 1974-75 Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers.
Scott Niedermayer, Defenseman
(New Jersey Devils, Anaheim Ducks)
From the Hall:
Scott Niedermayer grew up in Cranbrook, British Columbia, and was a member of the Kamloops Blazers 1992 Memorial Cup championship team. Selected by the New Jersey Devils in the 1st round (3rd overall selection), he went on to play 13 seasons with the Devils from 1991 to 2004, winning Stanley Cups in the 1995, 2000 and 2003 seasons. In 2005, he signed as a free agent with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks where he was a two-time first team All-Star during his six seasons, as well as being a key part of their 2007 Stanley Cup winning team. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoff MVP that season. On the international front, Scott also won gold at the World Junior Championship in 1991, gold at the World Championship in 2004, and gold at two Olympic Games in 2002 and 2010.The smooth-skating defenseman joins former blue-line mate Scott Stevens as representatives of the Devils' defensive stranglehold on the NHL for a 13-year span.
Chris Chelios, Defenseman
(Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Atlanta Thrashers)
From the Hall:
Chris Chelios, a native of Chicago, Illinois, after two successful seasons with the Wisconsin Badgers (1981-83), joined the Montreal Canadiens and was named to the NHL’s All-Rookie team in 1984-85 and was also runner-up as Rookie of the Year to Mario Lemieux. He was part of the 1986 Canadiens’ Stanley Cup winning team and won the James Norris Trophy as Defenceman of the Year in 1988-89. Traded to Chicago in 1990, Chris went on to play nine season with the Blackhawks and was a five time first or second team All-Star and two-time Norris winner. Chelios continued his career in 1999 with the Detroit Red Wings, winning Stanley Cups in 2002 and 2008. He finished his 26 year playing career at the age of 48 with the Atlanta Thrashers and Chicago Wolves in 2009-10.The definition of "warrior" on the ice, his training prowess and dedication to the game were legendary.
Brendan Shanahan, Winger
(New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers)
From the Hall:
Brendan Shanahan was born in Etobicoke, Ontario and after two seasons with the London Knights (OHL) was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the 1st round (2nd overall) in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. A member of the New Jersey Devils for four seasons, Brendan was signed as a free agent by the St. Louis Blues in 1991. He player four seasons with the Blues and had back to back 50 goal seasons in 1992-93 and 1993-94 – being named a 1st team NHL All-Star in 1993-94. Brendan went on to play two seasons in Hartford before being traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 1996, where he played nine seasons winning the Stanley Cup on three occasions (1997, 1998 and 2002). Signed as an unrestricted free agent by the New York Rangers, he played two more seasons before retiring in 2008. Representing Canada internationally on numerous occasions, he was a member of Canada’s 2002 gold medal winning team.Shanahan might have had to wait in first-year ballot jail for a year, one assumes because of his role in the NHL's Dept. of Player Safety. But he was a prototypical power forward and a key player on those Red Wins championship teams. Along with Niedermayer and Slava Fetisov, the only Devils draft picks to make the Hall.
Geraldine Heaney, Defense/Coach
From the Hall:
Gerladine Heaney was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and grew up playing hockey in Toronto Aeros – an association she would remain with for 18 seasons. As a member of Canada’s national team she won seven IIHF World Championship gold medals and was named the IIHF World Women’s Championship’s Best Defenceman in 1992 and 1994. A member of Canada’s 2002 gold medal Olympic team, Heaney also won silver in 1998.She becomes the third woman to be elected as a player.
Fred “The Fog” Shero, Coach
(Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers)
From the Hall:
In the Builder Category, Fred Shero was elected. Shero began his coaching career in 1959-60 with the St. Paul Saints, and progressed up the ranks with a career culminating in nine seasons in the National Hockey League. His Philadelphia Flyers won Stanley Cups in 1974-75 and 1976-77, and he also took the New York Rangers to the final in 1979, where he also had the role of General Manager. In 734 NHL regular season games coached, his teams had 390 wins, 225 losses and 119 ties. Shero passed away on November 24th, 1990.As has been noted numerous times, Fred Shero was a huge snub for the Hall of Fame until this year.
Among the snubs for his class were Rob Blake, the veteran defenseman who some felt could round out this class in his first year of eligibility; Eric Lindros, whose short span of dominance in the NHL during an injury-plagued career remains a point of controversy; and Jeremy Roenick, one of the best American-born players in NHL history but one that never won a championship or a major award in the NHL.
And of course Pat Burns, whose absence from the Hall renders much of this pointless.
Ben Roethlisberger contract milestone shows the absurdity of NFL contracts.
By Frank Schwab
NFL contracts are, for the most part, fiction.
A great stat over at ESPN.com shows the absurdity of the deals we hear about, and one of the plights of NFL players. The ESPN.com post said there have been 16 contracts worth at least $100 million in NFL history, and Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be the first one to get even $70 million of one. Donovan McNabb got $69 million of his $100 million deal, and that stood as the record. Eight of those 16 contracts have been completed already, ESPN said, and only McNabb and Brett Favre received 50 percent of their deals.
And people complain when NFL players hold out for more guaranteed money?
It's fairly inconceivable that most of the contracts in Major League Baseball and the NBA are fully guaranteed while very few in the NFL are, for two simple reasons: The NFL is by far the most popular sport in his country, and the NFL is by far the most dangerous sport. The chances of a MLB player suffering through concussion symptoms the rest of his life are fairly slim, but when a baseball player signs a contract he can be fairly certain he's going to get every penny, even if the team has buyer's remorse. Imagine that. (Not to mention the money given to MLB and NBA players – $147 million for Zack Greinke and his poor 4.30 ERA, a $118 million offer to declining Dwight Howard, while the NFL's best player just received a record-setting $110 million extension – dwarfs what players in the most popular and violent sport get.)
When many big NFL contracts are drawn up, practically nobody figures the player will get the ridiculous salaries at the back end of the deal. But the inflated totals make the agents look good when they're reported, help the player's ego and don't cost the teams any sleep. Once the player is used up the team is going to dump him anyway.
If even the best and brightest stars with those $100 million deals can't clear half of what they signed on for, everyone else has little chance. And most of the time when a player gets cut, it's because his body is breaking down from playing a violent sport.
When many big NFL contracts are drawn up, practically nobody figures the player will get the ridiculous salaries at the back end of the deal. But the inflated totals make the agents look good when they're reported, help the player's ego and don't cost the teams any sleep. Once the player is used up the team is going to dump him anyway.
If even the best and brightest stars with those $100 million deals can't clear half of what they signed on for, everyone else has little chance. And most of the time when a player gets cut, it's because his body is breaking down from playing a violent sport.
They get beat up and the team doesn't have to keep paying them once their bodies give out. And the physical effects of playing football generally last far longer than the effects from other sports.
So to players like Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco, who signed massive extensions this offseason, don't plan on spending all that money you signed up for.
Yasiel Puig should play in the All-Star Game.
By Joe Posnanski
Tradition may say that he's left off roster, but in a sport lacking in stars, he shines brightly.
By Joe Posnanski
Tradition may say that he's left off roster, but in a sport lacking in stars, he shines brightly.
Every now and again, there will be a goofy story that perfectly captures one of baseball’s biggest problems in the year 2013: The game is too often trapped by its own history.
This Yasiel Puig All-Star goofiness is just such a story.
Yasiel Puig is, for the moment, the most interesting player in baseball and I don’t think it’s even very close. No, it might not last. But it’s true now. Puig escaped from Cuba after several attempts, held a tryout in Mexico, signed for some big money with the Los Angeles Dodgers, flashed some talent and volatility in the minors, came up in June and is still hitting .400 (.409, to be exact, with a .677 slugging percentage). He has also shown some speed, a breathtaking arm, an unceasing engine and a visual joy for baseball.
He’s mesmerizing. Vin Scully, who has seen everything, is perpetually wowed by the kid. The Dodgers, who seemed DOA when he arrived, have won 19 of 32 games since. He’s been much-watch television for a sport that has very, very few stars -- more on that in a moment.
And people inside the game –- people who are supposed to want people to CARE about baseball -- are actually arguing whether he belongs in the All-Star Game.
To paraphrase William Jennings Bryan, or, perhaps, it was Allen Iverson: We are talking ‘bout the All-Star Game. We are talking about an exhibition game that is supposed to, let’s see here, oh yeah, that’s right, celebrate baseball. We are talking about a sport desperately needs national stars. We are talking about a game that lost a million households in the ratings last year, a million the year before, two million the year before that – at this rate baseball soon can have an intimate All-Star watch party in St. Louis while allowing the rest of the country to watch a Family Guy marathon.
Why in the world would the most interesting player in baseball NOT be in the All-Star Game? The answer is simple: History. They’ve been playing the All-Star Game since 1933, when Lou Gehrig played first and Babe Ruth was in right field. Ted Williams hit the eephus pitch. Stan Musial hit the walk-off homer. Reggie Jackson hit one on the roof. Carl Hubbell struck out five Hall of Famers in a row. Pete Rose ran over Ray Fosse. Bo Jackson mashed the long home run.*
*In many ways, Jackson’s All-Star Game home run was a perfect example of what the game should be – Jackson by production standards, did not deserve to be an All-Star. He was hitting .263 at the break. There were better players. But there were no more exciting players, and the fans wanted to see him, and he did something unforgettable, and isn’t that the whole point of the thing?
In other words, The All-Star Game used to mean something very different. It used to be a game of stars – and that was enough. That made America stop. The 1982 All-Star Game, for instance, drew a 25 rating, more than 20 million households, three times the audience of last year’s game.
Or how about this one: When Pete Rose crashed into Ray Fosse at the 1970 All-Star Game, it drew a 54 share – more than HALF of the televisions on that Tuesday night were turned to that game. Of course, it was a much different time for television as well as for baseball. This was long before cable and DVRs and streaming. But this is the history baseball still competes against.
More to the point, this is the history that still traps baseball. Should the season really be 162 games long? Probably not. But it’s tradition. Should we still be judging starting pitchers by “wins” when they average – AVERAGE – fewer than six innings per start? Probably not. But it’s tradition. Heck, even the smallest and most obvious changes – like finally outlawing the ridiculous fake to third throw to first play – rattles the cages of the game.
And so the All-Star Game – which used to matter when America was a different place – clings to the traditions of another time. Why wouldn’t Yasiel Puig be in the All-Star Game? Because, this thinking goes, he hasn’t EARNED it. He has not proven his worth. He has only been around for a month. How could you call him an All-Star already? Ted Wiliams was an All-Star! Willie Mays was an All-Star! In the bizarre words of reliever Jonathan Papelbon : “To me, it’s an absolute joke … (Puig making the All-Star Game) really does an injustice to the veteran player that have been in the game for eight-, nine-, 10-plus years.”
Papelbon’s words have been roundly mocked, but this kind of thinking permeates baseball. Why doesn’t the All-Star Game experiment with some new rules? Why don’t they include great players from the past? Why don’t they make it more fun, more interactive, more compelling? The answer comes from another time, when just having an All-Star Game was enough to get people excited. That’s just not true anymore.
The other day, I was asking someone who is a moderate baseball fan to name the most famous baseball player in America today. He said: Derek Jeter. I said, “He has not played all year. Pick someone else.”
He said, “Alex Rodriguez.” I said, “He has not played all year either. Pick someone else.”
He thought about it for a while and said: “Um. Albert Pujols.” I said, “He has been terrible this season.”
He finally said Miguel Cabrera, but it took forever, and anyways, it probably isn’t true. He’s the best hitter in the game, but famous? No. Not like that. Who is the most famous player in the game right now? Josh Hamilton? Having a terrible season. Justin Verlander? Maybe, but would the average person recognize him on the street? If you ask someone to name the most famous football player in America, they will instantly say Tom Brady or Peyton Manning or RGIII or Adrian Peterson. If you ask someone to name the most famous basketball player, they will say LeBron James before you finish the sentence and Kobe Bryant just after you finish. But baseball? The game simply does not have that kind of national scope. The game has always been marketed locally, and after all these years it has become a local game. The most famous baseball players are former players or players, like Jeter and Ichiro and A-Rod, who have had much better days.
Yasiel Puig, for a few moments, has broken through that. People are actually interested in him outside of Los Angeles. People actually want to see him play. And with that in mind, some actually argue whether or not he should be in the All-Star Game? Odd. But that’s the state of baseball at the moment.
In the end, I suspect Puig will sneak into the game through baseball’s Final Vote. That’s one where they let fans choose one final player and you would think Puig would win since he got more than 800,000 write-in votes in a month. Meanwhile, in the American League Final Vote, fans get to choose one of five relief pitchers, so that’s exciting.
NBA salary cap set at $58.7 million.
The NBA has set next season's salary cap at $58.7 million, paving the way for contracts to be signed starting Wednesday.
The tax level is $71.7 million, with harsher penalties starting this season for teams that exceed it. Teams formerly paid $1 for every $1 they were over, but the penalties now start at $1.50 for teams up to $4.9 million over, with increases from there.
Contracts such as the one Dwight Howard agreed to with Houston couldn't be signed during the league's moratorium period while the cap was calculated. The cap is a slight increase from this season's $58 million.
The mid-level exception for non-taxpayers is $5.15 million. It's $3.2 million for teams over the tax, and there's a mid-level worth $2.7 million for teams with room under the salary cap.
Arnold Palmer: Tiger could still catch Jack.
By Jay Busbee
(Getty Images)
The best golfer of his generation has been asked about the best golfer of this generation a thousand times. But even Arnold Palmer isn't quite sure what to make of Tiger Woods these days when it comes to closing the deal on major weekends.
"The psychology of getting in position and then being able to carry it forward [to a win] ... when he was younger, that was pretty easy to do," Palmer says. "Now that he's older, it will be more difficult. He'll have to really struggle. I think he'll find it, I think he's still about as good as you can get, but it'll be difficult."
Palmer is in his Latrobe, Pa., office, where he whiles away the summer months. All around him are trophies, plaques, medals, mementos, books and so much more, all packed so tightly that many sit on the floor. In one photo, from a charity event several years back, Woods is watching the flight of Palmer's tee shot. Woods has always shown deference to Palmer and the other legends of the game.
"The psychology of getting in position and then being able to carry it forward [to a win] ... when he was younger, that was pretty easy to do," Palmer says. "Now that he's older, it will be more difficult. He'll have to really struggle. I think he'll find it, I think he's still about as good as you can get, but it'll be difficult."
Palmer is in his Latrobe, Pa., office, where he whiles away the summer months. All around him are trophies, plaques, medals, mementos, books and so much more, all packed so tightly that many sit on the floor. In one photo, from a charity event several years back, Woods is watching the flight of Palmer's tee shot. Woods has always shown deference to Palmer and the other legends of the game.
But unlike Palmer, Woods hasn't had a consistent rival to challenge him and best him on a regular basis. Phil, Vijay, Ernie, Rory ... none of them has been able to mount a sustained challenge to Woods.
"If the competition is there," Palmer says, "he's going to be pressed to be better."
"If the competition is there," Palmer says, "he's going to be pressed to be better."
With that in mind, with the competition in golf now every bit Woods' equal, can he rise to the challenge? Specifically, can he clear that major hurdle five more times to pass Jack Nicklaus' record 18 majors?
"Can he? Yes," Palmer says, without hesitation. "But will he? That is..." Palmer pauses, weighing how to answer. He finally lifts a hand, rotating it in a "so-so" motion. "Very questionable."
"Can he? Yes," Palmer says, without hesitation. "But will he? That is..." Palmer pauses, weighing how to answer. He finally lifts a hand, rotating it in a "so-so" motion. "Very questionable."
But Palmer, who still watches golf every weekend with a practiced eye, hasn't counted out Woods just yet. "I think we'll hear more about him," Palmer smiles. "He will be a factor in any tournament he plays."
MLB Roundup: Braun, Rodriguez suspensions reported to be coming.
By The Sports Xchange
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and as many as 20 others players allegedly at the center of Major League Baseball's investigation into the use of performance enhancing drugs are expected to be suspended next week, according to ESPN's Outside the Lines.
The length of the suspensions is not yet known, but ESPN reported in June that MLB was considering 100-game bans for the players connected to the south Florida anti-aging clinic and Anthony Bosch, who alllegedly supplied the PEDs.
Braun, who was scheduled to return to the lineup Tuesday night after missing a month with a thumb injury, would not answer questions last week from baseball investigators about possible ties to Bosch and the Biogenesis clinic, according to ESPN sources. Rodriguez, meanwhile, is scheduled to be interviewed Friday, the New York Daily News reported.
---St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was to start behind the plate in a game against the Houston Astros on Tuesday after sitting out two games with a knee injury.
Molina is the top vote-getter in the National League for the All-Star Game, to be played July 16. He is batting a league-leading .346 and has an NL-best 26 doubles.
---Veteran relievers Shawn Camp of the Chicago Cubs and Brandon Lyon of the New York Mets were released Tuesday.
The 37-year-old Camp cleared waivers after the Cubs designated him for assignment last week. He pitched in a National League-leading 80 games last season. This year, Camp had given up 18 runs in 23 innings and had a 1-1 record with a 7.04 ERA in 26 games.
The 33-year-old Lyon also cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week. Lyon had a 2-2 record with a 4.98 ERA in 34 innings and 37 games for the Mets, Last year, Lyon posted a combined 4-2 record with one save and a 3.10 ERA for the Houston Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays.
---The San Francisco Giants added Jeff Francoeur to their injury depleted outfield Tuesday, reaching a minor-league deal with the former Kansas City Royals outfielder, according to a FOXSports.com report.
Francoeur, 29, was designated for assignment June 30 and released Sunday. The Royals will pay most of Francoeur's $6.75 million salary.
San Francisco entered Friday having lost 17 of their previous 22 games, and sit in fourth place in the National League West. The team was looking to replace outfielder Angel Pagan, who could miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left hamstring.
---Detroit Tigers second baseman Omar Infante was placed on the 15-day disabled Tuesday, retroactive to July 4, with a left ankle sprain.
Infante was injured on a hard slide into second base by Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Colby Rasmus, which angered some Tigers. Infante has been one of the team's better performers batting second in the lineup, ahead of sluggers Miguel Cabrera and Price Fielder. The second baseman is batting .309 with six home runs.
The team recalled second baseman Hernan Perez from Double-A Erie to take Infante's place. The 22-year-old Perez is hitting .300 with 28 doubles and four homers in 86 games with Erie.
---San Diego Padres President and CEO Tom Garfinkel has resigned after four years with the team.
Garfinkel had been team president since April 2009 and promoted to chief executive officer in 2012. He stayed with the Padres after Ron Fowler and Peter Seidler bought the franchise from John Moores last August for $800 million. Fowler, the executive chairman, will take on Garfinkel's responsibilities until the team secures a new president and CEO.
---The St. Louis Cardinals released infielder Ty Wigginton on Tuesday.
Wigginton, 35, signed a two-year, $5 million deal in the offseason, but batted .158 in 63 plate appearances. He can sign for the prorated major-league minimum. Catcher Rob Johnson was recalled to replace Wigginton on the active roster.
---The Miami Marlins recalled reliever Duane Below from Triple-A New Orleans on Tuesday. The lefty will replace Chris Hatcher on the roster. Below appeared in two games with the Marlins in May and will work in middle relief.
Braun, who was scheduled to return to the lineup Tuesday night after missing a month with a thumb injury, would not answer questions last week from baseball investigators about possible ties to Bosch and the Biogenesis clinic, according to ESPN sources. Rodriguez, meanwhile, is scheduled to be interviewed Friday, the New York Daily News reported.
---St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was to start behind the plate in a game against the Houston Astros on Tuesday after sitting out two games with a knee injury.
Molina is the top vote-getter in the National League for the All-Star Game, to be played July 16. He is batting a league-leading .346 and has an NL-best 26 doubles.
---Veteran relievers Shawn Camp of the Chicago Cubs and Brandon Lyon of the New York Mets were released Tuesday.
The 37-year-old Camp cleared waivers after the Cubs designated him for assignment last week. He pitched in a National League-leading 80 games last season. This year, Camp had given up 18 runs in 23 innings and had a 1-1 record with a 7.04 ERA in 26 games.
The 33-year-old Lyon also cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week. Lyon had a 2-2 record with a 4.98 ERA in 34 innings and 37 games for the Mets, Last year, Lyon posted a combined 4-2 record with one save and a 3.10 ERA for the Houston Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays.
---The San Francisco Giants added Jeff Francoeur to their injury depleted outfield Tuesday, reaching a minor-league deal with the former Kansas City Royals outfielder, according to a FOXSports.com report.
Francoeur, 29, was designated for assignment June 30 and released Sunday. The Royals will pay most of Francoeur's $6.75 million salary.
San Francisco entered Friday having lost 17 of their previous 22 games, and sit in fourth place in the National League West. The team was looking to replace outfielder Angel Pagan, who could miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left hamstring.
---Detroit Tigers second baseman Omar Infante was placed on the 15-day disabled Tuesday, retroactive to July 4, with a left ankle sprain.
Infante was injured on a hard slide into second base by Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Colby Rasmus, which angered some Tigers. Infante has been one of the team's better performers batting second in the lineup, ahead of sluggers Miguel Cabrera and Price Fielder. The second baseman is batting .309 with six home runs.
The team recalled second baseman Hernan Perez from Double-A Erie to take Infante's place. The 22-year-old Perez is hitting .300 with 28 doubles and four homers in 86 games with Erie.
---San Diego Padres President and CEO Tom Garfinkel has resigned after four years with the team.
Garfinkel had been team president since April 2009 and promoted to chief executive officer in 2012. He stayed with the Padres after Ron Fowler and Peter Seidler bought the franchise from John Moores last August for $800 million. Fowler, the executive chairman, will take on Garfinkel's responsibilities until the team secures a new president and CEO.
---The St. Louis Cardinals released infielder Ty Wigginton on Tuesday.
Wigginton, 35, signed a two-year, $5 million deal in the offseason, but batted .158 in 63 plate appearances. He can sign for the prorated major-league minimum. Catcher Rob Johnson was recalled to replace Wigginton on the active roster.
---The Miami Marlins recalled reliever Duane Below from Triple-A New Orleans on Tuesday. The lefty will replace Chris Hatcher on the roster. Below appeared in two games with the Marlins in May and will work in middle relief.
Roof flap spacers at center of weighty issue.
By David Caraviello | NASCAR.com
Larry McReynolds has a bucket in his closet, and he tosses his loose change into it at the end of every day. When he first started, he may have had a few dollars worth of nickels, dimes and quarters. Now?
"I guarantee you there's over a thousand dollars worth of change in that bucket," the former crew chief said. "It all adds up."
As it does with weight in race cars, a potential reason why 16 Sprint Cup Series teams and 15 entries on the Nationwide Series were busted by NASCAR for use of illegal roof flap spacers last weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Although it might not seem like much, even a part that small could be targeted by crew chiefs as a area where they might be able to reduce some weight on the vehicle.
NASCAR is examining the issue, and penalties could be issued this week. According to McReynolds, the four spacers used in the roof flaps -- two in the right flap, and two in the left -- have more to do with how the apparatus attaches to the roof rather than how the safety mechanisms deploy when the car spins backward. But particularly on the Sprint Cup side, where teams are now building Generation-6 cars that are 150 pounds lighter than their predecessors, crew chiefs will try to save weight wherever they can.
McReynolds, now a television analyst for SPEED, FOX and TNT, said he wouldn't completely rule out that some teams might have been searching for an aerodynamic advantage -- during his days as a crew chief, he admitted, he found in the wind tunnel that slight manipulations of a roof flap could increase downforce or drag. But this spate of violations, he believes, likely has more to do with weight.
"No longer are teams going to find something on these race cars that are five or 10 or 15 pounds that you're going to be able to take off it and save that much weight. It just doesn't exist anymore. It's ounces and in some cases, grams," said McReynolds, who won Daytona 500 titles with Davey Allison and Dale Earnhardt.
"Jimmy Fennig put it best," he added, referring to Carl Edwards' crew chief. "I sat and talked to Jimmy Fennig at Daytona on Friday, and he said, 'Larry, especially with this new car where they reduced the overall weight requirement, we fight and scrap for every ounce of weight that we can. It's to the point where everything we buy to put on this race car, when it comes out of the box -- it doesn't matter whether it has something to do with the engine, has something to do with the rear end, has something to do with the fuel cell, it doesn't matter. When it comes out of the box, the first thing we do is start looking at it, and saying, how can we make it lighter but not hurt the durability of it?''"Pennies make dollars, grams and ounces make pounds," McReynolds continued.
"That's why Jimmy Fennig told me, 'We work nonstop trying to reduce the weight of parts and pieces on our car so we can put the weight in the right area, which is down low.' He said, 'At the end of the day, we can cut a few ounces here, a few ounces here, a few ounces here. And when we sweep them all up in the dustbin when we're done, maybe we've reduced the weight by eight or 10 pounds.''
Roof flaps -- technically known as "hinged air deflectors" -- come in a kit supplied to teams by a division of Roush Industries. Section 20-3.8-J of the Sprint Cup Rule Book specifies that they "must be NASCAR-approved and obtained only through NASCAR-approved sources." They also "must be installed as specified in the instruction sheet supplied with the hinged air deflector kit." The small, cylindrical spacers sit inside the cavity below the flap, helping to keep it in line with the roof.
"I'm truly convinced, if this is all about saving weight, that these spacers did not hurt the integrity of the roof flaps," McReynolds said. "But the bottom line is, the roof flap is a sacred area. It has been ever since we started running them in the early '90s. It comes in a kit, and per the NASCAR rule, you are not to deviate from anything on those flaps -- not the bolts, not the spacers, not the flaps, not the cavities, not the location. You are not to deviate from them whatsoever."
The 16 cars found in violation on the Sprint Cup side included all six built by Roush Fenway (those of Edwards, Greg Biffle, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., along with Trevor Bayne of Wood Brothers and Aric Almirola and Marcos Ambrose of Richard Petty Motorsports) as well as both Penske Racing entries (of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano), all three Joe Gibbs Racing vehicles (of Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin) and Michael Waltrip Racing cars (of Waltrip, Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr.)
In the Nationwide garage, the 15 violators included several affiliated with Sprint Cup teams, including the JGR entries of Kenseth, Busch and Brian Vickers, the Roush cars of Bayne and Travis Pastrana, and the Roush-built vehicle of Michael Annett at RPM. Paul Wolfe and Todd Gordon, the Sprint Cup crew chiefs for Keselowski and Logano respectively, are on probation for illegal modifications found April 13 in the rear-end housings of their cars -- which in their case could magnify any penalties that may be issued.
Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president for competition, said last weekend that the roof flap spacers were "probably not something that was on a normal inspection routine," raising the possibility that the confiscated parts may have been in use prior to Daytona. The widespread nature of the infraction also makes it difficult to predict how NASCAR will react -- even if the root of the issue is a safety system to help keep race cars on the ground.
"When you have 31 teams show up with the same rule infraction, I think in their mind, they're doing some super soul-searching and investigating to make sure that they don't have a weak link on their inspection process, that they don't have a weak link in the rule book," said McReynolds. "They don't think they do. But it would be no different than if my three kids all got in trouble for the same thing. I would have to look at my wife and go, 'Were we not clear that they were not supposed to do that?"
Gold Cup schedule, scores and standings.
By Yahoo! Sports Staff
MATCH SCHEDULE
Group stage
Sunday, July 7
Sunday, July 7
(Rose Bowl; Pasadena, Calif.)
Martinique 1, Canada 0
Panama 2, Mexico 1
Monday, July 8
(Red Bull Arena; Harrison, N.J.)
El Salvador 2, Trinidad and Tobago 2
Honduras 2, Haiti 0
Tuesday, July 9
(JELD-WEN Field; Portland, Ore.)
Costa Rica 3, Cuba 0
United States 6, Belize 1
Thursday, July 11
(Century Link Field; Seattle, Wash.)
Panama vs. Martinique, 8:30 p.m. ET
Mexico vs. Canada, 11 p.m. ET
Friday, July 12
(Sun Life Stadium; Miami, Fla.)
Trinidad and Tobago vs. Haiti, 7 p.m. ET
Honduras vs. El Salvador, 9:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, July 13
(Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah)
United States vs. Cuba, 3:30 p.m. ET
Costa Rica vs. Belize, 6 p.m. ET
Sunday, July 14
(Sports Authority Field at Mile High; Denver, Colo.)
Panama vs. Canada, 3:30 p.m. ET
Martinique vs. Mexico, 6 p.m. ET
Monday, July 15
(BBVA Compass Stadium; Houston, Texas)
El Salvador vs. Haiti, 7 p.m. ET
Honduras vs. Trinidad and Tobago, 9:30 p.m. ET
Tuesday, July 16
(Rentschler Field; East Hartford, Conn.)
Cuba vs. Belize, 5:30 p.m. ET
United States vs. Costa Rica, 8 p.m. ET
Quarterfinals
Saturday, July 20
(Georgia Dome; Atlanta, Ga.)
Group A 2nd place vs. Group B 2nd place, 3 p.m. ET
Group A winner vs. Group B or C 3rd place, 6 p.m. ET
Note: Order of matches subject to change
Sunday, July 21
(M&T Bank Field; Baltimore, Md.)
Group B winner vs. Group C 2nd place, 4 p.m. ET
Group C winner vs. Group A or B 3rd place, 7 p.m. ET
Note: Order of matches subject to change
Semifinals
Wednesday, July 24
(Cowboys Stadium; Arlington, Texas)
C1 or A3/B3 vs. B1/C2, 7 p.m. ET
A1 or B3/C3 vs. A2/B2, 10 p.m. ET
Note: Order of matches subject to change
Final
Sunday, July 28
(Soldier Field; Chicago, Ill.)
TBD vs. TBD, 4 p.m. ET
GROUP STANDINGS
| GROUP A | |||||||
| Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Panama | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 |
| Martinique | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| Mexico | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| Canada | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| GROUP B | |||||||
| Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Honduras | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
| El Salvador | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Haiti | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
| GROUP C | |||||||
| Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 3 |
| Costa Rica | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 3 |
| Cuba | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
| Belize | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 0 |
Kittel wins Tour stage; Froome keeps lead.
By | Associated Press
Germany's Marcel Kittel won Tuesday's 10th stage of the Tour de France in a sprint finish and Chris Froome stayed out of trouble to keep the leader's yellow jersey.
Kittel held off countryman Andre Greipel and Mark Cavendish in a dash to the line to win his second stage of the Tour. Cavendish nudged Dutchman Tom Veelers off his bike as they sprinted for home.
"I touched him. The road was bearing left," Cavendish said. "Yeah, it was my fault. ... I hope he's OK."
Froome was at a safe distance behind, much to his relief.
"That's everyone's worst nightmare. Fortunately I was to the side of that crash and went around it no problem," Froome said. "I'm feeling really good. Today was a great day for us, staying out of trouble, staying at the front. That was one of the objectives today, save the legs as much as possible."
Kittel won the opening stage and is now the first rider to capture two stages in this year's race.
"Things went very well with my team today," he said. "I managed to get on Greipel's wheel and overtake him."
Veelers was not seriously harmed and was later able to answer questions outside the team bus.
"I had the feeling Cavendish was boxed in my wheel," Veelers said. "He touched my handlebars and knocked me over."
Peter Sagan, who won the green jersey for best sprinter in last year's Tour, finished the stage in fourth. The Slovak holds a commanding 83-point lead over Greipel and is 103 in front of archrival Cavendish, who won the green jersey in 2011.
The finish looked tailor-made for Cavendish, who was going for his 25th career Tour stage win to tie Frenchman Andre Leducq on the all-time list of Tour stage winners.
"I think this team could've done something differently, but we'll talk about that later," Cavendish said.
As the British rider moved into position to attack before the final corner, Cavendish appeared to lean into Veelers and send the Argos-Shimano rider flying off his bike.
Race stewards were examining what happened.
"I hope that Tom isn't hurt too badly," said Kittel, his teammate.
After seeing a replay of the incident, Kittel gave Cavendish the benefit of the doubt.
"I cannot imagine that it was on purpose because it was a very hectic situation," he said.
After the stage, Cavendish was involved in an incident at his Omega Pharma-QuickStep team bus, angrily grabbing the reporter's recorder when asked if the crash was his fault.
Following a rest day, the 122-mile flat ride started from Saint-Gildas-Des-Bois in northwest France and finished in the walled port city of Saint-Malo, a tourist destination on the north coast of Brittany.
Froome, the Tour runner-up to British countryman Bradley Wiggins last year, has a healthy lead over second-place Alejandro Valverde and two-time champion Alberto Contador. Froome is looking to increase that in Wednesday's time trial — a 20.5-mile dash from Avranches to Mont-Saint-Michel, a walled medieval abbey in Normandy.
"Tomorrow's definitely a day where I will try and extend my lead," Froome said. "I do look forward to it. It's definitely a day that could help the general classification. I definitely want to go for it."
A five-man breakaway attacked from the start, opening a lead of five minutes, but they were caught with less than 4 miles to go.
Froome took the yellow jersey on Saturday with a devastating attack on the last climb of the first Pyrenean stage and then successfully defended it the following day in the face of several attacks from his rivals. He stays 1 minute, 25 seconds ahead of Valverde, while Contador is 1:51 behind in sixth.
Froome finished last year's Tour time trial in second place behind Wiggins. None of his main rivals is as quick as he is in a time trial.
"I don't think they really like these kind of time trials," Froome said. "I should be able to hold on to my advantage and maybe get some more time."
Following the time trial there will be two flat stages before the Tour heads back to the mountains.
There have been several crashes so far and there were a couple of minor ones Tuesday as the pack hurtled toward the finish line. The first brought down two riders as the peloton split in two going around a roundabout with about 12 miles to go, and another two fell after locking bikes slightly further on. All of them hopped back on their bikes.
"It was a bit tricky towards the end there and there was a bit of crosswind, and it definitely makes the peloton more nervous," Froome said. "Every day you get through with the yellow jersey is a blessing, so I'm happy just to tick that one off."
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