Bleacher Report - Articles by Valeri Kolessar

Key to Winning: Reid Between the Lines

Valeri Kolessar — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:36:53 -0400

The air is changing, the leaves are turning, and sounds of “boo” fill the air. Halloween is still eight weeks away. So the sounds must mean another season of Eagles football is upon us.

The armchair quarterbacks are geared for at least 16 weeks of cheering, grumbling, whining, and shouting. And praying for even more with hopes of making the playoffs.

Every season starts with its share of optimism and concern. But not too many have had the level of controversy we see this year.

By now, Philadelphia football fans have gotten over the shock of Michael Vick wearing Eagles green. He’ll be eligible to play in Week Three against Kansas City. The Birds have a bye the following week, giving Philly fans and sportscasters an extra week to bemoan his level of play.

With McNabb looking in what may be his best form, signing Vick may prove to be a stroke of genius by Andy Reid. Opposing teams will have their hands full trying to defend against the weapons this Philadelphia offense presents.

Donovan has faced adversity since the day he was drafted by the Eagles. Busloads of fans traveled to New York to strong arm management into drafting another player with a background eerily similar to Vick’s. We all know how that turned out. Ricky Williams became more famous as the poster boy for anti-drug campaigns than as a star running back.

But Ricky would have owed the Dolphins $5 million had he chosen to smoke grass instead of bury his cleats into it. New team ownership decided to give him one more chance. And in his first full season back on the gridiron, he gained almost 1000 yards.

We may see Vick prove that he, too, can overcome a storied past.

Yet for all the quarterback talk, any team’s strength depends on who controls the line of scrimmage.

This is where the current team bears only a slight resemblance to the Birds who came one game short of last year’s Super Bowl. Gone are the familiar names of Brian Dawkins, Jon Runyun and Tra Thomas.

Even Brett Favre in 1995 form would struggle without the protection of a tight offensive line.

The Andrews brothers remain a mystery. Let’s hope their preseason problems were merely a ruse to keep opposing defensive coordinators guessing.

Expect the Eagles defense to live up to their legend, despite their losses.

With Dawkins, the Eagles lost more than his field talent. Trent Cole can fill the sack gap. His leadership will be a harder role to fill.

Jason Babin is a bright spot coming out of training camp. He played in all four preseason games, recording 14 tackles and three sacks.

Gaither will be formidable against the pass, Bunkley and Patterson can stuff runners in their tracks.

Perhaps the biggest question on defense is how tall Sean McDermott can stand in the shadow of Jim Johnson. I’m thinking that shadow may quickly fade with the glimmer of a Super Bowl ring.

Robby Gordon: Nascar's Most Underrated Driver

Valeri Kolessar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:31:53 -0400

Once upon a time there were men whose sole passion in life was to race a stock car.

These men spent their weekdays pounding out the dents from the previous week’s competition to have their car ready in time to make the next event. They turned the wrenches, they swung the hammers. They tweaked and tuned the motor until it roared using their own two hands.

If they were lucky, they had one good friend at their side to offer whatever help they could lend. And they had to take care of their hot rods on the track, as they were often their only transportation back home after the race.

As stock car racing became popular in the U.S., so did the dependence on marketing revenue. A new day had dawned in the sport we love.

Mega teams emerged. Those with the largest bankroll could attract the largest sponsors, therefore pay the highest driver salaries, hire the brightest engineers, and stock their shops with cutting-edge technology.

Yes, it became a microcosm of American society where money equaled power. Those who have the most money to throw at any challenge are those most likely to overcome them. And we can all see where those values have landed this great nation.

A lone driver still fits the old school mold.

There are others labeled owner/driver, but only one fits the true definition. Without mega team affiliation and resources, without millions of dollars in manufacturer seed money, Robby Gordon has built his race team from the ground up. Now, in his fourth season of operations, his efforts are starting to pay off.

He is building some wicked fast hot rods in a shop that rivals those of the mega teams. Robby is the only independent one-car team firmly within the top 35 in owner points. His first win in Robby Gordon Motorsports equipment won’t be far behind.

There are drivers, and then there are racers. A driver will get behind the wheel of their preferred style of race car and do his job week in and week out. He doesn’t concern himself with setup, that’s someone else’s forte. Drivers want to win and bask in the media attention surrounding them.

But a racer will hop into anything with wheels and push it to the max. They don’t have an option in life, they live and breath for the thrill found behind the wheel. Motoring a race car is their obsession.

A racer understands how cars work and brings them to life. Count Robby among the best. Not only has he won in just about every racing series on the planet, but he does it with style. His accomplishments are well documented. Those of you unfamiliar with his profile can find it in my previous blog, On the Road With Robby Gordon.

I’ve never seen anyone control a car better than Robby. Look no further back than last week at Loudon when a wreck was happening all around him. Robby slams on his breaks, puts the No. 7 into a 180 degree spin and locks it up. Not a scratch on it. Another 15 feet and his day would have ended.

Robby Gordon symbolizes what’s missing in America today—when hard work and determination earn you their just reward.

Lasting success doesn’t come overnight. He’s had to fight hard for everything he’s earned, but Robby’s never been one to follow the path of least resistance. He can be a regular race winner in several series right now, or he can compete with the best, driving NASCAR and earn his place among racing’s elite.

Robby loves a challenge. He doesn’t appeal to everybody, fans either love him or hate him.

Along with this new generation of racing came a new generation of fans that appreciate a sport quite different than what we knew and loved. Many fans follow a driver with adoration akin to rock star devotion and want the glitter and glamour of the spotlight.

Robby doesn’t care about the spotlight, he just wants to compete.

Hardcore race fans that still cherish all the sport was meant to be will recognize Robby Gordon as the greatest driver competing in the sport today.

On The Road With Robby Gordon

Valeri Kolessar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:47:10 -0400

On the road or off-road, it matters not to Robby Gordon as long as he’s competing. While most NASCAR drivers take time out on their days away from the track to indulge in hunting, fishing or family activities, Robby’s searching out the next venue to drive the wheels off of whatever vehicle he can hop into. The guy’s a winner in almost every racing series that runs on motor. He’s finished P1 in Motorcross, CART, IMSA, and Trans-Am with 2nd place finishes in five of his eight IROC starts. He led the 1999 Indianapolis 500 for 33 laps before running out of fuel on the last lap to finish fourth.

Impressive? You bet. But it’s Off-Road where Robby reigns supreme. Winner of five consecutive SCORE Off-Road championships (six overall), Robby has three coveted Baja 1000 and four Baja 500 overall victories to his credit. He finished the grueling 2008 Dakar Rally 2nd overall, and was the first American to win a stage at the 2005 event.

So it comes as no surprise that he’s among the favorites to win this weekend’s first road course event of the season at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

In a recent interview on Speed TV’s Trackside, Robby summed up his strategy for the 2009 racing season. He started testing his road course program at Road Atlanta in early May. They were very good, and went testing every single week for the entire month.

“Taking Kyle Busch out of the equation, there’s 20 guys who can win races on any given weekend. When you go to a road course there’s seven of us, maybe five.” said Robby. “If we can be prepared and focused and have a 20% shot of winning that race, and have all our I’s dotted and cross our T’s, we’re going to go for it.”

Winner of the 2003 event at Infineon, Robby knows a little bit about conquering this 1.99 mile road course. It was one of three wins the driver earned while racing for Richard Childress Racing. His other two victories came at New Hampshire and Watkins Glen.

Robby is in a class of his own on the NASCAR circuit. He left RCR to become an owner/driver in 2005, just as the sport was entering the era of mega teams. Robby’s remained competitive despite team disparity, and remains the only bona fide owner/driver in the sport. There are others holding the same position, Michael Waltrip built his team from the ground up with substantial help from Toyota. And Tony Stewart’s success sprang from acquiring an existing team complete with Hendrick chassis and engines. Gordon builds his own equipment with substantial help from, well… himself. He’s focused on doing it his way.

Just like he’s focused on winning at Sonoma. The rest of the field better watch out.