If you don't understand the title of this post, here's the explanation: this post is my 100th on the blog. Although I only get about six views per week, and there are only about four die-hard readers of the blog, I can honestly say that it's those six views and four die-hard readers per week that have kept me writing. So, I'd like to extend a big thanks to you guys, and to anyone who has read even one of my posts. Hopefully my writing stimulates your mind, and keeps you interested in the many stories that are constantly developing in the sports world. That's really what opinionated journalism is all about. So, here's to 100 more, and hopefully bigger and better things in the future!
This weekend was an interesting one in college football. While I wasn't overly surprised about Oregon's close game with Cal, I think it finally opened the eyes of many people who are already placing the Ducks in the national championship game. They are beatable, and while Arizona and Oregon State may not instill the utmost confidence that number one will go down, we saw this weekend that it is possible. With every win, the pressure amounts for the Ducks. I honestly think that the Oregon State game will be the toughest of the year for Chip Kelley's team. The game will be played in Corvallis, and I think that Oregon State will be up for the game. It could make what has been an overly disappointing season for the Beavers little bit more bearable heading into the offseason if they could upset the Ducks.
Although people's eyes were opened to the fact that Oregon may not be untouchable, people still seem to be ignoring another team out West that may be just as good, if not better, than the Ducks. Last Friday, Boise State manhandled in-state rival Idaho, beating the Vandals 52-14. At one point, the Broncos were up 28-0...in the first quarter. It truly looked like a game in NCAA Football 11; the Broncos could do no wrong early on. Idaho isn't exactly a total slouch, either. Although the Vandals do have some defensive issues, this is a team that went to Nebraska earlier this season and gave the Cornhuskers fits the entire first half, before bowing out 38-17. I don't want to get into the cliché argument about Boise State's strength of schedule, but I am getting pretty sick and tired of hearing from all the Boise bashers that haven't even watched Boise State play other than against Virginia Tech. I know that most people have lives and don't watch the Friday night WAC battles, but thanks to my inability to get a date now and again, this source of entertainment is my best friend. The bottom line is, it doesn't matter who Boise State is playing; they look like a team capable of playing heads up with anyone in the country. Also, Boise has a date in a couple of weeks with a very solid Nevada team, who earlier this season took it to that same Cal team that gave Oregon fits this past weekend. One more thing; with every passing week, Boise’s win over Virginia Tech continues to look better. Since their 0-2 start, the Hokies are undefeated, and look to be headed for an ACC championship.
In other news, I think I may actually watch the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Homestead this weekend. This is really one of the first races this season that I've actually been interested to watch. If you would have told me that three years ago, I would have said you were crazy. However, I think that sums up the state of NASCAR right now. Jimmie Johnson not being in the lead, yet having a chance, is the best thing that could have happened to the sport. Since Johnson began his tear of consecutive Spring Cup championships almost five years ago, the sport has lost a significant portion of its fan base, for multiple reasons. Although it's doubtful that one race will turn the tide in the right direction for NASCAR, ending the season with a potential thrilling points finish can't hurt the sport. When NASCAR implemented the Chase for the Cup system back in 2005, I'm sure that they thought this type of excitement at the end of the season would be the norm. Although it has been anything but (with the void-of-personality Jimmie Johnson racking in the titles with ease), it will be nice to see what we thought we were getting every year with the Chase for the Cup format.
Now that college basketball has begun, I thought that I'd mention one of my favorite events of the entire year. Starting November 16th (that's tomorrow) at 12 a.m., the College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon will begin. Basically, ESPN will be broadcasting games all day, until 12 a.m. the next day. That's right; you can be sipping your morning coffee while determining whether the Monmouth team you're watching will be able to make it into the NCAA Tournament. Not only is this a cool event in that it is out of the ordinary, but it also gives teams (such as Monmouth) a chance to play on national television, which is an opportunity they may not have again until February, when ESPN does their Bracket Buster Weekend.
- K. Becks
Showing posts with label nascar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nascar. Show all posts
Monday, November 15, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
My Weekend At Mid Ohio
This past weekend was probably the biggest and most anticipated weekend of my entire summer. Last August, I made my first trip to the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, and fell in love. It was the first time in almost two years that I was going to be able to attend a racing event (I used to attend the August NASCAR races at Michigan International Speedway), and I had heard from my uncle, mom, and brother that had gone in previous years that it was a pretty cool experience. They couldn't have been more right, and I was already looking forward to 2010 when we left the track after the IRL race last year.
Then came sometime early last December. It was around that time that I learned that my cousin's wedding date was the same day as this year's Le Mans race at Mid Ohio. "I was pissed" would be a PG-13 rated way of expressing my feelings after receiving that news. Originally, I wasn't going to be able to attend any races throughout the weekend because of the wedding. However, due to my persistence, and the fact that I was willing to spend pretty much whatever it took to convince my dad to buy tickets for my brothers and I, we were able to get to the track on both Friday and Sunday.
Why exactly is going to these races such a great experience? Well, for starters, I'm just a racing fan. I understand that people who enjoy watching racing on TV are few and far between, but when you're actually at the track, there is nothing like it. The smell of burnt rubber rising from the track, hearing the sound of the engines, and giving your eyes a real workout as you try to keep up with the Indy Racing League cars flying by is second to none. Also, it's a great way to take a break from the busy lives that I'm sure you all have. What's better than kicking back in your chair under the shade of a canopy, having a few drinks (no, I didn't do this one. Come on.), and watching a practice session, qualifying, or whatever happens to be going on at the track? Let me tell you; it's a hell of a lot better than working. I can't tell you how many times I said "I'm so glad that this was this weekend so that I could call of work" while I was at the track.
Possibly the biggest reason that the Mid Ohio experience has been so great is the fan friendliness. I've been to NASCAR races, and the chances of talking with a driver (or even seeing a driver walking around, for that matter) at those events are slim to none. However, at Mid-Ohio, they set up autograph sessions, the drivers walk around in the paddock just like the spectators, and in general, the drivers don't act like prima donnas that think they are too good to be there. I've never been to another sporting event where you can witness those types of things. I've never been to another sporting event where you can get an autograph from every driver in an entire series without having to pay an ungodly amount of money. I've never been to a sporting event where I've had so much fun.
In my opinion, the Indy Racing League is on the up and up, slowly climbing back to where they once were as far as auto racing is concerned. They're getting young, talented drivers, with names like Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal that will attract fans that remember the days when their dads raced and Indy cars were king. Every year they are getting more drivers entering each race, getting closer to having a full field for each event. The biggest thing, though, may be that they haven't lost their soul. NASCAR used to be a bunch of guys making moonshine that came to the track in the family car to race, many times getting in fights in the infield. Now, it's largely corporate, with drivers settling their differences behind the scenes in a driver trailer. They race highly modified cars that barely resemble what the manufacturer puts out on the road. Most importantly, it has become a sport where only a few can truly compete, with only a handful of drivers winning races throughout the season. The Indy Racing League hasn't lost their soul. They are still the fastest cars around, they still have the Andretti's and Rahal's in the series, and they haven't become so big that everything is just a moving billboard.
Even if you're not into racing, I strongly urge you to look into the Indy Racing League, the Firestone Indy Lights, the American Le Mans Series, and some of the other series that run at Mid Ohio. Find where they race throughout the year, go to an event near you, and I'm sure that you'll be happy you did. At the very least, you'll find yourself saying "I'm glad that I was able to call of work for this".
More Info
Indy Racing League
Firestone Indy Lights
American Le Mans Series
SCCA World Challenge
I want to make sure that I add this in here. To Matt and Kelly, congratulations, and I hope that you have many, many happy years together. I'm no longer pissed that I couldn't go to the race on Saturday, and your wedding was really fun, so I think it all worked out okay.
- K. Becks
Then came sometime early last December. It was around that time that I learned that my cousin's wedding date was the same day as this year's Le Mans race at Mid Ohio. "I was pissed" would be a PG-13 rated way of expressing my feelings after receiving that news. Originally, I wasn't going to be able to attend any races throughout the weekend because of the wedding. However, due to my persistence, and the fact that I was willing to spend pretty much whatever it took to convince my dad to buy tickets for my brothers and I, we were able to get to the track on both Friday and Sunday.
Why exactly is going to these races such a great experience? Well, for starters, I'm just a racing fan. I understand that people who enjoy watching racing on TV are few and far between, but when you're actually at the track, there is nothing like it. The smell of burnt rubber rising from the track, hearing the sound of the engines, and giving your eyes a real workout as you try to keep up with the Indy Racing League cars flying by is second to none. Also, it's a great way to take a break from the busy lives that I'm sure you all have. What's better than kicking back in your chair under the shade of a canopy, having a few drinks (no, I didn't do this one. Come on.), and watching a practice session, qualifying, or whatever happens to be going on at the track? Let me tell you; it's a hell of a lot better than working. I can't tell you how many times I said "I'm so glad that this was this weekend so that I could call of work" while I was at the track.
Possibly the biggest reason that the Mid Ohio experience has been so great is the fan friendliness. I've been to NASCAR races, and the chances of talking with a driver (or even seeing a driver walking around, for that matter) at those events are slim to none. However, at Mid-Ohio, they set up autograph sessions, the drivers walk around in the paddock just like the spectators, and in general, the drivers don't act like prima donnas that think they are too good to be there. I've never been to another sporting event where you can witness those types of things. I've never been to another sporting event where you can get an autograph from every driver in an entire series without having to pay an ungodly amount of money. I've never been to a sporting event where I've had so much fun.
In my opinion, the Indy Racing League is on the up and up, slowly climbing back to where they once were as far as auto racing is concerned. They're getting young, talented drivers, with names like Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal that will attract fans that remember the days when their dads raced and Indy cars were king. Every year they are getting more drivers entering each race, getting closer to having a full field for each event. The biggest thing, though, may be that they haven't lost their soul. NASCAR used to be a bunch of guys making moonshine that came to the track in the family car to race, many times getting in fights in the infield. Now, it's largely corporate, with drivers settling their differences behind the scenes in a driver trailer. They race highly modified cars that barely resemble what the manufacturer puts out on the road. Most importantly, it has become a sport where only a few can truly compete, with only a handful of drivers winning races throughout the season. The Indy Racing League hasn't lost their soul. They are still the fastest cars around, they still have the Andretti's and Rahal's in the series, and they haven't become so big that everything is just a moving billboard.
Even if you're not into racing, I strongly urge you to look into the Indy Racing League, the Firestone Indy Lights, the American Le Mans Series, and some of the other series that run at Mid Ohio. Find where they race throughout the year, go to an event near you, and I'm sure that you'll be happy you did. At the very least, you'll find yourself saying "I'm glad that I was able to call of work for this".
More Info
Indy Racing League
Firestone Indy Lights
American Le Mans Series
SCCA World Challenge
I want to make sure that I add this in here. To Matt and Kelly, congratulations, and I hope that you have many, many happy years together. I'm no longer pissed that I couldn't go to the race on Saturday, and your wedding was really fun, so I think it all worked out okay.
- K. Becks
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