Bleacher Report - Articles by Ryan Colley

Richmond Preview: Let's Go Night Racing!!

Ryan Colley — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:52:01 -0400

The first short track night race of the season is set for tomorrow evening at Richmond International Raceway. The bumping and grinding are sure to follow the green flag and it won't stop even after the checkered flag waves.

Denny Hamlin, who won the Nascar Nationwide Series race on Friday evening and the pole for the Nextel Cup race, will definitely be geared up to start tomorrow night.

The fans will always hear the rumble of the cars going by each lap, but what may seem normal on the cover, may hide new beginnings on the pages to follow.

Morgan Shepherd, a long time Nascar driver, is coming close to finishing his career. Most people who watch Nascar view him as the driver who always quits after a handful of laps and ends up finishing nearly last.

It's what we don't know about Shepherd that may lead to a interesting future. The problem that Shepherd usually has is the lack of rubber. Its normal for him to run out of funds each week to provide enough sets of tires to run a complete race.

Shepherd runs his race team out of his personal garage in North Carolina, with only a nine man crew. He just can't run more than the handful of laps because the handling on the car goes sour.

Until the past week in Talladega, Shepherd had to back out of his previous seven races early because of the same situation, but, now a fellow driver is helping a man complete a career on a high note.

In Talladega, Morgan Shepherd finished the race in 13th place because he was able to run the entire race on one set of tires, but this week, where tires are more important, Tony Stewart has saved Shepherd's team the disappointment of backing out of the race due to handling.

Stewart, who is friends with Shepherd, opted to purchase the extra sets that his team needed so that the race could be completed. It shines some light on what can happen if the situation presents itself.

It's a huge help considering Goodyear tires cost around $400 per tire, bringing a set of four up to $1600. The cost of four sets or more can compound quite quickly. Its a huge undertaking for a single car owner/driver who is working out of his own garage to spend that money every week, especially when finishing last gives you minimal cash to spend.

It's extremely rare to see a situation like this, but this shows that it does in fact happen and hopefully, Morgan Shepherd can finish well at Richmond and continue his season finishing strong where he can, especially if he has the tires to do it.

Matt Walsh: Patriots Fans' Worst Enemy Will Speak to Spygate Allegations

Ryan Colley — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:47:39 -0400

As NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell leaves his Hawaiian abode for a meeting with former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh, New England fans sit and wait for the golf pro to "spill the beans" on our dynasty.

When the first batch, and supposedly only batch, of illegal tapes were confiscated and "destroyed," the issues took a back seat to the upcoming draft prospects and the news stories of Michael Vick and Pacman Jones.

Up until now, I was beginning to think that this had completely blown over. Perhaps the Patriots could resume the offseason with a few new additions and possibly do quite well in the upcoming season.

I soon found that it wasn't going to be so easy.

Walsh was kindly called upon by commissioner Goodell after he had been cleared of all potential lawsuits by the Patriots organization. The commissioner is looking to unveil extra details regarding Walsh's evidence of the Pats' alleged cheating.

Commissioner Goodell and Walsh plan to meet on May 13th to exchange this information.

Given the information received, the Patriots organization could suffer an even bigger blow.

Walsh has been told to refrain from speaking to any other media sources before this meeting occurs. He has also refrained from receiving any commercial gain from this incident.

Walsh's history with the Patriots organization spans from 1996 to 2002, when the Patriots let him go.

The ex-video assistant was with the team up until the 2002 Super Bowl—where the Rams locker room allegations surfaced.

The current evidence does not point to a taping ever taking place.

Senator Arlen Specter, the Republican leader of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is one who has kept this whole debate alive. He has voiced his dislike of the investigative process the NFL has put in place.

The issue that I have with Senator Specter is the fact that this is not his place. He should allow the NFL to handle its business without the constant badgering.

To me, Matt Walsh is the final sledgehammer that the Patriots must dodge.

After the evidence is revealed, whether proved or disproved, the whole Spygate issue will add more fuel to the Patriots' fire. It will allow them to dominate once again next season.

Stewart to Leave Gibbs Racing for Possible Ownership Options

Ryan Colley — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:22:17 -0400

Tony Stewart, a long time driver for Joe Gibbs Racing and The Home Depot has decided to move on with his career.

Stewart is making this move after winning 14 poles and 32 races under Gibbs, an astonishing career compared to many other currently active drivers.

Stewart, who still has the rest of this season and next season on his contract with Gibbs Racing has decided to prospect the idea of ownership/partnership of another Nascar team.

He has explicitly expressed interest in Haas CNC Racing, which operates two cars, one driven by Scott Riggs and the other being driven by different drivers on a weekly basis since the release of Jeremy Mayfield. Ken Schrader will attempt to qualify the 70 car this week at Talladega.

Stewart would like to consider taking up to 50 percent of the ownership responsibility associated with Haas CNC Racing. The situation would allow him to be an owner of the team as well as drive the 70 or 66 car.

The move is quite surprising considering the timeliness of the decision and the amount of time left on his contract with Gibbs Racing. Hopefully, Stewart can remain a top competitor when he moves to a new home in time for the 2010 Nascar Sprint Cup Series.

More will be available as it develops

Restrictor Plate Mayhem Ensues, Talladega and Daytona to Blame

Ryan Colley — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:45:44 -0400

Ok, so here's the scoop. The whole restrictor plate dilemma has to be set straight.

When last year's cars were being used at restrictor plate tracks such as Daytona and Talladega, the cars were faster and needed to be slowed down, but with the move to the new COT (Car of Tomorrow), we should reconsider.

First of all, the drivers should be ok with going fast considering it's their job and with all the new safety improvements that have focused attention on car structure and retainment walls known as "safer barriers", they should be willing to take that next step above 200mph.

The Sprint Cup series cars are quite capable of reaching this goal and qualifying records have been set that have exceeded it.

The second benefit arising from the removal of restrictor plates is the open racing versus the current tight pack racing, which causes the "big one" every now and then.

Allowing the drivers to open up their engines should bring a huge boost to the sport considering they will break the 200mph barrier for the first time in years. It's not like they're going to hit 250mph, but rather they may come close to 220 with the power under the hood.

It's just something that Nascar should consider to revive the popularity of those restrictor plate haters.

Red Sox-Angels: Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury Picks Up His First Multi-Homer Game

Ryan Colley — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:01:57 -0400

Jacoby Ellsbury tops off his night with a second home run against the Angels in the sixth inning against reliever Darren O'Day.

It all started in the first inning where Ellsbury, centerfielder for the Red Sox, crushed his first homer against Jered Weaver.

From that point on he has helped the Red Sox remain tied in the 8th inning with a score of six to six with relievers Okajima (Red Sox) and O'Day (Angels) pitching.

There is definitely more to come from Ellsbury as he had proven his worth beginning last season as a big play maker and he has continued this season and on into the future.

Scott Riggs: Dormant or Demolished?

Ryan Colley — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:07:22 -0400

As we approach Talladega, Scott Riggs has yet to record a win as a Nascar Sprint Cup driver. Riggs' new sponsor, State Water Heaters hoped for good to come out of his transition from Gillette Evernham racing.

This move over Haas CNC Racing has left him in a good position to move up in the Nascar Sprint Cup series.

Leaving the Nationwide series was good for Riggs, especially since he won four races, had 19 top five finishes, and 30 top ten finishes in two full seasons. The move to Gillette Evernham was his true test

A rough start is an understatement after replacing Johnny Benson in the Valvoline Dodge, who had a lower than average career in the Sprint Cup series.

Riggs managed to remain winless for his first season under Ray Evernham, but a second chance was given.

In his second season, he again logged zero wins and a mediocre overall standing among the other drivers. Entering the current season, he has four top five finishes and 15 top ten finishes, nothing to get excited about.

When Evernham gave Riggs the boot at the end of last season in favor of Patrick Carpentier, it gave Riggs a new lease on his Nascar career. Haas CNC Racing seemed like the place where that could happen.

Joining Haas CNC Racing has benefited Riggs in the fact that he has somewhat lower expectations as a driver. Under Evernham, he was shadowed by Kasey Kahne and Elliot Sadler, each of which were performing quite well.

Now, Riggs could settle back down and get into racing in a fresh setting with a few years under his belt.

Since that point, Riggs has been doing better overall in the standings and on the track in general. His qualifying runs have proved to be a little better and he has had a more reliable average finishing position than prior years.

He has had a few mishaps, but they are primarily bad timing and cannot be avoided. Riggs will be the new face for Haas CNC for a while if all remains well, but if not, he could end up being thrown from the series altogether.

Money, Money, Money: Forgetting the Spirit of the Game

Ryan Colley — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:17:34 -0400

When you grow up dreaming of your future as an astronaut or a fireman, is money truly a factor?

It’s obvious when you finally get a grasp of the concept, but we have gone too far with the salaries of current professional sports stars.

The question is this, why do we award Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson millions of dollars for memorizing plays and catching a football?

That money could be invested elsewhere in our world. It could pay for local relief projects or help to pay the salaries of local teachers who actually matter more to the nth degree than our sports stars.

It's true that star wide receivers, centers, point guards, and goalies also earn money through product sales and other organizational income. But why can't we divert some of this money to a better cause?

I know that a lot of the organizations in professional sports are associated with charities, like the Red Cross or an autism foundation. Diverting more money would allow an increased impact within local communities and around the world.

Another problem that I have with cocky people like Chad Johnson is the fact that there have been cases, maybe not with Chad specifically, where the player is demanding more money. The millions he receives each year are not enough to feed his family?

I'm sorry that we can't increase your pay up to $15 million a year. Everyone knows that $10 million is just getting by!

The poverty line is around $10,000 for a single person per year, so having a salary of $10 million per year is something far from struggling.

The solution is to divert money to needy organizations through donations. We have some of the most profitable sports teams in the world. We need to show what we can do with it besides just competing for a trophy.

The maximum salaries for many players need to be dropped to around $1 million per year, which is still a large sum. All of this excess money can be used to benefit outside organizations that truly need the help.

It can add to the campaign of NFL Cares, which has made great progress so far. It’s one of those steps that could make a difference in the world, even make a better world.

Boston Bruins: Zdeno Chara in the Running for Norris Trophy?

Ryan Colley — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:24:02 -0400

Although he only managed to score a single goal and achieve one assist during the 2007-2008 NHL playoffs, Zdeno Chara will be able to shine a ray of light on the city as the offseason begins in Boston.

Chara, with 17 goals and 34 Assists during the 2007-2008 season was recently named as a contender of the James Norris Memorial Trophy given to the defensive player who demonstrates a rounded playing ability throughout the season.

Showing this type of ability, Chara participated in 77 of the team's games and contributed 207 shots on goal. Although his shooting percentage was only 8.2 and his penalty minutes topped the charts with 114, he managed to contribute towards the playoff run this year along with LW Marco Sturm, RW Chuck Kobasew, and C Philip Kessel, each contributing a higher number of goals for the team.

Boston, finishing 8th in the Eastern Conference and 15th in the league allowed them to be placed as the 8th seed among the other Eastern Conference teams including number one seed Montreal, their first round match-up.

Montreal led the series 3-1 after four games, but Boston wasn't going quietly. The Bruins were able to win the next two games behind great production from their lines.

Unfortunately, game seven was a Canadien night, with Montreal finishing the bruins off after what looked like a possible miracle comeback.

With players like Chara, Sturm, Kobasew, Kessel, and Savard the Bruins have shown that they can truly achieve a higher level and with the possibility of Chara recieving the Norris Trophy, they have more positives to look forward to that don't include being the laughing stock of the Eastern Conference

Spygate: The Truth Behind the Patriots and Their Supposed Cheating

Ryan Colley — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:56:05 -0400

Being a Pats fan for the past 21 years, I know the in and outs of their style and how they operate on a day to day basis.

Bill Belichick, their infamous head coach with three super bowl wins with the Pats, has nothing to fear from the media complaining of possible cheating allegations.

The problem that arises is the constant bantering from coaches, players, and club presidents to force the Patriots to give up all of their super bowl wins.

Here's where they are wrong.

The past three super bowl wins occurred before the allegations even arose and there was never enough evidence to suggest that they had been videotaping games more than the past few games before the tapes were confiscated.

The other interesting facts that arose from this are the fact that coaches change their signals every game (to throw off coaches), and even if the Patriots did know the signals from prior meetings, they would still have to execute the plays to perfection.

Some people will say, "well, it makes it easier to execute a play if you know what it's going to be." My answer to that is the fact that they play the Jets, Dolphins, and Bills more than every other team, so chances are they know a few of their tricks and other plays.

Another issue that arises is the relationship between Eric Mangini, the coach of the Jets, and Bill Belichick.

The two have clashed in the past where Mangini was under Belichick as an assistant coach. Since that point, their relationship has been sour. The point of this is to show the coincidence of the allegations posed against the Patriots when they were playing against the Jets. It's a dead giveaway that Mangini wanted to get back at the Patriots in some way that ended up being a distraction all season.

I would have to say that the distraction failed. Going 18-1 on the season was amazing and a thing of beauty. Losing in the Super Bowl is okay after their great season.

I am just pissed at the media and how they handle sports in general. There are issues of global warming, oil prices, and genocide and they choose to spend more effort on the Patriots and their "Spygate."

I hope that the Patriots come back this season, with a new linebacking core, and prove for every hater out there, that they are the best team in history.