Friday, June 26, 2009

Stories from the NBA draft!!! Interesting tidbit about Brandon Jennings and Ricky Rubio, Including Winners and Losers


Stories from the NBA draft!!! Interesting tidbit about Brandon Jennings and Ricky Rubio

Leading up to the NBA Draft there was chatter of Ricky Rubio's preference to play in a big market. Well, Minnesota certainly isn't one, and according to the Spanish sports site Marca.com, the father of the new Timberwolves point guard says his son may remain in Spain for a few more years rather than play in the NBA. Talk about cold feet.

Ricky's pop, Esteve Rubio: "Ahora mismo, es muy probable que Ricky se quede uno o dos aƱos en Europa." Translated, it says, "Right now, it is possible that Ricky plays a year or two more in Europe."

"Tenemos que hablar con la gente de Minnesota ... y ver lo que pasa, porque, a estas horas, podemos estar en Minnesota o en otra parte", declaraba." Loosely translated: "We are going to speak with the [people, staff] of Minnesota and see what's happening, because, in some hours, we may be in Minnesota or in another place."

Earlier in the evening, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that the Knicks were working hard to cut a deal with the Timberwolves to acquire Rubio. New York's a big enough market, si? The flashy teen was one of three point guards taken by Minnesota in the opening round of the Draft, with new Wolves general manager David Kahn snapping up Ricky at No. 5, Jonny Flynn of Syracuse at No. 6 and North Carolina's Ty Lawson at No. 18, though he was subsequently traded to Denver.

Decisions, decisions ...


Jennings reverses course and shows at NBA draft

NEW YORK (AP)—Brandon Jennings’ first decision was to not attend the NBA draft. When he was taken 10th by the Milwaukee Bucks, he showed up.

About a half hour before the draft got under way Thursday night, Jennings’ agent released a statement that his client, who decided to play in Europe last season rather than attend college, would be with his family rather than at the draft with many of the other future NBA players.

The media in attendance speculated the decision was made because Jennings’ stock was dropping and he didn’t want to be the last—or one of the last— players left in the “green room,” the cordoned area to the side of the stage where the players sit with their family and friends while waiting to hear their name called by commissioner David Stern.

When Jennings was selected by the Bucks at No. 10, he was with his family at a private function.

“There were 20 of us, and I just felt like spending the time with them in this whole process because they have been there for me since Day 1,” said Jennings, who attended all the predraft day activities in New York. “It was better to spend it with my family.”

He left his family soon after and headed to Madison Square Garden.

After the 14th pick was announced, Stern said Jennings was in attendance and he came out and was able to have his picture taken on stage with the commissioner—just like all the players who had waited in the green room.

When Jennings did meet the media, he said he didn’t stay away because his agent, Bill Duffy, was concerned his stock had dropped.

“It wasn’t (the case),” Jennings said, “but you never want to chance it.”

The 6-foot-1 Jennings, a native of Compton, Calif., who played at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., averaged 5.5 points and 2.3 assists for Lottomatica Virtus Roma of the Italian League last season.

“The experience I have gotten over there, you can’t complain with that,” Jennings said. “I’m not really a rookie, but I am a rookie in the NBA. This is really my second year as a pro.

“I think I’m ready. I’m more ready than a lot of these other players. A lot of these other players have a lot to learn with the pro game, but I think I’ve got it down a little bit.”



Winners and Losers from the 2009 NBA Draft
according to yahoosports.com

The buzz around the Cleveland Cavaliers landing Shaquille O’Neal(notes) hadn’t even reached a crescendo when the Orlando Magic matched (or raised) them by getting Vince Carter(notes) from the New Jersey Nets.

This after San Antonio landed Richard Jefferson(notes) for one final run at a title in the Tim Duncan(notes) era and the Boston Celtics shopped around Rajon Rondo(notes) and Ray Allen(notes) for another push. Denver later moved back in the first round to draft Ty Lawson to back up Chauncey Billups(notes).


This was the weakest NBA draft in recent memory – no sure-fire superstars, a lack of depth – which meant all the wild action from contenders shifted to trades. This was about the future, but the more immediate one: the playoff chase of next spring.

The push for next year’s championship is coming from all directions. Well, except one. The champion Los Angeles Lakers not only aren’t making any trades, in a sign of the times, they sold their first-round pick for about $3 million and will stand pat.

They’re about the only ones. Here are the winners and losers of draft (trade) night.

WINNER: Blake Griffin

The guy’s been a Clipper for hours already and as best we can tell he doesn’t need reconstructive knee surgery. That alone is reason for Clippers fan(s) to celebrate.

After just two winning seasons in 30 years and a dark history of draft futility, Griffin seems like a perfect cornerstone to the Clips’ efforts to turn things around. He’s athletic, tough, a hard worker, and by all accounts a high-character guy. There’s a consensus that he will be, at the very least, a longtime NBA starter.

Of course, they say that about every top pick. Some don’t even get that far. In the last 20 years, five top picks – Pervis Ellison, Joe Smith(notes), Michael Olowokandi(notes), Kwame Brown(notes) and Andrew Bogut(notes) – have failed to reach even a single All-Star game. Greg Oden(notes) could end up as part of that group.

Conversely, there have been just six franchise guys you’d expect from that spot – Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson(notes), Tim Duncan, Yao Ming(notes), LeBron James(notes) and Dwight Howard(notes). Reigning Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose(notes) also might get there.

Few see Griffin joining the Shaq/Duncan group. The key is avoiding the Smith/Brown one.

In the middle, and we’re being generous to some of these guys, are Derrick Coleman, Larry Johnson, Chris Webber(notes), Glenn Robinson, Elton Brand(notes), Kenyon Martin(notes) and probably Andrea Bargnani(notes).

When you think No. 1 pick, you think about potential greatness. Far more often than not, you don’t get it.

WINNER: Cleveland Cavaliers

Shaq makes them better because it was clear that big men Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes) and Anderson Varejao(notes) weren’t capable of getting it done, especially as Dwight Howard improves. The Cavs almost took O’Neal at the trade deadline and clearly regretted not getting it done then.

Cleveland has everything on the line next season. Shaq will be 38 and has one year left on his deal, and LeBron James will be a free agent after the season. Win the title and perhaps LeBron stays. Fall apart and perhaps he doesn’t.

No one knows. And while the O’Neal deal doesn’t solve long-term concerns, there is no doubt LeBron signed off on this trade. And it’s not like Cleveland gave up much in Ben Wallace(notes) and Sasha Pavlovic(notes).

One key will be limiting both Shaq’s minutes and games. The big guy is at his best when he’s playing about 60 regular season games, and he absolutely has to be healthy and fresh for a 20-plus game playoff run.


LOSER: Indiana Pacers

Only time will tell on every pick, but as hard a worker and as good a guy and as big a winner and so on and so forth that Tyler Hansbrough is, how he winds up the 13th pick of the draft is a mystery.

The Pacers have put a premium on character, but Hansbrough is a classic tweener. At 6-8 he isn’t big enough to guard power forwards and isn’t quick enough to guard small forwards. He scored a million points in college but also benefitted from getting nearly every call (which will end on Day 1 in the NBA) and hitting strange-trajectory shots (that will be swatted on Day 1 in the NBA).

They probably could’ve gotten him later in the first round. Of course, college broadcaster Dick Vitale said Hansbrough would average 14 points a game. Fourteen? Do D-League stats count?

WINNER: New York Knicks

So Don Nelson did as expected and stole Stephen Curry for Golden State one slot ahead of the Knicks, sending fans attending the draft into mourning.

But New York survived, taking 6-10 athlete Jordan Hill from Arizona. They later traded for Darko Milicic(notes) and picked up the Lakers’ pick of Florida State guard Toney Douglas, who was a bit of a late-round steal.

You never know who will work out in the draft, but it’s clear the Knicks are building their team around Mike D’Antoni’s offensive system. They have an actual plan, which was missing most of the last decade at MSG.

WINNER: Brandon Jennings

The kid from Compton was heavily criticized for deciding to do his one year of NBA-mandated purgatory as a pro in Italy rather than at an American college.

Between salary and endorsements he made seven figures, says he matured through adversity and promises that his fundamentals and knowledge of the game (especially defending the pick and roll) is vastly superior to what it would’ve been had he played in the NCAA.

And he wound up the 10th pick in the draft, ahead of a slew of college stars. His ESPN interview carried a hint of “I-told-you-so” that he earned. He’s been called every name in the book for trailblazing against the college establishment.

He even encouraged other young players to take the Euro route: “I think you’ll see more people do it,” he said.

No truth to the rumor that Vitale was up in a balcony with a high-powered rifle about to silence the anti-NCAA message forever.

LOSER: Detroit Pistons

First-round pick Austin Daye is a really nice, 6-11 forward from Gonzaga. He also weighs just 190 pounds and was routinely pushed around in college. Pistons GM Joe Dumars has made some nice non-lottery picks through the years, but at 15 and for a team in need of talent, this is a looong-term project and more than a bit of a reach.

WINNER: Chicago Bulls

The Bulls returned to the playoffs this year and took the Celtics to seven games in a classic battle. Now they build around rookie of the year Derrick Rose, using two so-so picks to acquire athletic ability and versatility in James Johnson (16) and Taj Gibson (26).

Neither is going to be an immediate star (none were available at that point), but they add more flair to an already fun, up-and-coming team.

LOSER: Ricky Rubio

Spanish player Ricky Rubio was selected number five overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Rubio is originally from El Masnou, Spain, a beach town on the Mediterranean. It’s a lot like Minnesota in February.

Oh, and apparently he gets to battle brutally strong, iron-tough, take-no-prisoners Jonny Flynn for the starting point guard job – provided he doesn’t spend another season in Europe. Rubio is a great talent with poise beyond his years, but this transition wouldn’t be fun for anyone.

WINNER: Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets had no first-round pick and for a while looked content to deal away their second-rounder and take the night off. Instead they made a move to improve their team, grabbing brilliantly fast point guard Ty Lawson of North Carolina.

He’s there to be a backup for Chauncey Billups, and not only will he provide quality minutes but his speed creates a totally different look for opponents to have to deal with. This is a very intriguing pick for the Nuggets, who weren’t so far from taking down the Lakers in the Western Conference finals.

WINNER: James Harden’s style

The Oklahoma City-bound guard not only had the best beard in the draft, he also rocked a patterned purple bow tie, which not just anyone can pull off. If he plays like he did in the regular season and not the NCAA tourney, the Thunder got more than a fashion plate.

LOSER: DeJuan Blair’s knees

He’s had surgery on both of them. Although he never missed a game or practice while starring at Pitt, and his physical power overwhelmed UConn’s Hasheem Thabeet (the second pick overall), Blair fell all the way to the Spurs in the second round.

That’s a long wait for one of the college game’s best players.

WINNER: Jrue Holiday

Last year UCLA had a point guard battle between Holiday and Darren Collison. Bruins coach Ben Howland went with the experienced Collison rather than the freshman Holiday, who played shooting guard.

So, for at least a night, Holiday got a little friendly revenge. He wound up on top, getting picked by Philadelphia at 17. Collison had to only wait until New Orleans grabbed him four spots later. Those must have been some pretty good practices in Westwood.

AWARDS

• Most interesting opening line:

Stuart Scott on Memphis draft pick DeMarre Carroll: “Here’s a guy with liver disease.” (He went on to add he probably wouldn’t need a transplant for a couple decades. How reassuring.)

• Lack of loyalty to alma mater:

Michael Jordan, who makes the decisions for Charlotte, defied all known tenants of the Carolina-Duke rivalry by passing on three Tar Heels and instead making Blue Devil Gerald Henderson a multi-millionaire.

Seth Greenburg, coach of Virginia Tech, was blunt in ripping some underachieving college players.

“[Jrue] Holiday and [B.J.] Mullins (sic) were not productive players for their respective teams why would they be any different at the next level?”

We’re all in favor of a coach tweeting his mind but in the case of Mullens (and you could spell his name right), he grew up in abject poverty in Ohio, including spending long stints in various homeless shelters.

When someone is willing to give you a guaranteed multimillion-dollar contract, you think you’re going to apologize for your rebounding production in the Big Ten?

Cavs acquire Shaq



Cavs get Shaq
Different articles about the trade.

One is the King, a reigning MVP who at age 24 needs only a championship to complete his resume. The other is a larger-than-life personality who may be past the prime of his career but remains an undeniable force and hungers for a fifth NBA title.

LeBron and Shaq. Teammates.

The Cleveland Cavaliers executed a monster trade Thursday to unite the superstars, acquiring Shaquille O’Neal(notes) from the Phoenix Suns in hopes he can help LeBron James(notes) deliver this seemingly sports-cursed city its first major pro championship in 45 years.

The deal creates a tandem that instantly rivals any in sports today and calls to mind some of the great duos in NBA history: Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Cousy and Bill Russell, Shaq himself and Kobe Bryant(notes).

More important, if Cleveland’s gamble works and the 37-year-old O’Neal delivers a title, it could keep James around. James is an Akron native, knows Cleveland’s pained sports history and has always maintained he wants to stay in his home state, though there is no guarantee he will sign an extension with the Cavs. Cleveland can offer him one as early as this summer.

But that’s for another day.

Hours before an NBA draft that figured to be overshadowed by the Shaq-to-the-Cavs move, the reality of James playing with O’Neal, a 15-time All-Star, was just sinking in.

“Shaq is an incredible ballplayer and a four-time NBA champion,” James said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “I have a lot of respect for him and his game. It will be a real honor to play with Shaq as my teammates and I look forward to another great season with the Cavs.”

The Cavs sent center Ben Wallace(notes) and swingman Sasha Pavlovic(notes) to the Suns, along with a second-round pick in the 2010 draft and $500,000 in cash, for O’Neal, the 7-foot-1 center who won three straight titles from 2000 to 2002 with Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. His fourth title came with Dwyane Wade(notes) in Miami in 2006.

“I was elated about the trade because I get to play with one of the greatest players to ever play the game in LeBron James,” O’Neal said during ESPN’s draft telecast. He expects “a lot of fun, a lot of just having a good time and a lot of smiling, and a lot of winning.”

The teams first talked about a deal in February but couldn’t work out an agreement before the deadline, a missed opportunity that cost the Cavaliers in this year’s playoffs when they had no answer inside for Orlando center Dwight Howard(notes) in the Eastern Conference finals.

After the Cavaliers were eliminated with a Game 6 loss, a frustrated James stormed off the floor in Orlando without shaking the hands of any Magic players, including Howard, his U.S. Olympic teammate.

Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry and Phoenix GM Steve Kerr, former teammates and close friends, never closed the book on the O’Neal deal and finally reached an agreement early Thursday morning.

Ferry completed the deal because he wants to win a title. Now.

“Our goals are aligned with what our players want, including LeBron, and that’s to win a championship and win it next year,” Ferry said. “We don’t want to be patient.”

The Cavaliers didn’t expect to find immediate help in this year’s draft, and selected raw forward Christian Eyenga from the Republic of Congo with the final pick (No. 30) in the first round. The 20-year-old Eyenga played in Spain last season. Cleveland used the No. 46 pick on North Carolina forward Danny Green, who played more games than anyone in school history.

Cleveland then purchased the No. 57 pick from Phoenix and selected Turkey’s Emir Preldzic, who can play both guard positions and small forward.

For sheer celebrity value, the O’Neal-James tandem is as captivating as any on the sports landscape. And if it works, and lasts, the pairing may one day belong in the same company as some of the all-time combinations: Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice.

For now, the Cavaliers, who came up short this year despite winning 66 regular-season games and their first eight playoff games, are only thinking of unseating the Lakers as champions next June.

O’Neal could be the missing piece. But there’s no guarantee he’ll stay healthy, and it’s way too early to know what impact his arrival will have on Cleveland coach Mike Brown’s offense or the Cavs’ chemistry—or whether he and James, who have been friends for several years, can coexist.

“They both badly want to win,” Ferry said. “Our team and organization want to win. With that leading it, everything else is going to work out.”

O’Neal is coming off an All-Star season with the Suns, averaging 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds in 75 games, but there were times he clogged Phoenix’s high-powered offense under coaches Mike D’Antoni, Terry Porter and Alvin Gentry. Still, the 7-foot-1, 325-pounder can be a defensive stopper.

“He’s a wall around the basket—a tall, long wall,” Ferry said.

The Shaq experiment failed in Phoenix. The Suns won one playoff game in O’Neal’s season and a half, and this spring the Suns failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Ferry, who said O’Neal’s arrival could push Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes) out as a starter, is convinced O’Neal will be able to adjust to Cleveland and vice versa.

“Phoenix played a different way when they had him,” he said. “It was a drastic change. We’re more of a half-court team. We play more of the tempo that fits Shaq’s game.”

The Suns got little in return for O’Neal, but the deal gives them financial flexibility in the future. All told, they will save $10 million.

“Obviously the last few years we’ve had a very high payroll,” Kerr said. “We’ve had a very good team and we’ve made a big, strong push. Clearly the last couple of years we’ve been on the decline, and things have not worked out as well as we had hoped, so now it’s time to adjust.”

The 34-year-old Wallace, who after the season said he may retire, is in the final year of a $14 million deal while the Suns plan to buy out Pavlovic, who has $1.5 million of his $4.95 million contract guaranteed.

For the Cavs, up front costs are less important than a chance to finally win it all.



The Big Rental got his way, again. That no longer should come as a surprise.

In the end, Shaquille O'Neal has turned into the very man he mocked for a transient end of a career. Now, he is Patrick Ewing in a Sonics uniform and then a Magic uniform.

The Big Sidekick, of course, also gets to ride again.
He milked his relationship with Phil Jackson as long as possible to maintain his edge as the featured attraction in Los Angeles, until it became evident his days as a leading man were numbered with the Lakers. No, the Lakers never were going to choose an aging Shaq over in-his-prime Kobe.

Then Shaq attempted to play the main-man role in Miami, even as it was Dwyane Wade who lifted the Heat to that 2006 championship, the one that ended with Shaq grabbing the Finals MVP trophy from David Stern before handing it himself to Wade.

When that soured, the backdoor dealing began, first to get close to Mark Cuban's millions in Dallas, and, if that didn't work, to land alongside two-time MVP Steve Nash in Phoenix.

As we know by now, that certainly didn't work out very well. Total playoff series won by Shaq during his two-season tenure in Phoenix? Zero.

Now he latches on to LeBron James in Cleveland. Because when you no longer can be the best, then at least play alongside the best.

But is Shaquille O'Neal now too much of The Big Liability?

Let's get this straight: the reason the Cavaliers saw their NBA-best record end in an Eastern Conference finals demise against the Orlando Magic was not because of Dwight Howard's interior dominance. Even with Howard's scoring, the Cavaliers were right there.

It was not about establishing a post-up game. Orlando was packing the paint against LeBron, so it's not as if there was plenty of room to maneuver in the lane, anyway.

It was about defending the pick-and-roll.

And, if you haven't noticed, it's not as if Shaq has deteriorated into one of the worst defenders in the league against the pick-and-roll. He was awful even when he was winning his three consecutive championships with the Lakers. It's just that there was enough talent available to mask that deficiency.

Exactly what difference is Shaq going to be able to make against the length and skill of Hedo Turkoglu (assuming the Magic retains him in free agency) and Rashard Lewis on those sets?

No, this has very little to do with the Xs and Os and all the other studious elements of the game that Shaq has such little patience for.

No, this is about the Big Interim Prayer.

As with everything Cavaliers, this is about nothing more than keeping LeBron happy until the fateful Summer of 2010, when James can otherwise bolt as a free agent by invoking his opt-out clause.

This is about making LeBron feel good enough for the next 12 months until the true overhaul can be accomplished. This is not about getting LeBron to commit this summer to an extension. A one-year rental of Shaq does not inspire five more years of confidence.

Without enough expiring contracts, without anything tangible to deal, without cap space, Cleveland was in no position to offer a legitimate overhaul this summer.

This is not like Joe Dumars and his cache of cash in Detroit.

This is not the Heat, which is in position to immediately flip Michael Beasley for Chris Bosh this summer.

This is not even as big as last summer's acquisition of Mo Williams that pushed the Cavaliers to the top of the standings.

Cleveland had nothing. So it packaged nothing — in this case Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic — to the Suns for the league's ultimate rental.
Understand, for the Cavaliers to get to where they ultimately want to get — a sense of long-term stability — Shaq can't be here a year from now. That's when there will be enough cap space to seduce a Wade or Bosh or any of the other prime 2010 free agents.

Instead, this is merely buying time. Can Shaq occupy Dwight Howard in the lane more than jump-shooting Zydrunas Ilgauskas? Certainly. Does he move better than Ilgauskas defensively? Yes, he is more agile than a sofa.
But what exactly has Shaq done to make his teams better these three years since riding Wade's coattails in those 2006 playoffs? (For those who forget, the Heat's difference-making center in that deciding game of the 2006 NBA Finals in Dallas was Alonzo Mourning, not Shaq.)

Even with the Heat, getting Shaq wasn't enough. It wasn't until Pat Riley added Antoine Walker and Jason Williams that a team that lost to the Pistons in the 2005 Eastern Conference finals was good enough to make it to the championship series.

Similarly, the Suns, just a year after acquiring Shaq, found themselves caught in the desperation of what turned into a failed grab for Jason Richardson.
No, there still has to be more for the Cavaliers than just adding Shaq. Suddenly, retaining free-agent Anderson Varejao becomes even more important. There has to be an active four alongside Shaq to make any of this work. Otherwise, there might have to be a reach with the mid-level exception for Rasheed Wallace, if only to find active enough legs and length to deal with those opposing pick and rolls.

The Shaq deal cost the Cavaliers about $10 million, but could wind up costing even more before the close of the summer. An active wing remains a needed acquisition. The price being paid to keep LeBron happy for 12 months is staggering. And that's before LeBron signs on the dotted line (they hope) for $120 million next summer.

And then, seemingly as there always is, there is the case of The Big Scorched Earth.

By the day, Kobe is looking better and better. Somewhere in Orange County he is smiling this morning. Smiling, not Tweeting, since being front and center isn't nearly as significant to the former sidekick.

It certainly was ugly enough when Shaq left the Lakers. At the time, though, it was difficult to determine the true villain in the dismantling of the dynasty.

Then, consider that when Shaq left the Heat, there were darts tossed at not only the team's training staff and Pat Riley, but also the teammate who helped deliver that supposedly liberating championship. No, it did not end well with Wade. It ended with Shaq, behind Wade's back, derisively calling his former teammate "Wonder Boy."

And then consider all that has transpired with the Suns, the type of irreparable damage that might never be salvaged by Steve Kerr before he, too, is shown the door.

Shawn Marion? Gone. Mike D'Antoni? Gone. Terry Porter? Gone. Amare Stoudemire? So disillusioned about being demoted to third option that he soon might be gone, with a free-agency window opening next summer. Boris Diaw? Gone. Raja Bell? Gone.

Beyond that, there were the undercurrents of unease with Steve Nash. Who the heck doesn't get along with Steve Nash? Who doesn't treasure a player who gets you the ball when you want it where you want it and how you want it?

It hardly was coincidence that amid these Shaq trade discussions, the Suns also were negotiating an extension with Nash.

What's next for the Suns? The type of overhaul they attempted to avoid with the acquisition of Shaq, as odd as that sounds alongside an aging point guard. But at least they'll run again, because that's the least management and ownership can return to the fans, after realizing such a limited return with Shaq.
When Heat owner Micky Arison dealt Shaq to the Suns in 2008, he assured Suns owner Bob Sarver that by the time Shaq's deal reached its final year, there would be a way to unload the final $20 million-plus on the center's deal.

Ultimately, that became the case.

Because, in the end, a former Most Valuable Player and a future Hall of Famer has turned into something that surely, albeit privately, has Kobe and Riley and Wade and Amare and Porter smiling today:

The Big Expiring Contract.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

'Rudy''s Nephew keeps family name alive at Arizona St: Is it football?



Nephew of 'Rudy' keeps family name alive at Arizona St.
Try Baseball! Interesting find!
By Holly Anderson
Love or hate Notre Dame (and judging from our mailbox every time we bring them up, there is no in-between stance), everybody knows Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger. The 61-year-old former Fighting Irish walk-on and subject of the tear-jerker “Rudy” has kept plenty busy since his Domer days, authoring such inspirational titles as "Rudy & Friends," "Rudy's Lessons for Young Champions," and "Dream Big! What's the Best That Can Happen?" establishing the Rudy Foundation for children's advocacy and commanding anywhere from $10,000-$40,000 as a motivational speaker. If Rudy's own anecdotes are to be believed, he's a pretty big deal:

Among his fondest speaking engagement memories are of Lockport (N.Y.) High School.

"They had me speak at an assembly and it was rowdy. The kids were loud, ther0was very little order and the mic system was bad, but I did my best. I told the kids, 'You’re not a bad person if you make mistakes. Always believe in yourself.' That was my message," Ruettiger said.

"After speaking, in the parking lot, this girl came up to me with red hair and pierced ears and her boyfriend was wearing a leather jacket. She thanked me for the speech. She said she had gotten pregnant and was contemplating suicide, but after hearing me speak, she said, ‘I’m going to have the baby, graduate from high school and be responsible for that baby because I’m not a bad person.'

"Those are special moments," Ruettiger said.

The Ruettiger name is gracing sports pages once again -- in the form of his nephew Johnny. A two-sport athlete in high school, the younger Ruettiger chose baseball over football and is making his first appearance in the College World Series as a freshman outfielder for Arizona State. Yahoo! Sports' Kendall Rogers caught up with Johnny in Omaha, Neb.

Kendall Rogers: You were four when "Rudy" came out. What do you think of the movie? Did it make you cry? Be honest.

Johnny Ruettiger: It was a great movie. And no, it didn't make me cry.

Rogers: Your uncle is making a living doing motivational speaking. Have you ever seen him speak? Can he make you cry? Be honest.

Ruettiger: Yes, a couple of times. And no, he still has not made me cry.

Rogers: You were an all-state quarterback in high school. Was it your dream to play football at Notre Dame?

Ruettiger: Growing up I wanted to play at Notre Dame, but then as I got older baseball really became my main sport.

Rogers: Were you recruited there? If not, did you consider walking on as he did?

Ruettiger: I was recruited there for baseball, but I didn't consider walking on to the football team.

Rogers: Did you ever go to a game there with your uncle?

Ruettiger: I have gone to games with my uncle. It was cool because everyone knew him. It was a good experience.

Rogers: Who would you root for if ASU played ND in football?

Ruettiger: Arizona State.

Rogers: How do your ASU teammates react to you being Rudy's nephew?

Ruettiger: [ASU pitcher] Kole Calhoun said sarcastically: "I think it's the most wonderful thing to ever happen to me on a baseball diamond."

Rogers: You have a huge extended family. Is everyone nicknamed Rudy?

Ruettiger: Yes.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Caption these photos from the US Open


Bob Costas, Who the Hell is this guy? Get me outta of here!!!!!


OH Shit! I am in the US Open!


Sorry Phil, but I am getting the hell out of here before you choke again!





@&## #&w$&$ I should be winning this thing with one leg again!!!!!

Monday, June 22, 2009

The 2009 US Open Continues Today



C H O K I N G


That's right!!! 9:00 am on ESPN! See where things begin to go! Looks like the leaders are starting to fall back to Tiger after he birdied number 7 in the dark to get to even par. Duval, Mickelson, and Bubba are right there at -2. The leaders quit at -7. If you want to follow them throughout the day at work just click here and it will take you to the animated scoreboard! http://www.usopen.com/en_US/realtime/flash_np_.html?syn=ESPN&ref=espn.go.com/&mode=po&db=false

I think it will be Phil and David battling to the 18th to take home the trophy!!!
Any thoughts or predictions?

Friday, June 19, 2009

The world’s highest-paid athletes 2009

The world’s highest-paid athletes
By Kurt Badenhausen, Forbes.com
The latest update of the highest paid athletes for 2009! Thought you may like some new material to read during the summer.







No. 1 Tiger Woods
$110 million

Woods has earned almost $900 million in prize money, endorsements and appearance fees during his 13-year professional golf career and next year is poised to become the first athlete to earn $1 billion during a career. Woods racked up more than twice the earnings of any other athlete over the past 12 months despite being sidelined for eight months after knee surgery thanks to lucrative endorsement deals with Accenture, Gillette and Nike as well as a thriving golf course design business.





No. 2 Kobe Bryant (Tie)
$45 million


Bryant secured his place among the NBA's all-time greats when he won his fourth NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers in June. The Black Mamba's popularity is at its zenith as his No. 24 jersey is the top seller in the U.S., Europe and China. Bryant pads his $21 million Lakers salary through endorsement deals with Nike, Upper Deck, Activision and VitaminWater.





No. 2 Michael Jordan (Tie)
$45 million


MJ retired as a player for the third and presumably final time six years ago, but he is still the most famous athlete in the United States. The Jordan Brand is approaching $1 billion in sales for Nike which turned Jordan into a marketing phenomenon. Jordan is on the short list of potential buyers for the Charlotte Bobcats where he is head of basketball operations and a minority owner.



No. 2 Kimi Raikkonen (Tie)
$45 million


Formula One's highest-paid driver finished a disappointing third in the World Championship standings last year after winning the title in 2007. This year has been even worse for the Iceman who sits in 10th place in the current standings. Ferrari resigned Raikkonen in September to a one-year contract extension keeping the Finn behind the wheel for Ferrari through 2010.




No. 5 David Beckham
$42 million


Becks is far from the best player on the pitch, but he is still the most famous which is why companies like Adidas, Giorgio Armani and Motorola pay him millions for his endorsement. Beckham spent five months on loan this year playing for AC Milan before his planned return to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy in July when the MLS season is half over.






The world’s highest-paid athletes
By Kurt Badenhausen, Forbes.com
The latest update of the highest paid athletes for 2009! Thought you may like some new material to read during the summer.

No. 6 LeBron James (Tie)
$40 million


The NBA's MVP led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the league's best record and had a playoff performance for the ages this year, but his team was bounced from the playoffs by the Orlando Magic in the Conference Finals. His free agency next summer has teams maneuvering to get under the salary cap in hopes of signing King James. The Cavs can offer the biggest contract under NBA salary rules, but James might go in search of a bigger market.



No. 6 Phil Mickelson (Tie)
$40 million


Playing second fiddle to Tiger Woods has proven very lucrative for the world's second-ranked player. His most lucrative deal is with Callaway, which signed Mickelson to a five-year extension this year. Other sponsors include Barclay's, Exxon, KPMG and Rolex. Mickelson has won $54 million in prize money during his career, third all-time behind Woods and Vijay Singh.


No. 6 Manny Pacquiao (Tie)
$40 million


Pac-Man hogged the boxing spotlight over the past year with victories in two blockbuster fights against Oscar De La Hoya in December and Ricky Hatton in March that combined generated more than $100 million in pay-per-view revenue in the U.S. A member of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People, Pacquiao plans to run for political office when his days in the ring are over.


No. 9 Valentino Rossi
$35 million


The Doctor won his eighth World Championship in 2008 after two straight years of falling short of the title. The biggest star in motorcycle racing earns $16 million annually from his contract to ride for Yamaha and his earnings more than double when you count licensing income, bonuses and endorsement deals with the likes of energy drink Monster.


No. 10 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
$34 million


Earnhardt was chosen as Nascar's most popular driver for a sixth straight year in 2008 despite winning only one race during the past two seasons. His merchandise sales were twice the total of any other driver. Earnhardt's biggest personal sponsorship deals are with Adidas, Chevrolet, Polaris, Wrangler and Nationwide Insurance, which he added this year.


No. 10 Roger Federer (Tie)
$33 million


Federer cemented his position as the greatest tennis player ever when he won his 14th Grand Slam title and completed a career Grand Slam by winning the French Open this month. Federer also passed Pete Sampras in October to become the all-time leader in career prize money and has earned $48 million since turning pro in 1998.



Buzz up! Print Eight months on the shelf after knee surgery put a severe dent in his prize money, and killed his overseas appearance fees. One of his main sponsors walked away a year before their agreement was set to expire.
Yet Tiger Woods remains sports’ highest earner with an annual income two and a half times larger than his closest competitor. The world’s top golfer made $110 million during the past 12 months and is the best-paid sportsman for the eighth straight year.
Woods’ knee injury caused his prize money to drop to $5 million from $25 million, but his overall earnings only fell $5 million thanks to an expansion of Woods’ non-playing financial empire.
PepsiCo launched Gatorade Tiger last year in March with claims that it “helps focus your mind and your body.” Woods receives a cut of sales for the four flavors sold under his name. When General Motors’ problems caused Buick to terminate its $8 million a year deal with Woods one year early, the Woods camp moved quickly to sign a deal with AT&T to put the phone company’s brand on his golf bag in Buick’s place.
Nike is by far Woods’ biggest benefactor with an annual payday of more than $30 million for the golfer. Woods profits from the success of the company’s golf division, and last year sales for Nike Golf hit a record $725 million. Woods’ most lucrative new endeavor is his golf course design business. Last year he announced plans for a third course to be built in Mexico. His other courses in Dubai and North Carolina are currently under construction.
Our list of the highest-paid athletes looks at earnings derived from salaries, bonuses, prize money, endorsements and licensing income between June 2008 and June 2009 and does not deduct for taxes or agents’ fees. Overall, the top 20 earned $789 million, down 1 percent from last year. The cutoff to make the list was $30 million.
Drop-offs from last year include boxer Floyd Mayweather (has not fought since December 2007), NFL players Ben Roethlisberger and Dwight Freeney (both made the 2008list after inking contracts with big signing bonuses) and Formula One driver Fernando Alonso (just missed the cut).
The highest-ranking of the four newcomers to the list is boxer Manny Pacquiao who earned $40 million over the last year, tied for the sixth most. Pacquiao cemented his claim as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter with convincing knockouts of Oscar De La Hoya in December and Ricky Hatton in May. The two blockbuster fights garnered more than 2 million pay-per-view buys in the U.S. and earned Pac-Man $30 million combined.
Pacquiao’s massive popularity in his native Philippines is why companies like Nike and San Miguel beer have signed him to endorse their products. Pacquiao intends to use that popularity to run for political office when his ring career is over.
Our 20 highest earners have a very international flavor with Pacquiao one of eight non-Americans on the list. Finnish Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen earned $45 million over the past year, tied for second on our list with hoop legends Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Right behind that trio is global icon David Beckham who earned $42 million playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy and AC Milan, while shilling for Adidas, Giorgio Armani and Motorola.
Notable omission: the entire NFL, which didn’t place anyone in the top 20 despite being the world’s richest sports league. The league’s salary cap keeps a lid on individual player salaries, and few players outside of Peyton Manning collect big endorsement deals. The top NFL earner during the past 12 months was Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha who made $22 million, mainly as a result of the three-year, $45 million contract he signed in February.

The Top 10:
1. Tiger Woods
2. Kobe Bryant
3. Michael Jordan
4. Kimi Raikonen
5. David Beckham
6. LeBron James
7. Phil Mickelson
8. Manny Pacquiao
9. Valintino Rossi
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

US Open a NO GO Today! Rain! Rain!



All Wet at the US Open!!! Tiger at No.7! Will resume at 8:00 am Friday morning!

1. J Brehaut -1
2. J Edfors -1
3. A Parr -1
4. R Spears -1
5. I Poulter E




Fri. June 19 ESPN
NBC
NBCSports.com
ESPN
NBCSports.com Second round
Second-round wrapup 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET
3 - 5 p.m. ET
3 - 5 p.m. ET
5 - 7 p.m. ET
7 p.m. ET
Sat. June 20 ESPN
NBC
NBCSports.com
Third round Livestream from the 17th hole
Third-round wrapup 1 - 2 p.m. ET
2 - 8 p.m. ET
2 - 8 p.m. ET
8 p.m. ET
Sun. June 21 ESPN
NBC
NBCSports.com
Fourth round Livestream from the 17th hole
Fourth-round wrapup 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. ET
1:30 - 7:30 p.m. ET
1:30 - 7:30 p.m. ET
7:30 p.m. ET

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

The 25 Best College Football Players for 2009-2010




The 25 Best College Football Players for 2009-2010

1. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida. I said it last year and everyone thought I was an idiot (some still do): When his career is complete, Tebow will be the greatest amateur player ever in a team sport. No one affects the game like he can.

2. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma. Performs off the charts in three crucial areas for a quarterback: mental toughness, accuracy/arm strength, leadership.

3. Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State. Deep speed for big plays, physical frame for tough catches — an absolute nightmare in man coverage. One more thing: Don't punt to him.

4. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas. Sees plays develop before they do and throws on the run better than anyone in a long, long time.

5. Taylor Mays, S, USC. An enforcer who can change passing games with one big hit; and plays like a fourth linebacker in run support.

6. George Selvie, DE, South Florida. Forget about his injury-marred 2008. When healthy, he's a disruptive, unblockable force.

7. Jahvid Best, RB, California. The fastest player in the game blossomed as a runner last fall. Now he has added muscle mass.

8. Eric Berry, S, Tennessee. At some point, the new Tennessee staff must find a way to get Berry 10 plays per game on offense.

9. Jeremiah Masoli, QB, Oregon. More of a run threat last season, watch how he develops in the passing game in Year 2 under new coach Chip Kelly.

10. Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State. Best pure tailback in the game; could reach 2,000 yards with the most balanced offense in the nation.

11. Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama. When McClain was a freshman, one AFC scout told me he was the best linebacker in the SEC. That was two years ago.

12. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska. Suh isn't your typical, beefy noseguard: athletic and powerful, he's also a dangerous pass rusher.

13. Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech. Think about this: Dwyer said that by the end of an impressive 2008 season, he still didn't completely comprehend Tech's triple option offense.

14. Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma. A matchup problem for any defense, he will dominate with more physical play after the catch.

15. Julio Jones, WR, Alabama. Had a brilliant freshman season despite average quarterback play. What happens if/when the Tide gets an athletic quarterback with a strong arm?

16. Jerry Hughes, DE, TCU. Former high school tailback continues to add rush moves to his game and no longer is just a speed guy off the edge.

17. Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida. Fiery, emotional, big-hitting run stuffer with invaluable leadership skills.

18. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State. You better believe this raw project is among the best in the nation. Or as former USC linebacker Rey Maualuga said last September: "He's going to be unreal."

19. Ciron Black, OT, LSU. The best pass blocker in the game; he's a wall to get around.

20. Jevan Snead, QB, Ole Miss. First season as a starter was remarkable, especially considering he sat out 2007 after transferring from Texas.

21. Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame. Explosive, tough athlete is a breakaway threat in any route on the field — and with kick returns. Slideshow

22. Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma. Prototypical interior run-stuffer finally put it all together last year — and smartly stayed in school for one more run at a national title and to improve his draft stock.

23. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State. Diminutive 'Quizz would've been the first freshman to lead the Pac-10 in rushing had a shoulder injury not limited him the last three games of the season.

24. Joe Haden, CB, Florida. The best cover corner in the game. Former high school quarterback gets terrific breaks on the ball because of his passing-game knowledge.

25. Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois. Illini quarterback Juice Williams regressed last year, but the dynamic Benn continued to put up big numbers.

Ten on the outside: Robert Griffin, QB, Baylor; Jason Worilds, DE, Virginia Tech; Syd'Quan Thompson, CB, California; Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State; Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida; Sergio Kindle, DE/LB, Texas; Damian Williams, WR, USC; Navorro Bowman, LB, Penn State; Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama; Stevenson Sylvester, LB, Utah.

Friday, June 5, 2009

USC Basketball and Coach Tim Floyd: Trouble in Paradise


Tim Floyd sounds like a man on the brink. Let’s recap why.

Just days after Floyd reportedly turned down the vacant Arizona job in early May, USC’s players started leaving en masse for the NBA. Losing DeMar DeRozan, Daniel Hackett and Taj Gibson doesn’t help a program. (In Floyd’s four seasons, he’s had eight players jump early; you’d think he’d be used to it.)


And losing those three wasn’t so bad once more bad news emerged about O.J. Mayo’s 1 year at USC. Floyd reportedly paid one of Mayo’s associates at least $1,000 in 2007. The NCAA’s ears perked right up, and opened an investigation. The school’s trying to stay mum on the whole thing.

Recruits started bailing, too. Noel Johnson and Solomon Hill backed out of commitments. Another, prize L.A. recruit Renardo Sidney signed with Mississippi State after he and USC – after questions arose about Sidney’s eligibility – decided by “mutual agreement” that he probably shouldn’t be a Trojan.

Not enough? Less than a week after forward Marcus Johnson was granted another year of eligibility, he bolted for the NBA. Nothing like losing four underclassmen to the pros.

So if you’re Tim Floyd, you’ve had better springs. And the cracks are starting to show. The boosters at Monday’s Coaches Tour 2009 got the unfiltered version.

"Kansas has two players who would have been NBA lottery picks, Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins, and they are returning to school. Good for them. Our guys get an offer from Islamabad and they’re gone.”

(Whistles)

The roster flux means there are nine players no longer with the program who were scheduled to be on the team as of early April.

Now the Los Angeles media is speculating that USC hoops is essentially toast – forget the basketball powerhouse when it’s hard to enough to field a team – and that Floyd is a coach in over his head who can’t control his program.

Right about now, Tucson never looked so good.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Old Ballparks: Cleveland Municipal Stadium








Cleveland Municipal Stadium
Cleveland, OH


Home of the Cleveland Indians for 61 years, fans of the team were ready to move out of the "Mistake by the Lake" in 1993. The idea for a new stadium in Cleveland was first mentioned in 1903. By the 1920s a 25,000 seat stadium was proposed. However, Osborn Engineering designed a much bigger stadium that could house many activities. In 1928, a $2.5 million bond was issued by the city to build the stadium. It became the first stadium built using public money. A landfill full of old cars and tires near Lake Erie was chosen as the site for the stadium. Groundbreaking was held on June 24, 1930. Constructed of steel and concrete, the stadium became known as Lakefront Stadium. The stadium was not constructed as an attempt to get the Olympics in 1932 because Los Angeles had already been chosen to host the games.
Lakefront Stadium was completed by July 1, 1931. The first event was held two days later. There was one problem after the stadium opened, it had no baseball tenant. The Cleveland Indians, playing at League Park, were happy that a new stadium was being built. However the city did not sign the team to a lease before the stadium opened. This allowed the Indians to negotiate a favorable lease. The first Cleveland Indians game at Lakefront Stadium was on July 3, 1932. When the team stepped onto the field players saw an enormous stadium. Lakefront Stadium had a capacity of 78,189. The stadium consisted of a covered double-decked grandstand that extended from behind homeplate, down and around the foul poles to an uncovered section of bleachers in the outfield. There were 37,896 seats in the lower level, 29,380 seats in the upper level and 10,913 bleacher seats. Lakefront Stadium became a pitchers park because of its size. Original dimensions were 322 ft. (left and right), and 463 ft. (center). The stadium also had lights, a sound system and a scoreboard behind the bleachers in centerfield. Lakefront Stadium also became home of the Cleveland Browns (NFL).
Initially, the Indians attracted huge crowds to Lakefront Stadium but that soon changed. Because of the size of the stadium, when the Indians attracted only 20,000 fans, it looked as the stadium was empty. The Indians played at the stadium full time until the end of the 1933 season. From 1934 until 1946, the Indians played at League Park during the weekdays and played at Lakefront Stadium during the weekends and holidays. The lights that had been installed when the stadium opened were never used for baseball. Modern lights were installed in 1939 and the first night Indians game was on June 27, 1939. After the 1946 season, the Indians moved all of their games to Lakefront Stadium. Once the Indians made Lakefront Stadium their permanent home it became known as Cleveland Municipal Stadium. In an effort to make the stadium more hitter friendly, a fence was erected in front of the outfield shortening the dimensions to 321 ft. (left and right) and 410 ft. (center). A standing room area was behind this fence.
During the remainder of its existence as a baseball stadium, Cleveland Municipal Stadium housed some very good and bad teams as few changes took place. Two renovations took place in 1967 and 1974 when the original wooden seats were replaced by plastic ones and a new scoreboard replaced the old one. During the 1980s and early 1990s the Indians were a terrible team and attendance was low. In 1985, Richard and David Jacobs bought the Indians. They began to lobby for a new stadium. Voters approved a bond and a new stadium for the Indians was built in downtown Cleveland. The last Indians game at Cleveland Municipal Stadium was on October 3, 1993 and the team moved to Progressive Field the following season. The Cleveland Browns (NFL) played at the stadium until 1995. It was demolished in November 1996 after the Browns moved Baltimore. A new stadium for the new Cleveland Browns was built where Cleveland Municipal Stadium was located.

FACTS AND FIGURES
Tenants: Cleveland Indians (MLB), Cleveland Browns (NFL)
Capacity: 78,000 (original), 74,400 (final)
Surface: Grass
Cost: $2.5 Million, $8.6 Million (renovations)
Opened: July 31, 1932
Closed: October 3, 1993 (MLB)
Demolished: November 1996
Dimensions: 322-L, 470-C, 322-R (original), 320-L, 404-C, 320-R (final)
Architect: Osborn Engineering
Location: Site of Cleveland Browns Stadium at 1085 West 3rd Street
Cleveland, Ohio (used to be where the Browns are playing now)

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Top 100 Football Recruits for 2010

Top 100 Football Recruits for 2010
www.rivals.com



2010 Rank Pos Ht/Wt Schools
1 Seantrel Henderson
Saint Paul (MN) Cretin-Derham Hall OL 6-8/301 list
The behemoth lineman is also an AAU basketball star.
2 Lache Seastrunk
Temple (TX) Temple RB 5-11/192 list
He has run for 3,073 yards and averaged 10.2 yards per carry over the past two seasons.
3 Darius White
Fort Worth (TX) Dunbar WR 6-4/205 list
White averaged 26 yards per catch and added 16 TD receptions last year.
4 Marcus Lattimore
Duncan (SC) Byrnes RB 5-11/210 list
Lattimore was the MVP in the state title game after running for more than 300 yards.
5 Matt Elam
West Palm Beach (FL) Dwyer ATH 6-0/205 Florida
The versatile athlete ran for 431 yards, had 776 yards in receptions and recorded 91 tackles in 2008.
6 Jackson Jeffcoat
Plano (TX) Plano West DE 6-5/230 list
The son of former Cowboys star Jim Jeffcoat is a huge defensive lineman
7 James Hurst
Indianapolis (IN) Plainfield OL 6-5/284 North Carolina
Hurst was the overall MVP at the U.S. Army Junior National Combine.
8 Jeff Luc
Port St. Lucie (FL) Treasure Coast LB 6-1/230 list
He recorded 119 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and nine sacks in 2008.
9 DeMarcus Milliner
Millbrook (AL) Stanhope Elmore DB 6-1/180 list
He recorded 57 tackles and seven interceptions while rushing for 527 yards.
10 Lamarcus Joyner
Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas DB 5-8/166 list
Joyner, the top cover corner in south Florida, has more than 20 offers.
11 Michael Dyer
Little Rock (AR) Little Rock Christian RB 5-8/201 list
Dyer has rushed for 5,595 yards and 53 TDs over the past three seasons.
12 Ronald Powell
Moreno Valley (CA) Rancho Verde DE 6-4/240 list
Powell had 61 tackles, 13 sacks and scored six offensive TDs in 2008.
13 Chris Martin
Princeton (NJ) Hun School DE 6-4/240 Notre Dame
He recorded 114 tackles and an amazing 40 tackles for loss his junior season.
14 J.R. Ferguson
Chatham (VA) Hargrave Military Academy DE 6-3/272 list
He recorded 97 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 14 sacks as a junior.
15 Trovon Reed
Thibodaux (LA) Thibodaux WR 6-0/173 list
Reed had 746 yards rushing yards and 344 yards receiving his junior season.
16 Jordan Hicks
West Chester (OH) Lakota West LB 6-2/210 list
Hicks recorded 88 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and four sacks in 2008.

17 Robert Woods
Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra ATH 6-1/180 list
Woods had 81 catches for 1,378 yards and 19 TDs as a junior.
18 D.J. Morgan
Woodland Hills (CA) Taft RB 5-11/175 USC
Had 1,841 yards and 26 TDs rushing and added 583 yards and seven TDs receiving in 2008.
19 Kyle Prater
Hillside (IL) Proviso West WR 6-5/205 list
Prater had 60 catches for 948 yards and nine TDs as a junior.
20 Anthony Barr
Torrance (CA) Loyola ATH 6-4/230 list
The giant tailback ran for 1,890 yards and 20 TDs last season.
21 Reggie Wilson
Haltom City (TX) Haltom DE 6-4/240 Texas
Wilson is a two-way starter in 5A football in Texas.
22 Da'Rick Rogers
Calhoun (GA) Calhoun WR 6-3/206 list
Caught 66 passes for 1,300 yards and 11 TDs as a junior.
23 Khairi Fortt
Stamford (CT) Stamford LB 6-2/220 list
Fortt had 118 tackles and two interceptions his junior season.
24 Xavier Grimble
Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman TE 6-6/245 USC
He recorded 13 catches for 308 yards and four TDs last season.
25 Christian Green
Tampa (FL) Tampa Catholic ATH 6-2/200 list
Green passed for 1,275 yards and 14 TDs while rushing for 656 yards and six TDs in 2008.
26 Keenan Allen
Greensboro (NC) Northern Guilford ATH 6-3/195 list
As a sophomore he had 1,460 yards of total offense and 20 TDs and recorded 50 tackles.
27 Dillon Baxter
San Diego (CA) Mission Bay RB 5-11/187 USC
Baxter ran for 1,258 yards and 16 TDs while catching passes for 150 yards and four TDs.
28 Robert Crisp
Chapel Hill (NC) Chapel Hill OL 6-7/299 N.C. State
Crisp had a tremendous performance at the U.S. Army Junior National Combine.
29 Alec Ogletree
Newnan (GA) Newnan DB 6-3/210 list
Ogletree has more than 30 offers. Game is similar to the Carolina Panthers’ Thomas Davis.
30 Jamel Turner
Youngstown (OH) Ursuline DE 6-3/210 Ohio State
As a sophomore Turner recorded 94 tackles, 31 tackles for loss and 23 sacks.

31 Justin McCay
Shawnee (KS) Bishop Miege ATH 6-3/197 list
The two-sport star has offers in both football and basketball.
32 Malcolm Jones
Westlake Village (CA) Oaks Christian ATH 6-1/210 list
Jones rushed for 1,504 yards and 26 TDs while recording 39 tackles on defense as a junior.
33 Shakim Phillips
Wayne (NJ) De Paul Catholic WR 6-2/191 list
He had 40 catches for 765 yards and 10 TDs while rushing for 289 yards in 2008.
34 Gabe King
Greensboro (NC) Page DE 6-6/253 list
King recorded 75 solo tackles his junior season.
35 Kelcy Quarles
Greenwood (SC) Greenwood DT 6-4/250 South Carolina
Quarles had 75 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 17 sacks as a junior.
36 James Stone
Nashville (TN) Maplewood OL 6-5/297 list
The top prospect in Tennessee sports a 3.8 GPA.
37 Martavis Bryant
Anderson (SC) T. L. Hanna WR 6-4/190 Clemson
Bryant had 47 receptions for 803 yards as a sophomore.
38 Markeith Ambles
McDonough (GA) Henry County WR 6-2/182 list
Ambles recorded 53 receptions for 993 yards and 13 TDs his junior season.
39 Corey Nelson
Dallas (TX) Skyline LB 6-0/210 list
Nelson recorded 156 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 12 sacks as a junior.
40 Brent Benedict
Jacksonville (FL) Bolles OL 6-4/278 list
Benedict might be the most athletic lineman in the country.
41 Brennan Clay
San Diego (CA) Scripps Ranch RB 6-0/190 list
He had more than 2,500 yards of total offense in 2008.
42 Andrew Norwell
Cincinnati (OH) Anderson OL 6-7/275 Ohio State
Norwell has led his team to back-to-back appearances in the state title game.

43 Cody Riggs
Ft. Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas DB 5-8/156 list
Recorded eight interceptions and broke up 25 passes in 2008.
44 Garrison Smith
Atlanta (GA) Douglass DT 6-4/250 list
Smith recorded 108 tackles and 14 sacks his junior season.
45 Tony Jefferson
Chula Vista (CA) Eastlake LB 6-0/196 list
The speedy linebacker had 88 tackles and ran for 1,328 yards.
46 Brandon Willis
Duncan (SC) Byrnes DE 6-4/250 list
He recorded 144 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 13 sacks in 2008.
47 William Gholston
Detroit (MI) Southeastern DE 6-7/237 list
Gholston had 503 yards receiving and 108 tackles his junior season.
48 Roderick Smith
Fort Wayne (IN) Harding RB 6-3/220 list
Has already racked up more than 5,000 yards during his high school career.
49 Jimmy Gjere
New Brighton (MN) Irondale OL 6-7/275 Minnesota
The big tackle is already an early commitment to Minnesota.
50 Mack Brown
Lithonia (GA) Martin Luther King RB 5-11/185 list
Brown rushed for more than 1,700 yards and 21 TDs in 11 games as a junior.
51 Victor Hampton
Charlotte (NC) Independence DB 5-11/170 Florida
Hampton recorded 50 tackles and had 10 interceptions in 2008.
52 Jonathan Dowling
Bradenton (FL) Southeast DB 6-3/178 Florida
The ball-hawking safety recorded an incredible 14 interceptions in 2008.
53 Trey Hopkins
Galena Park (TX) North Shore OL 6-4/260 Texas
The versatile lineman is ranked fourth academically in a class of 900 kids.
54 Sean Parker
Harbor City (CA) Narbonne DB 6-0/185 list
Parker has nine Pac-10 offers and a 3.88 GPA.
55 Owamagbe Odighizuwa
Portland (OR) David Douglas DE 6-3/234 list
The defensive MVP at the U.S. Army combine had 22 tackles for loss (18 sacks) in08
56 Nick Demien
Wentzville (MO) Timberland OL 6-6/295 list
The top lineman in Missouri has offers from eight (and counting) BCS schools.
57 Corey Miller
Duncan (SC) Byrnes DE 6-4/227 list
Miller made more than 100 total tackles from his DE spot as a junior.
58 Phillip Sims
Chesapeake (VA) Oscar Smith QB 6-0/209 Alabama
Sims led his team to a state title while throwing for 2,800 yards and 37 TDs in 2008.
59 Ian Silberman
Fleming Island (FL) Fleming Island OL 6-4/257 Florida
Silberman was named second-team all-state for 4A in Florida following his junior season.
60 Jarrick Williams
Eight Mile (AL) Blount DB 6-2/205 list
He recorded 52 tackles, two picks and had 206 yards receiving and four TDs as a junior.
61 Jordan Allen
West Monroe (LA) West Monroe DE 6-6/241 list
He had 60 tackles, nine tackles for loss, nine sacks and seven fumble recoveries last season.
62 Christian Thomas
Palmdale (CA) Highland TE 6-3/235 list
As a sophomore Thomas had 34 receptions for 505 yards and three TDs.
63 Jacques Smith
Ooltewah (TN) Ooltewah DE 6-3/225 Tennessee
Smith recorded 80 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and 13 sacks his junior season.
64 Alfy Hill
Shallotte (NC) West Brunswick DE 6-4/222 list
Hill accumulated 102 tackles and 12 sacks as a junior.
65 Jaylen Watkins
Cape Coral (FL) Cape Coral ATH 6-1/172 Florida
He recorded 71 tackles and had 329 yards rushing with five TDs in 2008.
66 Ivan McCartney
Miramar (FL) Miramar WR 6-3/180 list
Half of his 22 receptions went for TDs in 2008.
67 Damien Robinson
Olive Branch (MS) Olive Branch OL 6-7/330 list
The huge Mississippi lineman has offers from more than eight BCS schools.
68 Chris Dunkley
Pahokee (FL) Pahokee WR 5-10/164 list
He had 50 catches for around 500 yards and 13 TDs in 2008.
69 Carlos Thompson
Hollandale (MS) Simmons School DE 6-5/220 list
Thompson had 115 tackles and 10 sacks in 2008.
70 Jake Matthews
Missouri City (TX) Elkins OL 6-5/275 list
The athletic lineman has offers from several BCS conference schools.
71 Corey Lemonier
Hialeah (FL) Hialeah DE 6-4/223 list
The two-way star recorded 50 tackles and 10 sacks in 2008.
72 Eric Reid
Geismar (LA) Dutchtown DB 6-3/175 LSU
The all-district safety also sports a 4.7 GPA.
73 Andrew Rodriguez
Aurora (NE) Aurora OL 6-6/298 Nebraska
The huge lineman holds the school record with a 360-pound bench press.
74 Latwan Anderson
Cleveland (OH) Glenville Academic Campus DB 5-11/185 list
Anderson recorded 50 tackles and returned two of his five picks for TDs in 2008.

75 Christian Jones
Winter Park (FL) Lake Howell LB 6-4/220 list
Jones was in on an amazing 163 tackles his junior season.
76 Taylor Bible
Denton (TX) Guyer DT 6-3/280 Texas
Bible earned honorable mention 4A all-state.
77 Roy Finch
Niceville (FL) Niceville RB 5-8/170 list
He rushed for 1,296 yards and 16 TDs and added 299 yards receiving in 2008.
78 Corey Brown
Springfield (PA) Cardinal O'Hara RB 6-0/171 list
In only three games Brown had 600 yards rushing and 13 TDs.
79 Chris Jones
Daingerfield (TX) Daingerfield WR 6-0/172 Texas
He averaged an amazing 24.9 yards per catch and scored 12 TDs in 2008.
80 Marquis Flowers
Goodyear (AZ) Millennium ATH 6-3/195 list
Flowers recorded 87 tackles and ran for 932 yards in 2008.
81 Curtis White
Eugene (OR) Sheldon TE 6-5/240 Oregon
The two-way standout led his team to a state championship.
82 Gerald Christian
West Palm Beach (FL) Dwyer DE 6-3/220 Florida
The two-way star has more than 15 offers.
83 Dominic Espinosa
Cedar Park (TX) Cedar Park OL 6-3/282 Texas
He had a standout performance at the U.S. Army All-American Junior Combine.
84 Austin Hinder
Steamboat Springs (CO) Steamboat Springs QB 6-4/177 California
In 11 games Hinder accounted for 1,600 yards passing, 750 yards rushing and 24 TDs.
85 DeAndrew White
Galena Park (TX) North Shore WR 6-0/170 list
White had 34 catches for 801 yards and 10 TDs his junior season.
86 Terrence Mitchell
Tampa (FL) Hillsborough DB 5-10/165 list
While playing corner and safety, Mitchell had 43 tackles and two INTs as a junior.
87 Cecil Whiteside
Newport Beach (CA) Newport Harbor LB 6-3/220 California
He had 26 catches and 50 tackles his junior season.
88 Blake Bell
Wichita (KS) Bishop Carroll QB 6-6/210 Oklahoma
Bell completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,871 yards and 34 TDs in 2008.
89 DeMarco Cobbs
Tulsa (OK) Tulsa Central ATH 6-1/198 list
He passed for 1,031 yards while rushing for 1,152 yards and accounting for 30 TDs in 2008.
90 Joe Boisture
Saline (MI) Saline QB 6-6/202 Boston College
He threw for 1,700 yards and 15 TDs as a junior.
91 Sharrif Floyd
Philadelphia (PA) George Washington DT 6-3/294 list
Floyd had the top DT performance at the U.S. Army Junior Combine in January.
92 Ted Meline
Miami (FL) Booker T. Washington WR 6-2/171 list
He only played the equivalent of two games in 2008 and has transferred schools recently.
93 Fre'Shad Hunter
Cary (NC) Cary DE 6-5/246 list
The former linebacker recorded 38 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss and six sacks at DE.
94 Ahmad Dixon
Waco (TX) Midway DB 6-1/194 Baylor
The hard-hitting safety recorded 114 tackles and four picks as a junior.
95 Zack McCray
Lynchburg (VA) Brookville DE 6-4/236 list
McCray had 80 tackles and 20 sacks in 2008.
96 Paul Jones
McKees Rocks (PA) Sto Rox QB 6-3/226 Penn State
Jones threw for 2,020 yards and 24 TDs while earning first-team all-state as a junior.
97 Jordon James
Corona (CA) Corona RB 5-10/190 list
In only six games he ran for 1,132 yards and 10 TDs in 2008.
98 Michaelee Harris
Miami (FL) Northwestern WR 6-0/167 list
Harris had 30 catches for 533 yards and six TDs as a junior.
99 C.J. Fiedorowicz
Johnsburg (IL) Johnsburg TE 6-7/240 list
Fiedorowicz had 809 yards receiving and 11 TDs as a junior.
100 Jesse Scroggins
Lakewood (CA) Lakewood QB 6-3/195 list

Monday, June 1, 2009

New Crew Chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch takes dig at Dale Jr.



Hendrick Makes Change with the 88 Car by Replacing Tony Eury Jr as his Crew Chief

I don't think it will make much of a difference this year. He needs a chief that will put him in his place and make him drive and shut - up! I have been a Jr. fan all of my life and I think he will be a winner, but his time is running out. I would like them to get him the best crew chief out there for a year and see how it goes.
WELL, AFTER SUNDAY'S RACE, JR FINISHED 12TH AND SEEMED TO DO A LOT BETTER WITH COMMUNICATING. LETS SEE HOW IT GOES AFTER THEY BOTH HAVE A WEEK TO WORK TOGETHER!

CONCORD, N.C. -- Rick Hendrick knew the pressure was on him to make Dale Earnhardt Jr. a champion when NASCAR's most popular driver arrived at Hendrick Motorsports last season.
He never felt that more than on Thursday, when he announced he had replaced Tony Eury Jr. as Earnhardt's crew chief, beginning with this weekend's race at Dover.
"I can tell you this is the most pressure I've felt in racing," Hendrick said.
Hendrick named Lance McGrew as Earnhardt's interim crew chief beginning with the June 7 race at Pocono. Team manager Brian Whitesell will serve as the crew chief at Dover while McGrew works with rookie Brad Keselowski.
Whitesell and Rex Stump, Hendrick's lead chassis engineer, will support McGrew on a full-time basis in hopes of turning around a team that is 19th in points.
"The pressure that I thought I would have having these guys ... I was concerned with having to manage Dale Earnhardt Jr. the superstar,'' Hendrick said. "I thought that was going to be the pressure. I never thought it would be a competition thing or failing to run pressure.
"This pressure is the worst kind of pressure because the better your [other] teams do, and then you have a team that is falling behind, then the world feels like you're not paying attention to it. I take that personally."
Hendrick thought as early as last week that Earnhardt and Eury would rally and have a shot at making the Chase. But after they finished 40th in Monday's rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600, the third consecutive finish of 27th or worse, he realized a change had to be made.
"We were pitiful, and all of us were embarrassed," Hendrick said. "I felt like it needed to happen and we couldn't wait until the end of the year. I just didn't feel it was fair to our sponsors, our fans and to those two guys to show up anymore changing nothing.
"We were working our butts off behind the scenes. It wasn't producing any fruit. I hate doing it at this time of the year. I hate having to do it period. I'd rather work out thins. My MO is to fix it, not change it. In this case I thought it was time for that."
Hendrick said he notified Earnhardt by phone on Wednesday and told Eury of the decision in person at Hendrick Motorsports. He said both accepted the decision, almost sensing relief that it was made.
"Tony Jr. is a good crew chief," Earnhardt told reporters during an appearance in Detroit. "We've had success, but this year, we aren't even mediocre. And the last couple weeks, we've arguably been one of the worst teams on the track.
"He's really, really talented, and I feel a lot of disappointment and failure for not being able to take advantage of that. Maybe the truth is that we just aren't meant to do it together. That's tough to admit, and even tougher to believe."
Hendrick said that's why he was motivated to make a move.
"It hurts me to see those two guys as frustrated as they've been and I can't help them," Hendrick said. "You can see it in their faces. I've seen Jeff Gordon get out of the car and throw his hands up. I've seen Jimmie Johnson do it.
"We had to find some sort of spark to get the car back to running good and everybody feels better about it and everybody's confidence is back."
Hendrick is optimistic that Earnhardt can rally and make the Chase.
"We're going to put our full resources toward improving the situation and winning races," Hendrick said. "It's going to be a collective effort that includes all of our drivers, all of our crew chiefs and all of our engineers. Everyone in our company will be involved on some level."
McGrew, who plans a thorough evaluation of the No. 88 team's operations, believes the team has been preparing for races differently than Hendrick's other three teams.
"I just believe there were some theories that they were using to making decisions by, that weren't necessarily the same theory that's on the rest of the complex," McGrew told ESPN.com's Marty Smith.
Chief Concern
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has driven for five crew chiefs in his NASCAR career, with Tony Eury Sr. and Tony Eury Jr. calling the majority of those races. His best season came under Eury Sr. in 2004 with six wins, including the Daytona 500. Here's how Junior has fared under each:
"The idea of having a multiple-car team is you can lean on your teammates," McGrew said. "And you have to be within the same page to get any information. A lot of times they were not on the same page."
Earnhardt and Eury had one win, 19 top-10s and 11 top-5s in 48 races after moving from Dale Earnhardt Inc. to HMS in 2008. Eury will move into what officials called a "key role" in HMS' research and development group.
"I have mixed feelings, and that's just natural," Eury said. "But I enjoy working at Hendrick Motorsports, and this is where I want to be. I'll do whatever I can to help all of our teams and try to be a part of another championship. I think a new challenge will be good."
Thursday's announcement came two months after Hendrick said he wasn't close to breaking up Earnhardt and Eury.
Hendrick said then Earnhardt and Eury each told him they would part if he didn't feel they were working well together. Race day communication has been a major issue, one that began when they were at Dale Earnhardt Inc. and one Hendrick began addressing last season when the team faltered in the Chase. Eury told ESPN.com two weeks ago if Earnhardt didn't make the Chase, he wouldn't blame Hendrick for making a change.
With Earnhardt 203 points behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin for the 12th and final Chase spot, Hendrick decided the time was now.
"Tony and I talked through this last night," Hendrick said. "I want him here, he wants to be here, and he's going to be a big contributor to our future success. I have an unbelievable amount of respect for the job he's done and for the caliber of person that he is."
Earnhardt's relationship with his first cousin has come under question many times over the years. It came to a head after a rough start to this season that had NASCAR's most popular driver 35th in points after two races.
Earnhardt came to Eury's rescue at Bristol with his fans screaming for a change.
"He gets criticized so bad," he said. "Everybody in this room ... knows how smart of a guy he is, certainly knows he's a good mechanic and a solid crew chief.
"He just wanted to do this for a living just like I do. I'll take the fall. I'd rather be crucified than him. Every time I read in the paper that people are on his case I feel like I'm sending my brother to jail for a crime I committed."
Three straight poor performances apparently sealed Eury's fate.
McGrew, 41, has posted wins in all three of NASCAR's top three series. He won the Oct. 2006 Cup race with Brian Vickers at Talladega and helped Vickers earn the 2003 Nationwide Series title.
Most recently he helped rookie Brad Keselowski to a seventh-place finish in the May 9 Cup race at Darlington.
McGrew and Earnhardt teamed in three Nationwide races last season, posting top 10 finishes at Teas and LMS and a 15th at Atlanta.
"I like Lance. He's going to tell me like it is, and that's what I want," Earnhardt said. "I've worked with him in the past, and I also have a whole lot of trust in Brian. He's going to make sure I've got what I need every week. I'm not worried at all about that. And who knows? This combination could be amazing."



Kyle Busch takes dig at Dale Jr.
Busch just needs to shut up!!!!

DOVER, Del. -- Kyle Busch said it point-blank: "It's never Junior; it's always the crew chief."
Busch fired that opening volley of driver reaction Friday morning to Hendrick Motorsports' dismissal of Tony Eury Jr. as Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief on Thursday.
“He's got his hands full, I guess, having to deal with what's going on. And if Junior doesn't run well, then [McGrew] is going to be the 'problem' again.”-- Kyle Busch
Asked about Eury's replacement, Lance McGrew, with whom Busch worked in the Nationwide Series at Hendrick in 2004, Busch expressed pity for McGrew.
"He's got his hands full, I guess, having to deal with what's going on," Busch said. "And if Junior doesn't run well, then he [McGrew] is going to be the 'problem' again."
Still, Busch said he understood the move to bolster the driver who replaced him at Hendrick last season, both because of Earnhardt's star power and Busch's salary issues.
"You've got to make the most popular driver in the sport competitive, so you gotta do what you gotta do, I guess," Busch said.
But Busch added, "He's the one who brought that crew chief on; he's the one who pulled so hard to bring Eury Jr. in [along with Earnhardt in his move from Dale Earnhardt Inc.].
"It looked like it was working there in the beginning," Busch continued, "and it just hasn't worked since the summer of last year, really. So, whatever makes them better, I guess."
Busch has won 11 Cup races to Earnhardt's one since the beginning of 2008, when Busch went to Joe Gibbs Racing and Earnhardt went to Hendrick.
Busch is currently sixth in points, well within the Chase, while Earnhardt is 19th after 12 races. No driver has ever come from 19th at this point in the season to make the Chase. Greg Biffle made the biggest leap, from 19th to 14th, in 2007.
Veteran Jeff Burton expressed more sympathy for Eury, who has been under intense fire for months from Earnhardt's fans, than for anyone else in the shakeup.
"I have a lot of respect for Tony Eury Jr.," Burton said. "I've seen him be part of making an awful lot of race cars go fast, including the cars that Junior was driving.
"If you go back just two years ago [when Earnhardt and Eury were together at DEI], there were an awful lot of races that Junior had chances to win, and compete at a very high level, and had problems," Burton said.
“Before they worked at Hendrick, the rumors were around that maybe there isn't the focus or the commitment. And all that stuff is BS. Both of those guys are extremely committed and extremely focused on what they're doing. And that's what makes this so tough. ” -- Jimmie Johnson
"I think the fans have been excessively hard on Eury Jr.," Burton continued. "I feel bad for him about that. At the same time, Junior can get it done, too.
"For whatever reason, it wasn't working, and sometimes you just have to make a change."
Team owner Rick Hendrick promised Thursday that "everyone in our company" will be involved in the effort to bolster Earnhardt, including "all of our drivers."
Said Jimmie Johnson, "as a teammate, I need to do everything that I can to explain my car and answer any questions that Junior may have, and in our debrief sessions, explain as much as I can. The same for Jeff [Gordon] and Mark [Martin]."
Asked whether Earnhardt has been absorbing debrief information, or whether he needs to absorb more, Johnson said, "I've been impressed by both [Earnhardt and Eury in the debriefs].
"Dale Jr. is on time to those meetings, and that's a pretty big statement, on a funny note," Johnson said, referring to Earnhardt's career-long reputation for not being an early riser or particularly punctual. "One time we came in the truck and he had food and drinks for us set up. So that's all being on the funny side.
"But on a real note, I've seen a great commitment out of both of them," Johnson continued. "Before they worked at Hendrick, the rumors were around that maybe there isn't the focus or the commitment.
"And all that stuff is BS. Both of those guys are extremely committed and extremely focused on what they're doing. And that's what makes this so tough," Johnson continued. "When the results aren't there and the effort is there, it's a hard world to live in."
The shift of Hendrick personnel and resources to focus on Earnhardt's effort "is not that unusual," said HMS senior driver Jeff Gordon. "It is unusual in that it's Junior and it's a very high profile driver. You know there's going to be a lot of media attention, and that's the biggest challenge.
"Within the organization we've had similar situations before," Gordon continued. "I've been there 17 years, so we've seen a lot of changes.
"My role is not going to be really any different from what it has been," Gordon said. "That's just to give my opinion, my thoughts on what I see and what I hear in our debriefs."
Ryan Newman of the Hendrick satellite Stewart-Haas team pointed out that beyond engineering, "It's a people business and you have to work together as a group. You have to have that chemistry that creates that gel that keeps everybody together.
"Performance is a part of that, attitude is a part of that, ego is a part of it -- your mannerisms can be a part of that," Newman continued.
"It's just part of sports in general. Every team goes through that, whether they're a team within an organization or a basketball team out there fighting against another team.
"It's about the people, and sometimes you have to make those changes -- that's the bottom line," Newman concluded.
Carl Edwards nosedived to a winless season in 2006 when separated from crew chief Bob Osborne at Roush Fenway Racing. He then rebounded in '07 and soared in '08 with Osborne back.
"With the crew chief changes that I've had, there's really not a set thing you have to learn about somebody -- it either works or it doesn't," Edwards said. "You either run better or you don't, and there's no way to really tell how that's going to happen."