Bleacher Report - Articles by Eric Hobbs

One Fan's Unorthodox Gameplan For Missouri Against Texas

Eric Hobbs — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:00:50 -0400

Coming off back-to-back losses, the Missouri Tigers return home for Homecoming and a primetime matchup against the Texas Longhorns. It is certainly a tall task to be asked of a young team like Mizzou, but there are options and aspects of this game that can help them knock off the undefeated Longhorns.

Firstly, it's homecoming at Mizzou. Ever since the University invented the concept of homecoming in 1911, homecoming games in Columbia have always been a bit more special.

Looking at the game itself, Texas is clearly more talented, while Missouri comes in with a banged up quarterback. The first thing I'd do is the same thing Pinkel did a bit of in Stillwater. I'd swallow my pride and bust out the "trickeration." Remember when Missouri seemed to be good for a few trick plays a game? And how they were mostly successful? Double reverses with a throw back to Chase Daniel, the hook and ladder to Jeremy Maclin.

The next thing I'd do hits two birds with one stone. I'd install a small Wild Tiger (wildcat for you NFL fans) package. Doing this would get Blaine Gabbert out of there at least for a few extra plays to help him stay off his bad ankle, and it would also give the Texas defense something totally unexpected to have to defend.

I'd go with anywhere from 1-3 guys in the backfield, including Jerrell Jackson, Derrick Washington, and T.J. Moe (depending on health, which seems to be an unknown for some reason). They could run it straight ahead, sweep, run an option, or even get some trick plays out of that formation—like a fake option with Moe tossing it to Danario 40 yards down the field.

Obviously, you could interchange personnel in such a package, or add different wrinkles to it.

Another thing to do is to commit to running the football. In the first half against Oklahoma State, Mizzou ran the ball with some consistency, and they even lined up under center, which is a rarity in this offense. Then, in the second half, the Tiger offense simply abandoned the run.

Running the ball against Texas can help shorten the game and keep Colt McCoy off the field.

For this Missouri team to try and line up man to man against Texas and expect to win would not be smart, and would likely lead to a homecoming loss. On the other hand, if they get creative, the Missouri Tigers can shock the world and pull off the upset.

Mizzou Needs To Fix The Little Things

Eric Hobbs — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:38:18 -0400

This Saturday, the Missouri Tigers will travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma to face the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Oddly enough, the home team has had trouble winning this matchup. OSU won last year's game while Missouri hasn't lost in Stillwater since 1992.

If Mizzou wants to leave Boone Pickens Stadium with a win, they simply must improve in some key aspects of the game.

First, the offensive line needs to get their act together. The Cowboys' defensive line is good, but not great. The offensive line has more talent, but it has shown weakness against lesser competition.

Part of the problem could be the same thing that happened with the secondary in 2008. Coaches tried to get cute and play with formations and schemes, and it failed miserably last year. Coach Pinkel said that the line has been going with new schemes, including closer splits, but so far, the changes have not paid off.

If the offensive line can play at the level they are capable of, they can protect Blaine Gabbert and give running back Derrick Washington some holes to run through.

Speaking of Washington, what happened to him?

I think the answer to this question is twofold—worse blocking and Washington not hitting the hole as quickly as last year. It seems like Washington is running horizontally more and not getting upfield. With the speed of linebackers and defensive ends in the Big 12, that simply will not work.

Defensively, it's tough to say whether the team has improved or if the rain was the culprit in slowing Nebraska's offense. Either way, a similar performance will be needed, as Oklahoma State running back Kendall Hunter will be back from injury.

Even without receiver Dez Bryant, quarterback Zac Robinson has plenty of options, meaning the Missouri secondary will need to make sure there aren't any blown assignments, like the one that gave Nebraska its first touchdown last Thursday.

Missouri is capable of spoiling the Oklahoma State homecoming game—just like they did at Nebraska in 2008—and walking out of the stadium with a 5-1 record, but they must improve fundamentally to pull the upset.

Missouri Tigers 2009 Season Preview: Week Three Vs. Furman

Eric Hobbs — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 13:13:20 -0400

Every year, schools from the BCS conferences schedule one game against a Division I-AA opponent (I refuse to acknowledge the names "Football Bowl Subdivision" and "Football Championship Subdivision").

This year, the Missouri Tigers will face the Furman Paladins from the Southern Conference.

The name and stigma of the non-BCS team may lull some Tiger fans into a relaxed attitude when thinking of this game, but Furman has given major teams trouble in the past. Last season, Furman played at Virginia Tech and only trailed 3-0 at halftime.

Located in Greenville, South Carolina, the Paladins present a fairly balanced offensive attack, with quarterback Jordan Sorrells, running back Mike Brown, and receiver Adam Mims. None of their stat lines will blow you away, but when combined, they present a nice balance that can leave a defense guessing whether the play will be a run or pass.

Furman also spreads the ball around, as four different receivers caught 30 or more passes. To put that in perspective, in 2008 the high-flying Missouri offense had the same number of receivers catch 30 or more balls.

Missouri should use this game as a tune-up for the high-powered offense they will be facing against Nevada the following week.

Frankly, there isn't a whole lot to say about this game. If Missouri shows up, they win. If Missouri doesn't, Furman may hang around. That said, Furman winning this game would have shades of Appalachian State or Stanford from 2007.

Furman poses a threat to this young Missouri squad, but make no mistake, if the Tigers come out focused and ready to play, the game will not be close, and backups and freshmen will get a chance to play.

Faurot Field Past and Present: A Unique History

Eric Hobbs — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:03:05 -0400

Every college football stadium is filled with history and tradition, but the Missouri Tigers’ home field has seen more abnormalities than perhaps any other in the country, dating back to the 1920s.

In 1921, the University of Missouri decided it wanted to honor 112 alumni and students who had given their lives in World War I. Designs for a Memorial Union and a Memorial Stadium were drawn up for the Mizzou campus.

Ground was broken for the Memorial Stadium in December 1925, and according to legend, a rock crusher and truck were buried during construction and remain there today.

Plans called for the stadium to hold 25,000 people, with plans to add on to the facility, with an eventual potential capacity of 98,975.

The new, 25,000-seat stadium hosted its first game on October 2, 1926. That game, a scoreless tie against Tulane, was a unique memory in and of itself. Because of storms and wet conditions, workers could not lay sod for the field, leaving the teams to play in a stormy mess of sawdust and tree bark.

The Rock “M” that sits on the hill at the north end of the stadium was created in 1927 by freshmen using rocks left over from the stadium’s construction. The Rock “M” has fallen victim to pranksters, as others have changed the rocks to form an “N” or a “K” before games against Nebraska and Kansas.

On one such occasion, the groundskeeper noticed the “N” the morning of a game against Nebraska, proceeded to wake up freshmen in nearby dorms, and had them help him fix the stones so they showed an “M”. It is now tradition that freshmen whitewash the “M” on Saturday morning during Fall Welcome.

In 1972, the field at Memorial Stadium was renamed in honor of legendary coach Don Faurot. From that point on, the facility has been commonly referred to Faurot Field.

The south end of the stadium was enclosed with 10,800 seats in 1978, bringing the stadium total to 62,023. From 1978 to 1984, Faurot Field saw its largest crowds ever, setting an all-time attendance record of 75,298 in 1980 when Penn State came to Columbia.

Mizzou was the only Big 12 school playing on natural grass by the mid-1980’s, but that changed in the summer of 1985, when OmniTurf was installed. Due to complaints by other teams and the Big 12, OmniTurf was replaced by natural grass in 1995.

Don Faurot laid the final piece of sod, which is significant because Faurot helped lay the original sod in 1926. Along with this new surface came permanent lighting, which was also added in 1995.

It was during this new renovation that the small hills were added in front of the stands along with the brick walls honoring Tiger legends. Both coaches and players are honored in the small walls, and “AO25” was painted on each hill from 2005-2008 in memory of Aaron O’Neal, a player who died in summer workouts prior to the 2005 season.

In 1997, Faurot Field added a new scoreboard at the north end of the stadium. Another smaller HD screen at the south end was added in 2005.

The press box was torn down in 2001 and replaced with a 15-story building that also included many suites. Two years later, the natural grass was once again replaced, this time with FieldTurf.

The most recent renovations are set to debut for the 2009 season: a new scoreboard and sound system. The videoboard will be 30 feet by 80 feet, and will replace the old one at the north end.

There are long term plans to possibly build suites atop the East grandstand, although space and funding may keep this project from happening for a few years.

In its history, Faurot Field has seen two of the most bizarre events in college football history. In 1990, Colorado brought an undefeated record to Columbia, only to be pushed to the limit by the Tigers.

In a blunder never to be forgotten, referees lost track and gave the Colorado offense a fifth down. The Buffaloes scored the game-winning touchdown on the extra down, and went on to share the national championship.

Less than a decade later, in 1997, another rival came to town with an undefeated record, the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

With less than 10 seconds left, Nebraska scored a game-tying touchdown after the ball deflected off a receiver’s foot, a Mizzou corner’s foot, and then off the receiver’s foot again. As the receiver was being tackled, he kicked the ball into the air, and Matt Davison dove to catch the ball for a touchdown.

If the referees ruled the ball was kicked intentionally, they play would be considered illegal. They ruled it incidental, the touchdown stood, and another team escaped Faurot Field en route to sharing a national championship.

Mizzou’s luck has changed in recent years, as the Tigers have won 17 of their last 19 games. Tiger faithful hope that a bigger crowd can help boost that advantage.

For the 2009 season, student seating has been reconfigured to allow 2,655 more students in the allotted section, bringing the total stadium capacity to 71,004.

From Pitchin' Paul to Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin, Missouri Tigers football has been played at one spot for over 80 years. As seasons come and go at Faurot Field, traditions will be passed on and future generations will add more chapter’s to the stadium’s already unique history.

Missouri Tigers 2009 Season Preview: Week Two Vs. Bowling Green

Eric Hobbs — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:26:26 -0400

After kicking off the 2009 season in St. Louis, the Missouri Tigers begin their home schedule on September 12 against the Bowling Green Falcons. Surprisingly, Bowling Green leads the all-time series three games to one, including two wins against Tigers’ coach Gary Pinkel. It’s interesting to note that Pinkel used to coach at Toledo, the Falcons’ biggest rival.

The 2001 match-up was unique, as it was not only Gary Pinkel’s first game as the Mizzou coach, but also Urban Meyer’s first game as the head coach of Bowling Green. The Falcons won that game 20-13 in Columbia and followed that up with a 51-28 win over Missouri in Bowling Green, Ohio in 2002.

As is often the case in early season games against non-conference opponents, it will be imperative for Mizzou to strike early and often. Upsets are made early in games when underdog teams hang around, gain confidence, and slowly begin to believe they can actually win the game.

If Mizzou can build a 20 point lead, Bowling Green will likely not be able to come back, although the Falcons are better than the average mid-major team.

In 2008, the Bowling Green Falcons had a record of 6-6 while going 4-4 in the MAC. Looking at the teams they played, it becomes apparent that they were not beaten by any creampuff teams. Half of their losses came at the hands of Minnesota, Boise State, and eventual MAC champs Buffalo. Included in their six wins are victories against Pittsburgh and rival Toledo.

When watching the Bowling Green offense, Mizzou fans may recognize it. When Mizzou switched to the spread in 2005, parts were molded from the Bowling Green set. Having this game on the schedule creates a logical step in the process of improving the pass defense, as they can get game experience against offenses similar to the ones they will see in Big 12 play.

Quarterback Tyler Sheehan threw for over 2610 yards last season, so the Mizzou secondary can expect to be tested early and often. Sheehan is not a huge threat to run the ball, but he can be elusive at times, as he ran for a season-high 52 yards against Toledo.

Defensively, the Falcons will be replacing their entire defensive line, shifting more of the responsibility up front to the linebackers, which are small to begin with. The strength of the defense lies in the secondary. P.J. Mahone led the group last year with three interceptions, to go along with 95 tackles.

The match-up sets up in a way that Derrick Washington, Devion Moore, and the rest of the runningback core may be able to have a field day against a new and smaller front seven. This could help Gabbert continue to settle in, especially if the Falcon secondary is game enough to slow down Missouri receivers.

As Faurot Field hosts yet another season of Mizzou Football, the Tigers hope to improve and prepare for conference play. Bowling Green should provide stiff competition, but Missouri will win if the team shows up.

Missouri Tigers 2009 Season Preview: Week One vs. Illinois

Eric Hobbs — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:24:32 -0400

As the Missouri Tigers begin an era without Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman, and other former stars, they will also look to prove to the nation that the Missouri program is here to stay.

For the third year in a row, Mizzou will open its season with the Arch Rivalry game against Illinois at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. Illinois is coming off a 5-7 season, while winding up just 3-5 in conference play.

The Fighting Illini surely feel that this is the year to finally beat the Tigers at the Dome. After all, Mizzou is rebuilding, while the orange and blue are led by senior quarterback Juice Williams.

Williams had a strong junior year, leading the Big Ten with 3,173 passing yards. He also led the team with 719 rushing yards and five touchdowns. The Missouri defense will have no trouble remembering Williams, as he lit them up for 451 passing yards and five touchdown passes a year ago.

Tiger faithful can expect Williams’ primary target to be Arrelious Benn, a junior wide receiver. Benn could be described as a poor man’s Jeremy Maclin, one who can both catch and run the ball, while also being able to make a move to elude defenders.

When Juice Williams wasn’t running the ball, it was normally Daniel Dufrene shouldering the load a year ago. Dufrene averaged 5.7 yards a carry in 2008, although he did not score a touchdown.

Missouri comes off a second consecutive season that included 10+ wins and a division title. After losing so much talent, many simply don’t know what to make of the 2009 team.

Blaine Gabbert will be thrown into the spotlight as Chase Daniel’s replacement. While no one is expecting Gabbert to immediately play at the same level as the 2007 Heisman finalist, there are expectations for the former five-star recruit.

Many expect junior running back Derrick Washington to run the ball more while Gabbert gets his feet under him at the college level. Washington returns as one of the biggest backfield threats in the conference, having rushed for 1036 yards and scoring 17 touchdowns last season while averaging 5.9 yards a carry.

Nobody can replace Jeremy Maclin, but a combination of players may help to ease the loss felt in the Tiger offense. Jerrell Jackson was lightly recruited, but showed promise as a freshman. His game is similar to that of Maclin’s as he can catch and take handoffs, and can make people miss.

Danario Alexander has all the physical tools a receiver could want, standing at 6’5" and having a 46 inch vertical leap. That said, the past two years have been disappointments for him, due to injuries and the emergence of Maclin.

Many within the program have pointed to the senior as the one who has improved himself the most this summer. If he, Jackson, sophomore tight end Andrew Jones, and senior Jared Perry can each contribute, the offense could still be potent.

There is no doubt that this is Sean Weatherspoon’s team. The conference’s best linebacker has always been vocal, and he has not shied away from a recent Twitter post, where he said “50 days until I squeeze the pulp out of Juice”, regarding the Illini senior quarterback.

The senior linebacker got the best of Williams in this game a year ago, picking off two passes, returning one 35 yards for a touchdown. Weatherspoon will lead a linebacking core along with Luke Lambert and Will Ebner.

The defensive line has three new faces, with Jaron Baston being the only returning starter. Defensive ends Aldon Smith, Jacquies Smith (no relation), and Brian Coulter have impressed in the spring and summer, and are much faster than previous ends for Mizzou.

All eyes will be on the secondary for Mizzou, as the struggles of 2008 have been well-documented. Justin Garrett and William Moore are gone, giving way to Kenji Jackson and Kevin Rutland, along with returning starter Carl Gettis and Notre Dame transfer Munir Prince.

Many think the biggest issue in the secondary was way too many communication breakdowns, leading to wide open receivers. With a simplified system, the team may be able to avoid the big play.

In this matchup, the key will be the Missouri defense. The Tiger offense will likely score points, even if it is not at the frightening pace of last year’s team. Dave Steckel’s secondary will need to step up to ensure another win. In the 2008 game, Illinois scored 42 points, and 28 of them came on passing touchdowns of 20 yards or more.

Illinois only had 81 total rushing yards last season, so if the Mizzou defense can duplicate that performance while even just slowing the passing game down, the Illini may have a hard time moving the football.

Conversely, Mizzou must establish the run to take some pressure off Blaine Gabbert in his first start. With Derrick Washington and Devion Moore, the Illinois defense will have no choice but to respect the run, opening up the play-action game and taking the heat off Gabbert. If Illinois can stop the run, their defensive linemen would be in a position to pin their ears back and rush a quarterback making his first start all night long.

It seems inevitable that this will be the last season of the Arch Rivalry in St. Louis given the current BCS system. Each team will have something to fight for in this game. Illinois wants to finally win this game, while Missouri wants to make it a clean sweep.

For the Tigers, this game could mean the difference between the program falling to the depths of where it once was or solidifying itself among the nation’s best.

NASCAR Nation Buckles Up for ESPN's Bumpy Coverage

Eric Hobbs — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:35:39 -0400

So far this season, NASCAR fans have watched the Sprint Cup Series on FOX and TNT. Each broadcast had its weak points, but overall they were outstanding.

Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds combined is solid gold in a broadcast booth, and Kyle Petty points out things that no one else would think of, making him the best color commentator I've ever seen.

Now we enter the final phase of the broadcasting season and are left to deal with the embarrassing excuse for race coverage that ESPN provides.

Let's break this down by "position."

Dr. Jerry Punch has been the motorsports guy at ESPN since the RPM 2night days with John Kernan. Fantastic.

If only Doc sounded interested in the race he was calling rather than sounding like he was about to fall asleep, he may get viewers excited and more into the race. Besides that, he simply is not that great at running a smooth broadcast. I liken a play-by-play guy to a point guard, and Doc needs to work on ball-handling and passing.

Rusty Wallace has become nothing more than a guy who rambles on and on about who knows what, while not getting a clear point across. ESPN assumed that because Rusty could drive, he could talk about racing.

Sadly, this is not the case.

It's obvious Tim Brewer knows what he's talking about; he's just not gifted in communication. When they go to him showing something in the cut-a-way car, Brewer will point, but his voice is so mushy and mumbly that you have no clue what he's talking about. Combine that with his blank personality and you are left with something to be desired.

I don't even know where to begin with Brad Daughtery. He has no business being a part of the broadcast. What qualifications does he have to be an analyst? The only reason he is on ESPN is that he is a famous fan of the sport.

If fans can be analysts, I'll be first in line for next season. Odds are I could just walk up and contribute more to the broadcast than Daughtery does.

To be sure, ESPN does have some bright spots in its coverage. Andy Petree is not a bad commentator and he can bring some humor to the booth as well. Allen Bestwick is solid running the show from the desk. Dale Jarrett is excellent at telling us why something happened on the racetrack.

The pit reporters for ESPN all are serviceable, although they each have their moments where they each look as dumb as a brick.

Despite the bright points on ESPN's coverage, they are outweighed by the negative aspects that we have to endure for the rest of the season.

Don't worry, NASCAR nation. FOX will be back in February.

City of St. Louis Anticipates All-Star Game

Eric Hobbs — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:47:24 -0400

For the first time since 1966, the MLB All-Star Game has come to St. Louis. Just driving near downtown St. Louis, one can tell that something big is happening. Exits in the downtown area are closed, new billboards are everywhere, and huge banners are hanging from buildings near the ballpark.

When the All-Star Game was last in St. Louis, the second Busch Stadium had just opened. This was when Casey Stengel gave his legendary comment that, “it holds the heat well”, when asked about the then-new stadium (the game was played in 105-degree heat).

In the 43 years since then, St. Louis has solidified itself as the baseball capital of America, and buzz about the game has been going around town for many weeks. Those with tickets to the All-Star Game or Home Run Derby instantly are like the cool kid in a middle school classroom, as everyone is jealous and talking to them about it.

Many of those without tickets will spend Monday or Tuesday night, or both, downtown just to be a part of the atmosphere. Since the weekend began, it seems to have dominated conversations around the Gateway City.

Celebrities that call St. Louis home have come back, as well as others who want to be a part of the action. Bob Knight and Billy Bob Thornton are noted Cardinal fans who have been in town, as well as St. Louisans Nelly and Jenna Fischer.

Tiger Woods and Anna Kournikova have reportedly been spotted in the downtown area as well (Kournikova plays for the St. Louis Aces club tennis team). President Obama will be in town to throw out the ceremonial first pitch to Albert Pujols.

The stadium itself has been transformed, some for the good, some for the bad. The All-Star Game logo is painted down each foul line, and the Arch and the Old Courthouse have been cut into the outfield grass. The only downside is that ads have covered up the part of the outfield wall that honors the Cardinals’ retired numbers.

Albert Pujols and Ozzie Smith have been the main representatives for the All-Star Game, promoting it in every way possible. Whether it be the FanFest at the downtown Convention Center or just the party in the streets surrounding Busch that will inevitably ensue once festivities begin, the 2009 All-Star Game is shaping up to be one of the most memorable in recent memory.

The Importance of Ryan Ludwick

Eric Hobbs — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 12:11:22 -0400

Is it a coincidence that just as Ryan Ludwick went down with an injury at Pittsburgh, the Cardinal offense began to struggle?

Is it a chance happening that while Ludwick struggled once coming off the disabled list, the Cardinal bats were quiet?

Finally, is it pure luck that as soon as Ludwick began to find his stroke, the Cardinals finally began to churn out runs again?

The correct answer is a resounding 'no', it's not luck. Ryan Ludwick is vital to the Cardinal lineup, in some ways perhaps more than Albert Pujols. Teams simply can walk Albert, but for much of this season, there hasn't been a cleanup batter to make the opposing team pay.

In the past ten games, Ludwick has found his groove, raising his batting average 18 points, up to .251. In those 10 games, the Cards are 7-3 while scoring 5.1 runs per game. Scoring five runs a game should wins you a lot of ballgames, especially when you have perhaps the best pitching staff in the National League.

Not only is the Cardinal offense better because of his bat, but his re-emergence puts his bat in the lineup every day while taking Rick Ankiel or Chris Duncan's bat out of the lineup. Both have been liabilities at the plate, consistently striking out and popping up pitches in key situations.

Ludwick and Colby Rasmus have earned the right to play every day. That leaves one spot, which could be occupied by Mark DeRosa once he returns from the DL. That would leave Duncan and Ankiel on the bench, and possibly as trade bait to pick up another piece to the puzzle, perhaps a right-handed bat.

The bottom line is that Ryan Ludwick as a productive hitter makes all the difference for the Cardinals, who lead the NL Central by three games. His bat protects Pujols, but it also keeps struggling bats out of the lineup. If Ludwick can maintain his solid hitting, the Cardinals should be able to hang on and claim the NL Central division title.

NASCAR Needs To Change Plates To Fix Plate Racing

Eric Hobbs — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:19:05 -0400

In May of 1987, Bobby Allison cut a tire while running in the spring race at the Alabama International Motor Speedway (now Talladega Superspeedway). The cut tire sent Allison spinning and airborne into the catchfence, tearing a gaping hole during a violent wreck. Fans were injured and the race was delayed while repairs were made to the fence.

It was after this incident that NASCAR decided that carburetor restrictor plates would be required at the circuit’s two largest tracks, Daytona and Talladega.

Restrictor plates effectively choke the engine by restricting the air flow, cutting its horsepower nearly in half. Since all the cars are limited to a lower amount of horsepower, they are bunched together.

Combine this with the physics of the draft, and you are left with an entire field of cars bunched together.

Racing at plate tracks often turns into a game of follow the leader, as one cannot afford to leave the draft. Then, at the end of a race, blocking becomes paramount, which can lead to results we’ve seen in the past two plate races. Both Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch were leading just yards away from the checkered flag, but both ended up with destroyed race cars.

In each case, the draft and blocking is the culprit. The car directly behind the leader is able to suck up and get a huge run, which can slingshot them past the leader if timed right. The leader then is left helpless except for trying to block.

Both Edwards and Busch tried to block, but the car behind them had gotten a quarter-panel in position, sending each leader spinning.

To me, there is one solution that may create a small amount of danger, but will eliminate a lot more: make the restrictor plates smaller.

With a smaller plate, the cars would be able to drive faster instead of depending on the draft. Racing would be more like at other tracks, where better cars are able to pull away. The draft would still exist, but a superior car could still drive away.

As cars become less dependent on the draft, finishes would be less dependent on blocking and who can mirror-drive the best. Cars would not be forced to get to the leader’s bumper before making a move.

Picture some of the fantastic finishes that have happened at Atlanta. They happened without restrictor plates, and would be impossible if plates were on those cars.

The lone drawback is that speeds would increase and potentially pose a greater danger. Rusty Wallace tested a car without any sort of restrictor plate in 2004, and he reached a top speed of 228 miles an hour. Wallace described the experience as “out of control”.

This tells us that some form of plate is necessary, but that a smaller one could make the racing better while not making the cars “out of control”.

Carl Edwards was right when he guessed that NASCAR will keep things the way they are until someone gets killed. After Kyle Busch’s wreck on Saturday, that day is coming.

For the safety and betterment of the sport, NASCAR should shrink the plates to let the cars race instead of creating a high speed parking lot like the one they have now.

Mike Skinner: Patriarch of the Camping World Truck Series

Eric Hobbs — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:03:56 -0400

Mike Skinner has raced in each of NASCAR’s top three series for many years, and has been successful everywhere he has gone.

The driver of the Randy Moss Motorsports Exide Toyota has had a strong 2009 season in the Camping World Truck Series, and is chasing another championship.

Skinner was born on June 28, 1957, in Susanville, Calif. His racing career began much later than most drivers, as he did not climb into a racecar until 1976, at age 18.

He quickly realized that racing was in his blood, and after winning three track championships, Skinner moved to North Carolina in 1983 to pursue racing.

After spending time as a crewman for Rusty Wallace’s team, Skinner got the occasional ride in what is now the Sprint Cup Series, but spent most of his time working with Wallace and at Petty Enterprises.

In 1994, Skinner won a local track championship racing late models, which gained Richard Childress’s attention, because he signed Skinner to drive in the newly formed Camping World Truck Series.

Skinner took the new series by storm, winning its first-ever race, then the inaugural championship. In all, Skinner won eight races en route to the 1995 title.

After winning eight more races and finishing third in the point standings in 1996, Richard Childress moved Skinner to the Sprint Cup Series, driving the No. 31 Lowe’s car, becoming a teammate to Dale Earnhardt. Skinner proceeded to win the 1997 Rookie of the Year Award.

From 1997-1999, Skinner improved his overall points position ever year, eventually finishing a career-best 10th in 1999. He also won exhibition races in Japan in both 1997 and 1998.

After a solid 12th-place finish in the points during the 2000 season, Skinner’s career hit a serious speed bump in 2001, while racing in the inaugural race at Chicagoland Speedway.

He cut a tire down, and his car smashed hard into the wall, leaving him with a broken ankle that was also sprained, plus damage to both his ACL and MCL.

He would miss the next five races. Skinner would return later that season, but would leave Richard Childress Racing at the end of the season.

After racing with various teams in the Sprint Cup Series during the 2002 and 2003 seasons, Skinner returned to the Camping World Series in 2004.

As one of the patriarchs of the series, Skinner’s presence has consistently been felt since his return.

The 2007 season was Skinner’s best since his return to the Camping World Trucks Series, as he won five races, 11 poles, had 17 top fives, and finished in the top ten in all but five races.

In 2009, Skinner teamed up with a new team owner, NFL star Randy Moss, to race the No. 5 Exide Batteries truck. Skinner’s first win with the new team came earlier this season in the rain-shortened race at Kansas.

As the Camping World Truck Series season has progressed, Skinner has been proud of his team’s effort as it chases the championship.

“This summer stretch is going good for our Randy Moss Motorsports team,” Skinner said. “I think we should have finished higher in a few races, but the biggest thing about this stretch is you have to keep going and put together consistent finishes.”

Though Randy Moss Motorsports is a new team, Skinner has been very happy with how well the team has performed and how quickly it has gotten up to speed. That said, Skinner knows that sometimes luck is involved.

“Oh, I’m very pleased,” Skinner said about his team’s effort. “We have ran better than our finishes show in two of those three races and one of them we didn’t run near as good as we finished, so it kind of goes back and forth.”

As happy as he is with his team, there’s no getting around the fact that it can be tough for a new team with new people to contend for a championship, no matter how talented the people are.

When asked whether his team could contend for the title, Skinner said, “I think as far as talent goes and the equipment-wise absolutely, yes.”

Even with a crew chief like Eric Phillips, Skinner realizes the difficulties in starting anew.

“That’s a tall order to ask somebody to start out fresh with a driver-crew chief combination,” the veteran admitted.

So far in 2009, Skinner has been a contender, and he hopes that another strong run at Gateway can help him stay in the thick of the championship chase.

(Quotes taken from various press releases)

St. Louis Cardinals: The Week That Was

Eric Hobbs — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:38:38 -0400

Perhaps the best way to describe the St. Louis Cardinals in the past week is to call them consistently inconsistent.

Overall, it was a bit of a down week, dropping three of four to the New York Mets and losing another two to the Minnesota Twins.

The single biggest thing that sticks out is how Joe Thurston seemingly forgot how to run the bases, and the rarities that occurred in New York.

Thurston, while a solid player, was guilty of multiple base-running blunders, being picked off the base paths in key situations.

In one particular instance, Ryan Ludwick came to bat with one out, Thurston on second base, and Albert Pujols on first. Thurston was picked off second before the first pitch.

When Pujols thought Mets pitcher Livan Hernandez was throwing home, he took off for second, only to be picked off. Two outs were recorded with Ludwick standing at the plate, but without seeing a single pitch.

As bad as that was, Joel Pineiro was just as masterful in New York. He dominated the Mets, allowing just four balls to leave the infield. Pitching coach Dave Duncan preaches that his pitchers should pitch to contact, and almost every out Pineiro recorded was via the groundout.

Adam Wainwright has been as inconsistent as any player on the Cardinal roster, sometimes making hitters look silly, and other times not being able to find the strike zone. Friday night, Wainwright struggled, issuing four walks. Despite his troubles with location, he held the Minnesota Twins to two runs in seven innings.

Wainwright would be the hard-luck loser, however, as Cardinal bats were once again silenced by left-handed pitching.

Saturday's game, which started at noon, was a concern for St. Louis officials, who requested the game be moved to a later time due to the extreme heat (heat indices reached 100+ degrees every day last week).

The game would begin at noon as scheduled, but Todd Wellemeyer must not have gotten that memo, because he certainly did not show up.

Being pulled in the third inning, Wellemeyer was bailed out by Pujols, who hit a pair of two-run homers. That accounted for four of the five Cardinal runs as the Cards hung on to win 5-3.

The biggest news of the week occurred at week's end, when Mark DeRosa became a Cardinal, leaving Cleveland in exchange for reliever Chris Perez. The veteran would go hitless in his debut Sunday, but he did make a diving catch in left field.

For the second time in three days, as lefty dominated Cardinal bats, as Francisco Liriano stifled the Redbirds on Sunday. A cold front came through St. Louis in time for this game, as it was played under temperatures in the low to mid 80s, nearly 15 degrees cooler than St. Louis had seen in a week.

If Mark DeRosa can provide a bat that can hit left-handed pitching, this will be an excellent trade. That is far and away this team's biggest weakness. Both lefties for the Twins had records below .500, but both also shut down the Cardinal bats. That must change for the Redbirds to contend.

Breaking News: St. Louis Cardinals Trade for Mark DeRosa

Eric Hobbs — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:40:18 -0400

The St. Louis Cardinals have plugged a hole in their lineup, and upset a bunch of general managers in the process. The highly coveted Mark DeRosa is headed to St. Louis in a deal that will send Chris Perez and a player to be named later to the Cleveland Indians.

Many expected DeRosa would be moved as the trade deadline approached in late July.

The deal should add some offense to the Cardinals lineup, as DeRosa is batting .270 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI. Although he is expected to play third base, he is capable of playing second base, left field, or right field as well.

ESPN's Baseball Tonight was highly complementary of the trade.

Former Cardinal Eduardo Perez mentioned how La Russa will mix and match a lineup more than any other manager in the game, and how DeRosa's versatility gave his new skipper many more options.

Buck Showalter simply described him as a "baseball player," explaining that he left his ego at the door and would do whatever it takes to win the game.

DeRosa's presence should add a bit of spice the next time the Cardinals and Cubs get together, as he was wearing Cubbie blue just last year.

This trade makes great sense for a team making a push when they think this is the year to make a run. The Cardinals are finishing up a process of getting younger and rebuilding, but DeRosa, at 34, won't exactly be the third baseman of the future.

Considering what the Cardinals gave up, this deal could prove to be a steal. Chris Perez is young, talented, and can bring the heat as a reliever. That said, the Cardinals already have Jason Motte, who is also young, but can also hit triple digits on the radar gun.

Perez seemed to not have a place in the bullpen, so it makes sense to make the team better and give him a chance to further his career. It will also be interesting to see who the player named to be later is.

Joe Thurston comes to mind as someone who may complete the trade, although that is complete speculation on the author's part.

If the Cardinals would have given up more than they did, this trade would have been horrible, but because they did not give up a ton, this deal could work out well for both teams, and help the Cardinals make that final push towards another NL Central crown.

DeMarre Carroll Drafted by Memphis Grizzlies

Eric Hobbs — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:29:14 -0400

If defense wins championships, DeMarre Carroll will turn out to be a smart pick. The former Missouri star was drafted 27th overall in the first round of the NBA Draft on Thursday by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Carroll, a 2009 Big 12 First-Teamer and Big 12 Tournament MVP, spent the past two years playing for Mizzou after sitting out a year when he transferred from Vanderbilt.

ESPN’s Chad Ford said on his recap that he loved the pick for Memphis. Many expected that a contender might add Carroll as that last piece to the puzzle, the high-energy player who would disrupt the opposing team’s offense while giving a starter some rest.

What seems rather curious is that so many people consider DeMarre to be a steal as the 27th pick. People seemed to expect him to fall to around this range, but seemed shocked when it actually happened. A logical thought is that these people know his effort and ability will transfer and could make up for the fact that there is no real defined position for Carroll in the NBA.

Perhaps NBA teams were worried about his health being a factor. Liver issues and a bad history of ankle injuries may have scared some people off. Carroll sustained a gunshot wound to his ankle while trying to break up a fight outside a Columbia bar, and it took until this past season for the injury to heal.

As the 27th pick, Carroll was drafted around the same time many thought he may go, but instead of a contender, Carroll will be heading south to Memphis. Coincidentally, Carroll’s uncle and former coach, Missouri coach Mike Anderson, is recruiting the city of Memphis very hard. Perhaps that could be used as a recruiting tool in the future.

With Carroll being drafted, Missouri is one of two schools to have a player drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL, MLB, and NBA drafts. North Carolina is the other school.

Concerns over a liver disease posed a threat to Carroll’s draft status, but fears subsided when it was revealed that he had had the issue and had gotten treatment at Washington University in St. Louis. He may one day need a liver transplant, but that would not become an issue until long after his playing career is over.

If Carroll can have success in the NBA, even if it is in a limited role as many project, he will help further Mizzou’s success as a recruiting tool and can leave his alma mater’s mark on the NBA.

Why Do NASCAR Fans Hate Kyle Busch so Much?

Eric Hobbs — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:27:30 -0400

For the first time in a while, NASCAR has a villain in its races. Before, there was Darrell Waltrip or Dale Earnhardt, both of whom later became extremely popular. Once Earnhardt switched from villain to hero, there was a void left.

Kyle Busch has filled that void.

Whether it is his attitude, driving style, or a combination of things, Busch has become the most hated driver NASCAR has had in the last 20 years.

Fans have known about the younger Busch brother for nearly ten years, when he first began racing in the Camping World Truck Series. This was before NASCAR implemented a rule requiring drivers in the three major series to be 18 years old.

After a hiatus from NASCAR for being too young, Busch returned and quickly began winning races. He and Martin Truex Jr. were locked into a yearlong battle for the Nationwide Series title in 2004, and though Truex won the championship, Busch had arrived.

Since 2005, Busch has been in the Sprint Cup Series, and at first, he came across as someone who was simply a whiner when something went wrong. Many people, including Darrell Waltrip, thought that once he was older and more mature, he would stop whining, and would become a great ambassador to the sport.

For about a half-season this seemed to be the case, as he seemed to whine less and accept the hand he was dealt. As quickly as this trend started, it disappeared, and since then, Kyle Busch has had perhaps the worst personality in NASCAR history. His lack of maturity is now combined with an arrogance that has come from his success.

There is no doubt in my mind that Busch holds a grudge against Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. because Busch was essentially dumped to make room for the series’ most popular driver.

Busch has said in interviews that he holds no ill will towards Dale Jr., but it seems fairly obvious based on comments made at Dover that he doesn’t think too much of him.

The Gibbs driver said that it’s never Junior’s fault, and that when he doesn’t get the results they want, it was always the crew chief’s fault, inferring that Dale Jr. was not a very good driver.

Since signing with Gibbs, Busch has seemed to have a vendetta against the Hendrick team. It was around this time that his attitude took a turn for the worse, and he became the personality he is today.

What annoys people most is the fact that he simply treats people like they are below him. In interviews, he often gives smart-alec comments, leaving the pit reporter speechless.

In recent weeks, Busch has finished second in many races. When interviewed after these races, Busch speaks with a tone of voice that would lead you to think someone had wronged him, or that he was entitled to win the race.

Here’s an idea, Kyle: stop blaming everyone else out there, and admit that each race in this streak, the winning car was better than you were.

Compare his attitude about finishing second to that of Tony Stewart, who finished second at Sonoma. Busch was almost insulted that he, the great Kyle Busch, would be relegated to second place, while some unworthy punk celebrated and took his trophy home.

On the other hand, Stewart admitted being anxious about his chances once Kasey Kahne passed him, and conceded that Kahne drove "a perfect race", leaving him with no chance. Busch will never say such a thing.

Why is Kyle Busch such a bad person? The answer is surely too complex to have a single explanation, but it seems to me that his parents may be to blame.

There are accounts of Kurt Busch, Kyle’s older brother, being just about as snobby to people. The only major difference is that Kurt has learned when to shut his mouth so he is not perceived as a villain like his brother is.

When media is around, Kurt tries to act nice, and instead of coming off like the snob he is, he simply comes off as a square, nerd, or someone who was stuffed into a high school locker while walking to French class.

Kyle combines his rotten personality with his incredible lack of maturity, and comes off as an arrogant clown who takes everything for granted. Knowing this, and knowing his brother’s true character, I place blame on his parents.

When two children in the same house acquire the same bad traits, it’s fairly likely that the kids learned that trait from their main environment, around their parents.

Of course, I have no way to prove this, but it is a conjecture of mine that I have a pretty good gut feeling about.

Nothing says "NASCAR’s villain" like a pasty-white, scrawny punk wearing oversized sunglasses. Kyle Busch will never stop being the villain because he is the one in the spotlight, even if it’s for all the wrong reasons.

Does Danica Patrick Have a Future in NASCAR?

Eric Hobbs — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:22:36 -0400

Depending on how you view the question posed in this article's title, the answer could be both yes and no.

Yes, Danica Patrick could easily wind up in NASCAR.

No, she may not be able to amount to much.

Although there isn't much of a competition going on, NASCAR and the IRL are directly competing against each other. As it stands now, the IRL is struggling while NASCAR is flourishing, despite the poor economic climate.

The Daytona 500 is now the premier race in America, while the Indy 500 gets lower ratings than NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 that occurs a few hours after racing at the Brickyard concludes. The bottom line is that indy-car racing in America is far behind stock car racing.

Danica Patrick brought tons of attention to the IRL when she signed, when she won her first (and only) race, then again when she switched teams. NASCAR knows this, and realizes she may be single-handedly keeping her league afloat.

The logical answer for NASCAR is rumored to be in motion: simply buy Danica away from IRL. Top NASCAR executives have money to do this, and there surely will be a team willing to sign her, if for no other reason than the sponsorship money she would inevitably bring.

A struggling team would eat her up in a second. Some NASCAR officials will offer her so much money, without caring which team she signs with, just as long as it's a Sprint Cup team.

The most logical fit for Danica is in fact one of those teams that are struggling: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates would love to sign her. They would bring name recognition to the program, sponsorship money would not be an issue, and Danica would be surrounded by people familiar with open-wheel racing, including would-be teammate Juan Pablo Montoya.

There are two primary issues with her potential transition into a stock car. First, would she be willing to be patient? She would have to go through the entire process, starting in a series like ARCA and working her way up through the Nationwide Series or even the Camping World Truck Series. Montoya did this, and she would have to as well.

The problem lies in that she attracts so much attention that the media surrounding her would almost force her team to rush the process, hurrying her along into a Cup ride before she is truly ready.

The other problem is the dirty little secret that is not as obvious on the surface, but it is hands down the most critical point to consider.

Is Danica Patrick talented enough to make it in NASCAR?

Remember, she has but a single win in her IRL career, that coming at Motegi in 2008, and she has never been a serious threat for the IRL championship. Those are not the stats of someone ready to take the step up (don't kid yourself into thinking the drivers are equal) into NASCAR.

The reason Montoya is enjoying moderate success and has won a Sprint Cup race is because he simply is one of the most talented drivers alive. Danica Patrick is not, and consequently would not be successful.

The bottom line is simple: Danica in NASCAR would get tons of attention for her and NASCAR, it would doom IRL, and whichever team she joined would have eager sponsors and lots of attention for about a season and a half.

After that point, however, people would grow impatient with her lack of progress, she would be rushed to accommodate sponsors and fans, and the entire process would ruin her career.

If Danica Patrick wants to enjoy a long and successful career in auto racing, her best bet is to stick with IRL instead of creating a circus by joining NASCAR.

St. Louis Cardinals: The Week That Was

Eric Hobbs — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:45:15 -0400

When Albert Pujols is hot, opposing pitchers take cover and bleacher bums in the outfield are at the ready with their gloves. The two-time MVP hit four more home runs and now leads the majors in both home runs (26) and RBI (68).

Another round of interleague play continued for St. Louis this past week, and it did the Cardinals good, as they used it to fix some kinks in the proverbial machine.

When Chris Carpenter pitches, many Cardinal fans simply assume a Redbird victory will ensue. On Sunday night, Indians pitcher Cliff Lee made sure no such thing would happen, blanking the Cardinals. Carpenter gave up two home runs, taking his first loss of the season 3-0.

The Monday off day must have been just what the doctor ordered, because when the Cardinals opened the series against Detroit at Busch Stadium on Tuesday, they teed off on Tiger pitching, winning 11-2 behind a solid start from Adam Wainwright.

After another clinching the series win against the Tigers in a 4-3 win, The Cardinals stumbled in the series finale, dropping the game 6-3.

Part of the offensive surge has been due to Colby Rasmus and his increased production. During the past week, his batting average reached a high of .285 before settling at the current .274 mark, which is a far cry from earlier this season when he was barely above the Mendoza line.

A second piece to the puzzle is Yadier Molina, who leads all NL catchers in All-Star voting. Though never known for his offense, he has raised his average 20points to .284 since the start of the Detroit series. Included in that is his fifth home run of the season, off Edwin Jackson in the 4-3 win on Wednesday.

As the Redbirds traveled across the state to Kansas City, fans were eagerly awaiting the resurgence of two more players, Ryan Ludwick and Khalil Greene. Ludwick was productive before injury, and has had timing issues since coming off the disabled list. Greene had largely struggled and spent time on the DL with social anxiety disorder.

Ryan Ludwick may have turned the corner with a single swing of the bat on Friday night. In the midst of a six-run third inning, Ludwick hit a grand slam off Royals pitcher Kyle Davies, his 10th home run of the season. Greene added a home run of his own, his third of the season, as the Cardinals routed their interstate rivals, 10-5.

Brad Thompson wasn't spectacular, but he didn't need to be in his role filling in for injured starter Kyle Lohse. He turned in another solid, steady start, pitching seven innings and allowing four runs.

Chris Carpenter took out his frustration from Sunday's loss on the hapless Royals, allowing just a single run on three hits in seven-and-two-thirds innings. Pujols added his 24th home run of the year and Greene added his second round-tripper in as many days as the Cardinals took sole possession of first place in a 7-1 win.

Albert Pujols spent Sunday playing home run derby, hitting his 25th and 26th home runs while driving in six runs. Pujols left his mark on the newly renovated Kauffman Stadium, as his fourth inning grand slam hit off the Royals' hall of fame, leaving a dent on the outside of the building.

The DH for the day, the triple-crown threat had four hits in five at-bats, as the Cardinals finished off a sweep of the Royals, 12-5.

Sunday's win also gave manager Tony La Russa 2,500 career wins, third all-time behind Connie Mack and John McGraw.

The Cardinals' offense has awakened, especially Khalil Greene, who added his third home run in as many days playing his first ever games at third base in Kansas City. After homering Sunday, Greene was plunked on the knee and left the game, though his injury is unknown.

Ryan Ludwick insists he is getting closer and closer to regaining the timing he had before his injury that made him so dangerous, and other players are on a hot streak.

The NL Central leaders will look to continue their assault on the AL Central this week, taking on the Minnesota Twins after a trip to New York to face the Mets.

St. Louis Cardinals: The Week That Was

Eric Hobbs — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:59:51 -0400

It seems like a simple concept, bordering on cliche: as Albert Pujols goes, so go the St. Louis Cardinals.

The past week has made this as clear as it has ever been.

Entering the week, Pujols was riding a slump, at one point going 15 straight at-bats without a base hit. After breaking the hitless streak with an opposite way single in Florida against the Marlins, Cardinals' color commentator Al Hrabosky made a prediction that Pujols would get into a hot streak.

Normally, when Hrabosky makes a prediction or gives an opinion, the smart money is on the opposite being true, but alas, Pujols proceeded to hit four home runs in the next three games, each of them appearing to still be going up when they cleared the outfield wall.

The team as a whole has ridden both streaks of Pujols', losing five straight to the Colorado Rockies and Marlins when Pujols could not buy a hit, but also winning three of the last four, taking the final two games in South Florida and splitting a pair in Cleveland.

Overall, the Cardinals went 3-4 this past week, which would have seemed like a blessing last Tuesday.

Just as the team has ridden Pujols' recent streaky play, so to have the bats in the lineup. They say hitting is contagious, and it would appear true looking at Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick.

Ankiel has raised his average over 30 points, up to .254 from .220, since last Monday by batting .360 in the past seven games.

Ludwick has been in an extended slump since coming off the disabled list, but he has finally shown some signs, despite not having the stats to back them up. What was once a pop-up is now a well-hit ball. A sharp liner still counts as an out, but we will have to take what we can get.

The 13-4 victory over the Marlins Wednesday ended an astounding streak for the Redbirds in which they had not won a game giving up more than two runs since May 10. That is truly a testament to the pitching staff, who has been solid overall.

As the Cardinals contend for the NL Central in the second round of interleague play, it is becoming increasingly evident that the Cardinals need one more bat to be considered a complete team, whether that be Ludwick returning to his pre-injury numbers, Colby Rasmus continuing his month-long improvement, or Ankiel finally getting his act together.

Tony La Russa needs to be able to send offensive threats out there both before and after Pujols to make the Cardinals' offensive machine churn, but that machine is just one bat away from running on all cylinders.

Can Mizzou Maintain This Level of Success?

Eric Hobbs — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:19:28 -0400

The 2008 season was supposed to be the year that the Missouri Tigers broke out and competed for a National Championship. Instead, the defense broke down and the team finished a disappointing 10-4.

Now, Mizzou must enter 2009 without Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman, William Moore, and Ziggy Hood. Knowing this, many expect Kansas and Nebraska to be frontrunners for the Big 12 division crown, with the Tigers potentially making a run if things break their way.

Some of the college football preview magazines are in the works, and the Tigers are not being treated like contenders. In fact, Phil Steele predicted Missouri would finish fifth in the division, ahead of only Iowa State.

There is a lot of proven talent no longer in the black and gold, and that is all "experts" need to see. They see a young team without experience and a depleted offense. The truth is, this team may have more raw talent than any other in Missouri Tiger football history.

Before dismissing this article as that of a homer, note that I'm saying the team may have more raw talent. I'm not claiming this team to be better than any other team, because frankly, I could see this team winning anywhere from 4-9 games.

Within the past few recruiting cycles, head coach Gary Pinkel has brought in talent rarely seen in Columbia. This is the reason Mizzou fans have any hope at all for the 2009 season. Potential stars like Blaine Gabbert, Rolandis Woodland, and Kenji Jackson are waiting for their chance, which is coming.

The key word when discussing Missouri football in 2009 is potential. There are players with great measureables and high rankings from recruiting services on this team, but no one knows how these players will do on the field.

The two areas Mizzou fans are most anxious about are quarterback and the defensive line. Chase Daniel wiped out most previous records, and was responsible for much of the Tigers' success, especially in 2007.

Where Daniel lacked, Blaine Gabbert excels. Gabbert is 6'5'', compared to Daniel's 6'. The former Heisman finalist was accurate, but did not have the arm strength that Gabbert has, as the sophomore basically has a rocket launcher attached to his shoulder. Gabbert was ranked as a five star recruit out of Parkway West High School, while Daniel was given just three stars.

On paper, Gabbert should be a vast improvement over Daniel, but that is obviously no sure thing.

A year after losing Lorenzo Williams, the Tigers had to watch their other star defensive tackle, Ziggy Hood, leave for the NFL. Both ends graduated as well, with Stryker Sulak being drafted to the black hole that is the Oakland Raiders.

There will be three new faces on the line with returning senior Jaron Baston, some of which could be very young. Terrell Resonno and Dominique Hamilton will each get time at tackle with Baston, and the defensive ends will consist of Brian Coulter, Aldon Smith, Jacquies Smith, and possibly Braydon Burnett, although he could redshirt as well.

This young group was the bright spot of the Mizzou Spring Game in April. While the offense struggled that day, the defensive ends looked much faster than before. There were even times Coulter had to slow down because he had gotten into the backfield so quickly and the play had not developed.

If Gabbert and the defensive line learns quickly and excels, Nebraska and Kansas can expect company in the division race. Many also expect that if Missouri can somehow win the division in a down year, they will be here to stay.

St. Louis Cardinals: The Week That Was

Eric Hobbs — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:56:38 -0400

Rather than simply recap the past week of Cardinals baseball, I've decided to make this weekly column more about my opinions and thoughts for the week.

I'll begin by throwing Todd Wellemeyer under the bus. He was great last season until late August. Since then, he has been mediocre on his best days and downright horrible on his bad ones. He has done nothing but walk people, give up cheap runs, and make it obvious to Cards GM John Mozeliak that they need one more pitcher.

Therein lies the problem. The Cards need for offense could be greater than their need for someone to replace Wellemeyer. Albert Pujols is being Albert Pujols, but aside from him only Yadier Molina and Skip Schumaker have been consistent offensively.

I hate to say it because of how awesome a story it is, but Rick Ankiel is becoming a liability. Despite his stellar defense, he will be flirting with the Mendoza line if he isn't careful.

During a game against the Colorado Rockies this week, I looked over at my mother, who was watching the game with me, and I promised her Ankiel would strike out or pop the ball up. After a mighty but fruitless whiff, Ankiel walked back to the dugout with yet another strikeout.

Ryan Ludwick joins Ankiel in the underachieving outfielders department. Though I really like the way he plays the game Ludwick began to slump even a few weeks before his injury. His average is now below .250, which simply cannot happen when protecting Pujols.

As the dog days of summer approach and the division race tightens up, games where an 0-6 pitcher with an ERA over five (Jorge De La Rosa of the Rockies) comes into your ballpark and takes you to school will prove to be back-breakers.

It would be unfair if I did not praise Chris Carpenter. There is something to be said when you pitch masterfully and your ERA balloons to 0.71. That is insanity, and yet we are not that surprised to see it. He may keep this team in the playoff race by himself.

At this point, I seriously would consider taking Ankiel out of the lineup, then featuring an outfield of Colby Rasmus, Ludwick, and Schumaker.

Combine that with an infield of Pujols, Joe Thurston, Tyler Greene, and Brian Barden to go along with Yadier Molina ,and you have a shakeup that hopefully can wake up this offense.

Something must be done, because putting up such minuscule numbers will get these players nothing but an earlier tee time in October.

Pocono's Time Has Come and Gone

Eric Hobbs — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:40:47 -0400

Since Richard Petty won the first race at Pocono Raceway in August of 1974, many quality racetracks have been thrown by the wayside.

Rockingham is off the schedule, North Wilkesboro sits empty, and Darlington has just one race left. All provided great racing and were unique tracks.

With great tracks like those being taken off the schedule, it's a bit of a mystery how Pocono Raceway still manages two Sprint Cup dates. Sure, the track is one-of-a-kind, but each corner is copied off another track.

Given the length of the straightaways (the front stretch is the longest in all of NASCAR) and the different corners, combined with the overall flatness of the turns and wideness of the track, Pocono lends itself to spread out fields and bad racing.

In the 62 Sprint Cup races run at Pocono coming into the 2009 season, just 19 have been won by someone starting outside the top 10. In ARCA, just two of the 20 races have been won by someone starting 11th or worse, and every single driver who won a CART race at Pocono started inside the top 10 (although that's par for the course for CART).

Because the track is so long and features such different corners, few teams are able to dial the car in well enough to race with anyone. Most cars just make laps and hang on until the next pit stop and hope for the best.

Normally, a wide track where multiple grooves are run is referred to as a "driver's track". Michigan is an example, as the top three cars could be using completely different lines through the corners, all equally fast. This makes for good racing.

The difference is that Michigan has turns banked at 18 degrees, while Pocono's turns are banked at 14, eight, and six degrees, respectively. Drivers are worried about slowing the car down enough to make it through the corner and can't focus on catching cars in front of them.

Given the poor racing the track provides, the modest crowd capacity of 76,812, and its location in the Pocono Mountains of northeast Pennsylvania, its a wonder the track maintains a Sprint Cup date, much less two of them.

There are rumors that the track owners simply buy the races, paying NASCAR money under the table to keep their track on the schedule. While that will likely never be proven, it would make sense, especially with that clown Brian France running the show.

Whatever the reason for Pocono Raceway's two exhibitions of accelerated pace laps per season, a track where the winner has come from the front row 21 out of 62 races needs to be altered or removed in favor of tracks with quality racing, where all drivers have a chance to win.

St. Louis Cardinals: The Week That Was

Eric Hobbs — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:23:07 -0400

The story of the past week for St. Louis Cardinals fans was twofold: the continued success of the starting pitching and the return of Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick.

The week began with a Sunday finale against the in-state rival Kansas City Royals. Joel Pineiro was solid in his seven innings, giving up just three runs. The Cardinal offense could not produce, however, as the Royals' three runs proved to be enough for the victory.

The loss was especially frustrating because the Royals had led the entire game before the Cardinals came through with two runs in the sixth, including one off the bat of Pineiro, who would in turn give up the deciding run in the top of the seventh.

As Major League Baseball honored our country's fallen heroes on Memorial Day, Chris Carpenter showed how masterful he can be, taking a perfect game into the seventh inning.

The problem was that Brewers ace Yovani Gallardo was just as effective. In a game that went into extra innings at a scoreless tie, a Brian Barden error proved costly, as Bill Hall, who had been in a 1-for-28 slump, delivered with a walk-off gapper to right-center. Carpenter's brilliance was wasted in the 1-0 loss.

The series took a Cardinal turn the following two games as the Redbirds won both by scores of 8-1 and 3-2. The 8-1 win was punctuated by four Cardinal home runs, including one by pitcher Adam Wainwright.

In the series finale, the Cards were led by Nick Stavinoha, who hit his first career home run.The win nearly proved costly, as backup catcher Jason LaRue narrowly avoided disaster and being trampled by the traditional brat race in between innings.

After taking the series in Milwaukee, the Cardinals headed west to take on the San Francisco Giants. Pineiro struggled in the opener, going just four innings and taking the loss. The bullpen was solid, however, holding the Giants scoreless the rest of the game.

Saturday's game was a different story, as Albert Pujols powered his team to a 6-2 victory with two home runs, giving him 16 for the season.

The St. Louis Cardinals enter the month of June eight games over .500, at 29-21, and find themselves just one game out of first place. Looking ahead, the Cardinals will face off against the Cincinnati Reds in an important four game series. The Reds will begin the series just two-and-a-half games behind the Cardinals in the NL Central.

Pujols has been hot, raising his average up to .339, and the Cards' offense hopes to find itself with Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel back in the lineup.

The Art Of A NASCAR Rain Delay

Eric Hobbs — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:10:22 -0400

Any NASCAR official will tell you that they try to have everything planned and organized, down to the smallest details. Despite every effort it may make, NASCAR can never prepare for one thing: rain.

After this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, many fans are surely confused and maybe upset as to how NASCAR determines whether or not to call a race early, and what all goes into the decision making process.

Given the many things to be considered throughout, it truly is an art.

Officials must look at radar, consider the time of day, add in a highway patrol-set curfew at some tracks, and then estimate how long it would take to dry the track. Oh yeah, and some tracks don’t have lights, so darkness could create a natural curfew.

That’s before NASCAR even considers the fact that teams have to prepare for the next week’s race.

All of those factors mixed together create a nearly impossible situation for NASCAR.

The powers that be have often been criticized for pulling the plug on a race too early, or not moving up a start to try to get the race in.

This was never more the case than during this year’s Daytona 500, which Matt Kenseth won when they called the race after 152 of the scheduled 200 laps.

Maybe people were upset because they simply felt that such an important race should be run to completion, or perhaps others just don’t like Kenseth. Either way, Mother Nature was the ultimate winner of the Great American Race.

In the case of Sunday (and Monday’s) race in Charlotte, NASCAR deserves a lot of credit. There wasn’t a chance to get the full race in on Sunday evening, so they decided to race on Monday morning. That turned out to be the correct call, as it rained much of Sunday evening.

On Monday, the skies were not much better, but they allowed for 227 of the scheduled 400 laps to be completed.

Even then, the race was red-flagged three separate times for rain. Six hours after the drop of the green flag, David Reutimann was declared the winner.

In one of the “crown jewel” events of the season, race officials made every possible effort to get a full race in, perhaps learning from the criticism of the way the Daytona 500 was dealt with.

As boring as it may have gotten for fans to watch on television and as bored as drivers likely were at the track, the radar kept providing us with glimmers of hope and clear skies.

In the end, despite their best efforts, all the work NASCAR did was left soaking wet.

Craig Sager: Fashionable or Simply Over the Top?

Eric Hobbs — Mon, 25 May 2009 19:56:05 -0400

For years, Craig Sager has stood out, but not because of his considerable talent as a sideline reporter. Instead, Sager stands apart because of his flamboyant wardrobe.

Craig Sager currently roams the sidelines of the NBA and MLB for Turner Sports (TBS and TNT) in suits that would make Don Cherry blush. Whether it be pink, blue, or yellow, the veteran journalist is sure to turn heads.

The idea of wearing random suits is not new to Sager. In fact, he stands out in the crowd of people at home plate, after Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run. While most journalists were wearing the normal attire of 1974, Sager stood out in a bright white coat.

Many coaches and players have been known to make fun of Craig for his outfits, most notably Kevin Garnett on multiple occasions and Phil Jackson comparing him to Bozo the Clown. Garnett even went as far as to encourage him to burn the entire outfit he had on, so that he would leave the arena "butt-ass naked".

During the 2008 ALCS, Joe Maddon, the manager for the Rays, was in the dugout at Fenway Park, when Sager walked by on the warning track in between innings. Maddon's head followed Sager and his velvet suit, and Maddon started laughing and pointed Craig out to other bench coaches—this from one of the most intense managers in the game.

For Craig Sager, it isn't just about the suit coat, but rather, it's about the whole outfit. Often, he has pants that match his jackets, no matter how random the color. He even goes as far as to have matching socks and shoes. Of course these accessories also match in color, be it bright red or a dull olive green.

In an interview with the The Washington Post, during the Beijing Olympics, Sager was forced into wearing the uniform that all reporters for NBC had to wear: khakis and a blue polo. Sager did manage a festive belt that matched his blue polo and claims to have worn a matching thong. Mercifully, there is no proof of this.

This is some sort of fashion, but is it a trendsetting fashion, a man who think's he's a real life character from "Saturday Night Fever", or is his sense of style just that far out of whack?

You be the judge.

St. Louis Cardinals: The Week That Was

Eric Hobbs — Sun, 24 May 2009 00:54:43 -0400

The week that ended with a run of pitching few have ever seen began with some of the worst pitching of the season. The Milwaukee Brewers sprayed hard bit balls throughout Busch Stadium and finished off a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, pulling ahead to a two game lead over the then-second place Chicago Cubs, three games ahead of the Cardinals.

How the times have changed.

While the Brewers have cooled losing three of four, the Redbirds have won five straight and pulled into a tie for first with Milwaukee, three-and-a-half games ahead of Chicago. The story is not just that the Cards have climbed up the standings, but how.

Struggling to recover from their beating at the hands of Prince Fielder and Co., the Cardinals sent Joel Pineiro to the mound against the rival Cubs. Having started hot but fallen on recent hard times, no one was sure what to expect out of Pineiro.

The right-hander then proceeded to toss a three-hit shutout that would set the tone for the rest of the week.

Oft-injured staff ace Chris Carpenter returned to the lineup in the second game of the series against Chicago, and worked five shutout innings. Derrek Lee called him "the nastiest pitcher I've seen all year."*

Adam Wainwright has struggled much of the young season with control and efficiency on the mound, but on Thursday, he was just one out away from the second Cardinal complete game in three days, tossing eight-and-two-thirds innings and giving up just a single run.

Albert Pujols provided the defining moment of the week during the final game of the three game sweep of the Cardinals' longtime rivals when he hit a monster home run that knocked the power out of the "I" in the lit "Big Mac Land" sign.

Visions of Roy Hobbs surely ran through some fans' heads.

The statistic that jumps out most is that the Cardinals were able to sweep the Chicago Cubs, but only managed six total runs and a .205 batting average for the series. The pitching was good enough that it didn't matter.

As Memorial Day Weekend dawned, another rival came to town. This time, the Kansas City Royals were in town to renew the I-70 Series. Cardinal fans entered the game wondering if Todd Wellemeyer, who had been struggling all season long, could replicate the performance of his teammates.

Those questions were answered by six innings of scoreless pitching.

Relieving Wellemeyer was Jason Motte, who entered the season as the flamethrower of the team. The problem was that there had been a shortage of flames in his pitching. Not so on Friday night, as for the first time all season, Motte routinely hit 96 and 97 miles per hour on the radar gun. He even hit 98 a few times.

This newfound heat came at a good time, as he used the firepower to strike out two Royals' batters in the game's most dramatic moment.

Every member of the Cardinals' rotation had had his turn to shine during this streak except Kyle Lohse entering Saturday. In the second game of the interstate rivalry, the second year Cardinal turned in a gem, going eight strong innings without surrendering a run.

Lohse was hit by a pitch attempting to sacrifice in the eighth inning, and manager Tony La Russa saw no point in taking any risk by sending Lohse back out for the ninth.

Through an entire turn in the rotation, Cardinals' starters combined for a 0.24 ERA in over 36 innings. Let's also remember this was directly after the Brewers hit everything Cardinal pitchers threw their way.

The five-game winning streak is all the more impressive given the absence of outfielders Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel, both on the disabled list.

Besides the obvious improvement in pitching, two factors contributed to the Cardinals' success this week: Albert Pujols ending a slump and Nick Stavinoha coming through in clutch situations.

Pujols ended a five game RBI-less streak and raised his batting average nearly 20 points to its current .331 average. He also was presented with his 2008 MVP plaque Friday.

Called up when Ryan Ludwick went to with an injury, Nick Stavinoha twice provide clutch doubles, each time driving home two runs. He also has a stolen base to his credit. He hasn't hit the ball well every time he's been up, but he has when it's counted most.

The week that was for the St. Louis Cardinals has turned the club around, leading them back into a tie for first place in the NL Central. Next week will show if this is a random fluke of consecutive gems from the starters or if the staff has turned a corner, as the team will face off against the Brewers once again.

*= I did not get this quote from Lee myself, I heard it through some source of media that slipped my mind. Credit will be given to the source if I can remember who it was.

Thoughts on the NASCAR 2009 Sprint All-Star Race

Eric Hobbs — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:20:14 -0400

The 2009 version of the Sprint All-Star Race was both a boring race and a thriller.

The first of four segments started off without much action. It was won by Jimmie Johnson, who started on the pole and led every lap. During the 50-lap segment, Johnson spent much of the time leading by more than two seconds.

Yawn. The 48 machine kept getting smaller and smaller in the windshields of the other drivers.

The only excitement for this portion of the race came as Johnson seemingly slowed down to allow Ryan Newman to remain just one lap down. This slackened pace allowed the field to catch up, and Jimmie nearly gave up the lead.

The second segment was less than half as long as the first, but had just about as many yawns. This time, instead of the 48 car yarding the field, it was the 18 of Kyle Busch pulling away from everyone else. Again, the same driver led every lap of the segment.

It wasn't until the third segment that we got our first green flag pass for the lead, when three-time winner Jeff Gordon passed Kyle Busch. From there, this race changed from the yawner it had been into a thriller.

One of the more dramatic moments came as Newman, who earlier was spared by Jimmie Johnson from going a second lap down, charged into the battle for the lead.

Gordon led for 11 laps, including the final laps of the third segment. After everyone got some gas, adjustments, and four new Mr. Feelgoods, the fourth and final 10-lap segment produced some racing that can described as both ridiculous and simply awesome.

Gordon could not pull away, and was stuck in a battle with Matt Kenseth and the ever-aggressive Kyle Busch.

Coming off turn four, Gordon was on the bottom, three-wide, and was unable to hold the bottom. As he lost the handle, he slid up and nearly into Kyle Busch. Busch in turn moved up to avoid the 24, but hit Kenseth, who was above him, in the process. Busch bounced off the 17 and back into Gordon, who then was sent spinning. A loud anti-Gordon crowd cheered as water poured from a busted radiator and the four-time series champion climbed out of his car.

The demise of Jeff Gordon left Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch atop the leaderboard, but it was Tony Stewart who would storm to the front and lead the final two laps on the way to his first victory as an owner.

For a race that was 75 percent boring, the final 25 percent entailed some of the most thrilling racing I've seen in a while. It also included a quote for the ages from Stewart, when regarding the party that would ensue after leaving the track:

"I don't even know if I'll be conscious tomorrow."

The NFL's Lunacy of Rookie Contracts

Eric Hobbs — Wed, 06 May 2009 11:27:55 -0400

Matthew Stafford will get nearly $42 million, no matter what he does in the NFL. To compare, during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, Larry Fitzgerald, one of the best overall players in the game today, will make a total of around $32 million. Let's break that down:

An established player who is young and perhaps the best at his position in the game, makes $32 million over two years.

A rookie has $42 million guaranteed, before you even get into the yearly salary.

There is an abundance of stupidity in the last few sentences I've written.

Given the fact that quarterbacks drafted in the first round are often a crapshoot (Akili Smith, anyone?), teams being forced to commit this much money and hoping they turn out to be decent is absurd. There is a salary cap in the NFL already, and it's time there is a new cap on contracts of players selected in the NFL Draft.

A cap fixes so many problems. First, many teams have come to dread the notion of having the first overall pick. Teams have recently looked to trade the pick, but as was the case with the Detroit Lions in April, no one even considered trading up.

While part of the reason is that there was no "sure thing" in this draft class, it is largely due to the fact that teams do not want to get sucked into throwing contracts fit for perennial Pro-Bowlers at kids young enough they are still halfway excited about being able to get a beer at a bar.

Secondly, a cap can prevent a team from investing so much in an unproven commodity and risking their near future. All the busts set teams back, creating more teams that teams can circle as a win three months before they even play.

With this risk gone, there can be more parody in the league, which any objective person will conclude is a good thing.

The third potential benefit is really just conjecture on my part, but I am confident this does happen. What has to be going on in the head of a college aged kid who is handed an eight figure amount of money no matter what happens.

These athletes often have been working towards the dream of being in the NFL, perhaps coming from low income backgrounds.

With their dreams realized and crazy amounts of money falling in their laps, I'd bet some of these guys simply lose some of their drive and motivation.

How motivated would you be to work if someone signed you to a contract where you got $42 million, no matter what you did?

A cap may not eliminate this problem, but it certainly would help curb it.

I would propose that the NFL place a cap on contracts for players taken in the NFL Draft so that they cannot contain more than $5 million in guarantees, and that they may not exceed $6 million a year. I would not limit the length of the contract.

My reasoning is this: Firstly, this rule would only have an effect on 10 draftees, maybe less. With a cap at this level, players would still be motivated to work in high school and college, but those players would keep that motivation in hopes of a mega-lucrative deal later on.

A limit like this would not place so much risk on franchises already struggling (hence the high draft pick to begin with). Teams could get that potential star, and draw fans back to see a "rebuilt" team without having to jack up ticket prices to cover the huge contract.

The NFL Draft and the current methods of paying out rookie contracts to draft picks is sort of like the stock market. While there are many safe and smart picks (late first round picks and their contracts), some are simply like Bank of America, demanding more capital (money), when you have no idea if that investment will make you rich or make you go bankrupt.

How Big a Surprise Are the St. Louis Cardinals?

Eric Hobbs — Sun, 03 May 2009 15:51:45 -0400

The NL Central was supposed to belong to the Chicago Cubs. They were the ones with the loaded lineup and enough pitching to carry them to another division crown.

A month into the season, there is a team with a loaded lineup and pitching to back it up, but instead of Cubbie Blue, this team wears Cardinal Red.

Currently at 17-8, the Cardinals have ridden the torrid start of reigning MVP Albert Pujols. With nine home runs, many believe Pujols is more focused than ever before.

One of the keys to Albert's success is how well he is protected. In the past, it was a problem, as no one could consistently find success batting cleanup behind Pujols.

This season, however, Ryan Ludwick has been just as productive as Albert, and he has forced pitchers to pitch more to Albert instead of simply walking him.

With the emergence of Chris Duncan after neck surgery, the Cardinal lineup includes as much power as it has seen in a long time. Pujols, Ludwick, Duncan, and Rick Ankiel all could easily hit 20 home runs.

Troy Glaus would be included in that list if not for his shoulder injury, which will sideline him until at least June. In his absence, both Brian Barden and Joe Thurston have contributed with stellar defense and solid, timely hitting.

The biggest question with the 2009 version of the St. Louis Cardinals was undoubtedly the pitching staff. Most expected Adam Wainwright to be a 15-game winner, but after that, no one knew what to expect.

Kyle Lohse has continued the success he found in 2008, starting 2009 with a 3-0 record and an ERA just under two.

Joel Pineiro had a lackluster 2008, but came into spring training in much better shape, and it has paid off. He currently owns a 4-1 record, and only gave up one earned run in the loss.

Despite the storylines with each of these pitchers, all the attention was centered on 2005 Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter, hoping to make his return.

In his first start, Carpenter looked dominant against the Houston Astros, and Cardinal nation rejoiced.

That all came to screeching halt in Arizona, when Carpenter strained a stomach muscle. He will miss time until the end of May.

A month into the season, the owners of the best record in baseball are poised to contend for yet another NL Central division crown, and could be in a position to get even better when Glaus and Carpenter return.

While the team that was supposed to run away with the division title sits a game over .500 in fourth place, the team that was supposed to be relegated to mediocrity is trying to steal that crown and turn the NL Central upside-down.

Fixing Talladega: Reverting Back To The Past?

Eric Hobbs — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:50:36 -0400

After Sunday's spectacular finish to the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, many are questioning the racing style and the safety measures taken to protect both fans and drivers. Carl Edwards, whose car hit Ryan Newman and flipped and spun into the fence separating fans from the track, said he thought nothing would change until someone was killed.

According to Dale Earnhardt Jr., the problem is not the speed of the cars, rather it is that so many cars are virtually on top of each other, meaning that one person's mistake will undoubtedly collect a large number of drivers.

The field of 43 cars is kept from separating by the air flow restrictor plates, which keep air from getting to the carburetor, limiting horsepower. This makes the draft vital to success, and thus, cars will be bunched together, often with 20 or more within a second of each other.

I believe the solution to this safety issue is to either use a much smaller plate or to eliminate it altogether.

In 1987, Bobby Allison blew a tire and was in an eerily similar wreck to the one Edwards was in on Sunday. Both were just before the finish line at Talladega, and both cars went airborne into the catchfence.

The Allison incident directly led to NASCAR creating the restrictor plate, hoping to prevent such scenes from happening again.

That plan has failed, and instead of solving the problem they were meant to solve, restrictor plates have now created problems, such as "the big one", a wreck that invariably occurs at some point during a race at a restrictor plate track (Daytona and Talladega) that wipes out many cars and often involves cars going airborne.

If the plates were gone, the field of cars would be able to spread itself out, like at other tracks. Instead of a cut tire taking out 15 cars, it could be just the one. The big one would never happen again, and races would be more entertaining. As it is now we run the risk of what happened Sunday happening again.

Some argue that speeds would be too high without restrictor plates. Bill Elliott once qualified at Talladega with an average speed of just over 212 miles an hour, and Rusty Wallace ran a test session without a restrictor plate a few years ago and topped 230 miles an hour.

While those are mind-boggling speeds, I don't believe they make the sport any more dangerous than it currently is. After all, the high speed crashes with violent spins and flips are rarely the ones that cause injuries. In such wrecks, like Richard Petty's wild ride at Daytona in 1988, energy is dissipated as and the driver absorbs less of the impact.

Mizzou Leaves Its Mark On NFL Draft

Eric Hobbs — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:47:56 -0400

The University of Missouri is not known as a school that traditionally churns out NFL stars. There are only two major names who played there, Kellen Winslow and Roger Wehrli, both NFL Hall of Famers.

That reputation may have begun to change this past weekend in the NFL draft, where six players were drafted, more than all but four teams in college football. That includes more picks than Big XII rivals Oklahoma, Texas, and Nebraska.

Jeremy Maclin was the first Tiger taken, third receiver taken, and the 19th overall pick to the Philadelphia Eagles. Maclin lands in a great situation, having Donovan McNabb as his quarterback, and having DeSean Jackson and Brian Westbrook there to divert attention.

Since he is two inches taller and 25 pounds heavier than Jackson, Maclin may prove to be more durable than the second-year receiver. The only thing that confuses me is what the future holds for Maclin as a returner, with Jackson and newly acquired cornerback and returner Ellis Hobbs already on the roster.

The final pick of the first round went to the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, who selected Ziggy Hood. He will have a year or two to develop under current Steelers defensive linemen Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith.

Head coach Mike Tomlin referred to Hood as a "high character guy", and is known to have the high-motor style of play the Steelers demand.

William Moore was the 55th pick overall in the second round to the Atlanta Falcons. Most believe he was only available this late because of a foot injury that hampered him much of the 2008 season.

The safety is known as a ballhawk, having grabbed eight interceptions during his All-American 2007 season. With his size, at 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, he may also be able to occasionally line up as an outside backer.

Tight end Chase Coffman was picked 98th overall in the fourth round by the Cincinnati Bengals. The 2008 Mackey Award winner as the nation's best tight end caught more passes than any tight end in the history of college football and has more touchdowns than anyone in Mizzou history.

He was projected potentially as a second-round pick before breaking his foot on the final play of his career in the Alamo Bowl. Because of the injury, he wasn't able to do anything at the combine and his stock dropped.

With the 139th pick in the fifth round, the Kansas City Chiefs selected offensive lineman Colin Brown. Many were not sure if the former college walk-on would be drafted at all, but the Chiefs are in need of a lot, and you simply cannot teach 6-foot-8 and 325 pounds. He proved to be an excellent right tackle, and has the size to help that success transfer into the NFL.

The final Tiger to be drafted was defensive end Stryker Sulak, going to the Oakland Raiders as the 199th overall pick in the sixth round. Sulak was known for his speed off the corner, often blowing by opposing linemen before they could move. Sulak may need to add 10 pounds or so of muscle to be a dominant run stopper, though.

With six Tigers drafted, Missouri has undoubtedly left its mark on this year's draft. Most teams' fans seem to be happy with the now former Tigers they have. Success in the NFL could be one of the final pieces needed to boost recruiting and take those final steps towards making Missouri Football a national power.