Its that time of year again, the time of year where I make about 32 guesses in a half dozen or so NCAA Basketball bracket pools. And of course the bracket that usually does the best is the one that if I can't decide on a winner, I flip a coin to decide which team advances to the next round.
A few observations of this thing we call March Madness:
* The never ending 'selection shows' and subsequent evaluation of the first round pairings. (And some think Nascar pre-race shows are experiencing over-kill)
* Another problem with the selection shows are the 'live' cut aways to some spare team 'waiting' to see if they make it into the tournament and seeing them cheer themselves after finding out they will be traveling across the country to play the number one team in the nation. It was 'fun' to watch the first 10 or so times it was done, but its becoming over-kill.
* The over analysis of the seeding of teams. Does it really matter if a team is a #2 seed opposed to a #3, or the difference of a #1 or a #2 seed.
* Mid court team and sponsor logos which are so large that they are a distraction.
* Head coaches slicking their hair back like they were starring in "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" or a Dapper Dan commercial.
* The 15 seed beating the 2 seed myth. This only happens about once in every five or so years. Even a blind dog finds a bone some days, but usually goes through his days hungry.
* Most brackets will be won be predicting the 5/12 and the 8/9 seed winners. I'll be getting the trusty coin out for most of those games.
* And lastly, the teams that got the NCAA 'snub'. Its a sad day when a tournament has a field of 65 teams and there is still some controversy. And some think that a 4 team 'play-off' if college football will solve the BCS? There will always be teams and fans that think they should have made the big dance.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Friday, March 09, 2007
The Dreaded "C" Word
Hearing the excuses from the Evernham fans the past few weeks opens up room for much discussion. Excuses like; (a) "How can Nascar penalize the 10 and 19 teams when the teams used the same fasteners the previous year?" (b) "If it is okay last year then it should be okay this year." or (c) "Its Nascar's fault for not catching them last year, but decides to catch them this year". But this blog really isn't about the Evernham cheating with the 10 and 19 cars specifically, but it is more about the premise of when and how a participant gets caught cheating, and how many other times that participant got away with it.
A Recent Sports Illustrated report makes the claim that Los Angeles Angels outfielder Gary Matthews has been directly linked to receiving Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in 2004. Using the excuses sited above, should Matthews have the Scarlet Letter "C" branded on him as a 'cheater'?
A few facts about HGH, Major League Baseball since 2004.
1) Taking HGH in 2004 wasn't technically against Major League Baseball rules, since that substance wasn't added to the banned list until 2005
2) There is no direct evidence that Matthews in 2005 or even 2006 took HGH after the substance was banned by Major League Baseball.
3) To date: Major League Baseball still does not have a proven screening for HGH.
Lets just make a couple of assumptions that Matthews in '04 and as recently as last year did indeed take HGH in order to better his on field performances and apply the same excuses/questions that some a the Evernham fans are using.
1) How can Major League Baseball (and the public in general) penalize Matthews for receiving a substance that was not even illegal under the rules in 2004?
2) If it was okay to use in previous years, shouldn't it be okay to use this year?
3) Its Major League Baseball's fault for not coming up with a test but deciding to make a substance illegal. After all they didn't catch Matthews in '04, '05, or even last year. Why is this year any different?
Now don't get me wrong, I am not defending Matthews in any way, but I am pointing out the bias of the excuses given when it comes to recent Nascar penalties.
A Recent Sports Illustrated report makes the claim that Los Angeles Angels outfielder Gary Matthews has been directly linked to receiving Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in 2004. Using the excuses sited above, should Matthews have the Scarlet Letter "C" branded on him as a 'cheater'?
A few facts about HGH, Major League Baseball since 2004.
1) Taking HGH in 2004 wasn't technically against Major League Baseball rules, since that substance wasn't added to the banned list until 2005
2) There is no direct evidence that Matthews in 2005 or even 2006 took HGH after the substance was banned by Major League Baseball.
3) To date: Major League Baseball still does not have a proven screening for HGH.
Lets just make a couple of assumptions that Matthews in '04 and as recently as last year did indeed take HGH in order to better his on field performances and apply the same excuses/questions that some a the Evernham fans are using.
1) How can Major League Baseball (and the public in general) penalize Matthews for receiving a substance that was not even illegal under the rules in 2004?
2) If it was okay to use in previous years, shouldn't it be okay to use this year?
3) Its Major League Baseball's fault for not coming up with a test but deciding to make a substance illegal. After all they didn't catch Matthews in '04, '05, or even last year. Why is this year any different?
Now don't get me wrong, I am not defending Matthews in any way, but I am pointing out the bias of the excuses given when it comes to recent Nascar penalties.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Cry Me a River, Jack and Ray
Looks like the appeals for both the 17 and 9 teams have been denied and the whining continues from the fans when their driver gets caught with their hands in the cookie jar. (or cheating jar in this case)
Flashback less than a year ago, to a pre-race driver's meeting where the very subject of getting caught cheating. Nascar felt it's hand was force to anti-up the punishment for cheating and this revelation was addressed specifically at this driver's meeting. From that point on, the 'cheating game' had changed. No matter what or how you defined cheating before that driver's meeting, that meant nothing from that point on. The past, simply put was history and not comparable. Even the term 'benchmark' was used by Nascar stating that past penalties were no longer applicable. Cheating, had just had the bar set higher and a new playing field was set in terms of punishment.
I guess both owners didn't get the memo or attended that meeting. Both Jack and Ray have made the excuse that even though Nascar said they would be more severe in the punishments, that the magnitude of the punishments did not compare to similar violations of the past. Were they not listening to Nascar when they stated that the past was history. Like punishing little kids, Nascar threatened and threatened to put cheaters in the 'naughty square' or 'time-out', and finally drew the line in the sand.
After Nascar's announcement of more severe penalties, there were two other 50 point loss violation imposed by the sanctioning body in the 2006 season.
*The number 2 team failed post qualifying inspection during the October Lowes Race for a shock violation. The driver and owner each lost 50 points respectively plus having the Crew Chief suspended and placed on probation, and also a fine
*The number 7 team was fined and docked 50 driver and owner points for 'intentionally causing a caution' when a piece of the car's roll bar was seen on the track.
So Jack and Ray can whine all they want, but it doesn't negate the fact that they were warned many times. they cheated, they got caught, they were told that this year is a new ball game. Now it is time to pay the fiddler.
Flashback less than a year ago, to a pre-race driver's meeting where the very subject of getting caught cheating. Nascar felt it's hand was force to anti-up the punishment for cheating and this revelation was addressed specifically at this driver's meeting. From that point on, the 'cheating game' had changed. No matter what or how you defined cheating before that driver's meeting, that meant nothing from that point on. The past, simply put was history and not comparable. Even the term 'benchmark' was used by Nascar stating that past penalties were no longer applicable. Cheating, had just had the bar set higher and a new playing field was set in terms of punishment.
I guess both owners didn't get the memo or attended that meeting. Both Jack and Ray have made the excuse that even though Nascar said they would be more severe in the punishments, that the magnitude of the punishments did not compare to similar violations of the past. Were they not listening to Nascar when they stated that the past was history. Like punishing little kids, Nascar threatened and threatened to put cheaters in the 'naughty square' or 'time-out', and finally drew the line in the sand.
After Nascar's announcement of more severe penalties, there were two other 50 point loss violation imposed by the sanctioning body in the 2006 season.
*The number 2 team failed post qualifying inspection during the October Lowes Race for a shock violation. The driver and owner each lost 50 points respectively plus having the Crew Chief suspended and placed on probation, and also a fine
*The number 7 team was fined and docked 50 driver and owner points for 'intentionally causing a caution' when a piece of the car's roll bar was seen on the track.
So Jack and Ray can whine all they want, but it doesn't negate the fact that they were warned many times. they cheated, they got caught, they were told that this year is a new ball game. Now it is time to pay the fiddler.
Monday, March 05, 2007
It's Sad but True
I only watch a couple of Busch races a season. There a many reasons for this, but probably the top couple of reasons are, 'the Buschwackers' and too great of a different between the funding of teams. But there is an occasion or two where I am interested in watching a Busch Race. This past weekend was no exception, but the reasons were laced with irony.
It took a race held outside of the U.S. to peak some interest, and a road course race to boot. (I'm not a fan of watching road courses on TeVee in the first place). It took the over hype of a Brazilian driver and his team's mid race mistake which looked to be an 'ender' for the team. It took the refreshing view of the fans in the stands, and their enthusiasm without having to see countless views of the Confederate Navy Jack. It took a network who 'used' to show the whole field, but for some reason yesterday, I would have thought only a handful of cars actually made the field. It took a race that had pit strategy and teams on different tire management. Lastly, it even took a 'race move' that was either brilliant or wreckless.
It's all sad but true, and that's what it took to get this race fan interested in watching a Busch race for the first time this season, and probably since last July or so.
It took a race held outside of the U.S. to peak some interest, and a road course race to boot. (I'm not a fan of watching road courses on TeVee in the first place). It took the over hype of a Brazilian driver and his team's mid race mistake which looked to be an 'ender' for the team. It took the refreshing view of the fans in the stands, and their enthusiasm without having to see countless views of the Confederate Navy Jack. It took a network who 'used' to show the whole field, but for some reason yesterday, I would have thought only a handful of cars actually made the field. It took a race that had pit strategy and teams on different tire management. Lastly, it even took a 'race move' that was either brilliant or wreckless.
It's all sad but true, and that's what it took to get this race fan interested in watching a Busch race for the first time this season, and probably since last July or so.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Off Week Flotsam and Jetsam
I don't really follow the Busch series, so two weeks into the season, this becomes an off-week for this race fan. A few items that have washed ashore.
* Learn the Rules:
It simply amazes me that in 'big time' sports, how key players or coaches don't have a full working knowledge of the rules, rule changes, and how they will effect them. Listening to the 19 this past weekend at California, during the late race red flag, there was dialogue between owner and acting 'Crew Chief', Ray Evernham, and the 'Southern Gentleman' concerning when they would be able to pit once the cars started rolling again. Rays final comment was an admission that he "wasn't up on the rule all that well".
Now I don't expect the driver to be a walking rule book, as his focus is directed at more pressing issues such as driving the car fast, and turning left. But I would expect an owner who has been in the sport for decades to have a better working understanding of the 'in-race' rules. At the very least, hire someone else that their sole job is to have close ties to Nascar and race officials and a working knowledge of the rulebook.
The 19 team is not alone in this though, and this problem even spills over to other major sports as well. In recent years, NFL teams hire ex-officials to help 'teach' the rules to players and coaches and to aid in keeping up with rule changes from season to season. The same can be said for MLB and the NHL.
* The Blame Game:
How many times do we hear that "Nascar has turned a blind eye to tradition and forgot it's roots", concerning specifically with race dates and race venues. But there is a current event in Dallas in which the similarities to the lost dates of Rockingham, North Wilks and even Darlington are so close, it is scary.
Officials with the State Fair of Texas and the City of Dallas conceded Monday that after 71 games, several national title contests, the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic will almost certainly move from its namesake stadium in Fair Park to the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington. Rest assured, when the contract runs out in 2010, the OU/TEXAS game as well as the Grambling/Prairie View A&M will follow suit.
The question that needs to be asked is just how can such a 'tradition' be forgotten and ignored like this? That answer is simple. In order to keep 'traditions' like this, the venue, the city, and even the fans that attend need to be willing to pony up the dollars for upgrades, basic maintenance and making the game day event as pleasurable as possible. The City of Dallas owns the Cotton Bowl Stadium at Fair park, and has refused for the past 10 or so years to upgrade the antiquated facility (Although a late 'band-aid' of 30 million dollars was pledged late last year, how ever since that pledge the city has drug their feet in announcing their plans for that money). Even the fans that attend games as this venue have lowered the demand for tickets for various reasons, and are not willing to support the City in upgrading this facility.
The result as the same fate of Rockingham, North Wilks and even Darlington. That is losing event dates, and eventually shutting down the venue all together. This has little to do with ignoring tradition, it has more to do with making sound business decisions. Nascar (for the most part) has made the correct decisions just as now the Cotton Bowl is doing. If not, races would be held at venues that are falling apart because of neglect and/or poor financial backing.
* Separation of Duties:
It is pretty much common knowledge that I am quick to point out the poor 'PR' decisions made by the Spotter of the "Southern Gentleman", but giving credit where credit is due, I think the Brett Griffin is a top three spotter (if not the best). He has an uncanny ability to not only watch the 19 car, but also scanning the track to see the lines the leaders or faster cars are running and relaying that information to the driver. When the 19 car exits a corner 'better' than the cars in front of him, its a safe bet that Griffin will give the driver some positive feedback of where the car is running it's best on the track. That is not a 'pom pom' spotter by any means, but a spotter who lets the driver know where the strengths of the car seems to be.
Over the years I have listened to dozens of spotters who don't do this, and the result can be easy to see, especially when listening/watching the driver in post race interviews. Drivers that have spotters unlike Brett, simply have to search out on the own for the faster lines and it can become a trail and error.
Now if only we could see that same excellence shown by the spotter from the driver, crew chief, crew, and shop personnel, then we might see the results projected by many for the 19 team.
Just giving credit where credit is due!
* Learn the Rules:
It simply amazes me that in 'big time' sports, how key players or coaches don't have a full working knowledge of the rules, rule changes, and how they will effect them. Listening to the 19 this past weekend at California, during the late race red flag, there was dialogue between owner and acting 'Crew Chief', Ray Evernham, and the 'Southern Gentleman' concerning when they would be able to pit once the cars started rolling again. Rays final comment was an admission that he "wasn't up on the rule all that well".
Now I don't expect the driver to be a walking rule book, as his focus is directed at more pressing issues such as driving the car fast, and turning left. But I would expect an owner who has been in the sport for decades to have a better working understanding of the 'in-race' rules. At the very least, hire someone else that their sole job is to have close ties to Nascar and race officials and a working knowledge of the rulebook.
The 19 team is not alone in this though, and this problem even spills over to other major sports as well. In recent years, NFL teams hire ex-officials to help 'teach' the rules to players and coaches and to aid in keeping up with rule changes from season to season. The same can be said for MLB and the NHL.
* The Blame Game:
How many times do we hear that "Nascar has turned a blind eye to tradition and forgot it's roots", concerning specifically with race dates and race venues. But there is a current event in Dallas in which the similarities to the lost dates of Rockingham, North Wilks and even Darlington are so close, it is scary.
Officials with the State Fair of Texas and the City of Dallas conceded Monday that after 71 games, several national title contests, the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic will almost certainly move from its namesake stadium in Fair Park to the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington. Rest assured, when the contract runs out in 2010, the OU/TEXAS game as well as the Grambling/Prairie View A&M will follow suit.
The question that needs to be asked is just how can such a 'tradition' be forgotten and ignored like this? That answer is simple. In order to keep 'traditions' like this, the venue, the city, and even the fans that attend need to be willing to pony up the dollars for upgrades, basic maintenance and making the game day event as pleasurable as possible. The City of Dallas owns the Cotton Bowl Stadium at Fair park, and has refused for the past 10 or so years to upgrade the antiquated facility (Although a late 'band-aid' of 30 million dollars was pledged late last year, how ever since that pledge the city has drug their feet in announcing their plans for that money). Even the fans that attend games as this venue have lowered the demand for tickets for various reasons, and are not willing to support the City in upgrading this facility.
The result as the same fate of Rockingham, North Wilks and even Darlington. That is losing event dates, and eventually shutting down the venue all together. This has little to do with ignoring tradition, it has more to do with making sound business decisions. Nascar (for the most part) has made the correct decisions just as now the Cotton Bowl is doing. If not, races would be held at venues that are falling apart because of neglect and/or poor financial backing.
* Separation of Duties:
It is pretty much common knowledge that I am quick to point out the poor 'PR' decisions made by the Spotter of the "Southern Gentleman", but giving credit where credit is due, I think the Brett Griffin is a top three spotter (if not the best). He has an uncanny ability to not only watch the 19 car, but also scanning the track to see the lines the leaders or faster cars are running and relaying that information to the driver. When the 19 car exits a corner 'better' than the cars in front of him, its a safe bet that Griffin will give the driver some positive feedback of where the car is running it's best on the track. That is not a 'pom pom' spotter by any means, but a spotter who lets the driver know where the strengths of the car seems to be.
Over the years I have listened to dozens of spotters who don't do this, and the result can be easy to see, especially when listening/watching the driver in post race interviews. Drivers that have spotters unlike Brett, simply have to search out on the own for the faster lines and it can become a trail and error.
Now if only we could see that same excellence shown by the spotter from the driver, crew chief, crew, and shop personnel, then we might see the results projected by many for the 19 team.
Just giving credit where credit is due!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
California dreamin? or California snoozer?
I think the California Motor Speedway might be one of the most 'race-able' tracks on the Cup Circuit, but that does not make it one of the most enjoyable to watch.
The track offers at the very least, three racing grooves, long pit areas and a combination of speed and handling. So why is this race many times a 'snoozer'? That answer is pretty easy. The very nature of this track does not offer many cautions to aid in keeping the field bunched up. Also the speed variance between the front runners and the field fillers can be so different that by the end of a fuel run, the field is strung out all over the 2 mile speedway. So what could be done to help this situation?
Golf an occasion will 'trick up' their tournaments with 'match play' or 'Stableford scoring system' at some tournaments which offer a nice variety for the golfing fanatic. Why not Nascar?
One idea that would not only help the 'racing' at California but would also be a TeVee advertising bonanza would be to break up the 500 mile race into 4 or so 'segments'. Imagine the possibilities for TeVee if they were able to actually schedule their commercial breaks and such.
* Segment 1
All 43 cars would run a 150 mile (75 lap segment) and which at the very least, all cars would have to make at least one pit stop for fuel and tires (based on the current fuel window). After lap 75, and mandatory caution would fly in which the field would be 'locked', however all teams would be given a 10 minute 'break' to make any chassis changes and such will sitting on pit road.
* Segment 2
All 43 cars would restart in the order the order of the placement at the end of segment 1, and run another 150 mile (75 lap) segment. After locking the field when the mandatory caution fies, this time the last ten cars in the field at the end of this segment would be sent to the garage and their day would be over. Again, another 10 minute break to allow any chassis changes will the car is on pit road.
* Segment 3
The top 33 cars to run a 100 mile (50 lap) 'sprint' in which the top 25 cars would advance. After this segment, there would be no 'ten minute break', however cars would pit 'normally' and placement would be based on exit of pit road.
* Segment 4
The remaining 25 cars would run a final 100 mile (50 lap) sprint to the checkered.
Is this tricked up? Sure it is, but there are many advantages to a format like this, and could be a nice change for the marathon Nascar season. More potential for green flag broadcasting, field may not get as strung out and bringing a different style or strategy for racing.
The track offers at the very least, three racing grooves, long pit areas and a combination of speed and handling. So why is this race many times a 'snoozer'? That answer is pretty easy. The very nature of this track does not offer many cautions to aid in keeping the field bunched up. Also the speed variance between the front runners and the field fillers can be so different that by the end of a fuel run, the field is strung out all over the 2 mile speedway. So what could be done to help this situation?
Golf an occasion will 'trick up' their tournaments with 'match play' or 'Stableford scoring system' at some tournaments which offer a nice variety for the golfing fanatic. Why not Nascar?
One idea that would not only help the 'racing' at California but would also be a TeVee advertising bonanza would be to break up the 500 mile race into 4 or so 'segments'. Imagine the possibilities for TeVee if they were able to actually schedule their commercial breaks and such.
* Segment 1
All 43 cars would run a 150 mile (75 lap segment) and which at the very least, all cars would have to make at least one pit stop for fuel and tires (based on the current fuel window). After lap 75, and mandatory caution would fly in which the field would be 'locked', however all teams would be given a 10 minute 'break' to make any chassis changes and such will sitting on pit road.
* Segment 2
All 43 cars would restart in the order the order of the placement at the end of segment 1, and run another 150 mile (75 lap) segment. After locking the field when the mandatory caution fies, this time the last ten cars in the field at the end of this segment would be sent to the garage and their day would be over. Again, another 10 minute break to allow any chassis changes will the car is on pit road.
* Segment 3
The top 33 cars to run a 100 mile (50 lap) 'sprint' in which the top 25 cars would advance. After this segment, there would be no 'ten minute break', however cars would pit 'normally' and placement would be based on exit of pit road.
* Segment 4
The remaining 25 cars would run a final 100 mile (50 lap) sprint to the checkered.
Is this tricked up? Sure it is, but there are many advantages to a format like this, and could be a nice change for the marathon Nascar season. More potential for green flag broadcasting, field may not get as strung out and bringing a different style or strategy for racing.
Monday, February 19, 2007
SFC Members Usually Get Kissed First
There has been enough overkill about the instant classic finish of yesterday's race, and over-all another successful Daytona race week so I will spare you of my takes on the race.
That being said, there have been a few new developments over the weekend with the "Southern Gentleman and posse", in their treatment of paying fan club members.
On Saturday before the 500 the "Southern Gentleman" actually posts on his fan club forum (ironically just a few minutes after 'Spotterman' also posts. I smell a ghost writer). But what is strange about this post is that is is basically directing readers to go 'check out' his 'new' account on Infield Parking (basically a My-Space clone). If this sounds much like a broken record it was just about this same time last season when the "Southern Gentleman" launch his My-Space account, and the debacle that haunted him for months after (and even still does to this day). Even similar phrases were used, "I think this deal will be a lot of fun".
But what really struck me is that the paying members of SFC were told that one of the perks for membership would be more direct and exculsive contact with the "Southern Gentleman" via the 'members only' fan club message board. Since May of 2006 that 'exculsive contact' has been in the form of 7 individual posts. That's right, seven posts in almost ten months . The last two being this past weekend in which both of them are hawking this 'new Infield Parking' site.
'The icing on the cake is that the "Southern Gentleman' is now 'blogging' on his Infield Parking site. Now this would not be such a big deal, but here are a few things to remember. Infield Parking is available to anyone on the Internet and is a free service. As a part of the SFC membership, promises of 'exclusive contact' were made, however this now seems to be in the form of an advertisement to go else well for 'free content'.
So remind me, just what are the paying members of SFC actually paying for again?
One would think that they would have learned from their mistakes made last season concerning such things as this. But once again, we see another 'promotion' that has not been thought out very well.
Another nice start for the off-track antics of the "Southern Gentleman", at least the on-track stuff started off very well for him.
That being said, there have been a few new developments over the weekend with the "Southern Gentleman and posse", in their treatment of paying fan club members.
On Saturday before the 500 the "Southern Gentleman" actually posts on his fan club forum (ironically just a few minutes after 'Spotterman' also posts. I smell a ghost writer). But what is strange about this post is that is is basically directing readers to go 'check out' his 'new' account on Infield Parking (basically a My-Space clone). If this sounds much like a broken record it was just about this same time last season when the "Southern Gentleman" launch his My-Space account, and the debacle that haunted him for months after (and even still does to this day). Even similar phrases were used, "I think this deal will be a lot of fun".
But what really struck me is that the paying members of SFC were told that one of the perks for membership would be more direct and exculsive contact with the "Southern Gentleman" via the 'members only' fan club message board. Since May of 2006 that 'exculsive contact' has been in the form of 7 individual posts. That's right, seven posts in almost ten months . The last two being this past weekend in which both of them are hawking this 'new Infield Parking' site.
'The icing on the cake is that the "Southern Gentleman' is now 'blogging' on his Infield Parking site. Now this would not be such a big deal, but here are a few things to remember. Infield Parking is available to anyone on the Internet and is a free service. As a part of the SFC membership, promises of 'exclusive contact' were made, however this now seems to be in the form of an advertisement to go else well for 'free content'.
So remind me, just what are the paying members of SFC actually paying for again?
One would think that they would have learned from their mistakes made last season concerning such things as this. But once again, we see another 'promotion' that has not been thought out very well.
Another nice start for the off-track antics of the "Southern Gentleman", at least the on-track stuff started off very well for him.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Nascar is not the only Sport
Nascar is not the only sport that seems to have cornered the market on cheating. While over the past week the pundits and fish wraps can't get enough talk of Nascar cheaters , I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some of other sports and some of the unbelievable attempts at cheating their sport and you might be surprised at some of the names.
* Muhammad Ali vs Henry Cooper
This was only Ali's second professional fight (he was Cassius Clay at that time) For the first three rounds he destroyed Cooper, who was fit and on his game, but simply outclassed. Ali began clowning around, every time Cooper was on the verge of falling, he would step back and start dancing. By the end of round four, Cooper was bloodied and exhausted, his notoriously fragile skin sliced open by Ali. On his very last legs Cooper threw a historic punch that caught Ali flush on the chin and sent him threw the ropes and on to the apron on his backside. Ali's trainer, Angelo Dundee could see Ali was finished unless Dundee could buy Ali some time. Ali did somehow regained his feet and stumbled forwards again, to be save by the bell and Dundee's arms. Desperate to buy his man some time, Dundee (and there is film footage of this) glancing back and fourth from the Referee then to Ali's gloves a handful of times, somehow 'finds' s slit in Ali's glove and notifies Referee Bill Faversham. The futile search for a replacement gained Ali an extra few minutes on his stool. With his powers of recovery, it was all Ali needed. Two minutes into the fifth round, the fight was stopped after Ali unleashed a relentless flurry of blows.
* Sonny Liston verses Muhammad Ali
In sort of a role reversal of the above, Liston's title defense of Ali was clouded by speculation of cheating. Liston was over-confident, and was unprepared for any result but a quick stoppage. In the opening rounds, Ali's speed kept him away from Liston's powerful head and body shots, as he used his height advantage to effectively beat Liston to the punch with his Jab. In round three Ali had opened a severe cut under Liston's eye and seemed to be in complete control of the fight. However in the fourth round Liston was able to regain some ground as Ali seemed to be blinded by a 'foreign substance'. After the round Ali asked Angelo Dundee to stop the fight, but Dundee refused and convinced Ali to continue. Midway though the fifth round Ali's sweat and tears seemed to be enough to 'clear' the substances from his eyes, and regained his vision. After the sixth round, Liston refused to return to the ring to begin the next round thus gving the Heavyweight Championship to Ali. Boxing historian and insider Bert Sugar has recalled at least two other Liston fights in which a similar situation occurred, suggesting that the Liston corner deliberately attempted to cheat.
Boxing
* Muhammad Ali vs Henry Cooper
This was only Ali's second professional fight (he was Cassius Clay at that time) For the first three rounds he destroyed Cooper, who was fit and on his game, but simply outclassed. Ali began clowning around, every time Cooper was on the verge of falling, he would step back and start dancing. By the end of round four, Cooper was bloodied and exhausted, his notoriously fragile skin sliced open by Ali. On his very last legs Cooper threw a historic punch that caught Ali flush on the chin and sent him threw the ropes and on to the apron on his backside. Ali's trainer, Angelo Dundee could see Ali was finished unless Dundee could buy Ali some time. Ali did somehow regained his feet and stumbled forwards again, to be save by the bell and Dundee's arms. Desperate to buy his man some time, Dundee (and there is film footage of this) glancing back and fourth from the Referee then to Ali's gloves a handful of times, somehow 'finds' s slit in Ali's glove and notifies Referee Bill Faversham. The futile search for a replacement gained Ali an extra few minutes on his stool. With his powers of recovery, it was all Ali needed. Two minutes into the fifth round, the fight was stopped after Ali unleashed a relentless flurry of blows.
* Sonny Liston verses Muhammad Ali
In sort of a role reversal of the above, Liston's title defense of Ali was clouded by speculation of cheating. Liston was over-confident, and was unprepared for any result but a quick stoppage. In the opening rounds, Ali's speed kept him away from Liston's powerful head and body shots, as he used his height advantage to effectively beat Liston to the punch with his Jab. In round three Ali had opened a severe cut under Liston's eye and seemed to be in complete control of the fight. However in the fourth round Liston was able to regain some ground as Ali seemed to be blinded by a 'foreign substance'. After the round Ali asked Angelo Dundee to stop the fight, but Dundee refused and convinced Ali to continue. Midway though the fifth round Ali's sweat and tears seemed to be enough to 'clear' the substances from his eyes, and regained his vision. After the sixth round, Liston refused to return to the ring to begin the next round thus gving the Heavyweight Championship to Ali. Boxing historian and insider Bert Sugar has recalled at least two other Liston fights in which a similar situation occurred, suggesting that the Liston corner deliberately attempted to cheat.
Baseball
* DANNY ALMONTE
Isn't youth sports supposed to represent all the that's pure about athletics? Teamwork? Fair play? and most importantly Sportsmanship? That true, unless you really want to win. Danny Almonte guided his Bronx, NY, baseball squad into the 2001 Little League World Series with a string of dominant pitching performances. He even tossed a perfect game in the opener. However, his team was later stripped of its multiple regional championships and third-place showing at the 2001 LLWS when it was revealed Almonte was 14 years old, two years older than the LLWS age limit. (What was the first clue -- Almonte's towering teen aged frame or his five o'clock shadow?)
* 1919 CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Forget the obvious cheats of greased balls or corked bats. No other baseball fiasco comes anywhere close to touching the social impact of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Baseball at that time was so much more than it is today, it was more than just a game, it was a national institution. Even though the eight implicated players were acquitted in a court of law, the game would be tarnished forever. So much that all eight received a lifetime ban for their mis-doings.
* ROSIE RUIZ
During the 1980 Boston Marathon, Ruiz was the first woman to cross the finish line. She did it in the third-fastest time ever recorded for a female runner. Quite the victory considering she was barely sweating when crowned with the winner's wreath. Marathon organizers were immediately suspicious, and after some investigation course officials had no evidence of Ruiz passing checkpoints and fellow competitors had no recollection of her. Eventually a few spectators came forward and said they saw Ruiz join the race during its final half-mile. What makes Ruiz an even bigger cheat is that she also deceived race officials in the New York Marathon, the race she used to qualify for the Boston event. Apparently she got her above-average time by riding the Manhattan subway
* BEN JOHNSON
Winning the 1988 Olympic Gold Medal in the 100-metre sprint title in a world-record time of 9.79 seconds at the Seoul Olympics. To make the victory even sweeter, Johnson captured the gold medal by handily defeating American rival Carl Lewis. The euphoria of Johnson's win didn't last, however, when it was found the Canadian tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol. Johnson was subsequently stripped of his gold medal and world record and banned from competition for two years. Nearly 15 years later, it was discovered that several American track athletes tested positive for drugs before those same Seoul Games. Allegedly among them was Lewis, who was awarded the gold medal after Johnson's disqualification. It appears that Johnson became the goat for all.
Noted above is just the tip of the iceberg and we could go on for what might seem like infinity listing them all in detail. From the numerous Tour de France scandals, Special Olympians who were not so 'special' (10 of 12 members of a Spanish basketball team were later found to have no mental deficiency), Olympians who competed in the wrong gender classification, paid off figure skating judges, and even whacking other competitors over the knees with clubs so they could not perform.
I guess as bad all all of this past week in Nascar seems to be, so far it has not rivaled what other sports and their competitors have attempted.
On to a 'marathon' day of the Great American Race broadcast tomorrow. Lets go racing!
Isn't youth sports supposed to represent all the that's pure about athletics? Teamwork? Fair play? and most importantly Sportsmanship? That true, unless you really want to win. Danny Almonte guided his Bronx, NY, baseball squad into the 2001 Little League World Series with a string of dominant pitching performances. He even tossed a perfect game in the opener. However, his team was later stripped of its multiple regional championships and third-place showing at the 2001 LLWS when it was revealed Almonte was 14 years old, two years older than the LLWS age limit. (What was the first clue -- Almonte's towering teen aged frame or his five o'clock shadow?)
* 1919 CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Forget the obvious cheats of greased balls or corked bats. No other baseball fiasco comes anywhere close to touching the social impact of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Baseball at that time was so much more than it is today, it was more than just a game, it was a national institution. Even though the eight implicated players were acquitted in a court of law, the game would be tarnished forever. So much that all eight received a lifetime ban for their mis-doings.
Track and Field
* ROSIE RUIZ
During the 1980 Boston Marathon, Ruiz was the first woman to cross the finish line. She did it in the third-fastest time ever recorded for a female runner. Quite the victory considering she was barely sweating when crowned with the winner's wreath. Marathon organizers were immediately suspicious, and after some investigation course officials had no evidence of Ruiz passing checkpoints and fellow competitors had no recollection of her. Eventually a few spectators came forward and said they saw Ruiz join the race during its final half-mile. What makes Ruiz an even bigger cheat is that she also deceived race officials in the New York Marathon, the race she used to qualify for the Boston event. Apparently she got her above-average time by riding the Manhattan subway
* BEN JOHNSON
Winning the 1988 Olympic Gold Medal in the 100-metre sprint title in a world-record time of 9.79 seconds at the Seoul Olympics. To make the victory even sweeter, Johnson captured the gold medal by handily defeating American rival Carl Lewis. The euphoria of Johnson's win didn't last, however, when it was found the Canadian tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol. Johnson was subsequently stripped of his gold medal and world record and banned from competition for two years. Nearly 15 years later, it was discovered that several American track athletes tested positive for drugs before those same Seoul Games. Allegedly among them was Lewis, who was awarded the gold medal after Johnson's disqualification. It appears that Johnson became the goat for all.
Noted above is just the tip of the iceberg and we could go on for what might seem like infinity listing them all in detail. From the numerous Tour de France scandals, Special Olympians who were not so 'special' (10 of 12 members of a Spanish basketball team were later found to have no mental deficiency), Olympians who competed in the wrong gender classification, paid off figure skating judges, and even whacking other competitors over the knees with clubs so they could not perform.
I guess as bad all all of this past week in Nascar seems to be, so far it has not rivaled what other sports and their competitors have attempted.
On to a 'marathon' day of the Great American Race broadcast tomorrow. Lets go racing!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
When you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar
Reading some other blogs and driver's message boards it sure does strike the funny bone when it is 'your favorite driver', that gets caught with the cheat and not someone else's.
The excuses comes flying out of the woodwork!
From, "Well, [insert driver's name hear] didn't even know so how can he be punished?" to "Well, I just don't understand why other drivers in the past were not penalized the same."
I am going to pick on the "Southern Gentleman" here a bit (easy target anyway) and some of his fan's reactions to his pre-qualifying mis-hap. Here are a few reactions along with a few of my responses:
* "I don't understand why the penalty if it was found in pre-qualifying, why not let them fix the problem and let them make their qualifying run."
So what the fan is saying is that there should be no penalty for attempting to pass an illegal car thru pre-qualifying inspection? That goes along with the irrational theory of 'If you don't get caught, it is not cheating'. I agree more with David Poole's timely comments saying that Nascar really to this day is not harsh enough when dealing with pre-qualifying cheating. Poole states if he was Nascar's Chairman blog:
How many times in recent years has the governing body made the 'we are going to crack down' claims, and that message gets lost sometime between January and Speed weeks. Like a little child, there comes a point where simply making threats of punishment is not a deterent. Just about every other sport has gone through something like this, from Baseball with steroid abuse and the NFL crackdown on EPO use.
* "Why take away driver points? Elliott probably didn't even know."
It is probably a safe bet that the driver most of the time is the innocent victim of this crime. But that still doesn't release him of any responsibility or from the subsequent punishment. This is a team sport, and a sport where the driver is awarded points for the actions of himself, and his team. Maybe it is time for drivers to also draw a line in the sand confronting their crews about cheating. Actually, I'll let the "Southern Gentleman" speak for himself from this quote just a year ago.
* "Would Nascar have done the same thing to such name brand drivers like JR, Gordon, or Stewart? Even though the warnings have been given out?"
A very fair question but also a question that in some ways has already been answered a couple of years ago. After the Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction Nascar along with the FCC sent message after message concerning over the air language, to the point where Nascar issued the statement that it would not be tolerated any longer. The line in the sand had been drawn, and just a couple of weeks later, the driver that probably sells the most T-shirts and hats stepped across that line. Junior (and owner) was penalized 25 points for using one of the seven words George Carlin say you can never say on TeVee.
* "Why weren't the teams given fair warning that such harsher penalties would be handed out this year?"
Actually, Nascar has been threatening this few some years now. At some point the hammer has to come down.
* "What makes one cheat any more serious than another?
In this case it has to do with the parts used and the effect. But Nascar history has shown us a couple of things in terms of 'seriousness'. Don't mess with the fuel, tires, or aero of the car first and foremost.
* "I have never heard of a golfer starting a tournament over par or a football team starting a game -7 to 0."
Actually, there are many instances where players in every sport that are penalized some way or another before a season begins. That could be in the form of a suspension or a monetary fine. For example, if the NFL were (for what ever reason) decide to suspend Payton Manning for the first regular season game in 2007, is that not starting the Colt's season in the hole? There is a reason why Manning is the 1st string QB and not the 2nd. Also, Nascar feels (and rightfully so) that the season begins once the hauler enters that tunnel to the infield at Daytona the morning of first practice.
Bottom line, it is time for the drivers to take responsibility for their teams, check their egos at the door and promote an attitude that would help stop this kind of thing in the sport, instead of playing the 'ignorance' card.
The excuses comes flying out of the woodwork!
From, "Well, [insert driver's name hear] didn't even know so how can he be punished?" to "Well, I just don't understand why other drivers in the past were not penalized the same."
I am going to pick on the "Southern Gentleman" here a bit (easy target anyway) and some of his fan's reactions to his pre-qualifying mis-hap. Here are a few reactions along with a few of my responses:
* "I don't understand why the penalty if it was found in pre-qualifying, why not let them fix the problem and let them make their qualifying run."
So what the fan is saying is that there should be no penalty for attempting to pass an illegal car thru pre-qualifying inspection? That goes along with the irrational theory of 'If you don't get caught, it is not cheating'. I agree more with David Poole's timely comments saying that Nascar really to this day is not harsh enough when dealing with pre-qualifying cheating. Poole states if he was Nascar's Chairman blog:
"any team caught with a major rules violation before qualifying will be denied the right to race in that week’s event. Any team found to have committed a major rules violation in postrace inspection will lose all points and money earned in that event and will be prohibited from entering the next event on the schedule."
* "Why set a precedent THIS YEAR? That just doesn't seem fair."One last point, Nascar did force the 19 to 'correct' it's violation and allowed them to make a qualifying run. That qualifying run ironically, was significantly slower than their practice qualifying runs.
How many times in recent years has the governing body made the 'we are going to crack down' claims, and that message gets lost sometime between January and Speed weeks. Like a little child, there comes a point where simply making threats of punishment is not a deterent. Just about every other sport has gone through something like this, from Baseball with steroid abuse and the NFL crackdown on EPO use.
* "Why take away driver points? Elliott probably didn't even know."
It is probably a safe bet that the driver most of the time is the innocent victim of this crime. But that still doesn't release him of any responsibility or from the subsequent punishment. This is a team sport, and a sport where the driver is awarded points for the actions of himself, and his team. Maybe it is time for drivers to also draw a line in the sand confronting their crews about cheating. Actually, I'll let the "Southern Gentleman" speak for himself from this quote just a year ago.
"I think when a team is found guilty of breaking the rules the team should lose points. It's a team sport. Somebody else could have done the crime. ...NASCAR has done a great job of making sure we penalize the team points because money usually doesn't do anything to these guys. So I would have liked to have seen points taken because it was blatant, I think. I think if you get caught once, 25 points," he said. "If you get caught twice, go to 75 or 100 points. Go up every time you're caught doing something like that, especially if it's on purpose."
There you have it, key words like 'money means nothing', 'the team should lose points' and 'blatant'. I would say trying to pass illegal equipment thru pre qualifying inspection is pretty blatant.* "What makes this any worse than what JJ did last year?"
I know I sound like I am beating a dead horse here, but the 48 team did not use any illegal equipment last year. Nascar has made a clear distinction concerning this issue over the years as well. Compound the fact that Nascar warned teams before Speed weeks that a harder stand would be taken this season than in the past.
I know I sound like I am beating a dead horse here, but the 48 team did not use any illegal equipment last year. Nascar has made a clear distinction concerning this issue over the years as well. Compound the fact that Nascar warned teams before Speed weeks that a harder stand would be taken this season than in the past.
* "Would Nascar have done the same thing to such name brand drivers like JR, Gordon, or Stewart? Even though the warnings have been given out?"
A very fair question but also a question that in some ways has already been answered a couple of years ago. After the Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction Nascar along with the FCC sent message after message concerning over the air language, to the point where Nascar issued the statement that it would not be tolerated any longer. The line in the sand had been drawn, and just a couple of weeks later, the driver that probably sells the most T-shirts and hats stepped across that line. Junior (and owner) was penalized 25 points for using one of the seven words George Carlin say you can never say on TeVee.
* "Why weren't the teams given fair warning that such harsher penalties would be handed out this year?"
Actually, Nascar has been threatening this few some years now. At some point the hammer has to come down.
* "What makes one cheat any more serious than another?
In this case it has to do with the parts used and the effect. But Nascar history has shown us a couple of things in terms of 'seriousness'. Don't mess with the fuel, tires, or aero of the car first and foremost.
* "I have never heard of a golfer starting a tournament over par or a football team starting a game -7 to 0."
Actually, there are many instances where players in every sport that are penalized some way or another before a season begins. That could be in the form of a suspension or a monetary fine. For example, if the NFL were (for what ever reason) decide to suspend Payton Manning for the first regular season game in 2007, is that not starting the Colt's season in the hole? There is a reason why Manning is the 1st string QB and not the 2nd. Also, Nascar feels (and rightfully so) that the season begins once the hauler enters that tunnel to the infield at Daytona the morning of first practice.
Bottom line, it is time for the drivers to take responsibility for their teams, check their egos at the door and promote an attitude that would help stop this kind of thing in the sport, instead of playing the 'ignorance' card.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Remember, There Was No Gunman on the Grassy Knole
Some to this day still hold that there just had to be more than one gunman other than the one on the sixth floor of the book depository that fateful November day in Dallas, but science and today's technology simply can't give any credence to what they believe to the true. Simply put, Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone that day.
Even in today's Nascar, for many it is easier to claim a conspiracy when it comes to fines and penalties and we are seeing this again this week. Nascar late Tuesday afternoon announced some of the penalties for the 9, 10, 17, and 19 teams and before one could say 'Jayski', the comparison to penalties handed down just a year ago were made, and the conspiracy theories bloomed from there.
A few weeks ago I wrote about the fine line between cheating and innovation which is pretty applicable to today and the opinions being brought fourth.
First lets flash back to the official Nascar statement just a year ago concerning the 48 team and their violations. (rule violation in bold)
Chad Knaus, crew chief for the #48 Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson, has been fined $25,000 and suspended from all NASCAR events until March 22, 2006 [thru Atlanta race]. Knaus has also been placed on probation until Dec. 31, 2006. The penalties come because of an unapproved template modification to the rear window area, violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 20-3.12.1 (A) (unapproved template modification.) of the 2006 NASCAR Rule book. The violation was discovered during Feb. 12 post-qualifying inspection for the Daytona 500. On Feb. 13, NASCAR ejected Knaus from further participation in Daytona 500 activities as a result of the violation.[No Point Penalties]
From today's announcement:
NASCAR announced Tuesday that four Nextel Cup Series crew chiefs have been suspended from competition, starting with Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500. Two of the four – Ken Francis, crew chief for the #9 Dodge driven by Kasey Kahne; and Robbie Reiser, crew chief for the #17 Ford of Matt Kenseth – have been suspended for four races and fined $50,000. Also, Kahne and Kenseth were penalized with the loss of 50 driver championship points while their car owners, Ray Evernham and Jack Roush, were penalized 50 car owner championship points. The violations by the #9 and #17 teams were found during post-qualifying inspection on Feb. 11. Both teams’ qualifying times were disallowed. Two others – Rodney Childers, crew chief for the #10 Dodge driven by Scott Riggs; and Josh Browne, crew chief for the #19 Dodge driven by Elliott Sadler – have been suspended for two races and fined $25,000. In addition, Riggs and Sadler were penalized 25 driver championship points while their car owners, James Rocco and Evernham, were penalized 25 car owner championship points. The violations by the #10 and #19 teams were found prior to qualifying. In each instance the violations were of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4-Q (car, car parts components and/or equipment not conforming to NASCAR rules) and 20-2.1E (unapproved aerodynamic modification) of the series rule book.
In the case of the 9 and 17, there were holes drilled or cut to allow airflow that normally would not be able to pass thru the car, thus gaining an advantage. But more importantly (and unlike the 48 from the previous year) the holes are considered an illegal modification (when not plugged) thus making the part illegal as well.
As for the 10 and 19, they used unapproved/illegal fasteners that hold the rear spoiler to the trunk lid which allowed air to flow out of the trunk".
All four of these cars are in violation and a violation that has a very clear difference from the 48 in the previous year. That being that all four of these cars used illegal/unapproved parts. The 48 never once had an illegal/unapproved part on it, however, simply (and ingeniously) configured legal parts in a manner that changed the aerodynamics of the car.
I am not saying that the 48 did not deserve a penalty last season (and they did receive one that was pretty harsh). But I am making a clear distinction between a 'points deduction violation' (using illegal/unapproved parts to gain a perceived advantage) and a 'fine/suspension violation' (using all legal/approved parts to gain a perceived advantage) with no point deduction.
There is a difference, and while Nascar seems to be once again sending a message to the teams that cheating while not be tolerated, they do still want to see innovation play a big part in the sport.
Now the 55 is totally different ball game if the 'substance' is not simply motor oil. More to come I'm sure.
Even in today's Nascar, for many it is easier to claim a conspiracy when it comes to fines and penalties and we are seeing this again this week. Nascar late Tuesday afternoon announced some of the penalties for the 9, 10, 17, and 19 teams and before one could say 'Jayski', the comparison to penalties handed down just a year ago were made, and the conspiracy theories bloomed from there.
A few weeks ago I wrote about the fine line between cheating and innovation which is pretty applicable to today and the opinions being brought fourth.
First lets flash back to the official Nascar statement just a year ago concerning the 48 team and their violations. (rule violation in bold)
Chad Knaus, crew chief for the #48 Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson, has been fined $25,000 and suspended from all NASCAR events until March 22, 2006 [thru Atlanta race]. Knaus has also been placed on probation until Dec. 31, 2006. The penalties come because of an unapproved template modification to the rear window area, violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 20-3.12.1 (A) (unapproved template modification.) of the 2006 NASCAR Rule book. The violation was discovered during Feb. 12 post-qualifying inspection for the Daytona 500. On Feb. 13, NASCAR ejected Knaus from further participation in Daytona 500 activities as a result of the violation.[No Point Penalties]
From today's announcement:
NASCAR announced Tuesday that four Nextel Cup Series crew chiefs have been suspended from competition, starting with Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500. Two of the four – Ken Francis, crew chief for the #9 Dodge driven by Kasey Kahne; and Robbie Reiser, crew chief for the #17 Ford of Matt Kenseth – have been suspended for four races and fined $50,000. Also, Kahne and Kenseth were penalized with the loss of 50 driver championship points while their car owners, Ray Evernham and Jack Roush, were penalized 50 car owner championship points. The violations by the #9 and #17 teams were found during post-qualifying inspection on Feb. 11. Both teams’ qualifying times were disallowed. Two others – Rodney Childers, crew chief for the #10 Dodge driven by Scott Riggs; and Josh Browne, crew chief for the #19 Dodge driven by Elliott Sadler – have been suspended for two races and fined $25,000. In addition, Riggs and Sadler were penalized 25 driver championship points while their car owners, James Rocco and Evernham, were penalized 25 car owner championship points. The violations by the #10 and #19 teams were found prior to qualifying. In each instance the violations were of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4-Q (car, car parts components and/or equipment not conforming to NASCAR rules) and 20-2.1E (unapproved aerodynamic modification) of the series rule book.
In the case of the 9 and 17, there were holes drilled or cut to allow airflow that normally would not be able to pass thru the car, thus gaining an advantage. But more importantly (and unlike the 48 from the previous year) the holes are considered an illegal modification (when not plugged) thus making the part illegal as well.
As for the 10 and 19, they used unapproved/illegal fasteners that hold the rear spoiler to the trunk lid which allowed air to flow out of the trunk".
All four of these cars are in violation and a violation that has a very clear difference from the 48 in the previous year. That being that all four of these cars used illegal/unapproved parts. The 48 never once had an illegal/unapproved part on it, however, simply (and ingeniously) configured legal parts in a manner that changed the aerodynamics of the car.
I am not saying that the 48 did not deserve a penalty last season (and they did receive one that was pretty harsh). But I am making a clear distinction between a 'points deduction violation' (using illegal/unapproved parts to gain a perceived advantage) and a 'fine/suspension violation' (using all legal/approved parts to gain a perceived advantage) with no point deduction.
There is a difference, and while Nascar seems to be once again sending a message to the teams that cheating while not be tolerated, they do still want to see innovation play a big part in the sport.
Now the 55 is totally different ball game if the 'substance' is not simply motor oil. More to come I'm sure.
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